As the season quickly (and slowly) changes before our eyes, our philosophical focus for the month of September is impermanence. We can look to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (one of the four types of avidya) and to Buddha for insight into impermanence, which on the surface might seem like a troubling idea but may actually be the way to clearer understanding of this situation we're all in. As a friend astutely put it, "The thing about impermanence is that it's not permanent."

Physically, savasana will be our focus. Typically coming at the end of practice and often after headstand and shoulder stand, savasana is a natural place to land. This seemingly simple pose is actually touted as being an advanced posture by BKS Iyengar. Even in this pose, physical alignment and mental attention play a part. It is not by accident, after all, that we end up in savasana.

Additionally, this month we also encourage you to give your teachers questions about asana practice, stuff that has stumped you in the past, so we can continue to build on our basic practice with you as the guide this month, helping us steer the wheel of advancing it.

LABOR DAY WEEKEND

We have classes all weekend long! Check the online schedule for substitutes!

Labor Day (Monday)
9 am, Basic with Tina
10:30 am, Open with Carla
12:30 pm, Intermediate with Alison
6 pm, All Levels with Christine

Women's Cancer Survivor Class
Begins again
Wednesday, September 9, 11:15 am - 12:25 pm
Class will include gentle movements, healing yoga sequences, restorative postures, breathing exercises, and balancing work appropriate for women during and after cancer treatment. Whether you are new to yoga or an experienced practitioner, you are welcome to come. This class is part of a program started by Tari Prinster, a yoga teacher and cancer survivor, at OM Yoga in Manhattan. Stacey Sperling feels it is an honor to teach this special class. Please email Stacey if you have specific questions regarding this class. The class is by donation of $5 to $15.

Kirtan into the Fall
Come and be lead through beautiful Sanskrit chants to uplift the spirit. Offered by donation. Please join us for these special evenings of music and devotion.

Friday, September 11, with Devadas
Friday, September 25, with Nina and Devadas
Friday, October 9, with TBD

BIOS:

Devadas Labrecque
After establishing roots in New York's anti-folk scene, Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Devadas had the good fortune to meet his Guru, Mata Amritanandamayi Devi ("Amma"), at a small church on Manhattan's Upper West Side in the mid-1990's. Inspired by her, he began the practice of bhajan and kirtan, traditional Hindu call-and-response devotional music. He has sung, played, and recorded with Krishna Das and Wah, among others, regularly leads kirtans in New York City and beyond, and has recorded two CDs - "Ocean - Songs for Amma" (available on iTunes and amazon.com) and "Shine Shine On" (available through MA Center bookstore and through Devadas directly).

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Devadas/44604351886?

Nina Rao
Nina Rao first learned traditional chants from her grandfather while on holiday in a village in south India when she was nine. The chants quietly stayed with her until she rediscovered chanting with Krishna Das in New York in 1996. Most recently she recorded the track "Nina Chalisa" on Krishna Das' CD "Flow of Grace - Chanting the Hanuman Chalisa".

KIDS' CLASSES

Sign up now for these wonderfully enriching yoga classes for your children.

Little Lotuses
Mondays, September 14 - December 21
11:30 am - 12:15 pm
(crawling to 3 years)
This class is our "mommy and me" yoga class. Children from crawling to 3 years can practice yoga along with their parent or guardian. Class size is limited to nine children. $240 for the 12-week series; pre-registration required.
(Please note: Series skips September 28, Yom Kippur, and October 12, Columbus Day.)

Down Dog for Kids
Wednesdays, September 16 - December 2
3:30 - 4:15 pm
(ages 4 to 8)
Down Dog classes introduce children to the practice of yoga. Yoga poses and principles are explored in a variety of fun ways. Nature, anatomy, and imagination are all key aspects of the class. Children are encouraged to explore the way their bodies move through creative projects, partner work, story time, and songs. Chanting, breathing exercises, and simple meditation practices relax and calm the mind. Each class finishes with relaxation — something the little yogis come to look forward to! No prior yoga experience required. $240 for the 12-week series or drop in for $25 (provided there is space). Both classes are taught by the wildly talented Lauren Maples!

BEGINNERS ONLY
FALL BEGINNERS' SERIES
Sundays, October 18 - November 22
2 - 3:15 pm
This class is tailored to the newcomer to yoga. You will be eased into the practice by the skillful attention of your teacher. You will learn basic body awareness exercises, basic asanas (yoga poses) that stretch, lengthen, and strengthen your body, and a handful of techniques to help reduce stress in your daily life. At the end of your six classes, you will be ready to join any of our basic level classes.
If you miss one class, you can attend a make up class on Thursdays at 7:45 pm. $90 for the series; $20 to drop in. Sign up now. This is the first series we have done since early summer. The next beginners' series won't begin until late November.

SCHEDULE ADDITIONS AND CHANGES

Addition
Men's Class
Taught by Michael Gates
Sunday evenings, beginning September 20, from 7:45 - 9:10 pm
Class will take place every other week

Addition
Deep Rest
Beginning Sunday, October 11, from 7:45 - 9:10 pm
Class will take place every other week
Restorative, a.k.a. Deep Relaxation, focuses on how the yin (receptive) qualities of the poses can be tapped to induce deeper states of rest and relaxation. This class has one sole aim: deep mindful rest. You will be exposed to a combination of restorative yoga poses for an extended period of time (using props to provide physical support). Breath observation and guided meditation exercises are also included. Taken as a whole, these techniques are used to usher your mind, body, and spirit into a state of deep internal awareness where you may let go of your body's hardened and habitual daily reactions (samskaras). This is a great class if you wish to reduce stress in your daily life.
$15 to drop in or use your class card.
Please note: This class will meet every other week.
October 11, 25, November 8, 22...

Addition
New Thursday Basics Class at 4:30 pm with Michael Gates
Class begins September 17

Change
NEW TEACHER
Leslie Kraus
Leslie will be teaching the Saturday 8:30 am Basic class and the Wednesday 7:45 pm Open and Restorative class. Leslie will be begin teaching these classes in October as she is currently on tour with her dance company. (Until Leslie returns, Ramit Kreitner will fill in on Saturdays; the Wednesday classes will be taught by Alison Dorfman.)

Change
Farewell to Pascale, who is off with her family to the French countryside for the better part of the coming year. She promises to come back to Jaya when she returns stateside.

Change
Change of Time
Beginning Sunday, September 20, the Open level 12:15 will switch to 10:30. The Intermediate class with Alison Dorfman will switch to 12:15.

EVENTS

Book Club Reading / Meeting
We are reading Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. We will meet Sunday, October 18, at 2 pm in Prospect Park — the following week if it is raining.

Jaya Yoga Retreat in Guatemala
April 10 - 17, 2010
with Sarah Selig and Carla Stangenberg
We hope you will join us for this yoga retreat celebrating the 10th anniversary of Jaya Yoga Center. Lake Atatila is 4,500 feet above sea level, a perfect place for reflection on your personal practice and the connection of all of us together in the wonderful Jaya community. Everyone is welcome - even if you do not currently practice at Jaya. We will have two daily yoga classes including asana, pranayama, meditation, and deep rest (not necessarily in that order). Each day there will be "open studio" where Carla and Sarah will be available for your practice questions. The beautiful setting, three meals each day, a sauna, and an excursion round out this experience. This is an amazing opportunity to get a deeper understanding of your practice and how it fits into your life as a whole. Please contact namaste@jayayogacenter.com for more information.

Prices: $1375 (single), $1165 (double), triple optional. Prices do not include transportation. A $150 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your spot.

Work-Study
If you are interested in practicing more, our work-study program might be great for you. You will be amazed at how a couple of work-study hours a week will open up a new aspect of the practice to you - the karmic part, the yoga of action. Where action and compensation are intricately entwined but in a completely different way than you might expect. If you are interested and can commit to a consistent schedule for the next three months, please contact ramit@jayayogacenter.com.