Tranquil Space Foundation Newsletter – September 2009
Tranquil Space Foundation expands opportunities for girls and women to develop their inner voice through yoga, creativity, and leadership activities.
greetings
online buzz
the heart of yoga
how to contact the creative self
the subtleties of leadership
connect and support
credits
We’ve all heard the saying, “Good things come in threes.” Well, in the same year, Tranquil Space is celebrating its 10 year anniversary, I’m embarking on a journey to earn a Masters in Social Work, and Tranquil Space Foundation is turning three years old.
Please join me in celebration of three years of bringing yoga, creativity, and leadership to young women and girls around the greater Washington area. You’re invited, and I hope to see you there!
3rd Annual Tranquil Space Foundation Gala
When: Thursday, October 8, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Where: 1330 Connecticut Avenue, NW
(Hosted by: Steptoe & Johnson)
Washington, DC
Metro: Dupont Circle
What: This year’s festivities include:
* Second annual TSF Awards for service to women and girls in the areas of creative expression and leadership development
* Silent auction and raffle prizes
* Creativity celebration: belly dance performance
* Yoga demonstration
* Wine and light refreshments
* Special gift for first 50 guests to arrive
How: Join us! Tickets are $30 in advance and $40 at the door, and are available at Tranquil Space yoga studios in Arlington, Dupont, and Bethesda and online. Can’t make it to the event on October 8? Shop our online silent auction at tranquilspacefoundation.org.
A huge thanks to our sponsors: TranquiliT, Tranquil Space, Steptoe & Johnson
Three cheers,
Kimberly Wilson
TSF President
What do Bingo, security blankets, and Ted Kennedy have to do with living your yoga? Find out this and much more by reading the TSF Journal, our blog full of yoga-inspired musings.
If you’re looking for yogic inspiration in the form of 140 characters or less, follow TSF on Twitter.
By Kimberly Wilson, TSF President
We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. – Maya Angelou
Open your heart both on and off the mat. Let your compassionate energy flow freely with the yin yoga pose of Butterfly.
What are the benefits?
This yoga pose works wonders on stretching the lower back and it stimulates the kidney meridian of the body, considered critical to fluid energy flow. Stimulating the kidney meridian helps to balance bodily fluids in the blood and circulatory system, lymphatic system, endocrine system, and urinary system. Meridians, based on Chinese medicine, are invisible pathways through which energy flows. During an acupuncture session, needles are inserted into meridians to open blocked energy and allow it to flow freely through meridians. Yin yoga has a similar effect sans needles! Each pose stimulates a certain meridian and stretches the connective tissue of the body – rather than muscle in a typical yoga class.
How do I get into the pose?
To begin, sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you.
Bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together.
Move your feet forward so that they form a diamond shape. Your knees will resemble butterfly wings – hence the pose’s name.
Bend forward from your hips and round your spine. Let your head rest into the soles of your feet or onto a blanket or pillow that you place between your head and feet. Take deep, full breaths and stay here one to five minutes.
With yoga we want to avoid pain. Find that sweet spot of sensation located between stagnation and pain. In yoga – and in life – it’s referred to as “finding your edge.” If you are feeling any discomfort beyond strong sensation, back out of the pose by adding another pillow or lessening the time you hold the pose.
Omwork (homework with a yogic twist)
Try a yin yoga class on DVD or at Tranquil Space. Pay attention to your energy – do you feel depleted or energized? Sit in butterfly for a few minutes a day. Note how it feels and observe your progression. Yoga is a journey and yin yoga is a yummy, slow, quiet practice.
how to contact the creative self
by Ana Ottman, Chair of the Programming Committee
The other day, I came across this great quote by Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity.
“People frequently believe the creative life is grounded in fantasy. The more difficult truth is that creativity is grounded in reality, in the particular, the focused, the well observed or specifically imagined. As we lose our vagueness about our self, our values, our life situation, we become available to the moment. It is there, in the particular, that we contact the creative self.”
I love her language about becoming “available to the moment.” It also weaves into our practice of yoga that urges us to “be present” with the breath and the poses.
The quote got me thinking about how frequently I multi-task. Multi-tasking is something that is praised in the workplace, but actually means that I’m not giving my full attention and energy to any one task.
If I practiced being available to the moment, I would deepen my connection to the task at hand, as well as develop my intuition to guide me to the next step. Instead of rushing through the tasks on my to-do list (and multi-tasking), I would start with the most important task and listen to my creative energy as I worked on it.
Being available to the moment also made me think about tuning into my senses and the world around me. I like to walk to get around D.C. because I feel this connects me to my environment. Walking lets me touch the plants I pass and feel the ground beneath my feet. If you take public transportation to get around, being available to the moment might mean sending out whatever energy the bus or Metro car needs at that time.
Deepening our connection to the world around us, and being “available to the moment” can help us to shake loose our creative blocks and connect with our creative selves. How can you practice this in your daily life this month?
Ana Ottman thrives on empowering women to lead authentic and creative lives. She provides life coaching to individuals around the country through her business, Creatuitive Coaching. When she is not working, she can be found practicing vinyasa yoga, “mentoring” her four younger sisters, browsing local bookstores, and dreaming up ideas for expanding her business.
by Kimberly Wilson, TSF President
The day will come when man will recognize woman as his peer, not only at the fireside, but in councils of the nation. Then, and not until then, will there be the perfect comradeship, the ideal union between the sexes that shall result in the highest development of the race. – Susan B. Anthony
The following passage is excerpted from See Jane Lead by Lois P. Frankel:
Most women may not realize it, but they already possess the qualities to make them great leaders. Unfortunately, these natural capabilities are being suppressed by their need to follow the rules they were taught in childhood for how little girls were supposed to behave. In this breakthrough book, Dr. Frankel shows women how to overcome these self-sabotaging behaviors that prevent them from realizing their full managerial potential. Filled with unique practical advice and real-world examples of successful female leaders, See Jane Lead outlines the most effective ways women can take charge in the business world, the home, or beyond using resources they’ve possessed all along.
You also may not aspire to be a CEO, vice president, or director of an organization, but chances are you find yourself in a position where you want to influence others. That’s leadership. You may be responsible for a small committee of the PTA. That’s leadership. Or you might have ideas that contribute to creating change in an organization of which you are a member. That’s leadership, too. Women lead all the time – they just don’t call it leadership. They think of it as working toward a common goal, achieving results through people, or simply doing what needs to be done. In fact, that’s what leadership is all about.
We are looking for volunteers with experience in programming, communications, and fundraising. If you’d like to volunteer with TSF long-term or just help at our gala, please email volunteer@tranquilspacefoundation.org for details.
We are looking for organizations that serve adolescent girls who would be interested in doing a TranquilTeens workshop. If you have suggestions, please email partnership@tranquilspacefoundation.org.
Editor-in-Chief
Jackie Leventhal
Layout + Tech
Tim Mooney
Contributors
Kimberly Wilson
Ana Ottman
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