Yoga Mala!

Four times each year we set up four rows of mats, crank up the stereo and count 108 rounds of Surya Namaskar A to mark the change of seasons. It's an odd practice, I suppose, but it has become a tradition. And it's my feeling that tradition is a good thing; rituals infuse meaning into the motions of everyday life.

Our Summer Solstice mala was a packed and sweaty celebration! Whether you were there for the fun or not, you might enjoy the playlist.

Peace!

Service

Service in the form of dana (generosity; the practice of giving) is nothing new to our community. This year we raised $6500 for MercyCorps efforts in Haiti. The year before we collected over $5000 for Nepal House. The list of organizations that we have supported since opening in 2007 is long: Raleigh Jaycees, Prevent Child Abuse NC, Interact, Save Darfur Coalition, just to name a few. And rallying this generous community to put some money where their hearts are is something we feel very good about, and we will continue to share opportunities to contribute in meaningful ways. This practice opens our hearts further, and as we enter into the natural cycle of giving and receiving, we have a heightened experience of gratitude in our own lives.

So we are very excited to bring another element of Seva (selfless service for the betterment of another) or Karma Yoga (the Yoga of action) into our blue lotus yoga community, as it is an integral part of what we believe in. In the words of Albert Einstein: “I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.”

If you follow the newsletter each month, or hang out in the studio or on our Facebook page, you already know about our Summer of Service. Perhaps you even participated in our “blue crew for the cure” or our first fence building project with Coalition to Unchain Dogs (see photos!). And these projects, events and activities will continue!

We offer a big thanks to Carrington for spearheading this summer’s project at the studio, as well as huge kudos to all of our instructors who make giving a regular part of their practice…just a few inspiring examples: Julie has given over 1,000 hours of service to Rex Hospital as a specially trained volunteer, screening newborns for hearing loss for over 13 years. Alison volunteers weekly at Healing Place men’s facility for substance abuse. Sandy has offered countless hours on the boards of Ten Thousand Villages and Rebuilding Together (not to mention at blue lotus!) and she offers a free weekly Chair Yoga for the YWCA at the Raleigh Safety Club. Yvonne and Suzanne give their time sharing Gentle Yoga at the Cancer Center. Julee volunteers at Open Door Clinic and the Tammy Lynn Foundation. Our teacher trainees volunteer time to offer free classes to folks at blue lotus as well as Wrenn House, Haven House, and with various special populations like kids with Autism and at-risk youth.

How you choose to serve is a matter of listening to your heart’s calling. And so we ask: Are you listening, and how are you answering the call?

Did you know your yoga was GREEN?

We all love the blue.
There's so very much to love!
But maybe you didn't know that we are also green?

In case you missed it, here's the link to a recent feature article
from Yoga Journal magazine about the trend towards "green" yoga. It even includes a few little tidbits about Raleigh's favorite yoga studio.

Happy Reading!

Last night in Vinyasa ~ L2...

I get these great messages from you all on a daily basis.  And this
one I just had to share.  Anyone who was in class last night will
surely appreciate:

Wanna hear something funny?  This week in my home practice I
wanted to see what would happen if I practiced a most-hated pose,
which is Vira III.  Hate it especially when the arms are stretched out.
Any balance pose is hard for me since I gave up contacts and practice
half-blind, add the ridiculously anti-gravity arm position, the foot that
wants to sickle, tight hamstrings....the only thing worse is ardha
chandrasana.

So what do you offer me in the midst of my experiment?  A veritable
TRIFECTA of most-hated poses.  Not only Vira III but Hanumanasana
and Agnistambhasana to boot!  (what was that caturanga business...
I'm not even going there.)
Of course! More information for my experiment!!!

Thank you dear neighbor, friend, and teacher for always offering some
jewel or two...whether beloved or not....it's always good.  :-)

shanti shanti,
Stacey

I am sharing this with you because it is such a great reminder that
whatever we need to learn is almost always right before our eyes,
right in front of us, in plain view.  And even the things we like least-
on or off the mat- contain invaluable lessons, when we can show up,
pay attention, and do the work.

Thanks for sharing the journey...

Jill

Third Birthday Fundraiser

Namaste!

Time flies when you're having fun, right? This weekend we will celebrate the end of our third year of yoga in downtown Raleigh. And it has been a lot of fun! But more on that, later.

Last year, our fund raising efforts were directed to the Nepal House Society. During our "Blue Turns Two" fund raising weekend, the blue lotus yoga community raised over $5000 to support a therapy center for abused, abandoned and traumatized children in Nepal. In addition, we donated a percentage of 2009 Wee Boo-tique sales to Nepal House, and recently got this exciting news from Ashwin Sharma, the organization's Chairperson:

Dear Jill
What a wonderful surprise in our mail box today! Thanks to you and your wonderful yogis for all your continued support.

The Nepali team is doing well, we have opened a second therapy location in a community with a number of children with HIV and Aids. We hope that in about 15 months, maybe sooner, to open a school attached to the therapy project to focus on educating girls.

Again thank you, and many blessings Jill

Ashwin

These expansions were made possible, in part, by our amazing and generous yoga community. I've talked with Ashwin about the new center, and how much I'd love to make another trip to Nepal with a group of students to experience the culture and people, as well as lend a hand with some project at the school. Anyone getting a travel bug?

______________________________________________

But that was last year, and now we're three and nearly all grown up. :) This year, we focus our efforts to an immediate crisis a little closer to home. Please join our weekend full of activities and our fund raising project to support MercyCorps. Our goal is to raise $2500 next weekend toward recovery efforts following the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

Click the link above for the weekend schedule, or visit the webscheduler. To help express our gratitude for your participation in Raleigh's amazing yoga community and our Third Birthday Bash:

• Receive a blue lotus water bottle with every $20 donation

• Get a raffle ticket with every $10 donation, or six tickets with every $50 donation, for a chance to win one of the many gifts donated by local businesses

• Buy a membership or class pass at opening day prices

• Pick up an item in the Wee Boo-tique- everything will be on sale!

THANK YOU for being a part of it all, and see you at the blue!

Peace,

Jill

My first posting on Blue's Blog ;o) -- as promised, below is the link to yesterday morning's playlist. I also wanted to recommend an amazing book, "How Yoga Works" by Geshe Michael Roach & Christie McNally. The authors creatively intertwine the yoga sutras ("threads" on yoga) within quite an amusing story, all done in layman's terms. Happy reading!

Thanks for making the Blue community a special place to BE.

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=352237936

Love,
Michele

A letter, a reminder

I received a letter that every person who is a part of blue lotus should read. Luckily, I was also given carte blanche to share it as I saw fit. Well, I see fit to share in a big way. :)

Many of you know our curly haired, huge smiled, delightful, welcoming Tom. He was one of the original "Peeps" (our work-trade staff) and was a walking, talking advertisement for yoga, for blue lotus, and for the power of community.

He recently moved to Colorado, and for as much as we miss him, his presence is still very much in the studio.

He sent this lovely letter to me, which I am honored to share with you.

Enjoy.

Blessings,

Jill