June Newsletter—Sweet Summer

Secret Yang Tai Chi

Dear Shakti’s Community,

We are happy to announce a new class on Sunday mornings to introduce the ancient form of Secret Yang Tai Qi. These teachings have been directly transmitted to Master Nzazi (Zi) from his teacher Mfundishi Tayari Casel (www.tayaricasel.com), to continue the pure lineage of this very special form. (For those of you who attended Mfundishi’s workshop last month, you got a special taste of it.) This class is open to anyone and will be a very rare and special opportunity to cultivate powerful, esoteric principles of movement.

Open Level class
Sundays 11:00-12:30pm

July Self-Healing Tips —Traditional Chinese Medicine

written by: Julie Festa, L.Ac.

July brings us into the peak of summer. With the long hot days and relatively short hot nights, our bodies need the balance of yin in order to thrive in the summer season. Summer is the time of the Fire element, whose organs include the Heart, Small Intestine, Pericardium, and Triple Burner. The Pericardium is also known as the Heart Wrapper or Heart Protector. In Chinese medicine, the Pericardium plays an important role in maintaining heart health and soothing the spirit.

Pericardium 6, Nei Guan, or Inner Gate, is located 2 fingerbreadths above the inner wrist crease in between the two tendons. Lay your first two fingers down at the crease where the base of your hand connects with your wrist. Just above the edge of the finger that is higher up your arm find the space between the two tendons and sink into it. It should be tender on palpation.
This is an amazingly effective point for nausea, vomiting, motion sickness and morning sickness. Its other powerful effects include: soothing heart pain, calming palpitations, treating insomnia, increasing peace of mind, alleviating anxiety, lessening stress and depression, regulating blood pressure, lowering fevers, clearing eye redness, treating dizziness, and releasing tension and pain from the neck and shoulders.

Suggestion: Any time of day you feel nauseous, anxious or over-heated try using a fingertip, thumb, or knuckle to massage PC 6. Check in with both wrists and see which side is more tender. Be sure to work that side especially well. You can also use this when riding in a car, on a boat, or in a plane for motion sickness, or have someone do it for you.

A good way to balance out your body in the summer is to take in plenty of the sweetness and hydration that lightly cooked fresh vegetables give. Creating a brightly colored vegetable feast allows the heart to open and the digestion to be nurtured. Vegetables help replace valuable minerals and oils that are easily sweated out in the summer heat.

Red and yellow peppers are members of the night shade family. This means that they are particularly yin and therefore beneficial in the summer months. They are also sweet and hydrating, and they have a positive effect on the stomach and the appetite.

Try this: Gather a couple of differently colored (organic if you can find them!) peppers and cut them into 4 or so large pieces each. Make a light marinade out of olive oil, balsamic vinegar (or brown rice vinegar), and a small amount of fresh rosemary (optional). Just before grilling sprinkle with a very small amount of salt. Grill lightly, enjoy the juicy sweetness of summer’s bounty, and know that you are being good to your inner Fire.


	(1) (2) (3) (4)

Simple Monthly Home Practice -

Golden Eagle Spreads Wings to Embrace the Child

Written by Paige Olsen

I love “Golden Eagle Spreads Wings to Embrace the Child” because it allows me to experience two aspects of my heart - the vulnerable heart and the strength of heart - one right after the other. When I sink to “embrace the child", it helps me open my heart to love and sit in that state of vulnerability we encounter when we love someone with all our heart. When I rise to stand and "spread my wings" it helps me transform that vulnerability into strength to maintain an open heart while I let my loved one go. Eventually in this process I grow taller and stand stronger in my knowing that I've loved to my capacity and I will be okay no matter what.

1) Begin standing with feet parallel and a little more than hip width apart. Arms are outstretched on either side of the body, as if they were long the wings of an eagle.

Inhale:

2) Slowly begin to bend the knees and sink into a squat (only go as deep as is comfortable) while arms simultaneously glide in as if to embrace someone. Here you end up physically embracing yourself.

3) Once you are in the embrace, stay for as long as you’d like and really feel the authenticity and intimacy of your embrace.

Exhale:

4) Slowly rise up to standing while arms simultaneously glide out to your sides. Stand her as long as you’d like to experience your “wing span” and feel your chest/heart open to the world and to new possibilities.

Special Events

New Classes

Schedule Changes

View Full Schedule

Secret Yang Tai Chi

July Self-Healing Tips —Traditional Chinese Medicine

Simple Monthly Home Practice -

Golden Eagle Spreads Wings to Embrace the Child

Practitioner Spotlight

Monthly Words of Wisdom: