What I love about this practice space is that … there’s a labyrinth in the middle:)  You know how I love them – as I practice, step by step to find my center, the labyrinth is a walking meditation (sprinkled with yoga poses:) to really get ON THE GRID of life.  This is not a fancy place, in fact, quite modest, and kept very clean.  It’s my version of an ashram, an urban version … and indeed, for some, it’s a sacred place.  It’s a humble auditorium of an inner-city neighborly church (filled up max capacity this term as it’s their last year to offer IAYT approved Yoga Therapy Advance Training…hope they reconsider), so we know our tuition is going to the teachers and to maintenance of cleanliness, not to any fancy decors.  It’s a NPO, a foundation headed by those with a vision, a mission, devoid of pretensions.  It’s real. It’s not an image on an Instagram, a Madison Avenue magazine cover – it’s to meet the everyday needs of people like you and me, who can use the yogic tools and techniques for betterment, for wellness. The faculty is absolutely stellar and that’s what matters the most to all the teachers (min. 200 hrs. certified) here.  There are no textbooks for the 2 year course as each master teacher will bring a material thick enough to make a book.   BUT

during the course of 2 years, books were published by two of the faculty members …  the first book would make a good Mother’s & Father’s Day gift, if not for yourself; and the second one is the other spectrum of demographics – our youth 🙂 geared for classroom teachers and parents.  Dynamic Mindfulness?  It’s yoga – to strip it of the unattainable image and preconceived notions that it’s only for girls or that it’s about achieving a pretzel pose or touching the toes- whereas, Dynamic Mindfulness ?  It’s for everyone.

Yoga for Healthy Aging

by Baxter Bell, MD

&

Teaching Transformative Life Skills to Students:

A Comprehensive Dynamic Mindfulness Curriculum

by BK Bose, PhD

*****

Got to go to NYC for a quick whirlwind stay to attend an auspicious event so squeezed in MOMA to stand before originals in awe – to note, lots of yoga studios here which speaks to the level of stress from all the stimuli good like GREAT to not so good New Yorkers are exposed to in their day to day.  Besides, the weather was not so great so really want to take refuge at a studio …:

Having attended countless yoga classes, noting there’s a confusion with Gentle, Hatha, Restorative and Yin styles of Yoga so … let’s be clear on what we are doing?  Or are we setting the intention to blend the teachings?  I, actually am – as that’s what I am exploring – the blend, that’s not an abstract but “real” and authentic.   Not like mix red and blue to create purple but keep the red red, keep the blue blue and maybe have some bleeding of colors at the edges to have that lovely fade-out.  Keeping it separate so there’s that one-pointed attention and care – then merge a bit later, once we “get it” – then it’s not a confused abstract but something that speaks to our hearts and souls:) without over-thinking. There’s this lucid clarity with our intentions.  Nothing grandiose but just that natural comfort and joy we all long for. It’s a mixture of EFFORT & EASE.  The Yang & Yin.

Paul Grilley Interview Part 1 & Part 2 on Fascia and Yin Yoga

google and listen to them – if you are practicing yin yoga and don’t know why:)

& at a lost or at best, feeling sheepish, when there’s honoring of one’s intention in practicing it.  You want to know why you are doing something and be purposeful, right?

 

Otherwise, your efforts may be wasted as prana just dissipates into thin air.

Just know – It’s a “fascia-nating” practice:)

We want to harness and retain or multiply that energy so off  the mat, you can live enlivened, freed from all those things, those obstacles that may weigh us down. Our temple, our body needs attention; then the mind will follow … so it’s not just the Thinking Brain but … it’s a Thinking Body.   Turns out there’s a book entitled just that “The Thinking Body” by Maple Ellsworth Todd, a Somatic educator who created a method serving as a precursor to the Fendenkrais method.  It’s interesting to note that the method is heavily influenced by martial arts, such as Judo.