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february's e-news contains:
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studio hours:
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monday
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10:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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tuesday
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10:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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wednesday
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10:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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thursday
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11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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friday
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10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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saturday
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8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
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sunday
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8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
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take a yoga class,
shop the tranquiliT boutique
or stop in to say hello
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“the aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware!”
~ henry miller
february is fast upon us. how are your 2005 intentions unfolding? how are you handling the lack of sunshine and ability to enjoy life outdoors? this is a month filled with silly carnation hearts, chilly weather, whispers of love, and lots of pink and red. it is also a month where many people become stir crazy due to cabin fever or saddened about a lack of suitable valentines. the holidays are over, the thrill of new year's resolutions have subsided, and we're hanging on by a thread with anticipation of spring. how can we find a meaningful message in the madness? to me, an underlying theme for february is a connection with passion. isn't passion, (defined by my iBook dictionary as "an intense or overpowering emotion, keen interest in a particular subject or activity, and strong desire and excitement"), what our practice of yoga and life is really all about?
through yoga, we are able to reconnect to the basics such as breath, mindful movement, and thought cessation. by coming back to these basics, we can see where we are in need of action to avoid further stagnation. simple tools such as journal writing, yoga practice, meditation, and a good heart-to-heart with a trusted companion can jolt one out of a rut-filled routine. notice what areas feel passionless in your life and begin working with ways to bring it back. passion-filled changes include trying a different level of practice at the studio, cooking with a new herb, taking up flamenco dance, designing a dress, writing a novel, creating a blog or starting a business. passion is about living out loud, being in the flow, taking chances, pushing edges, and holding boundaries — with flair!
without passion, days lose importance and life becomes a continual dance on the hamster wheel. explore ways to bring passion back to your life, your relationships, and even your yoga practice. approach your job or partnership with new eyes, or less judgmental eyes, that embody gratitude. this can do a lot for invoking passion. approach the mat as if you're new to the practice and listen intently to the subtleties encouraged by the teacher. life is meant to be lived fully and vibrantly. i love the above quote by henry miller. how often are you living with such passion that you are "joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware?" isn't that what it's all about? february, cupids, our heart opener theme of the season, the asana of the month, love, relationships, life, career — passion is at the core! may this month offer you a chance to reconnect with your passion whether or not you have a valentine. allow your reflective relationship with yourself to be the catalyst to stoke your passionate fires on and off the yoga mat.
 passionately yours,
kimberly wilson
visit kimberly's online
blog for regular musings on the practice of life and yoga.
2 spaces still available! join a 7-week creativity series starting saturday, february 5 and begin moving creatively and strategically on and off the mat.
- yogi appreciation week, february 7-14! 10% off all class passes and tranquiliT boutique purchases.
- we've added more classes! a sunday 9 a.m. class AND a monday 4:30 p.m. class. visit our updated schedule, effective february 1.
- thank you for supporting bethesda's open house on january 21st; we look forward to more fun off the mat in the future. view photos of the event!
- join siobhan on feb. 11th in bethesda, and lisa feb. 18th in dupont, for "yoga means union...", a partner yoga workshop to celebrate valentine's day with a friend.
- we have lots of great lifestyle AND yoga workshops scheduled in 2005. visit enlightening events for ALL the scoop.
- interested in free yoga? visit studio opportunities for a few openings.
- mat storage cessation. due to continual mat avalanches and some simply walking away, we are no longer able to offer mat storage effective friday, february 25. any mats left at the studio will be donated local charities.
- save the date: join tranquil space in celebration of the spring equinox on friday, march 25, 9 p.m. – midnight, for a beautiful event of karma yoga, dance, poetry and community. all proceeds will benefit the victims of the tsunami tragedy in asia. details on our events page.
- tranquiliT trunk shows serve to empower women to create. we donate a portion of our proceeds to womenarts.org who state, "we dream about what will happen as more and more women artists gain the resources they need to express their creativity fully. we are convinced that they will change the world." tranquil space agrees! to showcase your creations, contact heather@tranquilspace.com for an application. save the date for our spring fling show on april 30! view photos from past shows.
- webscheduler solves disappointment due to full classes. please take advantage of this benefit. visit our webscheduler faq page. remember that our class size average is 10 so plan your yoga practice accordingly.
- watch for informative and enlightening weekly tranquiliTips offered throughout each yoga class. february's focus is the niyamas.
- tranquiliTheme of the season: heart opening. we're celebrating valentine's day in our own way with focus on awakening the heart center. mindfulness of the heart center brings bliss, bountiful breath and lightness of spirit.
- community celebration: our way to celebrate tranquil space yogis' honors and developments! please share your celebrations with us by e-mailing newsletter@tranquilspace.com.
- from siobhan troy: "special thanks to kimberly, rebecca, leslie, marco and erin for their assistance at the bethesda open house."
- volunteer opportunities with my sister's place (MSP), tranquiliT boutique's ongoing charity. MSP is a shelter for battered women and their children committed to ending the cycle of violence and abuse in their lives. there is a volunteer training coming up february 3rd & 5th. if interested, contact arnita green-williams, agreen@mysistersplacedc.org.
- congrats to lauren brownstein on her month long sojourn to costa rica for some on and off the mat yoga practice. we'll miss you!
- congrats to jessica carlin who gave birth to aiden, stephanie donne who gave birth to elijah benjamin weissmanon, and kate smith, who gave birth to alexandra louise smith.
- a big welcome to catherine haradon as our friday night manager and sarah skopek as our cleaning diva.
- yogini karin smith has accepted a consulting position as business development and marketing specialist with the center for leadership and peacebuilding. for scoop on the center's upcoming leadership development trainings, please contact karincsmith@aol.com.
- congratulations to january 2005 newbie series graduates: jessica, patricia, mo, catherine, dan, traci, rachael, bj, lillian, karen, emily, wanda, jennifer, elizabeth, and greg! we look forward to seeing your yoga practice unfold!
- a big welcome to our teacher training students
who are embarking ona 200-hour journey: barbara, brenda, brigitte,
christina, chuck, david, emily, haven, heather, hilary, karoline,
kelley, maria, marissa, mary, nicole, rebecca, roy, sasha-vanessa, zoe.
- looking for like-minded friends in dc? we have SO many amazing people at our studio and many have requested more social outlets — some are new to the area and some simply looking for more similarly-aligned pals. why not expand your community by asking a fellow yogi to join you for tea post-practice?
- share photos of you wearing tranquiliT
tees around the globe! to be featured in next month's newsletter, send photos to newsletter@tranquilspace.com.
this month's features: kimberly wearing the tranquiliT line and siobhan in a tranquiliT tee, and leslie and erin wearing tranquiliT tees at tranquil space bethesda's open house.
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 september fortier
i first came to yoga in 1997 after the death of my mother. needless to say this was an extremely tumultuous time. i was raw and confused. the effect on my body was substantial. i moved through the world like the tin man from the wizard of oz — inflexible and rigid. but as i found my breath and flowed through the asanas. i recovered my flexibility and a quietness within myself which was profound. of course, not every experience on the mat was magical. some days i had to literally drag myself out of bed to make it to class and other days i never made it out at all. but i continued to practice and in the process began to feel myself again. life sometimes forces us into the realm of the unknown and we aren't given a choice. we must change. and, with so much changing in my own life it was reassuring to find that there was a part of myself that would never change: the essential self, or what i now know from yogic philosophy as "atman." this self was much greater then the little "me" i had previously known. yoga allowed me to experience this expansive "other was never really an "other" at all!
i went on to graduate school and received my master's of fine arts. i moved, started a career, met a wonderful man and married him and through it all i kept coming back to the practice of yoga and meditation. eventually i found tranquil space and enrolled in the teacher training program where i began to study more intensely the philosophy of yoga including the yamas (restraints) and niyamas (observances) as well as the physical postures and sequencing of vinyasa yoga.
a week before signing on as a substitute teacher and teaching assistant at tranquil space i discovered i was pregnant. kimberly suggested that i assist carol in her thursday baby & me class. and, for this i will be forever grateful. watching the interaction between mother and child has been such a great learning experience and has helped prepare me for the birth of my own daughter. the mothers in the class have been incredibly helpful throughout my pregnancy offering me everything from helpful tips and guidance to baby books and gear! and, as i continued to survey my ever-expanding waistline i had to face the truth that life was once again forcing me into the realm of the unknown. this was a strange new world of maternity clothes, physical awkwardness and hormonal shifts which would have me laughing uncontrollably one moment and crying inconsolably the next. i longed for the presence and support of my mother and desperately wanted to share this special time with her.
i wish i could say that by purposefully applying the restraints and observances of yogic philosophy i was able to breeze through pregnancy and the birth of my child; unfortunately this was not the case. a famous yogi once said "you can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf." this is a statement which has always rung true for me. yoga has given me the tools to cope with difficult situations. now, when a situation arises which causes me anxiety i am able to take a moment, drink in the situation through present-moment awareness or meditation and investigate why i am so affected via svadhayaya or self-study. do i remember to do this with every problem? no. but, when i do apply these tools i find them incredibly powerful.
my daughter, skye marie, is now a month old and as a new mother everyday is a whirlwind of new experiences and challenges. at times the process is painful as i am forced to surrender (ishvara pranidhana) my old ideas of being a "perfect mother." i now try to accept the chaos of poopy diapers, baby spit-up and leaky breast milk. sometimes i'm successful, sometimes not. the fact is that i don't have all the answers. i don't always know the best way to soothe my little one or how to deal with my lack of sleep. i sometimes snap at my husband. i still have so much to learn.
but, as i gaze into my wee one's big blue eyes i find my heart overflowing with love. i marvel at her tiny fingernails and the softness of her little chins — yes there are more then one! i get teary and peaceful when i see her being rocked to sleep by my beautiful husband. having a daughter of my own makes me want to be the best me i can be. and, as always my mother is never far from my thoughts; i see her in a new light. i am now able, through the practice of yoga, to celebrate her life rather then focus on her death. i have so much gratitude for her as a mother and as a woman, for the way she lived her life and for her patience and grace. i am reminded of an e.e. cummings poem "now the ears of my ears awake and now the eyes of my eyes are opened." i look forward to the future with an open heart and more then a little trepidation and i pray that lessons learned on and off the mat continue to support me through this amazing journey of motherhood. namaste.
 ustrasana (camel pose)
benefits
- stretches the entire front of the body, the ankles, thighs and groins, abdomen and chest, and throat
- stretches the deep hip flexors (psoas)
- strengthens back muscles
- improves posture
- stimulates the organs of the abdomen and neck
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 rebecca bly — tranquil space dupont
i was drawn into my first yoga class in high school by a woman for whom i fried up tempeh burgers with sauerkraut at my parents' health food store. not only did i think she had bad taste in vegan fare, but i thought she was nuts, in the cool sort of way, so to get out of gym class, i started practicing yoga at her studio.
after moving to dc, i luckily found kimberly's living room a great place to continue what i'd discovered back home. i thought, "wow, if her cats can do yoga, than she must be a really great instructor!" i've followed her around like a good little sheep ever since.
between the warm studio, the familiar faces, and a plethora of inspiring teachers, tranquil space has become my sanctuary, my second living room, where i feel welcome and at home. the second i walk in, my pulse slows, and the calm sets in.
if you want a place to learn and grow, come to tranquil space. if you think you can't, those tranquil space teachers will prove you wrong. really wrong. a special thanks to siobhan and lisa who have taught me volumes and made me stronger than i ever thought possible. i know i've only hit the tip of the iceberg and i look forward to uncovering more each time i hit the mat. |
 nancy fleitell — tranquil space bethesda
five years ago, i was in a stressful job and my health was going downhill. i developed tmj and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. i'm a big fan of walking which was my only form of exercise. modern medicine wasn't doing anything, and i knew i had to find something to take its place. one day i was at the bethesda library and picked up a schedule for classes at glen echo park. i saw that they offered: introduction to yoga and stress transformation & flexibility. two phrases stuck out in the description of the classes "deep relaxation" and "breathing techniques" — perfect, just what i needed.
in september 2003, we had a new tuesday evening yoga instructor, siobhan troy. she was uplifting, motivating, friendly, so full of life and energy that i fell into a deeper love and a new understanding for yoga. in october of 2004, she told us she was leaving. i was devastated since i had found an inspiring yoga class and instructor. but the good news was that she was going to start her own studio at bethesda presbyterian church, "tranquil space-bethesda". i knew nothing about tranquil space, but i knew i had to follow. and i too began the next chapter in my life, "yoga 2." boy, has it been hard! i have no upper body strength whatsoever. after the third class, i decided i was going to go back to yoga 1 because yoga 2 was too challenging. i began to notice that my arms were getting a tiny bit stronger and other areas were toning. so i decided to give it another try and found that the fourth class was not as difficult and frustrating. though the poses are intense and challenging, i've learned that i need to focus more on my breathing, which has taken me to another level.
yoga, acupuncture, chinese medicine and massage therapy have truly changed my life. it is my way of life! i have found a new home and family at tranquil space bethesda. and thank you, siobhan, for opening a whole new chapter in my life. |
 anne kennedy
i first found yoga seven years ago while living in the hills of eastern kentucky. i can't remember my sweet, hippy instructor's name now, but she gave me the best yoga mat i've ever had. and, in the classic iyengar tradition, she taught me to get very still in a pose and pay close attention to the details of alignment.
two and a half years ago, i landed in dc and quickly found tranquil space at the church on 16th street. jobless and otherwise not able to afford classes, i became a studio assistant. tranquil space was my first exposure to vinyasa yoga. at first i found it very rushed and unsettling — looking back, siobhan's level 2 wasn't the best choice for my intro class (ha!). over time, i found myself craving the flow of breath and movement.
i'm thankful for my monday night shifts with johanna. i'm thankful for the candy dishes found scattered around the studio. and, most of all, i'm thankful for all of the kind-spirited yogis i've met during my time at tranquil space. namaste. |
clothing, accessories, and specialties to enrich your life on and off the mat
 tranquiliT boutique is a fusion of fashion and passion in celebration of yogis' bodies and spirits! tranquil space's own line of yoga clothing and accessories, tranquiliT, is designed for the style-conscious yogini and was featured in december's shape magazine.
tranquiliT boutique carries a delightful range of comfy and chic lines that transition from the yoga mat to the market or museum. all pieces are hand picked by kimberly, made of luxurious fabrics that stretch with your body, and designed for wearing on and off the yoga mat. the tranquiliT boutique blends a love of fashion, a desire for comfort, and a sprinkle of flair.
tranquiliT boutique's featured item this month is the velvet tranquiliT pant — a cozy pant perfect for practice and transitions fabulously to evening wear.
in alignment with our values, a portion of the tranquiliT proceeds are donated to my sister's place — a local organization committed to eradicating domestic violence.
- newbie new years special: buy a 6-class pass, "vinyasa yoga for the newbie yogi" CD, and a yoga mat for only $115
- winter warmth special: buy two long-sleeved tranquiliT tees for $35
- retail therapy special: buy a 10-class pass
or higher and receive 15% off all tranquiliT boutique purchases that day
specials valid through march 31, 2005
the mission of tranquil space is to provide a nurturing environment that encourages the unfolding of a creative yoga practice that is carried off the yoga mat into one's daily life.
the vision of tranquil space is to use yoga as a catalyst to live life fully and consciously.
tranquil space studio values:
passion, creativity, community, initiative, compassion
2024 p street, nw
washington, d.c. 20036
© 2005 tranquil space, llc. all rights reserved.
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