BARBARA BORIS Yoga

My Journey Into Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar

Times of India

The 94-year-old iconic yogacharya B K S Iyengar walks down memory lane,
going right back to when he started.

I am neither a Sanskrit scholar nor a philosopher; am purely an ardent student of yoga, involved in sadhana for nearly 80 years, exploring its depth in order to gain and understand rightly the beauty and majesty of the vast ocean of yogic knowledge along with experiential wisdom. My uninterrupted sadhana has not only burnt all types of impediments and obstacles, it has also kindled the flame of wisdom within. (more…)

Cassia Berman,  April 5, 1949 – forever

I just got this awesome letter about Cassia’s death and I want to share it with all of you.
We are missing her light so much. OM.

Dear Ones,

As you may have already heard, on Friday, March 9, Devi’s day, our dear friend Cassia Berman left Earth (as she insisted we capitalize this planet to show our respect: “After all, the other planets are capitalized!”)

Like the many magical things in Cassia’s life, her death was incredible. Only three weeks ago she had been slammed with the the news that she had lung cancer!  Despite this diagnosis and a surgery to relieve water around the lungs and to secure a biopsy, she was in remarkably little pain. So, when the hospital nurses were pressing her to take heavy medication, she refused, saying: “I have a high tolerance for pain.” However, the nurses insisted she take something–even a Tylenol. Cassia then asked her friend, Geeta Agerwala: “I have never taken Tylenol. What will it do to me?” !!  Geeta very surprised, replied, “Nothing but make you feel better.” So Cassia decided to try some Western medicine!

Meanwhile, she also decided to have some radiation treatments and light chemotherapy, but when she got the diagnosis that the cancer had metastasized to the brain, her doctor told her that her prognosis was beyond Western medicine. She then stopped all the allopathic treatment, except minimal medicines to keep her comfortable. It was at this time when we all started praying the Mrutyunjaya Mantra for her. Amazingly, though she was weak and definitely uncomfortable when coughing spells would sometimes occur, Cassia was lucid as light and dealing well with the shocking turn of events. I’m sure our prayers reached her and were also helping.

On Friday, dear Cassia had been lying listlessly on her futon with closed eyes when Mother [her guruji: Amma Sri Karunamayi] suddenly called her from Atlanta! As soon as she realized Amma was calling, she sat up like a bolt of lightning and grabbed the phone from her dear friend, Dawn. She then lay down with the phone cradled to her ear. A few minutes passed, her eyes began to close and she was smiling beatifically. Mother was whispering to her, taking her home. Soon she fell asleep or lapsed into semi-consciousness and one hour later, as the sun was setting, her soul merged with God.

Those of us who knew and loved Cassia may well feel a piece of sparkling beauty has been hacked from our lives. But, given the destiny of all humans, how many of us will have the grace of Divine Mother’s guidance as our souls take flight?
And how many will go with our beloved Mother’s voice whispering in our ear?

On the 13th day after the departure of a loved one, in Sanatana Dharma, it is customary to have a ceremony to comfort and guide the soul on its destination.  Please add your prayers now and especially on March 22.

Thank you for all of your love.
Om Om Om Shanti,

Smriti

OM Yogis!
Is this just squiggles to you? By Sunday evening it won’t be!

Come attend the Sanskrit 101 Workshop at Woodstock Yoga.
This Workshop is designed specifically for the new Woodstock Yoga Teacher Trainees…
but you might be interested in coming too!

The workshop is THIS SUNDAY, February 26, 1:30-4:30 at:
WOODSTOCK YOGA CENTER
6 Deming Street , Woodstock
845 679-8700
Cost is $40.  (Woodstock Yoga Center teachers – $30)

SIGN UP BY CLICKING HERE!

Please shoot me an email (bxboris at yahoo dot com) so I know how many copies to make of the handouts. There will be LOTS of handouts!!!! Bring notebook, pens, paper, your glasses (!). This will be all reading/ chanting/ drawing/ writing.

Bring the following books: Light on Yoga, Light on the Yoga Sutras (both by BKS Iyengar), Yoga the Iyengar Way (Mehta), the Preliminary Course (Geeta Iyengar). Yoga Sutras & Preliminary Course available for purchase at Woodstock Yoga.

There will be asana breaks in between sections.

Here is a rough OUTLINE of what will be covered:

INTRO

• why Sanskrit is important and relevant to yoga practice
• aural tradition and the power of sound
• warm up voice exercises

OM

• chanting vs. singing
• why we chant OM in a yoga class
• The Mandukya Upanishad on the Four States of OM
• drawing OM
• chant OM 108 times

SANSKRIT ALPHABET

• scientific organization
• positions in the mouth
• aspirated consonants, long/short vowels, s’s
• transliterations/ common spellings
• practice chanting (mouth yoga!)

VOCABULARY

• common yoga words to know and their roots and meanings
• practice pronunciation

MANTRAS

• vedic vs. traditional vs. KD vs. new age
• Invocation to Patanjali
• lokah samastah sukhinoh bhavantu
• saha na vavutu
• asato ma sad gamaya

YOGA SUTRAS

• yogas chitta vritti nirodhaha
• stira sukham asanam

HOMEWORK

• Teacher Trainees will have homework
• As a guest to the Workshop you can elect to do it or not.
• If you want Yoga Alliance Credit towards your E-RYT status you must do the homework.

OM OM OM
AUM AUM AUM

(by Sunday you will understand the difference in spelling!)
See you there,
Barbara

Lots of snow on the grass, but the driveway isn’t bad.

CLASS IS ON!

OM
Who knows!?!?
Here is the latest from my FB pal Alex: He’s the man re: all weather issues…
I say COME! Drive carefully, and park carefully. If there is a huge snow event, I’ll let you know when I wake up where you can park.
But come on by!
more Back Bending!!!

Hudson Valley Weather

Important Update: (3 minutes ago… 7:57 p.m. Thursday)

Here’s the facts…. Temps are dropping quickly in response to clear skies. As you can see from the observations in the below post that we have temps ranging from 32-45 across the HV. When precip begins after midnight temps will also take another dip and if the info from the NWS in Albany serves true then the start of the precip may be quite heavy, this will cause a sharper drop in  temps and also quickly overcome any warm surfaces it is trying to accumulate on. Every hour that clear skies hold on across the HV temps will continue to drop, so its easy to figure that between all these factors most of the HV will get to 32 deg or lower be after midnight. Now to make this even more interesting both the NAM and HRRR which are good short range models are depicting 4-6 and even 8 inches of snow “see below post by Brent for HRRR” Now these models tend to be bullish with amounts at times but overall are accurate models. But we also have snow ratio’s to contend with, and with temps right around freezing they will be very low, resulting in a wet snow that will not pile up to quickly. This is going to be a now-casting event and I want to make sure you are all informed and aware of the wide range of possibilities that exist as this has become a bit of a challenging forecast. I have posted the forecast discussion from the NWS below. Stay tuned as me and everyone else continue to watch new data as it arrives and keep and eye on local observations to get a better handle on this situation. Again, this morning I posted 3-6 in the highest elevations and 1-2 in the valley, it’s the valley prediction, north of poughkeepsie that is in the biggest danger of being low at this point.

Twisting is one of the most powerful tools we have in yoga asana practice. Besides creating flexibility in the spine, the parivritta (twisting) action opens the nadis (energy channels) and deeply massages the organs. Twisting, bending and binding also detoxifies the system, bringing rejuvenation, clarity and balance into the body. This class through it’s intelligent Iyengar sequencing will create heat to challenge and clear out your body and nervous system for a deep long suppported savasana at the end that will leave you feeling pleasantly wrung out, fresh and restored to finish up the winter.

Saturday, February 18, 1:30-3:30
Woodstock Yoga Center
6 Deming Street
Woodstock, NY 12498
$40

845 679-8700

OM, Long time since posting… as you must know by now, Linda Lalita Winnick of Shakti Yoga and I are now owners of Woodstock Yoga Center (formerly Bliss Yoga Center) as of Jan 1, 2012. It’s been an awesome month of lots of work and organization. I will be using my site here now as a more personal yoga blog. So keep on checking it!

Today’s note! CHATURANGA DANDASANA.

Please look at our First Lady, Michelle Obama’s Pushup Competition with Ellen De Generes. Please observe that their buttocks are NOT poking up into the air. So what about the arm thing… this is amazing length in the lumbar and core strength. Chaturanga Dandasana should look just like this in the spine. Thank you!

Friday’s Level II-II Iyengar Class is ON today, Jan. 20th.
10:00-12:00 noon

I’m here and not going anywhere.
Witchtree Road is plowed and fine.
My driveway is NOT plowed, but has only 3″ of snow and looks driveable.
You CAN park at the EMPTY next house on Witchtree: #27…
if that driveway is plowed by the time you get here and hike on over.
I’ll keep you posted…

at the NEW

WOODSTOCK YOGA CENTER
formerly Bliss Yoga Center
6 Deming Street, Woodstock

I just remembered myself!!!!!

Students with existing class cards, your card is still valid.
New class cards are available for purchase, but please bring a check,
our credit card system is still not up and running….

SINGLE CLASS: $16
5 CLASS CARD: $75 (good for 3 months) $15/ class
10 CLASS CARD: $140 (good for 4 months) $14/ class
30 CLASS CARD: $390 (good for 6 6 months) $13/ class

see you there!

Yogis, you asked for it, you got it!

FRIDAY RESTORATIVE CLASS STARTS TONIGHT
AT THE
NEW WOODSTOCK YOGA CENTER
(formerly Bliss Yoga Center)

Friday Restorative Class Starts Tonight

Tonight, this could be you, at the new Woodstock Yoga Center

Is it just me, or are we ALL a bit tired and stressed out right now? With the end of the holidays and the start of the new year, aren’t we are all just a little bit tired? The cold weather is adding to it: change, drying out, stress… Vata Imbalance it’s called in Ayurveda. We need RESTORATIVE YOGA to chill out.

RESTORATIVE YOGA CLASS
begins today (and continues every week)
Friday, January 6, 2012
5:30 – 6:45 p.m.
at
WOODSTOCK YOGA CENTER
(formerly Bliss Yoga Center)
6 Deming Street, Woodstock, NY 12498
$16 per class, or use your class card

There is nothing special needed for this class. All students are invited, from all schools of yoga and with all levels of experience. Come! All the props, blankets, eye pillows will be provided. Enjoy an hour plus of guided relaxation in a number of different yoga poses. Handouts of the sequences will be given at the end of class for your own home practice. Simple pranayama will be introduced. But if you are too tired or stressed, JUST COME & REST! Set yourself up for deep healing and relaxation every Friday night. You deserve it.

Note to Students: If you want to buy class cards for the new Woodstock Yoga Center, please wait until we transfer the business on January 1, 2012. Thank You. – Barbara & Linda.

ALL CLASSES AND EVENTS ON NEW YEAR’S DAY ARE FREE!