Join us in March for Saturday morning yoga!

Come one Saturday a month or come every week! Saturday yoga is the way we are kicking off our weekends. Simply go to this link:

http://www.doodle.com/dzwkcuaw8ecbx8da

Sign up for the days YOU want to come to yoga. It's that easy! Classes are only $10 and space allows for 5 in each class. We hope to see you at the Barefoot Studio.

Namaste, Emily

One-year anniversary a success!

A recent email I received in reflection on class this past Saturday:

Emily,

Thanks so much for the class on Saturday. It made me appreciate yoga so much more; just being in that space is relaxing. It made me think of this poem by Czeslaw Milosz, so I thought I would share it with you:

Gift

By Czeslaw Milosz



A day so happy.

Fog lifted early. I worked in the garden.

Hummingbirds were stopping over the honeysuckle flowers.

There was no thing on earth I wanted to possess.

I knew no one worth my envying him.

Whatever evil I had suffered, I forgot.

To think that once I was the same man did not embarrass me.

In my body I felt no pain.

When straightening up, I saw blue sea and sails.





Thank you so much for all you have done!

Anna

Yoga Clothing

Although no special clothing is needed to practice yoga, your yoga clothing should allow maximum comfort and movement. Wear something loose and/or stretchy such as shorts or cotton drawstring trousers and at T-shirt or tank top. Slightly form-fitting clothing is also acceptable. In addition, your clothes should not make you sticky and moist during your practice. The best yoga wear is comfortable and breathable.

Beware Your Hair! If you have long hair, your yoga apparel must-have list to take to a class should include headbands, barrettes, and ponytail holders to keep your hair away from your face. Because so much of yoga involves bending and twisting, long hair flapping in your face will distract you and may interfere with your breathing as well. Even if you have short or medium-length hair, you may want to use a headband or barrettes to keep layers of hair off your face so you are not distracted by it during inversion poses or forward bends.

Footwear: You should not wear shoes when doing yoga. Having bare feet when you practice will help you to have proper balance and stability. However, since maintaining a comfortable temperature is also important, you can wear socks if the floor surface is cold. -Emily

Courtesy of http://yoga.lifetips.com

Our Chakras

For the past month, my BFF Yoga class has been self-examining their chakras. We have completed 4 of the 7 thus far and are enjoying the journey. So, what does this mean to you?

According to www.colourtherapyhealing.com, "a Chakra is like a spiral of energy, each one relating to the others. Chakra (pronounced sha-kra) is the Sanskrit word for ' wheel '. If you can imagine the main chakras / energy centres as a set of cogs/wheels, they are rather like the workings of a clock or an engine; each cog /wheel needs to move smoothly and at a similar speed for the clock / engine to work properly. Thus good health and well being is achieved by a balance of all these energies (or the smooth running of the cogs/wheels)."

Each chakra has a color and symbol assigned to it that co-relates to the rainbow. (For a great, in-depth detailed look, visit the ever-fabulous Wikipedia for more information than you can absorb in one sitting!) But, in a nut shell, it's important as yoga participants to have a basic understanding of what chakra means.

Muladhara: The Base Chakra (red)
Rrelated to instinct, security, survival and also to basic human potentiality. This chakra is located in the region between the genitals and the anus.
Key issues involve sexuality, lust and obsession.

Svadisthana: The Sacral Chakra (orange)
Considered to correspond to the testes or the ovaries that produce the various sex hormones involved in the reproductive cycle. Svadisthana is also considered to be related to, more generally, the genitourinary system and the adrenals.
The key issues involving Svadisthana are relationships, violence, addictions, basic emotional needs, and pleasure.

Manipura: The Solar Plexus Chakra (yellow)
Related to the metabolic and digestive systems.
Key issues governed by Manipura are issues of personal power, fear, anxiety, opinion-formation, introversion, and transition from simple or base emotions to complex.

Anahata: The Heart Chakra (green)
Related to the thymus, located in the chest. The thymus is an element of the immune system as well as being part of the endocrine system.
Key issues involving Anahata involve complex emotions, compassion, tenderness, unconditional love, equilibrium, rejection and well being.

Vishuddha: The Throat Chakra (blue)
Relating to communication and growth through expression.
It governs such issues as self-expression and communication'

Ajna: The Brow Chakra (indigo)
(also known as 3rd Eye) Linked to the pineal gland which may inform a model of its envisioning.
Key issues involve balancing the higher & lower selves and trusting inner guidance.

Sahasrara: The Crown Chakra (violet)
Considered to be the chakra of pure consciousness.
Involves such issues as inner wisdom and the death of the body.

Thanks, Wikipedia, for the assistance! Namaste, Emily

Barefoot Fitness, Yoga and More now offering audio podcasts

As some of you know, Barefoot Fitness, Yoga and More, is one year old this month! I can hardly believe it's been one year since this journey began. Some of you have been with us the whole time, others have dropped in here and there, but all of you have shown me a vast amount of encouragement and support. For you, I am grateful.

Of course, all of you know that I am always looking at new ways to continue to spread the joy of yoga. So, this month, our one-year anniversary, I am offering for free, to anyone interested, the ability to download an audio podcast of one of my yoga classes. You can listen directly from your computer or on your mp3/ipod players. Now, this is an experiment and the first time I attempted to record one of my classes. Therefore, I do not have all of the kinks worked out. Some of you know I have a degree in broadcast journalism, so I am a bit of a perfectionist in this area, and the audio quality certainly has room to improve. I spoke a lot louder than I thought I would, but all in all, I think it's something you will enjoy. You do need to be familiar with my style of teaching, as you cannot see me and need to understand what I am conveying through my words. Another option to to purchase my yoga book, as all of the poses are featured in this book!

So, if you are interested, email me at emilyrmorris@gmail.com and I will send you the link! After this month, I will be posting monthly podcasts that you will be able to download with a $5 donation. This is a great opportunity to work on your personal yoga practice. Namaste, Em