Namaste!

Namaste!

I am reminded daily of the importance of taking a few minutes to myself to breathe, relax, and take things at a snail’s pace. There is a tremendous beauty and power of being present and doing one thing at a time. This is a very difficult practice given the high speed internet, text messaging, and the seemingly need to have our phones on all the time (and answer them!). What would you do without a day of communication tools at your fingertips? Would you be anxious, worried, fretting over what you are missing? Would you be able to relish the quietness and solitude, using it as an opportunity to allow the muddy waters to settle?

As the sensei on Kung Fu Panda wisely noted:"Yesterday is history, tomorrows a mystery, today's a gift. That's why they call it the present."
(Eleanor Roosevelt)

I ask these questions merely as a reflection to our inner heart and self, the part of our lives that we cherish because it is what ultimately brings us peace and balance. Your yoga practice is a gift that moves you ever forward to the point of inner balance. When you come to class, when you practice - there are no high speed communication efforts or needs, everything becomes about the moment in which you are participating. A very natural way to hit your own reset button and bringing you back to the importance of the present moment.

I hope to see all of you in class sometime soon – we have a lot of juicy workshops and events coming up. Perhaps March/April will be an opportunity for you to begin again fresh!

Enjoy! Peace, warmth and harmony - Retha

Foot Reflexology with Lois
April 9^th 2011
Saturday
Appointments from 12 - 6pm
$30 - sign up with Lois    329.0382

Lois will see clients for foot reflexology sessions one Saturday a month. The Saturday will vary from month to month depending on her schedule. We are happy that she is returning to Yoga & More, offering sole-full happiness! Please book your appointment directly with Lois.

Aikya Healing Sessions Available!

Aikya (pronounced "Eye-key-Ah") sessions cultivate healing and health with the presence of heart using age old traditions and skills of energy healing and deep listening. The word Aikya comes from Sanskrit and means unity with the divine, a harmonious spirit balanced with that which is formless with that which has form.

The sessions have been known to help with healing hurts of the heart, relieve anxiety and insomnia, healing depression, improve energy, enhance physical health, release emotional blocks from illnesses, bring peace, increase overall health and well-being, establish balance of heart from cancer treatments, etc. Many times the sessions reveal addtional information from the spirit, from your healing guides as to what needs to happen to create or re-establish the luminescent potential that exists within.

Perhaps there are physical, emotional, or mental shifts which need to take place first before you move forward into a new direction. Perhaps you are connected with someone who has need of a shift themselves, would you be willing to be a conduit for their growth and healing? Perhaps you just need an energetic restart or reboot to get you going! Perhaps you would just like to breathe comfortably in your own being.

Sessions are individually booked with Retha, $75 1 hr

Ayurveda Appointments with Sonam
Saturday April 16^th 11am - 6pm

Sonam Targee, Ayurveda Specialist will see clients on Saturday the 19th. Ayurvedic Medicine was the original medical model and the foundation for modern medicine. The model was constructed based on the fact that medicine (Ayurveda) was to prevent and cure diseases from their root cause. It is an ancient tried and true system to reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure, lessen anxiety, improve all aspects of health without the use of pharmaceuticals. Clients in Corning have reported lower BP, lower cholesterol levels, fertility, improved liver function, decreased pain and arthritic symptoms, decreased anxiety, improved sleep patterns, reduction of ADD/ADHD symptomology... the list goes on. If you would like to have a more natural method of treating, preventing and curing your ailments - then Ayurveda may be a worthwhile approach for you. Call Retha to set up your appointment. 962-9642

March, April, May ~ Sunday Workshops!! $25
Crystal Bowl Meditations - FREE!

March 20th - "Spring Clean and Detox" 1:30 - 4 pm

Learn herbal detox treatments, fasting techniques, and yoga to begin spring with a fresh slate! Join Lois Lovgren (herbalist) and Retha for our Vernal Equinox workshop.

March 27th - "Oh, My Aching Back" 3 - 5 pm

Stiff? Achy, breaky back issues? Jami’s back workshop may be the right ticket to work out the kinks, and distress the back muscles bringing you back into wholeness.

April 17th - "Pilates Fundamentals" 3 - 5 pm

Learn and do! Core fundamentals for strength that you can apply to your daily life and other practices. Jami will share her Pilate’s knowledge and wisdom in your body’s to bring you back to the core.

May 1st - "Happiness, Hormones & Whoville" 1:30 - 4pm

Join Retha and Lois' tag-team once more. We'll combine herbal, natural treatments and yoga poses for hormonal balancing. Your happiness and hormonal health are keys to leading an integrated, balanced life. PMS? Menstrual Concerns? Menopausal (pre-peri-post?) Increased sex drive?

Crystal Bowl Meditation Returns!
Last Friday of Month 6:30 - 7:30 pm
March 25th, April 29th, May 27th

Audio CD Ready!!! "Breathing and Relaxation for Stress Reduction" is ready for you! $20

A guided audio practice to bring you balance and relaxation. The cd has five tracks, the first an intro, three effective/easy breathing techniques for you to follow and a 25 minutes guided progressive relaxation! The cd is accompanied with beautiful, ethereal, relaxing background music. The cd is available on our new products page, check it out!
products page

Ask Retha

Dear Retha,

I have a difficult time going to sleep, I toss and turn and can't get settled. It seems that by the time I do fall asleep soundly it is time to get up....agghhhh...it is very frustrating. What can I do?

Sleepless in Corning

Dear Sleepless,

Certainly one the few pleasures we look forward to in life is a sound sleep, in a comfy bed, letting go our cares of the day! Here are some simple techniques you can try:

1. First of all make sure there is no mental stimulation before bed, i.e. TV, computer, or reading!
2. Try feet up the wall pose (Viparita Karani) for 10 minutes, approximately 30 minutes before retiring.
3. A warm glass of milk, or chamomile tea before bed.
4. Lay on your right side to sleep, block your right nostril and breathe comfortably through the left nostril (inhalation and exhalation).
5. Limit or eliminate caffeine and chocolate from your diet.
6. Put yourself to sleep before 10 pm. Otherwise a second wind is bound to hit and your sleep will be more restless.
7. Place a couple of drops of lavender essential oil on your pillow or a lavender sachet under your pillow.
8. Check your medications (western, herbal and eastern) that you are taking, investigate if sleeplessness/insomnia/restlessness is a side effect or minor (lesser known side effect).

If these do not bring you enough quality sleeping time – then it may be time to seek professional help, i.e. Sonam Targee (Ayurveda Specialist), or your western physician.

Kindly,
Retha

If you have questions that you would like to have answered in the next newsletter, please mail it to Retha with the subject:
"Ask Retha" spirityoga@yahoo.com

Yoga and More Newsletter • March/April 2011, issue #11