Inner Power Yoga®

Happy Navratri!! SEPT 28 - OCT 5, 2011

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:10:48 -0600

Yesterday marked the first day of this colorful Celebration of Life! The word Navaratri translates to "nine nights" in Sanskrit, nava = nine and ratri = nights. These nine nights and ten days are devoted to Celebrating Shakti, the energy of Life, in all her forms.

The first three days are devoted to Celebrating Durga, the goddess of manifest energy. She is honored for destroying impurities and breaking through limitations.

A DURGA MANTRA:
yā devī sarva-bhuteṣu
śakti-rupeṇa saṁsthitā
namas tasyai namas tasyai
namas tasyai namo namaḥ
I honor the goddess energy who is manifest in all creatures as strength and power.

Blessings from Durga:
Personal empowerment
Destruction of ignorance
Overcoming negativity and limitations

The second triad of days holds an invitation to honor Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune. She bestows both spiritual and material wealth and reminds us of the rich abundance of life.

A LAKSHMI MANTRA:
siddhi-buddhi-prade devi
bhukti-muckti-pradāyiṇi
mantra-murte sadā devi
mahā lakṣmi namo'stu te
Oh Maha Lakshmi! Bestower of success and knowledge, worldly enjoyment and liberation. I bow to you.

Blessings from Lakshmi:
Wealth and Luxuries
Happy marriage
Career promotion
The final three days of Celebration honor the goddess as wisdom. Saraswati is the energy of deep understanding and Self expression through the arts. She plays a veena and holds the Veda (knowledge) in her hand.

A SARASWATI MANTRA:
yā kundendu-tuṣāra-hāra-dhavalā
yā vīṇā-vara-daṇḍa- maṇḍita-karā
yā brahmācyuta-śakara-prabhṛtibhir
sā māṁ pātu sarasvatī bhagavatī

Salutations to Saraswati, her face as fair as a jasmine flower, luminous as the moon, delicate as a snow flake; dressed in brilliant white, holding the vina in her hands as she sits on her white lotus throne.

Blessing from Saraswati:
Wisdom and education
Mastery of art and music

The 10th day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or Dussehra and will fall on Oct. 5 this year.

Vijayadshami is a celebration of the victory of Good over Evil. It has been a joyous time for honoring various myths of righteousness throughout India's vibrant cultures and history.

It is honored as the day when Rama and Hanuman defeated Ravana. The Ramayana tells this vivid tale of the sovereignty of dharma.

But the most celebrated story on this day is that of Durga's victory. According to the Markandeya Purana, Durga was created as a warrior goddess to fight a certain undefeated asura (demon) named Mahishasur. Mahishasur had unleashed a reign of terror on all the worlds. No man or deva was able to conquer him, so they sought help from Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The holy anger of all the gods merged and manifested as a radiant sea of light from which Durga emerged. Thus, Durga's feminine power contains the energies of all the gods, and in her ten arms, she carries the weapons of all the deities: Rudra's trident, Vishnu's discus, Indra's thunderbolt, Brahma's kamandalu, Kuber's ratnahar, etc. With these weapons, she was able to defeat Mahishasur, and is able to defeat the demons that challenge us daily.

YOGA for CANCER CARE with Nova Sprick in Crested Butte

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 15:43:56 -0600

Nova’s love for yoga began the day she was born when, she is told, she did her first Urdhva Danurasana (full wheel ) Since that time, her love has expanded from the sheer joy of the body’s ability to express bliss into the more subtle layers of consciousness. Recognized for her authentic and warm nature that invites students to experience the fullness of their hearts, Nova (E-RYT 500) has been studying and teaching yoga since 1999. In 2006, Nova received her Anusara Certification and y. The same year, she met her teacher, Yogarupa Rod Stryker and has since become a dedicated student of ParaYoga. Her deep understanding of the Principles of Alignment combined with the beauty of expression she offers of Tantric philosophy and Practices makes each class a rich and joyful practice. Nova continues to teach locally as well as, nationally and internationally. A journey through Cancer in 2006, inspired Nova to offer the work that allowed her to flourish during treatment. Currently Nova is a Yoga Therapist at Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, Colorado where she works with Cancer and Cardiac Patients. She speaks of her as giving people tools to move beyond the label of survivor and embrace life as a “thrivor!”

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YOGA NIDRA WORKSHOP w/R.R. Shakti in Crested Butte The Infinite Power of Embodied Imagination

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 15:36:30 -0600

Modern Psychology recognizes the efficacy of our imagination; how our thoughts directly influence our experiences; how what we envision ultimately unfolds as manifestation.

William James, who has been called the father of American psychology, said:
“There is a law in psychology that if you form a picture in your mind of what you would like to be and you hold that picture there long enough, you will soon become exactly as you have been thinking.”

Yoga has revealed this secret for more than a thousand years. Through the practice of Yoga Nidra, we set a sankalpa, or intention, with our own imagination. Then, we embody that intention in a state of deep relaxation so that it takes root in the very fibers that make up our everyday experience.

Are you ready to realize the Power of your Embodied Imagination?
You are Infinite, and Your dreams are waiting.
This workshop will begin with an introduction to the deep relaxation experience of Yoga Nidra. Movement and discussion will prepare us for our Yoga Nidra practice, which will be followed by creative processing.

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