Archive for the ‘Events and Workshops’ Category

Yoga Nepal 2011: Pilgrimage and the 21st century Yogi

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Posted 28 Jun 2011 — by WelcomeOmDC
Category Events and Workshops, Inspiration, Yoga

Today’s guest post is from Marni Kravitz, director of Yoga Nepal, a dharma student, and freelance film and TV producer from Washington, DC. She interviewed Radhika Thakkar and Shawn Parell, co-teachers for Vinyasa: Finding Your Flow, November 7-18, 2011, a retreat taking place in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Registration ends soon! For more information visit Yoga Nepal‘s website.

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It’s hard to believe that Yoga Nepal 2011 is already approaching.  It seems like only weeks ago that Cory Bryant, Radhika Thakkar, and I led our 2010 retreat through the Kathmandu Valley.  Practicing in the sacred valley where Buddhist and Hindu cultures converge brought us closer to the meaning and purpose of yoga. We had the chance to immerse ourselves in the cultural riches of the valley’s many temple towns, brave Kathmandu city traffic together, receive teachings from Buddhist masters, and take many deep breaths in the presence of the Himalayan mountains.  The retreat was the perfect mixture of pilgrimage and play, and most importantly, genuine friendships grew among the participants that continue even now.

Gearing up for this fall’s programs, I had the chance to talk to Radhika, who returns for 2011, and DC’s own Shawn Parell, who will co-teach this year’s retreat, and find out what pilgrimage, practice and retreat means to the modern yogi.

Marni: What motivates the two of you to teach yoga?
Radhika: I was drawn to yoga after my first class in 1999 – after an hour and a half of fluid, vinyasa movement, I felt like I had hit a refresh button on my physical and mental energy and washed tension out of my body and heart.  For me, a vinyasa yoga practice – movements inspired by the connection between breath and body – is like a moving meditation.  I teach to create this experience for others – whether they are looking for a workout or a chance to connect with something greater in their lives.  I offer my students a fluid but challenging physical vinyasa flow infused with inspiring music to help them find their internal body and breath rhythm, disengage from the typical patterns of stress often played out in their daily lives, and connect with themselves on a deeper level. 

Shawn: I teach yoga as an offering of devotional service.  As the greatest agent of integration and change in my own life, after 15 years of daily practice, it is also the most personally inspired gift that I have to share with others.  My intention in teaching is to hold space for others’ awakening and healing. How does it work? We simply move, and breathe, and bring kind attention to the energetic unfolding of practice. In an alchemical conversation with self, we discover our vibratory, essential, and expansive aliveness. And as we awaken to the nature of our own being, we realize that we are connected to the beings around us — that we belong to the natural flow of the universe.

Marni: What role has pilgrimage and retreat played in your life?
Radhika: Pilgrimage enables us to dedicate time and focus to deepen our own practice, however we define ‘practice’.  One doesn’t need to be very religious or ‘yogic’ to go on pilgrimage, and everyone, even the casual yoga studio aficionado, can benefit from retreat. In a very fast moving world, with lots of professional, personal and social activities and commitments on my plate, I sometimes find myself so caught in the motions and rhythm of life that I am disconnected from the purpose of my actions.  Going on retreat represents the ability to silence the noise of our life and practice the act of absorbing, reflecting and grounding ourselves.  I find myself more connected to my work, the people in my life and my sense of self after taking time off to practice living yoga.

Marni: Radhika, what inspired you to teach in Nepal again this year?
Radhika: I loved that the stunning scenery, natural beauty and many symbols of Nepal’s varied religious and cultural history were uniquely inspirational.  More profoundly, the Kathmandu Valley seems to represent a place of living spirituality. Whether it’s a quick glance at prayer flags flapping in the wind, watching devotees offer flowers to the feet of Ganesh, quietly reciting mantras with a mala in hand or performing prostrations in public, people’s actions and the physical spaces they occupy serve as a reminder of connection to something greater, more universal.
I vividly remember seeing school children in uniform and grandparents with canes circumambulating the stupa at Boudhanath early in the morning on their way to school or opening up their stores and offices and thinking how beautifully people have woven their spirituality into their everyday lives.  I left Nepal with that lesson in my heart – regardless of what we believe in, we can so easily keep ourselves connected to what matters in the bigger picture with a simple action or quick glance at something that reminds us to connect to our beliefs on a daily basis.

Marni: Shawn, why do you think pilgrimage and retreat is so important to the path of yoga?
Shawn: As students of yoga and mindfulness, we are asked to explore the sacred that lives within and around us in any moment. Although our intentions for mindfulness practice may be resolute, many of us nevertheless experience our daily lives as both abundant and demanding, blessed and (… let’s face it) stressful. If we are paying attention, in any moment we can catch ourselves in a consuming cycle of thought: determining what we could or should be doing, wondering what others think, trying to figure things out, organizing and digesting information, trying to solve a problem, planning for the future, reviewing the past, etc etc. The more we pay attention, the more we wake up to the fact that we spend much of our lives caught in a trance of wanting to get somewhere else.  Making time for retreat is a commitment to step out of that trance and to reconnect with our basic and essential flow of being. In this sense, the true destination of a pilgrimage is never a place, but a new way of seeing. As a macrocosmic gesture of pratyahara (one of the eight limbs of classical yoga that describes the process of attuning one’s sensory experience from the external world to our inner landscape) it is also an integral step along the path of yoga. As writer Lillian Smith put it, “no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within.”  This is the essential invitation and opportunity of pilgrimage: to step out of our responsibilities and routine intentionally, to shift our attention inwards with compassion and possibility, and to open to the deeper currents of consciousness within us through this process. And, in so doing, we just may find our hearts, minds, and eyes open to the world in a brand new way.

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Join Radhika and Shawn for Vinyasa: Finding Your Flow, November 7-18, 2011, Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Registration ends soon! For more information visit Yoga Nepal‘s website.

Take Your Practice Off The Mat (Part 2)

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Posted 03 Mar 2011 — by WelcomeOmDC
Category Events and Workshops, Guest Posts, Inspiration, Seva: Selfless Service, Yoga, Yoga Off the Mat

Local yoga teacher Holly Meyers joins us again for part 2 of her series on the upcoming Off the Mat Into the World Intensive Workshop coming to DC later this month. Enjoy!

(For part 1, scroll on down…)

*****

I hear there are about 10 spots left in the Off the Mat Into the World ® (OTM) Intensive here in DC.  If you’re still wondering whether this training is for you, please consider how my experience has shaped my life…
 
I never imagined, after participating in “Yoga, Purpose & Action” at New York’s Omega Institute last June, how much inspiration and support I would continue to receive from the OTM team – plus, from their regional ambassadors around the world.
 
When I arrived at the OTM Intensive last June, I had a pretty clear idea of my “purpose” – to establish an organization that decreases violence in families and among youth, by passing on the healing tools of yoga and related practices.  Today, as teens and young adults in my urban neighborhood murder each other in the streets, and as families in the suburban neighborhoods of my childhood hide their troubles behind closed doors, I remain committed to this cause.
 
To start this organization, I will need help.  I will need collateral.  I will need collaborators.  I will need community support.  Through ongoing involvement with and mentoring from OTM, I am learning what it takes to develop this help.  I am getting some practice in all of these areas.


 
Participants in the OTM Intensive have the option to continue working with the organization as “ambassadors” in their local regions by coordinating Yoga in Action (YIA) events.  YIA is the grassroots initiative that brings the Off the Mat experience to the local level.
 
For example, last fall, I lead the Yoga in Action DC campaign on Facebook.  OTM introduced this fund/awareness raising initiative worldwide and asked local ambassadors to help spread the word.  For me, the campaign was a small effort (compared to the fund-raisers and events that more experienced OTM ambassadors held); at the same time, it helped me continue to come out of my shell and incubate the OTM presence here in DC.  Until that activity, I felt a little shy about reaching out to Washington-area Karma Yogis.  I’d been practicing yoga in the city since 1993, but only started to feel linked-in after my teacher training in 2008 (to no fault of the community; just my own self-doubt).  Coordinating the YIA-DC campaign pushed me to seek and connect with fellow yogis who are devoted to service.  It also forced me to embrace Facebook!  As friends point out, I went from 0 to 60 in no time on the social network!  I now love connecting with and being inspired by yoga and other mindful pals around the world.
 
There are infinite ideas, inspiration and motivation out there.
 
When OTM announced their DC Intensive, I offered to lead a “bridge event” that would raise awareness about the style of OTM trainings.  “Chill Time with Yoga in Action” was held last December at Past Tense Studio in Mt. Pleasant.  In the two-hour class, participants built an altar, shared about their service-related jobs, family roles and community activities, then practiced yoga collaboratively.  This community-building class will continue at Past Tense quarterly, so additional Karma Yogis can join the circle for rejuvenation in their lives and sustainability in their work.  The best part was – I didn’t have to invent the concept.  OTM leaders and ambassadors helped me shape the Intensive elements to meet the needs of DC’s active Seva community.
 
Collaboration is a huge part of OTM and YIA work.
 
In fact, I am looking forward to meeting potential Yoga in Action co-facilitators at the March “Yoga, Purpose and Action” Intensive!  All three of the DC yoginis who attended the Omega training last year moved away from the area soon after, sadly.  My next hope for YIA activity is to lead the 7-Week Small Group curriculum, which unites a finite group for a journey of peer-supported self-inquiry, collaborative exercise, and yoga practice (of course!), leading to a unique Karma Yoga project for our DC community.  OTM’s vision is to seed these YIA small groups of change among local communities, to inspire collaboration and connection among yoga activists.
 
I have been deeply inspired seeing the amount of noble service work accomplished by YIA facilitators and other relationships that have bloomed out of the Intensives.  Last year, past OTM Intensive participants cheered-on each others fund-raising efforts for OTM’s Global Seva Challenge.  And as the emotional stories from that recent South Africa Seva journey currently saturate the walls of Facebook, this year’s fund-raising Challenge for a 2012 Haiti project is in full swing.  Here is another way that OTM’s mentorship can support my own vision to start an organization – by participating in the Global Seva Challenge, I would get great fund raising experience!  

Since the Omega training, regular conference calls with Off the Mat Into the World mentors – including Hala Khouri, Claire Williams, Kerri Kelly and Davian Den Otter (all of whom you will meet next week at the DC Intensive if you attend) – have infused me with creativity and confidence.  Off the Mat Into the World is committed to investing in their Intensive participants’ leadership growth – as regional OTM ambassadors, and, toward their own visions and purpose.  Hearing the experiences of others who participated in the 5-day Intensive around the world has been immensely fortifying – for my YIA work, my yoga teaching, and, my life.

We all support each other as brothers and sisters who experienced the intensely deep journey of self-inquiry, connecting to our purpose and each other, and activating into the world.
 
OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.  Peace, Peace, Peace.
 
Learn more about OTM’s Yoga in Action initiative, the Global Seva Challenge and future “Yoga, Purpose & Action” trainings here.

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Yoga teacher Holly Meyers is a DC ambassador for Off the Mat Into the World ® (OTM), a nonprofit that uses the power of yoga to inspire conscious, sustainable activism and ignite grassroots social change.
 
OTM’s 5-day “Yoga, Purpose & Action” Intensive – coming to DC March 10-14 – guides participants through a deep, transformational process of self-inquiry and skill building facilitated by yoga, visioning, lecture and group process. There are still a few slots left for this amazing journey.  Visit Flow Yoga Center’s website to register.

Take Your Practice Off the Mat

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Posted 22 Jan 2011 — by WelcomeOmDC
Category Community, Events and Workshops, Guest Posts, Inspiration, Yoga Off the Mat

Yoga teacher Holly Meyers guest blogs for us today. She is a DC ambassador for Off the Mat, Into the World ® (OTM), a nonprofit that uses the power of yoga to inspire conscious, sustainable activism and ignite grassroots social change. OTM’s 5-day “Yoga, Purpose & Action” intensive – coming to DC March 10-14 – guides participants through a deep, transformational process of self-inquiry and skill building facilitated by yoga, visioning, lecture and group process.

The early-bird discount (a $100 savings!) for OTM’s March 2011 “Yoga, Purpose & Action” Intensive is available through TODAY, Saturday, January 22nd!  Visit Flow Yoga Center’s website to register – payment plans are available. 

*****
Last June I participated in Off the Mat Into the World’s 5-day leadership intensive at the Omega Institute in New York. As the DC intensive approaches, I’m feeling as giddy as a little kid!
 
I am super excited to practice with three of the most effective teachers of yoga and leadership. OTM founders Seane Corn, Hala Khouri and Suzanne Sterling are like a power trio who fuel the training with their unique strengths.
 
My first experience with Seane – whose advanced yoga poses grace the covers of Yoga Journal and other magazines – was one year ago, at her 3-day Chakra Vinyasa workshop. Being a traditional Hatha teacher with just a little Vinyasa experience – and, knowing about Seane’s butt-kicking Asana practice – I was a bit nervous! My fears soon dissolved as I immersed myself in one of the most liberating experiences of my life. I did not simply “get through” the three days – Seane’s prayerful support and encouragement propelled my practice beyond my imagination.
 
Complementing Seane’s intensely physical style is Hala’s wisdom as a psychologist. Her music choices uplift the heart and soul, and encourage emotional release through the body. During last year’s intensive, U2’s “Grace” hit the air and I felt a visceral surge of self-acceptance that still brings me great serenity today. Hala’s lecture on Somatic Experiencing provided tools for maintaining balance during emotional triggers, which are invaluable for people like me – a survivor of hardship who now works in service to those with similar backgrounds.
 
Suzanne rounds out OTM’s leadership with her mystical energy, and background in indigenous ritual, percussion and vocalization. Her compassionate heart, attentive ear and motivational voice sparked rich levels of self-discovery, openness and security among the 40 participants at Omega last year. Her drumming and chants provided a cohesive soundtrack for the week’s process. In my classes I often play her celebratory “Jai Ma” – which she chanted as a gentle lullaby during our deep relaxation – during Sun Salutations and her ethereal “Savaasana” during Yoga Nidra.
 
Seane’s, Hala’s and Suzanne’s fusion of transformational Asana, psychological empowerment and liberating ritual are beyond compare for leadership development for Karma Yogis, Yoga Activists, Seva Yogis…whatever you choose to call someone who takes his or her yoga practice off the mat to be of service in their everyday world.
 
Through OTM’s intensive, any yogi who plays a role of service at their job, in their community and/or for their family will find the nourishment, rejuvenation and empowerment to do that work more sustainably. I hope to see you this March!

*****

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Holly’s blog,coming in February, describing how ongoing mentorship by OTM leaders encourages her leadership growth, empowers her yoga teaching and sustains her service work.

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I’d Rather Do and Fall Than Wish and Watch

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Posted 08 Nov 2010 — by WelcomeOmDC
Category Events and Workshops, Guest Posts, Inspiration, Yoga

From March 12th-19th, 2011, Vanessa King and Peg Mulqueen will be leading a week long Yoga and Surf Retreat in an enchanted forest and pristine beaches of the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica. Indulge yourself with 2 yoga classes a day- ashtanga vinyasa in the morning and acro yoga play in the afternoon. In between, hike to amazing waterfalls, view exotic wildlife, and maybe even learn to surf the long clean waves of the Osa.  Their retreat package includes 7-nights accommodation, 3 meals/day, 2 yoga classes/day, your first surf lesson, unlimited beach and an unforgettable vacation. There are only 15 more spaces left – and less than 2 weeks left to receive a special early bird discount.

For more information, visit Peg’s website. For inspiration, read her post below.

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I will probably always miss more rides than I catch – and fall, more often than not – yet I will never regret taking the risk and surrendering to the experience of catching even one coveted wave.
 
Because I’d rather do and fall, than wish and watch.
 
Once upon a time, I was the one sitting on the beach and watching my friends paddle out.  I’d watch them fight the ocean’s flow until they were mere dots, speckling the watery horizon.

After the struggle out and a patient wait, one would catch a wave and I could only imagine the sheer exhilaration of riding it all the way to shore.  Which is where I still sat – waiting and watching with envy.

I’m pretty sure I was encouraged to join.  I was probably offered a board and even a few pointers or lessons.  But doubt overtook desire and fear kept me captive.

And so I comforted myself with the promise of “later”  . . .

But all was not lost for it was my surfer friends who first introduced me to yoga, the two lifestyles seamlessly and profoundly connected.  Thanks to them – I found my hOMe on a yoga mat.

It wasn’t until years later that I would finally pick up a surfboard on my own.  As I silently cursed myself for not being brave enough earlier in life, when youth was my ally and the word ‘careful’ was not such an established part of my vocabulary, I finally made my way out, past the doubt and the fear. 

 No longer life’s spectator, it would be me to feel the swell of the waves beneath my belly and dance within the wave.

 

Surfing IS like yoga – it’s not about accomplishing anything- it’s about this greater connection and flow, this blissed out place of pure love and divine inspiration.

Because yoga is not just a bunch of postures. It’s simply a path to a beautiful unification, one that transcends this frenetic life we lead. 

Most often, I find this on a yoga mat.  

But sometimes, I find this spiritual state of consciousness – samadhi -at other times.  Like while meditating on the river’s bank or after a long climb to the mountain’s summit, as I breathe in the view.

And sometimes, I can find this same peace as I sync my spirit with that of the ocean, atop my board.  For a time, I am her and she is me.

*****

WelcomeOmDC Trapeze SchoolPeg Mulqueen is a yoga instructor and writer. When not on her mat, Peg can be found on a surf board in Maui – learning to fall off gracefully and get back up . . . . or suspended 500 feet in the air on a zip line over a Costa Rican jungle – conquering her fear of heights . . . or searching for the perfect cast, fly fishing in the wilder places of Montana. Visit her website to learn more.

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Halloween Weekend Warrior: October 29-31

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Posted 29 Oct 2010 — by WelcomeOmDC
Category Community, Deals and Discounts, Events and Workshops, Weekend Warrior, Yoga

Whether you like your Halloween to be fun, funny, or spooky, there are tons of options for enjoying this festive holiday. So put on your favorite yoga “costume,” lace up your scary running shoes, or hop on your witch-mobile (aka bike) and enjoy the weekend!

*****

Friday, October 29
7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Thriller on H Street. (Joy of Motion, 1333 H St., NE ). This will be a combo dance workshop to learn the iconic choreography from Michael Jackson’s Thriller followed by the Thriller on H Street Party. Investment: $25 in advance/$30 at the door

7:30 – 9:00 p.m. A Very Scary Friday Night Yoga (Costume) Party (MINT Club Spa Retreat, 1724 California Street, NW). Join Meredith McCullough and Naomi Gottlieb-Millerto kick-off Halloween weekend with a full-spectrum class dedicated to celebrating your true self. Wipe the dust off the mirror to your heart and unleash that angel, devil, fuzzy monster, or super star lurking beneath the surface. Get creative…yoga-capable costumes not required (but recommended!). Investment: $10 members, $20 guests

8:00 – 10:30 p.m. Halloween Party to Support One Common Unity (Flow Yoga Center,1450 P St., NW ). Join Live Green, Java Green, Flow Yoga Center, and the One Common Unity communities for an evening of dancing and festivities. The evening will include DJ Jeffrey Platts, Vanessa King and the DC Acro Yogis, plus Afro Brazilian Dance and Belly Dance Lessons. This evening is a fundraiser for One Common Unity, a local DC non profit dedicated to bringing peace education and conflict resolution curriculum into the DC Schools. Light treats will be available and Thai Massage therapists will be on hand to sooth any aches (for small donation!). Come in costume and be ready to shake your chakras. Investment: $15

Saturday, October 30
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Yoga for Truthiness in the Classrooms(lululemon athletica logan circle, 1461 P St., NW). In the spirit of (and as a kick off!) for the Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert Rallies, Debra Mishalove and Vanessa King will lead a donation-based yoga class. Proceeds from the yoga class will directly support classrooms and students across America including local schools in Washington D.C. Investment: Suggested donation $15, make checks out to DonorsChoose.org

Then, take a long walk or quick bike ride down to the Mall for the Rally to Restore Sanity. We heard that the port-o-potties have been delivered!

Sunday, October 31
8:00 a.m. Marine Corps Marathon Pep Rally Cheer Station (lululemon athletica georgetown, 3265 M St., NW). lululemon athletica Georgetown is putting on the ultimate Pep Rally Cheer Station for the Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday, October 31st at 8am. Come join the huge street party and cheer on the runners at mile 8 on M Street. It is an old school pep rally theme with the Georgetown marching band, DJ Jeff, crepes by Crepe Amor, gourmet coffee, pom poms and other tricks and treats. Mimosas and Bloody Marys will also be available to keep the crowd fueled to cheer on those marathoners! Investment: FREE, just bring your good cheer!

4:00 p.m. Family Halloween Yoga (lil omm, 4830 V St., NW). No tricks, but lots of treats! Bring children ages 3+ and come down from the sugar high and reconnect through yoga. Halloween-themed poses, music, and much-needed relaxation will be provided. Investment: FREE

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Crazy Wisdom

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Posted 27 Oct 2010 — by WelcomeOmDC
Category Events and Workshops, Guest Posts, Inspiration, Seva: Selfless Service, Video, Yoga

Today’s guest post and yoga philosophy lesson is from teacher Ricky Tran. Ricky will be in town next week to teach a donation-based class at lululemon athletica georgetown on Wednesday, 11/3 at 7:00 p.m. benefiting Anahata Grace, and for three days of workshops at STROGA (Friday, 11/5 4:00-7:00 p.m., Saturday all day and Sunday all day, see website for details). He’ll provide an experience you won’t want to miss. Enjoy his post on the yoga sutras and register for one, two or all of his workshops at STROGA today!

We are also pleased to announce a raffle fora free pass to attend the entire weekend immersion at STROGA.  To qualify for the raffle, come to the Wednesday class at lululemon and make a minimum donation of $5 to Anahata Grace.  We will announce the winner at the end of class.

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Patanjali Yoga Sutra 1.33, The 4 Attitudes of a Yogi

maitri karuna mudito ‘pekshanam sukha dukha punya apunya vishayanam bhavanatas chitta prasadanam

According to the great rishi Patanjali, there is more than one path to yoga.  In other words, one does not have to practice asana, pranayama and meditate to achieve the state of yoga, which is a peaceful mind.  In sutra 1.33, Patanjali prescribes four (4) attitudes to be cultivated toward four (4) distinct objects (people).  When these four attitudes are cultivated toward 4 distinct objects over time, one’s mind will automatically become clear and lucid.

These four attitudes are:

  • Friendliness
  • Compassion
  • Delight or Appreciation
  • Indifference / Equanimity

The four objects (people) are:

  • Those who are in their agreeable space.  People who are content or happy.
  • Those who are not in their agreeable space.  People who are unhappy or suffering. Opposite of the 1st type.
  • Virtuous people.  People that do good things in this world.  People who are living their dharma.
  • People of vice.  People who do things deemed wicked by society.  Opposite of the 3rd type.

Explanation:

By cultivating an attitude of friendliness toward people who are happy, you become like these people.  Surround yourself with those who have what they want and want what they have and you will soon find peace of mind.  It is said we become who we hang around. 

By cultivating an attitude of compassion toward those who suffer, you will soon find peace of mind.  You don’t want to have joy or delight when you see someone suffer.  Likewise, you wouldn’t want to have compassion for those who are happy and content.

By cultivating an attitude of delight or appreciation toward people who make this world a better place, you will find peace of mind.  When you see someone do something good, like return a lost wallet, you should have delight and appreciation.  When you see someone help an elderly or disabled person across a busy street, you should have an attitude of appreciation.  When this attitude is cultivated toward these types of people, you will soon have peace of mind.

By cultivating an attitude of indifference toward those who do bad things, your mind will become clear and lucid.  If you surround yourself with people of vice, you soon will become a person of vice.  If you hang out with thieves, you too will soon be a thief.  According to Patanjali, one should not have an attraction or even an aversion toward this type.  If you become unaffected by these individuals, you will soon find peace of mind.

*****
Ricky Tran is an up-and-coming modern urban yogi who’s teachings are rooted in tradition. He’s traveled the country to teach workshops and teacher trainings in over 15 cities in the past couple years. He’s presented at the 2010 Texas Yoga Conference and will be presenting with them again in 2011. He will also be leading a week-long immersion at Kripalu in 2011. His classes are as invigorating as they are fun. When he explains something, it just makes sense, but don’t take our word for it.  Come and experience him for yourself. To get you even more motivated, check out this video to get inspired!

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Weekend Warrior: October 22-24

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Posted 21 Oct 2010 — by WelcomeOmDC
Category Community, Events and Workshops, Nontraditional Workouts, Outdoor Activities, Weekend Warrior, Yoga

Sorry we dropped the weekend warrior ball last week friends, but we’re back! Enjoy our weekend warrior picks, or share your own in the comments.

*****


Friday, October 22
6:00 – 11:00 p.m. Retro Bike Show, Badminton, and Beatles Rock Band (Loree Grand Field, 2nd & L Streets, NE). ReadySetDC is bringing the badminton, Dandies & Quaintrelles is bringing the bikes and everyone will have a chance to bring their best during a big screen Beatles Rock Band Competition. Come show off your retro bikes, wear your tweed and have a good time before the November Tweed Ride. Investment: Free

Saturday, October 23
7:30 a.m. and all day – Eunice Kennedy Shriver Challenge(National Mall). This multi-event day will feature a 20-mile cycling ride led by Mayor Fenty, starting at the Washington Monument, proceeding up Constitution Avenue, past the Capitol and through the city. The day’s activities also include tandem events, a Corporate Relay, a Youth Fun Run, and the Carl Lewis Challenge, 5K run and 3K walk, led by the Olympic gold-medalist himself. All proceeds benefit Best Buddies International and the Special Olympics. Investment: $50 registration ffee and minimum $100 fundraising commitment, see website for more details.

2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Karma Yoga Class (Yoga District, 1910 14th Street, NW, Unit 1). The yoga teachers who lead classes at Harriet Tubman Women Shelter each week will lead participants through an all-levels yoga class to strengthen and stretch, sweat and relax. Class proceeds will support the ongoing yoga program at the shelter and will provide for hygiene supplies for shelter residents. Investment: Donation-based

Studio Preview: Studio DC (Dupont Circle)4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Yoga Basics Workshop (Centered Yoga, 4418 MacArthur Blvd., NW). This workshop is designed for participants with little or no previous yoga experience. In this informal and explorative environment, participants will gain an understanding of beginner level yoga postures, breath work and alignment awareness. Investment: $35

 

 

Sunday, October 24
1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Yoga To Improve Your Game Workshop (Circle Yoga, 3838 Northampton St. NW). See Penny Bell’s guest post about how yoga can help you improve your game (tennis, basketball, soccer, etc.) and then register for this workshop. Investment: $35

Not running in the Army 10-Miler? Get out to Arlington to cheer on those who are! There’s nothing like watching a good race to get you motivated to train for your own. Plus, when else is acceptable to yell at people on the street and not get yelled at back!?

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Improve Your Game With Yoga

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Posted 20 Oct 2010 — by WelcomeOmDC
Category Events and Workshops, Yoga

Today’s guest post comes from local tennis player and yogi, Penelope Bell. She’s got a personal story to tell and hopes it might inspire you to apply yogic principles to your game (whatever game that might be). For more, consider signing up for Circle Yoga’s upcoming workshop, Yoga to Improve Your Game, this Sunday from 1:30 – 3:30. Enjoy Penny’s story!
*****
Tennis BallFor the past five or so years, I have played in a US Tennis Association (USTA) doubles league, and while my tennis has improved, what I have grown to love most about the game is the joy, camaraderie and comfort of playing on a team. I am always happy to run into a fellow teammate at a party, because rather like comrades in combat, our shared triumphs and losses create a bond that goes beyond friendship, even beyond words.
 
Yoga is another activity I have discovered in the past five years, and while the parallels between yoga and tennis are not obvious (it’s not as if you can break the tension of a tiebreak by practicing a relaxing forward bend), I have found that my yoga practice yields surprising benefits for my tennis game, and vice versa.
 
One of the great joys of yoga, of course, is the lack of judgment and competitiveness involved, while tennis is a sport that offers ample opportunity for introspection, and frustration, which often make the difference between winning and losing a match.
 
Then there is the problem of distraction. I have lost count of the number of times I have lost points because I have been prematurely fantasizing about victory, or what I’m going to have for dinner after I get home.
 
This is where I find my yoga practice helps. Yoga teaches not only physical but also mental awareness, which helps me notice when my attention is starting to wander. At the same time, I have learned not to beat myself up for those lapses, but merely to lead my attention gently back to what’s happening on the court. Often, when I find it particularly hard to concentrate, I tell myself just to focus my attention on the ball – an instruction my brain somehow finds simple enough to drown out all the competing voices in my head.
 
Yoga also teaches me to set an intention for my practice, which is something I now bring to my tennis game. Now, when I serve, I try and think about where I want to place the ball, with the result that I can often ‘construct’ a point successfully. Even if the ball doesn’t go where I want it to, I find the act of setting an intention is a great way to focus and calm the mind for the play at hand.
 
While it’s remarkable how often these yoga practices help me dig my way out of a tennis hole, there are still days when nothing seems to work. Despite reminding myself to breathe before I toss the ball to serve, or to maintain an open mind towards our opponents, I still lose my share of matches.
 
So while I’d like to say yoga has given me zen-like equanimity about winning or losing, I have to confess this isn’t true. Winning still feels great, and losing sucks. But at least my yoga practice has helped me to recognize this too, so that I don’t falsely attribute my post-game euphoria or depression to something my husband or kids did or didn’t do later on. And every time I play a point where everything comes together, and I feel like ‘I am the ball,’, I enjoy the feeling for what it is. There’s simply no release quite like it – except, perhaps during yoga.

Learn more about how yoga can improve your tennis, basketball, soccer or other game at:

Yoga to Improve Your Game
Sunday, October 24
1:30-3:30pm
Circle Yoga
3838 Northampton St. NW, Washington DC 20015

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Penelope Bell is a marketing consultant and freelance writer living in Chevy Chase, MD.

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It’s Yoga Rocks DC!!!

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Posted 14 Oct 2010 — by WelcomeOmDC
Category Events and Workshops, Yoga

Today’s guest post comes from internationally-known yoga teacher David Kyle. We hope his post gets you excited about his upcoming workshops and classes in the DC area. Its time to fly with David, enjoy!

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Rocket Man David Kyle

Possibly you have heard about a yoga class that has been floating around (literally like levitation) in your area lately? The name of this yoga class is called “Rocket” and it encourages a sense of freedom within the Ashtanga Yoga lineage. Freedom to honor your changing bodies and stimulate this amazing body we have to transcend the normal and to surpass any boundaries that you have set for yourself or allowed others to create. It’s charged the practice of many of your favorite teachers and soon will be a must class at your local yoga studios around the world. Why called the “Rocket”? According to Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead who coined the name, “It gets you there faster.” Faster to the sweet taste of comfort and control that yoga asana provides.

The Rocket series is the foundation of the California based It’s Yoga Institute that is home base to over 15 yoga studios around the world. The It’s Yoga system teaches a lifestyle based yoga practice that is designed to be molded to anyone that is looking for an asana and philosophy practice to complement their existing practices. “1 million yoga teachers working together will cure the world!” This is the words of the fountainhead of the It’s Yoga philosophy Larry Schultz. Larry has been living the life of a modern day remover of darkness and confusion for almost 40 years now. Encouraging people to do simple things in their lives to keep themselves happy. “Relax, Breath, and Go with the Flow” is one of the fundamental rules of the It’s Yoga mind set. It’s one of the lifestyle practices that grabbed me and one sun salutation at a time pulled me deeper in the lifestyle of a modern yogi. Following through with Larry’s dream I joined the It’s Yoga Kula and now works to bring more yoga into the world one person at a time with his own It’s Yoga studio in Puerto Rico. As one of the head teachers of the It’s Yoga system I now visit the DC area to feed a growing community of yogis who are starving for their weekly Rocket class!

I have been visiting the DC area now for a few years, having first been introduced by DC area teacher Mike Graglia; who led me to the amazing Flow Yoga Center with Deb and Ian to teach introductory workshops and master classes. The DC kula was intrigued with the west coast style philosophy that was carried in the teachings of the It’s Yoga system. “West coast philosophy meets the east coast discipline.” I feel this part of the equation that makes the students love the asana series so much. The Rocket is designed for all levels. This is also because in the It’s Yoga system we do not consider postures like handstands to be advanced. In fact I like to say, “There is no such thing as an advanced yoga posture. It is what it is. The practitioner may do the pose in a beginner’s way or an advanced way, but that describes the student not the pose. We can all do any yoga posture in our own way. Perfection is found when the pose is steady and with ease.” This type of teaching is vital in all asana classes with teachings that come directly from the scriptures and can be experienced in any of the classes that I lead. Truth cannot be argued.

Peg Mulqueen decided to check out a class one day while she was visiting Puerto Rico. After meeting, our shared love for the DC area and the Rocket series sparked a mutual vision of bringing more of this “yoga elixir” up north. In collaboration with Stair from Little River Yoga, I’ve been able to spend more time with students practicing the details of the sequences and philosophies, getting to share the love of the practice with others who wish to do the same. Recently the details and tricks of the It’s Yoga system have grown in intensity in the DC area and have started to catch the eyes of more local teachers and teachers in training.

The fuel needed for the first northeast Rocket Teacher Training to take place this November 17th -21st is now set in motion. With over 20 teachers who are either fully trained or specialized in the It’s Yoga system or the Progressive Ashtanga Yoga system that I created in the DC area we can “TAKE OFF”. This is it! It’s Yoga! It’s a full on certified training for 50 hours in Yoga asana, philosophy and science of sequencing. Students will learn over 6 different asana routines and cover the basics of more advanced yoga techniques like floating and flying, inversions, and pranayama. This training is considered to be an intensive by the students who participate. By the time you finish the training, you will know it is simply a way of life. All 50 hours can be use for continuing education with Yoga Alliance. This training will include the right to represent It’s Yoga via the Rocket 1,2, and 3 series with their appropriate variations. Materials are included in the price. Some extra books maybe encouraged if you do not already have them. It is an $850.00 investment for this training. It’s Yoga graduates receive alumni discounts☺

In addition to the 5 Day Rocket Teacher Training, there will be several master class and a few workshops being held at Flow Yoga Center, STROGA, lululemon athletica Georgetown in DC, and Little River Yoga in Virginia. These classes are great introductions to the style and a way to meet me and the other local teachers who you may already know that are training in the It’s Yoga system to complement their existing yoga certifications.

You can contact me directly at info@itsyogapuertorico.com (check out the website!!! It rocks!!!) or you may contact any of the locations directly for information on all the events! Pre-registration is advised. Details on payment cost and pre registration are given to all who are interested!

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Gotta Have Faith

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Posted 30 Sep 2010 — by WelcomeOmDC
Category Events and Workshops, Yoga Teachers

“Be passionate about your life, embrace your gifts,” veteran yogini Faith Hunter writes on her Facebook wall. Faith radiates joy, energy, and quiet strength. Taking class with Faith is always uplifting, and a chance to move deeper into your practice.

This Sunday, Faith will make her debut at Stroga in Adams Morgan. There are still a few spots left to join her for an energizing experience.

What: Faith Hunter Yoga (followed by light fare)

Where: Stroga, 1808 Adams Mill Road NW, Adams Morgan

When: Sun., Oct. 3rd at 10:30am-12:30am

Investment: $10 for Stroga newbies, $15 otherwise

For more details and to sign-up, visit the Facebook event page.

Posted by: Kelly

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