Each week we see CeeCee become more comfortable with her surroundings and her new friends and family.  The realities of a “normal” life begin to occur, with all of their complexities and subtleties.  CeeCee is confronted with racism, not once but twice; first, through the attack on Tybee Island and secondly, (and more humorously), when she meets Sapphire.  In reading this section, I couldn’t help but think that CeeCee’s reaction to the racial overtones of both interactions was subdued.  I thought it a reminder that children don’t develop racist tendencies unless they are taught to.

We also see that as CeeCee becomes more relaxed and settled into her new home, the memories of life with her mother begin to emerge.  CeeCee now has the security and support to deal with these issues.  CeeCee has been afraid to think or talk about her mother; I wondered if Oletta’s advice at the start of chapter 16 in someway helped her gain the courage to begin dealing with the pain that she was carrying:

Every time you give in to your fears, you’re lettin’ that man win.  And every time you do that, he gets stronger while you get weaker.  Givin’ in to your fears will rob you blind.  You’ll end up a prisoner to that man for the rest of your life.

CeeCee sees in Oletta a strength and peace that she would like to possess herself.  One of my favorite lines from the book illustrates this:

Deep down I had the feeling that Oletta most likely knew all that was worth knowing, not in book-learning ways, but in the ways that really mattered, ways that let you hum songs during the day and sleep peacefully at night.

Wouldn’t we all like to have enough peace to allow us to hum songs during the day and sleep peacefully at night?

I look forward to reading your thoughts on this week’s chapters.

—Seraphina Ashe
Director of Guest Experience Programming
Glen Ivy Hot Springs

In this week’s reading we get to see CeeCee enjoying a little mischief and adventure.  After so many years of living in a state of constant shame, despair, and constant alert I wondered how these new experiences might feel to her.  While the incident with Miz Hobbs was surely scary for CeeCee, she also got to see people reacting to it with a bit of humor.  How different this must have been in comparison with the many incidents with her mother.

We also see the unexpected return of CeeCee’s father in these chapters.  Why do you think he decided to show up unannounced?  CeeCee is not happy to see her father; do you think that she will ever be able to forgive him?  Is he worthy of receiving her forgiveness?

I look forward to reading your thoughts on how CeeCee’s life is changing and unfolding.

Until next week, Happy Reading!

—Seraphina Ashe
Director of Guest Experience Programming
Glen Ivy Hot Springs

In this week’s reading selection we meet the women of Savannah, Georgia. Oletta, Miz Hobbs, and Miz Goodpepper each bring their own brand of southern hospitality to CeeCee. On the one hand, CeeCee drinks in all of the love and affection offered by her new friends and family, while on the other she doubts her worthiness and ability to ever fit in. I think this is what makes CeeCee such a likable character; she mirrors the insecurities we all feel at some time in our lives – fitting in, being worthy of love, and having something worthy to contribute amongst people we admire. Some people view children like CeeCee very much the way the Pemberton house was seen by the demolition crew – as not worthy of being saved. Aunt Tootie has the unique gift of looking past the broken places to see the treasure. As with the forgotten mansions of Savannah, Aunt Tootie sees the beauty in CeeCee and is determined to help her see it in herself.

Out of all of the characters introduced in this week’s reading, is there one that you like best? Why? Do you think any of these characters will have a greater impact on CeeCee’s life than the others?

Until next week, enjoy being carried away to the warm breezes of Savannah!

—Seraphina Ashe
Director of Guest Experience Programming
Glen Ivy Hot Springs

In the past years we have all become more sensitive to our carbon footprint and how our lifestyle choices impact the environment and our health. As we continue our journey to a more earth-friendly, sustainable lifestyle, we also learn that being “green” can be fun, easy and economical. The following household cleaning recipes are offered in this spirit.

To learn more about the chemicals used in common household cleaning products and their impact on the environment and your health, visit the Environmental Working Group.

Supplies

• White Vinegar: cuts grease, removes mildew, odors, some stains and wax build-up
• Baking Soda: cleans, deodorizes, softens water, scours
• Natural Unscented Soap: unscented soap in liquid form, flakes, powders or bars is biodegradable and will clean just about anything. Avoid using soaps which contain petroleum distillates.
• New, unused spray bottles
• Water
• Essential oils of your choice:
• Tea Tree antiseptic, antibacterial, anti fungal Stimulant
• Lemon antibacterial, astringent Uplifting, clarifying
• Sweet Orange repels insects, disinfectant, antibacterial, anti fungal Cheery, happy, calms the mind
• Lavender antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial Lifts the mood, calming, analgesic, anti-inflammatory
• Oregano antiviral, antibacterial, anti fungal, repels insects Clean and fresh
• Eucalyptus antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral, astringent, repels insect Stimulating, fresh, clears the mind
• Grapefruit antiseptic, disinfectant. Uplifting, stimulating
• Pine strong antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial, repels insect Invigorating

Use only good quality, single note, 100% pure essential oils. Fragrance oils, perfume oils or nature-identical oils are synthetic chemicals or chemical blends and do not have the same properties as pure essential oils.

Purchase essential oils that are packaged in small, (4oz or less), dark colored or opaque glass bottles. Beware of plastic bottles or glass bottles with rubber eyedroppers; plastic and rubber will degrade and contaminate the oils.

All Purpose Cleaner

2 cups water
7 drops essential oil of lavender, tea tree, pine, grapefruit, oregano or eucalyptus

Combine ingredients in a clean, unused spray bottle. Shake well before each use.

 All Purpose Cleaner II

1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup baking soda
1/2 gallon of water
10 drops lavender oil
10 drops grapefruit or eucalyptus oil

Combine ingredients and store in a spray bottle. Shake well before each use.

 Kitchen Scouring Cleanser

1/4 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon vinegar
6 drops lemon or grapefruit essential oil

Mix ingredients to make a paste. Use to scour microwave interior, sink and other hard surfaces in the kitchen.

Bathroom Scouring Cleaner

1/4 cup baking soda
1 Tablespoon Natural Soap
7 drops lavender oil
7 drops tea tree oil

Add enough white vinegar to make a thick, creamy texture.

Mix ingredients to make a paste. Use to scour bathroom surfaces.

Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner

2 Cups Water
1/4 Cup White Vinegar
1/4 tsp. Tea Tree Oil
1/4 tsp. Lavender Oil

Combine and store in a spray bottle. Shake well before each use. Use where ever a disinfectant spray is needed.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup baking soda

Pour both ingredients in to toilet bowl and allow to soak for about 10 minutes. Swish with toilet brush. A few drops of lavender and tea tree essential oils may be added to disinfect.

Window Cleaner

1 cup White Vinegar
10-15 drops of Lemon oil
Water

Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake well before each use.

Floor Cleaner I

1/4 cup white vinegar to a bucket of water
14 drops of your favorite essential oil or essential oil blend

Add all ingredients to a bucket of warm water.

Floor Cleaner II

1/4 cup white vinegar to a bucket of water
5-10 drops lemon, pine, spruce
1-2 squirts natural dish soap

Add all ingredients to a bucket of warm water. A plain water rinse may be needed after mopping to avoid stickiness or slipperiness from the dish soap.

Carpet Freshener

1 cup baking soda
16-20 drops of your favorite essential oil or essential oil blend

Combine ingredients in a glass bowl and mix well. Cover and allow to sit overnight so that oils can be completely absorbed by the baking soda. Sprinkle over your carpet the next day and then vacuum.

Warm water wishes,
Seraphina Ashe,
Guest Experience Program Director

How often do you meditate?

By now we’ve all seen, heard and read the evidence that regular meditation practice can positively impact our health: reduced stress, lower blood pressure, increased concentration, elevated mood, and increased self-worth are just a few of the rewards.  Some studies have even shown the decline of crime rates when small groups of people gathered in urban areas to meditate together on a regular basis.  So with all of these remunerations, why aren’t we all meditating?  Meditation costs nothing, can be performed anywhere at any time and its many benefits can be reaped while practicing as little as five or ten minutes a day.  Nothing could be easier, right?

Wrong.

Finding time to be at peace can seem an improbable task when faced with children, spouses, work and the other pressures of life, so much so that beginning a meditation practice can cause even more of the stress that it is supposed to relieve.  Even when managing to find 15 minutes away from family, cell phones, pets and other distractions, the actual process of meditating can lead to angst, as the thoughts we are supposed to leave behind while meditating are suddenly more pronounced and obvious.  Even when we manage to find quiet physical surroundings, our internal dialogue seizes the opportunity to be heard:

           Okay, I am meditating now.My mind is slowing down.Breathe.They say to breathe and watch  yourbreath. howamIsupposedtowatchmybreath? Icantwatchmyselfbreathe! Ohthat wasathoughtI’mnotsupposed  to  be thinking.  Ok.  I’mnotthinking. Good.   I’m doing good.   Nowmyshoulderitchesshouldiscratchit? Nothatwouldbeathoughtandimnot supposed tobethinking diditurnthestoveoff?Iwassupposedcallthatclientandiforgot buticantdoitnowbecauseimnotthinkingimmeditating. Meditating. meditating.Ithinkimdoing thiswrong. I’mnogoodatthisnoimgoingtolearntodothisiwillsithereforthefulltwentyminutes oratleast10minutes.10minutes.yesicanstartwith10minutes.Maybe5minutes.breathe.inhale.     exhale.No,10minutes.  I can make it 10 minutes.    Stopthinking.   Not Thinking. Thedogwantstogoout.wasthatmycellphone? meditating.       breathing.whycantidothis right? otherpeopledothismymindisjusttoobusy. howdotheydothiseveryday?howdothey stoptheirthoughts?I’msomessedupIcan’tevenmeditateright.notthinking.meditating.meditating.stopthinking.stopthinking.Isstopthinkingathought?Ifitisimscrewedbecauseallicanthinkisstopthinking.Is10minutesupyet?ithastobecloseto10minutes.Ifilookattheclockisthatcheating?i’lllookwithjustoneeyeandreallyfast.It’s only been two minutes?

If this sounds familiar to you, take heart.  It is what every meditator experiences as they begin their practice.  Buddhists call this seemingly endless internal discourse Monkey Mind because the mind seems to jump from one thought to the next just as a monkey jumps from tree branch to tree branch.  For those of us in the west who have grown accustomed to a society in which we get everything we want on demand (information, food, messages, TV shows, movies and whatever else you can think of), realizing that we cannot obtain a quiet mind within our first few attempts at meditation can and often does result in anxiety, frustration, and a feeling of failure.  It is the reason most people abandon attempts at creating a regular meditation practice.

The answer to this dilemma lies right before our eyes:  it is a meditation practice.  As defined by Webster’s Dictionary, a practice is “to perform or work at repeatedly so as to become proficient,” or “to train by repeated exercises.”  So, to embark in a meditation practice is to train the mind to momentarily glance away from its constant stream of activity.  This training must be repeated again and again and again in order to be successful.  It will not happen overnight, or even in a couple of weeks, but with consistent practice your mind will quiet.

This is perhaps the second most common reason meditation practices are abandoned:  it requires a long-term commitment in order to see results.  This, combined with the previously established challenge of finding ten to twenty minutes of uninterrupted time in our already overburdened schedules, only to then find ourselves fighting our own mind, can make the idea of meditating seem not worth the benefits.

This is where we need to step out of the traditional paradigm of why we should meditate and how it will help us.  As we’ve established, the physical and psychological health benefits of meditation are numerous, but the rewards go beyond what medical doctors and psychologists tell us.  The simple fact of what makes a meditation practice worth the time and commitment is this:  Meditation provides a refuge.  It is your own personal safe house where you have the freedom and ability to come back to yourself and remember who you are; it is the place that holds a special kind of quietness that recharges, refreshes and renews you.  Your refuge does not look like mine or anyone else’s – it is unique to you.  It is your essence, and even if your life already looks blissfully good on the surface, if you are not connecting with the deepest part of yourself on a regular basis you will not and cannot experience true peace of mind.  If you are able to keep practicing and sit through the unending discourses of your mind, you will begin to experience brief moments of quiet.  Deep, peaceful quiet.  Indescribable refuge of the soul quietness.  The first time you experience this type of quiet it may actually be startling because it is at such odds with the world that surrounds us.  But, as you learn to settle in to the sensation you will find that it begins creeping in to your daily life.  Everything may look the same on the surface, but you will find yourself not as reactive and feeling more centered and peaceful.  And each day, sitting to meditate for only ten to twenty minutes will seem less and less of a chore.  You will discover your personal refuge.

If you are or have grappled with establishing an ongoing meditation practice, try these simple steps:

1. Set your morning alarm for 15 minutes earlier.  If 15 minutes seems too much, try ten.
2. Find someplace – anyplace – where you can have ten minutes of uninterrupted quiet.  Remember that you don’t have to sit in lotus or burn a candle or incense.  Meditation can be done anywhere at any time.  If your life is too crowded and busy for you to create a serene meditation space, do it in the bathroom, and don’t let anyone tell you that this isn’t ok.  Your meditation space doesn’t need to look like a Buddhist shrine; the space and peace you are seeking is not found outside of you ~ it is within you.
3. Ask your partner and children to support you in having ten to twenty minutes to yourself each day at this designated time.  If that seems too much, make it five minutes to start.
4. On your first day, sit or stand in your designated space and take five long, slow deep breaths.  Most of us don’t know how to truly take a deep breath, as we spend most of the day breathing from the upper one third of our lungs.  Try rolling your shoulders back and down, then take a full breath in to your belly.  This should feel good.  Take 5 more deep breaths and let your mind relax a little.  Repeat this process every day.  Add a few seconds to your time spent consciously breathing each day until you find yourself sitting in quiet for ten minutes or longer.
5. Expect interruptions to happen, because they will.  Remember, the peace you seek is inside of you.  The world is not going to stop being hectic and chaotic in order to support your meditation practice.  Meditate despite what is going on around you.
6. Continue to sit and breathe.  When you find yourself thinking, just continue to sit and breathe.

As with any discipline, there are many levels and goals to aspire to.  As your meditation practice deepens you will find yourself yearning for a deeper connection.  When you are ready, you will discover there are many books, teachers and classes available to help guide your developing practice. When you are ready for more, you will know.  Until then, I encourage you to simply sit and breathe.

Warm water wishes,
Seraphina Ashe,
Guest Experience Program Director

Practice at home and join with others next month for a ThetaMeditation on Friday, March 16, 2012 led by Anke Banderski.

The chapters we’re discussing this week really captured the dark heaviness of Eve’s illness and the impact it was having on Denny, Enzo and Zoe.  I thought it was interesting that Enzo, like all of us, began questioning his ability to respond to the complex emotions that arise in these types of experiences.  In chapter 23 Enzo struggles to know what to do or how to react to a gravely ill Eve, “All I could do was move to her bedside and lie down before her like a rug.”  So many times in life I’ve been confronted with the emotional or physical pain of someone close to me, and all that there is to be done is to sit with them; words, actions, responses or any kind of “doing” somehow seem out of place.  While Enzo interpreted his conflicting feelings as meaning that he was perhaps not yet ready to be human, I thought that the emotions he expressed in these chapters were very human and exactly like what each of us experience in similar situations.  Even Enzo’s reaction to Eve’s death, although presented as a reversion to his animal-nature, was so human in so many ways.  “I couldn’t be human anymore and feel the pain that humans feel.”  I think that everyone has had at least one life experience in which they feel a thread of this – a pain so intense that an escape from it must be found – an adrenaline-filled, heart-pounding physical release is sometimes the only way to deal with the frenzied jumble of emotions that are swarming within.  Sometimes I wonder if the theme of this book is not so much how human Enzo and other animals can be, but that we may be much closer to our animalistic nature than we realize or care to admit.

What do you think?
As always, I look forward to reading your comments on these chapters and anything leading up to this point.

Welcome to the second discussion of our Winter Book Club.  This week’s reading opens with Enzo struggling to maintain control over the innate animal instincts for which he feels such disdain.  Upon finding himself locked in the house for three days without food or water, Enzo’s strategy for survival forces him to acknowledge his “genetic background;” his innate dog-nature that he normally strives to distance himself from.  While his animal instincts allow him to survive the ordeal, they also cause him to lose his humanity for a brief moment.  I saw the dancing zebra that destroyed Zoe’s toys as Enzo’s shadow side – his true animal nature.  Unable to embrace his darkness, Enzo convinced himself that the Zebra – itself a striped mixture of light and dark – caused the damage.  I thought it interesting that Enzo was not able to admit to himself that he would be capable of causing such destruction and pain.  In reading this section of the book, it’s initially easy to assign this incident as Enzo just being Enzo – a dog, no matter how evolved in his thoughts and perceptions of life.   However within a few pages we see Denny falling prey to his reactive, animalistic nature, just as Enzo did.  If we’re honest with ourselves, we have all done this at some time in our lives; we are all dancing zebras, moving between our stripes of light and dark.

While revealing his animal nature, these chapters also contain some of my favorite bits of Enzo’s wisdom and life philosophy:

Suppressing the symptom does nothing but force the true problem to express itself on a deeper level at some other time.  (p. 63)

…the poor driver crashes.  The average driver gives up.  The great drivers drive through the problem.  (p. 64)

It makes one realize that the physicality of our world is a boundary to us only if our will is weak… (p. 65)

But I am a racer at heart, and a racer will never let something that has already happened affect what is happening now.  (p. 74-75)

Know who is driving next to you.  Any problems that may occur have ultimately been caused by you, because you are responsible for where you are and what you are doing there.  (p. 91)

What are your thoughts? What made you think, what were the highlights for you in this part of the story?

I hope you’re enjoying this book as much as I am.  Please share what you found meaningful in these chapters, I look forward to hearing from you!

As I read the first few chapters of our Winter Book Club selection, my 14 ½ year old Boston Terrier was splayed over my lap snoring loudly as tears made their way down my cheeks to dampen the pages of the book.  I had to wonder if my Fiona, now struggling with arthritis and cataracts, ever had thoughts like those of Enzo, the narrator of our story; I swear that she has understood at least some of the conversations I have had with her over our years together.  And I wondered how she viewed our time together and how she would tell the story of her life with me.  I have to believe that she views me with the same reverence that Enzo ascribes to Denny, for as far as I can tell she has not only forgiven but perhaps even refused to acknowledge every annoying personality trait, mistake or major life screw-up that falls under my possession.  Or, perhaps she, like Enzo, embodies the same wisdom of forgiveness that most consciously driven humans strive for, “…memory is time folding back on itself.  To remember is to disengage from the present.”  In other words, perhaps our pets judge us based only on who we are in the moment, practicing the definitive act of forgiveness:  when the moment of transgression is gone, so is the transgression.

“…that which we manifest is before us; we are the creators of our own destiny.  Be it through intention or ignorance, our successes and our failures have been brought on by none other than ourselves.”  Enzo gleans this life lesson from listening to Denny talk about racing and then puts the philosophy into practice.  In a scene that could be taken from new thought movies like What the Bleep or The Secret, Enzo realized that by changing his mood and energy he could effect a change in his relationship with Eve.  Like a race car driver, Enzo possessed a deep knowing that we are each masters of all that surrounds us.  Do you hold the knowing that your perceptions and thoughts create your life story and are you able to live from this knowing?  Did reading these first few chapters of Enzo’s story inspire you to embrace this philosophy?  Have you ever tried mindfully changing how you show up in life to see how life will then show up for you?  What other aspects of Enzo’s story in these first few chapters did you find meaningful?

I look forward to reading your thoughts and perceptions on these first few chapters.

Happy Reading,

Seraphina

In April of 2011, Glen Ivy Hot Springs presented a three-day, two-night retreat experience led by celebrated author and life coach, Elizabeth Trinkaus.  The experience offered guests the opportunity to enjoy an extended stay at Glen Ivy while partaking in the benefits of a life transforming retreat.  On the surface, this event does not seem momentous in any way; an overnight retreat experience at Glen Ivy Hot Springs featuring personal and creative renewal seems an obvious fit and one would think it to be a regular offering.  However, The Law of Attraction Retreat with Elizabeth Trinkaus in April of 2011 marked the first time that Glen Ivy guests were able to schedule an extended stay with Glen Ivy Hot Springs in nearly 50 years.  This special weekend epitomized Glen Ivy’s commitment to creating a future based in authentic healing and rejuvenating experiences by drawing on its longstanding history of being a resource of health, healing, and spiritual and creative renewal.

In preceding decades, the undeniable draw of Glen Ivy Hot Springs extended beyond a soak in the natural thermal mineral waters, the sharing of good food or even a day of relaxation.  While all reasonable motives to visit Glen Ivy, the history of this land reveals more to us.  Once a healing and spiritual site shared by various tribes of the indigenous people of southern California, in the early 1900’s the Hot Springs carried on traditions of healing and rejuvenation through the offering of classes and programs designed to revitalize the spirit, nourish the mind and foster inspiration and creativity.    Historically, Glen Ivy Hot Springs overnight accommodations were standard with a visit to the natural mineral springs spa.  Glen Ivy was known as a haven in which to reconnect with nature, revive inspiration and evoke creative impulses.  Visitors traveled south from the Los Angeles area, north from San Diego and west from the desert communities for a week or weekend of health, fitness and camaraderie.  Until the later 1900’s these sojourners faced a long trek to partake of the healing waters and lands found at Glen Ivy.  With the inevitable changes that come with time, travel became easier and the land on which the original inn at Glen Ivy sat was partitioned off from the spa.  By the later 1970’s, Glen Ivy Hot Springs became known as a “daycation” destination; a unique day spa experience that is easily accessible from major southern California metropolises, Glen Ivy continues to offer an escape from the daily grind – a sense of spending the day in a remote tropical paradise – but in reality only a short drive away.

Many guests of Glen Ivy do not know the history of the property and are unaware that the original inn at Glen Ivy, The Lodge, is still standing and fully operational as a retreat center.  Day spa guests often comment that they wish they could stay overnight to enjoy more time to rejuvenate.  With the renewed vision of Glen Ivy Hot Springs as a center of personal, creative and spiritual renewal, it seemed only logical to return to offering extended stays and meaningful classes, programs and retreats to Glen Ivy guests.

The reasons for partaking in a Glen Ivy Hot Springs retreat are numerous and varied – some seek to extend their stay only as a means of enjoying more relaxation time – an effortless and easily reached destination that feels so far from the grind of daily life, while others, the Glen Ivy overnight experience represents the opportunity to reconnect with nature, to enjoy delicious, healthy, organic meals and to take pleasure in learning a new skill or life approach through the retreat activities.  Still others seek the personal transformation that only a retreat experience can provide.  Whether facing a major life transition, personal or spiritual awakening, or the feeling that life is somehow stuck or that an indefinable something is missing, extended stays and retreats at Glen Ivy offer a pathway back to life balance, an avenue with which to reunite with one’s true essence and a quiet space with gentle guidance leading to a more peaceful and happy life.

Glen Ivy has committed to offering extended stays and retreats led by professionals who hold a sincere desire to support and guide Glen Ivy guests to discover their personal best selves.  Glen Ivy’s retreats are held in the serenity of The Glen Ivy Center, our sister property that is home to over 58 acres of organic orchards and gardens, indigenous wildlife, Coldwater Creek and Glen Ivy’s original inn, The Lodge. Glen Ivy offers guests an all-embracing retreat experience:  Spa time each day, a Spa treatment, organic meals and the prospect of embracing life-changing rejuvenation.   And when we hear guests comment about how much they love these “new” offerings, we simply smile and stand in silent repose – knowing that Glen Ivy has, in fact, simply returned to the authenticity of its legacy.

Warm water wishes,
Seraphina Ashe,
Guest Experience Program Director

This September, Glen Ivy Hot Springs is supporting and joining in the festivities of National Yoga Month. Yoga and the Hot Springs seem to be a natural pairing; both have been resources for wellness of body, mind and spirit for centuries gone by, and both pair health and wellbeing with a good measure of fun. Each also carries an air of mystery to those who haven’t taken the time to experience them. I can recall as a child growing up in the early 1970’s my first exposure to yoga. My mother used to watch and practice hatha yoga with Lillias on PBS. At that time, yoga was new to the western world; very few had heard of an asana or been introduced to a form of exercise that focused on the mind as much as the body. We have come a long way since that time, and it is rare to hear of any yoga class classified under the general term “hatha yoga.” Hatha practice actually refers to the physical practice of yoga, as yoga can also be practiced through breath work, meditation or various spiritual practices. As yoga practice has grown in popularity throughout the world, we have discovered the many different styles and approaches that fall under the umbrella of hatha yoga. If you are new to yoga or if you are a long-time student looking to change or deepen your practice, the vast number of class choices can be quite intimidating and confusing. The following guide will help you to find the style of yoga that fits your lifestyle and goals.

Need a little further help determining what suits you best? Take this fun quiz at YogaJournal.com to see if you are a Sweat Hog or a Swami.

Ananda: Emphasis on Meditation
A gentle practice that combines awareness of the breath with affirmations. As the student moves through the yoga postures, the focus moves from body awareness to a meditative inner awareness. The use of affirmations with yoga postures is unique to Ananda yoga.

Anahata: Connect
This practice combines physical practice with breathing exercise and meditation to help students connect with and expand their heart.

Anusara: Heart Centered
A relatively new style of yoga started in 1997 by American John Friend. While alignment is stressed, the main focus is honoring each individual student’s abilities and limitations. While asanas, (poses), focus on opening the heart area by properly aligning the shoulders, this practice also stresses compassion and respect for all individuals.

Astanga: Power
A fast-paced, physically demanding series of sequential poses beginning with sun salutation. The continual flow of movement is linked with the breath. The focus of this practice is to build physical strength, stamina and flexibility. Not for beginners.

Bikram: Sweat, sweat, sweat!
The founder of this style of yoga, Bikram Choudhury, holds the patent on a specific sequence of yoga poses practiced in a room heated from 85 to 100 degrees. The flow of the same 26 poses in combination with heat is said to facilitate deep detoxification. Not for beginners.

Integral: Relaxation, breath, healing
The developer of this style of yoga taught crowds at the original Woodstock to chant “om” for peace. Integral yoga focuses on pranayama, or breathing techniques, and meditation as much as it does physical postures. Dr. Dean Ornish utilizes Integral yoga as part of his groundbreaking treatment to reverse heart disease.

Iyengar: Alignment
The use of props, straps, blocks and blankets help each student achieve proper alignment and symmetry in each asana or pose. In an Iyengar class, students can expect to hold each pose a little longer than in other classes. A very good class to learn the proper way to do each asana or pose. Because props and other tools are utilized to achieve proper alignment, this is a good class for any level.

Jivamukti: Balance
Jivamukti balances an active, vigorous practice with an emphasis on meditation and chanting.

Kundalini: Awakening Energy
This type of yoga focuses on releasing kundalini energy, which is stored at the base of the spine. Although this yoga emphasizes chants and breathing along with physical postures, the focus on releasing the spine is key for those with back pain or stiffness. Make sure your Kundalini instructor is properly trained in the practice.

Laughter Yoga: Goodbye Stress!
Combines unconditional laughter with pranayama (breathing exercises).

Power Yoga: Challenging
A derivative of Ashtanga Yoga, this is a physically demanding, vigorous practice that focuses on building muscle and stamina. Not for beginners.

Viniyoga: Gentle Flow
A gentle form of flow yoga that coordinates breath with movement. The pace of the flow sequence is slower and performed to the level of the student. Very good for beginners.

Yin Yoga: Deep Stretch
Yin Yoga allows the student to move deeply in to each stretch by passively holding each pose for several minutes. Props, blocks and blankets may be used to assist in the passive stretch.

Namaste,
Seraphina Ashe,
Guest Experience Program Director