Dear Yogis,

“Live, Love, Laugh and leave a LEGACY”

FRIENDSHIP BEARS PLEASE

As you know, I have taught yoga for more than 50 years, have painted, run galleries and I have always made dolls and bears. The ArtDolls I design and make will soon be available at the Little Gallery next to the Trading Post in Woodend.

When I am not designing and making my own dolls and bears (I worked with the Late Mirka Mora),  I renovate bears and give them to charity.  Mostly I have been buying from op-shops, but passing on multiples a day it is difficult, although hugely rewarding.    As well as giving them away,  I do sell my own designed and hand-made denim and fabric bears to clients from my studio.  The money I make from this,  allows me to buy more bears, mostly from Op-Shops.   Can you help?

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, can you donate teddys to me, especially pre-loved and worn,  so that I can give them free of charge, renovated, and renewed to people in need? Everyone needs a bear.

You would not understand unless you saw it,  the difference a bear makes to someone who is deemed to be unresponsive, even those who can’t see or hear…  a light comes on in their soul.  They pick up the bear with gentleness and hold it, rock it like a baby.  It is beautiful to watch.  Transformative.

If you have bears  –  knitted, or fabric or fur (they don’t have to be pristine and beautiful – they are ALL beautiful in their own way) – and would like me to pass them on to people who will love and adore them (and keep them out of landfill or save them from being chopped up for their fibre), please let me know, or drop them on my doorstep at 37 Morris Road in Woodend.  I am hoping to be inundated.  The little teddy in the photo on the left has gone to a new home… I cleaned him, embroidered a new face,  I even knitted a coat.

TEDDY BEAR YOGA WORKSHOP.  

If you are a counsellor, a yoga teacher, a Disability worker, someone who works in hospitals or aged care… or all three, then maybe you would benefit from a short ZOOM workshop in using the bears to bring your yoga classes to life.  Maybe it’s about Covid anxiety, but Teddies are so wanted and needed at the moment.  I will show you how I collect, renovate and pass on these bears.  Maybe this is a family/community work you could do too.  Email me and I will send you and ID.  The workshop will probably be on a Sunday afternoon, I have not decided because I haven’t heard from you….

STUDIO YOGA CLASS TIMES
Fees FROM 3rd October (new term) $220 per term.

Monday – the 1pm class ONLY deferred until term 4 (re-starting 3rd October).  This hopefully will allow everyone to take care of families and school holidays for that 1 hour per week.
Monday 2.15 class as usual
Tuesday 1.30 Teaching at Windarring
Wednesday 1pm Hatha and 2.15 teacher training as usual
Friday 2.15 as usual.

NEW SPRING CLASSES:
I am considering a Tuesday and Friday 7pm class to take advantage of the warmer weather of term 4.

NEW – SATURDAY BOTANICAL ART CLASS: “GIVE IT A GO” with Jahne.  4 x 2 hour classes from Saturday 9th October, 2.30pm to 4.30 $75 for members of The Botanical Art Society of Australia, ($85 non-members). Location: Woodend, Victoria.

ZOOM TEACHER TRAINING 6.30 Monday (The Sutras)  STUDIO TEACHER TRAINING 2.15 Wednesday in the Studio.

FOR BOOKINGS, ENQUIRIES – NEW EMAIL ADDRESS: yogafirst2@bigpond.com

SEE YOU ON THE MAT.

NAMASTE JAHNE

Dear Yogis,

This piece by David Michie (a Buddhist Monk) was submitted to me by one of our graduates.

……….When I heard the news of her death, I immediately recalled a specific insight often mentioned by my cherished teacher Geshe Thubten Loden: “On the day she dies,” he often used to tell his Australian students. “The Queen and the kookaburra will be the same.”

The point he made was that whatever status, wealth, social connections or power we may enjoy in this lifetime we lose the moment we die. After our last exhalation, physical and mental dissolution follow. All that continues, whether we are the Queen or a kookaburra, is subtle consciousness which carries the imprints of our actions, predisposing us to experience reality in a particular way.

I never met the Queen, but I know people who did, and who worked for her. Guided from a young age to perform her unique role, she had a powerful sense of purpose – one that was fundamentally benevolent, encouraging others to be their best selves. As a result, I feel sure that her subtle consciousness will continue in an auspicious way.

On the passing of a high lama or revered yogi, the appearance of rainbows in the sky is often said to be a sign of such auspiciousness. That rainbows appeared above both Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle – among other places – at the time of the Queen’s passing may just be an indication of the air moisture in England… but I like to believe not.

May the Queen, and all who have recently passed into bardo,
Quickly and easily attain complete and perfect enlightenment.
May all of us who feel gratitude for what she gave us,
Live up to her own ideal to be our best selves.
May love, compassion, joy and equanimity,
Pervade the hearts and minds of all limitless beings
Throughout universal space.

STUDIO YOGA CLASS TIMES
Fees FROM 3rd October (new term) $220 per term.

Monday – the 1pm class deferred until term 4 (re-starting 3rd October).  This hopefully will allow everyone to take care of families and school holidays for that 1 hour per week.
Monday 2.15 class as usual
Tuesday 1.30 Teaching at Windarring
Wednesday 1pm Hatha and 2.15 teacher training
Friday 2.15 as usual.

NEW SPRING CLASSES:
I am considering a Tuesday and Friday 7pm class to take advantage of the warmer weather of term 4.   Please indicate if you are interested – email yogafirst2@bigpond.com

NEW – SATURDAY BOTANICAL ART CLASS: “GIVE IT A GO” with Jahne.  4 x 2 hour classes from Saturday 9th October, 2.30pm to 4.30 $75 for members of The Botanical Art Society of Australia, ($85 non-members). Location: Woodend, Victoria.
To Book: Email yogafirst2@bigpond.com.  Details on www.jhwilliams.online.

ZOOM TEACHER TRAINING 6.30 Monday (The Sutras)  STUDIO TEACHER TRAINING 2.15 Wednesday in the Studio.

TEDDY BEAR YOGA.  I am having such fabulous fun teaching this at Windarring and have been collecting teddies to refurbish so everyone has a bear.  If you teach in aged care, or in any kind of rehab community, then you might like to try this.  It is such fun – much more yoga than usual gets done and much more enthusiastically.

SHOPPING THE PRE-CHRISTMAS STUDIO SHOW – Date to be determined – probably end of November. As I am exhibiting in other galleries, I have to see how they are planning their shows and will fit around my appearances at those venues.  If you want to purchase dolls or have one made for Christmas (or a Christmas stocking made for a special person or child), please let me know.

If you have comments, or would like to express your interest in the new evening classes (or others), Please email me: yogafirst2@bigpond.com

I will see you on the mat

Namaste – Jahne

Good morning Yogis,

No matter where we are in the world, our politics, or denomination, I am sure the world is saddened to hear the news that the Queen died last night,  (in her 96th year).  She was a woman of great fortitude, courage and steadfastness who never complained and never explained – just did her duty to the end.  She lived the Purushatras and has gone home.  In your prayers and meditations spare some time for this extraordinary woman, and include her family, who at this time more than any other will need our spiritual strength.  They have lost their guiding light, or maybe will now realise the gift they were given in her.  “Nothing can happen that is not ordained by God. Trust this” – The Qur’an

“Years ago, anthropologist Margaret Mead was asked by a student what she considered to be the first sign of civilization in a culture. The student expected Mead to talk about fishhooks or clay pots or grinding stones.

But no. Mead said that the first sign of civilization in an ancient culture was a femur (thighbone) that had been broken and then healed. Mead explained that in the animal kingdom, if you break your leg, you die. You cannot run from danger, get to the river for a drink or hunt for food. You are meat for prowling beasts. No animal survives a broken leg long enough for the bone to heal.

A broken femur that has healed is evidence that someone has taken time to stay with the one who fell, has bound up the wound, has carried the person to safety and has tended the person through recovery. Helping someone else through difficulty is where civilization starts, Mead said.

We are at our best when we serve others.”

THIS IS JUST A CATCH UP
Hardly anyone has replied to my new hours and charges for the new term, so I will take that as a “YES”.  To recap.

THE FEES:
Since Covid it has been On-Again-Off-Again Yoga for many of you.   I spoke to students and the suggestion (to retain the classes) that was put forward to me,  was to charge by the term.  I thought that was good, raised it in a newsletter, no comments, so I take that as a “YES”.

TERM CHARGES (starting 3rd October) WILL BE $220 for the last term.  I also suggested that and had no comments, so I take that as also a “YES”, especially as there is a little saving built in to the fees.  Starting 3rd October, finishing the week of 12th December.  We will go with that and see how we manage, and review when we see how it works.  There will be no refunds for classes you can’t be present for, although you will be able to take a replacement class in the same week.

Pay as usual via PayPal – go to the home page and click on PayPal.  www.yogabeautiful.com.au

If you want to change classes please email me first to make sure there is a vacancy. yogafirst2@bigpond.com 

STUDIO YOGA CLASS TIMES
Monday – the 1pm class deferred until term 4 (starting 3rd October).  This hopefully will allow everyone to take care of families and school holidays for that 1 hour per week.
Monday 2.15 class as usual
Wednesday 1pm and 2.15 teacher training
Friday 2.15 as usual.

NEW SPRING CLASSES
I am considering a Tuesday and Friday 7pm class to take advantage of the warmer weather of term 4.

ZOOM TEACHER TRAINING 6.30 Monday (The Sutras)  STUDIO TEACHER TRAINING 2.15 Wednesday in the Studio.

TEDDY BEAR YOGA.  I am having such fabulous fun teaching this at Windarring and have been collecting teddies to refurbish so everyone has a bear.  If you teach in aged care, or in any kind of rehab community, then you might like to try this.  It is such fun – much more yoga than usual gets done and much more enthusiastically.

SHOPPING THE PRE-CHRISTMAS STUDIO SHOW – Date to be determined – probably end of November. As I am exhibiting in other galleries, I have to see how they are planning their shows and will fit around my appearances at those venues.  If you want to purchase dolls or have one made for Christmas (or a Christmas stocking made for a special person or child), please let me know.

If you have comments, or would like to express your interest in the new evening classes (or others), Please email me: yogafirst2@bigpond.com

I will see you on the mat

Namaste – Jahne