onlYoga eNewsletter

Vol. 30 • January • 2009

winternews08

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Dates To Remember
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The Winter Schedule Goes Into Effect Monday January 5, 2009
Please Note: Evening Classes Now Begin Between 5 & 7:45pm
Quarterly Special eVents Are Listed On The Activities Page
The onlYoga Online Calendar Contains The Most Up To Date Schedule Information




© John Merideth • onlYoga, llc 2009
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photograph by Harriet Leibowitz ©

SUTRA 4.31

Once all the layers and imperfections concealing truth have been washed away, insight is boundless,
with little left to know.

tadâ sarvâvaraña-malâpetasya jõânasyânantyâj jõeyam alpam

tadâ = then

sarva = all

âvaraña = covering, veil, layer

mala = imperfection

apetasya = removed

jõânasya = knowledge, insight

ânantyât = infinity, the boundless

jõeyam = to be known

alpam = little


-Patanjali

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12 Classes $138 (Save $23)

11% OFF 12 Month Unlimited $1149
 (Regularly $1288 - Save $139)

New Years Resolution Specials
-20% Off ALL Class Packages For New Students
- $5 OFF Your Next Class
when you introduce a new student to onlYoga


15% OFF Super Black Mats $66 (Regularly $78 - Save $12)

15% OFF All Yoga Instruction Books
(prices vary)

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On Winter's Margin
-Mary Oliver
On winter’s margin, see the small birds now
With half-forged memories come flocking home
To gardens famous for their charity.
The green globe’s broken; vines like tangled veins
Hang at the entrance to the silent wood.

With half a loaf, I am the prince of crumbs;
By snow’s down, the birds amassed will sing
Like children for their sire to walk abroad!
But what I love, is the gray stubborn hawk
Who floats alone beyond the frozen vines;
And what I dream of are the patient deer
Who stand on legs like reeds and drink that wind; -

They are what saves the world: who choose to grow
Thin to a starting point beyond this squalor.
Oliver_Mary
Oliver’s poetry is grounded in memories of Ohio and her adopted home of New England. Influenced by both Whitman and Thoreau, she is known for her clear and poignant observances of the natural world. Her poems are filled with imagery from her daily walks near her home in Provincetown, Massachusetts: shore birds, water snakes, the phases of the moon and humpback whales. Maxine Kumin calls Oliver "a patroller of wetlands in the same way that Thoreau was an inspector of snowstorms" and "an indefatigable guide to the natural world."
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Aprigraha or non-accumulation is one of the most fundamental tenets of the yoga tradition.  Exoterically it relates to the acquisition of wealth or power generally through some form of exploitation.  Esoterically it speaks to our sometimes palpable drive for ever grander forms of acknowledgement.  Aprigraha is also a reminder of the law of unintended consequences and the way in which unbridled greed often brings with it unseen obligations and problems.  Bearing witness to the rapid meltdown of a good portion of our economy over the last year has left me with mixed feelings.  On one hand, like most people, I feel fear and anxiety over what appears to be an ever-worsening economic hurricane.  I am also distressed and at times disgusted by a political machine that rewards recklessness and very poor judgement.  On the other hand I am a yogi and believe with my heart and soul that principles like aprigraha, when adequately contemplated, can be applied in times like these to help us steer toward a more meaningful existence.  Like everyone, I don’t relish my neighbor losing their job or hearing that a good friend close to retirement has lost half of his or her wealth.  Simultaneously, I feel like this financial mess has the potential to be an incredibly poignant wake-up call for us as an entire nation.  We have been living through a time of unbridled greed and it would seem that we are beginning to finally understand the consequences of living beyond our means on borrowed money.  I don’t wish suffering on anyone, but I do know that it often takes a derailed train for the tracks to finally get fixed...

My personal way of integrating the principle of aprigraha into my existence on this planet is through gratitude. When we are grateful for and reflect on what we have, often that drive for the next fix looses some of its glamor.  One of my fondest memories from this time of year is of a water balloon fight I had on Christmas in the B dorm at New College in Florida.  There were just a few of us on break away from our families. We didn’t have much money, so we cooked a simple meal, exchanged homemade gifts and spent the afternoon laughing, having water balloon fights and appreciating the setting sun.  We didn’t have much, but what we had was enough; and frankly, we didn’t need more to be happy.  I would imagine that you too might be feeling anxious, or even angry, about the changing financial landscape. Nonetheless, in these challenging times, try to reflect on the simple things - the miracle of the changing seasons, the happiness of being with the people you love, the pleasures of cooking or sharing a meal with friends. These experiences are not really things accumulated, they are the joys of simply being present.

Happy Holidays - John Merideth
APRIGRAHA
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