Dear Yogis,

WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK
Monday: 1pm Zoom Yoga
Tuesday: 7.30 Zoom workshop “The Chakras” Pt.2.
Wednesday: 12.30 and 5.30 Zoom Yoga
Friday: 5.30 Zoom yoga
Saturday: 12.30 Zoom yoga, 2pm Workshop – “MAKE YOUR OWN TAROT”.  Everyone Welcome –  see “TAROT” on the home page
Sunday: 10am Teacher Training Repeat. “The Bhagavadgita“.

COVID
I have been watching up to date information about covid and the responses of various countries around the world.  A country which is doing quite well is Sweden.  Their statistics are reported slightly differently so we can’t really look at them alongside ours.  We report on a country in lockdown where everyone is in the same boat.  Sweden has worked out that it is the part of the population over 70 with co-morbidities and in nursing homes that are most at risk of contracting and dying from covid, and they are throwing all their resources behind testing, protecting and treating this group and supporting the staff who work with them in homes, nursing homes, and in hospital.  This means that the most vulnerable are protected, the rest are advised how best to protect themselves with diet,  exercise, sanitising and distancing WITHOUT LOCKDOWN.  The country has kept on working.

Statistics (Scientists and Medicos) around the world confirm that Sweden is focussed on the correct proportion of the population.  Why are we crucifying the entire population when one section of the community is over represented?  We could follow Swedens lead and throw all our dollars into care for the aged and vulnerable, and get the country back to work.  We could refocus the message to everyone else to reflect the diet, supplementation and exercise that we need to build our immune systems, and the commonsense measures we need to take regarding sanitising etc.

WHAT ABOUT ME?  You may be thinking that according to YOGIC PHILOSOPHY/TCM for instance you haven’t taken care of your body, heart and mind this far in your life, why would it work now?  Perhaps you believe you don’t have a strong constitution and you are in the “vulnerable” group with regards to covid. Maybe your past choices were not the best.  Don’t worry it is not too late to change.

Even though the focus of Yoga and Chinese medicine is on prevention, there is still much you can do to improve your emotional, physical and spiritual lives which even at this late stage will put you in a good place.  Appropriate measures and lifestyle changes need not be major, but they can ease us gently through this trying time.  Think of it as a transition.

As you are aware, Yoga, Tai-Chi and ChiGong are particularly helpful in conserving Essence and building energy while providing aerobic enhancement (without exhausting the system) through breathing and weight bearing exercise.  The benefits are the same as high impact exercises but without the stress and strain on the body.  These practises balance us physically, mentally, spiritually which is beneficial as we transition  through this difficult time.

Don’t forget your practise, don’t put it on the back burner until later… start again today.  Start again with baby steps.  Through re-starting your practice, making it regular your Chi will actually increase.  You do not need to be fit, young, rich (or in the perfect place) to practise yoga.  Think of it as a journey of self-discovery. You are re-creating yourself.

This is not the path for the faint hearted.  It takes courage, trust and perseverance to search for your inner truth, and may mean letting go of some long-held beliefs, but these energetic shifts have tremendous power to effect our physical wellbeing.  In being emotionally honest our Chi is allowed to flow smoothly, energetic blockages become unblocked and blood can circulate freely.  The imbalances which give rise to many of our physical complaints will be addressed, influenced and eventually will cease altogether.  You will be giving birth to a new you.  This is the perfect time to choose this path, to get into a new regime and become stronger in every way.

JOIN ME ON THE PATH

NAMASTE.  Jahne

 

 

Dear Yogis,

What a wonderful life we live.  Yesterday I was hugely busy, and yes looking at one item at a time you could consider in a way it was a “challenge”, but everything worked out very well.

I managed to iron out the wrinkle that had developed in zoom ( a huge achievement) without frustration a melt down or other negative emotion.  This meant that we could have a yoga class and then the tarot class, and they both went smoothly.  We are all learning how to help each other achieve as best we can, at the same time dealing with the ‘fluctuations’ on zoom.

Then I had a lovely meal, and watched “ABOUT TIME” with Bill Nighy (what an utterly gorgeous human being, so kind).  I learned from this to live every day as if you had ordered it specifically, no matter how it started or what happened.  Being grateful for every moment.  We learn that in our yoga journey, but it is good to be reminded from time to time. That is my message for today.  How can I make my message to you any better?  I can’t.  It is the complete package.

This “ABOUT TIME”  viewpoint is most important as we travel through the covid experience – it will take us to some dark places if we let it. Just don’t let it, or if you find yourself there, just observe it and talk to Spirit or whomever you go to.. “what has this got to teach me – what can I learn from this”.  Everything has a message, especially the not so nice things.  Take responsibility, joyfully.  SMILE.

By the way.  The class decided that they wanted to do the MAKE YOUR OWN TAROT class, and we would start next Saturday at 2pm, running straight on from the class we are doing at the moment.  If you want to join us, then do so.  Let me know.  It is 450 for three sessions…. and then we will decide what comes next.

THE BATTLEFIELD OF LIFE:  What comes next for me is the BHAGAVADGITA CLASS this morning at 10am.  Join me if you can.  Email me for the ID, and pay ($20) if you haven’t via the donate button at the bottom of the home page.  If you can’t do the class, watch the film ‘BAGGER VANCE” with Matt Damon, Charlize Theron and Will Smith.  You might think it is about golf, it is not.  It is about The ‘Gita.  If you pay this morning, you can watch the repeat of our class next week at the same time FREE.

HAVE A WONDERFUL SUNDAY.

NAMASTE. JAHNE

 

 

Dear Yogis,

We had such a fantastic time in our ZOOM CAFE YOGA meet-up on Friday at 11, you should have been here.  Here is a partial shot of the group.  There were others present.  Thanks Caroline for the photograph – I never think to do this.  I gave a short intro on how to tie a scarf, and most were so comfortable wearing it that they kept it on throughout our meeting, not even lifting it to have a coffee.   One of the newcomers noted that I had ‘A GROUP OF QUIRKY WOMEN AT THE CAFE”… well yes, I guess we are, that is why it is so much fun.  Nothing much is “out of bounds”.  

I know that we had fun but I had not expected to notice the deep quietness in my house after we closed the meeting.  I remember when my children had left home and came to visit, that same quietness I had to get used to again when they left.  So thank you girls for enlivening my life and the atmosphere in the studio.  We all look forward to this girl time together.  I went into the kitchen afterwards and out of habit sanitised my hands… I must have felt at a deep level that we had been THAT CLOSE.  Please don’t miss it.  Next Friday our project is something that we have made with a Coles bag, the red and white ones.  Crochet, knit, weave…whatever.

ZOOM THIS WEEKEND:

1. RESTORATIVE YOGA Saturday 12.30,
2. TAROT TRAINING CLASS Saturday 2pm to 4pm,
3. BHAGAVADGITA is the topic of TEACHER TRAINING Sunday at 10am,

and 4. MAKE YOUR OWN TAROT CARDS… Sunday at 2pm.  Bring paper and pencil for notes, a number of SMALL paper or plastic bags, and some magazines that you like….  No glue,  cardboard, or paint needed at this stage.  

 

THE JOURNEY

Since I started out in yoga and massage all those years ago, I have “treated” hundreds of women suffering from fatigue, stress, grief, PMS, infertility, depression, menopaws(?), and various life threatening conditions…all too common today.  I am not a Western trained doctor, but a long time yogi trained in other modalities, massage being a stand-out.

NEED A BREAK? In this time of isolation I invite you to come along for a “THAI HAND REFLEXOLOGY MASSAGE”.  All the covid requirements can be met and I will be doing a temp check, signing in, etc etc.  No disrobing of any kind except the hands required, (a hazmat suit optional#!?).  You and I will be wearing masks, and sanitising ourselves until our skin falls off (I am moisturising my hands after each wash). The all important cost? $50 for half an hour…

My aim is not to fix or cure, but to rebalance the body,  to relax and restore my clients so that they can come to a new understanding of their body and emotions, and how through preventative self-care, they can improve their health, increase vitality and avoid illness.  If we build the Chi it will protect us from all ills.

ZEN SAYING:   “If you bring forth what is within you it will save you.
If you DO NOT bring forth what is within you – it will destroy you” 

 

SOUP – a soup for “what ails you” 
You might need to search for a couple of the ingredients..  This soup helps the liver energy to flow, activates the flow of Chi, nourishes and invigorates the blood and invigorates the spleen.

6 cups water, 1 cup black rice, half a cup of dried longan fruit (available at Asian stores or good health food stores),
10 dates, 2 tablespoons raw cane sugar (half an inch of raw ginger peeled and thinly sliced add to finished soup).

Place all ingredients into a large heavy saucepan.  Bring to boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat and gently simmer for 2 hours (or in a crockpot) stirring occasionally.  The finished congee will have the consistency of soup.  Ladle into a bowl and sprinkle with the ginger slices.  EAT.

Typically of Chinese medicine, we need to bring the YIN AND YANG back into balance.  Many practices TCM recommends, in particular self-help like the soup above,  are common sense, and yes they are.  I have found that common sense is not all the “common”.  In these stressed times, interesting times, common sense practices are sometimes hard to carry out.  For example, the most important considerations are –  try not to get too stressed, too overworked, or overtired.  This is not so easy to achieve, but it is an investment in a healthy,  long life.

 

I LOOK FORWARD TO YOU JOINING ME.. I AM HERE FOR THE LONG HAUL – AND YOU?

NAMASTE – JAHNE