Deliver Me From Myself

This month we celebrated what feels like the one true and sacred holiday we have in this country. Lately, I’ve been preoccupied with hierarchy. I’m grateful for the ways in which Dr. King challenged hierarchy and courageously paved the way for so many of us to challenge it.

There is  hierarchy in yoga—of master teachers, of a for profit business, of access...I wonder, what does a beloved community in this context look like? The message of Dr. King and yoga is the same. Yoga compels us to recognize our interconnectedness. There is no essential difference between you and I. Whether we feel it or not, what happens to one impacts all that is and in caring for one, the other experiences healing.

Is yoga beloved, sacred, communal for you?

Promo Video for ALIY and the Dharma Project

My brother, Paras, made a promo video about ALIY, TDP and me! I'm grateful to have such a talented, generous and caring peron help spread our message. Check it out!

Fundraiser : Using Walls to Build Bridges

We're adding more Yoga Walls at our studio! This fundraiser will support our initiatives to expand the impact of yoga and make our work more accessible to diverse communities. Your tax deductible donation to this cause will help us upgrade our studio and install 18 more stations of the Great Yoga Wall. Along with serving our existing community of students at All Life is Yoga, the Dharma Project is developing programs at the studio for three targeted communities: 

1. First Responders
2. Educators
3. Nonprofit Organization Staff and Clients

Our goal is to raise $15,000 and we need your help! Learn more about the Campaign, check out the various rewards and Donate: 

Using Walls to Build Bridges

Updates

ALIY Book Club

Our book club starts this Sunday from 12-2pm. Bring your favorite vegetarian, dairy free dish and join us for a discussion on the first chapter of Fire of Love, "Dharma". The first time I read this book was in 2006. I had just committed to the 2,000hr Purna Yoga teacher training. I knew nothing about Aadil and Purna Yoga, but something about the course description inspired me. I had no idea how I would pay for such an expensive training with my modest yoga salary and I had no idea how I could travel to WA for extended periods of time for the two years of the training. All I knew is I wanted it! With commitment comes Providence. This book has been instrumental for my growth as a student , a teacher, and most importantly, a better human being. "Only when we go inside do we really know how to live outside." Aadil from Fire of Love. Hope you'll join us. Register here. 

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honorCode Fundraiser

Join the Dharma Project on September 12th for an anniversary celebration and fundraiser for our partner honorCode. We're so excited to be working with honorCode and can't wait for the opportunity to share yoga and mindfulness with APS school students and teachers. Hope you can attend the fundraiser and hope you will donate to our joint program. 

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Brad Waites in the A!

We are super excited to host Brad Waites. CPYT, in Atlanta for his first full weekend workshop. The workshop is called Skills for a Soul-Based Life. "This workshop is about choice and freedom.  We live in a cause and effect world:  you act on a choice; you get a result.  When you choose, as most everyone does, from habit, desire, or mental analysis, you become a slave to life’s rollercoaster of fulfillment and disappointment, clarity and confusion, and you will never exit that ride.  There is a solution..." Learn More and Register

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Aadil Workshop Triad Yoga Greensboro, NC

Aadil will be on the east coast this month at our good friend, Terry Brown's studio, Triad Yoga in Greensboro, NC. Many fun topics like Yoga Nidra, Free Your Neck, Shoulders and Upper Back, Dynamic Digestion will be covered..."Aadil's teaching requires an open and receptive mind, a willingness to change and grow and an urge to progress on the path of yogaPurna yoga is a path to the heart and the practices, though powerful, are designed for students to develop a deeper internal connection."

Many of the ALIY teachers will be there. Join them September 29th-October 1st. Register Here.

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Journey to Love: Introduction to Heartful Meditation

I won't get to study with Aadil this fall but I will get to be in the presence of Savitri and study Heartful Meditation from one of the most profound individuals I have ever met. Savitri is a self-taught meditation master. She has never read a book about meditation. All the meditation techniques we practice at ALIY come form her own personal experience. I've taken this introduction to Heartful Meditation so many times over the past 12 years and it changes me every time. Heartful Meditation is the most important thing I do. This worksop takes place in Bellevue, WA on November 11th & 12th. There are still a few spots open. Join me! 

honorCode and Dharma Project Partnership

“The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:
Little we see in nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!”

— William Wordsworth

I love the story about William Wordsworth that Aadil shares in his book, Fire of Love. “William Wordsworth spent most of his life in the beautiful Lake District of Northern England… soon after Wordsworth moved to Dove Cottage, he sent a letter of protest to the local authorities complaining about the constant noise of the horse-drawn buggies on the road near his home. He claimed that it disturbed his concentration and he could not write poetry. He wrote that a wheeled buggy passed by ‘at least once a week.’

Can you imagine that level of concentration and connection! “Getting and spending, getting and spending”... that’s what we do. We have lost the wonder.

It's time to reconnect. Read many other inspirational stories from Fire of Love during our upcoming book club that starts September 10th at 12pm. Register Here.

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honorCode's 2YR Anniversary Celebration

The Dharma Project is so excited to have honorCode as our partner. Together we were awarded United Way’s Spark Prize, which will help us to bring a joint program of computer science, SEL(social and emotional learning), mindfulness and yoga into the lives of teachers and students in Atlanta Public Schools. Join us on September 12th for honorCode’s 2nd year anniversary fundraiser at Atlanta Tech Village. Dharma Project will be showcased at this event. Get your tickets here. If you can’t make it to the event, you can still donate to the cause.

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Creative Loafing Article

Check out Creative Loafing's interview with Rutu. The article was supposed to be a cover story, but CL went from being a weekly to a monthly publication in August and we lost to an article about chicken wings. The irony!

Creative Loafing Article

Creative Loafing recently interviewed me to discuss the state of yoga, All Life is Yoga and the Dharma Project. Check out the interview here.

To be honest, I was nervous about this article. I said some things. But after the events of this weekend, I was reminded of how necessary it is, even in our small ways, to speak up and acknowledge things as they are. Thank you to Creative Loafing for the platform. 

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A heartbreaking reminder that we are not born with hate. 

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200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training

The All Life is Yoga Level 1 Teacher Training starts August 19th, 2017. Along with learning the most clear, concise and accurate alignment of asana, you will learn to adjust students safely and effectively. As a teacher, your adjustments give students a sense of where their pose is headed, a feeling of what's to come, something to look forward to in their practice! Details and Registration Information

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Book Club Date Correction

We are so excited to bring back the book club. The last newsletter had an incorrect start date. The book club starts September 10th, 2017, not August 20th. We are reading Fire of Love by Aadil Palkhivala. Stop by the studio to pick up your copy.

Plug 1

#CCIspotlight : Rutu Chaudhari, The Dharma Project

Check out this INTERVIEW Center for Civic Innovation did with Rutu about her start with yoga and the development of The Dharma Project .

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Myka Harris teaching at ALIY

200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training

"A teacher can never truly teach unless he is still learning himself. A lamp can never light another lamp unless it continues to burn its own flame." Rabindranath Tagore. So true. Our 200 hour training helps students develop a strong personal practice. Without this, your teaching lacks integrity and without integrity, your teaching is ineffective. Starts August 19th, 2017. Register Here. 

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Yoga in the Park

Join Ron Young for our August Yoga in the Park. The class is held on the green behind the fountain at the Grant Park Farmers Market, which is on the Cherokee Ave side of the park before the Zoo (if you are going south).  Class is Sunday, August 20th from 10:30-11:30am. Check out our Facebook event for more details. Hope to see you this Sunday!

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ALIY's Book Club is back! We will be reading Fire of Love. A new case has just come in so order your copy and start reading. The book club will take place Sunday's from 12-2pm during the below dates. This will be potluck style, so bring your favorite vegetarian dish (please no meat or dairy in the studio) and join a group of discuss one of the most relevant books on yoga and personal growth. 

Dates: August 20th. September 10th, September 24th, October 22nd, November 12th, December 3rd, January 7th, February 11th. 

Contact us to join the book club.

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#YogatheVote

Thank you to all who expressed interest in meeting to discuss the upcoming local election. We will have our first gathering this Saturday, August 5th at 12pm at All Life is Yoga. Hope to see you there. 

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Since our work has gotten an opportunity to be highlighted, we'd like to share the work of some amazing people and organizations that we love and support. 

Dr. Greg Talley is one of my favorite anatomy nerds in Atlanta. I trust very few people with body work and am happy to know and work with GT. Check out Morningside Chiropractic for spinal and joint health to supplement your yoga practice. 

Compost Wheels comes to your house once a week to pick up your compostable waste, on a bike! They will also give you beautiful compost to use in your own garden.

They work with over 7 farms and gardens in Atlanta who collectively grow 75,000lbs of fresh produce annually and compost approximately 288,000lbs of our food waste annually that is cycled back through their growing process.

Acres of Diamonds + Yoga with Police Officers + Dirty South + Meet the Trainees

Many years back I read this book called Acres of Diamonds. The author shares countless tales, spanning throughout history, of people who lived in the most destitute conditions on land that was seemingly barren and hopeless. Seeking riches, they would sell their land and travel far to mine for gold, oil, diamonds, etc. Story after story, the person that bought that seemingly worthless land for next to nothing would find the very thing the original owner chased elsewhere, making millions.

I’ve been spinning like a top trying to develop the appropriate connections to get certain programs for The Dharma Project moving. Recently I discovered that the people closest to me—those already in my inner circle—are exactly the resources I need to propel The Dharma Project forward.

The teaching in Acres of Diamonds is that we look outward for the gold when it’s usually under our very noses. “Every [wo]man has the opportunity to make more of herself than she does in her own environment, with her own skill, with her own energy, with her own friends,” says author R. Conwell. This wisdom from many years back came to mind today when a door finally opened and the perfect connection was made by none other than a dear friend of mine.

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Yoga for Police Officers

I am going to put the above into practice some more: friends, The Dharma Project is starting a program to bring mindfulness and yoga to police officers. We need your help. Do you know a police officer that I can coerce into trying yoga?  :-)  Please put me in contact with them. The goal is to get 10 to 15 officers together for a pilot yoga session in early September.Please email me at rutu@alllifeisyoga.com

The Dharma Project is a 501(c)(3) whose mission is to bring mindfulness and yoga to public service organizations and the communities they work with.

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I will be co-teaching a workshop at this years Dirty South Yoga Fest with Veronica Lewinger. We will explore the 'mother of all twists', Matsyengasana. At the studio we usually focus on the first three stages of the pose, this weekend we will go deeper with the later stages and include the bind. 

Twists are some of the most powerful postures in yoga asana. They release spinal tension, ignite the digestive fire and energize the kidneys. Join Veronica and Rutu in an exploration of one of the most powerful and uniques twists in all of asana, Matsyengasana. Find out why it is referred to as the 'Mother of all Twists' and learn the many phases of this twist that provide deep intervertebral release and abdominal churning.

Join us Sunday, July 30th from 11:30-1pm at Loudermilk Conference Center. Register Here.

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Meet Our Teacher Trainees:

We are so excited for the upcoming teacher training, which starts August 19th at ALIY. So far, the group that is registered brings experience and perspectives from such a wide variety of backgrounds. Join us for what is sure to be a mind/body/heart-opening experience. Details and Registration.

Adrian Barzaga: Adrian loves to create with his hands, play his classical guitar, speak philosophy, climb things, and care for animals. "I was searching for a more holistic training, encompassing all aspects of yoga, and I’m confident I found it."

Ananya Paul: Ananya is a research scientist at Georgia State University. She has practiced yoga for three years. “With this training I want to gain in-depth knowledge of yoga. I understand the surface practice of postures but I want to go in-depth with the lifestyle of yoga.”

Aba Bailey: Aba has been practicing yoga for 30 years and is a licensed Thai Yoga Massage therapist. "I am looking forward to the YTT at All Life is Yoga so that I may learn and grow as an instructor. I'm ready to go deeper."

Margarita Cruz: Margarita has taught kindergarten for over 25 years and has practiced yogafor 12 years. “I have no expectations for this training. I want to be open and receive the teachings. It’s a personal journey of change, introspection, and growth.”

We're Hiring

All Life is Yoga and The Dharma Project are hiring for:

• Designer for logo and website 
• Marketing/Social Media Manager
• Administrative Assistant 

Contact Rutu at rutu@alllifeisyoga.com for details. 

Congratulations to Margarita Cruz! Partial Scholarships for Yoga Teacher Training Now Open

Yoga Teacher Training Full Scholarship Recipient

All Life is Yoga is offering its first full scholarship for the 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training. I don't know anyone more deserving of this opportunity than Margarita Cruz, who has studied with me for over twelve years. Whether I was running around teaching at other studios, or at ALIY when we finally opened the doors to our own space, she has always been there.

Margarita recently retired as a teacher for the Decatur Public School System. She's said many times that she doesn't know how she would be able to show up daily for 25 kindergarteners if it wasn't for the tools this yoga practice has provided her. "Practicing at ALIY keeps me grounded and clear. I’m being of service to young children. I have to be focused and aware of my emotions, because my emotions impact the students. When I take care of myself physically, mentally, and emotionally, I’m a better teacher. My emotions don't get in the way. I would not be well if I wasn't regularly taking time to slow down, and moving in a way that releases negativity and fatigue. Yoga renews my spirit."

We are so grateful that Margarita prioritized self care as a public servant, and can't wait to be a part of her new journey as a yoga teacher-in-training!

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Partial Scholarship Applications Open

All Life is Yoga is also offering partial scholarships for our upcoming 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training. The applications are assessed based on financial need, aspirations to teach, dedication to the practice and an interest in leveraging the teacher training to serve communities in need. To apply, contact Rutu. 

Early Bird Registration for Yoga Teacher Training Ends This Saturday

The upcoming 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training begins August 19th. Save $200 when you register by July 15th, 2017. Details and complete dates are on the website. Contact Rutu with additional questions. 

July 4th Class Schedule and Early Bird Teacher Training Registration

Holiday Schedule 

We will have one class on July 4th from 9:30-10:45am taught by Rutu. The Tuesday evening 6pm and 6:45pm classes are cancelled. 

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200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Early Bird Registration 

I'm really looking forward to teach the upcoming 200 hour yoga teacher certification at AllLife is Yoga. It's my first time in 8 years of teaching a yoga certification that I am offering a new format for the curriculum. It's gonna be special! Early Bird Registration for the upcoming 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Certification ends July 15th!

Email rutu@alllifeisyoga.com to apply.