Sag New Moon/solstice brings New Light

It's almost true winter, in just a few more days.  Until then, we have the new moon here in December to guide us into new habits and new stories that we create for ourselves.  Time to create a more yin way of life instead of yang.  Time to simplify life, slow down and take part in the nature of the season.  If you practice a more yang style of yoga, then making sure to take the rest of life a little slower from here until spring.  Maybe even try to add some more restorative styles of asanas to your regular practice or try a new yin class.  

Most importantly, it's time to work positive habits and thoughts towards yourself into life again.  We all concentrate on the more annoying traits about ourselves, and the negative things from our day.  So try focusing instead on all the positive things you provide to the world.  My friend, Meghan, has the best recipe for this...calling it her positive abundance recipe!  Check it out:

meghantelpnerblog.com

So put on some tunes that will perk you up (I recommend Tori Amos' new Midwinter Holiday album), eat some warming spiced foods & teas, and practice following your inner guru to seek the light that you already possess.  

Happy Holidays everyone!  

p.s. One way to make a positive shift this holiday season is by shopping at local businesses!  We are lucky in Boston to have lots of unique shops in each neighborhood.  Our economy needs better habits, too...so try to support the 10% shift and go local!  

Some of my faves:

Grand in Union Sq.

Abodeon, Irish Imports and Greenward in Harpo (between Harvard and Porter)

Topaz and Looks in Harvard Sq.

Spirit Motivation Playlist

1. Orly: Arms & Sleepers  (all of these song from their new album, Matador)

2. Matador: Arms & Sleepers

3. December: Norah Jones (all these from her new album The Fall)

4. Myriad Harbour: The New Pornographers (all songs from their album, Challengers)

5. Jesus, Etc.:  Norah Jones

6. Unguided: The New Pornographers

7. The Paramour: Arms & Sleepers

8. It's Gonna Be: Norah Jones

9. Go Places: The New Pornographers

10. Helvetica: Arms & Sleepers

11. The International: Arms & Sleepers

12. Light as a Feather: Norah Jones

13. Challengers: The New Pornographers

14. Kino: Arms & Sleepers

15. Words are for Sleeping: A & S

16. Adventures in Solitude: The New P

17. The Architekt: A & S

18. Dear Charles, muse, asleep or dead: A & S

19. Twentynine Palms: A & S

I made this playlist with motivation in mind, yes.  Motivation to keep looking forward.  To hard work in the face of overwhelming new challenges or ideas.  To keep striving for positivity in all that you believe in and want to achieve.  To keep finding gratitude for life and what you bring to it.  

And here at the end of November...I am motivated to continue motivating all of you on the mat.  So, cheers and many thanks to everyone who crosses my path in class and teaches me things through their energy and spirit all the time.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Winter is Coming Playlist

1. Arms & Sleepers:  Runner Misplaced

2. "                    "      : Winter is Coming

3. Leona Naess: Just One

4. Imogen Heap: Canvas

5. "                 "   : Swoon (instr.)

6. Arms & Sleepers: By my Bones

7. Imogen Heap: 2-1

8. Norah Jones: Chasing Pirates

9. Neko Case: Red Tide

10. The Sass Factor: You

11. Arms & Sleepers: Red Light Pipe Dreams

12. Fanfarlo: Finish Line

13. Arms & Sleepers: Lights & Alarms

14. Jonsi & Alex: Stokkseyri

15. "               "   : Atlas Song

16. "              "    : Indian Summer

2nd annual Winter Yoga Utopia Retreat in the West Indies

Most of you know that last January I offered a weeklong getaway from the winter cold to spend yoga holiday with me on the West Indies island of Dominica.  It turned out to be a fascinating, relaxing, adventurous, and yoga-licious time.  So, this year, I've partnered with Trish from Tropical Escapes yet again, to offer my 2nd annual getaway!  

Yep, but this year we'll be heading to Dominica's neighbor of St. Lucia.  It's just as glorious, as well as cheaper and easier to get to with direct flights from Jet Blue!  

So, if anyone has between $1700-2000 and a week off in mid-January to escape the cold and come with me to do vinyasa yoga everyday near the sea and in the sun, with irie Caribbean vibes all around...then keep reading...you know you want to!  

http://www.tropicalescapes.biz/brochures/Jenn_P_2010.jpg

double occ.= $1275 + airfare on your own = around $1775 total single occ.= $1645 + airfare = around $2145 total Not too bad! Retreat Vision: Come renew your spirit and create space in your yoga practice for vibrancy and fun! Join us on our week-long vinyasa flow yoga intensive in a peaceful, natural, loving environment in order to discover balance and gratitude for living. We'll spend time breaking down the flow of vinyasa through different sequences, alignment in your asanas, and finding your own breath & rhythm.  Allow yourself to let go of expectations and dive into this Caribbean utopia, your yoga practice and your soul.

Yoga: Vinyasa Flow & Restorative

Jenn Pici's classes infuse a strong, empowering, loving vinyasa flow that focuses on: breath, safety & awareness in your own body; awakening your emotions & spirit; and most of all inviting in love.  She is inspired by music, nature, art, and her friends to create a unique experience where students can get out of their heads and work on themselves (both inside and out) on their mats...in order to bring love off the mat.

Jenn got her RYT-Yoga Alliance certification in Vinyasa Yoga from the Baptiste-affiliated Power Yoga Works in Philadelphia , PA.  With over 10 years of personal practice, and 4 years of teaching under her belt; she surrounds herself with a variety of different style classes and workshops, and continues to learn from the amazing yogis that are all around Boston and beyond.  She teaches full-time in Cambridge and Somerville, MA.  This will be her 2nd year working with Trish and Tropical Escapes to provide a healing/fun yoga adventure!

*If you're in for this fun ride, then contact me to sign-up and secure your spot asap (I have room for just 4-6 more people) so we can get this ball rollin'!  

Libra New Moon Magic Playlist

The Libra New Moon occurred on Sunday and it was a truly magical day in Boston.  We got our first snow!  I stayed in baking pumpkin bread, making tea, yoga-fying, practicing tunes, watching football, and hopping out to the backyard to take in some of those beautiful white flakes from the sky.  

Today it's an awesome sunshine-filled 70 degree day.  Go figure.  I'm not complaining.  :)  This week so far started with the new moon magic, then the band I'm in (The Sass Factor) played our first open mic successfully, 2 Iceland faves came to town to play a show (Sin Fang Bous & Mum...check them out), and we've been jamming all week so far in my classes to this magical new playlist:

1. Imogen Heap: First Train Home (instrumental) *all songs from "Ellipse"

2. Imogen Heap: First Train Home

3. "                 "    : Wait it Out (instrumental)

4. Olafur Arnalds: Allt Vard Hljott  *all songs from "Found Songs"

5. Imogen Heap: Earth

6. "              "      : Canvas (instrumental)

7. "             "       : Little Bird

8. Olafur Arnalds: Lost Song

9. Imogen Heap:  Tidal

10. Hogni: Soul Company

11. Olafur Arnalds: Erla's Waltz

12. Imogen Heap: Between Sheets

13. Olafur Arnalds: Romance

14. Imogen Heap: Between Sheets (instrumental)

15. "                "     : 2-1 (instrumental)

16."                 "     : Half Life (instrumental)

17. "               "      : Tidal (instrumental)

18. "               "     : Wait it Out

19. Olafur Arnalds: Faun

20. "             "         : Raeinn

21. "              "         : Ljosid

We need challenge sometimes

We're hitting the prime of autumn now.  Already 13 days into October and it's perfect time to stay challenged.  Don't know about many of you, but the change of seasons is always a special time for me.  Time to turn a new leaf, or stick with one that's been working, or reflect on behaviors...  Kicking off the season with a trip to Iceland was no joke.  The starkness of the land combined with its drama allowed for some internal brew to take place.  Then I came back to officiate the marriage of some dear friends.  What an amazing opportunity to get over yourself and simply provide the support and guidance for other people on their journey for love!  Since then, I've settled into October with an open mind to keep doing things that scare me and keep challenging my limits.  

In the three years since teaching at Karma Yoga Studio, I have never not taught a Saturday morning class.  So my decision to take a break from teaching that class was not easy.  But, it's been great to allow myself some time on weekends to explore...other classes, other modes of learning, and also rest when I need it.  October is teaching me that so far.  I received my first shiatsu massage.  I slept in on a Saturday!  I took someone else's vinyasa class.  And, I took my first master yoga class with the brilliantly lovely Natasha Rizopolous.  She had us doing arm balances for 2 hours that I never tend to test my limits in regularly.  Sore the next day, it felt so good to be challenged.  

I also discovered a new yoga studio that opened in my neighborhood.  Why is this challenging?  Because over a year ago, that was the goal I have had.  However, without the funding and means to truly dive into such a venture...it's been challenging to let go and realize that someone else was meant to do it.  Now having been there and experiencing it, it's an awesome place.  And I look forward to possibly teaching there and adding to the community with them on their journey.  

The challenges keep coming.  I'll be singing with my band for the first time at an open mic coming up.  Scary!  And hopefully finding more opportunities in teaching and beyond, on the mat and beyond, that will guide me to a place where the winter will seem like a piece of cake.  

Things to do this week/weekend

As I sometimes like to do on here, I'm letting you all know of some interesting things around these parts this week/month:

Tonight, Oct. 7th at the Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge, one of my fave local bands, 

Arms & Sleepers, are having their CD release and show.  I play them a lot in class.  It's moving stuff with lots of passion and emotion, so check it out.  

If you're in NYC, the BAM festival in Brooklyn begins today through the weekend.  There will be an abundance of art, music, film, dance.  I know a brilliant dancer performing in the dance work, Decreation, by William Forsythe, so if you're around there this week, it will be worth taking in!

Friday, Oct. 9th:  Head to Precinct in Union Sq. to hear the lovely Jennifer Greer (a yogini at Karma) belt out her tunes.  

Oct. 10-11:  Davis Sq. Somerville hosts its crazy "Honk" Fest, full of an array of musicians, wacky art & fashion, and fun.  Be on the lookout...

And, every Tuesday night this month, there's a chance for great local music at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge.  My friends Avi & Celia are now known with their full band as 

"Hey Mama."  You'll be sure to dance and feel good.  Come to my class Tuesday night, then head there, from 9pm-midnight.  ;)

Just some things to think about on this rainy morning heading into the tail end of the week...