January 2011

I hope this month's installment finds you all well, and that you survived the annual holiday madness that occurs between the end of November and the start of the new year. On Saturday, the date was 1/1/11, which won't happen for another century. Oddly, Saturday felt much like any other day, though I spent the day doing absolutely nothing, which is a New Year's Day tradition for many people.



It's common to get very strict and specific when we make New Year's resolutions. I find that realistic resolutions are easier to keep over time than: "I will stop eating all sweets...period." or "I will exercise every single day, come rain, sleet, or snow." or "I resolve to stop smoking forever....right now." Resolving to change things about yourself forever will ultimately lead to disappointment, since our personal forever may be a very long time. Really, resolving to do anything forever is the antithesis of what we should be doing when we practice yoga. Resolving to change permanently in the indefinite future does not allow us to stay present in mind and body. It is important to not become so attached to our resolutions that we self-destruct.



The Yoga Sutras discuss non-attachment at length, most directly through the yama (a yoga no-no that we should abstain from) of aparigraha, or non-greed. It is important to remain unattached to ideas of what we think we should be able to do, or what concept or goal we have set our minds on. It's good to have goals, but the only way to approach them is to persevere without expectation. Practice and detachment will quiet the mind, according to Sutra 1-12. Only through working toward our goal with no expectation of the result or when we will reach completion can we truly be present.



Classes begin as scheduled at the Complementary Medicine Center next week. There is still plenty of time to sign up. Pay $96 for an 8-week series of classes 7 days in advance, and $104 thereafter. There's still time to take advantage of the advance rate for Wednesday and Thursday classes. You can even buy your classes online at www.amandamarklandyoga.com.



Additionally, my 6:30am yoga classes at Invoke Yoga & Pilates are half price, only $8.50, through the month of January. You can find details about this and other great offers through the Yelp! Kicks Butt promotion page: http://www.yelp.com/events/indianapolis-yelp-indy-kicks-butt. With classes this cheap, there's no excuse not to get up early and bend!



Be sure to mark your calendars for Building Patience: It's All in the Hips!, a hip-opening workshop on Saturday, February 19th from 1:00-2:30pm. More details on this special class are listed below. Feel free to email me if you have any additional questions or comments: amanda@amandamarklandyoga.com. I hope to see you in the new year!





Namaste!