Yep, that’s right folks, SunYoga is for the whole family.
Bring your pooch into the studio & discover the joys of doggy style yoga.
We feel sorry for all those canines that get left home alone whilst you are so selfishly living it up at yoga! Dogs suffer from stress too, and could benefit from a little spiritual woofie-tation, pranayappa & of course their very own down face dog pose.
Hah! Did you think I was serious?
Well, I’m not, but this photo, sent to me by Lynda, is ridgey didge. People doing yoga whilst holding their dogs… HMMM, perhaps it’s not that different to mums & bubs yoga, mums & pups yoga? Interested, anyone?
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Newsletter Monday February 6, 2012
Dear Visitor
Greetings!
January is already done and the studio is right on track for another year of beautiful, transforming yoga and shiatsu massage. How's 2012 shaping up for you?
I have had a couple of very affirming emails already this year from students telling me how wonderful it is to be back doing yoga and how much better they feel. It is so easy to get out of the habit of taking care of yourself and then sometimes requires much effort to get back into the habit, but when you do, you are rewarded!
This month we take a peek at the Year of the Dragon as our feature article. I have also included Belinda’s beautiful article (link below), “From Worrier to Warrior”, which featured in the Sep/Nov Australian Yoga Life magazine last year. (link below) It is a wonderfully frank and practical look at how to combat anxiety, something that many of us experience. Yes, she is a woman of many hidden talents!
How did your spend your holidays? We all enjoy peeking into the neighbours backyard so I’ve put in a few snaps & a story from my holiday garden renos. My hubby and I spent 3 solid, undistracted weeks digging, sledge-hammering, drilling and building a wattle & daub wall… A what? Piccies below will explain!
And don't forget to scroll down for some silly, doggy yoga...
Let’s hope 2012 brings us all fun, prosperity & peace!
Yours warmly
Claire xx
2012 - Enter the Dragon
Fire breathing, magical, flying beast - sounds exciting?
From the new moon on Monday, 23/01, we have entered the Chinese Astrological Year of the Dragon. We have just taken our final hops out of the year of the Rabbit which according to Chinese astrology was predicted to be a gentle & benevolent kind of year… Hmmm, I think you would have to agree that 2011 felt like anything but! Cyclones, floods, Euro & USA financial debt crisis, mayhem in the Middle East… Proof that this Chinese astrology business is all rubbish? Yes? No? Maybe it’s more an indication of the extreme, volatile and wild times we are living in.
A rabbit caught in the firing line moves fast and goes to ground… A dragon on the other hand, is fearless and flies in to meet the action!
Perhaps this year we will be better equipped to handle the heat?
The Chinese dragon is a symbol of formidable power and good luck. The dragon is magical, mythical and fantastic. Popular culture is full of fiction and movies about fantasy and magic that often include dragons. The dragons are usually scary and wild but often reveal a gentle nature and a heart of gold to the worthy heroine or hero, and with patience and love allow themselves to be tamed.
The dragon energy is energetic, optimistic and powerful, and brings many possibilities for good fortune. Dragons are somewhat unpredictable and at times volatile so expect the unexpected. Life is about riding the spinning of the wheel. We are not in control of our fortunes BUT we always have control over our responses and reactions. It is always in our hands how we deal with our meetings with Lady Luck.
Try not to buy into the global fear that swamps us with doom and gloom forecasts about everything. Keep coming back to what is positive in your own small, wonderful life and have faith in your fellow humans. When push comes to shove us humans are incredibly adaptable and inventive.
Let’s embrace 2012, invite in the dragon spirit and move forward with grace and powerful optimism!
Dragon-ites are born in 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988 & 2000.
I found a terrific description of our dragon friends, here is an edited version.
“To the Chinese, the Dragon is born in the most desirable year. Possessing magical powers, the versatile Dragon is capable of soaring to the highest heavenly heights or diving to the depths of the sea. On one hand shrewd, healthy and full of vitality, the Dragon also possesses a mystical side, intuitive, artistic and strangely lucky. However, Dragons can plunge pretty low, becoming irritable, stubborn and impetuous.
Believing themselves invincible, Dragons must beware of excesses, for with their uncommon strength, they can harm themselves, or "scorch their wings."
Flexible and accommodating, they fit in with whatever is going on around them -- but for only as long as it suits them. This is because they are self-determined types and don't take kindly to being dominated by others. Although seemingly affable and agreeable, they can be as ferocious and dangerous as the mythical beast on whom the sign is based.
Intellectually, they are clever, bright, sharp people, yet on occasion they will throw all logic to the wind and follow their hunches. Fortunately for them, they are strong on intuition and invariably all works out well. They will be a success wherever they go, regardless of their chosen careers.
It is said that the Year of the Dragon is good for business and all money-making schemes. Consequently, those born in this year have an inherent knack for attracting money and they generally enjoy financial prosperity.
The Chinese say that the Dragon leaves wealth and prosperity in his path. Hence, the Dragon leads the street processions during Chinese New Year.
The Dragon brings the Four Benedictions of the East -- wealth, virtue, harmony, and long life.”
Wattle & Daub - mud, glorious mud!
A story from Claire's backyard...
Part of our backyard bonanza involved pulling down half of the original 50's shed on our property. This left an old internal wall exposed to the elements. How to make it weatherproof?
We'd just returned from staying in a gorgeous, handmade, mud brick flat and Robert, (in $0 budget & inspired, eco-friendly, DIY mode), decided that he wanted to make a wattle and daub wall. The wattle & daub building technique has been around for a very long time, (the Romans used it) and is still used in some parts of the world. It is involves making frames out of interwoven sticks then filling and covering it with mud.
"I reckon we could do it in a day" he said!
WE CUT STICKS WE CUT MORE STICKS & wove them into the wall space WE MIXED MUD, boy, did we mix mud... WE SLAPPED THE MUD ONTO THE WALL WE GOT VERY DIRTY! WE SMOOTHED THE MUD OUT We slapped & smoothed & mixed & slapped & ....
We were so dirty after the mudding day that Robert had actual dags hanging off the hairs on his arms! It was incredibly hard & heavy labour and took several days to complete. I learnt first hand (well, both hands hurting) that there are very good reasons why this particular ancient building technique is largely extinct.
But do we regret it? No way. Hours of entertainment and stories to tell, a free organic "day spa" mud treatment and much spontaneous, beatific wall gazing!
Will it stand up to the elements? That we are yet to find out!
step 1- the wattle-ing
step 253! - the finished wall, linseed oiled & painted
