Yoga with Yoshio

One of my favorite teachers to practice yoga with is Yoshio. From my very first class with Yoshio I was amazed at his mastery of the Yoga practice and his humble generous spirit. He leads a challenging class with nurturing adjustments that facilitate the deepest experience for your mind-body and spirit. He is a Dharma Yogi, and an amazing human being. Last year, I was sadly unable to take classes with Yoshio, as his classes were scheduled at times when I was teaching my own classes. Sometimes, I would see Yoshio and his beautiful wife, when I had the opportunity to take Master Class at Dharma Mittra's studio, and myself and many other yoga enthusiasts would be in awe of Yoshios practice. Just when you think you have done an advanced variation of a pose, Yoshio will show you a deeper variation, WITH EASE. Key words in that statement, is WITH EASE, unlike many people who push and pull into poses, Yoshio shows people how prana connection is done right. Floating from crow to handstand, to crow to handstand, to headstand to anything really, he does it all! If you want to witness a teacher who flows through poses, with grace, strength, brilliance, humility, excellence, and reverence for the Supreme force of love in the Universe, you want to take class with Yoshio. This same brilliance that Yoshio has in his own personal practice is always present in his yoga classes. This friday, I took the opportunity to take Yoshio's class alongside my students at Bamboomoves. Yoshio led us through a brilliant dynamic Yoga class with an energy that only a Dharma Yogi can bring, an energy challenges your body and inspires reverance for God. While in class, my body was incredibly sore from taking a few too many classes this week, along with my own practice and teaching, Yoshio still adjusted me deeper into poses and abolished any sense of fear, or awareness of soreness that I entered the class with. I felt so much amazing towards the end of class. This is the kind of trust that an excellent yoga teacher creates with their student. I am so grateful to take class with a teacher like Yoshio, he is an inspiration for all yoga instructors and students in so many ways. If you have a question regarding your practice, Yoshio's response is guaranteed to be compassionate and wise. While I always write about my experiences on my journey, and have highlighted some of my favorite teachers in past articles about Dharma Mittra, and Isaac Pena, Yoshio is also one of my favorite teachers, and I recommend everyone to take at least one class with this brilliant Yoga Master. As a yoga instructor it is important to maintain the heart of a student, and when you find a teacher that creates an amazing class experience you always want to have your mat rolled out in their class, Yoshio is that amazing teacher! He teaches two evening classes every Friday at Bamboomoves,BX. Thank you Yoshio for always providing an amazing Yoga experience!

Intro To Flight with Dice and Briohny

Later Sunday evening I was invited to the 2 hour Intro to Flight Workshop held at Bamboomoves Englewood with Michael's (Co Owner of Bamboomoves Bx) Yoga Instructors who are based out in LA. Dice and Briohny flew in from LA, to conduct Yoga Flight Workshops, teach classes, and experience the NY yoga scene for the week! While I have had a history of hang ups when it comes to Inversions, due to past injuries (Car accident, wrist injury, etc), which had translated into fear of having a reoccurring injury, I have spent much of the summer at Sankalpah with Issac who kind of nurtures you into Inversions, class with Andrew at Bamboomoves who has the "just go up" method down packed, and classes at Dharma where you are surrounded by such amazing energy, you never look back, thus I was semi prepared. Dice and Briohny are an amazing couple who took us through almost every arm balance and inversion you could think of. It was phenomenal! The 2 hour workshop goes by very fast with so much information, and flight to experience. To have these two teachers lead us into Flight, with a warm up flow, demonstrations, and each pose ushering in a new one, was so wonderful! The grace and ease they display of floating up into handstand and various other arm balances, is very inspiring. The best part is, they have brilliant allignment cues. If you are afraid to go upside down, stand on your hands or just afraid in general, this is the yoga class you want to take, they are fantastic! If you are wanting to experience these fabulous instructors come tonight Monday August 23rd to Bamboomoves, BX where they will be teaching the 7:45pm class, or on Thursday August 26 at Bamboomoves BX where they will do another Intro to Flight Workshop that evening.

Picture 1: (l-r) Charles (Bamboomoves Forrest Hills Instructor), Briohny and Dice, Ambria, and Michael (CoOwner of Bamboomoves BX)

Picture 2: The Englewood NJ Bamboomoves family with Charles, Briohny and Dice and Ambria.

Happy Yoga Monday

Good morning Monday. Off I go for the early 7am yoga with Isaac at Sankalpah. My body was a little tired due to a weekend of 4 yoga sessions I teach on saturday (one of which is referred to as "torture") and 3 on Sunday. Nonetheless, I was grateful to be there. Drenched in bliss yet again. Stripped of my ego, as my legs and arms were shaking throughout the class. Then off to Shiatsu practice class, and then teach a few yoga sessions. Fast forward to the later part of the gloriously hot summer day and I am at Bamboomoves. Finish teaching the kids yoga class, and watch Milta (the first yogi of the month) in her sparring class upstairs at the Karate school. When bzzzzzz (the vibration of my cell phone) Andrew is stuck on the train at Park Slope and would like me to lead the start of the 7:45pm yoga class. Sure I said. I head downstairs, lay out my mat, jokingly introduce myself as Andrew Tanner to a class of all familiar faces who laugh at every one of my silly jokes (thanks guys for being a captive audience to my budding comedic talents) and let them know he is on his way. Some of the students thought I was teaching, as I have subbed a lot for Andrew in the past. As I was starting the meditation, in walks Andrew (my yoga brother from another mother) and I casually move to lay my yoga mat on the side between Jody and Denise. Early on when I met Andrew, he told me my only flaw as a yoga instructor is my Headstand practice lacks strength. I LOVE IT, because I agreed and I am working on it. Andrew is a brilliant yoga instructor. He is a Dharma Mittra disciple, and gives a wonderful yoga class. He led us through a terrific yoga class while my gentle cloud music on my iPod played in the background. My arms were kinda sore but he had me up in forearm stand up the wall and various other poses. Did I mentioned that I was sitting next to Jody? Well Jody makes me laugh, a lot! I love to laugh, so choosing to lay my mat next to Jody, who already makes me laugh, and I am already pretty giggly, well, let's just say it was a giggly class. Before Andrew requested us to get into plow pose, we were both giggling because we had gurgling tummies. Luckily, Andrew gave a variation. I am a big fan of Andrew Tanner, he gives a complete classic yoga class (asana, meditation, pranayama and more). It echos of Dharma style with Andrew's own genuine witty one liners. The best is how he leads the class through a good sweat, and proceeds to say "now that we are through with the warm up" which is always well received by sweaty confused lifted eyebrows. He introduced us to "bouncey ball asana" his own creation to open the sacral area, it was pretty fun! Andrew was the original founder of the quickly growing Bamboomoves chain, and teaches at various Bamboomoves locations, as well as Dharma Mittra studio on occasion. Andrew is another NYC yoga teacher that I respect and revisit. He gives wonderful cues, helpful assists, demonstrates awe inspiring variations, usually ends class with pranayama work, and cracks the occasional funny joke. You leave Andrew's class knowing that you did your mind & body good. Since I have been part of the Bamboomoves family, Andrew has been very encouraging, and helpful on my yoga journey. He knew I was reluctant to take the Dharma master class, and he invited me. Taking the Dharma Master class beside him was great, because I probably would have found an excuse to avoid it without the comfort of knowing a familiar face was beside me. Andrew has given me the chance to do a lovely Yoga photo shoot with his talented photographer buddy, getting me to volunteer at the Yoga in Central Park to adjust participants and much more. The giving nature that Andrew brings to fellow yoga instructors and students makes him a phenomenal yoga instructor. Thanks again Andrew for yet another lovely class.

Sankalpah Staycation

Amidst a challenging week, with teaching many yoga sessions, extreme heat/humidity, a dear friend grieving the loss of her fiance, another dear friend being M.I.A for over a week, and various other realities of life that make it challenging to smile, I decided get back to the yoga mat. Every so often, I choose to take class and immerse myself as a student fully, but only once in a while does a teacher provide me with a yoga experience that I want to revisit. As I had posted before, I ventured to Sankalpah and had class with the wonderful, Isaac Pena. Rather than a vacation, I had a "staycation", and took yoga with Isaac almost every morning at 7 am for one week (I had got the one week pass). I must say, it has been a highlight to my summer. Isaac gives a brilliant creative yoga class that introduces challenging asanas in a stealth manner. I loved every minute of each class. One day, I took class twice. If my schedule had allowed, I most likely would have taken classes twice each day. One thing that I loved, was that my breath was flowing exactly with the timing of the Vinyasa pace. Isaac provides the most nurturing adjustments/assists of any yoga instructor I have taken with, he guides you through a progressive sequence that leaves you literally drenched in bliss. The energy in the room is fantastic, and the music play list is great too! While my inversion practice is not the strongest due to various injuries that have left a crutch in my mind, Isaac helped me to get upside down and on my hands, but most importantly, I was not afraid in the process. Thursday was the last day of my week pass, and I was a bit tired from the previous nights yoga-laties class that I taught at Bamboomoves, but was so thankful to be in class at Sankalpah nonetheless. Just like every other day, Isaac gave the most nurturing assists. I knew from the first day, I had found an excellent teacher to practice with because I had my eyes closed for most of class. If you are a yoga instructor, you should take a class at Sankalpah with Isaac. In the past, I have mentioned that Dharma Mittra as the one Yoga Instructor to take class with, and I still maintain the same. Dharma provides a yoga experience that is almost out of body. Isaac provides a yoga experience that leaves you wanting more. While I know that the yoga experience is not about the teacher, and more about you becoming one with your breath, from my experience Isaac is a brilliant teacher who facilitates that experience. Both Dharma Mittra and Isaac Penna are instructors that I have visited repeatedly, and that says a lot, because I know I am safe in their class. Even with my own personal practice, I understand the need to be a student so that we challenge our mind and body fully. The vibration at Sankalpah is lovely. Thank you again Isaac for making such a joyful week! Hope to practice at Sankalpah again!

Pictured: Myself & Isaac Penna in front of the Sutra Wall at Sankalpah (I'm drenched!)

Bliss at Sankalpah with Isaac

With some recent energy in my life challenging my joy, I knew it was time for me to take the role of student in a yoga class. Years ago, a bellydance instructor of mine (Kelly) told me about a studio named Sankalpah and an instructor named Isaac (who she would only practice yoga with). She raved about the studio. I had it in the back of my mind to go to class. Over time, many people made the same suggestions to me. Finally, I ventured to Sankalpah to practice yoga with Isaac. I was tired going into class. I arrived early and met Isaac's mom who showed me around and made me feel right at home. Venture off to the park to meet a friend and return for class. I walk in to see a familiar friendly trainer I knew from working at Reebok Sports Club, and Isaac's friendly face. Isaac was randomly doing some one arm handstands in the foyer. I changed out of my dress, and lay my mat in the back of the class. Isaac asks the early bird students including myself what we would like to work on, and I respond "anything easy", the girl beside me said "savasana" and Isaac smiled and promised to go "easy on us". Despite the fact that I was there to take class on an unexpected emotionally taxing day, I centered myself with my breath and flowed with Isaac. Isaac guided us through possibly one of the most brilliant yoga classes I have ever participated in. I was drenched! I was in a complete state of bliss! Unfortunately, I forgot to bring a sports bra and the neck of my soaked t-shirt was starting to get bigger and bigger, but even that didn't matter. Towards the end of class, Isaac gave us the option of inversions. He asked me if I do Handstand, and because of my wrist, I told him it is a pose I avoid. While I have done it with one toe on the wall, and The Lord's Prayer echoing in my heart, today I did it with Isaac's help. Isaac held my hands, helped me up, looked me in the eyes, and said "anyone who is a new student in my class, gets to do handstand....Oh Joy. I stood up, listened to his cues, placed my hands on the floor, and floated up, while he kindly held my legs. While upside down, I felt no tension in my wrist, and Isaac told the girl beside me to get into handstand, because only then, can I come out of it. This made me giggle and then pause because while I was still on my hands, she didn't seem to be budging. She was off the hook, and so was I as Isaac asked me to float down. Isaac led us through a marvelous creative class, with nurturing assists and challenging yet purposeful progression. I am looking forward to more classes at Sankalpah. Thank you Isaac for a marvelous healing experience. While I have a lovely picture of Isaac and myself (freshly sweaty) standing in the yoga studio, with the Sutra painted wall behind us, once my card reader works, I will upload it. My new favorite place to take class is with Isaac Penna of Sankalpah. Thank you again Isaac for such a wonderful experience! See you again soon!