Myth of Aging Class

The Myth of Aging Class

June 11-12th

9:30-2pm each day

$150, includes the book Somatics: Reawakening the Mind's Control of Flexibility and Health by Thomas Hanna

Space is limited. Registration Required. Contact Jodi to register at 218-940-1484 or Register Now

The “Myth of Aging” is that as we grow older we develop problem areas in our bodies, we become stiff, we loose range of motion, we start to hurt more and more – no matter how conscientious we think we’ve been in terms of our diet and exercise. The myth is that aging brings on inevitable aches and pains. In fact we may even have the expectation that as we age we should a.) start to slow down and b.) we will have to discontinue our favorite activities because things are going to start to go wrong.

Somatics Education suggests that we have more control over the aging process than once thought, and that if we don’t keep learning and evolving as we grow older we will become habituated in our movements, and that it’s these habituations that eventually cause the aches and pains of old age. In fact this goes for any age where our bodies become “specialized” to certain movements and activities which leads to the “under-use” of different movement patterns and muscles (and the over-use of others). And, as the saying goes “use it or lose it.”

The “Myth of Aging” series of Somatic Exercises was developed by Thomas Hanna. The practice of Somatics is a mind/body system that re-educates our neuro-muscular pathways. Through slow, conscious exercises that stimulate the connections from our brains to our muscles an inner wisdom is awakened for some and developed for others.

The class will target specific areas of the body and focus on patterns of muscular contraction that lead to chronic tension and injury. Students learn how to decrease muscle and joint pain and stiffness, to become more optimal in any of life’s activities and to be less dependent on others in doing so.

Very useful in relieving Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Frozen Shoulder Syndrome, Headaches, Back Pain and Strain, SI Joint Pain, Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, and more!

Jodi Christensen is a Somatics Educator, 500RYT Yoga Instructor, and Reiki Practitioner

Somatic Yoga and Awakened Wisdom Experiences this Saturday!

Somatic Yoga
April 23rd, 9-11 am
$20 Registration Required. Space is limited. Contact Jodi to register- 218.940.1484

Somatics education uses neuro-muscular reprogramming techniques that get at the source of the problem of tight or dysfunctional muscles which involves changing the programming of how the brain communicates to the muscle. The class is appropriate for all fitness levels and offers a set of gentle exercises that you can do on your own at home. This is a medication-free way to prevent and alleviate pain, chronic tension, and stiffness. Most exercises will be done lying on the floor, with small amounts of walking and observing that can be modified for those with limitations.
From there we will progress to therapeutic yoga techniques, increasing load and movement. We will then progress to incorporating principles into classic Asana.
Each month we will look at a new area of the body. This months focus is low back and hips.

Awakened Wisdom Experiences
April 23rd, 11:15-12:45 pm
$15 Registration required. Space is limited. Contact Jodi to register.

Discover ways to awaken your life, experience support, and learn with and from other interested souls in the process.
• Become actively engaged in creating the relationships, purpose, resources and quality of life you desire.
• Learn how to respond in a good way to what happens in all aspects of your life.
• Live from the wisdom and energy of your Divine Essence.
• Learn how to create beauty through every thought, word, and action.
• Connect to the Wisdom Field to inform you in what is needed.
Each month we will explore a concept from the teachings of Patrick Ryan from Awakened Wisdom. This month we will explore The Wisdom Field. What is the Wisdom Field? How do we tap into the Wisdom Field?

Reclaim Your Brilliance!

This morning in our Awakened Wisdom class we discussed a Good State of Intention and a Good State of Words. "Your words are like a song out to the Universe and the Universe responds according to the lyrics and the melody that is heard.
If your song is beautiful and life giving, the Universe is willing to reflect that back to you. Conversely, if your words are distorted and filled with fear or negativity, the Universe is just as likely to mirror distortion back. Now imagine the chorus of people around you and you start to see how important it is for us all to be discerning about the words we release." From Awakened Wisdom; A Guide to Reclaiming Your Brilliance by Patrick Ryan. I've often thought about this in the context of conversation with other people, but didn't quite put it in the context of the conversations I have with my self.
This morning I shared a story of a motor scooter accident I had last October. I ended up in the emergency room pretty scraped up, needing stitches, and a fractured bone below my eye. I shared with the class how I used meditation and Reiki to get me through the experience. I repeated my mantra over and over. They cleaned my road burns and gave me an EKG before giving me any pain medication. I repeated my mantra and it comforted me like an good friend. I spent the next several days in bed connecting with Reiki energy and repeating my mantra. By the 3rd day I was moving around easily and had a good amount of energy with the road rash mostly healed. By the 9th day I was back to teaching classes and feeling good with hardly any visible signs of my accident. I healed very quickly and I know it was because I chose to utilize Reiki and mediation.
I related this story because I felt it was a good example of a Good State of Intention. The intention being healing and comfort. It wasn't until it was pointed out how powerful the words we repeat to ourselves are that I related it to the conversations I have with my self. It was an a-ha moment! The intentional words I say to my self are very powerful...I get that. The unintentional words (conversations) I say to my self are just as powerful! Duh!
I'm pretty intentional about the words I speak to people. I practice being present and intentional frequently with others. I practice being present and intentional with my internal diologue in meditation and when teaching class but tend to leave the practice there. It's exciting and humbling to take a look around and see the manifestations of my unconscious internal dialogue! A-ha! "All that we are is the result of what we have thought. All we shall become is the result of what we think now." Buddha... intentionally and unintentionally!
Today I've decided to listen closely to the words I am saying inside my head, to the song I am singing to the Universe and when I start singing a song that doesn't tell a good story I exchange it for a new song, a new conversation, a new mantra. "I am brilliant!"
Try it and see what shows up! "I am _____________."
Namaste,
Jodi Christensen


Join me for the Reclaiming Your Brilliance Experience with Patrick Ryan.
April 1,2,3 in St. Paul.
Learn More

Yoga as Muse workshop

The Four Preparations of Yoga as Muse™ with special guest Cat Holm, Certified Yoga Instructor, Licensed Yoga as Muse Facilitator, and Author.

April 9th, 9:30-12:30 pm, $45. We are still accepting registrations! Contact Jodi to register.

Fire up and feed your creative practice! Sustain and Maintain a powerful creative practice with the tools of Yoga! You're a writer or an artist and you'd like to be in daily touch with your Muse. But the world interferes, The day job demands attention. You're too tired after work to think about creating. Who has time to be a writer or an artist, anyway?

It doesn't have to be this way. You can harness the effectiveness of a powerful creative practice with the tools of yoga. In the process you'll establish a powerful and sustainable creative habit.

We'll work with the four preparations that every writer or artist can use to establish a powerful creative practice : INTENTION, TIME, PERSEVERANCE, and CONCENTRATION.

We'll tap into the wisdom of your body, through yoga, and merge this with our ability to create. The result is phenomenal. You'll have the tools to get into the flow at will and to access new layers of writing or art.

You'll have time to create, and time to move. We'll have the optional opportunity to share our work in a safe, supportive environment.

Tap into the awareness and wisdom that your body can bring to your creative practice!

No yoga experience necessary. Mats are available, but you can bring your own if you wish. Bring a notebook, pen, or a sketchbook.

Space in this workshop is limited to 20 people, first come, fist served. Contact Jodi to register at 218-940-1484

Optional: you may wish to purchase and read this book beforehand: The Journey from the Center to the Page: Yoga Philosophies and Practices as Muse for Authentic Writing, by Jeffrey Davis (Monkfish Publishing 2008). It can be purchased online or ordered through bookstore

Distortion and Divine Essence

"The Soul uses our human body much like a carriage, being carried along through the human part of our journey. This human carriage is pulled along by two horses, one of which is Divine Essence and the other Distorted. The reins of the carriage are in the hands of our self-awareness. It is through the journey that our Soul is developed." Patrick Ryan
I like this image. I find it useful in being in relationship with myself and others. Many times I have observed myself and others handing the reigns over to distorted and even kicking it's heels with shiny spurs. I have also observed in myself and others that we hand the reigns over to our Divine Essence with caution and only on rare occasions do we kick in the spurs and unabashedly ride with our Divine Essence. It's more like an uneasy trot.
When I was a kid I loved to ride horses with my dad. I remember the joy and excitement of riding while the horse was galloping and jumping over streams, and the contentment of a long, leisurely ride in the wilderness.
I've also experienced what it feels like to be on the back of a horse that is "spooked" or startled. Suddenly I was very aware how large and powerful this animal was and how much it would hurt if I were bucked off. In that moment I had two choices, to give total control over to the spooked beast and feed into his fear or to use my human facilities to regain control and calm the horse down. A trained horse will respond to their riders commands and energy. They have the ability to switch from distortion to Divine Essence very quickly.
As you ride through your week, notice which horse has the reigns. If it's Divine take it slow and enjoy the ride and from time to time kick in the spurs!
Jodi Christensen

"You are the architect of your life."

I am co-facilitating an Awakened Wisdom Teleclass that began 2 weeks ago. Over the next 8 weeks I am going to blog about the explorations we ask of the group. I invite you to share part of this journey with us through these blogs.
Take a moment to consider this statement... "You are the architect of your life." Swami Rama
As we open ourselves up more and more to the Wisdom Field and pay attention to signs that inform us as we sculpt and build our tomorrows, this statement becomes more powerful.
In Patrick Ryan's book Awakened Wisdom, A Guide to Reclaiming Your Brilliance he says "The life you are living today is the result of seeds you planted in the past, and it goes that in this moment, today, you are seeding the future according to your intentions, words, and actions. Understanding the blessing of this rather than getting too significant about it all will allow you to accept this idea with grace, ease, and delight."
This week I've been holding the question...What does it mean to be co-creating your journey? I get exited knowing I am supported by the wisdom field. Knowing that when I feel overwhelmed or stuck, I can tap into the wisdom field and connect to what the Universe is calling forth.
As I've held this question over the past week I've been struck by how often my intentions and expectations are incongruent. For example, I intend that I will attract students that will benefit from my teachings, then catch myself expecting that no one will come to class. And guess what, I've given more power to my expectation than my intention and I get to witness how I've sculpted an empty class. Co-creating my journey calls on me to be more aware of my minute to minute thoughts and choose which seeds I will cultivate and which ones I will let go.
I welcome your comments... What does co-creating your journey mean to you?
If you would like to learn more about Awakened Wisdom opportunities please visit our website deeppeaceduluth.com
Jodi Christensen

The Earth is Hiring!

I am reading an amazing, thought provoking book right now,Hope Beneath Our Feet: Restoring Our Place in the Natural World by Martin Keogh. He posed a question to the world, "In a time of environmental crisis, how can we live right now?". The book is a collection of diverse responses to that question.

One of my favorites was written by Paul Hawken, a renowned entrepreneur, visionary environmental activist and author of many books. He shared a commencement address that he created for the Class of 2009 at University of Portland. He was asked to write something that was "direct, naked, taut, honest, passionate, lean, shivering, startling and graceful". He did just that and more.

I can't get through it without crying as it is filled with so much hope, bubbling over with the great potential that exists for all of us, for the planet. It is a recognition of all the good things people are doing around the world, it is a call for action. He states, "There is invisible writing on the back of your diploma...it says: you are brilliant and the earth is hiring. The earth did not send recruiters, instead it sent sunsets, rain, ripe cherries, night-blooming jasmine...and here's the deal: forget that this task of planet saving is not possible in the time required. Don't be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to be done, and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done."

The last couple of days have been filled with election stories, victories for some, feelings of great loss for others and a complete disconnect for the rest. I am filled with a sense of wonder and curiosity. Change always happens, everyday there are shifts, some not obvious or noted by us. What will this one mean? It may seem like business as usual within our local, state and national governments. Perhaps the same road blocks, same arguments. Perhaps we move forward, perhaps we move backwards, perhaps things come to a pivotal point where we wake up to the need for radical change and collectively make it happen or not.

Regardless of how you feel about the last election and the role of government in our lives, you must know that there is one race that continues on. There are still seats to be filled in the Earth Office. We are all qualified to serve, will you serve the earth with me? Let's enjoy her, respect her, remember our connection with her. Celebrate her, honor her. Walk with her, listen to her, speak with her, speak for her, protect her, nurture her, appreciate her. See her as healthy and well in every way, make sure we are healthy and well in every way. There is no separation. It is time.