Laws of yoga
In yoga, we have our own version of the 10 commandments. Generally referred to as yama and niyama. These are laws that you are supposed to take with you out into your daily life -- a yogic attitude to living.

There are many branches to yoga: Yama (suggestions for social behaviour), Niyama (suggestions for personal disciplines), Asana (physical postures), Pranayama (breathing exercises) Pratyahara (sense withdrawal) Dharana(concentration) Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (Super consciousness).

I have written about Ahimsa (non-harming) many times on this blog. But I thought I would list the Yamas and Niyamas for you as food for thought and you help you in your practice :

Niyamas:
*Saucha - Cleanliness. Not only a means of keeping our bodies clean and healthy, but a practice of keeping a clear mind.
*Samtosha - Happiness and modesty. To be happy with what you have, instead of being unhappy over what you dont have.
*Tapah - Keeping the body fit and healthy through healthful eating, exercise (asana) and kriyas. *Svadhyaya - Meditation and self awareness. This can be done through the repetition (japa) of mantra or the reading of the scriptures.
*Isvarapranidhana - Surrender. knowing that you have done your best and that you offer your actions to the Universe.

Yamas:
*Ahimsa - Non violence. Do not kill. Do not harm anyone by action, word or thought. Do not show cruelty to any sentient being. Treat every life with respect and compassion. Do not cause injury by your spoken word -- do not gossip, do not lie, do not insult. Do not use other people or animals.
*Satya - Truthfulness/honesty. Do not mislead people through lying or half truths. Do not mislead by omission.
*Asteya - Non stealing. It's not referrring to stealing just material things. It means do not steal somebody's time (dont be late, dont stay in a relationship with people in whom you are not sincerely interested), do not steal somebody's trust, do not steal somebody's love.
*Brahmacharya - Sense control/ restraint. Most typically, this refers to sexual abstinence. However, it means do not lose your path -- act responsibly towards moving towards your Truth. Do not allow sensual attractions (e.g. over-indulging in eating, smoking, drinking, shopping) to distract you.
*Aparigraha - Do not hoard. Clear out your closets. Do not take or use more than is necessary (dont buy something just because it's on sale, dont overload your plate at a buffet, dont drive a gas hog). Do not exploit others for your gain. Do not grasp onto money -- grasping blocks the natural flow of energy. Give away what you dont need or use.

Volunteer to Help Homeless New Yorkers
The Coalition For The Homeless (www.coalitionforthehomeless.org) is the oldest non-profit advocate of the homeless and low-income populations in the city. Among its various activities is its 'Grand Central Food Program,' which delivers meals throughout the city every night.

The Coalition is looking for immediate volunteer help on Sunday evenings, specifically for drivers with clean records and the ability to handle a van. Three vans go out seven nights a week, one each to the Bronx, Uptown Manhattan/Harlem and Downtown Manhattan. Approximately 750 to 1,000 individuals and families are served each day through this program. New volunteer drivers will be given printed route directions and will also be accompanied by at least one other volunteer that is familiar with the route.

If you are interested in volunteering , please contact Derron Lee at derron.lee@gmail.co

Weekend yoga retreat
Rikard and I are talking about doing another weekend yoga retreat in the Fall (maybe October --seems a long way off, but we need to plan) --so if you think you'll be interested in coming with us, or if you missed the last one, please send me an email so we can get an idea of how many rooms we will be needing from the ashram. Thanks !

email: quietyoga@msn.com

Summer Vacation with your pet
I almost always take my cats with me when I travel (they love it ) and I find hotels where we are all welcome. There is a free publication around town called City Tails (www.CityTails.org) and they have a great article on hip hotels for you and your pet - from high luxury to budget hotels. Another link is www.tailsinc.com

And do I have to remind you of this ?
NEVER leave your pet in a car during the summer. The inside of the car (even with the windows open) can reach unbearably high heat in just seconds and kill or severely brain damage your animal. The windows intensify the heat and turn your car into an instant oven. Just dont take the risk -- protect your pets and never leave them alone.

Pet Pedicures

A lot of people have problems clipping their pets nails -- and it can be very painful and dangerous for your pet. here is a new gadget that files down (not cut) the nail and is painless for your pet. It's $30. Check out the web : http://www.peticure.com/

I have no problems clipping my cats nails -- but now that I know that the just the pressure from the clippers can hurt them, I'll be buying this nail filer for them.

Nada Yoga is the Yoga of Sound Vibration 

I love Diksha's Nada Yoga meditation.  She leads this meditation every Wednesday evening.  I try to go as often as I can and I LOVE her meditation den !  It is so small and sweet and at the same time sooooo exotic and spritual.  Wear comfortable, loose clothes since you will be sitting for the whole meditation (no asana ).  

As a Fulbright scholar, Diksha spent several years in India studying Eastern Music.  She is a professional musician by day, and an IYI yoga and meditation teacher the rest of the time.   

JAI Diksha !!   She has a CD too to guide  you through a chakra sound meditation and it's one of my favorites.  Well worth buying. 

The Meditation Den  -- 415 W 44th Street, NYC  (buzzer #8)  $15 donation       

Wednesdays 7pm      www.yogavanimission.org

A REAL Unicorn !!!
Check this out !! She is beautiful and she's real and living in Italy !!!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article4116471.ece

Yoga with Rodney Yee at home
Another way to practice yoga at home via the internet. Now yoga master Rodney Yee has an online yoga class and you can join for $5 a week. Check it out... no more excuses to avoid doing yoga ! www.gaiamyogaclub.com

Moving with Sound into Bliss Hatha and Kirtan

This is a yoga class led by Swami Ramananda (President of IYI) while Anjula chants devotional mantra.
I highly recommend this class. Ramananda is an amazing teacher and doesnt give this class often so please take advantage of it. You will leave the class in a haze of peace.

Saturday, July 19 • 11 a.m.-1 p.m. $24
Integral Yoga Institute W. 13th Street between 7-8th Ave /Greenwich Village

New Teaching Schedule

IYI has changed my teaching schedule.
Effective Fri June 6, my intermediate hatha class at IYI will start at 6.00PM

Cats do yoga too !!

On Line Yoga $16 per month
I keep trying to find ways to make yoga affordable for everyone.
Try WWW.Monthlyyogadvd.com -- Another affordable way to bring yoga directly into your home and into your life ! You get to choose different teachers and different styles of yoga. You can even get your yoga class on your cell phone when you're on a business trip !

When you subscribe to MonthlyYogaDVD.com's video classes you can log on and watch the classes right on the website . Or you can download a podcast to your desktop and watch it when you’re ready. It’s simple: $16 a month or $160 a year.

Just do yoga !!!

Body Rolling
Rikard and I both love this. You roll on balls and it realigns your whole body, creating space in your joints and massaging your muscles and fascia.

They also have amaaaziiing yoga mats !!! super dense and comfortable. $110 (!) -- I may have to buy one because they are that good.

Yamuna Body Rolling 132 Perry St.New York, NY 10014
http://www.yamunabodyrolling.com/

Chant with Deva Premal in NYC
Date: Oct 11 2008 730PM $25
Location : Sheraton New York Hotel 811 Seventh Ave/ 53rd St
Register by phone : 877 944- 2002

And for my yogi friends in London .... July 12 7PM at Kensington Great Hall !

Chanting with Krisna Das
Date : Sat June 21 6.30PM $30
Location : Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew / West End Avenue @ 86th St
Ticket info via website : www. krishnadas.com

Two Weeks of Unlimited Yoga for $30

Check out YogaWorks -- for $30 you get 2 weeks of unlimited yoga and you get a year's subscription to Yoga Journal too ! Offer expires on 6/30/08.

"You are tangled up in others and have forgotten what your heart once knew."

-Kabir

Guru Chitrabhanu in NYC

Chitrabhanu comes to NYC from India every spring and gives satsang. He is charming, intelligent and full of light. He was a Jain monk for about 20 years and is now married with children. He was a collegue of Ghandi. I go to listen to him and I find him very genuine. If you are interested in satsang, you should give him a try. they only ask for a $5 donation to cover costs.

Wed May 14, 21, 28 at 7.00 PM

Location : Institute of Indian Culture 305 Seventh Ave /27th St 17th Floor
Information : Jain Meditation International Center : 212 362-6483 or www.jainmeditation.org
Donation : $5.00

New teaching schedule ...

Effective Friday June 6, my Hatha II (intermediate level) class at Integral will be changed to 6.00PM

Just FYI

Adopt an animal in need of a home.

My friend Kamaniya is a big supporter of animal protection education as am I, but I find Kamaniya always reminds me to say something about it.

This blog is inspired by the articles on Kamaniya's blog (see blog from last week) about the nightmare of puppy mills and the heartless, cruel treatment these "purebred" animals receive before being put on sale at your local pet store for hundreds of dollars in profit. It is much better to go to a shelter and adopt an animal that has been abandoned and desperately needs a safe home. The idea is to put the puppy mills out of business.

If having your heart set on a certain breed animal is what keeps you from taking a shelter animal, then please consider adopting from breed specific rescue groups. They have them for every breed cat, dog and horses. If you want a siamese cat, just google "siamese rescue" and you will find many organizations that have siamese cats waiting for your love and care. Some of these rescue organizations are in all different parts of the country.... but call them anyway because they may know of a cat closer to you.

Here are a few links just to give you an idea of what is out there.... if you want poodle or a german shepard, there are rescue organizations out there waiting for your call.

http://www.lab-rescue.org/ http://www.nycsiamese.org/
http://www.pugrescue.com/

Another way to adopt a dog is to call the guide dog organizations... there are always a few dogs who "fail" the guide dog training and who are then considered "useless" -- my friend Mike adopted a labrador who "failed" because she was too friendly and wouldnt stop wagging her tail. These dogs are smart, come pretrained, so they are perfect additions to your family. Any adoption fee goes to help support the guide dog organization. Also, guide dogs are generally retired after 8 years -- the blind person trades the dog in for a younger dog -- so there are also older dogs who have put in years of service who are in need of homes where they can live out their last years and be spoiled by a loving family.

Always be responsible about adopting an animal. make sure you will be able to make room in your life for this animal, have the time to spend with the animal and the money to pay for food and veterinary bills. Dont get an animal and then leave it tied up in the yard because you dont like dog hair on the furniture . Dont get a cat and then abandon it because it shredded your couch. dont get an animal and expect to leave the animal alone every weekend because you have to go to your weekend beach house. Dont get rid of the cat because your current boyfriend is allergic to the cat... get rid of the boyfriend or tell him to find a way to deal with it. I had an allergist once who told me to get rid of my 2 cats --- I got a new allergist and I am fine (so are the cats).

A sentient being is something to be loved and respected.

10,000 Girls

KAOLACK, Senegal (CNN) -- After the sudden death of her 26-year-old daughter left five grandchildren in her care, Viola Vaughn searched for peace.
Though she was a native of Detroit, Michigan, Vaughn had worked in Africa for most of her life and considered it home. So she and her husband returned there to raise their new brood and "watch the coconut trees grow."But the universe had other things in mind for me," says Vaughn.

She couldn't have imagined those plans would include both further tragedy and the motivation to provide educational opportunities to hundreds of failing schoolchildren.
Soon after their move to rural Kaolack, Senegal, in 2000, Vaughn's husband -- jazz musician Sam Sanders -- died of black lung. Amid her grief, she found comfort in her grandchildren, ages 4 to 12, and filled her days home-schooling them. Her success soon garnered attention from the locals.

"There was a little girl that my granddaughter played with. This little girl kept coming around and wanting to be taught with my grandchildren," recalls Vaughn.
"I went to see this child's mother, and her mother said she had already failed school once, that she couldn't pass because she wasn't smart enough. Well she was smart enough to come find me. And I said, 'OK, I'll help you.' "

Within two weeks, Vaughn had 20 girls in her house who were failing school and asking her to teach them. Vaughn learned that the regional pass rate for girls was low because it was rooted in the economic need of young girls to work at home. They begin missing classes, then failing exams, often ultimately failing or dropping out of school. So in 2001, Vaughn turned her grandchildren's bedrooms into classrooms and began supplementing girls' education.
Get Involved: 10,000 Girls

"I found every one a girl younger than she and said, 'You're responsible to make sure she learns.' I taught them how to teach each other." It worked. In two years, the group of girls had grown to 80 -- and they were succeeding in school. With a grant, Vaughn was able to hire teachers, and the program continued to expand despite her attempt to set a limit of 100 girls. "The girls wanted to take it to 10,000," says Vaughn.

To keep their "10,000 Girls" education program going, the girls asked Vaughn to teach them to bake. They began selling cookies and juice and were able to buy books and supplies.
Soon after, they got their older sisters, aunts and cousins -- who had already failed out of the school system -- involved in baking and selling goods. The entrepreneurial element of the program was born.

"They were supporting their cause," says Vaughn. "It was something remarkable."
Today, in addition to a pastry shop and catering business, "10,000 Girls" runs a sewing workshop and the girls export their handmade dolls and household linens overseas.
Half of the funds from these projects go back to the girls; the remainder supports the education program, no longer in Vaughn's house. More than 1,500 girls are involved in Vaughn's program in six locations; about 1,000 are waiting to join.

"We have girls who were told they'd never get through high school who are at university now," beams Vaughn. "We hope that if we get 10,000 girls out there, 1,000 girls will come back to Kaolack and work. It would revolutionize the whole region.
"Here I am, retired, and this is the best job I have ever had in my life."