Spring 2006 Newsletter

Dive
in the Ocean,
leave
and let the sea
be you.

Rumi

Hi Everyone,

Wow! It's been a while. The New Year came and went, February was a myriad of travel and study with my teachers and now it's March already. I am in Trocones, Mexico as I write this with my students on Retreat at Hacienda Eden and it is a true paradise, where the sparkle of the ocean blue meets the horizon of sky blue and the two become one. The air is clean and rich with moisture, nourishing our desert-parched skin till it glistens with an inner radiance. The sunsets are incredibly beautiful and the color so amazing that even the local dogs pause to watch the sun melt into the ocean till all that lingers is the beauty of essence itself. The evening sky is lit from within, a billion twinkling stars across the Milky Way glow pink and blue and green, blaze gold and iridescent white, a crescent moon hangs silver.

Each day we deepen our practice of yoga, pranayama, and meditation. There is ample time in between sessions for long walks on the beach, surfing, horseback riding or simply hanging out in a hammock for an afternoon siesta. We become more relaxed, less harried. Our features soften, our defenses drop, the veils lift and essence is remembered.

Tantra is to have your heart touched, to feel the wonder and awe of being alive. Smarana is to remember our source, our oneness. It's easy to remember to be at one with the Divine in this tropical paradise that I will return to again and again. I am grateful for this gift of pausing to replenish and remember myself. How do you remember your Self? If you practice hatha yoga you get a glimpse of your true nature in savasana and it keeps you returning for more. You can also be found in the breath, especially the gaps between the breaths, the natural pause at the top of the inhalation and the bottom of the exhalation where you slip into stillness and remember (smarana) that you are more than this physical body, something beyond body and mind. Ideally then, your practice leads you to meditation, the most sublime way to reconnect to your deepest Self. A few minutes everyday is the most precious gift you can give yourself to receive guidance from within and to meet the demands of your life with grace and ease.

Is your practice meeting the demands of your life? I hope so. If not, it may be time for a change. Aren't you worth it! :)

Love and Light,

Mary

Here's what's new:

* Rod Stryker at SWIHA May 17-21, 2006
Don't miss your opportunity to study with a true Master of Tantric Hatha Yoga, so register early as this training is quickly filling up. Vinyasa Krama, The Energetics of Sequencing is a must for all teachers and dedicated students. Yogis from all over the country will be here for this amazing event. Please let me know if you are willing to house anyone during this time as it lightens the expense of travel and nurtures community spirit. You may contact me directly at maryoga@marybruce.com. For more information on the workshop go to http://www.Marybruce.com or call Sherry to register at 310-745-1071.

* 2 special workshops at AZ Yoga April 21-22.
Fri. 6:30-8:30 Restorative Yoga and Tantric Meditation
Sat. 3:00-5:00 Slow Flow and Yoga Nidra
Go to http://www.marybruce.com/workshops.htm for more information

* Back by popular demand: Restorative Yoga Teacher Training April 6-9th. Space limited to 30. Reserve your space now. For more info go to http://www.yogavillage.net

* April Special: Bring a friend to one of my classes at Dance Theater West and receive a free class for yourself.

* Check out my schedule at http://www.Marybruce.com