Dear Yogis,

I had planned to do lots, BUT the door into my “apartment” same down off its track.  Saturday afternoon I spent trying to repair it (without success) and Sunday afternoon after Church and Saturdays chores that didn’t get done, a friend came around and fixed it.  It looked like a crime scene.  Black grease fingerprints all over the door, dust, etc etc.  But, the door was fixed.  Some refinements still to be done, but essentially the door is operational and the cat can be kept away from the yoga – the main reason for the door.

THE THURSDAY LUNCH.
I will not be sending out invitations – a less than useful exercise which takes far too much time for return.  I do however have a number of acceptances already so all is good.  As i have said before, even if no-one thinks its a good idea, I would be there.  This Thursday, 12 noon at The Victoria Hotel in Woodend.  Last time I had a plate of steamed vegetables – It was fabulous.  I wasn’t even tempted by dessert.  Please email me to let me know you are coming if you haven’t already. yogafirst2@bigpond.com

THE DOLLS AND BEARS
Because of the disruption of the door on the weekend, I did not get as much of the dolls done as i planned to do, there are two under construction, the strange little Blue Baby is sadly in need of a face, and the larger teddy has a pair of rompers on the go.  So, by the end of the day (all things being equal) I will have them finished.

If you want one of my bears, you can always come see me especially if you want a MEMORY BEAR or doll (with treasures added to the bear in memory of someone passed for instance).  Otherwise you will find a small selection at HONIES HANDMADE, a gorgeous little fabric house in Lancefield (Victoria).

YOUR DOSE OF YOGA…
You may think I don’t yoga or teach since doing the dolls, and you would be wrong.  I get even more pleasure now that I am also exercising my creative side making dolls and bears, and this brought to mind a Biblical (or course) quote.

 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart, I appointed you as a prophet to the nations”  This is in the Old Testament book of Jeremiah and it has many interpretations in the modern era.  Of course there is no interpretation needed for the first words “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…”.  Wherever you are, whomever you are, you are not unknown to God.

Those who are yogis and believe in reincarnation will see this as a reference to the place between lives.  That before you came into this lifetime you were appointed a task – How to know what that is?  We only have one compass, our heart.  When you are living yoga,  going in the right direction, travelling in the vortex of energy caused by that vibration, you will know it.  You can’t know if you will be an immediate success, you can’t know how this forward movement will end up – you can know that every day will be a joy, and you will have that blissful feeling that you are doing what you were set on earth to do.   FOLLOW YOUR HEART no matter what anyone else says.  Not new advice, but relevant.

THE YOGA CLASSES – please book before you arrive.  They are small classes and one unplanned extra may not be able to join

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

SEE YOU ON THE MAT.

NAMASTE JAHNE

Dear Yogis,

GOOD MORNING – Now its your turn.  Three times a week I take time out to say hi, now it’s your turn.  

How to say Hi to me? send an email to yogafirst2@bigpond.com and let me know what you are doing.

I am not looking for something to do and I don’t do the newsletter to fill in time, I have lots to do – my yoga, my dolls and time for you.  I am always talking to you in my head, and the newsletters are just an extension of that.

I understand that reading is a lost art,    however, if there is anything I need right now, it is time….. and If there is no response,  I will cut down on the number of newsletters, and use the time and energy on my WEB (www.jhwilliams.online) and my FACEBOOK PAGE.

THE YOGA CLASSES – please book before you arrive.  They are small classes and one unplanned extra may not be able to join

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

SEE YOU ON THE MAT.

NAMASTE JAHNE

Dear Yogis,

Here I am in my own little cocoon making dolls and teaching yoga.  I said to my students yesterday “so much to do, so little time”, and it occurred to me that I was right, and one of the things I have not done, is commemorate all of you in a concrete way that can be handed down when I am no longer here – I am not thinking of leaving soon by the way.  When the yoga studio is gone, I want something that goes on.  Forget about a book (many of you have asked me to write one), I know and you know that people are reading less and less.  However, it occurred to me that we could make a PATCHWORK QUILT.  Something that will go on into the future, and commemorate your time with us and the beginning of your yoga teaching journey.   Perhaps a book will come out of the quilt.  Who knows.

A PATCHWORK  YOGA HISTORY QUILT.

There are hundreds and hundreds of you that I have taught.  Hundreds who have become yoga teachers because we are here and devised a way when there was no way, and were one of the first to offer distance yoga teacher training.   Surely enough of you can sew a simple postcard size (or less) square to commemorate you and what you are doing now. Make it a project for the students in your class or your studio. What to sew onto your POSTCARD SIZE fabric…. POSTCARD SIZED FABRIC SQUARE (by you or one of your students)  is…..

1. a fabric print of a head shot of you (something that won’t fade) or your studio or logo…. (you can get fabric transfer paper to use in your printer from any good newsagent – use the rest of the sheets for T-shirt printing after you have finished your quilt square).
2. Your name
3. The year you started your Teacher Training,
4. and a tiny image or words that says something about you – An appliqué bird, or asana, or  rising sun, or an image from your town – something.  Doesn’t have to be fabulous.  The fabulous will come when we join it all together.

5. If you are an enthusiastic sewer you could sew a little line of poetry or something from the sutras….

When it is complete I will donate the quilt to the local museum or library, or to the Melbourne Branch of the Theosophical Society.  Somewhere that will honour the quilt for the wonderful history that we have built together.  I am looking forward to doing my squares.. something about Margaret Segesman, and my teacher Abbots.

I may be carried away with the romance of it all – perhaps we can have quilting mornings when we can come together to work on the quilt – won’t that be fabulous!!!

My students now in Ireland, Norway, the USA, Japan, Russia, Serbia, Dubai and all over the world and all around Australia reading this, please do a little square (or two).  Even if you can’t manage a postcard size square do half that.  Anything.  I can sew your piece into the quilt whatever size it is (no bigger than a postcard please).  It doesn’t need to be profound.  I imagine that I will do a square to commemorate this studio, a square to commemorate my teaching travels, and a square to commemorate my teachers.  Don’t stop at one!!!

The wonder will be when it is all joined together.

THE YOGA CLASSES – please book before you arrive.  They are small classes and one unplanned extra may not be able to join

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

SEE YOU ON THE MAT.

NAMASTE JAHNE