Dear Friends,

September 21 was International Day of Peace. This holiday was established by the UN in 1981 to serve as a reminder of our commitment to peace. A UN statement says:

Peace is more than the absence of war. It is about transforming our societies and uniting our global community to work together for a more peaceful, just and sustainable world for all.

Don't worry if you missed this holiday. I just learned about it myself while taking a workshop this week at the Carter Center in Atlanta, GA. I spent three days studying "Non-Violent Communication", a way of resolving conflicts using mindful speech (for more info see www.cnvc.org)

I started wondering about what our yogic tradition tells us about finding peace, so I turned to the ancient yoga sutras of Patanjali, especially number 33:

The mind becomes clear and serene when the qualities of the heart are cultivated: friendliness toward the joyful, compassion toward the suffering, happiness toward the pure, and impartiality toward the impure.

The practice of yoga, including the asanas, breath work, and meditation can help us uncover our inner peace. If you’ve ever taken a yoga class, you know the deep feeling of peace that stays with you when you leave class. Can we take that individual seed of peace and stretch it into peace for the whole world? What would that look like? These are questions for all of us to bring into our hearts.

As Zen master and peace activist, Thich Nhat Hanh, says in his book, Peace is Every Step:

Every morning, when we wake up, we have twenty-four brand-new hours to live. What a precious gift! We have the capacity to live in a way that these twenty-four hours will bring peace, joy, and happiness to ourselves and others. Peace is present right here and now, in ourselves and in everything we do and see. The question is whether or not we are in touch with it. We don't have to travel far away to enjoy the blue sky. We don't have to leave our city or even our neighborhood to enjoy the eyes of a beautiful child. Even the air we breathe can be a source of joy.

Annie

Circle Yoga
It’s easy to Be here

Open House for Complementary and Traditional Medical Professionals and Therapists
Saturday, September 30, $free
See website or call for more info.

Yoga on the Mall
Saturday, October 7, 8--9 am, $free
The Smithsonian is trying to host the largest yoga class ever in the U.S., taught by John Schumacher (Unity Woods) and Hugh Byrne (Insight Meditation Center of Washington) with assistant teachers from other DC yoga studios.

Parent/Child African Dance (Ages 5-12)
Saturday, October 7, 1–2:30 pm, $25/couple
Kids LOVE dancing with their parents! Especially with parents who think they can’t dance! In this class you will learn a few very simple steps which are easy to remember so you can bring them home with you. You will be accompanied by a live drummer and the two of you will find the beat of your own drum together. With Christine Davis (see www.circleyoga.com for bio).

FREE Introduction to Meditation
Tuesday, October 17, 7:30–8:30 pm, $free, with Annie Mahon
Learn about mindfulness and basic meditation techniques. Wonderful for people who want to start a meditation practice, and those interested in learning more about mindfulness.

Taking A Good Seat—Hip Openers for Beginner/Intermediate Students
Saturday, October 28, 2–4 pm, $30
Enjoy a practice of hip-openers that will support any seat you chose to take in your life. Kate Miller will guide us through slow therapeutic movements and mindful yoga asanas that will help unblock any pain or discomfort in the low back and hips. The pelvis is the center of the body and when it is in balance the rest of the body can the sing the rewards. With Kate Miller (see www.willowstreetyoga.com for bio).

Yoga for Depression, A Two–Part Workshop
Sunday, October 29, 1:30–4 pm and Sunday, November 5, 1:30–4 pm, $100
Yoga is an ideal strategy to lift feelings of depression. This workshop will teach you breathing techniques and postures to brighten your mood. This two part workshop will explore a variety of yoga practices, including asanas, breathing practices (pranayama), and meditation that can help bring us back into emotional balance and diminish the symptoms of depression and anxiety. We will look at ways to meet our experience with a heart of compassion and to develop practices that can alleviate suffering, as well as release the impact of traumatic stress that may reside in our body. With Karen Soltes, a clinical social worker and yoga teacher (see www.circleyoga.com for bio).

Budding Yogis’ Teaching Yoga to Kids Certification
Friday, November 3–Sunday, November 5, $450
Fri.: 12:30–4:30 and 6:00–9:00, Sat.: 12:00–6:00, Sun.: 8:30–12:30 and 2:00–5:00
Do you think you might enjoy teaching yoga to children? Or do you think your child might benefit from learning to relax through the non-competitive practice of yoga? This 20-hour workshop is intended for teachers, parents, or anyone interested in learning how to enrich children’s lives with yoga practice. Participants will gain detailed information about how to teach kids yoga classes, how to create theme-based yoga classes and how to teach self-calming and meditation techniques. Throughout the weekend, participants will learn kids yoga poses and yoga games, gain a clear understanding of the age-breakouts for classes, and learn ways to deal with various behaviors including special needs. We will learn through doing, by experiencing kids yoga classes and discussion of what works well with kids. Each student will have an opportunity to plan, observe and/or co-teach a free kids yoga class on the last day of the workshop. We’ll also discuss what it takes to get started teaching and/or start-up a kids yoga business. At the conclusion of the training, all participants will have the opportunity to teach a kids yoga class at Budding Yogis. A Budding Yogis Level I certificate will be given to each participant if all sessions and the practice teaching session are successfully attended. With certified instructors Annie Mahon and Linda Feldman (see www.buddingyogis.com for more information and instructor bios).

Intro to Teaching Therapeutic Yoga
Sunday, November 12, 12–5 pm, $75
Therapeutic Yoga is for students with physical conditions (serious spinal problems, arthritis, heart problems, MS, chronic and acute injuries, etc.). Learn to help your special conditions students do yoga safely and painlessly. This workshop will help you recognize common misalignments, learn how to use yoga therapeutically for special needs, help alleviate pain, begin to reverse the effects of chronic imbalances in your students, and gain a working knowledge of anatomy in practical terms through experience. This workshop will also be helpful for health professionals to learn specific yoga-based skills to help their patients. With Jenny Otto, a Senior Anusara Teacher Trainer (see www.circleyoga.com for bio).

Yoga for your Back
Sunday, November 12, 5:30–7:30 pm, $40
This class is for people who are living with chronic back pain or injuries and would like to learn to use yoga to relieve their discomfort. With Jenny Otto (see www.circleyoga.com for bio).

Daddy & Me Yoga (5–10 year olds)
Sunday, November 19, 10–11 am, $20/couple, $14 each additional participant
This class is designed especially for dads and their kids to share the joy of yoga. It will give dads the opportunity to have a special hour with their kids, have some fun and do some yoga. We’ll be doing yoga poses, interactive partner poses, playing yoga games, and of course, relaxing. No yoga experience is necessary. With Linda Feldman, Director of Budding Yogis (see bio at www.buddingyogis.com).

Set Your Sails! A Therapeutic Shoulder Workshop
Sunday, November 19, 1:30–4:30 pm, $45
The shoulders have often been referred to as the “wings” or “sacred sails” of the heart. In this workshop we will learn how to balance the shoulder girdle so we can properly set our sails for the winds of Grace to fully support us. Through the use of Anusara principles of alignment, basic anatomy and breathing techniques we will start to tap into the range of motion and freedom we all hold. This workshop will be highly therapeutic and will help those with chronic pain or injuries of the upper limbs and neck. With Kate Miller (see www.circleyoga.com for bio).

Yoga to Relieve Addictions and Compulsions
Sunday, December 3, 1:30–4:30 pm, $50
Our addictions and compulsions are born out our attempts to manage what we believe are unmanageable feelings and emotions. Through a variety of yoga practices, that include asanas, breathing practices (pranayama), and meditation, we will explore ways that enable us to be more present with our range of feelings and to meet those feelings with a heart of compassion, thereby allowing us more freedom in our lives. With Karen Soltes and Annie Mahon (see www.circleyoga.com for bios).

Take your Yoga Practice to the Next Level—A Level 2 (Anusara inspired) Workshop
Saturday, December 9, 3–4:30, $18
If you have been taking yoga at a beginning level for at least one session, and you want to find out what a Level II class would be like, here is your chance. Move your practice into more advanced postures with the support and encouragement of an energetic and qualified teacher. With Naomi Gottlieb-Miller.

Moon Maidens—A Yoga Workshop For Girls (ages 9–15)
Sunday, December 10, 2–4 pm, $25
This workshop is an exploration of power and beauty, an opportunity for girls to learn how to honor this changing time in their lives. We will look back through the history of women, share stories, ask questions , learn how to know and chart our monthly moon cycle (if we have one yet or not) and practice yoga postures and meditation that will help tap into their innate creativity and wisdom. Hosted by Anusara yoga teacher Kate Miller. Kate is dedicated to supporting the connection and gathering of women from all backgrounds (see www.circleyoga.com for bio).