from the president

August, 2007

August is such an abundant time of year! Even as summer draws to a close and the sunlight begins to noticeably diminish, the fullness of the season is apparent everywhere you look. Local gardens are plentiful with ripening fruits and vegetables, the fields are filled with golden grains and festive summer meals are still enjoyed outdoors.

This season of plenty extends to the yoga community as well with a wide variety of upcoming fall conferences, workshops and get-togethers of all kinds. Towards the end of this month Yoga Alliance (YA) will participate in the 16th annual Kripalu Yoga Teachers Conference in Lenox, Massachusetts. Kripalu's "Onto the Mat and Into the World" conference (August 24-27) is open to yoga teachers of all traditions.

The Yoga Alliance Board of Directors will hold its fall meeting in conjunction with Yoga Journal's “Drop Back Into Nature” Conference September 23-30 in Estes Park, Colorado. YA Board and staff will be at our Yoga Alliance booth in theYoga Marketplace and will also be participating in select workshops (www.yogajournal.com). RYTs receive a discount on the registration fee for the main weekend conference or three-day intensives (enter code EP13 on the registration form).

The International Yoga Therapy Conference will be in Chicago on Sunday, October 14, for a day of yoga classes and discussion about the benefits and uses of yoga therapy as an aid in different treatment plans. While not an "official" YA event, RYTs will enjoy a discount on the conference registration fee as they come together at this gathering designed especially for them and their students (www.yogatherapyconference.com).

You’ll find Yoga Alliance exhibiting again at the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA) conference, "Ayurveda in Practice," October 18-21 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In India, yoga and Ayurveda are considered "sister" sciences where one is often practiced within the context of the other. Our "sister" organization, NAMA, extends its member discount to RYTs for this event (www.ayurveda-nama.org).

The profusion of events for the YA community continues into 2008 and takes on an international flair with the “Yoga and Ayurveda: Where Science Meets Consciousness” conference in Rishikesh, India, (February 25-29, 2008) where RYTs are again offered special discounts when using a special code (USJ) (www.ayurvedaconference.com). On the Conference website you may also recognize one or more of the Experienced Registered Yoga Teachers (E-RYTs) on the faculty in Rishikesh next year!

But the real season of plenty for many RYTs begins when our classes fill, as they always do in the fall, with students rededicating themselves to their personal yoga practices. Life always seems to interrupt our practice and summer is no exception. Last spring seeds were planted by our students. Those seeds were nurtured along during the summer. They are now ready to manifest, mimicking the earth's display of fertility at this time of year. As teachers we guide the metaphorical personal harvests of those seeds.

May you know that you have everything you need inside -the energy, the wisdom, the peace, the joy - available to deliver to others during this time. May you have the presence of mind to mobilize what you need when you need it to best serve your students and the local community. May the strength and abundance you gain from your personal practice spill like a cornucopia of love and blessings onto all with whom you come in contact.

Shakta Kaur Kezios, E-RYT
Interim President/CEO

Photo courtesy of Heather Heintz