“You must not let your life run in the ordinary way; do something that nobody else has done, something that will dazzle the world. Show that the creative principle works in you.”― Paramahansa Yogananda

Inside This Letter...

• Yoga Teacher Training–2025, Early Discount
• Kirtan with Gershone and Gina, Sunday, October 6 at 5:30 pm
• Just Śavasana, at Upper Valley Yoga, Friday, October 11, at 6 pm
• Book recommendation by Eknath Easwaren ⬇️
• Cat Corner featured pet–Sophie!

Hello Reader,

Did you know that Steve Jobs had only one book on his iPad–Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramahansa Yogananda? It was such an influential book for the tech genius that he also had it handed out at his memorial service.

If you are like me, you can not possibly have just one life-changing book. I have at least 100...possibly more. I'll have to offer a whole library at my memorial. 📚

One such book is the Bhagavad Gita. We read it as a group in our yoga teacher training and discuss our reactions, thoughts, and understanding of the text. The Bhagavad Gita is often referred to as the "Song of God" and is considered one of the most important texts in Hinduism. It is a conversation between the Pandava prince Arjuna and his charioteer, Krishna, an avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu. As Arjuna faces a moral dilemma before a crucial battle, Krishna provides profound spiritual guidance.

With each reading of the Gita, I better understand the true meaning of Yoga.

Chapter 17 in Eknath Easwaren's translation of the Gita discusses the power of faith through the concept of Śraddhā. (Side note: here, Śraddhā is often known as the practice of ancestor worship; that is not how it is being used in this chapter). In this chapter, the concept of Śraddhā is described. Śraddhā is often loosely translated as “faith” but is much more than faith as we generally understand it.

Śraddhā is how ideas and information inform your life and how knowledge metamorphoses into your embodied wisdom and actions. It is the ability to pursue knowledge until you become one with it in your heart, as understood from its Sanskrit etymology: Śraddhā = faith from su = bright, pure, clean + hṛd = heart + dhā = to hold or place.

Eknath Easwaren states that Śraddhā is “that which is placed in the heart.” We hold These beliefs dearly; they infuse our thoughts and, in turn, create all our actions.

The Gita says, “A person is what their Śraddhā is," and all humans are "Śraddhāmaya," made up of faith.

Who we believe ourselves to be and what we practice every day is rooted in what we believe in our hearts. Our faith, our most deeply held beliefs, informs our day-to-day actions.

Śraddhā informs how we vote, what we read, what we watch, how we shop, how we eat, how we speak, what books we read, our relationships, and so many other aspects of our lived experience.

Śraddhā is how the bold go on to overcome great obstacles. Easwaren states that Śraddhā is how one person with a major illness believes they have an important contribution to make in the world, and they somehow live on to see that dream manifest despite their illness or restriction. But it is also how a person with little faith in themselves has great difficulty overcoming any obstacle.

Our faith and practice build the substance and power of our lives.

Is it easy for me to embody Śraddhā? Sometimes, but often not. Do I experience fear and doubt?

Yes, quite often, actually.

These are my questions to deepen my faith and my practice:

• What do I believe in? How do I support those beliefs in my actions?
• What do I place so dearly in my heart that I will practice it daily?
• Is this the direction I want my life to take? Where do I have agency?
• Does my daily practice support my values or compromise them?

But I know that who I am at my core is love, trust, faith, surrender, and service to a sense of Oneness.

I am not my fear. I am my faith.

I want to remind you of the power of Śraddhā. There is something infinite, beautiful, and love-filled that we can all surrender to and have faith in. You don’t have to feel separate, afraid, or defensive. You can find your compass of trust in a disorienting world. Find what you have faith in and feel drawn towards, and allow it to become a part of your life. Allow it to guide you from within and design the life you long for.

With Faith, Trust, and Heart,

~Angie

Quotes on Faith and Change

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” –Maya Angelou

“Keep your face always toward the sunshine―and shadows will fall behind you.” –Walt Whitman

“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” –Dolly Parton

Events

Kirtan with Gershone and Gina on October 6 at 5:30 PM

​Learn More Here​

​Register Online Here​

Just śavasana at Upper Valley Yoga, in Thetford, VT

Friday, October 11 at 6 pm, register through Upper Valley Yoga​

Deepen your Yoga Experience

Yoga changes your life. I will show you how...

200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training

Yoga Teacher Training changes people's lives. I have seen it happen time and time again, year after year.

Is this the year for you to change your life with yoga training?

Dates have been announced for my next yoga teacher training program. Application and dates HERE.​

Private Mentoring Sessions with Angie

Take your yoga practice to the next level...When you embrace yoga as a way of life and not just a weekly class, your whole life becomes a work of art.

I am accepting a limited number of new private sessions students. Sign up for a free connection call to discover how this unique program can work for you.​

​​ Sign up for a free connection call to learn more ​ Learn more here

New Meditation Class, Thursdays at 10 AM

Yoga Class Schedule 🌑 Sunday 9-10 AM–Rise and Shine! 🌑 Tuesday 11-1–Be strong, Breathe Strong 🌑 Thursday 10-AM, Mantra and Meditation (starting 9/12) 🌑 Thursday 6-7 PM, live music with Josh Hall–Strength and Ease Studio at 1383 Rt 44, Brownsville, VT New student pass– 3 for $30!! See ALL class offerings

The Bhagavad Gita, Translated by Eknath Easwaren Easwaran's 55-page introduction places the Bhagavad Gita in its historical setting, and brings out the universality and timelessness of its teachings. Chapter introductions clarify key concepts, and notes and a glossary explain Sanskrit terms. Easwaran grew up in the Hindu tradition in India, and learned Sanskrit from a young age. He was a professor of English literature before coming to the West on a Fulbright scholarship. A gifted teacher, he is recognized as an authority on the Indian classics and world mysticism. Check it out

Cat Corner 😻 Welcome to the Cat Corner of my newsletter...I'd love to feature your cat (or any other pet). Please send me pet pictures! Here is Kate's cat, Sophie! Send me your pet pictures!