Archive for December, 2009

Thursday, December 31st 9:00pm – 12:00am
One Night: Golden Bridge’s Annual New Year’s Eve Celebration 2010 with Siri Sat Kaur, Joe Youn & Siri Rishi
Cost: $54/adv or $64/day of

Full Blue Moon Night!

Golden Bridge Will be open on New Years EVE Night ! An evening of yoga, deep meditation, gong relaxation, chanting, live Kirtan, and ending with delicous food, dancing and more…… hosted by your Golden Bridge Commmunity.

Join us on this magical evening as we link our prayers together as one, and project Compassion, and Joy into every aspect of our lives. Releasing the physical, emotional, and mental debris of the past and creating space for elevated experiences of growth in 2010, using the power of group consciousness to draw upon Great Health, Uncondtional Love, and Infinite Prosperity. On this evening we will be graced by a full moon and Lunar eclipse which will give us the golden opportunity to empower our spirits to rise above matter, healing ourselves, our relationships and our global community for the upcoming New Year.

Evening begins at 9:00 PM with a special full moon/eclipse ceremony lead by Joe Young, 11:00 PM Siri Sat will lead us into Deep Meditation, and Gong relaxation, and Siri Rishi will be leading live kirtan with Kirtan Caravan to complete the evening.

Sunday, January 3rd 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Yoga for Fertility: A holistic program to promote conscious conception with Karena Virgina
Cost: $40/adv or $45/day of

Are you trying to get pregnant? Karena Virginia, certified yoga teacher, prenatal yoga teacher, and healer, developed the “Mommies and Miracles ™” program to support women with issues of fertility and conception.

This “Mommies and Miracles™” workshop includes yoga, meditation, chanting and discussions that empower a woman to heal and more deeply understand their bodies and mind. By renewing the body on a cellular level through yoga and holistic approaches, a woman can proceed on her journey of healing with grace and love. Learn to understand the power of intention, and how your experiences and thoughts can manifest beautiful and divine gifts.

Friday, January 8th 7:00pm – 9:30pm
Self-Mastery & Conquering Fear with Mahan Kirin Kaur
Cost: $40/adv or $45/day of“When there is emptiness inside, two things can happen – either you experience ecstasy and feel the benefit of the heart or you feel within yourself something is totally torn apart and you want to know why. That pain is going to cause a lot of fear.”
~Yogi Bhajan

Join us for an afternoon of excitement and transformation.

In this experiential yoga and meditation workshop, Mahan Kirn will show us how to move beyond the original fear of facing the void within ourselves. Learn to silence your mind and how to BE YOU! Let God work for you, and let the Universe serve you.

Mahan Kirn practiced Kundalini Yoga under Yogi Bhajan for over 20 years and served as his Siri Singh Sahib’s personal healer for 10 years. As one of the worlds most renewed yogis she travels the globe teaching and healing. She facilitates White Tantric Yoga at Solstice, the European Yoga Festival and in cities throughout Europe and the Americas. She is a certified Level III Sat Nam Rasayan Traveling Instructor, Kundalini Yoga teacher, the originator of the Bowing Bound Lotus workshops and the mother of a bouncing 2-year old.

This is a rare opportunity to learn and experience the art of Self Mastery directly from one who was taught it daily with the Master of Kundalini Yoga, Yogi Bhajan.
Mahan Kirn is available for private healing and yoga consultations – (310) 467-0561

Saturday, January 9th 1:30pm – 4:30pm
Habitual Health with Fateh Singh
Cost: $35/adv or $40/day of“Eliminate demoting habits. Create promoting habits” – Yogi Bhajan

Take full advantage of the science of Kundalini yoga, and the cumulative effects of Kriyas to transform habits and cyclical patterns into positive foundations for spiritual growth and healing.
Learn about Sadhana (daily practice), why Kundalini Yoga is a ‘householder’s yoga’, get personal suggestions for developing your own practice, and receive special take-home Meditations.
Topics will cover Tantric Numerology, the Ten Bodies, 40-day practices, Mantra and the Super-Conscious, Subconscious, and Unconscious minds, as well as Yogic Lifestyle.

For yogis of all levels looking to delve deeper into Kundalini Yoga, we’ll explore how to make our everyday habitual behaviors (and our OCDs!) work for us to promote a new pattern of habitual health. Extended gong.

Fateh Singh is a devoted, daily practitioner of Kundalini Yoga as Taught by Yogi Bhajan®. He delivers the teachings authentically, and provides a supportive and informative environment for students. Fateh continues to expand his horizons by studying for certification in Sat Nam Rasayan® and Yogic Neuromuscular Therapy®. Fateh has a background in graphic design, music, psychology and martial arts, and he is currently enrolling back into school for a Masters in Social Work, Counseling and Psychotherapy.

Friday, January 15th 7:0pm – 10:00pm
Releasing Cross Memories: A gong Meditation Course with Harijiwan
Cost: $50/adv or $55/day ofCross memory is one chamber of the eighty-one chambers of the mind. This is a sophisticated area that contains the memory of past lives– which you remember, but do not ‘know’ you remember– and these cross memories trigger those past lives by the actions you take in this life.

The drama of these past life memories creates energy we cannot handle. This drama leads to trauma. The trauma causes mental fog and failure because our intuitive capacity to identify our personality to handle the challenges in this life is not given a chance to develop. These cross memories block the mind from creating a basic conception of the Infinite Self. When the foundation of the Infinite Self is absent the essential trust in our identity and abilities is not present and we suffer from confusion and doubt.

With pranayam and the Gong we will stimulate the body and mind into an energy field where the intuitiveness of your personality can merge with the frequency that will restore infinite acknowledgement and trust in your basic Self. These are powerful teachings that will give you an experience of your persuasive, perpetual strength. Join us for a fascinating exploration and enjoy a magical display of your sovereign mental clarity.

Please bring a comfortable pillow and mat for long Gong relaxation periods.

Friday, January 22nd & Sunday, January 24th 7:00pm – 9:30pm
Elevate in Consciousness: New Year’s 2010 Workshops with Gurmukh
Cost: $80 for Both Events ($50/adv or $55/day of per event)Please join us for theses special 2010 New Year’s workshops. 2010 represents enthusiasm, vigor and a willingness to fight for what is right. 2010 represents the navel – power, energy, self-discipline, balance and commitment.

2010 shifts the psyche of humanity into a proactive rhythm of accomplishment and regeneration. We have just come through a catharsis of cleansing, completion and clearing of all that cannot be maintained in the Aquarian Age. 2009 was the cosmic rote-rooter of this process.

You did it. You made it! Now’s your time to bring out the hero and warrior in you. Learn how your creative and nurturing mind may serve you better than ever before. Experience your power of social energy in cooperation with others. Learn how important to your health, wealth and well-being it is to need each other.

Together let us heal, dissolving all barriers and blocks in our minds. We will dive deep in these 2 workshops. The experience promises to set you on you way for this New Year like never before.
Come for Kundalini Yoga & Meditation, gong relaxation, dance, chanting and enjoy the company with sweet treats & tea.

All levels are welcome.
Come to one or both events!

Related Reading:

Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing

The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: Commentary on the Raja Yoga Sutras by Sri Swami Satchidananda

8 Minute Meditation: Quiet Your Mind. Change Your Life.

Yoga Philosophy; Lectures Delivered in New York, Winter of 1895-6

 Vitality Yoga  studio’s style consists of a Hatha and Vinyasa combination from the Krishmacharya lineage. The therapeutic asanas flow from one to another using the movement of breath and proper alignment of the body. A typical Vitality Yoga class consists of yoga philosophy, pranayama, asana, and seated meditation. The practice is inspired by Qi-gong/tai-chi flow, moving energy along the channels or meridians/nadis, and harmonizing the elements of the body. Vitality Yoga believes the practice needs to be adjusted to the individual since we are all unique beings! We use blocks, straps, blankets and meditation chairs to cater to everyone’s special needs. The classes are based upon specific themes such as hip- opening, blossoming of the heart chakra and the power of the spine.

Vitality Yoga focuses on the energetic centers along the spine known as the chakras. The practice begins from the base of the body to the crown of the head and focus on balancing the practitioner. Breathing practices and postures gather energy to these powerful centers of energy. Vitality Yoga believes the practice of yoga allows an individual to uncover the true self at the core of their being through pranayama, asana, and meditation. This development of the core sends an awakening to the heart to create compassion and loving- kindness for all beings (connection with the community). Ultimately, this opens the third eye (our intuition) and crown (divinity) to connect with the entire universe as one powerful force, LOVE.

The class concludes by entering deep relaxation in savasana, which allows the body and mind merge as one. Lastly, seated meditation, the practitioners absorb the art, wisdom, and beauty of the practice. Practitioners then assimilate the yoga deep within, carrying it into our daily lives. A meditation practice is highly recommended to recognize and embrace our true potential. By being in this Zen state of mind, the individual begins understanding and acknowledging that our happiness is beyond the material fluctuations. Rather, true freedom is derived from within, within the realm of the spirit.

VitalityYoga is located at 41-25 Bell Blvd.  on the 2nd Floor in Bayside, NY 11361

TEL: 718.225.8800 | FAX: 718.225.8801

Class Schedule as of July 10th, 2009

Related Reading:

Mindfulness in Plain English: Revised and Expanded Edition

Karma Yoga : Eight Lectures by the Swami Vivekananda on Karma Yoga (The Secret of Work), Delivered in New York, Winter 1895-6

The Encyclopedia of Mind, Body, Spirit: The Ultimate Guide to Healing Therapies, Esoteric Wisdom, and Spiritual Traditions

Meditations

The eternal message: [a collection of thirty immortal letters written by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh to Ma Yoga Bhakti, New York, U.S.A., now Ma Ananda Pratima, ... president of Neo-Sannyas International]

Green House Holistic offers an alignment based vinyasa teacher training that awakens mindfulness in asana and invites inner stillness. Their training focuses on adaptability and sustainability. They offer practices and skills to distinguish what will help each individual while being aware of shifting needs that occur though a lifetime. They provide opportunities which nourish our communities with the benefits of yoga.

Each instructor comes from their particular lineage, of teacher to student discipline, and years of practice and teaching experience to offer a powerful curriculum which can accommodate a wide variety of personalities and learning styles.

DATES

10 weekends in March – Mid June (exact dates TBD)

Possible Retreat Dates – TBD

HOURS

Fridays 6-9pm
Saturdays 9am-6pm and Sundays 9am-4 or 5pm

REQUIRED READING LIST:

Light on Life by B.K.S. Iyengar
The Yoga Sutra Workbook, The Certainty of Freedom by Vyaas Houston
Yoga the Iyengar Way, by Silva, Mira, and Shyam Mehta
The Anatomy Coloring Book by Kapit and Elson
DETAILS:

DEVELOP AND EXPLORE:

Mindfulness in asana
Skillful verbal communication
Energetic touch and hands on adjustment
Concrete anatomical principles and kinesthetic awareness as they inform asana
Subtle body anatomy
Yoga Sutra study in relation to the 6 perfections of Buddhism
Sequencing for the beginner to the intermediate student
One-on-one mentorship
One weekend will be spent on retreat
LOCATION: Williamsburg, Brooklyn NYC

COST: TBD

$500 Non refundable Deposit Required Deadline TBD

Application can be picked up at any location or downloaded online.

Our anatomy & physiology and kinesiology component will be taught by NYS licensed Massage Therapists: David Greenhouse, Ira Macner, and Sarah Hobby.

Related Reading:

Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing

The Encyclopedia of Mind, Body, Spirit: The Ultimate Guide to Healing Therapies, Esoteric Wisdom, and Spiritual Traditions

Karma Yoga : Eight Lectures by the Swami Vivekananda on Karma Yoga (The Secret of Work), Delivered in New York, Winter 1895-6

Sexuality Connecting Mind Body and Spirit

The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice

Tried Yoga Before?

Get started with a Beginners Course at Yoga People!

~ Develop Strength, Flexibility & Balance ~

UPCOMING DATES:
Four Saturdays: 2:00-3:15
January 9th-January 30th

$100 Early Bird Registration (must register before January 2nd)
$115 Week Of The Course
This course is designed for those who are physically active but new to yoga.
Call YP to reserve at 718-522-YOGA or register now online.

EXTRA BENEFIT! All students who complete our Beginners Course are eligible to receive a 10% discount off their first class card.

 Give Yoga & Massage. Give Love.

Discounted rates on Yoga Class Cards and Massage for all the loved ones on your list!

To purchase a Gift Certificate please call 718-522-9642.

Certificates avilable in any amount for any service.

For yoga and massage we are offering the following packages:

5 Class Yoga Card & 60min Massage $165 (save $10)
10 Class Yoga Card & 60min Massage $230 (save $20)
20 Class Yoga Card & 60min Massage $355 (save $35)

Yoga People RYTA Teacher Training Program ~

200 Hour Training, Spring 2010

Friday February 12th – Sunday May 23rd
Select Weekends
Fridays 8:00-10:00PM
Saturdays 12:30-8:30PM
Sundays 2:00-6:00PM

Learn more about the Teacher Training at our Open House:
Coming in January

Related Reading:

Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition

A Gymnastic Riding System Using Mind, Body, and Spirit: Progressive Training for Rider and Horse

Northern Lore: A Field Guide To The Northern Mind, Body & Spirit

Healing the Shame that Binds You (Recovery Classics)

Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga

The Yoga of Intention is a dynamic and practical yoga developed specifically for people who have experienced trauma or live with chronic or life-threatening illness or paralysis; in short, for people who suffer with chronic physical and/or psychological pain. It is also for anyone desirous of leading a more sensitized life. Unlike conventional yoga asana practices, very little gross muscle movement is required to practice the Yoga of Intention.

This is a practice that rests upon a foundation of the energy exercises developed by Paramahansa Yogananda, B.K.S. Iyengar’s therapeutic approach to yoga asanas, and a newly developing spiritual psychology. The binding energy of this practice is the meditation practices from the various teaching traditions of the Buddhas. To read about these influences, see the Foundation outline and the Source Material.

One of the significant lessons we learn growing up is how little of our lives we control. The effect of events, patterns, behaviors, and actions beyond our control influences and often directs our lives. We tend to believe we have the least control over pain associated with injuries, illness, and disease. For people suffering at the extreme of chronic pain with limited or no motor ability, this conclusion is an irrefutable experience of powerlessness. However meditation and yoga, primarily in the form of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), have been shown to reduce stress and pain levels and increase quality of life.

Intention
The Yoga of Intention distills the eight limbs of yoga and meditation into a practice focused on intention. The foundation of this practice is the understanding that our behaviors, actions, words, and thoughts are products of generic, fundamental phenomena. One of these phenomena, consciousness, is the principal element and process of experience and cognition. It is accompanied by a group of subtle phenomena broadly labeled mental factors which perform “specific tasks in the total act of cognition. (Bodhi, p. 77)” Intention, one of these mental factors, infuses purposefulness into the process of cognition. It is also an organizing agent for all other mental factors in the act of cognition that blends into thoughts, words, actions, and behaviors. When we consciously experience intention, we recognize this quality of purposefulness in the form of impulse, desire, or resolve.

In addition to being identified as a mental factor, intention is a concept or product of cognition, an ability, a quality, an aim, an impulse, a desire, a resolve, and an act. Taken together, these classifications represent different stages and dimensions along an intention continuum from the apparent, dense, and palpable to the subtle, profound, and transparently obvious. Intention, in all its forms, is implicated throughout the endless stream of deliberate and inadvertent mental activity, speech, and physical movement. The result, no matter how trivial, has consequences; sometimes noticeably in the world at large, often imperceptibly within the body-mind domain, and always in a succeeding moment. Whether the result is productive or unproductive, whether it is kind or harmful, whether it feels effortless or strained, the motivational antecedent is either skillful or unskillful intention. When intention is conscious, overt, and willful, this energy of purpose or force is called volition. As with all forms of intention, volition is an active precursor that directly influences thoughts, words, and actions.

Intention is observable and there are benefits in developing this subtle skill. First, by simply witnessing intention we deepen awareness and understanding of experience. Second, through close observation we sense choice points, spaces between thoughts and actions, cause and result; we find instants of time that allow for a flash of skillful reflection and deliberation before choosing between causal alternatives. Third, we develop the ability to intercede at these choice points, redirecting energy and releasing through pain oscillations; interrupting feedback cycles, perseveration, and habitual reactions; disrupting the automatic construction and maintenance of unnecessary discomfort.

Yoga of Intention
All forms of intention can be experienced, though dependant upon the quality of awareness and the sharpness of attention. The focus on intention distinguishes the Yoga of Intention from MBSR by adding an object upon which action is taken. Because the energy of intention is often exceptionally subtle, in the early stages of the Yoga of Intention practice volition is consciously generated to develop familiarity with qualities of intention shared with non-willful and more subtle intention. Gradually conscious effort is reduced in order to witness intention without conscious influence. We begin with the body’s compound muscular connections using awareness of body zones and large groups of muscles. As the practice continues, attention to volition sharpens the ability to direct attention within an expanding field of awareness. The body is then divided into smaller zones and attention is focused on smaller muscle groups, individual muscles, and eventually on specific pain points.

Related Reading:

Yoga philosophy: Lectures delivered in New York, winter of 1895-6

Life's Healing Choices: Freedom from Your Hurts, Hang-ups, and Habits

Sexuality Connecting Mind Body and Spirit

Vietnam: Journeys of Body, Mind, and Spirit

Tai Chi For Body, Mind & Spirit: A Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving Physical & Mental Balance

Reiki Healing & Training

Reiki is one of the most ancient healing methods known. Its origin is ancient Tibet (2500-year old Sanscrit writings refer to it) and was rediscovered in the nineteenth century by Dr. Mikao Usui, a Japanese monk. Reiki is a natural method of healing utilizing Universal Life Force Energy. The energy flows through the practitioner’s hands into the receiver’s body. A Reiki practitioner acts as a channel to this energy and directs it to the person or animal who desires healing, revitalization or clearing of negative energy.

When one’s energy or “ki,” “chi,” or “prana” is depleted or out of balance, illness and negativity have opportunity to enter the body, mind and/or spirit. Reiki revitalizes one’s own life force and balances energy within the body, mind, emotions and spirit. A balanced person is a healthy person.

Michelle is a Reiki Master Teacher certified to practice and teach all levels of Usui Reiki.

Appointments available for people and pets in the comfort of your home.

Level I Training
Sunday, December 8th at 11am – 5pm

Reiki Level I Training you will:

• Receive four attunements to open and enable your body to receive and transfer this Universal Life Force Energy to others for healing yourself, family, friends, pets, plantlife, food and water.
• Learn what Reiki is, the history of Reiki as well as its uses and benefits.
• Gain knowledge of Chakras and how they are linked to Reiki Healing.
• How to treat yourself and others with Reiki.
• Review the ethical responsibilities when using Reiki.
• How to stay “in-tune” with your attunement and Reiki healing power.
• Practice techniques and hand positions during a Reiki treatment or healing session.
• Be led through guided meditation to ready the body to receive attunements and Reiki energy.

Each student will receive a handbook and certificate at the end stating you are Reiki Level I Certified. Once attuned by a Reiki Master Teacher, you always have access to the Reiki Energy.

Pre-requisites for Reiki Training:

72 hours of cleansing your physical body to help receive the attunements and energy. This includes avoidance and removal of caffeine, alcohol, sugar (mainly sweets/white sugar) and meat (seafood and fish are acceptable, but it’s best to be completely flesh-free prior to attunement). Get a good night’s sleep 24-72 hours prior to attunement.

$175 includes all of the above, plus question and answers and full support as you enter into the world of Reiki Healing. This training is also the pre-requisite and beginning of preparation for Reiki Level II Training.

Space is limited, so please register early. A $50 non-refundable deposit is required.

Related Reading:

Yoga Philosophy: Lectures Delivered in New York, Winter of 1895-6 By the Swami Vivekananda on Raja Yoga

Yoga Pretzels (Yoga Cards)

Light on Yoga: Yoga Dipika

8 Minute Meditation: Quiet Your Mind. Change Your Life.

Teaching Yoga: Essential Foundations and Techniques