MADONNA was left fuming after a famous yoga guru refused to give her private lessons, insisting the singer would have to take a class like everyone else.
The pop superstar recently parted ways with her longterm fitness trainer Tracy Anderson, revealing she wants to "try a new method of working out."
But Madonna's plan to hire Bikram Yoga inventor Bikram Choudhury went awry when the Indian multi millionaire turned down her request, accusing her of being too temperamental.
He says, "Madonna came to me and asked for private lessons. I would have none of that. If you want to learn from me, then you have to come to my classes. You have to leave your ego behind. If you disagree with her (Madonna), you're immediately blacklisted."
Choudhury insisted none of his other celebrity clients, including George Clooney, Jessica Simpson, and Jim Carrey, have objected to his methods.
He adds, "They do 90 minutes of yoga whenever they're near a Bikram school, even when they are overseas."
By Contact Music
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Friday, 30 October 2009
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Yoga with Live DJ's and BPA-Free Water Bottles
I am really excited about tomorrow because I am taking a 2 hour long hot Power Yoga class at Samadhi Yoga Studios in South Windsor from 6 to 8pm. I am especially excited because my man Nathan (aka DJ Originate) and his friend Nick Ricciardi will be spinning live sets during the class! It should be a really fun time. I met the instructor, Alysse Melville, last night because she and Nick came over our apartment to practice, and she is awesome!
I am pretty sure the class is still open, so if you are in the area, you should come and join!
Also, if you have been following me on Facebook or Twitter, you have been reading about BPA, one of the harsh chemicals found in certain #3 and #7 plastics, and now in some canned goods. BPA has been linked to causing cancer and other problems, and Connecticut has been the first state to actually ban the chemical from being used in products. The ban won't go into effect until 2011, but in the meantime, it is best advised to look for BPA free products.
At YogaDirect.com, we carry a set of 5 BPA Free, re-usable water bottles called Water Week. When we first had them in stock, they sold out like hot cakes! But I am happy to announce that they will be back in stock again by tomorrow (10/30/09). I am definitely getting my own this time! There's 5 in the pack, and they suggest you fill them all up at the beginning of the week, and take one to work with you every day to promote staying hydrated! They are also really bright and cheerful looking :) And for only $21.99 for all 5 bottles, it's a steal! Check 'em out:
Written and published by Yoga Maendy - Please visit their wonderful website - CLICK HERE
I am pretty sure the class is still open, so if you are in the area, you should come and join!
Also, if you have been following me on Facebook or Twitter, you have been reading about BPA, one of the harsh chemicals found in certain #3 and #7 plastics, and now in some canned goods. BPA has been linked to causing cancer and other problems, and Connecticut has been the first state to actually ban the chemical from being used in products. The ban won't go into effect until 2011, but in the meantime, it is best advised to look for BPA free products.
At YogaDirect.com, we carry a set of 5 BPA Free, re-usable water bottles called Water Week. When we first had them in stock, they sold out like hot cakes! But I am happy to announce that they will be back in stock again by tomorrow (10/30/09). I am definitely getting my own this time! There's 5 in the pack, and they suggest you fill them all up at the beginning of the week, and take one to work with you every day to promote staying hydrated! They are also really bright and cheerful looking :) And for only $21.99 for all 5 bottles, it's a steal! Check 'em out:
Written and published by Yoga Maendy - Please visit their wonderful website - CLICK HERE
YOGA COMPETITION
NYMag.com sent a fearless reporter into the heart of yoga cutthroatism at the seventh annual Yoga Asana Competition in New York City. More than a few of The Frisky ladies are yoga devotees. Speaking for myself, I can't do anything like what these people are doing here or, like, I can do it, but not as good as they do it. Either way, I sure can't put my feet behind my head that is, not yet. Probably, if I could, I'd get more dates. Anyway, I dig yoga, but Amelia and I agree this looks an awful lot like a bodybuilding competition or a beauty pageant, only more pretzel-ific.
By The Frisky
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
By The Frisky
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
My Achilles Heel is a Group of Cysts in My Ankle...
On Mondays I take a 3 hour modern dance class at Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, CT. I am a 2006 alumni of the dance department there, and they always bring in such great guest teachers, so I am happy to be able to continue my dance education there. However, dancing these days has been a bit of a struggle for me since I had my ankle injury back in early June. I have been able to get it back to a place where I can safely dance on it, but lately it has been starting to act up again.
It is not even really an injury, per se. After an MRI, the doctor was able to tell that I didn't tear a tendon like he had originally thought. Instead, he found a group of cysts that were wedged above my calcaneous (heel bone) that were preventing me from pointing my left foot. My doctor believes that in June when I did a 'tombe', pas de bourree'', a very simple ballet combination, I must have popped one of the cysts, which sent synovial fluid all over my ankle, causing my muscles to swell and a whole lot of pain. I was put in an orthopedic boot for about 3 weeks, and after that, my doctor told me my ballet days were over.
Pretty devastated by my doctor's 'death sentence,' I asked him if Yoga would still be ok. He advised I only do gentle forms of Yoga. He also told me that if I were to have the cysts removed, they would grow back. He also told me the MRI showed I had a small piece of bone just hanging out in my heel, which is most likely the reason why the cysts formed - to cushion this bone piece. The doctor told me if they removed the bone piece, it may cause other problems in my ankle and foot and the best thing to do is just leave it all in there and kiss dancing goodbye.
This was not acceptable to me. I have always danced, even before I knew what dancing was, I was a bouncing, grooving kid! It was something that just came naturally, and it is not something I can just stop. Mind you, this doctor is not a sports medicine doctor, and I think I definitely should get a second opinion, but money is tight right now, so I just have to wait.
In the meantime I listened to my doctor's advice for a while and only did gentle yoga. Over time, my ankle started to feel much better and I started attending Bikram Yoga classes again. The heated room and the stretching felt like it was helping my ankle even more, and that is why I started dance classes again. Unfortunately, as the doctor warned, the dancing has put my ankle under stress and my recovery has been pushed back a bit.
I had spoken to my Monday night dance instructor about my injury and she told me to take it easy. However, I was still planning on performing in the informal dance concert in December, which would mark the end of the classes for the year. I was especially excited to be performing in one particular guest artist's piece. The guest artist's name is Matt Westerby, and his style of modern dance is very familiar to my body and I picked up all the moves immediately, as if I had performed the piece before. I practiced the piece at home as well, because I didn't want to fall behind or not be warmed up enough because of my ankle.
The great disappointment came this past Monday when I showed up to class. My teacher pulled me aside and told me that instead of performing Matt Westerby's piece in the concert, I would be understudying instead. I almost died. Even though I understand she was pulling me out for the safety of my injured ankle, I was just so upset that I wasn't able to do anything about it. I flopped through that class, not really absorbing any more of the choreography because I knew it would be all for nothing.
Toward the end of class I ended up sitting down. I sat out partly because my ankle was in a lot of pain because of the strenuous choreography, and also because I felt like crying. Knowing in my heart that I cannot dance is killing me. I feel like someone is keeping my from breathing.
If any of you can offer me any advice, or if yourself or someone you know has a similar problem, I would love to hear from you. I am planning on taking a real break from dance classes and just focusing on Yoga until I feel much better, but I am worried that because I have cysts in my ankle that won't go away, I will never be fully healed enough to dance again. That just breaks my heart.
Written and published by Yoga Maendy - Please visit their wonderful website - CLICK HERE
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
It is not even really an injury, per se. After an MRI, the doctor was able to tell that I didn't tear a tendon like he had originally thought. Instead, he found a group of cysts that were wedged above my calcaneous (heel bone) that were preventing me from pointing my left foot. My doctor believes that in June when I did a 'tombe', pas de bourree'', a very simple ballet combination, I must have popped one of the cysts, which sent synovial fluid all over my ankle, causing my muscles to swell and a whole lot of pain. I was put in an orthopedic boot for about 3 weeks, and after that, my doctor told me my ballet days were over.
Pretty devastated by my doctor's 'death sentence,' I asked him if Yoga would still be ok. He advised I only do gentle forms of Yoga. He also told me that if I were to have the cysts removed, they would grow back. He also told me the MRI showed I had a small piece of bone just hanging out in my heel, which is most likely the reason why the cysts formed - to cushion this bone piece. The doctor told me if they removed the bone piece, it may cause other problems in my ankle and foot and the best thing to do is just leave it all in there and kiss dancing goodbye.
This was not acceptable to me. I have always danced, even before I knew what dancing was, I was a bouncing, grooving kid! It was something that just came naturally, and it is not something I can just stop. Mind you, this doctor is not a sports medicine doctor, and I think I definitely should get a second opinion, but money is tight right now, so I just have to wait.
In the meantime I listened to my doctor's advice for a while and only did gentle yoga. Over time, my ankle started to feel much better and I started attending Bikram Yoga classes again. The heated room and the stretching felt like it was helping my ankle even more, and that is why I started dance classes again. Unfortunately, as the doctor warned, the dancing has put my ankle under stress and my recovery has been pushed back a bit.
I had spoken to my Monday night dance instructor about my injury and she told me to take it easy. However, I was still planning on performing in the informal dance concert in December, which would mark the end of the classes for the year. I was especially excited to be performing in one particular guest artist's piece. The guest artist's name is Matt Westerby, and his style of modern dance is very familiar to my body and I picked up all the moves immediately, as if I had performed the piece before. I practiced the piece at home as well, because I didn't want to fall behind or not be warmed up enough because of my ankle.
The great disappointment came this past Monday when I showed up to class. My teacher pulled me aside and told me that instead of performing Matt Westerby's piece in the concert, I would be understudying instead. I almost died. Even though I understand she was pulling me out for the safety of my injured ankle, I was just so upset that I wasn't able to do anything about it. I flopped through that class, not really absorbing any more of the choreography because I knew it would be all for nothing.
Toward the end of class I ended up sitting down. I sat out partly because my ankle was in a lot of pain because of the strenuous choreography, and also because I felt like crying. Knowing in my heart that I cannot dance is killing me. I feel like someone is keeping my from breathing.
If any of you can offer me any advice, or if yourself or someone you know has a similar problem, I would love to hear from you. I am planning on taking a real break from dance classes and just focusing on Yoga until I feel much better, but I am worried that because I have cysts in my ankle that won't go away, I will never be fully healed enough to dance again. That just breaks my heart.
Written and published by Yoga Maendy - Please visit their wonderful website - CLICK HERE
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Tuesday, 27 October 2009
YOGA FOR ALL
As she stands on her tiptoes, stretching her arms and legs and lengthening her entire body, 9 year old Samantha Carlson takes a deep breath and smiles. 'Stretch out high,' her teacher sings in a melodic voice that fills the room.
'Reach for the sky!' they say together.
After finishing the series of poses known as the sun salutation, the two circle the room, dancing, laughing, leaping in the air.
As she slows down and focuses on her breath again, Samantha asks: 'Could we do that again?'
For an hour each week, the fourth grader at Adams Elementary works one on one with Amy Iverson, a registered yoga teacher and owner of Spokane Youth Yoga.
Iverson, who has a master's degree in education, is also a licensed practitioner of 'Yoga for the Special Child.'
Her specialty is known as yoga therapy for children, the adaptation of yoga practices including breathing, stretching and chanting to help improve strength and flexibility, encourage social stimulation and promote overall physical and emotional health among young people.
For the past few years, Iverson has been using yoga therapy to help children with autism, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities and other special needs. Her clients include toddlers, teens and pre teens as well as young adults.
By Virginia De Leon
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
'Reach for the sky!' they say together.
After finishing the series of poses known as the sun salutation, the two circle the room, dancing, laughing, leaping in the air.
As she slows down and focuses on her breath again, Samantha asks: 'Could we do that again?'
For an hour each week, the fourth grader at Adams Elementary works one on one with Amy Iverson, a registered yoga teacher and owner of Spokane Youth Yoga.
Iverson, who has a master's degree in education, is also a licensed practitioner of 'Yoga for the Special Child.'
Her specialty is known as yoga therapy for children, the adaptation of yoga practices including breathing, stretching and chanting to help improve strength and flexibility, encourage social stimulation and promote overall physical and emotional health among young people.
For the past few years, Iverson has been using yoga therapy to help children with autism, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities and other special needs. Her clients include toddlers, teens and pre teens as well as young adults.
By Virginia De Leon
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Sunday, 25 October 2009
Ever dream of visiting the Amazon Rainforest, or enjoying a Yoga Retreat Vacation?
Surrounded by endless miles of lush rainforest in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon, Jangala Retreat welcomes visitors to a virtual wonder world situated in the Earth's most biologically diverse environment. As a tropical getaway vacation where jungle exploration meets Yoga and Holistic Health, our all inclusive rainforest retreat features five secluded bungalows and a picturesque yoga pavilion set on the banks of the mighty Amazon River.
At Jangala Retreat, visitors will regain a balance between the physical, emotional and spiritual sides of themselves with yoga techniques, massage therapies, acupuncture, reflexology, spa treatments, and activities that release tension from the body, mind and spirit.
We welcome Yoga Instructors, Meditation Facilitators, Shamanic Healers, and Holistic Practitioners who wish to bring their classes or groups on a healing adventure of a lifetime.
Written and published by Jangala Retreat - Please visit their website HERE!
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
At Jangala Retreat, visitors will regain a balance between the physical, emotional and spiritual sides of themselves with yoga techniques, massage therapies, acupuncture, reflexology, spa treatments, and activities that release tension from the body, mind and spirit.
We welcome Yoga Instructors, Meditation Facilitators, Shamanic Healers, and Holistic Practitioners who wish to bring their classes or groups on a healing adventure of a lifetime.
Written and published by Jangala Retreat - Please visit their website HERE!
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Friday, 23 October 2009
AWARENESS YOGA
Yoga is an ancient science that, according to records, dates back to around 1800 B.C.
Yoga means "to yoke." We are "yoking" our mind with our body with our soul. We are already a complete person, though sometimes we try to think our way through life, ignore our true feelings, or "whip" our bodies into shape.
The goal of yoga is to awaken our awareness to the thoughts, emotions and physical discomforts so that we can heal them. We can transform and heal our limitations and penetrate our psychological, emotional, physical and spiritual blocks so that we may live in health, happiness and peace. The goal is to move energy stuck in the body as tension, and allow for the letting go of suppressed emotions.
Yoga therapy sessions combine breathing, movement, postures, deep relaxation and meditations for mental clarity and control. Especially important is learning how to channel energy (direct it), rather than suppressing it or expressing it in harmful directions, which may lead to a host of medical and psychiatric illnesses such as depression, fatigue, addictions, anxiety, hypertension, insomnia, cardiovascular disease and more.
The ongoing experience is the continual awakening of our whole Self.
When the soul is the center of our attention, and we are creating from that center, then yoga psychology says we are experiencing the Self: We are aligned with our core reality and our central purpose.
When we are off center, i.e., focused on something outside ourselves as a source of fulfillment, an empty feeling is created, which our projected, commotional ego tries to fill. The actions that are created from this displaced center are like waves of emotions that come back to us. We call these commotions "behavioral health issues." We can be aware that we are off our true center when these manifest. We actually experience being "off balance."
Self improvement begins with insight into ourselves to realize the underlying imbalance. Yoga and meditation are examples of two methods that have been practiced for centuries and have a great deal of current and ongoing clinical data. Once we can realize that we are off our center, tools such as yoga and/or meditation can help re-establish the experience or our Self - our center.
By Rami Katz
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Yoga means "to yoke." We are "yoking" our mind with our body with our soul. We are already a complete person, though sometimes we try to think our way through life, ignore our true feelings, or "whip" our bodies into shape.
The goal of yoga is to awaken our awareness to the thoughts, emotions and physical discomforts so that we can heal them. We can transform and heal our limitations and penetrate our psychological, emotional, physical and spiritual blocks so that we may live in health, happiness and peace. The goal is to move energy stuck in the body as tension, and allow for the letting go of suppressed emotions.
Yoga therapy sessions combine breathing, movement, postures, deep relaxation and meditations for mental clarity and control. Especially important is learning how to channel energy (direct it), rather than suppressing it or expressing it in harmful directions, which may lead to a host of medical and psychiatric illnesses such as depression, fatigue, addictions, anxiety, hypertension, insomnia, cardiovascular disease and more.
The ongoing experience is the continual awakening of our whole Self.
When the soul is the center of our attention, and we are creating from that center, then yoga psychology says we are experiencing the Self: We are aligned with our core reality and our central purpose.
When we are off center, i.e., focused on something outside ourselves as a source of fulfillment, an empty feeling is created, which our projected, commotional ego tries to fill. The actions that are created from this displaced center are like waves of emotions that come back to us. We call these commotions "behavioral health issues." We can be aware that we are off our true center when these manifest. We actually experience being "off balance."
Self improvement begins with insight into ourselves to realize the underlying imbalance. Yoga and meditation are examples of two methods that have been practiced for centuries and have a great deal of current and ongoing clinical data. Once we can realize that we are off our center, tools such as yoga and/or meditation can help re-establish the experience or our Self - our center.
By Rami Katz
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Thursday, 22 October 2009
Yoga Month 2009 Review
Thank you for participating in National Yoga Month September 2009.
Using Yoga to Relieve Stress
To combat stress, many people turn to meditation or other mental stress reduction tools. But stress also creates physical response in the body and, as such, can be managed with exercise, in particular, with yoga.
"Stress sends the entire physical system into overdrive," says Garrett Sarley, president and CEO of the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Lenox, Mass. "The muscles tense, the heart beats faster, breathing patterns change, and if the cause of stress isn't discontinued, the body secretes more hormones that increase blood sugar levels, raising blood pressure. Yoga is one of the few stress relief tools that has a positive effect on all the body systems involved."
Recognizing the detrimental effects of stress, especially in the area of heart disease, the preventive and rehabilitative cardiac center at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles began offering yoga to their patients more than 10 years ago.
"Over the years, yoga has become one of our primary therapies for stress management," says C. Noel Bairey Merz, M.D., director of the preventive and rehabilitative cardiac center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
The ONE WEEK FREE YOGA offer is not available anymore. Please sign up for our Free eNewsletter to receive yoga health news and updates.
For further news and information, please visit Yoga Month...
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Using Yoga to Relieve Stress
To combat stress, many people turn to meditation or other mental stress reduction tools. But stress also creates physical response in the body and, as such, can be managed with exercise, in particular, with yoga.
"Stress sends the entire physical system into overdrive," says Garrett Sarley, president and CEO of the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Lenox, Mass. "The muscles tense, the heart beats faster, breathing patterns change, and if the cause of stress isn't discontinued, the body secretes more hormones that increase blood sugar levels, raising blood pressure. Yoga is one of the few stress relief tools that has a positive effect on all the body systems involved."
Recognizing the detrimental effects of stress, especially in the area of heart disease, the preventive and rehabilitative cardiac center at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles began offering yoga to their patients more than 10 years ago.
"Over the years, yoga has become one of our primary therapies for stress management," says C. Noel Bairey Merz, M.D., director of the preventive and rehabilitative cardiac center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
The ONE WEEK FREE YOGA offer is not available anymore. Please sign up for our Free eNewsletter to receive yoga health news and updates.
For further news and information, please visit Yoga Month...
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
YOGA TO REDUCE STRESS
The cobra, the lunge and the modified side plank are helping residents of southwest Iowa increase their energy while decreasing stress and tension throughout their bodies.
Iowa Western Community College offers two weekly fitness yoga classes, and a diverse group of people are assuming the poses.
The classes meet on the Clarinda campus from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday.
Instructor Sara Bridie has taught yoga since 2002 and offered classes in Des Moines and Iowa City before coming to Clarinda and Shenandoah. Her professional background in fitness includes a bachelor's degree in exercise and sports science from Iowa State University.
'I have waited for years for yoga to come to Clarinda, Iowa. I always felt that it was the type of physical exercise that I needed. When Sara opened her Living Fit studio on the square in 2005, I joined for the yoga and have kept it up with her IWCC classes,' Rebecca Wiese said.
There are as many different styles of yoga classes as there are yoga instructors. Bridie offers an exercise science-based yoga class that links yoga poses together to provide participants a safe and effective strength and flexibility workout.
'I didn't really enjoy yoga until I started taking Sara's class. It moves more quickly than most yoga classes, which is what I like about the class,' Amanda Rosemeyer said.
By Kent Dinnebier
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Iowa Western Community College offers two weekly fitness yoga classes, and a diverse group of people are assuming the poses.
The classes meet on the Clarinda campus from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday.
Instructor Sara Bridie has taught yoga since 2002 and offered classes in Des Moines and Iowa City before coming to Clarinda and Shenandoah. Her professional background in fitness includes a bachelor's degree in exercise and sports science from Iowa State University.
'I have waited for years for yoga to come to Clarinda, Iowa. I always felt that it was the type of physical exercise that I needed. When Sara opened her Living Fit studio on the square in 2005, I joined for the yoga and have kept it up with her IWCC classes,' Rebecca Wiese said.
There are as many different styles of yoga classes as there are yoga instructors. Bridie offers an exercise science-based yoga class that links yoga poses together to provide participants a safe and effective strength and flexibility workout.
'I didn't really enjoy yoga until I started taking Sara's class. It moves more quickly than most yoga classes, which is what I like about the class,' Amanda Rosemeyer said.
By Kent Dinnebier
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Monday, 19 October 2009
MORE LAUGHTER YOGA
'Join me: 'Ha, ha! Ho, ho! Ha, ha! Ho, ho!'" says certified laughter yoga instructor Mary Margaret Anderson Fay. About 30 women slap their knees and chime in for this laughing chant. "The whole theory is based on, when you laugh, you feel better," Anderson Fay explained at the beginning of a workshop for preschool staff at Adath Jeshurun Congregation in Hopkins.
A desire to feel better may be why laughter yoga has spread to more than 60 countries within 15 years without any advertising or marketing. It's not just about being silly, feeling happier, exercising and relaxing, research shows these methods lead to notable physical health improvements. In Anderson Fay's 25 years as a fitness and yoga instructor, she's never had such high demand for an off site class as she's experienced with laughter yoga.
Anderson Fay leads the group through a series of exercises that have the women mingling around the room, posing, acting, making eye contact and laughing. There's the "Check out my mullet and oh I'm wearing Zubaz too laugh," and another exercise is the "I'm having lunch with Joe Lieberman and am trying to get the spinach out of my teeth without him noticing laugh." At some point in each exercise, forced, fake laughter becomes genuine.
By SARAH MORAN
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
A desire to feel better may be why laughter yoga has spread to more than 60 countries within 15 years without any advertising or marketing. It's not just about being silly, feeling happier, exercising and relaxing, research shows these methods lead to notable physical health improvements. In Anderson Fay's 25 years as a fitness and yoga instructor, she's never had such high demand for an off site class as she's experienced with laughter yoga.
Anderson Fay leads the group through a series of exercises that have the women mingling around the room, posing, acting, making eye contact and laughing. There's the "Check out my mullet and oh I'm wearing Zubaz too laugh," and another exercise is the "I'm having lunch with Joe Lieberman and am trying to get the spinach out of my teeth without him noticing laugh." At some point in each exercise, forced, fake laughter becomes genuine.
By SARAH MORAN
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Friday, 16 October 2009
HULA HOOP YOGA
LIKE all twentysomethings, I tend to find myself lost on a Saturday afternoon. I usually roll out of bed sometime after lunch, groggy eyed and mildly hung over, but this Saturday was different. I was on a mission to do something useful with my day, not spend it on the couch watching reality TV and eating Kraft mac 'n' cheese. So I packed some money and my phone in my silver fanny pack and set out with a friend in search of adventure.
It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and in San Lorenzo Park the bums were napping peacefully under the trees. We crossed the little bridge and walked down a stretch of grass when up ahead we saw a group of people with not one, not two, but multiple hula hoops among them.
In the middle of the action was a young woman with an orange scarf tied in her brown hair and a twinkle in her eye. Her name is Beth Christopher, and she is proud to call herself an official Hula Hoop Yoga Instructor. Learning this, I was a little confused. What exactly is hula hoop yoga? Is it possible to reach nirvana with a hula hoop swinging around you? Is this some kind of joke?
I immediately learned that this eccentric activity mostly focuses on using the hoop for balance and to intensify stretching by holding it at certain angles around the body. The session began with a few basic stretches with the hoop as support. "Now take a deep breath from your nose and exhale with a loud sigh," Christopher whispered soothingly. "Ahhhhhhhhhhh," we all sighed.
By Rula al-Nasrawi
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and in San Lorenzo Park the bums were napping peacefully under the trees. We crossed the little bridge and walked down a stretch of grass when up ahead we saw a group of people with not one, not two, but multiple hula hoops among them.
In the middle of the action was a young woman with an orange scarf tied in her brown hair and a twinkle in her eye. Her name is Beth Christopher, and she is proud to call herself an official Hula Hoop Yoga Instructor. Learning this, I was a little confused. What exactly is hula hoop yoga? Is it possible to reach nirvana with a hula hoop swinging around you? Is this some kind of joke?
I immediately learned that this eccentric activity mostly focuses on using the hoop for balance and to intensify stretching by holding it at certain angles around the body. The session began with a few basic stretches with the hoop as support. "Now take a deep breath from your nose and exhale with a loud sigh," Christopher whispered soothingly. "Ahhhhhhhhhhh," we all sighed.
By Rula al-Nasrawi
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Thursday, 15 October 2009
THE GROWTH OF YOGA
Even before the Beatles discovered, the spiritual high found in Yoga, this Indian art of living had already puckered the interest of the West, with many but especially the people in Hollywood taking a deep interest in this mystic art.
With celebrity stars such as Madonna, Sting, Julia Roberts and Jennifer Aniston all practicing this import from the East, yoga today has involved into a large scale industry, while adding more and more of followers to its practices.
As the number of celebrities practicing yoga is growing each year, the Hindu stateman Rajan Zed had urged the yoga fascinated celebrities to also delve into the spiritual dimension of yoga.
He says, yoga is a mental and physical discipline that raises the human soul (jivatman), while making it possible for it to unite with the universal soul (parmatman).
The yoga practices such as "Naked Yoga" and "Doga Yoga" have lately been finding many followers in the USA. Yoga, which in its initial years in the West was largely seen as an exercise regime but this view has also seen a change.
It can be understood from the acceptance that "Naked Yoga," which sees the path to spiritual enlightenment in nudity as an act of surrender and the will to be open before the creator.
By One in India
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
With celebrity stars such as Madonna, Sting, Julia Roberts and Jennifer Aniston all practicing this import from the East, yoga today has involved into a large scale industry, while adding more and more of followers to its practices.
As the number of celebrities practicing yoga is growing each year, the Hindu stateman Rajan Zed had urged the yoga fascinated celebrities to also delve into the spiritual dimension of yoga.
He says, yoga is a mental and physical discipline that raises the human soul (jivatman), while making it possible for it to unite with the universal soul (parmatman).
The yoga practices such as "Naked Yoga" and "Doga Yoga" have lately been finding many followers in the USA. Yoga, which in its initial years in the West was largely seen as an exercise regime but this view has also seen a change.
It can be understood from the acceptance that "Naked Yoga," which sees the path to spiritual enlightenment in nudity as an act of surrender and the will to be open before the creator.
By One in India
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Monday, 12 October 2009
YOGA IN THE SKY
It looks like Cirque du Soleil meets yoga, but it certainly doesn't require the acrobatic athleticism of a circus performer, or even that one be a seasoned yogi, to get the hang of it.
Aerial yoga, which uses soft fabric slings to suspend practitioners while they do yoga poses, joined a growing array of yoga forms offered in the Charleston area in September.
Jordan Anderson, a local yoga instructor based out of the Serenity Now Yoga studio, completed the first certification course over the summer and started teaching it on the front porch of Primetime Fitness on Sullivans Island.
'I'm a little bit of a yoga nerd,' admits the 10 year yoga practitioner, 'so anything that's different about yoga or helps me learn more about yoga intrigues me.'
She doesn't remember exactly how she first came across aerial yoga, developed in 2006 by yoga instructor and aerial acrobat Michelle Dortignac. But Anderson, a native New Yorker, took her first class two years ago and started experimenting with her home practice before taking the certification course this past summer.
Aerial yoga appealed to Anderson for several reasons, one being that it's suitable for yoga beginners and veterans.
By David Quick
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Aerial yoga, which uses soft fabric slings to suspend practitioners while they do yoga poses, joined a growing array of yoga forms offered in the Charleston area in September.
Jordan Anderson, a local yoga instructor based out of the Serenity Now Yoga studio, completed the first certification course over the summer and started teaching it on the front porch of Primetime Fitness on Sullivans Island.
'I'm a little bit of a yoga nerd,' admits the 10 year yoga practitioner, 'so anything that's different about yoga or helps me learn more about yoga intrigues me.'
She doesn't remember exactly how she first came across aerial yoga, developed in 2006 by yoga instructor and aerial acrobat Michelle Dortignac. But Anderson, a native New Yorker, took her first class two years ago and started experimenting with her home practice before taking the certification course this past summer.
Aerial yoga appealed to Anderson for several reasons, one being that it's suitable for yoga beginners and veterans.
By David Quick
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Saturday, 10 October 2009
ARRIVAL OF A NOTED YOGA TEACHER
The economy may be bad right now, but yoga, it appears, is thriving during the downturn.
More than 400 people have signed up for the New England Iyengar Yoga Conference at the Rhode Island Convention Center on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, even though fees for the event range from $175 for a full day pass to $375 for the entire weekend, and many are also booking hotel rooms in Providence and will have travel and meal expenses.
Patricia Walden, founder of the BKS Iyengar Yogamala center in Cambridge, Mass., who is a popular seller of yoga DVDs and one of the biggest draws of this weekend's conference, says that although it's not an issue for her as an established teacher, she's been wondering about the economic health of smaller yoga studios.
'But it hasn't affected [many classes] because people are going through a period of stress' right now that yoga helps its practitioners handle, Walden says.
'One of the greatest gifts' of a yoga practice is 'to learn to relax, to cope with stress,' she says. She says that she often notices how her students look as they enter her class, and then after 'savasana' - 'corpse pose' - at the end of their session. 'It's a mini transformation. 'With Iyengar, increasing as I teach workshops all over country, I find fuller and fuller workshops. The future of Iyengar is good, my yoga classes are larger than ever before, and other teachers are doing very well.'
By Pamela Reinsel Cotter
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
More than 400 people have signed up for the New England Iyengar Yoga Conference at the Rhode Island Convention Center on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, even though fees for the event range from $175 for a full day pass to $375 for the entire weekend, and many are also booking hotel rooms in Providence and will have travel and meal expenses.
Patricia Walden, founder of the BKS Iyengar Yogamala center in Cambridge, Mass., who is a popular seller of yoga DVDs and one of the biggest draws of this weekend's conference, says that although it's not an issue for her as an established teacher, she's been wondering about the economic health of smaller yoga studios.
'But it hasn't affected [many classes] because people are going through a period of stress' right now that yoga helps its practitioners handle, Walden says.
'One of the greatest gifts' of a yoga practice is 'to learn to relax, to cope with stress,' she says. She says that she often notices how her students look as they enter her class, and then after 'savasana' - 'corpse pose' - at the end of their session. 'It's a mini transformation. 'With Iyengar, increasing as I teach workshops all over country, I find fuller and fuller workshops. The future of Iyengar is good, my yoga classes are larger than ever before, and other teachers are doing very well.'
By Pamela Reinsel Cotter
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Friday, 9 October 2009
JEWISH YOGA
A generation ago there was no way a book like 'Yiddish Yoga' could have found a publisher, which is just one more reason to appreciate it now.
Subtitled 'Ruthie's Adventures in Love, Loss and the Lotus Position,' this charming little novel by Lisa Grunberger (published in October by Newmarket Press, hardcover, $15) takes an entertaining look at some big issues.
Those seeking a way of easing into some of the more serious aspects of the High Holy Day season could do far worse than absorbing the wisdom of Grandma Ruthie.
The book opens as Ruthie, a 72 year old New Yorker and recent widow, decides to cash in on a gift from her granddaughter, a year's worth of yoga lessons.
'I know you are strong, Bubby,' Stephanie writes,' but I think yoga will help you grieve. This is not a cult, I promise! I do it every day since Mark and I broke up, and have never felt better.'
It's a testament to author/illustrator Grunberger that she has managed to make Ruthie a character without making her a caricature. Grunberger plays it straight in the titles of the vignettes that comprise the book; the vignettes are pure 'Shtetl meets Ashram.'
Ruthie writes with asperity about the poses, the vocabulary and the outward appearance of her classmates, but she is equally candid about pointing out her own foibles.
By Amy Waldman
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Subtitled 'Ruthie's Adventures in Love, Loss and the Lotus Position,' this charming little novel by Lisa Grunberger (published in October by Newmarket Press, hardcover, $15) takes an entertaining look at some big issues.
Those seeking a way of easing into some of the more serious aspects of the High Holy Day season could do far worse than absorbing the wisdom of Grandma Ruthie.
The book opens as Ruthie, a 72 year old New Yorker and recent widow, decides to cash in on a gift from her granddaughter, a year's worth of yoga lessons.
'I know you are strong, Bubby,' Stephanie writes,' but I think yoga will help you grieve. This is not a cult, I promise! I do it every day since Mark and I broke up, and have never felt better.'
It's a testament to author/illustrator Grunberger that she has managed to make Ruthie a character without making her a caricature. Grunberger plays it straight in the titles of the vignettes that comprise the book; the vignettes are pure 'Shtetl meets Ashram.'
Ruthie writes with asperity about the poses, the vocabulary and the outward appearance of her classmates, but she is equally candid about pointing out her own foibles.
By Amy Waldman
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Thursday, 8 October 2009
A YOGA INSTRUCTOR'S PLAN
A second yoga studio will open in Canton because interest is high and space is limited.
The town Planning Board recently approved the proposal of yoga teacher Rebecca Y. Rivers to build a studio on a 1.5 acre piece of her family's 107 acre property at 605 Miner Street Road, about three miles from the village of Canton.
Ms. Rivers said she intends to keep open her relationship with the Yoga Loft, which is at 1071/2 Main St. above the Blackbird Cafe.
"It's been a great place to teach," she said. "I have loved working at the Yoga Loft."
Yoga Loft board President Shelby L. Connelly said Ms. Rivers's decision to build is a victory for all.
"We think it's a great thing," she said. "By her having to expand, it means we are expanding. We have morning, midday and evening classes, even classes on Friday night and Saturdays."
Ms. Rivers said she expects the interest in alternative health care and wellness to continue to expand.
"It's a national trend. I don't think people are going to go back," she said. "My client load has grown pretty steadily."
The yoga studio is in keeping with the type of development the community wants, Planning Board Chairman Michael K. Morgan said.
"It's a perfect fit," he said. "We're a nice little college town."
By MARTHA ELLEN
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
The town Planning Board recently approved the proposal of yoga teacher Rebecca Y. Rivers to build a studio on a 1.5 acre piece of her family's 107 acre property at 605 Miner Street Road, about three miles from the village of Canton.
Ms. Rivers said she intends to keep open her relationship with the Yoga Loft, which is at 1071/2 Main St. above the Blackbird Cafe.
"It's been a great place to teach," she said. "I have loved working at the Yoga Loft."
Yoga Loft board President Shelby L. Connelly said Ms. Rivers's decision to build is a victory for all.
"We think it's a great thing," she said. "By her having to expand, it means we are expanding. We have morning, midday and evening classes, even classes on Friday night and Saturdays."
Ms. Rivers said she expects the interest in alternative health care and wellness to continue to expand.
"It's a national trend. I don't think people are going to go back," she said. "My client load has grown pretty steadily."
The yoga studio is in keeping with the type of development the community wants, Planning Board Chairman Michael K. Morgan said.
"It's a perfect fit," he said. "We're a nice little college town."
By MARTHA ELLEN
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
A NEW YOGA STUDIO
Ekam Yoga Center hosted a grand opening celebration with a Mind/Body Health Expo event held Sept. 26, while promoting National Yoga Month. The studio officially opened Feb. 14 and is the first Yoga and Ayurveda Green studio in the area.
Area residents were able to participate in a variety of free classes, beginning with a Zumba class that started off the day's festivities, followed a Global Mini Mala that included 108 minutes of flowing yoga poses. There were also available yoga, belly dancing and partner yoga classes; a Sadhana & Stress free workshop, aimed at health and stress free awareness; and free health screenings provided by H E B. Additionally, attendees enjoyed a Greening Your Home Seminar, green business exhibits and arts and crafts selections from Ten Thousand Villages Festival sale and a Fitness Fashion show.
'This event was our way of sharing the studio with the community. Our core values at Ekam Yoga Center include community, mind/body wellness and Green Living as a tripod foundation for all of our classes and programs,' said Maggie Grueskin of Ekam Yoga Center. 'I was personally passionate about this event because yoga has brought so much joy and freedom in my heart and I wanted to share this bliss with our community. Next year we hope to do an even bigger event and have sponsors.'
The event was part of the National Yoga Month campaign that was designed to educate and inspire people, creating awareness of the positive impact of yoga on health. In 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services designated September as National Yoga Month, one of a select number of national health observances. According to Yoga Alliance's 'Top 10 Reasons to Try Yoga,' Yoga reduces the physical effects of stress on the body.
Proceeds benefit the Yoga Health Foundation's Health Education Programs in Schools and Autism Speaks.
The Ekam Yoga Center is located at 7036 B FM 1960 East in the Atascocita Plaza.
For more information, call Maggie Grueskin and Evelyn Allen at 281 358 9642 or visit www.ekamyoga.com.
By The Tribune
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Area residents were able to participate in a variety of free classes, beginning with a Zumba class that started off the day's festivities, followed a Global Mini Mala that included 108 minutes of flowing yoga poses. There were also available yoga, belly dancing and partner yoga classes; a Sadhana & Stress free workshop, aimed at health and stress free awareness; and free health screenings provided by H E B. Additionally, attendees enjoyed a Greening Your Home Seminar, green business exhibits and arts and crafts selections from Ten Thousand Villages Festival sale and a Fitness Fashion show.
'This event was our way of sharing the studio with the community. Our core values at Ekam Yoga Center include community, mind/body wellness and Green Living as a tripod foundation for all of our classes and programs,' said Maggie Grueskin of Ekam Yoga Center. 'I was personally passionate about this event because yoga has brought so much joy and freedom in my heart and I wanted to share this bliss with our community. Next year we hope to do an even bigger event and have sponsors.'
The event was part of the National Yoga Month campaign that was designed to educate and inspire people, creating awareness of the positive impact of yoga on health. In 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services designated September as National Yoga Month, one of a select number of national health observances. According to Yoga Alliance's 'Top 10 Reasons to Try Yoga,' Yoga reduces the physical effects of stress on the body.
Proceeds benefit the Yoga Health Foundation's Health Education Programs in Schools and Autism Speaks.
The Ekam Yoga Center is located at 7036 B FM 1960 East in the Atascocita Plaza.
For more information, call Maggie Grueskin and Evelyn Allen at 281 358 9642 or visit www.ekamyoga.com.
By The Tribune
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Saturday, 3 October 2009
MORE LAUGHTER YOGA
There are a lot of strange forms of yoga and meditation, but laughter yoga seemed to slip by without us noticing. Now people across the Twin Cities, and the entire globe, are gathering just to laugh together. Sound a little strange? It might actually have health benefits whether the laughter is legitimate or not.
The Pioneer Press has a report on these laughter yoga groups that meet regularly to do breathing exercises and laugh to their heart's content. Check out a list of groups here. Instructors, medical professionals, and participants say this form of yoga helps to relieve stress and anxiety and could strengthen the immune system.
Laughter yoga was developed in the '90s by a doctor in India who wanted to see if laughing, even if it was forced, creates the same release of endorphins associated with legitimate forms of laughter.
We have to admit we were a tad skeptical. So how do we see what these folks are up to? YouTube it of course. If we saw these groups out in public practicing their yoga, we might be concerned about their sanity. But if it makes people feel better, then what the heck. Laugh away.
By Emily Kaiser
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
The Pioneer Press has a report on these laughter yoga groups that meet regularly to do breathing exercises and laugh to their heart's content. Check out a list of groups here. Instructors, medical professionals, and participants say this form of yoga helps to relieve stress and anxiety and could strengthen the immune system.
Laughter yoga was developed in the '90s by a doctor in India who wanted to see if laughing, even if it was forced, creates the same release of endorphins associated with legitimate forms of laughter.
We have to admit we were a tad skeptical. So how do we see what these folks are up to? YouTube it of course. If we saw these groups out in public practicing their yoga, we might be concerned about their sanity. But if it makes people feel better, then what the heck. Laugh away.
By Emily Kaiser
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Friday, 2 October 2009
YOGA FOR SURFERS
Do you know the fastest and easiest way to catch more waves? Right now? During your very next session? Well, it could be to paddle harder, drop in later, take off deeper, keep your head up…look down the line, And well, yes, all those tips are great and they will help you catch more waves.
But, the fastest and easiest way to catch more waves during your very next session, is to listen to mom. She was right! You need to sit up straight. On your board. What? That's it? Yep, you see, when you slouch on your board while waiting between sets, you're preventing yourself from surfing as well as you could. Know why? For starters, you're straining your back and neck, leading to early fatigue and a general sense of lethargy. Go ahead, try it right now. Slouch. Let your shoulders slump forward, round your back, and jut out your chin. How do you feel? Probably not stoked for surfing.
Okay, now sit up straight and draw your shoulders back so they're lined up over your hips, not your thighs. Lengthen your spine by reaching your ribcage up and away from your hip bones. Don't arch your back, just keep it nice and straight.
Now squeeze your shoulder blades together drop your shoulders away from your ears. Stop jutting out your chin and instead imagine the top of your head reaching toward the sky. Now breathe slowly, deeply, easily. No forcing or straining. Really expand your abdomen and chest as you inhale, and then let go of all the air as you exhale.
There, don't you feel better already?
When you slump and slouch, you can't fill your lungs with energy producing oxygen. And when you don't have enough energy, you can't catch as many waves. But when you sit up straight on your board between sets, you'll reduce fatigue, prevent aches and pains in your back and neck, increase your flow of oxygen and energy, and increase your feelings of confidence and competence.
Bonus: when you sit taller, you'll be able to see the sets coming in even better. Try it out and let me know how it goes, okay?
And check out this clip from Yoga for Surfers III, where surf heroes Tom Carroll, Brian Conley and Garrett McNamara demonstrate their perfect posture.
www.yogaforsurfers.com
By Global Surf News
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
But, the fastest and easiest way to catch more waves during your very next session, is to listen to mom. She was right! You need to sit up straight. On your board. What? That's it? Yep, you see, when you slouch on your board while waiting between sets, you're preventing yourself from surfing as well as you could. Know why? For starters, you're straining your back and neck, leading to early fatigue and a general sense of lethargy. Go ahead, try it right now. Slouch. Let your shoulders slump forward, round your back, and jut out your chin. How do you feel? Probably not stoked for surfing.
Okay, now sit up straight and draw your shoulders back so they're lined up over your hips, not your thighs. Lengthen your spine by reaching your ribcage up and away from your hip bones. Don't arch your back, just keep it nice and straight.
Now squeeze your shoulder blades together drop your shoulders away from your ears. Stop jutting out your chin and instead imagine the top of your head reaching toward the sky. Now breathe slowly, deeply, easily. No forcing or straining. Really expand your abdomen and chest as you inhale, and then let go of all the air as you exhale.
There, don't you feel better already?
When you slump and slouch, you can't fill your lungs with energy producing oxygen. And when you don't have enough energy, you can't catch as many waves. But when you sit up straight on your board between sets, you'll reduce fatigue, prevent aches and pains in your back and neck, increase your flow of oxygen and energy, and increase your feelings of confidence and competence.
Bonus: when you sit taller, you'll be able to see the sets coming in even better. Try it out and let me know how it goes, okay?
And check out this clip from Yoga for Surfers III, where surf heroes Tom Carroll, Brian Conley and Garrett McNamara demonstrate their perfect posture.
www.yogaforsurfers.com
By Global Surf News
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
Thursday, 1 October 2009
VISITING A YOGA SHALA
PJ Heffernan owns a Waukesha based yoga studio called PJ's Yoga Shala, but don't confuse his practice with a traditional business.
"I always felt very uncomfortable with the business of yoga. Yoga is not a business," says Heffernan. "It is not a religion. It is not an occupation. It is a cultural art form."
Heffernan's classes have suggested rates, but students pay what they can afford. Heffernan calls it a "karma system" of payment in which he trusts people to pay a fair amount. Most of his students, he says, pay the suggested rate, but he will make adjustments. Most importantly, Heffernan wants yoga to be accessible to anyone, not just the wealthy.
"Everyone needs this authentic yoga," he says.
To make yoga even more available to the masses, Heffernan offers a free yoga class every Sunday afternoon at 1:15 p.m. at Invivo, 2060 N. Humboldt Blvd.
Heffernan teaches a style of yoga called Ashtanga, and his practice is the only Ashtanga school in the Midwest.
Ashtanga, which means "eight limbs," incorporates a sequential order of poses and combines breathing, postures and gazing points to help practitioners reach his or her "fullest potential on all levels of human consciousness."
Classes at PJ's Yoga Shala range from beginner to advanced.
"I even started a class I call Hips and Spine which is as basic as it gets. You don't even have to be able to stand up for that one," says Heffernan.
At the age of 15, Heffernan started taking yoga seriously, and by the time he was in college, he took eight yoga classes a week.
"That's when I realized I could really take control of my body," he says.
Heffernan studied yoga in Milwaukee at the Milwaukee Yoga Center and in Chicago with a teacher named Gabriel Halpern. However, by 2005, he was teaching so much that he began to feel removed from the practice.
"I felt a little lost and craved a challenge, so I sought out the one person in the country who I thought had the most inspiring physical asana practice I had ever seen," says Heffernan. "That man was Richard Freeman."
By Molly Snyder Edler
THE LATEST YOGA SHALA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
"I always felt very uncomfortable with the business of yoga. Yoga is not a business," says Heffernan. "It is not a religion. It is not an occupation. It is a cultural art form."
Heffernan's classes have suggested rates, but students pay what they can afford. Heffernan calls it a "karma system" of payment in which he trusts people to pay a fair amount. Most of his students, he says, pay the suggested rate, but he will make adjustments. Most importantly, Heffernan wants yoga to be accessible to anyone, not just the wealthy.
"Everyone needs this authentic yoga," he says.
To make yoga even more available to the masses, Heffernan offers a free yoga class every Sunday afternoon at 1:15 p.m. at Invivo, 2060 N. Humboldt Blvd.
Heffernan teaches a style of yoga called Ashtanga, and his practice is the only Ashtanga school in the Midwest.
Ashtanga, which means "eight limbs," incorporates a sequential order of poses and combines breathing, postures and gazing points to help practitioners reach his or her "fullest potential on all levels of human consciousness."
Classes at PJ's Yoga Shala range from beginner to advanced.
"I even started a class I call Hips and Spine which is as basic as it gets. You don't even have to be able to stand up for that one," says Heffernan.
At the age of 15, Heffernan started taking yoga seriously, and by the time he was in college, he took eight yoga classes a week.
"That's when I realized I could really take control of my body," he says.
Heffernan studied yoga in Milwaukee at the Milwaukee Yoga Center and in Chicago with a teacher named Gabriel Halpern. However, by 2005, he was teaching so much that he began to feel removed from the practice.
"I felt a little lost and craved a challenge, so I sought out the one person in the country who I thought had the most inspiring physical asana practice I had ever seen," says Heffernan. "That man was Richard Freeman."
By Molly Snyder Edler
THE LATEST YOGA SHALA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
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