Awakening Our Inner Guidance Fortunately for us we found that offering on-line classes via Zoom, both live and recorded, was welcomed by our yoga community. They stayed (and are staying) with us and many have reported that they have gotten comfortable with doing yoga on-line, and some say they actually prefer practicing in the comfort of their homes at a time that works best for them. It has also allowed students from outside our area to participate -- we now have students from across the country and world tuning in. While we are now offering a limited number of live in-studio classes, we fully By Rex Stromness intend to say on-line into the future. One thing I like to do at the think that we are all relieved to be into beginning of the year is to review the a new year -- 2020 was a challenging 8 Limbs of Yoga from the Yoga Sutra of one in many ways, for some more than Patanjali. These 8 limbs (Ashtanga in others. As a small business we at Yoga Sanskrit) cover the full spectrum of what Center of Chico were very much at the yoga is and when reviewed and practiced effect of the Covid pandemic. We were are life enhancing. I'd like to talk briefly forced to close our studio to live classes about the second limb, the Niyamas, for an extended period and to switch which are considered the internal practices to an entirely new paradigm to survive. of yoga. The first is Saucha (purity). This Niyama is ZOOM MEETINGS about bringing Sundays at 10am. awareness and care to what we eat, Check our website drink and breath. for a complete Eating pure, locally online schedule. grown, organic food is a good example. Drinking good water and to whatever degree you can control, breathing pure, clean air is another. But perhaps most important is thinking pure thoughts, something we can control since our thoughts create our reality. The second Niyama is Santosha Open for in-studio classes following (contentment). social distancing practices and guidelines. This one is perhaps the most important YogaCenterOfChico.com • (530) 342-0100 -- what is more 250 Vallombrosa - Suite 150 (Next to Tea Bar) important than
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cultivating peace of mind and happiness in ourselves and then spreading it to our community of friends and family? This is not necessarily God-given -- sometimes we have to rid ourselves of the hindrances to contentment, and this is where the third Niyama comes into play. The third is Tapas (burning will - strong determination). This Niyama is about calling forth the determination it takes to burn away the hindrances that get in the way of us being who we want to be and achieving our goals and aspirations. The final two Niyamas are Svadhyaya (self study) and Isvara Pranidhana (Devotion). Taking a yoga class is a form of self study. We are studying and getting to know our bodies, minds and spirits. And we all, I feel, need to feel a part of something that is bigger than our individual selves. For many it is some form of God or Spirit. For others it might be nature or the universe. This is devotion. When practiced, these Niyamas along with the other 7 limbs of yoga: Yamas (moral, ethical code), Asana (physical postures), Pranayama (breathing practices), Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses inward), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (Union) help is to live a quality human life. May this new year be one of good health and happiness for all of us. YogaCenterOfChico.com www.lotusguide.com
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