LA Yoga - September 2011

Transcription

Comfort
& Style
36
Fall
Favorites
pants, tops
malas and bags
Healing Trauma
with yoga
Santa Monica
good food festival
Yogawoman
SEPTEMBER 2011
yoga on film
SEPTEMBER 2011
AY U R V E D A A N D H E A LT H
Lauren wears Mandala Burnout T-shirt
and Mandala Roll Down Pedal Pushers
by Jala Clothing; Jalaclothing.com
FEATURES
28
Healing Trauma
with Yoga
Getting stuck in the activation
of the sympathetic nervous
system keeps us spinning in
anxiety, pain, and recurring
trauma. Yoga provides soothing
tools for those needing solace.
32
Yoga + Style
32
42
16
From hand-strung mala beads
to copper-infused grounding
shoes and eco-friendly fabrics,
we've got you covered.
52
Yoga on Film
Over centuries, Yoga has shifted
from a practice guarded by men
and forbidden to women to a
vehicle for transformation of the
planet – by women.
Community
10
12
14
16
Get Up and Go
Open Doors
Animal Seva
Seva in Action
Teacher Profile
Food & Home
40
42
44
Farmers' Corner:
The Santa Monica Farmers'
Market Turns 30!
Super Granola
Niçoise
22 Elyse Briggs
In Every Issue
Sitting Down With
46
48
50
62
64
24 Mark Johnson
Ayurveda
26 Therapeutic Turmeric
Español
58 Paraíso Celestial
Meditation
Media
What's on My Nightstand
Astrology
Yantra
Don't Miss Lady Yoga's
Adventures on pg 54
ON THE COVER:
Rachel Barnes photographed
in Hard Tail clothing by
Jasper Johal ©2011
Jasperphoto.com
(See pg 38 for clothing details)
SEPTEMBER 2011 LAYOGA 5
editor's note
I didn’t lose a loved one that day. I wasn’t involved in
rescue efforts. But I was shaken and taken into a higher
awareness of the preciousness and uncertainty of life.
People are still having conversations about the continued fallout of that day.
I know many people who reevaluated their lives while
the news reports revealed unfolding tragedies broadcast
live before our eyes. I was one of those; in fact, that
reevaluation led to my decision to move to Southern
California later that fall.
Part of my own reevaluation involved realizing how we
can end up so caught up trivialities that we may fail to
notice what’s important. When we do notice, hopefully
we realize that we have the power within us to make a
difference. This is what this day also taught me.
This month marks the ten-year anniversary of this
event. People may still be experiencing trauma, years
after the fact; not an uncommon experience, yet one
often helped through the practice of Yoga, as Michael
Blahut explores in this month’s feature section. Even
amidst the trauma or the healing, the daily dance of
negotiating our lives, it is a therapeutic process in itself
to realize that our actions make a difference. Taking
our transformation beyond the personal is a common
theme within these pages this month.
It can begin with how we shop. In this issue, we have
LA YOGA’s first-ever fashion spread, and we chose to
focus on items conceived and created with sustainability in mind. This attitude also relates to how we shop
for food, as we see in farmers markets that directly support the livelihood of people interested in sustainability,
6 LAYOGA SEPTEMBER 2011
the subject of this month’s Farmers’ Corner. It’s also the
subject of September’s inaugural Good Food Festival, in
Santa Monica to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the
city’s pioneering farmers market.
Making a difference in the world also includes dedicating our practice, which we can do to support projects
and initiatives such as Yoga Gives Back, Operation
Shanti, or Off the Mat into the World, all of which are
discussed within these pages. We can look to those who
have dedicated their lives to helping the forgotten, like
actress and animal advocate Linda Blair and Beth Shaw;
or those encouraging compassionate relationships with
the body, like our featured teacher, Elyse Briggs. We can
also use music as a bridge across cultures in a campaign
for greater world peace and connection, as Mark Johnson does with inspiration with Playing for Change.
During all of this, we cultivate love, as Lorin Roche
invites us to do by surrendering to the rapture of music,
the expression of love made manifest in the Bhakti Fest
extravaganza happening this month in Joshua Tree.
September fittingly is National Yoga Month. May we
tap into and share the power of the practice for transformation, personally and collectively!
Remember to love, to make choices based on love. Let
us commit to expressing love and compassion in our
lives, in all of our practices.
With Love,
Felicia M. Tomasko, RN
Photo By: Carla Cummings
My life changed on September 11, 2001. And I know
I’m not the only one who feels this way.
Conveniently located at
a store near you:
AY U R V E D A A N D H E A LT H
Henry’s Market
Jimbo’s
Lassens Natural Food
& Vitamins
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Felicia M. Tomasko, RN
PUBLISHER
Douglas R. Corbett
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Justine Power
Mother’s Market
Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy
Sprouts Farmers Market
Whole Foods
Erewhon
Nature Mart
Full O' Life
Total Nutrition Center
Rainbow Acres Co-Opportunity
One Life Natural Foods
Santa Monica Homeopathic
Pharmacy
Grassroots
Lindberg Nutrition
The Vitamin Store
Naturway
Staff Writers
Michael Blahut
Melissa Chua
Tamiko Fischer
Jazmine Green
Vanessa Harris
Karen Henry
Beth Prandini
Laurie Searle
Joni Yung/the Accidental Yogist
Editorial Assistance
Jessica Malloy
Selah Michelle
Tim Shulberg
Newsletter Production
Joseph Parra
Advertising Executives
Westside Regional Manager
Assia Valovoa
[email protected]
(310) 435-6490
Eastside Regional Manager
Brianna Welke
[email protected]
(360) 303-8968
Southside Regional Manager
Sabrina Nixon
[email protected]
(310) 697-6743
Advertising Coordinator
Rachael Cleghorn
Spanish Editorial Assistance
Jaime Carlo-Casellas, PhD
Vitamin Barn
Health Food City
Contributors
PC Greens
Valentia Wellness Center
Dr. John Casey
Leslie Hendry
Carla Cummings
Garth Hewitt
Josh Ross
Brandon Chiang
Tai Kerbs
Barry J. Schweiger
Prashanti de Jager
Craig Kohland
Laurie Searle
Red Jen Ford
Ellen Lavinthal
Beth Shaw
Dr. Lorin Roche
Ann Gentry
Miten
Jessica Thomas
Katie Heeran
Daniel Overberger
Sarah Tomlinson
Thank you to the entire Yoga community for
participating in and supporting this effort to educate,
inspire, and share wisdom.
LA YOGA Magazine is being published by Chandra Publishing
1234 26th Street Santa Monica, CA 90404
(310) 828-8218
PRINTED IN LOS ANGELES
our contributors
GARTH HEWITT
Yoga Teacher/Campaigner
JESSICA MALLOY
Writer
Garth Hewitt is a Los Angeles-based
teacher who teaches for Exhale Center
for Sacred Movement, Equinox Fitness
Club, the Pure Yoga teacher training and
the East Coast and Hawaii Spirit Festivals. He is passionate about how Yoga
has helped transform his life both on and
off the mat. This passion has led to this
year's "Los Angeles Rocks! Operation
Shanti" campaign to build an orphanage
in Mysore, India.
Jessica Malloy is finishing her final semester at Asbury University to earn her
bachelor’s degree in English and philosophy. Her belief in the healing benefits
of Yoga inspired her to teach the first
weekly Yoga class offered at her University. She spends her weekends rock
climbing and her love of the outdoors
led to completing certification in Wilderness Advanced First Aid. Her dream is to
be a writer who makes a difference.
MICHAEL BLAHUT
Writer
TAI KERBS
Photographer
Michael Blahut’s believes in the connection between our personal health and
the health of the environment. He believes that the ultimate change is for us
to change ourselves; it’s an attitude that
inspires his interest in working in bodywork and therapeutic Yoga. Michael
manages operations at the Shiatsu School
of California in Santa Monica where he
teaches Yoga and schedules their space
for workshops: Smsconline.com
When not taking photographs of people,
places, and things or sampling Yoga
classes throughout Southern California
and beyond, Tai Kerbs spends as much
time as possible in and around the ocean
with her dogs and with her friends honing her newfound surfing skills. She finds
adventure wherever she can:
Photaigraphy.com
YOUR LETTERS
Dear LA Yoga,
I just wanted to thank you for including a column on animals in your prestigious
magazine. Ellen Lavinthal has a great style and it is a perfect fit for your magazine. I
always find the articles educational, thought-provoking and entertaining and I always
pass the articles along to my co-workers. Several of them are very animal friendly but
until reading Ellen's column they had never really thought or explored Yoga. As a
result of the animal column a few of them are now actively looking into Yoga. I look
forward to many more columns and being educated on Yoga and animals. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Bryan Monell
CORRECTIONS
In the July/August 2011 issue of LA Yoga, we printed the incorrect website for Yuval
Ron. The correct website is: Yuvalronmusic.com. Our apologies for the mistake.
In the July/August 2011 issue of LA Yoga, we printed the incorrect address for the studio Chakra5. The correct information is: Chakra 5 Yoga & Wellness, 4302 ½ Melrose Ave., 2nd Floor Los Angeles, CA 90029; Chakra5.la
WHERE I PICK UP MY LAYOGA
With great appreciation
and joy, Dalit Berkowitz
picks up her copy of
LA Yoga at the entrance of
Silverlake Yoga:
Silverlakeyoga.com
Dalitberkowitz.com
Sharon Steiner Hart loves
reading LA Yoga and always picks up the latest
issue at The Coffee Table
Restaurant in Eagle Rock.
Inalignmentcoaching.com
Tell us where you pick up LA Yoga
and send us a photo for inclusion in
an upcoming issue. write:
[email protected]
community get up and go
Thievery Corporation, Sept. 9th
Sita & the Hanumen, Sept. 14th
Ayurvedic to Balance Modern
Urban Life
Monday, September 5
Girish, Bhakti Fest, Sept. 8-11
Thievery Corporation
Friday, September 9
Once upon a Canyon Night
Sunday, September 11
Carla Cummings and Geoffrey Earendil
share techniques for managing the physical stresses of urban life; such as pollution,
commuting, and electronics and ways to
find balance with diet, Yoga, and Ayurveda.
Renowned DJ duo blends styles including
‘70s space-rock-funk with rock-soul-electronic jams that feature bittersweet vocals.
They’re serving up their sixth studio album
titled Culture of Fear with special guests
Fitz & Tantrums, and AM & Shawn Lee.
Spark off Rose joins Once upon a Canyon
Night for a heart-filling humorous evening
of true storytelling. Seven performers reveal their most intimate selves candidly,
humorously, and with heart.
Free. 9:30-11:30 A.M., Sivananda Center,
13325 Beach Ave., Marina Del Rey;
(310) 822-9642
Tickets $35-$65; 7:30 P.M.
Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont Ave.,
Los Angeles; Greektheatrela.com
Bhakti Fest
September 8-11
No Worries Tour: Renunciation,
Refuge, and Responsibility
September 9-10
This modern-day Woodstock for the kirtan
community has become a veritable institution of devotion in the desert with a who’s
who of artists and teachers offering their
best teachings. Music all day and night,
Yoga, workshops, nourishing food, bodywork, community, and more converge at
the Joshua Tree Retreat Center for a unique
and spiritually satisfying experience.
Pre and post-Bhakti Fest workshops and
intensives also available; Bhaktifest.com
Kumbha Mela 2013 Q&A
Friday, September 9
Join Shelly Craigo for an interactive information session on the Kumbha Mela and
a spiritual pilgrimage to the event led by
Pandit Rajmani Tiguait. Kumbha Mela is a
time when planets, constellations and other celestial bodies alight to create a powerful vortex at the confluence of the three
holy rivers in Allahabad, India.
Free. 7-8 P.M. Santa Monica Yoga,
1640 Ocean Park. Blvd., Santa Monica;
Santamonicayoga.com
America Buddhist monk the Venerable
Sumati Marut offers a perspective on uniting South Asian traditions with the modern Western lifestyle with teachings on the
keys to contentment. Following the evening with Lama Marut is a workshop on
meditation and methods for gaining stability and strength by Cindy Lee.
By donation. 8-10 P.M. Fri. 9th;
1-4:30 P.M. Sat. 10th; Mahasukha Center,
6512 Arizona Ave., Los Angeles, 90045;
Aci-la.org Michael Bolton & Dave Mason Benefit
Saturday, September 10
This fundraising event supports The Michael Bolton Charities, Work Vessels for
Veterans, and Yoga Blue with a morning
Yoga class, brunch, celebrity golf classic
and evening benefit concert. Participate
in one or multiple events from morning
till night.
Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, Ojai;
Michaelboltoncharities.com
Reservations Required. $15 general, $10
Teepeople members & seniors; 7:30 P.M.,
Mark Taper Foundation Amphitheater,
Coldwater Canyon Park, 12601
Mullholland Dr.; (818) 623- 4877;
Treepeople.com / Powerhousetheatre.com
SOMA Fest
September 13-18
The fifth annual event of kinesthetic and
sensory awareness offers embodiment performances, panel discussions, opening and
closing jams, morning Yoga and somatic
warm-ups to start the day of classes and
workshops. The classes are led by celebrated somatic movers such as Anna Halprin,
Emlie Conrad, Simone Forti, Shiva Rea,
and many other amazing artists.
Highways Performance, 1651 18th St.;
Continuum Studio #7, 1629 18th. St.
Santa Monica, CA 90404; Somafest.org
Sita & the Hanumen
Wednesday, September 14
Gaura Vani, percussionist John de Kadt,
and multi-instrumentalist Benjy Wertheimer
share song, story, and sacred fun.
7 P.M. 17 East Anapamu St.,
Santa Barbara, CA; Unity Church of
Santa Barbara, 227 East Arrellaga St.,
Santa Barbara; (805) 564-3573
Lama Marut, Sept. 9-10
David Newman and Mira, Sept. 17th
Nine Nights of Mother Divine, Sept. 29 - Oct. 7
Being Love Now
Friday, September 16
Titans of Yoga
Friday September 23
Rev Michael Bernard Beckwith joins Ram
Dass live from Maui through the webcast to
share the essence of unconditional love and
how to apply it to your daily life. They’re
accompanied by spiritual soul music with
Rickie Byers-Beckwith, the Agape House
Band, Jai Uttal, and Donna Delory.
The film screening of Titans of Yoga will
be opened by a musical performance by J
Brave of the Luminaries. After the screening is a Q&A panel with instructors and
artists Sara Ivanhoe, Scott Lewicki, Eden
Goldman, Terra Gold, J Brave of the Luminaries, and otehrs. Hosted by LA Yoga
Month and the Healing Sciences Teacher
Training Program at LMU.
Adults $25, Students (under 18) $10;
7-10 P.M. Agape International Spiritual
Center, 5700 Buckingham Pkwy,
Culver City, CA 90230; Agapelive.com
Post-Bhakti Fest with Durga Das
Carry joyous, ecstatic, uplifting energy
home with sacred singer-songwriter Durga
Das (David Newman). David and his wife
Mira’s music embodies a devotional mysticism, poetic intimacy, and deep respect for
India's ancient chant tradition.
By donation. 8:30 P.M., Bhakti Yoga
Shala, 207 Arizona, Santa Monica;
Bhaktiyogashala.com
Evening with Louix
Louix Dor Dempriey's non-denominational, timeless expression of wisdom and love
demonstrate how to create peace, compassion and joy within individuals and nations
of the world. Louix offers a discourse with
grace and humor imparting wisdom in contemporary practical teachings.
By donation. 7:30 P.M. First Christian
Church of North Hollywood, 4390
Colfax. Ave, Studio City; Louix.org
By Donation. 7-9 P.M. Ahmanson
Auditorium, Loyola Marymount
University, Los Angeles, CA;
Yogadoctors.com
Yoga Unveiled
Friday, September 30 This documentary offers one of the most
well-respected historical accounts of Yoga's
immersion into the western culture, showing the evolution and essence of a spiritual
tradition. Director Gita Desai will introduce
the film. Following the screening there will
be a panel of master teachers from LMU's
Yoga and Sciences program including Larry
Payne, Phil Goldberg, Lorin Roche, John
Casey, Eden Goldman, and Terra Gold.
By Donation. 7 P.M.
Ahmanson Auditorium,
Loyola Marymount University,
Los Angeles, CA; Yogadoctors.com
Nine Nights of Mother Divine
September 28 - October 7
It’s an ancient tradition: Nine evenings and
a 10th morning of inner silence, singing,
and food, along with special ceremonies
to nurture the subtle impulses that govern
nature. Each of the nine nights of Mother
Divine rejuvenates a different aspect of the
individual and the atmosphere through
the ancient science of yagya. Navaratri is
Sanskrit for nine nights. Just as a person
spends nine months in the womb, nine
nights are spent going inward, harmonizing the feminine forces in creation, erasing negative karma, and emerging on the
10th day transformed in pure love. Art
of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is
sending a special teacher from India to lead
this event. Freewill donation, plus opportunities for personal sankalpa (intention).
The Art of Living Center, 948 W. Adams
Blvd., Los Angeles (310) 820-9429;
Register: ArtoflivingLA.org/courses
(scroll to Navaratri)
Navaratri: Nine Nights of devotion to
the Divine Mother
September 29 - October 7
This celebration calls on the power of the
goddess shakti to bestow wealth, auspiciousness, prosperity, and knowledge upon
us. Attend one or all of the nightly pujas.
Sweets, flowers or other donations are
gratefully accepted.
Free. 7:15 P.M. Wed, Sept 28;
9 P.M. Thurs and Fri. Sept. 29-30;
6 P.M. Sat. Oct 1-2;
9 P.M. Mon. Oct. 3;
9 P.M. Tue Oct. 4;
7:15 P.M. Wed, Oct 5;
9 P.M. Thurs Oct. 6;
6 A.M. Fri Oct 7;
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, 13325
Beach Ave. Marina Del Rey, CA;
(310) 822-9642; Sivananda.org/la
community open doors
COREPOWER
MOVES IN ON WILSHIRE
The collection of CorePower Yoga studios in Southern California is growing with their newest location opening in West LA
on Wilshire and Granville (between Bundy and Barrington).
There are many opportunities to enjoy the studio’s three primary classes: Yoga Sculpt, Hot Power Fusion, and Core Power
Yoga for all levels. CorePower's signature climate-controlled
environments utilize the latest technology to efficiently maintain heat in their Yoga rooms. "We use a unique blend of heat,
humidity, music, and breath to move through postures to facilitate the overall health and well being of our physical bodies," says Wilshire studio manager, Kumudini. Since heat is an
essential component to change and transformation, CorePower Yoga uses a dynamic combination of heat and humidity to
assist the purification of body and mind. "Although the class
experience is intense, you leave feeling energized and so much
better than when you walked in," Kumudini says.
This location houses two large and luxurious Yoga rooms as
well as a range of amenities including changing rooms with
showers and private lockers. CorePower Yoga on Wilshire also
features a full retail boutique showcasing men's and women's
active apparel and Yoga accessories. New CorePower students
may be eligible to receive one week of free Yoga.
By Melissa Chua
BAM BU LAH YOGA
BREATHE BY THE BEACH
> CorePower Yoga Wilshire,
11819 Wilshire Bl. Suite
214-217, Los Angeles, CA
90049; Corepoweryoga.com
Bam Bu Lah Yoga is the newest studio to open its doors in Marina
Del Rey. Brothers Steve and Tim Barraza wanted to create a business that would serve as a way of saying “thank you” and making
a positive contribution to the neighborhoods and communities of
the Marina and South Venice. According to Tim, "The Yoga studio
manifested as we saw the need for a small (and) local accessible
space to practice for ourselves and our neighbors.” With this spirit
of giving back, they felt it was fitting to name their studio after the
Balinese term Bambulah, meaning contribution or offering. Bam Bu Lah offers mixed level classes to fit every yogini and
yogi featuring styles including Vinyasa, Ashtanga, restorative,
and Kundlini Yoga.
The intimate space is graced with an abundance of natural light
and is covered with organic bamboo floors. Bam bu lah also carries
their own unique line of Yoga apparel.
The studio is mere blocks from the beach, so students receive the
benefit of engulfing the fresh ocean air with each inhalation and
exhalation in every asana.
>Bam Bu Lah Yoga, 38 Washington Blvd,
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292; Bambulah.com
Melissa Chua is an LA-based writer who enjoys inversions and playing around with arm
balancing poses. Find her at Rising Lotus Yoga: [email protected]
poetry corner
TO THE CHILD IN THE DRESS
BY KATIE HEERAN
Forgive me, Child.
Awe strikes at my soul with such
forceful abundance that I am
Stunned.
Stunned into a state of swirling
suspension –
Mid-air, floating wildly and centered
completely
At the same time.
And there is no
Time
Like once I knew.
And there is no “I”
Like once I knew.
And the inspiration is not mine
I am only a messenger, through which
Truth passes through
I am in Pause now, eternally
Circling gently in Nature's energy
And for the very first time
I can see with eyes that are Mine
So it is new
It is all new
So to the child in the dress,
May I lay you to rest?
And also take you with me and
never forget?
And the old me dies
While I mourn
And rejoice
And begin another 1000 lives.
Katie Heeran earned her masters degree in clinical
psychology and founded Aria Phoenix Life Coaching.
Her passion for poetry has become an integral part
of her own personal growth. She is working a book
of poetry and is writing a book about her battle with
bulimia. Katie advocates for the awareness of eating
disorders: Ariaphoenix.com
Please submit poetry for consideration to:
[email protected].
community animal seva
LINDA BLAIR
FROM EXORCIST TO ACTIVIST
BY BETH SHAW
Linda Blair may be best known for herheadspinning, green vomit-spewing, and priestbeating role as the possessed teenager in the
1973 film The Exorcist, but it’s her current
role as an animal rescuer and Pit Bull Champion that is truly award-winning. Linda Blair
is a champion for dogs – dogs no one wants as
well as dogs that are abandoned, abused, and
misunderstood.
In childhood, Linda was taught to respect
animal life and had aspirations of becoming a
veterinarian. As an award-winning actress and
public figure, she has chosen to use her position to shed light on the crisis of animal cruelty
in America.
Linda’s first foray into dog rescue came in
the early 1990s after her mother passed away
and a stray pit bull followed her home. In her
attempts to find a family who would adopt the
dog, she learned about the pet overpopulation
crisis and the scandalous numbers of pit bulls
who are killed daily in the State of California.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
To find out more information on
donations, the CafePress store,
eBay auction items, volunteering, or
becoming a foster family, please visit:
Lindablairworldheart.org
Linda Blair (left) and Beth Shaw
New estimates reveal that more than a
quarter million pit bulls are euthanized
annually. Many more are abused, bred
for fighting, and neglected.
For Linda, one dog led to another: she
now runs a nonprofit rescue organization
in Acton housing more than 100 dogs –
mostly large breeds, including pit bulls.
The Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation (LBWF) is a charitable 501(c)(3)
devoted to the loving care and rescue
of animals throughout Los Angeles.
The Foundation relies on generous taxdeductible donations from animal lovers and benevolent souls. Yogis fall into
both categories.
Linda is a true animal lover – she is also
a vegan and a close personal friend, and
I admire her character, determination,
and desire to help find homes for many
unwanted and unloved dogs. Linda has
long been recognized as a talented actress, humanitarian, and animal lover,
having received a coveted City of Los
Angeles Proclamation for her work to
end animal cruelty and suffering. Joining
her in an effort to end animal cruelty are
dedicated friends, supporters, and many
wonderful volunteers without whom the
foundation could not exist.
LBWF is a unique safe haven for animals providing top-quality, lifelong care.
With an emphasis on nutrition, first-class
veterinary services, comfortable facilities,
training, socializing, and of course, an
abundance of love, Linda and her team
succeed in helping dogs find adoptive
homes on a regular basis. They still need
more help, particularly as the current economic crisis has resulted in an increase
in home foreclosures. Homelessness is a
harsh reality facing domesticated animals
that are abandoned or left behind.
Dogs deserve warm, happy, and loving forever homes where they can live in
safety. With your help, more dogs can be
saved and we can work to end the suffering of animals throughout Los Angeles.
Beth Shaw is the founder and president of YogaFit, an
organization dedicated to training Yoga teachers who
believe in the importance of service: yogafit.com. The
organization supports Linda Blair and the WorldHeart
Foundation, buying trees for shade and bringing bedding
and food for the dogs.
community seva in action
LA ROCKS!
OPERATION SHANTI
BY GARTH HEWITT
PHOTOS BY BRANDON CHIANG
When I visited Mysore, India, the source of my vinyasa flow and Mysore practice, I fell in love. I fell in love with the country, the chaos and the contradictions.
I also fell in love with the people.
After practicing at the Yoga Shala, I often passed through a slum where kids
excitedly introduced themselves in perfect English, with wide eyes and beautiful
smiles, wanting me to know they were learning the language in school. My heart
broke every time. They were living in the worst conditions I had ever seen, and
these were the kids who had a home; many kids in India are abandoned by their
parents who can’t afford to feed them.
Some of these abandoned children are lucky enough to land at Operation Shanti,
a nonprofit with an orphanage founded by Tracy Kunichka, an Ashtanga Yoga
student from San Francisco. Many of the visiting yogis practicing in Mysore volunteered here regularly.
Upon returning to LA, the memories of the kids stayed with me, inspiring me
to organize a series of Yoga-related fundraisers to support Operation Shanti. This
morphed into the campaign “Los Angeles Rocks! Operation Shanti,” with a group
of dedicated volunteers including Alex Ward, who encouraged me with the simple
statement, “Let’s go for it. What have we got to lose?” It was time to put the
strength I gained from asana to use making a difference. I wanted to demonstrate >>
Images from Operation Shanti in the Valley.
Garth Hewitt directly above.
<< that the next stage of our evolution isn’t
just our personal transformation, but how
we can be of service.
In a recent conversation with senior
teacher Beryl Bender Birch, she reported
feeling like many people were stuck in the
doorway of asana, so fascinated by the
door, the frame, the hinges, and the doorknob, that most of them didn’t even realize
that they were only standing in the doorway. I’ve been inspired by people in the
community, like Seane Corn, Hala Khouri,
and Suzanne Sterling and Off the Mat, Into
the World; by Brock Cahill traveling to the
Gulf; by Jaime Oliver trying to feed kids
healthy food. Even amidst the challenges
they all face, they prove that with passion
and persistence it is possible to persevere.
It is time for all of us to step out of the
doorway of asana and practice Yoga.
“What can we do to help?” I asked Tracy.
Los Angeles Rocks!
Operation Shanti, on the Westside
When she said the orphanage was overflowing and had far more kids than they
had the capacity to house, we decided to
help them build. So far, we’ve had successful events in the South Bay and the Valley, raising a total of $20,000 toward the
$80,000 needed for another orphanage.
Now we’ll be rocking the Westside on September 17, and demonstrating the power
and strength in action from groups coming
together with intention. We have the collective power to make change.
Garth Hewitt’s dream is to see this campaign through
until the orphanage is built, then continue to organize
community around solving problems and changing the
world: Garthhewittyoga.com
Thanks to the teachers who participated in the Valley:
Chris Armas, Jennifer Black, Elinore Cohen, Michelle
Goldstein, Dice Iida-Klein, Lisa Paskel, Linda PushkinSuffin, and Holli Rabishaw; and the South Bay: Genevieve
Fischer, Greville Henwood, Angela Kukhahn, Suzy Nece,
Julie Rader, Jo Tastula, and Marla Wedge.
Saturday, September 17, 2:00 P.M.
Boys & Girls Club of Venice; 2232 Lincoln Blvd.
The two-hour class will be taught by Garth Hewitt, Ashley Albrand,
Vytas Baskauskas, Cristi Christensen, Ally Hamilton, Kyra Haglund,
Angela Kukhahan, Jennifer Pastiloff, Gigi Snyder and Ashley Turner
with live music by Daniel Stewart and friends. Then stay and party
with DJ Michael Callon and enjoy food, an auction, and raffles.
The top five fundraises will earn prizes.
Sign up at: Garthhewittyoga.com
Become a fan on Facebook at
LARocksOperationShanti or to donate,
email: [email protected]
YOGA GIVES
WE GIVE BACK
THANK YOU MOTHER INDIA:
YOGA GIVES BACK
BY LESLIE HENDRY
Those of us who practice Yoga are grateful for its
gifts. We all have our stories, and our desire to give
back and to some way, somehow, share what Yoga has
meant to us.
Here’s what I know: the physical practice of Yoga
changes the body. As the body changes, our physical,
mental, and emotional well-being improves. So much
so that I’ve made lifelong friends, engaged in studying scripture and philosophy, traveled to practice with
compadres and respected teachers, and now contribute
through Yoga Gives Back (YGB), a nonprofit that helps
women build sustainable livelihoods with microloans
while simultaneously helping their children follow their
dreams through education.
Kayoko Mitsumatsu, one of the founders of Yoga
Gives Back, is a Japanese documentary filmmaker who
calls LA home. Mitsumatsu became aware of the power
of microloans after producing a documentary on the
subject. In her research she met Dr. Muhammad Yunus,
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, founder of the Grameen
Bank, and innovator of microloans as we know them.
As she began exploring the roots of her Yoga practice,
Mitsumatsu’s gratitude sparked her desire to give back
to the country that gave the rest of the world Yoga. This
desire, combined with her understanding of microloans,
inspired the creation of YGB.
“With $25 a month, a struggling woman can start her
own business, or a child can go to school. For the cost
of one Yoga class, you can change a life,” Mitsumatsu
said. After all, seventy-six percent of India’s population
lives below the poverty line while six billion dollars are
spent on Yoga in the U.S. alone each year.
Since its founding in LA in 2007, Yoga Gives Back
has grown with an expanding global network of teachers and volunteers. The proceeds from donation classes
are distributed to women either through the Grameen Foundation or Sister Aid, a direct funding program launched in 2010. Among 22 mothers who have
received microloans in 2011, 15 women are already
running profitable businesses.
The message of Yoga Gives Back is spread by ambassadors such as Jorgen Christiansson, an LA-based
Ashtanga teacher. Christiansson grew up listening to
Indian music drifting out of his dad’s recording studio
in Sweden. In his late teens he set off for the source
of the music to study Yoga and Eastern philosophy.
Twenty years later, Christiansson still maintains an active Ashtanga Yoga practice.
“I've always felt strongly about trying to unite people
from different faiths, cultures, and traditions,” Christiansson said while sitting on the floor of his Culver
City studio, Omkar108, as Hindi bhajans and incense
smoke wafted through the air. “Yoga Gives Back helps
us remember the roots of Yoga and to practice it from
a sincere place.”
Today in India, Yoga continues to transform as techies and middle-class Indians seek out Western-style
studios. Christiansson was recently asked to teach Yoga
in India to Indians. What did he think about the culture
he sought out as a youth then seeking him out as an
adult? “People come to practice from all walks of life,
with their own limitations and reasons, but we realize
through Yoga, the work we do inside is the same.”
Christiansson said, “You reach people’s hearts through
three things: music, food and language.”
We can add a fourth: Yoga.
On September 17, Yoga Gives Back launches their first
global fundraiser, “Thank You Mother India.”
Presently, 50 studios from 10 countries are participating.
Teachers and volunteers devote classes on this day
to raise funds for Yoga Gives Back. Anyone who wants
to give can share in this collective effort. For more
information, visit: yogagivesback.org.
Leslie Hendry is an attorney, writer, and authorized Ashtanga Yoga
teacher. She is the founder of Azawhistle.com
teacher profile
Elyse Briggs
BY SELAH MICHELLE
PHOTO BY JOSH ROSS
"It's about Yoga, community and getting people from
the same neighborhood together who wouldn't otherwise be in the same room." This is the founding principle of the studio Elyse Briggs owns and where she
teaches regularly, Yoga at the Village.
The students who have been frequenting the studio for
years share her enthusiasm for connecting, and it’s an
attitude that permeates the studio. Elyse, with her bright
smile and lighthearted quips, makes the rounds of mats
as she checks in with students getting quick little updates. She creates the accepting space within the studio
with words of confidence to dispel students’ doubt. Her
background as an actor reveals itself in her comfort in
the room, but everyone knows her attention is genuine.
Considering she’s such a believer in the practice, Elyse
was a reluctant yogi. At age 19, her concept of Yoga
was humming, smelling incense, and sitting still; she
only took up the practice while in acting school in the
1970s because the fencing class was full. In the ‘80s, her
attention shifted to pink spandex and aerobics before
Yoga called again. Elyse says, “It became very clear very
quickly that Yoga made me a better actor. The more I
truly practiced, the more I worked." Through her career
acting, Elyse would find herself rubbing tense shoulders
and no one complained so she decided to study massage.
She encourages clients to migrate from the massage table to a Yoga class, whether at the Village or elsewhere.
"I believe that healing comes from within ourselves. You
can receive bodywork and still not get better. If it comes
from inside, and you are self-motivated in your healing,
it's more likely to happen faster."
Elyse brings the same philosophy to the studios’ teacher training. At the 200- and 500-hour levels, students
are exposed to various lineages and styles of Yoga including Ashtanga, Iyengar, and Viniyoga in order to find
out what speaks to them from the inside.
Cultivating self-awareness as a teacher is important,
Elyse believes. After 16 years of teaching Yoga, she says
that the easiest pose for a teacher to practice may be the
most challenging to teach. This is because the ability of
the students may be different than that of the person
leading the class. Developing a personal practice for her
means to simply move with breath, in and out of the
asana room.
“I’m a firm advocate of adjusting the Yoga to the student and not the other way around. I realize that a student may not be able to do what I'm asking them to do
in the way that I can do it. Knowing that they are trying
the best they can is enough. If I ask for more I may be
asking them to hurt themselves.”
Elyse’s words, presence, and gestures embody the
compassion, intuition and acceptance she wishes to
transmit to others, whether she is standing in line at the
bank with someone or there’s the presence of the Yoga
mat. When she’s teaching, she reminds students to back
off, find humor, and to not take themselves too seriously
during class. "I believe that if you give yourself a break,
you end up giving whomever you run into a break, too."
Watching students learn how to relax, observe, and
accept, to choose a different pattern when their default
mechanism may be to struggle with new postures and
sensations and then become frustrated, keeps Elyse inspired as a teacher and studio owner.
Over the years, she has worked with all different ages
and skill levels and knows that exercise gets more difficult once a person stops their routine. From this theory
came the creation of her new DVD, Stretch in Time,
which features five simple poses geared towards senior
health.
Elyse says, "My motto is, ‘Introduce your mind to
your body. They might just like each other.’ If you can
get students in touch with their bodies and help them
to know why they have back or shoulder pain or headaches, then they are making connections. If I can introduce that connection, here at Yoga at the Village, then
it’s no longer just a Yoga studio. It’s a place where people can come to heal.
For more information on Yoga at the Village or Elyse
Briggs, please visit: Yogaatthevillage.com
Selah Michelle follows her heart by exploring the multitude of Yoga
practices available in LA.
sitting down with
Mark Johnson
INSTIGATOR OF PLAYING FOR CHANGE
BY FELICIA M. TOMASKO
I first heard it during Erich Schiffmann’s
signature freeform portion of class where he
cranks up the day’s playlist. It was a version
of the Stones’ classic “Gimme Shelter,” with
some creative percussive elements combined
with a calypso beat and these off-the-charts
female vocalists belting out the lyrics. It
made for an uplifting accompaniment to my
practice, yet it also stopped me in my tracks.
“What was this?” I wondered. It wasn’t
long before I found the answer: “Gimme
Shelter,” recorded by artists from around
the world, is one of the songs and videos on
Playing for Change’s latest audio and video
compilation pioneering the newest frontiers
of world music.
Mark Johnson began this far-reaching,
ambitious, and hopefully paradigm-shifting
project eager for reactions like mine. Hopefully, we would do more than simply listen
but we would become inspired to see ourselves as part of a larger community.
On this quest, he and his crew have produced two audio and video compilations
with musicians and singers from around
the world, famous and obscure. They have
contributed their signature rhythms to create new versions of songs such as Playing
for Change’s first, “Stand by Me,” and the
opening track of the recent album, “Three
Little Birds,” along with Sanskrit mantras
and original anthems. Johnson and friends
are still recording and traveling in support
of the nonprofit Playing for Change Foundation, part of whose mission is to build
schools, help kids study music, and connect
young and old from disparate regions of
world.
Felicia M Tomasko: How do you choose
songs and musicians?
Mark Johnson: In the beginning, we had
no plan; we could have just parachuted
into places. After the first project “Stand by
Me,” we became known, so it was easier to
find musicians in advance but still most of it
happens by showing up and working with a
local music guide.
As far as songs, some of our first, such
as “Stand by Me” and “One Love” were
chosen because they were two of the best
mantras for the world to sing together.
Then, the more we traveled, the more we
saw poverty, war and all these stupid things
and we realized we needed music for that
too, music that takes you from the darkness
to the light, so we recorded “War/No more
Trouble” by Bob Marley. We had Bono sing
the line, “Until the color of a man’s skin is
of no more significance than the color of
his eyes, everywhere is war,” because we
wanted everyone to hear it. The idea was to
understand that triumph is as important as
celebration and we wanted to have both of
those aesthetics covered.
FMT: How did you cover these aesthetics in
Playing for Change 2?
MJ: The album opens with “Three Little
Birds.” The beginning was recorded in Kirina, Mali. Kirina is a 1,000-year-old village
of musicians, without running water or electricity but with musicians who have lived for
an average of 75 generations on the same
land. It’s so deep with music. To support
this, the Foundation, with the elders and the
community, built a music school.
The famous West African singer Baaba
Maal came with us to Kirina. For him it
was like going to Atlantis; in school, you
hear about Kirina but you don’t think it’s
real. He started to play “Three Little Birds,”
West African style, with one chord, sitting
under a mango tree with all these kids and
elders, singing, “Every little thing gonna be
all right.”
We wanted that feeling to start the record.
Again, we wanted to do something for the
homeless, the lost, and the forgotten, to inspire everyone to connect to the urgency in
the world today, so we included songs like
“Gimme Shelter” and John Lennon’s “Imagine,” with a campaign to start schools.
We recorded original songs, too. “Music
is my Ammunition” was a mantra for the
project. Sometimes it gets that hard in the
world that music needs to be considered ammunition. Here, maybe music is my joy. In
some areas, such as parts of South Africa,
people said to us, “Here, we play music to
stay as far away from the grave as possible.”
To make a project about music, you need to
respect everybody’s reasons for music. Overcoming obstacles and rising up together of
people are important themes.
FMT: What is your own reason for music?
MJ: When I started working in music in
New York City I was inspired by the realization that music is a great connector between seemingly different kinds of groups
of people. Then during this time, a day on
the subway shifted my ideas about what
made great music. I heard two monks in
robes on a packed subway station platform: one playing a guitar, the other singing, I don’t know in what language. I
looked around in shock to see some people
in tears, others smiling. This revealed to
me the fact that music is not just in a studio; it’s everywhere and it stimulated the
idea for the Playing for Change project.
FMT: How has this project shaped your
perspective of world music?
MJ: World music used to be anything
that wasn’t American or British, but real
world music is the world playing music
together. That’s when you start to see different peoples’ history connect to create
something new.
FMT: During such a wide-ranging and
sometimes intense global venture, how
does your practice keep you in balance?
MJ: I never would have survived this project without Yoga. You tell someone you
want to make songs around the world; they
ask, “What are you talking about?” There
was no reference point when we started, so
there was a lot of struggle and Yoga was
the fuel. Yoga and music are both tools to
make the world better, and I think that’s
why there’s such a strong connection between the two.
FMT: What has touched you most?
MJ: I’m most touched by the fact that
people from diverse parts of the world are
connecting to each other in ways that otherwise weren’t possible; we’ve had people
from 193 countries visit the website.
Sept. 17 is Playing for Change Day, a day
when musicians and fans of music around
the world can support efforts for education
and global connection through the Playing through Change Foundation. Through
video and the internet, Playing for Change
is striving to connect artists and students in
dispersed communities across the planet.
Playingforchange.com
Felicia M. Tomasko is the Editor-in-Chief of LAYoga.
ayurveda Q and A
The ayurvedic
benefits of turmeric
BY PRASHANTI DE JAGER, MS
QUESTION: I’ve heard that turmeric is used often in
Ayurveda. How can turmeric help my Yoga practice?
Turmeric is a great food for the yogi and yogini
for the following reasons:
ANSWER: According to Dr. David Frawley, “If I
only had a single herb to depend upon for all possible
health and dietary needs, I would without much hesitation choose the Indian spice turmeric. There is little
that it cannot do in the realm of healing and much that
no other herb is able to accomplish.”
It is one of the most potent purifying herbs in Ayurveda, cleansing all the bodies including physical and subtle, from muscles to marmas (subtle points of energy in
the body, akin to the acupressure points).
The Latin name for turmeric is Curcuma longa. It
is a member of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). The
rhizome, which is the underground horizontal stem, is
often used. It is processed by first boiling, followed by
curing, drying, grinding, and extracting.
Turmeric is an earthy herb growing in hot, moist,
tropical climates where microbial attack would be
standard. It has developed a chemical defense system
from these attacks. It is this that also defends us from
parasites, carcinogens, and oxidation when we use turmeric. Botanists believe that it is probably indigenous
to Bihar, the North Indian state famous for its Mithala
art and Buddhist holy places. Still today it grows there
seemingly better than any other place in the world,
with the possible exception Of Orissa and Hawaii.
If you want to grow turmeric, remember that it loves
moist rich soil and shade. After planting the root will
appear to be dormant for several months. Typically it
is dormant during the winter, and may appear dead as
the leaves fall off, but the plant will come back with
green leaves and flowers on a stem in the cluster of the
leaf stalks. The yellow and white flower clusters are
several inches long—turmeric is as visually attractive
as it is medicinally healing.
Turmeric helps to normalize the immune system by
boosting it in times of need and calming it when it is
working too hard for the given situation.
Turmeric is one of the safest herbs. This root has been
studied for toxicity and found to be safe even in large
doses. In India, it is a spice frequently used two or three
times daily, every day. Since it is so healing, it can cause
a healing crisis or can act quickly on the body. If a person feels the effects of a healing crisis, it is important to
lower the dose and to nurture the body more.
It increases flexibility. Turmeric is known as a yogi’s
herb because it helps to make the tendons and ligaments
moist, flexible, and strong. Having strong tendons will
reduce the incidence of strains and sprains and if you
are injured, turmeric will help reduce the swelling, the
pain, and will accelerate the healing. You can take large
doses internally when you are injured as well as cover
the affected area with turmeric. Blend the turmeric with
almond oil and apply the paste to the sprain or wound.
The Yogi's Herb:
Turmeric reduces pain and inflammation
from workouts which means that the spice:
Allows one to perfect their asanas,
•
Stay in asanas longer.
•
Stay in asanas with greater ease.
The source books of Yoga declare that the asana
should be easy and relaxed*
•
The herb has an anti-inflammatory effect more potent than drugs and is a traditional Ayurvedic remedy used for arthritis.
Turmeric both increases and purifies
prana and facilitates the flow of prana in
the body.
Turmeric is one of the best herbs for
your liver.
Additionally, turmeric is a powerful
antioxidant. Daily use maximizes its
antioxidant effects. Oxidation, and free
radicals can damage cells and DNA and
is thus a major player in aging and a part
to some extent in every chronic disease
known. Turmeric is considered to be the
strongest antioxidant against the hydroxyl molecule, which is the most reactive of
the oxidants.
Try turmeric as a spice in cooking, an ingredient in smoothies (powered, fresh, or
even juiced), as a regular supplement; try
it mixed with ghee and milk to strengthen
the body and reduce the effects of trauma,
or use it externally on the skin (careful, as
turmeric will stain!).
This desert island herb is seen in Ayurveda as “the earthly herb of the sun,” and
is considered to be one of the most outstanding medicinal herbs. Use it well.
Prashanti de Jager MS has lived ten out of the past 20
years in India studying with saints, Tibetan lamas, and
Ayurvedic Vaidyas. He is one of the founders of Ayurveda
Organics, Om Organics, and Organic India (Organicindiausa.com), which in 2005 earned the Most Socially
Responsible Business Award at Natural Products Expo
East as it supports the sustainable organic biodynamic
fair trade agricultural working environments for 200,000
people living in India. He teaches and writes frequently
about Yoga and Ayurveda: prashantidejager.com. He is
the author of Turmeric, the Ayurvedic Spice of Life, from
which this article was adapted.
*Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras states in sutra 2.46: “Sthira sukham asanam.”
The posture should be steady, filled with ease and comfortable.
yoga therapy
Breathing, Moving, and Dissolving Samskaras:
HEALING PTSD WITH YOGA
BY MICHAEL BLAHUT
Your breath quickens as your lungs expand to take in
extra oxygen. Your body begins to mobilize fats and glucose for in-demand energy. Your senses are sharpened
and your heart begins to beat faster – directing blood
flow away from organs and toward your brain and skeletal muscles preparing you to spring into action. These
are some of the events that take place in the body when
you find yourself in any stressful situation and your nervous system signals your adrenal glands to release hormones that prepare your body to fight or flee.
The activation of the sympathetic nervous system
(SNS) is determined by our reaction to our perceived
environment, moment to moment. The sympathetic nervous system is countered by the parasympathetic nervous system, the body’s relaxation response that allows
us to rest, digest, and rejuvenate. They’re both adaptive
mechanisms in the body. But if we live too long in the
fight-or-flight response or experience a traumatic event
that keeps us locked in the activity of the SNS, we begin
to reprogram our nervous system, and not necessarily in
the way that benefits us.
“Your mind gets stuck in the deep groove created by
the trauma and your memory keeps replaying it over
and over again,” says Swami Sitaramananda, director
at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm, who works with
survivors of trauma around the world and leads teacher
trainings for people wanting to work with those affected
by trauma. For us yogis, Swami Sita’s description is the
real-world definition of samsakara.
Accessing the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is a
powerful tool when running to high ground from a tsunami, getting out of the way when a car on the freeway
pulls in front of you suddenly, escaping from a burning
house, taking cover during a military attack, but is not
so efficient for enjoying and digesting a large family dinner. Chronic activation of the SNS can be a factor in
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a condition that
can occur after an illness, death of a loved one, unexpected accident, physical or sexual assault, war or terrorist attack, and even natural disasters.
“People with PTSD lose their way in the world. Their
bodies continue to live in an internal environment of the
trauma,” explains Dr. Bessel Van der Kolk, considered to
be one of the world’s leading authorities on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Since the 1970s, this clinician,
researcher and teacher has done pioneering work on the
neuroscience of trauma and its impact on development,
thinking, feeling and body sensations.
Often PTSD sufferers have difficulty sleeping at night;
they experience low appetite, anxiety, and depression.
They live in fear in everyday situations. Flashbacks of
traumatic events and experiencing hyper-vigilance make
it more difficult for them to be in the present moment.
Military veterans are prime examples of people who
experience such paralyzing and life-altering symptoms.
Often veterans return from their duty with no training
on how to discharge the effects of what their nervous
system and all of the layers of their physical and subtle
bodies have been subjected to while living in combat,
nor do they have training on how to re-adapt to a less
hostile lifestyle. They no longer trust their bodies or
feel safe in their environments. They are out of touch
with their physical sensations, and have trouble taking care of themselves or their families. Traumatized
veterans are finding it increasingly difficult to connect
and relate to those they love, thus perpetuating painful
cycles of PTSD.
According to statistics reported by the Veterans Affairs (VA), as many as 20% of veterans of the Iraq and
Afghanistan wars have PTSD; 10% of Gulf War vets
and 30% of Vietnam vets are diagnosed with the disorder. PTSD is the fourth most common service-related
disability for service members receiving benefits and an
average of four to five veterans commit suicide each
day. In addition to these numbers, approximately 23%
of women reported they were sexually assaulted in the
military and 55% of women and 38% of men experienced sexual harassment while serving. Military Sexual
Assault (MSA) is a known factor in PTSD.
Service men and women returned from areas of high
threats are left to themselves to seek solutions. Psychiatric and psychological help are given after a long process
of paperwork and interviews, which may affect their
ranking and security levels. Only those with debilitating symptoms are encouraged to seek treatment which
often includes a regimen of medication and psychological therapy. There is even a stigma attached to seeking
services for PTSD
The good news is that the military is beginning to encourage research into more cost-effective measures to >>
yoga therapy
<< treat PTSD. Yoga and Yoga-based techniques have gained credibility in the past
few years due to high success rates and low
cost of treatment. Military bases around
the nation are now hiring Yoga and meditation teachers.
At Camp Pendleton in San Diego, the Marine Corps Community Services Semper Fit
program offers six Yoga classes a week. In
Pensacola, Florida, Navy SEALs are using
Yoga breathing techniques to help with diving as well as using Yoga postures to train
them to fit in small spaces for long periods
of time. Military pilots are staying flexible and improving their posture with vinyasa Yoga. It might seem ironic to include
Yoga practices – meant to encourage greater peace – into the military, but more and
more people are realizing the physical and
mental benefits. Soldiers can be yogis, too.
Results from a preliminary study funded
by the U.S. Defense Department, led by
Dr. Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, an assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Woman’s
Hospital and Harvard Medical School,
found that veterans diagnosed with PTSD
showed improvement after ten weeks of
Yoga classes done twice a week.
The Walter Reed Army Medical Center
in Washington, D.C. offers Yoga-inspired
deep relaxation classes to veterans returning home from combat.
Healing PTSD with Yoga is not just a
quick pill you take every morning. “For
someone to heal from PTSD, one must
learn how to control bodily reflexes,” says
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk. “Yoga offers a way
to reprogram automatic physical responses.
Mindfulness, learning to become a careful
observer of the ebb and flow of internal
experience, is an important component in
healing PTSD.”
Integrated Restoration, or iRest, a technique inspired from the classical Yoga Nidra, was created by Richard Miller to calm
the nervous system, release deeper emotions and thought patterns, and develop a
capacity to address all circumstances that
life brings. Richard is the founding president and CEO of the Integrative Restoration Institute, as well as the co-founder of
the The International Association of Yoga
Therapy. After several studies proved the
effectiveness of this simple form of relaxation and breathing method, the iRest
technique is being adopted into weekly
treatment programs for VA facilities, as
well as homeless shelters, hospitals, and
schools around the country.
Another well-studied technique adapted
to aid trauma victims is Sudarshan Kriya
Yoga (SKY). Rooted in traditional Yoga
and taught by the Art of Living Foundation,
it involves several types of cyclical breathing patterns, ranging from slow and calming to rapid and stimulating. People using
SKY techniques for PTSD symptoms have
reported relief from trauma related memories, emotions, sensations, and physiologic
reactions.
Simple Yoga practices applied safely and
effectively have been reliable in reducing
stress, anxiety, and depression even under
often chaotic conditions. Sudarshan Kriya
Yoga techniques have been successfully
applied to counseling of evacuees from
YOGA FOR TRAUMA RESOURCES
Yoga for Vets
This nonprofit organization was founded in 2007 by Paul Zipes, a former Navy Deep Sea Diver
who has seen first-hand the benefits of Yoga in his own life as well as in the lives of other service people. Yoga for Vets encourages teachers and studios to offer four free classes for veterans or servicepeople and provides resources. Yoga for Vets will be hosting a Yoga event on
Veterans Day, November 11, 2011 in Los Angeles. For more information, visit: Yogaforvets.org
Los Angeles Classes
"Re-integrating into society is not an easy thing. You can't just take the uniform off and go
back to your old life. We want to help those people who are having problems with stress,
substance abuse and anger–because I've been there and understand what these people are
going through.”–Tim Withee
Yoga for Vets with Tim Withee, Tuesdays 2-3:30 P.M. Silverlake Yoga, 2810 ½ Glendale Blvd,
Los Angeles, CA 90039; (323) 953-0496; Silverlakeyoga.com
Yoga for PTSD with Barry J. Schweiger at The Yoga Loft, Fridays at 3:30 P.M. and Saturdays
3:30-5 P.M. 21228 Ventura Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA. (818) 710-9057; Yogaloftla.com
Books
Overcoming Trauma through Yoga by David Emerson E-RYT and Elizabeth Hopper PhD with
forwards by Peter A. Levine PhD and Stephen Cope MSW and an introduction by Bessel van
der Kolk MD (Random House, 2011) Emerson is the coordinator of the Yoga services program
at the Trauma Center at the Justice Resource Institute and the founder of the nonprofit Black
Lotus Yoga Project. The Trauma Center at the Justice Resource Center has resources for Yoga
teachers: traumacenter.org. Emerson will be teaching at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health
October 30 - November 4, 2011; Kripalu.org
iRest Yoga Nidra
Integrative Restoration Institute (IRI) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) committed to excellence in
complementary and alternative medicine. Collaborating with research partners, IRI provides
advanced training for health care professionals, yoga teachers and individuals looking to facilitate their own personal growth. iRest Yoga Nidra, one of the principle programs offered by IRI,
is an evidence-based transformative practice of deep relaxation and meditative inquiry. iRest
aims to assist one in releasing negative emotions and thought patterns, calm the nervous
system, and develop a deep capacity to meet any and all circumstances you may encounter
in life. Research has shown that iRest effectively helps reduce PTSD, depression, anxiety,
insomnia, chronic pain, and chemical dependency. Training programs in iRest are available.
Please visit: irest.us
Yoga Warriors
This evidence-based Yoga program is designed to teach instructors how to work specifically
with veterans using Yoga. Training programs are offered in different locations and teachers
can be found throughout the world (including California) on the website: Yogawarriors.com
Yoga for Healing Trauma Retreat
ransform traumatic experiences and learn how to help others who have faced trauma in this
intensive led by Swami Sitaramananda and Molly Birkholm. This retreat will be held at the
Sivananda Ashram in Vietnam, Swami Sitaramananda’s home country and will help participants understand the anatomy of trauma from different perspectives using the power of the
different paths of Yoga including love and forgiveness: Sivanandayogavietnam.org
Hurricane Katrina, as well as hundreds of
New Yorkers after the September 11, 2001
World Trade Center terrorist attacks.
Ancient breathing and meditation practices have now entered the realm of critical
research. Scientists are observing how Yoga
can modulate physiologic systems as well as
re-map neurologic pathways. The Harvard
Mental Health Letter reported that people
who have a poorly regulated response to
stress are more sensitive to pain. The study
noted that yoga practitioners, as compared
to fibromyalgia patients and healthy people
who didn't do yoga, had the highest pain
tolerance and lowest pain-related brain activity during an MRI.
The power of Yoga to help people remain
in the moment and consciously regulate
their nervous systems is a key component
to healing PTSD. In an interview in the Integral Yoga Magazine, Dr. Bessel Van der
Kolk explains “Yoga teaches us that there
are things we can do to change our brainstem arousal system, our sympathetic and
parasympathetic nervous systems and to
quiet the brain.”
Yoga programs designed for those with
PTSD often combine stretches, breath practices, meditation, and group discussions
with psycho-education. It has been found
more helpful to first learn to regulate physiology with breath, postures, and conscious
relaxation, then slowly incorporate meditation. Many Yoga teachers are finding that
PTSD sufferers have a difficult time being
in silence due to the memory of trauma. To
calm the mind with focused activities of the
body is at the core of any Yoga practice,
and the reason why we return to the mat
day after day.
Pantanjali writes in the Yoga Sutra II.16,
“Suffering that has not yet arisen can be
avoided.” At the heart of PTSD is a deep
Samskara of the fight-or-fight response.
Our Yoga practice deals directly with the
mind-body connection and brings in new
ways to address what the moment reveals
to us – creating new pathways for action.
When a situation triggers a traumatic
memory, instead of resorting to aggression
or fear, there are other options: conscious
movement and deep breathing to teach us
that we are free to choose.
Michael Blahut is a bodyworker and yoga instructor. He
helps manage the Shiatsu Massage School of California
and can be contacted at [email protected]
yoga+style
BY THE LA YOGA TEAM
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TAI KERBS & KELLY KOLTERMAN
first time for everything. At LA Yoga, we
decided it was our first time to play with palettes and
There’s a
try our hand with a feature of clothing and accessories. In
order to usher
in the fall season of fashion,
the LA Yoga team gathered a collection of creative items
fashion-forward, conscious and
fun companies and put together these ensembles.
from some
While everything we had around the office didn’t quite make it
into these pages (we’d need the entire magazine!), we loved
exploring the variety of products available to enhance
the 24-7 Yoga lifestyle we enjoy. It’s an oft-heard
comment: “We vote with our dollar," and it's a phrase we kept
in our
minds and our hearts as we were talking to
designers, artists, stylists, and people making their creative
mark through
Yoga inspired fashion. What we buy
does make a difference, both in our personal lives and in our
communities, so we want to share
the inspiration.
Lauren wears Shiva V-Neck Dolman Top by Jala Clothing; jalaclothing.com
layer+move
Yoga clothing is designed to move with the body. Layer your practice wear
under your clothes. Functional yoga fashion inspires GGO's cotton/bamboo clothes,
while Dude Girl's western-inspired skirt layers perfectly over your leggings.
Energy Muse
Wealth Necklace
energymuse.com
Prana
Gillian Satchel
prana.com
GGO Clothing
Original Pop Top
ggoclothing.com
GGO Clothing
Eco-Thermal Undershirt
ggoclothing.com
Juil
Brio Sandal
juil.com
Dude Girl
Green Skirt
dudegirl.com
bold+free
Sling your mat into your backpack and get moving with these men's hemp-based
separates from Natural High Lifestyle. Rudraksha beads strung in a mala
summon the powerful, bold, warrior-like energy of Shiva, the ultimate yogi.
Natural High Lifestyle
Men's Organic Hoodie
naturalhighlifestyle.com
GGO Clothing
Warrior 2 Practice Tee
ggoclothing.com
Eco Yoga Mat
Bali Malas
Rudraksha mala
balimalas.com
Lululemon
West Coast Backpack
lululemon.com
Martial Artist Pants
stretch+flow
Sometimes being earthy can also
be electric, as showcased in this
stretchy ensemble. Juil's new
selection of shoes are complete with
copper inserts to connect to the
Earth’s magnetic fields. V-Keen uses
original handprinted patterns while
Be Present puts a new spin on reuse
with their elite line made with 88%
recycled materials.
Prana
Women's Organic
Headband
prana.com
V-Keen
Halter Top
v-keen.com
Be Present
Renew Elite Tank
bepresent.com
One-O-Eight Malas
Handmade
Sacred Malas
108malabeads.com
Yoga Styles
Hip Pack with Om
yogastyles.com
Juil
Brio Sandal
juil.com
Be Present
Renew Elite
Lounge Pants
bepresent.com
easy+fun
Jala Clothing's cheery vibes will easily stretch
out the warmth of summer in our hearts.
Paired with an Om that proclaims your
love of Yoga with every step, these
foldover pants segue perfectly from
studio to street. With new fabrics
(think Sutras) for mats, have fun and
practice outside in the sun.
GGO Clothing
Spaghetti Strap
Long Tank
ggoclothing.com
Jala Clothing
Shiva V-Neck
Dolman Top
jalaclothing.com
One-O-Eight Malas
Handmade
Sacred Malas
108malabeads.com
Bendala Living
Cotton Yoga Mat
bendalaliving.com
Yogitoes Skidless®
Sutra Collection
yogitoes.com
Jala Clothing
Metallic K Om
Gathered Waist
Yoga Pants
jalaclothing.com
comfort+style
For a new take on Yoga style try mixing and
matching the tried and true tank with leggings
with rouched ankles and a skirt that creates
a flirty post-practice flair. We found
inspiration in Hardtail’s leggings
and silk blouse. It’s a great combo
to roll with from Saturday morning
late into the night.
100% Bamboo
Knit Scarves
Lululemon
Turbo Tank
lululemon.com
Energy Muse
Protection Charm
energymuse.com
MeSheeky
Trixie Skirt
Mesheeky.com
Energy Muse
Gratitude Bracelet
energymuse.com
V-Keen
Long Legging
v-keen.com
Rachel Wears Hardtail
Shirt and Leggings
hardtail.com
Brianna Wears GGO
Organic Bamboo
Wrap Dress
ggoclothing.com
Sweetevie
Crystal Cave Necklace
Crystal Ring
Crystal Hoop Earrings
sweetevie.com
Ojai Malas
Hand-knotted
carnelian and
semi-precious
gemstone mala
ojaimalas.com
food and home farmers' corner
TO MARKET WE GO!
Celebrating 30 Years of
The Santa Monica Farmers Market
“Thank you for growing this! This is so good!” The
Santa Monica Farmers Market supervisor Laura Avery
raves about the sweet ripe strawberry from Harry’s Berries, a long-time vendor at the Wednesday market. It’s
these interactions with food, farmers, and people who
appreciate the taste of a fresh strawberry that fuels Avery’s inspiration – it’s a good thing as her inspiration has
had a long shelf life. The Market is celebrating 30 years
at the Good Food Festival September 14-18, and Avery
has been the supervisor for 29.
Some other berries are igniting Avery’s passion. Today
its Persian mulberries, and Avery says, “Thank God for
mulberries and for farmers turning us onto them!” Mulberries were initially planted to ward off birds, but after
farmers realized customers craved their taste, berries are
now harvested for local farmers markets.
Mulberries are an example of the shift within the local economy of a farmers market away from a focus on
uniformity and shipping stability to varieties prized for
flavor and nutrition. “As soon as food becomes a commodity, it all becomes about price and volume. Farmers
find themselves on treadmills; they continually have to
grow more and sell cheaper. They can’t win,” Avery said.
For this reason, Avery encourages farmers to directly interact with customers who appreciate what they grow.
Through face-to-face contact, growers can shift to meet
the demand of families and chefs. Case in point: When
Weiser Family Farms joined the market in 1982, they
BY RED JEN FORD
were a financially struggling commercial apple grower.
Developing relationships with chefs and specialty produce buyers taught Alex Weiser about the demand for
produce with superior taste picked at its peak of ripeness.
Weiser Family Farms have completely transformed their
mono-crop orchard to a bio-diverse farm known for their
varieties of potatoes and other root vegetables, melons,
stone fruit, squash, beans, blackberries, and the highly
coveted Persian mulberries.
This interaction goes both ways. According to Avery,
a shopper’s “dollar is multi-tasking at a farmers market,” since we’re supporting the vitality of the sustainable
farming community. At many farmers markets, growers
maintain standards stricter than USDA requirements set
forth in the 2000 Farm Bill. The SMFM enforces guidelines for sustainability and disclosure. This is important
because the USDA regulations are looser than those espoused by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF).
So farms may not choose to pay to be certified organic.
Consumer education is important; says Avery, “A better educated customer is a better customer.” A role of
the market manager, like a Yoga teacher, is to cultivate
awareness. In this case, it’s awareness of the importance
of growing practices that take the health of everything
from the soil to the final consumer into account. Every
bite we take is an opportunity to choose our health, the
health of the planet, and our community, including our
local farmers.
Red Jen Ford is a
certified holistic health
coach, Yoga instructor
and manager of the
Westwood Farmers’
Market. Redjenford.com
The Santa Monica Farmers Market
is celebrating their 30th anniversary at
the Good Food Festival Sept. 14-17.
The multi-day event will also feature
a food policy and public health
summit, the Good Food for Thought
series, demonstrations by celebrity
chefs, a financing farm to fork
conference and lots more.
For more information visit:
Goodfoodfestivals.com/santamonica
Pictured: Laura Avery with a SMFM farmer
food and home recipes
SUPER GRANOLA
MAKES 6 CUPS
1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup raw Brazil nuts,
coarsely chopped
½ cup raw shelled sunflower seeds
½ cup raw whole almonds,
coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons melted
unrefined coconut oil
½ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup brown rice syrup
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ cup dried apricots, diced
¼ cup dried goji berries
¼ cup dried Hunza mulberries
¼ cup golden raisins
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat
the oven to 300°F. Line a large, heavy baking sheet
with parchment paper.
Mix the oats, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, almonds,
cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
Granola has long been thought of as hippie food. I call this granola
“Super Hippie” because it contains superfoods like goji berries and
Hunza mulberries, which make it even more nutrition-packed than
the original.
The best granola has just the right amount of sweetness and crunchiness and has been baked to a golden brown. For perfectly balanced
sweetness, cut the maple syrup with rice syrup. Rice syrup is also essential to the texture, as it helps create clusters, which granolalovers
know are key to exceptional results (ideally, granolas are equal parts
loose ingredients and small clusters). If you don’t have coconut oil on
hand, using an unflavored neutral cooking oil is fine.
Granola makes a great snack on its own and is delicious served
with any nondairy milk, including homemade nut milk.
Heat the coconut oil in a small, heavy saucepan over
low heat. Add the maple syrup, rice syrup, water,
and vanilla, and whisk just until blended and heated
through. Drizzle the syrup mixture over the oat mixture, and stir with a whisk to coat. Spoon the granola
mixture evenly over the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the granola for about 40 minutes, or until it is
golden brown and clusters form. As the granola bakes,
gently stir it about every 15 minutes with a fork to ensure it cooks evenly but being careful not to break up
the clusters. Add the dried apricots, goji berries, mulberries, and raisins and continue baking for 10 minutes
longer. Set the granola aside to cool (it will become
crunchy when cool).
The granola can be stored in an airtight container for
up to 2 weeks.
Recipe taken from The Real Food Daily Cookbook by Ann Gentry.
food and home recipes
MY NIÇOISE
SERVES 4
8 ounces slender green beans, trimmed
4 medium red-skinned potatoes, cut into
½-inch-thick wedges
Vinaigrette
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salad
1 large head butter lettuce, separated
3 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges,
or 10 to 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 log Peppercorn-Crusted Tofu
Chèvre, sliced into rounds (recipe on right page)
¹⁄3 cup Niçoise olives or kalamata olives
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1½ tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Cook the green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water
until they are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and submerge the green beans in a bowl of ice water just until they
are cold. Drain the green beans again and pat dry. Set aside.
Place the potatoes in a steamer basket set in a saucepan
filled with 1 inch of simmering water. Cover and steam
until they are just tender and still hold their shape, about
8 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
Depending on how strict you are, a Niçoise salad without
tuna can still be called a Niçoise. This traditional salad has
always been vegetable-based, with interesting flavors and
textures coming from thin green beans, olives, and tomatoes,
among the many other ingredients. I like to toss the components together in a bowl, combining the flavors and textures,
rather than arranging some elements separately on a platter,
as is done for a composed salad. Instead of tuna, I use homemade Peppercorn-Crusted Tofu Chèvre (see recipe on right).
Vinaigrette: While the vegetables are cooling, whisk the lemon juice, shallot, mustard, thyme, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in the oil to blend well.
Salad: Arrange the lettuce on a serving platter or in a large
shallow salad bowl. Place the green beans, potatoes, and tomatoes in a large bowl. Toss with enough of the vinaigrette
to coat, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the
beans, potatoes, and tomatoes atop the lettuce. Arrange the
tofu cheese slices amid the vegetables. Sprinkle the olives, capers, and parsley over the salad. Spoon more vinaigrette over
the salad and serve immediately.
These recipes are printed with permission
from The Real Food Daily Cookbook:
Really Fresh, Really Good, Really Vegetarian
by Ann Gentry.
TOFU CHÈVRE
MAKES 1 (13-OUNCE) LOG
1 (12-ounce) container waterpacked
extra-firm tofu, drained and halved
1 large clove garlic
2 tablespoons yellow miso
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
Pat the tofu dry with paper towels. Set the
tofu in a colander and set the colander over
a bowl to collect all the liquid that drains
from the tofu. Cover the tofu with plastic
wrap, then place 3 heavy cans, each at least
14 ounces, on the tofu to weigh it down.
This weight will help extract all the excess
liquid from the tofu. Refrigerate the tofu
for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Mince the garlic in a food processor. Pat
the tofu halves with paper towels to absorb
any excess moisture, then add the tofu to
the food processor. Add the miso, 2 teaspoons of the olive oil, and the salt, and
blend until the mixture is very smooth,
stopping the machine occasionally and
scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Lay a sheet of plastic wrap flat on the
work surface. Scrape the tofu cheese onto
the center of the plastic wrap, then wrap
the cheese, forming a log. Refrigerate for
1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Unwrap the
cheese log and place it on a baking sheet.
Brush the log lightly with the remaining
1 teaspoon oil. Bake just until the cheese
is warmed through, but the center is still
creamy, about 25 minutes.
Serve warm or cold.
LAYOGA WEEKLY
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The Rapture
of Music
MEDITATION BY DR. LORIN ROCHE
A meditation on inner and outer melodies inspired by
The Radiance Sutras, a new version of the vijnana bhairava tantra.
In a song, in the space of a few minutes, we can let
go, lose ourselves, and then return, refreshed, with a
deeper sense of self. Listening to music, we ride our
passions into the vibrating core of energy from which
they arise. Life is rhythm, and music invites us to surrender to the rhythm of life and love.
In the vijnana bhairava tantra, Shiva sings to Devi:
Immerse yourself in the rapture of music,
You know what you love.
Go there.
On the surface, one would think that rocking out
and meditation are opposites. Totally incompatible.
Fortunately we are yogis, and Yoga is the art of making harmony between opposites. Yoga is the action
of yoking things together, developing union between
body and soul, sound and silence, individuality and
universality, passion and serenity.
Tend to each note, each chord,
The Vijnana Bhairava Tantra sings of the interplay of song and silence, calling attention to the musical qualities of the life force, pranashakti, flowing
in our nerves.
And you, one with the Great Musician,
Rising up from silence and dissolving again.
Vibrating strings draw us
Into the spacious resonance of the heart.
The body becomes light as the sky
Who is even now singing us
Into existence
tantryādivādyaśabdeṣu
dīrgheṣu kramasaṃsthiteḥ
ananyacetāḥ pratyante
paravyomavapur bhavet
Looking in the Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English
Dictionary we see:
tantri - musical stringed instruments, also the strings
of the heart, or any tubular vessel of the body; vadya
- aloud, to be played or spoken aloud, also, music
instrument or instrumental music; shabda - sound,
OM, the Eternal Word; dirghesu - prolonged (continuous), krama - series, order, method, arrangement,
step-by-step; samsthiteh - is established; ananya single focus, without deviation; chetah - awareness;
pratyante - in the end; para vyoma - the transcendental sky, the spiritual sky, (associated in Tantra with
parabrahman and Shiva); vapuh - the body, having
form or a beautiful form, embodied, wonderful,
nature, essence; bhavet - becomes.
The text invites us to begin by listening to external music and then follow the impulses into the
inner world. People who love music already know
the truth of this practice, and are surprised and delighted to see it affirmed in a classic yoga text.
Any form through which we can hear music is
wonderful, but live music is especially powerful
for this practice. Go to that concert, listen to that
band. Find the music that strikes a chord in you,
and immerse yourself in it. When a song ends, the
silence throbs, and we can follow that throbbing
into a silence louder than the music.
In the late 1960s and much of the 70s, I missed
out on the full power of this dharana because I
didn’t go to concerts. I was spending every penny
on meditation teacher training, and one concert
ticket was the same price as two days on retreat.
Concerts started around the time I usually went to
sleep, so I missed all those legendary performances.
I did get the Dawn Patrol, though. I got up each
day around 4 AM, practiced yoga, meditated, did
homework, then drove to the beach to be in the
ocean by first light and catch a few waves. To do
that, I had to be in bed by 9 PM.
One day some friends called me up and said,
“Come on Lorin, let’s go to the Hollywood Bowl
and hear the something orchestra. We have tickets.”
I was so utterly into all things Indian that I had not
been paying attention to Western culture at all, except for science. I’d never heard of these people so I
had no idea what was about to happen to me. The
conductor walked out, raised his arms and then the
first notes sent a pulsation of electric thrill through
the air. In a moment, my mind was transformed into
an ocean of liquid silence, similar to where I would
get after maybe a month of a silent retreat, and yet
this was combined with an awareness of the outer
world. The woven texture of sound was so divinely intelligent and evocative that I was able to hear
timeless silence and simultaneously witness each
note arising, playing around and then dissolving. It
turns out I was in the presence of one of the great
bands of all time - Leonard Bernstein conducting the
New York Philharmonic with Yehudi Menuhin on
lead violin, performing Bach's Brandenburg concertos. A great performance, and I remain permanently
changed. The world is a better place for me because
of attending this event.
I am one of those people who require a Yoga practice to stay tuned enough to fully appreciate music
and enter the rapture with every cell of my body.
I need to approach music from both sides – from
silence coming to music, and from outer music leading me toward silence. If I don’t meditate every day,
engage in pranayama, and do asana, I slowly lose
my “attunement” and after awhile music does not
touch me so deeply. What a shame that would be.
What methods tune your body and nerves so
that you are able to enter music with the mind of
a yogi? What is the music you love so much you
want to dissolve into it? What music is so ravishing that it leaves you in a stunned and pulsating
silence, the “aesthetic arrest” James Joyce identified, in which your mind goes silent in awe of the
presence of great beauty?
Dr. Lorin Roche, has been teaching these methods since 1968. The Radiance Sutras, a new version of the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, is available
from Lorin’s website, lorinroche.com. Join us in celebrating the Radiance
Sutras through music and spoken word at Bhakti Fest in Joshua Tree, on
Saturday morning at 9 am, September 10 – in the cool of the morning!
media reviews
MOTHER /CD
BY AYKANNA
Lovetribe Records
From “I am Woman” and “Adi Shakti”
to “Jai Ma,” Aykanna blends sounds and
genres from slow, sacred chanting to funky
experimental beats to express the many
dimensions of the divine feminine.
Aykanna: soulful Sukhdev Jackson and
Grammy-nominated percussionist Akahdahmah, partners in music and life, demonstrate love for each other and for the
divine. The duo is committed to sharing
each song, not merely as an artistic expression, but as a sacred healing sound current.
Men, don’t be deterred by the album’s
name; Mother pays homage to the sacred
masculine through the strong and soothing
voice of Akahdahmah. My favorite track,
“Mother, Father” pays equal weight and respect to the divinity of both Shiva and Shakti and the beauty in the unity of the two.
Mother contains references to the Tantric
text Devi Mahatmya accompanied by frequent repetition of the evocative phrases
Sat Nam and Wahe Guru; it provides a
fitting soundtrack for a Kundalini practice. Syncing Aykanna’s “Har Haray Haree” beats with long pranayama breathing
practices is a combination both transcendent as well as fun; thanks to chant’s island reggae beats.
The album’s fierce spoken word, uplifting devotional chants, and heartfelt offerings will surely delight both the Mother
along with listeners able to hear the call.
And if you’re lucky, you might be able to
catch Aykanna perform live, as the duo is
known to play for many classes including
those of Guru Singh, Krishna Kaur, and
Kia Miller.
Reviewed by Vanessa Harris who practices and
teaches Yoga for service and plays kirtan and strings
sacred malas for bliss: 108malabeads.com
ROCK ON SAT NAM /CD
BY LARISA STOW & SHAKTI TRIBE
Prema Shakti Music
With Rock on Sat Nam, Larisa Stow and
Shakti Tribe mean every word in the album’s title. Rock On contains a wide range
of musical influences and sounds that shine
the light of the Tribe through a multicolored
filter with influences of classic artists like
Melissa Etheridge, Sublime, and Chris Isaak.
The cover artwork for this album is straightup Ronnie James Dio, dragon and all.
This group has taken chanting and kirtan
to a new stage, representing the growing diversity and strength of the Yoga and spiritual communities. Hold up your lighter (or
cell phone) and drop the fear of rocking
out. You might even expect these tunes at
the Whisky a Go-Go, although Whisky regulars might be surprised by the lyrics. Larisa Stow, Kimo Estores, Richard Hardy and Benj Clarke play like the seasoned
pros that they are, masterfully blending
styles and sounds. At points Rock on Sat
Nam reaches the heavy highs of ‘90s raprock, then moves into anthem choruses
you'll sing long after the song has ended.
"Saraswati" and "Om Mane Padme
Hum" deliver us to our comfortable meditative homes in the shalas where we practice. Rhythmic track "Kataka" offers an
all-too-brief glimpse of the new and still
rare hang drum, (only available by written
letter to the manufacturer in Switzerland)
played by Kataka Gara.
While listening to Shakti Tribe’s latest labor of love and devotion, you just might
be inclined to raise your fist and “Shout it
Out Loud--Sat Nam!”
Reviewed by Daniel Overberger an Los Angelesbased Yoga teacher, the author of Leaving Stress Behind,
and founder of alt-kirtan group, Dharma Gypsys:
Leavingstressbehind.com
YOGA IS /MOVIE
BY SUZANNE BRYANT
Enter Eleven Films
Watching her mother die of cancer is the
catalyst that sends Suzanne Bryant on a
journey to uncover the true meaning of
Yoga. Bryant records her quest in the documentary Yoga Is as she travels to India for
deeper study of Yoga and Ayurveda, while
working through her grief. Upon her return
to the United States, she seeks out prominent gurus, teachers, and devotees to converse with them about Yoga as a practice
and path to living a more conscious (and
eventually more enlightened) life.
The film explores the purpose of the practice by examining it through the lens of a
student, discovering that Yoga is so much
more than exercise: Yoga is a doorway to
truth, happiness, the present moment, love,
karma, empowerment, transformation, enlightenment, and finding one’s true purpose.
While many of the figures Bryant interviews
speak with conviction about what Yoga is,
she never defines Yoga for the viewer. Instead, Bryant allows each yogi to speak their
truth while she shares her experience and
the life lessons learned. The result is a riveting adventure through yogic philosophy.
This quotable film is worth watching wherever one stands on the road to enlightenment. Yoga iscontinues a dialogue about
the foundations of a practice that millions
of Westerners engage in daily. The true
meaning of Yoga is unique to each yogi: It is
personal, even intimate. It is a relationship
that deepens every time we come to the mat.
In witnessing Suzanne Bryant search for answers to the hidden truths of Yoga we find
in the end, they are universal truths residing
within each of us.
Attend a screening of Yoga Is, October 6th
at the Laemmle Santa Monica. YogaIs.com
Reviewed by Jazmine Green
YOGA FOR EMOTIONAL
BALANCE /BOOK
BY BO FORBES
Shambhala Press
If our mind suffers from something like depression or anxiety, then so does our body,
as Bo Forbes states in Yoga for Emotional
Balance. Forbes combines her experience
as a Yoga therapist with her doctorate in
clinical psychology to help her students
through the process of healing, a process
she describes here.
Forbes’ student Lauren used to come into
her sessions with Forbes with the desire to
“talk out” the stresses of her day before
diving in to the practice. Forbes noticed
Lauren’s voice grow louder and breathing
become more shallow and rapid. “Lauren’s
emotions heightened rather than calmed.”
Through these observations, Forbes realized
“mental and verbal processing can cause us
to rehearse negative emotional patterns.”
Forbes encourages us to break patterns of
negativity with breathing and what she calls
body exercises, which end each chapter.
Forbes describes three parts to these exercises: setting “baseline” by determining
how you feel before beginning, participating in the exercise being as present as possible, then comparing pre and post exercise feelings.
Forbes clearly and compassionately explains anxiety and depression and helps
readers understand the process of healing.
We can all benefit from these teachings
for the times when anxiety and depression
arise in our lives and I know I will continue
to reference these teachings in my life to
break the cycle of rehearsed negative emotional patterns. Shifting these is simply the
first step, and Forbes gently guides us the
rest of the way.
Reviewed by Jessica Malloy
what's on my
NIGHTSTAND
BY MITEN
Gurdijeff Remembered:
BY FRITZ PETERS
Osho loved Gurdjieff; he introduced
Gurdijeff’s philosophies to us through
various discourses – he even encouraged us to form a “Gurdjieff sacred
dance school” within the ashram. During our festivals, we often enjoyed demonstrations and performances of these
amazingly complicated and mindstilling movements.
The author of Gurdijeff Rememberd,
Fritz Peters, was a child of 11 when
brought to live in Gurdjieff’s commune
in Fontainebleau, France. A precocious
boy, Peters became Gurdjieff’s personal
caretaker and was given special attention by the master. You can read his
memoirs of this early time in Boyhood
with Gurdjieff, highly recommended for
anyone interested to know how life in
the master’s community unfolded. This
book, Gurdjieff Remembered, gives
intimate accounts of Peters’ meetings
with Gurdjieff in the years leading up
to World War II and of his subsequent
reunions with the master at the end of
the war.
For me, having lived in Osho’s ashram
and in his communities for many years,
this book is an inspiring and uplifting account of how the master transfers shaktipat (the transmission of energy) Peters
is not at all enamored with Gurdjieff’s
disciples and their ways, and was obviously a rebel within the family, but a
healthy dose of cynicism is not always a
bad thing. His perspective on Gurdjieff
is an enlightening teaching in itself.
Deva and I love this book; it, and Peters’
Boyhood with Gurdjieff are constant
companions on the road.
Dragon Thunder: My Life with
Chögyam Trungpa
BY DIANA J. MUKPO
Wow! If you ever wanted to know how
it feels to invite a tornado into your
life, then read this book. I thought
Osho was wild, but Tibetean “Crazy
Wisdom” teacher Chögyam Trungpa
Rinpoche was just out there. Dragon
Thunder was written by this wild Buddhit’s wife, Diana Mukpo, who escaped
her strict English upbringing to scandalously elope with the former monk
when she was a young girl of only 16.
Trungpa Rinpoche’s exploits are welldocumented by now, but Mukpo’s account takes you intimately inside their
private lives. We see the nuts and bolts,
the dirty laundry, and what’s most
worth the read – the master’s expression of “Crazy Wisdom.” Hold on to
your hat (and everything else)!
Deva Premal and Miten (accompanied by Manose)
will be playing at Bhakti Fest, in Joshua Tree, September 8-11
Bhaktifest.com
Deva Premal’s newest album, Password is being released in
September. For more information, visit: devapremalmiten.com.
yoga on film
yogawoman
BY JESSICA THOMAS
Yogawoman is a movie about women and for women.
A collaboration by sisters Saraswati Clere and Kate Clere
McIntyre and Kate’s husband Michael S. McIntyre, the film
introduces us to women from every conceivable walk of life
who have been changed by Yoga.
Annette Bening, a longtime student of Iyengar Yoga, narrates Yogawoman. The film begins by reminding the viewer
that until recently Yoga had been a practice forbidden to
women. With the influx of Brahmanism in India, women
who had once held positions as gurus and priestesses were
deemed distractions to enlightenment and were therefore excluded from yogic practice. Anne O’Brien, author and Hatha
Yoga teacher from the Bay Area, calls the women who chose
to teach oga during that time renegade “wild women” because they had to leave their families and communities in
order to teach.
According to the film, eighty-five percent of students in the
United States are female. Furthermore, Clere McIntyre credits women for making Yoga a mainstream, multi-billion dollar industry, yet, she adds, women are rarely acknowledged
for it. "It was women teaching women that really made that
phenomenon happen," says Clere McIntyre.
Yogawoman thoroughly, although at times too broadly,
covers the gamut of the female yogic experience. It documents Yoga for children and teens, for pregnancy, larger
women, Yoga to counteract the effects of aging, to balance
libido, alleviate depression, soothe menstruation and even to
help prepare for dying. More than a few of these categories
apply to men, but Yogawoman concentrates wholly on the
female experience and male perspective is not addressed.
The film's female-centricity was an artistic and ethical
choice, says McIntyre, who traveled with his wife to nine
countries to shoot the film. " It was a conscious decision that
we made to have women talking about women.”
"I love that we talk about vaginas, menopause, menstruation, and pelvic floors," says Clere McIntyre. "Even though
those topics are getting covered more publically now, they
are often mentioned in relation to the pharmaceutical industry and advertising medication. We enjoyed saying them out
loud and just having that proper conversation."
Clere McIntyre discovered women from all spectrums of
the Yoga community. These pioneers are teaching Yoga to
empower cancer patients, sustaining livelihood in the slums
of Africa and promoting self-worth to young girls in detention centers.
One such advocate is nurse practitioner and Yoga instructor Mary Lynn Fitton of San Francisco, CA, who started the
nonprofit Art of Yoga Project in 2005. She and her team
teach Yoga to young women in the juvenile justice system,
many of whom suffer from a variety of challenges including addiction, anxiety, depression and eating disorders. Some
have been involved with gangs and prostitution. Fitton says
that ninety percent of girls in the juvenile system have been
sexually abused. Her goal, she says, is to "make them feel
safe in their bodies again."
Yogawoman's story leaps continents to Uganda, Africa,
where Seane Corn’s work with birthing centers and HIVawareness has attracted worldwide attention. Seane Corn,
and cofounder (with Suzanne Sterling and Hala Khouri) of
the nonprofit organization Off the Mat, Into the World, led a
group of twenty-one women to locations around Uganda in
the winter of 2010, documented in the film. Yogawoman follows Corn as she plans her trip and ultimately completes the
construction of an environmentally-sensitive sanitary birth
center and adjoining community center. “Yoga has provided
me the tools to take what I’ve learned on the mat, which is
strength and focus, flexibility, compassion and patience, and
to apply it in the world where it really counts,” says Corn.
The film shows Corn and her team being met with cheers,
from the HIV-positive Ugandan women for whom birth can
be a life-threatening experience. Corn is inspired by the efforts of the participants. “I am watching ordinary people do
extraordinary things all in the name of love,” says Corn.
The story of Yogawoman continues its route through Africa to a one room corrugated tin shack in Nairobi, Kenya.
Mary Wanjiru, 19, once a prostitute with a
bleak future, says that she was so introverted
that she couldn't make eye contact. By working with the Africa Yoga Project, co-founded
by Baptiste instructor Paige Elenson, Wanjiru
is now an outspoken and respected leader of
her community who teaches Yoga to women
and children.
The Africa Yoga Project creates career opportunities for disadvantaged Kenyan youth
and women to help them break out of the
cycle of poverty. Presently, there are twenty-four paid Kenyan teachers on staff who
teach Yoga in HIV clinics, homeless shelters,
and primary schools. "I'm so famous here,"
Wanjiru says. "I couldn't believe that someone could call me a teacher."
Yogawoman includes the opinions of doctors and researchers who have documented
the health benefits of Yoga. Tari Prinster's
story however, is a firsthand account of how
she believes Yoga saved her life. Prinster, 66,
began practicing Yoga at age 50 because she
wanted to look good as she grew older; but
her practice really kicked into gear five years
later when she received the devastating diagnosis of breast cancer.
"You get the wind knocked out of you,"
says Prinster. She credits her daily Yoga practice with making her feel good even through
the daunting experience of surgeries and chemotherapy. "I've never been stronger, even
when I was 25 years old," says Prinster. She
now teaches Yoga classes and leads retreats
for survivors. Prinster wants to reinforce
hope in her students. "They're not looking
to be soothed, they are looking for a way to
feel normal and then feel stronger."
Co-Director Clere McIntyre praises women like Fitton, Corn, Elenson and Prinster
for changing a predominantly male practice
to suit the female body and life cycle. McIntyre says he likes to think of "Yoga itself
as a mentor." He credits Yoga for being one
of the few physical exercises to keep on giving, from individual to community, abroad
and beyond. "People doing Yoga feel better
about themselves and in response they want
to give back," he says. "That's a wonderful
side to the Yoga community." When pressed
Yogawoman Directors with Narrator, Annette Bening
about taking Yoga recruitment full circle and
incorporating men into the fold, McIntyre
laughs. "I'm proud of Yogawoman because
I don't know of another film that just has
women in it, but we'd feel fine if someone
wants to make ‘Yogamen.' "
Yogawoman premiere in LA at the Santa
Monica Laemmle Theater, Sept. 1st at 7 PM
After the screening the filmmakers will be
joined by Shiva Rea, Seane Corn and others in
a Q&A hosted by LA YOGA editor
Felicia Tomasko. Yogawoman.tv
Jessica Thomas works at Alchemy Yoga Centre in London
food. Email her at [email protected]
Family Fit Fete!
Written & Created by: Laurie Searle,
Ladyyogasuperhero.com
Art by: Patrick O'Connor, Oconnorcartoons.com
Lady Yoga™ © 2010 Laurie Searle
español translation
paraíso celestial
BY JAIME R. CARLO-CASELLAS
¿Vies
la silueta de las montañas
tallada por el misterioso
resplandor del sol
que del día se despedía?
Veis el cielo
vestido con una explosion
de sutiles violetas, rojos
y anaranjados,
resistiendo la ineludible
llegada de la noche?
¡Qué prodigio
poder encajar el deseo
en este fugaz
paraíso celestial!
¡Qué pecado sería
desperdiciarlo!
Jaime Carlo-Casellas, Ph.D. (Sathari Singh) el fundador y director de
la Stress Management & Prevention
Clinic en Rancho Mirage, California.
Stressprevention.org
What joy
to let desires perch
on this stunning
blink-of-an-eye
celestial paradise!
What a sin it would be
to waste it!
Jaime Carlo-Casellas, Ph.D. (Sathari Singh) is the founding director of
the Stress Management & Prevention
Clinic in Rancho Mirage, California;
Stressprevention.org
celestial paradise
BY JAIME R. CARLO-CASELLAS
Can you see
the silhouette
of the mountain range
sketched
by the mysterious glimmer
of dusk?
Can you see
the heavens sparkle
with an explosion
of purples, oranges,
and reds,
resisting the unavoidable
hours of darkness?
directory classifieds
YOGA TEACHER TRAINING AND AYURVEDA RETREAT
IN INDIA WITH CAROLINE KLEBL,
JANUARY 27TH TO FEBRUARY 23RD, 2012
Join us in Kerala, India's pristine and beautiful rejuvenation destination, for an Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training and Ayurveda Retreat. Caroline Klebl offers a comprehensive Yoga Teacher Training
program to Yoga teachers, aspiring teachers and dedicated Yoga
practitioners. This program provides 200 & 500 hour internationally
recognized Yoga Alliance registered Certifications.
For additional information and to register please visit:
Sourceofyoga.com
GEETA AYURVEDA HEALING CENTER
Dr. Aditya Sharma, Ayurvedic consultations, detoxification, weight
management, nutrition, blood pressure, cholesterol, pms, male/
female problems, eczema, cleansing, thyroid, stomach problems and more.
Simi Valley office 805-584-9025 / Beverly Hills office (310) 623-4415
AYURVEDA DR. JYOTI MILLER, ND. AND
VEDIC ASTROLOGER DREW LAWRENCE,
OCTOBER 7TH-9TH
Register ‘n Info: Beverly Visty Doman, 213-706-9321;
Email: [email protected]
Kristin Olson's Urban Yoga Center, 458 S. Palm Canyon Dr.
Palm Springs CA 92262; 760-320-7702; Urbanyoga.org
BHAKTI FEST JOSHUA TREE RETREAT CENTER,
SEPTEMBER 8TH-11TH
LA Yoga readers receive $25 discount before Sept 3rd by
emailing [email protected] and mentioning LA YOGA.
BhaktiFest.com
BHAKTI FEST JOSHUA TREE RETREAT CENTER,
SEPTEMBER 8TH-11TH
4 Days/Nights of Yoga~Kirtan~Vendors Workshops ~
Outrageous Community!
Mention Urban Yoga when you contact BhaktiFest.com
for a discount on tickets.
Seniors, Locals and Weekend tickets available.
ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL BHIKKHUNI
DAY HOSTED BY EILEEN STERN,
SEPTEMBER 17TH
AUTUMN EQUINOX CEREMONY
MARI MENDOZA $20
SEPTEMBER 24TH, 6:30PM
LOS ANGELES
Studio Spotlight
SANTA MONICA YOGA Santa Monica Yoga has a welcoming atmosphere and a
huge selection of classes. The studio just celebrated its 10 year anniversary and
many of the teachers on the current schedule were also around 10 years ago – helping create a sense of continuity and community that has grown over the years. New
students are invited to join for their first 30 days of unlimited classes for $65. It will
take at least that long to sample some of everything – from the classical styles of
Iyengar and Ashtanga to Julian Walker’s Yoga with Trance Dance.
1640 Ocean Park Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405
310 396 4040
Santamonicayoga.com
DANCING SHIVA YOGA & AYURVEDA The original center dedicated to the union of
Yoga and Ayurveda in practice, education and lifestyle. Based on Mas Vidal’s (Director & Founder) unique and dynamic teachings that combine asana, pranayama,
mantra and meditation, its the ultimate combination of Hatha, Bhakti and Raja
yoga. The daily yoga classes are a complete approach to yoga that also embraces
the wisdom of Ayurveda. The center offers a complete Ayurvedic clinic offering
consultations, bodywork and other specialized healing treatments.
7466 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036
323 934 8332
Dancingshiva.com
KUNDALINI LIFESTYLE, NEW LOCATION! Yoga is not about twisting yourself into a
pretzel or standing on your head, but about nurturing your spirit, and freeing your
heart. Your body will follow. Yoga is about the journey home. Travel at your own
comfortable pace, while being inspired by the accepting community around you.
Learn to trust yourself, and know that you are cared for in this space. Peace and
Comfort unite in one single place. This place is the Kundalini Yoga Studio and it is
now open! Anyone is welcome to join our Yoga Sessions and can feel free to gather
with us as we chant the night away!
19347 Ventura Blvd. Tarzana, CA 91356
818 515 3948
Kundalinilifestyle.com
CHAKRA 5 YOGA Chakra 5 is located in the exciting and diverse neighborhood
of Melrose and Heliotrope in East Hollywood, on the second floor of a historical
1923 building above the Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society. We offer a fresh take on the yoga experience with our regular live musicians and DJs,
monthly full-moon sound baths and diverse faculty of experienced, creative and
inspiring teachers. Students of all levels are welcome.
4302 ½ Melrose Ave. 2nd Floor Los Angeles, CA 90029
323 230 8291
Chakra5.la
BLINK TO LIGHT Join us for an evening of relaxation or exploration into your body,
mind & spirit. Blink to Light offers a variety of creative classes & workshops to
help you achieve the state of joy! Located in Glendale, Blink to Light offers yoga
classes in the main studio and massage or Whole Body Vibration in one of our two
healing rooms. Try one of the Yoga Tune Up® classes, a head-to-toe health and fitness system combining Yoga, Calisthenics, Corrective Exercise and Body Therapy
in a way that heals damaged muscle tissue, increases overall strength, and bolsters
the immune system.
412 ½ S. Central Ave. Glendale, CA 91204
818 468 8724
Blinktolight.com
directory studio listings
Atwater Village
90039
Santosha Space
3405 Glendale Blvd.
323 522 3095
Burbank
91506
Yoga Blend
1921 West Magnolia Blvd.
818 954 9642
santoshaspace.com
yogablend.com
El Segundo
90245
YogaWorks South Bay
740 Allied Way
310 322 6500
yogaworks.com
Glendale 91201
91204
Yoga at the Village
Blink to Light
1306 Sonora Ave.
412 1/2 S. Central Ave.
818 265 9833
818 468 8724
yogaatthevillage.com
blinktolight.com
Hermosa Beach 90254
Lyfe Yoga Center
1310 Pacific Coast Highway
310 374 5933
lyfeyogacenter.com
Los Angeles
90026
90064
90029
90036
90046
90036
90049
90232
90079
90017
90013
90035
90004
Ashtanga Yoga Los Angeles
Bikram Yoga College of India Chakra 5 Yoga & Wellness
Dancing Shiva Yoga and Ayurveda Earth's Power Yoga
Liberation Yoga
Maha Yoga
Omkar108 Yoga
The Yoga Place
YAS Downtown
Yoga Circle Downtown
Yoga West
Yoga Works Larchmont
2815 Sunset Blvd., 2nd Floor
11500 West Olympic Blvd., Suite 150
4302 1/2 Melrose Ave., 2nd Floor
7466 Beverly Blvd.
7901 Melrose Ave. #208
124 South La Brea Ave.
13050 San Vicente Blvd., #202
11154 Washington Blvd.
110 E. 9th St., #B971
831 S. Hope St.
400 S Main St., # S05
1535 S. Robertson Blvd.
230 N Larchmont Blvd.
213 483 0400
310 854 5800
323 230 8291
323 934 8332
323 655 9642
323 964 5222
310 899 0047
310 991 9642 213 290 1897
213 430 9053
213 620 1040
310 552 4647
323 464 1276
ashtangayogala.org
usayoga.com
chakra5.la
dancingshiva.com
earthspoweryoga.com
liberationyoga.com
mahayoga.com
omkar108.com
theyogaplacela.com
go2yas.com
yogacircledowntown.com
yogawestla.com
yogaworks.com
Los Feliz
90027
Yogavidala
4640 Franklin Ave.
818 207 0973
yogavidala.com
Manhattan Beach
90266
The Green Yogi
3504 Highland Ave.
310 546 9644
thegreenyogi.com
Marina Del Rey
90292
Sivananda Center Los Angeles 13325 Beach Ave.
310 822 9642
sivananda.org
Pasadena
91105
Yoga House Pasadena
11 West State St.
626 622 2901
yogahouse.com
Santa Monica
90405
90401
90401
90401
90405
90405
90403
90403
90404
90405
90403
Bhakti Yoga Shala
Yogaco
Exhale Fred Segal Yoga
Santa Monica Yoga
The Yoga Collective
Yoga Caress
Yoga Hop Santa Monica
Yogaglo
YogaWorks - Main Street YogaWorks - Montana Avenue 207 Arizona Ave.
1408 3rd St. Promenade - 3rd Floor
101 Wilshire Blvd.
420 Broadway
1640 Santa Monica Blvd.
1408 3rd Street Promenade
814 12th St.
1612 Montana Ave., 2nd Floor
1800 Berkeley St.
2215 Main St.
1426 Montana Ave.
310 804 9290
310 699 0708
310 319 3193
310 907 4022
310 396 4040
310 395 0600
310 849 6334
310 829 5000
310 800 4601
310 664 6470
310 393 5150
bhaktiyogashala.com
yogichelsea.com
exhalespa.com
fredsegalyoga.com
santamonicayoga.com
theyogacollective.com
yogacaress.com
yogahop.com
yogaglo.com
yogaworks.com
yogaworks.com
Sherman Oaks
91403
91607
91423
91403
Black Dog Yoga Prana Yoga Center Rising Lotus Yoga
Two Hearts Yoga
4454 Van Nuys Blvd., Suite 206
4521A Van Nuys Blvd.
13557 Ventura Blvd.
4454 Van Nuys Blvd., Suite 215
818 380 0331
818 345 9642
818 990 0282
818 501 9642
blackdogyoga.com
prana-yoga.com
risinglotusyoga.com
twoheartsyoga.com
Silver Lake
90039
90039
90039
90026
Yoga at the Raven
Silverlake Yoga Still Yoga
Urth Yoga
2910 Rowena Ave.
2810 1/2 Glendale Blvd.
2395 Glendale Blvd.
2809 W Sunset Blvd.
323 644 0240
323 953 0496
323 906 8960
213 483 9642
yogaattheraven.com
silverlakeyoga.com
allstill.com
urthyoga.com
Studio City
91604
91604 Mark Blanchard's Power Yoga
Yoga Shelter 4344 Tujunga Ave.
12408 Ventura Blvd. 818 769 6427
818 691 3000 markblanchardsyoga.com
yogashelter.com
Tarzana
91356
91356
Align Studios
YogaWorks Tarzana
19458 Ventura Blvd.
18700 Ventura Blvd., 2nd Floor
818 448 3317
818 457 6900
alignstudio.com
yogaworks.com
Thousand Oaks
91362
91360
True Yoga YogaShanthi 2873 East. Thousand Oaks Blvd.
1414 East Thousand Oaks Blvd.
805 449 4225
805 657 8861
trueyoga.com
yogashanthi.net
Venice
90291
90291
90291
90291
Aanand Saagar Exhale Center for Sacred Movement
La Vida Yoga
Studio Surya Yoga
606 Venice Blvd #H
245 South Main Street
1005 Indiana Ct.
1501 Main Street #106
213 550 8447
310 450 7676
310 699 3018
310 910 4740
aanandsaagar.com
exhalespa.com
vidayoga.net
studiosuryayoga.com
West Covina
91792
Yoganette
2360 S. Azusa Rd., Suite C
626 965 4000
yoganette.com
West Hollywood
90046
90069
90069
City Yoga
ThirdEye Yoga
Up Dog Yoga and Fitness
1067 N Fairfax
1235 N. Sweetzer Avenue #D1
8599 Santa Monica Blvd.
323 654 2125
617 957 0785
310 360 7200
cityyoga.com
thirdeyeyogastudio.com
updogfitness.com
Westlake Village
91361
YogaWorks Westlake Village
2475 Townsgate Rd.
805 371 3030
yogaworks.com
Whittier
90602
90602
Greenleaf Yoga Studio
Oasis Healing Arts 7654 Greenleaf Ave.
7028 Greenleaf Ave., Suite E
562 696 0502
562 789 1588
greenleafyoga.com
restoretheflow.com
Woodland Hills
91364
91364
Garden of Yoga Yoga Loft 22284 Buenaventura St.
21228 Ventura Blvd.
818 932 9849
818 710 9057
[email protected]
yogaloftla.com
Santa Barbara
93109
93101
93103
93101
93101
RussaYog
Santa Barbara Yoga Center
Source Yoga Studio
Yasa Yoga
Yoga Soup
1905 Cliff Drive
32 East Micheltorena St.
1911 De La Vina "G"
22 W Mission St., Suite B
28 Parker Way
805 448 1320
805 965 6045
805 569 2505
805 845 4626
805 965 8811
RussaYog.com
santabarbarayogacenter.com
sourceyogasb.com
yasayoga.com
yogasoup.com
Montecito
93108
Montecito Yoga
1187 Coast Village Road
805 845 1301
montecitoyoga.com
heaven
to earth
LUNATION AND ECLIPSE DAYS:
The New Moon Day (Amavasya) begins the lunar month, and the
Full Moon Day (Poornima) shows the month’s unique qualities.
Poornima (Full Moon): Sunday, September 11 at 12:39 A.M. until
Monday, September 12 at 2:26 A.M. in sidereal Aquarius in intense
and other-worldly star Poorva Bhadrapada Nakshatra.
Amavasya (New Moon): Monday, September 26 at 7:54 A.M. until Tuesday, September 27 at 4:08 A.M. in sidereal Virgo in practical yet leisure-loving star Uttara Phalguni Nakshatra.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
Today favors travel, teaching, performing, lively conversation and
activities characterized by swiftness, eloquence, creativity and
charm. (Expressive and moveable star Swati Nakshatra on the excellent waxing fifth lunar day forms an accomplishment combination).
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
Compassionate speech may prove especially valuable today, where
the urge to argue or have the final word may wreck havoc on a
relationship or project. (The debate-prone star Vishakha Nakshatra
forms an annihilation influence.)
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
The severe star Moola Nakshatra (symbolized as bunched roots)
naturally supports transformative activities that address root causes,
such as Yoga, energy work, and psychotherapy but may bring weird
intensity or craftiness to mundane interactions.
Today’s receptive star Shravana Nakshatra (symbolized as an ear)
gracefully encourages attentive listening, inspired learning, and love
of ancient teachings.
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 9 - SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
Passionate Mars and Venus both enter ‘debilitation’ or the signs
where they become especially unstable , suggesting a temporary
wrench in the gears of one’s creative spark, romantic zeal, and zesty
enthusiasm into October. (Mars enters sidereal Cancer until Oct 30/
Venus enters sidereal Virgo until October 4.)
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
Today begins Pitri-Paksha or ‘The Forefather-Fortnight.’ This twoweek period is especially powerful for prayers and offerings that
bring peace to one’s ancestors and thus release the harmful habits
and limiting beliefs that affect one via larger family patterns. This
otherworldly fortnight of the departed traditionally discourages
VEDIC ASTROLOGY WITH TAMIKO FISCHER
major beginnings such as weddings, house-blessings or starting a
business. (Pitri Paksha falls yearly on the dark half of the lunar
month of Bhadrapada and ends on September 26, Pitri Paksha’s
most potent day for communing with the deceased.)
Today’s rejuvenating star Ashwini Nakshatra (symbolized as a
horse) is ideal for receiving healing work and activities that nurture
one’s precious vitality.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
Sun enters sidereal Virgo today: important beginnings are traditionally avoided on days of solar ingress.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
The ambitious star Krittika Nakshatra combined with today’s
fifth lunar day forms a combination for action that has enduring
effects. Today may bring attraction to long-range planning on a
large scale project.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
Edgy influences favor casting off unneeded belongings, setting strong
boundaries and perhaps laying low with a quiet night at home. (The
Moon is in harsh Ardra Nakshatra on the unsteady ninth lunar day.)
The Moon in swift and versatile star Punarvasu Nakshatra (symbolized as a quiver of arrows) on the excellent 10th lunar day favors
dynamic discussions, travel and opportunities to make one’s diverse
creative talents known.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Today begins Navaratri, the nine-night festival of The Divine Mother in Her three forms: as Durga, goddess of strength, steadfastness,
and courage; as Lakshmi, goddess of abundance and beauty; and as
Saraswati, goddess of learning, wisdom, and communication. In India, this major festival is celebrated with various prayers, gifts, fasts,
and feasts, where each goddess represents an aspect of achievement
and perfection within one’s personal journey.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 - FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
Venus and Saturn sit within one degree apart, forming an adverse
close conjunction known as ‘planetary war.’ This alignment may
bring power struggles involving questions of practical frugality versus sensual luxury or work versus leisure.
Tamiko Fischer is a practicing Vedic astrologer. She welcomes your comments
and inquiries by phone (505) 310-8929 or e-mail: [email protected]
Tamikofischer.com
The astrological forecast for September is based upon the Panchanga (Vedic calendar) whose five limbs include: 1. Day of the week (Vara) 2. Day in the lunar cycle (Tithi)
3. Half-day in the lunar cycle (Karana) 4. Zodiacal position of the Moon in lunar mansion (Nakshatra) 5. Relationship between the positions of the Sun and Moon (Yoga).
Also considered are various sidereal transits and unique Panchanga combinations also called Yogas. Specific personal influences such as one’s date, place and time of birth are not
taken into consideration, thus the following information should be regarded as a general forecast based on traditional meanings. Times given are Pacific Daylight Time.
durga:protection
PAINTING AND TEXT BY SARAH TOMLINSON DEVANAGARI AND TRANSLITERATION BY DR. JOHN CASEY
The force of Durga embodies Protection. She is shown
riding on a lion or tiger, armed with the weapons that
symbolize her invincibility. She is the Divine Feminine,
said to contain all qualities of the Universe. Durga draws
on these qualities to protect us when needed.
In one story of Durgas’s emergence the gods conceive
her in order to gain victory over demons attempting to
rule the world. Each celestial being offers their ‘weapon
of strength’ and together they give birth to this formidable goddess who then defeats the demons.
The Yantra, which symbolizes her purist vibration, is
a dynamic configuration of nine triangles (representing the nine feminine energies) on a pale orange background. The central upward pointing triangle represents
the Divine Mother. Gazing on this form creates feelings
of peacefulness, purity, and serenity.
If you feel drawn to this Yantra it is a good time for you
to ‘clean your house’. Remove impurities on all levels
in order to purify the mind and more clearly see the
victorious, luminous self within.
I draw upon the force of durga for protection.
Sarah Tomlinson is the author of Nine Designs for Inner Peace (Destiny Books, 2008) and a student of the late, great Harish Johari. She teaches
Yantra Painting and Yoga worldwide. For more information: yantratecture.com
Dr. John Casey teaches classes in Sanskrit and Yoga philosophy at Loyola Marymount University, at the University of California at Irvine and at
Yoga studios and other venues around the country. For LMU classes, visit: lmu.edu

LA Yoga - September 2011

Transcription

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