|
march's e-news contains:
|
 |
|
studio hours:
|
|
monday
|
10:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
|
|
tuesday
|
10:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
|
|
wednesday
|
10:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
|
|
thursday
|
11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
|
|
friday
|
10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
|
|
saturday
|
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
|
|
sunday
|
8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
|
|
take a yoga class,
shop the tranquiliT boutique
or stop in to say hello
|
|
|
|
“i change myself, i change the world.”
~ gloria anzaldua
welcome to women's history month and a continual celebration of all things feminine at tranquil space. march is devoted nationally to honoring women, and serves as a beautiful reminder of the abundance of choices available to those willing to push edges to create opportunity. a favorite mantra has been, "edges pushed, boundaries held." i believe this ties in well to a muse focused on the celebration of women. notice during your next yoga practice, when you are being challenged to do one more chaturanga or to soften into the asana of the month, do you become frustrated with the request or experience gratitude for being challenged? i see accepting challenge as being synonymous with empowerment. your ability to push edges both on and off the yoga mat makes for a less stagnant and more dynamic existence.
spend some time this month reflecting on areas in your life that feel stagnant and in need of change. it's spring and time for rebirth. for example, how long have you been complaining about your job, relationship, or living situation? what small steps can you take to begin making changes in these areas? or is the shift needed simply a change in attitude and perspective? empower yourself with the realization that you are in your current situation by choice, and getting out of any position that no longer serves you is also a choice. as we all know, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. let your desire for change jump-start this journey today. in addition, bring awareness to areas in your life that beg for you to exert power and hold boundaries. putting the needs of others before your own is a sure way to lose momentum in your own life direction. remember the importance of holding boundaries in your relationships and life experiences to conserve your power for pushing the edges of your own choosing. spring is a perfect time to take stock and do some housekeeping.
being a yogi is to be mindful of actions on a larger scale — a more global view. how can you assist in a continuation of freedom for all people? for example, donate to an international women's fund, volunteer at a domestic violence or homeless shelter, start a business catered to women, read a book about a powerful woman, mentor a fellow female, participate in a big sister program, head a fundraiser that supports a cause close to your heart, create a community for like-minded people.
celebrate the women in your life. celebrate the woman you were. celebrate the woman you've become. celebrate the woman you strive to be. celebrate the women who paved the path for your freedom. may march shower you with pride, gratitude for those that challenge and empower you, and an activist attitude for improving those areas that aren't at full potential, both individually and globally. use march to bloom what has been dormant and germinating below the surface all winter.
 growing with you,
kimberly wilson
visit kimberly's online
blog for regular musings on the practice of life and yoga.
spend a weekend away from it all with kimberly, march 18–20. yoga, journal writing, and creativity in beautiful central virginia. dorm space still available.
- in celebration of women's history month, 10% off all women's tranquiliT Ts.
- we have lots of great lifestyle AND yoga workshops scheduled in 2005. visit enlightening events for ALL the scoop.
- tote your mat home. due to continual mat avalanches and studio renovations, we are no longer able to offer mat storage effective thursday, march 3. 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.
- tranquil space bethesda is adding a new yoga 2 on saturdays! 3:00 p.m. yoga 2.
- level 1 teacher training in bethesda! learn to teach others or deepen your own practice. application deadline is march 30th.
- 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 kimberly@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.
- tranquiliTheme of the season: awaken to spring, blossom into your practice, and reconnect with your 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.
- congrats to our newest additions: baby dylan, born to courtney smith on feb. 5. baby emil, born to marina wes on jan. 31. twin babies alejandro martin and and miguel jose, born to rachel lerman on feb. 9. baby luca, born to annalies on feb. 3.
- a big welcome to executive assistant jason saffer, assistant studio manager meg noonan, and studio assistants virginia davis and amy bertha. we're delighted to have you on board.
- congratulations to february 2005 newbie series graduates: alexandria, anet, cara, dawn, heather, jacob, jonathan, laura, liza, priscilla, catherine, daniel, anne, and marie! we look forward to seeing your yoga practice unfold!
 | - welcome to skye marie, our teacher september's new addition. mommy and baby love to relax with their silk tranquiliT eyepillows!
- BIG congrats to miri sher, and gina davis, who got engaged in february!
- share photos of you wearing tranquiliT tees around the globe! to be featured in next month's newsletter, send photos to newsletter@tranquilspace.com.
|
 alison wadhwani
in 2000, i was in graduate school for public health. i sort of stumbled into public health because i was interested in hiv prevention. however, when i got there i realized there was so much more to the field. day after day, i studied health promotion campaigns that advocated "five fruits and vegetables a day," "eight glasses of water," "physical activity." i couldn't just study these things for an exam and forget about them. they started to sink in and become part of me. i started eating vegetables; i started reaching for water more often than soda. with the exception of midterm and finals time, i generally got eight hours of sleep. this lifelong couch potato even tried jogging once or twice. at a time that most people describe as one of the most hectic and stressful, i was finally starting to take care of myself.
then one finals week, i was running low on sleep. the whole right side of my body felt sore and my right fingers were twitching. "weird," i thought, but when my exams were over, i went to bed and forgot about it. i woke up and my right hip ached. over the next few weeks, the pain became so intense it radiated down my whole leg. doctors couldn't find anything wrong with me. eventually i was taking 10 extra-strength tylenol a day and my leg still hurt. every night i woke up in pain, and didn't sleep through the night for over a year. during those long, sleepless nights i worried that i would always feel like this. i worried about what all this tylenol was doing to my body.
i finally met a doctor who prescribed arthritis medicine. it was a miracle! my pain was gone and could finally sleep at night (and sleep i did, starting at 8 p.m. every night!). now i was finally functional enough to figure out what was really wrong. "now what? i can't take arthritis medicine forever," i said to my doctor. i was met with a blank stare. apparently that was his plan.
time released its issue all about yoga. i read about how it helped people with all sorts of health problems, even mysterious ones like mine. there were so many styles to choose from. i had recently seen madonna in concert and was amazed at how strong and healthy she looked. i figured if gentle yoga was good, vigorous yoga was better. i decided on ashtanga. i wanted the story to end there. i wanted to tell everyone about how the miracle of yoga healed my pain. the real story is that my leg continued to hurt for another 4 years. periodically i would stop taking the medication, only to find the pain return in full force. although my yoga practice wasn't helping my leg, it transformed the rest of my life. i stumbled upon tranquil space, and found a spiritual component to the asanas i'd been practicing. i met an amazing group of like-minded people. i found the courage to sign up for teacher training, and later to make my living teaching yoga when i found myself without a job. i got married, bought a condo, visited 9 new countries, and became a certified pilates teacher. in other words, life marched on and i considered my yoga practice to be the guiding force.
a few months ago, i read in the paper that my drug was being taken off the market. i was panicked — would i return to sleepless nights? worse — would i be unable to practice yoga? a few days later, some pain returned but not nearly as much as before. i limped to lisa's class and got on my mat. i was terrified. as i started to practice, i learned some interesting things about my body. while the years i'd been practicing yoga were slowly healing my body, there were probably poses that were hurting me as well. practicing unmedicated for the first time, i was finally able to tell the difference. i could really listen to my body. i did pigeon twice on the same side because it felt good! i have been relatively pain free for a few months now, but my yoga practice has definitely changed. i struggle with some of the poses i used to do with ease. but i have found new meaning in "honoring my body" and i will continue to let it me my teacher.
 uttitha parsvakonasana/extended side angle pose
benefits
- strengthens and stretches the legs, knees, and ankles
- stretches the groins, spine, waist, chest and lungs, and shoulders
- stimulates abdominal organs
- increases stamina
|
|
 alli, max & greg gersch — tranquil space dupont
yoga means union. it certainly does for us! i have practiced yoga at
tranquil space with my three favorite men: my son, my husband, and my father.
while on maternity leave, i wanted to treat myself to something new. i had never done yoga and thought it would be relaxing. last year, my son max and i began taking baby & me classes with carol. quite an experience to be doing downward-facing dog and have a child (not usually your own) crawl under you! it wasn't until i took a level 1 class that i realized i could be in shavasana without a child jumping on me or taking off my eye pillow!
my husband greg and i enjoyed the baby & us workshop, doing asanas together. max thought it was great fun watching mommy and daddy doing yoga.
the newbie series with gina really helped me to understand what i was trying to achieve with my poses and breathing. later i convinced my father to join me in the newbie workshop with anne. at 68 years old, he needed a few props and modifications for his first time on the mat, but he loved it!
the beginning of 2005 found greg taking gina's newbie series. when he came home after his first class and said "namaste," i knew he had found his own place at tranquil space.
ignoring my apparent lack of flexibility, i took lisa's "jump into level 2" workshop in january. now i have even more challenges for my practice.
we have so much gratitude for tranquil space and the special connection it has provided for our family.
thank you, and namaste.
alli gersch |
 judi a.i. kahan — tranquil space bethesda
i have always been athletic; ever since i can remember i made time for sports. in 1975, my introduction to yoga was a book! i was dedicated, practiced daily, and rotated between three routines for months — or was it years?
a yoga class was suggested to learn more about yoga. long before sticky mats we used beach towels (how did we manage?). i was introduced to surya namaskar, "sun salutation to the sun." then, in the fall of 1998, my friend karen suggested we take yoga together at glen echo park; i thought, "how cool to do yoga again, and this time in the hall of mirrors!"
i knew positions, but no names, and quickly began to enjoy my yoga practice more than my introduction twenty years prior. i missed a class, attended a make up, and met siobhan. both instructors complement each other well. when siobhan announced the opening of tranquil space bethesda, i was thrilled to practice regularly with two instructors. as my schedule allowed, and siobhan added classes, i increased my frequency to tranquil space bethesda.
in class i am reminded to think about my intentions for my practice. i hear suggestions to dedicate my practice. i am introduced to new (and sometimes impossible seeming) postures and listen to the pose names while trying to learn both the english and sanskrit terms. i feel my core strength improving, and love to awaken the energy and fire from within.
thru siobhan i am guided to see, hear, feel, and live the benefits of yoga. i have the honor of carrying the benefits from my yoga practice into the world. i use my yoga breathing when rushing, stressed, tired, driving or have the need to energize. if i am waiting around (like at an airport), eventually i'll go into a pose to ease the tension.
there are poses that i love, and some that i don't, and others that i don't want to do until i am doing them and am reminded there are benefits to be gained from each. there are some that feel easy, and others a total challenge; regardless of my performance in a particular posture, i reap benefits and gain self-awareness and a control of my senses. there is so much to gain from one's yoga practice. annie grover pace wrote: "yoga is a philosophy of life, which also has the potential to create a vibrantly healthy body and mind" — worthy benefits to cherish from my practice. thank you, siobhan and tranquil space, for reminding me there is a permanent place for yoga in my life. |
 natasha rodriguez
completely unpracticed in any yogic tradition, i happily fell into the welcoming embrace of the tranquil space community last winter. through gentle encouragement, my teachers' wise hands and words, and weekly practice, i now rival my own dog's downward dog, much to his amusement.
i came to tranquil space to challenge my body, and it has helped me open my mind and spirit. trying new poses in class have allowed me to welcome new adventures off the mat with a courage that at times does not seem my own. when faced for the first time with the steep descent of a ski hill on the sierra nevada, i kept on chanting to myself, "engage the bandhas and breathe." this was my first time skiing; i fell many times, but laughed all the way down the hill because of the sheer exhilaration.
i am thankful for the generous spirit of the tranquil space community that welcomes all who come through its doors, and has taught me to welcome adventures without fear. 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. view the entire luxe lifestyle tranquiliT collection.
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 items this month are the tranquiliT tie top and racerback cotton dress/tunic.
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.
|
