After an invigorating Kundalini class with Gurmukh at the Golden Bridge in Hollywood, I stop by the Dragon Herbs store inside the yoga studio and sidle up to the Elixir bar for a tonic pick-me-up. The barrista on call asks a few questions about my practice and when I explain that a 11-minute Kriya that included lots of breath-of-fire posed an understandable challenge; she offers me a hot golden-colored brew with an earthy aroma and a sweet taste.
The elixir, called Tibetan Magic, contains Rhodiola Sacra, a sacred Tibetan herb revered by monks for it’s capacity to increase spiritual power, and known among herbalists as an energizer that increases blood circulation, oxygen and supports the immune system.
The whole world of elixirs is big. Just looking at the variety that line the shelves at Dragon Herbs is a bit overwhelming. It's part art, part science and even a little about spirit. But my friend Neka Pasquale, a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and acupuncturist in the Bay Area demystifies the subject when she explains there are classic formulations, or standard remedies, have been used for 1000s of years, for purposes like enhancing kidney function or balancing reproductive hormones and that there also ways to formulate custom blends to treat individual conditions.
But ultimately, in her view, an elixir is anything that's soothing and healing. "Juicing for an energy boost, making a fresh ginger tea to calm an upset stomach, those things are elixirs too," she says. "Even making soups and adding herbs like burdock root and dong quai makes it more than a meal, it's like a medicine too."
With that in mind, I make almond milk -- something to ground my vata constitution -- and as I soak the almonds and then peel off the skins one by one, it becomes a mindful meditation where I slow down and take the time to make something nourishing for my body and my soul. How about you? Any elixirs that you've found to boost your practice or your health?
I'm not a morning person. I can get up on my own by 8 or so, but when the alarm goes off earlier than that, I always gaze at it with the same look of surprise. (Again? Really?) I've never met a snooze button I didn't like.
At the same time, I know that most yogic texts and teachers agree that it's good to practice in the morning. And now that we're in the full swing of summer (meaning: more light and warmth), it's a little easier to get up earlier. If you like the idea of rising with the sun, check out Jamie Lindsay's sunrise classes at James Howell Studio, Mondays-Thursdays from 6-8am. (You can leave before the end of class if you need to.)
Jamie's Kundalini Vinyasa Flow Yoga classes focus on concentration and energy balancing.They begin with the Dance of Shiva (an intricate mind-body practice created by Andrey Lappa), and include a comprehensive asana practice, purification practices, pranayama, and meditation.
Jamie is a huge proponent of practicing in the morning. Here's what he says about it:
* practicing in the morning is akin to preventative medicine, while practicing at the end of the day is like treating ourselves after we are already ill (i.e. tired, stressed, or sore from a full day's work)
* the world is quieter at sunrise, so getting in touch with the energetic body is easier
* the mind is at its quietest, which makes meditation easier and more spontaneous
If you want to practice in the morning, but have a codependent relationship with your snooze button (like I do), Jamie offers the following tips.
• Go to bed earlier. Plain and simple.
• Change your schedule in one fell swoop. Don't practice some mornings and some evenings; it's better for your body to have consistency in your practice, and it's easier to get up early if you do it every day.
• Don't eat after dark. This gives you enough time to digest before your new earlier bedtime.
Jamie's classes build on each other, but if you can't go to all of them, check out his blog, on which he posts that day's sequences so that you can practice them at home.
Do you practice in the morning or evening? Do you notice a difference between the two? Comment below and let us know!
Seeing that I’m up in the Berkshires right now doing yoga, chanting, drumming, and dancing at Kripalu (yay), I thought I’d feature a guest this week, yoga instructor Carla Dharani Ardito. She’s teaching a pranayama (yogic breathing) workshop at Integral Thursday night, and I asked her to write a little breathing exercise for the sticky summer subway—the spot that’s often the ultimate test of my alleged compassion and patience.
Here’s Carla:
“First, place both feet on the floor (if your legs are too short, then toes gently pressing on the ground will suffice). Close and relax your eyes, soften your tongue, sense your body sitting, and feel yourself upright yet soft. Ease your back into the curved subway seat. Scan the body and let go of all the muscles in the body not involved in sitting up and your internal organs—especially the heart and the brain.
Now feel your belly moving gently in and out as you inhale and exhale. If you do not sense this movement at first, continue to work on releasing and softening the entire body. Eventually you’ll sense this subtle movement. Imagine a sleeping baby’s belly moving up and down, smoothly and evenly.
Once you are calm and centered, send those feelings out to the entire subway car.
You may notice a change in the environment brought about by your yogic ability to center yourself and bring forth the peace that is truly at the center of every human being.
The NYC subway is no rival for the power of a peaceful warrior.”
What happens when a chef classically trained in Italian, French and Japanese cuisine decides to also become a Kushi Institute certified Macrobiotic chef? You get M Cafe de Chaya which, is one of my favorite destinations. And with their new Culver City location, there's yet another excuse to indulge in Chef Shigefumi Tachibe's creations like the M Chopped salad (romaine with herb baked tofu, almonds, avocado, ume-picked radishes, tempeh bacon) or the wild salmon teriyaki rice bowl.
There are also bento boxes, macro burgers and a wide variety of vegetarian sushi, scarlet quinoa, kale with spicy peanut sauce and so much more. Oh and did I mention a whole slew of vegan baked goods. Chocolate cupcake anyone?
I interviewed Chef Tachibe recently for an article about rice that appears in this month's issue of Yoga Journal and he explained that he developed this cuisine specifically because it's what he wanted to eat. He's certainly filling a void because the place is always packed.
He also passed on his secret for perfectly cooked rice. He uses organic brown rice because the intact bran layer, which makes it brown, contains b vitamins, fiber and immune boosting antioxidants such as selenium and manganese. His trick: soak the rice at least five hours, put in your rice cooker, add salt and let the steaming begin. "This makes it moist and sticky and the salt helps bring out the flavor." I've tried the technique it produces an aromatic and perfectly textured bowl.
Anyone who's ever tired to eat the Macrobiotic way knows it's a labor intensive feat so it's certainly a luxury to have a chef close by who prepares healthy, delicious food and all you have to do is remember to chew mindfully and savor every bite.
For several years, I listened to yoga teachers tell me where my problems were. Ego was a problem. Desire: also a big problem. And Mind, well, don't get me started on Mind. If my life was a train wreck, Mind was the track it was on. As a writer and academic, this view of mind being "bad" tortured me. Was I really going to have to discount this large part of me if I wanted to continue on my yogic path?
Then, last year, I did the Samavesha course at Yoga Tree (a multidisciplinary introduction to Tantrik yoga). Here, the Tantrik scholars said that things like ego, desire, and, even mind could be vehicles—as opposed to obstacles—to one's highest self. Wow. That made so much sense. Some of my deepest connections with the divine have come through things of the mind, particularly words. Stories, poems, philosophy, Bob Dylan song lyrics. I felt like I could really get down with this Tantra stuff.
Since then, my practice has really opened up to include everything: mind, body, emotions, scholarly interests, and cravings for Nutella. (Should I be admitting that here?) So, I was very excited when I found out that one of the Samavesha scholars, Christopher Tompkins, is doing a 16-week Wednesday night series at Rudramandir on the 2,500 year history of yoga, with a special emphasis on the role of Tantra. I went to the first class this past week.
I love listening to Chris talk, because he is so passionate about darshana (yogic philosophy) and truly believes that one cannot leave the mind out of the path to transformation. He says that darshana and sadhana (practice) are inextricably linked like heat and fire, and that words, themselves, can bring one to experience divinity. I love that!
Tompkins, who is a founder of The Foundation for Yoga, and is currently doing a Ph.D. on the Tantrik Origins of Yoga at UC Berkeley (where he also teaches), knows his stuff. The class at Rudramandir is mainly lecture with some practice, and will cover everything from the Upanishads to the Sutras, culminating in a five-week series on the essence of Tantrik Yoga. It's donation-based, and open to anyone on a drop-in basis.
So last night I made my second pilgrimage (if midtown counts) to see Amma, the Indian hugging saint. She's still in town today and tonight into the wee hours. Check here for info.
Yesterday was an incredibly long, stressful, hair-tearing, forgetting-to-breathe sort of day. But then I had therapy, where I was reminded about stillness and love and a quiet mind. And then around 9pm, I hoofed it to the hottest spiritual event in town right now: Amma, hugging equally stressed, tired, sweaty, seeking New Yorkers.
This time for me was different. There was the similar thronging, swaying mass during Amma's singing and chanting. And lots of folks with yoga mats slung over their shoulders. The pain in people's faces seemed much plainer than it does on the subways. Not sure if it was my filter or if in her presence our harried people set down a veil or two.
After the singing, I watched Amma pet a man in a wheel chair with a breathing tube. He was dapperly dressed, probably almost fully paralyzed, and she ran her hand over his forehead, petted his arms, smoothed his leg, with such mounting joy and caring. I watched his eyes close and his body relax.
Soon it was my turn. Last time was sweet and short. This time, she beamed at me and held me close whispering into my left ear over and over what sounded like "Madonna." I felt like I was swaying and dreaming on some other plane that was soft and distant. She let me go, smiled her round, nose-ringed smile and pulled me back in, murmuring the same chant. She placed an apple, a Hershey's kiss and a red rose petal shaped like a heart into my hand and off I went.
As I sat in my post-huggal bliss stew, I listened to recorded lectures by her over the loudspeakers. I was able to hear her better, receive her message about compassion; how if we have a hard time loving people, we can start with inanimate objects; how our indifference is even harming the honeybees. She said she prays that the chatter of gunfire will be replaced with the chirps of birds. Love, love, love. I started to get it, like rain on a roof. Love, love, love.
It wasn't until talking to someone later that I realized "Madonna" was probably "my daughter"—but I still like the idea that both Mother Mary and the Material Girl are now mingling in my soul with Amma.
You can get your own dose today, tonight, or take a roadtrip as she continues her tour.
Sorry guys, it's ladies night at City Yoga Tuesday, July 8th from 7:30-9:30. Rebecca Benenati is teaching a FREE deep, butt-kicking class to help open the heart for some discussion and contemplation -- female style.
Which got me thinking, it might be nice to list some of the other women's only classes (excluding pre and post natal).
YogaWest
Women for Women
9:30 a.m.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
Guru Jagat Kaur teaches an envigorating Kundalini women's class where you're likely to dance, which is never a bad thing.
Goldenbridge
Women's Kundalini Yoga and Meditation
10:30-12:15
Wednesday
Gurmukh is a master at the Ladies' only genre and you're certain to leave with pearls of wisdom and mind-clearing peace.
If I've missed any, please let me know and feel free to weigh in on whether or not the ladies-only model works for you.
On another note, City Search just released their reader selected choices of the 10 best yoga studios in L.A. Seems to be stacked with the usual suspects so I'm curious to know how they compare to your own assessement of the best Yoga in L.A.
For those weekends not spent in a bucolic summer wonderland you can add a new activity to your agenda: yoga in McCarren Park pool (pictured, right, when not filled with yogis).
Partially sponsored by The L magazine (that lil pocket-sized mag in the orange bins) and Yoga Works, on July 12th & 26th and August 9th and 23rd from 10am to 3pm, there will be workshops, a "wellness marketplace" and yoga classes in that giant cement (non-water-filled) pool next to McCarren Park in Williamsburg. Classes include Jhon T's Atmananda sequence, Big Apple power yoga (which a friend of mine loves and I need to try), and Punk Rock yoga. Integral Yoga will be offering chanting workshops and Yoga Works is hosting a bunch of intro yoga classes for beginners.
You'll need to bring your own mat or towel (make it a cushy one) and there's a suggested $5 donation.
As city creatures, we're all quite used to practicing yoga in climate-controlled rooms that are off limits to bugs (and sometimes don't even have windows). It could be pouring outside, or even snowing for that matter—we'd still be oblivious to it all as we do downward dog on dry mats and meditate under a sort of fluorescent mood lighting that fluctuates depending on how one operates the dimmer switch. And yet there is something about yoga that just screams (or maybe chants?) nature. So what to do?
If you're a yogi who wants to get in touch with nature this summer, don't settle for another yoga retreat to a "rustic" cabin, complete with a hot tub, spa, and fancy food. (Though that kind of retreat is sometimes necessary.) Instead, dig up your trusty sleeping bag and favorite backpack, and set out on a trail to the Gold Lakes Basin in the Northern Sierras with yoga teacher Elizabeth Rosser and wilderness expert Aaron Jessup.
Being outside is such an important part of being connected to the human spirit, and we are so deprived of that connection in our daily lives! The backpacking yoga trip goes from July 26-31, and includes a night at the Sierra Hot Springs. There's hiking and yoga every day, and some swimming, too. All you need is your own basic camping equipment (tent, pack, and sleeping bag).
This sounds so cool to me. I love doing yoga in nature. My three favorite places have all been waterfalls: in Mexico, northern Thailand, and South Africa (that's where I am in the pic).
What about you? Have you done yoga out in any beautiful natural places? Do you know of any other summer opportunities to do yoga in the great outdoors? Write in and tell us about it!
My library is filled with books I've picked up at garage sales, thrift shops and used book stores because I love finding rare, out-of-print editions.
Of course, I have a yoga section and over the years some of my favorite finds are Yoga for Americans originally published in 1948 by Indra Devi (one of the first female yoga teachers, who was a student of Krishnamacharya and had a celebrity following among starlets like Gloria Swanson) and Swami Vishnu-devananda'sThe Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga from 1959 which is a yoga primer from the Swami Sivananda lineage.
And one of the best places to find books is the Bodhi Tree Used Book Annex, right behind The Bodhi Tree bookstore, which has been a metaphysical mecca here in Los Angeles since 1970, with readings, events, free tea and a wide selection of books and a knowledgeable sales team.
The used shop is jam-packed with books at a fraction of the new price and while books in the yoga section seem to go fast, the cookbook section never seems to disappoint. Most of the titles are vegetarian and the selection is satsifying for all palettes -- everything from Deborah Madison, to the Moosewood series, Tassajara, Madhur Jaffrey, and vegan choices abound.
I refer to these books often, as reference, as entertainment and of course, to cook. I wonder: any books that have particular significance in your library?
I was never taught to cook. My parents are great, but their favorite room was certainly not the kitchen. And it never became mine.
This is an embarrassing thing to admit in a room full of ayurvedic yogis who buy organic produce every week from the local market and spend hours sautéing and braising and heaven-knows-what until they wind up with incredibly tasty dishes fit for vegetarian royalty. But not me. I try—don't get me wrong. I buy the veggies. I own the wok. I throw the veggies into the wok. But fit for royalty? I don't think so.
So, when I saw that the San Francisco YOGASTUDIO was doing an ayurvedic cooking course, I jumped on it.
It was a blast. The teachers are Jeremy Moran (above right), a yoga teacher and chef, and Abbie Scianamblo (below left), a cerified ayurvedic practitioner who owns an organic olive oil company. Jeremy leads the cooking lesson (we cooked three courses together) and Abbie talks about ayurveda and how certain foods can either pacify or aggravate the various doshas.
The class took place in this lovely apartment that is upstairs from the studio. It has a huge dining room, and nice-sized kitchen, where we each had our own cutting board and chopped and chatted around a long prepping station set up in the center of the room. (There's me, below, chopping a lovely seasonal nectarine.)
We started with a fruit salad, moved onto a quinoa version of kichari with avocado mousse, and finished with an artichoke heart salad. What I loved most about the class was that we actually got to prepare food, and then eat what we had prepared. Jeremy taught us some very useful knife techniques, and had us do everything from removing the hearts from the artichokes (very hard work!) to plating (arranging food decoratively before serving it).
During dinner, Abbie spoke about food sadhana and how to practice eating yogically. She says that 75 percent of ayurveda is not what you eat but when and how you eat it. I love getting more in touch with what I put into my body, so this class was great. And the good news is that this course happens several times a year, so if you missed this one, you can sign up for the next one. Anyone out there have any thoughts about food, eating, and yoga?
Brooklyn-based multi-media artist and yogi Shana Dressler is removing obstacles all the time. Right now she has the help of the subject of her latest photo exhibition, website, and book--Ganesh, the Hindu deity who blasts barriers. All those elements are part of Discovering Ganesh, a sweeping, ongoing project produced by her company, Swimming Elephant Productions.
Her outrageously beautiful photos of Ganesh show the elephant in many guises--from a sign selling cell phones to glorious temples. Most were taken at the Ganesh Chaturthi, a 10-day festival in India of epic proportions.
To catch a pre-glimpse of her exhibit, Discovering Ganesh, before it goes on tour in September 2009, check out her fundraiser this Thursday, June 26.
Discovering Ganesh's mission is not only to celebrate Indian art and spirituality, but to support an organization called Scojo Foundation that gives rural Indians access to affordable eyeglasses. This might sound like a small obstacle, but it's not: "For India's working poor who work with their hands--embroiderers, weavers, tailors, mechanics and barbers--the loss of sight means the loss of their jobs and income for their families," writes Shana.
The event will also be filled with goodies--they'll feed you yummy vegetarian appetizers, mango cheesecake, and "crystal-infused," alcohol-free drinks. And you'll be able to enter raffles for things like gift certificates at East West, The Chopra Center, a 2008 Yoga Passbook, a Thai bodywork session and more. You'll also get to groove to "Indie-Hindi songstress" Falu. Yoga studios throughout the city are involved and helping out.
When: Thursday June 26, from 6:30 to 8:30 Where: East West Living @ 78 Fifth Avenue (at 14th Street), 2nd floor, Buzzer #2 Cost: By donation (suggested donation: $50) More info and to sign up:discoveringganesh.com/scojofundraiser
It was incredible to see so many people doing yoga in the middle of Times Square during the solstice yoga event. The first class had more than 350 people, with the rest in the 100-200 range. That's huge. Though lots of people signed up ahead, some joined right off the street--you could tell by their non-yoga outfits of dresses or chinos.
As guest speaker at the event, I gave the same talk three times (which I've posted after the jump, below). And people seemed to actually listen, which was cool and great fun.
Before my last talk of the day, the military recruiting station dead ahead of me started displaying giant video of swooping fighter jets and glamorized war scenes--behind the savasana-prone students. The anger I began to feel actually helped quell my nervousness and fuel me; I thought, Man, we need this. We need movement and spirit and love so badly, as counter to exactly THAT.
Many thanks to Gary and the Times Square Alliance, the yoga studios, sponsors (including Yoga Journal), and everyone else who made the day so smooth and organized and successful.
As requested by some lovely folks, here's the text of my speech/essay/guided meditation:
Kimberly Fowler has built a business on her no-nonsense approach to yoga specifically designed for athletes, who may not be interested in the spiritual side of the practice. She is the Yoga Nike spokesperson and her YAS studio -- which teaches a hybrid of yoga and spinning -- is a bustling hub in Venice.
So when I recently got a copy of her DVD Yoga for Athletes, which boasts "No Chanting. No Granola. No Sanskrit", I was skeptical. Didn't think it was my thing. But then I popped the sucker into my MAC and discovered a well-sequenced, well-considered and challenging class that focused on areas crucial to athletic performance -- the hips, the hamstrings, the core and the upper body. It was an efficient, tightly crafted hour and a great way to mix up my already eclectic practice.
Then another Fowler DVD arrived and this one was called Overcoming Obstacles: The Secret to Success. Again with a skeptical eye (oh no, not another wanna-be guru), I popped in the disc and learned that Fowler is someone who has overcome a myriad of obstacles -- poverty, alcoholic parents (and a dad who died homeless), a miraculous recovery from a harrowing climbing accident and brain cancer.
Even though Fowler claims she's more interested in the physical than the spiritual aspects of yoga, I think the focus, determination and self-awareness she touts are very yogic indeed. And like she says, "I'm not your guru...you are. "
Here's a clip from the DVD for your consideration. Curious to know your thoughts.
The city is alive and breathing with yoga right now. Here's a smattering of yoga stuff happening around town:
1) Tomorrow night, June 20, the new documentary, "Living Yoga: The Life and Teachings of Swami Satchidananda" will be premiering at Jivamukti. Before the movie, Krishna Das will do a 30-minute kirtan (chanting and jamming). After the film there will be a panel discussion with the two filmmakers, Sharon Gannon, David Life and Integral yoga's Swami Ramananda. The event will benefit the o-kill shelter Integral Yoga or Jivamukti
2) Times Square Yoga on the Solstice
In its second year, this metaphor-made-literal day of FREE yoga classes literally in the middle of Times Square is completely perspective-altering and amazing. And this year, yours truly (me) will be speaking in little 10-minute talks/guided meditations.
Time: Classes throughout Saturday. Check www.timessquarenyc.org for times.
Place: In Times Square, at the intersection of Broadway and 7th Avenue between 43rd and 44th Streets
Cost: Free
To sign up: www.timessquarenyc.org
3) Pure Yoga Opening
The much ballyhooed Pure Yoga--what will be the city's largest studio--will be opening on June 25th. New York magazine has a great page of some of the instructors in their fave postures here (see image at right).
4) Krishna Das Concert. If a little 30-minute warm-up at the Living Yoga event isn't enough, you can see a full-length Krishna Das kirtan to shake your hare ramas at St. Paul's Church on Saturday. Go toKrishnaDas.com for info.
And there's more, but will save some for next week. Know of any cool yoga happenings? Let me know or comment below.
Do you loathe the thought of yoga franchising? Get steamy when a studio gives more space to its clothing shop than its actual studio? Or not see either of those things as a problem at all? Whether you've pondered or praised the commercialization of yoga in Western society, you should see John Philip's documentary, Yoga, Inc. at it's SF premiere this weekend at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
Philip's film asks the question: Have we lost the spirit of yoga by making it a business? He talks to a whole range of people in the yoga world, including Rodney Yee, Cyndi Lee, Trisha Lamb, Baron Baptiste, John Friend, and Yoga Journal's own John Abbot about how they perceive yoga's place in the capitalist world. Philip focuses a large part of the film on Bikram Choudhury's memorable and controversial decision to copyright his style of yoga, as well as the development of his World Yoga Competitions. The movie raises questions, as well, about the ethical implications of high priced asana, yoga chains, and the selling of various accoutrement like yoga shoes and chakra panties. But in the end, the filmmaker leaves the decision up to you.
It's a tricky question. To be honest, I am a bit of a purist when it comes to my own practice. I study the texts and the poses more than the fashion labels on my yoga outfits. I try to eat with an ayurvedic conscience, I like to chant, and I steer away from materialism. But I don't think every yogi needs to be like me, nor do I think my yoga is the only yoga there is.
And in the end, I think a little yoga is better than no yoga, and that commercialized yoga is better than no yoga at all. People in the West, and specifically in the US, like to buy stuff. It's something that seems intrinsic to our culture. It is almost our national religion—and that's not going to change overnight. So, I say, if people want to spend, why not spend on something that will improve their health, make them nicer to people around them, and, maybe, even bring them a little peace of mind?
Have thoughts about Bikram's enterprise, the commercialization of yoga, or chakra panties? Please share!
With gas and airline prices soaring and summer vacation on the brain, I've been trying to figure out ways to enjoy the summer while staying close to home.
So when I was invited to Spa Luce, which just opened at the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood, I booked a five-part ritual Japanese massage treatment that used Red Flower products, which not only smell great (I love the Spanish Gardenia) but meet discerning yogi, green standards. I was buffed and scrubbed and rubbed into a blissfully relaxing state and the only yoga pose I had to think about was savasana.
Spa Luce also uses Spa Ritual nail products, all which are vegan and free of scary chemicals like DBP, Toluene and Formaldhyde. I picked up a bottle called (and I blush) "Aroused" and it's a friendly shade of summer red, perfect for toe gazing during shoulder-stand.
Forgive me today as I digress from serious yoga talk but sometimes I find beauty talk almost as relaxing as a good gentle yoga class. I often wonder why and I think the answer lies in a Mel Gibson/Helen Hunt movie called “What Women Want.” Bear with me here, I know we haven’t gotten over Mel and his anti-semitic “sugar tits” rant. But there’s a brilliant scene in the movie. The premise is that Mel has a gift — he can hear women’s thoughts, the subtext, the ruminations, the real feelings, all of it. But when he goes to the beauty department at Bloomingdales in NYC he’s befuddled b/c all he can “hear” in the women’s heads is idle chatter about lipstick and moisturizer and eye liner.
Those conversations are like Zen. There is nothing else present. No future, no past, just make-up. Moisturizer. Nail polish. Even acne control. So pure. And perverse.
Perhaps I should not admit these things here but I wonder, do you have any guilty relaxing pleasures?
Yes, this is a picture of me and my dad. Yes, I am wearing a Smurf shirt and a denim beaded vest—and some pretty wicked braids, if I do say so myself. And yes, even though that photo was taken more than 25 years ago in Brooklyn, I do still own outfits that kind of look like that.
But more to the point: Father's Day is almost here and I have been thinking a lot about my dad, and the influence he's had on my life—and my yoga practice. It's not that my dad is a yogi or a "spiritual" guy. He's not. He's never been to India or even sat in meditation, and would way sooner be lifting weights in a gym than doing headstands on a hard wooden floor. But, early on, my dad taught me the importance of fitness and healthy diet. He also taught me how to stay calm in stressful situations, how to always be truthful, and how to treat people with kindness and respect. And when it comes down to it, that's all yoga.
So, I was thinking, what better gift to give a dad on Father's Day than yoga? My pops is all the way out on the East Coast, but if you're lucky enough to have a dad (or a dad-like person) who lives nearby, why not take him down-dogging this weekend? If he's never been before, not to worry: Below is a list of beginner classes that all take place on Sunday.
And if you have a special yogic connection with your dad, write in and tell us about it!
Neighborhood: The Mission
Studio: Laughing Lotus
Class: Lotus Flow 1 with Katharine
Time: 9am-10:30am
More info: www.laughinglotus.com
Neighborhood: The Mission
Studio: Yoga Kula
Class: Introduction to Anusara with Jeanne Miernyk
Time: 1pm-3pm
More info: www.yogakula.com
Neighborhood: The Castro
Studio: Yoga Tree Castro
Class: Radiant Flow 1 with Janet Stone
Time: 6:15pm-7:45pm
More info: www.yogatreesf.com
Neighborhood: Portrero Hill
Studio: Yoga Sita
Class: Beginner yoga with Susannah
Time: 11am-12pm
More info: www.yogasitasf.com
Neighborhood: Hayes Valley/ Pan Handle
Studio: The Yoga Loft
Class: Vinyasa 1-2 with Jane Dobson
Time: 11am-12:30pm
More info: www.theloftsf.com
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
Studio: The Mindful Body
Class 1: Beginner yoga with Dee Benefield
Time: 9am-10:30am
Class 2: Beginner yoga with Renee Heidtman
Time: 11:30am-12:45pm
More info: www.themindfulbody.com
Neighborhood: Western Addition/Nopa
Studio: The YogaStudio
Class: Level 1 yoga with Jo Lewzey
Time:11:45am-1:15pm
More info: www.yogastudiomillvalley.com
Neighborhood: SOMA
Studio: It's Yoga
Time: 6pm-7pm
Class: Astanga beginners modified primary series with Joe
More info: www.itsyoga.com
It's not even officially summer, and already the city smells like a urinal and feels like a Bikram class. Which is why, apparently, I thought it would be a great idea to start a new Bikram practice. This morning.
The good news about doing yoga in a 400-degree room when it's 95 degrees outside is that when the door opens it feels like a Swiss Alps breeze. The bad news: So. Much. Sweat.
This all started with my friend Jenn contemplating the 30-Day challenge program that a bunch of the city's Bikram studios offer; it's uber-intense and usually cheaper than a regular monthly pass. A friend of her friend's recently finished and blogged about it. I thought it could be a good way to jumpstart my practice--seeing as lately I'm most familiar with Sitonmyasana. But semi-sanity prevailed, and we agreed to three classes a week for a month at the Park Slope Bikram studio.
The last time I did Bikram I vowed never again. It was right after 9/11, downtown, the air still filled with that smoke. The teacher was in full-on sargeant mode, yelling at one student not to look so glum. When she plowed ahead with the "spread your arms like an airplane" script for locust, the class plunged into shocked silence and I thought, "This ain't my kind of yoga."
But alas. I was still missing the love from this morning's teacher. And man, that place stunk like curdled cat litter cheese. But the heat, the sweat, the repetition. All so hard but ultimately good (I think). And at the very end of class when we were bathing in our savasana puddles, the instructor said, "Give yourselves a lot of credit. What you're doing by just being here is loving yourself." Either that, or the other thing. But I'll be back with that intention, yelling and all.
I went to go see Amma, the "hugging saint," who travels all over the world with the intention to hug as many hug-needy people as possible. But Amma, who has hugged more than 26 million people and often hugs for 20+ hours in a row, does more than hug. She puts her money where her hugs are. Over the years, she has raised millions of dollars for orphanages, health care, and emergency aid to survivors of tsunamis, earthquakes, and other natural disasters in India and elsewhere.
Some people wait more than five hours for a hug. I was lucky because I arrived early on a weekday morning. (Also, just like at the Rocky Horror Picture Show, you get special treatment if it's your first time.) I was probably among the first 50 people to get hugs. I watched as Amma embraced each person. It wasn't as I expected. She was often having discourse with one person while hugging another, and the environment was intense as the organizers were—understandably—focused on less spiritual endeavors such as nudging the hundreds of hug-waiters forward and wiping our faces free of sweat and makeup.
I approached the scene like a journalist, the way I come into so many situations, observing and analyzing the people and the proceedings. But something in me changed when I saw an older woman nearby, quietly weeping as she waited. And an elderly man who could barely stand waiting in line for his hug. And then, I saw a woman, about my age, holding a postcard for Amma. Not realizing what it was at first, I glanced over, and saw the beginnings of a message of gratitude for what she was learning from her cancer. At that moment, I realized the sheer amount of suffering that existed in that room—in any room—and the potency of what Amma was doing by alleviating, or simply sharing in, people's grief.
My hug was sweet. She held me to her and said the words "my darling" in my ear. Then, I went to the upper level of the center for a little while to watch while she tirelessly hugged one person after the next.
I'm not a morning person. I can get up on my own by 8 or so, but when the alarm goes off earlier than that, I always gaze at it with the same look of surprise. (Again? Really?) I've never met a snooze button I didn't like. 
Seeing that I’m up in the Berkshires right now doing yoga, chanting, drumming, and dancing at 
So last night I made my second pilgrimage (if midtown counts) to see 
For those weekends not spent in a bucolic summer wonderland you can add a new activity to your agenda: 
As city creatures, we're all quite used to practicing yoga in climate-controlled rooms that are off limits to bugs (and sometimes don't even have windows). It could be pouring outside, or even snowing for that matter—we'd still be oblivious to it all as we do downward dog on dry mats and meditate under a sort of fluorescent mood lighting that fluctuates depending on how one operates the dimmer switch. And yet there is something about yoga that just screams (or maybe chants?) nature. So what to do?
I was never taught to cook. My parents are great, but their favorite room was certainly not the kitchen. And it never became mine. 
Brooklyn-based multi-media artist and yogi Shana Dressler is removing obstacles all the time. Right now she has the help of the subject of her latest photo exhibition, website, and book--Ganesh, the Hindu deity who blasts barriers. All those elements are part of Discovering Ganesh, a sweeping, ongoing project produced by her company, 
It was incredible to see so many people doing yoga in the middle of Times Square during the 
The city is alive and breathing with yoga right now. Here's a smattering of yoga stuff happening around town:
So when I was invited to 
Spa Luce also uses 
Yes, this is a picture of me and my dad. Yes, I am wearing a Smurf shirt and a denim beaded vest—and some pretty wicked braids, if I do say so myself. And yes, even though that photo was taken more than 25 years ago in Brooklyn, I do still own outfits that kind of look like that. 
It's not even officially summer, and already the city smells like a urinal and feels like a Bikram class. Which is why, apparently, I thought it would be a great idea to start a new Bikram practice. This morning. 
Yesterday, I waited all morning for a hug. 
