January News
New Year, New You, New Class Schedule!
Join us for some of the new classes and encore performance classes returning to the schedule this month! Remember, a 10 class package is $100; walk-ins are $12 per class. To view the current class schedule, just click on the Schedule & Pricing tab above, and select Current Schedule (the class schedule will open in a new browser window). To view the class description, simply click on the class name.
Please welcome Rose Sabine to Synergy
Rose makes her home with her husband Jay in the community of Grassy Cove in Cumberland County, TN. She is a 10 year martial art student, currently ranked First Dan in Laohu Kempo, advanced belt in Dos Manos Kali Escrima, and is certified by Laohu Martial Arts in Yang style Tai Chi Chuan instruction. Rose has had additional instruction in Wu Family Fan, Tai Chi sword , Rooting Pine, and Five Element Qi Gong. She is currently a student of Sensei Andrew Landrus. She received additional training with Master Helen Wu and Master Nick Gracenin at the Winchester School of Taijiquan. Rose is also a Registered Certified Reflexologist and a Licensed Massage Therapist, and brings her detailed knowledge of the body and its energies to her teaching at Synergy. Rose specializes in teaching Tai Chi and Women's Self Defense, and is the founder of Two Bears Natural Therapies. Please help us welcome her to Synergy!
FREE Basic Tai Chi class on January 6
Join Rose for a FREE introductory Basic Tai Chi class on Friday, January 6 @ 9:30 a.m.! Class size is limited; walk-ins will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. To ensure your spot, please call the studio at 931-520-8980 to sign up in advance.
SALE! (extended thru January31!)
Mind/Body fitness props are on sale 33% OFF! Duet packages (mat or equipment) are $25 OFF per person!
Auld Lang Syne
Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot and old lang syne? The traditional Scottish folk song we so commonly associate with New Year's begins by posing a rhetorical question as to whether it is right that old times be forgotten, and is often interpreted as a call to remember long-standing friendships. "For auld lang syne", as it appears in the first line of the chorus, is loosely translated as "for (the sake of) old times". So, should we look back? I say resolutely "YES," with eyes of gratitude for all 2011 has given us! Here is an idea for applying the "auld lang syne" philosophy to your practice this month.
Find a comfortable place to sit, and begin to focus on your breathing. Take a few minutes to reflect on the year of 2011. Think about the events that stand out—the most monumental moments, good or bad, as you may term them. Then try to view them objectively, with no labels or judgments. See if you can view them through the eyes of your witness consciousness, as if you were watching a movie. Identify the key characters in your movie—was there a person that was particularly difficult to you this year? Or particularly helpful? See if you can identify if there were any lessons or growth opportunities presented to you through these events and people. If so (and it's okay to feel there were not), what were the lessons/opportunities? Again, resist judging yourself for what you may have done or not done, or for how you handled the situation. Avoid the pitfall of thinking about what you could have/should have done. Using this new knowledge, or way of viewing these people and situations, give thanks for the ones that have shaped you this year. Feel gratitude for the people, events and choices that you have experienced in 2011—they have all been your teachers in some way. Based on these lessons, form your intention for the new year. Perhaps visualize yourself integrating this new knowledge in 2012. What would that look like? Now if you like, create a short statement of resolution (sankalpa, in sanskrit) from these thoughts and intentions. Repeat it to yourself 6X. (It is a great idea to look at yourself in the mirror as you do this). If you plan to do yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, or another mind body practice, try repeating this statement to yourself 6X before the practice, and 6X afterward. Then watch as the new year unfolds!
Sankalpa Wall
Some people make New Year's resolutions to change unwanted behaviors and start a plan of action then weeks or days later quit. Or they start classes, and are inconsistent in attendance. Why? According to Yoga, their resolution (sankalpa) was made in the chatter-filled conscious mind. The resolve remains on the surface of the mind, swept away by endless sensory distractions and strong undercurrents of unconsciously driven habitual ways of thinking (samskaras). No wonder it does not take root! Sankalpa is a very powerful practice and the purpose is not to fulfill desires, but to create will power and to remove obstacles. Often, the sankalpa takes the form of a short mental statement, which is impressed on the subconscious mind when it is receptive and sensitive to autosuggestion during Yoga Nidra or Shavasana. It can create a new direction in your life if you use it wisely. Carefully choose one that will influence and transform your life to become more balanced, happy and fulfilled. Then self-limiting behaviors like denial, fear, criticism, or even smoking or poor nutrition, can just drop away. According to yogi and teacher Rhadeya M. Plasha, when sankalpa becomes the directing force, everything you do in life becomes successful. You may remember our Inspiration Wall from last year. This year, we will create an accountability wall—for those of us who are willing to step out and commit to a resolution we would like to achieve in 2012. If you choose, you may write out your sankalpa statement and post it on the wall at the studio. You may do so anonymously, or sign your name to it. Yoga classes at Synergy will have a special sankalpa focus this month, to help you clearly set your goals and achieve them. If you choose, you can be assigned an accountability partner from the studio, and we will encourage each other!
Synergy Hall of Fame for 2011
The results are in! Nine dedicated mind/body practitioners have made the Synergy Hall of Fame for this year! Look for your certificates posted on the studio wall. Gold level mind/body practitioners completed 100+ workouts at the studio this year, and will receive a $50 account credit to be used toward their next purchase. Silver level practitioners completed 80+ workouts, and will receive a $25 credit on their account. Bronze level practitioners completed 60+ workouts, and will receive a $10 credit off their next package purchase. CONGRATULATIONS to our Hall of Famers!!!