June is just around the corner. We have three special classes this month, and two kirtans! Plus, you’ll find a spotlight on chin mudrā (the hand gesture often used in prāṇāyāma and meditation) below.
Saturday, June 1, 10:00-10:45am: Free hatha yoga class at the Cascades Club (100 chemin de la Riviere, Chelsea)
Saturday, June 1, 11:30am-12:00pm: Free hatha yoga class at the Meredith Centre (23 chemin Cecil, Chelsea)
Join us in celebrating “Chelsea Days.” For more information about the festivities and offerings around Chelsea this first weekend of June, click here.
Sunday, June 9, 1-2pm: Kirtan at Wishingtree Yoga (72 McClintock Way, Kanata)
Kirtan is the singing of yogic mantras, in call-and-response style. This one is led by Stewart McIsaac, my kirtan teacher! Sing along with guitar and percussion. More information here. Free, and open to all.
Saturday, June 15, 4-5:15pm: Kirtan at Vraie Nature Yoga (3 chemin Versant Sud, Chelsea)
This kirtan has two main parts. First, we learn and sing a few yoga mantras, accompanied by harmonium (the mantra list and recordings are here.) Then, we chant the powerful mantra OM, 108 times. The sounds of our Tibetan singing bowls close the event. Potluck snacks (vegetarian) follow. Free, and open to all, including children; no experience required. Please note that this kirtan has been extended by 15 minutes; it now ends at 5:15pm.
Tueday, June 18, 6:30-7:45pm: Yoga on the Wakefield Covered Bridge (45 chemin de Wakefield Heights)
My friend and fellow yoga teacher Laura Fowler Massie teaches yoga on the Wakefield Covered Bridge every Tuesday evening from Spring to Fall. She will be traveling this June, and I will be teaching in her place on June 18th. Here is her description of the class:
This gentle flow class will calm the mind and enliven the body. Beginners and experienced alike will benefit from this powerful yet simple practice. Allow the beauty of nature and the power of movement fill your body. $10 cash donation. All monies raised go towards the purchase of water filters for families living in extreme poverty (www.saludosninos.org). Bring a mat and a blanket or sweater for final relaxation.
Chin mudrā
Chin mudrā, also called jñāna mudrā, is the hand gesture often practiced during breathing exercises and meditation: the thumb and index finger are joined at their tips, with the middle, ring and little fingers gently extended. So, why do we practice this mudrā?
The Sanskrit word mudrā means “seal” or “gesture.” It is a way of guiding, shifting, or enabling the flow of energy (prāṇa) in the body. It’s like taking two different wires and connecting/sealing them together, so that electricity can flow from one to the other. Connecting the fingertips joins two different energy channels within the body (called meridians, or nāḍīs in Sanskrit), and this allows our energy to flow in a new way.
The ancient yogis taught that the thumb represents the Universal energy, while the index finger represents the individual energy. Bringing these together helps the Universal energy to flow to the individual being. Chin means “consciousness”, and jñāna means “wisdom, or knowledge.” Practicing this mudrā helps us to expand our consciousness, to deepen our knowledge, to access our inner wisdom. You don’t have to believe me; try it for yourself! Feel the tingling at your fingertips, the exchange of energy, the spark and sparkle of Life…