ICE

ICE - In Case of Emergency

The "Ice Idea" is catching on. An ambulance paramedic by the name of Bob Brotchie came up with the idea to program the phone number of your next-of-kin into your cell phone under the name of ICE. This would allow paramedics to quickly contact someone in the case of an emergency, without having to search through wallets and/or guess at important contacts in cell phone lists. To read an in-depth article on this "multi-media phenomenon," click here.

Mysore

Tom Griffith oversees a 6:30-9 am Mysore class every Monday! Students can come at any time during class to practice independently. Hands-on adjustments will be given and/or assistance for special needs or requests. Think of the session as your chance to improvise and explore; you do not necessarily need to practice Ashtanga-based yoga. This is the style of practice common in Mysore, India. Come check it out! No need to pre-register.

this week in the studio...

Yoga to Live Drumming is this Friday at 5:45! Come experience a vinyasa practice to the inspiring and energizing sounds of drumming. Potluck to follow. All are welcome - bring a dish and a friend and prepare to have a good time!


The next Intro to Hatha series begins this coming Monday (Oct. 30th) at 7:30 pm. Call 614-265-9642 to register.

chance to earn free yoga classes!

Spend one evening per week working at Balanced Yoga's front desk and you'll earn free classes!

The following shifts are now open:
Monday night 5-9pm
Friday night 5-9 pm
Saturday morning 8am-12pm

You will earn 1 class for each hour you work. Classes accrue over time and do not expire. This is an excellent opportunity to meet people and save money on something you love! No experience required. Training and orientation provided. Please write michelle@balancedyoga.net or call 265-9642 for details.

Weekend Possibilities:

1. Check out the 100th anniversary of The Circleville Pumpkin Show
2. The Columbus Zoo's Boo at the Zoo and Pumpkin Smash
3. See the Cypress String Quartet perform in concert with Chamber Music Columbus
4. Take a class at balancedYOGA

Todd Norian's Workshop Class Descriptions

Todd arrives in Columbus on December 8, 2006. This is a list of descriptions for the classes he will be offering during his workshop. You can choose to attend the whole weekend, or purchase classes ala carte. Prices are listed on the website.

Friday, December 8: 2-5 pm
Eye of the Tiger Practice
A wild and fun practice for teachers and experienced students. Play the edge while developing strength, flexibility and joy. You will be skillfully guided step-by-step into more advanced asanas in order to awaken the heart and remember your connection to source. (Prereqs: ability to perform handstand and forearm balanced at the wall or on your own, and upward bow with straight elbows)

Friday, December 8: 7-9 pm
Opening to Grace
In this spiritually uplifting session, you'll explore the elegant Anusara system of yoga and practice a variety of fun asanas. The session will end with a delicious deep relaxation.

Saturday, December 9: 9am-12pm
Backbend Into Bliss
Learn the biomechanicsand gradual, step-by-step sequencing that makes backbending a joyful celebration of heart. Using the Universal Principles of Anusara Yoga, you will practice a dynamic flow of postures. Have fun while working at your own pace.

Saturday, December 9: 2-5 pm
Transformational Twists, Hip Openers & Forward Bends
Align and purify your spine through powerful twisting poses. Then, draw your awareness inward through forward bends in preparation for ecstatic tantra-based meditation and savasana.

Sunday, December 10: 9am-12pm
The Art of Flying: Handstand & Arm Balances
Learn to fly by finding the optimal relationship between the balance of effort and grace. Learn how to take yourself lightly through the powerful channeling of prana. Experience necessary.

Sunday, December 10: 2-5 pm
Anusara Yoga Therapeutics
Explore the therapeutic power of Anusara Yoga to support the body's natural healing process. (All levels welcome, especially teachers.) Through applying the Universal Principles of Alignment, you will learn how to relieve pain and avoid common injuries. Learn how to transform pain and limitation into an experience of greater freedom and joy.

Thanks to everyone who attended the Tripsichore workshop and performance last Tuesday! Edward and the troupe really enjoyed their visit to Columbus and are excited to return next May.

Reminder!

Just to remind everyone - the 9 am vinyasa class, as well as all evening classes at Balanced Yoga are cancelled tomorrow due to the Tripsichore workshop & performance!

The performance is at 8 pm at the Columbus Dance Theatre (592 E. Main St. Columbus, OH 43215) For a map detailing the theatre's location, click here. Doors will open at 7:15 pm. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the theatre or by calling 614-265-9642. Seating is first come, first serve. Hope to see you there!

There are still places available in the workshop from 9 am to 3 pm.

Classes Cancelled Oct. 10

Due to the Tripsichore workshop and performance, all classes (except the 6:30 am vinyasa) have been cancelled on Tuesday, October 10th. It's not too late to register for these events! Take advantage of this opportunity to find a new perspecitve on your practice and see how the term "yoga" can be applied to much more than just movement on a mat. Mention this entry when you call to register and receive $5 off the cost of the performance or 15% off the workshop!

Tripsichore Buzz

Only 8 days until Tripsichore comes to Columbus!!

If you haven't heard about the troupe yet, you can check out a video clip of their performance at John Hancock Hall in Boston by clicking here. Erica Rodefer, an attendee of this performance left these remarks about her experience:

"One theme during the performance made a big impression on me: If we could only get past the stiff, robotic way of thinking about asana and extend yogic principles into our lives off and on the mat, anyone is capable of having a beautiful and inspiring practice. Whether you practice yoga on a stage for hundreds or alone on your living room floor, every practitioner has the potential to do his or her part to inspire, uplift and make the world a better and more harmonious place. I went to the performance expecting to be amazed, entertained and inspired - and I wasn't disappointed. But I also came away with a refreshed perspective on my yoga practice. I am so thankful for that."

This is going to be an amazing event! We invite and encourage everyone - dancers, yogis, actors, accountants, teachers, anyone who wants to be inspired - to attend this performance.

Tripsichore arrives October 10th. Edward Clark, the founder of the troupe, will facilitate a workshop at Balanced Yoga that promises to take your asana practice to a whole new level. The workshop is from 9 to 3 and open to students of all levels. The troupe will perform at the Columbus Dance Theatre later that night from 8 to 9:30. Call 614.265.9642 to register today!

Khitti Yoga?

Looking to the weekend...

Don't forget that the Music and Movement as Good Medicine workshop is tomorrow night from 7 to 9:30 pm! Mention this blog entry and get $5 off the workshop cost of $30. Be ready to discover a whole other world of sound!

Also, this Sunday (from 1 to 3 pm) is Julia McSheffery's mini-workshop focusing on body awareness. Participants will learn to modify the flow of asana to fit their individual body, as well as develop the mind-body connection. Cost: $30

Call the studio at 614.265.9642 to register!

Massages

Tom Griffith is now offering massage services at Balanced Yoga! Tom's studies at Ohio State were focused on Buddhist art and iconography, which led him to explore the healing arts and movement forms such as yoga and Tai Chi. He offers an approachable, knowledgeable experience to those seeking massage or yoga for healing and recovery, as preventative healthcare, or as an enhancement to their physical and mental performance.

Cost: 1 hour massage = $65 (4 pack = $200)
1.5 hour massage = $85 (4 pack = $275)

To schedule: Call Tom at 614.507.5836 or write to him at tag90@wowway.com

Mysore

The Mysore class is set to begin October 2nd! It will be held from 6:30-9:30 am every Monday as a regular on-going class. No need to pre-register or buy a separate pass. Come check it out!

*The Mysore style is a supervised self-practice. Ashtanga is generally taught in this manner. Each student moves through their practice at his or her own pace and experience level.

The New Face of Pilates at BY

Balanced Yoga is delighted to have a new face at the studio teaching Pilates. Robin Anderson will teach a mixed level Pilates class on the following days:

Wednesday at 7:30 pm
Friday at 11:00 am
Saturday at 10:00 am (*starting Oct. 7th)

Robin's knowledge of the Pilates practice is informed by her varied background in dance and arts administration. Recently, she completed her MFA in The Ohio State University's Department of Dance with a focus in performance and audience development. She also held a Graduate Administrative Assistanship in the Wexner Center's Performing Arts Department. She was first exposed to Pilates in Portland, OR, where she lived for 9 years working as a performer, choreographer, dance instructor and arts administrator. From the beginning of her Pilates practice, it was clear to her how it complemented her dancing. In turn, Pilates - along with other somatic practices such as Alexander Technique, Bartenieff Fundamentals and yoga - has continued to inform her dancing. She has been a regular student at Alpha State in Columbus since her arrival in 2003 and recently completed their certification course through the Pilates Method Alliance.

With a strong focus on breath, Pilates cultivates a practice around building deep core strength. Progressing from fundamental principles that allow students to focus on specific muscular engagement, this class will proceed to the beginner/intermediate mat sequence of exercises. Overall principles of body alignment and flexibility will be highlighted. Practicing Pilates is a great way to decrease lower back pain, build a strong posture and increase hamstring and innter thigh engagement. It is also a great complement to any yoga practice.

FYI

Donna's 9:30 Vinyasa and 11:30 Yin classes are cancelled tomorrow (9/16) due to the Dianne Kadonaga Anatomy workshop! Tom's 8:30 basic and Beaker's 11:30 hatha classes will still meet.

On Monday, be sure to swing by the studio and see our new clothing line!

beacons of light

A little information on lighthouses to illuminate your weekend...

Every lighthouse has a unique light. The lights may be different colors and sizes, flash for a different amounts of time, or remain solid. The light pattern is called the characteristic.

The lights are placed on something that looks like a rotating table; as the light spins to the back of the lighthouse, it gives the appearance of having gone out, or of shutting off. When it circles back around to the front, ships at sea see the "flash" once again. The speed of the flash can be changed by increasing or decreasing the speed of the table's rotation.

As you can see above, lighthouse lights, or lenses, come in a wide variety of sizes. One of the most powerful lenses is the Fresnel lens, invented in 1822 by Augustine Fresnel of France. Looking like a glass beehive, this lens operates by reflecting light from a source (like a candle), focusing it to one spot, and sending out the beam. There are 7 levels, or orders, of Fresnel lenses. The closer the light source, the further the light shines. A beam from an order 1 lens can be seen more than 20 miles away.

Fresnel's design of using concentric glass rings to focus light is still used today in traffic signals, car headlights and projectors. The state with the most lighthouses is Michigan at 130. For some more quick and interesting facts on lighthouses, visit The US Lighthouse Society page.

new class!

Balanced Yoga is pleased to add a new Pilates class to the schedule!
Robin Anderson will begin teaching a basic Pilates class on Fridays from 11 am - 12 starting tomorrow. This class will be covered by class passes and monthly EFTs. Feel free to drop in and check it out!

If you haven't already registered for next weekend's Experiential Anatomy of the Spine workshop with Dianne Kadonaga, now's the time! Space is still available, but filling up fast! Check our website for details.

Bar of Modern Art

Columbus locals and restaurant-goers are buzzing over the soon-to-be newest addition to the downtown cuisine landscape. The Bar of Modern Art, a church-turned-restaurant located on East Broad Street, will contain an art gallery, nightclub and exhibition space in addition to offering tantalizing dishes such as lobster-mango bruschetta and pumpkin seed crusted Mahi Mahi. Alex Rodriguez, the Executive Chef, says he wants his cuisine "to compliment the unique atmosphere and diverse dining crowd" expected at BoMA. Basing the menu on the "whole concept of art," Rodriguez is going to incorporate flavors from his trips abroad into his goal of recreating artistic scenes in the food he offers. "Presentation is going to be huge, very visual - something that pops in your mouth," he says. BoMA is scheduled to open in the next few months!

Labor Day!

The next Intro to Hatha series begins Monday, September 18th.
The next Intro to Ashtanga series begins Sunday, September 24th.

Correction!
The Yoga and Your Plus-Sized Body workshop on October 1st is from 1-3 pm!

Balanced Yoga will be closed for Labor Day.

Weekend Entertainment Ideas:

1. OSU vs. Northern Illinois; 3:30 kick-off
2. Gallery Hop in the Short North
3. Riverfest in Cincinnati, OH - The city says goodbye to summer with an impressive fireworks display on the banks of the Ohio River.
4. 34th annual Columbus Greek Festival