Dear Yogis,

Another fabulous day in Paradise!  How about you?

A REMINDER:  ZOOM COMING UP.  The FREEE Tarot Class at 6.45 Friday Night, then The TAROT ART Class on Saturday at 2pm and on Sunday the Gita Study at 10am in the morning.  If you aren’t on the log, I won’t send you an ID, so please let me know if you want to come to class (if you haven’t before – or haven’t for some time), and I will send you an ID in good time.

BIRTHDAY.  ON SUNDAY between 2pm and 4pm (or thereabouts), I am having another 21st birthday.  The last one was about 6 years or more ago, and I thought after last year and covid another one was in order.  Because we are Covid Conscious, just drop in.  There will not be a big gathering with a start and an end,  to enable “social distancing”.  The weather promises to be good, so we will be able to spend some time on the deck and in the garden and not be marooned in the house.  We have to be responsible.  But not so responsible that there won’t be some beautiful champagne to mark the occasion…  Please come.  Park on the white gravel making room for others, and there is a driveway with no house opposite us, you can park there.  Please do not park in front of neighbours gates or garages.  Take  care. this is not the road for careless parkers.  If unsure…you can always park in Mt. Macedon Rd…

 

MY NEW COMMISSION

I have a lovely commission to draw sea creatures.  A WHALE SHARK, A LEOPARD SHARK AND A MANTA RAY.  This takes me back to when I spent every day doing scientific drawings (my speciality Marine Mammals).  I thought you might like to be with me as I progress in this project  and have taken a photo to show you the supplies I needed in order to start… the photo doesn’t show the sketch book, the pencils and so on needed to begin.

The photo also does not show the work I have done researching these wonderful beings.  If I was being paid $5,000 per drawing (or employed by a tertiary institution)  I would be able to go to the museum and see skins, go to an aquarium somewhere or spend hours getting to know how they live, eat, move and breathe – which I have done as best I can, googling and you-tubing as travel is forbidden at present.

No Philosophy today – it’s “nose to the grindstone” time… not in front of the computer.

Remember as you move about in the world, good deeds are signs of “the Kingdom” – letters from heaven.

SEE YOU ON THE MAT.

NAMASTE – JAHNE

 

Dear Yogis,

The beginning of a REAL week.  One in which there are classes, Studio classes, zoom classes, and we are starting to move forward again as a school… instead of some being away, and some staying stuck, and the few still coming to class (very grateful for everyone).  I am so looking forward to seeing you all again.  It seems such a long time.

 

 

HERE IS A RUN DOWN of the classes coming up in the next few days….

*MONDAY ZOOM CLASS – THE HYPERMOBILITY LECTURES.6.30pm
This is the beginning of a new set of Hypermobility lectures (If you missed the first or want to revise!)  If you think you are hypermobile, or you have a child who is, or just want to know more in order to be a more effective yoga teacher…then these are the classes for you.

*TUESDAY ZOOM CLASS – THE DIAMOND SUTRA,   7.30pm
Abundance and Prosperity.  How to diagnose your life and your business the Buddha’s way.  This sutra is the ‘Remover of Obstacles”.

 *POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY 7PM CLASS (or Saturday morning at 10am – you choose).
I believe the world is increasingly “rudderless” and most people are not only functioning without a rudder, they are only using one oar.  They are going in circles, and in some cases, not realising… not understanding how to move forward.

To address this in some measure, I  (taking my “heart in my hands”) am contemplating a Wednesday 7pm class “BIBLE/ISLAM/GITA”.  BIG concepts.  We are learning them in the Gita class in a gentle way, but this will focus in deeper.  …  If you are interested, please let me know…  Remember “Nothing can befall us that is not ordained by God” (The Qu’ran)

STUDIO CLASSES:  Monday 1pm (full), Wednesday zoom 12.30 restorative, studio 5.50 restorative (full), Friday 5.30 Restorative – this is a new class and I encourage others to join this..

If you have not paid for the class, please go to the home page of the web site www.yogabeautiful.com.au and click on the button PAY VIA PAY PAL (not the DONATE button – unless you are donating extra).  PAYPAL will notify me quickly of the money received..  Please bring paper and pen to class.  I hope that you will need them.

 

SUFISM

On Sunday at our class, we discussed (again) the poetry of Rumi.  I have on numerous occasions talked about Rumi and his life, but we have not much discussed SUFISM.  To understand the Sufis it is said, is to grasp the heart and soul of Islam.  Sufism is Islam’s  greatest secret.  Because few non-Muslims understand, or are prepared to contemplate the immaterial, mystical element in Islam’s appeal for its believers, sufism is largely undiscovered.  Yes, you all know Rumi, but have you looked further.

Sufis have given great spiritual depth to Islam, and to generations of Muslims.  Sufism is about Batin, the inner secrets of The prophet the Quran, and the Sharia.

Scholars of The Sharia (the Law), focus on how to stand, bow, and how to prostrate oneself in prayer – however, the Sufi masters are concerned about the state of the believers soul and heart when they are standing before God.  The Sufis (in their own words), are not concerned with the love letter but with the lover Himself, and for this reason concentrate, immerse themselves (or in Rumi’s case, drown themselves) in love, miracles and pious devotion.

Sufi Muslims range from the very strict observance of Sharia to the very lax, from dancers and dervishes to serious scholars, and from the highly secretive to the achingly transparent.  Some go regularly to teachers in their mystical orders (Nasquibandi, Qadiri and Chisti schools), and some roam free and follow their heart..

They all share a common deep love for the Divine, and a vibrant attachment to the prophet Mohamed.  They possess a deeply spiritual charisma which touches all who open their hearts to being taught.  Their tranquility is real and brings serenity to all who meet them – Sufi Masters radiate stillness and a Divine energy.

Princess Jahanara (the feminine face of Sufism in the 1600’s) battled even her brother over the opposing strands of Islam.  Literalism over mysticism.  When she died she could have been buried with her father who built the TajMahal but was buried in a small grave in Delhi.  The inscription over her tomb reads “Let no rich canopy cover my grave: this grass is the best covering for the tomb of the Faqueera (poor in spirit), the humble, transitory Jahanara, disciple of the holy men of Chisti (Sufi), daughter of the emperor Sha Jahan” (AD 1681)

Look around you – who do you see, what do you see?  Is your world good? Or is it “troublesome” to your soul?  We yoga teachers (YOGA = UNION/UNITY) have the possibility of drawing our community together.  We could call ourselves THE CHOSEN.  The time has come when we need to judge on which side we stand.

You can be THE GATE for your community… It is your choice.

Namaste – Jahne

 

Dear Yogis,

I didn’t intend to do a Saturday Email… but thought I better seeing things are starting up again, and I don’t want you to miss out.

We are back on… I am so pleased.  I have been flagging it in the newsletters, but few of you have gotten back to me, so you either are asleep, away somewhere unreachable – or just happy and waiting for your ID – I sent it yesterday afternoon, if you missed, let me know ASAP and I can repeat it for you.

IF YOU WANT TO JOIN IN AND HAVEN’T GOT YOUR EMAIL/HAVEN’T PAID .. HERE’S THE WAY TO GO…

If you need to catch up with payments – this isn’t “the Magic Pudding”.  If you miss a class that is actually on, then you are still responsible for paying for that class.  This is a commitment to your art, your tarot and ultimately to yourself.  The way to pay is the same as always.  Just go to the web home page www.yogabeautiful.com.au, click on PAY VIA PAYPAL and that is it.  PayPal will let me know when you have paid.

THE SATURDAY ART CLASS MENU
…$50 for three classes. Plus $25 for our additional (optional) studio class.

I thought that we would continue with lino cuts (and paper) for those who want to, learn how to make a secret book for those who want to do that, or keep going with boards and watercolours for those immersed in that.  Whatever you want to do.  It has worked in the past, so I guess we will keep doing this.

If you want to make a secret book.  You will need a biggish hard back book, a steel ruler, Stanley knife, pencil, big bulldog clips, a piece of baking paper to stop glue seeping (double the size of your book), and you will need to know what your “secret” inside the book is going to be so you can make the box inside the book the right size. You will also need mod-podge or PVA glue, and a square tipped glue brush…

SUNDAY GITA STUDY
…$20 per class with a revision every second week – so really $10 per 2 hour class! you can pay $40 for four which saves a bit of banking hassle.

It’s going to be exciting as we move through.  Even if you missed our classes last year NOW IS THE TIME.  Sign up now.  It is not a dry study.  We will be considering the GITA alongside other texts – The Bible, The Quran, Sufism, The Matrix… what I call FUN!

MONDAY 6.30pm – HYPERMOBILITY
TUESDAY 7.30pm – THE DIAMOND SUTRA

 

Glad to be back?  I certainly will love clicking onto zoom and seeing you all.

NAMASTE.  JAHNE