My Upcoming Prenatal Yoga/Reiki Workshop

A Prenatal Yoga/Reiki Workshop

with Jenn Pici Falk-E-RYT and Steph (Naz) Zabel-reiki practitioner/herbalist

Saturday, January 29, 2011--5:00-6:45pm

Bow Street Yoga-Union Sq. Somerville

> Join us for an introduction to reiki and prenatal teas, then for a 60 min. prenatal yoga practice with Jenn (who is 8 months pregnant herself!) to allow your physical body and your emotional spirit to stabilize and settle into its natural rhythms of creating a baby.

> We will then relax in meditative savasana (prenatal style) to allow Steph to perform reiki on us in order to complete our relaxation/awareness and open our subtle energy points!

> Post-reiki/savasana, Jenn and Steph will open discussion about herbs, teas, foods, remedies, and postures that might aid you during the journey of your pregnancy. Steph will have samples of her Flowerfolk herbal line on hand for us to sample as well.

Jenn Pici Falk has been teaching Vinyasa Flow in the Somerville/Cambridge area for over 4 years, and practicing for 11. She encourages students to honor their bodies and spirit by opening to truth on their mats and staying light hearted. She provides a fun atmosphere with music and positivity to open up the power of yoga to everyone. Yoga has been the stable point of balance that has guided her through her first pregnancy so far.

Steph Zabel is a Reiki practitioner, ethnobotanist, and owner of Flowerfolk, a small local business which creates herbal-based skin care products. Her work is spreading knowledge about the beauty and power of plants. It is her honor to share Reiki healing with others.

Due to the energy and time sensitivity of this practice, space is limited to only 10 students.
Sign-up soon for your spot!
$50/person

January New Year Update

Friends,

Happy 2011 and January!! I returned to Boston last week from a 10 day excursion to visit family and now entering full-on baby prep mode. Started hypnobirthing class last week and have lots more workshops and reading to finish. I sure hope that you all had a cheerful beginning to this bright new year ahead and are motivated to keep up with your yoga practice!

First things first, my teaching schedule.

So, some of you may have noticed that I am not on the Karma schedule this month to be teaching my noon MWF classes. Well, honestly it was a shock to me as well. I had all intentions to be teaching them still this month. Turns out there was a snafu in communication with management and it was thought that I was to begin maternity leave already. I was just as surprised as some of you last week to see the new schedule and find that out as I had initially planned to come in and teach.

With some new teachers already on the schedule and in place, it's going to remain that way. I am sad to prematurely be leaving all of you, but sometimes the cards work out in that way and you just go with it, and it might be for the best. So, keep me updated on your practice and if I can point you in new directions. I would love to continue to be of service.

I WILL however, continue my prenatal class on Wednesdays at 4:00pm. So, those of you with little ones in your belly, I hope to keep seeing you then. :) And maybe I'll run into some of the rest of you around the studio then, too.

And, I'm teaming up with Steph (Naz) Zabel to lead a Prenatal Yoga/Reiki Workshop on Saturday, Jan. 29th at 5:00pm at Bow Street Yoga.

Everything with my pregnancy is going along just fine. I am in my 32nd week with an ever-growing belly and lots of movement on the inside. I will hopefully have another update later in the month, with new picture included. I have tons to do as far as organizing the house and haven't even started the baby room/gathering accessories yet!

My pose of the month: Yoga Squat -- Malasana. Join me in practicing this pose daily if you'd like. Maybe the energy from all of you will continue helping me prepare my body for it's natural production of this baby boy to come.

**Last week's New Moon was in Capricorn and was also a partial solar eclipse. Make sure to take a moment this week whether in yoga class or for 2 minutes at home to sit in quiet and honor an intention within. Try choosing just one word that might sum up your goals for this year and know that change can no longer be avoided with your positive outlook on the future.

My word is transcendence. I am aiming to go beyond a prior state of myself this year to find that spirit inside that is not afraid of anything. Birthing a human will require this, and then caring for that human...all while maintaining a sense of self that remains in balance with my surroundings and relationships.

So, cheers to you all in this lovely new year. We'll be in touch!

Much love,

Jenn

DECEMBER NEWS

December has found us!

Welcome yourselves to the tail end of autumn and begin to prepare your body and minds for the winter that is upon us. We've been lucky with gorgeous, crisp weather so far, and I can hardly wait for the first snow! I've got my new maternity winter coat ready to go, and a kicking little guy who just has to make it through the coldest snap til early March when he is supposed to arrive.

On the yoga front, it's the perfect time to deepen your practice and bring your exercise indoors. There are so many fantastic teachers, workshops, venues to choose from in our city, and in Cambridge/Somerville alone! I am yearning for an intense heated vinyasa at Bow Street or with Karma Longtin but I suppose that will have to wait til later in the spring! ;)

For now, my latest pose of the moment, is extended side angle pose (utthita parsvakonasana). You know it. It's the one I bring you into quite often from Warrior II. It brings the leg strength, side-body opening, spine lengthening, and arm extension that feels so good to me right now in my bigger belly state. Practice it with me this month (big belly or not) to get your body open and strong, too!

Schedule this month: at Karma Yoga Cambridge

MWF: 12:00-1:00pm vinyasa

Wednesday: 4-5pm Prenatal

*With so much to do this month and travelling coming up, plus the growing belly, I've decided to drop my T/TH classes. I hope to still see many of you during the noon slot and just around Karma taking other classes, as I hope to make time for some more of that myself. If you want to chat over tea or plan to attend another class, shoot me a line, and maybe I'll be up for meeting some of you around.

**I will be subbing in my old timeslot this coming Monday, Dec. 6th for Erica at 10:30! If you're around, I'd love to see you then or right after at my noon class.

***At the end of the month, I will be heading to my family in Philly for Christmas, then to New York to my in-law's for New Year's. So, I will have the following subs:

Lakota will teach my noon class on 12/22, 12/27, and 12/29. Kate Heffernan will teach it on 12/31.

Prenatal Class will not take place on 12/22 or 12/29. It will resume in the new year on Wednesday, Jan. 5.

Faves of the Month:

--Michelle Pfennighaus' Holiday Recipe E-Book from Find Your Balance Health

http://findyourbalancehealth.com/store-under-construction/holidayrecipes/

**For those of you who don't know about Michelle yet, she is also a yogini/mom-to-be who happens to be a wonderfully skilled holistic health practitioner. Sad to say, she has now left the Boston area for D.C. but lucky for us, we can be in touch with her anytime via our world wide web. ;) Her website and blog are part of my weekly updates for important health info or recipes. She just came out with her Holiday Recipe E-Book, which is so exciting! If you're looking for fast and easy recipes that you can bring up on your computer or iPad, then this is your answer. Check it out!

--Flowerfolk shop on Etsy--

http://www.etsy.com/shop/flowerfolkherbs

**Nazarene Zabel concocts the most delightful and organic herbal skincare around. Her products are luxurious and pure, so they make great gifts! I've been using her products for years now and can attest to their power. Not only are Naz's products high quality, but they are made with the utmost care and vibrant healing energy that she possesses. If you're local, she's having an open house next Friday, Dec. 10 in Cambridge where you can test/purchase her products in person (email me if you're interested), or make sure to get your etsy order in by Dec. 12 so she has time to make everything before taking off on her holiday.

--My picks: Mossy Sister Facial Scrub and the Rose Empress Elixir

--Eye Pillows by An Li Liu--

www.anliliu.com

**These are the super cute and cozy eye pillows that some of you may have seen for sale at Karma Yoga Studio in Cambridge. An Li is one of my fellow yoga teachers there, who also happens to be a lovely artist. These pillows are the perfect simple gift for those in your life who practice yoga or meditation (or who might be a new mom needing some sleep/relaxation). They are just $25 and come with a handy little carry sack.

--More music from Iceland--

*Olof Arnalds' latest album, Innundir Skinni is just magic to the ears. She has a song with Bjork singing backup, called Surrender.

*Jonsi's Go Live DVD and album. With songs that weren't on his album, but that he played live in concert, it's more than a treat. I'm waiting for the hardcopy to be shipped my way!

You'll be hearing both in class very soon...

May all of you enjoy the magic of this month. Happy Hanukkah this very moment! Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, and New Year to come! No matter what your family traditions are, or what you celebrate/honor, it's a time to smile at your neighbor and use your practice for peace.

So, much peace and great love to you all,

Jenn

Winter Yoga Adventures to check out

Since I am not going to be leading a yoga trip to a far off place any time soon, I thought I'd let people in on some fantastic options out there for the coming months ahead. If I could, I would go on all of these! Hope you get some inspiration and look into joining one of these special trips:

http://siemreapretreat.weebly.com/

*Lawino Maria Johnson (currently of Iceland) is leading an ashtanga trip to Cambodia next month.

http://solyogatrips.com

*Ben Crosky guides you through various adventures in the coming months:

--Surfing in Panama (January) with yogini Heather Lilleston

--Mayan Ruins in Mexico (February) with yogini Jorja Rivero

--Fire Dancing in Costa Rica (March) with yogins Ellen Waylonis May and Roger May

http://yogathree.com

*YogaThree's Chanel Luck leads her annual Baja Mexico trip in March

http://www.meghantelpner.com/retreats/

*Holistic Nutritionist and Meditation Teacher, Meghan, along with Tropical Escapes, takes on her annual St. Lucia wellness retreats in both January and Febuary

These are all pretty affordable options to get away for a bit in the winter to rejuvenate your body and spirit with people that I trust and believe in. If you go, let me know how it is!

November News

November is here! We are in the best part of fall now. It's crisp outside and just a nice time of transition. I am fresh off of more beautiful moments in my life and feeling a lot better these days. Thank you all for your continued well wishes and support both in and out of class. As my belly grows and my body shifts, I learn to become more and more accepting of it. Much more than ever before (duh, I'm totally growing a person in there)...it's such a fascinating experience. This new attitude of acceptance and change is in tune with this season, too, since all I crave is reading, organizing, nesting, cooking. These are all things we all typically crave, whether growing a baby and needing to slow down, or just growing your heart and needing to slow down in the coming months.

This moment in the year for us all requires focus and a harnessing of prana for the coming dark months ahead.

And so my pose of the month is Dekasana /Airplane Pose! It reminds us to keep our foundation strong. We stand on one leg, with our core holding us up, our arms creating balance as wings by our side, and our hips lifting the other leg to level our bodies so that the torso remains in a long, steady line. The pose requires us to breathe through feelings of instability and those moments we think we might just crash. Both physically and mentally it is just what you might need this month. Happy flying!

Schedule:

--I am subbing Sarah's hatha class this Saturday, Nov. 6 at 10am.

MWF: noon-1:00pm vinyasa

TH: 4-5:15pm vinyasa

Wednesday Prenatal Class from 4-5:15pm --spread the word to pregnant friends or postnatal in need of some mama body love

Karma Cambridge holiday hours:

November 24th - Wednesday - before Thanksgiving - CLOSED AT 2pm

November 25th - Thursday - Thanksgiving - CLOSED ALL DAY

**I will most likely be out of town, Friday, Nov. 26th. Sub info to come...

--Fun things to check out this month: www.yogamasti.com for really different and interesting yoga clothes and accessories

www.nectarandlight.typepad.com for my wedding photographer's blog and insights. She is a super talented artist and lady. Check her out.

www.blossomfloweressences.com--Flower Essences and Meditation with Catherine Iagnemma-- she is my friend and neighbor from whom I've received flower essence therapy from since I've gotten pregnant. It's a natural, beautiful way to try a different style of mindfulness therapy.

Iron Butterflies: Women Transforming Themselves and the World by Birute Regine. Birute is a Cantabridgian and Karma yogini who has inspired ME to transform and recognize the iron butterfly within myself during the last few years. I am currently reading this fantastic book (for both women and men. Yes, men, it talks to you too!) and highly recommend it.

solyogatrips.com --if you're looking for a yoga adventure getaway this coming winter, check out my friend Ben's site for his upcoming trips, including:

Salute the Sun, Worship the Waves
Panama - January 23rd - 29th
Join Solyoga Trips and Heather Lilleston for a unique opportunity to practice yoga and learn how to surf in one of the most beautiful places on earth, the islands of Bocas del Toro. You’ll stay in a unique eco-lodge on a private beach on a small island called Bastimientos. Your days will be filled with yoga, surfing, exploring the islands that surround you and delicious food.

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Finally, thank you all who so graciously contributed to my Global Mala/Yoga Reaches Out cause. I was able to reach the $250 goal required by all participants and the total group of all yogis in participation went on to raise 5 figures for Children's Hospital and Yoga for Single Moms. Thank you SO much!

I leave you with a quote from a fave song of mine. I was teaching my 12:00 class today and this song was on the playlist and I thought these lines were perfect for us all this time of year.

"Just don't lie to your heart. This will be the hardest part. But lying on the surface,

everybody's got a dark place they hold on to. They all go to. We are just learning as we go, learning as we go..."

--Leona Naess

From her album "Thirteens"

Much peace & love,

Jenn

A New Woman and More

I am now a married lady! As many of you know, I recently wed my sweet love in a gorgeous and perfect autumn ceremony on the island of Nantucket. It was magical in so many ways. I walked out with my dad through a hedge on a bluff overlooking the ocean just at the time when dusk was drawing near. And what was the music? Of course it was Icelandic throughout. Olafur Arnald's tunes brought us into the ceremony. My beautiful husband and I were overjoyed from the moment. We were married by his aunt, who is also a yoga teacher. We incorporated Ganesha into the ceremony and chanted to him, as well as did a handfasting ritual with mala beads. And our ending song was Sigur Ros carrying us into our new life.

You can check out some pics from our super talented and special photographer friend, Jen Altman.

www.lovebyjen.com

*click on 'love' then click 'nantucket' and once through with those, click 'polaroids' to see a few more.

Jen was even more than I hoped for as a photographer. She was more like an old friend and even helped assemble flowers and keep us all smiling. She's superb!

On another note, I just hit the 5 month mark in my pregnancy! The little guy (yes, we found out it's a boy!) and I are doing great. I've felt him moving around and I also have more energy, which is so much better than how my first trimester went. Back into the routine of my practice and teaching this week. And I've added a prenatal yoga class once a week at Karma Cambridge. So, if you are a mom-to-be or even if you are newly postnatal, come do a slow flow with me targeting our needs. It's every Wednesday from 4-5pm.

Happy soup eating, scarf wearing, fire huddling, and tea drinking...

October News

October, autumnal greetings, everyone!

It's one of the best times of year in Boston. Spontaneous weather, yummy new smells & colors, roasted veggies in our ovens and bellies again! I'm gonna try to keep this short, since last month I had an installment of 2 emails. I am so grateful for all of your responses to my news. It makes me deeply warm & fuzzy all over to have such love streaming out/pouring in from many directions. And as I said in class last night, it's like you're getting double the energy from me in class these days...since there's another being in my body! Good stuff.

**October Schedule has changed. !!! First time in a LONG time that I've changed it this much, and that I've taught so few classes. But, my body and the baby is yearning for more rest and a slower pace. So, I'm gonna see how this goes. I will miss all of you that come to Karma Cambridge at night, terribly. But I hope I'll still be able to see you at times. As our practice teaches us always, change is inevitable, and is always welcome.

MWF: 12:00-1:00 all levels vinyasa

T/TH: 4:00-5:15 all levels vinyasa

Wednesdays (starting on 10/20): 4:00-5:00 Prenatal Yoga! Calling all Mom's to be (and Dad's to be)...you'll be led by a Mom to be. ;)

**I will have a short hiatus starting mid-next week into the following week while I'm away for my wedding! So, the sub schedule will be:

W--10/6-- Lakota

Th--10/7-- Bethania

F--10/8-- Sarah B.

M--10/11--Lakota

T--10/12--Lakota

W--10/13--Lakota

Th-10/14--Bethania

F--10/15--Lakota

**Other things I'm working on: BYOB (Mommy/Baby Series) at Karma in November, maybe adding a weekend class, a prenatal yoga/reiki workshop with Naz at Bow Street Yoga, and hopefully more...

Pose of the month: Anjaneyasana--High Lunge or Crescent Lunge. Come into Warrior 1, but instead lift the back heel off the floor by curling the toes under. Keep that back leg strong with the thigh active (unless you need to modify by dropping that back knee to the mat). Front knee is aligned over the ankle joint. Arms are warrior-like.

It stretches the hip flexors, the back heel and calf, the torso. Strengthens the front thigh, the ankles, the spine and back. And most of all, it's full of joy & empowerment. I always practice it when I need that little pick me up. And I chose for this month because of all the goodness going on in my life and hopefully in yours.

Things I'm loving right now:

--The red lentil soup at Viva Cafe across from Karma Cambridge. So delicious and served with warm pita bread.

--The new Amiina album, Puzzle (which I think you can only get on their website at the moment)

--My new Lucy pants and top (check out the pic! And the one of me standing is from 16 weeks. Now 17 and getting bigger each week. ;) ). The store at Dedham's Legacy place is full of cozy yoga and workout wear. Plus, this outdoor mall has other fun shops like Anthropologie, Free People, Lululemon, Paper Source, etc.

**Just a reminder about the fundraising I'm doing for the yoga community/children. I am only $60 from the goal we were given! There is still a month left to donate (ends Nov. 1) and old dollar or few. So, if you think of it, every bit will be greatly appreciated by me and many more!

Thanks!!

Click this link to donate:

http://yogareachesout.kintera.org/yogathon/piciyogini

xxx to you all,
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