May 2024 Newsletter
We are super excited to welcome Mariana Cisneros Solbes back to Seattle for a jam-packed weekend June 14-16! You won't want to miss it!
Coming from a dance background and never really enjoying the competition, she found familiarity in the practice of yoga regarding all the aspects she loved about dancing. She likes to think of the practice of yoga as a companion that will aid you in every possible way. Yoga for her is the path of transformation, an outlet to play, to isolate or to connect... anything you need it to be!
Currently living and teaching in Mexico City, she has been strongly influenced by the Ashtanga Vinyasa method by her teacher Amado Cavazos, Hatha Raja Vinyasa with Dharma Mittra, and Rocket Yoga with David Kyle. She leads Level 1 Rocket training, retreats and workshops in beach destinations around Mexico. Mariana is big on creating a community of like minded people, and uplifting others through the practice.
Here's the weekend lineup:
Friday 6-8 pm Rocket Happy Hour
Saturday 10 am-12:30 pm Dharma/Rocket Masterclass
Sunday 9:30-11:30 am Ashtanga Media y Media - Half Primary to Intermediate
Sunday 1-4 pm Funky Inversions
Head to Momence or click the links above to sign up for courses individually, or get all four with the Mariana Weekend Bundle!
Thanks Ahmed!
Big thank you to Ahmed Jabali-Nash for a lovely April weekend of inversions, arm balances, sound healing, and fun! This won't be the last you'll see of Ahmed, promise!
We are committed to hosting a diversity of teachers from all over the world with various backgrounds and specialties to become a regional learning hub for teachers and dedicated practitioners. We have several more collaborations in store for later this year, so stay tuned!
What's in a Mantra?
One of the questions asked at last month's conference: "What does our chanting mean?" Let's take a look at the opening mantra:
vande gurūṇām caraṇāravinde
sandarśita svātmasukhāvabodhe
niḥśreyase jāṅgalikāyamāne
saṁsāra hālāhala mohaśāntyai
ābāhu puruṣākāraṃ
śaṅkhacakrāsi dhāriṇam
sahasra śirasaṃ śvetaṃ
praṇamāmi patañjalim
"I bow to the lotus feet of the Gurus and behold the awakened joy of my own Soul, the ultimate refuge, the jungle physician, pacifying the poisonous delusion of repetitive/conditioned existence. I bow to Patanjali who has assumed the form of a brilliantly luminous man with thousands of snake heads, and who bears a conch, discus, and a sword."
The opening mantra in Aṣhtanga yoga is a prayer and an act of deep respect for the gurus and teachers who have over the ages and through the parampara (lineage) directly experienced and passed down the knowledge, which improves one’s quality of life and leads the student to their highest path. The second verse is dedicated to the mysterious embodiment of Bhagavan Patanjañjali, and his invaluable revelations of the mysteries of yoga.
We'll touch on the closing mantra next time :)
Other Updates
The Yoga Shala will be featured at the Bend Yoga Festival June 7-9 in Bend, Oregon. Interested in joining Brendan there? Ask him for details!
Save the dates for our Fall Retreat, October 30- November 3! Details soon, but get your passport ready!