Greg Owen’s Newsletter

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5^th Annual Thanksgiving Day Yoga Practice to Benefit Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission
Thursday November 24th 9:30 – 11:00 am

I am pleased to be hosting one of my favorite classes of the year right here at Studio G. I began leading these classes back at 8 Limbs Yoga Centers and I am happy to continue the tradition of giving to UGM here at my home studio. As you can see, I am using the Settle Donation Yoga logo for this class, as it what Seattle Donation Yoga is all about.  Suggested donation is $20.00, but please give what you can. Space is extremely limited, so contact me soon if you plan on attending. I regret that I will not be able to host as many of you as I have in years past. If you would like to donate but cannot attend, I am happy to collect your offerings in class this week and pass them on. The Mission has been helping Seattlites since 1932 and continues to serve men, women and children in multiple facilities throughout Seattle.

Last January I had the privilege of touring Hope Place, the Mission’s long-term residential facility for women and children in south Seattle’s New Holly neighborhood. I am happy to report that the money we donate is being well-spent. The rooms are private and homey and the support and educational facilities are excellent. Save for the sounds of kids playing in the on-site park, the quiet family atmosphere is a far cry from the hustle and bustle of the Mission’s Men’s Shelter in Pioneer Square (ironically, this building was originally Seattle’s finest brothel). I am proud that our practice can help sustain a long tradition of Seattlites helping Seattlites.

the empty bowl

This week in classes we have been working with the “gesture of meditation” or dhyana mudra. The familiar shape of two palms facing upward, right fingers resting on left, thumbs lightly touching, is representative of the receptive state of an empty bowl. Like many mudras associated with Buddhism, it was adopted from contemporary Hinduism and probably from Vedic meditation practices before that. It is a universal symbol for balance and contemplation and will benefit all who use it.

Working simply with the ambient sounds around us, we have been studying our mind’s tendencies for naming and categorization, as well as exercising techniques for turning this oversimplification off, in hopes of allowing for new experiences and more vital interactions with our environments. Expectations and patterned thinking dull our mind’s ability to grasp new concepts and can lead to robotic interactions with the world, and other people. Being receptive means being open, and as we practice trying to keep our thoughts uncolored and liquid, we do so with the idea that the world we live in is constantly changing and our past references may not serve us in these new and different times. The yogic state is pure consciousness, and I encourage you all to search for this bell-like clarity in your own minds and lives. Practice and all is coming.

With blessings for abundance and peace this holiday season,

Greg