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January 2023 Yoga Events

A Person Meditating on Snow from pexels.com/photo/a-person-meditating-on-snow-8722676
Yoga is not therapy or a cure for depression. However, scientific studies continue to show that contemplative practices, such as yoga and meditation, can be as effective as medication for treating anxiety. Yoga, in its many forms, can help us redefine our experiences during difficult times. That certainly has been the case for me, which is the single biggest reason why I come back to these practices again and again. Practicing yoga, meditation, and chanting continue to leave a wake of positive benefits in my life and I love to share the practices that I find most helpful.

A Complete End of Suffering

Matthew sitting under trees surrounded by people in a yoga class

On Thursday (October 20, 2022) at 6pm I will be teaching another free yoga class at the Minnesota Arboretum. Whether it's indoors or outdoors, an evening class or a day-long retreat, I always seem to enjoy teaching in the Arboretum. It feels beneficial.

As the years tick by and I continue to go deeper and deeper into yoga, I feel more focused than ever. I prioritize activities like volunteering to teach at the Arboretum and let go of other pursuits. Happiness increases.

Biking Meditation

Bike leaning against a bench in a park

I'm not sure what to call it. Biking meditation. Bike yoga. Meditation in motion. Meditative biking. Maybe just mindfulness meditation while biking.

But I know something happens on my bike. Riding by myself, unplugged, no earbuds, outside in nature feels good. It relaxes me. It helps me let go of concerns about the future or past. If I have a problem I've been trying to solve, I often arrive home from a ride with a solution. Especially if I was not trying to solve the problem.

New Classes at Williston

Blue M with the words City of Minnetonka
This week I start teaching at the Williston Fitness Center, which is owned and operated by the City of Minnetonka. That makes me a City of Minnetonka employee. I'm adding two new yoga classes to my weekly schedule, both at Williston: Hatha Yoga on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm and Vinyasa Flow on Sundays at 9:00 am. If you are part of SilverSneakers you can take my classes for free.

Letting Go of Performance and Learning to Observe

Matthew meditating on a rock near a river

Last weekend I attended a 4-day retreat put on by a nonprofit organization called onelove.yoga. The title of the retreat was: "Moments of Silence Yoga and Meditation Retreat to Grand Marais." As is often the case for me with meditation retreats, I left feeling nourished. Even better, I had a breakthrough. I realized why this weekend led to feelings of relaxation, renewal, and joy.

3 Takeways from My Plastic Free July

Circle containing the worlds plasticfreejuly.org choose to refuse single-use plastic
I've arrived at the end of Plastic Free July. It was a month that affected my life in meaningful ways. I've made it the whole month using very little plastic and I feel like I see the world differently. Recently, Ajahn Jayasaro used a metaphor that resonated with me: if you've lived in a dirty room your whole life, it's hard to forget a clean room if you see one. Seeing the abundance of plastic in the world has made the world feel a little bit like a dirty room and it has felt good to clean up the spaces I inhabit.

It's Time to Celebrate the International Day of Yoga

Blue Roll-Up Yoga Mat on a White Background, for fitness and meditation, with the title "international day of yoga"
Photo by Marco Verch (CC BY 2.0)

In 2014 the United Nations General Assembly declared June 21 the "International Day of Yoga" and it has been celebrated annually on June 21 ever since. Because so many people around the world embraced yoga to stay healthy and fight social isolation during the pandemic, the theme for 2022 is "yoga for humanity." How can you not like a day that is literally for humanity (the most abundant and widespread species of primate on the planet)?

Yoga Nidra Body Scan

Episode Number
40
Yoga nidra is an ancient technique, as old as any yoga, in which the body relaxes completely. It's used by healthcare workers, yoga therapists, the military, and others to help people with a variety of conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder. In this practice, we scan and relax the entire body.

To leave a comment about this episode or watch the video version, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/40.

The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes and the background music is "Organic Meditations One" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), both under CC BY 3.0.
yoga