On July 11, 2010 we held a Live Sitar and Yoga program at Galesville Memorial Hall. The Chesapeake Current was on hand and they wrote this wonderful article about the program that appeared in today’s edition.

==> Click here to read it on-line… (hint scroll to page 5)

Be sure to pick-up your own free copy of the Chesapeake Current at your local library, rec center, community hall, or shopping center like the Safeway in Dunkirk, among other places – plus we have some on hand in class.

As the article states, our next Live Sitar & Yoga program will be held on Sun Oct 24 from 2p – 4p.

Yesterday was our Live Sitar and Yoga program – we had a full house (23 participants) – thanks to all who came!

Anthony Malatesta played the sitar beautifully and via those soothing & mystical sounds, we ventured into yoga’s more meditative side. Yes we did a range of physical poses, but more than that we explored sadhana practices like yoga nidra (deep relaxation), svarshastra (science of breath control), pranayama (specific breathing techniques), and more.

Sometimes all were lying down with their pillows and eye pillows gazing within, and other moments striking a pose of challenge. Mostly though it was about the meditative approach.

As a teacher, it was a sweet joy to be part of this collective as everyone delved deep into the introversial flow – i.e. exploring within.

Diane Burr of the Chesapeake Current was also on hand and she plans to do an article in the near future about the program. Please watch for it.

All in all, the program went well and everyone reached a state of peace and realization. All got what they wanted – except for one. A faithful & long-standing member of the Tuesday morning abs class asked if from now on the 20 min abs intensive could incorporate the relaxation elements of the yoga-sitar program – the answer was a firm “no”. We have our standards after all!!

The live sitar and yoga is a special gathering and we certainly hope you will consider coming out for the next one!!

Renaissance Yoga was “featured” in this report about job satisfaction and yoga in the workplace.

To see the actual video, visit our homepage.

Of course your comments and thoughts are most welcome here.

Here is also part of the story as I documented it on the YJ blogging community:

I went into my corporate class today, Tue, (have been teaching there 2x weekly for almost 3yrs) and one marketing director said they might do some “filming” at the beginning of class and asked, “Would I mind”. It sounded innocuous enough I told him that ‘d be fine. 8 minutes into class there was nothing “different” going on.

On the next breath, a veritable TV sound and film crew walked in and started setting up shop! Not exactly what I was expecting. My students were right on target – accurate and unfazed- and we just moved ahead. Next thing I know a remote mic has been placed on my yoga mat – while I am in down dog – and I tell the guy that I have laryngitis – he smiles. Class starts getting going more. For the next ten minutes they are filming and we are movin’. And my voice is trying hard – i.e. struggling to make a sound.

Then at some point the news reporter walks right into the middle of the class, in between various students, opens her arms and starts talking directly into the camera. She says something like, “So here we are…” and by her demeanor it sounds and looks just like a newscast. The class remained focused as ever. Her words are brief and then in the next few minutes the TV crew is gone. Then I say to my students, “Ok now that they are gone let’s go for half-moon”. They laugh (as a few can be wobbly in that one!).

Later on the news person came back and told me how good she thought my students looked and how focused they were and that “nobody turned their head one bit”.

It turns out the Fox News (local Wash DC, I presume) is doing a feature on employee satisfaction at the workplace and my corporate site has been high on worker satisfaction for some years and features a basketball court, weight room, ping-pong, lounge / kitchen and more, including our 2x weekly yoga.

Let’s see if we make it onto the news!? Maybe for a 3 second clip or so.

Note: Well, we made it on!!