Primary Right: Roots

Our first Right as spiritual-physical beings is our physical well-being: "I have the Right to Be and to Have." Health. Wealth. Try affirming this when you experience anxiety, fear, ungroundedness.

At my son's School of the Future, 6th graders in interdisciplinary science and humanities study Maslow's Hierarchy, a 5-level human development pyramid, each level building upon fulfillment of prior levels. Observe Chakra parallels to the five levels - Body, Security, Social, Ego, Self Actualization - 1st Chakra, Body and Security. 2nd through 4th, Social Needs. 3rd through 5th, Ego. 6th and 7th, Self Actualization.

As in Maslow's pyramid, far from being "less important" or "inferior" the lower Chakras are the foundation on which higher Chakras build. The more solid your Root Chakra, the more powerful you can become in each subsequent area of your life.

All standing poses performed with alignment ground your Root Chakra, particularly the Warrior poses. All alignment in fact grounds you. So take your lessons on alignment and use them 24/7 as you sit, walk, stand, recline. Build your physical "house" on a solid foundation.

Yoga in Tropics: Last Call to Board the Plane

Flying with my family Friday Feb. 15 on a mileage-awards fare overnight via Atlanta to arrive Saturday Feb. 16 in St. Lucia! Leading a delicious Chakra Retreat week with my little group, tuning one Chakra per day for a 7-day rainbow of refreshment.

Late cancellations have made room for spontaneous travelers, so if you feel inspired to jump on a plane, call/email Trish for latest best pricing incentives and come swim in tropical waters with us!

A Food Break for the Body

Early Lent: Inspired by my friend Isabell's joyful experience, I rested my digestive system for 10 days with Stanley Burrough's classic "Master Cleanse". Never successfully fasting even 24 hours before, I was surprised with the energy, lightness, and strength that Burrough's "superfuel" lemonade gave me. And simple! At Whole Foods I got organic lemons and maple syrup, cayenne and spring water, eventually switching to filtered water for greater convenience.

My 10-day fast was a fascinating moving retreat; I rode trains, biked, scootered, taught, practiced, sat at dinner with family, lunch with girlfriends, cooked others' meals, drank my lemonade.

Pratyahara, sense-withdrawal, and Svadhyaya, self-study/spiritual study, flowered throughout the 10 days. Tapas, discipline, and Aparigraha, non-greed, served Saucha, cleanliness.

I practiced more Yoga, read, meditated and prayed more with the many hours I was not engaged in food activities. I leaned heavily on Ishvara Pranidana, trust, especially Sunday my 7th day when I wrestled with permitting Eucharist to pass my lips. It did not harm me. Santosha, contentment, came along with fresh sweet taste sleeping and waking, by mid-fast.

I'd failed 24-hour fasts before because the 1st day of any fast is the toughest slogging. 48 years' worth of accumulated toxins in muscles, joints, organs stirred up in me on Day 1: toothache, headache, and bellyache, fading Day 2 and gone by Day 3. As thoughts swirl when we first meditate, so toxins swirl when we first fast; and as we go on, we "ghost-bust" them!

My body and mind feel greatly strengthened and refreshed and prepared to cleanse quarterly. Partly from more practice, I acquired several challenging, previously elusive postures. By Day 3 I noticed a new comfort in seated meditation. And my period occurred without cramp medication for the first time this peri-menopausal year.

Yoga Your Way: Yoga Housecalls

My teacher Alan Finger and his father Mani Finger founded ISHTA ("Individual") Yoga, "The Integrated Science of Hatha, Tantra & Ayurveda", to honor the uniqueness of every Yoga practice. This honoring is even more pronounced in private instruction, where I spend the bulk of my teaching time.

To accommodate my growing clientele, I am happy to announce a team of terrific teachers I now work with ~ "Yoga Housecalls" ~ sending them to your home for private instruction in your own "individualized" and ever-evolving practice. Great gift for a special someone ~ a Guru on call!

Yoga your way: Your time, Your place, Your guru. Your needs will vary by person to person, and day to day. I will feature one of my Yoga Housecalls teachers each issue. See Anna at sidebar!

Fears and Flying

This weekend my son's Boy Scout Troop goes skiing, and I, with commitments in town, must juggle mother fear in having my progeny gleefully fend for himself on the mountain. Root Chakra fears abound for me here. Family, survival, footing on Earth's slippery snowy slopes. Health and body. Will he eat? Sleep? Wash? Brush? Remember his seat belt? Will he retain his gloves, socks, clothes, hat, common sense? A big gulp, lots of chants to Durga for protection and Ganapati for clearing obstacles ... and O and Lam for sure!

My own fears of flying and defying gravity are being delightfully challenged in my new passion for AcroYoga, since November. Not "Aqua" water, but "Acro" Greek "high": High Union.

The metaphysical challenges equal the physical: the strength of being Base, the commitment of being Flyer. The sensitivity of Spotter. The trust and Metta, loving-kindness, of partnership perhaps the single most inspiring element. My "high" dreams include Teacher Training in Greece or Santa Barbara in 2008.

Good news! An AcroYoga Workshop is coming to Yoga Works on May 31! Mark your calendars and watch for flyers, Yoga Works yogis! NYHRC Members, a new Sunday AcroYoga class is now on the schedule, 4pm at Cooper! Wahoo! Both links below. Let's play and fly together! Check out the awesome group photos.

GoodSearch: Good News

I have GoodSearch as my home page and am happy to hear their fundraising successes for charities! GoodShop from the same page, also donates when you purchase through their links to major online merchants! Here's a GoodSearch Update:

"Great news! Our donations equaled 1.3 cents per search, exceeding our estimate of a penny per search! ... Some highlights include:
* The ASPCA has earned $11,100
* The Bubel/Aiken Foundation has earned $7,100
* The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has earned $7,200
* St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has earned $5,000
* Stevens Point Area High School has earned $1,200
* Save Darfur has earned $6,300
"If you could send us an email at information@goodsearch.com and let us know what you are doing with the money you earned, we'll will try and share your story with the press and the GoodSearch community."

Attract Abundance

I often give Lakshmi's chant when teaching Muladhara, as this Hindu Goddess of Abundance smilingly proffers us from her open palms all health, wealth, and spiritual prosperity that we may desire.

Here is her chant: "Om Shrim Maha, Lakshmiyei Swaha."

For deeper thoughts on joyfully attracting abundance, try this classic book, the teachings of which form the premise for the popular book and film "The Secret".

Credits: Pics etc.

Photos Courtesy of: Alan Finger, Will Nagel, Doug O'Neill, Karen Lee, Trish Perkins, Rachel Zinman

Data on Maslow's Hierarchy: Raphael Aranas, School of the Future 6th Grade Humanities teacher Alan Yount

Privacy; Forward; Reply

I write my monthly ENews to reach out with community, "Sangha", and update you on retreats, classes, and events.

I do not seek to intrude and your email privacy is always sacrosanct. Please feel free to forward to a friend who may like something in an issue; and I always welcome comments and responses!

Shanti, peace
Adventure and delight on your journey! Namaste, Mary

In This Issue:

Yantra & Mantra for Root Chakra

"Oh" is the vowel vibration to release Fear, the demon of Muladhara. "Lam" is the bija or seed Mantra to send into the base of the spine where Muladhara resides. Its Yantra or visual is a yellow square and its color is Red.

ENews #18 on Root Chakra

Organs, Glands of Root Chakra

Stomach and spleen are governed by Root Chakra, as are the reproductive glands, working closely with Sacral, 2nd Chakra, which rules the sexual organs.

Muladhara ("Root Place") is at the base of the spine and also governs legs and feet, our roots into the earth.

ENews #10 on Root Chakra

Yama, Niyama & the Eight Limbs

Weekly I explore a theme with my students. In addition to the Chakra cycle I frequently draw from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the first written text on Yoga. In my Article on the Master Cleanse, I refer to terms from a section in the Sutras, starting Book 2, Verse 29, on the 8 Limbs of Yoga (Asht=8, Anga=limb), rungs of a ladder leading to Union, Bliss, Yoga (Yuj = Yoke = Union).

The Eight Limbs:

*Yama = 5 Restraints
*Niyama = 5 Disciplines
Pranayama = Breath Direction
Asana = Postures
Pratyahara = Sense withdrawal
Dharana = Concentration
Dhyana = Contemplation
Samadhi = Meditative Bliss

The 5 *Yama, Restraints:

Ahimsa = Non-violence
Satya = Truth
Asteya = Non-stealing
Brahmacharya = Sexual moderation
Aparigraha = Non-greed

The 5 *Niyama, Disciplines:

Saucha = Cleanliness
Santosha = Contentment
Tapas = Austerity
Svadhyaya = Self/Spiritual Study
Ishvara Pranidanah = Surrender to Highest

To read more of this classic text: in addition to the link below, many excellent commentaries abound. One warmly intuitive new interpretation I've enjoyed is Nischala Joy Devi's The Secret Power of Yoga, listed below under Links.

Yoga Sutras: A Classic Commentary

Anna Dioguardi: Housecalls Teacher

Anna Dioguardi's classes infuse breath with movement in an invigorating and transforming way. Anna believes that the vibration of sound and the movement of Yoga asana can invite miracles into all of our lives.

Trained at the 500 hour level at Yoga Works, Anna has also taken advanced level studies with Beryl Bender Birch at The Hard and the Soft Yoga Institute. She includes Nada (sound) and Bhakti (devotion) Yoga in her classes. She continues her own study under the guidance of Alan Finger, Jean Koerner and Beryl Bender Birch and also continues to deepen her learning from her Spinone puppy dog, Luna!

While studying with her, Anna will give you the permission to be who you are, alignment principles to practice safely and effectively and the inspiration and joy for Yoga to keep you coming back for more.

Anna's strengths are vigorous Vinyasa, Restorative, and any person who needs a lot of TLC. She is patient and likes to give the client room to breathe and explore. She is willing to put in some time to research special needs for the client.

Yoga Housecalls Team