A Hard Decision; A New Day

My Dear Yoga Sanctuary Community,

Many of you may not yet be aware that on February 2 an anonymous website was posted that accused Anusara yoga founder John Friend of serious misconduct. John Friend has openly admitted to the truth of many of the accusations on the website. If you care to learn more, www.elephantjournal.com and www.yogadork.com are two of the websites that broke this news after the anonymous website (jfexposed.com) was taken down. I share this background so that the letter below, which I wrote for everyone in the Anusara community, locally and internationally, makes sense.

Dear Beloved Friends and Esteemed Colleagues,

It is with great sadness and yet steady clarity that I am now severing all professional ties with John Friend.

I waited to make this decision until I learned that John Friend was choosing not to step down from the seat of the teacher only one week after his community was devastated by the blow of learning about his hurtful actions. Had he chosen to humbly step down and take time to heal before returning to this seat of power, I would have felt he could begin to earn my trust and to start to repair the damage caused.

I feel that to continue to support a teacher whose ethical misconduct has caused such deep and far-reaching damage and pain to the community is not possible or ethical for me at this juncture.

It is my heartfelt hope that out of love and respect for one another, each one of us who has been part of the kula may be honored with the dignity of our own experience and the weight of our own choices. I fully honor those for whom now is not the time to step down, and I thank every single certified teacher on every committee who has done their very best to represent and support the voices of the kula with the intent to bring healing and positive change during this time of upheaval and uncertainty.

I offer John my gratitude, and my deepest blessings and wishes on his path of healing.

The gifts I have received from John Friend and Anusara yoga, which are numerous, will be with me forever. The greatest of these gifts are the friendships with the many beautiful souls I am blessed to have met, and Anusara yoga itself. I feel this practice is now a living temple of Light on this earth and will always influence the way that I teach. I am proud that I became a certified Anusara teacher. I remain fully and forever dedicated to what I have always felt yoga is: a path of consciousness, one that helps us celebrate the gifts of embodiment and one that can help us to heal our wounds and to see the fragile, beautiful and true interweaving of our humanity within our divinity.

As weighty as this decision is, I feel great joy in knowing I have so many beautiful teachers and friends to collaborate with as we weave the future together with all the love and beauty we have to share. I am not leaving yoga, ever.

With love,

Sara Rose

the Kula Project Benefit for the Care Center in Holyoke

Breaking barriers … lifting spirits … inspiring young women to excel intellectually and academically … providing access to arts and culture … supporting struggling young families as they move toward self-sufficiency … shifting from a community dealing with the challenges of poverty to one that is a leader in innovative education reform — these define the work of The Care Center.

Many years ago, the director of Yoga Sanctuary Sara Rose began a very special relationship with the Care Center in Holyoke. Breaking barriers, lifting spirits and inspiring students was nothing new to Sara. It is actually a great love and commitment she has held for for 10 plus years now. Anna Neiman, Yoga Sanctuary's current teacher of the Care Center's yoga classes shares this commitment. Anna's joyful presence greets the girls twice a week wherever they are. Her openness and acceptance allows them to be themselves and immerse themselves into the gifts of yoga.

Bringing yoga to pregnant and parenting teens has been one of the ways Yoga Sanctuary reaches out to the Community. We have enjoyed this relationship so much that when their funding was cut for outside services we refused to walk away. The Kula Project headed up by Kendra Hodgson has now stepped in to aid us in raising funds to keep the yoga program for the Care Center going.

The Care Center is an alternative education program for pregnant and parenting teens who have dropped out of high school. Before coming to The Care Center, many of our students say they had fallen out of love with learning, that they didn’t think of themselves as smart, and that school was not for them. All students attending The Care Center previously dropped out of school, most before getting pregnant. They were on track for minimum wage jobs, with public assistance as a safety net. Yet every single one of our students wanted a better life for themselves and their children; they just did not have the tools to get there.

Yoga Sanctuary has been a vital part of this process by exposing these young students to the benefits of yoga, giving them tools to rejuvenate themselves and find more joy in life. Please join us this Saturday, November 5 from 11:30am - 1:30pm for a special all levels yoga class to raise awareness and funds to support the yoga program at YS.

You can also donate online by clicking here:

http://www.yoga-sanctuary.com/yoga_sanctuary_events.cfm

Any amount is appreciated and will provide so much to those who are working so hard to build a better future for themselves and their children.

Written by Susan Elena Esquivel

The Fullness of Experience Comes From the Fullness of the Heart

The Summer Solstice is approaching, and the fullness of the season is everywhere I look. All the trees are full and luscious. The flowers continue to pop out of the ground with such vibrancy. Vegetable gardens are coming to life, and the some-what monochromatic wood trails I trotted down with my dog all winter long are now adorned with sparkling Mountain Laurel. How easy it is this time of year to recognize the fullness and abundance outside and all around us, but what about recognizing our inner fullness as well?

The Sanskrit word Purna means to be full; an inner fullness. In Anusara, when we Open to Grace, we open to the fullness that already exists inside our own hearts. We open to the full spectrum of possibility and potential already inside each of us. A fullness that is waiting and wanting to be recognized and engaged. Of course sometimes, maybe even most of the time, this is much easier said than done. It is easy to feel full inside when things in life are going our way. When the weather is beautiful, when we’re joyful and feeling at ease. But, what about the moments we’re not fully absorbed in the light of loving ourselves? What about when we’re in periods of suffering? Or simply just having a bad day? It is in these moments, when experiencing our inner brightness may not come as easily that practicing purna is most important. In these inevitable moments of lack we must remember purna is also the full recognition of the self. To recognize fully whatever you’re feeling inside at any given moment. What is fullness for you in this moment? What is fullness for you today? Once you’ve recognized however full you are feeling try asking, Can I make more? If you can make more inner fullness great! If you can’t today that is great too! It is recognizing the self in all of its complexities that matters most. When we allow ourselves to sit in the fullness of self-recognition, we can begin to deconstruct self-inflicted judgment and limitation, we can more easily access our own innate goodness, and the Ananda or joy that already lives inside all of us. And then, from the fullness inside we can expand out into the world and engage life more fully.

The easiest way to find our inherent fullness is to open and connect to the fullness of the breath. The breath’s nature is fundamentally full and expansive, and the best part is that it is effortless! You do not need to think or control it, just let the fullness of the breath breathe you. Let the breath make space in your physical body and in your awareness for the inner fullness that is always there, always in the space of the heart, just waiting for you to embrace and experience.





Written By Suzie Goldstein

Yoga Sanctuary's Open House & New Arrivals

So much exciting news at YS this Summer! First, a special welcome to our newest kula member Layla Grace and a welcome back to our director Sara Rose who gave birth to Layla back in February. This week both of them were back in the studio. Sara is now teaching her Friday morning class again as well as upcoming special workshops and heading up our exciting Teacher Training Program. It is so wonderful to have her inspirational teaching as the cornerstone of Yoga Sanctuary. Be sure and try to get to her class at 9:00am on Fridays - you'll be glad you did!

We are also welcoming back Sarah McAnulty who has a long history of teaching at Yoga Sanctuary. Sarah will be teaching the Level I/II class Tuesday mornings at 9:00am. She is a wonderful spirited teacher with a background in both Iyengar and Anusara yoga. We encourage you all to try her fun, invigorating classes this Summer.

Congratulations to our lovely Suzie Goldstein who is our new Yoga Advisor. Suzie will be guiding new as well as current students through the schedule and helping them find the best fit for their practice. Suzie is also a recent graduate of our YTT program and will be teaching our new YogaHour on Tuesdays and Thursday mornings. Now there is no excuse that you do not have the time to do yoga when there is always a YogaHour waiting for you!

The new Summer schedule is full of many new options such as the PowerHour with Abigail Clarke at 7:45am on Wednesday and Friday mornings - a great way to start your day. Abigail is a very creative teacher who brings a warmth and joyful approach to her classes. Her laugh is worth getting up early for! Karen Sheingold has a wonderful new class - Over Fifty which will encourage you to bring a spirited approach to your yoga practice. Join Karen on Tuesdays at 5:00pm for a thoughtful, fun and engaging class. The Summer schedule also includes all our well established classes with Amy Reed, Kendra Hodgson and janet Vecchia along with new offerings for the beginner with Lisa Leizman and Susan Elena Esquivel. Check out the new schedule in it's new easier to read format at:

http://www.yoga-sanctuary.com/yoga_class_schedule.cfm.

Just in time for the Summer, we are pleased to introduce our monthly Memberships. Why the membership option? Over the past few years we have watched so many of our students struggle with how to use their yoga budget. Many find they have to space out the classes they attend since they only have 8 classes on their class card. The benefits of yoga can not be fully appreciated with this limitation, so we decided to offer a new way for our students to build their practice and create more abundance in their lives.

What results can you expect from regular practice? On the mat, you will find increased focus, strength and flexibility, reduced pain and stiffness, as well as healing of injuries due to biomechanical misalignments. Even more important are the off the mat benefits of overall increased vitality, clarity and well-being as well as reduced stress. These are just a few of the benefits of a regular yoga practice, the possibilities are endless.

Membership at YS equals Freedom! No more class card blues - now you can attend any class, any time. This gives you the freedom to explore and try all the wonderful teachers and classes we offer, finding more options for yourself.

This Saturday, June 4th from 12 - 5pm we are pleased to hold an Open House where you can check out all that YS has to offer. We have free yoga classes throughout the afternoon so you can get a taste of the Summer schedule. We will also have special deals on the Membership options, snacks, great deals in the boutique and as if that is not enough we have an amazing Kirtan with HuDost at 7:30pm. for more details on the Open House visit:

http://www.yoga-sanctuary.com/yoga_sanctuary_events.cfm.

Join us to celebrate and make this the best Summer ever!

Shine the Light on Spring Cleaning!

With the new spring season here, I’ve been contemplating what I want to cultivate more of and rededicate myself to in my practice on and off the yoga mat. Whenever we move into a new cycle, whether marked by a new season, a new month, or even a new moon, it is important to turn inside and ask, “How do I want to enter this new cycle? What do I want to cultivate or reaffirm in my life and my relationships?” Depending on the timing of these new beginnings in our lives, sometimes pausing and asking these questions can be hard. Requiring effort. Maybe even enormous effort, but being the beautifully skilled yogis and yoginis we are, we’re used to effort right? It is effort in balance that we strive for, because it brings us into alignment, into the flow of Grace, into that something bigger, into the joy of the mystery and possibility. It is however, effort nonetheless. So, even in times when it may seem like too much to effort, to pause amidst our busy lives and turn inside, push yourself and do it anyway. It’s worth it! Find the balance that is right for you.

In this long awaited springtime, just start with one sentence. Choose something easy that resonates with you. Something that you’d like to cultivate more of in your life. To cultivate more love. To cultivate more down time. To be more mindful of time in general. To remember. To practice. For me, I want to cultivate more Awareness within my community and myself.

Recently I read The Heart of Meditation by Sally Kempton, and on the very first page she says, “There is only one thing in the Universe: Awareness and that Awareness is me.” Still, I read this sentence again and again and each time it blows my mind. She is so right. After all where would we be without awareness? Without it, would we know how or what to choose in life as the choices reveal themselves? Without any self-awareness, how would we be able to relate to each other?

Remembering to connect to our own awareness is part of the practice. We do it on the mat when we hug the midline and move our thighbones in, back, and wide. We do it when we bring the head of our arm bones back and melt our hearts. On the mat, the awareness is usually there. Off the mat, well, it is harder to remember. I asked one of my teachers for advise on this practice of awareness off the mat, and she offered me a very simple question. She said, “How did you walk through the door? How would you have liked to?” My immediate response was, “What door?” To which I got no answer, only a slight smile. After sitting with this I realized she meant both the literal and metaphorical door. We are all so powerful that we have the ability to affect all the people around us without even knowing it. Seriously, you are that powerful! That is why cultivating self-awareness and being mindful of all those around you is so important.

My new practice, which I offer lovingly to all of you, is to begin to pay attention in this new season, this new cycle, to how you walk through the door of wherever you are. Pause and ask, “How do I want to walk through the door?” The door of this new season? The door of the approaching month? How do you want to walk through the door of your home? The door of your work? The door of Yoga Sanctuary? The door of your own heart? Each of the doors in our lives lead to the next, they are all intertwined. Practice walking with awareness through one, and you will be able to walk through all. Think of it as a wonderful way to start over. Do some spring-cleaning and cultivation. Remember, the way you enter affects the way all the people around you walk in. So choose carefully! And if you forget to pause or make a mistake, just remember it is all part of the great practice of yoga, and ask yourself, “ How did I walk through that door, and how would I like to walk through next time?”

Written by Suzie Goldstein

the Kula Project spotlights Japan this Sunday, March 27

Last Wednesday evening’s Level 1&2 class finished on high yet humbling note for me, held in my memory with two distinct moments. With the help of two lovely classmates, I did a supported handstand in which I felt powerful and free. As someone who used to preface this task with “I can’t,” it was particularly wonderful to fly upside down with my friends. Later, as we bowed to our hearts and each other to close the class, our teacher Amy Reed asked that we send cooling thoughts to the nuclear reactor in Japan, which is still on the verge as I write this on Sunday afternoon. I imagined a snowy wind wrapping its way across the Pacific Ocean, and hoped that the chill I felt was universal.

There are many ways to deal with what is out of our immediate control. To release energy, I run. To harness it, I do yoga. What do we do when the world feels crazy, when the energy of the universe feels out of alignment? On Wednesday evening, I found focusing on my schoolwork impossible. Instead of being frustrated with my tendency to procrastinate, I allowed myself to sit with the big shifts, both social and geological, that are happening around the world. Having the time and space to ruminate was a privilege that led me away from an “I can’t” attitude about the global upheavals.

I see my yoga practice as self-care, and as a point of entry into a compassionate community. We have access to this practice, to each other, and to resources. Let’s harness our power as a community to collect and direct our energy to what seems beyond our reach individually, and send funds toward the relief efforts in Japan.

In that spirit, the Kula Project will be offering a community class this coming Sunday, March 27. From 4-5:15 come practice together with the big picture in heart and mind! We are asking for a $10 donation at the door. This month’s donation will benefit Peace Winds Japan (http://www.peace-winds.org/en/index.html). All are invited to attend a discussion following the class to explore ways to work as a group, unite our yoga practices with potential for social justice and activism, and to expand the Kula Project beyond our yoga mats.

If you are unable to join us on Sunday afternoon, please consider leaving a donation for the Kula Project, at Yoga Sanctuary. Checks should be made out to “Peace Winds America.”
Read more about the Kula Project at http://www.kula-project.org

Written by E. Grace Johnston

Maha Shivaratri! This Sunday, March 6

The great night of Shiva happens once a year on the 13th moon, just as the light glow of the crescent moon dissolves into the darkness of a new cycle. Shivaratri is a potent time of transition and transformation. It is the time to pause, rededicate ourselves, set new intentions, and deepen our relationship with ourselves, and the Divine. In the darkness lies abundant possibility. In the darkness creation is of the deepest and most transformative kind. In the darkness, and in celebration of the Great Lord Shiva we chant Om Namah Shivaya, because on Maha Shivaratri one prayer, one mantra is worth 10,000. We chant Shiva’s mantra with a full heart of devotion and love. “ I honor the auspiciousness of myself and the Universe.” “ I honor that part of myself which is capable of living in crystal clear awareness.”

Maha Shivaratri is about remembering our very essence. Remembering we are innately good and worthy. Remembering that we are made of the same pulsing energy that is all around us, breathes us, and sustains us. The energy that is present in all things. There is nothing more powerful than change and transformation. Nothing more powerful than breaking away from negative feelings or patterns in our lives. I remember last year sitting on this day in front of a candle lit Nataraj, chanting from a place deep within. A place I had never been to in myself before. This time last year I found myself bound in the darkness. A very sad place. I begged Shiva for freedom. For the courage to make big changes in my life in order to find joy where there was none. I remember the chant vibrating through me. For five hours I chanted. I experienced great pain, sadness, joy, and pure bliss. The full array of emotions. I thought, “Well if one Om Namah Shivaya is worth 10,000 tonight, then five hours worth is really something!” And it was. No matter where you find yourself in your life, as Anusara yogis we know there is always more. So I invite you in the darkness of this very auspicious new moon, the moon of Shivaratri to set your intentions, think about the changes, transitions, and transformations you want to see in your own life and the world. Plant a potent seed in the darkness. As John Friend says, “ Have a vision of goodness, beauty, and light…” Above all else, be careful what you wish for because you might just get it! I did…

Come join us for a special Wah! yoga class and chanting 5pm and our annual celebration of Shiva chants with Dave Russell at Yoga Sanctuary Sunday March 6 at 8:00pm. Be prepared to release negativity with joy and an open heart!

Written by Suzie Goldstein