Happy New Year to Everyone!

It is our hope at Sana Vida that this year will bring you all that you desire and one of our desires is that it includes better health and wellness for you and your family.

We have grown an amazing family and community within our walls and there is room for so many more! We ask that you share your experience with others so that we may help as many people as possible.

I am very excited about where we will be this time next year. Our new building next door, should be finished around late summer and will offer us new opportunities and much more room for everyone. As this year passes, we will continue to offer more classes, new teachers and practitioners, unique services and an overall cool place to be. So kick off your shoes and come on in. You are always welcome and we are so happy to see you!

We are still taking registrations for our January Beginner's Series. Students must pre-register and pay before the first class. $40 for 4 sessions (1 class per week for 4 weeks) or $80 for 8 sessions (2 classes per week for 4 weeks). Remember these are not included in the 10 Class Passes.

Beginner's/Gentle Hatha Yoga begins Tuesday, January 9th and Thursdays, January 11th for a four-week session. Classes are Tuesdays at 10:30 am or 4:00 pm and Thursdays at 10:30 am or 4:00 pm.

Beginner's Tai Chi Series begins Friday, January 5th. Our Tai Chi classes will be held Fridays at 10:30 am.

REMINDER ABOUT ONLINE PURCHASES

If you purchase a service online, such as "50 min Deep Tissue Massage," this service is deposited into your account to be used at a later date. This is not a gift certificate. You can purchase services for another client, then the service is deposited into their account. Again, this is not a gift certificate. In order to purchase gift certificates, you must choose that item specifically. As always, you can always call us with questions.

Also, remember you can check the status of your 10 Class Passes online. You are required to have a user name and password to access your account, but it is very easy to do. Give it a try.

Most of us have decided upon our resolutions for 2007, things like: lose 10 pounds, exercise more, get organized, and the list goes on. We begin to think that somehow we are going to improve ourselves, which is a sort of subtle aggression against who we really are. It's a bit like saying, "If I jog every day, I'll be a better person." "If I lose weight, I'll be a better person."

But lovingkindness toward ourselves doesn't mean getting rid of anything or changing anything. We can still be crazy after all these years. We can still be timid or jealous or full of feelings of unworthiness. Practicing lovingkindness is not about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It's about befriending who we are already.

We've often heard people waiting to live their lives until they get things more together, "I'll start yoga after I've lost some more weight." "I'll start taking classes when I get more organized." Well, if you're anything like me, you could wait forever! So, come as you are. We're all learning to accept ourselves just as we are, too. As we learn to make friends with ourselves, we make friends with all those other crazy people out there, too. As we come to have honesty, gentleness and goodheartedness as well as clarity about ourselves, there's no obstacles to feeling lovingkindness for others as well.

As we practice befriending ourselves and self-acceptance, perhaps we will experience the fruit of lovingkindness - playfulness!

Lovingkindness Meditation
Try this meditation to cultivate the lovingkindness in your heart.

Hearty Split Pea Soup
Preparation Time: 1 1/2 hours, mostly unattended

This soup is a Sattvic dish, which, in Ayurveda means it will give us curiosity, the ability to think, and the desire to wake up. It is a neutral dish for Vata body types and calming for Pitta and Kapha types. For more information on your body type, contact Gina.

Bring to a boil in a medium saucepan:
1 cup dry split peas
6-8 cups water (or more as needed)
1 large carrot, sliced in rounds
1" fresh ginger root, peeled and finely minced
1/2 tsp. whole cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. tumeric

Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered until tender, an hour or more. Add more water as needed. When good and soupy, add:

1 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Did you know?...

Fresh peas are a good low-fat protein source. they are rich in vitamin C, folate, manganese, potassium, and thiamin.

Peas contain lutein, a carotenoid that fights macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in older Americans.

Nutritionally, frozen peas are very close to fresh, although added salt does raise the sodium content.

Power Cleansing utilizes cleansers and exfoliants to dislodge oil and dead skin cells. This causes your skin to look healthier, your pores to appear smaller, and moisturizers to be absorbed more readily. The procedure begins with a 10-minute facial steam to soften pores, dilate blood vessels and boost circulation. Next, your skin will be cleaned and exfoliated to remove blackheads and whiteheads. Power Cleansing is completed with masques and moisturizers for your skin type.

To schedule a Power Cleanse for yourself or a loved one, call Brenda directly at (512) 755-3906.