Up and Coming
Rawfood Potluck
You've been hearing about them and saying you were going to make the next one. So -- mark your calendar for the rawfood potluck -- Friday, January 16 at 7:00 p.m. This one's at our home at 1639 South 48th Street. Bring a dish to share with 8-10 people, your own plate, utensils and cup. You'll learn about the amazing benefits and great taste of raw foods. African DanceWhat a great way to beat the winter blahs! Come dance with us. You'll get a great workout while having a blast. Bring your friends and your feet and find some fun! When: Sunday, January 18 from 1-3. Registration is by payment. The cost is $20 if you register by January 12, $25 after January 12.
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Quotation of the Month
"Our attention, our awareness, breathes life into that which it rests upon. Place your attention on something, and it grows in your life. Take your attention away from something, and it fades away."
~ Rolf Gates
Meditations From the Mat
Book of the Month
Falling in Love With Your Life
by Alicia Castillo Holley
The author of this book is my cousin! I first read it when Oliva was born, and it truly helped me snap out of being absent to being fully present and enjoying who I was. The book is funny, inspiring, and an easy read. What a perfect way to start the year!
With little bit of help through the exercises Alicia suggests, you will open your eyes and fall in love with the YOU that you already are!
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Community News
Community of Mindful Living Meditation in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh
When: 10:30-12noon
2nd and last Saturday of each month
Where: 731 Garfield Street
If you have cushion or meditation supplies please bring them.
Questions? Mike McMahon 402-558-3112
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Pass it On
One of our clients who has had some difficulty finding child care expressed an interest in trading child care needs. Maybe there are more of you who need the same? Give us a call or email us and we will "pass it on."
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 When I was thinking about what could I share with you this month that would inspire your new year, I remembered we've been talking in my yoga classes about "where the mind goes, the energy follows. " And I thought, "How appropriate!"
So I ask you, "What energy do you wish to cultivate this year? How do you want your story to be written? What are you going to create for yourself? What are you choosing and giving power to?" Here at YBB we work hard to find the balance between the busyness of life and the cultivation of our spirit. We learn to slow down and "smell the coffee," as they say. We want to be present to the millions of miracles that happen around us everyday that we don't get to enjoy because our train is going too fast, and we don't see them. May I ask you again -- "How do you want to feel? How do you see yourself being the perfect you?" As I read in class some weeks ago, "You are the person you've been waiting for all this time!" YOU!
 I want to invite you to come and experience that YOU and to enjoy the serenity and clarity of mind through a yoga practice -- like a vast blue sky on a summer day! I want to invite you to experience the Power of the universe through YOU!
What are you waiting for? May this year be "the year you've been longing for." Like Nike says, "JUST DO IT!"
See you in class,
Tataya (^_^)
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Love, Friendship and Family
This Thanksgiving I was given a gift I was not expecting. After relating my thoughts to Tataya, I felt I wanted to share them with all of you. I've had a similar revelation in the past, but this time it sunk in. I feel the impact now and intend to allow it to make a difference in my life. Like most of you, no doubt, I have met many people in my life I have  considered to be friends. With all the moving I've done, I lost touch with many of them. I've always thought keeping in touch was important, but I rationalized when I did not do so by telling myself that a real friend will be there, even if you haven't kept in touch. Although this may be true, I now ask myself what may I have lost by not keeping in touch? What could have been different about the state and strength of the relationship had I nurtured it with love? The following is what I wrote after talking with Tataya.
"I realized something last night talking to my parents before they left. We had been discussing living at home, leaving and then returning home and how much of a drag that is, as well as what it was like for my dad to live at home until the age 28 or so. This made me think very much of my high school years into college, and then, of course, about leaving home and moving to Colorado. In those years I did so much, went so many places, and have many more stories. I think to a certain extent those stories, and now memories, defined who I was, but who am I today? I'm 31. What do I have to show for myself? My past is the past -- memories, both good and bad. What do I have today? (I don't mean lots of money or a big house.) I'm not going to have those years back, but what do I feel today and enjoy today as a result of those past years? I'm not living in the past, only in this moment."
"I thought about what will remain after more years pass by, and I realized the answer is relationships. I realized my relationships aren't left behind, and the more I put into them, the more they impact my 'today.' I know this sounds like a bad inspirational quotation. I was once told by my spiritual teacher in Colorado that the one thing you bring with you when you die is all the love you share when you're  alive. The message for me -- the Thanksgiving gift -- was to cultivate my relationships. That is what will make the difference in the next 30 years."
May you find the light in your relationships in this new year. Those you nourish I'm sure will give you a feeling of purpose and relevance in your life.
Happy New Year,
Thomas
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Meditation Meets Technology
from Thomas
Are you up for something new? How about something old? As many of you have come to realize Tataya and I only share with you things that have made a real difference in our lives. What we want to tell you about is related to meditation. The practice of meditation is invaluable to one's life as a means of personal growth as well as daily survival. Meditation has taken many forms throughout history and most often we practice a moving meditation in our classes. If you don't meditate now the question, "Why should I meditate?" seems very reasonable. We will answer that one later. For now I'll answer that question with another, "Would you like sustained, clear, and grounded use of your mind and faculties?"
 We wish to introduce you to the Holosync Solution. You may want to stop reading this, and go look up www.centerpointe.com right now. Bill Harris does a much better job explaining this than I will. Holosync is an audio technology that marries the ancient practice of meditation and the newest technological advances. Through stereo headset listening, Holosync delivers particular frequencies that your brain has to process. In this processing, your brain actually increases its capabilities to go from basic wavelengths to advanced wavelengths. These are the same wavelengths that some meditators have achieved through years and years of mediation. As Bill Harris (the founder) says, you can meditate like a zen monk at the touch of a button! As one who doesn't believe in a free ride, I've experienced the amazing results Holosync provides. I can still practice my techniques of meditation just as I did before to further those skills. The only difference is now I listen to some nice music in the background.
So what does this mean to you? I don't know. For Tataya and me it has been a whole new world. We have been using Holosync for three months now and have noticed tremendous and very palpable results. We both feel much clearer in out thinking process, direct, obvious, punctuated. We have an increased ability to handle and create solutions for all types of problematic situations. This has lead to less stress, better use of time, and more enjoyment. We are calmer and more grounded, particularly when doing things under the clock. Our personal comfort zone or level has dramatically increased. In other words, I personally feel more comfortable just being me. I mind much less to be judged, or questioned or to go against the grain of others, as long as it is "with the grain" of myself. And lastly our communication with each other has increased and improved, and that's probably the best result of all.
We wanted to share our story, and what helps our life to evolve every day. If you're interested, check out the website above and do let us know how it is working for you.
In health,
Thomas
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Keeping Warm
I just walked 10 minutes from our home to the yoga studio. It felt great. Fresh air, some sun, brisk movement, and oh yea, did I mention it's 2 degrees outside? Actually, today I walked dressed in much the same manner I usually am lately: no gloves, a double fleece, hat, and an old pair of crocs with wool socks. To tell you the truth, the cold didn't affect me one bit. I loved it, and this, I believe is because I have good circulation.
Our bodies produce heat, always -- more when moving, less when  sitting. We have two ways of using this heat. One is to insulate -- to hold the heat in and enjoy. As you all have seen, I don't have too much insulation, so what is the other way? To circulate that heat. If your blood can move that heat to the far corners of the body then you stand a much better chance of keeping comfortable. I have found a few things to help with my circulation. One is a diet lower in fats. Fats slow down the processes of the body, and make the blood more viscous. Yes, fats do insulate, but they also slow down the efficiency of the body. The second way to improve circulation is to eat little to no animal foods. The digestion of animal foods draws much energy from the rest of the body. This does draw heat to the digestive organs, but in so doing the extremities rapidly cool. We all have enough insulation around our digestive organs, and we don't need to keep them warmer. In addition, animal foods are poorly digested and leave toxic compounds and residues throughout the body. The third way to increase circulation is by reducing or simply eliminating processed foods. Processed foods steal more from they body than they provide. Such things as white refined flour, sugar, and junk foods hamper the functioning of the body, particularly digestion, and they leave toxins the body has to spend time cleaning up. All these factors do affect our circulation and quite simply, our comfort in the colder season. Changing them today will not effect your tomorrow in any major way. But it is from the small steps that we walk to a warmer future. Try something new and enjoy the cold.
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We anticipate a New Year filled with the blessings of getting to know you even better!
Namaste,
Thomas and Tataya Radtke
Yoga Body and Balance
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