Dear Friends,

I really love May. When I grew up in Michigan, May was really the first month of spring. And in Washington, May is a beautiful month. It's not too hot, not too cold, usually not too rainy, usually not too dry -- like the momma bear's oatmeal, it's just right. In May, we can fling the windows of our homes open, letting in the sound of birds in the morning, laughter of children at play in the midday, and the clanking of our neighbor's dishes during the dinner hour. In May, we can watch the azaleas bloom, feel the sun heating up our bodies, and taste the flavor of the first locally grown vegetables.

This time of year, when spring really arrives, our still sluggish winter energy may need some rousting, which we can accomplish by eating lighter foods, moving our bodies more, and playing together. Play, lila in sanskrit, can be defined as anything that brings us joy, and indeed was used by the ancients to refer to all of the cosmos created through the sacred play of the Divine. By engaging in our own lila, we wake ourselves up from our winter hibernation, and align ourselves with the awakening earth, which is bursting with life at this time of the year. And it just feels good to play, especially when we are experiencing spring fever, and craving a break from our heavy winter routines.

When we were young, play came naturally to us, but as adults we may need to be more conscious about our play. We can help each other with this. Invite a friend to play with you this month -- to join you in some less-structured time doing something that brings you both joy. When you are playing, really get into it and experience it with a heart full of joy and complete abandon, the way we did when we were children. When we do this, we grow the capacity to bring the lila into every moment of our lives, making everything we do more playful and joyful.

The poet, Hafiz wrote a lot about the playfulness of life. This is one of my favorites:

And for No Reason
---------------------
And
For no reason
I start skipping like a child.

And
For no reason
I turn into a leaf
That is carried so high
I kiss the Sun's mouth
And dissolve.

And
For no reason
A thousand birds
Choose my head for a conference table,
Start passing their
Cups of wine
And their wild songbooks all around.

And
For every reason in existence
I begin to eternally,
To eternally laugh and love!

When I turn into a leaf
And start dancing,
I run to kiss our beautiful Friend
And I dissolve in the Truth
That I Am.

----

So this month, we want to offer you some wonderful opportunities to play with us!

• Take a yoga class or workshop
  
  
• Join us for DC Yoga Week, May 2-9, with free classes and $5 classes at yoga studio all over the city. On Saturday, May 9, 3-5 pm, play on the National Mall with us as we move our bodies with the practice of yoga asana, taught by several different teachers from local studios, under the Washington Monument.
  
  
• Come play with your Circle Yoga and Budding Yogis friends at our Chocolate and Tea Party on Saturday, May 30, 5:30-7:30 pm. We will taste locally made chocolates supplied by Periwinkle, drink organic teas, and mingle with friendly yogis. Offered free to all of you as a thank-you for your continued support of Circle Yoga and Budding Yogis. Please come!
  
  
• Celebrate Circle Yoga's acceptance of the Mayor's 2009 Environmental Excellence Award and our exciting conversion to 100% sustainable solar electric power.
  
  
• Take out a book from our new Lending Library! We now have over 100 books, magazines, and CDs for loan to current yoga students. Ask at the front desk, it's easy and free to borrow a yoga-related book. If you want to donate books to the lending library, please let us know - books must be in good condition, and relevant to yoga, mindfulness, or spirituality.
  
  
• Follow Circle Yoga on Twitter and Facebook
  
  

Looking forward to playing and laughing with all of you very soon.

with love,
annie.

upcoming workshops and events
...and summer camp for kids!