Lincoln City, OR – The new outdoor spaces at the Lincoln City Cultural Plaza have experienced a lot of “firsts” in the six months since they opened to the public. The first farmers’ market, the first live music, the first chalk art and more. On July 20, the Plaza will have another inauguration, when the teachers of New Moon Yoga will lead a group practice of 108 Sun Salutations – and they’re extending an invitation to the community to join in.
The activity will be the start of New Moon Yoga Day, a celebration of the affordable, accessible yoga that New Moon Yoga (a program of the nonprofit Lincoln City Cultural Center) makes available six days a week. Events are scheduled from 10 am to 3 pm, both outside on the Plaza and inside at the Cultural Center, at 540 NE Hwy 101 in Lincoln City.
Why 108 Sun Salutations? Brady Jansen, yoga instructor and manager of the studio, said: “This auspicious meditative practice is meant to propel us (as individuals and collectively as community) toward expansion and prosperity.”
“The number 108 holds significance in Hinduism and Buddhism, and Indian culture generally, and is considered auspicious,” she said.
Do participants have to complete all 108 sun salutations? No, of course not, she said.
“As you move through this repetitive practice, observe and listen to your body. If you get too tired, simply stop and sit down,” said Jansen. “I would invite participants to approach this, and yoga generally, with openness and curiosity, and try not to be bound by expectation.”
And the Sun Salutation? There are many versions of this pose sequence, but on July 20 the New Moon Yoga instructors will be using the short, simple Surya Namaskar A, from the ashtanga practice. On the morning of July 20, participants will gather in front of the Lincoln City Cultural Center along the poetry path. At 10 am, instructors will offer a brief demonstration and some guidance. The 108 Sun Salutations will take roughly 90 minutes to complete, and the event will conclude with about 15 minutes of collective stillness and meditation. Participants may bring their own yoga mats or borrow from the studio’s inventory.
All members of the community, including visiting yogis or curious potential “New Mooners,” are welcome to participate in New Moon Yoga Day. There will be food, music, children’s activities and a silent auction inside the building. Craft projects for kids will be available in the art room from 10am-1pm. At 1pm in the auditorium, the band Your Song My Song (Eric and Jamie Lee Hart) will play funky music about taking care of the planet for all ages. At 2 pm, the studio will host a gentle, restorative yoga class, with admission by donation. All proceeds and donations collected during the day will go toward the upkeep of the studio, and its goal of universal access to yoga and its benefits.
“New Moon Yoga has endeavored to provide affordable, quality yoga classes for the community for the past 10 years. Since classes resumed after the Plaza construction, the growth in students and classes has been tremendous,” Jansen said. “It’s New Moon Yoga’s goal, moving forward, to expand our presence in the community via a full schedule of classes, events and workshops, so that we may help more people discover the gift of yoga.”
New Moon Yoga is accepting monetary, tax-deductible donations as well as in-kind donations for the July 20 silent auction. To learn more, contact studio manager Brady Jansen, brady@lc-cc.org.
To learn more about the studio schedule or sign up for a class, head to: https://lincolncity-culturalcenter.org/new-moon-yoga/
