Guided Meditation with Andrea O’Connor

Starting on March 21st, I’ll lead guided meditation on the third Sunday of each month at Evolution from 8:30-9 am.
Here’s an opportunity to arrive a bit early for class and join me for a rich journey into a place of deep peace in the right side of the brain!

AND:

Join Andrea (and many other fine Evolution teachers) at Burlington Yoga Conference.
When I developed the “Strong on the Inside” class series and workshop, I wanted to bring together the core information that I had learned from various disciplines. So I think this class brings clarity to core work from yoga (the bandahs), Physical Therapy, and Gyrotonic. And it feels great. Come check it out!
- Andrea O’Connor

Comments from “Strong on the Inside” series and workshop participants.
-”Extremely well-organized and sequenced, focused, and fun!”
-”I wish I had taken this class years ago before getting deeply into yoga practice.”
-”I feel like I have a light saber in my core. This class brought it all together!”

Email Andrea

]]> http://evolutionvt.com/evoblog/working-well-with-andrea-oconnor/feed/ 0 http://evolutionvt.com/evoblog/anusara-moment-01-percent-different/ http://evolutionvt.com/evoblog/anusara-moment-01-percent-different/#comments Sat, 06 Mar 2010 22:15:20 +0000 workingwellvt http://evolutionvt.com/evoblog/?p=2065 So I think I’m so hugely different from you or a suicide bomber or Sarah Palin?

Not true. I’m only a thought away, according to yogic philosophy and Jill Bolte Taylor.

She’s a brain scientist who writes in “My Stroke of Insight”  about the massive stroke to her left brain where, among many faculties, lives the ego, judgment, and reactivity.

What remained in the functioning right side of her brain was her ability to connect to “all that is”.  She felt like a fluid mass of bliss, not separate and individual. Wow!

She tells that we can choose to connect with the bliss that connects us to all others at any time. We just have to take a “right turn” to that part of our brain capability.

Jill points out that when we look at molecular structure and DNA, I am 99.9% the same as you. And 99% the same as animals.

Makes me think differently about who is “myself!”

Photo- Jill crafted a colorful stained glass brain.

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“We have come to be danced.

Not the nice, invisible, self-conscious shuffle,

but the matted hair flying, voodoo mama shaman shaking ancient bones dance.

The strip us from our casings, return our wings, sharpen our claws and tongues dance.

The shed dead cells and slip into the luminous skin of love dance.”

This morning was the start of what became Holly’s Birthday celebration at Evolution: a combination soul collage art show, valentine’s craft-making, and dancing extravaganza.  The coming together of loved ones, both friends and family, was beautiful and inspiring.  The celebration truly honored the words of the poet and brought an inspired idea from a Saturday morning yoga class to life.  Thank you Holly, Martha, Luann, and all who shared this joy at the party and in spirit.

Gate pose (Parighasana in Sanskrit):

Like a bar or beam (parigha) used to latch a gate closed, the arms lock in a deep side bend over your extended leg in Gate Pose. As the name suggests, parighasana makes you steady and strong.

Yoga, which means union (yuj), brings equilibrium. In hatha yoga we first find balance in the physical body, balance follows in the mind, emotions, and spirit. Often people focus on the front plane of the body, as we regularly and look in mirrors and face outward into the world. We can bend backwards to counter stretch this forward-focus and also develop a side-body stretching practice and awareness. Side-opening brings a sense of wholeness and adds an omni-dimensional quality to the breath.

• Opens the sides of the body and greatly helps tone the abdominals and intercostals, increasing lung capacity for full deep breath. Lengthening the intercostal muscles improves breathing; Parighasana helps improve respiratory problems.
• Improves circulation and increases spinal flexibility.
• Benefits of a gentle twist (essential to maintaining level shoulders and opening the rib cage).
• Gate pose stretches the groins, which square forward as you bend to each side.
• Gate pose is great all levels of yoga students- it can be practiced with different levels of intensity and modification.

How to do Parighasana:

• Cushion your knees and find a kneeling stand (hips directly over knees)
• Bring hands to hips- keep hips square to the front of the mat.
• Step your right leg out to the side; ground the outer edge of right foot.
• Inhale your left arm up and open as you slide your right hand down right leg
• Try 5 rounds of conscious yogic breath.
• Return hands to hips and return to a kneeling stand.
• Repeat on the 2nd side by stepping left leg out- Lift right arm up and open as you slide left hand down left leg.
• Breathe!

Susan’s Classes:
Su: Pre-Natal, Post-Natal | Mo: Baby-Yoga and New Explorer’s Yoga | Tu: Creative Kid’s Yoga and Tots on the Move | Wed: Level II Vinyasa | Th: Pre-Natal Yoga

1. EVO: What does it mean to be studio director of Evolution Yoga?
   SUSAN: As yoga studio director and co-founder of Evolution Physical Therapy and Yoga, I’m the base-line person responsible for all aspects of the yoga studio – schedule, classes, staff, teachers, and students. Phew!  My favorite parts of running the studio are the countless direct interactions I have with students and teachers. I love working with evolution teachers to deepen our yogic knowledge in our monthly teacher meetings as well as daily encounters.  I also find so much joy in helping students make sure they are supported and finding the classes they need.  Really, the daily joys in the life of Evolution Yoga are abundant.
2. EVO: What type of classes do you teach at the studio and how would you describe your style?
   SUSAN: I wear so many different hats at Evolution Yoga, besides running the studio!  My passion for yoga has led me down three different avenues in terms of student base:  I teach level II (intermediate/advanced) vinyasa, where we can really explore some challenging poses in a fun atmosphere.  I have a deep passion for pregnancy, birth, and parenting, and there is a rich prenatal/postpartum program that I teach at the studio as well.  As an extension of our pregnancy program, I teach 4 classes a week for babies up to age 5.  This “young yogis” program came from my background as a children’s dance teacher in my previous life in New York City. All in all, I’d say that as a teacher I create a very safe atmosphere for personal growth and lots of playfulness.
3. EVO: What are you teaching at Burlington Yoga Conference?  Who would benefit from attending?
   SUSAN: I am so pleased to be teaching at BYC again this year – what a great venue!  The beauty of a class such as Core Yoga is that it’s appropriate for those who took it last year as well as students attending the yoga conference for the first time.  The class is aimed at anyone who wants to integrate core awareness, engagement and strength into all aspects of asana.  It’ll be a moderately-paced vinyasa class, lots of fun, and you’ll definately learn little nuggets of information to take with you and apply to other asana classes.  Hope to see you there!
4. EVO: With a busy life and schedule like yours, where and how do you find yoga?
   SUSAN: Ahh. . . I wish I could say that I have a 2 hour daily asana practice!  Practice to me is about living what we learn in our yoga classes - presence, nonattachment, and letting go – whether we can get to our mat or not. It’s found in any 5 second focus on my breath.  I feel like so much of my yoga practice boils down to that – bringing myself back to the present moment, with one breath, no matter what else I’m doing.  Feeling my body in space, whether I’m in a yoga pose or cooking dinner for my kids.  My life is my practice, and it’s full of joy

Learn more. Watch Susan’s Yoga Video

What:

When: Monday, March 8th – any time between 12-8 pm

Where: Evolution Physical Therapy & Yoga – 20 Kilburn Street, Burlington

Come discover what lululemon athletica is all about!  You will have the opportunity to meet the wonderful staff, learn exciting details about lululemon grand opening in April, and browse through a select collection of lululemon athletic apparel.  All apparel will be available for purchase at the event.

If you are a new student to Evolution Yoga Studio, try a complimentary yoga class on the day of the event.

Please feel free to invite your friends and let contact Katie Bohlin if you have any questions.  You can reach Katie directly at kbohlin@lululemon.com or 603-321-8247.

See you there!

Katie B. Bohlin
Burlington, VT – 10250
Showroom Manager
603-321-8247

www.lululemon.com

But as a merchant, he was subject to taxes levied by the great king. So he became a king. As the king, he sat on a throne in the open courtyard and was overwhelmed by the heat of the sun. Seeking more power, he became the sun. But alas, the sun light was at times veiled by clouds so he became a cloud.

The cloud was able to move around all barriers, except for the mountain. And so, he became the mountain. Only to find himself face to face with himself as he used to be – the stone-cutter.

And so it is that each occupation and state of being has its power and place in the Universe.

And so it works in this moment to be content with who we are and what we are doing. Perfect peace – for now.