"only when we have truly found ourselves will we be able to live in peace, harmony and happiness in the world. this is what is sometimes called the sacred life" george feuerstein

over two thousand years ago when patanjali wrote the fundamental teachings of yoga, yoga sutras, he emphasized that the aim of yoga is to quiet the fluctuations of the mind. in today’s chaotic world, who needs this more than the modern yogi? we are trying to do it all and savor spirituality at the same time. play with incorporating these five tips into your daily routine and enjoy the sense of quiet tranquility that will come your way.

1. set your intention. begin your practice (daily life and yoga) with a clear outcome in mind. this helps you stay on track with a commitment to your overarching purpose. connect with your values and let them be a guiding force with daily decision making and possible detours. pose: sukasana. come to a comfortable cross-legged seated position. draw the flesh from your thighs and feel your sitting bones pressing into the earth. bring your shoulders over your hips and elongate your spine. place your hands onto your knees with the palms facing down. connect with your breath, create your intention, tune into your body and out of your head. stay here for five to 15 minutes. practice being.

2. develop awareness. observe your breath and physical sensations throughout your day. your body is a powerful teacher and constantly sends you signals. begin to listen to your body’s reactions and breath to help guide you with food, relationship, work, and exercise choices. pose: three-part yogic breath. notice each inhale and exhale. with your inhale, draw in a sense of self-compassion and inner strength. visualize your cares and concerns releasing with your exhale. count silently as you draw the breath in: one, two, three, four. exhale the breath out: one, two, three, four. keep the mouth closed with the jaw and tongue relaxed while taking long, slow, fluid breaths in and out of the nose. draw the breath into the belly, up into the lungs, and finally into the chest. exhale from the top down, beginning with the chest, lungs, and belly. practice this for at least five minutes.

3. seek balance. just as yoga teaches you how to balance with grace in awkward poses, it is important to find a similar balance in life. balance work and play while staying true to your passion and you’ll find the stamina to weather the daily dramas that inevitably come your way. pose: tree. from mountain pose, shift your weight into your left leg and place your right foot at your left ankle or inner thigh. open the right knee to the right and bring your hands to prayer position in front of your heart. find a focal point and, when balanced, extend your arms along your ears. breathe here for one to five minutes. repeat on the other side.

4. take risks. do something everyday that scares you. this will keep you out of your comfort zone and encourage new experiences (and poses). your possibilities are as broad as you will allow them to be—think big and bold. pose: headstand. begin in downward facing dog on a non-slip surface. come onto your forearms with the elbows directly under your shoulders and interlace your hands. you may find your edge here—pressing your forearms into the mat and keeping the shoulders lifted without sinking shoulders to ears. if you feel ready to move on, place the top of your head inside your clasped hands. shift the weight distribution off of your head and into your forearms so that you have lots of space along the neck. walk your feet toward your hands until they won't go anymore without the legs bending. engage the core, bend the knees, and bring your knees above your hips. if you're steady, straighten the legs, and extend towards the heavens. think of mountain pose turned upside down. voila, you're inverting and replenishing your internal organs! stay here for 10-50 breaths and then rest in child’s pose.

5. let go. do your very best everyday. let go of control and expectations. surrender to what unfolds without fighting life’s constant changes. as we all know, when one door closes, another opens. never lose sight of the big picture but stay open to new paths along the way. pose: child’s pose. from down dog, lower your knees to the floor and soften your chest over your thighs as you reach the arms forward. bring your big toes together and open your knees wide for a lovely hip opening variation. let the body, breath, and mind soften in this pose. completely let go. stay here for one to five minutes.

by putting these five tips into action, you experience a shift in perspective and a connection to svadyaya (self-study). continue growing and finding your edge daily by taking small steps outside of your comfort zone, learning something new, and savoring the simplicity of being rather than doing.  observe the sensations. savor the journey. namaste.

tranquilly yours,
kimberly wilson, creative director + founder
 

visit hip tranquil chick for musings on yoga lifestyle + ongoing podcasts. read kimberly’s weekly column in the examiner. join kimberly at kripalu august 10-15 or costa rica (sign up before july 7th and save $150!) for a week filled with hip tranquil chickness.

join guest teacher mimi rieger for budokon yogic series. take your yogic practice to the next level with the masterful movement of budokon. a blend of yoga, martial arts and meditation, this energetic, fluid and powerful practice will lead you on a journey to new physical paths. this is a 4 class series on wednesday evenings, july 9 - july 30. sign up online on classes page.

yogi appreciation week july 24th - july 31. 10% off in the tranquil space boutique and off class passes!

treat yourself to a month of unlimited yoga! for the month of july, purchase a 1-month unlimited pass for $99! the pass will activate on date of first use and be good for one month. limit one per person; no other discounts apply. benefits of unlimited yoga: limitless!

4th annual doga in the park bring your yoga mat and your canine yogi (bring your own, borrow one, or come alone) at 10 am on saturday, july 19th for an afternoon of frolicking.  it will be at rose park (west of dupont circle on p street past the bridge before 26th). tranquil space is teaming with the washington humane society and doggie style bakery to bring awareness to one of our favorite local charities while providing an afternoon of fun focused around your fave four-legged friend.  weather permitting.    picnic in the park celebrate summer with the tranquil space community sunday, july 20 between 6 and 8pm. bring your yoga mat and a treat or drink to share. friends and family (including 4-legged friends) are very welcome. tranquil space will lead a yoga flow for anyone in the mood to move. or, if you're exhausted from your weekend away at the beach, feel free to use your mat to sit and mingle on while enjoying the setting summer sun with fellow yogis. where: 23rd and p street park (before the bridge heading towards rock creek park)

postnatal teacher training, july 18, 19 & 20.  join carol collins for a weekend of training in teaching postnatal yoga and baby and me yoga. learn about the physiological and psychological needs of postnatal women and the developmental milestones for babies 6 weeks to 12 months. learn how to teach a class which includes both parent and baby, observe baby and me classes and practice teaching such a class.

prenatal teacher training, july 25 & 26. join anne thiel for a weekend-long prenatal yoga teacher training. together, we will brainstorm about what it means to teach prenatal yoga, learn about anatomical and physiological particularities of pregnancy, and discuss how they pertain to yoga as well as their implications for a prenatal yoga class. we will consider the elements of a well-rounded prenatal yoga class and also explore how yoga can be an invaluable support tool for the process of labor and childbirth.

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• community celebration: our way to celebrate tranquil space yogis' honors and developments! please share your celebrations with us by emailing newsletter@tranquilspace.com.
   
  • welcome on board to new tranquility concierge cecilia orphan!
  • congrats to level 1 teacher training grads: alexandra alderman, kimberly bingaman, lauren conover, keri douglas, tara huber, arwa jumkawala, dave kidney, joanna lo, susanna montezemolo, hannah nielsen-jones, glorianne pajkich, beatriz prieto-oramas, diane renzulli, aleen saunders, holly shick, and abby strunk!

share photos of you wearing TranquiliTees around the globe! to be featured in next month's newsletter, send photos to newsletter@tranquilspace.com. jo ann kester with her dad decked out in their tranquil space tees. fred stopped by to check out the new studio on his summer trip across country.

geneva pham in her tranquil space t-shirt in mongolia.

congrats to phallon lattimore for giving birth to rian amil on june 13!

congratulations to megan mack for giving birth to eulalia on june 20!

brian sano

while thinking of what to share with everyone this month and reflecting back on my yoga journey so far, i started to think about what yoga means to me. one definition i've always liked for yoga is "union." particularly, i've found a connection with my practice by recognizing yoga as the union between the body and the mind. recently, i've been seeing yoga truly as meditation in motion. i truly believe that each time we roll out that squishy spiritual and physical playground of a yoga mat, it offers us a chance to truly be authentic with ourselves, and open, curious, and present with whatever arises.

the beauty of the situation is that just like everything else in our lives, yoga itself is impermanent. yoga is always changing: each class, each pose, and each time we practice is different. even each breath is always changing. rather than seeing these changes as obstacles or things that hold us back, however, i believe yoga provides us the opportunity to really explore each moment in our lives with the inquisitiveness of a playful child, and the precise courage and bravery of the warrior we often resemble on the mat.

moreover, rather than being merely a temporary escape from our lives or difficulties off the mat, our time playing on the mat can truly be an opportunity to be fully present and totally involved with what it is we're doing, right here, right now. taking this a step further, we can see that really, the space we're playing in is truly groundless. but, rather than being fearful of this groundlessness, perhaps we can see the teachings in that insecurity and uncertainty. we often may not want things to change. we may like the comfort of familiarity, either on or off the yoga mat. however, sometimes, resisting those feelings, and resisting life as it unfolds, may actually lead to more confusion and suffering. i feel that yoga can provide us with the opportunity to see that each moment, each challenging pose, each burn we may feel in that uncomfortable spot, can offer us the opportunity to wake up.

chöyam trungpa rinpoche used to joyfully encourage his students to "lean into it" stating that, "everything is workable." i believe it truly is, but it just requires work. yet, we can have a gentle and playful approach to this. pema chödrön adds, "if we could learn to not be afraid of groundlessness, not be afraid of insecurity and uncertainty, it would be calling on an inner strength that would allow us to be open and free and loving and compassionate in any situation. but as long as we keep trying to scramble to get ground under our feet and avoid this uneasy feeling of groundlessness and insecurity and uncertainty and ambiguity and paradox, any of that, then the wars will continue."

yoga really is a "practice." i think that besides being a great way to get some physical exercise and maybe relax or unload some stress while listening to some awesome tunes, stretching, twisting and bending in sometimes remarkably cool ways, yoga can also be a practice in learning how to deal with our challenges and difficulties off the mat. maybe we can learn to relax with and find some comfort in that uncertainty. this may possibly even evolve to a point of just letting go of how we wish things were, or how we think they should be, and just being open and curious to whatever we come up against, rather than immediately resisting it or judging ourselves. perhaps, with this attitude, we can come to see that wherever we go, or whatever we come up against, it's up to us, and indeed we can make any space we enter a "tranquil" one.

clothing, accessories, and specialties
to enrich your life on and off the mat

the boutique at tranquil space carries a delightful selection of comfy and chic products to enhance your practice on and off the yoga mat - mala beads, books, aromatherapy spray, soy candles, eco-friendly mats, handmade mat bags, and more! tranquil space's own line of yoga clothing, TranquiliT, is designed for the lifestyle yogini and has been featured in shape, lucky, daily candy, fit yoga, the washingtonian, and the washington post.

to receive seasonal updates and discounts on the TranquiliT line, along with musings on yoga for the modern girl, click here and use our newsletter signup box.

in alignment with our values, a portion of all tranquility boutique proceeds are donated to my sister's place — a local organization committed to eradicating domestic violence.

karma yoga is the yoga of selfless action: from feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, housing the poor and helping all in need. it is also the offering of our ingenuity, inventiveness, wisdom, love, and connection to humanity. there are many ways to do this…through teaching, community service, the arts, meditation, charity work and more.

we've created a new karma yoga corner both online and at the studio to give you tools to connect with each other and the community. contact our karma yoga director niyati shah with any feedback or questions.

race for the cure- the team was out in full force, the event was a great success again this year! thanks to all that came out, we raised over $400!

latest karma yoga opportunities:

doga
saturday july 19th 10-11:30am
bring your yoga mat and your canine yogi (bring your own, borrow one, or come alone) for an afternoon of frolicking at rose park (23rd and p st., nw), a benefit for the washington humane society.

tabla flow charity class for parkinson's
sunday, July 27th 1-2:30pm

the tabla is a popular indian percussion instrument used in the classical, popular and religious music of the indian subcontinent and in hindustani classical music. the instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres.

join niyati shah and vishal kanwar (tabla) on a journey following the beat of your heart. flow from the core to the hips as you awaken your heart connecting with the spirit of giving. suitable to all levels, some prior yoga experience suggested.
all proceeds will be donated to parkinson's research.
http://www.michaeljfox.org/
$15-25+ sliding scale.

the spa at tranquil space invites you to enjoy 15% off a reflexology package treatment throughout the month of july! give your feet and spirit a midsummer treat...reflexology, a heavenly mix of essential oils, and reiki are combined to soothe those summer-weary feet, delight your senses, and ease your body and soul into a slower summer rhythm. relax and enjoy!