Yoga on Main

Stressful karma

2009-10-11T14:48:00.004-04:00

Fri, Oct 9, 2009
Subject: Friday

'''''''''''''''''''''''''```````(O)'''''''---~~

```````(O)''''--~YOGA'''''''...~*Friends

Here I am, eating organic foods prepared from scratch, getting plenty of exercise with a regular meditation routine, and yet there is hypertension that keeps my blood pressure at the borderline of concern. What is that? It is so interesting the way somehow, someway, stress accumulates in minds and bodies, even still there from early on in our lives. My own growing up had its share of stress. Maybe it originates from back then. It takes a long while to grow out of that experience.

Fundamentally, karma is the process of action and reaction. It is widely understood that "as you sow, so shall you reap". Karma is not fate which implies a lack of free will. Karma involves the activity of physical action and mental intention to create its own reaction. Skilled response yields good karma, poor judgement results in worse karma. Yoga offers us means for controlled thoughts and responsive physical bodies.

Class happens at 7pm Friday.*****) '''''''........~oo*******) '''''''........~**

Mind embodiment

2009-08-16T13:02:00.003-04:00

````````(O)'''''''---~~YOGA
*****) '''''''........~oo**Friends
|||``.` ```)~~~>>

Modern western living normally considers mind and body to be separate
entities. As in "My body wants one thing but my mind is telling me another",

in the way we separate types of occupation into white collar and blue collar,

and further relegate body and mind to separate worlds of academic pursuit or

the wide world of sports. It begs the strangeness of why we play action games

on our Ipods. Gone are times when hunting and farming, adventure or
community required a life interested in utilizing both at once.

This dualistic view makes it difficult to recognize the interwoven relationship

between thinking and doing, connecting understanding and being.

Hatha yoga is the physical and mental education which teaches how to inhabit

our bodies and grasp the shadow of consciousness. Our practice lets our body's

experience help define our understanding. Hope to see you in Friday class, 7pm.

(Large concepts still workout abs, hamstrings, strengthen joint function,

relieve stress, increase metabolism and balance weight.)

Namaste, :)ohn

Part 2

There is interest in starting a friendly running group to participate in a local
5K race (3 miles). Date depends on how long we want to get ready (2 months?)
It all starts with stepping a short distance. Let me know if you are interested.

Annual field trip to Chuang Yen Monastery

2009-03-04T18:47:00.002-05:00

Invitation for April 26 (Sunday morning)
ANNUAL FIELD TRIP TO CHUANG YEN MONASTERY.
Meet between 7:30 and 8 am at the Lutheran Church in Mount Kisco
(across from Northern Westchester Hospital) for caravan / car pool
or meet at the monastery (www.baus.org) in Carmel before 9 am.
Join morning meditation (sitting and walking). Enjoy dharma talk,
beautiful grounds and vegetarian lunch ($5).
Call John (589-0964) for more info. Donation is appreciated.

Yoga on Main
John Kortmulder, Teacher
Classes at Lutheran Church
15 South Bedford Road / Main St
Mount Kisco, NY 10549
www.yogaonmain.net
914-589-0964

A useful sentiment on breath to preface the field trip announcement -

The face of breath
Our faces tell ourselves how we feel- in a good mood, down in the dumps,
confident, interested, bored or fearful. Hazard a guess about who we are.
Can we see shyness or smug attitude or kindness coming from a similar
place behind our gaze? We even say 'expression' to describe our facial
muscles pulled this way and that.
Can't we think of respiratory muscles contracted in the same way?
In what ways are our breathing patterns affected, as plain as the nose on
our face? How is breath deep or shallow, either self aware, often proud, or
self deprecating. The costal lift can set us on a self confident pedestal. Or
creeping into unfulfilled thoracic expansions, short intrinsic back muscles
may become too tight to extend the spine. Shoulders could be flexed inward.
Breath shows up our fears and comforts by the tensions in respiratory muscle
and body tissue. We release these tensions, undo habitual appearance and
change our mood the same as if softening a grimace by twinkling the eyes.
Our expression is a connection between our mind and body. Yoga is mind
and body connected through our breath. Yoga looks in the mirror.

We begin class practice on Fridays, 7pm, for our spring excursion to
participate in Chuang Yen Monastery's Sunday morning sitting meditation
hour. Join in to have our breath smiling by the last Sunday in April.

Namaste )ohn

Reason #83 for winter yoga

2009-01-29T23:27:00.003-05:00

------/||Yoga Fridays`2009`.` ```)~~

Yoga friends,

It's still winter.
Instead of reaching out, yoga practice hunkers down,
bending and folding inward, slow, close to the ground.
Classes are small and poses fit
tight, breathing becomes intimate.
There will be class on Friday, 7pm.

What is our karma for being present when
being present detaches us from our karma?
(from Swami Bhenenjerri in Koan of Koans)

When are we the event, not the involvement?
From standing, sitting or laying down,
in the joined focus of mind and body-
our physical and mental frame of reference begins
from a point of contact with a mat or the floor,
information that tells us what and where
in a most fundamental possible way.

Watching within our body, inside our mind, we recognize
our presence in this moment and move in a positive way,
co-ordinated, purposeful and not distracted.

Class once a week is a guide. Help with a home practice
or class twice per week is a remedy for serenity.
A flexible body is the garden for a pliant mind.
Plans to add more classes begin
with a Friday approach to health.

Be resolute and enjoy mindful practice.

Obamaste, :)ohn

````````(O)'''''''---~~oo*******)'''''''........

New Year Resolution

2008-12-19T13:41:00.003-05:00

|-------/|||||Yoga Fridays`December, 2008`.` ```

Thoughts for entering the new year-
I talk with folks about what yoga is and does for us.
Many people say, "I want to lose weight, be more flexible, relieve stress."
For that I have open yoga class at Yoga On Main at the Lutheran Church.
Class once a week guides towards those goals. A home practice or class
at least twice per week will achieve further results. If you plan to make
a commitment for a good approach for your health, there is no physical
injury nor handicap which can't be reckoned with. No matter how stressed
we are, there is a way leading to serenity. Many concerns can be addressed.
This is my resolution for myself and for my yoga students.

Today, Friday, 12/19 there is no class due to snow storm.
Following Friday class is canceled due to holiday, when I will be in VA.
Our next class will be the 1st Friday in the New Year. Wait a minute, that's
January 2nd. Please tell me if you can't make it. Send a New Year's wish.
Else, I hope you will be resolute and ready for mindful practice.

Namaste, :)ohn

````````(O)'''''''-gaze inward --~~oo*******)'''''''........

Last years' holiday poems

2008-12-02T17:12:00.007-05:00

```````)~~
.......
:: ::::

Dec., 2007

Winter's fulcrum applies the torque
that turns us inward; old warmth lingers
and is pulled from inside my overcoat.
Cold curls the arthritis in my fingers,
another solstice happens in New York.

Creaky rhymes scratch on a sharded frost,
those of us not grounded chance being lost
in the elemental.

And to all,
namaste,
:)ohn

December 2006

yogi's winter tao

Young winter's breath drawn from a tepid well
of daily schedules, is more hectic than years ago.
Bucket of breath dips into the globally warmed
pool of atmosphere and world conflicts.

Still a delicate crystaline outbreath spills
out into the still of a silent night, moist exhales
aspirate a twinkling in early morning's chills.

There is yet that tug which recognizes community.
"Good morning" 's seem especially neighborly,
my gaze turns kinder, consideration hangs in the air.
The harmony in my heart is seasoned by the breath,
invigorated and yielding to the relationship between
the soul we call ourselves and knowing that we all
are brothers and sisters breathing the same breath
for thousands of years.
More than other seasons, our energy turns inward,
nourishing our heart, external focus is plowed under.

A solar yang is birthed by the galactic yin.
Winter solstice aligns along axis with the North Star.
Cold germinates the seedless Southern Cross within.
Religious holidays coincide the nadir of sunlit days
as the celestial firmament gives testament to what falls
to earth. Our lengthened night breathes out and plays
across this northern region while far from New York,
the birth of a powerful love happens where hemisphere
inhales its antipodean season.

Planet's climate change will not forestall the heralded lights.
And so whether longer days will provide succor for others
or solace for myself is a question of balance, shifting night's
dark to light, warmth from cold. 'Tween fathers and mothers
wintering is what rekindles the fire in their hearts.

Namaste,
:)ohn

12/15/2005
HOLIDAY POTION

1) Mix clippings from the beard of Claus and
0.5 oz reindeer antler, ground to course powder.
Set mix aside.
2) Fill small cauldron with green glacier ice melted
by the morning sun of the winter solstice.
Set on stove.
Waft with incantations of whispering snow fairies.
Collect sufficient vibrations to ignite stove.
3) Add peeled chestnuts to boiling glacial water,
parboil for long enough to remember
your ancestors, then add to mix.
Remove to open fire; when roasted,
slice communion wafer thin.
Leave cauldron to simmer over same fire, letting
embers die slowly.
4) Gather two people, traditionally a man and woman,
arrange underneath boughs of holly
and sprigs of mistletoe.
Wait as long as it takes.
5) Crush holly berries and dice mistletoe berries,
stir slowly into the cauldron broth.
6) Chant "Om mani padme ho ho ho"
while decanting a bottle of rum into goblets
for everyone.
7) Nibble on chestnut slices, sip (West Indian) rum.
Carry the potion out to the street and while spilling
the stock onto the frozen ground, wish merry
good will to gentle men and neighbor ladies.

Happy holidays,
Love, )ohn

Edge of Asthma

2008-12-01T13:22:00.000-05:00

(From “Edge of Asthma”, New Yogi Press)

For those of us with respiratory restrictions as well as for those without, this writing aims to help see more subtly into our breathing process. Serious illness or injury consistently reminds us not to take basic living functions for granted. Asthma, as a serious handicap, illustrates the most basic understanding of our existence- that we must breathe.

There once was a famous yogi claiming never to take a breath of which he was not aware. Breath awareness isn't necessarily peaceful. Breath confronted with asthma listens and watches and notices the degree of success or relative difficulty in breathing. Not being able to breathe allows little thought outside of the process involved in inhale and exhale. In this situation, we are minutely aware of hampered breath flow, of vague yet intense constriction in our chest, “watch here, alert moment, now, be careful”. Keeping our internal monitor always turned "ON" alert for danger signs will influence our anxiety and further inhibit easy breathing. People with asthma know a cautious present and live in an anxious moment.

We know of no unified explanation for what causes asthma. Asthma appears as a response to our body's difficulty in coping with a broad range of traumatic or otherwise debilitating situations. Sometimes these factors happen early in life. Premature childbirth or genetic predisposition may have inhibited the maturation of the respiratory system. For example, the lining of the lungs may not have developed adequate surfactant coating. Evidence of very early childhood stress, of babies experiencing prolonged or acute hyperactive distress, has been linked as a risk factor in the development of this illness.

Exposure to environmental stressors (fumes, airborne chemicals, smoke or other toxins, molds, etc) and allergens can also result in a hyper-reactive respiratory response. In industrial neighborhoods, even truck traffic and highway noise can cause nervous and neural imbalances which present challenges for normal relaxed breathing.

Nowadays, medical opinions recognize other complex interactive psychological factors as triggers contributing significantly to what creates an asthmatic environment. Our breath can be wrapped in worries that we may be harmed, fear of death, pain either immediate or traumas and abuse remembered from long ago. Chronic stress can have a debilitating affect on respiratory patterns.

Lack of breath is preceded by the inability to exhale. Without expiration there is no room for the oxygen-rich inhale. The depleted air remains in the lungs. What is causing this inability to exhale? Still a mystery, our breath holds the most sensitive and subtle imprints about our life experience. It’s said that the out breath is our last living act. Well then, don't exhale and we won’t let go. Being afraid may cause a tendency to tense up, curling our body inward, provoking a habit of intercostal muscle contraction in the short muscular attachments from spine to ribcage, and incomplete release along the edges of the diaphragm.

In meditation, not only can we observe a warming and cooling stream of breath, we can relax this connection and understand breath as that primal experience without which there is panic, within which is safety as life continues. It engenders a very basic gratitude.

How can we help relax the constriction of respiratory muscles, ease the inflammation of our bronchi, and lessen the congestion of mucus membrane? Breathing stretches gently allow injured or underused areas of our diaphragm and accessory breathing muscles to regain their functional range. These exercises can begin to inspire fascia throughout the torso, and develop those breathing spaces which have become underserved.

Using a physical awareness of our body as it operates the balance between inspiration and expiration, specific breath work can also reduce anxiety and response to fear or harmful emotions. It’s enlightening to see how our physical control over breath enables our influence over psychological behavior. Breathing stretches gently allow injured or underused areas of our diaphragm and accessory breathing muscles to regain their functional range.

People frequently breathe 12 to 20 times per minute, but actually once every 8 to 10 seconds, maybe 6 times per minute, is often a healthier rate. Exercises that change this habit are simple and direct; even so, many mechanical, chemical and energetic responses result in various parts of our body. Lengthened exhale, for several minutes, will increase the oxygen to our cells for maintaining skeletal muscle and promoting metabolic functions. Cell oxygenation encourages our capacity to sense and act; vital energy is restored. Our breath informs both body and mind.

We start by sitting and observe ourselves quietly. Let the breath happen by itself. Observe and focus where our breath may feel tight. By directing our attention, we can encourage a physical relaxing from inside of our ribcage. Watching this breath, we observe deeper into our physical selves. Notice the patterns which have settled themselves uncomfortably onto our respiratory template, and from there have attached to other muscles, traveling along the spine, across nerves, through connective tissue and into organs. Just paying attention will slow our breath and allow the breath to become deeper.

Our breath has a reciprocal relationship with the body's autonomic nervous system. Our nervous function affects our breathing patterns just as our breathing can help regulate both parasympathetic and sympathetic sides of the autonomic nervous systems. Acute respiratory problems have been related to a hyper-reactive autonomic nervous system. Controlled breathing sequences can bring balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

Extend your exhale so that is longer than your inhale. Lengthening our exhale acts as the phrenic switch which turns on the parasympathetic nervous system and directs our “relaxation response”, while the sympathetic nervous system is able to release from external "fight or flight" stimuli. Both parasympathetic and sympathetic systems direct our involuntary body functions. After several minutes, our extended exhalation begins to influence the body’s environment, resetting triggers to our autonomic nervous responses.

Slowing down our out breath requires controlling the same nerve impulses and muscle constriction responsible for inhalation. I believe that asthmatic breathing fails to adequately release these same inspiratory phrenic nerves and muscles. This reaction may be found in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, in situations of abuse and extreme emotional circumstances. It is also why asthma accompanies these other injuries to our autonomic nervous system, which occasions a lack of control over our breathing ability.

Attention to our breath is the meditative work which slackens high strung tensions in our nervous system and ultimately brings about a greater fundamental awareness which creates and maintains the conditions for health and happiness. That is our goal.

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

To find out more about exercise for respiratory challenges and stress disorders,

please contact John Kortmulder, Yoga On Main, (914) 589-0964, www.yogaonmain.net

non standing balance

2008-07-20T20:23:00.003-04:00

Date: Mar 27, 2008

Yoga friends,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~   ~~~

Which balance postures don't stand us on our feet?
Our day balances between time spent working and not
working. Maybe that's more of a stretch.
There is a life long balance of taking care of family
and doing things for ourselves. Hold that pose.

Balance lets us know where we are.
Entering the spring season, end of last week in March,
on Friday, at the beginning of the evening-
5:30 yoga class starts- in Mt Kisco, in a church,
in a warm room, on our mat,
getting local enough to find that balance point.
All practice narrows itself down to the intersection
of physical space with present moments.
Hand pressing knee, knee onto floor,
eyes hold perspective, a process of anchoring body
and mental focus, finding contact.

Contact gives us feedback, it's conversation which says
"Here I am, where I press my finger against this spot."
Understanding starts from here, extends out from the mat,
outside of the room, beyond the building. It's part of
feeling secure. Contact is needed in order to feel safe.
Good reasons to love balancing.

We might start by balancing from our sitbones, locating
our core body as energy directs out, raising our legs,
extending our torso.
~~~~~~~~~~    ~ ~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   

)ohn :)

Spinal sequence

2008-07-20T19:48:00.004-04:00

Date: Mar 10, 2008

This was part of last Monday morning's plan :
1) Start in supine position (lay on your back & relax),
hips on 2 folded blankets, legs up the wall (or knees
bent, feet on floor).
Breathe with a relaxed breath for a few minutes.
Be aware of chest and abdomen moving gently with in-
and exhale. Recognize the feelings to relax further in
these areas. Press hands against the bottom ribcage,
notice the flexibility in the ribs. Leave the hands on
the ribs to sense how they move with a full breath.
2) Slowly, with knees bent, feet on floor, on inbreath,
move hips up, contact moving up the back towards the
shoulders. On exhale, roll back down along the spine.
Repeat this Bridge Pose a half dozen times.
3) Lying with legs up the wall, bend the knees & push
off thru the feet so that the hips lift off the floor,
straighten the torso vertically and bring your hands
to support your lower back. Voila, you are in shoulder
stand. Come out of the posture by bringing the feet
overhead and lowering from shoulders to hips to floor.
4) Away from the wall, still supine, bring both knees in
and hold with arms while gently rolling side to side
with an easy breath.
Then roll forward and back, breathing a little faster
and out thru the mouth.

Namaste,  )ohn

Sunday's final meditation

2008-07-20T19:30:00.004-04:00

Date: Mar 10, 2008

Yoga friends,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Perhaps I imagined this Sunday's meditation being slightly
different. Was some internal levee holding things back? Once
breached, I could feel an emotional energy flood my heart.
Not that it hasn't happened before. Final meditation has on
occasion made my eyes tear. That's my Mississippi.
Everyone has their own river, sometimes a quiet meandering
watercourse, on occasion seasonal floodwaters.
What happens in body-mind connections when external
stimulation is quiet? Insight springs from an internal aquifer,
breath is not only a warming or cooling stream, but connects
a primal unconscious experience without which there is panic,
within which life continues. It engenders a very basic gratitude.

We began class standing, bending and folding, moving from
the front of our mats into the 12 step Sun Salutation, Surya
Namaskar. The slow, breath prompted sequence enabled the
repetition of movement to free up inner restrictions. We flowed
into a compatible Buddhist bowing routine. Funny that it
incorporates a comparable undulation. Standing bends and
folds to the floor into a child pose prostration.
Bowing taps powerful healing energy.

Namaste, :)ohn

Crossing the bridge pose

2008-07-20T19:27:00.009-04:00

Date: Feb 29, 2008

Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana) tones & strengthens the spine.
Laying on our backs (supine), with knees bent, feet parallel,
and arms at the sides, raise hips up during inhale.
Pose co-ordinates with breath. Attention to breath encourages
a flow of movement, physical stretching allows fuller breath.
Hold breath for several seconds while fully lifted upward.

Breathing out while moving our spine back down along the mat,
Bridge Pose lets our exhale find depth. Use Uddiyana Bandha
to contract the lower abdomen, slowly exhaling completely
while lowering back down. Hold at the bottom of the breath,
then release, allowing the in breath to rush down our spine.
Continue while each time letting the inhale travel further,
until the we can bounce it off of our pelvic floor.
This may be a revelation all its own.

Namaste,  :)ohn

The more I learn to listen

2008-03-31T23:02:00.002-04:00

Date: Feb 23, 2008

The more I learn to listen, the softer my yoga classes get.

Last class...
Began with our breath observed, how in and exhale create subtle movement thruout the thorax and abdomen, the breath resonating further across soft tissue, deeper inside cell membranes.
It's not much more than watching.
Maybe that's the point, without much else going on, we have the chance to listen, to release and recharge.

Class ended with humming breath on long exhales while our hands rested above our heart, below
our throat. Vibration for several minutes over our thymus gland. Some higher pitched humming,
hands alongside temples. The class seemed to help us let go of some anxieties or at least feel
strong enough to look current worries in the eye. Sometimes, as yoga opens up our interior spaces, the distances between ourselves grows smaller.

:)ohn

New location reminder

2008-03-31T22:48:00.002-04:00

Yoga On Main has moved classes to:
The Lutheran Church of the Resurrection,
on the corner of the " T " intersection of Main Street
and South Bedford Rd, directly across from
Northern Westchester Hospital.
There is lots of parking in the church lot.
See website for further directions.
Open class times are on Sundays at 12noon and
Fridays at 5:30pm and 6:30pm.
Additional class will follow at 7:30pm or Monday
evenings once we have several people interested.

I also teach private/semi-private classes in studio or
at your home, working on any specific health concerns.

Cliff notes on Sunday's class, 2/18/08

2008-03-31T22:32:00.002-04:00

Feb 18, 2008 9:43 AM
Cliff notes on Sunday's class
Class starts easy- sitting breath- a few minutes before reaching up and over
to side stretch. While sitting- w/ straight legs, forward bending long enough
to open along our back with our breath, w/ assist. Later: progressive loosening
toward intending foot behind the head pose; breath leading undulation thru
spinal flexion and extension; then twist w/ one bent knee.

Onto hands/knees-> move into child pose->updog->child pose->updog->child pose->updog->hold. Repeat.
Downdog->folding down, reach child pose->lunge rt leg->monkey stretch->
hips back stretch->monkey stretch->hips back stretch->again on the left side.
Pidgeon pose->plank->downdog. Repeat several times on both sides.

From virasana position, series of different shoulder movements, neck.
From sit bones, navasana (boat pose), centering from our core below & in from
the navel. Fish pose w/ assist, uddiyana bandha. Savasana (corpse pose) for a
little longer than 5 min....
Tea. Appreciation of working on soreness at left center scapula (JK), of
progressively loosening the whole body, letting go of tensions, particularly
our attentions pulled this way, bumped that way,
like a continuous pinball game, always moving, w/out taking a rest.
We forget about taking that step back, to observe from where we are not in
a hurry. Always having something to do hinders us from actually being present
(yoga stretch becomes moving meditation, w/ breath as guide).
Afterglow of release, infusion of cell energies; feeling safe, communal,
in a good mood. :)ohn

Other notes:
Trying to start a monday class at 5:30pm as soon as people interested
can sign up for a 5 class series (doesn't have to be used consecutively).
I will be spreading the word at neighboring medical facilities, hoping to
enlist local after work yogis. Let me know who might be interested.
And with 3 possible classes per week, as part of a 5 week series, there
is an option to sign up for all classes (one class/wk free).

Sunday class, starting on 3/1, will change to 12noon, to make it easier
for church parishioners to attend after service.

February class

2008-03-31T22:27:00.001-04:00

Feb 15, 2008 2:17 PM

Tonight's class will start with opening our spinal range of motion.
If we have any back issues, we can explore what will feel better.
We will include some more traditional pranayama, like alternate
nostril breathing and shining skull breathing, which also have their
own relationship with our spine.

Yoga for Valentine

2008-03-31T22:19:00.002-04:00

February 14
Yoga for Valentine

-In the morning,
with arms outstretched in "hug a tree" pose,
while standing shoulders relaxed, knees slightly bent,
as if hugging a large diameter tree-
Stand like this for quite a while, arms start to tire,
and the meditative presence of the posture releases
shoulder muscle by connective tissue by arterial response,
thru out the body. By high noon over head, with eyes closed,
our breath can shadow the energy flow in the arms.
Think of sparks firing from the heart.

"Imagine ourself as the tree, roots extending into earth,
on a hillside, in a hayfield,
drawing sustenance up thru our legs, with branches relaxed,
still reaching thru the late afternoon to receive the energy
from the air and sun around us".
Eyes still closed,
remembering yourself as a toddler, running happily towards
your grandfather or grandmother calling you, arms open, carried
by that pure anticipation of embrace.
Observe the energy streams from the heart, feeling excitement
travel thru the body. Appreciate the quality of innocence,
mentally or physically feeling joy or exhuberance.
"Now imagine you are the grandparent with your arms wide
to receive that grandchild running without reservation towards you."
The different way the heart energy swells connects thru the body,
perhaps overwhelming the throat, finding resonant places inside.

A meditation to open our hearts,
feelings inside brim then overflow,
the whole is summed by tiny parts
love rises above and dips below.

:)ohn

What is grounding?

2008-03-31T22:09:00.003-04:00

What is grounding?
Often mentioned, as in "Ground yourself in Tadasana (mountain pose)"
or as in "Frank seems well grounded" or "Casey has been grounded
after school for a week". What is the process and how do we get some?

Grounding, being grounded, is establishing a dialogue to the present
moment using our physical surroundings as the point of reference.
This sounds vaguely succinct, nevertheless there is this thing about
disconnect, of living too much in my head most of the time.
All that thinking takes me out of my physical awareness.

So then I have to make a conscious effort to reel in those windy
thoughts, bringing the attention back down to earth, and the
immediately accessible way is through my body's contact with the
ground. Grounding very literally is aware of touching the ground.

Standing w/ knees bent

2008-03-31T19:11:00.003-04:00

Yoga friends,
Think about not locking the knees while standing. 
Keeping the knees slightly bent lets us stay engaged 
with our standing leg support from the ground. 
Locking the knees can provide a disconnection and lift
that support into upper body tension. This separates
us even further, not only physically, from being calm
and supported by the ground.

Namaste,    )ohn

Two sided koan after yoga practice

2008-03-31T18:41:00.004-04:00

The nostrils open along the upper lip,
the windy doorstep of the entering and
leaving breath;
it's vapor tread left on an ethereal touchstone,
hinting reference to extension beyond ourselves.

Gravity anchors our feet to the surface of a rocky truth.
Here we can shout, reach out and move about.
Grounding ourselves draws this energy back
in the direction of earth, releasing
the outward intentions of our mind.

:)ohn

Split-second Nirvana

2008-03-31T18:08:00.003-04:00

On the #7 local train to Enlightenment

You'd almost think that it is to be an either-or situation,
either you "got" enlightened or you are not. Like saying,
"if you have to talk about it, then you don't really get it".
To that end, not enough is said about the today's-numbers-
for-tomorrows-Lotto-jackpot,
-several-miles-down-the-road-from,
-you-just-missed-your-stop, -"Waiting-for-Godot"
-like condition known as Split-second Nirvana.
It is a curious kind of promised land. There are travel
brochures, we've seen the Perillo Tours commercial.
There are plenty of brief moments which we all share,
instances when the veil drops away and we see clearly,
splinters of happiness prickle inside our hearts, when we
recognize a larger scheme of things connecting us into
the matrix. It's like falling in love, the self tends to disappear.
So what if those moments only last a moment.
Our daily activities, all our busyness, constantly obscures
what is present. We say, "Be Present". ...
And we rely on those peepholes into times when
we scratch away at our schedules and concerns.
~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~

Yoga class changes in January, '08

2008-01-07T22:01:00.000-05:00

Dear Yoga Friends

Happy New Yoga

Whatever the new year brings will
mostly likely include change,
so best wishes on your changes!

I am also teaching yoga at a new space-
at the Lutheran Church across from Northern
Westchester Hospital in Mt Kisco. It is a large space
with a hard, new carpet, 12 foot high ceiling height,
a long stretch of wall for support, in the common area
at the back of the church. And it is plenty warm.
(There is also classroom space).
Classes are $15, tentatively scheduled for :
Sunday at 1pm,
starting on January 20,
and
Monday or Tuesday evenings, perhaps at 6:15pm.
People at the church are also interested
so the class scheduling may be tweaked.
I could also add another class time, not in the morning,
Friday seems a possible alternative.

It's possible that I will teach a once a week yoga class
in Lincolndale, if scheduling works out for using the
clubhouse at the lake.

Where does that leave my Yoga On Main classes at Rudy's?
I will still teach class there, but I anticipate
a "freeze our butts at Rudy's" possibility during
January, February and March. Opinion is leaning
heavy toward a change in venue for the season or longer,
even though Rudy's was convenient in the center of town.

If interested, please give me your opinion or question
about the new class space, new class times.
--------------------------

Coming up this Friday, January 11, at 10am -
I'll be giving a presentation about yoga & health, at Border's in Mt Kisco. There will be some simple exercises to explain of our physical and mental anatomy, as affected by yoga and meditation practice.
I anticipate talking about relaxation, being present, how our breathing
mechanism works, also considering asthma or other respiratory ailments,
how to improve digestion, lose weight, lower blood pressure and....
breathing exercises for emotional stresses.
(If only I could put it in a bottle mixed with herbal oils,
I'd hitch up my wagontrain and go on the road.)
There will be lots of advice on how to start out with yoga,
because it is important not to be moving in ways that might cause injury.
Often, yoga classes, at the gym or in yoga studios, are much too aggressive
for many people.

Please come and/or invite someone who'd be interested.
It is part of Border's New Year's event entitled "Start Fresh".
Namaste,
)ohn

December yoga schedule

2007-12-15T23:05:00.000-05:00

Happy Yoga Holidays
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**********************************************
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Starting this Sunday- No Class.
Regularly scheduled yoga classes are let go
until after Christmas. I am taking two weeks
to reflect, to submerge my own energies, to
clean my house and make plans for the new year.

Most likely, I will come out of my cave
and teach class on Sunday, 12/30/2007.

<^>[^]<^>[^]<*>[*]<^>[*]<^>[*]<^>[*]<*>[*]<*>
As a reminder for holiday giving,
coupons are available as gifts for :
one yoga class- $ 15
ten class card- $125
private class - $ 60
(studio or home)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Winter's fulcrum applies the torque
that turns us inward; old warmth lingers
and is pulled from inside my overcoat.
Cold curls the arthritis in my fingers,
another solstice happens in New York.

Creaky rhymes scratch on a sharded frost,
those of us not grounded chance being lost
in the elemental.

And to all,
namaste,
:)ohn

Post Thanksgiving Yoga

2007-11-29T00:06:00.000-05:00

Yoga Friends,

Is it just me or does it seem that all of a sudden, within the
space of a generation, most of us have become poly-stressed. Not that
folks weren't stressed 30 years ago, but current pressures seem to result
in far more casualties. More people reach their breaking point, overlying
a lifestyle where all of us are more tense in general.

As my yoga teaching evolves and I listen to what is needed for
many of us, it seems that a level of flexible health by practicing yoga
asanas, is less necessary than a fundamental gaze inward, to meditate,
to be quiet for a moment of contemplation, and to allow the opportunity
to engage our heart.

Hatha yoga is useful in physically wrenching tightness out of the
body (in a gentle way). Our psyche finds its hatha yoga complement in
meditation. By this practice we can let go of harmful emotional patterns. Especially during holiday season, there are additional family and
relationship stressors. It's great to be together with people who love us,
yet no one's life fits into that perfect Norman Rockwell, apple pie
portrait which continues to present expectations that actually contribute
more pressure to our personal situations.

It is the meditative work with our breath which brings our nervous
system into balance by taking our breath out of stressful patterns. There
are very specific, yet simple breathing sequences that turn a key inside
of our physically nervous and mentally emotional responses, causing our
constant state of attention to relax, slackening the high strung tensions
of "fight or flight" alertness, and switching on our "relaxation response".

THIS SUNDAY
Yoga class attempts to cope with the holiday emotional pendulum.

Namaste y'all, : )ohn

Breathwork in class

2007-11-09T17:43:00.001-05:00

Class started with Viparita Karani (lying down, legs up the wall pose).
This is a rejuvenating posture and also great for easing pressure in
the lower legs and feet.

From this position we extended our exhale so that is was longer than
our inhale. As a result, our breath also slowed down. Often people will
breathe 12 to 15 times per minute but actually once every 10 seconds,
or 6 times per minute, is often a more healthy rate.

Lengthened exhale, for several minutes, lets our breathing release more
CO2 thru a focused, simple and safe exercise which changes the balance
in our blood chemistry and helps restore vital energy.
Our cells need oxygen otherwise skeletal muscle is not maintained and
metabolic functions are impaired. With oxygenation, our capacity to
sense and act is encouraged.

By lengthening our exhale, the parasympathetic nervous system turns on
and directs our "relaxation response" to engage more fully, while the
sympathetic nervous system releases from external "fight or flight"
stimuli. (Especially if we use an eye bag and blankets under the hips
or shoulders).
Both parasympathetic and sympathetic systems direct our involuntary
body functions, which we can control by using our breath to influence
the body environment that triggers our autonomic nervous responses.

Still laying down on our mats, last class did some twists and hip
opening poses. As we follow this routine, we'll see if it brings us
either to other supported inversions or to continue to open up space
in our spine by flowing back and forth thru bridge pose with a breath
aware exercise that helps us free our diaphragm and other primary and
secondary breathing muscles...

 : )ohn

Connective and separative - our fascia

2007-10-12T22:18:00.000-04:00

Our body is layers of fascia (skin, inner fascia, muscles, linings of nerves,
ligaments and tendons, blood vessel walls, membranes and sinovial fluids
between bones, the organ linings of pleura, pericardia and peritineum).
Fascia, like onion peel layers, developed outward from an original intention
or folded inward to nurture a new design.
Our bodies have developed in the most efficient and best advantaged form/
alignment/function. The process is in growth from zygote into man or
woman, and even in the journey from the earlier forms of life from which
we've developed.

During our lives, these layers have places which have begun to adhere to
adjacent linings due to illness, shock or other injury, and which therefore
inhibit the healthy free movement of interior surfaces over each other.
Many yoga postures and movements are beneficial even though they may
seem as simple as a spinal cat-cow movement or gently rolling the neck.
They stretch certain areas which don't have the everyday opportunity to
oxidize and hydrate in their regular daily use.

(Thanks to a Tom Myers workshop for my new anatomical appreciation.)

: )ohn

Walking meditation

2007-09-15T16:03:00.000-04:00

Yoga friends,

Last Sunday we started class with walking
meditation. It is a mindful observation of
walking slowly, so that each step is seen
within the rhythm of one leg moving forward
progressively bearing more weight even as
the other foot slowly decreases contact
with the floor. We let our breath precede
the movement, in breath on one side, out
breath on the other, the ebb and flow of
breath guiding the gradual shift from right
to left to right to left until movement
becomes mantra within which we appreciate a
balance between engaging and letting go.

This Sunday we will start with walking
meditation again, to set our focus for class
within a mindful appreciation of the moment.
Walking meditation lets us observe and
release tensions within ourselves which tend
to hurry us with impatience or worry us with
anxiety. Being present in the act of walking
allows our muscles to soften whereby our
weight sinks downward, letting our feet
spread out in contact with the ground.
Grounding takes us out of our head and we can
notice a gentle rolling motion from heel thru
the outside length of the foot to the little
toe and across the balls of the feet toward
the big toe.
This rolling motion has a correspondence that
effects the sway of our hips and translates
into our arms swinging.

There are many things to be aware of. We can
consciously control how and what we feel. This
mindful ability reaches out to our emotional
level as well. 

: )ohn

New class schedule

2007-07-23T22:34:00.000-04:00

Yoga friends,

Evening yoga class is switching to Monday
evenings at 7:15pm. It starts Monday, 9/17/07.
Wednesday evening yoga class has been canceled.
Please let me know if you can be there on Monday.

)ohn


Somewhere inside our chest, a wrinkle in the pleura
around the lungs, or maybe a lower rib held tight by
the diaphragm, or lower where the belly moves with
each successive breath, the imprint of what has
happened in our lives reflects by the way we breathe.

Breathing exercises can heal and rejuvenate, gently
taking out the inner tensions that settle in our heart
and adhere to the lining of our organs.

Stretching out to reach within ourselves.
Hope to see you in class.

spirical-physitual

2007-05-27T20:23:00.000-04:00

yoga friends,
sometimes it's nice to say something over again,
a little differently.

"hatha yoga is the physical doorway to the spirit
with our body as the starting point from where we
extend outward or trace inward to define ourselves."
swami theoram metasana
-----------------------------------------------------

There is a tangible sincerity in the action of keeping our
attention in the moment, not letting it stray outside of our
postures. To be physically sincere is walking in the walk,
where intention is not only thinking about being present.

Mind and body yoked together in the experience of each
asana directs our nerves to scan where to release tension
and how to create space. This nervous awareness is not
abstract. It is a physical aspect of appreciation.

(from "sincerity and appreciation:
a two pronged path to liberation",
new age yogi press)

come to class-
except i have to laugh b/c after such inspiration
it's funny to have to cancel yoga class this wednesday.
NO CLASS THIS 5/30/07
due to a personal engagement.

regular class schedule continues this fri. 7am.

this coming sunday only (6/3) class time changes to begin
at 10am (instead of 10:30).

and then wed. 6/6, back to our normal 7pm class time.

namaste, :)ohn

Upcoming Chuang Yen monastery visit, 4/29/2007

2007-04-16T19:48:00.000-04:00

Yoga friends,

On Sunday, April 29, we are taking our class to
Chuang Yen Monastery to join the morning
meditation service. We are leaving at 8:00 am
from 17 Main St, in Mt Kisco and plan a ride/share
arrangement with whomever wishes to come.
Bring a friend!

The monastery is located about 50 minutes away,
right on Route 301, two miles east of the exit
from the Taconic Parkway, in Kent, Putnam county.
The monastery is also open on weekends for the
general public to visit so there is the option to
walk around the naturally wooded setting, over
short trails, past ponds with bridges and tour the
Great Buddha Hall with the largest indoor Buddha
in the western hemisphere.

Meditation service consists of approx. 30 minutes
of sitting, either on benches along the wall or on
cushions on the carpeted floor, inside the second
large Buddha hall. There is a 10 minute, very slow
walking meditation. A bell chimes, meditation ends
and the host monk gives a short talk. Everyone is
invited and no prior experience is required. The
Buddha hall is unheated, dress accordingly with
warm socks.
See last year's April blog for thoughts on what
to do during meditation.

For those who like to stay, afterwards is a good time
to visit the grounds or join the dharma talk held for
an hour following the meditation. At 12 noon, there
is a vegetarian lunch for $5 donation, in the large
cafeteria building. There is no requirement to stay
for any activity and no other fee.

Call John at 589-0964 for other details or show up.

sincerity and appreciation cont'd

2007-04-08T15:43:00.000-04:00

yoga friends,

hatha yoga is body yoga.
my hatha yogi experience seems to require a physical understanding of
what is spiritual. perhaps a lack of faith is a sign of the times,
nevertheless, i would like to hold this spirit in my hand.

sincerity is expressed as physically doing something with intention.
this combination of mind and body, intentional action, defines yoga
and also describes the buddhist practice of "mindfullness".
being present.
experience gains us awareness which encourages appreciation.
appreciation is the neuro-feedback able to recognize what's happening.
hatha yogis let appreciation be the mirror that reflects the spirit.
(from "sincerity and appreciation:
the 2 pronged path to liberation",
new age yogi press)

there is yoga class this easter sunday, 10:30am
let's see if we can wipe the fog from the mirror.

namaste, :)ohn

This Sunday, sincerity and appreciation

2007-03-30T23:05:00.000-04:00

Yoga friends,

muscle tension or joint stiffness can become stumbling blocks
on the journey thru our physical topography, just as stress
and lack of control can be obstacles across a mental terrain.
luckily,
the practice of yoga to unite mind, body and spirit,
is also the means by which we unblock physical tension
and relax mental stress. experience gains awareness and
becomes the way to open and release from these obstacles.

"...sincerity is the actual doing of our yoga practice,
appreciation is the experiential awareness
in response to sincerity."
(from "sincerity and appreciation:
the 2 pronged path to liberation",
new age yogi press)

This Sunday will be a gentle restorative class,
with special attention to injuries and pressures.
We'll spend more time grounding ourselves
which comes from being on the floor.

Namaste, :)ohn

Forward Bends in Winter

2007-02-25T13:39:00.000-05:00

Yoga friends,

It was still pretty chilly on Saturday, nice to stay inside.
The wind was sharp, already freezing my fingers earlier
in the morning. There was a natural inclination to huddle.
It is a season for practicing forward bends.
Forward bend is called Western Bend in India because
our backs are the western side of our body. From this
position we are turning our backs to the outside, whether
from standing, sitting, kneeling, or even laying upside down.
Our focus usually out ahead of us turns inward by physically
bending our gaze in toward our thighs and midsection.
Winter is when we turn our attention back into ourselves.
Winter's climate pulls life underground, into hibernation,
and yoga postures curve forward over the front of our
bodies, withdrawing our focus from outside of ourselves
to recycle our energies inward.

Sunday morning class started forward bends, on our mats,
with our shoes on.
"Bend our knees, leading with our head, relax the torso
forward till the ribs rest on the thighs and the hands reach
the floor. Push our hips back, drop our head further and
untie our shoelaces. Slip off the shoes and socks while
rounding our back, then lengthen and twist along the spine,
to place the shoes to the side."
Letting the forward bend continue, relax our shoulderblades
and allow our bentover posture to more completely exhale
the breath from our lungs as we pull our abdomen up and
inward.
Forward bend continues with breathing in while raising the
right leg up behind us as we move into a balance on hands
and standing leg. The head is dropped down.
Deeply bending the front knee and reclaiming the contact of
torso to thigh as the right leg steps way back behind us,
stretch into a lunge...slowly lower the right knee down to the
mat.
Still folded forward as we pull the left hip back so we extend
over a straightened left leg. Breathe into the same lunge
forward again and repeat pulling back to straighten the leg,
and forth and back with the exhale, our gaze all the while
inward thruout the continuing flow, so that we observe a
balance between left hamstring and right quadracep, engaging
and letting go, back and forth until muscles are warmed so
that on the last move all the way forward we bring up the back
leg to standing and slowly roll the rounded spine to standing.

Repeat to balance the opposite side, pushing the breath out on
bending forward. Raise the left leg behind up behind us...

Focusing inward is accomplished by our physical motion, mind
connected to body.

2007-02-06T10:47:00.000-05:00

Yoga friends,

Our body (physical, mental and energetic) is what we have to feel
the experience of life. Our energy body is, for better or worse,
truly married to our physical body. It might want to slip away into
the cosmic ether but it is stuck, tied to this bed of flesh and nails
and bone, an osmosis of life dissolved in a body of 70% water.

Last Sunday's energetic yoga class-
started with sleeping tiger pose, 5 minutes to pull the breath down
into the lower tan tien. our physical awareness of energy drawing
inward is expressed by contracting muscles and nerves.
in the same direction, we are concentrating our mental observation
in toward the lower abdomen,
Coincidentally this pose encourages the body to open along other
energetic gates in the palms, soles of the feet, the anus and top of
the head.

Moving thru a series of asanas-
Stiffness is a small stumbling block on the journey thru our physical
topography. Stretching enables our body to release used energies,
gone tired and sour. Stress is an obstacle across our mental terrain,
crossed using meditation to release negative energies.
Class ended with an energy meditation using our palms.
Yoga aims to unite mind and body by physical and mental exercise.
We unblock. We are balanced. We become aware.

"I can feel my mind and body connect to the surrounding ocean of
prana, the vast life energy carried in the air and light, and distilled
from the food we eat." (Overheard after yoga class).

"On a universal scale, our self has the reality of a drop of seawater
in the ocean." (Scrawl found written in the wet sand at low tide.)

"It's been said that the body is a physical expression of the spirit,
our own temporary vantage point of view within the cosmic mind."
Swami Paramajama, flannel clad yoga guru.

namaste, :)ohn

wed. class- 7pm.
fri. class- 7am.
sun. class- 10:30am

Spilling water from the glass

2007-01-24T13:26:00.000-05:00

Yoga friends,

Spirit suffuses through the body
as water might fill a glass
made of sand.
Fuse the sand and create the self;
loose the sand and feel no boundaries.
"Swami Sandananda Sandasandaram"

Tonight's class (Wed, 7pm)-

-Balance Between HA
the positive/ active/ symbol of sun-heat-light-creativity
and THA
negative/ reflective principle symbolized by
moon-cold-darkness-receptivity.
Polarity is the universal circumstance which HATHA yoga
seeks to balance.
We turn our bodies upside down,
body and mind functions harmonize under the influence
of positive and negative currents that delineate the
physical and mental aspects of our spirit.

Come and raise(raze?) your glass :)oh~

yogi's winter tao

2006-12-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

Young winter's breath drawn from the tepid well
of daily schedules, is more hectic than years ago.
Bucket of breath dips into the globally warmed
pool of atmosphere and violent disturbances.

Still a delicate crystaline outbreath spills
out into the still of a silent night, moist exhales
aspirate a twinkling in early morning's chills.

There is yet that tug which recognizes community.
"Good morning" 's seem especially neighborly,
my gaze turns kinder, consideration hangs in the air.
The harmony in the heart is seasoned by the breath,
invigorated and yielding to the relationship between
the soul we call ourselves and knowing that we all
are brothers and sisters breathing the same breath
for thousands of years.
More than other seasons, our energy turns inward,
nourishing our heart, external focus is plowed under.

The solar yang is birthed by the galactic yin.
Winter solstice aligns along an axis with the north star.
The cold germinates the seed of the southern cross.
Religious holidays coincide with the nadir of sunlit days
as the celestial firmament is testament to what falls
to earth. Our lengthened night breathes out across
the northern hemisphere while far from New York,
the earth inhales its antipodean season.
Somewhere a powerful love is born.

Climate change will not forestall the heralded coming
of light. Whether longer days will provide succor for
others or solace for myself is a question of balance,
dark to light, warmth from cold.
Wintering is what kindles the fire in our hearts.

Namaste,
:)oh~

Holiday schedule:

Class resumes next Wednesday, 12/27, 7pm.

There is class Sunday, 12/31, 10:30am.
Long final exhales of the year, letting go of 2006.

In January, beginning 1/5/2007,
Fridays will start an early morning, 7am class!
Folks interested please let me know
so I know who's coming.

Namaste,
:)oh~

yoga thanks for giving

2006-11-27T23:25:00.000-05:00

yoga friends,

holiday schedule:
no class this wednesday, 11/22,
and no class sunday, 11/26

just as i'm announcing no class for the holidays,
i get to send a reminder to take time out for ourselves.

we all need the opportunity to focus on ourselves, time just
for us. we do this by spending time gardening or going to
the gym, watching a ballgame on television, or reading the
paper, taking a holiday or in some way getting time to
regroup.

during our day, during our week, during life in general,
a lot is asked of us and we give a lot of ourselves to family,
to people we live or work with, to customers and clients, to
our commitments. of course it's great that much of our energy
flows outward, and benefits do come back to us in return.
however our energy can become depleted, at which point
we look kind of frazzled, we start acting ornery, we sound
impatient, smell badtempered and feel exhausted.
this happens very easily whenever we draw from our own
energy reserves, and our health is affected in these ways.

yoga practice gives directly and very efficiently to oneself.
it's one of yoga's certainties, it's almost obvious. in yoga
class we can recharge ourselves. as my yoga teacher likes to
say, "yoga practice replenishes us. yoga practice refills our
personal energies so we have plenty to give in our daily lives."

all that said, i am going on a meditation retreat over this
thanksgiving holiday. i guess i want to collect myself.
--"the more energy in the bow, the further the arrow flies."
(swami robinanda shanti hoodram)--
so expect a palpable energetic buzz in the wednesday class
after i'm back. there should be overflow.

coming up in december:
i am starting an early morning class on fridays,
most likely at 7am (republicans) or 7:30 (democrats),
still depending on last minute voting recounts and any
independent vote tallies.

namaste,
:)oh~

moment of conscious breath

2006-10-05T10:59:00.000-04:00

..............................................................
Close our eyes for a moment...feel our breath grow and
subside with the in- and exhale. Use this moment to breathe
consciously by just watching our natural breath. The breath
gets longer and softer without any help. This is what breath
wants to do! Awareness quiets body and mind, letting us
experience the larger universe around us and inside ourselves.

Stretching our body with our breath keeps us open as
naturally breathing beings. Emotional stress, hectic
schedules and physical inactivity cause us to become ill
and not enjoy our own being alive. We lose touch with
the moment of living. Yoga encourages those moments.
Swami Tubisseeyanda (hell of a dancer)
..............................................................

sample of class sequence

2006-09-20T21:42:00.000-04:00

yoga class sample sequence (9/20/06)-

begin several minutes of any easy stretching on our own.
we start from comfortable sitting with some seated
loosening up: forward&side bend, torso twist,
neck&arm and shoulder rolls.

alternate nostril breath. the ida and pingala nadis
are balanced and cross directed- breath from left
nostril into right lung, ...pause... and out across
the front surface of the right lung, ...pause...slowly
backfilling in thru the right nostril, diagonally over
into the left lung, ...pause...slowly out across the
front of the left lung. ten times w/ the aid of right
thumb closing right nostril, right ring finger to left.
repeat starting from the other side (left thumb closing
left nostril). 10x.

on hands&knees, rocking the pelvis as we bend the
inside and outside of the spine and side to side
(cat/cow posture in all directions), co-ordinated w/breath.
twisting along the spine-several exercises-
still on hands and knees, diagonal hand/knee balancing
then reaching back for the foot to stretch further.

a gradual flow of postures from child pose to raising
hips into rabbit pose, back again, repeat w/arms raised
in reverse temple mudra and forward, back again, to
slink forward to cobra pose. (the breath flows inside the
movement, restricted and encouraged in various parts
of the body. the motion of the asana tends to stretch
those moments where breath co-ordinates with the fullest
expression of the pose, at times motion apparently holds
still as we are able to focus on interior expansions.)

slowly working up thru the d/ward dog asana
then into the warrior series
(warriors I, II and reverse warrior flowing into
side angle pose and back to reverse warrior,
back to side angle and into half moon pose).
hold each posture long enough to direct our breath
into those spaces opening inside our body.

subsequently:
our balancing takes time, each side of tree pose
stretches out long enough to explore different
ways of support thru our skeleton, our focus and our
energetic alignment. after connecting to a dristri,
(visual focal point on the floor ahead of us) we
create a triangle from eyes to dristi, along the floor
to the feet, from there up thru the body, back to our
eyes. using not only the length of our body but also a
third point of contact, we shift some of our physical
weight onto the floor ahead of us using the connection
of mind as an energetic conduit thru which the physical
body supports itself by leaning into our dristi.

savasana takes us from clenching and releasing muscle
groups, and letting go by breathing along with the mantra
"hum sa". once we have let go of some physical tensions
and busier thoughts, entering a moment of relative
stillness, where our personal boundaries gradually
diffuse into our surroundings, and our mental reflections
become less refracted, more resembling the serene
surface of a quiet pond...
eventually to find our way back to dry land, we toss an
action into this stillness, a pebble into the pond,
re-engaging our active selves and begin attaching small
muscles, one at a time, to our active control, and work
out of this posture by rolling over and sitting up.

namaste

wed. class- tomorrow at 7pm.
sun. class- 10:30am

)oh~

some people have asked for an early morning
weekday class- is anyone interested to do an
early 6:30, 7 or 7:30am class?
..........................................

yoga class sequence 8/23/06

2006-08-27T15:33:00.000-04:00

..................................__microcosmic orbit
Sitting, w/Breath /--breath of fire (w/arms raised)
. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. \/
. .. .. .. .. .. aligned along axis mundi, centered, on grid**
. **through our point of contact within the universal
. matrix, through our own mind/body/spirit.

Sitting - side bend, twist (1st twist of the class)
shoulder twists & stretches
spinal breathing

Table top (all fours) - diagonal balance
wrist opening
spinal breathing (cat/cow)

Plank /
Side Plank- different places to go
1)strength, 2)opening, 3)balance control

Child Pose / Rabbit Pose- breathe into spine/kidneys
repeat slowly several times \ /
. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. \/
. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. coincide w/interior breath
. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. (see prior blog on interior breath)

Squat and slowly grow into standing balance poses

Forward bend/hang there w/interior breathing

Warrior series & Triangle pose
(breathing & twisting thru gentle vinyasa)

Savasana (corpse pose)- a guided letting go of any
physical and mental engagements, where within the
framework of only observing, we watch tensions
release and stresses bubble to the suface where
they pop and disintegrate.

)ohn

watching how healing occurs

2006-08-07T15:11:00.000-04:00

latest yoga notes:
recent yoga classes have included different breath exercises
other than more often practiced pranayama such as alternate
nostril breathing and breath of fire.
we practiced conscious breathing, humming breath or focused
breath exercises alongside a conscious softening in a variety
of twists and a collection of simple stretches.

it starts with worrying about our tight hamstrings.
my dad used to ask us kids a medical riddle,
"how does the aspirin know where to go?"
in the same way hatha yoga postures connect thru the physical
body, to bring healing to the emotional and spiritual body
before we even realize how and why we've become constricted.
even after a few classes we can begin to let go of internal
tensions. along with various breath exercises, it's possible
to let go of emotional stress like grief or anger or fear
because there is such a strong connection between body and mind.
working stiffness out of our bodies reaches back to the injury
or tension which precedes it.

it's no psych therapy, just stretching and opening the physical
body, the stress and shock left behind after some traumatic event
begins to release. it's rewarding to see those spaces opening
inside of ourselves, watching how healing occurs.

)oh~

Humming breath

2006-08-01T09:12:00.000-04:00

Breathwork helps for wholesome recovery and helps to pass the time.
Much physical stress can be approached, little muscle by little
interior space by little moment, continually throughout the day.
I'll try to help with some breathing practice.

Just a little breath exercise called "Humming Breath".

From either sitting or laying on your back,
inhale normally.
On exhale, slowly hum until 90% of breath is exhaled. Release the last bit.
Inhale normally again and repeat slow humming exhale, letting the pitch
of the hum be either lower or higher.
Continue this "Humming Breath" for 2 to 5 minutes.
Appreciate many different vibrations traveling
throughout the chest, back and abdomen, especially if you let your hands
rest on various places over your torso. Use your hands to communicate
with your body. Let your hands also rest on the head and neck
and raise the pitch of your hum higher.
This vibrational breath stimulates the entire respiratory apparatus
and integrates cellular healing energies.

In our yoga classes this week,
our final meditation really focused on letting go. After a while, the
boundary between ourselves and our outside environment slowly
became less distinct. It seemed as if our spirit was able to relax
that grip on the physical body and grow beyond it. We meld
with the surrounding sounds and smells, experiencing the air, and
noise, and energy as something not outside of ourselves.
Very interesting.

)oh~

class for my ailing friend

2006-07-16T15:48:00.000-04:00

7/16

We start with our sitting alignment, 7 steps to being physically placed in the most stable position for closing our eyes without danger of tipping over and most open to encouraging the connection between our self, imagine a drop of seawater, and God, which would be the ocean.

Observe our body weight outside sitting on the floor, our skin feeling alive, tingling where we can bring our mental focus; and with our breath we feel our skin receiving and releasing. We try and observe the whole body on several levels at once. Without getting stuck on visualization, letting go of thoughts, we experience our body directly. Observe the interior structure by being aware of our bones, muscles, tissues, fluids and energetic pathways.

The conscious breath relaxes our body and mind. For another ten minutes we let the breath guide our attention from the mix of inbreath swirling coolness subtly into sinus cavities, stimulating an energetic acceptance along nasal passages, and watch the outbreath give the warmth out from our bodies. Watching the breath flow further thru bronchi into lungs, stretching the bottom of our lungs, mixing into our bloodstream. The entire process extends further, forth thru stimulation of our visceral organs and back with massage of heart and lungs pressed empty. This process of relaxation releases peptide molecules from our hindbrain which in turn encourages the regulation of breath which further helps unify all body systems. The conscious breath hooks us to the vital prana as if we have this permanent IV connection to life, which happens to be our respiratory apparatus.

We break from traveling our interior because I want to ask about prayer. I have limited experience with it thru my childhood faith.
Marie says prayer seems a natural connection we feel from an innate knowing, as when a parent worries about a child getting home safely.
Perhaps prayer can be our compassionate focus sent out with an energetic intention.
Our openess in today's yoga practice can be the conduit for a prayer for my friend as well as giving back to ourselves the healing energy we acknowledge saying "Namaste".

yoga for my ailing friend

2006-07-16T15:35:00.000-04:00

7/15/06
Dear yoga friends,

Tommorrow, Sunday, is free yoga class at 10:30am. It will be focused on
what healing energy we can gather to send to my friend, who is having a
mastectomy on Monday. Please come and/or say a prayer for her recovery.

I think our focus together, will allow us to send the benefit of our
prayer out to her.

Thank you, )oh~

part 3 - living poem

2006-07-16T15:21:00.000-04:00

7/10/06

thewords play in the space between meaning,
dancing back and forth across a line-------------
that separates our ----selves ----from the world.

relentless in the reach for light,
flower growing in the garden,
this poem breathes.

this moment of breath observes
where life arcs that g-a-p
between universal chi filling my lungs
and the eager, thirsty heart
pumping and panning my bloodstream.
life flows from open air to open water,
and scratches for soil inside my heart.

inside that space between alveoli and corpuscle
spins an imaginable particle
filled with the will to love.

poem breathes in the space betweenus,
out from alveoli into corpuscle.

:)oh~

part two (of three)- the ego self is illusion

2006-07-10T23:16:00.000-04:00

7/6/06

funny,
writers think they employ the muse
inspired by curves of breasts and hips
but muse can find her outlet in the writer,
speaking out by way of writers' lips.
so i can't blame/credit myself for writing,
when this muse can launch a thousand ships.

)oh~

-so i'm not really in control. it's about
recognizing my own role in the larger scheme
of things. if i can figure out the right
alignment for myself then i will be receptive
to where i fit and will be able to hear the
muse clearly and write it all down.

part one (of three) and mary jane austin

2006-07-10T23:15:00.000-04:00

7/5/06
Part One

ha,
farmers imagine they are working for their own benefit,
feeding their families and the community at large,
but nowadays, millions of acres of wheat
successfully maintaining their global presence
have farmers tending to them every season.
this dialectic relationship evolved from millenia ago,
for as long as there has been human civilization,
back when wheat had "become civilzed", learning
to domesticate the race of human hunter-gatherers.

-i'm not sure what this says about serious illness,
like my friend's breast cancer.
this part one mentions the relativity of how we see
ourselves by an example of how easily one's viewpoint
yields extremely different awareness. it is supposed to
build a case for enlarging our experience quite a bit,
when it comes to thinking about life and death, what is
really going on.
i need to share what's become a healing focus,
an energetic effort at various times during the day, when
my mind settles on the wish for my friend's health and
wanting to help in a compassionate way, by allowing stress
to leach out from this time of illness, by helping to
remain positive and open to love which is healing, and by
putting things in perspective.
next, part two and three try in some wandering way to find
that release, that beauty, that orientation of the larger
universal matrix as it sits over and around our own life.

(btw, mary jane austin, the herbal author, has written
a wonderful description of the change in people's
reaction to chemotherapy by some biochemical letting go.)

:)oh~

new dates in season - waiting for mastectomy

2006-07-10T23:11:00.000-04:00

7/4/06
Writing helps me make sense of difficult circumstances,
altho my yoga practice entangles in the meaning of words.
In two weeks my friend, who is also a yoga teacher, is
scheduled for a bilateral mastectomy and she's courageous
enough to ask her family & folks to send their love and
support. After years in remission, cancer is here in a
serious way. Blog visitors can offer a prayer, send
positive energy to join my own healing intentions for
my friend.

in the same room with mortality,
how worried you've been...
loss can seem so small
when placed before something bigger,
face to unknown face.

hai ku has morphed into
different meter,
an odd squared and prime sequence,
9-5-5-9-5

the beats break apart...
yesterday's rain falling with tears, i am sad,
i shake my fist toward the window, out at the sky beyond

dearie,
i know your family is sitting with you,
as i am sitting here, holding your hand,
watching the clock tick into tomorrow.

love, )oh~

Yoga class story

2006-05-16T09:35:00.000-04:00


This a true story
         but not for the faint hearted.


      Early morning yoga class was coming to it's close. 
Students were sitting lotus legged in Siddhasana pose,
their deep intonations hanging onto the last "Om" vibration.
They allowed their practice to draw from the well being and
good will toward all living things.

      "...with mindful concentration comes harmony," the
      yoga teacher was saying, "Now, thank yourselves for
      being here."

      Eyelids fluttered open as she went on, faces
returning their thoughts from the journey within.

      "Everyone was so focused on their postures that no
      one noticed the little grasshopper," she commented.

      Sure enough, the cricket hopped, oblivious to the
rows of legs and torsos, between two seated ladies at the
front of the classroom. The one woman, flush with energy
yet calm from the lack of involvement in her surroundings,
twisted her upper body around in Ardha Matsyendrasana,
looking behind her. Everyone gradually gazed at the little
critter.

      Somewhere else that morning, kids were dozing off in
school and adults were going about their business. And perhaps
it is possible to change to the outcome of future events.
Where was the harbinger of doom when you needed him, anyway?
      If only a small thing had been different. Maybe, had
the yoga teacher not been a former dancer, she would not have
moved so deceptively or so gracefully. She stretched to the
side wall in a deep lunge and scooped up a sneaker.

      "Hold still," she said, moving into a balance pose.
      She continued forward, bending thru her knees and
      passing the shoe from right to left hand, pressed down
      along the floor while squishing and sweeping the cricket
      to the side with one purposeful gesture.

      As if punched in our collective spiritual solar plexus,
we gagged on our breath. Unable to move, stones in sand pose,
we were disoriented. Was she our mentor or an aerobic imposter?

      The yoga instructor returned back to the seated position.
      "Namaste", she chanted.



      Later, I remembered the story of a modern day zen master
who while walking with a young student, asked for explanation of
the contemporary zen koan:

      "There is not enough time to work as little as possible".

      "Well", the aspirant began, "if time is given without
selfish..."

Whack! The monk batted the neophyte over the head with a
walking stick. And again, and again.

Monks talk at Chuang Yen monastery

2006-04-29T11:30:00.000-04:00

Yogi report
Dateline: Chuang Yen monastery, 4/22 & 23

Venerable Master Fa Tzang and Reverend Heng Sure
talk about the Tien Tai school of Buddhism as the first
Chinese essential formulation of the Buddha's teachings.
Described as the broadest school of Buddhism, it had to be
able to absorb other Buddhist perspectives such as Mahayanna,
Zen, Tibetan and Ayurvedic schools and also encompass older
Chinese Taoist principles as well. All these Buddhist schools
were growing at that time, when about 2,000 years ago the
formulation of the Tien Tai school began.

The founding Tien Tai teacher came from Tibet. Over the next
500 years and five subsequent bodhisattvas, what is called
Chan meditation developed using the Lotus Sutra (a scriptural
narrative of the Buddha's teaching).
The ability of accomplishing three contemplations within a
single thought thru Chan meditation releases one into an
enlightened freedom from birth and death.
The monks used Tien Tai as an example of how this control
naturally leads to influence over your own living and
further beyond death. (Buddhists are very concerned about
making the leap from this existence to beyond.)

The monks' viewed current Buddhism in the west, saying that
it's been here only about one hundred years. And that, after
all, it took 500 years for Tien Tai to entrench into Chinese
everyday living. They see the progression in understanding of
Buddhism as being still an early stage and they recognized the
necessity for teachings to adapt to contemporary circumstances.
(Perhaps there is a way of not having to give up all 5 desires
in this western version).

meditating from the inside out #1

2006-04-27T21:07:00.000-04:00

back from the monastery seminar last weekend,
perhaps i was operating on a broader wavelength.
later i found myself in the vicinity of starbucks,
walking through the frenetic yet static spillover
of the roasted coffeebean air, a friend telling me
about capoiera, the brazilian martial art and dance.
the following day the explanation was still fresh...

"we focus from inside of ourselves.
our mind takes notice of our physical interior
where vibrations from that sparkling animation
of energy we call prana, are felt."

use this exercise designed to move faster:
think of any simple movement.
where does the movement come from?
it may come from somewhere in your hand or your leg.
think of doing it again one hundred times faster,
imaging the force originating from deeper
within your being. from that depth,
the momentum of force over distance
explodes into movement.
it is like tapping spirit from body and mind.

we can read or otherwise understand this interesting
trinity of (1) life, (2) form and (3) awareness.
we can also play with it using hatha yoga or meditation
or chi gung or other practice.
imagine relaxing completely, physically and mentally,
so that you fall asleep.
now, wake up!
now, relax, fall asleep.
wake up!
upon waking,
follow the cast of that inner spark
back to the plexus' within.
:-)oh~

What do I do at meditation?

2006-04-22T22:25:00.000-04:00

For those of us coming to the meditation
service at Chuang Yen monastery:

Yoga friends,

I would consider this as just sitting with my eyes
closed.
"Well, what do I do while I'm sitting with eyes
closed? Is there a procedure, something step by
step, to hang my hat on?"
We've heard about letting go of our thoughts. Not
thinking about anything and letting our mind be
empty sounds all well and good, but how is that
done? Thinking about no thought is like scraping
a rock to experience a soft breeze.
Don't worry about it. That's the first thing. At
worst, I can always fall back on my thoughts. In
case I should find myself in a thoughtless void and
panic sets in, I can always just think about stuff.
Problem solved because I know how to do that.
Or else, if I'm not meditating attentively, maybe
I'll fall asleep.
At least it will be an interesting experiment in
trying to detach my brain from activities outside
of myself and seeing for how long I can do this.
At best, without all the external information
pouring in thru the senses, the electrical circuitry
in my brain quiets down enough for me to look /
listen inside, down past that watery surface of the
self and see a glimpse of what the Buddhists call
my original face.
Come and exercise by trying not to move,
physically or mentally, on Sunday morning.

)ohn

Upcoming Chuang Yen monastery visit, 4/30/06

2006-04-22T20:45:00.000-04:00

Yoga friends,

On Sunday, April 30, we are taking our class to
Chuang Yen Monastery to join the morning
meditation service. We are meeting at 8:30 am
at 17 Main St, in Mt Kisco and plan a ride/share
arrangement for whomever wishes to come.
Bring a friend!

The monastery is located about 45 minutes away,
right on Route 301, two miles east of the exit off
the Taconic Parkway, in Kent, Putnam county.
The monastery is also open on weekends for the
general public to visit so there is the option to
walk around the naturally wooded setting, over
short trails, past ponds with bridges and tour the
Great Buddha Hall with the largest indoor Buddha
in the western hemisphere.

Meditation service consists of approx. 30 minutes
of sitting, either on benches along the wall or on tall
cushions on the carpeted floor, inside the second
large Buddha hall. Then there is a 5 - 10 minute
walking meditation, followed by another sitting
meditation. A bell chimes, meditation ends and the
host monk gives a short talk. Everyone is invited
and no prior experience is required. The Buddha
hall is unheated, dress accordingly with warm socks.
See the following blog for thoughts on what
to do in meditation.

For those who like to stay, afterwards is a good time
to visit the grounds or join the dharma talk held for
an hour following the meditation. At 12 noon, there
is a vegetarian lunch for $5, all you can eat, in the
large cafeteria building. There is no requirement to
stay this long.

Call )ohn at 589-0964 for other details or show up.

If this field trip meets with success we might try it
again as a summer picnic, including lake swimming
down the road at Fahnstock State Park.

)ohn

How to do Uddiyana Bandha exercise

2006-04-15T17:56:00.000-04:00

Uddiyana Bandha

Can start standing w/ knees bent, feet parallel,
leaning forward w/ a broad back and hands resting
on the thighs, fingers and thumbs inward.
OR
Can be seated in cross legged position, broad back,
leaning slightly forward w/ hands pressing on the
knees, fingers and thumbs facing inward.
OR even
Can lay on the back.

Breath slowly, fully in and w/ an active exhale,
pull in the abdominal muscles to completely expel
air from the lungs.
Without inhaling (it may be helpful to close nostrils
w/ thumb & forefinger)
-- relax abdomen
-- pull up and expand thru the upper chest as if taking
a deep breath.
This causes a vacuum effect on the belly, stretching it
long and pulling the abdominal organs up to the ribcage.

To accomplish this exercise effectively, the lungs must
be empty, after that relax the abdomen, then the
diaphragm is raised up high by the mock inspiration of
the chest. The back should be slightly rounded and
shoulders may hunch up.

Hold for 5 seconds to start, increase time with practice.
Allow belly and chest to lower before breathing in so
that air doesn't rush into the lungs.

While in this state of apnoea (empty lungs), besides
holding the breath for 5 or more seconds, one can also
do a series of rapid retraction and release of the belly,
making sure to keep the abdomen relaxed. Start
gradually and work up to a rhythm of one retraction
per second, doing as many as the suspension of breath
will allow. This additional part of the exercise is known
as Agnisara Dhauti, a purification exercise.

Of course one should not have eaten recently prior to
exercise. :-)oh~

Announcement: retreat at Chuang Yen monastery

2006-04-14T22:58:00.000-04:00

-----Forwarded Message-----
From: BAUSCYM

WEEKEND RETREAT

On April 22 and 23, Dharma Master Fa-Tzang will be conducting a retreat on the
teachings of the Tien Tai School (Based Upon the Teachings of the Lotus Sutra).
Rev. Heng Sure will be providing a translation for the two days.

The retreat is during the day on Sat. 22 & Sun. 23.

Location: Chuang Yen Monastery, 2020 Route 301, Carmel, NY 10512
Fees: There is no fee, but we accept donations.

Saturday: 9:30AM-11:30AM - Dharma Talk and Q&A.
11:30Am-2:00PM - Lunch
2:00PM-5:00PM - Tien Tai Discussion and Practice.

Sunday: 9:30AM-5:00PM - Tien Tai Practice.
Tien Tai Contemplation and Q & A.

Dharma Master Fa Tzang Bio

Master Fa Tzang, a renowned teacher of Tien Tai Traditions, was ordained in Taiwan, in 1987. He has a degree in physics from Chern Kong University in Taiwan, where he also studied
Tien Tai tradition with the 45th patriarch of the Tien Tai School, Master Hsien Ming, the former Abbot of Chuang Yen Monastery.
After serving as Dean of the Buddhist Institute in Taichung, Taiwan for six years, Rev. Fa Tzang went into a three-year solitary retreat in mountains to deepen his Tien Tai practice. He recited the Lotus Sutra and practiced cessation-and-contemplation and the Repentance of Lotus Samadhi. He has accomplished the Annotation for Repentance of Lotus Samadhi.

Venerable Fa Tzang has published over 50 works on the Buddhadharma. He is President of Sangha Forest Publisher, founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sangha Magazine, President of Buddhist Compassion TV Station, Dean of the Sangha Eduacation Institute, and Abbot of Chien Hwa and Yong Jin Monasteries.

Rev. Heng Sure, Ph.D.

Rev. Heng Sure ordained as a Buddhist Bhikshu (monk) at the City of Ten Thousand
Buddhas, Talmage, California, in 1976. A native of Toledo, Ohio, Heng Sure was finishing his M.A. in Oriental Languages at the University of California, Berkeley when he met his teacher in religion, the late Ven. Master Hsüan Hua. After receiving full ordination in the Mahayana tradition of Chinese Buddhism he commenced a "Three Steps, One Bow" pilgrimage dedicating his efforts to World Peace, traveling up the of California coast highway from South Pasadena, a distance of over six hundred miles in two years and nine months. During the pilgrimage and for three years following he kept a strict vow of silence.

A journal of the pilgrimage, With One Heart, Bowing to the City of Ten Thousand
Buddhas, was subsequently printed, including translations into Chinese and Vietnamese. Two volumes of correspondence, Letters From True Cultivators, were published by the Buddhist Text Translation Society. Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, French, and Japanese, he speaks on Buddhism's encounter with the West.

Rev. Heng Sure currently serves as Director of the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery holds
a Doctorate in Religion from the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California,
where he co-teaches a class on Buddhist-Christian Dialogue. He also represents Buddhism on the Global Council of the United Religions Initiative and serves on the Board of Directors of the Interfaith Center at the Presidio. A vegetarian since 1969 and a vegan since 1980, Rev. Heng Sure regularly speaks on the topic of compassionate eating to audiences around the world.

Class, 4/12 : Uddiyana Bandha

2006-04-14T22:42:00.000-04:00

Yoga friends,

Since I, and many of us, spend sedentary hours
in front of a computer, or driving, or other
seated tasks during the day, this past class
was particularly attentive to Uddiyana Bandha
exercises, which through their deep massage
action, stimulate the whole digestive tract and
keep our visceral organs healthy.

More praise for Uddiyana Bandha exercise:

It keeps the large part of our blood located in the
viscera moving, preventing blood stasis in our
abdomen which saps our vitality.
Digestion is expedited, preventing constipation.
Uddiyana Bandha stimulates organs by detoxifying
the liver, helping to empty the stomach and also
reversing prolapses, promoting our body's insulin
sucretion in the pancreas, and increasing diuretic
action in the kidneys.
Adrenal glands and spleen are invigorated.
Genital tract / urinary tract are massaged.

Nervous health is maintained by stimulation of
various plexuses, especially the solar plexus.
And through action on the pneumogastric nerve,
the involuntary nervous system is balanced.

The diaphragm's range of motion is encouraged.
The heart and lungs are vigarously massaged by
the diaphragm, and lungs are strengthened by the
action of holding our breath as well.

----------------------------------------------------------
Maybe some of us noticed, even after just the one
Uddiyana Bandha class, an affect on body functions.

Coming up on the last Sunday in April, 4/30/2006,
instead of our usual yoga class,
I am planning a class trip to the Chuang Yen Monastery
in Carmel, NY. There are several interesting activities,
especially the english language meditation practice
which doesn't require any experience and is in one of
the beautiful large Buddha halls, sitting either on tall
cushions or chairs, so it is available to everyone.
More details to follow and all folks are encouraged to
invite a guest to come along. Let me know if you are
interested.

Hopefully I'll soon get to post the steps to the mechanics
of Uddiyana Bandh exercise as a refresher for personal
practice. (see 4/15)

)ohn

driving into tree pose

2006-04-14T22:03:00.000-04:00

yoga friends

...I'm driving on my way home, guiding the steering wheel
with one hand while thinking about how my yoga students had
been able to focus during class the day before. how had we
managed to center ourselves? it is a challenge to be in the
moment. we try by bringing attention to our body. to get
inside that moment, we observe our lungs fill on inhale,
opening along one side of our ribs by revolving our arms
and torso in co-ordination with our breath, noticing that
increased space on the expanded side, feeling where the
lung's surface is stretched to expose myriad of alveoli to
the direct exchange of oxygen. we compare the same revolving
motion with empty lungs, stretched after exhaling. we are
perceptively tuned in to what's going on inside of us.

then i look out over the hood of my car and onto the road
going by and i realize, all of a sudden, that i have no clue
to what road i'm actually driving on. where was i going? so
much for being aware of the moment.

)ohn

Thoughts from Wednesday's yoga class:

2006-04-12T20:30:00.000-04:00

Sleeping tiger pose starts us centering from our lower tan tien. This initially easy pose gradually brings our awareness to that energetic location of our second chakra where we store so much and such a variety of forces. We engaged our lower abdomen, leading thru bridge pose, a few different twists, and an introduction to wheel pose. we glided along the edges of boat pose with several other abdominal exercises. By the end meditation, savasana, we are sensitive to emotional flurries trapped in the lower tan tien. Having tested our core boundaries physically during class, the literal intent of yoga, as union of mind, body and spirit, leaves us smiling.

This coming sunday, 4/9, I've arranged a substitute teacher to lead class. It's the first time i'm intrusting our intimate sangha to someone. It's not a big deal, but it is nice to experience another person's approach to using yoga postures.

Welcome

2006-03-31T00:05:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the blog of Yoga on Main.
We share insights and stories about this itinerant yogi's experience.

Over the last couple of years teaching yoga, this story
unfolds from an inner asana, slowly opening to recognize
the blessings yoga practice has integrated into my own life.

Of course, this is the yoga journey, to share from experience,
(so I try and be brief).
Hopefully benefit from what this practice has taught me,
will offer option to traveling the same circuitous route
(tho we all start from scratch someplace), and share a way
to understand this 5,000 year old understanding.