Dear Yogis,

We had the first of our Mindfulness classes last night.  What a great experience!  (next time remember to bring blankets for the nidra).  I certainly am going to do more.  I am now thinking about how to manage studio classes when they return, together with zoom which I can’t drop because so many of you are coming who could not come to studio classes.

We will manage and organise ourselves.. in the old days before there was a yoga school on every corner (before my graduates started teaching and building their own schools), I taught up to 5 hatha yoga classes per day almost every day – 6 days a week, workshops on weekends, retreats.  Everything.  This will be the same, but not as gruelling as meditation and restorative will be sprinkled here and there, and zoom has become a little less nerve-racking for me..

Regarding zoom.  There are always issues with computers.  Yesterday it took me three goes to get onto zoom. Luckily I was on time.  Every time I use it I learn a little more.  If you get on and I can’t hear you, and I am making hearing signs, it usually means there is an audio problem at your end.  You can log out and log in again.  If that doesn’t work, we can do a silent class – You can hear me, but I can’t hear you.  It has worked before.  My techie says I live in a difficult area and the internet is not the best – but we manage.

“POWER-WHINING”:  Some people I meet are always complaining (or dare I say it, simply rude).  Here’s a tip.  “Power-Whine” with a friend.   Psychiatrists call it “Regressive Coping”.  You each get two minutes to complain to the max. No interruptions.  In this way you will get everything off your chest, you haven’t hurt anyone, and you don’t have to take yourself too seriously.  I think nowadays we call it venting.

Lacking a friend you want to show this side of yourself to, you could always do it standing in front of a mirror with your hands on your hips.  Aggressive.  After two minutes with a friend or just by yourself in front of the mirror, it looks pretty silly and unproductive, and guarantees a belly laugh or two when you can see how stupid you are being – as if whining changes anything? You could follow it with two minutes of gratitude, list everything you are grateful for.  This will leave you in a much better frame of mind.

Whatever else you do, gratitude is absolutely the best strategy to cultivate INNER PEACE.  When you learn to manage your mind, take care of yourself, are kind to others, and take a MINDFUL approach to life.  Like everything else, getting it right takes practice.  Imagine gratitude as the gearshift on your car.  You are in charge of course.

Only you can move your gears from obsession to peace, from hard and rigid to the softness of love.  Relaxing comes a whole lot easier when you are living in a bubble of gratitude.  As the Buddha Says:  “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are”.  I add,  “and be grateful”.

FRIDAY ZOOM:  11.30 Yoga Cafe  – it’s nice to bring something for show and tell, or just bring a glass of champers…it is not a crafting session. You don’t need to bring anything except you.  5.30 RESTORATIVE YOGA.  Weights and Bands optional.

SATURDAY ZOOM: 12.30 RESTORATIVE YOGA… Weights optional  2pm MAKE YOUR OWN TAROT CARDS

SUNDAY ZOOM: 10am the Repeat of last weeks BHAGAVADGITA. You don’t need to be a yoga teacher, or trainee yoga teacher to attend.  Interested?  Perfect.

All details on the home page of the web site:  www.yogabeautiful.com.au

 

SEE YOU ON ZOOM.

NAMASTE.  JAHNE