It’s almost the New Year! Best wishes to all! Read below to learn more about the first Sage Leaf Yoga events of 2022…
Relax into the New Year with kirtan band SOULHUM, January 2nd @ 4pm
Ever feel like you want to relax, but you’re not quite sure how to get there? Maybe you try different things, but your mind is still restless? Our favourite form of relaxation is kirtan music – music based on Sanskrit mantras. THIS is what we most love to practise and share with others. The sounds, patterns and rhythms of kirtan music create a special “formula” that calms the mind and brings out a sense of peace and joy and aliveness! There is no fancy technique or knowledge needed – just an open mind, and a willingness to be swept up and away by the songs. Simply tune in, sit back, and listen…
Our first kirtan concert of the New Year is this Sunday, January 2nd, 4:00-4:45pm, live on our SOULHUM Facebook page. Make your way to our page on Sunday at 4pm, and you’ll find the live video right there. It will be available for viewing after the live event too. (Note that you do not need a Facebook account to view the concert.)
Our monthly kirtans are and will continue to be free and available to all. However, if you’d like to help during this time, we thank you for your support. Click here to make a donation to support SOULHUM: https://sageleafyoga.ca/store/soulhum-kirtan/
Happy New Year to all!
Warmly,
Zofia and Scot, of SOULHUM
January Morning Meditation Series, starts January 5th @ 8am
Meditation can be complicated – or easy. I was very lucky to have four wonderful meditation teachers over the years. They taught me that there are really just a few key points, and from there it’s simply a matter of repetition. Here, in a nutshell, is what I learned, what I practice, and what I now teach.
1/ Start with preparing your environment. This doesn’t have to take long at all. All you need is a comfortable seat, in a quiet, pleasant corner of your home – a space you can return to for your meditations. Consistency is helpful. Comfort is helpful too.
2/ Once seated, turn your attention to your body. Make any adjustments in your body position now. Lengthen your spine, draw your shoulders a little back to open your chest, and then soften your face, jaw, throat and tongue. Close and relax the eyes. Release any tension, anywhere in the body. You could bring your hands into a mudra of choice, feeling the energy in the hands. (My preferred mudra: tip of thumb and tip of index finger touching, palms down resting on the legs.)
3/ Bring your awareness to your breath. Take three slow, deep breaths, then allow your breath to return to a natural, effortless flow.
4/ Shift your attention to the space between the eyebrows (the third eye); this aids with concentration. Either turn the eyes towards the third eye, or simply feel this area of the forehead.
5/ Maintaining this awareness of the third eye, invite the mantra “so hum” to flow silently through the mind: with each in-breath, hear the word “so”, and with each out-breath, hear the word “hum.” Repeat. Each breath cycle, each mantra repetition, takes you deeper into your meditation. At some point, you may decide to let the mantra go, and to simply ‘float’ in that silent, indescribable space…
That’s it. Be prepared for thoughts to enter your mind during meditation; as soon as you notice the thoughts, choose to let them go, and continue your practice. Be prepared that, sometimes, this will all go smoothly, and sometimes it will be difficult. Don’t be concerned about how it went; all you can control is what you put into it. Simply show up with your best effort. Continue the practice, relaxed and unperturbed, and you will find that it does get easier and smoother over time. Remaining relaxed is important; trying too hard leads to tension, which works against us in the end. We need to feel some ease in body and mind, as well as the effort of our practice.
If you’d like to give this a try, I invite you to join me for my January Morning Meditation series. It starts on Wednesday, January 5th, 8:00-8:15am, via Zoom, and will continue throughout the month on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning. I will guide the group through an 11-minute meditation, and then offer a brief reflection to close the session. This is a free series; all are welcome. Simply reply to this email, and I will add you to my mailing list for the Zoom reminders.
Yoga class schedule, resumes January 5th
A reminder that our regular schedule of yoga classes resumes on Wednesday, January 5th.
Class descriptions are here. Registration and payment are here. As always, please contact me with any questions.