Wheels of Life
When my wheels whirr under me on the streets of New York I find myself meditating on questions big & small. Recently a student and I were discussing karma. A singer we both admire refutes the idea of rebirth, for "when we know we have only one life, we will choose our actions with more care." That position puzzles me.
The word 'karma' means 'action' in Sanskrit, and it posits that, by a universal law of cause and effect, all energy eventually balances itself in the universe and returns back to us what we have put out. This may be immediate, it may be a few years down the road, it may be in a future relationship or lifetime.
This rather scientific view of energy is a universal principle that underlies many beliefs, whether you believe in one lifetime and heaven or hell, or many lives reaping the seeds you sow, or if you believe in nothing after death, but you still feel your wellbeing and peace affected by your actions with others.
After all, we can believe what we will, but none of us knows for sure. We do know however, how we feel now. How we feel now is already "instant karma." What we instinctively feel in the ways our actions and energies impact others, and the ways their actions impact us: that, we know and feel.
How we act, how we respond, is open to us every moment. What are the cause and effect wheels that WE want to be a cause of? How do we want to spin the 'action' wheels in our life?
To quote Maximus the Gladiator: "What we do in life echoes in eternity." Whether it's Heaven's book, the ether, the akashic records, or your own soul, may your actions echo pleasing sounds in your eternity!
Sheila Chandra
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Round And Round
We then discussed how we might view consciousness versus personality, if there are cycles of rebirth. To me, school and stage offer perfect analogies. If you subscribe to the theory of reincarnation, we take on lives the way actors take on roles; we 'are' King Lear but only for this play; at play's end, we learn what Lear learned and we are again our self, free to choose to be Blanche DuBois or whatever role will best enhance our growth, enjoyment, and exploration the next round.
Similarly, a birth into a new life is like a September semester starting! We enter each life with a chosen major or curriculum. I have chosen this school, this course, this set of professors... i.e., this personality, these talents, these challenges.
And ... if this model does not work for you in approaching your life's 'university' that you chose, with bright welcoming inquisitiveness, well ... let it go.
At Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport recently, I startled to see many women surround me in the ladies' room when I'd entered it alone. I glanced again and saw that there were 7 or 8 images of myself reflected back from mirrored wall angles all around. Smiling, I thought: "they are all you." There is the third analogy. Every task, every challenge, every 'demon' we meet in our life, they are all us. Where do I see 'me' in the room?
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Girls' Spincycle ... Wheels 'Go Round!
Exercise motivation ... lightened up! I've always believed exercise should be FUN. Europeans are terrific at making sophisticated and playful commercials. My client Ted sent me this TV ad for bottled water, entitled aptly by some viewers: "How French Women Burn Calories!" See it as inspiration to get out there and do your own favorite fun fitness activity!
"How French Women Get Fit!"
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Weekend Retreats
As we write, I am packing for my Fall Foliage yoga sampler weekend retreat in Bethel, NY! We sold out the week it opened, and I am SO excited to explore balance through meditation, restorative, vinyasa, hiking, partner, & slackline yoga with my Fall Foliage 'sangha' this weekend!
For a glimpse of my yoga weekend retreats, see my retreat webpage, so you may be prepared to register for the next one, when it is planned!
Fall Foliage Retreat
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Schedule: Events Overview
Urban living and Yoga balance, indeed! Below is an overview of events I'm leading, or recommend. Links are at sidebar, either in their own articles, or in Links section.
10/7 FREE AcroYoga class: I'm teaching a Lululemon community class of AcroYoga at: Om Factory Flight School, Union Square, noon to 1pm Sunday 10/7.
10/6-10/9 THAI YOGA: Jennifer Yarro, my wonderful Thai Yoga Massage teacher, leads her Triple Gem Thai Massage School Level 1 certification at Frog Lotus Studios, North Adams, MA
10/11-10/14 RESTORATIVE: I'm leading a 4-day, 36-hour Restorative Teacher Training module at the YogaFit Indianapolis MindBodyFitness Conference.
10/20-10/21 ACROBATICS: I'm partaking in this Dutch Acrobatics Weekend in Brooklyn; 4 advanced workshops for area acrobats to taste how the Dutch do it!
11/3 RESTORATIVE BLISS: My 2-hour Chakra-restoring Thanksgiving Restorative at Pure Yoga East. All levels welcome, non-members welcome. Percentage benefits Heifer, Inc. Open for registration NOW!
12/14-12/16 ACROBATICS: I partake in AcroGasm Take 2: a trio of superb athletes, Lux of SeattleAcro and the YogaSlackers' Jason & Chelsey Magness, take on New York city and East Coast partner acrobatics in exciting flows this weekend at the Muse in Brooklyn.
2/22-3/3 RESTORATIVE TRAINING: My Mother Mary Restorative Teacher Training at Pure East. Ask Laina Jacobs or myself for info. Will be up for registration next week!
Whew. That's just a few highlights. Class schedule below! My website will always list events AND classes....
My Website Events/Classes Page
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Weekly Classes
Pure Yoga New York - East/West
M-10:30-12 Slow Flow Meditation, East
T-12:30-1:30 Restorative, East
Th-11:00-12:30 YinYang, West
Th-5:30-6:30 Vinyasa 1/2, East
F-10:30-12:00 Chakra Slow Flow, West
F-5:30-6:30 Restorative, East
Om Factory Union Square:
M-5:30-7:00 Acrobatic Flying~Basics
M-7:15-8:45 Oct. Jedi 1: Round & Round
And:
10/5-sub 12:45 Vinyasa 2, Pure West
10/7-Free AcroYoga 12-1, Om Factory
My Subscribe Page
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Photo Thanks
Thanks this issue to: Wari Om of www.wari.cat for this Yoga Journal pic; Eric Matewszuski for taking all those pink flying birthday pics this past Sunday in Central Park! Nir Zion Pengas and Jake Brenner basing those birthday poses, Jake the Hand to Hands, & Nir all the others; Atlanta's Theater of the Stars for my "King & I" men; Ralph Craig in restorative pose; Jenn Yarro and Jonny Nobleza in Frog Lotus Thai studio photo; Aranka Israni for Matt Giordano basing Kneeling Bird on Hands; my hubby Raul Aranas for my Pigeon in stream; Chris Loebsack with me in Loop de Loop; Emilia Conradson and Om Factory for our fun partner yoga retreat pics from Fire Island!
Thank you, lovely people!
Aranka Dance Photography |
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Mother Wife Yogini Life
Proud Mom update: those of you already bored with my Facebook brags will skip this bit on my son and husband's three-week tour of "The King And I" that ended Sept. 11th in Atlanta. I visited the 4,000-seat historic grand Fox Theater and watched a splendid production with my son in the role of crown Prince Chulalongkorn, and husband as the King's prime minister, the Kralahome.
Now it's back to school for the prince, at LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts in his junior year in - what else - drama studio. And back to New York theater roots for Raul, in rehearsals now for the musical "Giant" composed by Michael LaChiusa and directed by Michael Greif at the New York Shakespeare Festival, opening in November.
Ah, sweet themes: school, stage. Playing the roles we've picked in life. 'The play's the thing' after all, wherein to catch the conscience - and the consciousness - of us all - not just 'of the King'!
Play on, play actors! Thoroughly enjoy your chosen roles. Pay heed to your actions, that echo in eternity!
Atlanta Theater Review |
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Nov 3 Thanksgiving Restorative
Bliss Fest is what I call it and that's the feedback of students from these two hour restorative workshops. Deeply restorative, supported yoga poses reboot the body's relaxation response; my loving team of assistants and myself minister to your five senses through touch, music, and aromatherapy; and we travel through the seven chakras in meditation, mantra, yantra, and visualization.
Please join me in this Thanksgiving Restorative Bliss Fest; I am donating 10% of my proceeds this holiday season to Heifer, Inc. All ages and levels are welcome.
Bliss Fest Restorative |
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Triple Gem Thai Massage
Those of you who have experienced restorative hands-on touch from me, or have received a Thai massage with me, and felt a desire to learn Thai massage yourselves: I cannot recommend enough my teacher Jennifer Yarro's training and her transmission of the art.
There are a few places left in her upcoming October training at Frog Lotus Yoga in the Berkshires in North Adams, Mass. I would recommend the residential option to immerse yourself deeply in the week and in the absorption of the practice. I'm a strong believer in the power of lineage and of honoring our teachers: please let Jenn know I sent you.
Oct. 6-9 Thai Massage Training |
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Dutch Acrobatics Weekend NYC October 20-21
Jim and Det have taught more acrobats and trained more acrobatic partnerships than most of us have trained in anything in our lives. Their vast experience in working with students, delivering high-level techniques in a user-friendly way, make their teaching both a gem to observe and a pleasure to experience. They visit the East Coast in their USA tour and will offer 4 advanced partner acrobatic workshops at The Muse Brooklyn, on Oct. 20 and 21. Pre-registration urged.
The link below describes each workshop and the recommended pre-req skills; and you can register directly online. A further Facebook Event page is below under Links.
Email me if you have questions on the workshops.
Oct. 20-21 Dutch Acro Workshops |
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More Acrobatics: AcroGasm New York December 14-16
A mere two months later, the illustrious "AcroGasm Take 2" tour arrives in New York also! And lands at The Muse Brooklyn. See more on the SeattleAcro/YogaSlacker tear/tour at the Facebook Event page. This one also, Acrobat, you would be wise, very wise, to pre-register for! The newly renovated space at The Muse is beautiful - and it will have a group capacity max. AcroYoga/YogaSlacker teachers, and multiple city participants, will receive discounts; see page for details!
Dec. 14-16 AcroGasm NY |
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Privacy, Reply, Forward, Subscribe ....
Thank you for honoring me with your presence in my online sangha, community. In turn, I always honor your email privacy and never share email lists.
Please know that you can Reply or Forward or Unsubscribe, or Share on Twitter or Facebook, at any time. If you received this ENews via a Forward or Share, you can also Subscribe; just click the appropriate button or Reply to me for either action.
Om shanti!!!!! Happy September! Happy Autumn!
Namaste, Mary
Mary's Website |
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