PKTA_Magazing_Spring2016_Final - Pranakriya School of Yoga
Transcription
PKTA_Magazing_Spring2016_Final - Pranakriya School of Yoga
Fully Alive Magazine of the Pranakriya Yoga Teachers Association Spring 2016 Volume 1, Issue 1 Teachers Association Newsletter | Spring 2016 | 1 Pranakriya School of Yoga Healing Arts Teachers Association In This Issue Our Mission Letter from the Executive Director......................................3 A Note from Yoganand.....................................................4 From William Hufschmidt..................................................5 Upcoming 300-Hour Trainings..........................................6 Cultivating Intuitive Presence for Healthier Boundaries.........7 Mindfulness for Childbirth Preparation...............................8 From the Director of Publications.......................................9 Featured Teacher............................................................10 Featured Recipe.............................................................. 12 Title.............................................................................. 13 Benefits of Pranakriya Teachers Association Membership... 14 Pranakriya Board of Directors Contact • Yoganand Michael Carroll • Devadas Gregg Day 7 Avenida Vista Grande B7 #130 Santa Fe, NM 87508 • Emily Gretz Email: [email protected] • Jacci Gruninger • Jodie Padgett • Marybeth Cully • Meryl Arnett 2 | Spring 2016 | Pranakriya School of Yoga Healing Arts Pranakriya School of Yoga Healing Arts offers teacher trainings, retreats, classes, and workshops that explore the ancient practices of Tantra Hatha Yoga. We encourage all students to practice with focus at a level to both humble and inspire their lives. We work to foster an open and accepting community of growth, healing, and transformation that invites all practitioners to listen deeply and to respectfully follow their own soul’s dharma. Our mission is to support humanity, become more fully alive and live attuned to Prana. Letter from the Executive Director Dear Teachers, Spring is arriving and all things are shedding the introversion of winter. It seems an appropriate time to be launching this inaugural PKTA magazine. It brings me great joy and feels like we should celebrate and throw a party. The idea of a Teacher Association has been a dream of mine since I started leading Teacher Trainings with Yoganand in 2008. I have been incredibly fortunate these last eight years to be in relationship with so many amazing people. I know my colleagues feel the same way. This practice brings people together. I am excited that we will now be able to share more with each other, learn from each other, and support one another outside of our trainings. I hope you will take advantage of the discussion forums and the services offered with your membership. A full list of your member benefits is included at the end of this issue. Keep an eye out for additional benefits as the year unfolds. Also, let us know what other benefits you might enjoy and share your stories with us. Like Pamela Stokes Eggleston, profiled in this issue, we know you are doing great work. Tell us about it! In the joy of spring, I hope you blossom in your practice and the connections you have made and will make. May you continue to feel FULLY ALIVE through your practice and teaching. Of course, a project as large as this couldn’t be done alone. I’d like to extend my gratitude to everyone who helped make this a reality, especially the Directors and Board Members. Jai Bhagwan, Jacci Executive Director, Pranakriya School of Yoga Healing Arts Our Host Studios Teachers Association Newsletter | Spring 2016 | 3 A Note from Yoganand When I founded Pranakriya in 2003, I never imagined it would blossom into what it is today. My original intent was to work with good people who had strong practices to carry on the teachings of Swami Kripalu. I have received and seen so much more unfold and grow from my original intention. The individuals who joined me in 2003, Jacci Gruninger and William Hufschmidt, invited me into their studios (Crofton Yoga and Jai Shanti Yoga) to offer 200- and 300-hour YTTs and the rest, as they say, is history. Over the years, Jacci, William, and the other program directors who love Pranakriya and its teachings have imparted the message of our practice and lineage to people all around the country. Today, we are working with 15 different studios that host our 200- and/or 300-hour programs and we have shared our passion for this practice with over 600 students. I’ve always said that we are a grassroots organization and that we grow organically. It’s individuals like each of you who have made us what we are today. Yoganand Michael Carroll Founder, Board Member, Dean of Curriculum, and Director of YTT 200 and 300 programs Email: [email protected] Upcoming program: The Universe Inside the Body of the Yogi May 13-15, Crofton Yoga As we practice on our own mats, study with one another, and share our love of the Pranakriya practice with others, we support not only ourselves, but each other as well. Every single one of us has the opportunity to touch another and change the world one person at a time. Many of you have conveyed your stories of 4 | Spring 2016 | Pranakriya School of Yoga Healing Arts how this practice has changed or shifted your own life, and you’ve also passed along the stories that your students have shared with you about how Pranakriya has affected their lives. We help others feel more alive – right here, right now. Today, our organization is stronger and more vibrant than ever. We have created a solid mission and established goals to support the sustainability of the Pranakriya practice and the work of Swami Kripalu. The curriculum committee, composed of myself, Jacci Gruninger, William Hufschmidt, and Shelbi Miles, along with the Pranakriya Board of Directors, is excited about the future of our programs. Know that we will be expanding our work to support you as yoga practitioners and teachers now and well into the future. I am touched by the effort, generosity, and grace of all of you who have stepped onto this path with me. Wishing you the best as the days grow longer. Warmly, Yoganand Soften Your Forehead In 1989, during my first semester at Humboldt State University, I made a conscious yet random decision to sign up for a yoga series. In these pre-Manduka and Gaiam days, my first teacher, Lorna Brown, encouraged us to spread out a towel or blanket on the carpet when we practiced to create padding for bones and protection from the many shoes that had walked across it. Lorna guided us through asana, pranayama, and meditation, until we lay down on our backs and her soothing voice guided us into a delicious period of rest. Each relaxation began with the same words: “Bring your attention to your forehead. Relax your forehead.” After 5 or 6 classes, I realized that as soon as she said those words, my entire body would let go and soften, not just my forehead. How could my forehead change my whole body, I would often wonder? My favorite yoga moments happened when I let go of something that I didn’t know I held, when I discovered how to engage something I didn’t know I had. One day, she taught us Wheel pose (Chakrasana), and I felt like my whole world found purpose and meaning. Pressing up into that first wheel, I felt strong, athletic, competent; really, I felt confident for the first time in my life. From that point forward, at the end of practice when she said, “Is there anything else your body needs,” my wheel would need to turn. One day while I looked out the window at upside-down trees, Lorna said to me, “you really should rest in Shavasana now it’s the most important part of the practice.” I realized everyone else was already resting, so I placed my body on the floor, and an indescribable magic happened: my body evaporated. My “pittafull” and rajasic 20-year old mind became still. I experienced an infinite moment of no thought, no word, no dream, only presence. Early on in my practice with my wonderful teacher Lorna, I learned that all the doing in our practice prepares us for the stillness that can happen after the practice. I learned that if I could relax, soften in one small place, then I could create a little space everywhere in my body; a great lesson for living in our modern world. Not every practice brings me the same degree of presence and sometimes shavasana just feels like a nap. When shavasana is over however, I can tell that I am different, that I have let go of something I didn’t know carried. To this day, when I lay down for shavasana, I can “feel” the sound of Lorna’s voice, encouraging me to soften my forehead. It really is the most important part of the practice, where we can let go of all the doing and the turning of the wheels, when we can integrate “what was” to experience more of “what we are.”. Being available to this integration is what yoga means to me. William Hufschmidt Director of YTT 200, 300, and Thai programs Email: [email protected] Upcoming program: Pranayama: Theory & Teaching May 13-17, Yoga For Life Teachers Association Newsletter | Spring 2016 | 5 Mindfulness for Childbirth Preparation Not every woman’s expectation of birth is the same. Not every woman’s feelings about becoming a mother are the same. I wrote a workbook called Creating Stillness: A Journal for Childbirth Preparation so that women can explore their inner world as they approach the transformative event of birthing their babies. It is meant to be a personal discovery of your own feelings about pregnancy, birth, and parenthood. In it, there are practical techniques to bring your inner world into a more peaceful state: focusing your mind and body, breathing, Open Heart Posture, meditation, movement, and aromatherapy, to name a few. There are also journal prompts to write about your own thoughts and feelings. Abby Bordner Director of Advanced Prenatal Program; Consultant and Trainer for Childbirth, Birth and Early Childhood Website: abbybordner.com For the last 15 years, I have taught childbirth classes and I am always searching for the most important thing expectant couples need to learn. Sometimes I feel that I cannot truly prepare women for birth in classes; there is nothing I can say to truly describe the depth of experience that birth has to offer, I can’t tell you how labor will be for you. However, one of my goals is to have my class participants discover something new about themselves or have a conversation with their partner that they haven’t had yet. I truly believe that the process of questioning the things we have always assumed to be true will yield far more skill than any special technique that I may teach. 6 | Spring 2016 | Pranakriya School of Yoga Healing Arts In my experience, I have found that the most profound coping skill you can have in pregnancy, labor, and parenthood is creating stillness in your heart, mind, and body. When you disengage from a negative thought, stillness becomes available in your mind and body. In stillness there is freedom. With freedom, we can cope. My hope is that by creating paths to stillness, you are not only prepared for birth, but for life as a parent. Moment by moment, you can access freedom in your breath. You can access the freedom of connecting with your body, mind, and spirit. I encourage pregnant women preparing for birth to find activities that bring them joy and peace. In these moments you build your confidence and connection with the people you love. When you begin to trust yourself and those who care for you, it guides you to your best resources. Allow freedom to come in each moment that brings stillness and joy. My blessing for you is that birth will be rewarding and mysterious and uncover your strength and creativity needed for life as a parent. Cultivating Intuitive Presence for Healthier Boundaries Have you ever felt monopolized by a student before, during, or after class? Have you ever felt your own energy draining as you try to listen to, teach or work with a challenging student? Or have you had a student consistently arrive early or stay late in order to discuss and ask advice in solving personal problems? These scenarios highlight the need for safe and definite boundaries between student and teacher. Navigating this in a clear and kind way while honoring both ourselves and the student can be tricky. As teachers, we hold the power in any student relationship and therefore, we need to set the boundaries for ourselves first. Using the tools from our own yoga practice can help us create a safe and more clearly defined space for all of our students. Strengthening our own Container (the witness) through pranayama and meditation deepens our awareness and understanding of our own preconceived ideas, biases, and judgments. Allowing ourselves to clearly see and accept the truth of who we are creates compassion and curiosity towards ourselves and others. Integration of this information fosters a more secure and solid base from which to act. When we feel whole and nourished physically, mentally, and emotionally, we respond from a purer space and are better equipped to maintain our own boundaries. The inner probing and investigation that comes from our yoga practice also cultivates our objective listening skills. When we allow our own “stuff” to come up without judging or needing to change anything, we begin to create space for more information, clarity and healing. This allows us to be more compassionate as well as active listeners for our students. Listening, without needing to respond or ‘fix’ anything, will invite students to begin to notice and reflect on their own inner compass, ultimately guiding their own path toward wellness. When we build trust and confidence in our skills and intuition, we are physically, mentally and energetically stronger with clearer boundaries. With this strength and clarity, we are better able to discern and aid our students in listening to their own inner wisdom to find balance and overall wellness for themselves. As with everything in life, it takes practice to hold space for ourselves and for our students. It can be very difficult to stay grounded, nourished and revitalized especially when faced with demanding or challenging students. Continue to practice. Listen to your own inner wisdom, feel and notice what’s going on inside, expand your awareness, integrate this information and choose to stay grounded and connected. In doing this, you will be setting a clear and definite boundary for yourself and for your students. Shelbi Miles Director of 300-Hour YTT programs, Studio owner Email: [email protected] Upcoming program: The Client Relationship: Ethics, Boundaries, and Cultivating Intuitive Presence August 12-14, Crofton Yoga Teachers Association Newsletter | Spring 2016 | 7 Turning Passion into Service My favorite class was in 9th grade and called something like “Graphic Communications.” I don’t recall how I ended up in the class, but I had an interest in writing and photography and the students in this class were responsible for producing the monthly school newspaper. The class was split into two groups that alternated days between English—where not only did we learn about composition, but also planned and wrote articles for the newspaper—and the graphics class—where we learned how to take photos, develop 35mm film, hand-set lead type, create printing plates, use an offset printing press, and use an automatic paper folder (more fun than it may sound). Each month a different student was the editor of the paper and I enjoyed my turn at the wheel. I’ve been following a combination of interests ever since: an undergraduate degree in journalism, years as a technical writer then software userexperience designer, and an MFA in creative writing. And, always, lots of physical activity: competitive running, martial arts (Aikido), and 25 years of yoga. Chris Mastin E-RYT 500, Director of Publications Email: [email protected] So perhaps it should be no surprise that after being involved with Pranakriya for years—from YTT student to 200-Hour YTT director—I would eventually offer to help with the Pranakriya publications. 8 | Spring 2016 | Pranakriya School of Yoga Healing Arts Our first project, in 2015, was Jacci’s Basic Prenatal manual, which didn’t need much more than reformatting. Then we got more ambitious: the 200-Hour YTT Manual! A year and many revisions later, we now have a manual double in size, with many more photos, as well as content covered in the training that wasn’t in the manual itself. We’ve had a lot of help with the 200-hour manual and we hope it receives a warm welcome from our students. The plan now is to review each Pranakriya program’s student manuals and handouts, updating them as needed, as well as giving them a consistent look and feel. I often think of reincarnation not as a lifetime-after-lifetime cycle, but as an in-this-lifetime series of identities. I’m no longer that 14-year-old student, but I’m still a student and I’m aware of an essence unique to me that has been there from the moment I was born. Pranakriya Yoga in particular has allowed me to recognize, accept, and appreciate how what lights us up can also be an offering to enhance others’ well-being. I hope that my work on the Pranakriya publications will support you in your teaching as well as in your personal practice. Jai Bhagwan! Matters by Michael Stone in the middle the only thing important is in the end in the begining the only thing in the middle the only thing really in the middle in the start and in the middle the only thing important is the tenderness. nothing matters in the end but the tenderness the affection in the middle rough in the raw in the middle it’s the affection the indiscriminate the case of the ending the love without brackets the end of the start and in the middle the only thing is the tenderness the affection the navel the heart the beginning is always all beginning with ending in the middle when you end in the middle you begin and begin tenderness in the end the only thing ending is this Teachers Association Newsletter | Spring 2016 | 9 Featured Teacher I started my yoga journey 15 years ago because I wanted to manage stress. Teaching yoga was not a thought even as I progressed through YTT. The idea of teaching yoga occurred organically as I strengthened my personal practice and, more importantly, as I discovered that I wanted to share more of myself and my passion with the people and communities around me. This journey has transformed into more than I could have imagined. As I struggled with knee issues and sleep deprivation from living with a wounded warrior dealing Pamela Stokes Eggleston with PTSD and TBI, I began to look at yoga as more than my spiritual practice and a vehicle for my students. I wanted to use yoga to cultivate change in the populations I’ve worked with throughout my professional career: veteran and military families, those incarcerated for abusing drugs, and people living with mental illness. However, it wasn’t until I had an “aha” about being a part of a military family that my path came full circle. My father is an Air Force veteran and my grandfather served in the Army, but it wasn’t until my 10 | Spring 2016 | Pranakriya School of Yoga Healing Arts husband was injured in Iraq and began recuperating at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center that I understood the significance of this realization and how it would change my life. I began to use the tools of Pranakriya Yoga to work with military families and the organizations supporting them. When I became involved with Mindful Yoga Therapy (MYT) for Veterans—first through training and then as a supportstaff member—I realized that I truly wanted to work with this population. I’d had veterans and service members attend my classes, but I hadn’t taught classes specific to them. I have been able to use my MYT training with military and veteran spouses and families. Gerry, an Army veteran and one of my private clients who suffers from PTSD and anxiety, said, “Pamela has rejuvenated my life for the best. I feel that I am in the best possible mental and physical condition of my life! I highly recommend Yoga2Sleep to other veterans.” Knowing that I am making a difference keeps me going. Pamela Stokes Eggleston, MS, MBA, RYT 500, is a 200- and 300-hour certified Pranakriya yoga teacher. She is the founder of Yoga2Sleep (yoga2sleep.com), an organization that uses yoga and wellness to promote “better sleep for the best life.” Through Yoga2Sleep, she works with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Administration, Mindful Yoga Therapy for Veterans, The Give Back Yoga Foundation, Women Veterans Interactive, Dog Tag Bakery, Hope for the Warriors, the Omega Institute’s Yoga Service Council and others. Pamela has been featured in Mantra Yoga and Health, Essence, the Huffington Post, and on MSNBC. In addition to Yoga2Sleep, Pamela teaches at Crofton Yoga, Imagine the Place, and White Lotus Wellness Center. Photos by Robert Sturman As a veteran caregiver, I know that many caregivers of veterans and military service members neglect their own care. When a military caregiver or veteran comes into my class, I immediately connect with them on a deeper, supportive level. I’ve been there and I get it. With my private clients who may be spouses/caregivers of veterans, I emphasize, “take care of yourself this way because you need to be strong for your veteran.” I know what it’s like to live with these challenges day in and day out. Teachers Association Newsletter | Spring 2016 | 11 Featured Recipe Cardamom Oatmeal Walnut Bars Welcome to Pranakriya Teachers Association! I hope to see you at one of the upcoming Basic Prenatal trainings in the fall if you have not already taken it. Even if you do not plan to teach a Prenatal yoga class, it’s great to help you in your work with larger bodied students and the unexpected pregnant drop-in student. To the right is a recipe for a healthy snack that you can make quickly and save money by not buying expensive pre-made bars. The recipe includes a spice called cardamom which has some great health benefits, including gastrointestinal protection, cholesterol control, control of cancer, relief from cardiovascular issues, and improved blood circulation. Ingredients Enjoy this delicious treat! 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom 2 cups rolled oats 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted 6 tablespoons butter 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 3 tablespoons honey Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Line a 9-inch square pan with foil, extending the foil over the sides. 3. Grease the foil with shortening or butter. 4. Mix the first four ingredients in a bowl. 5. Heat the butter, brown sugar, and honey in a saucepan until the butter melts and begins to boil. Heather Schleupner E-RYT 200, RPYT, Director of Prenatal Teacher Training Email: [email protected] Website: raysoflight.com Next Program: Basic Prenatal Yoga August 12-14 Anahata Yoga Studio 6. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until well coated. Transfer to the prepared pan and press evenly with a spatula. 7. Bake about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. 8. Place pan on rack to cool. Using the foil, lift out of the pan, and place on cutting board. Cut into 18 bars. 18 servings, 128 calories per serving 12 | Spring 2016 | Pranakriya School of Yoga Healing Arts Upcoming 300-Hour Trainings April Deepening the Asana Experience: Asanas for Yoga Workout 1 with Jim O’Leary April 8-10 Verge Yoga Meditation: Theory & Teaching with Yoganand Michael Carroll April 15-19 Raven’s Wing Yoga Pranayama: Beginning & Enhancing Your Practice with William Hufschmidt April 22-24 Urban Solstice Asanas As Spiritual Doorways with Devadas Gregg Day April 29-May 3 The Yoga Center Deepening the Asana Experience: Asanas for Yoga Workout 1 with Jim O’Leary May 13-15 Myoga Pranayama: Theory & Teaching with William Hufschmidt May 13-17 Yoga 4 Everybody The Universe Inside the Body of the Yoga with Yoganand Michael Carroll May 13-15 Crofton Yoga Pranayama: Beginning & Enhancing Your Practice with William Hufschmidt May 20-22 Wilmington Yoga Anatomy for Yoga Practitioners & Teachers with William Hufschmidt June 3-7 Living Yoga Deepening The Asana Experience: Asanas for Med. Posture 2 with Jim O’Leary June 17-19 The Yoga Center Understanding the Hatha Yoga Pradipika with Yoganand Michael Carroll June 17-21 Evolation Understanding the Bhagavad Gita with Yoganand Michael Carroll June 24-28 Yoga For Life Pranayama: Theory & Teaching with William Hufschmidt June 24-28 Crofton Yoga May June Teachers Association Newsletter | Spring 2016 | 13 Benefits of Pranakriya Teachers Association Membership PK Community • Access to Teacher Discussion Forum: Visit the PK Membership page, login in with your membership number and join any of our discussion forums by subscribing within the forum. When a new message has been posted, you will be notified via email. • Quarterly E-Newsletter: Be inspired by articles written by our directors and students on various topics related to yoga. • Class-Development Ideas: We all can use a muse now again when it comes to class themes and sequence ideas. Receive four class development ideas including a theme, sequence and student take-aways over the course of the year. • PKTA Conference Discount: Receive 10% off the Pranakriya Teachers Conference fee and invitations to early access conference programming. • Pranakriya-Store Discount: With your password, receive 10% off anything purchased from the Pranakriya on-line store (pranakriya.com/store, use PKKULA2016). Marketing and Professional Support • Program Discount: Shortly after you have registered with the PKTA, you will receive a discount coupon in the mail for 20% off one 300-hour program. This discount is good until March 1, 2017. To redeem your coupon, please register with the studio hosting the program you are interested in and let them know you have a coupon, which you must bring the first night of the program. • Find A Teacher: Now students and prospective clients can find you right from our website under the “Find A Teacher” link at the top of the site. Social-Marketing Support Chrissy Gruninger offers social-media management and strategic online consulting to eco and wellness individuals and companies. For Pranakriya teachers or studios, a 25% discount applies to all online marketing and management services. Learn more about her services at SanguineCollective.com or contact her at [email protected]. Bookkeeping Services Debbie McFarland offers Quickbooks and other bookkeeping services to small businesses and individuals. She is offering a 25% discount on bookkeeping setup, as well as ongoing account services. Contact Debbie at [email protected]. Website Development and Management Receive discounted prices for website development and management. Contact Katie Truman at katie0624@ gmail.com. Katie recently developed the new Pranakriya website and is currently working on a number of our host studio and Pranakriya director sites (see yogawithjacci.com for an example). 14 | Spring 2016 | Pranakriya School of Yoga Healing Arts