Archive for Connection

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.

July Schedule: Sun Salutation, Balancing Poses, Core Strength Yoga Workshops; Zoom & Phone Yoga, Qigong Classes; Spiritual Declaration of Independence; Meditation During Pandemic

I hope that this email finds you and your loved ones remaining safe and well, and enjoying the holiday weekend. This month in addition to my Zoom Yoga & Qigong classes, and telephone classes, I will be offering these Zoom workshops: “Sun Salutation – Take It Apart & Put It Back Together”; “Balancing Poses”; and “Strong to the Core – Yoga/Pilates Fusion”. See my website offerings for the full descriptions of these special yoga workshops.

A Berkshires July 4th – photo by Melissa Elstein


     It has been lovely connecting with so many of you on my Zoom and telephone yoga classes! Not only have I been reconnecting with students from my NYC in-person classes, but I am meeting new students from all over the world. This world wide web of support for one another and growing interest in the healing arts has me very inspired. I have noticed that while many aspects of our society have sadly contracted due to the pandemic (the economy, large in-person social gatherings, the live arts and sports, for example), there is also a palpable expansion that is occurring as well. Yoga and meditation classes that would attract a dozen students in person pre-pandemic, are now drawing at least 4xs those numbers. As our external lives have contracted, our internal lives may be expanding in wonderful ways. The universe is always seeking balance (as are we), and I believe the instabilities caused by the pandemic are compelling us to find that deep inner stability and peace.

     In addition to the classes at the studios and centers for whom I teach (Integral Yoga and Dorot), I have been finding wonderful meditation offerings from the Tibet House (via the Nalanda Institute http://www.nalandainstitute.org), David Nicol’s sacred activism Heal US https://www.earthrising.one/heal-us/, Panache Desai on YouTube http://www.panachedesai.com, and Cynthia Jurs’ Gaia full moon meditations https://mailchi.mp/earthtreasurevase/full-moon-global-healing-meditation . I also recommend the meditation sessions offered by these NYC studios: UWS Yoga & Wellness https://www.uwsyoga.com; NY Loves Yoga https://www.nylovesyoga.com/meditatewithus ; Community Meditation Center https://cmcnewyork.org/; and The Open Center https://www.opencenter.org/lunchtime-sound-healing-meditation/– beautiful places I had attended in person before the pandemic. Additionally, I am a big fan of the cds and downloads (itunes or mp3s) from Belleruth Naperstak’s website that has specific guided meditations on a plethora of topics, such as reducing depression and anxiety, managing specific diseases, increasing immunity, easing pain, reducing insomnia, increasing self-esteem, preparing for surgery, and so many more: https://www.healthjourneys.com  Enjoy your inner explorations!    

 
    In honor of the 4th of July holiday, I took the liberty (pun intended) to write my own version inspired by and derived from the United States Declaration of Independence: 
“I hold these truths to be self-evident, that all are created equal but unique, and endowed with certain unalienable Rights, such as Life, Liberty, Safety and Security, and the pursuit of Happiness, Love, Joy, Peace, Creativity, Wisdom, Self-knowledge, Spirituality, and Abundance.”

     What would your declaration be at this special time in his/herstory?
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November 2016 Class Schedule; NY1 Interview

Wishing everyone a happy and safe Halloween!

Some of you have already mentioned seeing my recent NY1 interview during which reporter Michael Scotto shadows me teaching Chair Yoga at Dorot for Seniors and doing community work around the Upper West Side.  It is a nice overview of some of my volunteer work (such as my “Love Your Street Tree” outreach and community events), and there is also beautiful video of the chair yoga class.  I am really honored that NY1 chose to profile me and my work, and that they saw the societal value in both teaching yoga and doing community work focused on urban trees, among other things. By the way, reporter Michael Scotto not only reported on the story, but he does all his own camera work as well. Impressive!  (And he is a lovely person).  Here is the link:
http://www.ny1.com/nyc/manhattan/news/2016/10/12/manhattan-week–the-mayor-of-the-upper-west-side-uses-her-green-thumb-to-keep-the-neighborhood-serene.html

On another note, many of you have asked about where to purchase non-slip socks. I found a supplier of attractive and reasonably priced traction socks in multiple styles and colors. Check out the Silverts website below.  Please wear some type of non-slip traction sock for the tai chi walking in my “Chair Chi and Prana” class, unless you are barefoot. These socks can also be used for yoga in the cooler weather (though I like the toe sox brand for yoga as each toe is separated so you can spread the toes wide in mountain pose, for example). The Silverts catalog also has some nice colorful velcro slippers for home wear, and if you experience leg or ankle swelling, they carry compression socks.  I wear compression socks on all long flights, and they make a huge difference in keeping one’s legs refreshed during the flight and reducing feet swelling due to the cabin air pressure. Let me know what you think of this website!

http://www.silverts.com

January 2015 – Happy New Year and Travels to Colombia

Dear friends,

Happy New Year!  Wishing you all wonderful things for 2015 – peace, happiness, abundance, health, love, joy, and more!

I just returned from a enjoyable trip to Colombia – a beautiful country with lovely people, great sights, and delicious food.  I am so happy that tourism is increasing there, as the country has gotten safer.  I enjoyed our sight-seeing there – from the small Caribbean city Cartagena, the coffee and wax palm tree region of Pereira, to the mountainous capitol of Bogota.  When travelling, whether nationally or abroad, I am fascinated by observing and experiencing both the commonalities and the differences between people from place to place.  The more I travel, the more I realize that basically most humans want the same things – connection, security, good food, love, safety, peace, fun and laughter (in no specific order).  And within these common desires, is often the uniqueness of how one’s culture expresses them.  So travelling for me is a study of the beautiful blending of commonality and diversity on this glorious planet.  It makes me a better person as I open myself to ways that are different from my cultural and societal upbringings, and yet I can still find the universal commonality of humankind.  It may sound corny, but I do truly believe that the more we are exposed to others by direct personal experience (rather than through the lens of the mass media or propaganda), the more we can find connection and engage in less discrimination.  After all, at the end of the day, we are all just finite skeletal structures encapsulating infinite souls.