Quoi de neuf...la rentrée 2010

Hello Everyone! English version below

C'est la rentrée

J'espère que vos vacances d'été, mêmes si elles fûrent brèves, vous ont fait du bien et vous préparent à ce nouveau départ qu'est la rentrée.
Personnellement, j'ai constaté que ces vacances étaient plus pour moi l'occasion d'être que d'en faire. Vous verrez qu'au Centre et sur le site internet et le blog, beaucoup de choses ont changé dans le bon sens, et j'étais capable d'étre consciente dans tous les devoirs qui sont passés, de vivre l'instant présent, et j'ai apprécié le travail de tous les gens autour de moi. Puis, j'ai réalisé que ceci peut se passer à tout moment, même quand septembre commence et que nos listes de tâches s'accumulent (famille, travail, responsabilités).

C'est là que la pratique du Yoga s'ancre en nous et nous signale ces bons moments dont nous avons eu la chance de vivre.

Je suis contente de vous annoncer que l'équipe du Centre de Yoga du Marais (10 professeurs cette année!) est déjà prête a vous accueillir, et vous aider à retrouver ces instants de bien-être, alors que nous serons tous immergés dans ce rush de la rentrée.
Venez voir le nouveau site et le nouveau blog, et restez informés des mises à jour, des cours hebdomadaires et des horaires des ateliers.
Je vais parfois procéder à des mises à jour, donc n'hésitez pas à visiter les sites si vous n'êtes pas venus depuis quelques temps.
Vous pourrez aussi voir les fiches sur les différents professeurs du centre, lire des exposés, et avoir plus d'infos sur les programmes d'immersion et les retraites de Yoga.

Un nouvel atelier

Cet été, je proposerai un atelier en trois cours (sur 3 dimanches) intitulé Making friends with yourself and your practice (Soyez amis avec vous-même et votre pratique :

Comment travailler avec le poids de votre corps, prendre le temps de travailler avec la concentration, l'acceptation et le bon conscience. Dans ces ateliers nous explorerons les possibilités de libérer les hanches, ouvrir et stabiliser nos épaules, et renforcer notre "core" avec l'utilisation appropriée des Bandha, en développant la confiance dans tous les domaines de la pratique. Nous explorerons aussi les enseignements du Raja Yoga (Royal Path); vairagya et ahimsa, qui nous aident à nous éloigner des pensées négatives et des réflexes de fermeture qui nous empêchent de nous développer.
Ces enseignements nous aident à éviter les blessures et potentiellement de nous ouvrir à la Grâce.

Horaires des cours :
26 septembre - 13h30-16h30
24 octobre - 13h30-16h30
28 novembre - 13h30-16h30.
Les prix des ateliers : 35 euros la séance. 95 euros pour les 3. Réservation et acompte demandées.

Ces ateliers sont l'occasion d'en apprendre plus sur le Hatha Yoga et sa philosophie. Tout ce dont vous avez besoin c'est d'avoir un brin de curiosité, de la compréhension et de travailler à votre rythme.
Pour les enseignants, ces heures d'atelier sont éligibles pour votre continuation avec Yoga Alliance.

Enfin, notez que les méditations font aussi leur rentrée : prochaine séance le dimanche 26 septembre.

Rendez-vous en septembre!
Je vous attends tous pour une nouvelle année d'apprentissage.
namaste,
Michelle

Hello Everyone!

C'est la rentrée

I hope your summer holidays, even if they were short ones have left you refreshed and ready for another restart.
Reflecting on my time off, I noticed that it truly was a summer I just got to be more and do less. Of course when you come back, see the Centre and the website and blog, things got done but I seemed to be able to appreciate and be in the moment of it all and appreciate the work of everyone around me. Then, I realized, this can happen anytime, even when September begins and all our family, work and our responsibility 'to-do lists' pile up. It is easy to let being slip away. Also appreciation. This is when our yoga practice steps in to anchor us and tether us to those quieter moments we've been fortunate to notice.

I am happy to say the staff at the Centre, 10-strong this year, are ready to welcome you back to your practice and to touching those moments of grace when we can just be in the midst of all the busy-ness that awaits us in the rentrée.

For you, the easiest thing to do is to click to the site and blog for updates, full class and workshop schedules, etc. I will be updating from time to time, so if you have been away, please visit the blog. Here, you can also meet the other teachers at the centre, read essays posted and get information on yoga immersion programs and retreats, too.

Workshops

I will be teaching a 3-part workshop series this fall, over 3 Sundays, titled, Making friends with yourself and your practice. How to work with your body's weight, to take the time to work mindfully, to go deep and touch those areas we can open with acceptance. These three workshops will explore ways we can release the hamstrings and hips, open and stabilize your shoulders, and strengthen your core with the proper use of bandha, developing confidence in all areas of your practice. We will explore the teachings of Raja Yoga (Royal Path); vairagya (non-attachment) and ahimsa (non-injury) which help move us away from our negative feelings and habitual patterns that block our growth. These teachings help us avoid injury and give us the potential to open to grace.

September 26 13h30-16h30
October 24 13h30-16h30
November 28 13h30-16h30.
Workshops are priced at 35 euros or 95 euros for all three. A reservation and deposit is required, please.

These workshops provide the opportunity to learn more about hatha yoga and its philosophy, all you need is a curiosity to learn more and an understanding to work at your own pace. For teachers, these workshops fulfill the required hours for continuing education.

I am looking forward to seeing you all back for another exciting year of learning, for all of us!
namaste,
Michelle


Centre de Yoga du Marais
yogamarais@sfr.fr
72, rue du Vertbois
75003 Paris
France
www.yogamarais.com
www.yogainparis.blogspot.com
Tel. +33.1.42.74.24.92
Cell. +33.6.31.91.92.12

What's new at the Yoga Marais? rentrée 2010

Hello Everyone!

I hope your summer holidays, even if they were short ones have left you refreshed and ready for another restart.

Reflecting on my time off, I noticed that it truly was a summer I just got to be more and do less.  Of course when you come back, see the Centre and the website and blog, things got done but I seemed to be able to appreciate and be in the moment of it all and appreciate the work of everyone around me.  Then, I realized, this can happen anytime, even when September begins and all our family, work and our responsibility 'to-do lists' pile up.   It is easy to let being slip away.  Also appreciation.  This is when our yoga practice steps in to anchor us and tether us to those quieter moments we've been fortunate to notice.   

I am happy to say the staff at the Centre, 10-strong this year, are ready to welcome you back to your practice and to touching those moments of grace when we can just be in the midst of all the busy-ness that awaits us in the rentree.

For you, the easiest thing to do is to click to the site and blog for updates, full class and workshop schedules, etc.  I will be updating from time to time, so if you have been away, please visit the blog.  Here, you can also meet the other teachers at the centre, read essays posted and get information on yoga immersion programs and retreats, too.

I will be teaching a 3-part workshop series this fall, over 3 Sundays, titled,  Making friends with yourself and your practice.  How to work with your body's weight, to take the time to work mindfully, to go deep and touch those areas we can open with acceptance.  These three workshops will explore ways we can release the hamstrings and hips, open and stabilize your shoulders, and strengthen your core with the proper use of bandha, developing confidence in all areas of your practice.   We will explore the teachings of Raja Yoga (Royal Path);  vairagyam (non-attachment) and ahimsa (non-injury) which help move us away from our negative feelings and habitual patterns that block our growth.  These teachings help us avoid injury and give us the potential to open to grace.

September 26   13h30-16h30 

October 24       13h30-16h30

November 28    13h30-16h30.

Workshops are priced at 35 euros or 95 euros for all three.  A reservation and deposit is required for the full series, please.

These workshops provide the opportunity to learn more about hatha yoga and its philosophy, all you need is a curiosity to learn more and an understanding to work at your own pace.  For teachers, these workshops fulfill the required hours for continuing education.

I am looking forward to seeing you all back for another exciting year of learning, for all of us!

The next meditation evening is Sunday, Sept 26 at 19h30.

namaste,

Michelle

june 25

Saying good-bye 

Lucy and my yoga practice are and forever will be inextricably linked.  It was 16 years ago that I took up a regular yoga practice and adopted a puppy, all in the same month.  I needed to change my life.  Little did I know that I adopted a tiny witness to all the big life changes to come since that cold February day in New York.  

I was blue, yoga helped me witness and accept that and having a puppy to take care of cheered me.  My intent that February was to take her to visit a friend who had been severely depressed for quite some time to show her the transformation a puppy brings.  Unfortunately, I was too late and Maria decided to take her life that cold February alone in her apartment.  I had Lucy to comfort me.  This was the beginning of how much a comfort she has been, by my side for long walks, well mostly pulling at the leash as far in front as she could race me, and at the side of my yoga mat waiting for the next move.  Dogs love yoga because you are on the floor with them and at eye level, too.  They don't need to learn yoga.  They are yoga.  Puppies somehow know your mat is not a boobie pad but a sacred time put aside to go inside and feel.  When I was on my back for reclining poses Lucy laid across my belly, even when she got bigger and her legs just splayed in all directions.  When I was on my belly for supine poses she tucked herself into the small of my back and kept rolling off when I deepened my breath.  She liked that.  Down dog is a favorite because puppies and dogs slobber your face.  Thus, started a 16 year love affair of yoga for the both of us.

What Lucy taught me?  There is no difficulty that can't be put into perspective with the help of a good long walk.  When someone comes in the room, run over and be happy to see them.  When you feel from them they are not keen to be with you, sit patiently by their side and wait for them to get over it.  Lucy was quite insistent with this.  She didn't have a mean bone in her body and therefore  couldn't understand anyone not liking her.  She came on a little strong for my husband-to-be's taste but she made him warm up to her.  Michele became one her biggest champions.  People were charmed by her, in fact she is responsible for so many dogs getting adopted.  When my friends met her, several adopted dogs of their own, several who never thought they would own a dog.  My dad went ahead and adopted two.  Among my already dog-friends, our ties just grew deeper.  Lucy cemented my people friendships and drew our community close.  Just a few months after my mother-in-law met her after our move to Europe, she rescued a fox terrier, Spike.  Lucy and her friend enjoyed a number of summers running through forests and countryside in Italy and Germany.  Lucy romped through summer vacations on beaches on the Adriatic and all over a remote island in Croatia.  My husband and I were her pack.

Dogs inhabit the principles of yoga philosophy presented by Patanjali millennia ago.  They are friendly to the happy, patient and even long-suffering to the unkind and compassionate to those troubled.  There is a practice in our yoga, pratipaksha bhavana, replacing a negative thought with a positive one.  Dogs do this instantaneously even if they've been punished.  Lucy would look at me with those eyes that said OK, that's over with, when do we get to eat?  No grudges.  It's all about the present moment and present moment with a cocker spaniel is usually, I am hungry, everything's good.

We shared a spirit of adventure.  She had to be a traveler because right after I picked her up from the pet store she went into my dance bag into rehearsal.  For 16 years, her biggest joy was seeing her travel bag.  Second biggest joy, jumping really high.  Her favorite part of dance class, which she was allowed to attend, were the big leaps across the floor when she would start to sing with the piano and try to leap with us.  At home when I was not there she practiced her leaps onto the kitchen counter to see where I hid the loaf of bread.  She could also get to the fruit bowl and peel bananas.  Her New York vet doubted she was a cocker and leaned more toward springer until she was fully grown.  I bought her a frisbee that smelled like dog treats and she learned how to jump and fly and catch it very quickly.

Having a dog is being reminded that life is joyful, all the time.  Joy is always there, sometimes it is covered up a bit and sometimes a lot, but it's still there.  Perhaps in some way she is reminding my friend Maria of this now, as the great teacher Lucy was.

As I write this I am traveling to London, she is not at my feet.  She is in my heart.

I love you, Lucy.