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Announcements:
Article: Thoughts
on Karma Yoga
LIVE SITAR in class by Chuck White this Saturday May 3rd, at PCC!
4:30-6PM Mixed Levels Vinyasa. Come early to reserve your spot!
Registration
Deadline Approaching on the Yoga Retreat in Greece
Registration ends on June 1st so contact
us if you have been curious about this unique Yoga
journey, which combines ancient Greek history, excursions
to archaeological sites and museums, and daily Yoga intensives.
The Yoga Journey to Greece two-week session will be held
in Santorini and Crete from June 16-30; a one-week session
is held in Crete from June 21-28.
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New
slideshows from last years' retreats
to Greece
and India
by Tom May
The
Gunas and Koshas: Observing Nature at Work in the Practice
This article was recently published
in a journal by
ICFAI University of
Mumbai, India and is my first published work
Friday Class 5:30-7PM -Yoga
for the Chakras :
a continuing series at the Vets Hall/One Yoga
Yoga from the Inside-Out: a 6-week exploration of the Chakras
and principles of the subtle body. Learn the mantras and yantras
(meditational images) of the chakras, as well as their physical
and emotional healing correspondences. We will also look at specific
pranayamas and bandhas for each energy center.
Drop-ins welcome or attend the whole series.
April 25th-The
Pelvic floor. Root Chakra: Muladhara
May 2 (Beltane!)- The Hips and Sacral region. 2nd Chakra: Svadisthana
** May 9 I'll be out of town, class will
not be held**
May 16- Navel center. 3rd Chakra: Manipura
May 23th- Heart center. 4th Chakra: Anahata
May 30th- Throat center. 5th Chakra: Visuddha
May 30th- Brow and Crown center. 6th and 7th Chakras: Ajna and
Sahasrara
Yoga Journeys in 2008 to Greece, India and Mexico:
Sacred opportunities to explore the inner landscape, meet precious
teachers
and delight in the vastness of our beautiful planet
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Recognizing
Nature at Work:
the gunas and the koshas at play on and off the mat
The
world as we experience it according to the Samkhya Yoga philosophy
is colored by three animating qualities or gunas. The gunas
are the means through which the creative power of consciousness,
Purusa, expresses itself as Prakriti, the creative power of nature,
in order to see itself and experience the delightful drama of Beingness
in form.
The gunas stir up, sustain, and transform this tangible Creation-
yet they are innately sprung of the One, indivisible, omniscient
truth which possesses everything necessary to create that which
is, was, and is going to be. So there is a place beyond the gunas
that we are attempting to contact within ourselves in our practice,
an experience of freedom from the reinforcement of this notion of
a separate self. The sense of separation functions to call us back
to remembering the sophisticated and highly specialized expression
of Oneness (or Love) as the play of diversity in all of it's terrible
Beauty, expressing itself through the gunas' influence.
Through the practices of Raja Yoga, and particularly through the
physical techniques of Pranayama and Asana, we can explore the roots
of the different experiences and sensations the three gunas negotiate.
The dynamic tension between these basic forces is responsible for
all of the creative delights and genius of this world and for the
very journey of life with its many opportunities to meet love through-the-mirror.
(more...) |
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"Be
the change you want to see in the world."
-Mohandas K. Gandhi
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At
the heart of the unitive practices of Yoga and many earth-based
religious traditions is the concept of interdependence and oneness
of all life. From that knowledge arises the desire to serve others.
The desire to help in some way can arise for us, but given the
complexity of the situations we face, and the disappointing lack
of efficacy among the better known non-profit organizations and
government agencies mired in their huge quagmires of bureaucracy,
we sometimes let our aspiration fall flat, and that precious thought
fades away to a resigned sense of helplessness.
"Our actions are but a drop in the great ocean, but if we
don't take action, the ocean has that one less drop"- Mother
Teresa of Calcutta
If you have been feeling saddened or enraged about the global
situation lately, act on it! We are currently at a powerful crossroads
of a transition in leadership and economic change, and whatever
one gives with a good thought towards others has even greater
propensity at this challenging time to free us from fear and self-clinging.
The person who gives has much more beyond even the satisfaction
of knowing they have done something more than to standby or merely
complain.There is a saying in India, "Anna datta sukhi bhava"-
the one who feeds others is made happy. In this spirit, there
is no gesture too small to nourish this Creation with a little
infusion of goodness. Tiny
acts of kindness are even sweeter, because all karma Yoga really
takes place on the awareness level ultimately- at the secret,
innermost level of motivation to serve from Love. In February
I was at a gathering with Baba Hari Dass where an elderly student
asked what she could do to practice karma yoga since her ability
to be physically active is somewhat limited. I thought this advice
he gave was particularly potent for all people in this time we
live in who have beautiful aspirations but busy schedules as well.
He mentioned three things:
1) Have good thoughts towards others-
the people we encounter physically and in our mind
2) Don't compete with anyone-
to refrain from measuring your self worth favorably or
unfavorably against any other person
3) Accept the food you are given with graciousness-
all food is "given" to us through the medium of someone's
effort, first and foremost that of our respectable mother Earth.
Consider the time that food takes to grow and to offer itself
to us and eat slowly. Regard the amount of the food and the quality
of the food you have as the perfect sustenance to provide you
with the energy and inspiration to be capable of being awake,
open and alive and empowered in your Soul to fulfill your dharma
(duty) in the world.
Yoga
Sutra 1.20 ~ Sraddha virya smrti samdhiprajna purvakah itaresam
"Trust, confidence, energy, memory, and the awareness of
real knowledge acquired through intense contemplation grow through
practice."
The precious, transformative intentions given above create the
potential for all kinds of good things to arise- but our habits
of mind and emotion may make it difficult to retain these feelings
in varying circumstances of life. With a little effort, our complacency
to the negative attitudes will be broken.
At the same time, we can do something to
accelerate the actualization of what needs to be on the material
plane with a collective effort to help those who can't help themselves.
We are a country of such material wealth, even in these current
times of recession, that it is impossible to ignore our ability
to give something towards supporting and protecting what we value,
if we do indeed value its' existence.
A
very old practice alive in many of the world's spiritual traditions
is tithing for those who need resources..some say to give 10%
of whatever one earns back to charity. 10% might be time spent
volunteering for a good cause just as well! Sometimes we might
get caught in a loop of overwhelm with personal responsibilities
that prohibits us from taking the time to get involved. Taking
action to help a cause can be simply a matter of going online
to donate to an organization with a proven record of service to
its' cause. Everyone has their part to play!
In some kind of "politics and religion don't get discussed
at the dinner table" way, I used to feel that it was slightly
audacious of me to encourage others to donate to charitable causes,
but after many years of working at non-profits and teaching Yoga
I have seen that there are many there are lots of people out there
who want to do something good with their resources and simply
don't know what agencies they can trust to make good on their
word to help. There are also greater numbers of people than many
of us realize actively doing volunteer work, and becoming a part
of a group of people doing something for social change and justice
can be tremendously emotionally uplifting and eye-opening to see
how much people can accomplish together when organized for a cause.
One of my friends who is 93 and a volunteer for the Second Harvest
Food bank admonished me not
to be overwhelmed by helplessness in the face of the apparent
lack of priorities reflected by levels of corruption and delusion
in leadership standing in the way of the common good of the people,
because there are lots of people actively doing good work in the
world that we don't hear about enough. But it seems like once
you get involved, you meet more and more inspiring people who
strengthen your faith that although the world is falling apart,
it is also being held together by a golden thread whose fibers
are woven of countless acts made by individuals, and this is what
makes life meaningful. Action is prayer at its' highest level.
When people pull together through selfless action, Divine Grace
is able to flow to whatever is needed.
I have been particularly moved by a couple of issues addressing
the conscience of humanity, and want also to share these quick
links to ways you can help to take action and also be confident
that whatever you feel moved to contribute will be used to the
fullest extent towards effective solutions for these issues affecting
our Relations!
Help to combat the food crisis in Haiti, which has degenerated
to people literally making food out of the dirt to survive. Rising
grain and rice prices abound worldwide and Haiti is among the
hardest hit by it. Learn about and donate to the World Food Programme,
a U.N. affiliate program with an active track record of bringing
food to hungry people across the globe.
Precious
wolves are being exterminated by hunters after the recent
Bush Administration de-listing of the wolf as endangered species.
While I was in India by the river
Ganga last September, 9000 miles away and isolated from American
media- I had a disturbing dream about this happening true to the
very details that are unfortunately happening today.
38 wolves have been killed since March 28th and there is too much
ferocity towards them from ranchers and hunters to know what the
actual damage will be if this is allowed to continue. How can
we spend decades rehabilitating wolves to their natural habitat
and then call an open hunting season on them? Join the fight with
NRDC (National Resources Defense Council). They are an awesome,
dedicated and diverse team and provide positive details on their
website and newsletters of their many successes on behalf of the
environment as well as the devastating images of the struggles
being faced. NRDC has had many legal victories on behalf of the
environment which have shaped policy through often years-long
battles in court.
F.O.T.S.I.
(Friends of Tibetan Settlements in India) I became familiar
with this organization after my friend Seth contributed to them
on behalf of my partner Tom. I was amazed at how much good FOTSI
does with impeccable management and 100% volunteer work on behalf
of Tibetan refugees in India. With the frightening situation going
on for those living in the Tibetan Autonomous Region, the courageous
Olympic Games protests around the world and the potential shifts
in dialogue between the Chinese and other governments concerning
Tibetan cultural preservation,human and economic rights, I think
one of the best things we can do for now is to support the Tibetan
people's ability to retain their culture wherever it has traveled
to in light of the Chinese occupation, so that future generations
will still have the language and traditions which have been repressed
in the Tibetan people's native land.
E-mail me if you are
involved with any other effective service organizations that can
be featured in this newsletter each month.
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Schedule
of Public Classes
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***MONDAYS***
5:45-7PM Bare Yoga
Mixed Levels Vinyasa
***FRIDAYS***
5:30-7PM One Yoga
Level 2/3 Vinyasa- Chakra series
***SATURDAYS***
4:30-6PM
Mixed Levels Vinyasa
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Class
Locations
Bare Yoga Los Gatos (Mondays)
227C North Santa Cruz Ave.
bare-yoga.com
One
Yoga Center (Fridays)
846 Front Street, Santa Cruz
oneyoga.org
Pacific
Cultural Center (Saturdays)
1307 Seabright Avenue
pacificcultural.org
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~Come for one week to Crete only, June 21-28th
or two full weeks in Crete and Santorini, June 16-30th... (details)
Join us on a journey that will nourish your Spirit through twice-daily
practices of pranayama, asana, and meditation, in sight of the
lapis blue Aegean and Libyan seas bordering Crete, and the stunning
cliffs of Santorini. This Yoga retreat includes seminars on Minoan
culture and guided tours during several excursions for those coming
on the two-weeks session. In Crete we will visit the Minoan Palace
of Knossos, which was a center of trade between ancient peoples
of the Mediterranean, as well as the epicenter of Minoan religious
activity, culture and government; and the incredible National
Archaelogical Museum of Crete. In Santorini will visit Nea Kameni
volcano by boat and the adjacent ocean hotsprings and see the
Minoan settlement of Akrotiri and Akrotiri Museum.
We arrive in Heraklion, a historic Minoan port and the capital
city of Crete, on June 9 and shuttle to Triopetra Yoga Center
for a weeklong immersion in the practices of Ashtanga (8 Limb)
Yoga on the Libyan Sea. Located in the south of Crete, Triopetra
has an oceanfront Yoga room with open glass wall to the sea, and
views of the sea from the balconies on all of the rooms. Enjoy
2 daily classes, optional morning and evening meditation, special
classes on philosophy and deepen your application of the eight
limbs of the Yoga practice in daily life. Swim, go scuba diving
or snorkelling in the incomparable, warm Mediterranean waters,
enjoy organic vegetarian Greek cuisine at the tavernas... Through
informal beach seminars and walks you will learn about Minoan
civilization and their influence on art, culture, and economics
of the Mediterranean of 3500 years ago.
During the second week, we continue on to spend 2 days sightseeing
in Heraklion with a full practice session each morning, visiting
the Palace of Knossos and Archaeological Museum in the afternoons.
Then, we depart by ferry for the island of Santorini, where we
will stay for 4 nights and days on the cliffs of the crescent
island that was once called "Callisto" ("the Beautiful")
before it's current incarnation as a crescent took form after
the eruption of it's still-active volcano at the center of the
island, Nea Kameni. We will visit the volcano on a boat trip and
dabble in the ocean hotsprings bordering the volcano's rim. We
will also visit the ruins of Akrotiri, a Minoan settlement on
the southern tip of the island, and the small but impressive archaeological
museum which has cult statues, pottery and beautiful reconstructions
of frescoes from the site. We return to Heraklion overnight and
have a closing circle before our departure on the 30th.
View photos of accomodations for this retreat at:
Triopetra Yoga
Retreat I The
Boathouse, Santorini |
| Yoga
Pilgrimage:
rishikesh,
haridwar, agra
Yoga
retreat intensive
and tours of Northern India
October 4-19, 2008
Slideshow of a prior Journey to
India
Registration opens on Nov.1 for 2008 trip |
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A week of our retreat will be held at Parmarth Niketan Ashram,
located on the banks of the sacred Ganga river in Rishikesh, Uttaranchal--in
the foothills of the Himalayas. At this time of year the weather
is at its' best, with warm days and breezy nights. Explore Yoga
at its' source by the Ganga with morning sadhana and instruction
in pranayama and meditation, 2 daily asana classes, Yoga Philosophy,
and Yoga Nidra, led by Phoenix and Mataji (Sadhvi Abha Sarasvati).
Every night there is Kirtan (devotional singing) and Aarti (offering
of Light) at the Ganga at Parmarth's beautiful ghat (pier). We
will visit several temples and a cave sacred to the sage Vasistha.
In Rishikesh you will also receive a 2 1/2 hour Ayurvedic massage
treatment and shirodhara, to be scheduled at your convenience...
Two days and nights will be spent in Haridwar, an ancient city
sacred to Lord Shiva. This very special gathering places of saints
and teachers over time is also a tirtha, or holy place, where
the massive spiritual gathering of Kumbh Mela meets every 12 years.
In Haridwar there is an optional excursion to a Shiva temple,
evening Aarti at the Ganga and a day trip to visit one of India's
wildife preserves. We will stay at a renovated Maharaja's mansion
on the banks of the Ganga and have our classes on their rooftop
balcony.
On the last portion of our journey there will be a daylong trip
from Delhi to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, an architectural wonder
and monument built in tribute to Love. We will also see the old
historical quarters of Delhi and shop in the bazaars on the way
back.
Your Guides on the Journey
Detailed
brochure
Fees,
Itinerary and daily schedule
Registration
and Waiver
Traveller's
info for India
View photos of our accomodations for
this retreat at:
La
Sagrita, Delhi
| Parmarth
Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh
Haveli
Hari Ganga, Haridwar
Maya
Hotel, Agra | Hotel
Sri Nanak, Delhi |
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Yoga
& Nahuatl (ancestral) traditions of ancient Mexico
Vinyasa
and Iyengar-inspired Yoga, excursions to Mayan ruins,
wisdom traditions, teaching and ceremony from Pre-Columbian Mexico
with Phoenix Artemisia and Mazatzin Acostas
Join
us in Mexico for a week of diverse Yoga practices, pristine beaches,
exploring nearby Mayan ruins, and learning about indigenous traditions
of ancient Mexico from traditional teachers.
Maya Tulum is on the Yucatan Peninsula and is close to
Cancun. The retreat center is famed for it’s peerless location
on white sand beaches, gourmet organic vegetarian and seafood
dishes, and also for it’s spacious and inspiring Yogashala
and beautiful, traditional Palapa-style accomodations. Maya Tulum
is in the vicinity of the Mayan citadels of Muyil and Coba, which
we will visit on two excursions (optional to mountain bike at
Coba.)
Your
Guides on the Journey... |
Phoenix
Artemisia, B.A., RYT 500
Mazatzin Acostas, Ceremonialist and Tonalpouki (Calendar Keeper)
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Phoenix
Artemisia, RYT 500 has been leading inspired Yoga retreats
internationally for several years and draws from her fortunate
studies with Indian and western Yoga teachers and indigenous
healers in her understanding and transmission of Yoga and
mind-body-spiritual integration.
She leads creative Vinyasa and Iyengar-influenced Yoga classes
that include energy practices such as pranayama, mudra and
chanting. Her classes are rooted in techniques for conscious
embodiment, mindfulness, and a peaceful, open heart~ reflected
in the timeless Yoga philosophy.
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Mazatzin
Guadalupe Acostas is a special guest teacher coming to be
with us as a guide who will bless our gathering with facilitated
group ceremony and daily teachings on ancient indigenous
Mexican Indian culture. Mazatzin
has been called to travel all over the world and has studied,
participated in, and facilitated ceremony with Native elders
from the U.S., Mexico, Central and South America. He is
a respected ritualist, teacher, astronomer, linguist, and
public speaker whose life work is based on the Aztec Calendar
of the Fifth Sun. During mid-morning, we gather in circle
to understand these potent teachings based on Aztec astrology
and indigenous traditions from the Calendar, which is based
on a cycle of time governed by the elements, and their seasonal
and social influence on human psychology and relationships.
Mazatzin
is called by the title "Tonalpouki", one who keeps
count of the symbols of the days of the Sun on the Aztek
Calendar. Mazatzin
teaches the personal, social and spiritual truths revealed
by the Calendar and how to use it on a daily basis for your
personal benefit, self-understanding and evolution.
He invites you to a "Re-Encounter
with your Cosmic Identity". The teachings of the Calendar
are an accumulation of thousands of years of observation
and study so that people of all backgrounds may be able
to live a just and HAPPY life, with a strong heart and their
own identity signature, given as your Nahuatl name according
to your birth astrology. Mazatzin will give daily seminars
on the Calendar and is available for personal appointments
and counselling sessions during the weeklong retreat.
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| Phoenix
and Mazatzin have worked together over many years with groups
of adults and children, co-facilitating these teachings, and
are looking forward to bringing them back into context with
participants near the ruins of ancient Mexico. |
7
days/nights at Maya Tulum, 3 gourmet meals a day, airport transfer,
2 Yoga classes a day, daily seminars on indigenous Mexican culture
and spirituality and guided excursions to archaeological sites of
interest
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