It's Tiki here, delivering your weekly Tiki-gram! This week I was thinking back to when I was a tiny young pup (yep, even tinier than I am now!). I had so many goals for myself, and there was so much fun stuff I wanted to be able to do. At the time, some of my goals seemed far beyond my reach. For instance, one thing I really wanted to do was to jump onto the sofa all by myself, but this seemed unthinkable because I was just so small and the sofa was just so huge and daunting. But every day, I kept after it; I kept practicing my jumping. First, I practiced jumping up onto a little pillow my mommy had left on the floor. After a while, I grew stronger and that seemed easy, so I practiced jumping a little higher onto a cardboard box. And sure enough, after a while, that became easy. Even though jumping up onto the sofa still seemed like a lofty goal, I persevered because I was moving in the right direction, and sooner or later, I knew in my heart that I would make it all the way up onto that sofa.

And believe me, there were times when I felt discouraged. I had been practicing for what seemed like an eternity and still couldn't jump on the sofa, when some of my doggie friends were easily jumping onto their mommies' sofas. But I remembered that we're all different and unique, and as long as I kept practicing, I would eventually reach my goal. As soon as I realized that and relaxed a little bit, I remembered all the progress I had already made. I gave myself a big pat on the back for where I was - after all, just a few weeks earlier, I couldn't even jump up on the pillow! And knowing how far I had already come made me excited to see all the progress that was yet to unfold.

Now I know some of you have experienced something similar in your yoga classes, and maybe even in your life. You want to perform a certain pose, whether it's a headstand or a crow or some other crazy thing I see you doing, so you come to class and keep practicing and keep practicing, but you're still not performing that pose perfectly. But what we sometimes forget is that yoga (and life!) takes lots of perseverance, and the progress comes in small increments, not all at once. So give yourself credit for all the progress you've made, and celebrate where you are today. And remember that as long as you're continuing to practice and move in the direction of your goals, there is no way that you won't get there. Knowing this, we can just keep practicing and having fun with that practice, and relax knowing that we'll get there eventually.

So, with my sofa-jumping, it did take me a little longer than it did some of my doggie friends, but that was okay with me. I mean, come on, my legs are a lot shorter than theirs! So when I finally relaxed and came back to the idea of just having fun with the act of jumping, something amazing happened - a few weeks later, I jumped onto that sofa all by myself! So this week, if you're feeling frustrated that you're not yet performing the yoga poses you want to perform, or disheartened that you're not reaching your goals in life fast enough, remember to just keep moving in the direction of those goals. Keep persevering and practicing and having fun with it along the way, and soon enough you'll be performing your own impossible sofa jump!

Namaste,
Tiki

New ZUMBA Classes at Joy Yoga Center!

* Tuesdays, 7:00-8:00pm (beginning May 4th)
* Fridays, 6:00-7:00pm (beginning May 7th)

Beginning next Tuesday, May 4th, Joy Yoga Center will be offering Zumba classes, taught by Corrie Domingo!

What is Zumba?
The Zumba® program fuses hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves to create a one-of-a-kind fitness program that will blow you away. Our goal is simple: We want you to want to work out, to love working out, to get hooked. Zumba® Fanatics achieve long-term benefits while experiencing an absolute blast in one exciting hour of calorie-burning, body-energizing, awe-inspiring movements meant to engage and captivate for life!

The routines feature interval training sessions where fast and slow rhythms and resistance training are combined to tone and sculpt your body while burning fat. Add some Latin flavor and international zest into the mix and you've got a Zumba® class!
(from zumba.com)

About the Zumba instructor, Corrie:

Since childhood, I had battled weight problems and after trying out other fitness programs in the past, I can truly attest that Zumba is the one for me! It is really flattering to know when people mistake me for a 20 something year old and it never fails to shock them to know my real age and that I'm married with a kid! I look better and younger now than I was in my teens. To feel great and sexy is another thing...My husband and I bonded even more because of Zumba. It totally changed my attitude, my body and I learned how to have FUN again!

My forte is Samba and Salsa. Adding the 'CORRIE FLAVA' to the routines make it more fun and exciting! It's a privilege to be part of the ZUMBA FAMILY WORLDWIDE! LET'S ZUMBA!

Good morning from Tiki, your favorite yoga-dog! I had a very adventurous week, and I hope you can benefit from the lessons I learned in the course of my adventures.

You see, this week my mommy started taking me on a new route on my walks. Along this route, I had to pass a yard with a big, scary Rottweiler. Even though he's behind a fence and I know in my head that I'm safe, I still find it unnverving to know that I have to pass by and hear all his barking and growling. Just the thought of having to pass his yard started making me feel so nervous and uncomfortable that I began to dread my walks. And let me tell you, living in fear like this is no way for a doggie to live. And it seemed like the more afraid I was, the more that Rottweiler would snarl and growl.

Now I know from watching you in your yoga classes that most of you have experienced something similar. You're looking forward to your class all day, you get to class and are enjoying the nice stretches, and all of a sudden my mommy makes you do something crazy like a headstand, which pushes you right out of your comfort zone. That pose is like your own personal Rottweiler - you know you're safe, but it still scares the daylights out of you. This fear might even cause you not to look forward to your yoga as much because of the possibility of having to face your personal Rottweiler, whatever pose that might be.

But it's important for us all to remember that the Rottweilers are there to make us stronger so that we can face whatever life has to offer with courage and grace. Now you may not have to pass by a scary Rottweiler, but your yoga experience has much the same effect - you're teaching yourself not to change the route of your walk to avoid the Rottweiler, but instead to face that challenge head-on. And every time you face that challenge, you become a little more comfortable with it, and you realize that it's not something to be avoided because in order to grow in life, in yoga, and on our walks, we have to get outside that comfort zone. By facing our Rottweilers, we also realize that we're always safe, no matter what life throws at us.

So this week, when you're faced with scary situations, keep in mind that you're always safe and that this situation is an opportunity to grow stronger and even more courageous!

Namaste,
Tiki

Experience for yourself what all the buzz is about!

Join us for a FREE Intro to Nia on Friday, April 23rd, at 4:30pm;
and then on Monday, April 26th, at 6:00pm for a FREE Nia class,
courtesy of Joy's Angels!

What are Joy Yoga students saying about Joi's Nia classes?
"I was apprehensive to join in this group as I did not know what to expect and had NEVER heard of Nia! However my Mondays now would not be complete without the freedom and fun of Nia. Nia makes me feel like a 3 year old again by moving to music in a way that I want to move. It allows me to skip, laugh, sweat, shimmy, roll on the floor if I choose to, and dance. I may also choose to hardly move at all and therefore sway to the music, that is the fun of Nia. All this movement without passing judgment or letting my ego tell me how to move is a challenge and one that I am working on

Nia for me = great fun, a great workout, freedom, and a chance to laugh with some great people. Thank you Joi and Joy for introducing Nia to me. Namaste"

What is Nia?
"Watch out - this can change your life!"
-Carlos Rosas, Nia co-founder

Nia is a path to condition, heal, and express your self through movement and sensation. A dynamic blend of dance arts, martial arts, and healing arts, Nia revolutionized the face of fitness in 1983, and has since changed millions of lives and bodies across the globe. Balancing technical precision with free-form expression, Nia brings the body, mind, emotions and spirit to optimum health through music, movement and self-expression, guided by the sensation of Pleasure.

Nia is designed for any body. It is ageless and limitless, transformational and effective for every person everywhere, from athletes, dancers and fitness instructors, to children, special needs groups and the elderly. With the philosophy, Through Movement We Find Health, Nia addresses the whole person through music and movement integrated from nine traditional movement forms.

For more information on The Nia Technique, visit www.nianow.com.

About the Nia Instructor, Joi Ross-Moore:

My earliest recollection of joyful movement was wiggling all around doing the "Hokey Pokey" at the age of 2. I then turned our living room into a Broadway stage, singing and dancing my way through all my mother's Broadway and my father's rock-n-roll and folk albums. Driven by the never-ending loop of music in my head and the life-long quest to express what I felt in my body, I voraciously explored all types of movement, healing, and martial arts but wanted it all interwoven with music. It was in my first Nia class where I experienced that long-desired union and heard my (not so) still inner voice sing, "This is IT!" My Nia journey amazes and inspires me and each time I step into the space, whether as a student or teacher, I feel tremendously grateful to be in community with the beautiful souls with whom I share space. I currently fund my Nia passion with employment as a counselor but "Joi" comes from my career as a life-long student of The Body's Way. I invite you to join me as we move with a sense of self, a sense of community, and a sense of humor!

It’s Tiki here, again, and I’m excited for a new week and all the fun stuff it holds. I’m also excited because I realized this week how great it makes me feel to just love and give and be my bubbly little Tiki-self, without expecting anything in return.

I guess I hadn’t really thought about it before, but that amazing, unconditional love thing is something that we doggies tend to be good at. It comes very naturally to us to snuggle up with our mommies to cheer them up, even when they’re not acting very snuggle-able. We innately know that when we show love and affection, the act of giving itself makes us feel great, and usually it cheers up the grumpy party, as well. I can tell when my mommy is having a rough day, and it makes me feel really good to make her smile by running my crazy happy laps around the house, or by jumping up on her lap to curl up quietly. I’m not doing it in order to get a treat or to get some extra belly scratches; I’m just doing it because making someone else feel better makes me feel better.

This is the beauty of unconditional love – when you just give, without expecting a certain result, the act of giving and loving alone makes you feel great because you’re connecting with your higher self and your true nature, be it canine or human. Whether or not the other person reciprocates doesn’t affect your happiness. And the amazing thing is that this giving doesn’t have to be a huge gesture – a smile or a hug can do a lot to change a person’s day. And that gesture reinforces your own happiness and sense of well-being at the same time.

So this week, take a lesson from me and from your own doggies, too, because we have this one down pat. Even if you run across someone who is acting grumpy, don’t let that cause you to be grumpy towards them – instead, use a little of that unconditional, Tiki-type love. Chances are that it will brighten their day, and you know that it will make you feel great!

Namaste,
Tiki