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Understanding range of motion is a vital aspect of a healthy yoga practice. It's not enough to simply move fast or fancy because someone else tells you to: it's recognizing areas of your body that have potential to return to an open state--what most of us had as children.
Full range of motion is also important in daily life. It represents independence, resilience, and wellness. And I'm going to put this in bold, just so it's easier to remember: AGE RARELY REFLECTS ABSOLUTES when it comes to range of motion! Over time, I see people open up and move in remarkable ways because they keep moving. Walk, swim, bike, yoga, Pilates, competitive ping pong--whatever. It all matters!
If you like to geek out on this stuff as I do, have fun reading this great article on the topic.
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Movement Happenings!
Most outdoor yoga programs finish for the season at the end of September, so if you haven't had the chance to try the following, give them a go!
*Ankeny Yoga in the Park
*Pop Up Yoga
*Yoga by the Lake in Johnston
*Yoga on the Lawn in West Des Moines
*Yoga in the Park at Gray's Lake
Some events are free: others require a small fee or freewill donation. You can search online for remaining schedules and locations.
Ben "Good Vibes" Spellman hosts his annual Yoga on the Farm event at Pepperharrow Farms Saturday September 22nd and Sunday September 23rd. Ooodles of yoga, live music, kid-friendly events, farm tours, and other fun things. Get your tickets here.
The monthly Yoga in the Garden series returns to the Des Moines Botanical Center later in September, and is scheduled for the last Wednesday of each month! It's a 60-minute class led by many different teachers. Go to the event page for more information and cost.
Yoga Under the Stars resumes in October at the Science Center of Iowa! An hour-long class each Monday for a nominal fee. Always a cool experience with a variety of great teachers (ahem. :D ) Learn more.
There's a Yogi Chat and Walk on Saturday, September 29th at 9:00 a.m. in Brown's Woods - such a lovely time of year to be in that spot! Y'all come by! We can choose to loop the shorter trail a couple of times, or walk the longer trail once. Brown's Woods is just off 63rd St. in West Des Moines. If you've not visited before, the easiest way there is to travel south on 1st/63rd St. past Valley Junction, Park St. and the Boy Scouts of America center - the turn for Brown's Woods is on your right shortly thereafter. Here's a link. Assume the event is cancelled if there's inclement weather (cause the dirt trails get a bit muddy.)
Meditation Happenings!
Meditation Around Town continues at various locations around the city, courtesy of the wonderful Dennis Kelly. Each monthly session features a different leader. Always fun and interesting!
-On Thursday, September 20th, the wonderful Allison Peet will lead a session at the Valley Community Center, 4444 Fuller Rd. in West Des Moines. Chairs are available.
-On Thursday, October 18th, the lovely Mary St. Onge and the Bakti Band will be at the Hindu Temple, 33916 155 Lane in Madrid. Might need mats for this one.
All sessions start at 6:00 p.m. and last for one hour. Always free! Learn more here.
Karen Cheong of Spherical Luminosity will conduct a free healing session Friday, September 21st at 7:00 p.m. at Unity Church, 414 31st St. in Des Moines. In fact, if you visit her site, you'll see an interview with Denny Kelly as they talk about her processes! Here's a detailed listing of all she'll be doing in Des Moines September 21st-23rd.
And consider experiencing a gong bath as meditation! Deb Jennings and Sounds for the Soul offers a number of sound therapy happenings each month. For information about location, cost, days, full moon/new moon events in September and October, and chances to learn how to play gong, check out Deb's site.
Private Sessions
If you're ready to learn more about your personal practice, consider a private session or two. I meet with clients in their homes or at the Des Moines Public Library Central Campus to create a more custom experience to address specific goals, continue recovery from an injury, or provide in-depth instruction outside of class. Personalized sequences are developed so you can follow a path of your design.
If you or someone you know desires this type of personal attention, please reach out for more information.
Missed a Newsletter or Just Want to Learn More? Here's a Link!
Some people asked to look for tips provided in previous TKY newsletters. Thank you for your interest! You can find a helpful list of them by following this link.
Happy Return, Des Moines Public Schools Teachers and Employees!
The next yoga series starts the week of 10/8, and we might have both Tuesday and Wednesday locations again! Be on the lookout for that information! To this point, some of you say you're not getting emails from Tracey Kelley Yoga. In order to know about class schedules, times, and other important information, make sure to check your "Junk" folder, then approve "Never Block Sender" and "Never Block Domain Name." I believe you can also put my email address on an approved list in your Outlook. Please remember: while I don't communicate through email more than once or twice a month, it's the only way I notify participants of upcoming classes,or session changes due to inclement weather or illness. Thank you!
Ready for a Personal Consultation?
Hey hey, wonderful corporate yogis! If we have yet to do your personal consultation (especially if you just signed on with a program in the last couple of months), please reach out with your best times and days and we'll schedule one for you! |
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Who is this woman?
Read more below!
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Self FULL or Selfish?
The model above, the impressive Janice Lennard, was born in 1942. This picture, featuring her in Tree Pose, or Vrksasana, was taken when she was 72.
Seriously. Impressive.
She's been involved with ballet, Pilates, and yoga since she was a small child, and on her website, you can observe the grace of her movement, cultivated through years of doing one thing: Paying attention to herself.
You don't become an accomplished ballet dancer by blowing off pirouette practice. You don't become a ballet dancer by shirking away from discipline. Similarly, no matter how flexible Janice's body is because of dance, she still had to make the time to dedicate to her yoga practice to receive the true benefits of it as well. Because of setting her priorities, putting herself and her movement practices first, she's still fluid, energetic, vibrant.
I have numerous conversations with people that are usually summarized this way, "I'd love to practice, but there's just so much going on right now. I'll get to it at some point." I've said this a time or two myself.
Yes, there are phases of busyness, especially when driven by external forces not always in our control. But there are a few counterpoints to busyness:
1) Sometimes, people are immersed in "busy", and neglect aspects of proper self-care as a result. Instead, they choose other modes of release that may not nurture them in the ways they need, because the ways they need require more (perceived) effort. For example, eating Doritos on the couch watching "Dancing With the Stars" instead of enjoying a calming yoga practice followed by a healthy dinner.
2) Sometimes, people use an aspect of "busy" to project importance. This projection may mask other factors that require attention and effort the person simply doesn't want to make a priority.
3) Sometimes, people are "busy" spending time caring for others to a point of self-sacrifice, because this somehow justifies the action, and doesn't make them appear selfish.
What provides grounding in uneven times is dedication to self-care. There's a "good" definition of selfishness in that you make your needs a priority, while not infringing on others, and still have the ability to assist others. Making your yoga practice a priority in your life enables you to act, not react; to give from a plentiful well; to draw out what's buried inside that no longer serves you.
When you choose to make time for your practice, you're as far away from selfish as you can get. You provide the world with the best version of yourself.
Think for a moment about how many times caring for yourself ranks lower on your list of priorities. What can you do to change this? Share your thoughts privately with Tracey, or start a discussion on the TKY Facebook page.
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