Living Tree Launch

Living Tree Yoga is celebrating our opening this Saturday, June 13!

Please see the new blog at livingtreeyoga.blogspot.com for details on our launch party and classes.

Transformation

Living Tree Yoga is slowly and happily being transformed! We've been blessed with tremendous help, which has painted (very!) purple walls green, refinished the floors a dark espresso, and stripped away lots of unnecessary stuff.

Living Tree Yoga will be located at 1345 East 22nd Avenue in Denver's City Park West neighborhood. The studio is expected to open June 13, with classes beginning the following week. Pricing, class schedule, and other details will be available online in the next week. In the meantime, please contact joy @ livingtreeyoga.com with any questions.

Expansion

One of the key principles of a yoga practice is expansion, the process of becoming more flexible, of learning to encompass more life than before. With every breath, we take in this life, literally growing larger.

It is with great happiness that I announce another sort of expansion: Yesu Yoga is expanding into a studio, in the form of Living Tree Yoga.

Living Tree Yoga will feature Yesu Yoga, classical vinyasa classes, and yoga for children (age 3-7) in the City Park West neighborhood. This small studio is expected to open in mid-May 2009, where we'll first offer several classes per week, then see where it grows.

My deepest gratitude to students of Yesu Yoga, who have been the greatest, most inspiring teachers! Check back for regular updates, or send an email to yesuyoga at yahoo dot com with questions.

Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti yoga--the yoga of devotion--is what followers of Jesus practice when our focus is worship. In the Hindu tradition, it takes nine forms: hearing/singing, glorifying, remembering (meditation), physical service, worship (offerings to dieties), prayer offerings, service to please God (like preaching), friendship with God, and surrender. For followers of Christ, any worshipful, intentional practice can be considered bhakti.

I recently had the opportunity to see the band Aradhna in concert. Using traditional Indian spirituals, Hindi lyrics, and instruments like sitar and Hindustani violin, Aradhna creates Christ-centered bhajans that are simply beautiful. And for those of us familiar with kirtan or bhajan, they are both refreshing and deeply moving.

You can look forward to their music in my classes, or purchase their CDs here.

New Series Begins Thursday!

Starting this Thursday, April 12, join us for another series of Yoga at Pathways. Class begins at 6:00 p.m.

Questions? Email yesuyoga@yahoo.com
And for more detailed information on Yoga at Pathways, click here.

Transition

We often pay lots of attention to endings and beginnings, but what about the in-between time?

Our class is based on Vinyasa yoga, which means, "flow." As we flow from pose to pose, it's easy to forget that the transitions are meaningful as well. Tonight we'll focus on moving from one place to another, and on finding meaning in the pauses.

Appropriately, this is the last class in this series, which will take a hiatus through March and resume after Easter. I hope you'll be part of the next series! Check the blog for updates.

Hip Check

Unfortunately, our hips are often a repository for all sorts of stress, tension, and imbalance in the body. This hub of movement is generally quite strong, but not very flexible. Fortunately, stretching and releasing this crucial area can lead to suppleness in other postures, and in daily life.

This week's class will focus on alignment and opening of the hips, and the muscles surrounding the area. Come clenched. Leave softened.


INVERSION MINI WORKSHOP

Ever wanted to try headstand? Shoulderstand? These inversions can calm the nervous system while strengthening the body.

Stay after class this week for a 15-minute session on inversions. Learn the basics of supported shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana), supported headstand (Salamba Sirsasana), and plow (Halasana), ask questions, and try the initial steps of each posture.