thoughts from annie
Dear Friends,
I was lying in my living room the other afternoon, enjoying a fire and the
coziness of a warm house in the winter, with the sun shining into the
windows. Because of the holidays, we had moved our sofa into a new
location, and I had an unusual new perspective of the living room at this hour
of the day. When I looked up from my book, I was surprised to see that it
was snowing...in our living room. Frankly, it was nearly white-out
conditions in that room.
Once I got over my shock, I realized that it wasn't actually snow swirling around every square inch
of our living room, but rather tiny dust particles. I called my husband into the room
and showed him how amazing it was. I was mesmerized by the beauty of the
dust storm. Like snowflakes, each speck of dust was unique with different
sizes and shapes. Even so, I was dismayed to know that there was that
much dust swirling around our living room! It took me 15 minutes to
accept that my living room could contain that much dust, and then let go of the
thought that perhaps our house was unfit to be occupied by humans.
What I came to realize was that the dust is always there. I can't
normally see it, but I saw it then because of my location in the room, and the
angle that the light was shining in at that time of day. The conditions
were simply right for me to see it.
It's interesting to think about all that we don't normally see. We think
we know the reality of our lives until we have an experience that shows us
otherwise. Our conditioning and our beliefs, like my usual position in
the room, and my thinking that my house is dust-free, prevents us from seeing
what is really there. In a new position, and open to the possibility that
my house could be filled with dust, I saw another layer of reality. I woke up to what
was really there.
It's like that in the rest of our lives too. When conditions are right,
we can see what is. We can create conditions for awakening by practicing
yoga and meditation and letting go of our limiting beliefs. To see the reality
of the person who is really in front of us, we can shift our perspective by
stopping and breathing, and then be open to any and all possibilities.
Then the true nature of the person we are with can be seen. It's a
gift to each other to see the beauty of who we really are.
When we
dare to take a different seat in the room, when we take what Ajahn Chah calls
the "one seat," we begin to awaken. He says:
"Just go into the room and put one chair in the center. Take the one seat
in the center of the room, open the doors and windows, and see who comes to
visit. You will witness all kinds of scenes and actors, all kinds of
temptations and stories, everything imaginable. Your only job is to stay
in your seat. You will see it all arise and pass, and out of this, wisdom
and understanding will come."
This is our yoga. The courage to take a new seat and be open to the
possibility that our living room can be a blizzard of dust, that we can make
mistakes, we can grow and learn, we can do a challenging yoga pose, we can sit
in meditation for 10 minutes, we can share difficult news, we can reveal who we
really are to our loved ones. While we may never know the whole of
reality, we can start to glimpse it now and then. Something as
mundane as dust particles can be a moment of beauty and joy, and someone as
mundane as the person practicing next to us can be a friend.
May we choose to take our seats and see the reality of what and who is on the
path with us.
with love,
annie.
p.s. On Valentine's Day we are offering an additional workshop for lovers
and friends - Partner Yoga with Cinema February 14, 2-3:30 pm, $20 per
person.
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workshops and events
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yoga & meditation workshops
Taking a Good Seat: Hip Openers for All Levels
with Kate Miller
Saturday, February 6, 1-3 pm, $35
Partner Yoga **just added!**
with Cinema Wood
Sunday, February 14, 2-3:30 pm, $25 ($20 if registered by February
Yoga for Anxiety
with Karen Soltes
Saturday, March 6, 1-4 pm, $80 ($75 if registered by February 27)
Befriending Your Backbend
with Naomi Gottlieb-Miller
Sunday, March 7, 1:30-3:30 pm, $35 ($30 if registered by February 28)
Restorative Yoga
with Jill Minneman
Friday, March 12, 7-9 pm, $35 ($30 if registered by March 5)
wellness
Couples Massage
with Eduardo Cortina and Jessica Sloane
Saturday, February 13, 12-4 pm, $220 ($200 if registered by February 6)
Therapeutic Movement and Bodywork for Self-Care
with Eduardo Cortina
Sunday, February 21, 1:30-3:30 pm, $40 ($35 if registered by February 14)
Ayurvedic Cooking with Multi-Grains
with Liz Chabra
Saturday, March 13, 10 am - 1 pm, $85 ($80 if registered by March 6). Workshop will take place in a nearby kitchen. Supplies included in workshop fee.
kids & families
Daddy & Me Yoga (Ages 5-10)
with Linda Feldman
Sunday, February 7, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm, $25/pair ($20 if registered by January 31), $17 for each additional participant
Girls Nite Out (For women and girls age 10+)
with Linda Feldman and Eva Schulman
Friday, March 5, 7-9 pm, $25 per person ($20 if registered by February 26)
special events
Drumming is Back at Circle Yoga!
Join us for a Monthly Drumming Circle
with The Drum Lady, Kristen Arant
Saturdays, February 27 and March 10
6-7:30 pm, $15
free and donation-based events
Free Classes
Saturdays, February 13 and March 13, 12:30-1:30 pm. All levels welcome, no advance registration. Space is limited, so please arrive early.
Saturday Sangha Day (sangha = community)
Saturdays, February 6 and and March 6
Join us for a free community discussion on topics related to yoga, meditation, and mindfulness at 5-6:15 pm, and enjoy 10% off all merchandise in the shop all day.
community events
DC Yoga Week
May 15-22, 2010
Free and $5 classes at studios throughout the DC area. Yoga on the National Mall, Saturday, May 15, 1-5pm
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Circle Yoga & Budding Yogis
One Block South of the Chevy Chase Circle
202.686.1104
info@circleyoga.com
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February
Saturday Sangha:
The Sound of Silence
Join Annie for the next Saturday Sangha community discussion,
Feb. 6th, 5-6:15pm.
Free and open to all.
Details here.
Other Free and Donation-Based Events
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Thanks
to everyone
who helped us
raise over $1000 to
support earthquake
relief in Haiti.
Donations from
our special Jan. 23rd
classes will support
The Lamp for Haiti. |
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Budding Yogis
Summer Camp
Registration
is Open!
Kids will love
full-day (ages 6-12)
or half-day (ages 4-7)
summer camp at
Budding Yogis. Check
out dates and details,
or register now.
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Treat Yourself or
someone you love with
Thai Yoga Massage
What is Thai Yoga Massage?
Call the studio today
to schedule an appointment. Gift certificates available.
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Private Yoga
Sessions
Does your practice
need a little more
one-on-one attention? Most of our teachers
can offer private yoga
sessions at the studio
or in your home. Email
info@circleyoga.com,
or visit our website for
more information.
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Follow us online
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