21 Day 200 Hour Teacher Training Intensive with Shri

Join me for a 21 day 200 hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training Intensive in Nicaragua!
go to http://www.elcocolocoresort.com/  to register.

Wade in the Water

This week in the shala we are working on hip openers which heal and balance the second chakra.  The tattva, or element, which rules the second chakra is water.  Sometimes water forges a path straight through stone and yet water can adapt itself to fit any container.  Water teaches us to be strong and supple at the same time and to know when the situation calls for us to be strong or when it might be best to yield.  Water teaches us about going with the flow- to embrace what life brings our way even when we want to change it because when we first embrace what is we are in a much better position to change it.
Kali is the archetypal deity who embodies the energy of the second chakra and water.  She is considered one of the Dasa Maha Vidyas- the 10 great goddesses of Tantra.  The word vidya means science.  The 10 great goddesses are scientific concepts rather than religious concepts in that with Tantra we have equations where we perform A and B and then C is created.  And the equations are able to be replicated consistently just like in any good scientific experiment.
When we use techniques like mantra we are able to align ourselves with the energy of Kali and therefore water.  Kali is often depicted with her tongue out- she teaches us to taste all the flavors that life has to offer- sometimes what we first consider bad may turn out to be good.
Bob Marley said some people feel the rain and others just get wet.  Kali urges us to stick our tongues out and taste, savor and feel the rain of life- all the ever changing weather patterns of emotions and life circumstance.
To quote my friend Sydney (who just became a big sister!)
Sometimes you get what you get and you don't pitch a fit.

When is more really more?

If one down dog is good then 10 down dogs would be better, right?  When is more really more in a Yoga practice?

Pranams to Candace Bushnell. (creator of Sex in the City)  I was single and watching Sex in the City years ago- Carrie was a writer and would often start the show trying to write her column which often began with a question.  This was one of the first tv shows that depicted powerful single women really as independant creatures and I identified strongly and cheered them on.  But, I digress......

Back to down dog- I do not practice Yoga nor teach Yoga for physical fitness.  Physical healing and physical fitness are certainly part of the process but in the bigger picture- Yoga is a means toward radical transformation and growth- at the individual level and the global level.  The techniques on the Yoga mat which facilitate transformation most powerfully are those which quiet the mind and/ or raise energy (prana).  Yoga asanas are introductory techniques in order to create a foundation for the practice of the more powerful techniques.  The most powerful techniques on the mat are Pranayama -making different choices regarding breath, Bandha- the physical muscular engagements particularly in the core which raise energy, Sanskrit Chants- which harness the power of sound for healing and balance and Meditation- the observation of the workings of the mind which over time transforms the nature of mind.  More really is more with these techniques.

Memorial Day Holiday Schedule

Memorial Day Holiday Schedule:
Monday, May 28:  9 am Mixed Level Flow with Shri ONLY

Happy Holiday!

Making a Case for ET- I'm Just Saying.......

The History Channel recently aired a 6 part series of documentaries exploring the possibility of extraterrestrials (ancient astronauts) having visited Earth in the ancient past and that visitation continuing up to present day. (You can see the entire series on You Tube and NetFlix)  The series was a more in depth sequel to the groundbreaking work of Erich von Daniken's book Chariots of the Gods which I have given as gifts to many people over the years.
Ancient Aliens Episode 1

Much of the theory is based on artifacts that have been found all over the earth which simply do not make sense with our current timeline.

One artifact is the famous Piri Reis Map which is believed to have been created in the 1500s and shows the land masses of the Earth particularly Antarctica with an accuracy that just does not seem possible unless it was created with a vantage point from the air.

Other artifacts include the many " ancient airplanes" or what look like flying machines found at several historical  sites.  These artifacts include cockpits, fuselage, and upright tails which are not found in nature.  Many aerodynamics specialists say that these designs would fly.

And the Nazca Lines found in Peru- some are beautiful artwork- spiders, hummingbirds, a spaceman? and  some appear to be ancient runways- all of which are ONLY visible from the sky. 

Then there are the countless images that we see all over the earth, even in the US, of ancient artwork that, to the logical eye, appears to depict astronauts.

I am one of the many people around the world who like famed theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking believe that life on other planets is not a theory but an absolute.

 "To my mathematical brain, the numbers alone make thinking about aliens perfectly rational. The real challenge is to work out what aliens might actually be like". He believes alien life not only certainly exists on planets but perhaps even in other places, like within stars or even floating in outer space. He has also warned that a few of these species might be intelligent and threaten Earth. "If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn't turn out well for the Native Americans," he said. He has advocated that, rather than try to establish contact, humans should try to avoid contact with alien life forms. At a George Washington University lecture in honour of NASA's fiftieth anniversary, Hawking discussed the existence of extraterrestrial life, believing that "primitive life is very common and intelligent life is fairly rare".

So what difference does this make if ancient astronauts have visited the Earth?

Our current timeline of history is linear in that man is seen to have progressed from the cave man stage and evolved through the agricultural age, the iron age, the industrial age and to finally the present, the age of information.  Yet over 30 cultures around the world (including the Mayan, Egyptian, Vedic and Hopi) believe history to be more cyclical in nature- with periods of increasing light, peace, benevolence, technological advances, higher states of consciousness and periods of increasing darkness, turmoil and ignorance.  A 24- 26,000 year cycle from a Golden Age to an Age of Darkness (Satya Yuga and Kali Yuga from the Vedic Culture).   Among the 30 cultures who have this sort of historical timeline, the Earth is thought to have been through 4 or 5 of these 26k year cycles already.  Megalithic structures are found all over the planet which are virtually impossible to date- some of which were only discovered in the last 10 years or so.  Many of the architectural aspects of these sites were only discovered recently like the common themes of alignment with celestial bodies.  We didnt realize these sites were aligned with the stars because modern man did not know about the paths of these celestial bodies until only recently!!  "Modern man" thought that the Sun revolved around the Earth until the 1700s.  (If one questioned that earlier it meant heretical status and/or death.)
Texts from the Egyptian, Mayan and Vedic cultures state that these cultures existed over 40 thousand years ago!  Mainstream archeology maintains that these civilizations date back to only 6 thousand years ago and there is only a handful of renegade archaeologists, historians and geologists who are starting now to question the mainstream timeline and to propose a new timeline that is more in agreement with the old timelines of the 30 cultures who believe in the cycles.  The machine of academia moves slowly- modern man has a very hard time accepting that ancient cultures may have possed knowledge that was superior to what we possess today.  Yet, much of the newest information and discoveries in the fields of medicine, cosmology and particle physics agree with thousands of years old knowledge from Yoga, Tantra, Buddhism, Chinese medicine, Ayurveda and Shamanism.

Back to my question of why is this important?  Patanjali, the father of the science of Yoga, whose name means "one who fell from the sky", outlines a system and science that comes from a previous Golden Age of knowledge.  The Language of Sanskrit comes to us from a previous Golden Age of knowledge.  We know now that Sanskrit is based on sophisticated mathmatics which follows rules of harmonics.  It is the only language that, because of this relationship to mathematics, could communicate with artificial intelligence. This system of mathematics is now called the Fibonacci Sequence because it was rediscovered by an Italian named Fibonacci in 1202, but it comes directly from Vedic Culture.

For me, Yoga, Tantra and the Sanskrit language represent knowledge that has been preserved and passed down through the ages.  They are blueprints and sophisticated scientific systems to facilitate the evolution of mankind and a means by which mankind will usher in the next great Golden Age.  The fact that this information is now commonly available for all is auspicious.  The significance of Dec 21, 2012 is that it is a milestone for humankind in that a growth spurt is expected in consciousness beginning on that date. 

Other resources:  The Pyramid Code series which questions the age of megalithic structures around the world.

Rock Star Shoes

Rock stars like David Bowie wore these big shoes during the 70s and 80s- I loved that one message was androgyny. Were they male or female, did they like girls or dudes? It was hard to tell. They embraced both polar opposites- masculine and feminine. This week was also the Spring Equinox- a time of balance in the polar opposites of day and night. When we align ourselves too strongly with the world of polar opposites (Prakriti) we suffer because that realm is in constant change. The Yogi and Tantrika seek to find the Drasthuh, the witness, who watches this world of change in order to ultimately find the part of ourselves which is unaffected by change, the Purusha. The more we seek out Purusha, the more suffering is alleviated. How practically do we seek out Purusha, pray tell? By dwelling in present moment awareness as much as possible. Pay attention! (One very efficient way to drop into present moment awareness immediately is to become aware of our breath.)


The world of Prakriti is a world ruled by the pairs of opposites- the Dvandvas. Masculine/Feminine, Day/Night, In Breath/Out Breath, Rt Side/Left Side, Forward Bend/Backbend, Strength/Suppleness, the Impulse to Change/ the Impulse to Accept, Hot/Cold, Heavy/Light, Sadness/Joy, Anger/Compassion, Fear/ Safety- these are all polar opposites. The more we pay attention, the more we broaden our lens of perception and find that we have the ability to hold both polar opposites simultaneously- in fact these experiences always come in pairs- when we experience one- the possibility is there to also experience its opposite.

Last week I lost someone that I loved dearly. I am experiencing sadness in a way that is new for me. Yet, I am also finding great joy with this sadness- I have laughed and I have cried. One of the most important lessons for me from the master Jesus is that only after Jesus experienced great suffering was the glory of resurrection possible. If we pay attention and allow ourselves to sit with pain rather than trying to push it away in the myriad of ways that pushing it away is possible- overdoing, over eating, over drinking, over spending, too much sex and/or the use of prescription or recreational drugs- only then can we find the glory of the experience of the polar opposite- the silver lining. And by holding both mindfully we gain access to that part that watches and remains untouched.

Yogis actually feel more but it begins to bother you less. (This will not make sense until you have some practice time under your belt and it will not happen from a practice of just asana- this pay off requires a regular practice of meditation.) In our shala, we practice 15 minutes of Yogic Sleep Meditation- a reclining psychic sleep- at the end of each class.  Meditation is sitting with discomfort- a regular practice of watching the contents of the mind and the more you watch- the better you feel.

Workshops 2012

Lots of exciting events coming your way!
2012:
Sunday, March 11, 1-6 pm:  Restorative Yoga with Kate Cordell
location:  Ocean Yoga, http://www.oceanyoga.biz/ for directions
cost:  $65, register at http://www.blissyogashala.com/

Sunday, March 25, 1-5 pm:  Kirtan and Bhakti Yoga workshop with the Kula Wallah band and Brahmacharini Arpita
location:   Bliss Yoga
Bhakti Yoga is the Yoga of devotion and a key practice is kirtan- the call and response singing of the divine names.  Devotional acts cultivate ojas- the sap of vitality, radiant health and youthfulness.  Join us for the afternoon to learn about Bhakti Yoga and to practice the chanting of sacred sounds.
cost:  $20, register at http://www.blissyogashala.com/

Sunday, April 15, 2-6 pm:  Fire Ceremony with Sudevi
location:  Bliss Yoga
Learn the traditional fire ceremony or Agni Hotra with Sudevi Linda Kramer.  The fire ceremony is a practice for healing yourself and for healing the earth.
cost:  $125 which includes your own copper fire pot for home practice! Space is very limited- reserve your spot early- register at http://www.blissyogashala.com/

Sunday, April 29, 1-5:  Therapeutic Hips with Paula Puopolo
location:  Bliss Yoga
cost:  $65
This class is perfect for anyone who is interested in back pain relief and healthy movement of the hips.
register at http://www.blissyogashala.com/

May:
May 18-20, join us for a retreat at the Himalayan Institute for a workshop on Yoga and the Prana Vayus with Sandra Anderson.  This trip is part of our 200 hour TT program but is open to anyone who wishes to come.  for more information and to register go to http://www.himalayaninstitute.org/
Sunday, May 20, 1-6 pm:  Therapeutic Yoga for Depression with Joan Ryan, ERT-500, registration will open soon.
June:
June 10:  Yoga and Chinese Medicine:  Meridian Theory with Stan Hubbard, Acupuncture Physician
June 24:  Therapeutic Yoga for a Healthy Spine with Joan Ryan
August:
August 26:  Therapeutic Yoga for High Blood Pressure with Joan Ryan

Dec 1 and 2:  Sanskrit 1 with Zoe Mai of the American Sanskrit Institute
Dec 7 and 8:  Sanskrit 2 with Zoe Mai of the American Sanskrit Institute

NEXT 500 HOUR TT BEGINS DEC, 2012 AND CONTINUES UNTIL FEB 2014