Archive for September, 2009
Yoga of Shambhala
September 30th, 2009 | 
Author: New Fall Program of Yoga Coming to Shambhala Meditation Center
Natural Wakefulness
with Gaylon Ferguson
October 10 / 9:30 AM – October 11 / 5:00 PM
Price: $150 Normal ($120 Members)
October 10 & 11, Saturday & Sunday,
9:30 am – 5 pm
$150 + traditional teacher’s gift
$120 members
Wakefulness is our natural state: enlightened, complete, and perfect in wisdom and compassion. It’s not something outside ourselves that we need to attain or become. But it is also true that some effort is required to get intouch with it — and that effort is what spiritual practice is about
This workshop, based on his book of the same name, highlights two essential aspects of the path of awakening: learning to trust that we are already naturally awake and committing to meditation practice. Acharya Ferguson will show how each supports the other in our efforts to become fully who we are. He will teach the fundamentals of meditation and provide exercises and guided contemplations intended to help us experience innate wakefulness, and how to gain confidence in it. No previous meditation experience necessary.
Gaylon Ferguson is an Acharya, senior teacher, in the lineage of Shambhala Buddhism, having studied and practiced meditation for thirty-five years under the guidance of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. He holds a doctorate in anthropology from Stanford University and is currently professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at Naropa University. His work has been featured for several years running in the celebrated anthology Best Buddhist Writing. His first book, Natural Wakefulness: Discovering the Wisdom We Were Born With (Shambhala Publications), was released in April 2009.
Related Reading:
Posted in Mind Body Spirit, healing, meditation, yoga, yoga new york | 
Tags: meditation, meditation new york, new york, new york city, yoga, yoga events new york, yoga meditation new york, yoga new york | 
No Comments »
Yoga and Weight Loss
Being overweight has become synonymous with being an American. In today’s culture our lifestyles have changed so much that we have become sedentary- we are not moving around like we used to and not exercising the same ways. Of course our food choices have also played a major role; today our children would rather watch T.V. than go over to their friend’s house and play- interacting with each other running around and yes, even burning calories. It is our faults, we have set this example and what do children do but learn from example, right. These are only a few factors, which have resulted in increasing amount of people with the problem of excess weight or obesity. To get back to a healthy lifestyle it is essential to not only eat right but to incorporate an exercise regime into one daily life. So what is the answer?
To lose weight, it is important to do so, not just by doing diets, or exercise programs, which are too tedious, which may yield results but which do not keep you that way. Sometimes after sudden loss of weight the skin sags making one feel worse. The best approach is to lose weight gradually and for good. Yoga offers a good solution to this problem. Yoga tones the body in a uniformed manner, unlike any “weight loss program” which claims to decrease your butts by this much inches and waist by this much, leading to side effects. Yoga can be practiced at any age to keep the body supple.
I have struggled with my weight way before I even started yoga. Since starting a regimen I have noticed a major improvement in the way my body feels and moves. I am able to control and maneuver my body into positions that I never thought possible. I have also lost a considerable amount of weight during this process of yoga exploration and I hope to continue onward and upward. The truth is that yoga can help you lose weight, but the rest is still up to you- it is not a cure-all, as most exercises are not. But I promise you that if you put in the effort you will receive a great bounty in return.
If you are here in the New York City Area Check out our Link section and there are a number of fabulous studious listed in all different neighborhoods throughout Manhattan and some in Queens and Brooklyn as well.
Posted in Mind Body Spirit, yoga, yoga new york |
Tags: weight loss, yoga, yoga meditation new york, yoga new york |
No Comments »
Lucky Lotus Yoga Workshops
There has been a lot of buzz in the local yoga community about the upcoming East Coast Bliss Fest sponsored by Lucky Lotus Yoga. The first workshop is Killing Anger and all proceeds will be used towards upcoming events for Lama Marut’s upcoming retreats. There are four more workshops being held in the East Coast Bliss Fest series and they all have topics more intriguing then the next. The one that I am looking forward to the most is Completing Your Yoga: Cultivating a Daily Meditation Practice- on October 1st from 3:00pm – 5:00pm. I have been meditating for many years and I always look forward to improving the quality of my experience; I seek to deepen my connection within and by meditating I find that strength. Lama Marut is a well respected teacher and has been teaching Asian Classics Institute courses, guided meditations, and informal talks and workshops in Tibetan Buddhism for the past decade.
“Killing Anger: Chapter Six of Master Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life” with Lama Marut, September 25 & 27
All proceeds go to raise funds for Lama Marut’s upcoming Three Year Retreat.
7:30 – 9:30 pm on Friday the 25th and Sunday the 27th at Lucky Lotus.
One day donation – $25.00
Both day donations – $40.00
$10 CLASSES FOR SEPTEMBER ARE: BASICS CLASS WED 4-5:15, FRI MIXED 6:30-8, SAT BEGINNER BASICS CLASS 2-3:30
1 CLASS $17, 2 CLASS $33, 5 CLASS $80, 10 CLASS $150 ALL CLASS CARDS EXPIRE AFTER 3 MONTHS. 1 MONTH UNLIMITED $165
WE DO NOT ACCEPT YOGA PASS
SAVE TIME! New Students: Download this waiver, complete it and bring it with you to LUCKY LOTUS YOGA!
Posted in Mind Body Spirit, healing, meditation, yoga, yoga new york |
Tags: beginners yoga new york, beginning yoga classes new york, calendar of yoga meditation events new york, meditation, meditation new york, new york, new york city, siddha yoga new york, yoga, yoga events new york, yoga meditation new york, yoga new york |
No Comments »
The Road Trip Guide to the Soul
There is another great yoga retreat at The Omega Institute for experienced practitioners. This workshop is taught by one of the owners of the New York City yoga studio The Fierce Club, located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The Fierce Club takes a straight talking approach to the world of yoga, a bit of a different spin than most yoga studios, but it seems to work for the clientele that they are serving. Named “One of the Top 10 Ways to Change Your Life” and “Calorie-torchers” by New York Magazine, their signature Power Hour classes will give you all the benefits of most other styles’ 90 minute sessions…in only one hour! Great for multi-taskers and busy people who want the full mind/body workout, without spending hours at the studio or gym. Their main style is Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga, taught by Fierce Club co-owners Sadie Nardini, Shannon Connell and the Fierce instructors. The Fierce Club is cutting edge yoga, which is designed to give you a 90-minute gym-strength, cardio and muscle-sculpting workout in just 60 minutes, is fun, alignment-based, and uses real life situations and wisdom as your best teachers.
Here is the information from the Omega website on the upcoming workshop:
Nardini teaches her nine essential lessons culled from yoga and Buddhism to help us break through limiting behaviors and fears and get back on track. Through vigorous but mindful Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga practices in the morning, yin style core moon yoga practices, guided meditations, group discussions, and journaling, we learn how to:
- Envision the most powerful direction for our life
- Find our true strength and individuality
- Seize our “soul fuel” opportunities and stay on “full”
- Shift our perspectives toward empowerment
- Let go of what’s slowing us down
- Start a lifelong love affair with ourself
- Set boundaries, so every conscious “No” serves our greatest “Yes”
- Recognize our soulmates
- Amplify abundance
This retreat is designed for strong, adventurous beginning, intermediate, and advanced yoga students. Yoga teachers learn new skills to use with their clients.
Here are the course details:
Course: SM09-4902-575
September 25 – 27, 2009
Rhinebeck, New York
Tuition: $295
Member Tuition: $270
tuition discounts are available.
The Shala Yoga House
unwinding the spine
Tias Little in New York City
weekend workshop: unwinding the spine
october 9 to 11
friday, 6:30 to 8:30 pm: $35
saturday, 9 to 11:45 am: $60 -sold out
saturday, 1:30 to 4:15 pm: $60 -sold out
sunday, 9 to 11:45 am: $60 -sold out
sunday, 1:30 to 4:15 pm: $60
saturday and sunday workshop sessions: $210
sessions may be taken individually
to register, call 212-979-9988 or email us at info@theshala.com.
Lisa Schrempp: Ayurveda in the Asana
october 7
2 to 4 pm: $25
In this workshop on ayurveda and asana we will draw from the concepts of ayurveda to better understand our constitution’s needs and requirements for balance. We will uncover and recognize the changing world (macrocosm) and how it affects our inner life (microcosm), and how to join the two with the daily worship of the divine on our sticky mat. Upon learning and understanding the basic principles of ayurveda, the possibility of balance becomes a charismatic drawing force in our lives, and the asana practice becomes a power tool to meet the changing requirements for freedom.
The Shala Yoga House also offers by donation classes
(contribute what you are able)
wednesdays 8:30 pm basics…paul manza
thursdays 8:15 pm int/adv….paul manza
sundays 12:15 pm all levels….staff
new student special
$30 for three classes (valid for one month)
or
new student one month unlimited $100
good for 30 days. no extensions and non-transferable.
Related Reading:
Posted in Mind Body Spirit, meditation, yoga, yoga new york |
Tags: beginners yoga new york, beginning yoga classes new york, calendar of yoga meditation events new york, deep breathing, meditation, meditation new york, new york, new york city, yoga, yoga events new york, yoga new york |
No Comments »
Vedic Meditation Upcoming Events
Meditation unlocks the door to a place of bliss, to that place inside each of us where there is a well of peace, joy and love.
Meditation, or contact with this inner state of bliss, helps us:
• Lower stress
• Increase adaptation energy
• Enhance creativity
• Improve daily performance
• Meet life’s demands with equanimity and grace
• Additionally, meditation helps us to be an influence for good-in our own lives, at home, at work and in the community at large.
Here are some listings in the New York City area of meditation group meetings that can help you experience the peace and joy that you deserve. My experience with meditation has changed my life in such a dramatic way that I feel as though I am looking through a new set of eyes. My priorities in life used to center around the material world and I cared only about possessions. Today I am full of love and hope and I am filled with compassion and peace- I look for the light and goodness in the universe and I am no longer ruled by anger and resentment. When those feelings do rise up in me, as they will from time to time, I know to take a few minutes for myself of quiet time for meditation and reflection. During that time of meditation I am able to connect with myself and the energy of the universe, which I never before thought possible. If interested try one of the classes and see for yourself first hand, try not to have preconceived notions and most of all don’t be scared because people in the meditation community want to help.
Sunday October 4 at 7:00 p.m.
Intro to Meditation Talk with Will
Location: The Yoga Shala House 815 Broadway, (2 blocks south of Union Square)
Click here for address details
Sunday October 4 at 5:15 p.m.
Meditation and Knowledge Meeting with Will in New York
General Meeting
Location: 277 West 10th Street Apt 2E (Corner Washington)
Click here for address details
Tuesday October 6 at 7.00 p.m.
Day 1 Follow Up with Will in West Hollywood
Topic: Basic operating principals
Wednesday October 7 at 7.00 p.m.
Day 2 Follow Up with Will in New York
Topic: How stress dissolves
Thursday October 8 at 7.00 p.m.
Day 3 Follow Up with Will in New York
Topic: The five states of consciousness
Location: 22 Harrison Street Tribeca, New York 10013
Click here for address details
Related Reading:
Posted in Mind Body Spirit, healing, meditation, transcendental meditation |
Tags: breathing, calendar of yoga meditation events new york, deep breathing, meditation, meditation events, meditation new york, new york, new york city, relaxation, stress management, transcendental meditation |
No Comments »
Yoga Therapy at The Yoga Sanctuary
The Yoga Sanctuary Mascot
Most of us are familiar with the asanas, breathing techniques and meditation that we practice in class, but did you know that yoga has therapeutic applications? Western science is now discovering the health benefits of yoga through extensive scientific research and study. Used in conjunction with traditional medicine or on its own merit, yoga has been proven to help alleviate and improve symptoms from a wide variety of health concerns and disease. From back pain to insomnia, there are yoga techniques and tools that can help improve your well-being and quality of life. Yoga therapy is best practiced with a specially trained yoga teacher trained during private sessions. Ellen Patrick of The Yoga Sanctuary has completed extensive training in the Viniyoga methodology, which subscribes to adapting yoga to the needs of each individual student. She offers private sessions and can be contacted by email at info@yogasanctuary.net . Viniyoga’s therapeutic applications have been refined to apply to a wide-variety of health issues. A recent study funded by the National Institute of Health approved Viniyoga to help patients with back pain. To arrange for a private session, call the studio at 914-381-YOGA (9642).
The Yoga Sanctuary
One Depot Plaza
Mamaroneck, NY 10543
914-381-YOGA (9642)
info@YogaSanctuary.net
The Yoga Sanctuary also offers a wide range of wellness services including a comprehensive massage therapy program, energy medicine, reiki and reflexology. Massage can help release chronic muscular tension and pain, improve circulation, increase joint flexibility, reduce mental and physical fatigue and stress, promote faster healing of injured muscular tissue, improve posture, and reduce blood pressure. It is also known to promote better sleep, improve concentration, reduce anxiety, and create an overall sense of well-being.
|
Fall Forward Freedom
Freedom from expiration dates on all 5 & 10 class packages August 23 thru December 31 |
|
50% off on Massage
Purchase a full one-hour massage and receive 50% off on a one-hour Acupressure Massage. A $45 value. |
$20 Off Reflexology
For first-time clients when booking a 1-hour session. |
|
Nutrition & Health Counseling
FREE EAR CANDLING Schedule a consultation and receive a free 1/2 hour ear candling session. A $40 value.
|
Related Reading:
Fall Special at Dharma Mittra Yoga
Dharma Mittra Yoga New York
Dharma Mittra Yoga
First time new students your first class is on us!
First Class Free in Dharma Level I
from July 13 through November 14th
Then get the sampler pass – 5 classes for only $35!
Upcoming Events at Dharma Yoga Center for September 2009
September 23, Wednesday, 8:45-9:30pm
Community Kirtan with Shyama
Join a special night of spiritual singing. Everyone is welcomed, just come! No charge, donations appreciated.
September 24, Thursday, 4:15-5:10pm
Kids Happy Yoga Six-Week Course Begins
Six week course begins. Every Thursday afternoon through October 29th. This course will begin a great journey in a child’s life. Yoga helps bring out natural flexibility, teaches poise and grace, good communication with others and a strong sense of self. Postures will be taught through the use of games, songs and self-expression, as well as in a classical manner. Personable one on one attention is given by loving instructors. The lessons will help children become calm, one-pointed, self-confident and healthy. When Yoga is introduced at a young age, one will have the flexibility gained for a lifetime. It is a valuable tool in one’s pocket to rely on for the rest of their lives. Pre-registration is required. $120. Register Now
September 26, Saturday, 7-9:30pm
Kirtan with Bhagavan Das!
This is a specially scheduled Kirtan event. To experience Bhagavan Das in concert is to be touched by the immortal essence of his Guru Neem Karoli Baba- as the Light of the Guru is delivered through the mystical and potent voice of Bhagavan Das. His devotion to his Guru as that living inner sound is what he shares and transmits to all that wish to receive this blessing. We hope you can join us for this special engagement. $25. Register Now | Flyer
September 30, Wednesday, 8:45-9:30pm
Community Kirtan
Join a special night of spiritual singing. Everyone is welcomed, just come! No charge, donations appreciated.
SINCE 1974 – 297 THIRD AVE. NYC 10010 – 212.889.8160 – WWW.DHARMAYOGACENTER.COM
Related Reading:
Upcoming Events at Levitate Yoga
September Events at Levitate Yoga Studio
The Anatomy of Breathing and Pranayama
with Kim-Lien
Date: Sunday, September 20
Time: 12:30-3:30pm
Cost: $50 drop in
10 Steps to Weight Loss: An Ayurvedic Approach
with K. Michael Ferranti
Date: Sunday, September 20
Time: 2-5pm
Cost: $25
Introduction to Tarot
with Veronica Figueroa
Date: Thursday, September 24
Time: 7:30-9:30pm
Cost: $25
Levitate Yoga Studio offers a number of different workshops ranging in topics from yoga and meditation to weight loss and tarot card reading. I have had some business associates who took a workshop at Levitate Yoga and they raved about the quality of instruction and the group participation, as well as the leader of the class and her knowledge on the material presented. The prices are quite reasonable especially for New York City and you really get so much in return. Levitate Yoga also offers a wide variety of yoga and meditation classes including “quickie” classes for when you need to squeeze a yoga class into a tight schedule. They have a friendly and accepting attitude at Levitate Yoga and you can feel free to be yourself no matter what fitness level you are working at.
Our Philosophy
At Levitate, our philosophy is to honor the traditional yoga system in a non-restrictive, contemporary setting. We believe that yoga should be a joyous journey of self-illumination, and we encourage each person to find their own path. Levitate offers pranayama, kirtan and transformative vinyasa asanas as resources to draw upon along your journey. This is not to promote a strict way of life, but to offer a choice to be made by each individual. This journey is to continually challenge on a physical level, through vigorous yet playful practices, and spiritually, through ancient as well as modern teachings. Each class is constantly recreated to be fun and “vigorously in the moment”.
Levitate Yoga is an urban oasis nestled among giant financial institutions, Times Square, Broadway theatres and luxury high-rises. It is a place to blend your yoga/meditation practice into your work, your home and your personal relationships. It offers a friendly, caring, and fun environment to examine your thoughts, feelings and compassions.
Related Reading:
New York Insight Meditation Center
New York Insight Meditation Center is an urban center for the practice of mindful awareness, called Insight or Vipassana meditation. NYI programs include talks, weekly sittings and courses as well as daylong and weekend retreats and workshops for the integration of meditation teachings into daily life. NYI strives to be a center that reflects the vivid diversity of the city in which we live. Our center is a place where everyone—of different ages, nationalities, cultures, languages, ethnicities, sexual orientation, and spiritual backgrounds—is welcome to begin or deepen meditation practice based on the teachings of the Buddha. Here are some meditation tips to help guide beginners:
Learn to Meditate
Part I: How to establish a daily sitting practice
Before you sit
As with all things, start where you are. You have everything you need right now. First, decide to sit each day. Next, plan the time, place and duration for your sitting meditation.
Choose a time
Morning is often best because the mind is calmer than it is later in the day. However, the best time is the time that you can commit to on a regular basis. If one longer sit isn’t possible, try two shorter ones.
Choose a space
There is no perfect place. If possible, dedicate a space exclusively to your daily sitting. Choose a relatively quiet space where you can leave your cushion (or chair) so that it is always there to return to. You may want to create an altar with a candle, inspiring photos or statues. These are not necessary, but are beneficial if they help to motivate you.
Choose a duration
As long as is comfortable, plus 5 minutes. This is a general guide, not a rule. Even fifteen or twenty minutes will seem an eternity in the beginning, but that impression will change with time. If you sit each day, you will experience noticeable benefits (e.g., less reactivity, more calm) and be able to increase your sitting time.
Every time you sit: Set your intention: It is helpful to recall at the start of each sitting meditation why you are doing it. Remember that your purpose, to become more open and free, will benefit you and those around you.
Set your posture
Alertness is one of the two essential ingredients in every meditation. Sit on a chair, cushion, or kneeling bench as straight and tall as possible. In the beginning, sitting against a wall can help you learn what a straight back feels like. Around this straight-back position, let the rest of your skeleton and muscles hang freely. Let the hands rest comfortably on your knees or lap. Let the eyes close, bringing the attention inward.
Relax deeply
Openness is the second essential ingredient in every meditation. Once you feel your spine is erect, let everything else relax, hang loose, and soften. Breathing through the nose, loosen the face, neck, hands, and stomach area. You may want to begin at the scalp and move your attention slowly downward, methodically relaxing and softening each part of the body. Please don’t skip the step of relaxing/letting go! Consciously releasing body tension will help you open to whatever arises during your meditation.
Choose an object of meditation
Once you’ve established this alert and open posture, you are ready to decide where you’ll place your attention. Useful objects for beginners are:
• The breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils.
• Other body changes during breathing, e.g., the rise and fall of the chest.
• Sounds as they arise from within the body or outside of it.
• Other body sensations as they arise.
Whatever object you select, stay with it for at least ten breaths. Even with this effort, your mind will insist on going to its usual places. Make note of this when it happens, and gently lead your attention back to the chosen object of meditation. Your intention and persistence are the key ingredients for cultivating awareness, not the number of times your mind wanders. As often as you need to, check yourself—“Alert and erect? Relaxed and open?” – and begin again.
The classical objects of meditation: The four objects of meditation that the Buddha outlined in the Satipatthana Sutta are called the four foundations of mindfulness or the four frameworks for cultivating mindfulness. They are:
1) Mindfulness of the body (starting with breath).
2) Mindfulness of feeling (there are 3 – pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral).
3) Mindfulness of mental objects (thoughts and emotions).
4) Mindfulness of all dharmas (all phenomena), starting with the 5 hindrances and
the 7 factors of enlightenment and proceeding to all the sense and thought experiences
that make up human life.
If you are interested in learning more about the four foundations of mindfulness, read Breath by Breath by Larry Rosenberg, or The Heart of Buddhist Meditation by Nyanaponika Thera.
First Annual Scholarship Drive To ensure that the Dharma is available to everyone, NYI maintains an extraordinary policy: No one will be turned away for lack of funds. New York Insight has been happy to be able to offer partial or full scholarships to those who may not be able to afford registration costs.Last year, we helped scores of yogis attend events they would otherwise have had to forgo. Read some of their stories here. This year, not surprisingly, requests for scholarships are on the rise and NYI has responded by establishing a dedicated Scholarship Fund to meet the need.
Please Support New York Insight Meditation Center’s First Annual Scholarship Drive to ensure that all those who wish to receive the teachings may do so regardless of their ability to pay.
Donate now to the Scholarship Fund .
East West Events New York City
Jivamukti Yoga School New york
Om Yoga Classes in New York