What a difference a yoga practice makes.
As part of the yoga community, Anahata Grace is fortunate enough to be surrounded by those who desire social change and hold themselves personally accountable to make an impact. Leading by example is the District’s city-wide Citizen Effect 30 Day Yoga Challenge. Spear-headed by Michael Hall of Mid City Yoga, funds raised through the 30 Day Yoga Challenge will support the construction of an orphanage in Cloetesville, South Africa.
Continue reading 'July is DC Yoga Challenge Month'»
DC Local Projects, Events, Fundraising & Outreach
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There are oh so many ways to celebrate the 4th – dancing, laughing, drinking, eating – all of which entail sharing pure joy with those around you. Those of us at Anahata Grace would love for you to share in the festivities we have planned to heighten awareness of the complete gratitude we all share for this day of independence:
So come on out and celebrate the liberty this life has brought us.
Events, General
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Every week, Anahata Grace will honor our volunteer and staff experiences through a weekly blog. This week, Finding Grace volunteer and dedicated yogini Shawn Parell will selflessly share with us her lifetime commitment to service.
“The fruit of love is service. Prayer in action is love, and love in action is service.” – Mother Teresa
I first learned about Anahata Grace (then just Anahata International) in the winter of 2007-2008. Like many of us at that time, I was inspired—and still am—by the story of a small band of karma yogis dedicated to promoting healing and social change in places that might seem geographically or contextually far away to most. As one among many thousands of non-profit workers in our nation’s capital, an organizer of the DC Global Mala, and a teacher and longtime student of the yogic arts, I resonated with the simple sankalpa, or intention, to share that which has enriched my life so immeasurably with others in need. And I felt an instinct to help.
… Does this sound familiar to you?
Continue reading 'A Genuine Instinct Towards Seva'»
Teacher Guest Blog
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This Saturday, join Megan Davis for Yin Yoga workshop at Yoga Chai.
Yin yoga provides the perfect balance to your active (yang) yoga practice. Yin utilizes long-held floor poses, meditation and breath work to target the connective tissues of the body—the ligaments, tendons and cartilage. Working on these connective tissues can help to increase flexibility and decrease stagnant energy in the body. Years of a dedicated asana practice will make anyone healthier, stronger, and more flexible, but at some point the muscles will have reached their limit of flexibility.
Continue reading 'Some Yin for your Yang…'»
Ms. Laura Ivers will be offering her inspiring yoga skills for a six week donation class at Past Tense with all proceeds going to Anahata Grace!
This six week Dharma 
Basics class features the hatha yoga practice developed by Sri Dharma Mittra, world renowned instructor and yoga practitioner for more than 50 years. The series includes sun salutations, standing and seated postures suitable for all levels of students. The practice also includes breathing exercises that restore vitality and a balanced functioning of the inner workings of the body and mind and a guided deep relaxation to recharge and renew. Students are encouraged to attend the full series if possible, but drop in students are welcome. This class is offered at 8:15 pm on Thursdays through Thursday, June 10.
Continue reading 'Six Week Dharma Donation Class in Honor of Anahata Grace'»
Events, Fundraising & Outreach
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The fourth Anahata Grace donation class will be taught by vinyasa flow registered instructor Maria Hunter this Saturday afternoon at 1:30. Her offering to you this week will be a harmony infused class, plentiful of therapeutic asanas. Restorative postures are an important part of any long-term yoga practice: they recharge our energy reserves, heal the effects of stress, and bring our nervous systems into a more balanced state. It’s a gentle way to begin to be the change we wish to see in the world. When we begin to bring ourselves into balance we are able to reach out to others and to bring the healing that we have achieved for ourselves into our communities. This Saturday’s Flow Yoga donation harmony flow class will blend gentle movement and long held restorative poses with soothing music and aromatherapy. All levels are welcome, so come one come all no matter where you currently reside on your yogic path.
Every week, Anahata Grace will honor our volunteer teacher experiences through a weekly blog. This week, Finding Grace volunteer yoga instructor Scott Carson will talk a bit about his experience with teaching elementary school students from the group Kid Power, an organization that provided educational programming for 275 youth from underserved communities in DC. Remember to check back weekly, as our journey of compassionate action has just begun.
“Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position, and turn your palms down to feel grounded.”
“Grounded! What did I do?”
“Grounded, like connected to the earth, not grounded, like in big trouble. Communicating with, let alone teaching yoga to elementary school kids can be an adventure.”
One thing is for sure, you can’t just walk into a big city elementary school and put 12 or so 8 year olds into their sacred space. Alexis and I arrive at Harriet Tubman Elementary, and the first thing we encounter is massive clamoring for yoga mats. Each kid wants to choose their own, and while we start to mutter the words “equanimity” and “non-attachment”, they grab the mats right out of our hands. So we take them back and have everybody sit down. The theory is that the quietest gets to choose first. This usually works, except that once in a while someone is so quiet that they are overlooked. Then we get to come back to the idea of non-attachment.
Continue reading 'Yoga of Service and Humility'»
Every week, Anahata Grace will honor our volunteer teacher experiences through a weekly blog. To start off, Finding Grace Executive Director Caitlin Uzzell will tell her story of last week’s class with homeless teen moms. Remember to check back weekly, as our journey of compassionate action has just begun.
Last week I taught my first class with a new service partner, Borromeo Housing, an organization that provides housing for new moms that have a few more challenges to add to first-time parenthood – they’re young and homeless. After teaching a number of classes to middle school and high school aged kids in low-income neighborhoods throughout D.C., I was ready for the type of class where a great sense of accomplishment is achieved simply by helping my students feel calm enough to hold silence for just a few moments. When I walked in the front door the moms were holding a house meeting, one of two times a week child care is provided so that they’re able to come together and discuss issues pertaining to their current living situation. Their energy was focused but low, and I recognized that the energy would need be ramped up instead of quieted. It’s a fine line to walk – encouraging movement for those that don’t stretch often for the physical health, while recognizing that initially that movement can detract from achieving peace of mind.
Continue reading 'A New Beginning for Homeless Moms'»
Flow Yoga Center has provided Anahata Grace with a warm welcome by offering weekly donation classes in our honor. Make sure to be a part of the very first one by joining Noelle Laing this Saturday, April 3rd at 1:30 for an energizing 1.5 level vinyasa flow class. The suggested donation is $10; you can either
donate online or bring cash/check along to the studio. Feel free to
contact us with any questions – your support is greatly appreciated!
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