Snowy White Crown Chakra

Wow! 96 Fahrenheit in the shade! In simmering July, I entertain visions of white: laundry lines in Spain, shaved ice in Hawaii, Greek yogurt, coconut and vanilla ice cream, cumulus clouds, coral reefs, frosty foamy waves. What's your white vision?

How about a snowy mountain peak? That's the position of "Sahasrara" our Crown Chakra, the Sanskrit name meaning "Thousandfold", for the thousand-petalled white lotus crowning our skull like a skylight, making our spine a pillar of white light that includes all the colors of the lower 6 chakras.

The sound "Ng" cleans the skylight. The sound "Om" invites light vibrations to enter. This Wisdom Chakra opens throughout our life as we let go of attachment - false identification with the material - gaining realization that we are more than our thoughts, feelings, circumstances.

As the flower on the stalk of our spinal energy column, Sahasrara "blossoms" most fully atop a posturally balanced, aligned spine. Thus all Asanas, done with attention to alignment, benefit this Chakra. And even those with weak posture, if they sit with back comfortably supported, can open Crown Chakra in meditation. For centuries, like their Yogi counterparts in the East seeking Samadhi, Christian Contemplative Prayer practitioners have sat and quieted themselves in a simple chair to enter into the "presence of God".

Tropical Yoga Retreat: February 24 to March 3

We yearn for snowy images in July, but in February we'll yearn for sun! Come join me then! Take a week's escape to the Caribbean island of St. Lucia for a delicious yoga vacation. Morning and evening yoga, 2 day trips, a sunset sail; we'll snorkel, sun, hike to waterfalls, toast on the sailboat. Add on adventures, or relax, read, get a massage. Reserve early for room choice. I'm using American air mileage, but Air Jamaica flies directly to UVF, where it's 15 minutes to our paradise ashram at Balenbouche Estates!

Click on link for details! Call/email Patricia regarding accommodations, adventures, or St. Lucia. Call/ email me re. Yoga. Bring friends/family; they can partake in yoga or not; they may find they love it, or it's enough just to be near you in paradise! Participants depending, i may separate class levels. For the seven days, I may focus on each of the seven chakras for a weeklong rainbow chakra tour.

"Samadhi" Divine Peace, Union, Bliss

In a recent NYC rainstorm, I feel all five senses sharply alive with a sense of Shanti, dynamic peace - the touch of wind and water on my legs, my son's hand holding mine as we walk. My sandaled foot swishes through a puddle, and my other foot seeks a pool to match the wet coolness. My ears receive the whoosh of cars through water, the piping of my son's voice, the flowing of Thomas Barquee's Latin and Sanskrit "Missa" soaring on my iPod. I smell the vendors' lamb kebabs, roasted cashews, humid subway air hissing up through the vents. My eyes embrace sweeping sheets of water, tremulous leaves, the smiles of doormen in ponchos, grimaces of pedestrians huddled under awnings. I taste minty toothpaste behind the steely rain on my cheeks and lips.

"Tantra", from its Sanskrit roots "tanoti"=expansion, and "trayati"=liberation, teaches that our spirits may expand and liberate enough to experience the divine within our physical existence.

"Samadhi" is the ultimate union and peace attained in meditation. "Sahaja Samadhi" is continuous peace between meditations. A state to strive for, dream for, perhaps, but in the meantime, do we receive glimpses of peace more often when we regularly open ourselves to peace in prayer, meditation, and practice? I don't know. Would the world be better for it? Would it be worse?

Summer Teaching Schedule

July 31 through Labor Day, I'm teaching one class each at Yoga Works and NY Health and Racquet:

Tues. 1:00-2:10 Vinyasa Flow at NYHRC's 23rd Street Spa

Thurs. 12:00-1:00 Level 1 Ishta at Yogaworks East Side

- links below

Pass On; Respond

I enjoy creating this e-community, "sangha", and welcome your forwarding this to friends; you may also of course remove yourself from my email list, but I promise email privacy and never share my list. You may respond to me with "Reply" any time; I'm also happy to forward any of my past 6 Chakra-specific issues.

Om Shanti! Shalom! Dynamic Peace go with you! Mary

Two Dolphins

Here's a "Vacation Need" stress test I received. See how you score:

***
The picture above has 2 identical dolphins in it. It was used in a case study on stress level at St. Mary's Hospital. Look at both dolphins jumping out of the water. The dolphins are identical. A closely monitored, scientific study of a group revealed that in spite of the fact that the dolphins are identical, a person under stress would find differences in the two dolphins. If there are many differences found between both dolphins, it means that the person is experiencing a great amount of stress.

Look at the 2 Dolphins photograph and if you find more than one or two differences you may want to take a vacation.

***

Corporate Yoga News

Workers get massage & yoga on company time - a recent news report discusses the health benefits being acknowledged human resources departments.

Corporate Yoga News

Yoga Works At Work

Many yoga teachers, myself included, welcome corporate clients; email me for info.

If your company prefers dealing with a company, many studios have a corporate program. Here is Yoga Works'.

YogaworksAtWork

Yoga Helps Back Pain

More and more studies report Yoga's benefits in measurable physiological terms. Here is one such recent article in the news.

Yoga Helps Back Pain

2 Weeks Unlimited Yoga for $25

Students New to Yoga Works get a great deal: 2 weeks unlimited classes at all 4 Manhattan studios for $25. Web page has monthly updated coupon to print out and use.

2 Weeks Unlimited