Yoga and Pilates NEWSLETTER

Term two 2005

Our wonderful visit to the Satyananda ashram with the DARTS class, for whom we need more volunteers – please let me know if you would like to help.

Congratulations to the group who are going into the City to Surf, there is not long to go now, the countdown is on, remember our walk this Saturday for 2 hours meeting at the guide hall at 9:30am – all are welcome. 

Please watch out for the t-shirt designs I shall soon put up on the noticeboard, unfortunately the company I chose has been very slow in making the stencil, but when it is ready I shall take orders and let you know the prices of the t-shirts.

This term has again gone very quickly.  In Yoga we have been doing a lot of Salutes and moving yoga to keep our lung and large intestine meridians functioning to prevent the colds that can be so common at this time of year with its changeable weather.  It seems you have really enjoyed the Salutes so I have written the chants and their meaning below, taken from Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha  Swami Satyananda Saraswati – please note namaha is a word that means salutations or reverence:

Om Mitraye namaha – salutations to the friend of all

Om Ravaye namaha – salutations to the shining one

Om Suryaya namaha – salutations to the one who induces activity

Om Bhanave namaha – salutations to the one who illumines

Om Khagaya namaha – salutations to the one who moves in the sky

Om Pushne namaha – salutations to the giver of strength

Om Hiranya Garbhaya namaha – salutations to the golden cosmic self

Om Mirachaye namaha – salutations to the lord of the dawn

Om Adityaya namaha – salutations to the son of Aditi – the cosmic mother

Om Savitre namaha – salutations to the creator

Om Arkaya namaha – salutations to the one who is fit to be praised

Om Bhaskarya namaha – salutations to the one who leads us to enlightenment

We have also been doing a few different practices to harness prana in our being.  Current scientific research has shown that if you are able to use these practices they can improve your well-being and health during illness.  If you visit www.bigshakti.com there is an excellent section explaining prana.  On Sunday 21^st August the Vedanta centre of Sydney will be holding a one day conference with many of the most respected yoga researchers and teachers in Sydney – I’ll put up publicity when I have it.

Next term I shall be holding a morning of Family Yoga and including a demonstration of the food that can be best eaten in health to support the kidney and bladder meridians, which are the meridians we shall be working with next term.  You can either come alone or with as few or many members of your family as you like, including your children, it is meant to be a fun morning.  At the moment I am proposing this to be held on Sunday 31^st July from 9:30am – 12:30pm.  More details next term, so keep this date free.  I am proposing the cost to be $25.00 for the first person and $5.00 for every subsequent family member.

Brian has completed the website for my business.  Please visit it when you get a chance www.forestyogapilates.com .  I will be launching it later in the year and would love to see as many of you come as would like to.  I would like to publicly thank Brian for his hard work in bringing this website to fruition.

Our General Pilates classes have been working very hard this year to complete the level two and level three routines on the mat.  The move that seems to have confused everyone is the move called The Snake.  So I have included a full description below:

Purpose – to strengthen the abs, obliques, hip flexors, hamstrings, inner thighs, buttocks and shoulders.

Method – Breathe in press through the heels to lift top of outside buttock to ceiling, – taking chest to thighs and thighs to chest.  On lifting also keep the shoulder blade down as you push up, make sure you flatten the ribs as you lift.  Squeeze the inner thighs and keep the heels on the floor.  Look to your feet so the neck is relaxed.  Thread  your top arm under.  Breathe out to lower your body with control keeping the weight in the heels and arm.

The essential classes have both completed the level one routine and have progressed with confidence.  The small numbers ensure that the movements are correctly executed.  Remember to keep practising to engage the Transverse Abdominis – the core stabilizer of the abdomen and lower spine, the deepest abdominal muscle by imagining you are squeezing a sponge or squashing a chocolate Easter egg from all sides.

All Pilates classes have been doing more stretching this term, which many people have commented has really helped.  We shall use the small weight bearing balls in class next term.  I shall also do a group order later in the term for those who didn’t get one last year and would like to buy one.

I shall also try and make some videos for different levels of Pilates in the holidays as so many of you have been asking me for so long.

Please remember to tell me of any difficulties with movements or postures in yoga and Pilates that you experience so that I can change the moves for your body.  Similarly always let me know of any problems with your health however trivial you may think it.

lease remember to book in for next term or the holiday classes as soon as possible.

Thanks again for a wonderful term, have a lovely holiday and I’ll look forward to another great term.