March 12-14 : Awaken your Mind-Body-Spirit with Anna Raimondi
Most exercise dropouts claim boredom as the main excuse for quitting. Think about all the hours you have spent exercising and letting your mind drift away from the work you that are doing. When you work your body without engaging your mind, you are performing only half a workout. By engaging our minds at work without considering the physical toll today’s jobs take on our bodies, we are setting ourselves up for a fall.

Using visual images to engage the mind is the fastest way to gain access to our complex anatomical system. You present your mind and body with a challenge that unites their efforts to achieve a goal. This is what mind in body work is all about!

This weekend will give you the tools to shift from mindless movement to analyzing and being the movement. Focusing on your body calms the mind and central nervous system, enlivens your spiritual awareness, nourishes and expands your soul.

We will explore your spiritual dimensions through Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Trance Dance, Pranayama and Meditation. Connecting to your Mind, Body and Spirit will bring balance and inner peace to your life, and may be one of the most meaningful gifts you can give to yourself.

Join Anna Raimondi for a workshop that will help you recognize your psychic gifts and learn how to use them. Using hands-on practice, you will gain more trust and confidence in yourself and how to focus this awareness to benefit yourself and others. In one exciting day you will enjoy particpiating in fun and experiential excercises and learn valuable techniques that will become life-enhancing intuitive tools.

April 9-11 & July 9-11: Energy Shift Yoga with Ed Alvear
This weekend’s yoga will be a blend of Kundalini, Hatha and Shamanic Yoga. You will experience beginner to intermediate postures in all 3 yoga disciplines. The main focus of the weekend will be to tune into your Physical Body with emphasis on breath control and re-energizing and strengthening yourself for the purpose of releasing stress.

When the body is filled with stress energy it manifests as a negative influence throughout the body like fatigue, irritability, depression, tight muscles and even illness. When this stress energy is released from the body, one is then able to draw in fresh, clean energy or Life Force (Prana or Chi) from the surroundings. This recharges us and leaves us feeling healthier and happier.

This weekend you will experience the release of stress energy and an Energy Shift within your body, transitioning you to a healthier state. Learn, practice and experience yogic skills through breath, postures and movements.

We invite you to join Ed and learn techniques for transitioning towards a healthier and happier state of mind and body.

Contact Information

INNER PEACE – INNER POWER – THROUGH RAJA YOGA

 

Learn Raja Yoga, a practical and simple form of meditation and spiritual understanding that sets the foundation for ongoing spiritual development, at Peace Village. It is about discovering, exploring and understanding one’s inner world of thoughts, feelings, attitudes, values, motives and intentions and developing the spiritual skills and inner strengths to face the realities of the outer world. As we practice the art of bringing inner and outer realities into balance, we start from the inside out. You’ll become more aware of your internal environment, enabling you to check, choose and change. You will reinforce that you always have a choice in what you think. You will learn to be more kind, tolerant and accepting of yourself and others. In this process, you will start to recognize your spiritual independence and realize the inner resources that you have, and your ability and responsibility to use them to create a better quality of life. The retreat also includes ways to restore your relationship with your Higher Power and increase the understanding of how to apply spiritual powers in your life. Facilitators: Jean Ramnauth is an educator by profession and an accomplished facilitator, currently based at Global Harmony House. Sandra Budge, CMA serves on several retreat design teams. Her passion is to align with her true spiritual nature and to empower others to do the same.

Click Here to Register

INNER PEACE – INNER POWER II

   From: Friday, May 14  To: Sunday, May 16

This retreat is designed for those who seek deeper spiritual meaning.  Join us, and…
* Explore the subtle aspects of the natural law of karma
* Gain a more comprehensive view of world events and how they impact your life
* Understand the real meaning of life and your unique purpose at this auspicious time in history
* Realize the interconnectedness of all souls and develop an attitude of brotherhood to enhance relationships
* Discover the benefits of leading a spiritual lifestyle
* Hear the history of Raja Yoga Meditation and the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual Organization Click Here to Register

Pre-requisite: Inner Peace – Inner Power at Peace Village, or completion of the Raja Yoga Foundation Course at a Brahma Kumaris Center. (Must have completed the lessons on soul and the Supreme Soul.) 

Facilitators: 

Jean Ramnauth is an educator by profession and an accomplished facilitator, currently based at Global Harmony House. 

Sandra Budge, CMA serves on several retreat design teams. Her passion is to align with her true spiritual nature and to empower others to do the same. 

 

  

JOIN the OM yoga Challenge!

March 2010, October 2010 31 yoga classes in 31 days.  Yes, that’s right!  And it means 31 classes at OM yoga Center.  You are making a commitment to cultivating expansive awareness and bright relaxation, schvitzing and letting go, stick-with-it-ness and resting with things as they are — all in harmony with other OMmies.   What IS the OM yoga Challenge? The idea of the OM yoga Challenge is to explore commitment, consistency, curiosity, connection, community and transformation. In 31 days a lot can change — with yoga those changes might include greater strength and flexibility, improved sleep and digestion, uplifted moods and more! Who knows? Maybe for you just making a commitment and keeping it could be a big change! Whatever we think might happen, after 31 days of the OM yoga Challenge, we will all be surprised and learn a lot… about yoga and about ourselves! This is how it works: 1. Register with the front desk to reserve your space in the OM yoga challenge. Joining the Challenge is FREE but we want to know who’s on the team! 2. Come to an OM yoga asana class every day for 31 days. 3. Find out what happens… FAQs What if I go out of town? Use either one of the OM yoga DVDs to do your OM yoga practice wherever you are, every day that you are gone. DVDs are available to purchase online or in OM yoga boutique. Can I take more than one class in a day? The idea of the Challenge is to develop commitment, consistency and curiosity, so to meet the Challenge your requirement is to take one class daily. It’s not about taking 31 classes, it’s about taking an asana class daily for 31 days. Do I have to buy the monthly $139 Sale to join the Challenge? No! Signing up for the Challenge is free. If you are an OM yoga member, or if you prefer to pay for your classes in a different way, that’s fine. But, it’s a great deal… What else will OM yoga give me? The OM yoga Challenge team will have 3 gatherings. We will provide healthy drinks & goodies.  Halfway through the Challenge you will get a special present from your friends at OM yoga to help you stay motivated. Don’t take our word for it, here is what some fellow OMmies have said about the Challenge: “The discipline of going to yoga everyday was actually helpful.” “From doing yoga every day I find that I have more to give and so all my relationships have gotten better.” “Because I’m going to class every day, I’ve been going to different classes than what I usually go to which has been fun.” “Since I know I’ll be doing yoga again tomorrow, I realized that I have stopped working too hard in yoga.  Like taking a shower, I just know I’m going to do it every day and so I am not so grasping about it.” “It cheers you up!  Yoga is better than Prozac!” “31 days of yoga has increased my productivity.” “I thought I would have less time since I’m going to be in yoga class everyday, but it turned out I have more time and space.  Because I am prioritizing and not doing things like sitting in front of my computer or my TV — and just doing what I really want to and what means something to me.” “Yoga every day has been super grounding.” “I’m sleeping deeper.” You can do it! Send an email to challenge@OMyoga.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to be placed on our list or call 212 254 8642 to join TODAY!

Tantric Hatha Yoga Retreat

Discovering Your True Identity

The tantric hatha yoga tradition makes the assumption that we do not know who we really are. It supposes that we develop a persona to fit into the world around us, and then forget our true identity. In this retreat designed for spiritual seekers on the yogic path, master yoga teacher Yoganand Michael Carroll interprets and teaches us tantric hatha yoga techniques that energetically disturb our persona, moving us a little closer to our true essence. Translated from Sanskrit, this consciously induced disturbance is called “churning.” Through an intermediate asana, pranayama, and meditation practice, discussion, and partner and group sharing, we discover how to churn the persona to touch our deeper self and draw upon its wisdom. We also learn to adapt these tantric hatha yoga techniques to our favorite yoga practice and our modern lifestyle for deeper effect. As our practice deepens, the difference between the persona and our true self becomes smaller and we draw closer to taking refuge in the ultimate truth of our being. Six months of yoga or meditation practice is suggested. Recommended practice CDs: Carroll, Pranayama (Beginner Level Practice), Pranayama (Intermediate Level Practice), Pranakriya Meditative Posture Class, and Pranakriya Yoga Workout Class. Yoganand Michael Carroll, E-RYT 500, a master yoga teacher in the Kripalu Yoga tradition, spent 15 years in monastic practice, studying with tantric hatha yoga masters in the United States and India. He taught at Kripalu Center for more than 15 years before founding Radiant Well-being Yoga Center in South Carolina, where he leads workshops and teacher trainings in Pranakriya Yoga™. Pranakriya.com

Insight Meditation for Beginners

Developing a Calm & Clear Mind

Insight meditation, also known as vipassana meditation, is a simple technique that originated in the Buddha’s teachings more than 2,500 years ago. Its practice teaches us in a gentle, consistent way to calm and steady our mind by grounding our attention in the present moment. When our mind is calm, it is fit to look into itself and all of life with more openness and clarity. This clarity leads to insight, which frees us from our own reactive patterns. Through discussion and periods of silent meditation, we learn sitting and walking meditation methods; how to pay attention to our breath and body; and how the power of present moment awareness can touch and transform our hearts and minds. Emphasis is placed on letting the lessons we learn support the quality of our awareness in all that we do while at Omega and beyond. An optional mindful yoga session is offered each day to bring more ease and aliveness into our meditation practice. This retreat is paced to support beginners; however, all are welcome and encouraged to attend. This workshop is also offered October 22-24, 2010. Matthew Daniell is also teaching (with Larry Rosenberg) Insight Meditation & Mindfulness Yoga Retreat. Matthew Daniell has been practicing insight meditation since 1987. He is founder and guiding teacher at the Insight Meditation Center of Newburyport, Massachusetts and acting Buddhist Chaplain at Northeastern University. Matthew Daniell also teaches a mindful style of yoga inspired by his work with T.K.V. Desikachar. imcnewburyport.com

Feb 26th-27th, 2010

Begins: Friday Feb 26th check-in 4-6:00pm

Ends: Saturday Feb 27th 5:00pm

Fee: $60

Teacher: Chang Wen Fashi

Openings: Available – register online

Deadline: Please send payment by Feb 23rd, 2010

Overnight Retreat at Dharma Drum

For the Overnight Retreat, you will have the chance to experience Chan practice for one night, then the following day from early morning through to the evening. Wake up early to the fresh, crisp country air, and then within the course of one full day (5:30 am – 5:00 pm), learn how to apply Chan methods while sitting, walking, exercising, doing mindful work, eating, and throughout all activities. The schedule of the day is very simple and relaxed, designed to allow one to settle the mind, yet maintain a constant silent awareness amidst stillness or movement.

The retreat also includes brief Dharma talks, as well as guided meditations and instructions on how to use basic meditation methods such as awareness of breathing and total mind-body relaxation.

How Should One Approach Daily Meditation Practice?

You know you want to benefit from daily practice, but you don’t know how to go about doing it.

First, you should have a proper mental attitude towards practice. Second, you should use a method.

Before you practice, it is important to relax your body and mind. But be careful not to try too hard-you might become tense; or relax too much-you might fall asleep. Both extremes are wrong. That’s why a proper, balanced mental attitude is important.

Tell yourself that the time you practice is the best part of the day. The little time we do spend sitting is precious. If you have this attitude, you will not feel tense or sleepy.

If meditation is onerous, it will be hard to persist in practice. Before you sit, remind yourself to feel happy about what you’re about to do. Think of sitting as if it is your final break of the day, the time when you leave work, or are about to go out for the evening. It is a time of release, relaxation, and enjoyment. There are no worries-you let everything go.

Make sure your posture is correct. Once you have settled into your posture, forget about your body. Otherwise you will not be able to relax. Tell your mind to be free. Watch your mind; see where it goes, but don’t follow it. When you follow your thoughts you’re allowing them to control you. Once you realize that you have been following wandering thoughts, they depart on their own.

When you follow wandering thoughts, you are restricting your awareness to a particular train of thought. If thoughts arise, then notice your breath. If your breath is long and smooth, then you are comfortable. If your mind is clear, just sit. Make sure that you continue to sit in the correct posture.

I hope you can do this. Don’t think you have to sit because you owe somebody something.

(Excerpt from Zen Wisdom by Master Sheng Yen)

Relaxation

Close your eyes, lean back in your chair, and relax your muscles. Completely relax your eyes. It is very important that your eyelids be relaxed. There should be no tension around your eyeballs. Do not apply any force or tension anywhere. Relax your facial muscles, shoulders, and arms. Relax your abdomen and put your hands in your lap. If you feel the weight of your body, bring that sensation down to your seat. Do not think of anything. If thoughts come, recognize them for what they are and bring your attention to the inhaling and exhaling of your breath through your nostrils. Ignore everything. Just concentrate on your practice. Forget about your body and relax. Do not entertain doubts about whether what you are doing is useful.

The principles of this method are to relax, to be natural, and to be clear. Keep each session short, but practice frequently; each session should be no longer than three to ten minutes. If you do it longer, you will probably feel restless or fall asleep. You can use this method a few times a day; it will refresh your body and mind and eliminate some of the confusion in your daily life. Gradually you will gain the stability of body and mind that makes it possible to, eventually, enter the gate of Chan.

Practicing Balances with Spinal Imbalances
Friday, 2/19/2010 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Yoga Union in Manhattan 32 West 28th St. (between Broadway and 6th Ave.) with Elise Browning Miller	In addition to presenting fundamental and essential material for Yoga for Scoliosis, Senior Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor, Elise Browning Miller, one of the world’s foremost experts on Yoga for Scoliosis, will address some of the best ways to approach spinal extension safely and with more ease. Many of us with spinal imbalances have lower back, shoulder, or neck issues that limit our ability to do backbends. Yet backbends are the poses that address many of the issues we confront the most such as spinal strength, emotional issues and opening of the chest. Through a safe approach, Elise will guide you through a series of backbends that will bring openness to your body, joy to your heart and enthusiasm to continue this practice for a lifetime. Elise’s joyous personality and ease of communication endear her to students with a teaching style that is down-to-earth, precise, and nurturing. If you have not yet attended one of her workshops, this is a wonderful opportunity to get to know Elise, with whom Deborah, Alison and Mimi completed their Yoga for Scoliosis Certification. Suitable for students with 1 year of yoga experience.
Yoga for Scoliosis
Saturday – Sunday, 2/20 – 2/21/2010 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at YogaWorks Downtown in Manhattan 138 5th Ave. (between 18th and 19th St.) with Elise Miller	This internationally acclaimed workshop is open to anyone who is currently a yoga student and is familiar with the basic yoga poses to address their scoliosis. This is also an ideal workshop designed for teachers who wish to learn more about how to teach students with scoliosis. Teachers are invited to bring their students with scoliosis so that both will have the opportunity to work together under Elise’s guidance. If teachers have completed the other part of the scoliosis workshop with Elise, this 10 hour workshop will complete the 20 hour course requirement to enter Elise’s Yoga for Scoliosis Practicum Training Program. See http://www.yogaforscoliosis.com/YFS_TeacherTraining.htm for more details.
Optimum Alignment: Yoga Therapeutics Mini Series: Alleviate Discomfort in Your Body and Empower Your Yoga Practice
Sundays, 2/24 and 2/31/2010 10:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. (inidividual sessions or series) at VIRAYOGA Annex in Manhattan 580 Broadway (between Prince and E. Houston St.) with Marjorie Nass	January 24th – lower body therapeutics alleviate your lower body discomfort – learn to apply the anusara@reg; yoga universal principles of alignment™ to alleviate aches, pain and tension in the knees, ankles, hips and lower back, including sciatic pain. January 31st – upper body therapeutics alleviate your upper body discomfort – learn to apply the anusara® yoga universal principles of alignment™ to alleviate pain and tension in the shoulders and neck, plus the wrists and elbows.
Yoga for Depression
Thursday, 2/25/2010 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at ISHTA Yoga in Manhattan 56 East 11th St. (between Broadway and University Pl.) with Kristin Leal	Over 25 million Americans are treated with antidepressants each year and millions more admit that they are depressed. The entire practice of yoga is to experience ourselves as the jivamuktin – the awakened soul in this life. If you are not living fully you will be in some fashion depressed, and our practice is designed to bring about our liberation. In this workshop we will begin to discuss the complex interplay between the brain and endocrine, nervous, and immune systems which all contribute to our emotional well-being. We will explore practical, concrete tools drawing from yoga philosophy, asana, pranayama, diet, and supplements to begin to clear away the fog of depression and help reveal the sattvic state of healing and peace.

LIKE Wi-Fi, on-demand movies and fitness centers, yoga is becoming an amenity many hotels and resorts just can’t do without.

Long popular at spas and retreat centers, yoga classes have been spreading to mainstream hotels, resorts and tour operators over the last several years. As the ancient stretching and meditation practice gained popularity, the travel industry began seeing dollar signs in sun salutations. Soon, yoga classes were showing up on the on-demand channels in Hyatts and Marriotts, and at the Kimpton hotel chain mats and straps were available to guests who asked. Spas and resorts began to tweak their yoga programs by hosting weeklong retreats with yoga masters like Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman, who attracted a cultlike following.

Now, with yoga becoming so mainstream, properties from chain hotels to bed-and-breakfasts are looking for new ways to incorporate it into their programs to pique guests’ interest and reach their wallets.

“Yoga is becoming a must-have amenity,” on the order of Internet access, said Chekitan S. Dev, a professor of marketing at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. “Guests want to be able to stress out and go on the Internet and check e-mail, and then take five minutes and do yoga. It’s the yin and the yang of travel.”

Fairmont Hotels and Resorts is hiring a yogi to work with the brand to develop signature classes for its Willow Stream Spas. The Parker Palm Springs in California built an open-air yoga studio as part of its recently renovated spa, adding to other spaces used for yoga classes throughout the property. The Savannah House in Himrod, N.Y., in the Finger Lakes region started Wine and Yoga Getaway weekends in October that include visits to wineries, and yoga classes.

Dave Romanelli, co-owner of a chain of Arizona yoga studios, who is known for his popular yoga-and-chocolate and yoga-and-wine retreats, is introducing Yoga for Foodies. After an hour of flowing yoga poses, he said, a chef guides participants through a tasting, reminding them that “life is short and we best slow down and savor it.”

The InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz., which contracted Mr. Romanelli’s company to teach daily classes at the resort in September, is hosting a four-day Chocolate Sabbatical this month.

There’s also something to be said for novelty. “We’re a short-attention-span society,” said Kristen Ulmer, founder of Ski to Live, which focuses on the mind-body connection of snow sports, including daily yoga. “Just the yoga isn’t enough to keep us entertained or maybe not even enough of a draw in and of itself.” Her program is offered at several ski resorts, including Alta Ski Area in Utah April 1 to 4.

Customers say such retreats are appealing because they combine a familiar routine with something new. Barb Harwell, who owns part of a small manufacturing company in Littleton, Colo., already practices yoga but wanted to improve her skiing this year. So when she heard the Osprey at Beaver Creek was offering a ReTreat Yourself getaway — combining yoga, skiing and life coaching sessions — she signed up. “If it was just yoga, I might have thought, ‘That’s interesting,’ but might not have signed up for the whole package,” she said.

Combo yoga is an easy way for resorts to set themselves apart from the competition. The Four Seasons Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, for example, offers Aqua Yoga in the resort’s saltwater pool. In April, the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa in California will offer Ai Chi/Water Yoga classes in its geothermal mineral pool by combining yoga with Ai Chi, a tai chi-based exercise performed in water. And in March, the Fairmont Le Château Montebello in Quebec will offer a Laughter Yoga class, which combines laughter exercises and gentle yoga breathing with the aim of improving happiness.

Still, more traditional yoga offerings continue to be a draw for hotels and tour operators alike, as nutrition and wellness become a larger part of the social fabric of the United States. “More people are worried about their health and well-being,” said Professor Dev of Cornell. Baby boomers, in particular, he said, are “looking at what’s happening not just outside of their body but at what’s happening inside.”

Hotels typically don’t track yoga as a separate revenue stream. Rather it’s often lumped into spa services. In luxury hotels, for example, yoga classes are increasingly being offered through the spa, often for a fee. “To have a spa can mean 5 to 10 percent incremental occupied rooms and an even greater amount of incremental revenue as those guests tend to spend more than the average guest,” said Bjorn Hanson, a hospitality professor at New York University.

Nearly 7 percent of Americans, or 15.8 million people, practice yoga, according to a 2008 study by the magazine Yoga Journal. While that’s down from 16.5 million in 2004, spending has continued to grow as devotees increasingly view yoga as a lifestyle choice rather than a fad and incorporate it into their fitness or wellness routines. Americans spend $5.7 billion a year on yoga classes and products, including vacations, nearly double what was spent in 2004, according to Yoga Journal.

“We are continuing to see strong interest in the yoga component, even through the bad economy,” said Nancy Mertz, co-owner of Sea Kayak Adventures in Loreto on the Baja Peninsula. Sea Kayak has a $1,095 Yoga, Whales and Kayaks tour, in which each day begins with yoga on the beach, followed by whale-watching and kayaking outings with naturalist guides. The outfit, which started with one yoga and kayak trip with 13 guests in 2006, is now up to three trips a year, one of which is already sold out for 2010.

Whatever the form, however, yoga seems to be here to stay. “We wouldn’t build a spa or gym today without planning a space for an area where you can do yoga,” said Christopher W. Norton, chairman of Four Seasons’ Global Spa Task Force. “It’s a very important component.”

Part of its staying power may have to do with its low overhead. “I’d say there’s a demand for yoga,” said Niki Leondakis, chief operating officer at Kimpton Hotels. “It’s also something that’s operationally easy to offer, relatively speaking. “It doesn’t require expensive gear or lots of space. The beauty is in its simplicity.”

IF YOU GO

Here are some hybrid programs involving yoga created by hotels and resorts to attract guests.

Yoga and Wine Getaway Weekend at the Savannah House Inn, Himrod, N.Y. From $200 for the two-night stay (savannahhousevacation.com).

Ski to Live: Yoga and Skiing at Alta Ski Area, Utah. The four-day camp is $510 (kristenulmer.com/programs/ski-to-live).

Yoga & Horses at Chezacut Wilderness Adventures, Redstone, British Columbia. The five-day retreat is $1,799 (chezacutwildernessadventures.com).

Couples Yoga in Preparation for Birth Workshop with Mia Borgatta

Date: TBA $75/couple.

The practice of yoga helps to integrate the body, mind and breath in ways
that can help the expecting couple prepare for birth and life with an
infant. This workshop will employ inventive ways of partnering using breath
and appropriate asanas, including:
• Developing skills of sensing and listening
• Practice testing limits together
• Connecting to the baby
• Some hands on recommendations for labor
• Pressure points and counter-pressure
• Attunement and intentions
Mia Borgatta has been teaching Yoga for 14 years and Prenatal Yoga for 10.
She has studied Iyengar, Jiv@mukti, and OM yoga with many amazing teachers.
She has been a Labor Support Doula for over 16 years and has attended well
over 100 births. She is grateful for having been present for the wonder and
teaching of each birth. Her daughter Jaya was born at home in 1994, and is
her most constant and exacting teacher.

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ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED FOR ALL WORKSHOPS except Kirtan
Register early as space is limited. Walk ins subject to availability.
lilawellness@nyc.rr.com for efficient workshop registration
Call (212) 254-2130 on the day of the workshop to confirm.
General registration form attached.

Fertility Yoga Classes

with Leslie Daly, MS ADTR LCAT RYT

Wednesday’s, 7:15pm

Yoga for Fertility is a class designed to meet the physical, energetic, and emotional needs of women who are seeking reproductive wellness. Postures, breath, chakra toning and visualization, relaxation, Yin postures and meditation are used to help women connect to themselves and their bodies. This class is geared toward women who are encountering difficulties conceiving, women who are beginning to think about conceiving and women who are looking to bring their body into hormonal balance. This mindful and receptive practice will support your path.