Mindfulness

Why I Love Yoga Nidra

January 17th, 2020 | By: Jan Wheeler | Posted in Blog, Classes and Practices, Mindfulness

I love magic and mystery and Yoga Nidra is magical and mysterious.

I love juxtapositions and Yoga Nidra invites us to see opposites working together.

I love feeling grounded in the body but yet expansive and Yoga Nidra creates both.

I love the process of self-discovery and increased self-awareness and Yoga Nidra fosters these.

I love new experiences that can be challenging but are so worth it and Yoga Nidra does that.

I love feeling more solid in myself yet connected with all that it and that’s what Yoga Nidra does for me.

New Year, New Mind

December 24th, 2019 | By: Susan Mathis | Posted in Blog, Classes and Practices, Mindfulness
As we move into the new year, the new decade, each of us has the opportunity to wipe away the old and intentionally step forward into the new. Meditation practice offers the same benefit, the opportunity to step out of the conditioned patterns of the mind and step into a new space of being, a new relationship with the moment.
 
Meditation practice is central to the practices of yoga and, in fact, IS the point of the practice itself, creating space between the thoughts. Put simply, meditation is a practice in which we train our minds to maintain a steady focus in order to strengthen our attention, deepen our awareness, and cultivate happiness, well-being, and stable peace of mind.
 
We are fortunate to have a teacher with the skill and knowledge of meditation practices that Lynn Rossy brings to the studio. If you desire to begin or cultivate a deeper practice of meditation I invite you to join her for Intro to Meditation on Tuesdays in January. Learn more and register below:
 
 
May we all find inner peace and joy in the coming year. ~ Susan

Staying Sane in a Turbulent World

November 6th, 2018 | By: Susan Mathis | Posted in Blog, Conscious Living, Mindfulness, Morning Meditations, Yoga On and Off the Mat

Outside a gentle rain is falling on the tin roof of the cabin. Curled up in bed with my laptop, the slanted ceiling of the bedroom loft is alive with the sound of rain. My gaze lands on the sloped hillside outside the second story window where the colors of fall light up the landscape even through the rain. The leaves of the trees blow freely in the wind. I am present, tuned into the clicking of the keys as I type, the rhythm of the breath inside me, and the changing beat of the drops on the roof. In this moment, the world is safe and quiet, a simple heaven of sight, sound and touch.  

This week I am spending a few days in a cabin in the woods, hiking, writing, and watching the stars. For a time, the rhythm of the days are not determined by the ping of the phone, the arrival of emails and the busy preparation for yoga class, offering my energy and presence to others; for a time I am offering the gift of presence to myself. The reward of this attention is clarity, inner quiet, and the exquisite sweetness of moving slowly. The morning rain is an added bonus, a message from nature to take my time. Read More »

Patience and Letting Go

October 7th, 2018 | By: Lynn Rossy | Posted in Blog, Conscious Living, Mindfulness, Yoga On and Off the Mat

At the end of my recent nine day training at the Kripalu Yoga Center in Lenox, Massachusetts, I was asked to reflect on what I wanted to remember about being there and the teachings I learned. If I reduced this to two words, they would be “patience” and “letting go.”

For me, patience most often happens when I have taken the time to center myself in the morning in preparation for the day ahead. Then, throughout the day, using my breath to relax and soften into life just as it is has been invaluable. Maybe it’s a “letting go” breath (deep breath in, big exhale with a sigh) or maybe it’s a longer meditation that’s required and it can mean the difference from being caught in striving or centering softly into the present. Read More »

Revealing the Hidden

November 6th, 2017 | By: Susan Mathis | Posted in Blog, Kripalu Yoga, Mindfulness, Morning Meditations, Poetry, Yoga On and Off the Mat

Transparent

Fallen leaves disguise the path, drawing my gaze toward the upper reaches of the forest.
Barren trees open up a landscape of tree trunks and branches in myriad colors of grey and brown.
Fingers of sunlight travel down jagged ravines, highlighting the remaining green and yellow foliage.
Rocky bluffs and cliffs appear, showing the rugged character of rock worn down by time.
The foundation of the earth is unmasked as November slips from colorful glory into quiet release.
Center stage, the forest’s scaffolding is exposed.
The hidden is revealed.

~sm 11-6-16

Yesterday I headed to the forest for a solo hike. Leaves crunching under my feet, the sounds of nature replaced the cacophony of voices, cars and technology. My eye was drawn upward to tree trunks and branches, the building blocks of the forest. With fall color receding, my attention was drawn to things I would never see during the “peak” of autumn color.
 
In yoga, the quiet practices of pranayama and restorative asana are similar to my experience in nature yesterday. When the body becomes still, the beauty of our inner essence rises to the surface. As we move from the distracted world of doing and attend to the subtle sensations of body and breath, we arrive in the world of Being. In stillness the hidden pieces of who we are can be seen. Transparent, there is nothing to hide the quiet beauty of our inner Wholeness. 
 
Meditation, restoration yoga, and quiet practices offer a gift; deeper knowledge of your inner song. Take time to listen to that melody. 
 
Jai Bhagwan. Victory to the Light of Awareness within each of us.
 
Susan
 
 
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