Mint Hill Yoga

It is with mixed feelings that I tell you I am ending Wednesday night yoga at Hickory Grove United Methodist Church. Our last class will be May 16 at 7pm. Attendance is way way down on a pretty consistent basis, and I don’t want to be away from my family and drive from Mint Hill and have no students. Please know that I love all of you, and you are each special to me, but I don’t want to continue in this way. Monday night yoga at the church will continue as it has been, as attendance there has been consistent, so please feel free to join that group if you would like. I am committed to offering an affordable alternative to yoga studio prices.

Beginning May 24 at 7pm, I will be teaching Fusion Flow at Mint Hill Arts on Lawyers Road. The classes are $10 each if you sign up for a series(plus a $5 processing fee once each series), and $12 drop in. We will practice in the art gallery surrounded by beautiful art and plenty of space, so if you’d like to come, let me know, and I’ll give you all the details. The Mint Hill Arts website is www.minthillarts.org and you can sign up online and pay there with paypal or a credit card.

I want to thank each of you for allowing me to be part of your yogic journey, and especially for being patient with me during my learning process. You have been wonderful, and I have very much enjoyed our time together. Please know this has not been an easy decision. I hope to see you in another class soon.

Namaskar, and all best wishes.

Bettie Alston Shea

I am honored that Bettie has asked me to come and visit in Mint Hill.  It is an amazing opportunity to connect with a whole new set of people, while spending time with some old friends, and bringing everyone together to share in a common experience.  For those experienced with yoga, you know this feeling all too well.  If you are new to yoga, you may have seen a glimmer of this, but you haven’t quite figured out what it is.  It is quite simply the union that is yoga.  Yoga means “to yoke” or to bring together.  And, while it yokes mind, body and spirit, it also draws together otherwise different people to a place of common ground.  It gives us a glimpse of the love, joy and peace we can experience everyday, in every surrounding, with every human being.  Big time stuff right there, hey?!

I have been contemplating what I will bring to Mint Hill in regards to chakra balancing.  I know I will tell you about all the seven chakras, what they mean, where they are, etc. etc.  This is all cerebral.  I can tell you, you can write it down, and you can memorize it.  This is a good place to start for anyone.  But, what I most want to bring, is the understanding of how chakras work in our lives daily.  I want you to be able to align the sensations in your body with your emotional awareness and connect that to a more universal idea of yourself. 

In its essence, I want you to know what it is like to connect energetically to the universe you live in.  Recently, I had a facial with a friend.  At the end, she gave me a head and neck massage.  She quickly asked how it was because since she was not trained in massage therapy she wanted my professional opinion.  I told her it was fabulous.  Not because of technique or where she massaged, but, because she was connected and intentional.  While she massaged I saw the color green in my mind’s eye.  This is the color of the heart chakra.  I undoubtedly felt the energy exchange of giving and receiving nurturing and pure love she intended me to feel.

We can find moments of union in the universe when we are aware and ready to receive.  In the experience of chakra balancing flow, I hope you are able to come open to receive and hear what the universe is ready to provide you.  If you have taken my chakra balancing flow before, come again!  There are always more things to learn, more facets of our being to experience, and more YOGA to share.

Om shanti,

Jessica

Jessica King will be teaching a Chakra Balancing Flow at the Lofts at 7714 in downtown Mint Hill this Saturday afternoon from 2-4:30. Admission is $35, cash or check only. Please bring your mat and any props you might need, and wear clothing comfortable for movement. The address is 7714 Matthews-Mint Hill Road, Mint Hill, NC 28227

I crossed a big personal threshold tonight and thought I’d tell you about it, because I think my experience probably will be familiar to many of you.

For a very long time, I have been terrified of big inversions like sirsasana and pincha mayurasana, and just the thought of facing them left me with horrible sweaty palms and nausea. I didn’t understand what was happening, but I was so so afraid, and the only times I had ever been fully into these poses was after a great deal of hand holding and assistance from some very patient teachers.

 The great Iyengar teacher Patricia Walden once spoke openly about a fear of inversions she had when she was younger, and how her teacher, BKS Iyengar helped her overcome it. I think his words might help many people. I know they helped me.

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I am very excited to report that I am the recipient of a full scholarship to attend the Iyengar Association of the Southeast Regional Conference, or Maitri (“friendliness” in Sanskrit) in Washington D.C. May 3-6. What an incredible opportunity…days in the company of like-minded yogis, and the chance to study with such luminaries as Patricia Walden and Manouso Manos.

So what I want to know…who’s going with me??? There’s still time to register, and if you contact my dear friend and teacher Phyllis Rollins of 8th Street Studio here in Charlotte, she can tell you all about the fantastic discounts that are now available!!! She’s on Facebook, or you can contact her at http://www.8thstreetstudio.com/ .

Have you ever wanted to try yoga, but thought it was only for super bendy people? Well, have I got news for you…it isn’t.

Real yoga, at it’s heart, is a body/mind/spirit integrating technology that will not only give you a healthier and stronger body, but a more peaceful spirit as well.

Yoga is for EVERY BODY, including you, whatever shape YOU may be in!

Please consider joining me for a class or workshop soon. I offer practices friendly to all people, whether you are completely new to the practice, a seasoned practitioner, or somewhere in between. 

Be sure to check out Classes for times, locations, and cost. I promise you’ll be glad you did. REALLY.