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Karma, Ritual, and Creativity: The Elements of Good Practice “In my music, I’m trying to play the truth of what I am. The reason it’s difficult is because I’m changing all the time.” – Charles Mingus In yoga and meditation, we frequently begin our journey with instructions that we try to follow to the best of our ability. In a way, we’re a bit like amateur cooks, diligently following the recipes we find online or in books, hoping to make food that tastes good. But if all we do is follow recipes, we never really come to understand the elements of good cooking. As the food writer, Michael Pollan, observes, recipes can be infantilizing. They tell us what to do, but not how to think, or how to understand why we’re doing what we do, and certainly not how to improvise while cooking. In other words, recipes, themselves, don’t teach us the elements of good cooking. In the same way, spiritual instructions can function like recipes and often fail to empower people with the elements of good practice. They offer formulas and prescriptions for what to do and when to do it, but little help in developing an independently strong and creatively personal practice. By highlighting Karma (the matrix of conditionality), Ritual (the container of practice), and Creativity (the imaginative impulse of possibility), Josh will offer fresh perspectives on how these elements of good practice can support you on a path that is uniquely your own. What is Yin Yoga? Yin Yoga is a complementary yoga practice to more dynamic and active yoga styles. In Yin Yoga, floor postures are held passively for several minutes in order to access a safe and positive ‘stress’ on the deeper layers of connective tissue in the body. Physically, Yin Yoga restores and maintains the natural mobility of the joints, primarily between the navel and the knees. Energetically, Yin Yoga opens the body’s meridian system, which enhances the body’s energetic flow and supports emotional equilibrium. Yin Yoga emphasizes stillness and silence. The practice prepares both the body and mind for deeper experiences in meditation. Cost: $45 by November 26, $50 after November 26 Cancellation Policy: Refunds will be issued in full up to two weeks before the event. 50% refund within one week of the event. No refunds within 24 hours of the event. Those interested in attending are asked to register with host teacher, Georgiann Kristek, directly (vs. via our website) by clicking the email button below to contact her. Or you may call her at 413-575-4872. Space is very limited! |
About Josh
Josh is a Yin Yoga teacher, a licensed acupuncturist, and a meditation instructor. Josh began studying Iyengar yoga in the early nineties with James Murphy in New York City. Since then, he has spent several years living abroad in India, Taiwan and Burma where he has studied both yoga and meditation. As his interest in vipassana or insight meditation developed so too did his interest in more contemplative forms of yoga practice. With a professional background in Oriental Medicine and a personal passion for the dharma, Josh fell in love with Yin Yoga as a beautiful synthesis of the two. Josh now teaches workshops and trainings throughout the United States and Europe, and recently founded the Summers School of Yin Yoga. For more information, please visit his website: www.joshsummers.net 
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