“…being healthy involves an ability to continuously restore balance in response to its continual disruption.”     – Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D from Full Catastrophe Living; Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness

This Saturday is the Beginner’s Retreat at Philo Presbyterian Church, 9a.m. – noon.  Cost is $20, bring a mat, if you have one, or borrow one from me.  The Beginner’s Retreat is obviously for people who are beginners at yoga.  Brand spanking new beginners who might feel self-conscious about their body, anxious about looking stupid, and uncertain if they should be there at all.  We will slowly go through the basic postures (asanas) of yoga, learn some of the deep gifts of a yoga practice in our life, and experience rest and rejuvenation in our bodies.

But, it’s also for those people who might know the basics and beyond of yoga, and are beginning again.  They might feel self-conscious about their body, anxious about looking stupid, and uncertain if they should be there at all. Maybe they (you? Me? yes.) are trying to restore balance after the constant disruptions, as the quote above says.  I kind of feel like my summer has been a long (yet so short?!) disruption to my sense of balance.  There have been many illnesses, vacations, playdates, lazy days, and busy days.  I feel out of sorts, in my bones.  I’m ready to get into a routine and begin my daily disciplines, again.

I will be offering 8 classes a week and I honestly look forward to each one.  Check out the Weekly Classes page on the blog.  I’m excited to offer a “Vigorous” class on Monday & Wednesdays, 9-10:15 a.m. for a challenging class to work up a sweat and really extend the edges of our practice.  I’m also so grateful to be able to have three Chair yoga classes – especially on Thursdays, 7-7:45p.m., for those of you who work during the day.  Chair yoga is great for people who, for many different reasons, don’t want to get up and down from the floor.  If you are recovering from an injury, have some chronic pain issues, or are older and just not interested in the up & down flow of a non-chair class, this is great for you.  It is really a wonderful practice of seated and standing poses.  I think you might be surprised by how good it feels, actually.  There are also two 6 a.m. classes for those of you who need to be an early bird or you would never get fed!

And be sure to check out the 6 Week Series page.  The Daily DIY series starts in September and is a great way to take your yoga practice deeper than what you do on the mat.  It really cracks yoga wide open and is pretty inspiring.

The whole year of Saturday Morning Retreats also has a page.  Put them on your calendar now!  Pick Up Your Mat & Walk! will be a new kind of retreat where we do a morning practice together and then do some service work/learning at a local agency, and then return “to the mat” to process this in our life and community.  It will be quite awesome, I suspect. 🙂

So, send me an email at dailybreadyoga@gmail.com if you are interested in the Beginner’s Retreat or any of the other offerings you are looking at on the blog.  I would love to see you.  I hope you are having a sweet day.

much peace right on your noggin,

rachel