Advice from a tree:

1. Stand tall and proud. 2. Sink your roots on the earth. 3. Be content with your natural beauty. 4. Go out on a limb. 5. Drink plenty of water. 6. Remember your roots. 7. Enjoy the view.

Honor Yourself: The Inner art of Giving and Receiving

I would like to share this amazing book with you,

Sara

Honor Your Own Style

by Patricia Spadaro,
author of Honor Yourself: The Inner Art of Giving and Receiving

Patricia Spadaro Practical Spirituality website

Honor Yourself

Life is never a one-size-fits-all formula. If you are to develop and give your gifts, you must honor who you are and celebrate your own voice. Depending solely on others is like taking a long walk in borrowed shoes. If the shoes are even a bit too big or small, they can be very uncomfortable. If you walk long enough under those conditions, you’ll get blisters. Eventually the pain becomes so bad that you can’t go on. That’s what happens to you when you force yourself into a mold that isn’t your own. The remedy: walk at your own pace and in your own shoes.

Admittedly, I’ve been somewhat recalcitrant on this point, and therefore life has generously given me many lessons to teach me to trust myself and to be myself. One dramatic lesson came when I was hiking in the beautiful Teton Rangenear Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with two friends. Both walked briskly, covering more ground more quickly than I could. At the time, I didn’t think about the fact that nature had endowed these women with long, strapping legs that could scramble up the steep path like mountain goats. Instead, I blamed myself for not being able to match their pace. “Something is wrong with me,” I thought to myself. “I must really be out of shape. If I just push a little harder, I can keep up.”

So that’s what I did. I pushed, and then pushed some more. My strategy worked, but halfway through the hike, the consequences set in. I pulled a muscle in my hip without realizing it. The ache I felt at the time was tolerable until we started the long descent down the mountain. At that point, every step I took was painful. It hurt so much that I couldn’t even bear to carry my small backpack.

I don’t remember much about the sights, smells, or sounds of that day. I don’t remember much of anything except the pain. I forfeited my ability to enjoy the trek by struggling to keep up with someone else. But I did learn an invaluable lesson: if you don’t walk at your own pace, you will only end up hurting yourself. Over the years, when I’ve been tempted to take an action that doesn’t honor my own style, speed, or destination, I’ve thought back to that experience. In a few cases, I wish I had recalled that episode sooner. It might have saved me the anguish of another long practice session in self-reliance.

Excerpt taken from the new book Honor Yourself: The Inner Art of Giving and Receiving by Patricia Spadaro. For more tips and inspiration, visithttp://www.practicalspirituality.info/About-Honor-Yourself-by-Patricia-Spadaro.html.

You can't miss out on this amazing experience!

COSTA RICA SPRING BREAK YOGA ADVENTURE

Take a Spring BREAK to a Costa Rica adventure in paradise! An opportunity to learn, explore, expand your potential in the healing environment of tropical rain forests and sun drenched beaches. Deepen your yoga practice, nurture and warm your self, vitalize your body, relax your mind and enjoy the magical blend of nature, wildlife, movement and breath with your family and friends. Surrounded by the natural beauty and warmth of Costa Rica and its friendly locals, during the FULL MOON, this is an adventure to behold.

March 28- April 5, 2010

Your retreat package includes:

*Daily yoga practice

*zip line excursion- gliding through the canopy of centenary trees

* hanging bridges on top of the jungle

*an exquisite guided visit to Manuel Antonio National Park and beaches

* a surf lesson (optional)

* ride horseback at sunset along the beach

* peaceful boat ride through giant mangroves as friendly monkeys greet us

*Explore the Arenal Volcano, one of the most spectacular volcanoes in the world

*Easy hike and refreshing swim in La Fortuna amazing waterfall

* Hot Springs inside the jungle

* A full moon yoga class

* Sunset pranayama and meditations

*Transportation between San Jose and beach/volcano locations

* 3 night lodging at Los Lagos (Arenal volcano hotel) 4 night lodging at Villas Tranquilas in Manuel Antonio, 1 night lodging at Las Orquideas outside of San Jose

* all breakfasts

*airport pick-up and departure transfers

* local nanny service during your activities

Other options (not included in price):

Soul release sessions with Janine Fafard, Pampering spa services, practical Spanish lessons, optional excursions, meals and drinks.

DAY 1: Sunday March 28: Airport Pick-ups and beautiful, scenery drive to Arenal Volcano. Stop on the way for a typical yummy lunch. Upon arrival to Los Lagos Hotel and after settling in , enjoy swimming in the natural hot thermal pool, have a relaxing drink inside the wet bar or get a pampering massage from the hotel's spa. Evening restorative and relaxing yoga class.

DAY 2: Monday March 29: After a nurturing yoga class and a delicious breakfast we'll hike to La Fortuna Waterfall (the FORTUNE waterfall) , through some of the most gorgeous scenery in Costa Rica, and take a great refreshing swim in the waterfall pool. Lunch in La Fortuna. The evening awaits with privacy and relaxation in a sanctuary of nature and beauty, natural hot springs surrounded by jungle, while sipping a nice Margarita. After soaking, enjoy the wonderfully prepared food of Dona Mireya, using a traditional rustic kitchen for dinner.

Day 3: Tuesday March 30: glide through the canopy of centenary trees and walk ON TOP of the jungle on spectacular hanging bridges, exploring the depth and height of the Costa Rican rainforest. It's full moon tonight, so we'll enjoy a FULL MOON YOGA CLASS in front of an erupting volcano! Talk about ENERGY RENEWAL!!

Day 4: Wednesday March 31: Breakfast and a gentle hike along the base of the Arenal Volcano , a marvelous "Mountain of Fire", listen to the volcano rumbling before us, we'll have our morning yoga class over recent lava flows. Listen, watch, smell, and open up your senses. Feel the earth beneath you! After lunch we will drive to our beach location: Manuel Antonio. We'll settle at Villas Tranquilas and relax on hammocks experiencing sensual delights of this tropical paradise. Enjoy the summer temperatures and the beautiful surroundings. Meditation and Yoga Nidra in the evening.

Day 5: Thursday April 1: Enjoy a delicious breakfast, gallo pinto and the best tropical fresh fruits, a yoga class ON the beach in front of the Pacific Ocean and take an afternoon sunset horse ride. Read, relax and enjoy a full day at the beach! Evening meditation.

Day 6: Friday April 2: After a yummy breakfast we will have a guided tour through the spectacular Manuel Antonio National Park and beaches. Bring your binoculars and don't misplace your snack as friendly monkeys will be happy to take it :). Great swimming and snorkeling on the reefs. In the afternoon, a local professional surfer, will teach you how to ride some waves. Be like a dolphin and ride.

Day 7: Sunday April 3: Breakfast and then... experience first hand the pulse of the mangrove ecosystem. Our bilingual guide will help us spot egrets, caimans, crocodiles, white faced monkeys. Lunch at La Tortuga for some wonderful typical flavors. Afternoon for SPA, shopping and leisure time on your own.

Day 8: Sunday April 4: After breakfast, farewell to Villas Tranquilas and let's check out other Pacific beaches as we drive towards San Jose. If you surf, we can sneak in a surf at Playa Escondida, one of the best and most secluded surf spots in the Pacific. Enjoy soaking in natural pools of water created from pacific ocean tide. You will wish you could stay FOREVER :)

Upon arrival in San Jose we will settle in at Las Orquideas Hotel, a tropical oasis only 10 minutes from the Juan Santamaria Airport. Nestles on over 10 acres of lush natural tropical gardens teeming with exotic tropical fruits, birds and butterflies. Dip in the pool, relax in the outdoor jacuzzi, walk on the nature trails or simply enjoy your favorite book.

Day 9: Monday April 5: Airport transfers for return flights: BUEN VIAJE! Pura Vida amigos!

** ALSO AVAILABLE (not included in package), Spanish conversation classes, massage, facials and pampering treatments, EFT and soul release sessions.

Register early to hold your space.A deposit of $500 will hold your space. All balances due on February 15, 2010. Limited space available.

RATES: DOUBLE: $1600, SINGLE: $1900, Age 7-16: $500, Age 0-7: FREE Early bird rates: registration deadline January 10th, 2010. After January 10, 2010 ADD $100 to all ADULT PACKAGES

NOT INCLUDED IN PRICE: flight and departure taxes, lunch, dinners and drinks, pampering spa services, practical spanish conversation classes, optional excursions, EFT sessions

TRAVEL INFORMATION: If you would like to arrive earlier or stay a few extra days, please let me know and I will help arrange payment for your extensions. You can book your own flight to Juan Santamaria Intl. Airport in San Jose (SJO) or contact Holly at Montana Travel for great airfares: 800-247-3538 or 548-3581 and mention this yoga retreat.

Cancellation Policy In the event of cancellation, your entire payment will be refunded less the $500 deposit if cancellation is made on or before Jan. 15, 2010. Any cancellation after Jan. 15, 2010 is non refundable.

YOUR PRESENTER: Sara Rossi . Sara has been studying , practicing and teaching yoga for over 12 years. Sara is registered with Yoga Alliance and the International Yoga Therapist Association. She is currently working on her 500 hour yoga training with Joseph LePage of International Yoga Therapy and she teaches at Breathing Room Yoga in Livingston. She first arrived to Costa Rica in 1983 and has lives over 19 years there. Her love of Costa Rica and her knowledge of the country has developed into this incredible retreat that allows for inner growth and spiritual renewal for all. She is fluent in English and Spanish.

For more information and to register please contact me at sarayoga3@yahoo.com

Begin your journey into a world of optimal health and peace. Your timing is perfect! Help yourself and others live a longer, happier life.

These days, there are so many unhealthy things awaiting anyone that is going to classes and traveling for the holidays. From the students, teachers, janitorial staff, in school, on airplanes and trains. It is important for us all to be as protected from the environment as we possibly can. And a few simple ways are to have on hand:

Lemon oil has a strong, purifying, citrus scent that is revitalizing and uplifting. Lemon consists of 68 percent dlimonene, a powerful antioxidant. It is delightfully refreshing in water and may be beneficial for the skin. Lemon may also be used to enhance the flavor of foods.

Peppermint oil (Mentha piperita) has a strong, clean, fresh, minty aroma. One of the oldest and most highly regarded herbs for soothing digestion, it may also restore digestive efficiency. Peppermint may also be used to enhance the flavor of food and water.

Thieves® oil blend was created based on research about four thieves in France who covered themselves with cloves, rosemary, and other aromatics while robbing plague victims. This proprietary essential oil blend was university tested for its cleansing abilities. It is highly effective in supporting the immune system and good health. Thieves® Foaming Hand Soap will cleanse, defend, and condition the skin. The Thieves® Waterless Hand Purifier is an all-natural hand purifier designed to cleanse and refresh the hands. It can be used by adults and children to keep hands clean and promote good hygiene, without the use of water. Dermatologist tested. Also try Thieves toothpaste and mouthwash!

Write me at sarayoga3@yahoo.com to find out prices and place and order

Posture of the week

1.Sit with legs extended forward. Legs together and straight, back straight, palms on the lap, shoulders relaxed, eyes closed, chin down. 2. Place left ankle on the right thigh, and right foot under the left thigh, place palms on the knees. Arms relaxed. Back erect. BREATHE and RELAX!

ROOT CHAKRA- MULADHARA

Color: Red, Function: grounding & rooting. Group Identity Instinctual impulse towards survival. Fear of abandonment and insecurity.

If we look at the word mula it means root in Sanskrit. Muladhara chakra, the first energy center in the body symbolizes our roots. If you think about the word ‘root’, it means grounding, supporting and nurturing, if there are roots there is an anchor, a sense of security, roots also nurture. This plays such a big part in ones life and how one lives and interacts. 

As a mother I see my child form his impressions not from what I say but from what I do. He is 24 hours a day learning and taking in things, forming his identity. Children as they grow up look for that sense of identity. Principles that are taught, do’ and don’ts, and creating boundaries give a sense of security and rooting.

 Culture also impacts a child, from what food one is brought up with, to what religion is practiced. In many traditions, there is a support from an extended family. It is not that a mother is left alone to bring up her child, or that a child is put in day care all day as both parent have to work just to survive. Someone once said to me where are our grandmothers and great aunts. We may not have close ties with extended family but a community can play the same role. We learn tradition and moral principles from our extended family, immediate family and our community, when there is disruption in one family then one can get support and strength from community and friends.

Community and family nurture our growth and allow us to connect with our roots and traditions. Having a functional family forms a network that it gives support in times of need, allowing one to feel safe. A sense of safety allows individuals to grow into mature responsible adults, exemplifying loyalty. If ones roots are broken, as in broken up families, then our feeling safe and secure waives, our strength weakens to the degree of group support we have. Imagine a stick on its own, it is easy to break with two hands, but imagine a big bundle of sticks, if you try to break a bundle it will be much more difficult, similarly our strength comes from our confidence in our group identity. It is that group identity either it coming from immediate family or community that often forms our beliefs and the principles that we decide to live by. In some cases this may be positive or in other cases negative. 

Our beliefs and principles that we have decided to hold onto can either empower us to grow and flourish, allowing us to make decisions in a way that is healing and liberating, or they can cripple our vision and outlook in the world. Instead of being broadminded, open hearted, our cultural upbringing, and disruptive childhood can cause us to be irrational, self centered and unstable. When one’s root chakra is strong, one is connected to the earth with confidence, being able to hold ones ground, responsible and loyalty is a result. From a rooted safe place we are able to give and extend out to others selflessly.

Ones fear of survival, fear of abandonment, and feeling insecure are all first chakra emotions that are stored in the body. Our emotions leave deep impression within our body often causing illness. By targeting the muscles where these emotions are stored, through specific yoga poses, that isolate that area we begin to unblock our emotional toxics that are trapped, this letting becomes empowering in ones journey of transformation.

Target specific areas for the first chakra.

Piriformis muscle in the hip and buttocks and the adductor muscles in the inner thighs. (Tightness in the piriformis is the main cause of sciatica). Tightness in hips, groin, and hamstrings are also first chakra conflict zones. Unlocking our fears and insecurities, means going deep into yoga poses that isolate the buttocks (piriformis), and inner thigh (adductors). It is good to observe what emotions may arise when in yoga pose such as pigeon, ankle to knee, lizard pose and head to ankle pose. It is often a sense of sink or swim, fear of survival surfaces. Our screaming butt is almost saying ‘who am I’. As we begin to dig up our childhood, we discover the stuff that has been swept under the rug for many years, silently and unconsciously festering, it turns to frustration and anger. The anger and frustration that arises is often from having to conform to a tribe or group that has not necessary enhanced our growth. We have to learn to dig deep, we are gardeners removing the deep-rooted weeds that continue to stunt our growth.

It is also important to focus on the grounding force in poses. Initiate activating mula bhanda beginning with active feet, drawing the energy from the earth into the inner thighs and lifting the pelvic floor. Standing poses strengthen ones root chakra, as it connect one with their root lock (mula bhanda). If one is not able to stand firmly, then we are like a tree without roots. If there is a storm then the tree is easily uprooted, similar when there is a storm in our lives we fall apart, we are uprooted. There must be rooting before rising. Just as a plant grows, there are roots anchored before it rises and grows towards the sun. Similarly if we are not rooted then our growth is stunted and our sense of direction instable, our moving forward is not secure.
 Yoga gives us a sense of stability; it helps one cultivate balance not just on the matt but also in life’s challenges.

Poses:

*Pigeon folding forward (stenches piriformis), reclined included

*Ankle to knee with variations (stenches piriformis)

Straddle forward bend (adductors)

*Seated wide leg forward bend (adductors)

*head to ankle pose

*head to ankle prep

*Frog and Baddakonasana (adductors)

(All standing poses, can be focused on 1st chakra when mula chakra is active, creating a grounding force)

Parsvotanasana (hamstrings)

Extended hand to big toe pose (ham)

*Reclined half tortoise

*Lizard pose

Standing goddess

*Seated head to knee (ham and inner thigh)

Seated forward bend (ham)

*Hanumanasana (ham)

Childs pose with wide legs (groin and inner thighs)

Shavasana

*Primary yoga poses that isolate high charge points for first chakra.

Mantra: Lam

Chanting mantras while in a yoga pose, immediately grounds a person, it channels energy in the right direction, helping to stabilize the flickering mind and brings one into the physical body. From the physical we then go deeper into stabilizing the mind and emotions. Sound vibration can break through energetic blocks and allow one to uncover their true self-identity that is not depended on ones up bringing. The power of spiritual sound removes our many layers of conditioning and replaces the mind with positive impressions; it is a means to uncover the pure atma (self). When we come to a point in our lives when we question ‘who am I’ that is the first quest of self-identity. To be free from all of ones labels and masks and to find our true essence and identity is the key to opening our muladhara chakra.

A thought on my life in Montana and on Breathing Room Yoga

Staying in Montana is a difficult decision for me, especially when its 10 degrees on October 5th and I foresee a very long winter ahead.  Coming from Costa Rica, I am so used to being in the warmth, in the sun, on the beach, outside. I need to frequently remind myself that "It’s not where I am; it’s who I am”,  I’m practicing yoga every day and I’m finding the beauty in my life, rather than outside, inside myself. I think of my mat as my therapy, my place of worship, my place of change. Change is inevitable right now. I create what I need in each practice and I think this is very empowering. It’s a  place where I can honor my strengths and weaknesses, a safe place. I think of it as a new beginning, every day, and no end, an endless learning journey.

I also feel a very strong connection with everyone who walks through the Breathing Room doors, and that is very empowering and soothing to me. It is people who want to nurture themselves, physically, mentally and spiritually. Perhaps for some, yoga is still just a different workout, which is fine, but to be honest, I feel most students who come to Breathing Room know that yoga is much more than that. I try to advocate a "whole body" approach to yoga that pays as much attention to mental and spiritual form as physical postures.  Its about leaving the mat and still be present, be a good person, listen to others, take care of your body, mind and spirit. Its about sharing your journeys, your hopes, fears, dreams and desires. I feel so blessed and honored to be a student and a guide at Breathing Room Yoga and I am sure trying hard to embrace these cold days and keep smiling.