dupont, bethesda and arlington will be open for their full normal schedules sunday 1/31.

Labels: arlington, bethesda, community, dupont

treat a friend, lover, or yourself to a sumptuously scented treat for valentine's day with our special rose massage package! available throughout the entire month of february, this indulgence includes a rose petal-covered massage table, a rose-oil massage, and a chocolate. 1 hour....$130. ring 202.328.9642 to schedule.

about rose oil...

perhaps no flower is more recognizable and no aroma more evocative than that of the rose. its rich fragrance has perfumed human history for generations, from ancient persian gardens where the rose was probably first cultivated, to extravagant roman banquets where revelers feasted amongst soft piles of rose petals. the rose is common and unassuming, but can also personify black tie elegance, its velvety blossoms lavish enough to keep company with champagne and caviar. the rose symbolizes innocence, love, passion, sympathy, desire, luxury and the ideal aesthetic.

the healing tradition associated with the rose is no less remarkable than its fragrance and beauty. the 17th-century english physician culpeper wrote that red roses strengthen the heart. he may have been referring to a physical action, but anyone who has inhaled fresh roses or their essential oil knows the aroma strengthens the heart spiritually and emotionally as well. culpeper attributed other properties to the rose that foreshadowed its current use in aromatherapy and cosmetics. he recommended extract of rose for its cooling and astringent benefits, useful for headache and tired eyes. he also suggested an ointment of roses . . . “to cool and heal pushes, wheals and other red pimples rising on the face . . .”

rose oil is used in creams, lotions and soaps for its mild anti-viral and bactericidal properties, as well as for its fragrance. rose water, recovered from the distillation of rose oil, is mildly astringent and beneficial for cleansing and refreshing dry, sensitive skin.

in addition to its historical medical uses, the rose has a long history as a costly perfume. fresh roses were macerated in hot fat to produce fragrant pomades in ancient india, greece and egypt. in egypt these pomades were shaped into cones and placed on the top of the head. as body heat melted the fat, fragrant, rose-scented oil would trickle down the face and neck.

with the advent of distillation in the 10th century, persians began extracting rose flower water from fresh roses. because these early stills were crude and inefficient, the amount of essential oil obtained was probably negligible and may have been entirely overlooked. an early reference to rose essential oil is mentioned in a legendary mogul account of the betrothal of a princess named nour-djihan to the emperor dhihanguyr. the wedding feast was held in a garden surrounded by a canal filled with rose water. as nour-djihan and her lover plied the waters in a small boat, she noticed a thin film of rose oil on the surface. it was carefully skimmed off and rose essential oil was born.

the difficulty of extracting rose oil from the plant has always caused it to be a very expensive substance. a rose blossom contains only about 0.02% essential oil. it takes about 60,000 roses to produce just 1 ounce of oil, and ten thousand pounds of rose blossoms to produce 1 pound of oil. the extraction of rose absolute with chemical solvents is more efficient than the steam distillation of the essential oil. ten pounds of a substance known as concrete can be extracted from 10,000 pounds of roses using this method. the concrete is further refined to produce rose absolute, the yield of which is about 67% from the concrete.

regardless of its price, the potency and incredible fragrancing power of even tiny amounts of rose otto or absolute makes it a sound investment -- especially considering that a dozen fresh roses costs around $60.00 and it takes about 2 and 1/2 dozen roses to produce a single drop of oil.

source: auracacia.com
(cc) rose

Labels: dupont, feb2010, spa

all tranquil space classes will be open as scheduled today. stay tuned to the blog and twitter (@tranquilspace) for any updates for tomorrow. stay safe, but come get your yoga on!



(cc) snow

Labels: arlington, bethesda, community, dupont

the latest "traffic report" for the dupont studio is up...

green :: least crowded... lots of elbow room.
yellow :: medium crowded... cozy, but not packed.
red :: most crowded... make sure you reserve a spot online!

this is a great planning resource... it's updated monthly(ish) on the ts site at tranquilspace.com/traffic!

Labels: dupont, yoga

every year or two we poll the tranquil space community to learn more about what we can do to enhance the overall tranquil space experience. we'd love to hear from you! take our online survey, and be sure to enter to win one of five 1-month unlimited passes!

Labels: community

we had such a great showing of support from the community last week for our haitian relief benefit classes, but there is so much more that needs to be done there. we're holding an additional benefit class with dibora tomorrow at 11am at the dupont studio - all proceeds will benefit partners in health's stand with haiti program.

sign up online here

Labels: dupont, karma corner

congrats to tranquil space's new level 1 teacher training graduates: elizabeth berendt, sam dean, kristina fenn, katie fox-boyd, daria gasparini, amy herrick, una hildebrandt, pamela kaufman, bette levin, jennifer mccauley, carol meyers, tyler pearce, elizabeth ponds, miosotis rosado, nancy sohn, puja telikicherla, sarah waxman, annie weathers, and betty welsh!

Labels: dupont, teacher training

friday, january 22nd
6:30-9:30pm- restorative yoga- siobhan troy-carranza
saturday, january 23rd
11-2pm- pranayama easter vs. western view with kristin leal
2:30-4:30pm- breath and the relaxation response with kristin leal
5:30-8:30- exploring the chakras with pary williamson
sunday, january 24th
10-1pm- kriya yoga with kristin leal
2-5pm- the essentials of assisting with siobhan-troy carranza

testimonials about kristen leal:
"kristin is wonderful. she provides unique insights into the history and philosophy of yoga, and does so with humor and grace."

"without judgment, kristin invites others to broaden their perspectives about the practice of yoga beyond the mat to the practice of daily life. her years of experience allow her to make heady concepts easily accessible, and her warm spirit assures students that she practices what she teaches. kristin passionately illustrates the depth of the philosophy in ways that help students deeply enrich their own paths!"

Labels: dupont, teacher training

every day through yoga day usa on 1/23, we're giving a free class to a randomly chosen tranquil space facebook fan. we'll let winners know via facebook.

not a fan yet? fan us here: facebook.com/tranquilspace.

Labels: community

bethesda
january 18, 10:30am
Suggested donation: $20 (feel free to contribute more)
Sign up online

arlington
january 18, 12:00-1:15pm
Suggested donation: $20 (feel free to contribute more)
Sign up online

dupont
january 18, 12:30 - 2:00pm
Suggested donation: $20 (feel free to contribute more)
Sign up online

Labels: arlington, bethesda, dupont, karma corner

Karma yoga, the yoga of selfless action. Tranquil Space is deeply saddened by the catastrophe in Haiti, and we're committed to the yoga of selfless action by offering an opportunity to our communities, our yogis to come together to help in any way we can. Danielle has graciously offered to donate her time and compassionate heart to teach a karma/charity class on Monday, January 18th which also happens to be Martin Luther King day. What an appropriate day to come together in service and spread the message of peace, unity and community.

All proceeds from this class will go to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). MSF has already treated more than 1,000 people on the ground, but the needs are enormous. An inflatable hospital with operating theatres is expected to arrive soon in an effort to reach more people quickly as time is of essence.

update... we have added an arlington and bethesda offering on MLK day in addition to the dupont class. please spread the word and help us support the victims of this terrible tragedy:

dupont
january 18, 12:30 - 2:00pm
Suggested donation: $20 (feel free to contribute more)
Sign up online

arlington
january 18, 12:00-1:15pm
Suggested donation: $20 (feel free to contribute more)
Sign up online

bethesda
january 18, 10:30am

Labels: arlington, bethesda, dupont, karma corner

dupont circle has been hosting a book group for yogis and other tranquil space fans.  we want to give our community a chance to get to know each other and share ideas. reading a book and discussing it is one good way to do that.  would you like to get involved? stop by this tuesday at 6pm to check it out.  suggest a book we should consider reading.  email me to add your email to our book group list. 

Labels: community, dupont

tranquil space's beautiful november yogi of the month, elizabeth petty, invited tim and i to indulge in a tasting at her business, the catering co, last week. oh my goodness, every plate was a work of art! from the edible decorative grapefruit slice to the insane risotto to the assortment of desserts (my favorite part of a meal). we were overwhelmed with the presentation, setting, and hospitality. *kudos to elizabeth* who has created a tranquil space that nourishes one's palate and spirit.

Labels: community

Labels: dupont

UPDATE: sorry everyone, this feature has some bugs in it so we've had to disable it for the moment. we'll let you know when it's back online!

our friends at mindbody online (that's the "mbo" you keep hearing us talk about when we refer to the online reservation system) have added a cool new feature. how many times have you wanted to buy a pass or a workshop for a friend? a lot of you ended up buying two workshops for yourself only to find that your friend didn't end up getting signed up. mbo the rescue! if you want to sign up for your friend online, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the system as yourself
2. Find a service that allows online booking (workshops, classes)
3. Click on the Schedule It Button
4. Find the new "Book appointment (class or event) for someone else:" Field, and type the name of the client that you are booking the service for
5. Depending on how the class is setup, you may need to pay for the service (if they don't have a pass or a membership, for instance).

That's it! Enjoy!

Labels: community

by niyati shah, karma yoga coordinator at tranquil space

on any given second sunday (with a few holiday exceptions/changes), you'll find a teacher who is donating their time to teach a class for a cause they are passionate about. full proceeds from this class will go to the cause/charity the teacher has chosen. as a yogi, you'll be obtaining the benefits of your regular yoga class plus the karmic benefit of donating to the greater good.

questions? suggestions? feedback?
email me, leave a comment here, or go old school and leave a note for me at the studio. tell me what cause is dear to your heart. look forward to building our karma commuity with you.

namaste - niya

ps. on facebook? look for our events posted here. become a fan, invite your friends family!

Sundays 2010
January 10 - abby strunk - street sense 12:00-1:15
February 21 *moved since 14th is a holiday weekend *- ausanna, dc rape crisis center
March 14 - 6-7:15 kimberly, tranquil space foundation 6pm
April 11- hilary (cause tba)
May 9 (also mothers day) abby strunk, mother's day event for rhonda's club
June 13 - dibora, village health works
July 10 (this is a saturday) - colleen, project air
August 15 - tba
September 12 - niya, arlington academy of hope

Labels: karma corner

wondering how to make a difference in 2010? questioning what your legacy will be? in my latest tranquility du jour newsletter, i noted that i would share my end of year giving. there are SO many ways to give back and do good. a few simple everyday ideas are saying thank you, sending a "thinking of you" note, giving a small homemade gift, volunteering your time, donating money, or even simply spreading word about a good cause/event online or via word of mouth. in tranquilista i outline how to host a chariTea soiree to help raise awareness on a special cause.

my first activist efforts began with tithing my $2 weekly allowance at church. then i became obsessed with turtles. raised urtle, yurtle, murtle, nosey, and pudding, wrote so many creative stories about my turtles that my third grade teacher (boo mrs. stever) told me to come up with another topic, and then donated my allowance to "the turtle lady" in south padre island. even collected turtle figurines, wrote more turtle stories, took murtle to the vet when she got ill, and held christmas parties for them (whole other blog post). ah, grade school energy = the launch of my do-gooding efforts!

giving always feels so good. this year i chose to donate to:

mid-atlantic pug rescue - yay for adopting or fostering animals. boo for puppy mills.

trees for the future - sponsored another grove of trees thanks to all class passes and massages purchased at tranquil space. GREAT gift idea!

friends of the animals - amazing organization doing phenomenal work. i receive their great magazine actionline and focused my donation on primarily primates. i heart monkeys.

tranquil space foundation - as the founder of this organiztion (along with director of operations tim mooney + living room yogini michelle hynes) the mission is incredibly close to my heart. we give microgrants and bring yoga, creativity, and leadership to women and girls through our tranquil teens program.

my sister's place - when we began selling tranquil space tees i wanted to find an organization to donate a portion of sales to so, as a women's studies grad student at the time, i chose my sister's place which works to eradicate domestic violence. we continue to support them each year.

humane society - half of all our beverage sales at tranquil space are donated to the washington humane society. i *adore* this organization and am excited for their upcoming sugar + champagne event, our annual doga class i do each may (photo above), and monthly adoption events outside our bustling 17th street location.

greenpeace - a few years ago i came upon one of their workers at dupont circle on a very cold day. she showed me images of the polar bears on melting glaciers and i signed up for monthly donations.

aspca - if you watch the commercial with sarah mclachlan you'll donate, too! i have a monthly donation set up to this organization that does amazing work for the animals.

farm sanctuary - tranquil space adopted jd (a big pig) and travolta (a big cow). tim and i visited them in 2008.

red apes - i've always had a fascination with orangutans and tranquil space adopted dodo this year. cutest ape ever!

there are SO many deserving organizations and causes out there. i hope this post gives some ideas on various ways to become an activist. who are your favorite organizations? how do you give back through small gestures, donations, volunteering, or compassion?

join us for our second sundays karma yoga classes at tranquil space dupont. each month we host charity classes to benefit teacher's favorite causes. learn more about our efforts on our karma yoga page.

here's to being a do-gooder in 2010! take your yoga off the mat and into the world.

Labels: community, karma corner