OK! Yoga is NOT just for women, time to end the rumors.
Right to the facts. 

We’ve heard the endless benefits of yoga and its benefits on the mind, body and spirit but yet you haven’t jumped on your mat? Men and women alike struggle with getting started on this “yogic pathway”. There are also some misconceptions when it comes to yoga.

• Yoga is only for women. Yoga has been associated with women only due to its nature of “flexibility”. Our society can easily think that only women are flexible, not men. However, yoga teaches us the importance of both – strength and flexibility, which are sometimes construed with each gender. Yoga teaches us the balance of both our feminine and masculine qualities, because they both live inside of us.
• Yoga is an “easy” or “light” form of yoga. Due to this misconception, men miss out on this beautiful form of mind body exercise. Yoga can be made to be physically difficult but even a simple class can be mentally challenging. It takes a lot of courage and strength to show up at the mat.  

So here are some reasons why both men and women should practice yoga – it is not a gender favored activity.

• Yoga boosts confidence. It promotes a healthy spine and good posture which allows are bodies to sit and stand in the correct human position. Overtime, and as we age, our bodies tend to fall with gravity putting more stress and pressure on the back and spine. By practicing yoga it can allow the spine to lengthen leaving you feeling “tall and proud”.
• Yoga promotes a healthy body through weight loss and muscle toning.Yoga, unlike some workouts or exercise, only uses the body’s natural body weight as resistance. Where yoga will not make you shed the pounds as immediate as some other exercises it is an important part in your weight loss journey.
• Yoga increases flexibility. Not only in your muscles but in your ligaments and tendons too. When the body is more flexible it is allowed to move more freely and with ease. It can also help to prevent injuries in the gym or in day-t0-day life. Yoga is preventative!!
• Yoga can help our eating. In a class it goes far beyond just physical poses but trains our minds with control, using relaxation techniques. When sitting in a hard pose for a long amount of time, for example warrior pose for 10 breaths, our mind tends to play tricks on us. It tells us to just get out, or there is discomfort, however using our breath we are trained to control these thoughts and act mindfully. 

     MONTHLY MEDITATION

                              This month’s meditation is brought to you by:                                                                                    Walking Meditation 

As we begin to enter the transition of seasons, the nights begin getting cooler and the days less hot. This is the perfect opportunity to find a practice of walking meditation. Let this guided meditation take you there.

MEDITATION

     TEACHER OF THE MONTH

Christine Kramer

Christine came across yoga when she was studying at Columbia College in Chicago, and working a corporate job that was completely draining her. Slowly, the practice started to wake her up to the stress and strain she was putting on her body and mind. In 2015 she moved back to Omaha and made a commitment to take better care of herself, and focus on yoga. Hungry for a transformational experience, Christine registered for Passion Yoga School’s 200Hr teacher training with Adi Shakti in Costa Rica.The program forced her to look in the mirror. It encouraged her to be open and honest, to put all the hurt on the table and say, “This is where I am.”  Since then, Christine has completed her 500hr teacher training and studied with world renown teachers including Gaia Ma, Bryan Kest, Carole Westerman, and David Wagner. For Christine, the practice of yoga is a reminder to set the ego aside and meet yourself where you are. She strives to create a space for people to come and be themselves, to lay everything out on the table and say, “it’s ok.” To allow others to be where ever it is they are in their lives, and to know that it’s enough.

Join Christine Thursdays for Deep Relaxation at 6:45pm at Lakeside. Sign up HERE.

     MONTHLY AFFIRMATION
                                                                  

As we roll around to a large Nebraska lottery jackpot we cannot help but to have money on our minds. It is easy to imagine “what life would be like” with millions of dollars, and you may have found yourself doing that the last couple of days. Doing this can be fun, exciting and realign us to abundance. However, we do have to keep our humbleness in mind while imagining all of this. If you want more abundance in your life the answer is easy- GET IT!

Keeping a positive attitude, even in the darkest or toughest times, ensures your energy is always in line with what you want. You may not win the 700 and some million dollars you can find abundance in other ways; love, kindness, or even organization. Grab a journal or a piece of paper and start writing what you want, envision your life with the abundance you want. Do not be afraid to ask the universe for what you want, once you do start noticing what appears.

     WHATS GOING ON AT OIC?                                                        

• Yoga for Fertility begins September 6th at 6:45PM (pre-registration required).
  • Sign up HERE.

• Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Course begins September 18th, learn more HERE.
  • Sign up HERE.
• Yoga for Retirees begins September 11th at 10AM (9/11 class is FREE)
  • Sign up HERE.
• Learning to Live Again – Grief Support Group begins September 11th, learn more HERE.
  • Sign up HERE.