Shambala Yoga Studio & Wellness Center - Mentor, Ohio

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Shambala:
a meeting place of peace & harmony for everyone

What's new at Shambala

Honor and Love Thyself — The month of February is well known as the time to celebrate love. There will be the usual buying of flowers and candy and the romantic dinners. We take the time to let our families know that we care for them. However, most of us don.t think about being compassionate to ourselves, even during this celebration of love. This Feburary, let the practice of love permeate your entire life! Here are some tips for just how you can go about opening your heart.

While many people in our culture think of yoga as simply a system of physical exercise, it actually includes eight branches, or limbs, which are basic guidelines for how to live. Within the first limb is the practice of ahimsa, or non-violence to self and others. This means practicing patience, compassion, understanding, and love towards all beings, especially YOU. It is also the practice of knowing that you are worthy of being happy and receiving love. Step back and start to notice how often your thoughts about yourself and others are negative. Even THOUGHTS can be a form of violence. The inner critic often has no compassion. Of course the mind will sometimes entertain thoughts of anger or selfishness, and that is natural. The important thing is not to get stuck in that loop of negativity and not to let your actions reflect those thoughts. Notice them, and then let them pass.

Yoga class is the perfect place to actively practice ahimsa, as you become the witness to yourself while you practice. Notice if you judge your body and its limitations while you practice. Do you compare yourself to others, and perhaps push your body into places it is not ready for? Do you get frustrated with yourself if something is difficult? Do you push too hard, or maybe lose focus and don.t push yourself hard enough? Becoming aware of these emotions an essential part of evolving in your practice of loving yourself and others. Cultivate acceptance of where you and your body are in this moment, and do not punish yourself with your practice. Bring your sense of humor, and start to learn how to enjoy your practice, no matter what lessons it may bring.

Another way to bring some love to your life is to take some time to focus on your Anahata Chakra, or the energy center of the heart. An imbalance in the heart chakra will cause depression and pessimism, and will certainly affect your ability to unconditionally love yourself or anyone else. You can literally open your heart and balance the Anahata with certain yoga postures, such as lateral bends and back bends. Start with gentle side bends, such as seated and standing gentle Half-Moons, and then work up to more intense poses like Gate Pose, focusing your awareness on your heart center. Warm up to back bending with Sphinx pose and gentle Cobras, and ease yourself into difficult back bends like King Cobra, and Camel, letting your heart shine forward. (Of course, practice ahimsa, and modify the difficult posture if you are struggling.) Before relaxing, experiment with perhaps one of the most heart-opening postures- Fish Pose. Pay attention to any people, memories, and emotions that come to the surface. Allow yourself to FEEL those emotions without blocking them or stifling them, and you may just find yourself in a more positive, balanced, and of course, LOVING mood! Happy Valentine's Day!

New Opportunities in 2010 —

Yogaerobics — starting Saturday, January 2nd: a NEW class on Saturday mornings at 9:30am — Patty McPhillips is back to take it up a notch. If your new year's resolution is to lose weight, join Patty for a combination of yoga with weights and cardio, followed by stretching and mediation to finish. A great way to burn calories and stay fit!

Sunrise Yoga — starting your day off with an early yoga practice can enliven your whole day and prepare you mentally for any challenges you may face. Change your perspective for the new year, on Thursday mornings at 6:30am

Thai Yoga Massage — this one-on-one therapeutic treatment aims at stimulating the flow of healing energies within the body, opening areas that are blocked, via the use of accupressure and physical stretching of the body. A 90-minute session is offered at an introductory rate of only $70, by appointment only.

***Scheduling Note - our Sunday Meditation class has been cancelled due to lack of participation - sorry!***

Did you know...? Shambala Yoga can bring an instructor to your workplace, for yoga classes after work, at lunchtime or early morning. Only 8 participants required, see Colleen for more details.

Feedback Request Please let us know about additional class offerings, days and times that work better for you, topics of interest or community events that we can sponsor or participate in! Thank you in advance for your feedback at info@shambalayogastudio.com

Upcoming Events

Presidents Day is Monday, February 15th! Do you have the day off? Come to Denise's noon yoga class to reflect (or forget, your choice) about our great American presidents, or just put it on your calendar as an extra treat to yourself, because you deserve it!

Drum Circle — join us Saturday afternoon, February 20th, beginning at 3:30pm, for a fun experience. A drum circle is just friends coming together and making some joyful noise! Several percussion instuments will be provided, but please bring your own if possible. This will be a donation-based event with all proceeds going to EPCAT (End Child Prostitution and Trafficking).

Gentle Yoga for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain — FREE demonstration class — Saturday, February 27th 3:30-4:45pm — Please spread the word to anyone you know who suffers from pain that prevents them from getting much exercise. This class will be based on very gentle stretching punctuated by periods of rest in between, done primarily laying on the floor. It will include breathing exercises, visualization and meditation. Please pre-register by Thursday, Feb 25th.

Did you know...?Shambala Yoga can bring an instructor to your workplace, for yoga classes after work, at lunchtime or early morning. Only 8 participants required, see Colleen for more details.