From Our Mat…
We find ourselves in strange times these days. There are far too many external forces that impact our day-to-day lives; whether we like them or not, whether we choose them or not, even whether they are benefecial or not. We accept them and move on.
How we spend our days, what we consume, the social interaction we experience, the intent with which we live; do all these fulfill us? Will all of what we do in our 24 hours each day, stand us in good stead 24 days, 24 months, or 24 years later?
Choice – is a simple word but one that carries a huge responsibility. It is what makes us accountable to ourselves. Knowing that every aspect of our life is impacted by the choices we make, how do we choose and why?
Change is generally hard; breaking or forming a habit is hard, staying the course is hard; but its also a choice. We can either choose to go with the flow and not be intentional about our moments, days, acts, and non-acts, or choose the exact opposite. We will bear the consequences of that choice, won’t we?
So how about starting with one (or a few) intentional choices? Make the coming day, week, month, or any given period, a committment with a choice. Track and measure. And lets see if we can choose to make a change!
Here’s to the power of choice. Your choice. Your influence. Your path.
With gratitude,
Varsha & Satya
Pose Spotlight: AdhoMukhaSvanAsana (Downward Dog)
This is one of the most engaging, energetic, full body pose that provides a great deal of extension to the spine, encouraging it to go against gravitational force. It actively promotes lengthening of the hamstrings, improved posture, and full body strength.
This pose teaches the mind and body about how the little finger pads pressing in the floor can initiate a release in the wrists, helping engage the arms; how when the arms actively push the floor away, they provide a huge lift to the spine and help extend the sitting bones upward. The pose provides awareness about the shoulder and the pelvic girdles. It can be practiced by bending the knees and/or lifting the heels as needed to accomodate tight hamstrings. Gradually it promotes length in the hamstings to eventually feel ease.
This pose places the head below the heart, and is therefore an excellent inversion pose.
Have you ever felt restful in your AdhoMukhaSvanAsana? Think about it the next time you do it!
How many ways can you DownDog???
Teacher Spotlight
Sonali – Born and raised in Nagpur, India, Sonali’s first true love was the stage. She spent her formative years immersed in the world of amateur and professional theater: enthralled by narrative, character, and the pure magic of performance. She was entirely determined to make art her life’s calling, right up until her father persuaded her to give it up for a more “practical”, conventional vocation that pays the bills but also lets her pursue art as a hobby!
Plot twist! Turns out, her career path was anything but conventional. After a colorful stint pitching advertising and media in fast-paced Mumbai, she crossed the globe to pursue graduate studies in Chicago. She worked for several years in logistics, took a long sabbatical to raise her boys, then came back and pivoted into tech product management.
Beneath all the life changes and career moves, one steady beat kept calling her home. Introduced to Yoga at age 12, she completed a basic Yoga teacher training in Nagpur two decades ago, where she ranked 7th in the merit list from Nagpur. It wasn’t until she found YogaSukham, and completed her Advanced Studies Program (YASP), that all the pieces clicked. Sonali is deeply grateful to Yogasukham for providing the warm sanctuary, soul-nourishing circle, and platform that finally empowered her to step up and share her practice with the world.
A few fun facts
- Her journey to sunny California was no straight line; it took crossing two continents and navigating 7 different U.S. states to finally land her here- but totally worth it!
- She logs over ~2,000 miles a year on her bicycle, soaking in the sun along wildflower trails while catching up on her favorite podcasts and audiobooks
- An introvert at heart, she loves getting lost in a good book and occasionally writing poetry. Her bookshelf is delightfully chaotic – standing seamlessly between heavy philosophy, neospirituality, and sweeping romance novels!
- Raised on Bollywood, she holds an un-apologetic love for compelling cinema and music. She learned to read Korean inspired by her fascination with K-dramas, and is a self-proclaimed Korean skincare junkie!
Sonali, it has been such a pleasure to have you be a part of YogaSukham. We are grateful for your presence, involvement, uniqueness, and warmth. Thank you!
– YogaSukham
Practitioner Spotlight
Rinika P
If you have attended the evening yoga classes, you may have noticed the unmistakable and steady presence of a teen in her signature hoodie, her lovely curls and serene focus. As a high school student balancing demanding schoolwork and life’s busy pace, she quietly made a choice to step onto her mat and show up for herself, day in and day out.
Rinika’s yoga journey started when she was looking for a new activity to engage with outside of school. What began as an extra curricular activity quickly transformed into something far deeper.
“The time I spent at Yogasukham soon became a dedicated 75-minute sanctuary away from academic stress and external noise”
Whether achieving new ease in poses, like feeling her palms rest flat on the floor in a forward fold, or finding a deeper sense of internal calm, Rinika learned that small, silent wins on the mat build profound resilience off of it as well. And this is so powerful!
We all have good days and bad days. And her wisdom shines through when she reminds us that our energy fluctuates daily, and that letting go of expectations is where true peace begins. Accepting your body’s limits on any given day, and choosing to show up anyway, is already the ultimate victory
As Rinika prepares to take her big step towards college, we could not be more proud to have been a part of her journey.
Thank you for sharing your quiet strength and grace with us. As you step into this exciting next chapter, remember that no matter where your path takes you, your mat and your Yogasukham family will always be with you. We wish you all the success, peace, and joy.
– YogaSukham
Upcoming Events and Workshops!
SoundBath 8/15 9/27
Rope Wall Workshop
8/16 9/26
Learn from the Master
10/10 & 10/11
Happy August Birthdays!
We wish you a very happy birthday and a great year ahead!
Neeti B
Shobha K
Robyn M
Navaneet N
Rinika P
Kim M
Anitha A
As we mature, evolve, adapt, and tune ourselves to the needs of our community, we welcome your suggestions, thoughts, and ideas. If you would like to share them with us, please email info@YogaSukham.com – we truly appreciate it.
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Brought to you by Sonali & Varsha
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