Hi everyone,

I would like to wish all of you a very happy and healthy New Year!  Here’s to a peaceful and harmonious 2012 for the planet.

One very important issue to me is protecting our natural environment and curtailing climate change.  In one of the oldest yoga texts (the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali), “ahimsa” or “non-violence” is a main ethical principle underlying all the practices of yoga, as well as how we lead our lives as members of society.  I like to think of the environmental movement as “ahimsa for the Earth”.  I believe this is just as much a part of the practice of yoga, as are the other more typical yogic practices such as asana (yoga poses), pranayama (breathwork), and meditation.    As such, I would like to share information (although many of you may already know about it) regarding a most important environmental issue facing NY today, and what we can do about it, both as NY residents and as yoga and/or spiritual practitioners.

NY is State is considering allowing the controversial and dangerous form of gas drilling, called fracking, here in the Marcellus Shale just a couple hours upstate of NYC.  (NY’s DEC has approved fracking for NY, and the public was given a short window in which to comment on its’ draft regulations approving the drilling). This form of horizontal drilling involves sending sand, water and explosives into the shale rock along with hundreds of dangerous chemicals – many are known carcinogens, such as benzene.  These chemicals used by the oil and gas companies were not even publically disclosed until recently due to Congressional and public pressure (the “Cheney” or “Halliburton” loophole exempting the fracking materials from federal oversight was added to the federal clean air and water laws when Bush was President).  This form of drilling has contaminated well water and drinking water throughout the country.  See EPA’s findings of water chemically contaminated in Wyoming by gas drilling – something the industry has consistently denied: http://money.cnn.com/2011/12/09/news/economy/epa_fracking_wyoming/index.htm and Pennsylvania experiences:  http://www.environmentnewyork.org/marcellus-shale-videos

In addition, the explosions are now linked to having caused earthquakes in Ohio and England.  See  http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/01/us/ohio-earthquake/index.html?hpt=hp_t3  and

http://www.readersupportednews.org/news-section2/312-16/8945-fracking-suspected-in-rash-of-earthquakes-in-unlikely-places?tmpl=component&print=1&page=

Every environmental organization is opposed to fracking, all my elected officials testified against it, and it is being currently banned by many localities and other countries who have observed the carnage (dead livestock and pets, sick landowners, polluted air from the methane emissions and diesel truck traffic, increased asthma rates, loss of forests and farms to roads and gas drilling pads, and toxic waste water sites).  Now, NY’s reservoirs, rivers, organic farmlands, forests are at risk if Gov. Cuomo allows this practice in NY.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-gallay/fracking-environment_b_1186998.html?ref=green&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008 and http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/05/mario-batali-bill-telepan_n_1186743.html

Please, please, if you care about keeping NY’s water and air clean and safe from harmful chemicals, click on these links below and send e-letters to Gov. Cuomo and the DEC to prevent fracking gas drilling in NY:

http://catskillcitizens.org/dsgeis.cfm   or at  http://www.amillionfrackingletters.com/  It only takes seconds to do the letter via this methods.

The public comment period ends on Jan. 11 – this week!  Please send your comments tomorrow  – this Monday — to insure they arrive on time!  After you send your comments to the DEC, you can also call Gov. Cuomo’s office and leave a message.  I have done this, and have actually gotten through to a person on the other line:  (518) 474-8390.

Thank you for listening.  If you need any more sources, please let me know.

I would like to wish all of you a very happy and healthy holiday season!  During this busy and festive time of the year, many of us can find ourselves (ironically) getting stressed and overwhelmed with all the holiday activities and demands – let alone, family triggers.  Sometimes it does seem challenging to find the holiday spirit.  Crowds and traffic in NYC are at all-time high, and that can wear thin as well.

So this is the perfect opportunity (whether it is a full class or only 15 or 30 minutes at home), to find some quiet time for reflection and contemplation, gentle yoga and breathwork, qigong, meditation, or guided relaxation.  By continuing with our healing practices during busy times, we can counter any negative effects of mental stress.  Not to mention, our bodies will feel more balanced – even if we are partaking in the egg nog or, my personal favorite, Swedish glogg!

So with that in mind, let us all enjoy the festivities, and maintain our balance and equanimity too!

Hi everyone,

I have just added a new weekly class to my teaching schedule – Gentle Yoga on Mondays at 3:15 pm at Integral Yoga downtown.  See below for details.  I hope you can join us at this lovely and serene yoga center in the heart of Greenwich Village – it is a beautiful and peaceful place, and they have a wonderful health food store, juice bar and apothecary on 13^th street as well!

Also, I will be teaching Tai Chi Easy™ and Qigong this Monday for Seniors at 11 am at Dorot and at 6:15 pm for women at the Elizabeth Seton Women’s Center – hope to see you there if that works better for your schedule.   Tai Chi and Qigong are wonderful complements to one’s yoga practice or an alternative practice for increasing flexibility, balance and coordination, reducing stress, and finding tranquility of mind.

I would like to wish you a fun Fall season, and if you celebrate the Jewish holidays, a happy, healthy and harmonious New Year!

At the end of October, I will be attending shaman and psychologist Sandra Ingerman’s training in Santa Fe on how to heal both environmental and personal toxins.  It sounds fascinating, and I look forward to sharing my experiences with you!

By the way, recently many of you have asked about how to alleviate muscle soreness.  In addition to regular massages, I highly recommend the MELT Method.  MELT is a revolutionary self-treatment that uses natural rubber foam rollers and small balls to return your connective tissue and your nervous system to optimal functioning.  I rely on the MELT massage balls for keeping my feet and hands pain-free.  The foam rollers are great for the legs, back and neck.  My friend and fellow yogini, Edya Kalev, teaches MELT throughout NYC, including at The Breathing Project, JCC, and The Open Center.  Please email her at edyayoga@aol.com for her schedule.

I hope you are enjoying the end of August, and weren’t negatively affected by Hurricane Irene.

Some of my cousins in Westchester are still without power; let’s hope all the areas affected by the storm can recover quickly and send them healing thoughts and wishes.

I will be back in town next week, and there are some changes to my schedule I wanted to point out:  the Wednesday lunchtime yoga “Ageless on the Mat – Yoga for Midlife and More…” will now be held at the beautiful Moving Body Resources in Chelsea/ Flatiron starting this Wednesday, Sept. 7.  This is a permanent relocation from the Breathing Project, where I still hope to offer workshops rather than the weekly class.

I have also added Tai Chi Easy™ for Seniors at the Dorot Center on the Upper Westside.    In addition, I have added a new Gentle Yoga class Tuesday evenings at The Open Center which can be taken as a series or by drop-in.

Hoping you are finding ways to stay cool in this NYC heat and humidity wave!  Restorative and gentle yoga practices can help.  Adjusting one’s practice in response to the environment is a smart and natural way of finding one’s inner balance.  This allows us to be flexible not only in body, but also in our application of our yoga practices!  Adaptability is the key to survival and our contentment!

The first week of August, I will be at Omega studying meditation with Sylvia Boorstein and yoga with two Kripalu yoga teachers.  I hope to be inspired for my personal practice, and to bring back some interesting information and techniques for you as well!

Please join me at my new seminar “Finding Serenity” at the Elizabeth Seton’s Women Center this Tuesday evening.  Well-received when I have taught this seminar at various corporations and law firms, I am happy to now share these tips and tools with you at this Upper Westside healing oasis.   We will have time to practice the techniques listed below, as well as time for discussion, so bring your questions!  This will be a fun and interactive workshop!

FINDING SERENITY … ANY TIME, ANY PLACE:    A WOMEN’S STRESS REDUCTION AND WELLNESS SEMINAR

This is a workshop for the modern New York woman that will teach you techniques that bring calm into any situation, no matter how stressful.   Most of us in NYC are living under enormous stress; our fast-paced environment, city noise, crowds, work demands, the high costs of living – well, those are just some of the common stressors we all face on a daily basis.  Combine that with family demands and perhaps health issues, and it is no wonder that many of us find it challenging to keep focused and calm throughout the day.  At night, many of us may have troubling sleeping as anxious thoughts swirl incessantly in our minds.

But there are simple and practical tools that can help you to slow and calm down, and provide relief from anxiety and stress.  We will learn techniques that can be done at your office or home – techniques that provide true benefits and healing in just minutes.  These techniques, such as  chair yoga; seated tai chi easy and qigong; use of essential oils; guided meditations; and guided visualizations, have helped me in my own life enormously and that is why I want to share them with you as well.  As someone who is Type A and prone to anxiety, I can attest that these techniques will help you to focus and calm your mind, relax your body, and bring peace to your spirit.

So I invite you to join me in this experiential wellness workshop and find your path to serenity!

I will be teaching a new weekly open Hatha yoga class at Uptown Integral Yoga, which shares its’ lovely space with Namaste Yoga Center.

This Intermediate level yoga class consists of gentle warm-ups, sun salutations (with modifications and variations), standing, supine, and seated asanas, eye movements, yoga nidra (deep relaxation and savasana), pranayama (breathing exercises), and meditation.  We open and close the class with the traditional Integral Yoga peace chants.  The focus in the class is on proper alignment, as well as flowing through the movements with ease.  Connecting movement with breath awareness and flow creates a moving meditation.  Principles from the Yoga Sutras and other yoga philosophy texts are articulated in the class periodically, and always underlie the class foundation.

I am happy to return to the Breathing Project this Wednesday with my new and improved yoga class:  “Ageless on the Mat – Yoga For Midlife and More . . . “.  Thank you all for your name suggestions.  Your creativity clearly inspired me!  I hope to see you this week, and looking forward to reconnecting and catching up!

This lunchtime yoga class is geared towards those of us forty and over seeking a yoga class that is fun, relaxing and non-competitive while at the same time balancing stretching with strengthening yoga poses.  Connecting yoga postures and movements with mindful breath awareness, allows you to flow at your own pace, so that asanas can be held without any tension.  Core strengthening abdominal exercises – often ignored in yoga classes – are conducted with a mini-stabilization ball to prevent any neck or upper back tension.  Back strengthening poses – also important for those of us in our “wisdom years” – are balanced with gentle spinal twists. We conclude class with a short meditation and extended savasana (relaxation pose), enhanced with organic essential oils to create deep states of relaxation and peacefulness.

If you’ve been looking for a yoga class to experience the physical and mental benefits of yoga, without having to contort your body into a pretzel, then please come and join us.

Please join me at this new seminar on Stress Reduction Techniques I am offering at the Elizabeth Seton’s Women Center this upcoming Monday afternoon.  Well-received when I have taught this seminar at various corporations and law firms, I am happy to now share these tips and tools with you at this Upper Westside healing oasis.   We will have time to practice the techniques listed below, as well as time for discussion, so bring your questions!  This will be a fun and interactive workshop!

WOMEN’S STRESS REDUCTION AND WELLNESS SEMINAR 

Geared towards providing practical tools for the busy and stressed New Yorker, this wellness seminar is a combination of lecture and experiential practices.  Simple and practical techniques are presented to help participants learn how to focus the mind, relax the body, and bring peace and calm to the spirit.  Examples of some techniques taught are chair yoga; seated tai chi and qigong; use of essential oils; guided meditations; and guided visualizations.  It has been shown that people are more productive, more focused, and have more clarity of mind when they utilize stress reduction techniques periodically throughout the workday.  In our current fast-paced environment, with women facing constant and competing demands for their attention (from the computer, hand-held devices and cell phones, and work and family demands), it can be a challenge to keep focused and calm.   This seminar offers an antidote to the stressors facing the modern New York woman.

Included in the costs of the seminar is a handout discussing the effects of stress on the body, and recommendations for alleviating stress.