D.C Kids Yoga - Budding Yogis

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."
- The Buddha

Dear Friends,

Yesterday I was eating a mango at my kitchen table. It was really delicious. One of my teenage daughters, who especially loves mangos, was sitting in the living room studying for final exams. As I savored the first half of my mango, I thought about her sitting in the other room, and how she would really enjoy having some of it. I considered cutting the second half and bringing it to her. I thought about how happy she would be to have it and that made me smile.

And then I ate the rest of the mango.

So today, while walking in Rock Creek, I asked myself why. Why didn't I give her the second half? I have recently been studying the Satipatthana sutta (discourse) of the Buddha as part of my Mindfulness Yoga program. In this sutta, the Buddha talks about two kinds of pleasant feelings -- those that arise due to sensory input (e.g., eating a delicious mango), what he calls "worldly" and those that arise due to more psychological input (e.g., feeling generous), what he calls "unworldly." In this story, and what usually happens, is that I chose to enjoy the worldly pleasant feeling rather than enjoy the unworldly pleasant feeling.

Now in the Buddha's teachings, unworldly pleasant feelings are what we want to aspire to, and worldly pleasant feelings are not. Why? Because feelings like the deliciousness of the mango actually create desire for more mango (as evidenced by my not sharing the second half), and keep us caught in the cycle of desire and grasping -- basically they are addictive. They're sticky, and although they feel good in the moment, their pleasure often has some later negative consequence (wishing you had more, feeling stuffed, etc.). Unworldly feelings, on the other hand, don't have the same intensity of pleasant feeling, they feel more spacious, they aren't sticky, and they don't lead to craving and grasping. When we have them, we feel great, and we don't feel any pull to get more. Had I shared the mango, I would have enjoyed that wonderful feeling of generosity, seeing my daughter smile and knowing that she felt loved. That would have been nice.

So why didn't I choose to share, and why do we very often choose the sticky pleasures over the spacious ones? I took this question for a walk today, and what I came up with was Fear. I was afraid that if I gave her the mango, then I wouldn't have enough, and I would feel deprived. Would I really be deprived? No. As a matter of fact, there was another whole mango sitting on the counter that I could have had. The deeper fear was that if I gave my daughter the mango, then my needs wouldn't exist, that in some way, I wouldn't exist. Who would take care of me and my needs? Check this out next time that you have a choice to give something away that you want. Our ego fears annihilation. We need to know that we matter to someone, somewhere.

And for me, this is the key. I can stretch into generosity when I have two things: first, when I am mindful that I have a choice -- I need to be awake enough to know that I could choose addictive pleasure or spacious pleasure -- and second, when I know that I matter, the universe will provide me with whatever I am supposed to have. And then I am free to make a different choice, one that will allow me to enjoy the bliss of an unworldly pleasant feeling like generosity.

May you enjoy both the mango, and the sharing of the mango today.

with love,
annie.

Week 1: June 9 -13*
Week 2: June 16-20*
Week 3: June 23-27*
Week 4: July 7-11
Week 5: July 28-Aug. 1*
Week 6: Aug. 4-8*
Week 7: Aug. 11-15*
Join us for one or more weeks of FRESH, HEALTHY, and RELAXING FUN doing group activities, yoga, crafts, challenge poses, journaling, playing yoga games, singing yoga camp songs, and relaxing. $300/week. Register at www.buddingyogis.com or call 202-686-1104. Limited scholarships available.
*This week of camp is full; please call to be added to wait list. Read more>>

"How does your yoga practice help you in times of trouble?"
Saturday, June 7th, 5 - 6 pm, free
During this month's Saturday Sangha discussion, talk about how our practice can help steady us when we are stressed, hurt, grieving, or otherwise not at the top of our game. The discussion is free and open to all. And, as always, receive 10% off in the Circle Yoga shop all day! Read more>>

Friday, July 11, 7 - 9 pm
$20/person ($15 if registered by July 1)
Sliding scale available.
Kirtan is call and response devotional singing. Originating in India, this ancient practice of yoga unifies us through singing and chanting together. Kristin Luna Ray will share original and traditional melodies using acoustic guitar, drum rhythms, and her soothing voice. Read more>>

Sunday, July 13, 1:30 - 3:30 pm, $35 ($30 if registered by July 8). With Naomi Gottlieb-Miller.
Twisting is a great way to help keep your body naturally fresh and cool when the heat and humidity of summer begin to feel toxic. In this workshop we will explore different ways to help detoxify the body with a "twisted" asana practice and pranayama (yogic breathing techniques). Read more>>

Friday, July 25, 7 - 9 pm, $35 ($30 if Registered by July 18). With Karen Soltes.
Yoga Nidra is a healing and transformative ancient practice in which we learn to relax deeply on every level of our being. It releases tension and is more restful than conventional sleep-up to four times more restful. Research indicates that Yoga Nidra enhances creativity and vitality, and is an effective treatment for illnesses ranging from depression to asthma to heart disease. No previous yoga experience is necessary. Read more>>

Sunday, July 27, 1:30 - 3:30 pm, $35 ($30 if registered by July 20). With Jill Minneman.
Does Down Dog leave you howling the blues, or have you wagging your puppy tail in delight? In this workshop, we'll focus on some of the most common pesky "fleas" of this pose: sore wrists, achy shoulders, and tight hamstrings. We'll break this fundamental pose into its components, work with partners, and find a sense of ease and joy. Read more>>

Saturday, July 19, 11 am - 1 pm
$35 ($30 if registered by July 12), each extra participant is $10. With Luann Fortune, LMT.
This workshop is a hands-on instructional forum for babies and their caretakers (mom, dad, nanny, grandparents, etc.) and is ideal for babies one to six months (alert but not yet crawling). Learn proven techniques to sooth, calm, and stimulate baby, and begin to establish healthy touch boundaries for both giver and receiver. Read more>>

Circle Yoga & Budding Yogis
www.circleyoga.com
3838 Northampton St. NW
One Block South of the Chevy Chase Circle
202.686.1104
info@circleyoga.com