As I sit here writing to you this morning, it’s 50 degrees and foggy outside – quite a change from the blistering heat we experienced in August. I celebrated the more moderate temperatures yesterday by going for a bike ride . . . in the afternoon . . . because it was just too cold to go in the morning!
While I was riding, I noticed the undeniable signs of fall, which in Ayurveda is known as “vata season.” The qualities of vata dosha are light, dry, airy, mobile, rough, and subtle. It was windy out there on the rail trail – so much so that it made pedaling difficult at times. Much of the trail was covered with light, dry, rough leaves that were swirling in the wind – tangible representations of vata dosha.
We all know that the weather in West Virginia can turn on a dime, but it looks like these more comfortable days are here to stay for a while. Along with a shift in the weather, schedules are also shifting now that teachers and students are back in school. You might have noticed that our weekday morning yoga classes have disappeared from the MSY schedule, and this month, Paula’s Monday evening classes will shift back to their school-year times: Balance & Breath at 4:30pm and Hip Hop Flow (which, due to its increasing popularity is now offered EVERY Monday!) at 6:00pm.
If you’d like to learn more about Ayurveda, specifically how to use our knowledge of the doshas to create a daily routine that helps keep us in balance, I hope you’ll attend this month’s Ayurveda workshop: “Habits for Health and Happiness” on Saturday, September 18th at 10:30am. In addition to learning the philosophy behind some Ayurvedic practices like oil pulling, neti, nasya, abhyanga, and karna purana, we’ll also try a few of them out! If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you definitely won’t want to miss this workshop because several of the practices can help alleviate seasonal allergy symptoms. While you’ll need to attend in person to experience the practices, an online option is available. If you can’t attend live, I’d be happy to send you the recording. If you’d like to learn more about Ayurveda and how the doshas are affecting you personally, contact me to schedule a consultation.
If you’re ready to expand your asana practice with arm balances – or if you’ve missed Stacey Fox as much as I have – you won’t want to miss “Accessible Arm Balances” on Sunday, September 19th at 1:30pm. If anyone can make arm balances accessible and fun while making you feel like a badass, it's Stacey Fox. Having completed "Yoga For All" training, Stacey knows how to make arm balances a reality for anyone, even beginners who never imagined they could experience the thrill of these beautiful and exciting yoga postures. This workshop is for everyone from beginners who want to expand their practice to experienced arm balancers who want to refine their skills. Come play with us! Register here.
If you’re a yoga teacher or yoga teacher trainee who wants to learn more about how to offer your students thoughtful and useful hands-on assists, join me for “Hands-On Assisting and Adjusting” on Sunday, September 26th. You’ll learn the difference between assists and adjustments as well as when, why and how to offer them. We'll discuss qualities of touch, practice hand positions, and learn how to keep our own bodies safe and aligned while offering assistance to our students. Finally, we will learn and practice both specific feel-good assists and alignment-based adjustments for the most common yoga postures. This workshop runs from 9am to 4pm (with a lunch break) and offers a total of 6 continuing education hours with Yoga Alliance. Space is limited. Preregister here.
On September 30th, we’ll be adding a beginner-friendly yoga and meditation class to our weekly schedule. This class will be taught by Rae Dyer on Thursday evenings at 7pm. Rae completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training at Main Street Yoga. She taught “Team Red, White and Blue Yoga” earlier this year at MSY. Over the summer, she has been offering wild plant workshops at her home and teaching “Yoga at the Farm” on Sunday mornings at 8am. Rae has a strong calling to serve her community and is expanding her expertise to include trauma-informed yoga. Look for her new class on the MSY schedule at the end of the month.
Last but certainly not least, I strongly encourage each and every one of you, especially those of you who want to deepen your yoga practice, to register for “Kriya Yoga: An Introduction to the Practical and Spiritual Benefits of Yoga, Meditation and Breathwork” with Ryan Kurczak. Ryan began practicing Kriya Yoga in 2000 and was authorized to teach by a student of Paramahansa Yogananda in 2005. He is the author of several books on Kriya Yoga (two of which I’ve read myself, and I’m about to start a third), the host of The Kriya Yoga Podcast, and the director of the 2-Year Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship Program. We are so lucky to have him living right here in Fairmont!
In this 4-week series, we will explore the fundamental practices of Kriya Yoga and focus on developing a solid and steady meditation practice. We will explore methods of pranayama, which serve to harmonize the life force within the body. We will also discuss the positive scientific effects that regular meditation and pranayama has on our mind and physiology.
Yoga is also deeply spiritual practice. It has the capacity to enrich one's spiritual life, regardless of one’s beliefs (or lack thereof) and no matter the tradition or religion one belongs to. For those interested, we will touch upon this aspect of Yoga as well.
This series is being offered on Sunday evenings in October, both in person and simultaneously live online via Zoom. Register here to attend in person. Register here to attend online.
That’s it for now! Enjoy this beautiful weather.
See you at the studio!
Angela