Namaste, As always we express gratitude for the continued support our current community of yogis and we are excited to continue to grow our yoga family! In effort to be a resource of information and inspiration we are always looking for ways to expand what we offer and bring something new to our community.  We encourage everyone to extend their gratitude and appreciation of their yoga practice - sharing this gift with others by welcoming them to our studio.

This month we look to celebrate our friends and others who have brought goodness to our lives.  Bring a friend with you to class who is new to the studio and their first class will cost only $5.  Bring two friends with you during this month and your next class will be free! I feel strongly that as a community, we can inspire others with an improved sense of well-being, hope and compassion, gratitude and peace.

In peace, light, and love,

Seaside Yoga Sanctuary

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To better serve our yoga community, we have made a few small changes to the class schedule for March.  Please click on link below for current schedule and downloadable/printable version:

 http://www.seasideyogasanctuary.com/classes.html

New Class!  Beginner’s yoga class every Tuesday evening.  6:00-7:15pm with Jeannie Walker.

March special!  Purchase a class card in any amount between March 1st and March 10th and take $10 off!

Like getting one class for free!

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Class CouponTake your first Qi Gong or Tai Chi class for only $5! ———————————————————————————

 Instructor Update

Candice Garrett will soon be leaving on maternity leave. Michelle Spencer will be taking over the Saturday morning classes beginning March 14th until she returns. Congratulations to Candice and her family! We all wish her well.

Upcoming Workshops/Events

• Saturday & Sunday, March 14th & 15th

Janet MacLeod - Senior Iyengar Instructor

http://seasideyogasanctuary.com/blog/?page_id=119  (Saturday’s workshop)

http://seasideyogasanctuary.com/blog/?page_id=120 (Sunday’s workshop)

• Saturday, March 28th  Taking Yoga Home

 with Laura McKinnon 1-3pm

http://seasideyogasanctuary.com/blog/?page_id=136

• Saturday, March 28th Seaside’s Community Dance Boogie  7-9pm

http://seasideyogasanctuary.com/blog/?page_id=133

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Asana of the Month

Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

While this is a seemingly simple pose, this posture is the beginning of understanding better alignment in the body. When the body is in correct alignment, there is improved space for our skeletal structure, promotion of healthy joints, and space for the organs in the body to function efficiently  When practiced regularly, we literally begin to change the way we stand, sit, and walk. Tadasana begins with the foundation of our feet, which are often neglected until they give us problems.  Our two feet support the entire body, but usally we do not pay attention to how we stand on them - not noticing how we balance the weight of the body, and not giving them the proper stretching and strengthening. How we stand on our feet affects how our legs feel, any knee or back pain, and the alignment of our spine and pelvis.

To practice tadasana, stand with your back against a wall to give your body feedback.  Take your feet hip width apart and turn your heels out until they are in line with your pinky toes (this will keep space in the lower back).  Lift all 10 toes and spread them wide, then release them down to the floor still spread.  Begin to distribute the weight of the body onto all four corners of the feet (the inner and outer edge of the ball of the foot and the inner and outer edge of the heel).  Notice if tend to lean your weight forward in the feet or to the back, by gently shifting your weight around until you feel balanced.

Then actively press your feet down into the floor, firming your thighs and lifting the thighs and knee caps up.  Notice how stable the legs become to support the lift of the torso.  Genty draw the hip bones up towards the ceiling as the tailbone gently draws down the wall.  Roll the head of the arms back and slide the shoulder blades down the back side of the body.  This will open your chest and encourage the lift of the collarbone towards the ceiling.  Actively stretch into your hands, the fingertips reaching down towards the floor.  The back of the head should touch the wall with the eye gaze and chin remaing level.

And now close the eyes and feel the strength in your body, the firm foundation you have created as you are supported by the earth, and the quieting of the mind as your awareness draws inward to connect you with your spirit.

Namaste