Balanced Expressions

John Friend NYT article

2010-07-25T15:38:00.001-05:00

Well - there certainly has been a lot of discussion around the NYT article on John Friend (here is a link) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/magazine/25Yoga-t.html?_r=10 that was published on July 19, 2010. I figured I might add to the conversation, for what it is worth. The article has spurred outright disgust to fierce defense by Anusara senior teachers and students. So what is it about this that is pushing our buttons? Is it his capitalistic approach, turning yoga into a money making machine? Is it a sense of personal attention that feels missing in a room of 800 people doing yoga? Is it the system of Anusara yoga? Is it John? Is it our willingness to denigrate the American approach? Is it yoga? I imagine that for many of us who practice or teach yoga, the portrayal of yoga in the article caused a reaction.

A Little History

I have never met John, nor have I personally taken a workshop with him. I have experienced Anusara Yoga in depth through immersions and workshops, both asana oriented and philosophy oriented. I have been thinking about what it is about Anusara, different in its approach, that resonates with students of that style of yoga. As for the physical side (asana), the alignment principles are distinctly Iyengar, which reflects John’s early training. Having studied quite a bit with Rodney Yee, whose background is also with Iyengar, the alignment principles offered are nothing revolutionary or that different from what I had already come to know - they were just condensed and codified by John’s Universal Principles of Alignment. But the philosophy side, the approach to practice and experience, was where I found Anusara to be different. My first exposure to yoga philosophy was with Ganga White at White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara. The philosophy taught was general in nature - and Ganga’s claim to fame is that he prefers a non-dogmatic approach, not aligning himself with any one philosophical school. I came away not really understanding the various periods of yoga history or their schools of thought nor with an understanding about how philosophy relates to asana as we practice it in classes. I don’t mean this as a criticism, just observation. Rodney, at least in my experience, was distinctly classical in his approach to philosophical thought. The practice of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is firmly rooted in Classical Yoga and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. But here again, the focus of my training in these areas was not to learn to discriminate, or even learn at all, the philosophy behind the different schools of yoga. I didn’t even know there was anything but The Yoga Sutras of Patanajali until I was exposed to the philosophy that informs Anusara Yoga. What Anusara, with its emphasis on the Tantra tradition and the teaching of that philosophy, did for me was open a whole new way of seeing the yoga tradition and its history. I saw that there was another way of looking at things that was not about transcending our experience or our body, but about affirming them. It was freeing, it was joyful, and it opened doors of study that have enriched my experience and practice of yoga. This philosophy is at the heart of every Anusara class. It informs every asana class, no exceptions. I think students are responding to this idea of immersion in life and all it has to offer, through the practice of asana - not the negation emphasis that lies at the core of Classical Yoga. One key message in Anusara is that we are fine the way we are. John happens to be the very charismatic individual who is delivering this message. So he has become the prophet and his followers see him as their experience.

So What?

That said, this is what I found unsettling about the article. What is it as a society, or as individuals, that we are looking for? Why do we latch onto these magnetic individuals as if they not only hold the answer, but are the answer? The practice of yoga is about observation, learning to see our own experience, using the practice whether it be asana, meditation, pranayama etc. to highlight and deepen that experience for us. The practice of yoga hopefully makes us more open to our own experiences, but the practice is not a substitute for the experience. The map is not the territory so to speak. A good teacher knows the difference - they continually point you in the direction of the territory, not themselves. They know they are only the map, the guide. But they are very aware that they are not what it is about and they hopefully stay out of the way. I don’t know if this is the case with John Friend or not, but my impression based on how the article was written, was that it is becoming more about him and not the individual experience. The fact that

“It has become much more about doing than being. More about happiness than meaning. It’s a weight-loss technique and a stress-management tool, a gateway to an exploding market for workout clothes and equipment.”

is more a reflection, in my opinion, on our response to John and his approach rather than John’s intent or actions. Also, what is wrong with happiness, and if we are happy does this somehow mean that we don’t understand deeper meaning? Somehow I don’t think so - but what does this say about what we think yoga - or any spiritual practice - is? Is it only about pain and suffering?

The author also states in this same paragraph:

If yoga began as a meditation technique for people all too familiar with physical as well as mental suffering — with poses, or asanas, devised to assist in reaching a transcendentally blissful state — it has taken on a distinctly American cast.

This is a misrepresentation of the beginnings of yoga in this country and implies that the way we do asana is distinctly American - this is blatantly false. Poses as we know them today were not devised to help practitioners reach a transcendentally blissful state. So here we have a way for the author to criticize yoga in America based on inaccurate and biased information, possibly nothing more than her own interpretation of what she thinks the practice of yoga is and is not. And, as yoga practitioners, this is precisely what we should learn to discern and judge - not be swayed by subjective opinion to take a stance where the guiding information is faulty. We should give ourselves the gift of study and learning so we can act and think with integrity. That is an integral part of the practice of yoga. I highly recommend Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice, by Mark Singleton if you would like to understand more about the evolution of modern asana practice in the west. This is a well researched book, and one that, I might add, is required for our next Balanced Yoga teacher training group. You might also enjoy The Subtle Body by Stefanie Syman which gives a well-researched account of modern yoga. Also, The Great Oom by Robert Love came to mind when I read the article about John. All good and insightful reads if you'd like to learn more.

So, what is the take home message?

Yoga in America is new in the scheme of things. It is still forming and taking shape. This is not a bad thing! Yoga is a dynamic practice, it changes as culture and the times change, be it America or India! It changes as we as individuals change and age and grow. It will never be one way - as in Indian philosophy, it encourages discourse, discussion, conversation. We don’t understand how our ways of thinking influence our perceptions until we step back and objectively take a look. Yoga is not about right or wrong, it has an absorptive quality. That to me is the beauty of this article - if we are awake, we can be encouraged to ask ourselves what we think and what we experience as the practice of yoga - as individuals. I don’t think the outcome of the article should be to criticize John or judge him as right/wrong or good/bad - but to ask ourselves what the practice of yoga is. The style of yoga is one thing, what it evokes is another. Yoga is an evocative practice - it hopefully spurs us to act on our insight and wisdom, which are gleaned through the practice. The practice should spur debate, thought, conversation. It should spur us to find out what history says about the evolution of yoga in the west so that we know when our statements are based on our subjective experience or factual information. Different styles and approaches speak to individuals.

So, I personally don’t want to use this article as a way to criticize John Friend, what he does, or Anusara Yoga. I would rather, if it did push some buttons (and it did), use this as a way to go deeper into my understanding of yoga and my experience of it and to use THAT as a point to dive into the conversation. I would hope that an article such as this can help me discern and separate the “milk from the water” - to glean wisdom and understanding from the sea of opinion and talk.

When Ganesh Mohan gave a workshop at Balanced Yoga several years back, we had a conversation while driving to the airport. I made a snide remark about the U.S. and our approach to yoga, commerce, and well, things in general. To be quite frank, I made the comment based on what I thought I should think about our approach in this country, not from an informed and thoughtful position. He gracefully put me in my place - reminding me of all that we have accomplished in this country with our industrious approach, with our intellect and our technology, with our innovation and our individualism. He reminded me of the wonderful things America has contributed to the world. I never forgot it and I am grateful. Our input to the history and practice of yoga may contribute in ways we can’t even yet imagine! We shouldn’t be trying to find the one way that is yoga, or yoga was before we got ahold of it - we should be continually having the conversation and opening ourselves to it. We shouldn’t use our opinions as a way to boost ourselves at another’s expense, but as an entry to becoming more thoughtful and discerning. We should explore ideas and experience, let the beauty of the story unfold day by day, minute by minute. There is room for many ideas and approaches, it is called diversity - let’s not limit the possibilities by remaining narrow and untouchable, walled off by our own hubris. Tradition can sometimes do this - keep us stuck in what we perceive to be better with no way to move out or see things fresh and new. The issue here is not John, the issue is what do we/you see as yoga? What is your understanding and experience of yoga? Let this article spur you to explore that experience and understanding. Let this article spur you to be thoughtful, to talk and to listen, to draw on your innate intelligence. Let this article spur you to practice yoga.

I would love to hear your thoughts - let’s keep the yoga dialogue open.

Love -

Donna

2010-03-03T16:41:00.010-05:00

Coming Alive Practice

First off, I want to thank all of you that have sent messages and been so supportive through this process with Dave. I don’t know what I would have done without you and your incredible supportiveness and love. I thought I would share with you my coming back into (or I should say my struggle with) the physical part of yoga practice, and maybe you will join me if you have found that you are having the same struggle. I can’t emphasize enough that forcing ourselves is not the answer. There is a time, whether it be to take time to grieve or heal, when the body needs rest- and the mind needs to just be. I have been and am doing that. That said, for me the time is right to jump back in and start to move again - still listening to what is needed on a day to day (or minute to minute) basis. So what’s to lose?

Have you ever watched in awe as things come alive again in the spring? Every year my first inkling that spring was definitely not going to desert me was when the chives started to peak out from the earth - oh thank goodness - I could breath a sigh of relief. It seems that it all happens so all of the sudden - the trees are bare, we see the buds, and one day a month or so later they are full of leaves. I love watching the rhythm of the birds each day - they tend to feed at the same time of day - all together they suddenly come from out of nowhere and fill the feeders - then go back to nowhere until it is time again. If I have inadvertently let the feeders get empty, when I fill them again the birds are there within seconds. Were they just sitting out there waiting for me to put the food on the table? It never ceases to amaze me. Things in nature naturally move toward what they need - they respond to light, warmth, energy, sound, waves, air, danger, storms etc. the same as we do. They move toward food, they seek nourishment, they protect themselves when needed, they rest and close at night. These movements in the environment that may not even be perceptible to us cause a shift in direction, awareness, and responsiveness. To look at seeds growing in time-lapse video is like watching a baby bird opening it’s beak to receive food from the parent. It appears that they are not only looking upward and reaching, but interacting with each other. To look at plants move toward light is watching their responsiveness to what nourishes them. To watch their leaves fold as the day ends is watching them rest and rejuvenate. To watch them close in response to touch is watching them retreat and protect. And all of this in response to subtle and not so subtle environmental cues.

I am reminded of some lines from E. E. Cummings:

“somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond

any experience, your eyes have their silence:

in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,

or which i cannot touch because they are too near

your slightest look easily will unclose me

though i have closed myself as fingers,

you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens

(touching skilfuly, mysteriously) her first rose…..”

(quoted from E.E. Cummings, Poems, 1923-1954)

I know that I, and probably most of us, sometimes underestimate this responsiveness to the unseen touches in our human experience. When we are in the midst of grief or feeling overwhelmed it is hard to see - we can feel stuck and abandoned as if there is nothing to guide us and give us stability. It is hard to see that we are responding to the skillful touch of the world with movement toward healing and health. But we are responding and being moved by the mysterious and skillful touches of the world around us - even though we may not realize it at the time- and only if we open ourselves to it. If we could watch ourselves over time in time lapse movies we could see where we had been in relation to where we are, and would take comfort in it. We could see the patterns that have movement and wisdom - we would see that they have direction. I love the words skillfully and mysteriously in E.E. Cummings poem. The universe is skillful and at the same time mysterious. We need to turn our heads, our ears, our eyes, our hearts in its direction - turn toward what offers nourishment and is stroking us awake, responding to the cues - that skillful and mysterious touch.

Beginning a physical yoga practice again after a somewhat long absence is one of those responses to the touch of the universe - something to turn toward for nourishment after hearing and feeling the call. At first it doesn’t seem that way - those aches and the tightness of a body that has contracted under the weight of stress and grief are discouraging and bring me to tears. Old injuries and a lack of physical openness could hold me back if I let them. In some ways I feel brittle, but much like reconstituting a dried chile in hot water to make it pliable, I know the breath will do the same for me. It is time to come alive - and I know that yoga works; if I let it it will coax me like a patient and loving partner. Hindsight I am sure will show me that, but for now I will just trust that it is true.

Check out this link to see some beautiful time-lapse photography of plants in motion and allow yourself to be amazed! http://plantsinmotion.bio.indiana.edu/plantmotion/movements/tropism/tropisms.html

I thought I would share with you my “coming alive” practice as it evolves. If you are someone that is just starting yoga or coming back after illness, injury, or a life trauma, these practices may help you get “back in the saddle again”. Or you just may need to take a break from a more vigorous practice and tune in to the skillful and mysterious presence in your life that is continually coaxing and urging. You can choose to do all or a portion of any part of this practice. This is not pre-planned, I am sharing with you sequences and practices as I do them on a daily or weekly basis - as they evolve and the practice molds itself to my circumstances. This practice allowed me to breath into tight and resistant hips and back. It allowed me to take it slow and follow the breath. The shapes of the postures gave me roots from which to unwind and massage the kinks and discomfort. It allowed me to explore how I might ease my body back into a receptive and responsive state. It allowed me to listen. It is slow and deliberate. I hope you will participate with me and comment if you like - I love company!

Love,

Donna

Week 1

Receptiveness

The first part of most yoga classes focuses on centering, or becoming receptive and opening to the body and mind and the practice. It is a time to let go and immerse ourselves into the acts of listening and responding. This is also the first step in the Balanced Yoga Model of Teaching which is taught to teachers in training. For me, my practice as a whole right now is focusing on this aspect. My body needs to become receptive again - it needs to learn to let go of the stress and protectiveness it has been holding on to over the time of Dave’s illness. It has been a protective time and one that required strength on another plane than physical - I was bracing myself each day. Even now in the throws of grief, that sometimes remains the focus. On a practical level it was a time that didn’t include much physical movement or exercise. So my focus right now is on opening myself to practice again and to life in general - being receptive even in light of the resistance in my body and my mind. I am not focusing on strength right now or trying to get back into wild postures - that will come with patience and receptiveness. Right now it is about turning toward what nourishes - in every aspect of my life. It is about bathing in the breath, allowing the breath to soak every tight and brittle aspect of my body/mind and giving it the opportunity to speak and show me what to do. We can’t push the river, we need to immerse ourselves in the flow of the current, move with it and be an active participant. This is about listening and receiving - it is about freedom and building or rebuilding trust in the body and the body in me. For me the postures are not something to do or achieve - the shapes give me different ways to explore rooting and the release of tension and tightness to massage and lengthen, to find space and fluidity - the posture shapes give me the leverage and tools to find the freedom and space in the body through release, not the other way around.

• Opening meditation

“Oh my body, my being, my life force - speak to me! Help me sense what is happening to you. Help me understand

why you couldn’t cope. Tell me what you need. Tell me what nourishes you, strengthens and protects you. Tell me

how we are going to make our way together, because alone, with my head, I haven’t succeeded and I don’t know

what to do anymore.” Anti Cancer, A New Way of Life, Dr. David Servan-Schreiber

Sit quietly on your mat - any seated position is fine but allow your tailbone to be heavy and the pubic bone to drop

toward the floor. Allow your legs to support the lift of the spine through their connection in the hip sockets. Feel their connection to

your spine and to the earth. Feel your arms snug in the shoulder sockets. Allow yourself to tune into how the breath is moving

through your body. Where does it feel like it can’t penetrate and soak your tissues? Where does is feel like it flows easily?

Allow your body to speak to you - what is tight and resistant - what is free? Give your body the freedom to speak -

to let you know what it needs and resist the urge to tell it what you think it needs. Listen - breathe.

• In your own time begin to undulate the spine - forward, back, sideways. Picture yourself as a piece of seaweed flowing with the current of the ocean. Don’t use your mind to tell you how to move - release into the current around you - let yourself be free in the

movement. Do this for several minutes - notice how, as you let yourself go, your movements become more fluid and less controlled.

After a few minutes, come back to an upright position and notice the freedom in your spine. Feel as if you are still seated in the ocean, but the current is gentle and you can release yourself into the support of the fluid around you.

* From your seated position with simple crossed legs, move forward into a forward bend and bring the forearms to the floor in front

of your top leg. If you need a prop or are on your fingertips this is fine. Bring the upper arms back against the leg. As you move into

the forward bend, keep the sitz bones rooted and glide the pelvis forward over the legs. Keep the spine long, chin and eyes soft. Allow the belly to hollow and move into the sacrum, allowing it to support the heart in its movement forward over the legs. Be very mindful of your breath. If there are spots that are tight, move slowly and move your breath into those areas. Fill the lower back with your breath and move it upward along the spine. Keep the spine deep in the body. Lengthen forward through the back of your neck. Hold for at least 10 breaths - stay aware - what is your body telling you? Can you remain attentive as if you were listening to the most important story you ever heard that could change your life forever? Can you remain still and listen? Repeat on the other side.

* Roll forward over your knees onto your hands and knees for table pose. Gently move back and forth into cat/cow moving from the tail and feeling each vertebrae catch the wave of the movement all the way through the neck and head last. Do this slowly - not fast. Let yourself drop into the awareness of the movement - feeling its minuteness as well as the largeness of the wave along the spine. Find the small wave within the large wave. Do several of these - however many feels right for you.

* Next, as you move into cow on the inhale, on the exhale move back into childs pose with the knees wide and big toes together. Go

back and forth with these movements several times - a short vinyasa. After several cycles, tuck the toes, lift the hips, and walk you

hands back to the feet to standing.

* Malasana - squat with feet together and knees wide. Let the head of the large leg bone move deep into the socket, groins deeps. Let the sacrum area relax and lengthen. Breath and listen. Hold this for a while (whatever feels good to you). When you are ready come to standing, lifting the hips and drawing the legs straight.

• Tadasana at the front of your mat. Stay in Tadasana, feeling your connectivity to the earth - feeling your weight. Allow your bones of your legs to root downward and your spine to become light and responsive. Feel the openness of the rib cage, the length of your neck and the softness of your eyes. Feel as if you are still immersed in the fluid around you to take the struggle out of your posture - let it be more of a letting than a forceful push.

• On an inhale lift the arms overhead- shoulder blades flush on the back, bones of the legs rooted into the earth. Begin this movement with the inhale and as you exhale bring the arms to prayer without losing your length. Listen, breath. Repeat this movement several times.

• On an exhale whenever the movement feels right for you, from extended mountain (arms overhead) fold forward into forward fold. Knees can bend, place finger tips on the floor or on the thighs. Inhale - extend the heart forward keeping the neck, chin, and eyes soft and the shoulder blades flush on the back. Repeat this several times.

• Moving back into Tadasana, inhale arms overhead and exhale into Utkatasana (chair pose), move the sitz bones back as if you were reaching for a chair. Inhale and move back to standing and exhale into Tadasana. Repeat this vinyasa several times.

• Inhale arms overhead, exhale into forward fold. Inhale and extend the heart forward and and exhaling take your left leg back into a lunge with knee on the floor. Keeping arms at your sides inhale and move deeper into the lunge, shoulders staying over the hips. Hold for several breaths. Note that when you move the pelvis forward, keep the tailbone long and the thigh bone back into the hamstrings - the belly stays hollow and moving into the sacrum as the pelvis as a whole moves forward toward your front leg. Bring hands to the floor and step back into down dog. Stay in down dog for several breaths, connecting your hands and feet to the floor so they can help lengthen the spine. Feel the openness of the side waist and the depth of the groins and armpits. Step the right foot forward and repeat the lunge on the other side, knee on the floor and arms at the sides. Be sure to stay for several breaths, listening, subtly adjusting and responding to the feedback of the body. On an exhale, bring the hands to the floor and step the left foot forward. Inhale and slide the heart forward and exhale into forward fold. Place hands on the hips and inhale to standing, exhaling hands to the heart in prayer.

• Repeat another round, and this time if it feels right for your body, in the lunge begin to arch back into a slight

backbend, still keeping arms at the sides. Remember to keep the thigh bone of the back leg back in the hamstrings

and to extend the backbend along the entire spine, lengthening through the back of the neck. Avoid arching only

from the lower back or lumbar spine. Repeat on both sides

• Triangle pose - please be sure to use props if needed. The hand on a block can be very useful Use the wall for

support if you are feeling unstable. Feel the strength and rootedness of the back leg - allow your legs to feed the

spine and help it extend. Feel their connection and your openness and willingness to listen. It can be frustrating if

you are coming back from an injury or illness to not feel as stable or sure in the most basic postures, but let yourself

explore the body’s communication and the sensations in the posture. Creating this receptiveness and openness is

key to trusting the body/mind again. Allow yourself to be supported in the fluid around you - immersing and

listening. Feel that undulation of the spine that you felt in your opening meditation and give it the freedom to

move. Stay for as long as feels right, not opting to let go too soon due to the sensations. Give yourself the

opportunity to listen and be open to what presents.

• Side Angle - taking a wide stance* turn one foot out 90º and the back foot in about 20º or so or have it parallel to

the back of your mat. Moving from the strength of the solidness of the back leg, bend the front so that your knee is

over the ankle. This is a great pose to do over the seat of an armless chair if you are unstable, giving you the ability

to explore the posture and work through issues in the hips while being stable and supported. Make sure not to let

the front knee turn in, keep it tracking over the toes. Repeat on both sides.

*For me right now, taking a wide stance and standing upright with the pelvis in neutral causes a lot of sensation due

to the psoas. I stay in this posture for a bit, lengthening and observing the movements of the pelvis over the head

of the leg bone - finding ease in the psoas and releasing tightness by doing very small pelvic tilts. I take particular note of breathing

into the belly and opening the groin area. I take the transition into the posture slowly as the hip joints are sensitive.

• Move back down to the floor, moving through a sun salutation if you like.

• Virasana - to tell you the truth, this used to be an easy posture, but it was a killer today! Allow yourself to elevate

the spine to make the stretch easier if your body is resistant. You can also do this one leg at a time. Breath and try

and relax the lower back. See what happens as the body relaxes and lets go.

• Cobra - coming to your belly on the floor and strongly rooting through the feet and legs. The inner thighs roll toward the ceiling and the lower back stays broad. The tail bone and pubis reach toward the heels. Have the hands somewhat in front of the shoulders, the elbows slightly off the floor and elbows pointing straight back. Upper arm bones move to the back body and the should blades are flush on the back, tips dipping into the body. Keep the head and neck neutral. Out of the solidness of the legs, begin to move the heart forward through the arms, the arms being used for support and not to push yourself upright. Feel as if your hands were trying to drag back toward your feet while pressing into your mat. Notice where you are becoming rigid, notice where you feel the most sensation and breath into that spot. Allow the spine to be fluid - feel every vertebrae free as you move the wave upward toward your head. Explore for several breaths and release on an exhale. Do several times - notice the lengthening along the front side of the body, through the hips and the front of the spine.

• Down Dog

• Janu Sirsasana - come to a seated position with one leg folded into a ½ baddha konasana (cobblers pose) and the other straight. Extend through the heel of the straight leg, but don’t let it come off the floor, keep it rooted. The pubis should reach toward the floor, the lower back long and you should be sitting forward on the sitz bones. The buttock flesh should move toward the floor. If you cannot keep the sacrum moving into the body, work here until you can sit upright without strain. Come forward between the two legs if you are torqued while turning toward the straight leg. This posture is very similar to revolved triangle, the spine should be long and the sacrum area square. Let yourself work where you are - let yourself listen and observe. Remember - we want to hear what the body has to say, not force our will on it. Do both sides.

• Simple twist - sit on one hip with knees to the side and together. Gently twist to the direction the knees are pointing, being very mindful of the breath and how it informs your movement. Listen to the body - be skillful in your actions and observations. Repeat other side.

• Coming to childs pose, knees apart and big toes together. Use a bolster, pillow, or blanket under the chest for support if you like. Stay here to allow the body to relax and absorb.

• Savasana when you are ready.

The sounds of life

2009-08-20T07:58:00.003-05:00

This morning I did some journaling and pranayam - nadi sodhana with some retentions. I felt I needed to soak - that is the only way I can describe it. I needed to soak in something greater - allow myself to be bathed, every cell of my body soaked - and as I was sitting quietly I began to hear the sounds of nature. Where we live we are literally bathed in nature day and night and it is so beautiful. The rhythms of nature are all around - predictable and yet fresh every day at the same time. And because it is naturally quiet - not many city sounds - the music of nature is always audible, and I especially love it in the morning when things are waking up. This morning as I became quite aware of those sounds, I realized that right now I am a part of that living and rhythm of life at the same time Dave is going through his process of bit by bit letting go of it. I can be there for him - but we are becoming, bit by bit, a part of different worlds and in the end this is his process to go through. And I want to be part of this rhythm of life - so there is a part of me that is now moving toward that and separating. This is hard, sad, real - what other words there? I grieve, not just for the loss of our life together, for the loss of what we had planned on sharing, but also in the realization that this separateness is now part of our lives and we are both moving in opposite directions. So that is where it is right now - and as I write to all of you I am very clear that my intention is; to just have a conversation - I have no conclusions or forced words of wisdom, I don't want any, there is really nothing to say! I know that many of you are going through similar things or have been through them. You know-----

Love

Donna

2009-07-30T08:47:00.002-05:00

"Any disease introduces a doubleness into life - an "it", with its own needs, demands, limitations."

Oliver Sacks

I came across this quote and immediately thought how true - as I said the last time we are trying to figure out how to live with our uninvited guest. It is so true that an illness, when it imposes itself, has its own demands. It is like a child - always throwing a tantrum at the least expected and inconvenient moments, spoiling the best laid plans. And then it seems that our entire schedule, when, what, or if we eat, if we go out or stay in, where or if we might go on vacation, is planned around the desires of our visitor. Our schedule, our routine, is no longer our own. And everything gets decided while immersed in the aura of our visitor. When we get up in the morning and try to decide the day, we always, very considerately I might add, think of the guest first - and ask "so what is on your agenda today?" - and then make our plans mold to it. There is no doubt I feel like we are leading a double life - trying to assert ourselves, our desires into the selfish and demanding needs of the "guest". And for such a demanding guest, I still can't see it, or touch it, it remains elusive but ever present, always "it", always there.

In Tai Chi there is an exercise called push hands. The students stand face to face with the same leg forward so that they feel balanced and centered. The students then move toward each other and begin touching forearms and elbows, shifting weight from one leg to the other, sometimes turning slightly. The students work to remain balanced while in constant contact with another person. One student will usually be pushed or pulled off balance, and they start again. Maybe this is similar to my guest? We are in constant contact, touching and moving in unison, never out of the vicinity of each other - the more I try and respond with strength, the more I lose balance. This opponent is very experienced! How do I yield without going limp? How do I yield while maintaining the alertness of a cat? How can I stay in the dance just adhering and not losing my footing - knowing that I am never out of contact with my unworthy but experienced opponent? It is much like sensing what needs to happen in a yoga posture - the subtle movements and adjustments that bring the body and mind into that state of balance where one doesn't push or pull too much, always responding and moving in unison. So this is the practice - and the thing is that when I relax a little too much or try a little too hard, I stumble and fall. But the thing I need to remember is that that is fine - the stumbling is part and parcel of the engagement - it brings me back to center. I won't turn my back and walk away, give up, even though at times I just want to scream "you are too experienced for me, I can't keep up"!

This sounds so wise, doesn't it? It sounds wise to me - I want to respond with that centeredness and balance - but I am tired at the same time of the constant vigilance. The emotions are raw at times and I don't want to filter them. I get tired of wise (or my limited understanding of wise) and that constant voice that says I must do better or that I am not investing enough in the process. In a novel I have been reading, the narrator's husband (a reporter) was killed in a drug raid he was covering for a story. The wife had not returned to her Tai Chi class for a while and she told the instructor "You know why I didn't? I was afraid you would tell me to invest in loss. Or that I should have no complaints whatsoever. Something like that." The teacher's response: "You crazy? Your husband killed and I tell you not grieve? These which I teach are things in books... parables." That is real. That is wise.

So today - I am going to tell my "guest" exactly what I think of it - tell it how it has pushed and shoved its way into our lives with no consideration for us whatsoever - how very selfish it is! I am tired of your selfish demands and your tantrums, I am tired of you ruining our plans in deference to yours - I am tired of the limitations you impose (unasked for, I might add) on our lives and I am tired of having you push and pull me off balance. I am tired of being drawn into your dance and of being in constant contact with you, and I am tired of living in the chill your shadow. So put that in your bag and get packing. Fat chance but I feel better.

Love to all of you-

Donna

2009-07-27T16:02:00.002-05:00

I had a friend that said her cancer was a gift - that it showed her how to live. And she certainly did live her life with gusto and joy. I think I know what she meant, but I can’t say that I agree with the gift part. In our case I would rather return the gift with a thanks but no thanks reply. But we didn’t have that option, so here Dave and I are, with this unwelcome guest in our lives trying to make peace with it, or a least co-exist with it knowing we can’t tell the unwelcome guest it is time to leave. It seems that everyone has something to say about dealing with cancer - there is no dearth of information advising how to act, feel, and think while navigating the territory of illness. I have no intention of adding to all of that talk, I don’t really have any words of wisdom - all I can do is “talk” to all of you as if we were sitting down together over tea - or doing yoga together and sharing our experiences.

I miss the interaction at the studio - the energy of all of you and the experience of being there. But this summer, I decided that what energy I had needed to be spent at home - living our lives and taking each day as it comes, and being a part of Balanced Yoga from a distance. We have been dealing with Dave’s cancer for a few years now, back and forth to the Cleveland Clinic to participate in studies, knowing it was serious but being lulled into a kind of complacency because Dave felt pretty good. But somehow when the words came that all medical possibilities have been exhausted it seemed so all of the sudden, a shock like the first diagnosis. When did this happen? I knew it was coming but I didn’t think it would be yet!! What should I do? I don’t want you to die - I don’t want to die.

I find myself going from grief, to anger, to fear, to business as usual in the course of the day. I find the most insignificant memories pop into my head and take on significance - places we went, things we did, mistakes we made and happy and mundane experiences. Each thing that we do I find myself wondering if this is the last time - the last birthday, the last summer --- all of the what ifs. I don’t usually sleep well.

But in the midst of that, I find that I just want to live our lives the best we can make them at any given moment. I do understand that the outcome is something that is out of my control - but it doesn’t mean I don’t care about that outcome. We have had conversations lately in the context of our teacher training about non-attachment and what that means. Non-attachment in my opinion means that we act, we participate, we do what we can do with all of the wisdom available to us at the time, but we know and understand that the outcome is not within the realm of our control. But we do care about it and every day we do have the opportunity to influence each others lives, to decide what kind of influence we want to be, what kind of memories we want to make.

So getting back to this idea of the “gift” of cancer - I realize that every day Dave and I are making memories - good ones. We have been enjoying our grandchildren and our children. Dave’s kids and I have had the opportunity to deepen our relationships as we have been spending more and more time together. So maybe we needed to become aware of the limitation of time in order to set priorities - if this “gift” has helped us to do that then fine. We have been working on our house - making decisions together on what we like and want. We have been having margaritas on the deck in the evening and enjoying this incredible weather on the Scioto. We watch Jeopardy and Millionaire (I can at least answer the questions on Millionaire!). I have loved hearing about Alex and Anne’s babies - and Jordan’s and Elizabeth’s on the way! I have read all of Henning Mankel’s books - and devoured other Scandinavian writers, I seem to be into the mysteries this summer, interesting but not too heavy. We watch movies, read, fall asleep. We see hospice weekly and ask questions. I have been reading my array of cookbooks and have been cooking again - something I haven’t taken the time to do in a long time. I have enjoyed cooking simple meals when the kids are here visiting and just enjoying eating on the deck and talking - taking the time to figure out what might taste good to Dave. I have spent a lot of time alone - Dave is tired - and I take runs along the river. This is life happening, this is our routine. I am trying my best to be awake and present for the show, not asleep at the wheel, and most of all not trying to create unrealistic expectations for myself, Dave, or anyone else about what life should be! Our life is what it is. All in all, this realization of time has been, while not a gift, transformative in the context of our family relationships. I think of holidays - you know how they can be so stressful sometimes because of all of those unrealistic expectations - the Norman Rockwell syndrome? I don’t want to make this time like that - it is business as usual and we are handling what gets presented on any given day and some days are better than others that way. I want to be on my best behavior - I want to be on my best behavior ALL of the time - I do my best and that is at times better than others as well. We don’t have any more chances to try and get it right, no more dress rehearsals so to speak - we just need to live our lives the way we want to live our lives - awake and alive and present - nothing else. Our routines - the things that make our lives together special to us are what we do each day. For this realization I am grateful - I am glad to have our routines together, I am thankful for them. I miss some of the things we used to do, but I am glad for those memories. I am glad to begin the process of letting go of the unrealistic expectations I had of other human beings, myself, and Dave for sure, and just relax into what is right now, giving up the performance and just being with the day. I am glad to just let our lives unfold - the joys of routine and simply living.

So that is what I am doing this summer, que sera sera ------

Donna

Samtosha

2008-08-18T12:39:00.002-05:00

Samtosha or contentment leads to unexcelled joy, according to Patanjali's Yoga-Sutras. The Mahabharata praises contentment in the following way: "Contentment is indeed the highest. Contentment is supreme joy. There is nothing higher than satisfaction. It is complete in Itself. Other ancient texts speak of samtosha as viewing things with equanimity. Here are a few reflections on samtosha from some of our teachers.

+++++

Contentment. Hmmm. I never stopped long enough to think about that. I guess
it's when I have a full tank of gas, full client load...when I've balanced
my checkbook, paid my monthly bills with a few bucks left over and the most
important thing is when my dog is comfortable in her aging body.

+++++

Samtosha is something I consistently try to cultivate in my yoga practice. I have found that by enjoying my breath and the sensations in my body during each posture (whether it be energizing, strengthening, relaxing or challenging- even the ones that I really hate), that I am more open to a sense of contentment in relation to my self, and to the world around me. In this past month I have taken to practicing out of doors, in the grass and among the trees, and have experienced an extreme sense of calm in being with other living things- the plants, the bees beneath my feet, the dogs running through the park- and have become convinced that they are all doing yoga! To me, samtosa implies a sense of rightness with your self and with what you are doing at any given moment, as well as with the gifts that you have been given. On my mat is an ideal place to realize this sense of completeness, and I strive to bring that truth into every action of every day, to make it all yoga, and to breathe in the beauty all around me; luckily July is an easy month for that!

+++++

On samtosha - I feel that it is most important to realize that
contentment is available to us just as we are, just as our lives are in
every moment. It is not something outside of ourselves that we need to
aspire to or attain. For me the practice of expressing gratitude, to
others, to ourselves, and to our source, even when it might be hard to
feel, is the first step in experiencing contentment. I see yoga as a
practice of active gratitude for the life we are given. When I practice
connecting to myself and my source by attending to my body and my breath,
quieting my mind, and spending time in the present, I begin to feel the
gratitude from my heart rather than just know in my head that I should feel
it. So I keep doing yoga and saying thank you. I have moments of true
contentment, and I am grateful for them.

Mini Vacation

2008-07-11T13:09:00.003-05:00

Day Trips:

Alex Ferm (3 hours):
High Banks Metro Park, Columbus, Ohio
"The one thing I do from time to time, it's like a mini day trip... I drive up to High Banks park on 23 and take a run through the trails there. It's so beautiful and lush in the summer."
www.metroparks.net/ParksHighbanks.aspx

Jordan Robinson (one evening):
Schiller Park, Columbus, Ohio
"Shakespeare in the Park, at Schiller Park. It's a lot of fun sitting/picnicking in the grass and watching the production."
www.theactorstheatre.org

Ben Redman (2-3 days):
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore located 25 miles west of Traverse City, MI
"Located in Northwestern lower Michigan, along the eastern shoreline of Lake Michigan, Sleeping Bear Dunes provides the unique opportunity to climb giant sand dunes in the Midwest. The park also has hiking, fishing, bicycling and camping opportunities."
www.nps.gov/slbe

Malani Patel (2 hours):
Rejuvenate Nail Spa in the Hills Market Shopping Center, Worthington, Ohio.
"I love to get my pedicures. It's a great way to just relax and let yourself be pampered."

Angela Dancey (1 day):
Delaware, Ohio
"Delaware is a really cool little town. Start the trip by taking the drive north on old 315, easily the most beautiful road in central Ohio. Plan to have lunch at the Hamburger Inn and then go shopping at Captain Betty's, one of the best vintage stores in the country. It's like taking a step back in time."

Megan Cairns (1 – 2 days):
Hocking Hills, Ohio
"Go hiking at Old Mans Cave and then camp. For a more luxurious weekend stay at the Inn at Cedar Falls or rent a cabin."
www.hockinghills.com

Donna Winters (1 day):
Zip Line Canopy Tour Hocking Hills, Ohio
"I haven't done this yet but it looks incredible"
www.hockinghillscanopytours.com

Sylke Krell (2 hours):
Columbus, Ohio
"I wish I was more outdoorsy in the summer. Come August it is waaay too hot for me to be outside, especially in the afternoons. So, I like to go to the dollar movie theater for some heat escape. There is nothing like cheap second run summer blockbusters in a cold theater. Awesome."
www.cinemark.com

Tom Griffith (2 days):
Nashville, TN
"Arrive with enough time to do happy hour at the honky tonks then go to Ryman Auditorium for a show. Ryman auditorium is reason enough to go. Until 1975 it was the second home of The Grand Ol' Oprey. It's an amazing turn of the century auditorium with a great vibe. Stay the night and enjoy a wonderful drive home through the Appalachians."
www.ryman.com

Elizabeth Miller(1 day):
The Dawes Arboretum, Newark, Ohio
"A public garden of 1700 acres; approx 1 hour from Columbus; definitely a fun day trip; bring a picnic lunch and check out the website for the flowering schedule before you go; leashed pets welcome."
www.dawesarb.org

Aparigraha

2008-06-30T15:19:00.002-05:00

"Polymers are forever" - that is a chapter title in Alan Weisman's new book The World Without Us. The book is a grand thought experiment exploring what would happen to the Earth if humans just disappeared one day. Surprisingly, New York City would be gone quickly, turned back into a swampy marsh once the electricity quits running its 753 pumps that relieve the city of the more than 650 gallons/minute of groundwater. However, the ancient underground cavernous complexes in Cappacocia, Turkey would last for millennia. But that's not quite as long as our plastic bottles, bags, and coffee lids made up of synthetic polymer chains. Currently, they would last forever.

In the middle of the Pacific Ocean is a place called the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. It's a mass of mostly plastic refuse washed out to sea that spirals around a water vortex. Oceanographers call it the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It's the size of Texas.

For several weeks when I would walk in to the studio's back door I saw a plastic six-pack can holder lying on the ground. I thought every time, I'm going to pick that up when I come out. And then I'd walk out thinking about class and pass it by. Eventually, with a heavy rain, it would make it's way into our sewer system, maybe even into one of our Clintonville streams, perhaps settle on the bottom of the stream bed and stay there until several ice ages from now evolution would finally produced a species that could digest plastic polymers. But last night I picked it up and put it in my recycling bin. Perhaps that small act will offset my greed of all things convenient in some tiny way. Like "Bob" said, "Baby steps. Baby steps."

*****

Aparigraha to me is Freedom within our minds. Not
attaching or grasping onto things. Sometimes when we
are attached, grasp, or even crave to things we can
eventually be disappointed, as for one day it may not
be there. Then what would you do?

*****

When first contemplating the idea of Aparigraha, I don't think it applies much to me. I have few possessions that I care about. I love to read, but I'm just as happy with a book from the library that I can return for someone else's use. Clothing and shoes are a necessary evil, and while I can take pleasure in them, I wouldn't mind giving these things away. There are, however, many ideas—mostly ones I hold about myself—that I hoard greedily. About a year ago, a friend with whom I work at the coffee shop told me that he felt I was always qualifying and justifying myself. He said that I feel an obsessive urge to have myself understood, rather than allowing others to see me from their own perspectives. Basically, he told me that I constantly try to control others and the view they may have of me. I was completely taken aback and for a few moments I tried to argue with him. He shut the conversation down with a few familiar words: "You're right. You're right."

The coffee shop is a dangerous place to work, one that needs to be negotiated with finesse, knowledge and grace. First of all, the shop is very small. In this tight space, elbows seem to elongate to deadly dimensions and counter tops can provide a blow to the hip that stays with me the rest of the week. Mild to serious injuries can occur if the partners of the coffee shop are not aware at all times of the space around their bodies. Second, there is hot coffee everywhere and, like the warning at the bottom of the cup tells you, it's very hot. Hot coffee grounds are especially dangerous. One needs to know the movement habits of each partner to navigate a 4-8 hour shift safely. In the beginning, I burned myself, spilled hot milk everywhere, exploded not quite empty whipped cream bottles, and once elbowed a partner in her head. The lesser dangers of the store are angry customers, impatient customers, and miserable customers who have been waiting a tenth of a second longer than usual.

When a mishap occurs, whether it is a mixed up order, grounds in the coffee or burning mocha spattered on legs, we have a game that we play. It's called the "I'm right" game. All partners take part, though some may be unaware of their participation. This game operates on a point system. When a mistake is made, all partners chirp the rationale for why what happened has happened. Then I take it upon myself to look at the evidence and proclaim one person right. That person gets a point. Partners accumulate points and whoever has the most points at the end of my shift wins the "I'm right" game. It's not so much that we partners are unable to own up to our mistakes squarely. It's not so much that we want to be right all the time. What we don't want is to be seen as wrong. Being wrong has got to be the scariest, most awful thing. Right? Most mistakes that occur at the store occur through joint effort. When we are busy, we operate as one whole organism, not separate entities. The mistake I make one moment will be made a few customers down the line by a different partner. So all the mistakes become the same mistake and they are one. The "I'm right" game, if taken seriously, can slow our progress and frustrate our efforts. Animosity forms and before you know it, fun storms out with compassion and objectivity. It's a sad, sad state to be in. We are, after all, only serving coffee and defrosted pastries.

Unfortunately, as the points accumulate, no prize is distributed. There is nothing productive or useful or joyful to be gained from the "I'm right" game. It is easy to indulge ourselves by playing this game. It is easy to quip, to make excuses and to deny responsibility, but in the end all it does is waste time. So, for just a few seconds, one person is awarded the preservation of the idea he or she has about themselves, but this security does not last. In fact, as points accumulate, and we each take our share of rightness, other things go wrong. The shop becomes more vulnerable to mistakes, elbows, and angry customers. A fractured coffee shop disorganized by finger pointing is a dangerous place. So what do I do when a partner tells me I haven't put enough coffee in Carolyn's cup? What do I do when I'm told that the correct abbreviation for the strawberries and cream frappucino is STCF and not STCRF? (I'm not sure which one is right, actually.) What do I do when I put non-fat milk in Gary's Venti Mocha instead of 2%? I practice. I practice Aparigraha, the act of non-greediness and non-hoarding. Each day I work to let go of the explanations, the excuses, and the "I'm right" points. I smile and I re-pour, re-write, and re-make. Sometimes I have to let go a few times. These things tend to grow back like weeds. Each instance of discarding my rightness, my "I already know that," my "well, if you hadn't done this, then this wouldn't have happened" is a painful moment. Afterwards, though, my mind feels clear and open.

Brahmacharya

2008-06-30T15:07:00.003-05:00

Of the many interpretations of brahmacharya I have come across, I like this one the best,"emphasizing inner Ecstasy over outward focus of sensual/sexual energies" - Bruce Bowditch, Certified Anusara Teacher

Brahmacharya, rather than an act of repression and denial, is an act of stoking the fire of connection to something bigger than ourselves. Like the bandhas we use in asana practice, brahmacharya means being more aware of how I channel my energy – are we making choices in our daily liives to move closer to connection with Source energy or are we moving further away. As with all of the yamas and nyamas, it helps me to think of them not in terms of black and white or right and wrong, but in terms of what brings us closer to our true nature.

Brahmacharya can be practiced in every moment. For example, when I'm out at a restaurant and order that decadent cheesecake at the end of my meal, am I practicing brahmacharya? It depends. Surely it will bring me that inner ecstasy. I'd be following my bliss, as they say. However, if I'm already completely stuffed to the gills and only want to taste it to satisfy an overwhelming craving and then leave half of it on my plate, then no, I'm not practicing brahmacharya. I'm wasting all of the energy that went into making this beautiful dessert and I'm wasting my own energy trying to satisfy myself from the outside in. However, if I have mindfully eaten less dinner in order to make room for this delectable dessert and order it from a place of contentment (not desperation), then proceed to enjoy every bite with gratitude, then yes, I am practicing brahmacharya and eating cheesecake becomes a spiritual experience. So I must ask myself frequently, where do I concentrate my energy? Am I stoking the fire from within or trying to fill myself up with outside pleasures. When I feel lonely, anxious, scared, what choices am I making? Am I quelling the unpleasant emotions with sweets, TV, shopping? or am I stoking the fire, reinforcing the connection to Source through other means like asana, meditation, or simply sitting with the emotion and going through it rather than circumventing it with sensual shortcuts.

When we make the choice to embrace whatever emotions are arising and go through them, our connection to Source becomes stronger. The more often we make that choice, like a muscle, the stronger our discipline becomes and the easier it is to practice brahmacharya in each moment.

******************

In our fast-paced society where stress is predominant, we are surrounded by convenient and quick fixes - coffee, chocolate, fast food, TV, etc. and it is tempting to indulge in desires that can lead to obsession. We crave comfort in many forms and forget the simple pleasures in life as
we strive for more and more. I don't look at brahmacharya as a practice of denial or of giving up what gives us pleasure. Instead, it is a practice of seeing the divinity of who we are and recognizing the pleasure in what we already have.

I read somewhere that the practice of always wanting will always leave you feeling unsatisfied. It's so easy to see what we don't have and to ignore and not appreciate what we do have. The practice of brahmacharya can be practiced on and off the mat. On our mat, knowing what will serve our body, mind and spirit at the present time can help us to not push ourselves beyond what we need. Overextending, overstretching, overachieving, going beyond our limits can lead not only to physical injury but also to an unsatisfied mind and deflated spirit. Off our mat, we can become obsessed with an ideal that doesn't align with our own truth. We may want to be thinner, taller, richer, smarter, "fill-in-the-blank"-er, and our obsession leads to disappointment in ourselves. The practice of brahmacharya helps us appreciate who and
what we are at the present time without judgment. It is recognition of our own unique and individual needs which in turn teaches us that our own truth is indeed the ideal we strive.

******************

This is the yama that gives me the most trouble. As a woman, some commentaries on the yama bharmacharya simply don't relate. So I go back to considering what was said in the context of to whom it was said to glean some meaning that might be more applicable. As one of my cool yoga teacher friend says, "What I love about Patanjali is the permission to essentially not take someone else's word for it... But to kick the tires for yourself..." The inevitable flaw in this, of course, is that we incorrectly interpret these teachings based on what we most want to hear - extrapolating and then molding it to our own ego-driven way of thinking - and miss the point entirely. Nevertheless, fear of failing shall never hold me back (as witnessed by my many failings), so here goes:

Brahma - God, the Source
Charya - to move
moving towards the source
or, as found in many commentaries, moderation

This leads me to thinking about food, something I think about much of the time. Indeed, perhaps I was already thinking about food when I started thinking about brahmacharya. Food, moving towards the source, moderation. When I asked (read: begged) my yoga teacher for instructions on the yogic way of eating, he essentially gave me one very brief teaching, which was what was given to him: Eat close to the source. Or, since this was a spoken instruction, maybe it could be: Eat close to The Source. Here is our 5000 or more year-old tradition herding us back to what most of us Mid-Westerners already know. A tomato picked from our own backyard is a thousand times more delicious than even those organic ones flown in from California, supporting a non-local economy and gobbling up gallons of gas and oil along the way.

Is it possible to extrapolate and allow this understanding of brahmacharya to unfold in such a way? Methinks, this was probably not what Patanjali was originally guiding his young disciples towards. However, it seems very applicable for the here and now.

Food and moderation: Entire careers have been built on this concept. And the growing (literally) number of cases of obesity in the US speak to the urgency of heeding this advice. It's simple, really; dessert doesn't have to be at every meal, half of the sandwich can satisfy me better than stuffing in the whole no matter how good it tastes, and treating myself to coffee doesn't need to be multiple times a week. Small steps. Just like in playing with awareness in asana, it requires visiting over and over again, a moment to moment, day by day practice.

Food and moving towards the source: We are now far removed from our ancestors' hunting & gathering lifestyle and it's obligatory diet, but the Clintonville Farmer's Market is returning soon and I am so looking forward to it. I've often courted a vegan diet, but we've yet to make the commitment to one another. The CFM gives me a chance to use the fresh fruits and veggies available to make vegan recipes and get creative in the kitchen, all while supporting local farmers and eating closer to the source as I define it. The "moving towards the source" piece of this yama regards all of our energies. Does this action take me away from or towards God? Defining God is the subject of another reflection all together, one that is a lifetime's work, but it seems worth it to ask ourselves "does this food choice take me away from or towards my understanding of God?" It's a rich question, full of other richer still questions.

And, as I frequently do, I turn to my friend Hafiz, for further guidance on the subject:

The Vegetables

Today
The vegetables would like to be cut
By someone who is singing God's Name.

How could Hafiz know
Such top secret information?

Because
Once we were all tomatoes,
Potatoes, onions, or
Zucchini.

******************

Bramacharya (Haiku)

Continence practice:
I see what sits on my plate
And stop writing here.

******************

For me, bramacharya (abstinence or self restraint) is about focus. It is about knowing and nurturing our greatest strengths, not wasting energy on activities or relationships that aren't beneficial to our personal growth. If we are overly reactive to environmental stimuli, or cater too much to the needs of others, we spread ourselves thin, and can no longer put our best talents into the world. Bramacharya means truly loving and respecting oneself, and staying focused on that difficult task.

Summer Reading

2008-06-17T19:37:00.002-05:00

Elizabeth Miller:

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman

"A great thought experiment exploring what would happen to Earth if humans just disappeared; narrative non-fiction; not a 'light' read but immensely interesting."

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

"A wonderful read about a young boy crossing the Atlantic with a tiger on a small boat; explores religious and spiritual themes; one that you can't put down."

Alex Ferm:

The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner

"This book is a fun, but somewhat educational read that takes you all over the world on the travels of a grumpy journalist. It's a light read and made me laugh frequently."

Annie Tenwick:

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

"I loved Eat Pray Love because it was funny and touching and I could relate to everything on some level because the author is so human."

Vanessa Mosier:

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

"I read this a little while ago. I loved it. Most people have heard of this one but may have never taken the time to read it. It's a good read if you like art and romance—set in Vermeer's days as a painter."

Katie McKee:

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

"I'm not exactly sure why I love this book so much, but the jumping in time forces you to really pay attention to the story. I just liked it."

Tom Griffith:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

"A truly great story teller; the kind of book you just blaze through."

Ben Redman:

No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July

"A collection of short stories that helped to remind me about the mysteries and joys of life."

Sylke Krell:

Into Thin Air by John Krakauer

"A harrowing story about an ill fated climb on Mt. Everest that ultimately evolves into a profound allegory about respecting nature, the wisdom of limiting the human desire to conquer at all costs, the role of chance in survival and the ability to endure in the face of extreme danger and profound loss."

Donna Winters:

The Inspector Lynley series by Elizabeth George

"All these books are great!"

Angela Dancey:

The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy

"This rediscovered, republished classic about a young American woman in Paris is what chick lit should be—funny, smart, and charming despite (or maybe because of) its flaws."

Queenpin by Megan Abbott

"A fantastic contemporary hard-boiled crime novel about an aging mob moll told from the perspective of her young, cynical protégée."

My Booty and Bakasana

2008-06-17T11:04:00.000-05:00

My Booty and Bakasana
By Sylke

How do I put this delicately? You know what? I won't. I am big. I have always been tall and on the larger side. But right now, I am the heaviest I have ever been in my life, and I am finally okay with saying that out loud. I won't say exactly how heavy I am (a true lady never reveals her age…or her weight); I will only say that when I recently looked at the physical stats for the Pittsburgh Steelers I was shocked to discover I might have qualified for the team. Because of my hourglass proportions and propensity to gain weight in the lower half of my body, I am currently packing a little extra heat in the backside, which makes practicing yoga a slightly hilarious and somewhat scary endeavor.

I got this way after suffering a back injury while uninsured and living in New York. For about two months I wasn't able to walk without numbness in my right foot and for a year I couldn't walk or climb stairs without serious pain. Since my circumstances didn't allow for any extensive treatment, at first I got annoyed with my body, and then I just got lazy and let go, figuring I would always hurt. I also had a lot of stress in my life that made it easy to shift my focus onto other things, and away from my body. Then there was living in New York, which means an endless supply of great food that can be delivered directly to your door at all hours. Before I knew it, I had gained 20 pounds.

When I moved back to Columbus to start classes at OSU in the fall of 2007, I made a vow to start exercising. Because of my back injury, I gravitated to yoga. I came to Balanced Yoga on a friend's recommendation. I started in Hatha classes. The first three or four kicked my butt. Slowly, I became stronger and more confident, and eventually joined Vinyasa classes. Here I was confronted with the scariest pose I had ever seen, bakasana, that crazy arm balance where you rest your knees in your armpits and lift your feet off the ground.

Other yoga poses don't make me feel my weight the way bakasana does. The thought of putting the heaviest part of my body, my derriere, onto the weakest part of my body, my arms, is just plain embarrassing. When it came time for bakasana in class, all I could think about was falling, and the loud sound it would make. I felt like my weight was a serious physical limitation and that I would never get my butt in the air. I noted all the students around me, who I perceived as much smaller than I, could get into the pose with no trouble at all. There they all were, floating above the earth, and there I was, frozen to the ground.

I have a supportive therapist with whom I discuss everything, including my struggles with weight. She has been pretty insistent on me "owning" my body. But when I tried to explain bakasana to her with a demonstration, even she said, "Oh no. No way."

I do believe, in my heart of hearts, that yoga is for everyone. But it is a hard thing for me to remember when I am in a room full of people who seem much smaller and therefore much more adept at it than I. So, burdened with my own weight, I figured the "everyone" bakasana was meant for was everyone else, and I gave up on the pose. I wasn't ready to test my own strength.

As I progressed in yoga classes, I was slowly seeing results and even managed to knock out a couple of balancing poses that I initially found really difficult, specifically Half Moon and Tree. I found that as I created these poses for myself, I felt my weight less and less and feared falling less and less. Boosted by the confidence of finding balance on my legs, I eventually set my sights back on bakasana. I practiced plank and chaturanga dandasana with diligence, trying to improve my arm strength. When bakasana appeared in class, I forced myself to put my shins on my bent arms and stick my butt up to get over my embarrassment and actually feel the pose. Eventually I could come all the way up on my tiptoes, nearly balancing my full weight.

Then one night, alone in the privacy of my bedroom, fired up after a great class and convinced that I had finally arrived at my moment, I got into my baby bakasana, sure that I was going to fly. I gingerly lifted one, then two toes off the floor, only to tip forward and land with a solid thud on my forehead. Ambitious, but not very smart and definitely painful. In that moment I became convinced that in order to lick bakasana I needed to lose weight. So for a few months I labored under that assumption. I managed to completely defeat myself and became resentful of my body, and as a result I had to really force myself to keep going to class.

Finally, I decided to break my silence, stop the guesswork and ask some knowledgeable folks about the pose. I assumed that they would tell me in the most polite way possible that I was too heavy and too weak to achieve a full arm balance. Much to my surprise, every inquiry I made netted me the same answer: "It's not about arm strength--it's about core strength.'" Impossible, I thought. How the hell can my core hold my arms and legs together and keep my giant butt in the air? But, wait a minute. Doesn’t my core support me and hold me upright every day just walking around? I figured if it can do that, then maybe this whole bakasana thing was worth looking into again.

So with a new perspective on the pose and with a real emphasis on my concentration in class, I have finally gotten to the point where I feel like lift off is imminent. I no longer blame my weight and all my bad decisions for not being able to get into bakasana. Instead, I am working on making a really long spine, a super strong core and some seriously well integrated shoulders so that someday, hopefully soon, and at my current weight, I can get my feet off the ground without falling.

I guess for me, bakasana has become an exercise in creating strength through acceptance. And I have the sneaking suspicion that arriving in my first bakasana will be only the beginning. If that pose follows the rest of my yoga experience, it will become an action of acceptance, with observable results, that I will only want to repeat over and over again. Hovering over the earth balanced on my arms will become a part of my practice that has nothing to do with the work of balancing my butt, and has everything to do with the joy of supporting my booty.

Asteya

2008-05-05T12:17:00.003-05:00

In the Yoga-Sutras you'll find aphorism II.37:

asteya-pratisthayam sarva-ratna-upasthanam

For those who have no inclination to steal, the truly precious is at hand.

Through March we reflected on Asteya throughout our practice (in yogasana and outside of it.) Here are some of our teacher and student reflections on the topic.

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At Starbucks after a boisterous greeting from me customers will often say, "I'll have what you're having!" I usually respond uniformly with a laugh or a smile or a "how about a grande non fat two equal latte? I know how much you like those!" The other day, though, I responded in a more lengthy perhaps overly serious tone. I told one customer, " I am in this state of exuberance right now as the result of my life experiences, nurturing, environment and of course my genes!" Basically I told them that it was impossible to have what I was having.

Of course, there are many times when I compare myself to others. I might tell myself that so and so is a better yoga teacher than me or such and such has a nice pair of shoes and all I have are these silly yellow boots! These are moments of stealing.

The act of asteya, non-stealing, are moments when I recognize what I have without comparison of or desire for what anybody else owns or does. With practice, like anything else, it becomes easier and eventually (I hope) automatic.
******

In Yoga practice, and maybe in life it might be illuminating to determine what we truly value, and to discover how we steal from this. For example, on the mat I might determine that I value ease in breathing, only to find that my ego has pushed me farther into a pose than my easeful breathing can sustain. Off the mat, I may value connection, only to find that my fear of not being enough has undermined the ability to connect as an equal with another.

I think it is different to practice non-stealing from the point of view of ordinary consciousness than from expanded (Being/ Brahman/ Atman) consciousness. In ordinary consciousness I might follow Asteya, or any of the Yamas, because it is a moral precept and I want to see myself as a good person. I can tell myself I am complete and don't need to steal anything, and it might make sense cognitively, but I don't really feel and believe it. I still feel lacking.

In contrast, I suspect that the Yamas (and Niyamas) are qualities that an enlightened person embodies, naturally, as an extension of their ease and completeness in Being. When one truly moves from a place of Wholeness, then one feels complete. If one feels no lack, then to steal would serve no purpose.

I recently had an experience that felt like stepping out of ordinary consciousness into something more Whole. I was guided in a process of transforming a longstanding negative belief about myself into an appreciation of a beautiful Value that this belief protected. The process of transformation worked on the level of body, mind, and spirit. When I left, I felt able to operate in the world for some time in a way that felt Whole. Most strikingly, it was not colored by the usual stories about what I lack.

While I was not lacking, I did not need to take anything from anyone. I did not need reassurance to make myself feel better about myself. For a number of hours afterwards, I felt as if I were moving from Being- a very free, very relaxed state. For that short time, I felt able to make choices based on what I truly valued versus choices based on fear, i.e., trying to make up for what I have been trained by my culture to see as deficiencies.

Based on that experience, for which I have so much gratitude, I yearn to touch again this sense of wholeness from which I believe the spirit of the Yamas and Niyamas flow effortlessly.

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Why are the yamas important to us as yogis? As people and as a society, the importance is clear, keep society functioning smoothly, keep people from violating the boundaries of others, etc.... but as yogis, what makes them pertinent to our practice? What do they have to do with a handstand and shoulder alignment? I've been reading "Light On Life" by BKS Iyengar and his explanations of the yamas and niyamas are wonderful. He elegantly describes the connection between yoga practice on and off the mat and why the yamas, as a discipline, are a necessary part of our journey toward freedom. He makes a wonderful case for how living your yoga in the tiny, myriad choices of daily life do as much or more than yogasana in bringing us into alignment with our true nature, our eternal selves.

In the words of Iyengar, "This striving for self-culture (living the yamas) is the onset of true religiousness and the cessation of religion as a denomination or rigid pattern of belief. Spirituality is not playacting at being holy but the inner passion and urge for self-realization and the need to find the ultimate purpose of existence....Yama is the cultivation of the positive within us, not merely a suppression of what we consider to be its diabolical opposite."

So this brings me to the yama of "asteya" (nonstealing). I have been thinking of this one alot this year as I have been living in Mexico's poorest state of Chiapas. Living in a different culture among people who on the whole live with much less "Stuff" than Americans, has provided me with a different perspective on asteya. It has really made me start to think that when 20% of the world's population consumes 80% of the world's resources, there is a problem (and in the U.S., we make up a large portion of that 20%). When I make the choice to consume more than I really need, I am impacting the lives of others and stealing resources which should be more equitably distributed. In Mexico, I have visited the homes of people who live with almost nothing, dirt floors, no modern appliances, no indoor plumbing, not to mention the lack of designer couches, curtains, and coffee tables. What strikes me most about the people I have met here, has been their joyful approach to life despite harsh conditions and freedom from attachment to "Stuff". Do they see me, an American, and think of me as a thief, stealing their most precious natural resources, petroleum, fertile land, water? I don't think so, or if they do, they're too polite to say. So I have no one to be accountable to but myself. My acquaintances in Mexico will never know if I buy 5 new yoga tops this year or spend peanuts for the coffee grown on their land through their hard labor, but that is where the self-restraint comes in....I will know. I will know that my choices to consume more than my fair share is impacting someone else across the globe. I will know that each purchase of "feel good" items increases my attachment to my "Stuff" and the immediate gratification it brings and makes me less free.

I am hoping to bring back this newfound freedom to the States and stay disciplined in making those small, mindful choices to practice asteya daily in how I consume resources. I am hoping to continue to be mindful of how I can cultivate more generosity in my actions. So that rather than "denying" myself those cute new yoga pants, I perceive the choice to consume less as a spiritual action meant to leave the world with more.
******

When I think of Asteya, it is quite simple. If you are REALLY honest when attaining things the right way, you will not live in fear or guilt. Its about having a clean heart.

On truth

2008-05-05T12:13:00.002-05:00

I've been trying to practice the yama of satya while breaking up with my boyfriend of one year. It ain't easy. I find myself trying to remember (based on ahimsa) that if a truth is unpleasant, not to speak it. It's rendering me silent most of the time right now...while he is asking "why? why? why?" over and over again.

We both know it is over. That truth we can both agree on. But the rest of it...well, who's to say what the truth is?

He asks, "Why don't you want to be friends?" "You want the truth?" It's because I find him to be arrogant and annoying. Spending time with him is a frustrating experience that leaves me defensive and closed-off, and I don't want to waste my precious time in such unpleasant company. If that's the truth, it's certainly not pleasant.

But is it the truth that he is "annoying and arrogant?" Maybe it's simply my perspective. My mind can run circles on this all day long.

It's a dicey business, practicing satya in a relationship. Perhaps the key is that satya means not "truth" but rather "Truth." The capital "T" that says it all, a big "Truth" that obliterates the little "me" in a relationship. The "Truth" that is unconcerned with the muck I wade through in murky relationships. The "Truth" that has nothing to do with personal annoyances and differing perspectives. The One Truth that washes all of that away.

Alex's Trip to Mexico

2008-04-10T13:31:00.002-05:00

I just returned from Chiapas, Mexico where I was visiting some good friends of mine, Anne Comrada and Jay Martin. They have been living for the past several months in San Cristobal, a beautiful town in the mountains. Chiapas is the southern state of mexico and not at all like the cancun vacations of which most people are familiar. I had heard of Chiapas already through my job at Starbucks where we sell a brand of coffee called "Fincas de Chiapas". The word "Fincas" describes a large farm or ranch. We went on a road trip for five days and drove along the gautamalan border through some amazing mountains and while in the mountains we passed by many fincas with coffee plants growing right by the side of the road. The towns we drove through in the mountains consisted of colorful shacks with people milling outside along the road with chickens and mangy dogs. The dogs in mexico are the mangiest I've ever seen anywhere. Jay and Anne have a dog of there own, a miniture Italian greyhound named Ramseys. It was imperative to keep the mangy dogs away from Ramseys, so Anne and Jay taught us how to scare the other dogs off by making a small "ch ch" sound. We made that sound a lot and thus all four of us were champions and protectors of Ramseys.

We spent one night in the mountains in a hotel that had been built by German immigrants in the twenties. It looked a bit like a swiss chalet, though in the years that had passed many concrete architechural additions had been made, so that hotel had become a spawling mamouth. That town was called Union Juarez. We saw lots of A frames there and drank really good coffee for the first and last time on the entire trip. After our night in Union Juarez we drove a down the mountain a ways to the olmec ruins of Izapa. There are three different sites for the Izapa ruins. As we were getting out of the car to visit the first site a group of children came running out of their bus screaming "Gringos!!!". We were swamped with children for quite a while. Some of them wanted to practice their english and some of them just shouted rapid fire questioning at us in Spanish. Jay was the best spanish speaker among us, so by the end of our visit with the school children he was quite worn out. We didn't spend much time with that site of ruins after the children got back in the bus, but we did manage to photograph ourselves doing some yoga on the top of a ruin.

Jay took us to the cloud forest our first day there. We woke up very early because he said that's when all the birds would be out and about. We didn't see tons of birds that day and the cloud forest wasn't very cloudy, but we had quite a vigorous hike and we saw lots of birds later on in our travels. The sub plot of the trip was birdwatching, and I learned a lot about seeing and in particular about how I tend to look at things. Usually if I look up into a tree I see a mass of leaves and light and sparkles. To bird watch you need to pick a specific detail (bird) out of the entirety of the tree. Often the bird is well camoflaged, but with practice I started being able to pick out birds from the leaves and sparkle and each time I did I gave myself one point. Point!

The final destination on our road trip was a beach called "Playa Azul". We drove up and down Rt 200 passing the same military check point (they always wanted to look at the dog because they thought it was very funny to own a dog and drive around in a car with him) about 3 times. We didn't find Playa Azul, but finally in a town called Pijijipan we asked for directions. We asked for directions many times, and were directed to "La playa grande". La playa grande was in the nature reserve that Jay had originally wanted to stay, but had decided that it wouldn't be a good idea because of the uncertainity about parking the car. We drove down a long dirt road for about 30 kilometers. Jay kept checking to see if the electrical lines were with us. It was getting dark and the road seemed very desolate. I had a feeling that we would end up at a beautiful beach, but I could feel Anne and Jay's nervousness. I could feel Ramsey's nervousness. It was totally dark when we got to the end of the road where we found a small family owned resturant. There's always a resturant in mexico no matter how desolate the road. This particular resturant served us fresh catfish a few days later. After a series of confusing conversations we parked the car safely with the family and got into a canoe. We crossed the mangrovee lagoon and hopped out onto a sandy beach. We set up camp and then had a fish dinner. The fish was delicious and fresh and entire. There was no sugar coating it with this fish. It still had its eyes and bones and fins. Anne and jay tore into the fish with practiced skill and precision while Travis and I worked bravely though gingerly on ours.

The next day the father of the beach (a family lived there) took us on a canoe tour of the lagoons. He told us that he would show us the cocodrillos (crocodiles). Apparently the people on this beach spoke in a dialect that was difficult for Jay and Anne to understand, so we never got the man's name. We just called him Senor. Senor rowed the four of us gringos and our little dog all over the lagoon. It was truly amazing. First of all, he was very strong to do that. Secondly, this man lived in a very beautiful place and it was so inspiring to see how proud he was of it. He showed us many birds. Jay was in heaven and Travis took many pictures. We saw eagles, hawks, these ducks that looked like snakes in the water, and a spoon bill. We even saw a stork! Then of course there were the cocodrillos. The first one we saw was pretty large laying by the water. Senor began to row the boat closer, and as we neared the cocodrillo flashed quickly into the water. I nearly wet my pants. Soon after Senor took us to a cocodrillo cul-de-sak. We rowed into the small space and then stopped. I thought, "what are we doing here?" Then I looked. There were cocodrillos everywhere! Classic cocodrillo eyes in the water, cocodrillos chilling by the banks hidden by mangrove trees, smiling cocodrillos, baby cocodrillos and large cocodrillos. This was my limit for adventure. I had seen the power in the movement of that previous cocodrillo and I was not so hot on staying around for very long. Anne told me "They are more scared of you than you are of them". All I had to say was, "famous last words"!

That was the only time I was afraid the entire trip except for earlier in the day was I was in the ocean and got caught in a rip tide. If you are ever caught in a rip tide make sure to swim parallel to the shore and don't panic. I did panic of course. The currents of the pacific ocean are stronger than what I'm used to in Rehoboth, De. You'll never here me claim ever again that, "I'm a strong swimmer". I'm not. I'm a terrible swimmer and I havn't got a chance against the cocodrillo.

Follow Truth

2008-03-20T09:18:00.002-05:00

The Buddha didn't know that
his choice to be himself would
roll through the pages of history
like a rogue wave. All he did

was sit beneath the bodhi tree,
intention fixed on awakening,
and when the light flowed in,
he offered it back as the fruit

of all his practice. We each
act without knowing how the
ripples from our pond might
touch another, what the

consequences of our freedom
might be, or where the choice
to follow truth might lead.

Danna Faulds, One Soul: More Poems from the Heart of Yoga, Peaceable Kingdom Books, 2003

Satya

2008-03-17T09:53:00.002-05:00

February's focus was Satya or Truthfulness.

In paraphrasing from the Vedas: Speak seldom, but speak the truth. Speak the truth, but speak pleasantly. If speaking the truth will cause pain, then don't speak. Don't speak simply to win approval and don't lie, mislead, or speak a pleasant untruth....
and it goes on, but how do we work with this in our practice?

Here are a few reflections from the teachers and members in our community:

Speaking with sincerity, acting from a place of honesty, is a way of being that resonates with all living things. It does not matter whether or not one knows the Sanskrit term satya, for we all know truthfulness. When I feel stuck, it has encouraged me to turn inside and discover that there is already an answer there, waiting to be heard. As a foundation of yoga practice, it has reminded me that we all have valid truths within us. By aligning with and affirming these truths- by committing to listen to what we already know- then we become grounded in a life that is real, present, sweet, and not nearly so big and scary.

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Outside my window I can hear cars driving by on wet pavement accelerating and braking and sometimes squealing down the road. Out on the road in my car people cut me off, forget to use their turn signal, and in general drive erratically. I often remark that I believe most people in this college town must be intoxicated to drive the way they do.

The coffee shop is very busy in the morning. A line of people stretches out the door and I buzz around holding a coffee in one hand a pitcher of half steamed milk in the other, whip cream dripping on my sleeve, looking down the line thinking 'what was that? Could you speak up? it's quite loud in here!' It's quite loud.

Even teaching yoga can be a chaotic affair. One student is practicing the yoga push up with misaligned shoulders. Another is about to practice a jump through onto their head. On top of that my great aunt is in the class and its her first time ever doing upward facing dog.

My ability to be compassionate and imbue everyday affairs with energy and excitement is supported by the time I spend quiet, painting, running or doing yoga. If my outward life takes over and I lose time for inward space I become erratic. The activity of the world begins to bother me, I contract road rage, I get grouchy with the customers, or I get nervous in class losing my empowerment to teach those three students with different needs in the same class.

The term "Satya" translates to mean "Truthfulness" which can be looked at in a lot of different ways. Often the truth is something that is hidden from view. It can be hidden by outright lies, delusions of the more subtle nature, or insecurity. It can be clouded over by physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. In yoga we talk about "the core" a lot. If the core is strong and each movement comes from that place and actions require less energy and achieve what appears to be easy grace. I think of my core as a bright and unchanging space within my spirit that lends me strength to unveil even the most mundane as joyously divine, not just a group of muscles that support and hold my body upright.

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The mind has a lot of ideas about the “truth” of matters. I think a lot of what people hold as “true” about themselves and others are actually premature conclusions based on a static view of the self, reflecting messages we received from others, our
habitual patterns of thought, and circumstances we’ve experienced. So it’s not uncommon to hear people, myself included, saying things like “I’m just no
good at relationships”, “I’m not coordinated”, or “I am a good person”- as a statement of their “truth”! If we bring into our asana practice our “truth” of
having a weakness – weak arms for instance, we may limit our poses to avoid taking weight on the arms and never strengthen them, thereby perpetuating our “truth”. On the flip side, if we “know” ourselves as someone with an advanced practice, we may insist on that practice regardless of what is going on with our
health, opening the way for injury. I like to think of stepping onto the Yoga mat as an opportunity to rediscover who I am today. In working with satya I ask- what preconceived notions or “truths” have I brought to the mat today, -and, can I
suspend them? I believe the truth of the moment is in the experience of the moment…and I often laugh when I discover how many *new* conclusions my mind
makes about my experience, instead of letting the moment hold its own truth.

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One of the most powerful meditations that I practice is Satyam meditation. The mind can make up stories and create realities that just don't exist. I can easily allow my mind to run amok with distracting stories, and I can so easily get caught up in those stories. It is in satyam meditation that I am able to stand back from any situation and see the truth of it. The truth without my ego involved. Satyam meditation is a powerful meditation that for me always starts with a big breath and tears. Tears of freedom from the lower mind. When the truth; the real truth becomes clear to me it is so awe inspiring in its beauty and purity. The stories of the mind become laughable. By connecting with the real me, the true me, everything is so clear and so not personal.

Satyam Meditation
Let your breath flow gently & evenly.
"Move your attention to your heart, not the pump, but the spiritual center in the center of the chest. It is in this center that resides your individual consciousness that deals with life. In yoga it's called jiva atman. To this individual consciousness there attaches emotional patterns and a clinging. To release this clinging to release these patterns and clinging to our emotions and feelings feel when you breath in you draw the consciousness from the heart with whatever emotions that you know are haunting you. On the inhalation bring the attention from the heart with whatever emotions are haunting you; draw them up to the top fontanel to the little dent at the top of the head, and when you breathe out release out all of those emotions out of the top of the head back to space from which all thoughts, things, and emotions are born. Again go back to the heart, on the inhalation use the mantra, "Sat". Again make the sound, visualize to the the top fontanelle. And on the exhalation release the patterns, "Yam"(pronounce yum), to space. Inhalation, "Sat", bringing all the consciousness to the top of the head, and on the exhalation, "Yam", release all these things out from your consciousness. Continue doing this. Inhale Sat up to the top of the head, Exhale Yam releasing emotion out. This will draw deeper and deeper in your unconscious. This may bring things up, which may create shaking, yawning, tears. It's fine. Don't get attached to them. Just continue releasing the scars of your feelings and emotions that haunt you. Get rid of them. Become free of them. On the inhalation "Sat" to the top fontanelle, and on the exhalation, "Yam" releasing everything back to space. As the emotions surface and release you will find yourself becoming more free. Your body will even seem lighter and when the heart is no longer congested with old patterns and emotions it begins to glow like a little flickering light in your heart. The flame in your heart begins to glow and it begins to spread light through every cell of your body and even outside your body into an auric fleld around you. As the light begins to develop and radiate bigger and bigger encompassing your entire body. the same shape as your body, you'll feel yourself becoming more and more in touch with a greater vision and a greater sensation. Greater than your senses. The mantra to establish a strong auric, pranic field around your body is "Om Namah Bhagavate Vasudevaya." Chant this to yourself a few times.
Bring your hands back to prayer pose. Bow your head down bringing your palms over your heart. On the inhalation open you arms and open your heart bringing light from the universe into you. On the exhale bring your palms back to your heart, and feel your heart radiant and glowing. Drag the radiance down to your navel. Slowly bring your fingertips together with your thumbs touching. Lower your head to look at a point in front of you. Slowly bring your energy back to take in the room and bring with it the universal light and love and spread it into each moment of your living. Don't look in your life for light and love. Find it at your core, and from your core let is spread into each moment of your living.
Hari Om Tat Sat, Namaste

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Ahimsa

2008-02-29T14:36:00.003-05:00

This past month (January) our teachers drew students' awareness to the first of the virtues in Pantanjali's Yoga Sutras: ahimsa or non-violence. As a group, teachers and students have been invited to share their reflections about the monthly focus.
The following are those gathered this month:

The term ahimsa or non-harming describes what we are not doing . So how does one “do” non-harming? To me, actively avoiding harming involves first recognizing what may be harmful, then inhibiting the harmful action, and finally re-directing our energies. So cultivating non-harming requires cultivating an understanding of what causes harm and how to avoid it. What each of us does to cause harm is unique to the individual, we each have our own journey in understanding how we harm. Some cause harm by insisting that they are right and others are wrong. Others cause harm by harsh judgment of themselves or other people. Some harm through acts of physical violence, and others by negligence of their own or anothers well-being. Having a sense of what we wish not to harm is also important and individual. One person may believe it is most important to not harm people under any circumstances, and another may choose to alleviate harm that has befallen their people by fighting a “just war” – people get killed. (I believe that this is what Arjuna, in the Baghavad Gita was called to do). Some people are appalled at eating animals, but would think nothing of breaking another person’s spirit. I would not claim to know what the "true" thing or principle of non-harming is, and would not want to impose my beliefs on others. My personal understanding of what and how to not harm has changed over time, but throughout has been a yearning to do less harm to Mother Nature. When we are non-harming, non-violent, what are we? We may be compassionate. But compassion may be just one strategy for ahimsa. A very powerful strategy, no doubt, as it is hard to harm someone or something for which we have compassion. However, ahimsa is not necessarily compassion, so I hesitate to use compassion as a synonym for it. Kindness is a strategy for non-harming. Inhibition is a strategy. Knowledge is a strategy. We can use these strategies to guide us away from harming.

****

After a month of looking at the theme of "ahimsa" in my classes a student came up to me at the end of class one evening and asked: "Why is it that the more you mention "ahimsa", the more negative thoughts I seem to have?" She was worried that the focus on non-harming was actually triggering reactionary aggression in her. It seemed to me like a matter of awareness: the more we tune into something (in this case, noticing harmful patterns of action or thought) the more sensitive we become to that thing. It is natural to be overwhelmed when we first embark on a path of greater self-awareness. But, as we continue to notice the parts of ourselves we want to awaken, the easier it becomes to remove obstacles (for example, harmful thoughts and actions) from our path. I told the student not to worry, to continue noticing what's going on in her mind without judging, and to use this new information to encourage change and growth in the direction of peace.

****

Both the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and modern-day medical schools evoke the principal of non-harming. Patanjali lists ahimsa (non-harming) as the first discipline for living virtuously and medical students are instructed, "First, do no harm." Perhaps, with two major schools of thought stressing the importance of non-harming as being priority numero uno, one might come to the conclusion that there is something to this whole non-harming business.

While the benefit of our physicians adhering to the principle of non-harming is evident, Patanjali's instruction is a bit less clear and more demanding of us personally. Most commentaries on the ahimsa sutras say that it applies to all our actions. That means deed, speech, and thought. Uh oh. This must include the stink eye I want to give to the driver who just cut me off as well as the little dig I'd like to take at my boyfriend when I'm cranky and he's insensitive.

It's the second sutra that mentions ahimsa that I find a little more appealing. The first one simply lists non-violence as a way to be in the world; the second one gives us the goods on why. One translation reads, "As the yogin becomes established in non-injury, all beings coming near him cease to be hostile." In other words, the more we saturate ourselves in non-injurious ways, the more gentle the world around us becomes. The more I catch myself thinking a harmful thought and release it before it takes hold, the more harm melts in my presence. That's certainly something I can live with.

****

Yoga
I have read books about yoga.
I have attended yoga classes.
I do yoga – but I have changed.
Physical exercise? yes. Challenging? yes.
When the student is ready to learn the teacher appears
Moments of insight when I see that I am being too hard.
Tough on the outside – and tough on the inside,
I have tougher problems than I can solve.
When the physical heart is at odds with the other...
inflicting a major wound to confidence and self esteem,
disappointment with dysrhythmia and what I cannot control,
fear at taking risk or trust – past experience that has required action.
But there is a place I can let go of feeling uncomfortable.
When things are not going right – there is a place where no matter what happens it will be alright,
a balance where resting and giving in is an act of faith and kindness is sticking with it...when asking for help and letting another know is OK.
I am changing in a way that tap resources and energy that has never been tapped, talent that has never been tested...
a place to give more than I have ever given.
This is a place of non-harming - to have the intent, to believe, to be compassionate and kind.
A place that starts with the intent toward yourself then, and only then, can you live yoga and bring that with you on and off the mat. Then you can be at a place where effort is not about the result it is about the effort itself.
So when my two hearts are at odds with each other I will try to find that balance where no matter what happens it will be OK…

****

Ahimsa to me is a desire to live life free of hurt, pain and any threatening thoughts. I feel that even thoughts towards others that are not expressed with any actions or words can be hurtful and harming.
One famous statement that comes to mind “I can not do to others, what I don’t want done towards me”

Two people come to mind when I think about Ahimsa:
Mahatma Ghandi (the great soul of India)- He advocated non-violence and truth in all situations, with all beings and living things.

Swami Dayananda Saraswati (Vedanta teacher and scholar of Sanskrit) - One who understands and truly lives Ahimsa in his daily life.

****

Lately my thoughts about ahimsa have been in relationship to the types of media I choose. Books, movies, tv, music and all forms of live entertainment or art. I have been looking at my feelings and actions as I am subjected or subject to these different types of stimuli. In addition or maybe as a result of looking into this I have made an effort to speak in a less offensive way about myself and others. The more "clean" or mindful my media consumption and speech become the more clear my thoughts are. This then becomes a support for further understanding of my personal relationship with the practice of ahimsa which, in turn, allows me to better present it as a topic within the context of yoga class.

****

I've been thinking about ahimsa lately, nothing too original but here's what I've got. I've been practicing solely on my own since leaving Columbus and for the first time I've had to be teacher, student, and friend to myself with no opportunities to go to a class here and there to gain new insights or guidance. It's been a challenge to keep things fresh and to be disciplined in my practice. At times I start to get anxious, worrying if am I practicing enough, challenging myself enough, "progressing" enough (whatever that means). So these worries creep in and along comes ego urging me on to some silly goals, taking me right out of the present moment, the journey, and urging me to conquer complex poses. And so it is in these moments when I do not practice with ahimsa, I push myself too hard, saying just one more try, one more pose, and I stop being the teacher/student/friend to myself and instead become the dictator/servant/enemy. My practice becomes full of greed and striving rather than kindness and acceptance. As a result of not practicing with ahimsa I've been injured for the past month, first both shoulders from practicing handstands and forearm balance with too much zeal and now a back injury from practicing scorpion. I've learned that practicing with aggression results in injury. These injuries are now giving me the opportunity to learn how to practice with ahimsa again. Each twinge of pain shows me in bold relief the times which I am grasping for more, grasping beyond the present moment, and I have to pull back. Pulling back is an act of ahimsa, nonviolence and cultivation of peacefulness within each moment, instead of trying to bend each moment to my will.

****

Ahimsa, the practice of non-violence, is a practice in forgiveness. When I am hurt it's most difficult to react lovingly, but it is those times when I try to work the hardest. If we allow ourselves, in our hurt to react without compassion we indulge in violence. Often times that violence is hidden from us in a blanket of justification and self righteousness. This is an addictive pattern of behavior. The practice of ahimsa is a way to clear some space. Ahimsa is taking a deep breath before you speak in anger and it is pausing as your mind runs wild with judgment to ask: "Is this really true?"

Coming up next month: Satya--Truthfulness

Great News at Balanced Yoga

2007-07-26T15:49:00.001-05:00

As you may have noticed throughout this past year there have been many wonderful changes at Balanced Yoga. This has been a year of growth and I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your continued support of this studio. Our yoga community continues to inspire exciting progress and development at Balanced Yoga.

This year we have seen the beginning of our daily Mysore classes where the studio is open 5:30-8:30 am for a self directed practice. Additionally, our Ashtanga program has grown, we continue to add more classes, and now offer introductory immersion weekends to give our students the opportunity to cultivate this practice. Workshops and specialized teaching continue to be offered through our introduction of Teen Yoga and the Yoga for Kids & Parents, Raw Foods, and Spring Detox workshops, as well as being host to enlightening guests such as Ganesh Mohan, Todd Norian, and Anna Forrest. We are reaching the conclusion of our first yearlong teacher training program and have seen the launch of Balanced Yoga University™, the promising center for excellence in teacher training. We have also seen the addition of Deep Tissue Massage, offered by Tom Griffith and Thai Yoga Massage, offered by Elizabeth Miller. Watch for our re-designed therapy room to be completed soon! In our continuing effort to foster the development of rich and nurturing practices, Viniyoga classes are offered on Wednesday evenings, Hathalini on Saturday mornings, and coming this fall, ISHTA Flow, a yoga style also founded in Tantric philosophy. And in the midst of all of this, we have had the good fortune to welcome Kari Djuve and Elizabeth Miller to our staff of teachers. You may have noticed the wonderful artwork on display in the studio lobby and hallways – we can thank Kari for coordinating the artwork displays. This has given local artists the opportunity to show and sell their work. Be sure to contact Kari if you would like to be part of this exciting opportunity.

While I am truly happy and excited by the growth of Balanced Yoga and our community, none of this could have happened without key individuals that are committed to bringing you excellence in teaching and programs. Julia McSheffery is now full time at Balanced Yoga and directs the day-to-day operations – including the front desk and the entire behind the scene tasks that make this studio run. (Trust me, it would not run without her or our great front desk staff!) Not only this, she has been named the Director of the Hatha Yoga program – working to bring the best in programs and teaching to all of you. And of course, Julia brings her vast knowledge of yoga to you in her classes on a weekly basis. I am thankful for the day Julia walked into my class at McConnell Heart Health Center 6 years ago!

Tom Griffith has also joined Balanced Yoga full time and is our Director of Massage. If you have not had the opportunity to experience Tom’s healing hands you must put that on your list of “must-dos”. His knowledge of the body both in massage and yoga is immense – a treatment from him will leave you truly understanding the physical and mental therapeutic aspects of massage. Tom will continue to build our massage therapy program so we can offer you the benefit of yoga and massage together as a way to promote and maintain your health. Tom also facilitates the development of our Ashtanga Yoga program. He has been teaching our Mysore classes and continues to build the Ashtanga program here at Balanced Yoga. (link to short bio)
The timely and valuable help and experience Tom and Julia offer has freed me to begin building Balanced Yoga University™; which aspires to bring excellence in teacher training and enrichment programs to prospective teachers and students. We have revised our current curriculum to include a 300-hour training program that gives aspiring teachers an additional 100 hours of mentoring and practice that goes beyond the traditional 200-hour programs offered by most yoga schools. When teachers graduate from our 300-hour program, they will have had the valuable opportunity to have exercised and developed their teaching skills and knowledge, the solidification of our commitment to excellence in teaching. We are also putting the pieces of the full 500-hour program in place for enrollees in Balanced Yoga University™ in 2008. Julia and Tom will both be on the staff of the University bringing their experience and expertise to our training programs. In addition to Tom and Julia, Karen Milligan and Angela Nicolosi will staff the university rounding out a highly professional and knowledgeable staff.
As Balanced Yoga University™ continues to unroll this fall, keep an eye out for our workshops, which promise to encourage the development of our students’ practices, as well as those of the teachers in the program. We look forward to hosting Dominic Corigliano for an in-depth look at Ashtanga and a week of Mysore practice, Todd Norian returns to teach us the concepts of, Anusara Therapeutics, Dianne Kadonaga will draw us deeper into truly understanding and experiencing our physical anatomy and late this summer we have the wonderful opportunity to join performance artist Patric Cambra for an exploration of the connections between movement, emotion, and breath.

Once again I’d like to extend my appreciation for and thankfulness to all of the wonderful teachers at Balanced Yoga and to our awesome yoga community. I look forward to continuing to offer you an enlightening and nurturing forum for your yoga practice and personal growth. What a blessing we truly have with each other!

Donna

May holds such promise!

2007-05-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

My invitation to you this spring: set an intention for your yoga practice and daily living to cut out all the covert self-aggression that you engage in.
Think about what this means for you. Some possibilities: eating healthier, not pushing/efforting so much in practice, taking time to enjoy the outdoors, being okay with saying "No", scheduling in a little "you-time" everyday or break free from the schedule and try something new... the options are as endless as our individual proclivities.

This May check out our newer classes: Anusara-Inspired (Thursdays), Hathalini (Saturdays), Ashtanga Modified Second Series (Tuesdays), and Mysore (Monday-Fridays.) Time and instructor info can be found on our web site.

Our studio is open for Mysore practice 5:30am-9:30am. This open studio time is a wonderful opportunity for you to develop your personal practice without the distractions often found at home. Students of any tradition are welcome to come practice. A yoga teacher is always available to answer questions or provide adjustments and inspiration.

This May the studio is opening up its wall space! All artists are welcome to submit their work for inclusion in the Balanced Art Gallery. Know an artist...are you an artist?...hang your work in our lobby: a lively, supportive environment. Contact Kari for more details.

This month we'll be offering a new Introduction to Hatha Yoga, 6-week series. Call to voice your interest and get your name on the list.

May 12th we'll be offering a Restorative Yoga workshop for Mother's Day. It will be held on the Saturday before Mother's Day (so as not to conflict with family obligations.) The practice promises to nurture the nurturer with supported poses and balancing breathing techniques designed to ease away stress and tension. Appropriate for students of all skill levels. If you are a mom, have a mom, or know a great mom why not invite her to this refreshing, renewing workshop. Check out the web page for more details. Give her a gift certificate, or come together!

May 20th we'll be hosting an Orientation to Nonviolent Communication. Come find out what's involved and learn more about setting up a practice group. Led by Tracey and Andy of Compassionate Communication-Central Ohio. 7pm at BalancedYoga.

Still looking for a Mother's Day gift? Why not set her up with a gift certificate for a luxurious hour of massage with Tom, our resident massage therapist and yoga instructor... more details can be found on-line, where you can also schedule an appointment.

Coming Up:
June Talent Night and Potluck: Calling all singers, dancers, jugglers, unicyclists, and lion tamers! We know that among all of the Down Dogs and Warriors there are musicians and artists at heart. Come share your hidden talents with your fellow yogis at the BalancedYoga Talent Night. Mid-June, Friday, 7:30pm.
Raw Food Workshop with Matt Monarch.
Anatomy Workshop with Diane Kadonaga.
Restorative Yoga With Julia McSheffery.

Want to take your yoga classes for free? We're still looking for yoga students to trade their time for free classes. Work at our front desk and you'll receive a free yoga class for every hour you work!

shanti,
Julia

2007-04-30T14:14:00.000-05:00

April, gone already?!
Spring has arrived...hopefully for good this time. Seeing the sunshine cast through the studio windows seems to emphasize how warm and inviting our space is.

This month has seen a whirl of activity at the studio:
- Tracy has left her role as Office Manager and I've slipped into it. Tracy, thanks for all your hard work, we'll miss you...until we see you next time for yoga class!
- The BalancedYoga teacher-training group met. It's wonderful to see the students put together and implement the skills they've been taught. If you're interested in joining the next teacher-training group check back for the time and date of the next orientation meeting later this coming month.
- We were blessed with guest teacher, Dr. Ganesh Mohan from Chennai, India, who joined us on his way to the Midwest Yoga Conference. The son of Sri T. Krishnamacharya's students, A.G. and Indra Mohan, Ganesh shared with us some of the wealth of knowledge he has in Ayurveda, allopathic medicine, Yoga Therapy, and the Yoga Sutras (all with an eye to the teachings of Krishnamacharya.) We're very thankful for the three days he spent with us; we all learned so much!
- Our monthly potluck was moved up a week to Saturday the 21st so that we could share our tradition with Ganesh while he was here. Thanks go out to Jay, who opened his house to us (and to Sabrina too!)
- I had the chance to lead a new Spring Detox workshop at BalancedYoga this past Saturday. Students took part in a practice of chanting, pranayama, kriyas, flowing asana, restorative asana, and yoga nidra. We also had the chance to discuss the types of toxins in our lives and how to reduce and deal with them. Detox methods were discussed in the light of yoga as therapy, the Yoga Sutras, ayurvedic medicine, and the kriyas.
-Our Teen Yoga series was launched again. This 6-week series goes through June 8th, meeting on Fridays, 4:30-5:30pm in our studio.

Spring is here and what better way to celebrate
its arrival than to Spread the Balance.
Pick up some of the BalancedYoga postcards
and give them to friends and neighbors...
...students new to the studio have the option of a free class
and/or a 45-minute massage for $25!
Spread the Balance, Spread the Bliss!

shanti,
Julia

Last Week for Commit to Balance Contest!

2007-03-26T16:04:00.000-05:00

What a gorgeous last few days! We deserve this so much after the blanket of snow and ice we were under. As beautiful as my pure white backyard was, it is so nice to walk barefoot through my lawn yesterday to get a closer look at the fuzzy little shoots of my pasque flowers pushing up through the soil. There are a lot of new things going on at the studio too- read on to see what we are up to.....

We have had a great response to the Commit to Balance Contest in the studio, and we want to make sure everyone has a chance to win the basket of $100 worth of yoga items. This basket is amazing- it has a new yoga mat, strap, and block from Hugger Mugger. It also has a Balanced Yoga T-Shirt, soy candle, cd, and mat spray.

You are probably wondering how you can sign up for this awesome basket. Well, all you have to do is come in and sign up for a monthly pass. We set up an auto debit for you so it comes right out of your account for the next 6 or more months. Then you are automatically entered. If you already have a pass with us, encourage your friends to sign up and you are BOTH entered!

We will draw the winning name on March 31st, so sign up prior to the close of business on that day.

In other news, there are many exciting new classes that have started or are starting soon. There is a new Mysore class at 5:30am on Mon-Fri, an Anusara Inspired class on Thursday evenings, and a new Monday night primary series class begining April 9th. We will also be offering a new HATHALINI class on Saturday mornings, starting April 14th (I hope to see some of you there!).

Check our website for class times and start dates, as well as information for upcoming workshops. We are all looking forward to the Ganesh Mohan Yoga and Ayurveda workshop coming up in April. If you want an introduction to ayurveda or to deepen your understanding of the science, you should read about this workshop on our site.

See you at the studio!

Namaste,
Tracy

Classes Cancelled Today!

2007-02-13T14:06:00.000-05:00

We are sorry to announce that all classes will be cancelled today (Tuesday Feb 13th) due to the weather.

Check the class listings at balancedyoga.net for cancellations and the most current class schedule.

Stay safe, everyone!
Tracy

Inner Engineering Intro Presentation

2007-01-12T16:36:00.000-05:00

Sadhguru said, "Meditation is the only freedom from all the stress that man is going through because this dimension of life is not of the mind. All stress and struggle is of the mind."

Inner Engineering Intro Presentation (led by an Isha Yoga trained teacher)
Sunday, January 28, 2007 from 7:00-8:30 pm
FREE @ balancedYOGA

Experience...
Isha Yoga programs are designed by Sadhguru as a 'live' process; it is a rare opportunity for self-discovery under the guidance of a realized yogi. These programs offer interactive discussions, meditations, and a balanced set of simple, but powerful yoga practices.

The Inner Engineering program includes Shambhavi Maha Madra, an ancient kriya (internal process) never before offered publicly.

Expand...
Together the program and practices establish health and vitality, enhance mental calm and clarity, and instill a deep sense of joy. This foundation of total wellbeing accelerates personal growth, allowing you to tap the wealth of vibrant life within you.

Call 614/267-6937 or visit www.IshaYoga.org to register online or for more information.

Isha Yoga: it's all within you. ...are you willing?

Happy New Year!

2007-01-08T14:40:00.000-05:00

Well, it's official - 2007 has arrived! And January seems to be the month for new beginnings at Balanced Yoga...

The studio is offering a variety of yoga intro series, including:

Intro to Hatha - January 15th
6-weeks / Mondays from 7:30-9 p / Cost: $75

Kids Yoga (ages 7-12) - January 16th
6-weeks / Tuesdays from 4:30-5:15 p / Cost: $60

Yoga for Teens - January 19th
6-weeks / Fridays from 4:30-5:30 p / Cost: $60

Intro to Ashtanga - January 21st
10-weeks / Sundays from 1:30-3 p / Cost: $125

Mindfulness Meditation - January 24th
5-weeks / Wednesdays from 7:30-9 p / Cost: $75

All series require pre-registration. You can sign up online or by calling 614/265-9642.

If you've stopped in recently, you probably noticed our new retail area located in the lobby. Many thanks to Tracy for making that possible! Also, Beaker would like to extend her appreciation to everyone who attended the Holiday Yoga classes. Thanks to your generosity, we were able to raise $186, which will be donated to the Sri Karunamayi free hospital and Physicians Without Borders.

Best wishes for the New Year!

The Yoga Dozen

2006-12-18T15:25:00.000-05:00

THE YOGA DOZEN...

A Great Holiday Gift Idea!

Now until January 15th, get the special yogi in your life the gift of The Yoga Dozen. Purchase an annual class pass and receive an extra month free! That's 13 months of unlimited yoga for the price of 12 - saving you over $64.

Note: Students with a current quarter or semi-annual pass may opt to upgrade to the Yoga Dozen by paying the difference between the annual pass and their own.

*$775 less a semi-annual = only $355 for 7 months of yoga!
*$775 less a quarterly = only $550 for 10 months!

Free Holiday Classes!

2006-12-07T14:27:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, December 26th

9-10:30 am Holiday Vinyasa
10:45 am-12:15 pm Gentle/Restorative

Beaker will be offering these classes as a gift to the balanced YOGA community. All are welcome to attend. There is no fee for the class, but participants who would like to are invited to make a charitable donation. All donations will be split between Physicians Without Borders, a Nobel prize winning charity that brings medical care to impoverished areas worldwide, and the Sri Karunamayi free hospital, which provides medical care and outreach in the southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh in India. We hope to see you there!

Happy Holidays!

New Online Store!

2006-12-04T15:39:00.000-05:00

balanced YOGA is in the midst of conquering a new frontier. As of this past weekend, you will now be able to access our online store to purchase passes and gift certificates, enroll in workshops and check the status of your 10 or 20 class pass - all from the comfort of your personal computer! You'll also notice that our "classes" page will direct you to a different site in order to view our schedule, and we will be able to maintain its accuracy (time and teacher) on a daily basis. To check our the store, please visit our website and click on the classes link. We wish you happy shopping!

BY Movie Night

2006-11-21T16:01:00.000-05:00

"Sunday Night at the Movies"

On January 28th @ 6:30 pm, Balanced Yoga will show a free screening of The Secret.

You are welcome to bring food, beverage and friends!

Holiday Gathering - 12/15

2006-11-21T15:55:00.000-05:00

It's a party! Join Balanced Yoga staff, instructors and fellow students for an evening of holiday fun on Friday, December 15th! The party/potluck will begin at 7:30 pm after the 5:45 vinyasa class. So bring a friend and some food and help us ring in the holiday season.

Lots and lots of info!

2006-11-17T10:05:00.000-05:00

Today is the last day to receive early registration rates on the Todd Norian weekend of Anusara Yoga coming up in December! Call 614-265-9642 now to register!

Upcoming Series Dates:

January 15: 6-week Intro to Hatha series begins @ 7:30 pm ($75)
January 16: 6-week Kids Yoga! series begins @ 4:30 pm (for ages 7-12; $60)
January 19: 6-week Yoga for Teens series begins @ 4:30 pm ($60)
January 21: 10-week Intro to Ashtanga series begins @ 1:30 pm ($125)
*January 24: 5-week Mindfulness Meditation series beings @ 7:30 ($75)

*In this short course, you will learn the core teachings and tenets of Buddhism, discover what "mindfulness" really is and be guided into the various domains of "vipassana" (mindfulness) practice. You will be provided with the knowledge and tools to establish your own practice. Facilitator: Cheryl Rapose

All series require pre-registration.

Ana Forrest is coming to Columbus!

2006-11-14T14:12:00.000-05:00

Ana Forrest will make a stop at The Elizabeth Blackwell Center to teach 2 evening workshops on March 20 & 21, 2007. balancedYOGA is thrilled by the opportunity to host Ana, who is "recognized worldwide as a pioneer in yoga and emotional therapy."

Workshop Details:

Tuesday, March 20th: 6-9 pm "Journey to the Core"

Forrest Yoga takes you on a physical and mental journey deep into the core of your own being. You will create a heightened sense of awareness through breath and asanas, and open to the amazing quality of feeling that lives inside you. Use Forrest Yoga to connect to your core, shed what is no longer useful, keep what is of value and "with a breath of kindness blow the rest away." Come sweat, breathe deeply and enter the incredible mystery of your core. You will feel cleansed, refreshed and alive.

Wednesday, March 21st: 6-9 pm "Changing Your Relationship With Fear"

Note: For intermediate and advanced students
Fear does not have to be something that paralyzes you. In this workshop, you'll use breath and asana to access, comfort and support the parts of your body that are constricted by fear. This new approach to our fearful places brings about change immediately. When you treat your fearful parts with attention and compassion, you allow the "wonderful" back into your life.

Cost: $65 for one night, $115 for both
Call 614-265-9642 to register.

For more info on Ana and Forrest Yoga, click here.

class announcement

2006-11-14T14:10:00.000-05:00

The Kids Yoga! series has been postponed until after the first of the year. Watch for details regarding the new start date on the website and blog.

Frank Jude - TONIGHT!

2006-11-10T11:20:00.000-05:00

Frank Jude Boccio and the "Body of Peace" are here! balancedYOGA invites you on a weekend exploration of the 3 principles of alignment, relaxation and resiliency, which are vital to meditation, yoga-asana and living freely. Frank will integrate the Buddha's teachings on mindfulness with the postures and movements of Hatha yoga in order to show how these 3 principles create the stability and ease that allow for deep, intimate integrations of body, mind and spirit. Space is still available for tonight's experiential talk and discussion, as well as for the Saturday and Sunday sessions. Call 614.265.9642 to register or feel free to walk-in. Time, cost and location information can be found on our website. Hope to see you there!

And don't forget about the Kids Yoga! series beginning next Tuesday!

Class Cancellation Notice

2006-11-03T10:41:00.000-05:00

The 11 am Friday Pilates class has been canceled!

Kids Yoga!

2006-10-30T14:56:00.000-05:00

Balanced Yoga is pleased to welcome a new class starting November 14, 2006!

Kids Yoga! will be held on Tuesday afternoons from 4:15 to 5. This 6-week session for kids ages 7-12 will be a fun, creative approach to the practice of yoga using animated postures, simple beathing techniques and interactice games. In addition to the physical benefits - such as increased strength, flexibility and balance - kids will learn ways to focus, relax and develop self-control using breathing and visualization. Parents are welcome, but not required to attend. Cost: $60 per child. Must pre-register! (Call 614-265-9642)

Instructor: Anne Comarda

Click here for an article on Kids Yoga from Yoga Journal.

ICE

2006-10-30T14:48:00.000-05:00

ICE - In Case of Emergency

The "Ice Idea" is catching on. An ambulance paramedic by the name of Bob Brotchie came up with the idea to program the phone number of your next-of-kin into your cell phone under the name of ICE. This would allow paramedics to quickly contact someone in the case of an emergency, without having to search through wallets and/or guess at important contacts in cell phone lists. To read an in-depth article on this "multi-media phenomenon," click here.

Mysore

2006-10-30T14:42:00.000-05:00

Tom Griffith oversees a 6:30-9 am Mysore class every Monday! Students can come at any time during class to practice independently. Hands-on adjustments will be given and/or assistance for special needs or requests. Think of the session as your chance to improvise and explore; you do not necessarily need to practice Ashtanga-based yoga. This is the style of practice common in Mysore, India. Come check it out! No need to pre-register.

this week in the studio...

2006-10-24T12:03:00.000-05:00

Yoga to Live Drumming is this Friday at 5:45! Come experience a vinyasa practice to the inspiring and energizing sounds of drumming. Potluck to follow. All are welcome - bring a dish and a friend and prepare to have a good time!

The next Intro to Hatha series begins this coming Monday (Oct. 30th) at 7:30 pm. Call 614-265-9642 to register.

chance to earn free yoga classes!

2006-10-23T12:06:00.000-05:00

Spend one evening per week working at Balanced Yoga's front desk and you'll earn free classes!

The following shifts are now open:
Monday night 5-9pm
Friday night 5-9 pm
Saturday morning 8am-12pm

You will earn 1 class for each hour you work. Classes accrue over time and do not expire. This is an excellent opportunity to meet people and save money on something you love! No experience required. Training and orientation provided. Please write michelle@balancedyoga.net or call 265-9642 for details.

2006-10-20T15:20:00.000-05:00

Weekend Possibilities:

1. Check out the 100th anniversary of The Circleville Pumpkin Show
2. The Columbus Zoo's Boo at the Zoo and Pumpkin Smash
3. See the Cypress String Quartet perform in concert with Chamber Music Columbus
4. Take a class at balancedYOGA

Todd Norian's Workshop Class Descriptions

2006-10-20T14:28:00.000-05:00

Todd arrives in Columbus on December 8, 2006. This is a list of descriptions for the classes he will be offering during his workshop. You can choose to attend the whole weekend, or purchase classes ala carte. Prices are listed on the website.

Friday, December 8: 2-5 pm
Eye of the Tiger Practice
A wild and fun practice for teachers and experienced students. Play the edge while developing strength, flexibility and joy. You will be skillfully guided step-by-step into more advanced asanas in order to awaken the heart and remember your connection to source. (Prereqs: ability to perform handstand and forearm balanced at the wall or on your own, and upward bow with straight elbows)

Friday, December 8: 7-9 pm
Opening to Grace
In this spiritually uplifting session, you'll explore the elegant Anusara system of yoga and practice a variety of fun asanas. The session will end with a delicious deep relaxation.

Saturday, December 9: 9am-12pm
Backbend Into Bliss
Learn the biomechanicsand gradual, step-by-step sequencing that makes backbending a joyful celebration of heart. Using the Universal Principles of Anusara Yoga, you will practice a dynamic flow of postures. Have fun while working at your own pace.

Saturday, December 9: 2-5 pm
Transformational Twists, Hip Openers & Forward Bends
Align and purify your spine through powerful twisting poses. Then, draw your awareness inward through forward bends in preparation for ecstatic tantra-based meditation and savasana.

Sunday, December 10: 9am-12pm
The Art of Flying: Handstand & Arm Balances
Learn to fly by finding the optimal relationship between the balance of effort and grace. Learn how to take yourself lightly through the powerful channeling of prana. Experience necessary.

Sunday, December 10: 2-5 pm
Anusara Yoga Therapeutics
Explore the therapeutic power of Anusara Yoga to support the body's natural healing process. (All levels welcome, especially teachers.) Through applying the Universal Principles of Alignment, you will learn how to relieve pain and avoid common injuries. Learn how to transform pain and limitation into an experience of greater freedom and joy.

2006-10-16T13:28:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who attended the Tripsichore workshop and performance last Tuesday! Edward and the troupe really enjoyed their visit to Columbus and are excited to return next May.

Reminder!

2006-10-09T13:48:00.000-05:00

Just to remind everyone - the 9 am vinyasa class, as well as all evening classes at Balanced Yoga are cancelled tomorrow due to the Tripsichore workshop & performance!

The performance is at 8 pm at the Columbus Dance Theatre (592 E. Main St. Columbus, OH 43215) For a map detailing the theatre's location, click here. Doors will open at 7:15 pm. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the theatre or by calling 614-265-9642. Seating is first come, first serve. Hope to see you there!

There are still places available in the workshop from 9 am to 3 pm.

Classes Cancelled Oct. 10

2006-10-05T13:40:00.000-05:00

Due to the Tripsichore workshop and performance, all classes (except the 6:30 am vinyasa) have been cancelled on Tuesday, October 10th. It's not too late to register for these events! Take advantage of this opportunity to find a new perspecitve on your practice and see how the term "yoga" can be applied to much more than just movement on a mat. Mention this entry when you call to register and receive $5 off the cost of the performance or 15% off the workshop!

Tripsichore Buzz

2006-10-02T15:02:00.000-05:00

Only 8 days until Tripsichore comes to Columbus!!

If you haven't heard about the troupe yet, you can check out a video clip of their performance at John Hancock Hall in Boston by clicking here. Erica Rodefer, an attendee of this performance left these remarks about her experience:

"One theme during the performance made a big impression on me: If we could only get past the stiff, robotic way of thinking about asana and extend yogic principles into our lives off and on the mat, anyone is capable of having a beautiful and inspiring practice. Whether you practice yoga on a stage for hundreds or alone on your living room floor, every practitioner has the potential to do his or her part to inspire, uplift and make the world a better and more harmonious place. I went to the performance expecting to be amazed, entertained and inspired - and I wasn't disappointed. But I also came away with a refreshed perspective on my yoga practice. I am so thankful for that."

This is going to be an amazing event! We invite and encourage everyone - dancers, yogis, actors, accountants, teachers, anyone who wants to be inspired - to attend this performance.

Tripsichore arrives October 10th. Edward Clark, the founder of the troupe, will facilitate a workshop at Balanced Yoga that promises to take your asana practice to a whole new level. The workshop is from 9 to 3 and open to students of all levels. The troupe will perform at the Columbus Dance Theatre later that night from 8 to 9:30. Call 614.265.9642 to register today!

Khitti Yoga?

2006-09-28T15:29:00.000-05:00

Looking to the weekend...

2006-09-28T15:22:00.000-05:00

Don't forget that the Music and Movement as Good Medicine workshop is tomorrow night from 7 to 9:30 pm! Mention this blog entry and get $5 off the workshop cost of $30. Be ready to discover a whole other world of sound!

Also, this Sunday (from 1 to 3 pm) is Julia McSheffery's mini-workshop focusing on body awareness. Participants will learn to modify the flow of asana to fit their individual body, as well as develop the mind-body connection. Cost: $30

Call the studio at 614.265.9642 to register!

Massages

2006-09-28T15:17:00.000-05:00

Tom Griffith is now offering massage services at Balanced Yoga! Tom's studies at Ohio State were focused on Buddhist art and iconography, which led him to explore the healing arts and movement forms such as yoga and Tai Chi. He offers an approachable, knowledgeable experience to those seeking massage or yoga for healing and recovery, as preventative healthcare, or as an enhancement to their physical and mental performance.

Cost: 1 hour massage = $65 (4 pack = $200)
1.5 hour massage = $85 (4 pack = $275)

To schedule: Call Tom at 614.507.5836 or write to him at tag90@wowway.com

Mysore

2006-09-22T14:45:00.000-05:00

The Mysore class is set to begin October 2nd! It will be held from 6:30-9:30 am every Monday as a regular on-going class. No need to pre-register or buy a separate pass. Come check it out!

*The Mysore style is a supervised self-practice. Ashtanga is generally taught in this manner. Each student moves through their practice at his or her own pace and experience level.

The New Face of Pilates at BY

2006-09-22T12:25:00.000-05:00

Balanced Yoga is delighted to have a new face at the studio teaching Pilates. Robin Anderson will teach a mixed level Pilates class on the following days:

Wednesday at 7:30 pm
Friday at 11:00 am
Saturday at 10:00 am (*starting Oct. 7th)

Robin's knowledge of the Pilates practice is informed by her varied background in dance and arts administration. Recently, she completed her MFA in The Ohio State University's Department of Dance with a focus in performance and audience development. She also held a Graduate Administrative Assistanship in the Wexner Center's Performing Arts Department. She was first exposed to Pilates in Portland, OR, where she lived for 9 years working as a performer, choreographer, dance instructor and arts administrator. From the beginning of her Pilates practice, it was clear to her how it complemented her dancing. In turn, Pilates - along with other somatic practices such as Alexander Technique, Bartenieff Fundamentals and yoga - has continued to inform her dancing. She has been a regular student at Alpha State in Columbus since her arrival in 2003 and recently completed their certification course through the Pilates Method Alliance.

With a strong focus on breath, Pilates cultivates a practice around building deep core strength. Progressing from fundamental principles that allow students to focus on specific muscular engagement, this class will proceed to the beginner/intermediate mat sequence of exercises. Overall principles of body alignment and flexibility will be highlighted. Practicing Pilates is a great way to decrease lower back pain, build a strong posture and increase hamstring and innter thigh engagement. It is also a great complement to any yoga practice.

FYI

2006-09-15T09:17:00.000-05:00

Donna's 9:30 Vinyasa and 11:30 Yin classes are cancelled tomorrow (9/16) due to the Dianne Kadonaga Anatomy workshop! Tom's 8:30 basic and Beaker's 11:30 hatha classes will still meet.

On Monday, be sure to swing by the studio and see our new clothing line!

beacons of light

2006-09-15T08:33:00.000-05:00

A little information on lighthouses to illuminate your weekend...

Every lighthouse has a unique light. The lights may be different colors and sizes, flash for a different amounts of time, or remain solid. The light pattern is called the characteristic.

The lights are placed on something that looks like a rotating table; as the light spins to the back of the lighthouse, it gives the appearance of having gone out, or of shutting off. When it circles back around to the front, ships at sea see the "flash" once again. The speed of the flash can be changed by increasing or decreasing the speed of the table's rotation.

As you can see above, lighthouse lights, or lenses, come in a wide variety of sizes. One of the most powerful lenses is the Fresnel lens, invented in 1822 by Augustine Fresnel of France. Looking like a glass beehive, this lens operates by reflecting light from a source (like a candle), focusing it to one spot, and sending out the beam. There are 7 levels, or orders, of Fresnel lenses. The closer the light source, the further the light shines. A beam from an order 1 lens can be seen more than 20 miles away.

Fresnel's design of using concentric glass rings to focus light is still used today in traffic signals, car headlights and projectors. The state with the most lighthouses is Michigan at 130. For some more quick and interesting facts on lighthouses, visit The US Lighthouse Society page.

new class!

2006-09-07T14:27:00.000-05:00

Balanced Yoga is pleased to add a new Pilates class to the schedule!
Robin Anderson will begin teaching a basic Pilates class on Fridays from 11 am - 12 starting tomorrow. This class will be covered by class passes and monthly EFTs. Feel free to drop in and check it out!

If you haven't already registered for next weekend's Experiential Anatomy of the Spine workshop with Dianne Kadonaga, now's the time! Space is still available, but filling up fast! Check our website for details.

Bar of Modern Art

2006-09-07T14:09:00.000-05:00

Columbus locals and restaurant-goers are buzzing over the soon-to-be newest addition to the downtown cuisine landscape. The Bar of Modern Art, a church-turned-restaurant located on East Broad Street, will contain an art gallery, nightclub and exhibition space in addition to offering tantalizing dishes such as lobster-mango bruschetta and pumpkin seed crusted Mahi Mahi. Alex Rodriguez, the Executive Chef, says he wants his cuisine "to compliment the unique atmosphere and diverse dining crowd" expected at BoMA. Basing the menu on the "whole concept of art," Rodriguez is going to incorporate flavors from his trips abroad into his goal of recreating artistic scenes in the food he offers. "Presentation is going to be huge, very visual - something that pops in your mouth," he says. BoMA is scheduled to open in the next few months!

Labor Day!

2006-09-01T15:18:00.000-05:00

The next Intro to Hatha series begins Monday, September 18th.
The next Intro to Ashtanga series begins Sunday, September 24th.

Correction!
The Yoga and Your Plus-Sized Body workshop on October 1st is from 1-3 pm!

Balanced Yoga will be closed for Labor Day.

Weekend Entertainment Ideas:

1. OSU vs. Northern Illinois; 3:30 kick-off
2. Gallery Hop in the Short North
3. Riverfest in Cincinnati, OH - The city says goodbye to summer with an impressive fireworks display on the banks of the Ohio River.
4. 34th annual Columbus Greek Festival

yogi fashion

2006-08-25T14:34:00.000-05:00

(from left to right: Alex Ferm, Laruga Glaser, Amanda Yee, Kyrsten Randles, Pati Young)

Last Friday night, 5 of our yogis participated in the 2006 Short North Salon Showcase: Summer Hair and Fashion Show at Skulley's. It was quite the event! 5 salons were featured, including Max the Salon, Q Salon, Salon Lofts, Waldo's on High and HairColorXperts. The proceeds from this evening of high style and fabulous hair benefited CD101 for the Kids.

Free Kundalini Yoga Chant!

2006-08-22T12:23:00.000-05:00

Sadhana in celebration of Yogi Bhajan's Birthday
Saturday, August 26 from 5:30am to 9am

Join your fellow yogis for a very special celebration commemorating Yogi Bhajan's blessed birthday. Lift your spirits and start your day with sadhana, when we will chant long Ek Ong Kars for 2.5 hours. Yogi Bhajan always said that if we do this chant/prayer on his birthday, all of our prayers and dreams will manifes! It is a very transformative experience.

Schedule:
5:30 - Door open
5:40 - Tuning/warmups
6:00 - Guru Ram Das, worldwide chant for peace
6:20 - 8:50 - Ek Ong Kars

Details:
Bring water and something comfortable to sit on (zafu or pillow). Wear comfortable clothing. If you have questions, please contact Donna Francis at 314-973-0563 or gr8donna@yahoo.com.

"Whatever you are, you are. Be proud of it." -YB

Namaste Ya'll

2006-08-16T13:11:00.000-05:00

So, no doubt you've heard the term "Namaste" spoken by teachers and students at the end of a class. And perhaps you've noticed that certain movements seem to go along with it...closing the eyes with hands in prayer, a bowing of the head or body, a general demeanor of respect and acceptance. But what does "Namaste" mean? Literally translated, it means "I bow to you." It is accepted as a humble greeting straight from the heart. The gesture is representative of the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us. To learn more, click here.

New to yoga and not sure where to start? Confused as to why all those postures you hear about have animal names? Want to do something good for your body, mind and spirit? We have a 6-week Intro to Hatha Yoga session beginning Monday, August 21. This class will introduce students to basic postures and alignment, as well as various breathing techniques used in yoga. Participants will learn associated anatomical movements and grow to understand their own bodies, including its strengths, weaknesses and limitations. Students will gain the knowledge and confidence necessary for participating in a variety of yoga styles. This class meets every Monday night at 7:30. Cost for the 6-week session is $75. Call 614.265.9642 to begin your own yoga journey.

FYI: Donna's 9:30 Vinyasa and 11:30 Pranayama/Yin classes are cancelled on Sept. 16 due to the Dianne Kadonaga anatomy workshop!

general info

2006-08-15T14:57:00.000-05:00

We're having a clothing sale!
All pants, skirts and tanks are now 20% off!

* The Moving Within workshop with Michelle Stobart scheduled for this Saturday has been cancelled.

Wanting to heat up your yoga practice? There's another Teacher Training information night this Wednesday at 7:30 pm. Be sure to check it out!

September Events:
Dianne Kadonaga's Experiential Anatomy of the Spine: Sept. 16-17
Music & Movement as Good Medicine: Sept. 29

Many thanks to Duncan and Zdenka for all of the beautiful flowers they have brought to the studio this summer!

Yoga Night Out!

2006-08-10T14:49:00.000-05:00

Click here to see pictures from Marylaura's going away party at Spagio's! Apparently, things can get pretty crazy when a bunch of yogis go out for drinks and dancing on a Thursday night...

It's hard to believe August is here already, ushering in the official "dog days of summer." (Curious about where that term originated? Click here.) Nothing beats these warm evenings when the sun appears to want to hang in the sky forever, coloring the western horizon in brilliant shades of purple, orange, and red. Take off your shoes and take a stroll through the grass. Make a conscious effort to remember the way the blades feel against your bare soles. Notice the scent and hues of the moment, of summer. Then, when Columbus is bundled up in the midst of a February freeze, you'll be able to recall a slight bit of summer, of the freedom of endless heated days, and hopefully take an edge off the cold.

New faces, New places

2006-08-04T14:30:00.000-05:00

All aboard!

It's time for two more familiar faces to embark on new places. Later this month, Marylaura, a Balanced Yoga instructor, will be moving to France and Nicky, our Tuesday night front desk volunteer, will be leaving for Singapore. We wish you both the best of luck in your transatlantic endeavors! You will be missed.

It's not too late to register for Michelle Stobart's Moving Within workshop coming up Aufust 19th! For more information, please visit our website or look at the "Workshops!" post from July 10th. Call 614-265-9642 to register.

Starting in September, we will be adding a new Mysore class on Monday and Wednesday mornings. The Kundalini yoga class at 7:30 pm Mondays will become a core yoga class. Karen Milligan will take over Marylaura's Friday 9 am Vinyasa class and Wednesday evening Pilates will become a regular, on-going session taught by Robin Anderson.

It's time for more weekend entertainment ideas!

Dublin Irish Fesitval
The Ohio State Fair
Short North Gallery Hop (Saturday, August 5)

2006-07-31T14:21:00.000-05:00

We've been getting some great feedback from those who attended the Capoeira Angola workshop and this weekend's events with Sat Kartar! A Capoeira participant wrote: "The neat thing about attending the workshop was that going into it I didn't have any expectations of what was going to take place, but afterwards found it to be quite interesting. The instructor was very passionate about his practice and knowledgeable. He gave what I thought to be a great introduction to the roots of the dance and was very interested in keeping the storied tradtions. Overall it was a great time and certainly unique." And, writing from my own experience of the Sat Kartar concert, I found the event to be very enlivening. Mike Cohen and his Kirtan group performed extremely well and did a great job of warming up the crowd's chant vocals. Sat Kartar's music was enchanting. Her voice, ability to improvise, and stage presence were strong and inviting. The evening was definitely a success, providing a nice blend of music, meditation, and movement.

Thanks to all who attended! Photos of this weekend to be posted soon!

2006-07-28T15:25:00.000-05:00

Here's to the yogi in all of us!

Schedule Update

2006-07-28T14:48:00.000-05:00

Tuesday night's Ashtanga Modified class is now going to focus on the Second Series of the system. Whereas the first series focuses on forward bends, the second series incorporates postures that put the focus on backbends. Just like before the change, students new to Ashtanga and those with more experience are encouraged to attend. The practice will include many but not all of the postures in the series. Modifications will be given and students will have the chance to work into more difficult postures while building strength and endurance.
Anne Downing will no longer be teaching her 8:30 Sunday morning Hatha class. But don't despair, the class will continue! Mike French has enthusiastically agreed to take over the helm.

Have any stories from your summer travels you'd like to share? How about a moment when you realized yoga was changing your outlook on life or the way you moved through the day? We'd love to hear from you. Please send your adventures, jokes, and realizations to info@balancedyoga.net.

Sat Kartar Weekend Offers

2006-07-27T12:50:00.000-05:00

Click here for special offers on Balanced Yoga's Sat Kartar weekend.

Print off a coupon, bring it to the studio, and save some money when you come to enjoy these unique events!

Sat Kartar Concert
July 29, 2006: 6:30 pm

(Mike Cohen, a local Kirtan artist, will open the concert.)

Yoga of Sound Workshop
July 30, 2006: 10am - 1pm

For more information on these activities or to purchase tickets online, please visit spiritvoyage.com.

TGIF!

2006-07-21T15:07:00.000-05:00

The birds of paradise and other tropical flowers Donna added to the front desk and back studio sure do brighten things up! For those of you in Columbus this summer, they will certainly bring a welcome vibe of exoticism and adventure.

As usual, it has been a busy week at the studio. The new Kundalini class began Monday, Rhonda Austin started her evening Pilates series on Wednesday night, and the first teacher training information session was held. Thanks for everyone who came out to these events, or attended one of our regular classes. I know Donna and the rest of us here feel continually blessed for having such supportive, good-natured and highly energetic yogis! You all make Balanced Yoga into the special place it is, a place where we can come comfortably together and create a moment of joy, of light heartedness and peace in an otherwise busy, chaotic world.

Here's some weekend events around town you might want to check out:

1. BY's Capoiera Angola workshop! Saturday at 3 pm.
2. Picnic with the Pops, featuring Kenny Loggins. A fun evening of food, friends, and music on the lawns of Chemical Abstract.
3. The 27th Annual Jazz & Rib Fest at Bicentennial Park and Genoa Park in the Downtown Riverfront. Free!
4. More interested in cheering on our local sports teams? The Crew is playing Los Angeles at 4 pm on Saturday and the Clippers are squaring off against Pawtucket each day this weekend.

Coming up at BY: a fall schedule with more hatha and ashtanga classes, as well as a new mysore morning class!

Mats, bags, and blocks, oh my!

2006-07-18T12:46:00.000-05:00

We recently received a shipment of Modern Union bags, perfect for lugging around your mat, water, clothes, and other yoga accessories in style! We also got more Hugger Mugger super blocks and Tapas mats in a variety of colors: green for love and compassion, blue to represent communication and self-expression, purple for psychic and perception, and red for grounding and abundunce. We're also working on getting our own line of tanks and tees for the studio!

Reminders: The first of the teacher training information sessions is tomorrow night at 7:30. Also, the second 6-week Pilates series (led by Rhonda Austin) starts tomorrow night at 7:30.

Tips to beat the heat:

1. Try scooping up some of Jeni's seasonal ice creams...sweet basil with honey and pinenuts, her spicy fresh ginger, or the always amazing salty caramel! It's a sweet treat!
2. Take a dive into your local community pool or pack up the car for a picnic at Buckeye Lake.
3. Eat light. Fruits, salads, and soups are best due to their high water content.
4. Dress in light-weight, light-colored, loose fitting clothing.
5. Take yoga!

Correction

2006-07-17T13:01:00.000-05:00

The Yoga of Sound workshop with Sat Kartar on July 30th is from 10am to 1 pm, not 3 pm as the earlier e-mail stated. Register today by calling 614-265-9642 or go to spiritvoyage.com to purchase tickets online!

Cancellation Notice

2006-07-13T14:45:00.000-05:00

The Music and Movement as Good Medicine workshop tomorrow night has been cancelled! We apologize for any inconvenience. It is rescheduled to occur Friday, September 29th.

Workshops!

2006-07-10T11:19:00.000-05:00

Moving Within: A day long yoga immersion course with Michelle Stobart. This workshop will provide methods for establishing, examining, and transforming a daily practice. It aims to guide and control the fluctuation of thoughts (chitta vritti) into a greater awareness of your inner wisdom and a greater understanding of oneness (yoga).

When: August 19th
Time: 9 am to 5 pm
Cost: $100

Yoga and Your Plus-sized Body: Compassion and Empowerment
While it's true that yoga can lead to weight loss, this workshop will focus on modifying the flow of yoga asana to fit the individual participant, as well as developing the mind-body connection. Instructor Julia McSheffery will help participants learn to listen to their body's needs wile moving gently through a meditative flow of poses. Additionally, participants will learn to connect with the breath, using techniques and asana for stress relief, to build energy, and deepen self-discovery.

When: October 1
Time: 1-3 pm
Cost: $30

Please call 614.265.9642 to register.

2006-07-06T15:18:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Mike Cohen and everyone who made the Yoga to Live Drumming class and potluck this month a success!

The 6-week Intro to Hatha Yoga series starts this Monday, July 10th at 7:30 pm. This class will introduce students to basic postures and alignment as well as various breathing exercises used in yoga. Students will learn will gain a better understanding of their own bodies, including strengths, weaknesses, and limitations. This class is aimed at giving students the basic knowledge and confidence they need to participate in a variety of yoga styles. Cost: $75.

FYI: Due to the Sat Kartar concert on Saturday, there will be no Yoga to Live Drumming class on July 28th. However, Alex's regularly scheduled Friday Vinyasa class will still take place.

Weekend entertainment ideas:
Shakespeare in the Park
3 actors are performing The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged!) Friday-Sunday at 8pm in Schiller Park. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. I attended the show last weekend and had a great time. The performance is witty and packs plenty of laughs. (Read a review) I would suggest bringing a citronella candle, blanket, and some fresh foods to make the evening even more enjoyable.

North Market Food and Ohio Wine Festival
Held Friday-Sunday, this event is sure to tickle everyone's tastebuds! For more information, click here.

Yankee Doodle

2006-07-03T12:28:00.000-05:00

Happy Independence Day! If you're looking for fireworks, parades, and other 4th of July activities, check out the Dispatch for a schedule of local events.

(Balanced Yoga will be closed for the holiday.)

Spice It Up!

2006-06-29T15:04:00.000-05:00

Rhonda Austin will begin teaching a Kundalini yoga class on Mondays from 7:30 to 9 pm starting July 17th. This sytle of yoga "focuses on the controlled release of the Kundalini (serpent power) energy which is found at the base of your spine. The practice involves classic poses, chanting, coordination of breath and movement, and meditation. The emphasis however, is not on the yoga poses, but on the chanting and breathing, which rewards yogis with spiritual transformation and unity consciousness" (info from ABCs of Yoga).

Our studio believes in balance. We like to offer many styles and off-shoots of yoga (everything from Ashtanga and Pilates to meditation and philosophy) in order to give students the chance to balance their practice, to keep their journey fresh and spirited. As they say, "Variety is the spice of life." So go ahead, try something new!

July 5th: Pilates Mat Intensive 6-week course begins. 12-1 pm
July 14th: Music and Movement as Good Medicine Workshop. 7-9:30 pm
July 19th: Evening Pilates Mat Intensive course begins. 7:30-8:30 pm
July 22nd: Capoeira Angola Workshop & Brazilian inspired potluck. 3-5 pm
July 29th: Concert with Sat Kartar; Kirtan with Mike Cohen. 6:30 pm
July 30th: Yoga of Sound Workshop. 10-3 pm

Namaste

2006-06-23T15:35:00.000-05:00

Here's to a weekend of peaceful
adventures.

Busy Bees

2006-06-22T14:07:00.000-05:00

The studio is heating up with activity right now.

The teacher training program is set to begin in September. It will be a 200 hour, year-long program based in the Hatha Yoga tradition. Students will be exposed to other styles including Ashtanga, Anusara, Vinyasa Flow, as well as the meditation, philosophy, and anatomy aspects of a practice. Sessions will be held the first weekend of each month, Friday night through Sunday. The cost is $2775, which includes 2 anatomy workshops with Dianne Kadanaga and a weekend- long workshop with Todd Norian in December. Donna will host 2 general information sessions with those students interested in pursuing the program. The first will be July 19th at 7:30 pm and the second will be held August 16th at 7:30 pm. (You only need to attend one!) More details should be available on our website soon, but please feel free to call or write with any questions!

Another workshop is set for Saturday, July 22nd! Ed Luna will lead a spirited workshop on Capoeira, Angola, a dramatic dance-art-movement tradition from Brazil. You can learn more about Ed and the philosophy/history of Capoeira at TabcatColumbus. The session will be from 3 to 5 pm. Cost is $35. And be sure to join us for a Brazilian-flavored potluck afterwards!

Don't forgt, Lunch Time Yoga starts tomorrow at noon! It's sure to provide the relaxing break you desire in the middle of your day. See you there!

Pilates is Here!

2006-06-19T14:20:00.001-05:00

Rhonda Austin will begin teaching two Pilates Mat Intensive classes at the studio next month. The first will be held every Wednesday from noon to 1 starting July 5th. The second will be held every Wednesday from 7:30 to 8:30pm starting July 19th. Rhonda was certified in The Pilates Method through the Physical Mind Institute in 1999 in New York. She has taught dance and pilates at a variety of places, including: Richland Academnt, OSU-Mansfield, Ballet Met, and The Elizabeth Blackwell Center. Visit her website for more information about her teaching and the Pilates Method.

The Mat Intensive class is designed for those who are new to Pilates and also for those with some experience. Pilates fundamentals and beginner/intermediate mat exercises will be introduced. Emphasis will be placed on proper form, use of breath and whole body awareness. The cost is $65 per six-week session.

Please e-mail Rhonda at pilateswithrhonda@yahoo.com with any questions.

Workshops

2006-06-15T13:40:00.000-05:00

Upcoming workshops:

On July 29 and 30, Balanced Yoga is honored to host a Yoga of Sound Workshop led by world renowned Sat Kartar. She will perform a concert at the studio on the 29th at 7:30 pm. (Mike Cohen, a local Kirtan artist, will open for Sat Kartar at 6:30.) Her music offerings synthesize Eastern and Western influences, but are centered in her life study and practice of Sikh Kirtan, Kundalini, and Naad Yoga. Her unique vocal style ranges from the ethereal mystic space created in her Indian classical raga recordings, to groove-driven, gutsy interpretations of chants, hymns, and stories. The following day, Sat Kartar will lead us in an exploration of Naad Yoga, an ancient study of the sound current that vibrates within us from 10 am to 1 pm. The focus of the course will be to understand the science of chant and the syllabic sounds that create language. This is an amazing event and we are so excited to have her here! Please call for pricing.

Join us for Music and Movement as Good Medicine Friday, July 14 from 7 to 9:30 pm. This exciting and evocative experiential workshop will invite us on a journey --- a journey into our body with the breath, centering movement and sound. From this ground, we’ll open our hearts to the prayerful and ecstatic practice of kirtan, touching the Divine. Facilitators include Cheryl Rapose, Mike Cohen, and Judy Fasone. Cost: $30.

Other upcoming workshop facilitators include Michelle Stobart, Dianne Kadonaga, Tripsichore, and Todd Norian. Check back for details!

Tyler is leaving for Mali to spend 2 years of service in the Peace Corp. We'll miss seeing his friendly face in classes and at the front desk on Thursday nights! But we're excited to welcome Meghan to the studio. She'll be taking over Tyler's shift; so be sure to say hello!

Got Yoga?

2006-06-13T14:49:00.000-05:00

Have mountain, will climb.

Spend Friday nights from 5 to 7:30 working the front desk and you'll receive 2 free classes a week! If interested, see Michelle or Donna for details.

Theatrical Yoga

2006-06-12T15:31:00.000-05:00

Summer is just around the corner. The sidewalks are bristling with heat, the public pools are bursting with kids, and our yogis are practicing with enthusiasm. The atmosphere in the studio is warm and inviting with plenty of plants, sunlight, and spirals adding to the natural energy of the classes.

In between your summer travels and visits to the local ice creamery, be sure to check out our schedule. Donna is busy as always setting up some exciting workshops for the summer and we have a couple of new classes starting up: Lunch Time Yoga from 12 to 1 on Friday afternoons (begins 6/23) and Ashtanga Modified Primary from 7:30 to 9 on Tuesday evenings (began 5/23).

If you're looking for a neat dive into the powerfully beautiful world of yoga theatre, be sure to check out Tripsichore.