when i get where I'm going...

ever since my first memory as a little girl in Ethiopia, i have felt that i sometimes over-intellectualize things. for a period of time, i thought it was a bad thing until i got to know myself and my mind a little better. my mental process asks a lot of questions. it asks because it seeks clarity and the clarity is then transferred to doing things in a more concise and harmonious way. this cerebral process works only some of the time.

the process of letting go has been a challenge for me since time immemorial. whether it's the trauma of being resettled as an Ethiopian refugee to Portland, Maine, or the bitterness caused by an abusive step-father, i stand stubborn, arms crossed, until finally, i release.

there has not been one aspect of my life that has been handed to me. i left my parents home in 2003, financed my college education, landed my first job, paid for my own rent, etc. and all the while, i would dig deep within the cave of my soul and excavate all that i have accumulated along my journey. each time i have chosen to let-go rather than cling-to, the universe has rewarded me. it is just now, as i am inching toward thirty that i appreciate how far i have actually come. 

today, Jen Rene attempted to help me get into supta kurmasana, sleeping turtle. i am not yet able to come into the fullest expression of the pose, so for now, we use a block to support my feet. eventually, my feet will come behind my head, and my arms will bind behind my back! it was then that all of these revelations came. Jen said, "Nya, hold this for twenty breaths, at least!"

i sat there, in turtle pose, with my head down and my feet propped, internally weeping. every time i would tense my thighs, tears threatened to come pouring out of my eyes, but when i let go and released my thighs and hips, i surrendered. and then i thought, this is letting go. maybe it was only for five of the twenty breaths, but this is the practice. this is the samadhi that keeps me coming back to the Mysore room. maybe, if i keep coming back and accumulate these lessons over time, i can continue healing, "and when i get to where i'm going, they'll be only happy tears. i will shed the sins and struggles i have carried all these years and i'll leave my heart wide-open. i will love and have no fear, when i get where i'm going."

letting go is a process. give time, time and let go of what you can, when you can.

physical release ----> emotional release ----> mental release ----> healing.

big love,

n-a

photo credit: james jackson

everything comes to us that belongs to us, if we create the capacity to receive it

this friday, April 10, join me from 6-8pm at Buddha B Yoga for a 2 hour restorative practice. we will be focusing on the root chakra, muladhara, the seat of all spiritual energy. this workshop will be co-hosted by Julia Colton who will guide you through a three-part-breathing technique known as deerga swasam. Julia will also guide you to savasana through yoga nidra. bring a journal + pen along with warm socks and an extra layer of clothing. 

as we welcome the spring season and with it, an opportunity to cleanse and renew, restorative yoga is a wonderful addition to an existing practice or a journey into a new practice. to restore something is to renew it or to bring it back to its natural state and so, we will be exploring what it means to restore things in our lives. this practice is suitable for everyone including beginners. due to the quiet nature of the practice and the use of props, space is limited to 15 people. the cost is $30 per person. sign up here.

on sunday, join me at dock 5 above union market from 12-1pm for a class focusing on twists. twists spiritually prepare the mind + body for a change in direction. twists are also beneficial for detoxing and massaging the internal organs. twisting not only allows the spine to stay supple, but cleanses the organs from the inside out. asana is practiced as a way to create space in the physical body, thereby creating space in the mental and emotional body. sunday is forecasted at 71 degrees, come and de-stress! 

big love.

"everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the capacity to receive it"
                                                                                                                                                                                                rabindranath tagore

photo credit: james jackson

photo credit: james jackson



Happy New Year!

happy New Year from the very base of my heart and a big thank you to 35 amazing people who practiced with me last night at buddha b yoga for the NYE Intention setting practice, i will be scheduling a follow-up workshop! there will be a few changes in my teaching schedule for 2015 as i take on more training and travel with my teacher to India, keep a pulse on my website for all pertinent information. i am looking forward to better serving my community and inspiring change.

i am also very happy to announce that yoga with nya is permanently staying at union market beginning this sunday January 4. we are very excited to offer the community yoga classes at dock 5 with specialty workshops and guest teachers. 

look forward to seeing you!

big love,
nya

 

photo credit: David Forney

New Years Eve Intention Setting + 2 Hour Practice

everything that leads to change in our life begins with an intention to change.

join me this New Years Eve for a 2 hour practice from 7pm-9pm. we will meditate on intentions and goals for the new year and reflect on the year that has passed. this will include a 90 minute asana practice that will ground you, open your hips and heart and conclude with restorative poses and a lengthy savasana. please bring with you a notebook and pen!

Sign up here I look forward to seeing you!

 

yoga with nya at Union Market

join me sundays in november at union market for a vinyasa class for all skill levels. the class is FREE and welcome to all. the class will be held above the market in dock 5, please enter through the stairway on the far right side of the market and come up the stairs. some mats and blocks will be provided, but its never a bad idea to bring your own mat. i look forward to meeting you!