Author Archive for Melissa "Mati" Elstein

Trauma Release & Happiness Articles

Dear Friends and Family,

I hope this email continues to find you safe and well, and enjoying the month of August so far!

In one of my Zoom classes, the topic of the tapping healing modality and EMDR (eye movements) for trauma release and well-being came up. I mentioned that I had just read an interesting article on these healing practices, and I am linking it here. (Please note I am not a practitioner in either modalities; the eye movements we do are yoga exercises and the finger fluttering massage is self-massage and not the tapping technique). I found this article very well-written, and know that many of you were curious about reading it too. Enjoy!
https://www.chronogram.com/hudsonvalley/healing-the-trauma-body-with-emdr/Content?oid=13282628

Here is another article I think you will enjoy that explains 7 practices for increasing one’s happiness:
https://www.naturalawakenings.com/2021/07/30/362678/think-yourself-happy-seven-ways-to-change-your-mind-and-be-happier
Although not specifically mentioning yoga or qigong, the article discusses (in point 6) how sustained spiritual practices, including brief meditations, increase well-being and quiet the mind chatter. Another example discussed is how to defuse the inner critic with caring self-talk (point 3), and again while not specifically mentioning yoga, the yogic principle of “ahimsa” certainly applies. I usually explicitly discuss ahimsa – which is the sanskrit word for nonviolence, non-harming, non-judgment – in the context of us not judging ourselves while practicing a pose or movement in class and then applying that principle to ourselves when we are not in class as well. We may have been conditioned from childhood experiences to criticize oneself and others, but that conditioning does not have to remain if we become aware of those thought patterns, and then can consciously change them to loving-kindness thoughts (and if that is too challenging initially, to neutral thoughts instead). At the end of many of my telephone classes (and some of the Zoom classes), we spend time practicing the metta mantra loving-kindness meditation sequence where we offer positive affirmations to others as well as ourselves. It is noteworthy that this meditation is also a “practice” – in other words, there is no conclusion, no end goal, no completion. Our active cultivation of happiness is also a practice – whether it is keeping a gratitude journal, engaging in mindful spiritual practices, helping others, observing negative self talk and replacing it with compassionate and caring self talk, and the other examples listed in the article.

I welcome your thoughts on these articles, or any others you come across that are inspiring as well.

Photo by Melissa Elstein – July 2021

Musings on Noise Pollution & Health; Summer Yoga & Qigong Class Schedule- Zoom & Telephone


Photo by Melissa Elstein – May 2021 Full Moon Over Central Park Reservoir 

Dear Friends and Family,

I hope this email continues to find you safe and well, and staying cool during this heat wave!

Last Wednesday, before my Zoom Dorot class, we had a spontaneous discussion about noise pollution and how the sounds of NYC returning to its pre-pandemic volumes have been challenging for many who had become accustomed to a quieter city during the shutdowns. Of course, we all agree that the sounds of our city recovering from a year of tragedy and trauma is a positive sign that the pandemic is waning, and NYC and other cities are on the road to health and fiscal recoveries. Such sounds indicate a healthy, vibrant, and creative multi-cultural urban environment. The sounds of diners in vibrant outdoor cafes and children playing together evoke happy times. Sport teams in the parks are once again competing before cheering crowds and we experience healthy competition amongst athletes. Returning outdoor concerts, shows and dance performances remind us of the social importance of the arts. These sounds that we had taken for granted in the past, now indicate our resilience and ability to adapt and survive (tempered with the somber knowledge that we tragically lost too many lives to Covid-19).

Yet, as we also discussed, many sounds returning to our urban life are unpleasant, disturbing, unhealthy and I believe unnecessary to city living. Drivers need not lean on their horns while in traffic, and emergency vehicles could have sirens at a lower decibel, such as in European cities. Groups driving loud dirt bikes, illegal ATVs, and souped up motorcycles are not obeying the traffic laws and neither are the drag racing cars that we have all seen and heard during the warmer months. This should not be accepted as the price of urban living. Helicopter tourist flights, for photos or entertainment, are now regularly roaring over residential neighborhoods and our urban parks – all places that should not be subjected to excessively loud aircraft noise. Similarly, helicopters used for commuters to the airports or the Hamptons, among other close destinations, create needless noise as there are multiple cleaner and quieter forms of commuting. These low-flying, fossil-fuel guzzling helicopters are the antithesis of an environmentally friendly urban commuting transportation system. Illegal fireworks are keeping communities up all night with the noise and smoke, and disturbing pets as well. Construction hours could be more limited and banned on weekends; additionally, do we need to be jackhammering our streets open for municipal repairs at 1 A.M. on a weeknight? (Many of us living near West End Avenue experience that all too frequently). We have a city noise code, yet it is rarely enforced and historically it was only minimally discussed by those in power.

However, as a result of the pandemic and residents becoming more aware of the differences between necessary noise and unnecessary noise, pleasant sounds versus disturbances, urban noise may finally be getting the attention it deserves. Hopefully solutions to address and curtail noise pollution will come to fruition soon. A NYC Noise Task Force based in uptown Manhattan has been hosting political candidate Zooms and all their forum recordings are posted to YouTube, including this one-hour event with the Manhattan Borough President candidateshttps://youtu.be/7u42T3Bzn-c  and this one with some Mayoral and Comptroller candidates: https://youtu.be/i7U2_1bT0bY They are very much worth watching.

Recently, Mayoral Candidate Scott Stringer has introduced a noise pollution plan called “Hear Our Noise Complaints” and I attended that press conference. You can watch the press conference via the link in this NY Times article:Scott M. Stringer, the city comptroller, released a proposal to reduce noise pollution, in part by banning nonessential helicopter flights and promoting efforts to “curb rampant drag racing and get ATVs off the streets.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/31/nyregion/nyc-mayors-race-june.html
Many of you know that when I am not teaching yoga or other movement styles, I engage in volunteer community work, with my most recent endeavor being a Board Member of Stop the Chop NY/NJ – a nonprofit whose mission is to ban the tourist and commuter helicopters over NYC. We are supporting the federal bill introduced by Congressmembers Maloney, Nadler and Velasquez to ban said helicopters; Disney Land and World have such a ban and we think NYC deserves it as well!  You can read all about us, sign our petition as well as sign up for our email newsletter here: http://www.stopthechopnynj.org You can also see which candidates and electeds have signed on to our mission (they can endorse us, but as a 501(c)(3) we cannot endorse candidates).


As a yoga and qigong teacher and practitioner, I seek peacefulness within and hope to contribute to a more peaceful world. An external quiet world does not necessarily mean than our internal state of being will be peaceful. But, it certainly is more conducive towards ones practice of mindfulness and the healing arts if our environment is not filled with noise pollution – a known stressor that has been linked to numerous diseases.
Here is a descriptive chart from the American Public Health Association’s Noise & Health Committee Environment Section (of which I am honored to be a new member) of how noise pollution negatively affects us:



With so much of the external noise pollution triggers beyond our control, I do hope that our calming and meditative practices learned in yoga, qigong and meditation can help us deal with the stress of noise and to reduce its harmful effects. Additionally, finding other pleasant alternative noise can assist with countering the fight or flight nervous system response. I have been enjoying these two meditation music videos as a beautiful visual and auditory counter to stressful noise: Jason Stephenson – Chakra Healing Music https://youtu.be/BlSbq3VJcPY and Meditative Mind https://youtu.be/gz-SCxj8rds
Enjoy and let me know what you think of all the above.

Please see my schedule for all my offerings this Summer, including class descriptions. Thank you for your support of my teachings!    
  

Thoughts on 1-Year Anniversary of Covid-19; Self-Care

Photo by Melissa Elstein 2021

Dear Friends and Family,

I hope this email continues to find you safe and well. Many of you have now received your Covid-19 vaccinations, and although we are all still wearing masks and social distancing (except in Texas!), it does feel like we have entered a new, more positive phase of this pandemic – and that the end is approaching possibly sooner than we had imagined. Of course, even when the pandemic is officially declared over, we will be returning to a new and different “normal” and no-one truly knows what that will entail. There have been so many losses – we have lost loved ones, neighbors, people we personally knew and others we read about in the news. Our world community has experienced mourning, fear, anxiety, sadness, and other understandable “negative” emotions en masse. Yet, there have also been amazing stories that uplifted us this past year; none of us will likely forget the sounds of people cheering, singing and clapping for every day workers that in the past we probably took for granted. For those of us fortunate to be able to take online classes and workshops during the past 12 months, there was much personal growth and  inner expansion even as our physical worlds contracted into our homes and immediate neighborhoods. As we approach the 1-year anniversary of Covid-19 being declared a worldwide pandemic, I hope we can appreciate all that we have learned and experienced individually and collectively. For those who found ways to survive (and perhaps even thrive) during this time, I hope you give yourself a big hug. You experienced a once in a lifetime global event, and you adapted to the challenges it brought.

In my fusion classes, whether on the phone or Zoom, we often first do self massage to warm up the muscles. But there is another reason as well to engage in this type of self-care; healing hormones are released to counter stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. One such healing hormone is the “cuddle” or love hormone – oxytocin. When we literally wrap our arms around ourselves to hug our own bodies (and perhaps enhancing that movement with a smile on our face), real benefits are reaped. So hug yourself, and pat yourself on the back for all that you have been through – this past year, especially, but also for all your life experiences. And even when it will be safe to hug each other in person, let’s continue to hug ourselves physically, emotionally and spiritually.    

Thank you for your support of my teachings!    

Feb. 2021 Zoom & Tele Classes; New “Sounds of Yoga” Class; A Lighter Mood




Dear Friends and Family,

Hoping you and your loved ones are safe and well during this continuing pandemic. I feel that there has been a palpable positive shift since my last newsletter (which I sent right after the failed insurrection in DC). We now have a new federal administration in place, and the Biden/Harris Inauguration Day events were beautiful, elegant, inclusive, and festive. I, and many others with whom I have spoken, feel that a heaviness has lifted from our collective shoulders as the toxicity of the past four years is now fortunately behind us. Although we can breathe a big sigh of relief, there is still much work to do in order to create and maintain a more just and ethical society with enlightened political leaders at the helm. We have seen too many times, in our nation and many other countries around the world, the human and environmental costs of incompetent, corrupt, and morally bankrupt leadership. I hope for the new occupants, including their beautiful canines, that the White House has not only been cleaned and redecorated, but also refreshed with a sage smudging!       
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Please see below for a new class I am offering for Dorot – “The Sounds of Yoga”. I am excited to be teaching this class that will incorporate chakra sounds, toning, and the humming bumblebee breath. My first yoga teacher training course was actually a sound-based yoga system, and my initial class at that yoga studio profoundly changed my life.  I had never intended to leave the practice of law when I took that first class on the recommendation of my ayurvedic skin care physician. But this slow and gentle yoga class that utilized various sounds during the poses, and was held in a candle-lit studio with futon mats and the aroma of incense wafting in the air, allowed me to find deep relaxation and peacefulness in a way unknown to me prior to that class. I felt energy moving in my body during savasana, and I was able to truly relax in that resting pose for the very first time. So of course, I was intrigued and knew that this yoga (which my inexperienced and skeptical self thought to be extremely strange) was exactly what my body and soul needed. It felt like it was giving me a necessary reset and providing an unwinding of my tightly wound, Type A, driven personality from my many years of training and working in the competitive fields of ballet and law. That life-changing class eventually led to me graduating from their last teacher training – offered before the studio permanently closed. I feel very fortunate that, almost 20 years later, I can now offer a version of this practice to Dorot students on Zoom. Throughout the years, I have incorporated this sounding practice into many of my asana classes, and it brings me much joy. I am inspired to share with you this yoga practice that personally means so much to me.     
Photo by Melissa Elstein  
“Sounds of Yoga” – new Dorot Zoom Class

In this fun new 45-minute Zoom class, we will explore various sounding techniques helpful for moving energy in our bodies, focusing our minds, uplifting our spirits, and expanding our awareness. From the humming sound of the yogic bumblebee breathing practice, to the sounds of the 7 chakras (energy centers), and more, we will join together in a harmonious exploration of yoga and sound. (Some gentle seated movement will be incorporated as well). All levels are welcome. 
 

Happy 2021! New classes; Yogic Thoughts on DC Insurrection

Photo by Melissa Elstein

Dear Friends and Family,

Wishing you and your loved ones all the very best for the New Year! What a previous turbulent year we have all experienced, and during just this first week of January 2021 the turbulence has continued. I had written here another New Year’s greeting, and was about to hit the “send” button when today’s historic, disgraceful and criminal attack on the Capitol showed up on my email alerts, and I (like most of you, no doubt) spent the rest of the day watching the news with horror and disgust. So I deleted my original text, which no longer seemed at all relevant, and am starting over as I struggle to digest the day’s events. Unfortunately, I cannot say that the storming of the Capitol by Trump’s desperate and unhinged followers completely surprised me given the recent similar attack on the Michigan legislature in April and the October kidnapping plot against that State’s Governor. Today’s events were additionally foreshadowed by the images of white supremacists marching in the streets of Charlottesville in 2017 bearing torches and like today Confederate flags, as well as Trump’s invitation to the violent Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” during the September Presidential debates. In recent years, images of mobs comprised of hateful, angry people have unfortunately become too commonplace in this country. Many of us have rightfully been concerned about the peaceful transition of Presidential power and the protection of the rule of law after experiencing four-plus years of the dangers of Trumpism, and with only two more weeks left before the Biden-Harris inauguration, the intensity of our concerns is increasing.

As yogis and spiritual seekers, how can we make sense of these turbulent times in which we are living? Unfortunately, I do not have the answer but I find myself asking that question quite often. In past newsletters, I have discussed the Yoga Sutras, an ancient text that has many relevant sections to this day, especially the yamas and niyamas (ethical and moral prescriptions on how to conduct our inner and outer lives). One of the most important Yoga Sutras principles is “ahimsa” which means non-harming to others and oneself; the prohibition from causing physical and psychological pain, and instead the active engaging in loving thoughts and actions; and the “absence of violence in physical, mental and emotional forms.” http://www.yogapedia.com  Clearly, what I described in the previous paragraph are acts performed with the opposite intention of ahimsa. In 2021, five thousand years after the drafting of the Yoga Sutras, we still observe so much hatred and violence in our society, both political and non-political. In order to reduce such negativity, yogis examine our thoughts, words and actions as a daily practice, and understand that engaging in ahimsa is the ultimate societal and inner goal. When we understand that we can intellectually disagree with our political opponents without making them the enemy, we can engage in an elevated level of discourse which does no harm to others nor ourselves. As a society, we must learn to separate the disagreement of ideas from the demonizing of the proponent of those ideas. In a modern society that often seems to reward the bully, with his rage tweeting and other forms of violence, it may feel somewhat old-fashioned to engage in civilized discourse. But in taking the higher road, we raise ourselves up and demonstrate to others non-violent communication. What we each think, say and do not only affects us individually but also has a cumulative ripple effect as well. So our personal actions are important not just for our soul growth and personal evolution, but also because they help move society in one direction or another.  We each have the choice as to which direction that will be – towards a more enlightened society or one that devolves into chaos and violence.   

So how do the movement forms of yoga fit into this discussion? With our sustained practice of slow, mindful movement and breathing practices (pranayama), we learn to observe ourselves with honesty (satya), curiosity, and non-criticism. Our yoga and meditation practices help calm our nervous systems, and allow us to become less reactive and more reflective. With practice, we find those positive qualities surfacing more often in our lives outside of class, creating more expansiveness in the time in which we react to others, thus reducing the likelihood of a violent response in word or action. We are all on this path together, and I look forward to exploring these themes and more with you in 2021, but hoping as well that the disturbing actions we observed today in DC will not be repeated again.

Please see my schedule for all my offerings in January 2021, including new classes, descriptions and a change for the sign-up option for my Friday noon class (which will now be hosted on my personal Zoom account). Thank you for your support of my teachings!    

December Holiday Wishes During the Pandemic; Tree Bed Decorating; Stop the Chop Helicopter Petition


PA Ballet Company – Snow Scene, Nutcracker circa 1985

Dear Friends and Family,

I hope this email finds you safe and well, and finding ways to enjoy the Winter holiday season even as this persistent pandemic continues to spread here and abroad. With every U.S. State a red zone now, except for Hawaii (who else is having fantasies about moving to Honolulu or the Big Island?), stay at home restrictions are increasing once again as they initially had back in March of this year. Nine months into the pandemic and we are officially into the “second wave” which scientists had indeed predicted would be worse than the “first wave.” Maybe we had been naive to think they were wrong in their predictions, and the Summer re-openings (albeit in limited ways), had felt so freeing after the many months of last Winter – Spring’s shutdowns and stay at home orders. And so it feels like we are going backwards to a certain extent, even as the vaccine is being distributed to first responders this week. December is historically the month of festivities, parties, family gatherings, in-person gift giving, and for many of us enjoying The Nutcracker Ballet at Lincoln Center and Alvin Ailey Dance Theater’s Winter Season at NYC’s City Center. But with theaters still shuttered and indoor dining closing, this holiday season will be like no other we have experienced. I have found myself to be more melancholy this month than any other time since the pandemic started. This melancholy stems from an internal resistance to the sad reality of our current situation – the knowledge of the too many lives lost to the disease, the jobs permanently lost and shuttered storefronts that may never return, the forced inability to entertain holiday guests and enjoy festive nights out on the town.

Yet, as I study yoga philosophy and other spiritual traditions, I realize that I must embrace reality and accept it rather than fighting against it. This does not mean we are passive and non-active; certainly, we can do our best and act in many ways to reduce virus transmission and offer assistance to those in need, such as contributing to worthy nonprofits, purchasing gift cards to local stores and restaurants to help them stay afloat, donating to food pantries and clothing drives, for example. This acceptance of the new reality places us directly in the present moment. Daydreaming wistfully for a holiday season of past years – as I have observed myself doing – is wishful thinking and sets us up for disappointment in the present. So we accept and adapt, and as a result, we likely all will be having a more internally based experience of the holidays and Winter season. Perhaps this is the opportunity to truly “nest” in our homes – to read those books on our book shelves long calling our attention, to nap on our sofas under a comfy blanket without feeling guilty, learn new skills or find new hobbies, expand our creativity with artwork, journaling, and cooking, and of course to try different forms of the healing arts such as yoga, qigong, mindful dance, and meditation. Many animals hibernate in the Winter months, but for humans the demands of conforming to a modern lifestyle have generally prevented us from changing our patterns according to the seasonal changes. But this Winter, the universal message for humanity is to hibernate at home, and perhaps enjoy the above-mentioned activities. But it can also be a unique opportunity to spend more time going inward in self-reflection, listening to one’s inner voice in silence, to be with what is without resistance, and deepening our understanding of ourselves without the many distractions of the outside world. If we envision the entire planet slowing down in peacefulness during the December holidays, hopefully by Spring we can reawaken to a new and improved era as we leave our hibernation dens and join together once again.               
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Photo by Peggy Liebowitz

One of the many ways I enjoy giving back to our community is to “adopt” a couple NYC street trees by taking care of the trees and cleaning and planting in their tree beds. For this holiday season, I thank the local Christmas tree vendors and Plant Shed on West 96th Street for their donation of extra branches that I used to decorate the beds and protect the soil from Winter wind erosion. It looks beautiful for the community and nourishes the trees as well!  (You can read more about my volunteer community work at http://www.west80s.org & http://www.loveyourstreettreeday.com ).

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My advocacy volunteer work with Stop the Chop Another recent volunteer activity I have embarked on is the leadership of a nonprofit formed to eliminate nonessential helicopters over NYC and the NY Metropolitan area. These loud, low-flying tourist and commuter choppers have been increasingly disturbing residents (including myself) in their homes, in our public parks, and along the waterways – all areas that should be peaceful respites from the busy urban streets. These needless flights create stress-full conditions for so many, negatively impact our quality of life, place our lives and buildings at risk, contribute to air pollution, and decrease our ability to enjoy in quiet our public spaces created for recreation and rest, such as NYC’s Central Park.  
Please join my group’s efforts to support the Congressional bill to ban said helicopters as introduced by our local Congressmembers including Carolyn Maloney, Jerry Nadler, and Nydia Velasquez, among others: sign our petitionsign up for our email newsletter, and if you can afford to please make a tax-deductible donation at  http://www.stopthechopnynj.org

Thanks for helping us create a more peaceful city!

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Wishing you and your loved ones a safe and peaceful holiday season!!!!

With love,
Melissa

Finding Peace During Stressful Times (Pandemic, Election) Through Nature & Sacred Activism

Dear Friends and Family,

I hope this post finds you safe and well, and finding some peace and tranquility in the midst of these surreal, intense times. If a novelist wrote a book about what we are experiencing, critics would say it was too unbelievable. No wonder we are charged up, yet simultaneously exhausted. It seems every day, moment by moment, breaking news about politics, the election, the pandemic, the environment and climate, gets more distressing and anxiety-provoking.

And yet, we can, and hopefully do, experience moments of transcendence during our days during our spiritual and artistic practices, walking in nature and parks, listening to beautiful music, observing flowers and  plants, watching the sun set and the full moon rise, connecting with loved ones, joining with others towards a mutual goal, and many more ways. 

I always find it amazing that we can experience seemingly contradictory emotions during stressful times. However, it is a reminder of how multifaceted we are, and that situations are more fluent than we may realize. During challenging times, it helps to realize how resilient we truly are.     
Photo by Melissa Elstein
In terms of finding a more spiritual perspective even for our country’s upcoming election (which is a stress trigger for me), I have found the courses and meditations by David Nicol, a sacred activism author and teacher, very helpful. I have signed up for a daily meditation that arrives in my email box from http://www.earthrising.one entitled “May Wisdom Prevail in the USA”. Click here to join in these beautiful, transcendent meditations.
 

Outdoor Qigong/Tai Chi EZ Classes on Thursday, Sept. 17

This Thursday September 17th (2 – 6pm), the UWS is celebrating PARK(ing) Day on West End Ave for 6 city blocks from 88th – 94th streets. I will be tabling on W. 88th St. for my community organizations “The West 80s Neighborhood Association” and “Love Your Street Tree Day”, and teaching mini standing and walking Tai Chi EasyTM /Qigong classes twice during the event. Please come visit me and the other presenters! 

PARK(ing) Day is a day when residents, artists and community organizers transform curbside parking spots into public spaces for community use for art and civics. The goal is to reimagine how public spaces are used.

Here’s the full line-up:
2:30-3:00 – Tai Chi EasyTM /Qigong with Good Energy Movement & Wellness (between 88th/89th Streets) taught by Melissa Elstein
3:00-3:30 – Jody Sperling/Time Lapse Dance – Plastic Harvest excerpts (between 91/92 Streets)
3:30-4:00 – jill sigman/thinkdance – ground | gradient | people | sky (an improvisation) (between 89/90 Streets)
4:00-4:30 – PS 166 Parent String quartet – from the Met Orchestra (between 91/92 Streets)
4:30-5:00 – Tai Chi EasyTM /Qigong with Good Energy Movement & Wellness (between 88/89 Streets) taught by Melissa Elstein
5:00-5:30 – Jody Sperling/Time Lapse Dance – Plastic Harvest excerpts (between 91/92 Streets)
5:00-6:00 – Bar Crawl Radio live podcast recording/broadcast (between 92/93 Streets)

As per CDC guidelines, mask-wearing will be required and social-distancing will be enforced. Also please bring hand sanitizer.
Click the image to view larger

September 2020 Yoga & Qigong Classes; Honoring First Responders on Labor Day; Yoga – Ballet Bear

Dear Friends and Family,

On this Labor Day, I would like to especially honor all those who continued to work on the front lines during the pandemic: our nurses, doctors, medical staff, grocery workers, sanitation workers, firefighters, police officers, transportation employees, elected officials, delivery workers, farmers, building staff, news reporters, teachers, government officials, mail carriers, merchants, and so many more! When most of us were and still are to a certain extent, staying home and social distancing, these workers were the lifeline for all of us. The 7 pm clapping for our essential workers was so uplifting and I don’t believe ever done before – even after other crises. In our modern culture that generally worships celebrities and sports figures, it is wonderful to see the general population appreciating every day folks – these are the people who we truly need and rely on, but generally don’t get the credit or respect they deserve. I hope we can continue this level of appreciation for every day folks, and realize we are all equal no matter the amount of social media followers we have or money in the bank. After all, it is not the job or role we have that counts, it is how we conduct that job, the way we show up in the world, and the integrity with which we perform our jobs and roles in society.   

For some related inspiration from the ancient yoga text The Bhagavad Gita, these quotes are still relevant in modern times:

“SHOW GOOD WILL TO ALL Be fearless and pure; 
never waiver in your determination or 
your dedication to the spiritual life. 
Give freely. Be self-controlled,
sincere, truthful, loving, 
and full of the desire to serve.“ 

“Seek refuge in the attitude of detachment and you will amass the wealth of spiritual awareness. The one who is motivated only by the desire for the fruits of their action, and anxious about the results, is miserable indeed.” 

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On another note, I thought you would appreciate my forest visitor who has no problem balancing in yoga tree pose/ ballet retirer position while eating all our bird food!






My tree pose was not standing on the deck poles, so I have deep respect for this feat! Although we loved our fascinating visit, and I am not boring of the videos I took, the bird feeder will now go into hibernation – long before this teddy bear does! 🙂

 

See you in class soon I hope!

August Yoga, Qigong Schedule; Yoga for Runners and Hikers Workshop; Rebuilding and Adapting Thoughts After the Storm

Dear Friends and Family,   

    I hope that this email finds you and your loved ones remaining safe and well, and that you weren’t negatively affected by the recent storm. Like many along the Northeast, I lost electrical power, wifi, and phone service. Fortunately, we have a decent generator and the power was restored in a day (though still no landline. Update! As I am writing this the Verizon technician popped by and it ended up being a mouse that ate our wires completely coincidental to the storm. Yuck!). During the storm, I was teaching a yoga private on Zoom, and the lights flickered for a moment but quickly went back on. I didn’t think much about the temporary power loss as my laptop was still working so we continued our private yoga class. It was only later that I realized we were in a blackout and that my generator had immediately kicked on. Nor did I realize the extent of the wind damage until the next day, when I walked outside and observed our road being blocked by two downed trees that were pulling the electrical wires down along with them. From speaking with friends and family, and watching the news, I know many people are still without electricity almost a week later, and huge trees are still blocking roads and creating dangerous conditions. 2020 is really throwing us a lot of curveballs, to say the least. So now once again, the rebuilding begins. One big lesson in this topsy-turvy year is the importance of adaptability, flexibility and creativity. 

As you know from my classes, I never teach from the perspective of achieving that perfect yoga pose. As one of my yoga mentors, Leslie Kaminoff, taught the purpose of yoga is to explore the body’s reaction to novel stimuli (such as movement and shape creation) so that it can adapt to varied circumstances, and not be stuck in rigid patterning. This applies to our breath and thoughts as well. If we can challenge ourselves in our classes with learning new choreography, movements, breath patterning, and sequencing (being mindful of creating the balance of the effort and ease) we can apply that openness to adaptation and exploration in our everyday lives. That’s where the yoga practice really counts – off the mat or chair. We all know life isn’t perfect; some years we have more challenges than others (both collectively and individually). How we adapt to these challenges, again both individually and collectively, is the key. Some scientists believe that climate change is not reversible at this point, and that the climate crisis should be approached as a climate adaptability model. We have adapted to the pandemic with new unforeseen behaviors becoming commonplace – mask wearing, foot tap greetings, spacial separating, etc. – and at some point (hopefully soon), those safety behaviors will no longer be necessary and we will adapt again to a new normal. When we don’t resist the unpleasant reality and are able to creatively adapt, socially and professionally, we can not just survive but hopefully thrive. I see that in all of you who zoom in or call in to my classes – many of you are in Covid-19 at-risk categories. Yet, you are individually persevering and positively contributing to the collective. I see that in the teachers I study with, especially my 83-year old NYC ballet teacher – Finis Jhung – who has adapted to a full-time online teaching schedule and gets his fresh air and sunshine safely by his window fire escape (all with a positive mindset and inspiring others around the world with his movement classes and life outlook). A week after the storm, the rebuilding continues, concurrent with the pandemic, political turmoil, economic uncertainty, social unrest, and more –  it can feel overwhelming but let’s remember we are experiencing and adapting to this imperfect world together.       

Photo by Melissa Elstein
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YOGA FOR RUNNERS & HIKERS – A YOGA WORKSHOP:

Whether you are a serious runner or a weekend jogger, hiking big peaks or local parks, it is important to balance the repetitive forward and contractile movements of running and hiking with proper stretching. Learn Yoga poses and stretches geared for runners and hikers to help you with overall conditioning and to prevent injury. Discover the power of savasana and Yoga Nidra (deep relaxation) to enhance your performance. You will come away prepared to use all these techniques in your next run or hike. Includes an emailed outline. Have a pen for taking notes, yoga mat, yoga strap or stretching band, blocks, pillows or yoga blanket, optional eye pillow for relaxation. 

Come with your questions as there will be plenty of discussion time between our yoga practice. Looking forward to seeing you on Zoom!    
Register in advance here: http://www.iyiny.org under Workshops.