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October 2010 News

The Journey of 1,000 Miles begins with One Step

Upcoming Specialty Classes

Partner & Thai Yoga Workshop
w/Laura & Jackie
Sunday, Oct. 17, 2010
2:00PM-4:00PM
$25 per person pre-paid
$30 per person at the door

Experience the joy of yoga with a partner, learning and practicing partner-supported and assisted poses. We will also explore the beautiful Southeast Asian Folk Art that is Thai Yoga Massage (Nuad Borarn). Thai Yoga (also known as assisted yoga) synthesizes acupressure, rhythmic compressions, breath work and meditation to create inspired tranquility, rejuvenation, and whole health. A partner is recommended, although not necessary.
Please register/prepay by Oct. 15.

Specialty classes and workshops offer you something different than what you would normally experience in a regular class. They are often longer in duration and give you the opportunity to try something new. It is for this reason that we charge an additional fee for these classes. Please keep in mind that in order to reserve your spot for specialty classes and workshops, you must pre-register/prepay. Space is limited and we cannot guarantee you a spot unless you pay ahead of time. We usually offer a financial incentive for prepayment. You can prepay and register at the studio or in some instances, through our website. In addition, we require a minimum number of participants in order to hold these classes. If for some reason there aren't enough participants enrolled in a class, we will cancel the class and refund your payment or issue a studio credit. Class packages such as class cards and monthly unlimited auto-pay cannot be used to pay for these classes.

Save the Date

Yin Yoga & Meditation Specialty Class
w/Nancy
Sunday, November 14
2:00-4:00PM
$25 prepaid/$30 at the door
Please register/prepay by November 12

Find the challenge in stillness and experience a lightness of being. Yin Yoga is a cool, quiet, passive yoga practice that works the deep, dense connective tissues of the body. It involves exploring a variety of long-held poses, observing breath integration with stretch. Practicing Yin Yoga removes energy blocks in the body, lengthens and releases tendons and fascia, and helps increase joint flexibility resulting in an increased range of motion. Through this practice, you will realize the key to your own peaceful path, and let it spread to the world around you. The class will finish with meditation.

Family Yoga
w/Jackie
Meets the 1st Saturday of the month
11:00AM-12:00PM
Class Dates: 10/2/10, 11/6/10, 12/4/10
Adult Drop-in: $15 or use your class package
Child drop-in: $11
Stop into the studio and come experience yoga with your loved ones. Family Yoga is a fun, basic yoga class for beginning through experienced participants. All ages welcome! This is a great way to start your yoga practice or introduce your child to yoga.

Stay tuned for more Upcoming Events as we move through fall and wind down 2010!

See, Choose, Act

Making a Commitment to your Health
What is more important than your health? You have a choice every day to make your health a priority. Everyone agrees that physical activity—yoga & Pilates in particular, improve your health in so many ways. The decision whether to practice yoga or Pilates (or any physical activity for that matter) may not feel like a choice, but it is. It really is that simple. We are all busy. We all have obligations. So, how do we make time for it, and why should we do it?

WHY do it? Consider this:
Life feels better when we are healthy
We can live life to the fullest and reach our full potential when we are healthy
We are less of a burden on our loved ones when we are healthy
What are the consequences of not taking care of ourselves?
A healthy body fosters a healthy mind
It's easier to be happy when you are healthy
Etcetera

HOW do we do it?
Rather than list the practical steps of how to schedule and keep an appointment with your "self" to practice Pilates or yoga, let's look at it in another light:

Imagine waking up and remembering that you have a million things to do. There couldn't possibly be time to take a class today because _________________ (fill in the blank). Ok, so you're busy, or tired, or maybe you feel a little sick. Here is the moment of awareness (seeing). In a way you desire taking a class, but feel as though it's impossible. So you have a choice as you come to this fork in the road. Both paths have their attractions, but one of these choices is the harder of the two. On the one hand, if you skip class you can _________________ . If you go to class you will _________________. At this point your own will can get your feet out of bed and help you set your intention to action. Before you know it you are in class. Afterward you notice the benefits and experience a certain level of satisfaction at your own activity and self-discipline. This is your personal history being re-written. What you have exercised, besides your body is your innate intelligence.

"And tomorrow, when the alarm clock rings, it is all to do again...If a well-toned body works better each day, surely the same is true for a well-honed intelligence. For our bodies, the fruit of our sustained, intelligent effort will be, in its widest sense, health. But at another level, what we are really gaining (and this is the cause of our satisfaction) is self-control." (B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Life)
We can direct our own lives when we have health and self-control, and we feel happy when we are directing our own lives because we are experiencing a growing freedom.

We Care

All of us at the studio care about you and your health. For me personally, this is a major reason why I teach Pilates and yoga and why I've taken the path establishing FitnessYoga Studios. These practices have given me more than words can describe and I feel honored and grateful to be able to share them with you.

When you see, choose, and act by signing up for classes you are making your health a priority. Keep that commitment by attending classes on a regular basis. Honor your intention to attend every class you signed up for or appointment you've made. Enough excuses--it's time to stop rescheduling your health. You are worth it!

Series Classes

Check out our website for the next round of dates for the following series classes:

Beginner Yoga
Pilates Mat
Pilates Reformer Strength Circuit
Prenatal Yoga

Remember, space is limited so please sign up and prepay ahead of time for series classes to guarantee your spot. This is extremely important for the Pilates Reformer Strength Circuit class. In addition, we require a minimum number of participants prepaid for the entire series in order to hold these classes, so we need to know ahead of time how many are attending. Drop-ins are usually ok if space allows. Please have us check availability for you. A higher fee may apply for drop-ins. If you cannot commit to the entire series, or if you join late, we can prorate the fee for you—just ask. Also, if we cancel a class and you prepaid, we will issue you a refund or a studio credit.

Class Package Policies

What should you do if you purchase a class card and then have an extended illness or injury and need to miss class for a while? Or what if you sign up for a 6-week series and miss a class because you had to work late? Please pick up a copy of the "Class Package Policy" at the studio for answers to these questions and more. We would also be more than happy to email it to you—just ask! In many cases we can work with you to help you get back on track. There are no refunds on class purchases and classes are not transferable.

Lost & Found

Have you lost a yoga mat or towel? How about a water bottle? We have been accumulating an assortment of items at the yoga studio. The Lost & Found has been relocated upstairs. Please let us know if you left something behind and we will be happy to assist you.

Thank You

In the spirit of Karma Yoga (the yoga of action), a number of you participated in the Bradley’s Buddies 5K Run and 1 mile Fun Walk on Sept. 26. At the latest count, this year's event earned over $10,000 to help local families and fund t-cell leukemia research at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. To date, over $40,000 has been raised. Thank you to those who participated. Way to go! For more information on Bradley's Buddies, click here: http://www.bradleysbuddies.org/

Continuing on the path of Karma Yoga, come out to the 2nd Annual Kiss my Aspergers Halloween Costume Gala on Oct. 22, in which the proceeds benefit the Gloucester County Special Services Education Foundation. GCSSEF provides support to local families affected by an autism spectrum disorder. Tickets are $40 in advance and $45 at the door. Or, join Laura at the FitnessYoga table, and get your tickets at a discount. Please see the flyer posted at the studio for more details. It's sure to be a fun time!

Yours in health,
Laura

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