Dear Yogis,

What can I say.  What a wonderful weekend.  We have had Fantastic Friday night and Saturday morning restorative yoga sessions.  Fantastic!!  We managed to pull together a unified and useful class which combined students who wanted stronger and students who wanted gentler, and everyone had a great class, especially me!  I am getting the hang of this yoga zoom experience, and really liking it.

I did have a teacher from a local school approach me who wanted me to do a class for 16.  I couldn’t.  I love teaching yoga too much.  How can you actually really teach a class of 16 newbies to yoga on a screen, especially pre-teens.  I can’t.  I love teaching yoga as if the students are in the room.  This requires attention.  Not casual attention, but real, in the classroom, in the moment attention.  That is why I just love my classes, because I can really teach… you all go with the flow.  If I change the pattern you understand there is a reason, and move along with me.  Thank you.

TODAY WE DID THE MAKE YOUR OWN TAROT DECK SESSION (We missed you! What was more important?).  This is a wonderful class.

We are up to thinking about numbering, adding other collage details, mantras and so on.  These are going to be tarot decks that last the distance.  There is a lot to think about.   You might think it is just a matter of cutting out the cards and cutting and pasting, not so.  These cards when we are finished can be marketed… they are not hobby cards, though I am sure family and friends will want a copy.  I have made a lot of cards and books and you will find them on ETSY.  www.myyogabooks.etsy.com (look at tarot).  Not all my card decks are there. as I am making them all the time.

At present I am working on a new neck of MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY cards.  So many people want to get involved with mindfulness, want to slow down, but need a “tool” to help them.  This will be the tool they need… A pack of 12 cards, with activities in sensory awareness to slow you down, and at the same time give you an activity to concentrate on whilst you are sitting. I am sure it will be popular.  Of course there will be a book to accompany the set.

If you would like to make a card deck – tarot, mantras, activities, poetry, affirmation... any kind of card, you might like to sign up for the next three classes.  It is only $50 for a set of three sessions – go to the home page and follow the directions.  If confused email me at yogafirst2@bigpond.com.  You could think about the cards as miniature paintings or drawings.  Don’t discount the mini course because of the low price – my students are getting wonderful results (as am I).  Please join us.  At the very least you will have a pack of cards that you can present to family and friends (Christmas isn’t all that far away).

Sunday morning we are delving more deeply into the Bhagavadgita.  This morning we are looking at the verses about the Nature of God, and also the verses about THE NATURE OF YOGA.   The ‘Gita which is perhaps the most read and most revered text in South Asia, teaches that the one Absolute God (Krsna) creates, maintains, contains rules and pervades ALL WORLDS.  Krisna Himself Says: “There is nothing beyond Me.  All this world rests on Me like peals strung on a thread”.  In the ‘Gita,  God speaks personally to Arjuna who represents us all, and in one of the only times in spiritual literature, shows Arjuna the extent of his power.  He says to Arjuna “Know me as the perennial seed (bija) of all beings”.

Then we move on to considering yoga in the ‘Gita.  Three times in the Gita, Krisna says of a person in a specific state of consciousness “that is yogi”..  Each of these verses describes a distinct qualification that enables a yogi to see self, God and other souls.  Buddhism, spiritual reason or discernment helps a yogi to properly see God, self and other souls.  A yogi is higher than one pursuing either knowledge or action.  We will consider the two famous yoga paths (karma-yoga and jana-yoga) , and what stands above them both.

The class is for two hours, and even if you are running behind, please join us… it will be repeated next Sunday morning as usual –  free, if you have paid for today’s class.

If you want to know what classes we are doing, please go to the web site and look on the home page www.yogabeautiful.com.au.  Don’t forget that our first class in MINDFULNESS will be this Wednesday at 6.45pm

 

I look forward to seeing you in class

NAMASTE – JAHNE

 

 

Dear Yogis,

What a strange time we live in.  Here I am in my pyjamas, wearing a rather nice jacket that is now doubling as a “morning coat” and preparing to talk to you all via a newsletter/blog...  Whilst I can fit many more of you in the studio via blogs and zoom,  I am looking forward to the time you can actually come back.  I keep the studio clean and warm for you.  I don’t want to be like Miss.Haversham in Charles Dickens “Great Expectations” who sits in the dust at her wedding reception memories that never were.

It is easy for some to stay in bed until 12, and get more and more reluctant to take part in the day especially as in Melbourne Central they have weeks to go before they are allowed out of isolation (voluntary house arrest).  I do hope that the people running Victoria glance occasionally at the way that the Swedish people (and Western Australia for instance) are dealing with the Pandemic.  They are managing to keep everything under control, the Country running as usual, and focussing their money into supporting the medicos and support workers dealing with the people who have or are most susceptible to the covid virus.   I think it makes sense… what do you think?  No politics please, just common sense.

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY CARDS.  I love making cards, and had the idea during meditation to make MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY CARDS.  So many people don’t take time for this lovely practise because they don’t know what to do.  These cards will help.  There will be 12 cards (I have them planned and drawn ready to do the final drawings).  You just shuffle, choose a card, and there is the MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY you can do for the time you have allotted.  I have the cards themselves framed up ready for the images, so a week or so and they will be ready for you.  I know how I will do the instructions and how to present them.  So, all I have do is get the finished product to you.

At our Saturday afternoon tarot classes I teach the class how to think about a theme, how to make the cards, design them, frame them, economically print, do the book (any book) and at many levels – home publish, or professionally print.  I have done it all and I can teach you how to do it.  Let me know if you want to join us $50 for three sessions – you can join today at 2pm even though you have missed one of this series – it is ongoing.  Email me, and I will send you the link after you have paid the $50 to paypal (details on the home page of the web site).  Email me first… yogafirst2@bigpond.com

I have picked up ideas from all over the place – the Melbourne Grafitti wall (probably wrecked now) and other useful landmarks.  I have always been inspired by the work in Sensory Awareness by Grindler, Insight Meditation by Salzberg etc etc.  I will let you know when I have them ready for you…  I would like to be able to offer them to you all for nothing, but I too must pay the rent.  I do think they will be a wonderful activity for those of you looking for inspiration and as always will make sure that they cost as little as I can manage…

 

I have been super busy.  I check in with my pendulum every morning.  Check that the things I plan for the day are right, and in the correct order, that there is nothing missing, the timing is right.  The last couple of days I felt very much like my immune system was under attack.  I was tired, lacking enthusiasm, disconnected. You know the feeling you have when a cold is on the doorstep, I even had a cold sore.

I checked with the pendulum, got a regime organised, supplements changed a little, was advised a “Nanna Nap” (utterly sensible – Thanks Mum), and here I am this morning bursting with enthusiasm and ideas… how do you lovely yogis manage without a trusted pendulum advisor.  These small charts are available on www.myyogabooks.etsy.com.

They are duplicates of the big charts, but I use one many times a day because it can sit easily beside my computer.  Size? About A5.

THE GARDEN: I have been growing greens in my bathroom.  Herbs.  It is much easier around here than dealing with frost, slugs (BIG slugs), snails and all the rest.  No matter the weather you can nip into the  bathroom and snip the beautiful greens for that designer look finishing touch over your omelette or whatever.  Because they are small the taste is very concentrated.   I advised some time ago to click on “The Seed Collection”.  They have the best seeds for sprouting at the best price.  I have carrots, onions, alfalfa, chick peas, kale etc growing in small containers in the bathroom… they like it there.  I love the onions best.  They emerge carrying the seeds, so you get little green tendrils in the air topped with a tiny black seed. you can see them in the photo.  The onion taste and aroma is quite strong and not much is needed to drench your omelette in onion…  and, you don’t have to wait long for a harvest. Days not weeks.

I look forward to hearing how you have filled your days, made some new discoveries, started new projects. see you at class…

NAMASTE – JAHNE

 

Dear Yogis,

Cut these out and put them where you can see them…

“Then set definite periods for prayer; set definite periods for meditation. Know the difference between each. Prayer, in short, is appealing to the divine within self, the divine from without self, and meditation is keeping still in body, in mind, in heart, listening, listening to the voice of thy Maker.” – Edgar Cayce.

 

MINDFULNESS 

I have no parents, I make heaven and earth my parents,
I have no home:
I make awareness my home.
I have no life or death:
I make the tides of breathing my life and death.
I have no divine power:
I make honesty my divine power.
I have no means:
I make understanding my means.
I make character my magic secret:
I have no body:
I make endurance my body.
I have no eyes:
I make the flash of lightening my eyes.
I have no ears:
I make sensibility my ears.
I have no limbs:
I make promptness my limbs.
I have no strategy:
I make “unshadowed thought” my strategy.
I have no designs:
I make “seizing opportunity by the forelock” my design.
I have no miracles:
I make right action my miracles.
I have no principles:
I make adaptability to all circumstances my principles.
I have no tactics:
I make emptiness and fullness my tactics.
I have no talents:
I make ready wit my talent.
I have no friends:
I make my mind my friend.
I have no enemy:
I make carelessness my enemy.
I have no armour:
I make benevolence and righteousness my armour.
I have no castle:
I make immovable mind my castle.
I have no sword:
I make absence of self my sword.

-Anonymous Samurai, 14th Century.

 

ZOOM
Friday: 11am:  Zoom Cafe – all welcome.  5.30 Restorative Yoga with weights, (optional)
Saturday: 12.30 Restorative Yoga with Weights, (optional)   2pm MAKE YOUR OWN TAROT (2nd class)
Sunday: 10am Teacher Training – The Bhagavadgita.

LOVE TO SEE YOU AT OUR ZOOM MEETINGS.
NAMASTE, JAHNE