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make your practice an offering to your most supreme
self. – dharma mittra |
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welcome to september at tranquil space. summer is
coming to a close and i feel my spirit drawn to the
impending reflective nature of fall. this season beckons
us to light a candle (or nag champa incense – my
favorite), sit on a meditation cushion, and go within.
reflect on what is.
i just spent a weekend with the lovely dharma mittra up
at kripalu and am still basking in the glow of his
challenging asana practice and delightful demeanor. this man exudes
extreme devotion to god. he encourages us constantly to
dedicate our practice to god. how grandiose! some may
wonder, "i just want to do triangle pose." yet he turns
the practice into a deep spiritual connection.
at tranquil space we strive to share the beauty of yoga
as so much more than asana – yoga is a way of being.
through the inspirational readings at the end of class
to the personalized assists we offer our students, we’re
hopeful that you leave the mat feeling better than you
did when you sat down. taking that first conscious
breath of the day, connecting to your body, challenging
your mind to be still, and nourishing your spirit – that
is yoga.
patanjali offered us guidelines on living life mindfully
when he shared the yoga sutras 2500 years ago. last
month’s exploration of satya as our class theme
offered a safe space to explore truthfulness in our
lives. did anything come up for you – relationships,
career, diet, where you live, who you live with? all our
everyday choices offer us a chance to practice, or not
practice, satya. what is true for you?
by using the five yamas and five niyamas to assess our
spiritual healthiness, we are given the opportunity to
reflect, make changes, and begin anew each and every
day. let’s use the start of fall as a time to practice
svadyaya (self-study). using the start of a new season
as a chance for reflection can be powerful. what is
calling you? are you living your truth? are you sharing
your best self with others? are you leaving a legacy?
are you being compassionate?
life is full of challenges and opportunities to grow.
yoga offers us a safe space to explore this on and off
the mat. may fall offer you a chance to shine your most
supreme self!
tranquilly yours,
kimberly wilson, creative director + founder
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- we have loads of
inspiring lifestyle and yoga workshops scheduled this
month, including:
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- yoga means union:
partner yoga
- mala necklace: contemplate crafts workshop
- jivamukti yoga workshop
- detox & renew: channel your fire
- core workshop in arlington
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- save the
date: tranquil space foundation 2nd annual gala on
thursday, october 16th from 7-9 at josephine butler house on
15th street. details at
tranquilspacefoundation.org.
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- have an idea that
you'd love to see happen at tranquil space? visit
mytranquilspaceidea.com
and share your suggestion!
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- new classes added: for
the early risers we have added new on-the-go classes at 6:30 am on
tuesday and thursday. for the late nighters we have on-the-go classes
at 8:30pm on monday and tuesday. we are also adding a yoga for men
class wednesday at 7:30pm.
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- kids yoga:
after over 5 years of offering baby and
me yoga classes to the parents and infants in our community, we are very
happy to offer yoga classes for those babies who are now walking and
running around! we've seen so many of our moms practice while pregnant,
post-pregnant and some of you are now adding a second and third child to
your beautiful families! come join our toddler and kids yoga classes so
we can continue to see your amazing children grow with the fun and play
of yoga for children:
yoga
for tots: crawlers to 24 months, *free class* on saturday, september
13th at 11am. 6 week series starts the next week.
yoga
for tykes: 21 months to 4 yr olds, *free class* on saturday,
september 13th at noon. 6 week series starts the next week.
kids
yoga 4 - 6 year olds, *free class* on wednesday, september 17th
at 3:30pm. 6 week series starts the next week.
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global mala project: join
tranquil space and the dc yoga community in the global mala project
on sunday, september 21 at thearc.
dc yoga teachers, including our own niya shah, will join the worldwide
celebration leading 108 sun salutations. there will also
be live kirtan, yoga and dance demonstrations, and a global
marketplace. tickets, directions and more info are available at
www.dcglobalmala.com.
ticket donation is $40 prior to the event
or $45 at the door. beneficiaries for this year are
trees for the future
and the earth conservation corps. meet at the
studio at 11am on sunday, september 21 to head over to the global mala
with other tranquil space yogis (buy your ticket online to insure you
have a spot!). wear a tranquil space tee shirt if you have one. for
more info email nyiati@gmail.com or if you are interested in volunteering at the
event email jo@tranquilspace.com.
- three generations of yogis share their practice:
join reema,
lata, and bapuji on setptember 7th for two inspirational workshops:
8-limb vinyasa flow and yoga philosophy + pranayama.
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- join us across the
river in our arlington location - steps from the clarendon metro. visit the
website for
all the scoop.
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greening efforts:
tranquil space is constantly looking for new ways to protect the
environment and be a more sustainable business. now we will plant one
tree for every class pass sold. see our other environmental efforts
here.
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core and more with pilates: coming this september a 4-week pilates series
with arwa jumkawala. fire up your core, stand
taller, and gain deeper body awareness.
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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.
- farewell to marianne leal who be leaving tranquil space for an
adventure in Turkmenistan this fall. we are sad to see her go, but also wish
her the best in this new journey.
- a BIG welcome back
to tranquil space long-timer pary williamson who rejoins our
teaching team.
- in the tranquil space pug tradition jodi darlage as adopted a new member to
her family. you can see mr. norman hanging out on the mat here.
 jenni
pfeiffer
1. what is your favorite yoga pose and why?
it's certainly hard to pick one favorite yoga pose, but i always enjoy
virabhadrasana iii (warrior iii). i like balancing poses because they are a good
way to check your mind-state. when i'm not able to balance i know it's because
my mind is scattered. when i'm calm and clear-headed balancing is blissful.
warrior iii is great because it challenges me to focus on extending in all four
directions. you can add in some great arm variations as well; letting your hands
fly by your hips, taking prayer, incorporating a mudra such as blossoming lotus,
or extending the arms forward like superwoman. it's also fun to take warrior iii
down into a standing split and then continue the challenge by drawing the hands
to prayer for another balance.
2. what is your least favorite yoga pose and why?
last month's pose-o-the-month, supta virasana (reclined hero), is always a
challenge for me. as someone with tweeky knees i'm never able to enjoy the deep
stretch in the thigh that this pose is supposed to offer. the great part about
working with a challenging pose, however, is that you're often able to find
interesting variations that effectively bring about the goal of the original
pose.
3. what yoga teacher inspires you? why?
the yoga teachers that inspire me the most are the ones that check their ego at
the door. teachers that genuinely have an interest in teaching students inspire
me because their teaching is authentic.
4. give an example of how you bring yoga philosophy into your daily life. use
one or two of the yamas, niyamas or limbs of yoga to explain.
i work hard to bring "ahimsa" (non-harming) into my daily life. just the other
day i spend 20 minutes trying to get a bee out of my room without hurting it,
even though i was running late. this is a fairly literal example of bringing
ahimsa into my daily life, but i work to not say hurtful things to people. while
ahimsa is something i consciously work to bring into my daily life, "santosha"
(contentment), is something that comes more naturally to me. i find joy in the
little things and even if i'm not happy about the way my life is going i try to
breath through it and give thanks for the things that are going right. i also
like to encourage students to be content with their bodies on the mat; i
emphasize the idea that one should be grateful for where their body takes them
in any given pose, and to also be content with where their body doesn't take
them. i love that yoga is always about a blossoming--a process--and never a
finality.
5. give one example of how you struggle to bring yoga into your daily life. use
one or two of the yamas, niyamas or limbs of yoga to explain.
the niyama, "saucha" (purity), and the yama, "brahmacharya" (self-restraing;
self-discipline), are two principles that i struggle to bring into my daily
life. they are related in a lot of ways. just the other day i walked into my
house and my roommates were watching obama speak on the last night of the dnc.
although i didn't feel like drinking, i couldn't resist the fabulous game they
had concocted; every time obama said the words "hope" and "change" we would
drink. i also struggle to resist
reality tv. the more insane and ridiculous the show, the more i'm drawn in. as
one who is often content, i struggle with maintaining discipline. i set lots of
goals but i find that for me, it's hard to plug away at them every day. since i
just moved back into the city i'm hoping to work on this more, as my hour-long
commute, exists no
more. yay for city-savvy living!
6. what special touch do you feel you bring to the yoga classes you teach?
i try to bring a little sense of humor to each class. i also spend a significant
amount of time choosing the final reading. i take care to choose a reading that
communicates something profound, but in a simple way--like my man bob marley did
when he was alive. earlier today i was groovin' to the song "lively up
yourself." have a great month everyone, and don't forget to....
lively up yourself,
and don't be no drag
lively up yourself cause reggae is another bag
lively up yourself,
and don't say no
you got to lively up yourself cause i said so
each month we choose a pose to focus on in each class through strong attention to alignment, variations, and/or modifications as a way to grow and expand our yogic horizons.
 utthita
parsvakonasana (extended side angle pose):
parsva = side or flank and
kona = angle
benefits
- strengthens and tones thighs, knees, and ankles
- stretches the groins, spine, and side body
- aids digestion and elimination
- builds overall stamina
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this title is reserved for yogis who have shown a strong dedication to their practice, are enthusiastic about their growth, and enjoy sharing it with others.
 debi
tulou
the first thing i knew about tranquil space
was its name. hmmm, i thought, sounds enticing. and elusive.
tranquility can be hard to come by working and living in d.c. my husband and i,
in our professional endeavors, try to save teensy bits of the world, right a few
wrongs, restore some balance. trust me, there's a bit of yin yang in that.
passive and active energies and edges. feeling like you've taken way too big a
bite, but hanging on, hanging in. patience and perseverance. one of our projects
is helping coastal communities be resilient in the face of storms and rising
seas. resilience and storms. yoga and life. the connection has not escaped me.
tranquil space is in part a place of reclaimed wood--17th & r--sky, bamboo and
earth. but it's so much more. it's vinyasa flow--sounding like a river--being
like one. it's collective breath, intention and dedication. it's digging down
and rising up. it's effort and reward. it's loving hearts and the sweetest
smiles.
it's transformation and coming home. i see it on the faces of my fellow yogis at
the end of every class. tranquil yoga faces. radiant hearts. high spirits. and
gratefully, i realize we don't have to actually save the world, just go out into
life and see what flows from there.
tranquilly yours
debi
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this title is reserved for members of our team who embody the tranquil space values, excel in their role at the studio, and have a passion for their practice.
 carmen
calatayud
once you make peace with who you naturally
are, life is an incredible feast.
~cleo glyde
i couldn't have imagined the changes that would come into my life as a result of
beginning my yoga practice at tranquil space ten months ago. in november 2007, i
came to tranquil space in the midst of crisis. my mother had been seriously ill
for five months, and my uncle had died suddenly from a brain aneurysm. my body
and spirit felt broken. although i had practiced yoga on and off before, i never
committed to it. in kimberly's wednesday night classes in arlington i realized
how sore my body was, but i could feel places of softening and a reconnection to
my spirit. with a history of fibromyalgia and a longing for physical and
spiritual healing, i promised myself i would commit to this precious practice.
even as i struggled those first few months, i felt at home. my self-criticism
began to quiet down. i learned that through my yoga practice, and with
kimberly's loving guidance, i could find emotional healing and self-acceptance.
as a result of the inspiration from kimberly's new year's vision workshop in
january 2007, i got in touch with my dream of having a private practice as a
psychotherapist and astrologer. little did i know that with support from dear
ones like kevin waldorf-cruz, my dream would bloom at tranquil space's new home
on 17th street. now i can bring my vision of healing mind, body and spirit to my
clients, many of whom are tranquil space devotees. i look forward to meeting
more of you as clients and yogi friends. may i bring the compassion i am
learning to others who long to heal.
with loving gratitude and a new spirit,
carmen
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 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, washingtonian, and washington post.
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greetings
from tranquility boutique manager marq few
 can
you believe it's september? farewell summer, sad
to see you go. to celebrate the end of summer
and to make room for the new fall line, the
remaining tranquilit summer stock will be 75%
off. come down and get your shop on!
the tranquil space boutique now offers props to
help you develop or further your home practice.
if you have used the straps in the studio,
you'll be familiar with the ones for purchase in
the boutique. be sure to check out the cork
blocks by manduka. they are a bit larger than
the average block and are made of a sustainable
material.
you've heard me mention custom tranquil space
water bottles. wait no longer, they have hit the
boutique shelves and look fantastic! these cool
stainless steel kleen kanteens feature our logo
in purple and will hold 27 ounces of your
favorite beverage as well as ice cubes. now you
can represent your favorite studio, quench your
thirst, and stop adding plastic bottles to
landfills!
everyone has responded positively to the mat
carrying straps we've had in the past few
months. i've been looking for colorful
alternatives and am proud to announce a new
find. made by a yogi in massachusetts, these
bright mat carrying straps are made of a
grosgrain material. we are stocking eight
different styles. these will give you a simple
and stylish way to carry your mat to and from
practice.
vermont is the home of saka yoga and the makers
of the pinda mat backpack. i saw this bag before
i came to tranquil space and coveted its cool
design and many features. more are now in stock
as well as the new gati mat bag. in sanskrit,
gati refers to movement. it can also refer to a
place of origin, a path, a way forward, or the
arrival at a goal. the saka gati bag transitions
from a vertical shoulder bag to a horizontal
hand carry bag with ease. the gati bag comes in
midnight blue and cyprus green and is composed
of 420d nylon.
kimberly and i were in new york city for the
gift show in august and successfully met our
goal of finding unique and fun merchandise for
our yogis. keep your eyes peeled for new items
arriving soon to the boutique for your gift
giving needs.
feedback is essential to keeping the boutique
looking its best. please send any comments and
suggestions to
marq@tranquilspace.com.
marq
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to receive seasonal updates and discounts on the TranquiliT line 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.
check out our karma
yoga corner updates
online or contact our karma yoga director
niyati shah
with any feedback or questions.
join the tranquil
space community at the global mala. meet at the
studio at 11am on sunday, september 21 to head over to
the global mala with other tranquil space yogis (buy
your ticket online to insure you have a spot!). wear a
tranquil space tee shirt if you have one. for more info
or to let us know you are coming email
nyiati@gmail.com.
save the date. october 5th, melissa is
going to lead a walk for the animals, and a short yoga
practice too!
http://www.washhumane.org/upcomingevents.asp#wfta
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the spa at tranquil space invites you to enjoy 15% off an
individual astrology reading throughout the month of september!
what do the stars have in store for you? come on by and visit Carmen, our
resident astrologer, and discuss your personality traits, strengths, challenges,
and life purpose in relation to your birth chart. discuss the upcoming cycles
that lay ahead for you in the coming year, and how you can use them...a
wonderful companion to the mind and spirit as we transition into fall!
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how tranquility treatments can benefit you:
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reduce stress and enhance relaxation
- promote deeper and easier breathing
- reduce blood pressure
- strengthen the immune system
- enhance capacity for calm thinking and creativity
- increase awareness of mind-body connection
- develop and enhance your practice on and off the yoga mat
- foster a feeling of well-being and peace of mind
 tea
is full of antioxidants and has a tranquil effect on our busy lives. we are
excited to offer a comfy space for yogis to connect before and after class.
after searching high and low to find the perfect organic, fair trade teas to
compliment your practice, we are delighted to share our favorite chamomile,
spearmint, peppermint, and rosehip blends. in our tea bar we
have yummy bulk tea for sale and oodles of it for you to sip.
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 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 dupont
1632 17th street, nw
washington, dc 20009 |
tranquil space bethesda
77475 wisconsin ave, suite 8
bethesda, md 20814 |
tranquil space arlington
3260 wilson boulevard
arlington, virginia 22201 |
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