Paradise Yoga Gift

Golden Days in Midwinter: My 7-Day Yoga Retreat February 24-March 3 to St. Lucia. Why not give yourself or a loved one this holiday Gift? In the lush rainforest we let down our hair; we enjoy local cuisine, hike, swim, snorkel, and sail. We do daily yoga, releasing "Samskaras", karmic baggage. We do all this gently and graciously, respecting our environment and island hosts.

True to Ishta, "meeting the needs of the individual", Morning Yoga is in 3 parts: (1) Gentle Flow; (2) Meditation; (3) Vigorous Flow. Take 1 or 2, or all 3! Evening Yoga emphasizes Restorative Yoga and guided meditation. Mantra, Yantra, Chakra tuning throughout. Massage therapist available for deeper relaxations. Included: 2 full-day adventures and cocktail sunset sail. Add high adventures to your hearts' desire. Or, read, rest, rejuvenate by a waterfall!

My Gift to students: $100 December Discount off listed prices! Call Trish 212-731-2478 NOW to redeem!

Golden Sun Chakra: Manipura

Weekly I teach one of the seven Chakras in my classes; monthly I write of them here. This month I reach the 3rd, Solar or Fire Chakra, located in the solar plexus and navel. "Manipura" in Sanskrit means "Lustrous Gem." Its color is yellow and its Yantra, visual image, is a red downward pointing triangle. It governs vitality, purpose, and will power. Accordingly its affirmation is: "I have the right to act."

Sun Chakra develops from age 18 months to 4 years, when our "terrible twos" flexing of personal power draws punishments and creates blocks such as Shame, Manipura's demon. Blocked Manipura can create blaming, hostile behavior, or the other extreme, passivity and lack of will power. To unblock, sound the "ah" vibration (as in "father") either silently or aloud. To power your Fire Chakra, chant its mantra "Ram" either silently or aloud.

With an open Manipura Chakra, you have the confidence to act on your decisions and to cope calmly with whatever consequences come your way. More Power to you!

Golden Gifts: 7 Great Ways to Give Back

I am so excited when I discover ways we double, treble, or multiply gifts, often for free. In Buddhist Metta meditations, we bless: (1) Ourselves, (2) a Friend, (3) a Stranger, and (4) an Enemy, a four-level expansion of generosity. Below are 7 gifts that bless many. Click links at sidebar to access.

1) Yoga Today: Daily One-Hour Downloadable Yoga Flow class, filmed in Jackson Hole Wyoming, new class each day, featuring different teachers and focus each day. Totally free. Bless: Ourselves. *www.yogatoday.com

2) Life Goes Om: Know cancer patients who could use Yoga? Know a teacher or studio wanting to help cancer patients? Life Goes Om connects them; they bring donated Yoga classes and teachers to cancer patients. Bless: (Ourselves), Friends and Strangers. *www.GreatYoga.com

3) GoodSearch: Search engines generated $6 billion in advertising revenue last year. Set GoodSearch as your home page, and your favorite charity earns a penny each time you "search". Choose from list, or add a non-profit you'd like to support. Great way to raise the profile of smaller, local non-profits by placing them on charities list! Bless: (Ourselves), Friends, Stranger. *www.Goodsearch.com

4) Freecycle: Conserve, barter, trade, recycle, re-use. Good concepts? This site lets you do so. Choose your country, region, local area, and category. Bless: Ourselves, Strangers. *www.Freecycle.org

5) LetsSayThanks: U.S. men and women soldiers need blessings, love, and thanks as much as, possibly more than, anyone you or I know. This site lets us choose a card and wording, and sends soldiers a postcard for us, for free. Bless: (Ourselves), Friends, Strangers, Enemies. *www.letssaythanks.com

6) Heifer Gift Registry: I sing praises of Heifer International, founded since the Spanish Civil War, when an American farmer volunteering in Spain as a relief worker agonized over the life-death decisions of which ailing infants to give rationed milk to, and, back in U.S., organized farmers to send pregnant heifers, then livestock of all kinds, worldwide, with training and agreements that offspring would be "given on". Choose chicks, rabbits, yaks etc. for families worldwide, with beautiful Honor Cards for your loved ones. Now, too, you can create your own Gift Registry to send to friends and family. Let them know you don't need a new watch or gadget, but DO wish a farmer in Indonesia or Afghanistan to have milk, eggs, or wool to produce for his family's survival, community's progress! Bless: (Ourselves), Friends, Strangers. *www.Heifer.org

7) Troop 1 Manhattan - Boy, Cub, & Venture Scouts: City kids thirst for outdoor adventure. Many cannot afford much. Regardless, this Troop takes them out there. I know, I help take them! My Cub helps the Pack go. These young men and women are future leaders in the making. Ten Eagle Scouts graduate in our January 5 Court of Honor! You can donate or support us by buying Troop 1 Polo Shirts or Reflective Patches. This weekend, 12/16 and 12/17, you can buy a Christmas Tree! Our 3 Sites: 56 St./1 Av.; 72 St./1st Av.; 79 St./3 Av.; all Sat/Sun 9-8, or until we sell out! Troop or Donation info: Scoutmaster Bob Deaver 212-518-8777, or me 212-370-9516. Bless: (Ourselves), Friends, Strangers. *www.groups.yahoo.com/group/sixcubed

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Did you notice that every blessing of Others managed to bless Ourselves? And that when we blessed Strangers, we could also inadvertently be blessing Enemies? And - aha - that all the time, all we are blessing is really a larger version of Ourselves? That is Metta Meditation's golden gift.

In This Issue:

Yoga Works Specials

In December, Yoga Works Students can get a 12-month pass for the a price of 10 months, or 6-month pass for the price of 5.

If you are ready to consider Teacher Training, Yoga Works offers both the 200-hour and the ongoing advanced 300-hour levels at various times and paces; there is always one starting near you!

Their best deal for new students is still the introductory $25 for 2 weeks unlimited classes, good at all four NYC studios. Great gift for a friend! See below.

Yoga Works 2 Weeks $25

NY Yoga Passbook

A Gift of Fitness for a friend or yourself! New York City Yoga "sampler" book: $75 for over 325 passes to more than 120 Yoga, Dance and Pilates studios in New York area. Good from January 1st to December 31st, so year-end is a great time to order. Split with friend(s) and share! Most passes good for two visits; some for more.

NY Yoga Passbook

"Sangha" is Community; Please Forward

Creating a wider Sangha, community, is why I like to write my eNews. Please "Send To a Friend" on the toolbar below to anyone you may wish to share it with - and invite them to join my eList with "Subscribe" - or by directly writing me: MaryAranas@yahoo.com.

Have a blessed, joyous New Year 2007, and season of Holy Days, however you celebrate them! May they indeed be whole and healthy.

Maha Shanti - Great Peace! Namaste - my light salutes your light.

Mary

My Ishta Contact Page

Get Your Scout Trees!

This weekend, Dec. 16 & 17, all day, at 3 Upper East Side locations! See last article at left, entry #7!

7 Golden Gifts: Links

Click below for online links to the 7 Great Ways to Give Back described in the article at left.