I love this time of year. It gets easier to get up.  And the morning skies are beautiful.

It’s a great time of the year to start that morning yoga practice you’ve been wanting to do.

To celebrate spring, in the week 6 – 10 September you can get $20 off an unlimited month pass – that’s $120 for unlimited classes for a month!

New class prices

We have a great new set of class prices which reward you for coming often. You can come for as little $5 a class to check us out and as little as $7 a class ongoing if you buy an unlimited month pass.

Intro card (one week unlimited classes) $20

Casual                                                 $15

Month pass 2 days per week (8 classes)    $100

Month pass 3 days per week (12 classes)  $120

Month pass unlimited                              $140

Soul open day

Saturday 25 September is an open day at the Soul Centre. There will be free classes all day long!

I will taking a free Ashtanga class 4 – 4.45pm. I will also be doing free mini Ayurvedic consultations 3 – 3.45pm

Come along and check us out at 18 Huia road, Titirangi.

September moon days

There will be no class on Wednesday 8 September (new moon) and Thursday 23 September (full moon).

Mysore morning classes start again on Monday 16 August 2010. And in the traditional style, Friday morning classes will now be led 6.30am – 8am.

Come and join us in the lovely warm room at Soul, melt away the cold end of winter and start your spring cleansing with a nice long inhale :)  Beginners are always welcome.

Titirangi Ashtanga Yoga is now on facebook and you can click through from this website. Please help me spread the word about these classes by suggesting the page to your facebook friends in the area. Thanks!

Home from India

I’m returning from India inspired from a month of teacher training with  Sharath and teachers from around the world at the Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore, India.

This time in India has given me some new clarity about what Ashtanga yoga is all about.

Most of us start Ashtanga yoga because it feels so good. Our bodies which we have neglected, misunderstood, abused or taken for granted are given this beautiful attention and drink it up like fresh coconut water on a hot day (which I’ve been having quite a bit of here and it is good!).

Regardless of when we start the practice, we all start from our own place, our own level, wherever we are at that point in time. There is no such thing as ‘beginners level Ashtanga yoga’ – where you begin is different for everyone.

The beauty of Mysore style teaching is that you are taught one-on-one at the level that is right for you, wherever you are right now. And then it gets better, because you are taught at your own pace, and your pace is different to anyone else’s.  Sharath has talked a lot about how, as teachers, we must connect with you, our students, studying your particular needs, teaching the particular asanas you need and letting you take your time with the practice.

Often the first few years of practising Ashtanga yoga are about the process of clearing and cleansing the body of blocks and pains and ailments.  But even as this is going on, when we concentrate the mind on the breath, the practice  becomes a tool to quieten and focus the mind.  Over time,  the practice becomes softer and calmer, and we get a sense of the stillness and deep relaxation that comes from focusing on the breath. And this, quite simply, helps us cope better with the challenges that come our way.

Inhale – exhale – inhale – exhale – inhale – exhale – inhale – exhale – inhale – exhale – inhale – exhale – inhale – exhale :)

It’s so very simple, really. It takes effort and discipline, but it’s wonderfully accessible, even to those of us who live busy lives full of the responsibilities of work and family.

We are all human and we all have our own challenges and difficulties to work through. Practising yoga doesn’t change that. It simply gives us a tool to help us do it with insights that come up from our own bodies and minds as we practise and, eventually, a greater sense of stillness in the mind and open-heartedness.

Spring Yoga and Ayurveda for Beginners

Sunday 5 September 10 am – 3 pm

Spring is a wonderful time to cleanse the body and to make fresh starts.

This beginners workshop will:

• focus on the energising and cleansing aspects of the Ashtanga yoga practice
• teach gentle ways to cleanse the body in spring
• talk about tasty spring food that leaves you feeling warm, energetic and healthy
• learn simple home remedies for common spring health problems like allergies
• and enjoy a delicious lunch!

When you book, you’ll receive some guidelines for observations you can make about your food and routine in the week before the course.

Please email or call Catherine to book by Sunday 29 August.

Looking forward to seeing you all soon! Catherine

On Sunday 27 June 8am – 9.45am Catherine will be leading a traditional full primary class.

If you’ve been coming to classes over the last year or so, this is a great opportunity to experience what it would feel like to take your practice to the next level.

In the traditional class the focus is on the flow of the breath and smooth transitions between the poses. It creates a sense of the benefit of the practice as a whole rather than individual poses.

All students are welcome, even if you need to rest in some poses.

Hope to see you there!

Off to India…

Catherine is off to India for six weeks for further yoga studies with Sharath in Mysore.

There will be no Mysore morning classes from Friday 2 July – Friday 13 August. The Monday and Thursday evening classes will continue with Fiona Mather.

If you’ve been meaning to get along, make the most of Catherine’s last week and join us in the mornings up until Thursday 1 July!

Otherwise mark your diary for Monday morning 16 August to start your morning practice.

You can also sign up to get these monthly newsletters delivered to your inbox on the news page of this website so you can keep in touch with what’s happening.

Keep warm, keep practising – even just a little every day – and enjoy your winter!

Catherine

Morning Mysore classes are a wonderful way to warm up, feel great and keep healthy through the winter. Beginners are welcome to all classes!

You can drop in for 30 – 60 minutes starting and finishing when it suits you, Monday – Friday between 6.30am and 8.30am.

The Soul Centre is a beautiful warm space with a lovely sprung wooden floor and windows overlooking the bush and the sea.

You will be taught a simple yoga routine tailored to you. Age and current flexibility are not an issue! Catherine takes a very gentle approach to Ashtanga yoga, with a focus on releasing tension in the body.

A regular, gentle yoga practice can help: improve your energy levels; reduce stiffness and pain in muscles and joints; reduce anxiety, stress and depression; manage weight; improve your immune system;  and improve your sleep. Wow! And it improves flexibility and strength.

Two very special $30 offers

If you haven’t been to the Soul Centre before, you can come to unlimited classes for two weeks for just $30.

After that, if you’re hooked or just determined to make yourself and your health a priority you can keep coming to unlimited classes for just $30 per week (six months commitment required).

30 May winter workshop ~Ashtanga Yoga and Ayurveda for beginners

Sunday 30 May 10 am – 3 pm is your chance to start winter the way you want it to be.

This workshop will:

• focus on bringing warmth and energy to your body through yoga
• teach you a simple yoga practice that links the breath and the movement – feels great!
• talk about tasty winter food that leaves you feeling warm, energetic and healthy
• learn simple home remedies for common winter health problems
• and enjoy a delicious winter lunch!

Have a great day and take away the tools to help you feel great all winter for just $90.

Please email or call Catherine to book by Wednesday 26 May.

Moon days

There will be no Mysore morning class on Friday 28 May (full moon). In June the moon days are on Saturdays so there will be classes every Monday – Friday morning in June (except Queen’s Birthday Monday 7 June)! Come and enjoy!

There will be no Mysore morning classes on Thursday 1 April, Friday 2 April, Monday 5 April or Tuesday 6 April 2010. Enjoy your holiday!

Mysore morning classes will start again on Wednesday 7 April 2010.

Beginners are welcome to all Mysore classes. You will be taught one-on-one at your own level and with regular practise you will feel yourself progress in quite a short period of time.

If you are new to the Soul Centre, you can come to unlimited classes for two weeks for just $30.

Autumn tips

The weather is cooling down and it’s also very dry in Auckland at the moment. Autumn is usually cool, dry, and windy.  These qualities can make us feel less grounded, more worried or anxious and less able to concentrate. Your sleep may become lighter or more disturbed.

Many of us already are already too light, dry and cold. If that is the case for you, you may feel like you run out of energy easily and like your appetite is variable.

You can balance these effects with your food and daily activities.  Sitting down and relaxing to eat your meals will bring you a sense of relaxation and help calm a worrying mind. Avoid eating on the run and you will notice the difference it makes!  Warm drinks and warm liquid food like soups or moist food like stews and curries bring warmth, moisture, and a sense of stability to your body and your mind.

Starting your day everyday with a warm lemon, honey and fresh ginger drink is a great way to bring balance in autumn as well as build your immune system for the winter.

Ginger, lemon and honey in the morning

• Grate a small piece of fresh ginger and using your fingers, squeeze the juice into a mug (fresh is better than frozen which has become very cold and dry in the freezer)
• Squeeze some fresh lemon juice into the mug
• Add 1tsp honey
• Add hot boiled water
• Sit down, relax, sip your drink and contemplate your day :)

If you would like to understand your own constitution better Catherine is available for individual consultations ($80).

Ashtanga Yoga and Ayurveda for Beginners

Thanks to everyone who joined me for the Autumn workshop! We had a great day focusing on a grounding yoga practice and understanding how when we reflect on our own qualities, we can balance to these through our food and drink and daily activities.

The next workshop will be:

• Sunday 30 May 2010 10am – 3pm ‘Winter’

This workshop will prepare you to experience winter in a whole new way. It will focus on bringing warmth and energy to your body through yoga and food. We will talk about ways to prepare food that is balancing for everyone, even if everyone at the table has different needs. We will talk about home remedies for common winter health problems. An Ayurvedic lunch is provided.

Bookings essential. $90 or $75 if you book and pay by 30 April 2010.

Moon days April 2010

There will be no class on Tuesday 30 March (full moon), Thursday 15 March (new moon) and Thursday 29 April (full moon).

Experience the power of a simple yoga routine. Discover Ayurveda’s secrets to help you be well and full of energy in your daily life.

Four beginners sessions with Catherine Albiston ~

Sunday 21 March 2010             10am – 3pm      ‘Autumn’

Sunday 30 May 2010                 10am – 3pm      ‘Winter’

Sunday 5 September 2010      10am – 3pm      ‘Spring’

Sunday 21 November 2010    10am – 3pm      ‘Summer’

You will learn a simple yoga routine that you can practise at home or develop in our daily classes at the Soul Centre. Each session will bring you a greater level of awareness and understanding about the practice. Ashtanga Yoga teaches you to focus on the breath and brings physical wellbeing. Each session is suitable for complete beginners or students who wish to deepen their practice.

Ayurveda is India’s ancient healthcare system which is so relevant today. We are bombarded with information about diets and foods that are the latest thing to make us healthy. Ayurveda teaches you to understand what is going on in your own body and mind at any given time and what are the best things to balance your own tendencies.  Ayurveda gives you the tools to assess what is right for you.

At each session you will develop an understanding of your own constitution and the remedies that are best for you.  Each session will focus on the influences of the current season and the things you can do to counter its negative effects and make the most of what it offers. You will learn about the effects of different foods and take home some recipes for tasty meals and handy home remedies.

$90 for one workshop or $300 for all four.

Book the March workshop now or email Catherine for more details!

Mysore morning classes

Mysore morning classes are a great way to fit in a yoga practice to your day! The studio is open Monday to Friday from 6.30 – 8.30am and you can drop in during that time for as long or short as you like.

The benefits of yoga come from doing a regular practice, even if it is only short. You will see many more benefits from 15 minutes a day than an hour once a month.

While the word is still getting out there about how great this style of yoga makes you feel, the classes are small. This means you will get one-on-one teaching that usually you have to pay private rates for.

Beginners are welcome to all sessions. 45 minutes is a good amount of time for beginners to start with. But you are welcome to come for a shorter practice if that suits your schedule better.

Students who are new to the Soul Centre can come to unlimited classes for two weeks for just $30.  After your two week intro, the best pricing option is $30 per week for unlimited classes. Check out the classes page on this website for all the other pricing options.

Please email Catherine with any questions about starting Mysore morning classes at info@titirangiashtanga.co.nz or drop in and try one for yourself!

Yoga Stops Traffick

In March 2010 Ashtanga yoga students around the world are getting on their mats to raise money for Odanadi, a Trust based in Mysore, India that provides a refuge for women and children who are survivors of human trafficking.

The Yoga Stops Traffick event will be led by a group of young people from the Odanadi centre, many of whom are suvivors of slavery, domestic abuse and forced prostitution.  Over the years, Ashtanga Yoga has come to play a vital role in their rehabilitation programme, building their physical and mental strength, restoring a sense of peace, confidence and self-worth.

In the week Monday 8 to Friday 12 March Titirangi Ashtanga Yoga will donate $8 to Odanadi for every student who comes to the Mysore morning classes.

If you would also like to donate to Odanadi, please visit their website at www.yogastopstraffick.org

Moon days in March

There will be no Mysore morning classes on Monday 1 March 2010 (full moon), Tuesday 16 March 2010 (new moon) or Tuesday 30 March 2010 (full moon).  The evening classes are still on on moon days.

See you on the mat!  Catherine

• Beginners classes Tuesday and Thursday mornings 6.30am – 7.30am
• Traditional led Ashtanga classes on Friday mornings 6.30am – 8am
• Tips for keeping cool in summer
• And… as usual, beginners can come for two weeks unlimited classes for just $30!

Beginners classes

Love the idea of a morning yoga class, but feel like you need to be experienced first? These classes will introduce you to Mysore style ashtanga yoga and absolutely no experience is needed.  You will learn a simple yoga routine with a focus on the breath. After only a few classes you will feel the difference yoga can make in your every day life.  These beginners classes will be held every Tuesday and Thursday morning in February from 6.30am – 7.30am. If you are new to the Soul Centre you can come for two weeks, unlimited classes, for just $30.

Traditional led Ashtanga classes on Friday mornings

This traditional led class is focused on deep even breathing and smooth transitions between the poses. It keeps your attention on the experience of the practice and the flow of the breath. It challenges your habits and gives you a much greater understanding of what the yoga practice is all about.  If you haven’t experienced a traditional led class, this is something not to be missed. The class will be tailored to the level of the students who come. Every Friday in February 6.30am – 8am.

Keeping cool in summer

It’s hot in Auckland at the moment! It’s great for having deep, cleansing yoga practices, but for some of us the heat can have undesired consequences. In Ayurveda, the qualities of heat and fire are referred to as ‘Pitta’. When in balance, Pitta types have a sharp mind, energy and motivation to get things done and a caring, calm nature. When there is too much heat, Pitta types can feel more easily angry and frustrated and stressed by everything they have to do.  Physically, you may experience things like acid reflux, loose stools, headaches, migraines or skin rashes. Sun burn is a direct result of too much Pitta.

If you have a tendency towards these things, especially in summer, being aware of it is the first place to start.  There are lots of simple steps to help. Drinking cool boiled water throughout the day is a must.  Drink it room temperature, not icy cold. The general principle to balance too much heat is to eat and drink cooling foods. Avoid hot and spicey food, excessive alcohol, too much oil  and sour or fermented foods which are also heating.  Green leafy veggies are great, as are sweet fruits. Coriander (fresh and seeds), mint, and fennel are lovely cooling herbs to enjoy in summer. Milk (organic and whole) is very balancing for Pitta and calming for an overactive digestive system. If you love yoghurt, the best way to have it is to make yourself a lassi  – half water, half yoghut with maple syrup and a dash of cardamom. And, the best thing of summer of course, swimming outdoors, is a wonderful Pitta pacifier.

If you’re interested in finding out more about Ayurveda or what’s good for your own constitution, email Catherine at info@titirangiashtanga.co.nz

The last Mysore-style class for 2009 will be on Thursday morning, 24 December.  Mysore-style classes will start again in the New Year on Monday morning, 11 January 2010.

Summer is a great time to begin a morning yoga practice.  It’s warm and light and easy to get up!  If you’re a new student, you can come to unlimited classes for two weeks for just $30.

Mysore-style means that you start and finish your practice in your own time, with your own breath.  You are taught one-on-one at the level that is right for you.  Beginners are welcome! There is a lovely energy in the room with everyone practising and breathing to their own rhythm.

… and a free Ayurvedic consultation

If you’re in Auckland and come to 10 Mysore morning yoga classes in January, you will get a free ayurvedic consultation worth $80!  An ayurvedic consultation will help you start 2010 with a greater understanding of your current state of health and the types of food, exercise and lifestyle choices that are best for you.  Rather than a quick fix, ayurveda is an education that gives you the tools to make better decisions about how to keep yourself healthy and feeling great throughout your life.

Christmas gift ideas

Gifts that make people feel fantastic are gifts that people will really thank you for… Unlimited yoga classes for two weeks – $30,  one yoga class – $16, a ten-trip ticket – $130, an ayurvedic consultation $80.  Gift vouchers are available.

2010 moon day calendar

There are no Mysore-style classes on the new moon and full moon.  We now have a handy 2010 wallet-sized calendar with the moon days on it so you can easily check when there will be no class.  Pick one up from the counter at Soul (free!).

Upcoming moon days – Thursday 17 December 2009, Friday 1 January 2010, Friday 15 January 2010.

Thanks!

Thank you to all the students who have joined me for the first few weeks of Titirangi Ashtanga Yoga! I hope you have a well-deserved rest and happy holiday.  See you in the New Year.

Catherine

We are now open for practice Monday – Friday 6.30 – 8.30am.  You may start your practice anytime before 8am.  You may practice from 30 minutes up to an hour and a half depending on your time availability and what you need from the practice.  For beginners, it is best to start with a short practice, get in the habit of practising regularly and then slowly start to increase the length of your practice.  You do not need to do a long practice to get the benefits.  But you do need to practice regularly.  It is best to start with 2 – 3 times a week and slowly over time you may build up to 3 – 5 times a week if this suits you.

Anyone is welcome to come to Mysore-style classes.  It doesn’t matter if you have never practised Ashtanga yoga before.  Mysore-style is a great way to learn yoga.  You will be taught a short routine that is easy to remember and you will only be given more poses to do when you are comfortable and ready.  As you practise you will find the yoga is strenthening and cleansing and gives you energy throughout your day.

Students who have past injuries or health problems are also welcome.  Practising a gentle yoga routine regularly is a fantastic way to heal many old injuries and to support your health and wellbeing.

At Titirangi Ashtanga Yoga we follow the traditional practice of resting on the new moon and the full moon.  This helps us become aware of the earth’s natural energy cycles.  Our energy grows each month from the new moon to the full moon and then wanes back to the low energy point of the new moon.  By resting on these two days of the month we are respecting our natural energy cycle which helps us avoid injury and keeps us healthy.  I also encourage women to rest on the first three days of their own monthly cycle.  This often coincides with a new moon or full moon.  Over time, resting on the first three days of your monthly cycle helps prevent many women’s health problems.

The moon days are always listed on the classes page of the website, www.titirangiashtanga.co.nz/classes,  so you can easily check when there will be no classes.  There are three moon days left in 2009 – Tuesday 17 November (new moon), Wednesday 2 December (full moon) and Thursday 17 December (new moon).

I hope you too can enjoy the pleasure of waking up early and practising yoga in the magical energy of the morning and in such a beautiful spot in the world!  You are all welcome.  Please feel free to call or email me with any questions.

Catherine

$80 for five workshop classes.  Email to book.