Namaste Friends,

Diwali (sometimes Divali or Deepavali) is upon us!  Arguably one of the most important festivals in India.  It is referred to as “The Festival of Lights”, the most significant spiritual meaning is “the awareness of the inner light”. Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman.

 Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Diwali is the celebration of this inner light, which outshines all darkness, removes all obstacles,  and dispels all ignorance, awakening the individual to one’s true nature. When we can come to know our true nature, when our inner light is radiating and glowing, we are able to tap into  universal compassion, love, and the awareness of the oneness of all things.  We experience Ananda (joy, bliss, or peace). 

Friday is the official celebration of Diwali.  It is also a new moon.  That means the night sky will be at its darkest and without the illumination of the moon, all of the stars will appear even brighter.  In the same way that the we are able to see more clearly the light of the stars, we are also able to look more closely at our own brilliant light.  It is a good practice to honor and acknowledge the light within our being.  Nuture and nourish our divine nature.  And in turn we experience a more abundant flow of joy, peace, and bliss in our lives. 

                                                                                            Happy Diwali my friends.

 

Karma Yoga Center has several offerings to help us nourish and nurture our inner light. 

 Its count down time to the cleanse!  Denise Cook is leading us through a one week (quite do-able) cleanse.  If you are interested you can call the studio for more information or come to the first class on Sunday Nov. 7th at 5:30.  Denise will take us through some asana and then explain all that we need to do for the following seven days.  The cleanse will conclude on the 14th where we will finish with her 5:30 class once again.  The cleanse includes two classes in addition to her classes anytime during the week.  She will provide recipes, exercises, meditations, mantras, and support throughout the week.  If you are interested, she recommends cutting back slowly on coffee, alcohol, and sugar before Sunday.  The cost is $35 if you have a package, and $75 if you are new to Karma or without a package.  Join me in this cleanse!  Just in time for the holidays.

                                                     

Meditation is a great way to awaken our commune with our divine light.  Sri Jeff Poole is coming to Karma on Thursday evening Nov. 11th at 7:30pm  to teach us some basic tools and techniques to help us develop our meditation practice.  $25 investment.  See the special events page for more details.

Laughter is always a way to fuel our fire.  That and a belly full of healthy ayurvedically prepared Indian cuisine.  Come to our Hindu Deity Dinner Theatre on Friday night Nov. 12th at 7:30pm-9:00pm.  Our Yoga Teacher Training candidates are coming to the tail end of their training and as part of their practicum they are preparing dinner and then performing a theatrical rendition of the Hindu Deity stories.  They have put their own spin to it.  It is set in modern times, but the deities have their historical personalities and appearance.  You will see Ganesh, Lakshmi, Hanuman, Shiva, Durga, Parvati, Saraswati, Sita and Rama, Krishna, Kali, and and Lady Gaia.  And, as if that isn’t enough, Ryan Nataraj will be accompanying our theatrical troupe with his harmonium, guitar, and his amazing voice so full of song.   It’s only $9!  This is one not to miss.  Be sure to sign up as it will fill up fast.

Deep yogic sleep is another way to nourish our soul’s light.  If you haven’t experienced a Yoga Nidra session with Jeremy Wolf ,you are truly missing out.  We are proud to offer a yoga nidra workshop with Jeremy on Nov. 13th from 3:30-6.  He will take us through a guided session and discuss the philosophy and benefits of the practice.  Again, see the special events page for more details.  Be sure to grab one of his newly released CD’s from the studio too.  They are going fast.

Light is vibration and when we are in tune with our own vibration we in turn keep our light burning brightly.  One way to tune our vibrational energy is through sound.  Alicia Lochary will be performing a Tibetan Singing Bowl Concert on Sunday Nov. 14th from 4-6pm.  Come unwind and take in the healing sounds from these mesmerizing and soothing singing bowls.  The cost is only $15

Finally, a sure way to diminish our light is through stress.  Avoid the stressfulness that the holidays can sometimes bring into our lives this time of year.  Lorraine Lombard is hosting a six week Holiday De-Stress program.  We will meet for one hour on Saturdays starting on November 20 and takes us right up to December 18th.  Imagine an hour of guided imagery, soothing music, grounding meditations, and other tranquil sensations.  Each week she will introduce a new technique to use to help us eliminate stress from our lives.  She draws from her psychotherapy and hypnotherapy training to provide us with many tools to use now and forever after.  The cost is $15 a class or $60 for all 5 Saturdays.  The meeting time is from 3-4pm.

These are just a few ways to keep bright.  Of course our schedule is full of great classes.  Nothing is quite like yoga.  I hope to see your lightness of being in the studio soon.  Until then, shine brightly.

Much love,

Katrina Gustafson Broyles

One last thing.  This is such a beautiful video showing two amazing souls who share a beautiful yogic dance.  It is heart warming and will be sure to nuture your own light.  Enjoy.  Click here to see A lovely variation on Surya Namaskar