Fall Equinox

Over the weekend, one moment, our night equaled day. Early Saturday morning, on the 23rd, at 12:03 AM EDT, our orbit ushered in the new season.

Some view fall with dread as this time brings an end to summer adventures and sun. Yet, the coolness of the air brings a freshness and harbors a time of rest and rejuvenation.

As a perpetual student, I've always viewed this season with excitement because of the new beginnings - with empty notepads of blank pages and stiff books smelling of glue.

I encourage you to foster those activities that renew your focus and reconnect you to others.

Fall is a time of preparation and reordering. And, of course, I hope yoga - which means to unify - is a part of that renewal and reconnection.

Fall Schedule and Class Plans for Fall Classes

Yoga resumed with enthusiasm and laughter at nilambu last week. Clients found their base again with a foot massage to wake up the feet - the foundation of all standing poses. Each week, the physical postures (asanas) concentrate on one area of practice such as standing, balancing or twisting.

And new this fall, in honor of nilambu's mission to provide stretches for the mind, we also bring our attention to a philosophical principle of yoga such as truth, enthusiasm or contentment.

A few classes still have space available. If you're interested in getting started or restarted - please email me at cass@nilambu.com.

Also, if you have two or more friends and would like to set up your own class, I still have free time available to accomodate an additional class.

Finally, as always, privates and semi-privates are a great way to focus your practice or to address a special challenge. For more on that and on all of nilambu : a personal yoga studio's services, click here

On Happiness

Five years ago,on September 11, this month also became forever tinged with sadness. In response to that, I've been reading a book by Matthieu Ricard called Happiness. I'm not far along, but already I'm learning new ideas.

Many yogis are familiar with sukhasana. A cross-legged seated pose, many translate the posture as "easy pose," or sometimes as "pose of happiness." (Some with tight hamstrings find it anything but easy or happy!)

But sukha in Sanskrit means something more beautiful and more encompassing. According to Ricard, sukha is "a way of being that underlies and suffuses all emotional states...A happiness so deep that, as Georges Bernanos wrote, 'nothing can change it, like the vast reserve of calm water beneath a storm.' " Find Out More about Ricard's Happiness

If you wish to read something shorter on happiness, try the provoking article on happiness by another favorite author of mine, Sally Kempton - click here. Perhaps building on that definition of sukha, Kempton tells us how "yoga teaches us that happiness is always available to us, no matter what our circumstances." Find Out More about Ricard's Happiness

Practice Yoga on the Washington Mall!

This Saturday the 20th on the National Mall, the Library of Congress sponsors the National Book Festival. (For more information on the line up of literary events, click here.)

Ah, but this e-newsletter is on yoga, and so I must let you know that the following weekend, on Saturday October 7th, DC's own John Schumacher, one of the top Iyengar teachers in the US, will be teaching yoga on the Mall as part of a day long celebration of Eastern culture.

Show up at 8 am with your mat at the plaza in front of the Freer Gallery and be a part of history! All are welcome - absolute beginners to advanced. If rain falls, the event will be canceled. But let's pray for sunshine! And if you plan to go, let me know so we can meet up.

For more on all the events associated with celebrating 100 years of Asian art at the Smithsonian...

Yoga Opens Your Heart for Valentine's Day

Love your loved ones and keep them close. A good yoga practice opens your heart and increases awareness not just of your body but of your relationships. Yoga means unity - unity of your mind, body and spirit. But also unity of the heart - which includes mending all those holes and gaps with those for whom you care and who care for you.

The tender parts of our love and hearts can be delicate, raw and sensitive, and this can be scary. This time of year presents an opportunity to reach out to those you love. So send out a few Valentines. Mail, email or simply call those you love - a friend, a relative or a sweetheart, maybe even a sweetheart to be. Don't be afraid. Expect nothing in return. And share your love.

Class Schedule Modifications

Last week my mother was diagnosed with cancer, so I will be commuting out of DC from Friday to Tuesday to be with her. Her prognosis is not yet known, but we're all optimistic she'll pull through. Her cancer is not advanced, but her otherwise poor health presents some challenges in her treatment. Please keep her in your prayers.

This will affect nilambu's class schedule. Wednesday night classes will continue as scheduled and now will not shift on March 1st on the beginning of Lent to Mondays, as previously discussed. Thursday day and Thursday night classes remain unchanged.

Saturday class is temporarily suspended until further notice.

Click here for a summary of class offerings.

I am available for private sessions three days a week and would love to help you focus your practice according to your needs.

Or consider giving a loved one who lives in DC a very special Valentines Day gift of a private nilambu yoga session. I am offering a holiday rate of $60.00 (normally $80.00) until February 18th. Just email me to inquire.

On Balance

Yoga Journal features his terrific article on balance and balancing postures, called Plumb Perfect. I highly recommend the piece.

I met the author, Roger Cole, during my restorative training class. He is very knowledgeable and presents information clearly.

When we balance, we align our body's center of gravity with the earth's gravitational field. Quite literally, we place ourselves in physical equilibrium with a fundamental force of nature. But we can't achieve this harmony by remaining absolutely still. Instead, we must refresh our balance moment after moment. The sustained effort to center and recenter, when successful, brings not only our flesh and bones into balance but also our nerve impulses, thoughts, emotions, and very consciousness. Hence, we feel calm. Equilibrium brings equanimity.

I've heard balance described as a dance with gravity - a dance which requires responsiveness and sensitivity to your partner.

He breaks down the success of balancing into three components

1. Alignment
2. Strength
3. Attention

It's worth the time to read the full piece.

Name the Bones

Poor Bones - no name bones.

For now, we'll call her Nemo.

So, here's the official solicitation of nominations to name our helpful new class aid - the skeleton of human bones. Be creative. The name does not have to be a human name. Let's see if any one has any ideas. Anyone? Anyone?

Consider names from Western classical literature or mythology or from Eastern classical literature or mythology. Either male or female names can be submitted (I have no idea if the number of ribs indicates this thing is male or female). Or offer a word that is not usually a name. If I get enough good suggestions, I'll conduct further voting.

For now, we'll just refer to the bones as Nemo, Latin for "no name." Yes, Masterpiece Theatre's Bleak House has an incognito character named Nemo, but my cousins had a dog named Nemo, too. It'll do for now.

Thanks to Riki Alexander who facilitated this acquisition. You don't have to be a client to suggest a name. Email notes at the address below. Thanks!

Best Meditation Products: Dharma Crafts

Dharma Crafts offers meditation supplies and support. I love this catalog and the web site is terrific too - with all sorts of freebies - a page of "Buddhism Basics."

Right now, they are featuring gifts of "loving kindness" for Valentines Day.

I also recommend subscribing to their newsletter, In the Moment. You can do so by clicking here.

Finally, they have really terrific written pieces on Buddhist teaching, including how to meditate, all of which are helpful.

Yoga Day USA!

Here are 10 top reasons to try yoga. Yoga Day USA is January 28th, and all over the country people will celebrate yoga.

nilambu is offering 2 special classes that day at 10 am and at 1 pm. Those who register will be eligible in a raffle for a free private lesson! Special information on yoga and stress reduction will also be distributed. Register early as space is limited in the nilambu classes.

For those who don't live in the Washington DC area, you can find Yoga Day USA events in your area by clicking here .

Mariel Hemingway is the 2006 national spokesperson for Yoga Day USA and she says,

Yoga opens an awareness of your body and your mind that allows you to slow down and let go of stress. Give it a try. You'll be back again and again.

I hope you'll come by and give nilambu a try.

Methods and Attitudes for 2006

In January, the onslaught of advice on how to quit smoking, quit eating, quit this that or the other can be overwhelming.

So I have a few items to bring to your attention.

Phillip Moffitt highlights the distinction between goals and intentions in The Heart's Intention, a thought provoking and helpful essay. The subtitle is - Setting objectives is not the same as making goals. Confusing the two can lead to unnecessary suffering. And Moffitt offers practical wisdom.

At this time of the year, I look again at the yamas and niyamas - the first two limbs of yoga. These are guidelines of conduct that are as important to yoga as the poses (asanas). For specifics about the yamas and niyamas, click here.

The yamas set forth values on how one is to treat others and the niyamas outline how we our to treat ourselves.

In some parts of India, a new yogi would not be allowed to even roll out their mat to do the physical postures until these values were studied and embodied in every day conduct. For me, they provide a starting point as I set my intentions for the coming months.

Donna Farhi's discussion on how to apply the yamas and niyamas in contemporary life is the best I’ve encountered. This can be found in the introductory pages of her second yoga book, Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit: A Return to Wholeness.

Natural High: A Yoga Vacation

Where: Lake Atitlan Guatemala
Teacher: Robin Carnes, RYT
Dates: February 11-18, 2006
Cost: $1495 includes everything but airfare

You'll be spending 6 days and nights at Villa Sumaya Retreat Center, seductively located on the picturesque shores of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. With an uninterupted vista punctuated by three perfect volcanoes, Villa Sumaya is the ultimate high for people who love to bask in the beauty of Mother Nature. This unpretentious, thatch roof complex, offers comfortable elegant rooms, spacious gardens, a gorgeous yoga studio, restaurant/bar, hot tub, sauna, wellness treatments and more. Each room has its own verandah overlooking the lake. To see more about the beautiful setting, click here.

Yoga classes will be offered in the early morning, mid morning and deep relaxation sessions held every afternoon. All classes are suitable for beginners.

Your last day and night will be in Antigua, Guatemala -- an ancient city overflowing with rich history and extraordinary beauty. Your accommodations in a classic, elegant hotel near the central square allow you easy walking access to explore this fascinating city.

Robin Carnes has been teaching yoga for 10 years and revels in the chance to bring great people to beautiful places for a retreat that will soothe your soul. Contact Robin directly for more details at rdcarnes@starpower.net and phone 301-587-1336. Or check out her web site, Pathways to Happiness.