Namaste Yogis and Yoginis,

For me, September has always felt like the New Year. It’s not just the whole start of the school-year thing; there is something more profound, a deeper feeling of possibility and renewal. Shifting from summer, I naturally begin to re-center, get grounded, and set new goals.

In fact, since ancient times, the Equinox was considered a highly spiritual time; a time for reflection, self transformation, and recommitting to that which is most important to us. In agricultural societies, it has long been a time to express gratitude for all that Nature had given her children and for the completion of another turn of the earth. It marked the second harvest and like our traditional Thanksgiving Day it was a day for feasting, celebrating our good fortune of the previous year and preparing for the winter ahead.

On September 23, fall officially begins; the sun will cross the equator and day and night will be equal in length. May we be mindful of ourselves, others, and nature as we make this transition together. May we use our yoga and meditation to wake up to the cycles of nature and to experience our gratitude more readily even during the hustle and bustle of our daily living!

Thanks for meeting me here. I hope you enjoy this issue of Yogalicious 55.

With gratitude,
Jillian

“The equinox is a time to say ‘thank you and goodnight’ to the earth, as she starts her slumber into winter and begins her rejuvenation. She has offered so much of herself – support, beauty, food, wellbeing. Now the earth takes time to replenish and rejuvenate so she can rise up again and sustain us.”    back to top

Recently, my husband and I were talking about how there is all this ‘eat in season’ promotional literature out. When I was a kid, I remember only eating produce that was in season because the local shopping centers didn’t carry much out-of-season produce and if they did import it, it was too expensive. These days however, you can get any thing any time. And while this is delightful in some ways, we know that it has an extreme negative impact on our earth or local farmers.

This year I’ve been frequenting the farmers market more often and have reignited a connection to what’s actually in season. From the first hints of spring with asparagus and spinach through summer’s zucchini, corn, and tomatoes to the fall foods we are beginning to reap such as winter squashes, potatoes, and apples. Nothing beats eating food that has just been picked!

Plus, visiting the farmers’ market over time is a sensual, visceral way to experience the gradually changing growing season with all five senses. Fall is more like fall at the farmer’s market! Especially for city folks and suburbanites, it is a great way to connect with the changing seasons and get in tune with nature. And, it certainly makes our dinner time much more interesting and meaningful. Grace becomes quite personal and effortless as we give thanks for Mat and Chrissy’s lettuce, Ms. Race’s potatoes and Anthony’s corn. We feel closer to the food we eat when we know the people who’ve worked so hard to grow it. With our farm fresh food, dinner seems to taste better, be more satisfying, and even more celebratory! Find a farmers market near you: http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm     back to top

http://www.localharvest.org/buylocal.jsp   back to

In savansana, corpse pose, we practice relaxing and letting go, over and over again. As we offer our body, bones, and mind to the earth, we are simultaneously learning to trust that it will hold us up fully. It is quite a profound experience to feel your self completely held by the earth. We rarely ever feel comfortable enough to let go fully. Believe it or not, even when we lay down in bed, we are still resisting letting go. Check tonight when you go to sleep. Notice how much you are not allowing your body to drop into the bed.

Try the pose, savasana: First, shut off the phone or anything that may distract you. Lie down on the floor in a warm space. Cover yourself with a blanket. Place a thin support under your head if needed. Take your time to align your body so that your arms and legs are spread equal-distant from your side body. Your breath is natural; slow and deep through the nose. Little by little, roll your head from side to side until your neck is released and you can come to a place where you are centered on the back of your head. Your chin will be about perpendicular to the floor. Physically relax all your muscles. Imagine that the mass of your body liquefying, pouring down into the floor and spreading out like butter on a warm griddle.

Soften the root of your tongue and roof of your mouth. Release your squinting muscles. Drop your eyes to the back of your head. Allow your forehead to smooth and become wrinkle free. Feel the space between your brows melt towards your temples, your temples slide towards your ears, and your ears to drip to the ground. Soften your inner ears and relax them so you are gently alert to the sound of your breath. You should feel ‘clear’ in your ears, static free.

Rest you’re your mind, and let go of any and all psychological effort; consider the words of the great sage Abhinavagupta: "Abandon nothing. Take up nothing. Rest, abide in yourself, just as you are.”  Pause here and feel the ground underneath you, holding you up. The ground wants to hold you; receive the support of the mother earth. Feel your connection to the earth and the space around you.

Enjoy your expanded state for 10-20 minutes. Come out of it slowly as you stretch into your body. Roll to your side and pause there for a minute. Come to a seated position and sit for a few minutes contemplating this new sense of connection and freedom.  Seal your practice by bringing to mind what ever you have gratitude for in that moment. (For a guided audio adventure into a deep savansa try Relaxmore. www.cdbaby.com/pransky)

"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." –John Muir.  back to top

Q: How does my daily mediation practice heal the planet?
A: Quantum physicists have shown that a unified field of intelligence gives rise to everything in the universe?our body, the stars, the galaxies, subatomic particles, and all else. The cosmos is the extended body we all share, and our every thought and intention ripples out into the universal consciousness and has an effect. When we meditate we quiet our mind and slip into the silence that’s the source of all happiness. There we discover increasing levels of bliss, inspiration, and love. Our experience of these powerful states creates vibrations that help heal the planet. As a famous Vedic verse states, “It is our duty to the rest of mankind to be perfectly healthy, because we are ripples in the ocean of consciousness, and when we are sick, even a little, we disrupt cosmic harmony.” Through meditation, we expand our awareness of the blissful nature of divine intelligence and contribute to greater peace and love in our world.  back to top

“The eyes of the future are looking back at us and they are praying for us to see beyond our own time. They are kneeling with hands clasped that we might act with restraint, that we might leave room for the life that is destined to come. To protect what is wild, to protect what is gentle. Perhaps the wilderness we fear is the pause between our own heartbeats. The silent space that says we only live by grace. Wilderness lives by the same grace. Wild mercy is in our hands.”   back to top

NO MORE PAPER TOWELS AND NAPKINS!
I stopped using paper towels and napkins in May! I am amazed how easy this was (and my family used at least four rolls a week). We bought bar towels, like small white wash clothes. Put out two baskets of them; one in the kitchen and one in the dinning room. It took one week for everyone to get the hang of it. We use them for everything. Cleaning counters, whipping up spills, napkins, ect. Trust me, you won’t believe how easy this is. Plus you can even save some money…

SKIP THE LIQUID SOAPS
When you have the choice, buy hand soaps in bars and detergents in powders instead of liquid soap so that you are not buying the plastic container.

FOOD STORAGE
Use glass containers to store your food instead of buying Tupperware or baggies. I love the Pyrex products. You can cook in them, serve in them, store in them.

BAG THE LUNCH BAG
For foods use a thermos instead of a plastic or Tupperware. (But use Tupperware over plastic baggies because they are reusable). Carry your beverages in a thermos or one of the hip new bottles by SIGG available at health food stores or at http://www.sigg.ch/.

Thank you for reading everyone. Remember, the equinox is considered a time of balance, it is when we stop and relax and enjoy the fruits of our personal harvests, whether they be from toiling in our gardens, working at our jobs, raising our families, or just coping with the hussle-bussle of everyday life.

May you stop and ‘smell’ the leaves!

With great joy,
Jillian

Below you will find more details on upcoming events.

RESTORATIVE YOGA TEACHER TRAINING
With Jillian At Yoga Works, NYC December 1 and 2.
Call Amanda to register 646-442-1324. http://www.yogaworks.com Restorative Yoga is deeply renewing and should be an integral part of any yoga practice and healing process. You’ll learn to use basic Restorative Yoga poses in your own practice, as well as to incorporate them into a regular group class or a private session. Course material includes: The relaxation response and central nervous system; How to use props; Guiding students into poses; assisting students with verbal and hands on adjustments; using breath work and healing touch; sequencing. We will also cover the subtle body in restorative yoga exploring the koshas, therapeutic applications, and creative pose building. You’ll Receive a Certificate and Continuing education credits for Yoga Alliance. For more information contact Yoga Works http://www.yogaworks.com

NEW – UPDATED ADVANCED PROGRAM!!!!
STARSEED AND BRIGHT SPIRIT YOGA
300-Hour ADVANCED TEACHER TRAINING

With Jyoti Chrystal, Jillian Pransky, Carrie Parker and Guest Teachers
December 2007– November 2008
We are honored to offer an Advanced Teacher Training as collaboration between Starseed and Bright Spirit Yoga Teacher training programs. Between us, we have had the joy of guiding hundreds of graduates deeper into their own practice as well as initiating them into the teaching of yoga. We are now bringing our graduates together and inviting other yoga teachers to take your teaching to the next level while continuing to evolve on your personal journey. Upon completion of this training, you will earn an Advanced Teacher Certification and more importantly knowledge, introspection and inspiration. You can take the whole training to receive 500-hour certification or you may elect to take parts of the training to advance your knowledge and earn Continuing Education Credits for Yoga Alliance.

We are thrilled to begin our next yoga adventure and hope you will join us!
Jyoti, Jillian and Carrie

OVERVIEW OF TRAINING: Training will be held one weekend per month for 12 months beginning December 2007 and ending November 2008. Training is held at either Starseed Yoga Studio in Montclair and Rutherford or Devotion Yoga Studio in Hoboken. There is public transportation available between studios.
CURRICULUM OVERVIEW:
Dec 8 & 9 - The Subtle Body in Your Asana and Daily Life with Jillian Pransky.
Jan 6 & 7 - Teaching Prenatal Yoga with Carrie Parker.
Feb 23 & 24 - Yoga Sutras, Book II with Jyoti Chrystal.
March 29 & 30 - Aruyveda and Yoga with Niika Quistgard-Devivo
April 26 & 27 - Teaching Restorative Yoga with Jillian Pransky
May 31 & June 1 – Advanced Sequencing with Carrie Parker
June 28 & 29 - Yoga and Injuries: Working Therapeutically with Kim Baubles
July 19 & 20 - Yoga Therapy; Internal and External with Jyoti Chrystal
Aug 9 & 10 - Metta Meditation with Jillian Pransky
Sept 20 & 21 - Yoga and Chronic Disease with Charles Matkin
Oct 18 & 19 - Psychology of Teaching with Jyoti Chrystal
Nov 8 & 9 Advanced Asana with Carrie Parker Gastelu
FRIDAY NIGHT SESSIONS INCLUDE:
Dec 7 - Introductions and Overview
Jan 5, May 30, Oct 17 - Explore Meditation with Jillian, Jyoti and Carrie
Feb 22 - Fine tuning body awareness and moving from the Core with Suzanne Ausnit
March 28 - Deepen your understanding of pranayama with Jyoti
April 25, June 27, Sept 19 - Teaching Methodology with Carrie, Jillian and Jyoti
July 18 - Lead creative and effective visualizations with Carrie
Aug 8 -Experience soft tissue yoga with Madelana
Nov 7 - Experience the infinite depth of yoga nidra with Jillian

You can register for the whole program of for a workshop. For a full brochure with bio’s and more details please email yoga_director@yahoo.com. Or call Jillian 201 377 7010.