A Birthday Wish for Love

Happy Birthday to ME and all other Aquarians born on January 26th. Happy Indian Republic Day too! While I am grateful for the outpouring of love from all my family, friends and students....I enjoy to joke that the entire nation of India likes to Celebrate my birthday as well....even though India is celebrating it's Republic Day...In my heart, I can believe that the glorious parades, dances, and fireworks are for my birthday right! (Just a joke). The republic day of India celebrates the power of love. This day when India became a sovereign nation, celebrates the dream, and amazing triumph of love and peace from the example of Gandhi, who lead the nation to freedom and liberation with non-violence.

So while everyone makes a wish on their birthday.....I too make a wish. A wish for love. May this new chapter in my life bring me and everyone I come across incredible experiences of love and kindness. In my life, I have found that when I fill my heart with love, when I give love in my thoughts, words, and actions, love is returned to me in so many ways. This love is something I am grateful to have learned from the amazing example of my beloved parents. I wish that myself and everyone who is my friend, my student, and my family is inspired to always act, speak, live, and think with love.

This wonderful practice of Yoga is more than just a physical exercise, and as teachers and students, it is important for us to go deeper into the practice. Yoga is, and always will be mind-body-spirit. At least abiding by the first Principal of Ahimsa (non harming to all living things) people will experience the power and depth of this practice. This act of non-harming is not just being a vegetarian, it is found by abstaining from gossip, boasting, grudges, and negative thoughts towards others. Forgiveness and learning from sorrows creates triumph and love in this Universe, while dwelling on the pains of the ego, only breeds further negative energy, that will karmically transpire in all areas of our life. Thus, love is my wish! My wish for this new year of life, is a wish for love, for myself and everyone! While you may believe that your grudge is valid, while you may have been a victim, challenge yourself to find freedom from this negative energy, to lose your ego, to detach, to forgive, to learn and grow, to overcome with love and find peace, and then and only then, life will bring you love and peace in return. After all, yoga is supposed to make us flexible, not just in our bodies, but in our hearts and minds as well. Our life is a reflection of our thoughts and our heart. If you mind and heart is filled with love, you will receive love in return, and it will reflect in your relationships as well as your yoga practice, however, if your mind and heart is filled with negative thoughts, your life, your relationships and your yoga practice will be a reflection of this energy. A heart is like a lovely tree, when nurtured with love, it grows and bears wonderful fruit. Choose love.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Photo: Ambria in Tree pose taken by David Blottner

Falling with Joy

Sometimes in life we fall. In yoga we can fall out of poses. What makes us fall? Is it our lack of focus, is it lack of deep breathing? Is it just meant to be? What about saying....is it something we can learn and grow from? Too often in life we are faced with a storm, and never look for the sunshine after. The same attitude translates into our yoga practice, we are faced with a challenging pose, and we get so negative when we fall out, when we lose balance or when we don't do it as good as the next person. Let's begin by losing the ego, and living in the moment! Lets take the concept of detachment from our yoga practice into our life, if you fall, learn, grow and get back up again. Stop revisiting the fall, stop reliving the emotions behind the fall, and celebrate the courage it takes to get back up again. Let's take the concept of joyful learning from our yoga practice into our life. When we fall, rather than harp on it, instead, smile and be joyful, you survived Tree Pose, YEAAAAA!!! It is easy to create a laundry list of negative experiences, and thoughts, but that negativity even if directed towards someone who has hurt us, will transpire in other areas of our life. Do we need to carry such baggage? Shift your energy to a positive laundry list of positive experiences and thoughts, celebrating people who have challenged you and made you learn and grow, celebrating experiences that made you stronger, celebrating your faith in poses that taught you the importance of breathing. Throughout life and yoga, we all fall, the challenge is to fall with joy!
Photo: Ambria "falling" out of Astavakrasana "Eight Angle Pose", taken by Denise Rivera-Melendez

Karate meets Dance

Thursdays are Harmony by Karate are always a chance to grow and learn. I entered the dojo, still sore from overworking my back in a few advanced yoga classes, but excited to be there! All I hear is the glorious sounds of the Tibetan Singing Bowls. This sound is so beautiful! Before class, myself and Sensei Joseph give Sempai Fariha a lesson in Ohashiatsu Body work, and she learns how to work on my "bladder meridian"....ahhhhh relief! Thank you Sempai! Fast forward to the kids classes, and surprise Sempai Karen is awarded with a yellow belt black stripe (yeaaahhh we match!!!) both the classes end with Sensei John circling the students up to discuss the powerful "philosphy of the week", and when it's time to meditate the bowls are played. Beautiful.

Now it's time for the adults class, in walks Sensei Oscar. Sensei Oscar leads us through an amazing class that is inspired by the free movement of dance. Sensei taught us to keep our body free when throwing punches, when moving our hips, and work with our breath. With a gradual progression into sweaty fun, we lined up and worked on punches, pushes, and body movement that I would almost compare to a Vinyasa yoga class, only the Karate version. Whenever I see Sensei Oscar, Sensei Joseph, Sensei John, Sensei Adam, Sempai Farrihah, Sempai David, and Sensei Leonard move with such quick agility and ease, I am in awe, and truly admire and respect their obvious dedication to their practice. That being said, I don't have a poker face, so sometimes during the demonstration of the exercise, I have a mini look of fright (which I am working on) because I am unsure if I can recreate such mastery, actually, in the moment I am pretty sure I can't. That was the case tonight, Sensei Oscar demonstrated quick punches and movements, and I had that expression of "OH WOW". Sensei Joseph tends to catch my looks and it results in a moment of laughter for him and I.

When it was time to partner up for technique exchange, I was initially with Sensei Joseph, and while he sees my fear, he is such an amazing instructor that he helps me identify it, sees right through it, and coaches me to work around it. He is so amazing at watching a student and guiding them to shift out of their comfort zone. So when Sensei Joseph was coming at me with Bruce Lee style punches and kicks, (seriously he was really coming at me) and I reverted to an automatic "Oh My goodness, this guy is really coming at me!" reaction which tells my body to cower and run away in fear, he simply said, just breathe. The irony, that a yoga teacher is being told, "just breathe", I love it!!! Breathing being a verbal cue that I guide my students in throughout yoga class, was being instructed to me, and it could not have come at a more appropriate time. When we are faced with a situation that brings out fear, the best and first reaction should be, breathe, and then we can react with ease. Thank you Sensei Joseph, once again for sharing your amazing energy.

The class left us all drenched in bliss, and aware that we will feel the fruits of our labor the next day. The best part, Sensei Oscar had us finish class laying on the dojo floor in a similar fashion of "Savasana", and the singing bowls echoed us into a dreamless sleep.

Some people ask me, why as a yoga teacher do you want to learn Karate of all things? Well, I believe it can improve strength, focus and confidence, and I love to learn. Along with that, I can scare easily, if I watch a movie that is even slightly scary, don't be surprised if I scream and jump into your lap if you are next to me....so I am working on changing that habit. When we want to change anything in our lives, it requires action. Even just the small moments where I learn to just breathe through my fear during technique exchange, kick or punch at the given target, and even avoid choke holds are precious lessons that are bringing about the change I desire. Whenever I seek to learn, grow, and challenge my body, I seek out the best people to learn from or model after, then only do we have a proper benchmark. Thank you Harmony by Karate for providing the best platform for this amazing experience!
Photo: Ambria, Sensei Joseph, Sempai Karen, Sensei Oscar

The Power of a Mantra

Recently, the amazing owner of Bamboomoves, Michael Baez, delighted students with an Gayatri Mantra and Moola Mantra. The event was spectacular. I had to rush off to teach evening sessions on Wall St., but students who remained began putting together dream boards, with pictures, quotes, and anything that can help set a visual goal for the year. Thank you Michael for making an awesome event.

empowering workshop. The studio was full with new and regular faces of people eager to set goals and intentions for the new year. Michael is our mini Tony Robbins, and ironically he is at Date With Destiny right now. Michael got the energy so high, people were sharing their intentions, winning prizes, dancing, stretching, breathing, laughing, massaging each other and much more! It really was awesome. Towards the end of the workshop, Michael, Denise and Michael's friend gave students the "oneness" blessing. During the blessing, myself and another student played a few awesome chants like the

The Gayatri Mantra is one of the most beautiful and powerful Mantras to meditate on. It is based on the Vedic Sanskrit verse from a hymn from the Rigveda :

GAYATRI MANTRA
Om, bhur bhuvaha svaha, Tat savitur varenyam, Bhargo devasya dhimahi, Dhiyo yonah prachodayat.

Basic Translation: Praise to the source of all things. It is due to you that we attain true happiness on the planes of earth, astral, casual. It is due to your transcendent nature that you are worth of being worhipped and adored. Ignite us with you all pervading light.

The ancient practice of mantra is powerful. Maybe you might not want to recite a Vedic mantra, or a Biblical psalm, but what is your personal mantra? Do you have a mantra of abundance, good fortune, good health, better relationships etc? or do you have a constant mantra or inner dialogue that promotes fear, lack of focus or misfortune? Spend some time listening to the way you talk to yourself. Our words are powerful, and evoke change in the mind and body. Set a positive mantra for this new year and keep it in your heart. Write the mantra, recite the mantra and live the mantra. It may be I am strong, I am brave, I am the voice, I defy the odds, I am a force for good...just reading that felt good right? Well keep on going with positive mantras and watch how the energy shifts in your entire being! ~Om Shanti

Photo: Ambria jamming with students at the Teacher Training Retreat

Embracing the Bliss of Silence

So while the feedback was wonderful from our recent silent yoga class at Bamboomoves, I just want to say that having music in class is also beautiful. We must remember that we are ultimately vibration, and the silence is actually, the vibrational energetic sounds of the Universe that exist within us. Silence is a tough concept for many people, but when you have witnessed the breathtaking view of a mountain top, when you have closed your eyes in prayer/meditation only to find a deep sense of peace, when you have drenched yourself in the seconds after an incredible jazz solo, when you have escaped in a dreamless sleep during savasana, or even when you have celebrated the only sound to be that of a lovers breath, you will understand the beauty and power of silence. Silence is the best opportunity to listen, to grow, and to focus. Embrace the bliss of silence!

Mouna Yoga - Embracing the Silence

"Awesome, intense, amazing, wow, loved it, we should do it more often, incredible, I enjoy chatting before and after class so it was hard, I like to talk so I just talked to myself in my mind"......just some of the reactions to Monday nights Mouna/Vipassana inspired AWESOME "silent" yoga class. It really was an outstanding experience. Students entered the studio refraining from speaking to anyone. They rolled out their mats and quietly read a handout that I prepared for them, and sat in silent meditation. With the lights dim, and tea light candles illuminating the room, I briefly explained to them how the class would progress and guided their meditation. As the class progressed the yoga poses were held longer, collective consciousness was created by unison in movement, students were receptive and present.

People fail to realize that talking to others in class, talking to the teacher, talking to themselves, even the dialogue in the mind, are the blocks from the ultimate goal of the yoga practice of silencing the monkey mind. Also, it lacks respect to other students who may be there for a spiritual experience, and it can be disrespectful to the teacher. The darting curious eyes, the frustrated reactions from coming out of poses, the verbal and facial reactions, the egos rush to advanced poses without letting the pranayam initiate (without letting the breath initiate the movement), are our vritti's or agitations, that we need to dissolve.

Below is some of the information on the handout I prepared for students to read prior to class.

Welcome to a Vipassana inspired, Mouna Yoga practice. Vipassana is the practice of mindfulness in meditation, Mouna is silence, and both are done by quieting the mind and observing the breath. Vipassana developed from a Buddhist tradition and Yoga with roots in Hinduism, both arose out of the same spiritual culture of ancient India and share a common goal: freedom from suffering. Silence requires listening, so listen to the portion of God within your heart.

1. Set your intention of compassion (Karuna).
2. Have an open heart free of judgments of yourself, others, and your practice.
3. Listen to your breath and observe your body always.
4. If you need to glance at the instructor, do so, and then come back to your own silent meditative practice.
5. Poses are to be held along with the instructor, so ease the body into the pose with the breath, and remain. If you know your body is tight, refrain from pushing. Be present and receptive.
6. Advanced variations are ONLY to be taken when demonstrated by the instructor, this is not a competition, and it is an opportunity for self-reflection, transformation, and healing through introspection. Embrace staying in stillness.
7. Changes through asana will be done with minimal verbal instruction and the “Chh” sound to inspire a pure universal mind (chitta).
8. Let your breath get longer as you get deeper in the poses, keep your shoulders relaxed throughout the practice.
9. The only sound is the Ujjayi breath, done through the nose, with mouth closed and tightening of the throat.
10. Let all reactions be silent with full intent to listen, until reactions cease.

Yoga Sutra 1. 2 yoga citta-vrtti-nirodah Yoga occurs when the machinations, vacillations, perturbations, whirling, spinning, and agitations (vrtti) of the mind-field (citta) dissolve, cease, and become still (nirodha)

Yoga sutra 9, shabda-jnanaupati vastu-shunyo vikalpah (true wisdom where the ordinary monkey mind stops its spinning is when the words and concepts cease).

“Water, if you don‘t stir it, will become clear; the mind, left unaltered, will find it own natural peace.” ~ Sogyal Rinpoché

While this was an amazing experience, I personally enjoy playing music in class, I enjoy cuing allignment and making physical adjustments, I also love the dialogue with students before and after yoga class, as it creates a beautiful sense of community. Sometimes even an instructor can work on talking less, so students can experience the healing in the silent moments of class. If you are looking for a different way to create/teach a yoga class, or practice, challenge your monkey mind and practice in silence. ~ Om Shanti

Quote of the Week

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." Martin Luther King, Jr.