Annual Open House
at The Breathing Project
Wednesday, September 24, 12:30 - 9:1 5 p.m.

This will be a day of free classes and mini-workshops for yoga teachers, future yoga teachers, and students (first-come, first-served).

12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Lunchtime Yoga Flow with Melissa Elstein
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Yoga Anatomy Talk with Leslie Kaminoff
3:15 - 4:15 p.m. ABC's clinic with Leslie Kaminoff
4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Embodied Anatomy with Amy Matthews
5:45 - 6:15 p.m. MELT Foot Class with Edya Kalev
6:30 - 7:45 p.m. Vajra Yoga with Jill Satterfield
8:00 - 9:15 p.m. Embodied Yoga with Judy Feldman

Note that, as always, people with specific needs should read class descriptions and contact instructors to verify that they can be accommodated.

Labels: in town workshops, misc yoga

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Red Lotus

If you are not familiar with the incredible, amazing art of Paul Heussenstamm, his Mandalas.com web site definitely is worth a visit. His story is inspirational as well. He has created some works that focus on a red lotus, works that have goddesses with red lotuses, mandalas with red lotus overtones, and more. Several sizes of prints, as well as original work, are available at the site.

Labels: bric-a-brac

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Music Rx: Journey of Exploration and Explanation
Saturday, October 4, 9:30 -5:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 5, 9:30 - 5:00 p.m.
at New York Open Center
with Arthur Harvey

Participants will learn about and experience diverse approaches to the therapeutic use of music and sound, and discuss how they affect us physiologically and psychologically. Through lecture, discussion, audio resources and experiential exercises, participants will gain an understanding of the various uses of sound and music therapy in healthcare, elucidating what distinguishes sound therapy from music therapy and music for health from music medicine. This is an experiential workshop in which students participate in adaptive and traditional music making with instrumental and vocal processes. Special emphasis will be devoted to Stress Management approaches with music and the use of music and sound to accelerate learning.

Labels: in town workshops

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This red lotus-centered Birth Lotus is a photograph of part of a quilted pillow created by Wendy at Waltzing Dog Quilting Arts. She created the pillow while pregnant, "This image was powerful for me, and created a focus for my birth experience." The image is available from the artist as a stunning greeting card, as an 8x10 print, as other prints at imagekind, and on items at her cafepress shop.

Labels: bric-a-brac

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This one is quite far out of town.

The Healing Approach of Yoga: Frameworks on Applying Asana and Pranayama in the Therapeutic Context
at Agama Yoga Centre, Melbourne
October 22 - 31
with Kausthub Desikachar

Through this intensive seminar participants will learn the fundamentals frameworks on adapting and evolving asana and pranayama practices in the context of yoga therapy. The course is also strongly recommended for all those interested in pursuing the KHYF Yoga Therapy training at a future date, as well as those who are interested in the practice of Yoga Therapy.

Labels: out of town workshops

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Holistic Lifestyle and Adaptive Yoga for People with Multiple Sclerosis and Similar Conditions
October 13 - 17
at Kripalu
with Chaya Sharon Heller

This workshop is for people with MS, caregivers, yoga teachers, and health professionals. Participants will relax, renew, and restore in this unique retreat designed with the needs of those with MS in mind. This workshop will include: safe yoga postures for increased flexibility, strength, and movement without pain; postures, breathing, meditation, restoratives, deep relaxation, and yoga nidra; wholesome and fun daily routines; tools for awareness, managing stress, optimal diet, and self-care; skills to restore balance and empower you to make clear decisions about your life; and opportunities to gain insight into yourself and your health.

Labels: out of town workshops

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This is one of the few yoga teacher trainings that actively supports training teachers who have specific needs!

A Gentle Way offers gentle yoga—including yoga for plus sizes, seniors, and the health challenged—in San Diego, CA. They have been systematically modifying traditional yoga in a way that is relaxing, fun, and doable for people of all sizes and ages as well as the health challenged since 1996.

They are offering 200-hour (Yoga Alliance certified) east coast trainings in South Carolina. (They also offer other 200-hour formats, see below.) The focus of the training is learning how to work with people with health challenges, whether they be the aging, plus size, those with chronic illness even the beginner of less flexible healthy student, but you also will be able to lead a satisfying slow but deep traditional class, or active but doable and joyful vinyasa flow classes. They also host Relax & Renew® trainings, and will be offering 500-hour training.

Gentle Yoga Teacher Training, Session #1 (of 5)
Wednesday - Sunday, October 8 - 12
Session #2: April 29 - May 3
Session #3: September 30 - October 4
Sessions $ & 5: 2010
in Myrtle Beach, SC

Gentle Yoga Teacher Training 200-hr. - 28 Day Summer Intensive
July 12 - August 8, 2009
in San Diego

Gentle Yoga Teacher Training 200-hr. - 16 Month, Sunday Local Training: ongoing in San Diego

Note that they recommend a weekend at their San Diego studio for out-of-towners considering their training (and other students, too). These weekends are designed for: out of town students who need help beginning a yoga practice, learning about how to find the best yoga center and teacher in their city, or how to set up a home practice; students interested in becoming a yoga teacher; yoga teachers interested in taking their teacher training; and alumni who want time with Lanita and a refresher course.

Weekend with Lanita
December 5 - 7
in San Diego
with Lanita Varshell and AGW staff

Labels: out of town workshops

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Do-In Self Massage
Friday, October 17, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
at New York Open Center
with Masahiro Ouchi

"Do-In is a self-rejuvenation, healing technique that has been practiced in Asia for thousands of years. In this workshop we will learn the basics of this massage system that uses touch, tapping and subtle energy to move chi (vital force) to clear blockages and harmonize the body. We will learn how to rejuvenate our sense organs, glands, tendons and joints, and how to accumulate chi in our body’s center." No experience required.

Labels: in town workshops

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Here's another one of several from the new New York Open Center schedule.

Ayurvedic Self-Massage
Friday, September 26, 7:00 –10:00 p.m.
at New York Open Center
with Naina Marballi and Amita Banerjee

In the Ayurvedic medical tradition, the art of nurturing one’s body and mind with massage, herbs and essential oils to enhance one’s life-force is called abhyanga. Participants will learn: how we can use abhyanga for daily healing and rejuvenation; how to customize it according to our constitutional type; how to work with the chakras (energy centers), nadis (akin to meridian lines) and marma points (similar to acupuncture points); and how to chose the right aromatherapeutic oils and herbs.

Labels: in town workshops

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This workshop probably is of interest to a lot of people.

Self-Healing with Acupressure: Balancing Body, Mind & Spirit
at New York Open Center
Free Intro class, Wednesday, September 10, 6:00 p.m.
Wednesdays September 17 – October 22 (except 10/8), 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
with William J. Kaplanidis

Participants will first receive a theoretical overview of Chinese medicine and its use of these channels and acupoints, and then learn acupressure techniques for specific points located on the head, torso and limbs, as well as the function and potential benefits of each point. We will also learn how to apply essential oils and other topical formulations to certain points to boost healing. We will discover how the techniques we learn can be used to help address a wide range of symptoms and ailments, including pain, digestive problems, nasal congestion, eye strain, headaches, PMS, anxiety and depression. No previous experience necessary.

Labels: in town workshops

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Here are two classes for a good cause. Note that they are hot yoga classes and not necessarily adaptive, so people with specific needs should make sure the class is appropriate before attending.

Charity Classes
Friday, August 22 and Friday, August 29, 8:00 p.m.
at The Yoga Room, Astoria
with Wesley Collier

These two charity classes will benefit Service by the Water, a weekly soup kitchen which serves only vegetarian food to the community. A cash donation or any kind of non-perishable food product equivalent to a $10 donation will be greatly appreciated. Beans, rice, pasta, iced tea mix, hot chocolate mix, powdered juice, paper plates, forks, and spoons are all great ideas for donations.

Labels: for a good cause, misc yoga

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Here's another Kripalu workshop and another one for artistic types.

Art and Kundalini Yoga Retreat
September 28 – October 3
at Kripalu
with Hari Kirin Kaur Khalsa

Workshop participants will: deepen their yoga practice through image making, movement, and writing; be introduced to a variety of art materials that are safe for you and the environment; share their artwork in a supportive community setting; learn creative and collaborative activities to share with your community, yoga center, or family; and return home with completed artwork and a plan for daily yoga and art practice. Each session of the retreat will include Kundalini yoga, meditation, and creative work. The workshop is designed for everyone with an interest in the healing power of art and yoga. Seasoned artists, teachers, and healers will work alongside beginners.

Note this is not specifically an adaptive yoga workshop. Those with specific needs should make sure they can be accommodated prior to signing up.

Labels: misc yoga, out of town workshops

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I'm still getting caught up on the Kripalu workshops. This one's for all the meditators.

The Buddhist Path to Freedom: Breaking the Addiction to the Mind
September 26 - 28
at Kripalu
with Noah Levine

Open to all levels of experience, this weekend will provide an opportunity to learn and practice several different forms of Buddhist meditation oriented specifically toward breaking free of old ways of thinking. People in 12-step recovery programs are especially welcome.

Labels: out of town workshops

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Prime Time Yoga with Vandita: Radiant Health After 50
September 12-14
at Kripalu
with Vandita Kate Marchesiello

This Kripalu Yoga workshop will help you get motivated for success in aging gracefully. The weekend will include mindful walks in nature, gentle yoga stretching from the inside out for beginners and seasoned practitioners alike, creative visualization, journaling, deep relaxation (yoga nidra), and conscious eating experiences to enhance your diet. "Relax, refresh, rejuvenate, and bring a friend or family member you want to introduce to yoga. Supporting each other when you return home will make a world of difference."

Labels: out of town workshops

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As promised, here are some ideas for the main conference sessions at Omega Institute's Being Yoga NYC 2008 Conference. Although there are several sessions for people with an interest in specific needs yoga, non-instructors with specific needs might find it challenging to attend the full conference due to the scheduling of the sessions. These are just some of the obvious ideas. There are many other sessions that might be of interest!

Friday, October 10, 8:45 - 9:30 p.m.
Keynote Speech: Yoga & Social Action with Russell Simmons and Seane Corn

Saturday, October 11, 7:00 - 8:30 a.m. Session 1

Greeting the Day in a Sacred Way: Morning Meditation
with Lilias Folan, general level

From Body to Mind & Mind to Body (yoga therapy topics) with Kelly McGonigal, general level

9:00 - 11:00 a.m. Session 2

Challenging Yourself to Be of Service: Choosing Compassionate Action Over Charity with Mark Lilly and Katie Arrants, general level

12:30 - 2:30 p.m. Session 3

Meditation on Light & Vibration with Swami Lalitananda, general level

3:00 - 5:00 p.m. Session 4

Essential Poses for Women's Health with Bobby Clennell, general level

Yoga for Healing Upper Back, Neck & Shoulders with Gary Kraftsow, general level

7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Evening Panel Being Yoga: The Changing Face of Yoga

9:00 - 11:00 a.m. Session 6

Awakening Yoga in Midlife with Lilias Folan, general level

The Front of the Back with Tias Little, intermediate level

Bridging From Yoga to Yoga Therapy: From Concept to Sustainable Career with Matthew Taylor, advanced/teacher level

Meditation Arising with Mark Whitwell, general level

1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Session 7

Yoga for Emotional Health: Focus on Anxiety & Depression with Gary Kraftsow, general level

Shamatha: Calm Abiding (meditation) with Cyndi Lee, general level

Portable, Compact, Real & Immediate: How to Teach Yoga to Anyone, Anywhere with Mark Lilly, general level

Labels: in town workshops, misc yoga

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Here's a sampling of the handmade red lotus jewelry I mentioned could be found at Etsy. A lot of the work features red lotus carnelian beads.

Labels: bric-a-brac

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In case you needed an excuse to go to Hawaii or can't make the The Samarya Center's upcoming Hawaii trip, a portion of the proceeds from this workshop will be donated to YogaHope.

Note that this is not an adaptive-focused workshop, so people with specific needs should make sure that they can be accommodated before signing up.

Hawaii Winter Solstice Yoga Retreat
with Ana Forrest
at Kalani Oceanside Retreat (Hawaii)
December 12 - 17

Each morning begins with an invigorating 3 hour yoga practice. Afternoons are free for excursions and Hawaii adventures. Late afternoons offer 1 ½ hours of Q&A and light yoga. The workshop culminates with a powerful Winter Solstice ceremony.

About Forrest Yoga ...
"... Forrest Yoga challenges you to heal, grow and welcome your Spirit home. Forrest Yoga does not require strength or flexibility; it only requires that you bring a willingness to learn how to feel authentically and respond honestly. Learning to work honestly at your edges, you develop effective tools to deal with fear and struggle. This makes it possible for integrity, self awareness and playful curiosity to become part of your daily life."

Labels: for a good cause, misc yoga, out of town workshops

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One of the Being Yoga Conference's Full-Day Post-Conference Intensives might be of interest:

Viniyoga for Emotional Health
Monday, October 13
with Gary Kraftsow

Participants will explore the complex interaction between thought, emotion, and physiology, and learn the yoga practices that can be used to nourish our emotional health and restore equilibrium, including asana, pranayama, chanting, and meditation. CE credit available.

Labels: in town workshops

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One of the Being Yoga Conference's Full-Day Pre-Conference Intensives might be of interest to specific needs yoga instructors:

From Body to Mind & Mind to Body: The Tools of Yoga Therapy
Friday, October 10
with Matthew Taylor and Kelly McGonigal

Through asana, pranayama, meditation, and mudra practices, as well as other yoga therapy skills whose healing properties are supported by both traditional yoga philosophy and modern scientific evidence, we learn how to create healing yoga practices for ourself and our students. Presented by the International Association of Yoga Therapists. CE credit available.

Labels: in town workshops

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Omega Institute's Being Yoga NYC 2008 Conference will take place October 10 - 13, with full-day pre- and post-conference intensive workshops the 10th and 13th. Many well-known names will be presenting/teaching. There's a discount for registration prior to August 15th, so I'll be posting some of the options in the next few blog posts.

Labels: in town workshops, misc yoga

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Another red lotus inspired business ...

SwellWomen offers surfing and yoga vacation package experiences in Maui for women (and sometimes men, too). They explain their logo, "The red lotus flower was chosen to be part of the SwellWomen logo because it symbolizes the original nature of the heart. It is the lotus of love, compassion, passion, activity and all the qualities of the heart. The lotus flower also rises unsullied through muddy water raising its blossom towards the light. It represents eloquence."

Note that these vacations are generally for people in very good physical condition, so check with them if you require any accommodations.

Labels: red lotus businesses

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For those of you who are meditation and yoga nidra fans, there are a few out-of-town workshops in October that might be of interest.

Yoga and Deep Relaxation Retreat - The Gift of Yoga Nidra
October 13 - 17
at Kripalu
with Jennifer Reis

Moving between activity and deep relaxation, you will learn to stimulate your body’s natural relaxation response, alleviating not only muscular tension but also mental and emotional stress. This week includes invigorating yoga sessions (i.e., those with specific needs might want to make sure you can be accommodated), breath work, meditation, and guided relaxation (yoga nidra). Yoga nidra explorations will include body scanning, guided imagery, breath awareness, integration of opposites, and healing visualization.

Introduction to Integrative Restoration iRest Yoga Nidra
October 3 -5
in Ohio

Level I Integrative Restoration iRest Yoga Nidra Training
October 5 - 10
in Ohio

Both an introductory and Level 1 course are being offered. The 12-hour Introductory weekend provides an overview of the practice of i-Rest, and includes lectures, experiential sessions and interactive dialogue. In the 42-hour, Level I training, participants explore Yoga Nidra as a transformative personal practice as well as an adjunctive tool for use with individuals and groups in yoga practice, psychotherapy, and clinical, hospital, and class settings. The in-depth learning environment includes talks, interactive dialogue and experiential sessions. Completion of Levels I and II, plus certification coursework, lead to certification as a CTB iRest Teacher.

If you are interested in learning i-Rest, you might want to listen to Richard Miller's Yoga Spirit workshops, read his book, etc.

Labels: out of town workshops

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Anatomy Studies for Yoga Teachers offers courses in NYC. A&P I and II will be offered in intensive weekend format, Saturdays and Sundays 1:00 -6:30 p.m. (one weekend per month) , or afternoon format, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30 - 5:00 p.m. Classes start in September.

Labels: in town workshops, misc yoga

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A limited edition print of this Red Lotus Kokeshi by Maeve Donohue is irresistable. Isn't she cute?

The artist's description of the symbolism, etc. is good:

"The Lotus flower is held sacred in the Hindu, Buddhist, and Egyptian religions. The Lotus is a type of water lily, which rises from muddy waters to blossom, making it a symbol of purity and resurrection. In Buddhism the Red Lotus symbolizes the original nature of the heart (hrdaya). It is the lotus of love, compassion, passion, activity and all the qualities of the heart. Kokeshi folk art dolls, once made of spare wood by Japanese farmers, are given as tokens of love and friendship to family and friends. This limited edition red lotus Kokeshi print is the perfect gift for anyone you love in the process of unfolding enlightenment."

Labels: bric-a-brac

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As promised, here's another (similar) "for a good cause" post.

VolunteerMatch is a leader in helping people find places to volunteer. The organization offers a variety of online services to support organizations and individuals committed to civic engagement. More than 50,000 nonprofit organizations have listed with them.

Labels: for a good cause

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It's been a while since I posted a "for a good cause" post, so here's one and there will be more soon.

VolunteerNYC is a service offered by The Mayor's Volunteer Center and United Way New York City. NYC nonprofit organizations can post volunteer opportunities and potential volunteers can search by area of interest, location, and keyword.

Labels: for a good cause, misc nice ideas

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For those of you lucky enough to live with a dog, Doga is a partner yoga class with Charlie (dog) and Kari Harendorf (person and instructor at East Yoga). Classes are the second Wednesday of each month from 7:00 - 7:45 p.m. at Bideawee. Here's the description: "Doga is all about bonding with your pet and giving the dog 45 minutes of undivided attention and praise from their favorite person in the world. The dogs do sun salutations and you’ll learn specific massage techniques to calm your dog and aid both circulation and digestion processes. And don’t worry: You’ll also get a workout, using your dog to assist you in traditional and modified poses." Click here for more info.

Note that this is not an adaptive class and those with specific needs should contact the instructor prior to class in order to make sure they can be accommodated.

Labels: misc yoga

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As I'm stuck on art and photos for a while, it seems appropriate to mention the images on the A Red Lotus site. Sometime early on, I decided it might liven up the site to include a little bit of red lotus art near the bottom of each page. As I'm not an artist and wanted to be mindful of copyright legalities, this could have been a challenging task. I found a lot of original images at flickr and photobucket. Flickr is quite careful about sharing and allows the person who uploaded the image to decide what types of sharing (links, embedding, email, etc.) they would prefer for their images. Photobucket is designed to enable people to both share and modify images and, unfortunately, participants there are not careful about copyrights or ownership. Therefore, most of the red lotus images on the bottoms of pages at the A Red Lotus site are from flickr, wherein the person providing the image has indicated it is okay to use it (when properly linked).

Labels: bric-a-brac

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Previously, I promised I'd write to share some resources for finding red lotus items (or, of course, items along any theme you'd like). As you probably can tell, the sites I visit range from low-end on up. I use froogle a lot to help me find items to purchase online. I also use google image searches. For t-shirts, posters, mugs, cards, and a few other types of items, Cafe Press, Zazzle, and red bubble have items with designs by all types, artists and non-artists alike. For original art for sale by the artist, imagekind, ArtByUs, Boundless Gallery, red bubble, and Fine Art America are places to start. For original items—including art, jewelry, and every imaginable type of bric-a-brac a person might create—Etsy (or eBay) might have what you're looking for. Then, of course, there also are places such as Novica and Overstock.com that sell art for artists worldwide. Please forward suggestions for other places to shop.

Labels: bric-a-brac

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The Lineage Project teaches at-risk and incarcerated New York City teenagers awareness-based practices, such as yoga and meditation, to help consciously manage stress, increase self-awareness, and cultivate compassion and commitment to nonviolent engagement with their communities. By creating a safe environment where youth can have their own experience of these practices, we encourage them to investigate their emotional, physical and spiritual selves, to develop strong and healthy bodies; increase concentration, focus and attention; and build self-esteem and confidence.

Click here if a video does not appear above.

Lineage Project Professional Training Program - Level 1: Working With At Risk Youth
October 12 – 17
at Omega Institute

Through lecture and experiential activities, participants will explore the myriad of issues facing youth today with an emphasis on trauma and its residual effects; we will share techniques for making content accessible, planning and structuring exercises/classes including modifications for yoga and meditation and practice basic reflective communication and group facilitation strategies. Each participant will be asked to draw upon their own experiences, particularly the practices that
have been most meaningful to their personal growth.

This workshop is appropriate for anyone currently working with or interested in working with youth. Participants should have an established yoga and/or meditation practice and a desire to join a growing community of individuals who believe that all youth can know the great wisdom and compassion that exists within.

Labels: for a good cause, out of town workshops

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Self Massage for Relaxation (for Seniors)
at DOROT
Friday, August 15, 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
with Alix Keast

This workshop will explore stress relief from a Chinese Medical perspective and will include self-massage on acupressure points to help improve the flow of energy. Alix will show you simple ways that you can help yourself relax, to feel better and improve your energy.

Labels: in town workshops

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