Come see, hear and meet Katie as she is our latest student spotlight. Watch her short video and be sure to listen to her podcast below…
Katie as you will hear in her podcast (below) has a lot going on in life, but you would never know it by her practice where she is the essence of “calm, cool & collected.” Katie is a regular in our Yoga for Strength & Fitness classes in Galesville, and when not totally immersed in life’s callings, she has been known to go to Bermuda to visit family…
Listen to Katie’s below podcast, hear her tales, and find out what she is hiding within…
(Note: In a spontaneous flow, wrote and posted this Sunday night 1/22/12, then noontime Monday had second thoughts & deleted it from this blog and my computer, & created this post. Then that evening, after receiving very positive response from Ashleigh (”great…really funny & creative”), did an emergency retrieval of this original post, and here it is. Now there are two posts, two distinctly different styles of the same topic. Yes, of course, tell us what you think. Moral of the Story: Don’t freak out after writing a blog post.)
For instance, the other day I took Dad to this great park in Savannah, Ga during our recent road trip to Fla. I really dig road trips and I am glad I could show him this park – it is a favorite of mine.
Well, if you don’t mind I’d like to review a bit of ancient history. Oh no, not the Greeks, Romans or Phoenicians. I mean me! You know when I spent all that time rolling around in that pitch-dark cabin, no electricity, no on-line connection, nor wi-fi. Was that the dark ages or what?!? I couldn’t see a thing and thought I would never get out. Oh come on now, you’re not gonna lay that line on me: You don’t remember that movie… Well then what are you waiting for – see it again. Don’t even tell me you did not see it once. Heck, I am a flippin’ and a flyin’ the whole time.
Like I was saying. We took this road trip over the winter holiday as I wanted to get m & d out of dodge. But check this out. After I got the tent set up (by myself!) – down in the Fla. Keys – then they (m & d) got plumb lost. I was looking everywhere – inside the tent, outside the tent. You name it and I checked there. Spent the whole afternoon tracking them down to make sure they were OK. Totally spoiled my afternoon surfin’ plans. But what can you do – that is part of the sacrifice of having parents. It kinda comes with the package – goes with the territory.
On the whole though the trip was pretty great – I mean what’s not to like about going south in wintertime. Besides, I worked out a deal where I actually got them to do most of the driving – so I could just chill in my captain’s chair. When I am in that seat, I just totally call all the shots. It makes Captain Kirk look like a water boy.
Well you saw how I took the D-A-D to the park. Well, he just could not keep the dang thing secret. Next thing I know, the M-O-M is fussin’ this way and that about why she didn’t get to go to no park. She was prancin’ about saying: “I did not get to go to the park!”.
At that point my options were few…
To settle the score, my sole and only recourse was to take the M-O-M to the beach. Pretty killer spot!! Yep, she was much happier. See her smiling again. Still I could not get her to listen to a thing. I told her six times to wear her sun-hat, but the girl would not listen. Again, all part of the hassle of doing anything with the ‘rentals.
Well what can I say, at least they have come a long way in the last 9 months!! For that I am ever-grateful.
So that is life in a nutshell. Tell me what is up with you…
P.S. Oh wait, one last thing, I have recently enrolled the M-O-M in baby sign language classes because up until now she & Pop do not get all my lingo. Like most parents, they are just behind the times – communication breakdown! So I have sought to nip the problem in the bud! Is there any other way.
Many of you may recall the pregnancy and birth of Eliza Jane (b. 4/23/11) featured here in this video. Well here she is 9 months later, thereabouts as some of the below photos are from late December.
Here is Eliza along with her father, Matt, at a park in Savannah, Ga (I believe). They took a family car camping trip from Maryland to the Florida Keys over the holidays.
Personally, I was very taken by Eliza’s posture and positioning, looking extremely steady and ready for a 9 month old. Not to mention her keen, clear-eyed gaze toward the camera. See this larger image.
While in Florida they did some sleeping out-of-doors. And here below is Eliza taking care of things in and around the tent.
So Eliza is being exposed to all kinds of life experiences including winter camping – even if it is in the south!
Some of you may also recall that Eliza came to a yoga class not too long back – and a very short video clip was made of her time in class.
Finally, here we have mom, Ashleigh, along with Eliza at the beach. A great mother-daughter combo.
When Ashleigh and I spoke after yoga last Friday, she also informed me of a class she & Eliza are taking: Sign Language for children (or a similar type of title.)
The yogis say that there are 6 stages to language / communication. The first four are 100% non-verbal: Based on aspects like thought, ideation, inspiration, and feeling. Then it is only the 5th and 6th stage (vocal cords & tongue), where sound is involved. Teaching sign language then to an infant seems like an ideal way to further that unspoken communication link between parent and child.
Absolutely wonderful to receive this update on Eliza and family and we look forward to more in the future! Thanks so much for sharing…
In our on-going Student-Spotlight series, meet Linda and hear her dramatic account of how she has just recently made it back onto the mat after a traumatic injury.
Below please find a short video of Linda in action PLUS an audio file where she recounts her story.
As you will hear in her below audio file, Linda has had to work hard for an entire calendar year to get back onto the mat after a fateful injury. She shares her story with full candor, sincerity and courage.
For years, Linda was very regular in our classes attending 3+ sessions a week with her unlimited pass. Not only did she progress in her practice but Linda also became an integral member of our yoga community. Everyone appreciates her kind, warm, and joyous spirit.
I knew Linda had a long road in recovery, so when I saw her walk in the other day – fleet afoot and looking light and bright as can be – I was truly taken and moved by her presence.
Meditation, or sadhana (literally meaning “effort”), is the foundation of all yogic practices. The vast arena of yoga stands upon the realization gained from meditation. In this seminar we will explore the ancient roots of this great practice from a historical, cultural, and spiritual perspective.
Why did those yogis of old meditate and what did they aim to achieve? In addition, we will apply those age-old principles to modern day life. Alas, theory without practice is but a meaningless pursuit, so say the yogis. Hence we will interweave meditative techniques and practices throughout the session.
This seminar is a time to deepen your understanding of yogic thought and learn how meditation can become a more active element of your life. Whether you follow a regular meditation practice or not, this is a seminar for you to come and explore the intuitional and spiritual foundations of yoga. All are welcome.
I trust this note finds you in good health and enjoying the holiday cheer, in whatever way you may be celebrating. This is a great time to reflect, rejoice, remember our goal(s), and take aim for a spectacular entry into 2012!!
Here is a bit about what I have been up to and how this week will unfold.
Mom came into town from NC last Thursday and attended our Friday morning class in Dunkirk. She enjoyed seeing the many familiar faces in class. Then of course we held classes on Saturday, Dec 24, as well.
The last few days have been full of conversation, visiting, cooking, eating (though Saturday was a fasting day as someone did inquire), long walks, and all kinds of joyous activities.
Today, mom and I are headed up to NY for our annual sojourn and shall return Wednesday evening. So there will not be classes today, tomorrow or Wednesday.
Our public classes resume Friday morning, Dec 30, in Dunkirk at 9am for our Yoga Flow class and our normal Saturday schedule will be in full swing on Dec 31. All are welcome to join us in any or all of these classes. Come on now, don’t you think Dec 31 is an ideal time to embark on our Abs class!!!
Starting Monday, January 2, we will be back into our regular class schedule and we look forward to starting the new year with all of you and rolling out more new programs and offerings in 2012!!
Namaskar,
Satyam
Tell us your tales and how you have been passing the holidays…(comment below)
Each and every being is attracted toward a more subtle vibration. This brings feelings of joy, peace and contentment. This is a universal attraction for all – to find a more refined flow in life.
While no doubt we can get caught up in more crude endeavors and general busyness, it is when we return to and seek out the subtle that we feel better.
This applies to animals as well. They also want to find joy and peace in this world.
Of the 5 sense experiences – shabda (sound) – is the most subtle. That is why at the highest state of realization, the aspirant will only hear the eternal sound: Omn.
Here below is a sweet reminder how all have an appreciation for the more subtle expressions of life…
Noted below is one man’s story how he avoided major, major back surgery by taking up the practice of yoga.
While there is certainly a time and place for traditional medical intervention, many are finding that yoga helps relieve and even cure them of both minor and major health concerns.
Here we would like to invite you to share your experiences: How has yoga acted as a remedy in your life?
As we all know, yoga can help in so many ways, on so many levels: Physical, mental, social, emotional, existential, spiritual, and more. And there is no gimmick aspect to it. When you bring yourself – your constitution – into balance and alignment, naturally you will feel better, and verily be better.
So in a phrase, a word, or a series of sentences, do tell us, “How have you experienced yoga as a cure or remedy?”
Was it back pain relief (as I regularly experience)? headaches gone? inner connection made? How has yoga brought the phrases “pain-free” & “feeling good” back into your life.
Looking forward to hearing your tales and stories…
Read this well-written account of how yoga helped keep one man off the operating table, cure him of a serious back condition, and welcome so many other health benefits:
Today we welcome Sarah as our latest student spotlight…
…Sarah is a long-time participant in our Monday night Yoga for Strength & Fitness class at NECC and she and her mom have attended some of our Live Sitar and Yoga seminars as well.
In addition, Sarah is a nurse with experience at the Dept of Health and she and her husband are the proud parents of Caroline (b. June 24, 2010), with another one coming soon (!), as Sarah is now 6 months pregnant.
Here is a video of Sarah’s practice and below that is a sit-down talk we had with Sarah about yoga, life, pregnancy, and more – so please do listen to her audio file as well.
We all want a long life – longevity, but not just that. We desire a high-quality of life as well.
Here are some yogic guidelines for a long, productive life:
1. Exercise regularly: Along with daily yoga postures, a fast-paced, 30 min walk in the open air each day, or a comparable form of exercise that is not taxing on the body is extremely beneficial. Walking is generally recommended as it is accessible to most people living in most areas of the world.
2. Eating as soon as one feels hungry: This is actually more difficult than it sounds as it also means not eating when one is not hungry. When true hunger comes then the digestive acid is released into the stomach, if food is not eaten at that time, the acid itself remains undigested and leads to acidity. On the other hand, if one eats when not hungry, when no digestive acid has been released into the stomach, then that food will not be assimilated properly by the body and leads to acidity, bloating, and a host of health problems.
3. Going to sleep as soon as one feels sleepy: We should be aware of our natural sleep cycle and not stress the body by staying awake when really the body needs sleep.
4. Regularity in contemplative practices; Daily meditation, reflection, contemplation, and deep relaxation contribute greatly to our mental well-being, which helps create a healthy physical body.
5. Fasting at intervals: Fasting, half-fasting, juice fasting, and water fasting all enable the bodily organs to rest and rejuvenate. Every engine, every machine, every process needs to experience a state of pause or rest. The same is the case with the human digestive system. In this case rest (not eating) brings renewal.
6. Washing and Bathing: In addition to a daily shower / bath, preferably with not very hot water, it is also recommended to wash the limbs, face, and nasal passages before each meal, meditation, and sleep.
7. Curd (yogurt) and raw foods: Each and every day it is advisable to eat a moderate amount of curd (ideally not processed) and / or raw foods. This practice combined with a vegetarian diet is itself a medicine or therapy for the body.
8. Getting out of bed at daybreak: Just as one should go to sleep at the proper time, it is important to rise a with the start of the day. This helps increase one’s vitality and tune one’s body to the natural cycle of life.
So those are some of the practices recommended by yogis for living a long, happy, and productive life.
Here are links to related aspects of this topic:
1. Here is a past discussion we had on “blue zones” and living a long life.
2. Discussion on Aging: This radio show aired this past week on NPR and discusses some of the scientific research related with aging.
4. And indeed there is an abundant amount of good information out there. I often find that the best articles and blogs speak to very similar points and recommendations. Share some of the info that you come across.
Question: What can work in thousands of directions, but do only two things?
Answer: The mind.
While we have all experienced how the mind can contemplate countless points and be pulled in seemingly innumerable directions, ultimately the mind can do only two things.
The mind can think and it can remember. Thus thinking and remembering are the only two functionalities of mind.
Even then, even though the mind is limited to 2 basic functions, it is not easy to perfect them. How often do we think in a misguided manner and or fail to remember something.
That is why the yogis claim that the refinement and perfection of mind is an ongoing endeavor. And the way to achieve this is through meditation or sadhana. Through repeated efforts to calm and steady the mind, it will think more clearly and remember more precisely. The more emphasis we place on refining the mind, the more beautifully it will function.
And ultimately that brings peace.
When we think in a benevolent manner and remember that which should be remembered (i.e. our human dharma), then naturally we will develop into joyous beings who are at peace with ourselves and the world around us.
During the Thanksgiving holiday, we will be offering all of our regularly scheduled classes except for on Thanksgiving day itself.
Thanksgiving Week
Wed Nov 23: YES, Classes as Scheduled
Thur Nov 24: No Class
Fri Nov 25: YES, Classes as Scheduled
Sat Nov 26: YES, Classes as Scheduled
So come on in for yoga during this great time of year.
In addition here is a special that we are offering:
Holiday Season Special for 18 – 30 Year Olds
1/2 price yoga for all persons aged 18 – 30 from Nov 25 – Dec 25. This applies to single classes and 5-week sessions. Does not include monthly passes or seminars.
There are not many who vacation in Bermuda yet also call the place home – at least not many I know. But Katie can.
Her family – her mother’s side I believe – hails from this island paradise. So it is not a concierge who took this photo of Katie in warrior II but rather her uncle.
Now here is one for you – is this not the real Bermuda triangle? For years and years boats, planes and ships got lost in the famed Bermuda triangle. In this new era of
reason and rationality Katie calmly lays all that to rest as she sets her course and plants her flag on the real Bermuda triangle – by doing trikonasana (triangle pose) of course!
The great view doesn’t hurt any. Not a bad place to go and visit family and take in one’s ancestral roots!
Next we have this great scenic shot. After this incredibly soggy September here in MD, a sunny, isolated cove is rather enticing.
So I think we all get the idea – the next time Katie goes to this vacation-homeland, we’d all like to go too! And strike a few poses on a scenic overlook – or uncle’s backyard – and take in the sun, wind, and surf of Bermuda’s finest!
Thanks so much for sharing these great pics & views with us!
Click here to see all our vacation yoga blog posts and photos.
Had a great session this afternoon with the U of Md Track and Field / X-C teams in the Comcast Center. Our space was filled with 75+ athletes: runners, throwers, sprinters, hurlers & more. Everyone did a superb job of following the program & we got great feedback from Coach and various participants. Looking forward to returning on Sep 27!! Go terps…
On this brilliant afternoon, we held our first-ever Herbal Remedies & Healing workshop, presented by Sharon Brewer.
And what a turnout we had – 28 total, not including Sharon & myself.
Sharon runs her own herb farm – Green Violet Herbs – out of her home in Fairhaven and truly speaking natural living and herbs are a big part of her life. So she really had a lot to share: Both in terms of knowledge and samples. The above photo, which shows herbs as well as a solid mass of bees wax to the right which we used to make a salve, represent just a few of the many samples Sharon shared with us.
After beginning with a few minutes of contemplation and gentle asanas we segued into our main herbal program. With Sharon’s breadth and depth of knowledge and her easy-going manner, the entire afternoon flowed very nicely. It was really more of an open discussion forum than a lecture per se. One Q & A led into the next as everyone who came had great interest and so many queries. Of note I might recognize Tina’s effusive, yet need-to-know, manner of rifling off queries to Sharon as well as Ms Ellie’s earnest interest in enhancing her current home gardening program. Ellie is just a few days into 6th grade.
Here is a sky-view of but some of the many herbs, oils and tinctures that Sharon had on display. She reviewed a wide array of herbs like calendula, nettle, sage, lavender, chamomile, and many others and then discussed their healing and energetic properties, uses, growing patterns and more. The information shared was extremely practical as Sharon would link each topic with daily living; Teas to calm the body and mind and reduce stress, herbs and creams for relieving insect bites and stings, herbs and spices used in cooking for both taste and health, and so much more.
After a very productive open dialog Sharon graciously invited us all up to make our own tea mixes. She had bags and a plethora of herbs and aromatic essences to share. Everyone quickly got up from their mats and crowded around the front tables. Here is a look at that scene! Plus check out the youtube clip below.
All in all it was a very productive afternoon. If you could not be there, we do have extra handouts available for $3, plus you can always find Sharon in one of our yoga classes during the week!
Here is what participants had to say in response to the query, “The best part of the seminar was…”:
- learning the benefits of each herb in a very friendly open manner.
- getting to make your own blends.
- interactive, I liked that she answered everyone’s questions – from the basic to the more advanced.
- seeing & touching.
- learning how to prepare, store, and use herbs and the ratio of ingredients.
Thanks Sharon for a great, great seminar!!
Here below is a very short 14 second action scene from the end of the seminar wherein all were making their own teas and herbal mixes…
Hi 
Well you saw how I took the D-A-D to the park. Well, he just could not keep the dang thing secret. Next thing I know, the M-O-M is fussin’ this way and that about why she didn’t get to go to no park. She was prancin’ about saying: “I did not get to go to the park!”.
Here is Eliza along with her father, Matt, at a park in Savannah, Ga (I believe). They took a family car camping trip from Maryland to the Florida Keys over the holidays.
So Eliza is being exposed to all kinds of life experiences including winter camping – even if it is in the south!
When Ashleigh and I spoke after yoga last Friday, she also informed me of a class she & Eliza are taking: Sign Language for children (or a similar type of title.)
Noted below is one man’s story how he avoided major, major back surgery by taking up the practice of yoga.
We all want a long life – longevity, but not just that. We desire a high-quality of life as well.
Question: What can work in thousands of directions, but do only two things?
During the Thanksgiving holiday, we will be offering all of our regularly scheduled classes except for on Thanksgiving day itself.
There are not many who vacation in Bermuda yet also call the place home – at least not many I know. But Katie can.
reason and rationality Katie calmly lays all that to rest as she sets her course and plants her flag on the real Bermuda triangle – by doing trikonasana (triangle pose) of course!
So I think we all get the idea – the next time Katie goes to this vacation-homeland, we’d all like to go too! And strike a few poses on a scenic overlook – or uncle’s backyard – and take in the sun, wind, and surf of Bermuda’s finest!
Had a great session this afternoon with the U of Md Track and Field / X-C teams in the Comcast Center. Our space was filled with 75+ athletes: runners, throwers, sprinters, hurlers & more. Everyone did a superb job of following the program & we got great feedback from Coach and various participants. Looking forward to returning on Sep 27!! Go terps…
On this brilliant afternoon, we held our first-ever Herbal Remedies & Healing workshop, presented by Sharon Brewer.
After beginning with a few minutes of contemplation and gentle asanas we segued into our main herbal program. With Sharon’s breadth and depth of knowledge and her easy-going manner, the entire afternoon flowed very nicely. It was really more of an open discussion forum than a lecture per se. One Q & A led into the next as everyone who came had great interest and so many queries. Of note I might recognize Tina’s effusive, yet need-to-know, manner of rifling off queries to Sharon as well as Ms Ellie’s earnest interest in enhancing her current home gardening program. Ellie is just a few days into 6th grade.
Here is a sky-view of but some of the many herbs, oils and tinctures that Sharon had on display. She reviewed a wide array of herbs like calendula, nettle, sage, lavender, chamomile, and many others and then discussed their healing and energetic properties, uses, growing patterns and more. The information shared was extremely practical as Sharon would link each topic with daily living; Teas to calm the body and mind and reduce stress, herbs and creams for relieving insect bites and stings, herbs and spices used in cooking for both taste and health, and so much more.
After a very productive open dialog Sharon graciously invited us all up to make our own tea mixes. She had bags and a plethora of herbs and aromatic essences to share. Everyone quickly got up from their mats and crowded around the front tables. Here is a look at that scene! Plus check out the youtube clip below.
