Good morning! Tiki here, this week with a message about how important it is to be patient and compassionate with your own body.

You see, over the weekend my mommy and I were out enjoying a fun game of frisbee (of course, we were using a tiny, Tiki-sized frisbee - you have to know your boundaries!). As I was jumping to make a beautiful catch of the mini-frisbee, I pulled my hamstring. Now this was very frustrating to me because I'm an active little dog, and I'm used to being able to run around as much as I like, and this injury was keeping me from doing that. But I listened to my body and realized that I needed to be patient with myself and give my hamstring some rest so that it could heal.

From all the classes I've observed, I've learned that some of you have injuries that you're working through, too. I understand how frustrating it can be, and how we tend to feel like we're failing at yoga because we're not able to do some of the poses we once could. Even though the injury is temporary, we tend to want to push through it and force it to heal on our own time table. But sometimes we need to ease off, be patient with ourselves, and allow our bodies to heal. I had to take a little break from running and catching frisbees, and when I did give my body that rest and didn't try to push through the pain, my little hamstring started feeling much better.

So this week, remember to have compassion for yourself. Remember to be patient and mindful of your body when you're working through an injury, whether it's a physical injury, or the emotional kind, as well. Remember to listen to your body and not force your yoga practice or your frisbee-catching. Part of the beauty of yoga is learning to let go and completely accept ourselves exactly as we are - there is amazing peace and healing that occurs when we do that. Have a wonderful, compassionate week, and remember to listen to your body so you can allow it to heal on all levels.

Namaste,
Tiki

Etan Boritzer returns to Joy Yoga!

Tuesday, April 13th - 7:00-8:30pm
Saturday, April 17th - Noon-2:30pm

For those of you who took Etan's classes at the Texas Yoga Conference and at Joy Yoga Center in February, you definitely remember his 2 hour Insight Yoga intensive!

Etan is back in Houston, from his home base in Los Angeles, to continue his instruction into how awareness is the structural foundation necessary to gain maximum benefit from any yoga practice. Etan's meditative approach allows each person to explore the individual body/mind experience through a slow and careful flow. There are no acrobatic asanas in the class. Etan teaches a Bryan Kest style, emphasizing that the asanas remain "simple but not easy."

These are Mixed Levels classes, meaning that there is something for everybody. Don't miss this unique and memorable learning experience!

Tuesday, April 13th - 7:00-8:30pm - $15 (or you use a class off your class package)
Saturday, April 17th - noon-2:30pm - $25

Reserve your spot and register today by visiting www.JoyYogaCenter.com and clicking on the Workshops tab, or by calling 713-868-YOGA (9642).

About Etan:
"I started teaching hatha yoga and meditation in 1971 after returning from an intensive 3 month training at Gitananda Ashram in Pondicherry, South India.

I try to infuse the postures we use with insight (vipassana). Therefore, we meet the posture halfway, then go to meditation which is simple observation based on awareness of breathing.

From this breathing platform we begin to observe bodily sensations, and mental processes. Through the personal insights gained here, we start to release our habitual unwholesome reactions to all the stimuli in our daily lives.

Hopefully we leave the class re-energized and with better tools to engender positive change within ourselves and in the world at large."

Hello, everyone! I hope you had a very nice weekend. I know I did - I got to dance my little legs off at the 7th anniversary party Saturday night, and I just returned from a wonderful Easter egg hunt this morning. I had the best time running around and watching the kiddos hunt for their Easter eggs.

Something struck me as I was watching the festivities: these kids just knew there were all sorts of treats and goodies out there for them. There wasn't a doubt in there minds. Now, there was a lot of other stuff out there that wasn't so great that they could have found - there were rocks, sticks, and even some trash. But the fact that the trash was out there never entered their minds. Their intention was to find the goodies, they fully expected to find the goodies, and guess what they found? That's right, the goodies.

I realized that our lives are very similar. There is so much great stuff out there just waiting for us, but if all we focus on is the negative, we miss out on our goodies. It's very powerful to realize that we can choose our thoughts, and if we choose to focus on what we don't like about our lives, we get bogged down by it and don't feel very happy. And then it becomes a vicious cycle: the more we focus on what's not right and worry about remaining in that state, the more we see only the trash that's out there. The Easter eggs and all the wonderful stuff are still out there, we've just blinded ourselves to them. The good news is that how we feel is a choice - we can choose to see and appreciate all the things that are great about our lives, and the more we have this attitude of joy and appreciation, the better we feel, and the more we can experience all the fun and exciting things waiting for us.

We all have so many treats and surprises waiting out there for us in our lives; we just need to relax and accept them, rather than focusing on the negative. This week remember that if you're looking for the negative and the trash that out's there, you'll attract that to you, but if you stay positive and search for your Easter eggs and all the goodies that they hold, then that's what you'll find!

Namaste,
Tiki

It's Tiki, your yoga mascot, here wishing you a very happy Sunday!

As you probably know, my mommy has taken a couple weeks off to relax and recharge, and I've been joining her in this hiatus. Although this time has been wonderful, I realized that my usual routine of coming to the studio, running around greeting my yoga friends, and doing some yoga has been replaced by a lot more time sitting on the sofa watching Animal Planet, and my little Chihuahua body was starting to show the effects!

So this week my mommy suggested that I start taking longer walks with her, and even running a bit, because I was starting to get a fat little Tiki-belly. She explained to me that if I continued to not put in the effort, my Tiki-belly would continue to grow, and I could become unhealthy. But this exercising sounded like so much work, and not nearly as fun as kicking back in my house.

But I decided to be open to this new experience. Who knows - maybe I would enjoy getting out in the beautiful weather and stretching my legs some more. It was really tough the first day, but I stuck with it, and the second day we went out, it seemed to be a little easier. Now I started to become motivated because I was feeling even better than I had imagined I would. Here I thought I was just going to endure this new exercise program to appease my mommy, but the better I felt, the more I wanted to stick with it. And then I really became motivated when I started noticing some surprising benefits - I felt more energized throughout the day, and the soreness that I sometimes felt in my hips was disappearing! I guess my mommy was right - it does take some effort to get the results. But the amazing thing is that often the results are even greater than what you had hoped for. I know I am already experiencing benefits that I never even imagined. Now I have more energy for wrestling with my kitty-cat brothers and for resuming my watch-dog position at the studio.

Because I've observed so many yoga classes, I know some people come to yoga for the sole purpose of stretching out their tight legs and hips. But after a few classes you realize how many other benefits you're getting; you're less stressed out at work and feel more energized and alive throughout the day. Being open to that new experience of yoga and putting in the effort yielded results you couldn't have predicted, and now you feel so much better because of that effort. So remember to be open to those new experiences, whether it's a yoga class or a new workout routine like mine. Put in the effort - really give it your all. Whether it's with your yoga practice, your job, or your family, when you put in the time and give it your best effort, the rewards can be greater than you ever imagined!

I know I'm enjoying the results and am feeling more relaxed and energized than ever. After a wonderful hiatus, my mommy and I are both excited to be coming back to teach and share with you, starting next Saturday, April 3rd!

Namaste,
Tiki

Hello there, from your friend Tiki, the Yoga Dog!

Every day, my mommy takes me on pretty much the same old walks. Although I always enjoy the chance to get out, sometimes it feels a little monotonous and, to tell you the truth, kind of boring. Sometimes going on the same walks, day after day, makes me feel like I'm in a rut.

But this past week I started noticing something on these walks - flowers were sprouting up everywhere, the sky was a little bluer, new leaves were popping up on the trees. There seemed to be a wonderful sense of newness and possibility. Spring was in the air.

This realization opened my eyes to a whole new perspective. Even though I was still walking the same path, I began to notice the beautiful flowers and the bright blue sky. The circumstances of my walk hadn't changed; my perspective had. I suddenly realized how blessed I am to be able to take these same old walks every day. This newfound appreciation filled me with so much joy and exuberance that I started leaping and hopping around. At first, I think my mommy thought I was crazy, but even she could tell that I was bubbling over with happiness and appreciation for my life and for each day that I have to enjoy the flowers and trees and even my boring old walks.

So this week if you feel like you're in a rut, just look around you and appreciate all the beauty that's out there, appreciate the wonders that are all around us. Take a moment to be grateful for all that you've been given. I bet you'll feel so overwhelmed with joy that you, too, will run and leap all around. And who knows, maybe your enthusiasm will be so contagious that everyone around you will experience the same exuberance and might even run and leap around a bit themselves!

Namaste,
Tiki