Benediction

One of my students emailed this to me yesterday after hearing of the assassination:

Benizar Bhutto was "just a real woman" with the heart of a lion. She
loved the principles of democracy and human rights as much as she
loved her people. She studied at Harvard. She knew what these words
mean because she saw us living these principles. It is better to
light a candle than to curse the darkness. The men in her country
who do not value these principles killed her; because they have
power. Is compassion without action simply indulgence? When the men
in this country with power cease fighting to defend democracy and
human rights, then we will suffer Benizar's fate. Except we will
only be "just real women" with the hearts of mice. Are there so many
countries in this world where democracy and human rights prevail that
we can afford to watch one be still-born? The mother was killed;
perhaps the child will survive. Freedom or Freedumb?

Feel free to reprint it and pass it on. I'm going to email it to all
my women friends.
Written 12/29. 2007/ Lynne Haines

Yule Moon

Sunday's Yule Full Moon Celebration was small but eventful. There were four of us who braved the sloppy weather. As always, moving through these challenging poses was exhilarating and fun. At the end of the Savasana, I offered up a holiday treat by reading the poem, "The Night Before Christmas," by Clement C. Moore.

The next Full Moon class will be on Tuesday, January 22nd from 7:45 until 9 ish after the Gentle Yoga class. 

Happy New Year!
Ma'lena

Yule Celebration with a Full Moon

Okay, the Full Moon class on the 23rd is back on the schedule . . . by popular demand!

Come join us at Moon Tree Gentle Yoga and Wellness Center as we honor the Yule Moon. This December's full moon shines near both dates of the Winter Solstice on the 22nd, and Yuletide on the 25th.

The Moon Salutation is a series of linked poses--called vinyasa--that follow the phases of the moon from full to waning gibbous, half moon to a crescent and finally the dark moon. The process reverses itself by moving into a waxing crescent and half moon, then waxing gibbous returning to the full moon.

The class is about an hour and a half. We begin with a guided meditation moving into warming poses and then Chandra Namaskara (Moon Salutation) after which we cool down and end with a Savasana and another guided meditation.

$15 for the class.

Merry Everything,
Ma'lena

December's Full Moon Salutation Class

Greetings. Those of you who have taken my classes know that I adore teaching Chandra Namaskara. These series of poses are incorporated into most of my classes. From the start of opening the studio, I have offered Full Moon Salutation classes, usually on the evening of the actual Full Moon. Since December's full moon falls on the eve of Christmas Eve, and on a Sunday--to further complicate stuff--I have come to the decision that I must suspend this class. So there will be no class on December 23rd.

I'll revisit whether or not I continue to offer these classes next year.

Until then,
Happy Everything,
Ma'lena