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Dear Ken,
Samtosha is a Sanskrit word meaning
contentment.
Samtosha is one of the Niyamas or
universal moral
observances, which form the foundation of the
practice of yoga.
When the currents of our life's stream are placid,
feeling content comes quite naturally. However,
when life becomes more turbulent (as it often does!),
feeling evenness and acceptance is much more
challenging.
 One way we have found to generate a
feeling of
contentment amidst all of life's up and downs is to
consciously practice gratitude each day for all that
we have. For us, this takes the form of pausing for a
few moments to reflect on the day's blessings
before our evening meal. Other practices may be
keeping a daily gratitude journal or saying "thank
you" every time you notice you've been the recipient
of an act of kindness or generosity.
As we enter in to our second spring session here at
alleyCat Yoga we feel tremendous gratitude for this
opportunity to share with you our passion for the
practices of yoga. We are thankful for our dedicated
and talented team of teachers and for the many new
friends we have made in our growing community.
We look forward to continuing this
journey together with you.
Jai Bhagwan,
Ken & Kathleen, studio directors
| Spring Schedule Highlights |
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Our spring schedule offers 15 weekly classes plus 2
monthly workshops in our Yoga Saturdays!
series. Download the
schedule or pick one up at the studio for all the
details. Please be sure to note the teacher
substitutions.
Upcoming
workshops:
April 8 Thai Yoga Therapy. Learn how to
give a one-hour thai yoga therapy session. Quiet
the mind.
Open the heart. Get the body flowing.
April 29 Chakra Yoga Intensive. Deepen
your
yoga practice and experience a personal journey of
empowerment and insight.
May 6 Healing with the Five Elements.
Yin/yang, Five-Element theory, and the
Chinese Clock will assist you in taking care of
yourself with simple and inexpensive tools.
May 20 Yoga Flow. A choreographed series
of yoga
poses set to music and linked together in fluid
motion.
Tuesday, April 4, 7:30pm
Introduction to Mindfulness-based Stress
Reduction with Peter Holmes. This free
introductory session will give an overview of the 8-
week MBSR course, highlighting the
tools each participant will learn in order to live a
more mindful, aware life.
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| Yoga 101 / Beginner Yoga starts April 6! |
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Know someone who might be interested in trying
yoga? How about suggesting Yoga 101? The
class,
led by Ken, begins Thursday, April 6
at
7:30pm.
Yoga 101 is a 4-session
introduction to the practices
of yoga during which students are taught a
repertoire of basic postures and a simple
pranayama
(breathing technique) An overview of the philosophy
of yoga is interwoven into the classes. $36 for 4
classes. Advance registration requested.
If you wish to forward this email to a friend, look for
the blue link at the bottom of this page.
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| 21-day Sunrise Yoga Adventure |
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Yoga every morning at 6 am for 21 days!
Practicing with the same group of people, at the
same time, in the same place, every day for 21 days,
allows for a very deep experience of yoga and
personal transformation.
Mark your calendars.
This experience,
offered by
Ken, is offered by pre-registration only. More
details to follow.
July 31-Aug 20. 6-7:15am.
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| Family Yoga at Russell Blvd Elementary School |
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alleyCat Yoga Kids Yoga teacher, Sarah
Linsenmayer,
joined Ken & Kathleen at Russell Blvd Elementary
School on March 14 for an evening of Family Yoga!
Approximately
80 kids and their parents turned out for an hour of
fun family yoga practicing postures... like Peanut
Butter & Jelly Sandwich, Row, Row, Row Your
Boat
and Lemon Toes.
 Everyone was breathing that night
with special Flower Breaths,
Buzzing Breaths and Laughing Breaths!
The kids especially enjoyed roaring in the Lion
Posture
(Simhasana) and practicing a special kid's
version of
the Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar) that
included
stomping hard on the ground, hiding and trying to
look silly.
If you look closely at the photos you might recognize
some folks that you see each week in class!
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| Yoga: an Rx for Back Pain |
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A study funded by the National Center for
Complementary and Alternative Medicine and
reported in the December issue of the Annals of
Internal Medicine, showed a significant
decline in back pain and in the need for pain
medication among those taking a weekly yoga class
for three months.
The study compared aerobic exercise to yoga. The
control group read a book on back care. More than
three months after the weekly yoga class ended, in a
follow-up, only 21% of yoga participants reported
taking pain medication in the past week, compared
with half of patients in the exercise group and 59%
of those who received the book.
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| Yoga in Europe -- It is not too late! |
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Do you know someone who might enjoy walking
through the vineyards or visiting with the donkeys at
Ebbio, an 800-year-old villa and organic
farm near Florence... or exploring the churches
of Siena... or
sipping a glass of wine while watching the sunset
over the Tuscan hills?
Can you think of a friend who would cherish an
opportunity to experience deep and profound stillness
in Corfu, Greece.. or who might like to
lounge on the
sandy beaches... or be charmed by the ancient
winding streets and shops of Corfu-town?
How about someone who would love to twirl like Julie
Andrews while meandering through the wildflower-
covered hills of the Swiss Alps of Murren, Switzerland? A
friend who adores fresh, mountain air
and the sound of cowbells?
If so, please direct them to Ken & Kathleen's yoga
travel website:
www.globalyogajourneys.com. Or have
them call:
573-441-0848.
All of the trips mix daily Kripalu Yoga classes and
workshops with exploring the scenery and rich
culture of the European way of life. Appropriate
for
absolute beginners and seasoned practitioners
alike.
The website includes a complete description of each
location and the program offered.
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At alleyCat Yoga, our intention is to create safe
and sacred space so that the benefits of the
practices of yoga can be fully enjoyed by all. Please
join us.
Find out more....
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