💕 Heart openers for November 💕
NEWS FROM THE STUDIO
Here is the weekly schedule for in-person classes in Lisbon. All of them take place in Campo de Ourique.
🏄♀️🏄♂️ Yoga for Surfers
📅 Every Wednesday 9am at Studio Organic Flow
🤰🤱 Baby & Me - Prenatal & Postnatal (babies welcome!)
📅 Every Wednesday 11am at Studio Organic Flow
🧘♀️🧘♂️ Mindful Flow - Slow Vinyasa
📅 Every Friday 12.30pm at Yoga no Bairro
Each class is limited to 8 students, so remember to book your spot beforehand. Private Online classes can also be scheduled on demand.
🖤 Our theme for November: Heart openers & Backbends 🖤
November is the darkest month of the year, days are short, light is scarce, rain is abundant, everything points to winter around the corner. This year especially, as we helplessly watch horror stories unfold before our eyes, we might be feeling extra powerless and frustrated by so much darkness all around.
When the world feels heavy, we must continue to open our hearts. One way we can access Anahata, our heart chakra is by practicing backbends, energizing postures that open the front of the body, making us more vulnerable, and ultimately more human.
EASY-TO-DIGEST YOGA PHILOSOPHY
The 8 limbs of Yoga (continued)
This month, we go over the five Niyamas (observances) composing the second limb of Yoga. Whereas the Yamas were principles on how to behave towards others mostly, the Niyamas are subtle mental principles to be applied to ourselves.
Saucha: Cleanliness or Purity. Living in a clean body but also in a clean home and a clean environment. Purity also comes in the form of a clear mind, freed from self-deprecating thoughts, and clean speech, i.e. free from gossips.
Santosha: Contentment, Acceptance. The ability of being content with what is but also the willingness to admit and accept our own qualities and flaws. Once we can see ourselves a little more clearly, we become more honest about what we truly need and then only we can start healing.
Tapas: Internal fire, self-discipline. As the saying goes: Practice and all is coming. Only consistent practice (of yoga or anything else) over time can lead to transformation.
Svadhyaya: Self-study and study of sacred texts. The yogic tradition is based on several sacred scriptures, and this principle asks us to commit to not only reading and studying them but also coming back to them regularly: forever students, always learning.
Isvarapranidhana: Devotion, Surrender to the divine. Yoga is not a religion but it does borrow this major religious principle of being devoted to a force grander than ourselves - you can call it however makes the most sense to you, Light force, Universe, Source energy, etc.
NB: You can access the previous newsletters and more context about the 8 limbs of Yoga here.
LIFE IN LISBON
Rainy Fall
October started a little too warm and ended a little too wet. It’s my first fall in Lisbon and I can attest it definitely is the rainy season here. Even though we could all use a little more sunshine by now, the lack of rain used to make me anxious in California, so I actually find it reassuring to live in a place where it does rain!
Like LA, Lisbon is a city where rain can quickly render traffic & navigation chaotic: slippery cobblestones, disorganized bus service and long wait times for shared ride apps: on a rainy day it can be a real mission to simply get somewhere.
Lastly, here are a few things I loved in October: this article, this reminder, this interview, this recipe and this book.
And a quote, why not.
”A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.” Georges Moore
Exactly one year ago, after more than a decade on another continent, I moved back to Europe, where I am originally from. I’ve been reflecting on the notion of being born in a place, leaving it, building a home elsewhere, and how it feels to (almost) come home. If that’s a subject that speaks to you, I’d love to hear your thoughts and exchange around it.
A little sunshine to brighten this gloomy season. Queendom of emotions, by painter Ariane Solal
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✨ FROM LISBON, WITH LIGHT ✨
