I have been thinking and procrastinating about this for a long time now --although I have not made it official with IYI, I think that I will stop teaching yoga at IYI sooner than later.
I have been teaching there for 5+ years and I have been thinking for at least a year that it's getting old for me. Although I am grateful for my training and teachers at IYI, and the opportunity to teach there, I think it is time to go on hiatus.
Maybe I will teach somewhere else. Maybe not. If so, I will put that information on this blog. I am thinking that I need to spend more time working on my own practice and less time teaching. If you want to contact me, you can email via this blog.

Yoga To The People

This is a studio that believes that yoga is for everyone, and that the commercialization of yoga is against the spirit of yoga. So, Yoga to the People offers vinyasa classes by donation ($10 suggested donation). They are pretty awesome yogis, and their classes are crowded. Check out their website and schedule at http://www.yogatothepeople.com/

I got this quote from their website. It is particularly applicable to me these days. :

Our Deepest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine.
We were born to make manifest the glory that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

Animals are capable of Love and Attachment
No news here to me but apparently, other people dont think that animals are capable to care about us or other animals.

Here is a new book on this very subject :
Animal Manifesto by Mark Beckoff, PhD - available at Amazon. He also wrote The Emotional Lives of Animals. Do check out these books. Our furry and feathered friends deserve our love and respect as individuals.

And here is an article on the subject from the NY Daily News:
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/pets/2010/02/06/2010-02-06_more_than_puppy_love_animals_form_strong_love_bond_with_each_other_and_with_thei.html

This made me laugh.... because it is sooo true !
"One of my first yoga teachers, David Life, told a great story about taking a private lesson with the late, great Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. He described it as 3 hours of sweating, body-twisting, ego-driven effort to impress his teacher with his abilities, which left him collapsed in a puddle on the floor. Pattabhi Jois simply looked down at his sweaty, exhausted student and said, “You’re doing it wrong.”

I got this quote from a yoga blog : http://www.sarahcourtyoga.com.html/
She is a Jivamukti yoga teacher in California and she writes a great blog !

-Things that matter most should not be at the mercy of things that matter least.
-Goethe

Cruelty Free Eggs ?
You will see eggs labelled "Cage-free". "Organic". "Range-fed". "Humane" at the grocery store. These certifications look good, but they don't mean much- -plus, monitoring and interpretation of "humane" is pretty loose.

When we read "cage-free" that might mean that tens of thousands of chickens are crammed into one hen-house and while not technically caged, they don't live in humane, comfortable conditions. A lot of these chickens are trapped in factories and never see daylight. And when we read "organic," we can't be sure if that means the hens are raised without antibiotics and hormones -- which are passed on to you.

The World Society for Protection of Animals (WSPA) suggests switching from commercially raised eggs to buying those labeled "Certified Humane," "American Humane Certified," or "Animal Welfare Approved."

This means your eggs came from chickens raised with care, not confined to battery cages and fed growth hormones and antibiotics. And these designations are verified and monitored by animal rights organizations.

A lot of people eat eggs. I am not criticizing or condemning that. But the point is that eggs come from real chickens -- and although you might never want to kill and eat a chicken -- you need to consider where your egg is coming from and the egg laying chicken's right for a humane life and comfort. Egg producing factory farms are in the business of maximizing egg production. If a chicken doesnt produce enough eggs, or gets older and is past egg laying -- the chicken is killed.

Avoid the commercialized eggs in the grocery store. Buy your eggs from our local farmers at the farmer's market at Union Square and other places around the city.

It's all about living mindfully. Yoga is about how you do what you do. This is taking your yoga off the mat.

Air Travel With Your Pet
There is an article today in the NY Daily News about how 2 puppies were flown in the cargo area from Mexico to NYC . One puppy FROZE to death and the other one almost died. If you have to travel, please do not let the airlines put your animal in with the luggage. The luggage/cargo areas are not designed for sentient beings - they are designed for luggage. Cargo areas are not heated or air conditioned, not oxygenated nor air compressed. Many animals die in the cargo area. Imagine if you get stuck on the runway for 3 hours, in 100+ degree August heat in Dallas and your dog is in the baggage compartment. Your animal will be lucky to arrive at destination alive. Many, many pets die at the hands of airlines and callous baggage handlers-- they don't publicize it and they get away with it because there are no laws to protect your animal.

Think of that man who was found as a stowaway on an airplane last week -- they found him frozen to death when the flight landed in Tokyo.

When you book flights, always ask for an airline that will allow your pet on board with you in the main cabin. Many will for an extra fee. By all means, pay it and have your animal be safe in the main cabin.

I have also found there is a special airline just for pets. It is worth looking into : http://petairways.com/ . Pet Airways is the first airline exclusively dedicated to pet travel and pet safety. With Pet Airways, your pet will be safe and comfortable flying in the main cabin --- not in cargo!

Be kind to our animal friends. Your pet is not a piece of luggage.

Over 200 posts
I just realized I have written in excess of 200 posts. So please, scroll around and check out the older postings. You might find something interesting!

Yoga Kicks Ass ....

I taught a class recently and there was a student in the class who really should have been in an easier class than mine. On top of that, she was wearing a snug, long sleeve top, and she walked in late (see more on that on earlier post) -- stomping around, snapping out her mat, arranging multiple blankets, oblivious to the fact the other students were meditating. She struggled through the class, was smart enough to know her limits (which is all good) but I think she was actually surprised that my class was demanding and that I actually made her sweat. At the end of class, she was very gracious and made the comment that my class was "intense"... I am not sure that was meant entirely as a compliment -- but I strongly suspect that intensity was something she had never experienced in yoga.

This student came to yoga class expecting it to be easy. Actually, a lot of students are under this impression. They think they are just going to float through a class.

Yoga kicks ass. There is no other way to put it. Yoga is a very mental practice. Yoga challenges you in ways you never imagined - it takes you to the edge physically, mentally and emotionally. It will make you come face to face with inner emotions you never wanted to meet. Yoga will challenge your will and bring you to your knees until you let go of the fear through surrender. "Intense" doesn't begin to cover it.

So, if you are practicing yoga and finding that your class is easy, pleasant and not physically, mentally or emotionally demanding of you -- you're not doing yoga.

I don't know if that means you are in the wrong yoga class or if that means you are not really present on your mat. But you are not getting your money's worth.

Yoga kicks your ass whether you like it or not. Surrender to it. That is how it changes you. You have to let go -- release. That is where you find the healing in yoga. That's how you can take those changes off the mat and incorporate them into your everyday life.

I dont teach the hardest class in the city but if you come to my class, be prepared to sweat, be prepared to work hard to find your center.... because in the name of yoga, I'm prepared to kick your ass (gently, of course).

Namaste.

Funny Video !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnVXld9ZaE0

Just do yoga ! : )

Movie : Sita Sings the Blues
This is a really cool indi film done by Nina Paley, an American cartoon animator. That's some of her artwork in the picture with this post.

Essentially, here's the gist: An American artist/cartoon animator is married and living in the US. Her husband gets transferred to India for work. She eventually joins him in India but is surprised to find out he now wants a divorce. Now she is heartbroken -- and far from home. The result of this pain, is that she interweaves the story of her own heartbreak with the story of the Hindu Goddess Sita, (who also had a rocky love life) and being a cartoon artist, she journals the whole thing into an animated film. Her choice of using American Blues for the soundtrack is brilliant.

The beauty of this film is not just the fine artwork, but the cleverness of how the artist intertwined the same story in two cultures, not just visually and emotionally, but also aurally -- ancient and modern, Hindu and Western -- she shows how the fraility of the heart is the same for all -- even if you are a beautiful Goddess.

Find out more about the artist Nina Paley at http://www.ninapaley.com/

I highly recommend seeing this film -- I hear you can view online !

Delicious kale recipe !!
I had this the other day at Whole Foods -- it was so crazily delicious that I googled the recipe and was surprised and delighted to find this. Try it -- it is sooo scrumptious and good for you too ! Kale is one of those nutritious superfoods we should all try to incorporate into our diet. The Braggs Liquid Aminos is easily found at Whole Foods or any health food store (and it's delicious too ! you can use it in any savory dish).

Kale with Seaweed, Sesame and Ginger

1/2 cup dried arame sea vegetables (food-grade seaweed)
Dark sesame oil, about 2 Tbsp
1 Tbsp peeled and minced ginger
1 bunch kale
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos
1 Tbsp Toasted sesame seeds

1 -Rinse the seaweed in water and let soak, covered in water for 5-7 minutes. Drain seaweed and place in a large bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of dark sesame oil and the minced ginger.
2 -Wash kale by soaking in water, rinsing thoroughly. Chop cross-wise into 1-inch by 2-inch pieces.
3 -In a large covered skillet, uncover and heat 2 teaspoons of dark sesame oil on medium heat. Add garlic and gently sauté for one minute, until fragrant. Add the seaweed and ginger, gently cook for 1 minute. Remove seaweed/ginger/garlic from pan back to the bowl and set aside.
4 -Heat 1 Tbsp sesame oil in the skillet. Add the chopped kale. Add 3 Tbsp of Braggs. Gently mix in the pan to coat the kale with the oil and Bragg. Cover; lower heat to low; let cook for 5-10 minutes or until kale is wilted - soft enough to eat easily, but not so soft as to be mushy. Remove cover and let cook a minute more to evaporate any excess moisture. Remove from heat. Mix in the kale with the seaweed ginger mixture. Add more sesame oil and Braggs to taste. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
Serves 4. - Simply Recipes http://simplyrecipes.com

Yogavani Mission - Nada yoga/yogic chant

This is lead by a very special yoga teacher and one time swami at IYI. Diksha leads nada yoga (yoga of sound) sessions every week on W. 44th St and it is well worth going. Her Meditation Den is tiny and warm and absolutely charming. I hope you will try to make it. I think the donation is $15.

Just so you know, nada yoga is the yoga of sound. It is a whole specialty of it's own. Sound is vibration and vibration is very powerful (that's why monks chant). The nada yoga chants are not as melodic as what you may be used to -- sometimes, it is pretty funny sounding, but know that the sounds are powerful and that the power of that sound is becoming part of you.

For those of you interested in advancing in your yoga practice, this is a good way to enhance, deepen and, most importantly, expand the experience of your practice.

The Meditation Den 415 W 44th Street NYC Tel 212 581-5200

Being on time for yoga class ...!!!

OK, I have to rant. I notice more and more that people are coming late to yoga class.

Coming late to class is distracting to the other yoga students in the class and honestly, it's very annoying for the teacher. The teacher is working hard to set a healing vibration early in the class and students who come in late, snaping out their mats, walking around, etc ... have just undone all the teacher's best efforts. They also just destroyed the other 15 students effort to center themselves.

There is a yogic law of Asteya. It means non- stealing or do not take what does not belong to you. A cow's life does not belong to you, so you have no right to kill it for it's meat. And there is the concept of stealing TIME -- if you come late to appointments, you are demonstrating that other people's time is not important.... you feel entitled to steal their time. If you come late to yoga class, you are stealing the other students' peace, you are stealing away the very benefits for which they came to yoga class. They paid for this yoga class and so indirectly, you are stealing their money too.

If you come late to yoga class, you are distracting the teacher. You are redirecting the attention of the teacher to YOU -- so you are monopolizing and stealing the attention that the teacher should have been focusing on the other 10-20 students. So consider the concept of not taking what does not belong to you.

There are basic etiquette rules when you come to a yoga class:

-Come to class 15 minutes early. It allows you to roll out your mat, get yourself organized and have a few minutes of quiet time for yourself before the class starts. If the class starts at 6PM, do try to be there by 5.45PM. If you come early, I think you'll find you'll get more out of your class.

-Be Considerate and respectful of your fellow yogis : If you are new to yoga, look around the class. BE AWARE of what the other students are doing. You are NOT in this class by yourself and part of yoga is to be aware of yourself in space and in relation to others. Observe how the other students are not talking to each other, they are not reorganizing their shopping bags, they are not causing distraction. Do observe how the other students enter the room silently, are quiet, tranquil and not moving around much . Also, observe yourself -- are YOU are the last student coming into class... rushing in, stomping around, throwing your mat out, making the other students move their mats to accommodate you , rearranging your clothes, fidgeting with your hair ... ?

-Please turn off your cell phones. I am so serious about this. If I had my own studio, and someone's cell phone went off during class, I would ask them to leave my class --- FOREVER.

-Please do not wear jewelry to class. All those pretty bracelets, beads and bangles make a lot of jangling noise which is annoying to the other students and the teacher. Yoga is about finding the silence -- your bracelets are not helping us -- and yes, we can all hear you jangling!! Also, yoga is about energy flow. Jewelry holds energy. Please avoid wearing a lot of rings because you will find during asanas where your weight is on your hands (as in down dog) the rings will cause you discomfort. If you are concentrating on your rings, you cant be concentrating on perfecting your yoga.

-Please wear appropriate clothing for yoga. I am not saying you have to wear expensive yoga gear (I get mine on sale at Old Navy) -- you can come in your pyjamas as long as you can be comfortable. But I cant tell you how often students come to class wearing sweaters and sweats. Yoga makes you move, your body temperature is going to go up. Part of yoga is to sweat because it is a cleansing. If you wear sweaters etc. to yoga, you are going to be miserable.

-Please do not eat for 2 hours before class. If you are starving before class, have something light such as a yoghurt, some fruit, a handful of nuts, a small bowl of cereal or soup.

-Please be considerate of your fellow student on the next mat and do not wear perfumes. Just because you love Jungle Gardenia does not mean the person next to you does.

-And finally, be respectful. Respect your fellow classmates and the teacher. Be respectful of the ancient practice and wisdom of yoga. If you cant do that, then maybe you'll be more comfortable in a different kind of exercise class for now. You'll be back when you're ready.

Namaste.

Acupuncture

I love acupuncture and I have gone to Melina many, many times for wonderful, healing treatments. If you have never tried acupuncture before, I urge you to try it as it is healing and leaves you feeling very relaxed. Acupuncture is very effective for many ailments and well recognized by Western medicine. They even have acupuncturists on staff in major hospitals now. Melina is great, sensitive, gentle and is a fully licensed acupuncturist. She only uses disposable needles (NY State law !). Her office is in Manhattan. Give her a call for more information.

Melina Bilic, M.S.,LMT.,LAc.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Healing Garden Acupuncture

Traditional Oriental Medicine

Lymphedema Management

347-448-1489

Yoga aiming for Olympic Competition?
There is an article today in the NYTimes about how the founders of Bikram Yoga are promoting international yoga competitions and their goal is to have yoga recognized as an Olympic sport. As you might guess, this is ruffling feathers in the yoga community. Yoga is reduced to the physical. Yoga is over commodified. It's all about money. It's all a competition.....
What do you think ? Read the article here : http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/19/fashion/19fitness.html?em

There is one comment by a NYT reader that I like (I paraphrase) : " my chi can kick your karma's butt !"

Leave your comment on my blog -- I would love to read your thoughts!

The FIRST animal shelter in Iran

The Middle East does not really have a concept of pets or of treating animals with respect and compassion.

Some Middle Eastern taxi and limo drivers here in NYC refuse to take passengers with dogs because it is "against their religion". ... apparently, the Koran says something like that anyone who shows kindness to a dog will not go to heaven or that God won't come to a home which shelters a dog. And it was a source of great amusement to the Middle East when there was a newspaper photo of President Clinton giving his Labrador a kiss....

Anyway,

Fatemeh Motamedi in Iran has figured out that God made dogs too and they deserve kindness, love and respect. She opened the FIRST animal shelter in Iran with her own money. She provides shelter, food and veterinary care. Most Iranians dont understand what she is doing -- who would care about a dog ? So she gets little support from her community. I think Fatemeh's place in heaven is guaranteed.

check out Fatemeh's blog -- http://vafaanimalshelter.blogspot.com/

send a donation if you can. Adopt a dog if you can (yeah, I know -- it's far away -- but read Max's story at the bottom of the blog) . These dogs have had a rough life with little compassion shown to them at all. And there is just one woman in Iran trying to help them. So help Fatemeh continue to run her shelter... in any way you can.

Yoga changes everything....

Many of my students come to me because after they have been practicing a while, they notice that their lives are changing... the familiar becomes unfamiliar...and not always in the most comfortable way.

They notice that they don't enjoy their old hang outs as much, drinking the weekend away is not that much fun, they are looking at their friends differently... so then they decide to change everything !!! No more going out to parties, no more friends who smoke or eat meat, no more this no more that... now the only thing is to hang out with other yogis, go to India, seek out yoga teachers and wise Gurus and do "spiritual" stuff. They become official "seekers".

So they think if they do all this practice, go to satsang, go to kirtan, buy an OM bracelet, they will become more spiritual, more enlightened. And this can go on for a few months or for years before they get sick of it.

Then what? Then the student has to find the courage to stop seeking. The student hopefully reaches the realization that everything is within themselves. That yoga is all about recognizing yourself -- it's not about a guru, a $95 yoga mat, a sacred mountain. There comes a time when you have to surrender to yoga and to yourself. Then the student sees that chasing the externals is useless...then the student is no longer on the spiritual path, the student finally becomes the path.

Just do yoga.

Asteya = Non stealing

One of the yoga laws is non-stealing.  It doesnt just mean dont steal somebody's wallet.  As in all things yoga, it has a much more subtle meaning:

Being a non- vegetarian is stealing. That fish or chicken or cow or mink had a life to which it was entitled to live without interference. If you kill the animal to eat it, you are stealing it's life. If you force a chicken to live in a factory cage so it can produce eggs for you, then you are stealing it's quality of life. If you use an animal for testing cosmetics, medicine  or laundry detergent, you are stealing it's life and inflicting great prolonged suffering. If you wear fur coats, you are literally stealing not just the skin off that mink's back and inflicting pain and misery, but stealing his right to having a life as well.  These animals are sentient beings and their lives are not yours to take and it is selfish arrogance to think otherwise.

It is said that a civilization can be judged by how they treat their animals. 

STRESS !!
Here is an interesting article from today's NYTimes on how the brain deals with stress --- giving you all the more reason to do yoga !!

I love the quote at the end by novelist Ellen Glasgow : “The only difference between a rut and a grave are the dimensions.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/science/18angier.html