Tag Archives: yoga

Expectations and Abundance

Happy July, Friends.

Just a reminder that there are no yoga classes scheduled for July.  Instead, look for times throughout your days and weeks when you can savor a practice of postures, breath work, mindfulness, and relaxation.  Maybe you won’t find time for all of these at once, but perhaps some combination of these practices, or even just one.  A yoga practice all your own could even emerge from an effort to be curious about how yoga can be folded into your daily life.

I’m planning to be spontaneous with my yoga practice and go with the flow of my family’s mid-summer rhythm, which isn’t very clear.  It might mean I’ll practice at dawn or at mid-day nap time, in the evening, or after everyone’s tucked into bed.  Most likely, I’ll practice in the midst of some beautiful chaos.  And surely there will be days in which I don’t have a formal practice at all.

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I’ve recently enjoyed a 30-day meditation immersion and plan to keep on meditating, in one way or another, forever.  Because of this I’m taking some of the lovely lessons I’ve learned into the future and am currently practicing not allowing “the ‘perfect’ to be the enemy of the good.”  I’m also just off a week of exchanging gratitude emails with a friend, which has been enlightening.  I’ve realized that at times I compare myself to others and can become negative and self-pitying.  Also, when I harbor a sense of lack, whether in reference to things, money, or time, I tend to function from a state of frantic grasping.  However, in times when I focus on the good, the here and now, the wealth of joys at my fingertips, I am awash with restfulness and ease.

So, I declare July to be the month of letting go of expectations and the month of embracing abundance.  Care to join me?  Write me an email and let me know.

Happy Practicing!

The Catholic Yogi

amysecrist6@gmail.com

Summer is on Its Way ~ Summer Yoga Class Schedule 2015

Long days, short sessions ~ Summer Yoga Class Offerings
with Amy Secrist

Summer brings change. Please read through
the new class offerings (and locations) below.

Yoga for Life Benefit Class

Monday, June 1, No Limits Studio
5:15-6:45pm
Donation

Yoga for Life is an easy-going all-levels class. We will engage in a mindful exploration of breathing and moving that will not only benefit our bodies, minds, and spirits, but will also benefit the members of our community through our donations. You are enthusiastically invited to give items or cash donations that will help stock the food pantry at Catholic Charities in Mansfield. No pre-registration is needed, and you need not participate in class in order to donate!

Two Short Sessions

Family Yoga

Mondays, 9:00-9:45am, No Limits Studio
Session 1: June 8, 15, 22, 29; $48 per family group
(or $15 drop-in fee with instructor permission)
Session 2: August 3, 10, 17; $36 per family group
(or $15 drop-in fee with instructor permission)

Family Yoga is a class dedicated to the child’s yoga journey.  Parents, grandparents, caregivers and their children share the joys of mindful breathing and moving. Each class will explore a different imaginative landscape. Come breathe, laugh, and play! (Ages two and up, though baby siblings are welcome to hangout in mom or dad’s arms and enjoy the vibe.)

{Pre-registration highly encouraged as space is limited. Contact amysecrist6@gmail.com}

Ashtanga-Based Power Yoga

Mondays, 5:15-6:45pm, No Limits Studio
Session 1: June 8, 15, 22, 29; $40 ($15 drop-in fee)
Session 2: August 3, 10, 17; $30 ($15 drop-in fee)

Ashtanga-Based Power Yoga is grounded in the traditional Ashtanga tradition.  This is a focused, 90-minute, all-levels class designed to build strength and flexibility through vigorous movement and the use of the ujjayi (victorious) breath. We will spend time working on individual poses, as well as cultivating the “flow,” linking movement to movement through the breath, which is one of the joys of vinyasa (moving and breathing at the same time on purpose). We will learn modifications that support us where we are weak and ones that challenge us where we are strong. This class is open to beginners, however, it is not recommended for those recovering from illness or injury. Please be prepared to work hard, as many of the sequences are physically demanding.

{Pre-registration is encouraged. Contact amysecrist6@gmail.com}

Yoga on the Lawn

Saturdays, 9:30-10:30am, Mansfield Art Center (on the lawn)
No set fee. (Donations appreciated.)
Session 1: June 6, 13, 20, 27
Session 2: August 1, 8, 15, 22

Yoga on the Lawn is a gentle, all-levels class in which we will cultivate mindfulness through movement and breath work. We will practice postures and mindful breathing to create space within the body for healing and to bring about an overall sense of well-being.

Dew-soaked grass and sunny skies can make for an invigorating yoga practice, and surrounding trees can provide ample shade.  Please bring a mat, blanket, towel, or even sunglasses as you see fit.  As this class is held outdoors, inclement weather is a concern. Please register so that you will be notified if class is cancelled.

Locations

No Limits Studio:
Upper Level, 106 Delaware St., Lexington, Ohio 44903; 419-545-1148. (Keep in mind, the studio is located at the top of a large flight of stairs.)

Mansfield Art Center:
700 Marion Ave., Mansfield, Ohio, 44906; 419-756-1700

Pre-Registration

You may pre-register for class and secure your place by mailing your payment to Amy Secrist. Please email amysecrist6@gmail.com for mailing address. Simply state the class you wish to register for in the memo line.

Contact

Feel free to email questions or comments to amysecrist6@gmail.com.

Oasis

See control’s mirage
leading us trekking,
crawling, grasping
the course ground
through dry, gritty heat.

Throw out your arms.

Cross the bridge to trust, to faith, to hope,
to letting go, to releasing, to receiving, to believing.
Take child’s pose and crawl into the arms of God’s cradle.