Dear Friends,

2006 has been a milestone year for me and for many of you. First there were the 50 sun salutations in February (yes, we did them!) and June 24th marked my 10 years teaching yoga and many other student milestones. On June 19th, 56 of you came together at Ledyard Center School to celebrate. I know that some of you were unable to participate in person but you were there in spirit. Yoga has allowed me to touch your lives and in turn, you have touched me as well. I can't thank you enough for embracing me as your yoga teacher.

The practice of yoga opens the heart and mind to new understandings of ourselves and others. This poem from 14th century Indian poet Kabir reminds us that we are all connected:

All know that the drop is part of the ocean,
Few know that the ocean is part of the drop.

Sort of adds a new dimension to the concept of going with the flow! Peace and love to you, Karen

Yoga for Health & Healing

I honor the place in you in which the entire universe dwells. I honor the place in you which is of love, light, peace and joy. When you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me, We Are One.

I'm experimenting with a new way of delivering yoga news to you. This is a subscriber system that you can opt-out of or opt-in. I've opted you in since you are on my email list. To opt-out, click the unsubscribe link at the end of this newsletter and voila, you won't receive any more emails from me unless you opt-in again.

Eventually, I will link articles to me website so that you can read more if you want to. Please let me know what you think!

A Google search turned up this article by Julia Silverman on the significance of the number 108.

"The number is traditionally revered in Hindu culture, linked to several ancient measurements and traditions. (The tradition predates the numbers that the castaways on "Lost" spent entering into the island's giant computer every 108 minutes -- or else.)

The Buddhists have 108 names for Buddha, and Hinduism boasts 108 Upanishads -- ancient texts that lay down the basis for Hindu spirituality and the ideals of yoga. Ayurvedic medicine charts 108 "weak points," where a body can get congested, and of the 54 sounds in ancient Sanskrit, each has two elements, one male and one female. (Math whizzes, 54 x 2 108.) There are also 108 beads on a "mala," prayer beads used in Hinduism, and 108 beads on a Catholic rosary.

Scientists can point to the distance between the earth and the sun, which is 108 times the diameters of the sun. Mathematically, when you divide a circle into five equal parts, each pentagon angle is 108 degrees. Astrologers can offer the nine planets, and 12 signs of the zodiac. (9 x 12 108. Getting the idea now?)

And it should be noted that there are 108 stitches on a baseball." (excerpted from an article by JULIA SILVERMAN, The Associated Press on June 21, 2006)

So, derivatives of 108 are also used. 27 kapalabhati breaths, or 54 or 108. Some people do 108 sun salutations!

(Photo taken from my garden. Can you find the frog hanging from a lily pad?)



Mondays:
Ledyard Congregational Church
5 – 6:30 p.m. Gentle Yoga (this class is full)
7 – 8:30 p.m. Intermediate Yoga
8 classes * 6/26—8/21/06 (no class 7/3) * $80 * Register with Karen (860) 204-0797

Tuesdays:
Montville Senior Center, Uncasville
9:15 – 10:15 a.m. Chair Yoga for Seniors * Ongoing
Call Montville Senior Center (860) 848-0422

St. James Church, Preston
5 – 6:15 p.m. Gentle Mixed Levels Yoga
7 classes * 7/11—8/22/06 * $52.50 Preston residents & srs (65+) / $63 non-residents * Register with Karen (860) 204-0797 * Checks payable to "Preston Parks & Recreation"

Wednesdays:
Ledyard Congregational Church
5 – 6:30 p.m. Mixed Levels Vinyasa (energetic) Yoga
7 – 8:30 p.m. Stress Management Yoga
10 classes * 6/21 - 8/23/06 * $100 * Register with Karen (860) 204-0797

Thursdays:
Lincoln Park Community Room, Preston
9 – 10:00 a.m. Chair Yoga * Ongoing
Call Preston Parks & Recreation (860) 889-2482

L&M Therapeutic & Personal Fitness Center, Old Lyme
5:45 – 7:00 p.m. Gentle Mixed Levels Yoga
Resumes 9/14/06 * Register with the Center (860) 434-1394

Fridays:
Ledyard Senior Center, Gales Ferry
9:15 – 10:15 a.m. Mat Yoga for Seniors * Ongoing (no class August, resumes 9/15/06)
Call Ledyard Senior Center (860) 464-0471

Saturdays:
St. James Church, Preston
9 – 10:30 a.m. Mixed Levels Vinyasa (energetic) Yoga
8 classes * 7/1 - 8/19/06 * $60 Preston residents & seniors (65+) / $72 non-residents
Register with Karen 204-0797 * Checks payable to "Preston Parks & Recreation" *

Late enrollment prorated. You pay only for the classes remaining in the session. Single class fee $13. Extra class for current registered student $11.

Class Schedule

In This Issue:

Fall Schedule