July 2008 Archives

I'm on a bit of a yoga movie trip these days, having recently seen Yoga, Inc. and now Living Yoga: The Life and Teachings of Swami Satchidinanda, which is having a small screening this week on Thursday, July 31, at The Roxie.

I can't go Thursday night because I am taking drum lessons (more about that in a later post), but I ordered an advance copy of the film to check it out. The documentary is about an hour and focuses on Swami Satchidinanda's life, mainly the ways in which he brought certain elements of yoga—like asana, meditation, health, and stress management—to the West back in the '60s, and how he established the Integral Yoga centers around the country.

The movie is full of interviews by interfaith preachers who knew the the swami (who was a huge supporter of the interfaith movement); people from the Satchidinanda ashram, Yogaville, in Virgina; Drs. Dean Ornish and Mehmet Oz; as well as a tiger trainer named Bhagavan Antle. (The footage of the tigers is amazing.) Living Yoga is less about Satchidinanda's life (it gives very little personal biography on him) than it is about the ways in which he influenced the spread of yoga to the Western world, which were many. One of the best pieces of footage shows him delivering a speech at Woodstock to an audience of thousands.

Find out more:

• Get the details of the screening on The Roxie's site.

• Order the movie, if you miss the screening!

• Visit the Integral Yoga Center in SF.

• Let us know what you thought of the movie, or what your favorite yoga movies are!

Go Tango magazine (now only online) for staying relevant with this article about women getting "happy endings" at mainstream NYC spas--or trying to. In a conniving, sure-to-get-people-fired bit of undercover (or, you know, not) bit of reporting, one woman allegedly convinces a Cornelia Day Spa masseur to take a trip well south of her trapezius.

Fascinating. This seems relevant here because yoga and the healing arts are so connected. And the lines between massage and other kinds of touch really are a bit blurrier than most of us would like to admit. Though the subject of this article clearly sees the line and tramples it. And keeps running and running....

Mostly I'm shocked at the extent to which the story names names--of spas and the masseurs who declined. Serious chutzpah all around. I guarantee this is unleashing an onslaught of chat in the massage world--especially in NYC--where so much work has gone into differentiating sex from massage, therapeutic touch from erotic touch. This is an important, crucial distinction that has allowed millions who need healing touch to get it without fear of anything "unseemly" or unwanted happening. No doubt this will be seen as a step backwards. And maybe it is.

But for the SATC set is this just another step in equality? Bullying (usually) male healers into "going there," in the hopes that one will? Or does the switched gender dynamic make it less annoying (a.k.a. harassing)--i.e., what's a little moaning and unsubtle hinting versus the pup tents that every female massage therapist has been invited to visit in her career?

Or is this stuff even for real? Just as much a fiction as Holly Hunter's dutifully thorough masseur in the film Living Out Loud? I mean, the 10th Street Baths? Ok, maybe not so shocking. But Cornelia? The Great Jones guy who may or may not have offered up himself and his girlfriend after declining advances? Am I that naive, or does this have a whiff of the dairy farm?

What do you think about women soliciting masseurs for sex? Bad for massage, good for women? No big deal? Other?

I'd be especially interested in hearing from men in the healing arts--is this unusual, common, annoying, fun?

Read the happy female ending article or Gawker's highlights of the vivid bits.

This week's post is in video form: I had an amazing yoga vacation and I'm struggling to bring it back home--how do YOU stay soft and open in flow when you're in NYC? Here are a few things I'm trying.

Oh and the class I mention is at Djoniba Dance & Drum Center.

(And sorry for the annoying background music, still figuring out how to do these right!)

On August 9th, Los Angeles own classical Indian dance troupe, the Rangoli Dance Company, will perform Patanjali: Legends of Yoga and Dance at the Main Stage at Santa Monica College.

The evening, which is a tribute concert honoring Daniel Pearl and Daniel Pearl Music Days (the non-profit founded in his memory), was conceived and choreographed by award-winning artistic director Malathi Iyengar.

Iyengar's dedication to classic Bharatanatyam dance led her to explore the powerful relationship between yoga and dance. This piece features live music and explores legends like the cosmic dance of Shiva. It also attempts to answer questions like how did the great spiritual discipline of Yoga originate? Why did Patanjali to write commentary on yoga that inspired so many all over the world to practice? And who was Patanjali?

Here's a trailer from last year's performance for your viewing pleasure:

MAIN STAGE, Santa Monica College,
1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405
Unwritten Rhythms: 7:30 pm
Patanjali Dance Concert: 8:00 pm.
Admission: Door $25 Advance $20
Student, Senior, and DRC members $15
Groups of 10 or more $15 per person
Tickets & Concert Information: 818 788 6860 or email malathisiyengar@gmail.com

For those of you who came of age in the '90s (like I did), the suffix "palooza" may bring to mind images of Soundgarden, Sonic Youth, and (my personal favorite) The Smashing Pumpkins. Lollapalooza was kind of like our Woodstock; even though it didn't have a political bent, it was our day to let loose and rock out. In a way, that is also what Yogapalooza is about—minus the music.

Yogapalooza is a full day of yoga in Golden Gate Park this Sunday. The entire event, which was spearheaded by Yoga Bear, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people with cancer, benefits nonprofit organizations aimed at helping cancer patients and survivors. The orgs that will benefit are:

• Children's Cancer Community
• I'm Too Young For This
• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
• Women's Cancer Resource Center

Classes happen all day with a long list of teachers. To see the full schedule and the exact location in the park, check out the Yogapalooza site. There's also a silent auction that includes lululemon goods, Berkeley Ironworks climbing classes, and a one-year subscription to Yoga Journal. Sweet!

Sure, you won't get to peep Cat Power or Jeff Tweedy on the main stage (they're playing at Lollapalooza this year in Chicago), but you will get to do one of your favorite things all day long and for a great cause. And if you are wondering about the name of the event, the actual meaning of the word "lollapalooza" is a "remarkable or extraordinary thing". So the naming of Yogapalooza seems right in line.

If you go to Yogapalooza, please comment below and let us know how it was. (And if you want us to post your pictures, say so in a comment, and I will let you know how to get them to me!)

So, Pure Yoga. People have been buzzing for months about this new ginormous 20,000-square-foot studio that opened recently on the Upper East Side. Three stories, 19 kinds of yoga, 85 classes a week (I nod to Sun reporter Gabrielle Birkner, from whom I am swiping these numbers. She wrote a thorough Pure article the other day). Basically, it's your sweet local studio on steroids, in $300 jeans.

Last night I stopped by to check it out and holy mama, it's Exhale meets Equinox (the owners) meets the W Hotel. All cool beige stone, rock gardens, tawny smooth wood, and twigs-as-room-dividers, the place feels like Gattaca for yogis. The mothership has landed. I was skeptical when I first heard about it. But there is something gorgeous about seeing how mature, fully realized--in a commercial way--yoga has become. Baby's grown.

The women at the front desk (note to studio owners: make sure these people are welcoming) couldn't have been nicer, and descending into the smooth, spa-like space felt open yet womby. The whole place is below ground level, so if you need a sun-filled studio, this ain't it. Almost late (and why am I always almost late for yoga in NYC? The irony thuds me every time), I skidded into the devastatingly fancy--in a simple way--locker room (though are they lockers if they look like they belong in a Roche Bobois showroom?). Changed quickly and went to studio #1.

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, that 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.”

Amen.

Go here for more info on her workshop.

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.

* Check out the full syllabus here.

* See Chris' new DVD, The Heart of the Yogini: An Introduction to Goddess Tantra.

* Read the blog I wrote last year on Tantrik yoga and the Samavesha program.

* Learn more about the painting above of Paraa, the Supreme Goddess depicted here as the "Supreme Word," by artist Bhavasindhu.

* Write in and tell us what you think about the meeting of yoga and mind!

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.

I posted about her visit last year here and my fellow blogger Karen just wrote about Amma's recent San Fran visit.

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.

Have you been hugged by Amma? What was it like?

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.

Now, go enjoy your independence day.

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.

Go here for more info.

Though it's not updated yet, here's my list from last year on places offering more outdoor yoga. And another. Check dates on all of those, tho.

Where's your fave outdoor yoga spot?

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!