New Years Eve: Laugh, Love, Light, Flight
Come see in the New Year with me!
Traditionally I am a quiet meditator on New Year's Eve. I like an intimate evening with family or close friends. We give thanks for a year of life, and look to the new one. I even take a few minutes each year to write myself a letter, which I seal until the following year, to "meet" myself where I was a year ago, and then write "forward" to my next year's self again.
This year I take my joyful meditative celebration to my AcroYoga® family. With my two Acro sisters Deven & Chris, we invite you, our family, to laugh, smile, Om, chant, play, move, fly; to prepare our hearts, souls and happy bodies for another year of amazing and beauteous expansion. Don't miss the party! If you are nearby, bring your party to us. If you are far away, Om for peace, love, & unity, with us.
Whispers of champagne and chocolate to accompany us into 2011 are in the air.
No partner needed; no prior experience with Yoga or acrobatics required.
New Years' Eve AcroYoga
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Tao: 92-Year-Old Yoga Master
My husband Raul sent me this news piece on Tao, the Yoga teacher my friend Chris recently took a workshop with in Westchester whose grace, strength, beauty, inspired her to tears. Here are excerpts of the story:
"For yoga master at 92, there is only the dance...
"NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) – Yoga master Tao Porchon-Lynch, 92 years young, kept repeating her life's motto, there is nothing you cannot do, before a packed workshop in New York City.
"'In yoga every breath I take puts me on the right path.' Porchon-Lynch has been practicing yoga, the ancient discipline connecting breath to movement, for over 70 years.
"When she's not teaching, Porchon-Lynch pursues another passion -- competitive ballroom dancing. Despite a hip replacement, she recently completed a 17-dance event where, she says her Tango partner was a 22-year old and her Cha Cha partner was 29.
"'Dancing is a continuation of yoga, like music,' she said. 'Music and dancing and yoga are all coming from within you.'"
How can I not love this woman? She lives Yoga, her life is a dance. She embodies what I believe Yoga can be for all of us, wholly the dance of life. No regrets, just the dance.
Tao Porchon-Lynch: Article
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My 8-Class Lineup
I am fully loving and embracing every style I teach at Pure Yoga, and would not willingly do without any of them! Enamoured too, of my students; the journey is dearly shared with you! Here's the lineup and a brief description of each:
Chakra Slow Flow: 3x/week
Meditative mood through a flowing asana practice, opening each of the 7 "gates" with a sound & an image, as we balance all 7 centers, then seated meditation, a silent Savasana, and a re-sealing of all 7 gates.
*Mon 10:30-12 Pure East
*Mon 6:15-7:45 Pure West
*Fri 10:30-12 Pure West
Yin Yang: 1x/week
Slow Yang flow for 2/3 of the class, followed by deep Yin stretches for the final 1/3 of class, then Savasana.
*Thurs 10:30-12 Pure West
Restorative: 3x/week + quarterly workshops
Deep, quiet, fully supported restful poses on bolsters and blankets, with aromatherapy and hands-on nurturing touch.
*Tues 12:30-1:30 Pure East
*Thurs 8-9PM Pure West
*Fri 5:30-6:30 Pure East
AcroYoga®: 1x/week + frequent workshops around town
Beautiful blend of three ancient lineages, Yoga, Thai Massage, and Acrobatics, for an open-hearted vigorous, fun, interactive Yoga practice.
*Sat 3:30-5 Pure West; 5-6PM optional practice hour included.
For AcroYoga®, Pure non-members may purchase single classes or Frequent Flyer 4-packs.
For all other classes, contact me to be my guest for a class you'd like to try, or for a trial pass to Pure East or West.
Pure Yoga New York
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Restorative Specials
Holiday Restorative Semi-Private specials run through Jan-Feb. If you are not a Pure member, you may have me come to your place or you may come to mine for private or semi-private Restorative or Thai. Rates are 20% off through February. Gift cards available.
Pure members would book through the studio, depending on space and my availability, so we'd need to discuss in advance.
Mary's Website
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Photo Credits; Forward; Reply
I am endlessly amazed at the blessing that is my life. Family and love abound, and then too, getting to share the walk of yoga as a daily path with so many of you. Thank you for sharing any part of it with me.
Thank you for being part of my cyber Sangha - community. You are always welcome to respond, to unsubscribe, to forward. And you can know I never share my eNews database of emails.
Thanks for photos this issue to: Reuters news service; Michael St. Cole of Yogart.in for Bethesda and Time Square; Aranka Israni for studio pics of Matt & Mary; Megan Jolly for all other Be Present studio pics; iPhone for my own photos. Thanks to lovely models Chris & Deven in party hats, and: Matt Giordano, Greg Franklin, Tao Porchon-Lynch, Ralph Craig and my sweet Friday Restorative student, Sam Prestidge, the Naked Cowboy, and my Atlanta YogaFit Restorative trainees.
Hari Om, Om Tat Sat. "Immerse yourself in unconditional love, and saturate yourself with unlimited consciousness." ~ Alan Finger, my ISHTA guru.
Blessed be, Om shanti ~ Mary
Mary's Class Schedule Web Page
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Root Down; Rise Up
As an acrobatic flyer, I am practiced at feeling a partner balance me in mid-air. My challenge in balancing my SELF, in forearm stands and handstands, is to be my own base: to trust those forearms and fingers as I would a 2nd person.
Acrobatic coach Master Lu Yi gave me this handstanding homework: "open the heart" meaning my thoracic spine in forearm stand. For me it means much more too: self-acceptance, self-love, self-trust.
What I'm exploring and discovering is, I need to root down firmly as a base first, to then rise up as my own flyer. I need to open and to aim my "heart" straight down and line up my chakras - Anahata first, then Manipura and Swadisthana - before Muladhara can rise up. Sinking my fingers in and grounding my heart towards the earth makes me my own strong base. I become the base that I can trust. I discover my inner partner and best friend. Talk about life-application Yoga. Can we all use that? Joyful, delightful work in progress.
Master Lu Yi: Jason & Jenny's Handstanding Practice with their Coach |
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Acro Wknd Jan. 29-30
Day 1, Saturday January 29, establishes your foundational AcroYoga® therapeutics practice. Day 2, Sunday January 30, establishes your fundamental acrobatics practice. Together, you have a solid set of skills to empower you to attend open level classes and jams with more confidence, and to share your skills with friends and partners, to keep growing joyfully in the practice.
Take the two days individually, or together. Sunday's workshop requests that students have prior familiarity with Yoga.
Acro Foundations Wknd with Chris & Mary 1/29-1/30 |
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Valentine's Restorative
Treat yourself to my two-hour Restorative on Saturday February 12, 2-4PM at Pure Yoga Eastside. Loving nurturing in delicious poses with soft music, and meditations. Bring a friend or simply bring your beloved self. Gift for every guest.
February 12 Restorative: Registration Open Soon |
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Valentine Weekend Partners' Yoga
Whether you or your partner have yoga experience won't matter for this interactive, joyful partners workshop.
Valentine Weekend, on Sunday afternoon Feb. 13, from 2:30-4:30, I revisit YogaWorks SoHo for my 3rd annual partner yoga workshop there. Come join me and the lovely Chris Loebsack as we celebrate partnership, friendship, and sheer love.
YogaWorks Valentine's: Registration Open Soon |
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Mary's 2011 Acro Calendar
All right, so there is no official 2011 AcroYoga® calendar. How can I live without flying bodies on my wall each month? I pulled 13 photos from me & pals that I have permission to use, and made a wall calendar for me and friends. They cost me $12-$15 each and if you need flying bodies on yours and like Time Square and Bethesda Fountain, and me & my pals, you can let me know to include you when I order the next few for me & friends.
Meanwhile, for quick access to some awesome, eye-popping photos of AcroYogis worldwide, check out the wonderful, updated new AcroYoga® website below.
AcroYoga® Worldwide Site |
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