Blissful Body Yoga and Wellness: November 2008

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Meditation on Change: from the Kripalu Yoga Teacher's Association

Monk's Pond, The Kripalu Center, Lenox, MA

The article below is reprinted from the KYTA (Kripalu Yoga Teacher's Association) Newsletter that I recieve every month. KYTA is an incredible part of the Kripalu family, and does a terrific job supporting it's teachers around the world.

For more on Kripalu Yoga and the Kripalu Center in Lenox, MA click here. For more information on KYTA, click here.

Meditation can be extremely helpful when we are in the midst of change, giving practitioners a new perspective.

Below is a meditation from Module One of the 500-Hour Kripalu Yoga Teacher Certification, called "Awareness of Sensation," provided by Megha Nancy Buttenheim, creator, director, and facilitator of Module One.

Sit or stand as you are, just being yourself.
Focus on being aware of the sensations in you, entering a state of allowing.
Open the field of awareness to the world of sensation.
Notice the pleasant and unpleasant.
Notice the neutral, the loving, the joyful.
Welcome everything.
Notice breath.
Notice everything arising and passing, arising and passing.
Body is alive.
Energy is present.
Just be.
Look at any fear that might be coming toward you.
Remember the breath is here just like a friend holding your hand as you cross a busy street.

If you are currently enrolled in the 500-Hour Kripalu Yoga Teacher Training, or would like to begin your advanced training, the next module will be held January 16-25, 2009 which will be led by Jonathan Foust (Sudhir). The main focus is an inquiry into bringing more meditation into your personal practice and teaching.

Megha has designed Module One to offer yogis the opportunity to study with some of the best Kripalu teachers. Jonathan Foust (Sudhir) leads a 2 1/2 day meditation retreat. Lee Albert teaches positional therapy techniques to assist students in yoga postures. Anatomy sessions are led by Kripalu yogi and body worker Chris Holmes. Garrett Sarley (Dinabandhu) or Stephen Cope offer discourses in the meditation of life and Megha directs the practice teach component. Sadhana sessions are led by Kripalu faculty such as Sudha Carolyn Lundeen, Rudy Peirce, Jairaj Randal Williams, Jurian Hughes, Grace Jull, Jami Macarty, and Megha.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Blissful Body Yoga Guided Meditations Now Available on yogadownload.com

I am thrilled to announce that Guided Meditations from Teal Marie Chimblo, and Blissful Body Yoga are now being offered at yogadownload.com.

At only $2.95 per downloadable class (less then a cup of coffee!) you can give the gift of bliss to yourself, or a friend.

Two meditations are currently available:

Progressive Relaxation #1 will take you to a place of complete and utter serenity.

Jamie Kent, yoga teacher and creator of yogadownload.com says:

"Teal's warm and meditative voice is ideal to help you get deep into a state of calm and tranquility. In this meditation Teal has you visualize a white light as it moves through you body and rids it of any and all stress and tension. Ahhhhhh!"

Click here to download your copy today.

Sivasana Relaxation #1. Sivasana is a posture often practiced at the end of a yoga class, but you can do this relaxing Sivasana meditation any time you need to take a break and rest. Sivasana helps the body, mind and spirit to relax, integrate, and restore. This Sivasana Relaxation meditation will take you into a deep state of calm, and is also great as a cure for insomnia.

Click here to go to to download your copy today.

If you are not familiar with yogadownload.com, you are going to love it. This wonderful site offers classes from a wide variety of yoga traditions, including Kripalu, Iyengar, Forest, Ashtanga and more. Classes vary in length from 15 minutes to over an hour, so there is a format to meet everyone's needs.

More Guided Meditations, and Kripalu Yoga Classes from Teal will be available soon on yogadownload.com, so stay tuned and be sure to sign up for the Blissful Body Yoga Newsletter (top right column of this page) so that you recieve all the news and offers from Blissful Body Yoga.

I hope you will consider my Guide Meditations as part of your gift giving this holiday season. They are an affordable way to give the gift of relaxation and resoration to yourself, or someone you love.

May you be happy,
May you be free from all suffering.

Namaste, and gratitude,

Teal Marie

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Keeping It Positive

In business, as in the rest of life, it can be a challenge to keep things positive. Present global economic woes are making for some highly tense office environments, but they also present an opportunity to bring our yoga "off the mat", and into our daily lives.

Yoga can provide not only a personal refuge from these pressures, but an opportunity to calm down, refocus and re-enter the group with positive energy and patience. Imagine bringing a spirit of peace and healing to your environment, rather then adding to the discord and din.

Go to your office, or even a stall in the bathroom, or step outside, anywhere you can be alone for a few minutes and withdraw from the energy of your office. Take a few deep breaths and follow your inhale and exhale. On the inhale say, "I breath in peace", on the exhale say, "I breathe out all tension." Before you return to your office group say to yourself this simple Metta meditation of lovingkindness...

"May all beings be happy, May all beings be free from all suffering."

It is amazing how much a simple break can help us calm down, and regain perspective.

Let me know how you bring your yoga off the mat, and into the world.

If you are looking for more ways to bring the positive back to your office or business check out the blog Emergence Business Coaching written by business coach and writer, Charrise. She has great advice and resources for building business for success, with heart and positive energy.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Let Your Life Bloom blog and a love affair with nature.

Image via Wikipedia

An inspiring post from Health Blogger Vanessa Smith, MA, CLC
on opening our eyes to the beauty that is all around us.

Let Your Life Bloom: Having a love affair with nature

Friday, November 14, 2008

Give the Gift of Relaxation, with Natalie Maisel's Meditative Journey and goddessdownload.com

Meditative Journey with Natalie Maisel

Just the thought of heading into the busy holiday season brings feelings of stress and anxiety to most of us. So much to do, so many people to see, so much to give. I encourage you to really slow down and make sure that you are also giving to yourself, making time for yoga, relaxation... and SLEEP!

To that end, I am recommending to you a amazing yoga and meditation teacher Natalie Maisel. If you haven't discovered her before, you are really in for a treat!

Her Website goddessdownload.com is a fantastic resource for yoga, meditation and rituals related to Wicca and the Seasonal Wheel.

She has many audio downloads available on her site, and on yogadownload.com, but my favorite has to be Meditative Journey. I have escaped into the beautiful imagery of these guided meditations, and used them as part of my yoga classes, for years. They are not only relaxing and inspirational, but personally transformative, as well. Natalie's words of wisdom and guidance help us tap into that deep source within us; she helps us get back to the core of our authentic selves.

The nice thing about her site is you can download an entire item, or one track at a time "itunes style". She as recently added some new meditations including that I love including, Sun-Moon Astrological Meditations, Goddess in the Chakras, and another of my favorites, Healing Water Ritual at Chalice Well, which is a wonderful meditation for healing.

Natalie has been a certified yoga teacher since 1996. She currently travels to various destination spas facilitating Yoga Weeks with a variety of levels and classes that suit every level of yoga practitioner. Natalie is featured extensively in Gary Kraftsow’s book Yoga for Wellness,
and teaches yoga in the San Diego, California area.

Check her out and pick up a gift of relaxation and renewal for yourself, or someone you love.

You can contact Natalie Maisel directly for more information about her yoga and meditation workshops around the world at fox@goddessdownload.com.

And, don't miss Natalie's blog, here.

GIVEAWAYS!