Inspiring ~ Uplifting Yoga Classes
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Please take a few moments to watch this video, an introduction to a most-unusal animal shelter in California. Over 700 cats and a bunch of dogs live together in harmony at the Cat House on The Kings:
Share with a friend who could use a smile! Piece of cake if you use the button below to email the link.
Registration now open for the Yoga and Cooking Class, check the events page for details.
Om Shanti. -j
A very-inspiring Asana practice from the folks at Elephant Beans, click the link below to see the video:
I’m often asked to recommend books, dvd’s, but am most-asked about the music playing in class. I’ve begun to populate the john’s favorite link on the left side of my website with selected items. I’m now working on a way to post the songlists from class. Now that would be very-cool.
Om Shanti, See you in class!
-john
"You are what all happenings happen in.
What happens must happen so remain
unaffected as Peace. Be Peaceful and
this Peace will Spread. What rises from
Peace is Peace and what rises from
confusion is confusion. So Be Peace and
give this to the Universe, it is all you
should do." - Papaji
The ancient teachings agree, the peace you seek is not out there. What you’re seeking, you already have. The practice of Yoga is one way to reveal this peace, your truest nature.
Join us for class tonight and we’ll be that much closer on the journey back to ourselves.
Not to sound new-agey at all, This is the map the ancients left for us. Ancient solutions for our modern issues. Yes, we need to practice.
Next weekend is our Banish the Winter Blues Workshop.
With the practices of inspired-Asana, Pranayama, Kirtan, and Bhakti we’ll replenish this reservior of peace that resides within us all.
When we shine, we light the way for others.
There’s some space left, but email me right away. Hope you can join us!
Om Shanti, I’ll see you in class.
-john
Elephant and dog become best friends:
Share video with a friend by clicking the button below:
Om Lokah Samastha Sukino Bhavantu
Wishing peace and prosperity for you and your family in 2009
Om Shanti
Wishing you all safe and happy holidays.
The philosophy of Yoga teaches us that conciously shifting from the mindset of "what can I get, to what can I give" is the path to lasting freedom and happiness.
Yoga is when we can live this way. all the time.
I’ll see you in class, Namaste.
-john
In the 1920’s, it was believed that smoking cigarettes helped with respiration, Tour DeFrance riders would lite up and share cigarettes before big hills.
Aren’t you tired of the old thoughts, beliefs, prejudices? How do we release who we used to be, and embrace who we are becoming?
Steady practice wipes the slate clean. Patanjali wrote these Sutras over two thousand years ago:
Being firmly established in the state of controlled thought waves
is called practice.
Persistent practice, becomes firmly grounded in presence when it has been practiced for a long, uninterrupted time, and with earnest devotion.
sah – that practice
tu – however
dirghakala – (for) a long time
nairantarya – without interruption
satkara – reverence, devotion, respect
avesitah – pursued, practiced, continued
dridhabhumih – firmly grounded
I saw this bag in the store the other day. Old news. Not much good except for cat litter and bird cages.
What old ways do you hold on to? Next time you practice, shed your skin, and thaw your heart. Let each breath out make room for the new. It’s never too late to re-write your story. I’m planning a special New Years Day workshop on making space for lasting change. we’ll explore our practice as a vehicle for transformation. Details to follow soon.
If you’ve got Fallon health insurance, before you recycle it, check out the members calendar they sent you for a pic of me standing on my head. I think it’s on the March page. Yeah, what a hoot. Mom took mine for her fridge.
There’s still room to join us this coming Sunday for the Winter Solstice Yoga Class in Concord, and note our annual day after Christmas class on the Yoga events page as well.
Om shanti, I’ll see you in class
-john
P.S. note the new Amazon link in the left column of my website. If you bookmark this link and start any Amazon shopping from there, Amazon pays a teeny-tiny referral fee which will go to feed homeless animals. Every little bit helps.
Kate, Natalie and I send our thanks for contributing to our wildly successful Yoga benefit class for the Acton Food Pantry. This was a day about raising the bar of generosity.
A record 45 people came to class at Yoga and Nia for Life in West Concord, MA.
I led a brief meditation to get everyone centered, then Kate led a spirited flow of Elemental Yoga. Some of this Yoga was new to us, and the focus in the room was incredible.
Natalie’s guided restorative session led us into a Shavasana that was truly welcomed by all. After the sighs, You could’ve heard a pin drop as people soaked-up their practice in serene-stillness.
Food, food, and more food! We counted 70 bags that weighed an average of 13 pounds. When I sent the original invite, I asked that people offer-up their favorite foods. Add in the generous donations by Whole Foods of Wayland of a case of olive oil and some great sauces and we’re around 1,000 pounds of food. A new record at the Acton Pantry!
There’s still some donations coming in, 100 more pounds and we’re at half a ton! Just look at what a committed group of Yogis can do:
I appreciate your huge hearts and participation in our yoga benefit. Bringing your favorite foods ensures a quality holiday dinner for many families in need. You’ve made a measurable difference. Our next step is to embrace this level of generosity year-round.
Thanks to Maria Skinner, owner of Yoga and Nia for Life for donating her beautiful practice space, Kate Millen for her skillful-compassionate teaching, Natalie Engler for easing us in for a peaceful landing, and Whole Foods of Wayland for their generous and thoughtful donation.
But most of all, thanks to you all! We’re blessed with the most amazing Yoga students in the MetroWest area. Your presence at these events makes our teachings possible.
Soooo, this does raise the bar a bit high, but I’m sure that together we can rise to it. Keep an eye out for the next benefit at the Yoga Events Page, or subscribing to this Yoga blog’s updates.
Om Shanti, I’ll see you in class.
John
Daan Yoga, or Recession proofing your life
Two fellow Yoga teachers and I are hosting a benefit for the food pantry Today. Coming off this cycle of abundance and frivilous spending by much of the country, I think we need to re-learn how to give, how to really experience generosity.
Two ways to experince the gift of giving:
1, Root through your shelves and find the box of pasta, and can of soup bought so long ago, and bring them along to class. Yes, that will feed somebody, and we will very-much appreciate your contribution.
2, Search your cabinets and find the favorite item amongst your stores. Hold it to your heart; imagine the person who will receive it. Beam your prayer into the container, infusing the food with this light. Do this until your eyes well-up. Bring it to class and place it in the bin. Don’t tell anybody. It’s not a story; it’s a sacred act of compassion between you and the recipient.
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It’s important to notice even a slight hesitation in your giving. Is it an expensive item, does it activate a sense of ‘I don’t have enough?’ Our lower chakras blindly grasp the material world, and keep us in a feeling of fear and lack. Our consumptive culture encourages this. The antidote is to give.
That welling up you may feel, that’s your heart chakra activating. Let the feeling wash over you and live in abundance.
Perhaps you really need that favorite item for your holiday dinner. Then choose something else, but practice giving until you can sense no hesitation at all. In Yoga philosophy this is called Daan. Freely giving, freely living from your heart. It is the only way to lasting happiness. Happy if the market is up 600 or down 600.
In every moment, each and every breath, we have the option to skim the surface of life, or to live deeply. Your choice, give the pasta, or give from your heart.
Sometimes, we’ve only got energy to skim, to just get by. What does that tell us about how we’ve been living? Together we can build sustainable lives, where we have energy to share. The answer is usually doing less, but with more heart. Keep practicing.
I’m clinging to a jar of organic almond butter. Will it make it to the benefit on Saturday?
check the yoga events page to see our holiday offerings
Click to see the Newsreel video of B.K.S. Iyengar 1938 Yoga Asana demonstration:
Garudasana (the eagle pose)
Before I had a name
I existed in the world as breath, as the wind, as a star.
For a moment, if I could be the breath
& the wind & the nameless star.
I’d meet the sky that holds them
as it holds me & I’d say Joyfully,
Namaste
-Leza Lowitz Yoga poetry – Lines to unfold by a nice book to read and re-read.
This Bhagavan Das video will stir your soul, He’s been practicing Yoga and Meditation longer than I’ve been alive! Her he shares his journey of awakening, Alan Watts, Travelling to India, Neem Karoli Baba, and Ram Das. Be sure to watch till the end.
Jai Ma!
Join us for the Yoga and Meditation Workshop this weekend, and Free movie night!
| Inhale | hold | exhale | hold | result |
| 6 | 4 | 6 | 1 | energizing |
| 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | energizing |
| 6 | 2 | 6 | 2 | balancing |
| 8 | 1 | 8 | 1 | balancing |
| 6 | 1 | 8 | 4 | relaxing |
| 6 | 1 | 10 | 1 | relaxing |
| 4 | 1 | 12 | 1 | relaxing |
| 4 | 1 | 8 | 4 | relaxing |
Breath is life.
In class we've been experimenting with breath, and how different patterns of Pranayama affect the nervous system. Here's a nice chart that summarizes the effects of a focused Pranayama practice.
If you're looking to raise your energy, start with the first exercise, sit comfortably, draw a smooth breath in through your nose to the silent count of 6. Hold the breath in for 4, gently release the breath out through your nose to the count of 6, hold the breath out for a count of 1. Repeat 8-10 times, be still and notice the effect. Nice…
Start out slow if this is new to you. If you feel lightheaded, ease up on the holding of the breath in or out.
Om Shanti, I'll see you in class.
-john
P.S. Yoga with John was just listed as one of the top 100 Yoga sites
Happy Halloween! Only By Popular demand…
I’m posting the Zombie Yoga video. I sent it to a few Yogis, and now everyone wants to see it. To publicize a new book, an invite to "Dress like a zombie and bring a Yoga mat to Central park in NY." was sent out. A bunch of NYC Zombies showed up. They filmed the zombie practice and posted it on Utube. Might be a bit squeamish for some, think Michael Jackson Thriller video gone bad…
P.S. There’s some room left in the November Yoga workshop on the 22′nd in W. Concord. There’s live Kirtan music starting at 2:30.
Maria is hosting a potluck dinner afterwards, and then I’ll be screening a movie 6′ish. I’m zeroing in on just the right film, and this will kick off movie nights at YNFL. Send in suggetsions for films you’d like to see!
P.S.S Yes, I think it was a new record at Lumina on Tuesday night!
The Etiquette of Yoga Class
Namaste! Everyone wants to know how the retreat went! Thanks for all the encouraging notes.
From the amazing feedback, I would say that our Fall retreat at SpiritFire was a great success.
The weather was perfect, each day the foliage turned more vibrant. Meals were astounding, and the rooms very comfortable. I really like how every detail was watched over and cared for by the staff. This allowed us to really focus on the depth of our practice. Having our morning Yoga practice and meals in total silence (Mauna) added a richness and texture to our presence at SpiritFire. The hikes were breathtaking, our Mantra practice cathedral-like, and our celebratory fire circle warmed us inside and out.
The act of spiritual retreat is ancient, and even more applicable in our times, To retreat is to step back and gain perspective, a clearer view of how we’ve been living. Through practices of awareness we measure that against how we’d like to be living, and resolve to create the appropriate changes. Leaving behind the old, we reintegrate back into our lives, holding space for practice, for presence, and to bring the essence of our retreat back home.
We’re already planning next years retreat, same place, same weekend! And we’re looking at a Spring Retreat to Ananda Ashram, Where I’ve been retreating in mostly silence for the last week. That will be a treat! If you’d like advance notice on the retreat plans let me know and I’ll keep you up to date as the details unfold.
Om Shanti, I’ll see you in class this week.
John
P.S. Just posted the fall Yoga Workshop
Yesterday over lunch, I was fretting about a recent loss.
My friend Ani Desal, a Tibetan Buddhist Nun told me, "In every moment you have a choice, positive or negative, focused, or unfocused, present or not present. Choose to see this in a positive light."
Simple, and profound. Yet sometimes difficult to practice.
Pausing to get clear on our intentions, may be the most important part of Yoga class. I’m not saying the words "Get very clear on the intentions that lie behind your practice" to fill space. It’s because setting a crystal clear intention works for me. It brings me further in my practice, and I share that with you.
You can let this be random, or you can choose a positive and focused presence. Random is dangerous. Random is like when you arrive at work and don’t remember the drive. Where were you?
Yoga practice is like driving through thick fog, you can just barely see in front of you, you’ve got to slow down and concentrate on what is right in front of you. (this breath, this posture) then, you may see the glint of a taillight up ahead. That is the teacher. Not smarter or better than you. Without supernatural powers, they are just a bit further up the road, so with some trust, you let go and follow. Hopefully the teacher has lineage, and is following their teacher, (choose wisely, ask who their teachers are.)
We have to stay present because we don’t know when the veils may fall away, the opportunity for clear vision, for enlightenment is going to happen. It could be your next class. Don’t miss it.
Maybe you choose that this will be your most focused class ever. Why not? Like the proverbial weed growing through the crack in the sidewalk, you rise from the ground up into your warrior pose, full-up with reason. You are grounded, and your outstretched arms are reaching for something. Your ViraBhadrasana is on purpose. You’re one posture closer to becoming your intentions. Live your intentions, radiate them, and become a source for others.
The fog is clearing.
Om Shanti, I’ll see you in class.
John
P.S. This coming Saturday Ani Desal and I are leading a Yoga Workshop , There are a couple spots left. and We’ve got a great group together for the Fall Foliage Yoga Retreat coming up in just under two weeks. There may be one spot left, (or we could squeeze a couple in) so if you were thinking about joining us, let me know right away.
Namaste! Danielle sent me this link to my new friend Mike’s Website. He glides from Downward dog to Handstand in the Dharma Mitra tradition:
http://www.dharmamittrayogacolorado.com/
If you’re an early bird, I’m sub-teaching the 6:30am Yoga class at Lumina this coming Friday. Get your day off to good start!
An opportunity to heckle: I’ll be practicing in the window of Lulu Lemon in the Natick Collection Mall this coming Saturday at noon. Mom and Dad had such hopes for me and I’ve become a living mannequin…
Kirtans with Prajna!
Saturday, September 13 Kirtan with Prajna in Lincoln
7:30 pm St. Anne’s in the Fields Episcopal Church
147 Concord Rd. Lincoln, MA
Sunday, September 14 Hanuman Chalisa
11am-12 noon The home of Ted and Prajna Hallstrom
207 Concord Rd. Lincoln, MA
I’ll be sub-teaching a class called Yoga for the Second Half of Life, at The Arlington Center on Thursday Sept. 18 from 10-11:30.
Remember the new Yoga and Nia for Life Yoga class Thursdays at 4pm, and the Heart opening Yoga and Meditation workshop with myself and Ani Desal, Tibetan Buddhist Nun, on September 27th. It’s coming up pretty soon.
Take care, I’ll see you in class.
John
That blissed, somewhat confused feeling where you come out of Shavasana after a particularly good Yoga class. Our lost and found bin is always overflowing with ‘forgotten’ items. Most of them make it back to their people.
I’ve just posted the invite to the Yoga and Meditation workshop on Sept 27′th. After a nice Heart Opening class, Ani Desal, a Tibetan Buddhist Nun, ordained by the Dalai Lama, will lead us in a beautiful meditation. I hope you can join us, this level of meditation instruction is rare in our parts.
Take care! I’ll see you in class soon.
john
P.S. just two spots remain in the fall Yoga Retreat I’ve got about 5 "maybes" for the two spots. Let me know right away if you’d like to join us. to be fair to all, the first "Yes" gets the spots.
Namaste!
A busy weekend of Yoga coming up. Take a break from the bbq’s, cool off and join us for a class:
I’m sub teaching the 8am Yoga class Lumina class today (Friday)
this is a gentler flow class that I’m teaching for Jyoti.
I’m sub teaching the 9am Yoga and Nia for Life class this coming Sunday the 31’st, a nice all-levels Sunday morning class to start the day.
Labor Day
This coming Monday I’m teaching two Classes:
a 9am class at Half Moon Hill in Acton at Email me for directions.
If you like real mellow, with lots of breathing then this class is perfect for you.
then, a 4pm flow class at Yoga and Nia for Life in West Concord.
Check out the cool "work off the Veggieburger" flyer for this one.
There’s a dedicated Monday crew of yogis, and this one is appropriate
for all levels. If your new to yoga for Life, this is a good opportunity to check this class out.
New Class!
Read the rest of this entry »
Work off
I came across these breathing exercisers, they are said to increase lung capacity with just 30 breaths. Click on the picture for more info on the POWERbreathe from Gaiam. Imagine a class full of people doing a round of Kapalabhati through these?! Let me know if you’ve tried one of these? I’m intrigued.
I’m due back from my amazing trip to Woodstock with my amazing teachers in a few days. I’ll see you in class. john
-john
This weekend I’ll be heading out to Woodstock NY to spend time with my teachers David Life and Sharon Gannon.
David and Sharon are longtime yogis and founders of the Jivamukti style of Yoga. Jiva means soul, and Mukti means liberation. The Jivamukti yogi practices to become liberated in this lifetime, and to help all beings be free of suffering. Next time you are in NY city, head up to Union Square and visit their beautiful Yoga studio.
So next week I’ll be having some wonderful substitue teachers cover our classes. Jyoti will be teaching the Monday 4pm Yoga and Nia for life class in Cocnord, the Tuesday 6:30pm Lumina class in Wayland, and the Wednesday Bosse classes in Sudbury. Linda Seik will be teaching the Thursday 5:30pm Yoga class in West Concord.
The Monday Half Moon Hill class in Acton, and the Thursday 9am Maynard class will not be held next week.
I’ve got some great workshops planned for the fall, and there are still a few spots open in our Fall Yoga Retreat in western Mass. I’m looking forward to sharing what I learn when I get back, and hear how nice your classes with Jyoti and Linda were.
Om Shanti, I’ll see you in class.
john
On August 5′th People around the world will be reciting the Sutra of Golden Light for world peace. You can join in, got to the IMI website to find out more, or sit in silence for some time that day to participate. http://www.joinprayersforpeace.org/
Save the date! I look forward to this all summer! Sunday August 17′th The India Association of Greater Boston presents: India Day at the Hatch Shell in Boston. This is a great celebration of music, arts, dance, crafts and food. Starts at 4pm. Let me know if you plan on going it would be great to meet up there.
Namaste!
John
I Just had to share this video of twin baby mooses. You can click the share button below to email it to a friend.
Thanks to those who could make it to the outdoor class at the Maynard Farmers Market this am. Hope to see you all at the Smiletrain benefit tonight ! see you in class -john
Be sure to check out the Fall retreat with John !
We’ve now raised enough to fund six surgeries! thanks for all your help in spreading the word! Here’s how we are helping:
To find out how you can help us, click here: SmileTrain benefit
Dancing his way around the world:
Namaste!
Required reading for anyone who has a body:
A paraplegic Yoga teacher with much to share. I’ll be re-reading this book next time I feel challenged.
From the web review:
Matthew’s mental awareness–as a result of a spinal cord injury–was literally knocked out of the lower two-thirds of his body. While doctors were able to keep him alive, he was not given the tools to reconnect his mind to his paralyzed body.
Matthew describes how for years after the devastating accident, from the chest down, he experiences a "schism" or "a form of silence" between his mind and his body. During his first months in the hospital and later periods in intensive care units there was so much pain that leaving his body became a survival skill. These experiences alone catapulted Matthew into unknown territory when it comes to understanding the mind and body.
From this understanding Matthew begins to practice, and eventually teach Iyengar Yoga.
Take care, I’ll see you in class.
John
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I’m very excited about the Smiletrain benefit at Mystic Fitness on Saturday July 26th 5:30pm !! Smiletrain performs surgeries on children born with cleft palates in developing countries. 100% of income directly funds surgeries.
