Ever wonder what 8 Limbs instructors do other than study and teach yoga? Jen Yaros, who teaches at 8 Limbs Capitol Hill, Wedgwood, and West Seattle, is also an artist. First Thursday in April you have an opportunity to see her next show at Shift Collaborative Studios, 306 S. Washington, Ste, 105.

Yaros searches for meaning by exploring the existence of the self according to Buddhist, Yogic and Taoist philosophies in this large-scale print installation. Inspired by her work as a yoga instructor and her study of classical eastern texts such as The Yoga Sutras, The Dhammapada and The Bhagavad Gita, Jen questions how letting go of the notion of the self and accepting all forms in life as fleeting and impermanent could lead to greater awareness, less conflict and potentially reduce suffering.

In addition to teaching yoga and creating art, Jen is a teaching assistant in the Print and Letterpress Departments at Pratt Fine Arts Center. She has a degree in Economics from the University of Washington and has worked in commercial photography and theatre lighting design. Jennifer works with a variety of media ranging from printmaking and book arts to fibers and most recently, sculpture.
 
Shift is a collaborative artist’s studio that opened in the fall of 2004 in the renovated Tashiro Kaplan Arts Complex. Shift was established as an artist-run space with the primary goal of supporting emergent, practicing, Northwest artists. For more information, visit www.shiftstudio.org.

I know the weather can really be hit or miss these days, but there is enough proof around in nature to confirm that spring is here, and it is time to consider shifting your yoga practice to compliment the season.

Over the winter we have been doing yoga classes that emphasize Sun Salutations to promote circulation, extra twists to strengthen metabolic fire, and dynamic forward and backbends to tonify the kidneys and urinary bladder, which are the organs that regulate water in the body as well as our emotions.

Now that the winter has passed and spring is near, it’s time to start sending some T.L.C. to the liver and gallbladder, which may have been working overtime during the winter with diets heavy in fat, protein, caffeine, alcohol or sugar. The springtime is about cleansing the liver and gallbladder, which do many helpful things for our health including: filtering toxins from the external environment and food, aiding in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fat, and protein, helping to break down fats in the body, and processing our anger. These are exactly the organs that tend to get overloaded in the winter with extra socializing, large meals, decreased exercise, not enough rest, and other behaviors typically associated with the winter months.

It makes sense that many of us are drawn to the idea of cleansing and purging this time of year—it’s time to lighten our load. Spring is really a time to THRIVE and it’s difficult to thrive if you feel weighted down by your inner or outer world. In order to feel your best, perhaps a little cleanse is in order to get rid of any winter weight, clutter, or material possessions that keep you in the past or limit your freedom in the moment.

Now is the time to decrease heavy, oily, cold, fat foods, and increase spicy, bitter, and astringent foods to promote wellness such as arugula, mustard greens, kale, strawberries, blueberries, and sprouts. Sprouts and early dark green vegetables are a great way to increase your vitamin, nutrient and chlorophyll intake. Sprouts are even known to be a natural blood cleanser. In general, eat light, eat local.

When it comes to your asana practice, the inner legs and outer leg lines correlate to the meridian lines that feed into the liver (inner legs) and gallbladder (outer legs). It’s a great time to deepen your relationship to poses such as Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (pigeon), Garudasana (eagle), Prasaritta Padottanasana (wide leg forward bends, Gardasana (cow face), as these poses help you to connect to and activate the liver and gallbladder meridians.

Example of a Yin/Restorative Practice for the Spring:
Lying on your back:
Supta Baddha Konasana, Happy Baby Pose, Wide Leg Splits (while supported by the floor), Easy Twist with bent legs, “Thread the Needle”
On the knees or seated:
Wide Leg Child’s Pose, Spinx, Pigeon, Ardha Matysendrasana, Gomukasana, Upavista Konasana, Padmasana

Example of a Spring Vinyasa Yoga Practice for the Spring:
Supta Baddha Konasana, Happy Baby Pose, Wide Leg Split, Supta Padangusthasana (standard and twist), Abdominal work with Twists, Abdominal work with legs in Garudasana, Lion’s Breath, Fire Hydrant, Spinal Rolls, Uddiyana Bandha, Agni Sara, Sun Salutes with Salabhasana, Squats, Surya Namaskar B, Garudasana, Prasaritta Padottanasana Series, Sirsasana, Bakasana, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (pigeon), Gomukasana, Double Pigeon, Pursvottanasana, Mayurasana (peacock), Bharadvajasana, Maha Mudra, Janu Sirsasana, Setu Bandha, Halasana with Padmasana…finishing poses.

Posted by: Melina Meza
Melina will teach a Summer Seasonal Vinyasa Retreat at Breitenbush Hot Springs in the Oregon Cascades July 30 – August 2, 2010.

I recently returned from Bhubaneswar, India where I was studying and performing Odissi dance and teaching yoga to mostly dancers and musicians. Odissi is a classical dance that has its roots in the yogic temple rites of the tantrik priestesses of ancient Orissa or Kalinga. The dance was nearly lost during British rule because the sensual nature of the dance made the English uncomfortable.

Odissi has been reconstructed from existing traditions, the study of ancient texts like the Natya Shastra and from the study of temple sculptures. The Natya Shastra could be from 1500-3000 years old or even older according to some. It offers not only a general theory of aesthetics (often compared to Aristotle’s Poetics) it is also a detailed compendium of the technical details of the arts of dance, music, dramaturgy, costuming and all arts relating to the stage. It is often called the Fifth Veda. It describes performance as a kind of yoga or means of liberation (mokshya) for both performers and informed spectators.

This tradition of dance/music/theater/yoga has traditionally been open, unlike many other yogic traditions, to women, non-brahmins, and other “impure persons”. Though the state of Orissa is now largely Vashnaivite it was for many years a stronghold of tantrik Shiva/Shakti worship and there are a number of well-preserved temples from this period in Bhubaneswar, Puri, Konark and elsewhere. It was interesting to witness these temples with their many graphic sculptures not only depicting an acceptance of sexuality but celebrating its power in contrast to the pervasive shyness about sexuality in contemporary Indian society. It was a great gift to be learning the dance while living with a group dancers and feeling, at least momentarily, woven in to the spiritual fabric of their daily lives and practice. It seemed that many people had a practice with a strong spiritual focus or one which utilized dance and music as a means, but few people had a yoga practice which supported their physical well-being and complemented their other activities. So, I ended up being very much in demand as a yoga teacher – with students ranging from teenagers to a woman in her late 80’s. I was able to work in trade for room and board, dance study with teachers there, and a new silk costume! The overall experience was encouraging, invigorating and humbling. I can’t wait to go back in December!

Posted by: Douglas Ridings
Douglas will perform Odissi at 8 Limbs Capitol Hill on Saturday, May 15 prior to our scheduledd Kirtan with Gina Salá. He is also teaching in the 8 Limbs Yoga Immersion and will offer classes on Hindu Mythology and Home Practice.

I received a precious early birthday gift while leading a retreat with Jenny Hayo in Guatemala last week. Per Jenny’s request, every morning we held silence as a group until after breakfast.
At 6am we met in the Tara Temple and practiced meditation for 30 minutes. During meditation, the moonlit darkness of night would shift shift to light and we’d open our eyes to brightness for our two hour asana and pranayama practice.
Most mornings I would sit on the dock after practice for a few minutes before eating, and watch a local fisherman in his wooden skiff. At the breakfast bell I would walk to fill my plate and eat in silence, sometimes seated with others, sometimes alone. The birds were the only ones talking, and we could hear their different calls.

The last two days of our retreat, my swimming buddy and I agreed to jump in the gorgeous lake before meditation. A tap on my window, a short walk in the dark to the dock, a running dive, and then silent stealth-operation hike back to our cabins for warm showers. No words, but a few giggles after the plunge. We were kids again.
By the end of the week, I began to crave silence. At first I was distracted and resisted, but at times I felt like an explorer, moving into the unknown, pulled into the depths of consciousness that continue to unfold. I was ready, for this stillness, for this gift.
Tomorrow I turn 40 years old. I am thrilled at the prospect, and feel lucky and grateful to have had a week on retreat to prepare for this milestone. Though I was one of the retreat leaders, we all had hours of free time, a luxury I don’t experience very often at home. I didn’t check email, I made only two phone calls, and I came back to my family and work completely refreshed. Check out a few photos from our trip. The last photo captures how I felt at the end of the retreat.
I look forward to celebrating with lots of you on Sunday March 14 at 8 Limbs Capitol Hill for my Birthday Celebration/Kirtan with Sean Johnson & The Wild Lotus Band. Click here for event details.
Lastly, it occurred to me this week that though I need/want nothing for my birthday, if you have a poem to share, I would take it gladly.

Posted by: Anne Phyfe Palmer, Director 8 Limbs