Can You Say Om Namah Shivaya?

Kirtan this Friday 12/11 7-8pm
by donation

"When we chant, we are 'tearing open our chests - opening our hearts to reveal our true identity - and finding God there." - Ram Dass

Musical Ritual
"Human longing for ritual is deep, and in our culture often frustrated," writes theologian Tom F. Driver in The Magic of Ritual (HarperSanFrancisco, 1991). His simple observation explains the surge of interest in chant and other rediscovered rituals. Certainly, in a society where many believe singing is something done by people other than themselves and purchased in the form of concert tickets or a CD, our understanding of the aesthetic and ritual dimensions of the human voice has diminished.
Although we can't prove it, chant, or sacred singing, was probably one of the first expressions of human spirituality. "It seems very clear," says singer-songwriter Jennifer Berezan, "that humans have been sounding and chanting as far back as the Paleolithic Age and beyond." Berezan's recent album, Returning (Edge of Wonder Records, 1999) which blends original and traditional chants from cultures around the globe into a seamless, hour-long opus, was recorded in the subterranean Oracle Chamber of the Hypogeum at Hal Saflieni, a temple on the island of Malta. This chamber, renowned for its special resonance, was created for devotional rituals 6,000 years ago. "It's likely," she adds, "that for thousands of years there were unbroken practices of sound and song, possibly often relating to various life/ritual practices such as birthing, planting, harvesting, death, and shamanistic practices of healing and visioning."

Robert Gass, author of Chanting: Discovering Spirit in Sound (Broadway Books, 1999), also believes that ritual vocalizing was one of the first, and remains one of the most universal, human impulses. "We have no recordings of the earliest humans," he says, "but when we encounter indigenous tribes who've had little contact with modern civilization, they all have sacred chants that their oral history traces back to their earliest origins. And if you look into creation myths from different cultures, in almost every case the world is said to come into being through sound, through chant. It's in Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, and Native American religions. That's evidence, in a way. The other evidence you can look at is young children: Almost all young children make up repetitive songs-they lose themselves in the rapture of singing."
If any of you play instuments, please bring them along to gently accompany the chanting....

..... AND if you missed it during our last Herbal Circle, we're going to show Juliet of the Herbs film again starting at 5:30pm prior to the Kirtan. The film is a little over an hour and you can come anytime and enter the yoga space quietly please. Grab some blankets and pilows and enjoy the humbleness and wisdom of this beautiful person.

This evening is by donation RSVP or just swing on by.

Effortlessly you are draped over soft cushions and blankets.
Feel supported as you let go of layers of fatigue.
Kim is your guide into relaxed awareness,
soothing breathe and deep meditation.
Enter the stillness.

This practice is suitable for anyone who wants to heal from stress, injury or illness. Previous yoga experience is not required.

I generally hear questions regarding Restorative practice and hope to clarify these with a few words.

Not just for recovery, We all need to take time to restore, in fact, the body will take the time if we don't. Ever get run down and catch the latest bug going around? That's the body choosing restorative practices. Rest, liquids, some quiet time, and eventually we're back in action.

If we regularly spend time refilling the well, we'll feel better, and have more energy, a stronger immune system, and be generally more satisfied with our lives and relationships. Mainly because we have more to share. Learn a few postures to practice often.

Our Restorative Yoga classes typically fill up quickly, so be sure to sign up right away.

December 20th, 10am - noon $20 preregistered or $25 at the door.

Introduction to Yoga

Curious about yoga? Always wanted to try a class? This 2 hour seminar is a complete Beginners’ class going a bit more in depth than we have time for in a regular class. It will include a short talk, basic postures, and breath work, followed by a deep rest period (savasana). This is a solid Introduction to Yoga with a non-dogmatic approach. A great for you to feel comfortable asking any questions to help you learn about yoga is and how it can help you to feel more peaceful, healthy, balanced and strong.

Heal your body and life by deepening your awareness through yoga. All levels welcome. As we way, the most advanced yoga is having a Beginners’ mind.

Sunday, January 10, 2010. 10am – noon $20 preregistered or $25 at the door.
Gift certificates are available for this seminar! What a great way to start out the New Year 2010. Peace.

Challenged by Pigeon? Trouble sitting up relaxed and tall? When our range of motion is compromised in a given area, the surrounding joints can be vulnerable. In the case of tight hips, the knees and the lower back are at risk, leading to discomfort and sometimes injury. Through a dynamic sequence of standing, seated and supine poses, we will explore the theme of external rotation, opening the hips and learning how to practice progressively deeper and more challenging poses in ways that are both safe and fun.

Our hips are designed to allow a lot of movement, however most people find their hips to be tight and unbalanced. We’ll open up the hips starting from the feet with standing poses that will ground us and open up the energetic pathways through the body. By releasing and balancing the deeper hip muscles, the larger muscles will better align bringing the entire body more into balance.

Sunday, January 17, 2010 10am - noon $20 preregistered or $25 at the door.