So I suddenly realized that some of you only want to know what is going on at Yoga Path without having to read the whole newsletter.  So I will put that first:

The Schedule remains the same…we will be adding a Teens and Preteens class mid-September.

”
I just read the book ‘faster better stronger’ by Dr. Eric Heiden, Five-time Olympic gold medalist and Orthopedic Surgeon  -  this is what he has to say about flexibility exercises:

“The importance of flexibility in your life cannot be overstated.  Without it, your ability to do either aerobics or strength building - is slowly eroded as you age, as is your ability to perform or enjoy normal daily activities.”  He goes on to say, “Your muscles naturally stiffen as the years pile up.  As you age, your muscle cells die and are replaced.  When you do not engage in activities to increase your flexibility, your muscles lose collagen along with contractile fibers, which are strong and flexible, and these are replaced with fibrotic cells, which are less elastic and stiffer, akin to scar tissue.  As that happens, you lose strength and flexibility.  However, if you perform flexibility exercises, your dying muscle cells are instead replaced with flexible, contractile fibers, and go on to contract another day. ( The muscle fibers in your heart can also stiffen with age but remain flexible with exercise.)
And more, “The aerobic and strength-training exercise you’ll be doing will also cause your muscles to contract.  Stretching exercises bring muscles back to their proper length.  As you will see, it’s better to stretch after warming up, which sets in motion greater blood flow to your extremities as well.  The adrenaline you naturally release when you are under stress also causes muscles to contract and tighten; stretching loosens their grip and relieves tension.  Likewise, muscles shorten with lack of use, and joints freeze up  This can cause a hunched or curled posture and limbs.  The process can be speeded up by disease but also by lack of movement.  If you have ever spent time in a cast, you’ve probably experienced a frozen joint.  Not moving your joints regularly in their FULL RANGE OF MOTION causes the sleeve over your joints to shrink down to the smallest size possible for the range within which you are using the joint.  If you move your joints only thirty degrees, after five years your joints will be able to move only thirty degrees.  Without exercise that takes your joints through their full range of motion, you may eventually have difficulty taking off your shirt or shoes, combing your hair, putting on a necklace, or picking up objects from the floor.  These are commonly the first symptoms people notice.  People with sedentary jobs or lifestyles are most vulnerable.  Core muscles - your trunk and pelvis - are not immune either.  A flexibility routine that strengthens your core muscles will furnish the brace of support needed to help you prevent poor posture, lower back pain and muscle injuries such as hernias.”

“Whenever you catch yourself expressing an opinion in thought, word, or deed, realize that you’ve just nailed a belief that’s busy at work building your life around you.”

Namaste’
Kimberly

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT YOGA PATH?

FIRST OF ALL I WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT YOGA PATH IS NOW OFFERING A FREE
COMMUNITY YOGA CLASS ON SATURDAYS AT 4:30 P.M.  IT IS OUR INTENTION TO GIVE BACK TO YOU, OUR COMMUNITY, AS A THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT.  THIS PROMISES TO BE A GREAT CLASS WHERE YOU CAN BRING FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

1.  Special for our female students ‘MINDFULLY FEMININE’ on Saturdays at 1:30 p.m.  Your teacher Christy is first of all a mother who practices Yoga and she has special training in Prenatal Yoga.

2.  Robin is letting go of his  7:00 p.m. Meditation classes on Mondays and Thursdays and opting to teach a strenous ‘VINYASA FLOW’ on Mondays at 6 p.m. instead.  If you would like to challenge yourself and have a lot of fun - be sure to try this new class.

3.  Intro to Yoga or ‘YOGA FOR NEWBIES’ is moving from Saturday morning at 8:45 to Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.

4.  Bev and I have changed the name of our Vinyasa Flow classes to SOFT FLOW - with the intent of making sure that it is accessible for students of all levels - a moving meditation.  Also, please note that Bev’s morning classes will now begin at 9:30 to give mother a little extra time getting to class.

5.  Aaron is sticking with his popular CORE classes on Wednesdays and Sundays - However he is letting go of the Monday 6:15 a.m. Power Hour due to low attendance.

*Please check our website for updated CLASS DESCRIPTIONS and SCHEDULES at:
www.yoga-path.org

**Also, on the home page of our website you will find a link for our Yoga Path fan page on Facebook.  Please check it out - ask questions, connect with other yogis and yoginis in your community or post comments.

JUST A THOUGHT:

With all of the New Age focus on Visualization and Intention (which I appreciate and support), it is important that we understand that these practices must be supported by our energy.  We must move in the direction that we wish to travel.

“People often ask me if I know the secret of success, and if I could tell others how to make their dreams come true.  My answer is, you do it by working.”  - Walt Disney

“Practice is the best of all instruction.” - Aristotle

“99% Practice 1% Theory.” - K.Pattabhi Jois

Love and Peace;
Kimberly

The fullness of summer is upon us with warmth and light.  We find ourselves enjoying a sense of completeness. If we are parents to school age children then our schedules may change drastically during the summer.  The kids are home and their smiling faces add joy to our days as we delight in spending more time together.  We must also be careful to take care of ourselves and feel good about it.  If you are the primary caretaker of your children be sure to keep yourself fortified with times of solitude and reflection.  Stay with an exercise program that keeps you feeling strong and energized - away from the children for a period of time every day if possible.  There are many great summer camps for kids.  Or you could arrange a schedule with friends or family for helping each other get some alone time.

A famous Vedic verse says, “It is our duty to the rest of mankind to be perfectly healthy, because we are ripples in the ocean of consciousness, and when we are sick, even a little, we disrupt cosmic harmony.” - Deepak Chopra

If you enjoy good health, treasure it and if you are on a healing path, embrace it.  Eat wisely, sleep early, get a lot of movement into your daily routine,  Also be aware that we tend to think the same thoughts over and over again.  Our thoughts trigger our emotions and our emotions definitely effect our health.  Observe your thoughts and be sure to release any that cause emotional distress. Then fill the void of the released negative thought with an alternative positive thought or affirmation. Rather than being controlled by your thoughts - seek to master your own mind.

What is Happening at Yoga Path?

We are still offering two weeks of unlimited yoga for $25.00 to all first time students.  If you love the studio and enjoy our classes please bring friends and relatives in to try this special offer.

The schedule at yoga path remains the same except for the Wednesday Yoga for Stiffer Bodies which will no longer be on the schedule.

We will take a break for the following holidays:
July 4th and July 22nd - 25th

Love and Peace;
Kimberly

Things that cannot last
seem to us as if they will.
Yoga Sutra  II.5A  “

“It is talking about our lives,”  I replied quietly.
“Our friends, our family, our work, our own bodies.
When they are there,  in front of us - when we can see them, and touch them -
it seems as though they will always be there.
But then they always leave us.”
- How Yoga Works by Geshe Michael Roach and Christie McNally

Our schedule for May remains the same - let me mention here that yoga teachers enjoy fun in the sun and summer vacations too.  So you may find us subbing for each other throughout the summer.  May you take something from each class and each teacher……..we receive so much from being in your company.
Our summer special is now in effect:  Three months of unlimited yoga for the exceptional price of $225.00.  This will have you in solid for the months of May, June and July so take yourself to a higher dimension. What would happen if you were to double or triple your practice time?  Would it really make a difference in the way you feel?  Experience the answer for yourself.

“My yoga practice became a flowing uncensored music of the soul that felt more like a prayer than a practice of postures.”
- Yogi Amrit Desai

How do we measure our progress?

It is important to know that our time is well spent and making a difference in our lives.  The sure sign of progress in any practice lies in observing that our physical, mental and emotional reactions toward LIFE become more positive.  We feel better through and through.  I would like to share the humorous account of this ‘change’ from Structural Yoga Therapy by Mukunda Stiles:

Watch for the signs of peace, as they are the developing of stability in sattva guna.  As you develop in the fullness of yoga life-style, there are signals that events are taking place that may be beyond your control.  These symptoms are a wonderful ease (not dis-ease) that is contagious.  You are cautioned to share them with everyone you meet.

1.    A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than from fear;
2.    An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment;
3.    Loss of interest in judging others;
4.    Loss of interest in judging yourself;
5.    Loss of interest in interpreting the actions others;
6.    Loss of interest in conflict;
7.    Loss of ability to worry (a very serious symptom);
8.    Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation;
9.    Feeling connected with others and with nature;
10.  Frequent attacks of smiling for no apparent reason at all;
11.  Increased tendency to let things happen, rather than make them happen;
12.  Increased susceptibility to giving and receiving love.

If you have more than three of the above symptoms, please be advised that your condition may be too advanced to return to your former self.  If you become exposed to someone exhibiting these symptoms, remain exposed at your own risk.

If you are living with any of these ‘problems’ - let’s be close friends;
Kimberly

April   Newsletter  and Updates:

March Newsletter and Updates:
Dear Friends;

I would like to begin our newsletter this month with a reminder about the importance of daily meditation. I know that this word can seem very heavy to a lot of people but truthfully it can be simpler than one might imagine. My DEAR husband finds his meditative moments on the ski slope and I know others who feel connected with that Peace when out in nature. The important part lies in making it a daily routine - schedule some time during each day for silent alertness. Perhaps at the end of your yoga asana practice after shavasana. The time is entirely self determined but intention and consistency are needed for meditation to be effective. Once you have a daily practice to keep yourself centered and grounded then spontaneous experiences of meditation are likely to occur.

Maybe you are not the type to get up early and sit quietly but can you hear the birds singing in the morning light. Can you spend 10 or more minutes just listening to their song? Maybe you can go deeper than that…hear the silence that surrounds their beautiful melodies. Be aware of the void from which their sounds come and again disappear into momentarily. Find your peace in that powerful silent space. Spring is a fresh starting place - plum full of potential.

“A lamp does not flicker in a place where no winds blow; so it is with a yogi, who controls his mind, intellect, and self, being absorbed in the spirit within him. When the restlessness of the mind, intellect, and self is stilled through the practice of yoga, the yogi by the grace of the Spirit within himself finds fulfillment. Then he knows the joy eternal.”

- Krishna speaking to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita

I am happy to report that there are only very slight changes to our schedule for the month of March:

PRENATAL moves to 3:30-4:45 on SATURDAY and our FRIDAY RESTORE changes to 4:00 p.m.
All other classes remain the same.

Love and Peace;
Kimberly

It looks like New Years resolutions are strong for 2010 as the turnout at the studio has been fantastic! May this be a transformational year as we take responsibility for the course of our lives.
Some of you have been practicing yoga postures and flow for quite some time and others of you are fairly new to the practice. For those long time practitioners the strengthening and healing power of a consistent yoga workout has obviously become undeniable. And for our newbies I’m sure you are finding that it doesn’t take long to feel a difference in your body.

Asana practice is important for allowing us to feel physically comfortable. I encourage you all to move a step further and explore another yogic practice: Pranayama or yogic breathing exercises. They work to reduce lethargy and mental darkness. We already have some experience with the power of breath work through the use of Ujjayi breathing in our Asana classes. We have first hand knowledge of the intimate link between: breath and body - breath and mind. We have felt the magical way that Ujjayi breath energizes the body, quiets the mind and calms the nervous system. There is so much more! So many more tools for cleansing and nourishing ourselves AND for gaining some mastery over our wonderful but seemingly uncontrollable minds.

“Yoga is a method for restraining the natural turbulence of thoughts, which otherwise impartially prevents all men, of all lands, from glimpsing their true nature of Spirit. Like the healing light of the sun, yoga is beneficial equally to men of the East and to men of the West. The thoughts of most persons are restless and capricious; a manifest need exists for yoga: the science of mind control.”
- Paramahansa Yogananda

“Pranayama is a powerful technology to enhance neurorespiratory integration.”
- Deepak Chopra

We do offer a class on Pranayama Sundays at 9:30 and I hope to add more to our schedule. Please give yourself a few of these classes to really understand the benefits.

FEBRUARY UPDATES:

- Our schedule remains the same for the coming month!
- Yoga Path has a Fan Page on Facebook - Please go to our website www.yoga-path.org and click on our facebook link to become a fan. Here you can connect with others in our community and give us suggestions, ideas and INSPIRATION!
- We now have a mens clothing line available - this line is from Mbody Clothing created by long time Yoga Teacher John Cottrell ‘Men’s Clothing Line With Intention’.
-To clear up any confusion, class cards expire as follows: 5 class (30 days), 10 clas (60 days) and the 20 class (90 days).
- To help us work with the computer system better please come in 15 minutes before class starts to sign in - when possible.

Much Love and Peace;
Kimberly

Dear Friends;

Happy New Year! Let this be the year that we give up all excuses and limiting thoughts. Let us move forward with great strength and determination for personal growth. Let us REMEMBER the lessons that we have learned because as the great teacher Paramahansa Yogananda says, “Change yourself and you have done your part in changing the world.” And as we step onto our mats and into our daily lives ‘as we are’ rather than ‘who we should be’ - let us remain diligently open for human evolution. Let us evolve to a place of greater compassion and love through enormous concentration and steadfast determination.

If it is true that there are various possible scenarios for our future, let’s set our course for the Highest Good. In order for self determination to be possible certain abilities are required. We seek development of these abilities through our yoga practice. After all, what are the primary ingredients of a strong practice?

A Strong Connection with Universal Intelligence (as it flows through us) - find it in the breath.
Sustained Concentration - find it in careful synchronization between movement and breath.
Abundant Energy - find it in the union between intention and action.
Awareness - find it in the silence of a quiet mind.
Love - find it in the gratitude of your heart at the end of each practice.

” Our lives are like islands in the sea, or like trees in the forest, which co-mingle their roots in the darkness underground.” - William James

As far as news at yoga path please know that I am determined to keep our schedule as consistent as possible. However as we all know change is often beyond our control. There will only be two changes to our schedule for the new year:

1. Restore class with Robin on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. will move to Friday at 7:00 p.m.
2. Gentle Power with Jim will be temporarily discontinued as Jim is traveling for extensive training purposes over the next few months.

Please support your favorite teachers by attending as many classes as possible and inviting friends and colleagues into the studio.

I would like to remind you that we have an excellent Massage Therapist at Yoga Path. Eric is generously offering a 10% discount to all Teachers and Students at the the studio.

Namaste’
Kimberly

Dear Friends;

I would like to begin with the following simple but thrilling words from St. Francis of Assisi:

I said to the almond tree;
“sister, speak to me of God.”
And the almond tree blossomed.

We refer to this amazing Life Force as Prana in our yoga practice and through various techniques we seek to recognize, understand and unite with this Supreme Intelligence.
We work through our practice to strengthen and open our bodies - all the while listening to our breath as it moves and comforts us. The yogis tell us that this Prana or Life Force travels through our bodies carried by the breath. Indeed our lives begin with an inhale and ends with an exhale. It is a beautiful event when we all come together recognizing that we are sustained and united by the One Breath. With great curiosity we learn to ride on the wave of this breath - each one of us giving unique expression to the Great Force of Life.

Once again, it is an honor practicing with all of you.

We have added on several evening and weekend classes and hopefully some of these class times will suit your busy lifestyles. We are fortunate to have truly gifted teachers at the studio. Each one of them has true understanding and can be of great service to you in your practice. So please be sure to check out our schedule for December and try out all of our classes.

If you would be so kind as to tell friends, neighbors and relatives about our great teachers and classes then in that way you can support our studio. We need your help in spreading the word so that we can continue to offer ourselves and our space to our community. As encouragement for new students we are offering two weeks of unlimited yoga for $25.00. What a great stocking stuffer this would be for Christmas. If you want to give this gift to someone you know, we will have gift certificates available at the studio. You all know that this is a great deal. Thank you so much for your continued support.

I would like to remind everyone that our resident massage therapist Eric Wilcox is offering a 10% discount to all yoga path students. Let me tell you that he is fabulous and really knows his stuff. You will find his business cards on the front desk ‘Rocky Mountain Massage’.

Namaste’
Kimberly