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Each week, students and friends of
Dream Yoga! Studio receive an emailed "Yoga Quote of the
Week." The quotes from poems, yogis, spiritual leaders and
others are related by Instructor Luann Fulbright to the
teachings of yoga. Here are examples:
EXAMPLE 1:
Dear Students and Friends,
Yoga begins with listening. When we truly
listen, we are giving space to what is.
In yoga, we listen and give space to our
body, mind and heart. We open to them and allow them to be what they
are. When we are listening, we’re in the present moment...not
attached to the past or projecting into the future.
The more we can listen and give space to
ourselves to be who we are…the more we can truly listen and
give space to others to be who they are. Life becomes more
true. More real. More gentle and loving. More peaceful, joyful and
meaningful.
This week’s quote—from a poem—speaks to
listening.
Namaste, Luann
Yoga Quote of
the Week:
"The Weaver and the Loom"
Sit here for a bit. Place yourself
outside the frenzied pace of life. Slow down long enough to
appreciate birds in flight, water drops like prisms in the grass and
countless shades of green. Step off the fast track and listen to the
sound of breath and birdsong. Take a moment to just be, and in the
being, know the whole of this creation….
--From Danna Faulds’ Go In and In: Poems
from the Heart of Yoga (2002, Morris Publishing,
1-800-650-7888)
EXAMPLE 2:
Dear Students and Friends,
In class the past two weeks, we focused on listening. To truly
listen, we must be fully present …in the "now."
The word "now" in Sanskrit is "atha." The very first sutra
(thread of wisdom) in Patanjali’s 2000-year-old Yoga Sutras of
Patanjali begins with atha. Meaning: Now we commence the practice of
yoga…and to do yoga, we must be in the now. Present in the moment.
For many of us, right now…is our starting point to "wake up." To
get real and discover what is deep down in the core of our heart.
This takes honesty with ourselves. And we can start this practice of
being present and honest on the yoga mat. We can tune in to our
bodies, mind and breath…and see what they have to tell us about our
state of being. Then honor and work with that. Lovingly.
Noncritically. But truthfully.
This week’s quote focuses on the beautiful gift of the now.
Namaste, Luann
Yoga Quote of
the Week:
When you surrender to what
is
and so become fully
present,
the past ceases to have any
power.
The realm of Being, which had
been obscured
by the mind, then opens
up.
Suddenly, a great stillness
arises without you,
An unfathomable sense of
peace.
And within that peace, there is
great joy.
And within that joy, there is
love.
And at the innermost core,
there is the sacred,
The immeasurable, That which
cannot be named.
--Eckhart Tolle, Practicing the
Power of Now
(2001, New World Library)
EXAMPLE 3:
Dear Students and Friends,
We have started learning a "25-Minute
Yoga Routine for Balancing Body, Breath and Mind." Thoughts of
balancing poses often make us groan in class. Or we laugh nervously,
anticipating that we won’t get the pose right or be humiliated as we
loose our balance and fall over.
The truth is, says My Yoga Journal author Andrea
Ferretti (June 24, 2003), "Balancing poses have a lot to teach
us—about our willingness to be resilient and try again, about our
detachment from expectation and ego, about our ability to accept
that we are not always in control, the list goes on."
I’ll add that balancing poses also give us an opportunity to
laugh at ourselves and not take life so seriously. Of course, this
is very good for the immune system.
Pursuing balance on the mat and off is truly worthwhile. This
week’s quote encourages us to seek balance.
May you do so with joy.
Namaste, Luann
Yoga Quote
of the Week:
Life is a balancing act. We need sun, but too much can give us
sunstroke or skin cancer. We need exercise, but not to the point of
exhaustion. Work is important, but play must be a part of our lives
as well.
We must bring all parts of ourselves into Balance in order to
feel centered. Our bodies need as much attention as our minds, which
must be nurtured with as much care as our spirits.
--Rachel Schaeffer (Yoga for Your Spiritual Muscles,
1998, Quest Books)
EXAMPLE 4:
Dear Students and Friends,
The connection between balance and breath is undeniable. When you
find you have lost your balance on the mat or in life, simply start
breathing. Make a habit of turning to your breath for help. It’s a
free resource, immediately available in huge quantity, that you can
access with ease!
Dan Millman, author of Way of the Peaceful Warrior, has said this
about balance and breath: "To be in Balance, it’s essential to have
the breath in Balance. When we’re angry, the exhalation tends to be
stronger than the inhalation. When we’re sad, the inhalation tends
to be stronger than the exhalation. When we’re feeling fear, we
don’t breathe much at all. By bringing the breath back into
Balance…it helps bring our life back into Balance."
This week’s quote is a meditation on breathing from Buddhist monk
and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh.
May you be renewed with each breath you breathe.
Namaste, Luann
Yoga Quote of the Week :
Breathe and You Know
Breathe and you know…that you are alive.
Breathe and you know…that all is helping
you.
Breathe and you know…that you are the
world.
Breathe and you know…that the flower is breathing
too.
Breathe for yourself…and you breathe for the
world.
Breathe in compassion…and breathe out
joy.
Breathe and be one…with the air that you
breathe.
Breathe and be one…with the earth that you
tread.
Breathe and be one …with the fire that
glows.
Breathe and you breathe…the thought of birth and
death.
Breathe and you see…impermanence is life.
Breathe for your joy...and to be steady and
calm.
Breathe for your sorrow…to flow away.
Breathe to renew…every cell in your
blood.
Breathe to renew…the depth of
consciousness.
Breathe and you dwell…in the here and
now.
Breathe and all you touch…is new and
real.
--Thich Nhat Hanh
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