Some more (belated) yoga humor

Namaste Peeps

honoring the peep in all things

(thanks Catherine)

Spring schedules

A number of studios in town have posted new schedules for Spring on their websites. Here they are in one place. Happy yogaing:

• Yoga Center of Minneapolis - Downtown
• Yoga Center of Minneapolis - St. Louis Park
• Yoga House
• One Yoga
  
• Art of Yoga (Catherine Johnson Justice)
• CorePower Yoga - new Edina location
  

Holy S%#t!!!

I have wanted to do a headstand for soooo long. I just haven't been able to get up. I've taken private yoga lessons to learn. I've studied the instructions in numerous yoga manuals. I've gone to the chiropractor several times after trying at home. I've listed my desire to stand on my head as my status on Facebook for goodness sake. But is just wasn't happening for me. Until last night!
The time was approximately 7pm. I was in Ryan Kelly's vinyasa class at the Yoga Center. She had us go to the wall and try an inversion of our choice. I asked for her help kicking up into handstand. I made one pathetic attempt at it and then told her, "nevermind... I am too scared." She asked me to set up headstand instead: forearms on the mat, hips high, walk in. And then somehow it all just clicked. Without her help, my legs went up and I was on my head. And it was easy. I exclaimed: "HOLY SH-T!" Everyone laughed. It was a joyous moment. I am so happy. It is a huge deal. Yeah for me.

Kickin it old school

Sri Tirumala Krishnamacharya (1888-1989) is considered the grandfather of modern yoga. His students include many of today’s most influential teachers: Sri BKS Iyengar, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, the late Indra Devi and Krishnamacharya’s own sons T.K.V. Desikachar and T.K. Sribhashyam. Krishnamacharya “believed Yoga to be India’s greatest gift to the world.” It is said that his greatest strength was the ability to take “the ancient teaching of Yoga and Indian philosophy” and combine them within a modern day framework. By doing this he was able to revive the practice of yoga in a manner that is as “accurate and powerful” as it is “practical and relevant”.

Thanks to the wonders of YouTube, we are now able to see Krishnamacharya in action. It really is amazing to see all the accoutrements of modern day yoga stripped away (no fancy mats, no aesthetically pleasing studio, no cute outfits unless you are into loin cloths). You can see the asanas and pranayama techniques in their purest form. Watching this video really says something about how far we’ve come. We either need to give some serious props to the marketing skills of guys like Iyengar and Jois who brought Yoga to the West, or acknowledge that there really is a growing consciousness in the world. I like to think it is the latter! Take a few minutes today to check out where all this Yoga stuff came from. Namaste.

Remember to sign up: Judith Lasater

REMINDER: April 5-6, 2008 - Yoga Center of Minneapolis
Judith Hanson Lasater: teaches yoga and trains yoga teachers in kinesiology, yoga therapeutics, and the Yoga Sutra in the San Francisco Bay Area. She holds a doctorate in East-West psychology and is a physical therapist. She was originally trained by B.K.S Iyengar (meaning she has a super technical practice) and is THE source for Restorative Yoga. On April 5 she will be conducting a teacher training focused on the Sacroiliac Joint (bottom of the spine) and on April 6 she will hold a Living Your Yoga Workshop which will include some of her restorative work. This is not to be missed!

Open House this Friday

The Yoga Center of Minneapolis is hosting an open house this Friday at its downtown Minneapolis location. The evening will include free sample classes, consultations to help you find the right class, Thai Yoga Bodywork mini-sessions, and a raffle to win class passes, yoga mats, private lessons, and more. This is a great way to learn about all that the Yoga Center has to offer. It is also a wonderful opportunity to introduce family and friends to the world of yoga.

Detox

Spring is a great time to detoxify and start anew. Here are some resources to get you started:

• The Yoga Journal recently published a great article on Ayurvedic prescriptions for springtime health. The article will guide you through appropriate herbs, asanas, pranayama (breath work), and diet choices to help you cleanse all the toxins that were built up over the winter.

• On April 19, local yoga instructor Amy Patee is offering a workshop on yoga breath and cleansing. Join Amy at the Yoga Center of Minneapolis to learn the most potent ways to cleanse the body and maintain optimal health. Amy is extremely knowledgeable about the technical and spiritual aspects of yoga, so this promises to be a great session.
• Acupuncturist Jennifer Johnson and yoga instructor Jennifer Gray are hosting a 5 day spring detox program, March 31 - April 4, at the Yoga Center of Minneapolis (SLP studio). Participants will reap the benefits of yoga, Chinese medicine, herbs, and whole foods to to help cleanse the body, mind and soul.
• On May 10, Betsy Ricker will be offering a class at the Minneapolis Yoga Workshop focused on yoga and Ayruveda for spring detoxification. Using the principles of Ayruveda, the workshop will explore various springtime rejuvenation practices, yoga postures, and herbs and food as medicine.
  

It is Spring!!!!

Words cannot describe how happy I am to say that it is Spring. Sure, it is supposed to snow again this weekend, but this particular Spring has been a long time coming. I am already starting to dream about my garden, flip flops, and Be Present yoga pants as my daily uniform. Yippee! Welcome to you Spring. We're glad to have you.

Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.

- Doug Larson

Great props - Hugger Mugger

I'm not afraid to say it: local yoga studio, TarNa, has great props. They are all made by Hugger Mugger and are by far the nicest props I've encountered. All are available online.

Use these sandbags on your thighs or across your shoulders to deepen Supta Baddha Konasana.



Hugger Mugger bolsters are a really nice shape. They are rounded on the sides, but flat on the top and bottom. And they are perfectly firm. These are great for a variety of restorative poses or under your knees during corpse pose.


These cork blocks are awesome. They are really sturdy, but not too heavy. And the cork texture feels really nice in your hands. You will definitely master half moon with the help of these blocks.

Awesome! The Universe!

A friend recently turned me on to an awesome new Google application - Google Sky. Just like with Google Earth, you get an aerial view... but this time of the UNIVERSE! You can see all kinds of star formations from the Hubble telescope, check out where people have walked on the moon, look at the surface of Mars, and get a feel for the "bigger scheme of things". It is pretty freakin' amazing. Wow!

What it's all about...

I wrote the following post about a year ago on my MySpace page and found it interesting to revisit today. Matthew Sanford is a Minnesota resident who founded the yoga studio and nonprofit, Mind-Body Solutions. Hearing him speak last spring was truly the moment that all of this yoga stuff came together for me. He helped me "get it."
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May 31, 2007

As I grow older and more cynical, it gets harder and harder to impress me. Despite this attitude I've developed, I have to say that I was recently blown away by a certain individual: Matthew Sanford. Mr. Sanford was the keynote speaker at the yoga conference I recently attended. I went to his session just to fill some time during a three hour lull in the programming. I left with goose bumps a new appreciation for life, yoga, and the power of the human spirit.

Mr. Sanford, who happens to be from Minnesota, was thirteen when he was in a tragic car accident in Iowa. His sister and father were killed in the crash and he woke to find himself paralyzed from the chest down. He spent the next dozen years learning to cope with his disability and to essentially forget the rest of his body. The traditional medical establishment told him that his body was dead --- the only reason he should keep his body intact (and not amputate his now "useless" legs) was to provide balance when he sat in a wheel chair. Quite a load to bear, wouldn't you say?

At some point in his early twenties, Mr. Sanford attended a yoga class. Seems silly right? How can someone do yoga postures (asanas) with just their head, neck, and arms? It doesn't work that way. But his partnership with an open-minded and dedicated yoga teacher allowed him to develop a powerful practice. He is now a yoga teacher himself at the Courage Center.

What do we learn from his story? For one, we learn to challenge the status quo. We learn to recreate what is possible. We learn tenacity. We learn hope.

But even bigger than all of that, we learn about the power of the life force that is in all of us and binds us all together. All of our bodies are limited in some way. We practice yoga postures (and the rest of what yoga means) to open up and align our bodies, minds, and spirits so that the energy can flow and we can be present. Sure, Mr. Sanford got a raw deal when it comes to his earthly body. But his life force is still there and yoga opened up the possibility for it to flow again. That is powerful. Mr. Sanford's story finally brought together for me what this journey I'm on is all about.

You ought to check out his book, Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence. It is definitely on my summer reading list. Peace.

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Ropes

In the Iyengar yoga tradition, props, including wall ropes, are used to enhance and intensify asana practice. It is said that the use of wall ropes opens up the body and helps balance one’s energy. I have not personally tried wall ropes before, but admit to being curious. The Minneapolis Yoga Workshop, an Iyengar studio in southeast Minneapolis, is offering a workshop on May 17 to teach us how these mysterious ropes work. The workshop will explore a variety of techniques in the use of wall ropes. They ask that you have at least six months experience in Iyengar yoga, but I am sure that anyone with a somewhat developed yoga practice could give it shot. I may just see you there.

Morcheeba is coming!

Morcheeba is a total go-to band for me. Their down tempo yet funky music is perfect for a dinner party soundtrack and they can always be counted on for a chill vibe when practicing yoga at home. I don't have their new album yet, but am excited to see them on April 2 at First Avenue. Check it out.

Unique Opportunity (annual Ruth Stricker Lecture)

The Center for Spirituality and Healing is an exciting part of the University of Minnesota’s Academic Health Center (med school, nursing, physical therapy, etc.). It is their mission to draw on the diverse expertise of University faculty and community practitioners to integrate complementary and alternative healing practices into traditional health care. They conduct academic research, train individuals in alternative healing modalities like Reiki, yoga, and Chinese medicine, and advocate for integrative services in the health care industry. Each year they host a major lecture on the mind-body connection that is open to the public. This year’s lecture is really exciting.

Matthieu Ricard, a French born Tibetan Buddhist monk, scientist, and author who happens to be the Dali Lama’s French translator is coming to the Mayo Auditorium at the U to talk about happiness. According to the promotional materials, Ricard will draw on fiction and poetry, contemporary western philosophy, Buddhist thought, current psychological and scientific research, as well as personal experience, to weave an inspirational and forward looking account of how we can begin to rethink our realities in a fast-moving modern world. Call now to reserve your spot.

Annual Ruth Stricker Lecture April 18, 3:00 pm
Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: Cultivating Inner Conditions for Genuine Happiness with Matthieu Ricard
Call 612-624-9459 to register

Necklaces (they're pretty)

I am a sucker for a cute necklace. Here's a roundup of some pretty yoga-inspired ones for you to check out. All are made by independent designers and available on Etsy.

(1) Mama Om hand-hammered pendant by panicmama

(2) Makamoe - Oxidized Thai Karen silver lotus charm necklace by KahiliCreations

(3) Namaste by plainvanilla

(4) Yoga Karma Lotus Necklace 18K Vermeil and 14K GFchain by kiskastyle

(5) Gold Ohm by murmur

(6) Yoga Charm by amieking

Come On Spring!

Vernal Equinox is March 20! The days are lengthening! The sun is getting warmer! The snow will finally melt! Here’s some ways to celebrate:

Equinox Chant, Drum, & Dance
March 15, 6:00 – 8:00 pm, ONE Yoga, $20
Two hours of chanting, drumming and dancing to celebrate the Equinox. All ages and levels of experience welcome. Handouts provided.

March Towards Equinox
March 15, 1:00 - 4:00 pm, $45, Good Life Yoga
Enjoy this windy, wild time of year at a workshop offering balance poses, hip openers, and twists.

Spring Equinox Restorative
March 22, 3:30 – 5:30 pm, Yoga Center of Minneapolis – Downtown, $30
Transition from winter into the freshness and new budding of springtime. The practice will be a combination of yin poses (deep stretches focused on releasing the connective tissue and joints), restorative poses supported with props, and pranayama (breath exercise).

Equinox Celebration: 108 Sun Salutations (yoga mala)
March 22, 1:00 – 2:15 pm, ONE Yoga, $17
The group will complete 108 sun salutations to honor the sacred cycles of the seasons. It is said that 108 salutes creates a deeply meditative state of being and a connection to the peace of the present moment. Be sure to pre-register.

Good times - roller derby!

So it's not "yoga", but every yogi(ni) needs to have a rip roaring good time every once in a while. I give a big stamp of approval to the Minnesota Rollergirls. Just be warned... you may violate a couple of yamas/niyamas somewhere along the way...
Every month or so, thousands of people (hipsters, kids, average Minnesotans), gather together at Roy Wilkins Auditorium to cheer on some bad-ass ladies in fishnet stockings, glitter helmets, and rollerskates. These ladies are true athletes. And there is a full bar and polka during half time. What else do you want from your Saturday night?! We are totally sitting track-side! See you there.

Saturday, March 8
6:30pm doors, 7:30pm bout
Atomic Bombshells vs. Dagger Dolls & Garda Belts vs. Rockits
Featuring half-time entertainment by Dance Band. Pre-show by the Irish dance group Rince Na Chroi.

Chakras

The chakras are energy centers in our bodies aligned in an ascending column from the base of the spine to the top of the head. They are thought integrate our physical, emotional and mental nature. In many traditions they are visualized as lotuses of differing colors with a different number of petals on each chakra. If you ever wanted to know more about your chakras, take advantage of this exciting series at the Yoga Center of Minneapolis where Tanya Boigenzahn will explore one chakra a month. You will learn about yoga asana, pranayama, meditation, mudra, kriya and more to help get these energy centers balanced and feeling great. You do not need to take the workshops in order. Each workshop is $30.

2008:
March 9: Root Chakra - Get Grounded
TBD: Sacral Chakra - The Pleasure Center
September: Solar Plexus Chakra - Inner Power, Outer Strength
TBD: Heart Chakra - Spread the Love
TBD: Throat Chakra - Speak Your Truth
2009:
January: Brow Chakra - Spark Your Intuition
February: Crown Chakra - Get Connected

Fighting the “Shepna Syndrome”

Walking down the road towards enlightenment / contentedness / Oneness with the Divine is an ever evolving experience. Sometimes it is a breeze and fits like a glove. A lot of the time it feels hard and unpleasant and the last thing in the world you want to do. Sometimes you conveniently forget you are even on the path. But at the end of the day, once you start, you just can’t stop. Once you’ve glimpsed the light that really does exist in and among us, you can’t turn back.

As I walk this path, I struggle daily with the negative chatter in my head telling me I’m not good enough or that those around me aren’t either. But these negative thoughts and words are my way of blocking myself from reaching something deeper. They are what Pema Chodron, an ordained Buddhist nun in the Tibetan vajrayana tradition, calls my “shepnas.” They are my bad habits, my addictions that I do to over and over again for some type of short term relief. It is Chodron’s contention that first and foremost we must recognize our own shepnas. It is only when we SEE these attachments and feel how they are limiting out potential that we can choose to refrain from going there, relax into our true selves again, and resolve to keep working at it. I think there are some great lessons here about the practice of asana, meditation, and life in general. Take 15 minutes today to read Chodron's talk on this topic: The Shepna Syndrome - Learning to Stay ( Berkeley Shambhala Center, September 2002). Namaste.

Yoga Mats

A yoga mat is like your home away from home. It is YOUR space - a sanctuary that you can bring with you wherever you go. There are many different options when it comes to a good mat. It’s more than just choosing a cute color. You need to think about your desired weight, length, stickiness, and if you want it to be kind to the earth. It’s a big decision! So here’s a round-up of some mat options. Let me know your favorites:

Manduka Black Mat: the ultimate yoga mat. It gives you a firm foundation and provides all the cushioning you need for your practice. It is super heavy so you might want to consider this for your home practice. Also, it is a little pricey, but deals can be found on Amazon.

Manduka Eko Mat: from the makers of the famous Black Mat, an eco-friendly alternative.



Prana E.C.O Stickey Mat: an eco-friendly mat with a textured surface and natural anti-slip properties.



Barefoot Yoga Sticky Mat: a classic non-slip surface for your practice. It is lightweight and durable and can be rolled or folded for use in poses.


Plank Yoga Mats: a truly a unique (and eco-friendly) mat option. Choose from Snake in the Grass, Pills Broken on a Bathroom Floor, Plank (like a piece of wood), or Hand Prints in Shag Rug.


Leopard-Print Yoga Mat: really. Leopard print!. An ode to Catherine. For that unique someone special in your life.


Gaiam Earth Meets Sky Yoga Mat: it's just cute. I am a big fan of baby blue and chocolate brown!




Hugger Mugger Earth Elements Mat: one of the first earth friendly mats on the market. They are not made with yucky chemicals and they have the same anti-slip properties as the original Hugger Mugger mats.


Hugger Mugger Cotton Yoga Mat: a great choice for restorative yoga.


Eco Yoga Mats: made of jute and natural rubber, both renewable resources. Plus, the materials are fairly traded.

Yoga and weight loss

We can all relate. It has been a cold dark winter and it is just oh so tempting to get home from work, put on your PJ’s (yes- cute yoga sweatpants are really just pajamas), pop in a pizza, and spend the night in front of the television. The result is that one ends up feeling a little… shall we say… husky …this time of year. So with spring around the corner, and dare I say it, swimsuit season around the bend, the time has come to get motivated again. And apparently yoga really can help! So get off that couch, roll out your mat, and get your Om on.

Read more here: Study suggests overweight people may benefit most from yoga's fat-fighting potential