september's e-muse contains:

opening muse

studio scoop

teacher feature of the month

asana & yogi of the month

tranquiliT boutique

tranquiliT treatments

many of you are very sweet and ask me about my daughter. i am asked how she is doing and what is it she is doing new. well, for a quick update she is crawling, pulling herself up to standing and now she has started to test her balance by letting go of whatever she is holding to and manages on occasion to balance for a few seconds.

many of us feel that balancing poses are one of the hardest things about yoga. when we start we think trying to balance on one foot is challenging enough then one day you are asked to try an arm balancing pose! but here is my baby trying to figure out how to balance on two feet. she has a beginners mind simply because she has not learned how to walk or balance on her own. she is not assuming anything, just testing the edge of what she can do and if she falls well, she will get up and try it again.

it is always good to approach yoga poses and sometimes life with a beginner’s mind. what this means is not going through the motions of your practice, not assuming you know the pose or what comes next. it means taking some time to really notice the subtleties of the pose, notice your body and your reaction to it.

do you remember your first yoga class? for some of us it was just recently for others it may have been 5+ years ago and that is when it is important to reconnect with that beginner’s mind. next time you are in class try to remember what you first thought of chaturanga or downward facing dog (adho mukha svanasana) then try to reconnect with that beginner’s approach. notice what is different about the pose now compared to when you first got on the mat.

warrior 1 is a pose that when you practice for awhile it is the one that you come back to and think, “this pose is hard.” and it is, but coming back to the beginning is how we can move forward. kind of like that saying “one step forward, two steps back.” sometimes stepping back is not such a bad thing and it can give you a new perspective.

so, as you work to find your balance in natarajasana (dancer) this month really notice what is going on in your body and your mind, then notice the subtle movements that can make all the difference. because it is the little things that make life special.

namaste
siobhan troy-carranza

buy a pass in the month of september and we will plant a tree!

• if you refer a friend who purchases a pass and you have a current pass you get a free class just let the front desk know.
• your class pass is good at bethesda & dupont; just let the front desk know where you purchased your pass. if you want to sign up online for a class, please remember that you can only sign up at the studio where you purchased your pass.
• join us for these inspiring lifestyle and yoga workshops:
• newbie series a four week series starts sunday, september 9, 8:30 to 10:00 a.m.
• sunday evening vinyasa: september 9, 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. use your class pass!
• balancing your chakras with restorative yoga: saturday, september 15
• candlelight yoga: saturday, september 15
• hips & hammies: saturday, september 22
• moving with mantra: sunday, september 30
• shoulder opening workshop: sunday, september 30
• fall level 1 teacher training starts october 27
   
at our dupont studio
• join us as we welcome master teacher doug swenson for his 3rd annual tranquil space visit october 19-21. sign up for 1 or all 3 of doug's workshops now!
   
• tranquil space is coming to arlington. classes start september 12 and come to our open house on september 21.
   
• community celebration: our way to celebrate tranquil space bethesda yogis' honors and developments! please share your celebrations with us by emailing newsletter@tranquilspacebethesda.com.
• welcome to studio assistants: kim, latoya and amber
• a sad farewell but best wishes to kendra walther who is moving with her family to milwaukee!
• another goodbye to malerie giaimo who joined us while she was in dc for the summer
• congratulations to studio assistant amy brenner for completing her first triathlon!
   
• send us your baby news with a photo of your new addition to share by sending it to newsletter@tranquilspacebethesda.com.
  

gretchen eyth

do you remember bob ross? perhaps not by name, but he used to have a painting show on pbs called “the joy of painting,” in which he would create an entire landscape during each episode. i remember being

fascinated watching his creations evolve, how these colors and shapes would magically transform before my eyes into a beautiful scene. and i remember how it would all be pulled together in the last few moments of the show. he added a few "happy little trees" and some high-lighting and everything would suddenly come into focus. the a-ha moment!

tranquil space was like that for me. tranquil space was my a-ha moment of yoga. i had been practicing for many years, but in a just a short time at tranquil space, everything came together for me, the

philosophy, the benefits of the poses, the breath work, the purpose of my practice. it guided the evolution of my yoga practice to where it is today.

so i pondered what it was about tranquil space that enables the student's practice to grow and evolve so efficiently, and the number one reason i came up with is the teachers. a fabulous teacher can

shed new light on a pose, on all the poses or on your entire practice. they set the backdrop for learning with encouragement, compassion and a positive attitude. When I attended Teacher Training through

tranquil space, i wanted to learn from the best, hoping that i would one day become an inspiring teacher. and even now as i am teaching, i find myself constantly working towards embodying those characteristics which have inspired me.

this effort has not only helped shape my teaching style, but also helps me in my other career, being a stay-at-home mom for my 2 and 4 year old boys. being a mom is a lot like being a teacher. you have

to be gentle and nurturing, supportive and enthusiastic about growth. but you also have to be creative, patient when things don't go as planned and ready to throw plans out the window at any time.

i am surprised how much i grow from teaching and from being a mom. just this week, my patience and sense of control was tested when my 2 year old experimentally turned his bedroom into vail, colorado by emptying an entire container of baby powder during "quiet time." i had to laugh, breathe, go with the flow, get the camcorder and move on. from my students, i have gained confidence and felt the impact of a caring word or smile, each helping me sense and appreciate the importance of what it is i teach and share with others. i have realized that each day that i am a mother, and each time that i teach

a class, i'm the one who ultimately ends up learning something new.

like the other day, when i learned a lesson about perspectives. my 4 year old was watching chicken little and i overheard chicken little's dad talking to his wife (in a photo) saying he'd do his best to raise

their son well and that he'd make her proud. so i asked my son, "what happened to chicken little's mom? where is she?" and without missing a beat he said, "oh she's just at yoga". because after all

isn't that where mommies go when they aren't home??

clothing, accessories, and specialties to enrich your life on and off the mat

tranquiliT boutique is a fusion of fashion and passion in celebration of yogis' bodies and spirits! tranquiliT boutique carries a delightful selection of comfy and chic lines that transition from the yoga mat to the market or museum. all pieces are hand picked by kimberly, made of luxurious fabrics that stretch with your body, and designed for nurturing your yoga lifestyle. look for newly added yoga cards, organic bath products, and more books!

tranquil space's own line of yoga clothing and accessories, tranquiliT, is designed for the style-conscious yogini and has been featured in shape, lucky, daily candy, fit yoga, the washingtonian, and the washington post. view our most recent mention in the examiner.

tranquiliT treatments are a delightful way to nurture your body and complement your yoga practice on and off the yoga mat. at tranquil space we believe that yoga is a lifestyle, and are pleased to offer the following services as part of our specialty spa, to help nurture your lifestyle:

reiki
thai yoga bodywork
ayurveda and thai yoga bodywork
raindrop therapy
swedish and deep tissue massage

meet a treatment therapist:

cheryl dodwell

pregnant? new mother? aching back or shoulders? consider scheduling a pregnancy or post partum massage – it could make a wonderful difference in your overall sense of well being.

massage therapy offers a nurturing, effective complement to your pregnancy health regime. therapeutic massage is safe and helpful for women with uncomplicated pregnancies, and can also be beneficial to women with “high-risk” pregnancies (with written consent from your health care provider).

during your child-bearing year, your body will undergo extraordinary changes which can create physical and emotional stress. because you are your baby’s entire environment during your pregnancy, your baby experiences what you do, from joy to anxiety. nurturing and skilled massage therapy can significantly reduce the discomforts of pregnancy, and can provide a greater sense of well-being for both you and your baby.

massage therapy sessions for pregnant and postpartum women are designed to provide relief from physical and emotional stressors in a nurturing, calm and pleasurable manner. taking your stage of pregnancy into account, you will be well supported in side-lying or reclining positions. using modest draping, we will address your particular areas of concern, whether it be an aching low back, swollen ankles, or anxiety. each session is solely dedicated to meeting the needs of you and your baby.

studies have shown that massage during pregnancy may:

• relieve muscle spasms, cramps and myofascial pain

• lower blood pressure and heart rate

• decrease anxiety and depression

• promote relaxation

• increase blood and lymph circulation

• provide emotional support
  

in addition, receiving massage therapy during your pregnancy may help you to develop the sensory awareness you need to relax during the first stage of labor. it will also offer you a nurturing place in which to communicate feelings of physical and emotional well-being to your unborn child.

studies have also shown that massage therapy offers many postpartum benefits, including:

• promotion of the restoration of abdominal strength and weight bearing muscles and joints
• support for new mothers as they cope with the physical and mental challenges of motherhood
• facilitation of treatment for postpartum depression

if you come to tranquil space for your pregnancy or postpartum massage, it may be reassuring to know that i am a nationally certified and licensed massage therapist, and have received intensive training in pregnancy and postpartum massage from kate jordan, a pioneer and wise teacher in the area of massage therapy during pregnancy. adding personal perspective, i am a mother myself, and have journeyed through two full-term pregnancies and the joys and challenges of parenting. i have also experienced the grief of miscarriage, and know how much massage therapy can help in recovery.

if you would like to talk further about pre- and post-partum massage, or scheduling a session, please don’t hesitate to send me an email at cheryl@tranquilspacebethesda.com.

whether we end up working together or not, i do encourage you to include massage therapy as part of your self-care plan during and after pregnancy.

thank you, and warm wishes!

namaste,
cheryl dodwell, cmt

most services are available at tranquil space bethesda. for additional information, or to schedule an appointment, please email spa@tranquilspacebethesda.com. please note that to cancel an appointment and not be charged, we need 24 hours advance notice.

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