Reading

In November, our reading will be the second part of the timeless poem by Max Ehrmann called ‘Desiderata’.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass. Take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Asana

As for the vinyasa (flow) part of the class, November gives us another opportunity to practice and grow better at doing the Sun Salutation. We will use this sequence of 12 poses as the basic flow for our yoga practice. Some other poses we will be doing this month are:

I’m looking forward to doing yoga with everyone as we move into the colder months. It’s a fantastic way to keep the heart pumping, the blood flowing and prevent the winter blues!

Namaste!

月毎に行うポーズ名をご紹介します。レッスンの状況により多少変更することがあります。

夏の猛暑が過ぎて急に涼しくなりましたね。涼しくなった季節にあわせ、ヨガレッスンでは身体を温めるアーサナ（ポーズ）が、この10月より加わりました。

イマジン語学スタジオ（芦屋市大原町）にて「英語でヨガレッスン」を始めて4ヵ月が経ちました。月ごとに新しいアーサナをご紹介し、その度に新鮮さを感じています。ヨガインストラクターの Marilu がおこなうビンヤサヨガとは、流れるようにポーズをおこなうもの、と説明していますが、はじめはその意味がいまひとつ私は理解できていませんでした。私も続けてレッスンを受講するうちに、この「流れる」の意味が、ようやく分かってきたように思います。Marilu はレッスンの中で、呼吸のタイミングが狂わないよう毎回、「inhale（息を吸う）」「exhale（息を吐く）」を掛け声で示してくれるので、ヨガ初心者にも安心です。

よくヨーガの話をすると、「私は身体が固いからできません」とお話される方がいらっしゃいます。でも、そういう方にこそはじめて欲しいとお勧めしています。身体が固く血液の流れが少し悪くなっている方にこそ、ヨガをすることで、身体が柔らかくなっていきます。呼吸とポーズが上手く合うと、さらにスムーズに身体は動きます。初めはできなくてもいいのです。できなかったポーズが段々とできるようになり、さらに心地よさは倍増します。カラダ全体を使うヨガの後は、全身に血液が流れている実感が増し、それによって身体も温まりとても心地よくなります。

私自身他のヨーガを（当たり前ですが）日本語で習ったこともありますが、英語を聞きながら進行する「英語でヨガ」だと、集中力も高まる気がします。ご興味ある方はぜひ体験レッスンを経てご参加いただければと思います。イマジン語学スタジオのヨガレッスンは、こちらのページをご覧ください。

Reading

For October and November, we will be listening to a poem called ‘Desiderata’ by Max Ehrmann. Desiderata is a Latin word and it means ‘the things that we desire’. The poem was written in the early 1900′s, and has been seen as an inspirational guide to living a good life.

Because the poem is rather long, we will listen to half of it in October, and half in November. Here it is, in full:

Asana

As the weather is cooling down, we will move into a time where our bodies need some extra movement to warm up. For October, we will continue with the Sun Salutations, as in September, using it as a base for our sequences.

Some of the poses we will be going through this month are:

October’s sequence looks exciting, and is the perfect way to keep the body warm and the metabolism going, especially as we are entering a cooler time!

月毎に行うポーズ名をご紹介します。レッスンの状況により多少変更することがあります。

I have heard it said that autumn is the ideal season for reading books. In that case, I can readily recommend ‘The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet’. It is the latest novel by David Mitchell, and tells the story of a Dutch clerk working on Dejima, the man-made island in the bay of Nagasaki which functioned as Japan’s only contact with the outside world during the Edo era.

David Mitchell is widely regarding as one of Britain’s best young novelists. He started to write while working as an English teacher in Hiroshima in the nineties, and many of his works are set in, or have connections with, Japan. He is best known for ‘Cloud Atlas’, an incredible book which compromises various interconnected stories from different times and settings. ‘The Thousand Autumns…’ is just as ambitious, and is recommended for an advanced English learner, with an interest in how foreign writers interpret Japan and its history.

Coincidentally, one of David Mitchell’s key influences is Italo Calvino, an Italian writer whose ‘If on a winter’s night a traveler’ is also the inspiration for our current exhibition of photographs by Seiko Oka.

It was a hot, summer’s day and I made my way to the Foreign Buyer’s Club on Rokko Island. My job was to tell stories to children using books produced by Oxford University Press. I wasn’t sure what to expect so felt a little bit nervous. However, as soon as I arrived I was made to feel very welcome by the OUP and FBC staff. There were some other teachers from another school who were really friendly too – I began to relax! Then the children arrived – about 30 I think. We had fun looking through the story books and speaking lots of English together. I was worried the children might be really shy and quiet but if anything, it was the complete opposite – they were so energetic and confident! Children don’t worry about making mistakes so much. They become so involved in the story, they seem to forget they are speaking a different language – great eh? Anyway, it was a lovely day and I hope I can do it again sometime in the future. Forget computer games and iPhone Apps, story time is the best!

Last Sunday was the latest party at imagine* – this time to celebrate the launch of Seiko Oka’s new exhibition ‘If on a winter’s night a traveler’. It was great to see so many imagine* members there, from some of our longest serving to a few of our youngest! There was lots of praise for the artworks on display and the delicious food, once again provided by Itsuki Bakery.

We hold parties like these every three months to mark the launch of each new exhibition at imagine*. They are great way to meet like-minded people and to meet our teachers, as well as see some interesting contemporary art. If you are in the area, feel free to drop in next time we hold a party. Details will be available on this website.

Reading

For a long time it seemed to me that real life was about to begin, but there was always some obstacle in the way. Something had to be got through first, some unfinished business; time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.

The perspective helped me to see that there is no way to happiness.
Happiness IS the way.
So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one.
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

Dance as though no one is watching you.
Love as though you’ve never been hurt before.
Sing as though no one can hear you.
Live as though heaven is on earth.

Asana

In September we will be doing poses around the Sun Salutation (surya namaskar), which will be the basis for this month’s vinyasa (flow).

Other poses include:

月毎に行うポーズ名をご紹介します。レッスンの状況により多少変更することがあります。

A recent trip back to the UK gave us the chance to stop off for a couple of nights in Amsterdam. Having never been there before, it was a visit I was particularly looking forward to, and I am happy to say that it didn’t disappoint. Amsterdam is famous for its canals, bridges and bicycles, and these were all very much in evidence in the area we were staying, just outside the city centre. We didn’t do much when we were there. It was simply a pleasure to stroll around the streets, crossing canals, and admiring the beautiful 17th century buildings. The fact that were more bicycles than cars added to the laid-back atmosphere – quite different from other major cities. It was also lovely to be able to eat dinner (and drink a beer or two) in the open air: watching the world cycle, or float, idly by.

Reading

Nothing and no one is perfect. Sometimes, as human beings, we get frustrated when situations do not go the way that we would like them to go. Often, we hear ourselves and other people complaining about situations. People are unhappy with their governments, their partners, their families, their schools, the weather… whatever situations are outside of them and out of their control.

The reading for July and August is one of my favorites. The quote is from 1100 A.D. (that’s a LONG time ago!), written by an unknown monk. It goes like this:

When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world.

I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation.

When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn’t change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family.

Now, as an old man, I realize the imagine* yoga Marilu ‘skirt’ exhibition launch party 13 June 2010 Becca  |  06/23/2010  |  7 Comments It was a rainy day and we were worried people would decide not to come – but they did! In fact, we had a great turnout. People seemed to be very interested in our new exhibition by Rui Nakai. What a great idea: designs for skirts based on the artist’s travel experiences. There are a variety of images for example, flamingos in a river in Berlin, marching soldiers in Copenhagen and (my personal favourite) city lights in Amsterdam. I think the pieces appealed to all ages; some of our younger members told me they liked the bright colours and pretty designs. As well as fantastic art we had tasty food too (a party essential!). A friend of the artist, from Itsuki Bakery, very kindly supplied us with delicious home-baked bread and homemade marmalade – we hope he will come again! It was a great afternoon and we all had a really nice time chatting with friends and meeting new people, surrounded by Rui’s inventive and refreshing exhibition. Another successful party! Becca Parties newer older