Sign of the Times? OM Yoga to Close After 15 Years

Cyndi Lee

On Sunday, yoga doyenne (and former Cyndi Lauper choreographer) Cyndi Lee gave the closing remarks at last weekend's Yoga Journal 3rd conference in New York.By Monday---the day after the conference---she announced, via email to long-time students, that the studio had lost its lease and would be closing by the end of June.(Read the announcement on the studio's Web site.)Lee, who established OM in 1997 on 14th street, said the landlord at 826 Broadway, OM's home above The Strand bookstore for about 7 years, didn't give her an option to renew. According to an interview on Well+Good:

She gave us 90 days notice and rented it to someone else. She just didn’t want a yoga studio there anymore.

OM yoga studio

According to some long-time NYC yogis, OM had begun to lose its fire a little while ago. Once-loyal students had already moved on to other studios or classes that seemed eager to move with the changing trends of yoga.Still, the pioneer studio had nurtured beloved NYC teachers such as Margi Young, Christy Clark, Lippy Orem, Joe Miller, and Brian Liem, and gave others such as Brooklyn maverick Jonathan FitzGordon his start.It also was one of the first to explicitly bring yoga asana practice and Buddhist meditation techniques together. Lee frequently hosted her Tibetan teacher, and held workshops by David Nichtern, music producer and senior teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist lineage (and Lee's husband), and her step-son, Ethan Nicthern, author of One City: A Declaration of Interdependence and founder of the popular Interdependence Project.Teachers and students recite the dedication of merit at the end of (most!) classes, offering their work to the greater good of all beings.OM is not completely going away---it's transforming its teachings and services into more of a "homeless" or online-based studio. Lee and her senior teachers will continue to give workshops and trainings, although there are speculations that some may branch off altogether.For now, enjoy the last 2 months of this breezy and popular studio that trained a lot of eager new teachers, brought teachers as diverse as Judith Lasater and Meredith Monk to students, and gave a very chill American spin to a practice that can be be altogether too many things to too many people.

RIP Jack the Cat

Maybe it's pre-11.11.11 vibes---you know, on Friday we shift into the long-awaited Acquarian age, according to Yogi Bhajan. Oct 28 marked the long-awaited end of one big cycle of the Mayan calendar.Or maybe it's just me---I've  spontaneously stopped eating much meat or drinking much alcohol lately, and it's making me sensitive to, you know, broccoli, kale, and stories about animals. This story about Jack the Cat really got to me today.Jack the Cat escaped his carrying case before being loaded onto and American Airlines flight bound for California on August 25, where his owner, Karen, was moving.Lost in the airport for 61 days, he fell through the ceiling at JFK customs on October 25 and was rushed to pet hospital in Manhattan.American Airlines flew Karen back to New York to attend to her cat. But he was too weak from malnutrition and dehydration to continue on. On Sunday, after Karen had flown back home, Jack was put to sleep, surrounded by Karen's friends and supporters.

Despite measures like a feeding tube, intravenous fluids, antibiotics and one operation, veterinarians finally recommended euthanasia.“Forty to 60 percent of his body area was affected by devitalized tissue, tissue without blood flow,” Dr. Daly said.A Facebook page devoted to Jack, Jack the Cat Is Lost in AA Baggage at J.F.K., had more than 24,400 “likes” as of Monday morning. On Sunday, a post entitled “RIP Jack — Full Info” reported that Jack had “gone over the rainbow bridge.”

Rest in peace, furry friend. Sniff.

Protest or Party? Yoga as Political Theater or Giant Concert, your choice

According to the New York Times today, agitators in India are using hunger strikes---and yoga---to protest corruption in their government. While some people, such as Mr Anna Hazare, of the DMK political party are fasting to affect change, others such as  yoga guru Swami Ramdev, are planning mass yoga sessions.

... Swami Ramdev, a yoga guru with political aspirations and hundreds of thousands of followers, has created another front of protest. Tents have been prepared at a campsite in New Delhi for a mass yoga session on Saturday followed by a hunger strike. Mr. Sibal and other top ministers met Swami Ramdev at New Delhi’s airport on Wednesday and spent nearly two hours trying in vain to persuade him not to protest. --NYTimes

Wanderlust standard

Meanwhile, in Manhattan, where we have not a thing to protest, and only joy in our hearts, yogis and music lovers are preparing for the second attempt at a ginormous public yoga class in the city. As you might remember---maybe you were there---last year's Flavorpill event was rained out. This year, the Wanderlust team has taken over, and will be offering instruction by Anusara's golden child, Elena Brower, Breakti's creator Anya Porter, and Kula Yoga/Wanderlust director, Schuyler Grant at Pier 63 near 24th Street and the Westside Highway on June 7th. Music will be provided by New York's favorite in-class musician, Garth Stevenson, and Earthrise Soundsystem.From political theater to giant concert, appropriate use of yoga has once again proven to be hard to establish. But a lot of people do seem to think it's more fun when attached to another agenda, and when practiced with a lot of other people. Maybe.

The Blue Tape

2011 Yoga Journal Conference, NYC Part DeuxOne of my favorite passages from Neal Pollack's hilarious book Stretch: The Unlikely Making of a Yoga Dude involves him going to a Yoga Journal conference in San Francisco. He describes it thus:

Lurching through the doors of the Hyatt, I entered a sea of crazy old ladies seeking their next kundalini high, as well as a decent number of smokin' hot babes in tight lululemon pants. A few men floated about carefully, like Triassic-era furry mammals looking for eggs to gnaw not wanting to disturb the dominant species. Everyone seemed excited and awake. I was a midnight guy in the Valley of the Morning People."Pretty accurate.

Blue tape

More blue tape

He goes on to describe the sub-basement room his workshop takes place in, and the blue masking tape that marked "even rectangular spaces each large enough for a yoga mat and some miscellaneous props."I was in the middle of a mind-boggling lecture on Tantra when I remembered Pollack's line about the tape. And as I looked around me, I realized---I was surrounded. The blue tape was everywhere, in every lecture room and practice space. Fronts of rooms were taped, backs of rooms, even spaces that it was unlikely anyone would ever practice, such as beside the stage or right near the door. The only places that weren't taped were the marketplace and the lecture hall (which did, however, look like a powder-blue tea cup). Clearly, the blue tape is a pragmatic solution to human tendency towards chaos. And I admit it made me feel somehow safer from the throngs of people: I had space to put my shoes, my bag, my notebook, and pen. It gave me some private property, and acted as a psychological barrier in a radically impersonal space full of strangers. Still, it did have an elementary school feel to it, like it was meant to help us to color more neatly between the lines. And it could not protect us from our thoughts, like, "that's an unfortunate hair style" or "wish I had started yoga in the womb so I wouldn't feel so behind now." Nor could the ubiquitous blue tape protect us from weird vibes or aromas, like my neighbor's unbrushed-teeth smell that he blew on me as we did an excruciating IT band release in Bo Forbes's "Mind-Body Flow: Crafting a Therapeutic Practice." Since Pollack had pointed out the tape---and it had lodged in my memory---it did add some levity to my endeavors at the conference. There I was, one of a thousand women and a hundred men flip-flopping around the Hilton Hotel, loaded with yoga mats, blankets, bags, water bottles and swag, like perky Spandex-clad pack-horses. We were searching for yoga knowledge---or just yoga fun---to be delivered in neat packages that appealed to our upper-middle class sensibilities (with a dash of the hippie dippie). Who were we kidding? Were we for real? Most of us were earnestly excited, but our questing also seemed a bit silly. So maybe we do need help coloring between the lines, playing nice, and staying on point. "Hi, that's MY Prana mat bag, don't touch it," or "Keep your eco-friendly, hand-dyed shoes on YOUR side of the blue tape, please." Now, now, kiddies.

Round 2: Yoga on the Great Lawn pushed til 2011

In June, nature and the NYC Park's Department were more powerful than 13,000 people doing sun salutations on NYC's Central Park: we got rained out. (More reason for mind training, folks! Were you really thinking about the sun??!?!? Or were you eyeing your cute neighbor? Or drooling over that tasty treat in your goodie bag?) Flavorpill promised to try Y@GL again in September. But as of last week, they've moved Attempt #2 to 2011, promising not just a better experience then (lines fewer than 20 blocks long), but more tie-ins to charities, a national edition of these gi-normous "yoga experiences," and a weekly health and wellness mailer.It makes a lot more sense for an event that size to generate something more useful than an entry in the Guinness World Records. After all, most yogis want to make a difference.In case you've forgotten---or couldn't make it in June---you can watch Flavorpill's videos and catch up. (They must have been shot from the helicopter that hovered over us making it impossible to hear.) And they really do provide a better view than we got from the lawn itself.So even if you can't do your downdogs in a throng of thousands, on a nubby lawn, with a new slippery mat (c/o Jet Blue) this September, you can still attend Flavorpill's smaller yoga events (at places like MoMA) during the year. And of course, you'll start getting the wellness mailer next month. Just think: there's a whole year of them to warm you up for Y@GL 2011. And if you're among those who find the so-what factor fairly high, then you've got an entire month free of cheek-chewing. No more massive public gatherings in the name of yoga.... for at least September.

Need a Spot? Yoga on the Great Lawn, June 22

YogaGreat Lawn

Be one of the 10,000 people moving your asana on Central Park's Great Lawn next Tuesday (1 week folks!) June 22 for a HUGE group yoga class.Flavorpill sponsors Elena Brower (who' s done previous events at MoMA and The Standard Hotel) plus 20 live acts including musicians to lead an evening of yoga and New York City sweaty fun.Be one of the first 5 people to leave a comment on this post (or DM me on Twitter: "@Yoga Nation") and I'll guarantee you a spot! (be sure to leave me your email address)To take your chances in the open lottery (remember, they expect to overflow 10,000), register here and invite your friends.See you there!

No Plans Yet? Hit Yogi Fest Today

Sometimes it's just too much to make Memorial Day plans ahead of time. If you leave now, you'll still have time to catch most of Yogi Fest 2010 in New Windsor, NY. Swing by for a yoga class, some yummy food, entertainment in the children's tent and an amazing kirtan with various Bhakti Collective folk, including Shyamdas this evening. Here are the deets:Directions to Yogi Fest 2010

2010: Yogi Fest  March 29th

MAIN HALL

11:30 AM-12:45 PM - Yoga and Pranayam with Amy Pearce-Hayden (The Yogascape Carmel, NY) (All levels)

1:15-2:30 PM - Yoga with Bryn  (Laughing Lotus) (All levels)

3:00-4:15 PM - Energizing Your Spine: The Science of Twisting with Raghunath  and Bridget Cappo

4:30-5:00 PM - The Yoga of Gratitude with Dhanurdhara Swami and Raghunath

5:00-5:30 PM - Arati (traditional puja with ghee lamps with kirtan.)Kirtan by Prema Hara

5:30-7:00 PM - Prasadam (feast) official end of our program. You're invited to stay as more and more Indian families come for kirtan and talks with two distinguished guests:

7:00 PM -?  Krishna Kirtan and Katha with Shyam Das and Dhanurdhara Swami

KIRTAN TENT

11:30 AM-12:20PM - Kirtan  with Keli Lalita  ( Karuna Shakti Yoga)

12:30-1:30 PM - How to Play Kartalas (Indian hand cymbals) with Balaram Chandra (Kripalu Yoga)

1:40-2:20 PM - Transcendental Poetry with Mark Oppenheimer

2:30-3:10 PM - Yoga for Depression: Q&A with Mark Oppenheimer and Raghunath

3:15-420 PM - Chanting with Keli

CHILDREN'S TENT

11:00 AM-4:15 PM - kids yoga, Crafts and games, stories

2:30 PM - Special Event: Pyari the Magician

REJUVENATION CENTER: COMPLIMENTARY BODY WORK:

• Mark Terza of Metta Massage @ The YogaScape

• Balarama Chandra Thai Massage

• Tammi Price of Sacred Traditions: Acupuncture

• Melinda & TJ Macchiaroli Thai and chair massage from Bodhi Spa Hudson NY

Costa Rica Yoga Bliss.... part 2

group pier squint

chill axing2

gunn at botanical gdn

yoga w Steph

swimming2

hibiscus1

Part 2: Some Impressions from our Costa Rica Yoga Retreat, Feb 26 - March 5.

Here in the jungle, we're constantly adjusting to the temperature, the abundance of oxygen, to being in yet another yoga class. With a class at 6:30 am and another at 4 pm, muscles are lengthening, joints lubricating, breath coming more an more easily. When we arrived, people's faces were tight and drawn, tired from travel but also tired from the responsibilities of work and daily life. After a few days people’s faces begin to look relaxed and then something magical starts to happen. Their faces start to glow, they start to look younger, more open, and more enthusiastic about the smallest things--a delicious taste, a warm breeze, an interesting thought. To me, this is evidence of prana, the life force that gives vitality, rising and flourishing, bringing clarity to the skin, friendliness to dispositions and peace to people’s minds.

As the stress of city life washes off it's easy to see the toll it takes---bad sleep, rough digestion, low energy and poor mental functioning. In the jungle, we're just a short walk from balmy tropical waters. We lounge in a luxurious lodge built from local materials and staffed by local characters, some of whom have been walking this jungle their whole lives. Slowed down, with relaxation a part of our daily routine, we begin to feel the spark of life pulsing again, that unexstinguished flame flare up more brightly. And at the same time, immersed in teeming wilderness, we see ourselves in the context of all life, the constant movement and change of all natural forms. Our hikes in the jungle show us snakes, spiders, monkeys, pixotes (a racoon-like animal with a long tail), pecaries (stinky wild pigs), and huge gloriously blue morpho butterflies. Life is all around whether or not we check our email, return phone calls, ride subways, acquire or lose status or money, no matter who we know or are related to.

This is a visceral yoga lesson. Prana has many expressions---animal, vegetable, mineral, cognating, non-cognating---and a fierce intelligence. Nature, the material world, is more than just how much we weigh, how we style our hair, how we look in our yoga pants, how flexible we are, what we do, what we own. Consciousness is sometimes valued higher than nature, but here it’s impossible to ignore nature’s power. Aside from the annoyance of bug bites (mosquitoes, black flies, no-see-ums etc) this nature is marvelous:  fecund, generous, majestic, strong, eye-opening.It makes us revel in our own nature. And as Mr. Iyengar says, we notice, attend to, and love the body, as we would care for a child. It is a vehicle to all knowledge. At the end of morning yoga practice, we have a sweet final relaxation serenaded by the tide going out, cooing mourning doves, seeds dropping on the clear roof over the deck, the low rumbling of nearby howler monkeys.

Back at the lodge, we breakfast on eggs, pancakes, fruit sauce, fresh juices (mango, sour-sop, tamarind, orange, pineapple etc), tortillas, tomato slices with fresh cheese, and of course lots of fruit. Then it’s time to decide on the rest of the morning’s activities---a quick sweaty hike up to a platform that overlooks our cove? A cooling swim? Both? A tour of the botanical garden a short kayak away? A knowledgeable guide will take us and tell us more and more and more interesting things about this incredible place we have landed in.We can also just take an hour or two on the seaside lounge chair under the almond tree chatting with whoever happens to be there--hanging out can also feel like a real indulgence. We're here for a week. No electricity, no phone, no money, no shops, no roads, nothing but yoga, the lodge, the jungle, the sea and the elements, the staff and each other. The rhythm of our days is simple and sweet, a luxury we all need.

This is what I wish I could give all my students--not to mention friends and family. Life pared down to extremely simple is what we're dying for.  Beauty mixed with simplicity--and relaxation mixed with asana, meditation, and breathing--helps connect us to ourselves, see us in context of the greater life. It helps us remember who we truly are, and what it is that really matters.

Do Yoga in Costa Rica! With Me!

Costa Rica 2010

Yes, it's true---I'm leading a yoga retreat to Costa Rica. This is the third year that my co-teacher, Stephanie Sandleben and I will fly down to the Osa Peninsula for a week of jungle heat and yummy asana, February 26 - March 5, 2010. Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge is our host---a fabulous eco-lodge on the secluded eastern shore of the Golfo Dulce. What does that mean? It means after flying down from San Jose in a prop plane, we are picked up in an outboard motor-boat and whisked 30 minutes across the gulf to a beautifully renovated cocoa farm---in the middle of nowhere.

There's nothing around---no roads, no shops, and not even very much cell phone or Internet reception. It's a blessing to get off the grid so profoundly.What is around are amazing jungle creatures---monkeys, sloths, dolphins, turtles, alligators, ant eaters, toucans, macaws---fabulous plants and flowers. Ever seen a pineapple growing in the wild? Or smelled ylang ylang in bloom? Or squeezed a shampoo ginger? We do two yoga classes a day, and the rest of the time we do whatever we feel like---go hiking, swimming, kayaking, or we talk to the naturalists, take naps and read. Not only is the food locally grown and caught, the entire lodge is made of recycled materials and the owners are constantly looking for ways to reduce their impact on the ecology and increase the well-being of their environment.It's a great vacation---an excellent way to unwind from city life---and it's a great way to deepen your practice!

For more information, see http://samatreats.blogspot.com or write to samatreats (at) gmail (dot) com.

Sweat for Haiti: January 27

Off the Mat Haiti

Haven't contributed to Haiti relief yet? Never fear: get yourself to a participating yoga studio on Weds, January 27 (tomorrow!) and let your practice contribute to the cause.

Yoga and activist organization "Off the Mat, Into the World" spearheaded by Seane Corn and friends, is getting studios to donate proceeds to relief funds in an effort called "Yogis for Haiti Day." In NYC, Kula Yoga Project will donate half of its daily income to Yogis for Haiti tomorrow. Take a class and you will be helping out. Plus, their classes are great and their teachers are inspired human beings (so if you don't know the studio, get yer butt down there). CityYoga in LA is also participating as, I'm sure are a lot of studios. Is yours? Find out!!

(Studios that want to participate should contact kerri@kerrikellyyoga.org)

Know a studio that's participating? Add it in the comments and I will post it! The list so far:889 YongeAha YogaAhimsa Yoga Apple YogaAt One YogaBend YogaBend and Bloom YogaBodacious Living YogaCity YogaCity Yoga LADe La Sol Yoga StudiosEyes of the World YogaIntegral Yoga Institute - San FranciscoKansas Siddhi YogaKula Yoga ProjectLife Yoga GoulburnLila YoginiMindful Movement CentreOm TimeQuinnipiac Fitness CenterSanctuary for Yoga, Body & SpiritShanti Yoga ShalaSolar YogaStudio 330The University of the ArtsWest Hartford YogaWillow Glen YogaYoga KulaYoga Mandala StudioYoga Source - Palo AltoYoga Tree Yogaphoria(from Off the Matt, Into the World)

Benefits beyond Jan 27:Dancing Dogs Yoga in Beaufort, South Carolina will have our grand opening on Saturday, February 27, 2010 with Hatha for Haiti. Shanti Yoga- Nelson, BC Canada, hosts 2 more Community Yoga Fundraisers for Haiti, Saturdays from 2-4pm. shantiyoga.ca for details.

OM Yoga of NYC (not part of OTM, but still) raised $700 last Saturday!

Yoga is a Religion? Right?

Yoga is a religion---at least according 57% of non-yoga-ing Americans polled by the Yoga Alliance last Saturday, Yoga Day USA. The (semi-)regulatory organization was gathering  Americans' opinion of the sport (?) to see what stops more people from trying it out.According to its press release, inspite of the ubiquitousness of this multi-billion dollar industry that's firmly routed in the material ($$) world, many people still think of it as New Age or only for the very nimble. (Sometimes it seems that way, depending on what center you go to and what style you practice...)

"there are many Americans who know little about yoga or, worse, have incorrect assumptions which inhibit them from participation. The three most common misperceptions are that yoga:

• Is religion-based. 57% of those who do not currently practice yoga believe that it requires mantras or chanting related to a form of worship.

• Requires flexibility in order to practice. Nearly 3 in 5 Americans – 59% of respondents - who do not practice yoga think that it requires a person to be in at least "decent" shape. In truth, however, anyone – of any size, shape or physical state – can benefit.

• Is not really exercise. Half of men who have never practiced yoga believe it "isn't a workout." In contrast, 73% of people who do practice believe it is just as effective as running, swimming or weight lifting.

All events are free on Yoga Day USA which is sponsored by the Yoga Alliance. Attitude adjustment might cost extra---maybe as much as a monthly membership to a local center.

Drawing Yoga--Special Workshop this Saturday

Sponsored by the awesome Yoga City NYC:

This Saturday, senior Iyengar yoga teacher Bobby Clennell will lead a unique yoga class. You won't do any asana or pranayama---in fact, you'll have a sketch pad and a pencil. Yes, you'll be drawing yoga. From 1:30 - 4pm,  Clennell, who is also a talented illustrator, will lead students to "see" yoga poses in a different way---by drawing models as they make the poses. No drawing experience necessary. Just bring your desire to read the essence of yoga poses in a new way.

Read an interview with Bobby Clennell as she talks about the concept.

Saturday, January 16, 20101:30 - 4:00pmOm Factory

265 West 37th Street, 17th Floor

To sign-up email info@yogacitynycspecialevents.com

New Year, New Money

How are your new year's resolutions going? Do any of them include improving your relationship to money?Well, all of us, rich and poor could use some help in that department. Perhaps especially yogis.Upcoming: some free or affordable help from cool people including yogi and financial adviser Brent Kessel and Spencer Sherman, co-founders of Abacus Wealth Partners.I saw Brent speak at the New York Yoga Journal Conference, May 2009, and loved what he had to say. Smart cookie. Here's what's on offer right now. Check it out:

1. Vicki Robin's Conscious Money Speakers Series, Weekly 1-hour teleclass workshops with a dozen top conscious money teachers including Bill McKibben,  Brent Kessel, David Korten, John deGraaf, John Robbins, Lynne Twist, Olivia Mellon, Spencer Sherman, Trent Hamm, Victoria Castle, Hazel Henderson. $12 per class or $79 for the whole series. A great deal! Free introductory teleclass on January 11th. Series begins January 18th.

2. Heal Your Money Karma, #1 course on DailyOm.com. Brent Kessel and Spencer Sherman offer 8-weeks of invaluable financial tranformational tools through a pay-what-you-can structure.

3. Money Matters: The Business of Yoga, Yoga Journal Conference, San Francisco, Thursday, January 28, 2010, 2:45-3:45p. Led by Brent Kessel. Great for yogis who want to live more consciously in all ways, or yogis considering opening a yoga center.

Related Posts:"It's Not About the Money,"Brent Kessel, Money Guru, Interviewed on Frugaltopia

TimeOut NY Reviews My Basics Class!

It's payback: after writing about other people's classes and techniques I've been reviewed in TimeOut NY's Fitness Issue, 2010. It's a nice little write up.Jonathan, the shy English reporter, had no context at all to understand what he was getting into, because......he had NEVER done yoga before. The word "vinaysa" was just a bunch of letters to him. Oy! Putting me to the test.But he did well. In a class of 17, he selected a spot at the very back corner of the room where I slid him props and---a good student---he took child's pose as needed. We all had a good time. Thanks for coming, Jonathan.And thanks GO Yoga for having me as a teacher these past 7 years. (Come to GO's 10-year anniversary party, Saturday, January 16, from 6pm on.)

The Review: Go Yoga

Types of yoga offered: Vinyasa, plus a creative interpretation of different schools.Name of class: Basics with Joelle HannLength: 90 minutesWhat to expect: A brisk yet beginner-friendly session, capped off with a Maya Angelou poem and a group omLevel: Yoga newbies can do it.The verdict: Joelle Hann used the dimmable lighting and music to good effect, controlling the mood of the room. She also watches over her students with a sharp eye, supplying blocks and straps and correcting alignment. You’ll sweat during the more active part of the class, but you’ll leave feeling limber and relaxed, rather than fatigued.—Jonathan Shannon

Read more from the Fitness Issue

Considering a New Year: 10 Resolutions

I haven't been able to stop thinking about new year's resolutions. Maybe because last years' were unexpectedly potent. Over Christmas dinner last week (at a table surrounded by friends), I remembered one of them: "Be better friends with the friends I already have." Huh, it worked. I also made some new friends. How great is that? (I raise a toast.) The other was to start a meditation practice. After 20 years of attempts, I finally did it. Sitting every day! (Thanks for the method, Alan. Thanks for the prodding, Vanessa. Thanks for the company, Tim.)

So, here's what I've been thinking about this week for the coming year. Take it or leave it---it's free. Here's to a happy new year---and an inspired decade.

1. Keep a small notebook---a small one that fits in my pocket. Write down ideas, events and thoughts of the moment, lists, words overheard, sights overseen. I started this in November at the suggestion of a writing teacher (thank you, Victoria) and it has blazed some interesting new trails. How much was I censoring myself? A lot.

2. Break out of the routine for one hour every week---even if it means walking down a new block (which in fact I love to do). In 2010, I'd like to shake things up; keep the brain and spirit fresh. Visit new parks, museums, bookstores etc. Cheaper than a ticket to Rio de Janeiro, too.

3. Use a key phrase for comfort.  Sometimes I have a mantra from my meditation teacher and then I forget to say it. But it could also be a phrase someone---anyone---has said that was moving. Health psychologist Kelly McGonigal, for new year's 2006, said, "one of the most moving experiences I have had was when one of my teachers said it to me – “Whatever happens, you can handle it.” Another good one is from ad exec, Paul Arden: "Start being wrong and suddenly anything is possible. You're no longer trying to be infallible."

4. Take on a reasonable amount---and no more. This week I set out to do a reasonable number of tasks each day instead of a superhuman number. It's been fantastic. Lo-and-behold, I've been getting more done and feeling friendlier, too. (It sure helps to get to work at noon.)

5. Check in weekly to see where I am and what's ahead. My own personal 1:1 staff meeting. I've set Friday afternoons for this weekly accounting. It's actually pretty fun, and it helps manage the overwhelm. Another good idea from Victoria.

6. Use iCal on my laptop and on my iPhone. Getting my schedule out of my head and onto "paper" clears some space.... for all those thoughts that I need to get down in my notebook! (See #1.)

7. ... also it's *really* interesting to see how much junk I'm carrying around in my head. I would like that junk to stop jabbing me in meditation, so I'm excited to put it down somewhere. (The creative company Behance has all kinds of strategies, apps, and stationary to help with this very thing---thank you, Jocelyn Glei!)

8. Inbox zero! Again: inbox zero!

9. Annoying people and situations (hello, crowded subway) offer a chance to learn and grown---I know, I know, SUCH a cliche! But there's a catch: they are opportunities only if I can stay vulnerable. It is challenging not go into habit---and so, interesting. Heart forward!

10. Open your eyes. For one minute every day, see who and what is around you. This summer I noticed an overgrown corner lot at S1 and Driggs. I've lived one block from it for probably 10 years: in July it was lush vines, weeds, morning glories, and leafy tree branches spilling over the fence. It was wonderful to walk past. I found myself taking detours to stroke the cat-tails, smell the flowers, inhale the green. Even if you've seen your local spot or your trusted people a 1,000,000 times, see them again. Recall the native greeting in Avatar, "I see you."It's great to open your eyes.

Bollywood 101

Bollywood 101, a great film series, has been happening this fall at the Ossining, NY, Public Library. The last screening is this Saturday at 4pm. Don't miss it! It's run by my friend and colleague, former punk rock East Village 80s bartender chick, grammarian supreme, and all around excellent person, Carolyn Lengel.

With her husband Mike Enright, and daughter Harriet, they not only curate the film series, they make these great YouTube videos as promos, interviewing themselves (here Harriet delivers her commentary while hanging laundry) and Bollywood experts while showing clips from the featured film. From Carolyn's message:Escape to the Ossining Public Library at 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 5, for the grand finale of the "Bollywood 101" film series, LAGE RAHO MUNNA BHAI (2006), a completely charming movie about a Mumbai gangster who falls in love and begins to see visions of Gandhi. What better way to get in a holiday mood?Even if you can't make it to Ossining, you can join in the fun from the sidelines. Watch theYouTube videos and join Bollywood 101 on Facebook. Stay tuned!

Receiving the Medicine Buddha Initiation

medicine buddha

Dalai Lama, photographed by Tenzin Choejor, Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama)

Guest post by Viniyoga teacher,  Linda Prosche

The Dalai Lama visited Long Beach Convention Center at the end of September and I attended the Saturday two hour session to receive the Medicine Buddha Initiation. Usually, Tibetan physicians receive this initiation, but it also works to give laypeople more healing powers, too.

"If one meditates on the Medicine Buddha, one will eventually attain enlightenment, but in the meantime one will experience an increase in healing powers both for oneself and others and a decrease in physical and mental illness and suffering," says Lama Tashi Namgyal.

Some 5 days later, the glow of the experience still wrapped around me. A Buddhist friend who'd scored front row seats confirmed this: “Once you have been touched by His presence, your life will never be the same.” I wondered, “Am I different, now?”

Although, I am not a Buddhist, my personal yoga practice helps me to compassionately release my habituated conditioning which no longer serves me.  Is it possible that I could have swapped out a bad habit for a better one just by listening to this man? Apparently, he is not just any man. When I entered the Center in the company of thousands I felt the quiet hush of meditative reverence. My other feelings are harder to describe: I found myself serene, humbled and in a state of awe.  Awe at the sheer simplicity of this man in robes with his back towards us in preparation for his offering. He began with a simple message.  “Take care of the earth, it is your only home. Be kind to one another and don’t kill things.” Then he asked who would be interested in the initiation and 90% of the crowd raised their hands.It was a bit funny. I shot my hand up only to wonder, what is he really asking of me? In a culture of sensationalism and drama what did I have to do and how much would it cost?

Again, his requests were simple and if I was not able to do them all, he explained, I could do less. How tolerant!He then began the Medicine Buddha Mantra which I was unfamiliar with.  But I joined in. We seemed to go on chanting for hours, between wakefulness and deep sleep. Then, without skipping a beat, he said, “That’s all. Goodbye." I was stunned. But then again, what else was there to say? I just wanted to sit in the delicious reverberation of the mantra. I returned home and the next morning made my way over to Starbucks.

I noticed the pleasant mantra rumble still floated through my brain.  I also noticed that I chose a new nutrition bar over my habitual chai latte. The bar was called NICE. Can you believe it? Was it a message to me, prompted by His Holiness? Maybe I had changed! Later that morning a student asked what I had learned from my visit with the Dalai Lama. I reached into my bag and tossed the nutrition bar her way. I said “This is his teaching: be NICE to one another and share love and compassion on the earth just as easily as I shared this nutrition bar with you!” Of course she laughed and I felt that infectious giggle so many people have experienced in the presence of his joyful being. And then I did something very different. Just like the Dalai Lama, I said, “And that’s it. Good bye!”  It was that easy and that simple.

guest post by Viniyoga teacher, Linda Prosche

Happy Diwali Message from President Obama

jalebi

Diwali party, the Hindu festival of light, was last Saturday. I helped a friend prepare for his Diwali party by picking up food from Jackson Heights, Queens: trays of saag paneer, spicy lentils, rice, tubs of chickpeas, and sweets such as jalebi (which seems to be 100% sugar spun in pretzel-shapes, fried, and dipped in sweet red syrup and is kind of like eating a tasty neon sign).

Last week, President Obama showed his chutzpah by delivering first-ever presidential wishes for the Diwali festival. He addresses Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs and even citing Sanskrit verse (a chant you might recognize from yoga class!). It reminds me of watching Queen Elizabeth give her Christmas Day speech from Buckingham Palace on TV as a kid (true story) but way, way cooler. Watch President Obama's message for Diwali here:

Global Mala NYC--It's Happening

Apologies to readers outside of the city, but I was complaining about New York's meagre showing for Global Mala earlier this week, so I feel the need to amend. Last night I got notice that we're not as lame as it seems.Jivamukti and Integral Yoga Institute have taken on the challenge, and will present NYC Metro Area Global Mala Yoga for Peace Event (a mouthful--and a concert/kirtan) at Baruch College's Mason Hall, Sunday, September 20th, 6 - 10pm.Your $15 donation goes to Animal Mukti, a spay and neuter program established by Sharon Gannon at the New York Humane Society.  (This event is looking for volunteers, hint hint.)

Earlier in the day, Yoga for Peace will host an outdoor mala from noon til 3pm---that's right, 108 sun salutations at Battery Park. You need to pre-register and send in your $20 (see the website).

The evening event is a concert and kirtan featuring some key Jiva figures such as Shyamdas (who appeared in the yoga movie, Enlighten Up!) and Sharon Gannon. Swami Ramananda, president of the Integral Yoga Institute, will speak and so will  Sri Dharma Mittra.All big vegans and vegetarians.So, there you go folks! Global Mala NYC is on.