yoga

Embracing Silence

Embracing Silence

One way to experience the completeness within is to embrace silence. Ainslee introduced us to the value of silence with this quote from Thought for Today

"Behind all creation is silence. Silence is the essential condition, the vital ingredient for all creation and all that is created. It is a power in its own right.

The artist starts with a blank canvas – silence. The composer places it between and behind the notes. The very ground of your being, out of which come all your thoughts is silence. The way to silence is through meditation. When you arrive in your own silence you will know true freedom and real power. Stop, take a minute, and listen to the silence within you today.”

Lead with Love: Heart Centered Yoga and Meditation

Lead with Love: Heart Centered Yoga and Meditation

Step out of your mind and connect with your heart in our upcoming four-part series: Heart Centered Yoga and Meditation on Mondays 8:00-9:15 a.m. March 6–March 27, 2023.

The heart center is the energy point for unconditional love, compassion, and joy. By inviting awareness to our heart space through the practice of yoga, we choose love as the guiding principle in life and open ourselves to a greater sense of fulfillment.

Gratitude is Accepting the Good and the Unpleasant

Gratitude is Accepting the Good and the Unpleasant

Life is filled with things that we enjoy, raga, and things that we dislike, dvesha. The turbulence of seeking enjoyment and rejecting aversions keep us in a never ending cycle of desiring, of always wanting something more. Yoga teaches us to recognize our ragas and dveshas so we can be aware of what is driving us. Once we know what drives us, we learn to react with objectivity and embrace all that comes our way.

Balancing Emotional Energy

Balancing Emotional Energy

Emotion is the experience of energy moving through the body, according to social psychologist Barbara Frederickson, Ph.D. In its essence, energy is fluid and is meant to be felt and released; the same is true for emotions. Emotion is not inherently good or bad, rather it’s our physiological response to emotion that is perceived as positive or negative. Emotion is felt as a sensation that often manifests as contraction or expansion in both the physical and subtle bodies.

The Heart of Hope: Wisdom from the Garden

The Heart of Hope: Wisdom from the Garden

We invite you to explore the meaning of Hope in our upcoming mindfulness retreat The Heart of Hope: Wisdom from the Garden on Saturday, October 29 from 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the NC Botanical Garden. Feel inspired by nature to explore your own inner landscape through the practice of mindful movement, meditation, and creative journaling.

Coming soon: Slow Flow Yoga Thursday Evenings!

Coming soon: Slow Flow Yoga Thursday Evenings!

Join us as we honor the season and slow down in Slow Flow! Starting Thursday October 6th, Ainslee will be guiding a weekly Thursday evening Slow Flow yoga class at 5:45 pm. In this class we will move through each asana sequence slowly and mindfully. We will explore the transitions between poses with curiosity while deeply strengthening the body and investigating the felt sensations of the body and the breath.

Yoga Promotes Overall Wellness

Yoga Promotes Overall Wellness

Since attending my first yoga class a little over a decade ago, I have become a healthier individual. I am stronger. I digest my food better. I am more confident and connect better with others. I am more aware of how I move and have maintained my flexibility. I have found my sense of spirituality and embrace opportunities to be in community. I have learned to accept my emotions and noticed that I am more balanced. I make myself a priority and don’t overextend myself. I continue to become healthier each day despite continuing to age. Yoga is not the only factor that enhanced my overall wellbeing. However, yoga was the catapult that promoted me to start making changes.

Befriend Your Monkey Mind

Befriend Your Monkey Mind

People often tell me that they can’t meditate because they have a monkey mind. However, the two aren’t mutually exclusive. A monkey mind can’t stop you from meditating nor does meditating stop the monkey mind. For most people it is present. As Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche so eloquently says, “The monkey mind is neither good nor bad.” Monkey mind is neutral. It is your relationship with the monkey mind that determines its label. Meditation is the perfect time to explore our relationship with our monkey mind and how to befriend the monkey mind.