December 2007 Archives

Someone once told me that wherever you are on New Year’s Eve is a reflection of how the year ahead will follow. Superstitious or not, it’s a good excuse to choose your celebrations consciously. That way, if you’re planning on bathing in a magnum or Vueve, at least it’s a choice. For other options, here’s a taste of NYC’s offerings for ringing in 2008 sober and still and with a yogic openness to the changes to come.

Where: Jivamukti Yoga, 841 Broadway, 2nd floor
When: December 31, 9pm to 12 am
What: Sit in “mauna,” yogic silence, till midnight with Sharon Gannon, David Life, and fellow yogis, and then chant like crazy in a kirtan with the band Lokah. Snack out on chai and vegan treats.
How Much: Free!
More Info/Sign-Up: www.jivamuktiyoga.com

Where: Laughing Lotus, 59 W. 19th St., 3rd Floor
When: December 31, 10 pm - 12 am
What: Midnight Yoga with Kate. A class set to live music, with prompting to inspire your vision for the year ahead.
How Much: $20
More Info/Sign-Up: Reservations required. 212-355–1600 or laughinglotus.com.

Where: Golden Bridge Yoga, 253 Centre Street
When: December 31, 10 am - 11:30 am and/or Januray 1st, 4pm - 5:30 pm
What: Kundalini Yoga with tea and cookies to "let go of the past and bring in the new year filled with focused energy, renewed potential and hope for a peaceful and harmonious 2008."
How Much: $18 per class
More Info/Sign-Up: goldenbridgeyoganyc.com.

Where: Om Yoga, 826 Broadway, 6th Floor
When: December 31, 5:30 - 8 pm
What: Class with Cyndi Lee, surrounded by candlelight, set to the new OM yoga mix CD. Post-class treats. For all levels. “You can come and detoxify before you toxify! Or use this class as a reminder of the in-between.”
How Much: $40
More Info/Sign-Up: omyoga.com

Where: Hot Nude Yoga
When: December 31, 9:30 pm - 1:00 am
What: If you’re male, gay, yogic, and not at all shy, this could be the place to be. Mingling begins at 9:30, class starts at 10.
How Much: $40
More Info/Sign-Up:hotnudeyoga.com

Where: Dharma Mittra
When: Events throughout the day—and the next. Check site for details.
What: December 31st will kick off with an afternoon meditation for world peace, and there’s a 6:30 New Year’s class with Dharma. January 1st is the Annual All-Day Chant of 108 Hanuman Chalisas, a free chantathon event.
How Much: Prices vary.
More Info/Sign-Up: dharmittrayogacenter.com

Where: East West Yoga
When: January 1st, 12pm – 4pm
What: A yoga workshop with Sadie Nardini and Ariel Towne “to clear yourself on all levels, and realign yourself to your highest intentions.” After yoga class, there will be a lunch break, then Feng Shui expert and lifecoach Ariel will help you clarify what you really want for the year ahead.
How Much: $65 in advance, or $75 at the door. Yoga class can be taken seperately for $25, or Shui workshop only for $50.
More Info/Sign-Up: eastwestnyc.com

New Year's Eve should be the most yogic holiday of them all: It's all about renewal and intention. But when we overload it with unreasonable expectations of once-in-a-lifetime parties, memorable events, and romantic encounters, we are often left disappointed. Maybe the party gets canceled. Or it's not particularly memorable. Or your date leaves in the middle—without letting you know. Then, when the clock strikes midnight, the only words we're muttering are: "More champagne anyone?"

Last year was the first year I took off my party shoes to roll out my yoga mat on NYE, and it was the best one I had yet! I went to hear Karma Moffett play Tibetan bowls at Yoga Tree Castro while Christopher Love led a beautiful evening of yoga. We were almost 100 in the room, but it didn't matter because it was a total bliss fest. If you are looking for a fun, spiritual, and alcohol-free way to start the year ahead, sign up for any one of these events and usher in a healthy and mindful 2008!

Where: Laughing Lotus
When: 10pm-midnight
What: New Year's Eve Midnight Yoga with Kate (celebrating yoga, music, and community)
How Much: $20
Sign Up: (415) 355–1600 or Laughing Lotus

Where: Yoga Kula (formerly Yoga Sangha)
When: 6:30pm-midnight
What: Indian buffet, kirtan with Benjy & Heather Wertheimer, and midnight yoga, intention ritual, and meditation led by Darcy Lyon and Richelle Donigan
How Much: $25 concert, $15 buffet. Yoga is free!
Sign Up: (510) 486-0264 or go to Yoga Kula

Where: The Yoga Studio
When: 7pm-beyond midnight
What: Bhakti Boombox New Years Yoga Jam (an Explosion of yoga, kirtan, and trance dance with M.C. Yogi, D.J. Tat Sat, kirtan artist Jaya Lakshmi, and percussionist Geoffrey Gordon)
How Much: $40 full evening, $60 trance dance only
Sign Up: (415) 292-5600 or The Yoga Studio

Where: Yoga Tree Hayes
When: 10:30pm-12:30am
What: New year's Eve Practice and Soiree with Chrisandra Fox (chanting, practicing, and snack-sharing with live music)
How Much: $25
Sign Up: (415) 626-9707 or Yoga Tree Hayes

Where: Yoga Tree Castro
When: 10:30pm-12:30am
What: New Year's Eve Yoga with Tibetan and Singing Bowls (a New Year's flow class to the vibrational sounds of Karma Moffett`s Tibetan Bell Experience)
How Much: $35
Sign Up: (415) 701-YOGA or Yoga Tree Castro

Where: Spirit Rock
When: 8:00 pm - 1:00 am
What: Another Year? We Just Had One: A New Year's Eve costume-friendly meditation and celebration hosted by Wes Nisker, Mark Coleman and Nina Wise with drumming led by master percussionist Barbara Borden and dance music by 5Rhythms DJ diva Davida Taurek.
How Much: $40 - $80, sliding scale, plus a donation to the teacher
Sign Up: Tel: (415) 488-0164 or Spirit Rock

The votes are in, if you're into that sort of thing: Citysearch has published its winners for best yoga studios this year, as voted for by Citysearch readers, plus one editorial pick. Though some of the votes are surely due to heavy lobbying (I once knew a massage therapist who constantly shilled for positive votes on the site), chances are it's falrly legitimate stuff. Here's a terse summary of the list. Go here for the whole thing with details.

Audience Winner: Sonic Yoga (for the third year in a row)
Editorial Winner: Laughing Lotus

Runners-Up:
1) Yoga Effects
2) Levitate
3) Yoga Works Midtown
5) World Yoga Center
6) OM Yoga Center
7) balance yoga
8) Laughing Lotus
9) Jivamukti Yoga
10) Bikram Yoga NYC

I haven't been to all these places, but it starts me wondering, what do New Yorkers want in a yoga class? What makes a studio "best"? I mean aside from competent teachers, cleaniness, and affordable rates? Do we want something specific from our classes? Is there stuff we tolerate here that would not fly in fly-over country? Vice-versa?

Things I love in a yoga studio (and possibly one reason I'm so grumpy about most NYC studios):
- A clear, loving vibe.
- Space! Once I have to squeeze my mat between moviestars (or yogis who act like them), I'm audi.
- Convenience: the best teachers only teach at 2pm on Tuesdays? Yikes. Lunchtime yoga, plenty of classes to make the rush hours less wall-to-wall.
- Classes that don't cost as much as rent.
- Teachers who are alive and present and don't seem like they've taught this class 8,000 times, even if they have.
- A touch of the spirit. I don't need constant chanting or mat-side preaching, but some bookend oms (beginning and end of class), a well-selected quote and a reminder or two that we're not just here for our butts is always welcome and helpful.
- Permission to move at my own pace, even if it means throwing off the look of a synchronized room.
- Permission to rest.
- A "yay, you!" reminder at the end of class--when my brain has already moved on to berating myself for not coming more often, a reminder that coming at all is a triumph is helpful.
- An abundance of sincere--but non-intrusive--smiling.
- A sense of community, that we're all in this together.

Bonuses:
- A mid-savasana neck-tug or shoulder smoosh. Massaging of any sort, really.
- The smell of essential oils
- Bean-bag eye pillows

And you? What do you crave in a class?

'Tis the week to imbibe and for easy (and organic) entertaining, try Modmix -- handcrafted, luxurious cocktail mixers created right here in Los Angeles. You can savor varieties like the french martini (pineapple, rasberry with a hint of lemon), a pomegranate cosmopolitan and my personal favorite, lavender lemon drop.

Just add the alcohol of your choice (and the Modmix website has all kinds of fun recipes) or for a great virgin alternative, use sparkling water for a refreshing and delicious soda concoction. But the real recipe: good friends and lots of laughter.

When it comes to New Year’s Eve, you may consider ringing it in at Liberation Yoga as they present their second annual New Year’s Eve Practice and Celebration.

The all-levels class is from 10 p.m. to midnight and it will include salutations to the New Year’s Eve
Moon, meditation, pranayama, champagne and chocolate.

As the flyer says: “No need to find the perfect dress, no worries over the “big moment” no falling asleep on the couch while the ball drops – just some good clean fun and a healthy glow for the first bright and shiny moments of 2008!”

Happy New Year.

When the world takes the day off for the holiday, the streets are empty, parking is aplenty and the calm after the holiday preparation storm is an ideal time to unwind and refresh with yoga.

Even though most studios are closed for Christmas, a few are offering holiday classes. Here’s a quick list to make sure your Christmas day yoga class shopping is completely stress-free:

City Yoga

9:00 a.m. Mixed level Anusara with James MacDonald
10:45 a.m Mixed level Anusara with Hillary Rubin

Black Dog Yoga

9:30 a.m. Level 1-2 Hatha Flow with Hanna Gilan
10:30 a.m. Level 2-3 Anusara-inspired with Jenny Brill

Iyengar Yoga Institute

9:00 a.m Level 2 with Marla Apt
11:00 a.m. Level 1 with Miriam Kramer

Golden Bridge

10 a.m Mixed level Kundalini with Gurmukh

Enjoy the season!

I just got back on Friday from a 4-week yoga teacher training course in Baha, Mexico (a million thanks to Jaimal Yogis for covering for me!) and this whole week has felt a bit like slow motion. Not only have I had to adjust from living in a tent on a tropical beach to working in an office every day, but it's also just the season: Winter's here. Time to eat warmer foods, sleep longer hours—and, yes, move a little slower.

With that in mind, I went to a 3-hour workshop with yoga teacher Dina Amsterdam (pictured right) and devotional musician Mukund Subramanian at Yoga Tree Valencia this past weekend. Dina teaches a Yin style of yoga (in the tradition of her mentor Sarah Powers), in which deep, restorative poses are held for long periods of time to stimulate the nadis and allow fluids to move through your joints. On Sunday, we focused on opening the chakras. Starting at the root, we held specific poses that accessed each chakra (like a wide-legged supported Balasana to stimulate Muladhara, the root chakra, and a forward-folding Baddha Konasana with the forehead resting on a bolster to stimulate Ajna, the third eye chakra). As we held each pose, Dina talked about the different colors and qualities of the chakras, while Mukund played the Tambura and sang healing vibrational tones and chants.

Hearing Dina's descriptions of the different chakras while feeling them in my own body was helpful in understanding where I am open and where I am locked up, both physically and emotionally. The practice also just felt like deep rest. I did find my mind wandering a lot, but concentrating on the spinning colored energy circles along the Sushumna-nadi was helpful in staying focused.

If anyone else was at the workshop, please share your experiences! For a more yang approach to the days of winter, celebrate the solstice by doing 108 sun salutations at Yoga Sita or the Yoga Loft this Friday. And have wonderful holidays!

Hey last-minute shopper. Yeah, you. Well, despite Seaweedgate, I'm still quite smitten with Lululemon's incredibly comfy, well-constructed, cute yoga/workout/hang-out clothes (and yep, they're a YJ advertiser, but I swear I'm not being paid off in Scuba hoodies--if only). And now there's one more place to buy their stuff in our sleety city--just in time for the holidays.

Though it's not technically a store, but a "showroom" on the second floor of an office building in Union Square, the weeks-old shop is tiny but ample. It's also teeming with great potential gifts. In fact, I just scooped up a pair of sturdy, sparkly pink leg-warmers for a friend who I'm hoping will embrace her inner Irene Cara.

The store is also planning on holding the occasional yoga class. I looked around the snug place crammed with bags and mats and tops and pants and undies and was like, "Um, where?" The helpful shopkeep pointed to the clothing racks--"Well, everything's on rollers." Ah, the Canucks have embraced small-space NYC living. She said they may even have midday classes, but for now you'll need to contact the store for details.

If you can't quite picture yourself sun-saluting among racks of covetables, they've also got a cute little community table with fliers to many of the eight-zillion Union Square yoga studios.

So, happy shopping and staying sane in the next week. Don't forget your slow, even breathing at the family dinner table. Maybe take a look at Lulu's great "manifesto" before setting off for the beloved people who know exactly how to challenge your equilibrium the most.

Last weekend we went to the Goldenbridge in Hollywood for a Kirtan led by Dave Stringer. As we sang the last chant jam, Ganapati Om Jaya, I couldn’t help noticing how similar Ganapati Om sounds to “Gonna Party On” After I got a little chuckle out of the word play, it occured to me, the evening really was like one giant party where the guests were just as crucial to the fun factor as the hosts.

Even though I interviewed Stringer a few years back, when I wrote about the growing interest in Kirtan for Time magazine unfortunately, I had never seen him perform live. Instead, I played his CDs from time to time while practicing at home. So hearing Stringer’s band live – with the saxophone player, the awesome drummer, guitarist and his back up singers and musicians was a treat.

He's on tour promoting his new record Divas and Devas, which includes eight songs that are a collaboration with some of the ladies of Kirtan -- Donna Delory, Dasi Karnamrita, C.C. White, Kim Waters, Sat-Kartar, Suzanne Sterling, Wah!, and Joni Allen. For those who want to check out the live show, he’ll be back in Los Angeles during March.

I have to say, we had a blast. My husband was a Kirtan virgin so I was nervous about what he would think as the room heated up and people started dancing freestyle and clapping madly and just moving their bodies (and spirits) along to the beat. Thankfully, he enjoyed the sweet repetition as much as I did. When it was all over, we left feeling refreshed, like we had rebooted our brains.

Surfers often sound like yogis in describing their art: "Then the world vanished," writes Steven Kotler in his surfing memoir West of Jesus. "There was no self, no other. For an instant, I didn't know where I ended and the wave began."
I've been surfing and practicing yoga for more than 10 years, and though I've met lots of yogis who want to learn to surf, and a few surfers who dabble in yoga, I've never had a yoga teacher who actually surfed. So I was really excited to discover Alex Martin's straight-forward Ashtanga class at Mollusk Surf Shop on 46th and Irving, just two blocks from Ocean Beach. I see Alex out surfing almost every week, and he is one of the best big wave riders in the area. (He has toured professionally, and was recently invited to the Mavericks contest.) But I didn't know he was a yoga teacher until I showed up for his by-donation class last night.
It was a humble affair. Squeezing our mats between Mollusk's organic-cotton tees and rare, artistic surfboards, there was only room for about 10 students, and we sometimes had to modify our poses for lack of space. But Alex taught the usually-strenuous Pattabhi Jois series at a very doable, even relaxing pace; there was something satisfyingly-1974 about chanting "Om" next to a rack of Michelle Junod longboards; and maybe it was just me, but there was also something comforting about knowing my instructor could balance both on his head and on fifty-foot wall of moving saltwater. (I'm not sure even Pattabhi could swing that balancing pose). Alex teaches every Wednesday night at Mollusk at 7 p.m. Bring your own mat, and a sweatshirt. It can be chilly out here.

I get a very cool weekly email from the Girlie Girl Army, which seems to serve a yoga-y, fashion-y, animal rights-y contingent of young women in NYC looking for shelter, bling, peace, puppies, good jeans, and vegan recipes. An odd blend, to be sure. But it's like a thinking, spiritual woman's Daily Candy.

Anyway, this week it held a tidbit about an online charity auction benefitting Farm Sanctuary, a no-kill animal shelter (one of the very few in the country) in upstate New York and California.

Lots of celebs seem to be pro-Farm Sanctuary. Especially the conscious, health and yoga-oriented set. Here's a sampling of the bevy of incredible biddables based in NYC. Most online bidding ends December 17 (though some close earlier)--these could be the perfect gifts for the person who has everything--except backstage passes to Carlos Santana.

What are your yoga fantasies? A class with Sting? A month in Pune? The chance to practice for 10 minutes without interruption?

Conscious consumerism is a bit of an oxymoron, especially during the holidays. This time of year I find it hard to reconcile my desire to buy and possess with my desire to be mindful and leave a smaller footprint. But it also can be fun (or stressful) to find gifts for friends and family.

Next weekend the first ever Eco Gift Expo at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium will be an alternative to mall madness as 150 eco-friendly companies present their wares all in one place. It also sounds like a fun afternoon. I’m told there will be organic chocolate, an organic food court, musicians, minstrels, and a gift-wrapping booth offered by the Los Angeles Times (recycled newspapers for gift paper, of course). The details: Saturday and Sunday December 15 and 16 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. $10 tickets on-line, $15 at the door, kids under 12, free.

And for those interested in taking mindfulness beyond shopping, this Sunday Sylvia Boorstein will lead a workshop at Loyola Marymount University sponsored by Insight L.A. The afternoon of teachings will be from Sylvia’s new book “Happiness is an Inside Job: Practicing for a Joyful Life.”

I just got a copy of the book and it’s easy-to-read and offers useful ideas like equanimity is sometimes just a reminder away and bad feelings just aren’t good for you. It’s also refreshingly candid as Boorstein admits that even after 30 years of meditating, she still gets mired in the trappings of unskillful thoughts. Good things to know as the holidays heat up.

I’ve been happily hitched for years now, but not so long ago, meeting potential girlfriends seemed difficult. Not because I was such an awful suitor (I hope), but because as my yoga practice developed, I lost interest in the bar and club scene. It seems like a lot of yogis go through introverted phases like this, which is why I’m glad that longtime yoga practitioner Michael Ellsberg has created a type of singles party that avoids the usual awkward conversation &mdash “so what you do?” &mdash and allows for a potentially more real exchange. It’s called eye-gazing &mdash Elle recently deemed it “New York’s hottest dating trend” &mdash and I attended the second eye-gazing party ever in San Francisco this past Monday.

There were about 50 stylish 20-to-30-somethings milling about the cozy loft on 10th Street near Mission when I arrived. We chatted casually, until Destin Gerek, a tantra teacher, asked the men and women to line up opposite each other while he explained the process. “Don’t worry,” he assured us, “you can blink &mdash it’s not a staring contest.” Other advice included choosing an eye to look into (trying to do both makes you cross-eyed), and refraining from those seductive eyebrow raises, which can be intimidating.

During the next hour &mdash including a break &mdash we sat cross-legged and spent two minutes each silently gazing into the eyes of 14 different people, an activity Ellsberg calls “meditation in relation”. The most interesting part of the experience was seeing how different each person’s gaze felt &mdash some were warm, others playful, and others more reserved. Afterward, I chatted with the other participants, and everyone reported similar stories: they’d felt strong connections with a few people, but not necessarily the people they’d thought they’d be attracted to at the start of the evening. “And that’s the cool thing about eye-gazing,” Ellsberg says, “you end up realizing that real chemistry is more than skin deep.”
The first two San Francisco eye-gazing parties have been so successful, Ellsberge says there will be at least one per month from now on. I’d recommend the experience to anyone. If eyes really are the windows to the soul, you never know who you’ll meet.

The perfect holiday gift for the aspiring--or new-to-NYC--yogi in your life is the Yoga PassBook. It's a booklet of coupons for more than 300 free yoga, dance, and pilates classes in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens with a smattering in Long Island and New Jersey. The bulk of them are in--shocker--Manhattan. That's a whole lotta chances to find a new favorite studio or teacher.

Most of the coupons are good for two free classes per studio, with some lasting a week or a month at more generous (and presumably less populated) studios. The site that sells them, Health-Fitness.org, lists the long roll call of participating studios--from Area Yoga to Zawacki Dance (plus tons of popular places like Exhale, Golden Bridge, and Jivamukti). Most of the passes are for yoga studios, but it's kind of neat that you can also indulge in an occasional Tango or African dance class. Some of the passes get you free private or semi-private Pilates sessions.

For the Pilates-inis and plain-old fitness geeks in your life you can get The Pilates PassBook and The Fitness PassBook. I just called and the very nice man told me that if you get two of the $75 Yoga PassBooks you get $10 off, or if you buy any three, you'll get a fourth one free--good reason to grab four friends and a calculator.

All the coupons you'd order now are good for 2008, with no weird blackout dates or classes or anything. I've bought these before, and they really are a cool way to sample the city's offerings. And you only need to go to around six classes to justify the price of a book--seriously better guilt odds that a month long studio pass or gym membership that you know you won't completely use.

Go here to order or find out more.

And here's someone blogging on the Passbook adventures: nyfitnesspass.blogspot.com

Have you gotten a passbook before? How'd it work for you?

This morning I met Jim Walsh for a cup of coffee and as he began to tell me about his Los Angeles-based company Intentional Chocolate, it made me wonder why it is that food cooked with care and love tastes so good. After all, there’s nothing more delicious than chicken soup made especially for someone with a cold, or home-baked chocolate chip cookies received as a gift.

I think we all know intuitively that intentions can make or break an experience. With that in mind, Walsh set out to infuse his new chocolate line with a very specific intention: “Whomever consumes this chocolate will manifest optimal health and function at physical, emotional and mental levels, and in particular will enjoy an increased sense of energy, vigor and well being.”

But Walsh, a successful businessman who has launched several products and companies (including Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate, which was the first to grow cacao domestically), took this idea one step further. He literally enlisted monks from the Deer Park Buddhist Center in Wisconsin (including the venerable Geshe Sopa), and had them use their powers of meditation to “imprint” this intention into his products.

Then, with the help of Dean Radin, a scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, he conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled experiment that proved the mood elevating properties of chocolate were enhanced by this intention and published the findings in the peer-reviewed publication Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing.

This afternoon I drank a cup of Intentional Dark Hot Chocolate and enjoyed the hint of vanilla and cinnamon in the warm elixir. I felt good knowing 10 percent of net proceeds from sales of International Chocolate will go to the Deer Park Buddhist Center and it was fun to think that eating Intentional truffles or baking with Intentional pistoles would not only make me feel good, it might just spread a little joy.