2013 Uplift Yoga Retreat (early bird pricing through Oct. 15)

2013 Uplift Yoga Retreat

A Journey Through the Chakras

at the Christine Center, Willard, WI

November 15-17, 2013

Join Angela Coffee and Kate Karshna for the 4^th annual Uplift Yoga retreat. Reconnect with old friends and make new ones during our shared, supportive, and joyfully inquisitive journey through the chakras. Situated within the energetics of yoga, Angela and Kate will use techniques of breath work, asana, meditation, sound, and creation to mindfully guide participants towards a deepening awareness of the unique wisdom of body and intuition. During the autumn season of turning inward, our time together will cultivate loving awareness and gentle kindness towards mind and body. This retreat is accessible to all body types and experience levels.

Register by Oct. 15th for special early bird pricing!

All meals are included from Friday supper through brunch on Sunday, and all yoga classes are included. The final cost will depend on your lodging type. We encourage shared lodging and will assign you a roommate if you don't have someone in mind.

Here is the price breakdown for total weekend cost, per person, based on lodging:

Rustic Hermitage shared - Early Bird :$214 After Oct. 15: $244

Rustic Hermitage single - Early Bird: $236 After Oct. 15: $266

Modern Hermitage shared - Early Bird: $244 After Oct. 15: $274

Modern Hermitage single - Early Bird: $294 After Oct. 15: $324

Guest Room shared - Early Bird: $234 After Oct. 15: $264

Guest Room single - Early Bird: $274 After Oct. 15: $304

Camping - Early Bird: $168 After Oct. 15: $198

Add extra $5 processing fee for credit card payment.

(Note: Modern hermitages have heat, bathroom and kitchen, Rustic have either wood or

electric heat. There is a restroom/shower/laundry facility for people camping or staying in the rustic cabins.)

If you’d like to participate in this retreat, please send me the following by Nov. 8th:

• Ranked choice of lodging (Guest Room, Modern Hermitage, or Rustic Hermitage). 
• Names of parties who will be sharing lodging.
• Full Payment based on lodging type. 

Checks can be mailed to Kate Karshna 730 67^th Ave. N.E., Fridley, MN 55432 or email me for credit card payment info: upliftyoga@gmail.com 

Questions? Email upliftyoga@gmail.com

Namaste,

Kate

Pain is a Great Teacher

This month I am reminded that sometimes the best teacher is the pain in our own bodies. It has taught me what to caution in yoga classes, when leading students into poses that could go "too far". It has also, perhaps even more importantly, taught me compassion in dealing with people everyday who are moving slowly, or are crabby or just not acting the way I want them to. When I am in pain, I am not myself, and I am hyper aware of how others are treating me. This is a great lesson for when I'm feeling good and I see someone else who is in that place. So I have learned to appreciate the times when I'm forced to slow down, or rely on the compassion of others. I think it makes me a better human.

Durga Mantra

Continuing my study of mantra, I've been using this one lately:
Om Dum Durgayay Namaha

Durga is the divine mother and protector.

I find that when I do the Durga mantra, I feel more grounded and compassionate. Interesting to notice what qualities come out during mantra practice invoking different divine feminine deities.

During meditation using the Durga mantra, I was given the following exercise:
Inhale as though through the crown, exhale as though through roots growing down into the Earth.

I found this to be a very useful tool in getting myself back down to earth, as I tend to live "in my head" most of the time.

Thanks, Durga!

Namaste,
Kate

Yoga of Sound

I just finished reading Russill Paul's wonderful book The Yoga of Sound. It got me to thinking about music in relation to yoga. Notice how in some classes, the music can annoy and distract you from your practice, and in others, it creates a transcendent experience? Different sounds create vibrations in your body, and since our bodies are just vibration to begin with, it makes sense that some vibrations from the outside will feel good and others will make us crazy.


There are a few artists whose music seems to be universally enjoyed in yoga classes (in my experience) and those include Deva Premal, Anugama, and Baird Hersey. Try them out for yourself and see what you feel.

Namaste,
Kate

2013 Uplift Yoga Retreat

A Journey Through the Chakras

at the Christine Center, Willard, WI

November 15-17, 2013

Join Angela Coffee and Kate Karshna for the 4^th annual Uplift Yoga retreat. Reconnect with old friends and make new ones during our shared, supportive, and joyfully inquisitive journey through the chakras. Situated within the energetics of yoga, Angela and Kate will use techniques of breath work, asana, meditation, sound, and creation to mindfully guide participants towards a deepening awareness of the unique wisdom of body and intuition. During the autumn season of turning inward, our time together will cultivate loving awareness and gentle kindness towards mind and body. This retreat is accessible to all body types and experience levels.

Register by Oct. 15th for special early bird pricing!

All meals are included from Friday supper through brunch on Sunday, and all yoga classes are included. The final cost will depend on your lodging type. We encourage shared lodging and will assign you a roommate if you don't have someone in mind.

Here is the price breakdown for total weekend cost, per person, based on lodging:

Rustic Hermitage shared - Early Bird :$214 After Sept. 19: $244

Rustic Hermitage single - Early Bird: $236 After Sept. 19: $266

Modern Hermitage shared - Early Bird: $244 After Sept. 19: $274

Modern Hermitage single - Early Bird: $294 After Sept. 19: $324

Guest Room shared - Early Bird: $234 After Sept. 19: $264

Guest Room single - Early Bird: $274 After Sept. 19: $304

Camping - Early Bird: $168 After Sept. 19: $198

Add extra $5 processing fee for credit card payment.

(Note: Modern hermitages have heat, bathroom and kitchen, Rustic have either wood or

electric heat. There is a restroom/shower/laundry facility for people camping or staying in the rustic cabins.)

If you’d like to participate in this retreat, please send me the following by Nov. 8th:

• Ranked choice of lodging (Guest Room, Modern Hermitage, or Rustic Hermitage). 
• Names of parties who will be sharing lodging.
• Full Payment based on lodging type. 

Checks can be mailed to Kate Karshna 730 67^th Ave. N.E., Fridley, MN 55432 or email me for credit card payment info: upliftyoga@gmail.com 

Questions? Email upliftyoga@gmail.com

Namaste,

Kate

Ganesha Mantra and the Rat

In honor of my dear friend, Rebeca, bestowing on me a gift of a silver Ganesha charm (which she brought back from her trip to India), my next 40 day mantra will be the Maha Ganaphathi mantra.

Maha means "great" and also "heart center"
Ganaphathi is a name for the deity Ganesha

{As a side note, Ganesha is depicted on a rat mount. Ganesha represents cosmic consciousness and the rat represents the ego. This reminds us that the tiny ego is in service to the infinite and vast cosmic consciousness.}

Traditionally, in order to learn mantras, a student would learn them a little at a time, repeating one section many times until that was memorized and then adding on.

This is called a step mantra. in which one would repeat each section 3-108 times, adding a little more to each section, until finally the entire mantra is memorized.

Here is what it looks like:

om swaha
om srim swaha
om srim hrim swaha
om srim hrim klim swaha
om srim hrim klim glaum swaha
om srim hrim klim glaum gam swaha
om srim hrim klim glaum gam ganapatayei swaha
om srim hrim klim glaum gam ganapatayei vara varada swaha
om srim hrim klim glaum gam ganapatayei vara varada sarva janam me vasham swaha

According to Thomas Ashley-Farrand, (from whose book this information was gleaned) this mantra is an entreaty to Ganesha to help us in centering tangible spiritual power on a foundation of heartfelt impulse.

If you need a mala to help you keep track of how many times you've chanted the sections of this mantra, may I suggest something from my Etsy shop ;)

Namaste,
Kate

Ayurveda for a Creative, Healthy Life

I've just listened to a 5 1/2 hour Ayurveda program (my how time flies while driving to and from work), and thought I'd share a little something from the booklet that accompanied the CD's (courtesy of Dr. Vasant Lad.)

Here is the recommended routine for a creative and healthy life:

Awaken before sunrise
Evacuate bowels and bladder after awakening
Bathe every day
Eat breakfast before 8 a.m.
Take a short walk 15 min. after meals
Eat slowly and in silence with awareness of food
Each day, massage the gums with sesame oil on finger
Fast one day a week
Sleep before 10 p.m.

Hmm, I have a lot of room for improvement. I think I did one of these things today. Anyway, it's a good reminder to take care of ourselves first before the rest of the world's demands take over.

And one more tip from Dr. Lad: Worry weakens the heart.

Namaste,
Kate