Kitty Yoga News October 2009!

Dear Friends, Students, Neighbors and Fellow Yogis,

I thank you all for your loyalty and support; I am truly grateful and blessed by your continued presence in my life. A yoga practice is following the light; one place the light dims another it ignites. Keeping true to that mystery and following the light, I see it awaken in a person or place as light follows consciousness. Being a devoted person change has been difficult to accept many times in my life. I am learning to embrace endings to keep true to my souls path, let life move me while the winds of change lift me and guide me only to find myself once again, liberated from false safety becoming simply and truly my self. The winds of change blew in with fall and I will no longer be teaching at the Yoga Tree.

Kitty Yoga in Fremont Schedule: visionarydance.com You can find me back in Fremont at Delilah’s dance studio on Fremont Ave. beginning: November 7th, Friday morning at 10 a.m.

In my ongoing weekly classes, as the fall turns to winter I have been sharing the pranayama practice with my students; the inward focus, the repetitive refinement of the breath, the energetic organization of the bandha system - I truly love this deeply calming, centering practice, where the strength of asana becomes focused inward, to the vital organs, connecting breath, body, mind and spirit.

Workshop:
Thanksgiving get away to Canada
I will be co-teaching in Vancouver B.C. American Thanksgiving Weekend: Five Element Body Prayer Yoga and Qi Gong with the amazing, beautiful, inspiring, and extremely knowledgeable:
Minke de Vos on November 27, 28, 29. Registration and inquiries: minke@silentground.com

Intermediate class in Ballard:
I will be adding a new class at the Ballard Health Center for intermediate students Tuesdays beginning November 17th 7:30- 9 p.m.

New Yoga classes in Queen Anne at homeyogaseattle.com
Home Yoga is in the lower Queen Anne neighborhood, use your class pass or drop in for any of my classes or workshops.


Yoga therapeutics at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday’s neck, shoulders and upper back, Thursdays at 4:30 hips hamstrings and lower back.

Yoga workshop series Queen Anne in depth asana study
Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Beginning November 11

Week one: connect with the earth element: standing poses to strengthen the foundation of the feet and legs.

Week two: cleanse and revitalize: standing twists to bring energy to the spine and the vital organs: kidney, liver and spleen.

Week three: calm the nerves and turn inward for restful sleep.
Forward bending asana, restorative yoga and pranayama: open the hips, hamstrings and lower back.

Week four: energize and open your heart and throat chakras: back bends to strengthen the back and bring the past into the present moment discover joy as your true nature.

Week five: change your point of view, rejuvenate the brain and glandular system with inversions: handstand, headstand, shoulderstand, forearm balance - at the wall, build confidence!

In January:
All welcome to the Six-week series on the Five Element Emotional Clearing Meditation and Yoga: beginning Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. January 6. Transform the negative emotions and grow your positivity! This beautiful, alchemical, shamanistic, practice from Qi Gong requires no special requirement of physical fitness. This practice is a guided meditation and visualization practice. Classes will build on the previous weeks work.

I am looking forward to a little time off in late October to regroup and inspire my practice so we all can benefit! I will be planning workshops and future classes, if you have any requests email me: templeparlor@hotmail.com or my cell phone 206 380 0290

Maraha is teaching two classes at Ballard Health Center: Saturday 10 a.m. and Wednesday 6:30 p.m. she has evolved into a fine yoga teacher, and truly she is my trusty Sub, Yoga Daughter and Dear Friend, please support her! This lovely young woman will surpass me one day becoming a Great Teacher. I already get rave reviews on her classes and I am so proud to have her with me in Yoga!

I will be attending a few Cat Show’s this fall my girl Templeparlor Queen Hatshepsut is already a top winner internationally! Maraha will be subbing for me over Halloween weekend on Sunday when we show in Portland. In early November I will be subbing for both Maraha’s Wednesday 6:30 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. classes. When she gets back from her Yoga teacher training in Italy mid-month we will share the Ballard Health Center class at 10 a.m. on Saturdays, alternating every other Saturday and noon Sundays.

My teaching schedule should be up soon on my website:
templeparlor.com thanks to Peter Mumford for my website!

I love you all!
Kitty

Kitty Yoga News!

Kitty News July 2009 - New Schedule! 

Hi Kitty Yoga Friends and Students,

Welcome to the first installment of the Kitty Yoga news, where I will provide updates on classes, yoga theory and my teaching focus.  I am so excited to share my experience and passion for Yoga, health, movement and spiritual centering with you - my friends and community.

New Schedule:

 It has been an exciting and challenging venture to start a new business during this troubled economy.  I am restructuring my class schedule for summer to grow classes that work for my students and teachers.  I am also continuing to offer $10 classes.  Classes are 45 minutes at noon and 60 minutes at other class times to make yoga available for students who may be limited in their time and money. 

 Web page schedule:  http://www.templeparlor.com

Back Strengthening/ Hip Opener Series:

I have been focusing on teaching my students the structural principles I learned in Iyengar Yoga; to develop body awareness and self knowledge in their yoga asana practice.  I learned this series from my wonderful teacher, Aadil Palkhivala, who recently taught a back care class at Samadhi Yoga.  This sequence is for developing a healthy relationship with your lower back, hips, feet and legs. This sequence fits into the category of what I call "Yoga Medicine". 

Beginning student, Rebecca Sayre says, "I appreciate the low back and hip sequence because it teaches me the foundational elements of the poses in a way that I can grasp.  I really see progress in my feet, ankles, hips and hamstrings.  I am now finding in my body a deeper understanding of my body alignment in both my Yoga practice and in my daily life.  I haven't found this attention to detail in any other classes I've attended in Seattle".

About our Teachers:

Kitty Wittkower

My original teacher training was with Aadil Palkhivala, with whom I apprenticed for two years. My training focused on asana technique, with a special emphasis on therapeutics, for injury and illness. My yoga spirituality follows in the tradition of Sri Aurobindo; whose main premise was to bring the spiritual life down into our experience here and now.  Felicity Green Senior Iyengar Yoga teacher, was the female guide for my teacher training.  She is truly a gem here in the Northwest.

My teaching includes chanting, asana technique; including hatha, vinyasa, and pranayama (breath awareness). The mythology and stories of yoga provide a metaphor to embody the emotional spirit of asana: Devotion.  Attention to developing symmetry is also part of a yoga practice. Symmetry can be cultivated on right to left, front to back, upper and lower, and inner and outer, body axis.  Moving into advanced work, the subtle energetic pathways of the meridians become revealed and the connection to the greater universe is experienced.  The Yogas are designed to develop us to become an extraordinary being through consistent practice of all the aspects of yoga:  

Hatha - the asana or postures develop the body systems

Jana - the development of the mind through study of philosophy, cultivating a flexible mind.
Bakti - the development of devotion through singing, chanting and mantra.  Devotion is the highest form of emotional expression according to Yoga philosophy.
Karma - taking action in the world to relieve the suffering of others.
Raja - this yoga encompasses the practice of all the other yogas, when one practices all the yogas one becomes like a King or Queen regardless of their financial or social status, regal, kind, wise, and helpful.

In 1992 I was certified in the Iyengar method, and have practiced yoga since the early 1980s; completing another teacher training, with Shiva Rea in Seattle in 2005. My continuing education with other yoga luminaries includes: Dona Holleman, Dharma Mitra, Ana Forest, Sharon Gannon, David Life, Gary Kraftstow, Kathleen Hunt, and most recently, Les Leventhal.

Maraha Dickens 

Maraha began practicing Yoga as a way to deepen her relationship with her mother.  What she found was not only a closer connection and common interest to share with her Mom - but also a way to connect with her self. When Maraha moved to Seattle she began attending Kitty's classes in Queen Anne, where she became a dedicated student who progressed quickly in her knowledge of Self and Yoga.  After two years, she was ready to go further than was possible in an ongoing weekly class and Kitty suggested she study with the inspired Yoga Teacher - Dona Holleman author of Dancing The Body Of Light, as well as many other publications.  In 2007, she began her teacher training with Dona in Soiano del Lago, Italy. 

Maraha's classes seek to merge technical precision of the asana with the body's wisdom to create the opportunity for students to discover the connection between the intention of the mind and the body's inherent wisdom.

We welcome you to join our Yoga Wellness Community!

For me, Yoga has been a way of life for 25 years and is woven deeply into the fabric of my life.  Temple Parlor/ Kitty Yoga was built on the principle of creating a pain-free body for the exploration of the gift and joys of life, here and now, using the tools and wisdom of Yoga. 

If you'd like to support our school of Yoga:  please forward this newsletter to five people who you think might benefit from our Yoga teaching and classes at Ballard Health and Wellness Center. 

 Namaste—Kitty and Maraha

Many thanks to our friend and photographer:

Patricia Ridenour photo of Kitty in Garudasana underwater (Eagle pose)

Thanks to Peter Mumford for my web site and keeping us up to date!

Thanks to my teachers Aadil and Felicity for my profession!

Yo Yo Yogis

Tonight the Yo Yo Man and Woman came to my 7:30 class and it was such a delight to share knowledge with them warm and positive a joy and blessing to the class energy- I wish they could stay. check out their blog google yo yo yogi.com

Temple Parlor Yogini Circus Dancers

Maraha, betsy and Kitty as french Clowns  dancing at their own Party.  OM! Shanti! Om!

Kitty Yoga Opening Party at Ballard Health Center 2009

In 1999 I opened the first Temple Parlor Yoga, then 911 and an unfortunate move - the Temple Parlor went underground in my subconscious.  Now 10 years later 2009 I have the opportunity  to recreate a new the spirit of enlightened life in Ballardia, as we fondly call it.  Joining me are my loyal students and friends the very talented Maraha Dickens and Betsy Snyder; our trusty sub Sylvia Chai has recently joined us now teaching a 10 am class Tuesdays at NHC and kitty Yoga.  I extend my thanks to Aaron of Ballard Health and Wellness Center for making possible in this fabulous room to grow a School of Yoga: Kitty Yoga.   These are photo's from our rehearsal and performance for the opening celebration meet the neighbors event.   John Ames played live to a loop and we moved and dressed as french clowns to feel the spirit of play in the divine miracle and be inspired to great things.  This is a new baby of  a Yoga Studio a beginning school of Yoga, and an enlightenment social scene.  Thank You all My Friends You are everything to me, and i love you all.

Minke De Vos Workshop May 1-3

Friday night: 6:30-8:30-Bone Breathing, Saturday 1-6-Five Element Qi Gong and Yoga, Sunday women only 10-4-Feminine Treasures At the Ballard Health Center May 1-3 silentground.com, templeparlor.com, ballardhealthcenter.com

This is my first event at the Ballard Health Center a beautiful room for practicing; natural lighting from the high pyramid ceiling with sky lights, a window that opens, mirrors, and yoga props.  

Minke is a Gem!  We are so lucky to have here here!  Come to this workshop cultivate your radiance, transform the negative emotions, and enliven your bones!

Tapas - Cultivating the Joyous Heart

In Yoga terms it is really a devoted heart that all this opening moving and turning prepares us for: a surrendering internally to the radiance from above, a river of light flowing continuously replenishing.  This is what the Yoga alphabet is propelling us towards - embodiment of light and bodies of light or a state of grace.  Aurobindo writes of wideness in the consciousness.  Dona Holleman writes of wide eyes, heart and wide mind.  We widen where we feel resistance and allow grace to enter there.  On Saturday, May 17 this is my subject, and my task is to create the context for devotion to well up, and then each person finds their own experience of connection and radiance.   We work on quieting the mind to make room for the descent of this grace of light: sparkling prana, chi, life force energy, divine.  This is why people love vinyasa.  As B.K.S. Iyengar said to me once in Ann Arbor, MI,  " In vinyasa you become like an electrical antennae ...".  Aadil said, " you can't store prana...". I say,  It is the linking of consciousness and presence and breath the fugue of stillness and movement in balance creates the opportunity for the divine descent.  I'm reading Aurobindo now, it's as if the words on the page have the force of the divine infused, i feel my direction and an alignment with my purpose lining up.  Feelings of peace and joy over simple things, and with the same problems i've had stress over for years.  I'm working on them little by little. Just putting it out into the universe: I wish President Obama to succeed, so we all will succeed.  Amen, Om!!