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States of Mindfulness and Focus During a Yoga Practice Part 2: Savasana

2011-06-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

Savasana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Savasana or Shavasana (pronounced shah-VAH-sah-nah) n “corpse pose,” a component of yoga practice that promotes a state of homeostasis, thus allowing the person to release emotional and physical tension; performed at the end of all the asanas."

Savasana the part of class everyone LOVES! And why? You are actually allowed to lie down and rest. In other words, close your eyes and not do anything! When was the last time you did that during the day?

Almost all the asana (postures) have been completed. And as a result, your nervous system is finally quieting down. I have always felt this pose is the most important pose of the practice. This is the pose that is skipped when we run out of time. This is the pose we may only leave 3-4 minutes for. Corpse pose, Savasana needs to be given the time it deserves, at lease 15 minutes. The yogis state that 15-20 minutes of savasana can equal the rest of 4 hours of sleep. During savasana and sleep our body are given the time to heal, reenergize and rejuvenate.

At this point of the practice, the lists in your mind are shorter, slower, not so important. Your eyes close easier. The quality of your breathing is slower, shallower. All you want to do is lie down and maybe take a nap!!! But during a yoga class the teacher continues to instruct you through this part of class…this process. And yes, it is a process, just like the proceeding more active poses you just competed.

At first, we need to figure out what is the best way for the body to relax on the floor. Usually a folded blanket or bolster is placed under the knees. Maybe a folded blanket or pillow under the head and a blanket draped over the body. Feet and legs apart, arms at about a 45 degree angle from the body with palms rolling up to the sky. Some students like an eye pillow, to block the light from the eyes. There are many options to make the body as comfortable as possible. And there are many reasons why we spend time and energy arranging the body and the props for optimal comfort.

We know that when the body feels supported, spacious, warm and safe the nervous system can continue to quiet down. Physical sensations reduce or even cease to exist. All systems of the body are given a chance to “recalibrate”. Breathing becomes even shallower, slower and unnoticeable and we continue the process of quieting the mind. At first, the teacher leads us through scans of the body. Guiding our attention starting at the toes up to the head. We are sensing if there is any residual tension, and consciously asking that part of the body for a deeper relaxation response. As the student, you are guided to notice the muscles, bones and connective tissue (tendons, ligaments etc), but sometimes we are also asked to notice specific organs, skin, hair and a variety of other places and spaces. There might even be a direction to notice things on a cellular level if possible.

Some of my favorite directions are: “release your heart to the back of your body”, “ allow the bottom jaw to move away from the top jaw”, “relax your tongue in your mouth”, “release your eye into the back of your eye sockets towards your brain.” There are millions of awesome descriptive ways yoga teachers assist student in relaxing.

Once the body scan has commenced, we are directed to let go of the physical body and now bring the attention to the breath. How is the body currently breathing? What is the quality of the breath? Is it slower, shallower, smooth or silky? We notice how little we need to breath now. We can watch it move in to the body and back out. After a little attention and focus here, we can let the awareness of the breath go. I usually say something like “ allow the breath to float up into the sky and disappears”.

The one point focus has moved from large and tangible things like body parts, and now to something less concrete and subtle …the breath. But now we are asked to let that go too. You ask what is left now to focus on? We are moving back to the mind. Notice again the quality of the thoughts, as we try and keep our attention in the most present moment. As the thoughts move through the mind we sometimes get caught up in them. They take us away, we go back to those old habits of lists, things we need to do, obsessions, questions and negative thoughts. But once we have realized this is happening, we bring the mind back to the moment.

There are many techniques here that can be used. Learning a couple of them will help a student to figure out what might work the best. Sometimes moving back to the breath may work here. You may watch the space between the breaths, at the top or the bottom of the breath “the pauses” or maybe just the length of the breath. Other techniques include asking each thought that comes up to float away, or notice the spaces between the thoughts. We are taught that the mind is like a puppy. Constantly getting into trouble, running, climbing, hiding, and rarely stopping. But once we realize this is happening we are instructed to go back to a one-point-focus whatever that might be for us, at that moment.

The practice of watching the thoughts or the breath is the practice of meditation. During savasana things get a little murky and confused in this department. Many of us find this time the perfect opportunity to take a nap! Some even start snoring! I must confess I slept through over a year of savasana in my first yoga classes. Had no idea anyone was leading or directing me through any process. I was so tired that the minute I was horizontal, I was asleep. Only later on when I was trained to become a teacher did I find out what was actually going on in class at that time!

Other times we find ourselves somewhere in a twilight state…between full awake and asleep. This is fine too, but we loose the ability to be fully conscious at this point, unable to observe the moment.

An active state of consciousness in savasana places our awareness closer to being awake, but with an enormously relaxed body and breath. Most distractions have been removed and this frees us up to have a fuller experience of the present moment at that time. This is a moment of complete perfection. Nothing has to change, all is exactly where it is suppose to be.

When we finally lift ourselves out of this state, we are instructed to bring our awareness back up to the surface. Begin to notice the body is actually breathing again (if we have lost track). Now begin to notice how heavy the body has become. Sometimes there is an actual sense of being disconnected to the body. It is actually difficult to start to move. We then start with deepening the breath. Drawing breath down in to all cells of the body. Concentrating it in places that might need healing or energizing. Then start to draw the breath down to the fingers and toes. Wiggle them around, waking them up. The body begins to stretch as if it has just woken from a long deep sleep.

The effects of this practice can be as simple as a feeling of being rested. Others have felt a deep and complete letting go, and others have reported experiences of having a deeply spiritual experience or a “complete connection with the universe.” Whatever your experience is, that is the experience you are suppose to have. No experience is right or wrong. All is good. But we must engage in this practice to allow for the deep healing, the quieting and the reconnecting to our bodies, breath and mind. This is where we put into place all the lessons we learn on the yoga mat, patience, compassion for our self, surrender and focus.

Why Moms Can't Do Yoga: The Demands of Motherhood Have Forced Me To Be Creative In My Quest To Practice Yoga

2011-06-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

by Laurie Lichtenstein, posted in the Bedford-Katonah Patch

Yoga. I’ve got the pants, I’ve got the mat; I just don’t have the time. I can barely remember my Warrior One pose, a casualty of motherhood as my family has grown.

I wistfully recall my last yoga class, which if memory serves was two years ago. And I am fairly certain memory is correct. I met a woman at the park recently who used to be in my yoga class. She was pregnant with her third child—she had one last time I saw her—and neither one of us could recall the other’s name.

Yoga, like a morning cup of coffee in peace, should be mandatory for mothers; I’m thinking about petitioning my congresswoman.

Moms work. Moms cook. Moms drive. Moms coordinate doctor’s appointments and play dates. The job is never done. Even after lights out, Moms worry. We worry about the squabble our daughter had on the playground, or whether our son’s asthma will flare up with tomorrow’s pollen count.

That one hour a day to breathe, and exercise mind and body goes a long way toward optimal mom-job performance.

to read the rest of the blog click here

States of Mindfulness and Focus During a Yoga Practice Part 1: Centering and Asana

2011-05-24T14:52:00.000-07:00

By Betsy Kase, Owner/Director of Yoga Haven

Every yoga class at the studio begins with 5-10 minutes of “centering”. This time is devoted to everyone in the room; including the teacher. Taking these moments to sit in a comfortable position on the floor, and start to focus and quiet the mind. Many of us rush in from a very busy day. All sorts of things have just happened (i.e: quick trip to the supermarket, dropped one of the kids off at school, last minute phone call, the traffic getting there was horrendous, and the Bronx River Parkway was closed and you are going to be late!).

The process of taking a seat and sitting as comfortably as possible is a necessary step in the process of a yoga practice. The teacher leads us to “check in with the body”. She says, “Sit up tall, stretch your spine through to the top of the head, relax your belly and close your eyes.” She continues with something like “Notice how the body feels right now, what is happening inside of you?” As the student, I say to myself, “Why can’t I take a deep breath or why do my eyes keep fluttering? Why doesn’t my body respond quickly to the calmness within the yoga studio?” As encouragement, the teacher continues, “Watch your body inhale and exhale without any effort. Notice how the breath moves in the body. Try not to pass judgement on yourself regarding what is happening right now.” I think to myself “How did she know I can’t take a deep breath. And I am the owner of this yoga studio?” How CRAZY is this!

The teacher knows this because we all have these experiences. She is going to lead us through this class encouraging us to keep focus throughout it. As we progress, the directions from the teacher become more interactive. We are instructed to take deep breaths into our body. “Consciously, take a deeper breath in and allow for the breath to move to all parts of your torso. As you exhale, consciously, allow the breath to leave. Squeezing out the last bit, by drawing your belly button back towards your spine.” She continues with something like, “allow the thoughts and things of the day to pass through you. Start the practice of coming to the present moment.” In my head, the voice is saying “Don’t do that! You have to keep thinking about what already happened today and how are you going to continue to obsess about it!”

The teacher here is the guide and her prompts and suggestions slowly quiet me a bit. But now, I have to move. Sitting is too hard, my body is getting achy and I am tired. So the warm-ups begin. Thank God!

As the class moves through the warm up, directions are given; when to breath, monitor your body, etc. My brain says something like, “Wow are you stiff, when was the last time you did yoga? Can’t you get to class more often? After all these years, why does it still feel like we keep starting at the beginning again?” I then say to myself “This is a serious mind-trip!” Gratefully, the teacher reminds me to breath in and then out, and I allow myself to close my eyes and experience the sensation of the stretch. Ok, now I am out of my crazy thoughts and into it. “This is finally feeling good.”

In yoga, the physical postures are called ASANAS. They consist of standing and balancing poses, backbend and forward bends, twists, hip-openers, and inversion. This part of class last about 45 minutes. Throughout the whole class the teacher continues to remind me where we are moving to, how to do it, what parts of my body to focus on….and don’t forget to breath throughout the whole thing. During these 45 minutes, my mind probably goes on vacation 20-30 times. I can’t even recall where I go, but the body moves and the mind has no idea how this is happening. You know, it is like driving a car somewhere and you have no idea how you got there, but you did! Between those 20-30 vacations, there are glimpses of time, when I am focusing on my big toe, stretching my fingers, opening up the back of my knees, allowing my head to hang heavy along with 1000 other instructions that are said to keep me focused.

Some days are easier. Some days are just plain hard. But, more and more, I find long stretches of time, where I sense my whole body, completely integrated. No pain, no stiffness, a great ability to breath, a sense of easy moves and I feel I might even be able to hold this pose forever. A lightness comes into my mind, and everything integrates…mind, body, breath. Was that a little bit of full consciousness I might have been feeling? Some may call it a connection with everything in the universe, or a total and complete awareness that brings every cell of your body into full alignment. Some even say, a palpable feeling of energy pulsing through the body. Who knows? But I must say, I have a full experience reaching out to my fingers and toes and all of a sudden thoughts stop moving through the mind. I am absolutely content, and there is a brief sense of perfection? Could it be? Is this what my teachers from many moons ago spoke about? I watched it on their faces as they practiced in front of me. Teaching me not with their words, but with an intimate display of the essence of what practicing yoga is for them. And that is…pure joy.

Heart Monitors Make Us a Believer in Yoga

2011-05-10T14:44:00.000-07:00

By Betsy Kase, Owner/Director of Yoga Haven

this blog was also posted on http://bronxville.patch.com/

As yoga teachers, during class we teach students about the benefits of yoga. Many times these benefits are more obvious, “stretches the hamstrings, squeezes and massages the internal organs” but at other times we go on the assumption of what we have read and what has been passed down from teacher to student over years and years.

One big one that I use all the time is “this pose lowers your heart rate,” but I have never actually seen it happen. I have felt it, but what proof is that?!!!

Last week I was working in the home of one of my private clients who happens to be over 50, a big athlete and a surgeon. We are always talking or arguing about the benefits of yoga, and the changes that are actually happening to his body and state of mind. It is really quite entertaining. That day he left his heart monitor on with his corresponding watch that shows, moment by moment his heart rate.

We started out with a baseline of 60 beats per minute resting. This is pretty good, remember he is an athlete, runs and plays tennis a lot. As we started to move through the sun salutation at the beginning of class, the movements got bigger and more coordination was needed to keep the breath calm and even. He tends to hold his breath like many students do. I am continually reminding him when to inhale and exhale throughout the whole series of poses, but still he forgets. As the lack of breathing takes place, I glance down at his watch and see that his heart rate is up over 85 beats per minute pretty quickly. I see him struggle with many of the poses, and with his focus and attention on trying to swing the correct foot forward or back, which is making him totally forget to breathe. I stop him for a moment, either in standing forward bend or mountain pose and cue him to inhale and exhale evenly, calmly and gently…we need to slow the breath down, and become conscious of the transitions between the inhale and the exhale and the exhale and the inhale. “What was that you said?”, he asks, I try to explain again that he holds his breath at the top, and when it is time to inhale he allows the breath to come tumbling out without any sense of control and evenness. The exhale, becomes very short, and then he holds his breath out at the bottom forgetting to inhale again. He starts to understand what I am talking about. His breathing becomes more even and calmer. As soon as he starts to remember how to breathe his heart rate drops back down to 60-65 beats immediately. “WOW”, I said, “it really works!!”

But 30 seconds later he is back to his old habits again and his heart rate is going back up again! The process of breaking the old habits is a big lesson in yoga, every week I cue his breath the same way over and over again. This is the big lesson for him - the patience to allow himself to breath more fully and evenly translates back into his fast paced, busy life.

We move through the rest of the session much the same, going through this process over and over again, heart rate up, and heart rate down. Over time the rate doesn’t go up as high, he is getting calmer, the poses are getting less strenuous and we are moving from the more vigorous standing poses and sun salutations to the slower poses on the floor.

The sequence of poses in a yoga session, have a direct impact on the nervous system. We start off with poses that are more energizing and move toward poses that are calmer and more relaxing. At the end of class it all culminates with meditation and deep relaxation.

The best part of our session is coming up now… I get my client ready for deep relaxation. His body is propped appropriately to make him as comfortable as possible. There is a rolled blanket under his knees, a pillow under his head, and an eye pillow over his eyes and a blanket over his body. There is a shift to the quiet and calm music and we begin the process!

We keep his hand out from under the blanket so I can watch the heart monitor on his watch. Immediately he is at about 60 beats per minute. I verbally direct him to start relaxing parts of his body starting with his feet and moving slowly up to his head. The heart rate is dropping fast. I now direct him to bring his awareness to his breathing and notice how light, slow and even it has become. His heart rate is now at about 45 beats in less then 3 – 4 minutes. Oops - now he starts to fall asleep (he does every week, many students do) and his heart rate starts to go up!!! There is more action in his eyelids, and his breathing shifts to a more stilted inhale and exhale. I continue to direct him verbally, to consciously taking his awareness to a place inside of himself where he feels a sense of peace, calm and tranquilly…AH, the heart rate drops back down again (he can hear me!). He is in that space between being awake and sleeping, a meditative state. Then I stop talking and allow for a good 8-10 minutes of silence. I continue to watch the heart rate fluctuate a little up and down, he might be dreaming, little twitches take place in his hands when that happens.

When it is time for our session to begin to end, I start to verbally coax him out of his sleep and bring his awareness “up to the surface” again. Here it is again, his heart rate drops lower when I am talking then when he is sleeping and possibly dreaming. If I keep him awake but relaxed and conscious, that strong and complex muscle in his chest beats slower and more even. As he moves out of his deep relaxation, and we find a person who is quiet, calmer, even dreamy. He takes a moment to feel his body, pauses, enjoying the transformation that has taken place. He takes more time soaking up this perfect moment, before he opens his eyes.

After the session is over, (as the doctor and techi that he is), he can up-load the report from the monitor onto his MAC and we can see the graph-like image of the whole session. It basically looks like a Geiger counter during an earthquake, quick peaks, small valleys, with lots of big after shocks, and then eventually it all quiets down and evens out at approximately 45 beats per minute!!!

We are both really impressed…another point on my side for the enormous benefit yoga has on your physiological system. He gets this…but anytime we can measure a “before and after” is when his “doctor brain” really accepts that benefit, and that improvement might actually be happening!

As for me, this just reinforces why I teach yoga, practice yoga and teach others to teach yoga. I have experienced this state between full consciousness and sleep. This state is sometimes experienced as a meditative state and sometimes trance like.

I hope to help those I teach to have the full experience of surrender, peace, and perfection in this incredibly frenetic imperfect world we live in for just a couple of minutes in their day.

The Book Shelf What We’re Reading… Yoga Haven Staff Picks

2011-05-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

What We’re Reading…

Yoga Haven Staff Picks

Looking for a great spring read? Yoga Haven instructor, Kate Vantucci has just the book for you. The Wisdom of Yoga: a Seekers Guide to Extraordinary Living by Stephen Cope. “It's such a good book, I don't feel like I can say enough wonderful things about it,” says Kate. “I was initially drawn to it because of the title--I mean, who doesn’t want to live an extraordinary life, right? But once I started reading it, I was hooked on his writing. It reads like a novel.”

“In the Wisdom of Yoga,” continues Kate, “Cope demystifies and sheds light on Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. He introduces us to people he knows and allows us access to their own personal journeys. Through their (and his own) struggles and triumphs, he shows us how we can all integrate the teachings of Patanjali and take the next step toward living an extraordinary life. He makes Patanjali’s teachings feel like they really are within our grasp. In the book’s intro, Cope says, ‘Struggle and liberation live side-by-side in the life of a practitioner of yoga. My hope is that the stories of struggle and liberation that follow will inspire the reader to look carefully into the possibilities of transmuting ordinary struggle into a quietly extraordinary life. And that our gaze backward into the discoveries of the ancient yogis will also be a gaze inward-a gaze that will unlock our own authentic possibilities for living.’ Yummy. Whenever I’m in need of some easily digested and transferable wisdom, I know I have to look no further than this book!”

This book is available in the Yoga Haven office/store.

“Yoga? At the church? Really?”

2011-02-28T16:38:00.000-08:00

By Cari Pattison Riley

Blame it on the church. I became a yoga-lover, and it’s all your fault. Newly married and seminary-educated, I moved to New York four years ago, started in full-time ministry, and a year into it, I barely knew which end was up. Dawn Ravella said to the staff, “I know what we need—yoga!” The only yoga I’d ever done was with the relatively uninspiring “chair yoga” DVD that we used with nursing home residents. So when Dawn called up Yoga Haven and asked them to send us a teacher in June 2008, I thought, “Why not?”

Instructor Kate Vantucci arrived on the 4^th floor, wandering the halls with her yoga mat and props, looking every bit the part—lithe, limber, and laughing. It was a time of transitions in our church, to put it mildly, and when her hour-long class was over, my colleagues and I looked at each other with a sigh of relief we hadn’t exhaled in months. It was the first hour I could remember in a while, that felt burden-free. I was hooked. I started taking regular classes at Yoga Haven, and had the unmistakable sense that I’d stumbled upon something brilliant and life-altering. Something that made me wonder, “Where has this been all my life?!” It felt a little like magic, a bit like prayer, and a lot like child’s play. I twisted and rolled and jumped and stood on my head, and entered a mysterious realm where wonderful new words were spoken, while new space in my body and mind opened up. Every class unfolded like a surprise package: I sometimes cried, sometimes cheered, often grimaced, occasionally had a revelation. All I knew was that when I floated out of class I. felt. better.

Somehow I’d missed the memo, that this was what yoga was all about! As a Christian, I’d been skeptical about the implications of eastern spirituality. As a dancer and aerobics instructor, I’d been certain it would be boring. Hmm, getting into difficult poses, and then… holding them? And I knew I couldn’t get through any attempt at chanting without chuckling. Singing ancient Sanskrit hymns with my legs crossed? No thanks. I was pretty sure yoga wasn’t my gig.

But what I’ve encountered of God and myself and others in yoga has been nothing short of transforming. For many Christians, yoga serves to expand our practice of prayer, meditation, and centering. I’ve become more aware of my posture, body language, and ways I unconsciously hold tension. Yes, I feel stronger and more flexible physically, but even more—yoga has given me resources of breathing, calming and confidence that have served me well in airplanes, doctor’s offices, dicey conversations, public speaking, and falling asleep.

For someone who struggled with the matter-vs.-spirit dichotomy in her 20s, assuming that “real” Christians paid attention to the Bible, not their bodies—yoga has brought me back to God’s original design for creation: that we, bodies included, were lovingly fashioned in the image of God, and declared good! That we honor God when we care for our bodies as beautiful and functional instruments. A favorite instructor of mine always ends class by saying, “Gently bow your chin to your chest, gaze into your heart, and see the goodness that’s there.” The Calvinist in me initially resisted and thought, “Wait—I’m a sinner in need of forgiveness, right?” Yes, but in yoga, I’m reminded that at the very core of my being, God’s Spirit breathes life in me, and that is abundantly good. I’ve learned to accept myself more fully, my strengths and limitations, and to trust the intuition that yoga cultivates. The Reformed tradition so often emphasizes the word—written and spoken, and centers most of its worship on cognitive processing. The danger is we can forget the fact that God put us in bodies! We need to balance the word with meaningful ways of moving in our skin and muscles and bones. Paul says the Holy Spirit “prays for us with sighs too deep for words” (Romans 8).

As I’ve moved through yoga “asanas,” or poses, I’ve found the exhilaration of doing things I didn’t think I could do, things I was afraid of: being upside down, balancing in precarious postures, and working at things that at first seemed impossible. Kate asked us, in one of the first classes I had with her, “What great things would you attempt, if you knew you could not fail?” The fearlessness that yoga fosters carries over into other parts of my life and vocation as a minister.

Part of why I enlisted in Yoga Haven’s 9-month teacher-training, was so that I could integrate the joy I’d found in yoga—what Erich Schiffman calls “the art and practice of moving into stillness”—into Christian community. There are specific ways to incorporate The Lord’s Prayer into sun salutations, and I like to weave Bible verses and themes through my teaching. But sometimes the contentment I feel during yoga is beyond any overt mention of Christian words. Practicing the asanas together with others creates connection among the people doing it, and I have made true friends both at Yoga Haven and in the church classes.

The movement keeps spreading: over twenty-five people, church members and otherwise, are regularly involved in our two weekly yoga classes. So don’t take my word for it—here’s what some of them have to say:

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“Having three kids under the age of two-and-a-half, I have found a sense of calm, peacefulness and community that has been a true blessing for me, in the Friday yoga classes. It gives me the opportunity to stop and find balance and steadiness in my very busy world.” - Lisa Bond

“The two yoga classes I attend here provide an oasis of calm in a busy week. I love the combination of physical exercise and spiritual reflection.”

- Jean Yankus

“Yoga stretches my mind and body and gives me a sense of peace.” – Cheryne McBride

“Yoga has given me a new way to connect to God in the stillness and center of my being. Now I find myself automatically going into yogic breathing when I become anxious or stressed about something. Physically, I feel stronger and more flexible. When I am able to do a pose well or with new strength, it gives me confidence and a feeling of accomplishment!” – Alexis Mastromarino

“I go twice a week here, and it's getting better and better! So relaxing and stimulating—mentally and emotionally—and of course, learning the positions for a flexible body. You may proceed at your own pace, within your comfort zone, in a wonderful non-judgmental atmosphere, with expert leadership.” - Louise Scribner

“I'm not a part of your parish, but when I was lamenting to a friend about how hard it is to find a Yoga class that also has childcare, she told me about your program. Not only is the class wonderful, but it is so comforting to know that my baby girl is a door away and being cared for by a lovely woman. From a more practical standpoint, the cost of a class + childcare cannot be beat!” – Kelly Dwyer

“I have been studying yoga for many years. With the recent addition of yoga classes, the church has become a more complete ‘hub’ for the things that are most precious to me. I can find what I really care about, all under one roof!” – Gretchen Pingel

“After a class of Yoga, my body feels more limber and stretched. When you commit to something, you try to come every week and you make new friends. Come and try it, and don't give up right away, because sometimes it takes awhile before your body gets used to this type of exercise. - Christine Schimmeck

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1 John 4:16 says “God is love, and those who abide in love, abide in God, and God abides in them.” When I come to the yoga mat, it becomes a sacred space to abide in this love. In my classes I often end with a quote by Schiffman: “Love is what’s left, when you let go of everything you don’t need.”

So there it is, Church. You introduced me to yoga, and now I want to give it back to more of you. No matter what your age, physical fitness level, or experience with yoga, we welcome you to join us on Mondays and Fridays, for a time of embodied prayer—a chance to let go of everything you don’t need, and simply abide in love.

Cari Pattison Riley is an Associate Pastor (Minister of Education) at The Reformed Church of Bronxville, where she enjoys teaching classes, training lay leaders, and sharing in the pastoral ministries of preaching, sacraments, visitation, and worship. Originally from Kansas City, Cari went to college in Michigan, taught 8th grade public school for a couple years in Kansas and Missouri, and sensed a call toward ministry when she studied and worked in Kenya for two years. While always a dancer and now a Jazzercise aerobics instructor, she was initially skeptical of yoga, until Kate Vantucci (who taught a class at her church) and the Yoga Haven crew introduced her to the wonders of yoga, starting in 2008. An unabashed enthusiast now, though still finding her way into a steady practice, Cari (mostly) completed the Yoga Haven Teacher Training program last year, and loved it. Her joy is to share yoga with people of all ages, shapes, backgrounds, and faiths, inviting others to enrich their lives through the yogic benefits of breathing, balance, flexibility, strength, and kindness.

The Book Shelf What We’re Reading… Yoga Haven Staff Picks

2011-01-24T14:29:00.000-08:00

As we enter this season of New Year’s resolutions, why not resolve to dive into “The Four Agreements: A Toltec Wisdom Book” by Don Miguel Ruiz? Yoga Haven instructor, Deirdre O’Connor credits this “great little book” with guiding her on a journey of self-discovery. “It’s helped me to deal with stress and work on my personal goals. It’s brought me closer to all of the love in my life, while allowing me to let go of fear and all the negative fall-out from that. And, it’s given me a greater sense of personal freedom.”

According to Deirdre, the book is based on a knowledge said to be held by the ancient Toltecs of Mexico, who taught that the path to happiness, love, and a deeper sense of self is attained through a commitment to the 'Four Agreements.’ The agreements, which are a template for personal behavior and development, are straightforward: Be impeccable with your word; Don't take anything personally; Don’t make assumptions; and Always do your best. “Their pearls of wisdom are hidden in plain sight,” says Deirdre. “This book has definitely inspired me to be more patient, more accepting, and more understanding of our differences as individuals. I’m a happier person because of this book.”

Copies of The Four Agreements are available for sale in the Yoga Haven shop.

Please stop by and check it out.

Breathing ain’t easy, but it can be taught

2010-12-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

By Nikki Dowling
The Riverdale Press

High school history teacher, Harvard graduate and active volunteer Dominique Padurano knows a thing or two about stress. That would explain why she practices breathing exercises with students during class, teaches yoga after school and plans to volunteer her services on weekends.

The 39-year-old has taught at Horace Mann’s upper division for four years and has lived locally for just as long. She said she noticed the school’s rigorous academic requirements wore students thin. So she began practicing yoga breathing and stretching exercises at the beginning of class to enliven or calm students, depending on what they needed.

“In the beginning they’ll think I’m crazy, I’m sure ... but I think that they realize the benefits,” Ms. Padurano said, adding that she gives students stretching ideas to reduce back pain and sleeplessness.
Current and former students said the short practice period makes a big difference.

“I’ve never done yoga or really breathing before. It relaxes you,” 11th grader Spencer Reiss, who is currently taking Ms. Padurano’s class, said. He added that his Spanish teacher recently imitated the routine.

Senior Tucker Caploe said Ms. Padurano “made sure we were de-stressed and ready to work.”
Last year, Ms. Padurano revived the after-school yoga program to help with further stress-busting. Once every week in the school’s Black Box Theater, she teaches a small group of students how to bend, breath and pose until they fall into relaxation.

“Horace Mann is a pretty intense place and I think that teachers and students can use the tools that yoga can give us for dealing with stress,” Ms. Padurano said, adding that she offered a course for faculty and staff last year and is receiving requests to continue it.

Wearing black leggings, silver jewelry and a black tank top, Ms. Padurano performed some poses during an interview last month. Diving gracefully into an effortless plank, the 13-year yoga veteran didn’t look like she needed any more instruction. Yet, she said she was currently getting her teaching certification from Yoga Haven in Tuckahoe, N.Y.

Ms. Padurano is also finishing up a four-week course with the Good Dog Foundation, a nonprofit that trains dogs and their owners to work in animal-assisted therapy and was started for families and victims following the Sept. 11 attack.

Ms. Padurano and her white German Shepard, Blanca, will be a “Good Dog Team” that goes into nursing homes, hospitals or other institution to provide company and companionship to those who want it.

“Given that Riverdale’s got a lot of nursing homes I might wind up in a senior citizen center,” she said
Ms. Padurano taught at Rutgers University, University of Texas at El Paso and at public schools in Long Island. She has a Ph.D from Rutgers in U.S. history, a master’s in education from Dowling College and a bachelor’s in art history from Harvard.

“To teach at a school like Horace Mann is a dream because the students are smart and engaged,” she said. “At Horace Mann if you’re a teacher you can really be a teacher.”
And a yoga instructor.

Yoga in Scarsdale Elementary School

2010-12-04T12:59:00.000-08:00

Yoga in the School

Scarsdale’s Heathcote Elementary School implemented a new “Mindfullness Program” in November. Part of the program consisted of each class participating in three yoga classes during the 4 weeks. Yoga Haven’s awesome staff of six kid’s yoga teachers taught 58 classes during that month! The program was a great success.

Following are a couple of poems written by the students.

Yoga Helps,

by Maya

Yoga finds inner peace

In your mind on your body

Find a pose that’s for you

Your body will love it

You will too

Yoga is a tree

A mountain, a turtle

Yoga can be anything

As long as you look at it from the right way

Yoga Day,

by Nicia

Yoga is a calming way

If you’re a tree it let’s you calmly sway

The lotus lets you calmly stay

All these poses have a way

In the yoga time of day

Yoga,

by Stephan

Yoga is not for me

Sometimes it makes me crazy

The frog and the tree

Are all hard for me

So whenever I do those poses

I fall down

Yoga ,

by Caleigh

Cat dog, cow and tree

As you breathe count to three

Calm yourself and feel free

Yoga helps me be me

The Tree,

by Ariel

The tree is calming

I have to stay very still

So I do not fall

Yoga,

by Miles

Yoga is here everyday

It is new

Not for play

You stay still

Don’t walk away

Blend in with a tree any day

Poses,

by Jocelyn

Cobra

Airplane

Warrior 1

Warrior 2

Those are some poses you can do

Cow

Tree

Cat

Downward

Dog

Please don’t forget the frog

Yoga is good for me,

by Axel

Yoga is good for me

It helps me to relax

I can stretch up and become a tree

Or bend down and meditate

I can breathe well when I ice skate

And make a figure eight

Or I can go down town to make a touchdown

Yoga is good for me

Yoga,

by Sarah Kazan

There are many poses in yoga

People know the tree and downward dog

But not really the frog

It may seem very silly

But really it’s good for you

Movie stars and athletes do it

Before they perform

So they can have a good form

Yoga,

by Rachel

Although the trees do not move

When in wind or a storm

You have to stay still

Have good posture

Have good form

Lotus, cobra warrior 2

These poses keep me calm

What about you?

Yoga helps me get rid of

Any bad thoughts in my head

I won’t just sit and relax

I’ll do yoga instead

Billy Joel, Leonardo da Vinci, and Kirtans?

2010-10-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

So….what do Billy Joel, Leonardo da Vinci and Kirtans have in common, you ask? Read on…

"I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by."

- Billy Joel


"Do you know that our soul is composed of harmony?"

- Leonardo da Vinci

“Chanting is a way of getting in touch with yourself. It’s an opening of the heart and letting go of the mind and thoughts.”

- Krishna Das

There you have it. It’s a belief that music heals and touches your soul. That it can light up your heart, bring a smile to your face, or send chills down your spine. If you love music—and we know you do--come check out our Kirtan this Saturday, Oct 23 from 8-9 pm at Yoga Haven. Led by teachers Denise Madden (vocals and harmonium), and Ann Casapini (vocals), as well as by three professional jazz musicians – Arthur Rotfeld (who composes many of the numbers, sings and plays the guitar), Alan Eicher or Stefynie Rosenfeild (keyboards), and Steve Mansfield (drums), the evening promises to be an uplifting and joyful experience.

If you’ve never attended a Kirtan, you may have some questions. Maybe you don’t know what it’s all about. Maybe you’re afraid you’ll be forced to sing in public. Maybe you think it’s just not your thing. Well, we sat down with Denise, Ann, and Arthur to find out just what a Kirtan is and why Yoga Haven offers this musical event for its students and the greater community.

What is a Kirtan?

Ann: To put it simply, at a Kirtan we’re sitting around singing and making music together. For me, it’s pure joy. I love to sing. But, you don’t have to be a good singer. It’s not about that. It’s a joyful thing. We sing. We make good music. We uplift our mood because it’s fun. It’s all about sound and sound vibration. We’re raising our vibration level which can actually heal the body and raise our spirits.

Denise: It’s a celebration of the community and a chance for us all to come together in a joyful way. Simply by being at a Kirtan you open up to an opportunity for the mind to settle and become focused and then the heart is able to recognize its true nature of joy and freedom. Chanting creates a space of such support and you become absorbed in the universal language which is simply love!

Is there a cost?

Denise: We ask for a $10 donation which the musicians generously accept as their payment for the evening. But if that’s a hardship, you can donate whatever you’re able.

What are you singing?

Ann: We’re singing chants. If you’ve taken yoga classes, you may have heard some of these tunes before. We sing music by Krishna Das and Jai Uttal, and by our own Arthur. We sing in a call and response style. I sing a short phrase. You sing a short phrase. And it’s repeating back and forth between you and me. So it creates this flow of vibration and a sense of community.

What do you mean by vibration?

Denise: There is a particular back and forth, call and response rythmn to chanting. This rythmn holds the vibration of everyone in the room and when you have a lot of people in the same room, energetically offering their voices it is powerful! The chants are sung in Sanskrit and we sing it in this language because of the vibrational quality of the words. It’s the juxtaposition of the vowels and the consonants within the Sanskrit words that hold the vibrational resonance which makes it intensified. And then we use instruments like the harmonium, guitar, drums, keyboard and our voices to elevate and maximize that vibration. It’s that vibration that moves through us and opens our hearts. This is the kind of music that can move you into a deeper understanding of your heart.

What’s the music like?

Ann: Some of it is melodic, some of it’s upbeat -- there’s a range. There are quiet numbers, numbers that sound almost romantic, numbers that sound like you could dance to them, and some with a Latin feel. And Arthur writes these beautiful pieces that brings something more contemporary to it.

How do the Kirtans at Yoga Haven compare to the larger venues in NYC?

Ann: There is something to the intimacy we have -- kind of like being in the front row of a concert as opposed to being way in the back. There’s an immediacy to the exchange of energy. You feel it in your bones when you’re that close. It’s a pretty cool thing. It’s not like the audience is in the dark and we’re in the bright lights. It’s a shared experience and it builds community. Friendship is built on shared experience and fun and that’s what this is – FUN.

How long have the Kirtans been going on at YH?

Denise: We started in 2006. I had been chanting on my own for a while and I had been inspired to buy a harmonium. I wanted to bring the Kirtan here as a part of building the community of Yoga Haven. It started with Antonia and me. She had chants she liked, I had some I liked and we took it from there. Then Ann and I came together. Her voice is so beautiful--she adds an element of beauty. But the big shift came in 2008 when Arthur came on because it opened our repertoire so much more. He could hear the music and play it and then he started creating music for us which just blew us away. When you start creating music together there’s a coming together of the hearts that’s very powerful.

Arthur, how did you become involved in the Kirtan?

Arthur: A couple of years ago, Denise asked me to do it. I accepted because I’m the kind of guy who does what the teacher asks (he chuckles). She was all smiley, so I said sure.

Denise, laughing: He was in my class a good year before I found out he was a guitarist and composer which is why I asked him if he would play the guitar for the Kirtan. I told him the names of a couple of my favorite songs and when he came back and played them so beautifully for me, I thought ‘Wow, this is the guy we need.’

What’s your background?

Arthur: I’m a musician, teacher, and writer. I teach guitar, piano and composition. I went to college for jazz and music education and then to graduate school for classical composition.

How did Steve and Alan become involved?

Arthur: I’ve worked with Steve since 1988, since we were freshmen in college. Alan and I met on the scene gigging…it’s been at least 10 years. We play jazz and instrumental music at clubs and private functions. I just asked them if they were interested and they said yes. And Stefynie is a great musician who fills in when Alan can’t make it.

Before signing on, did you know anything about Kirtans or the music?

Arthur: It was new to me. I started learning by listening to CDs by Shantala, then Krishna Das and Jai Uttal. I got a book of traditional chants. So we play some recognizable tunes and a good amount of original ones.

If they’re set chants how can yours be any different than say, Krishna Das?

Arthur: You’re really taking the text and putting it to music. So if you take something like Om Nama Shivaya, there are probably thousands of melodies for it. I’ve set them with melodies and harmonies that feel right for the mood of the text, with my musical conception. The meaning and rhythm of the words matters most and that often serves as my initial inspiration.

Denise: They’re all chants based on original Sanskrit text. All the different melodies come from what moves that particular individual’s creative heart. And wow, we are so fortunate to have such a creative heart here in Arthur!

Are you glad you signed on?

Arthur: Yes. The real thrill comes from making music for an appreciative audience. I’m looking to create a meaningful experience for everyone in the room. It’s very rewarding.

What can people expect to get out of it?

Ann: It’s kind of like a yoga class. You can take yoga on so many levels. You can take it for your back pain, to de-stress, or to go deeper inside yourself. It’s the same with Kirtan. It can be a concert, a mood lifter, or a spiritual journey. It’s what you bring to it. You get out of it what you need to get out of it. And, you may go not expecting to get anything out of it –and then find it surprises you.

Denise: It really gives participants a deeper connection to their hearts and to the hearts of those around them. The chanting is really a vehicle in. It’s a way for us to all join as one. We all want to be happy and chanting does bring a sense of true joy to our being. You just can’t help but feel moved and happy by coming together with others in this way. It makes you happy in the heart, open to be touched, moved, and inspired.

What do you personally get out of it?

Ann: I’m there because I really like that I can participate with other people. I love music and it makes me happy. With so many other things in life you can intellectualize it-- plan it, but I don’t with this. I just do it for the pure joy. Think about children. When they play, they play for the pure joy of it. And for me, that’s what chanting is. It’s for the pure joy of it.

Arthur: We (Arthur and the other musicians) like coming to a place where it’s a listening and supportive environment – where people aren’t talking over the music, where you’re not competing with distractions. I also get the same thing that other participants get of it – the spiritual benefits, the meditative benefits, the community benefits.

Denise: For me chanting is like sipping a sweet divine elixir and the more I sip in the energy of the room, the more intoxicating the experience, until I am totally blissed out! The energy in the room itself transforms and it is the sweetest experience when we can make deeper connections to one another in this way. The experience is made more powerful by all of us just sharing heart space. The power is in the sharing of the experience for sure.

Any last thoughts?

Ann: Even if you aren’t in the mood to sing, you’re still going to feel the sound. It’s like going to a concert. If you go to hear music you like, it usually shifts your mood. So if you’ve never been, check it out. You don’t have to stay for the whole thing, but checking it out is a good thing to do.

The Book Shelf

2010-10-18T16:24:00.000-07:00

What We’re Reading…

Yoga Haven Staff Picks

Our newest Book Shelf selection The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael Singer, comes from Yoga Haven teacher Alex von Bidder (who by the way is an author himself. If you haven’t seen his adorable children’s book Wiggins Learns His Manners at the Four Seasons, be sure to peek at it in the YH shop). Here’s what Alex had to say about his book choice:

“Yoga is an art and science that enables us to go beyond our traditionally narrow way of experiencing life. This beautifully written book by Michael Singer, describes the process of self-discovery in an easy, effortless and enjoyable way. The Untethered Soul is a brilliant step-by-step path to discovering your very best Self and how to express it in the world. In it Singer reminds us of the unlimited positive energy available to us. He teaches us how to identify and transform anything blocking that energy, so that we can successfully access and use it. I found this book to be a life-changing read. I hope that you will too.”

Copies of The Untethered Soul are available for sale in the Yoga Haven shop.

Private Thoughts - Yoga Teacher Trainees Journal Entry 9/26/2010

2010-09-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

"Interesting thought that occurred to me today as I was getting ready this morning. I have been hesitating writing the “weekly journal” part of my required Yoga teacher training homework because in the back of my mind I am not sure where I should write. Should I write in my huge spiral journal notebook that I already started journaling in years ago but hardly ever write in? Should I use loose leaf paper so I can put it in my Yoga manual? Should I use a new, thinner spiral notebook that I dedicate to Yoga thoughts and class notes? Should I buy a beautiful journal to chronicle my thoughts and have as a keepsake for the future? Should I write in the computer? Perhaps even start a blog about my contemplations and jumpstart my formal writing aspirations with my yogic journey thereby killing two birds with one stone?

Apparently there are quite a few options.

Can you believe this? I am debating internally where to best collect my thoughts about this yoga journey when I should just be writing the damn thing.

Is there a cosmic lesson here? Could it be that I am learning something about myself? Could it be that I am sometimes paralyzed by form? Is the how taking up more importance and time than the why and the what?

The bottom line is that it needs to be done, for practical reasons as well as esoteric ones. I need to hand in something at the end of class detailing my journey, and I assume that the reason it is required is that the act of thinking about it and writing will chronicle the emotions and changes we experience while learning about Yoga philosophy and trying to incorporate it into our physical and mental lives.

I am doing this teacher training in part to learn how to correctly do and teach the poses. And yes, although form in Yoga is important, certainly we should not become slaves to the how and realize that the practice itself is enough. Sloppy handwriting does not diminish the power of the words.

Still not sure whether to print this or keep it in a computer file."

Nancy Rodriquez, 2010 Yoga Teacher Trainee

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The Book Shelf

2010-09-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

What We’re Reading…

Yoga Haven Staff Picks

Students often ask what books our teachers are reading – what they find particularly inspiring or worthwhile. So we decided to ask them. We’re kicking off our Yoga Haven Staff Picks with Yoga Gems by Georg Feuerstein. It’s a long-time favorite of teacher Karen Safire, who always keeps a copy close by. Here’s what Karen had to say:

“Georg Feurerstein has filled the pages with pearls of wisdom and inspiration from yoga masters ancient and modern. This is a book that you could read all the way through, but I think it is best left on the night table for some soothing words to help let go of a stressful day and create a smooth transition on to sleep, or picked up and flipped through when one needs a little inspiration. I have had the book for several years, never tire of it, and continually return to its pages for new insight. It truly is a “gem.”

Copies of Yoga Gems are available for purchase in the Yoga Haven office. So stop on by and check it out.

Yoga Injury Question

2010-08-23T15:06:00.000-07:00

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Following is the first student question we have received. Please feel free to email a general question or a question for a specific teacher regarding yoga to betsy@yogahaven.com.

"Hi, I have been practicing Ashtanga Yoga for 1 year and I love it...but I have developed a couple injuries along the way. Can you give me any idea why I might be having shoulder and neck issues?"

(response by Jill Ganassi)

It’s so important for yoga practitioners to recognize signs of strain or injury as early as possible. What starts out as a nagging discomfort somewhere in your body could be a warning signal. For newer practitioners, it can sometimes take a while to become fully aware that something isn’t right. As you gain experience, however, you’ll begin to develop an inner knowledge and connection to your body that allows you to recognize more quickly when something is wrong. Then it takes humility, honesty, and openness to acknowledge that something might be going awry with your practice.

incorrect chaturanga with shoulders dropping
torso and pelvis placement on the blocks
correct chaturanga
Those of us who have practiced regularly for long periods of time, have almost all had injuries. So you’re not alone. Believe it or not, injuries can be wonderful teachers.   They bring us to a deeper awareness of our physical alignment and function, the quality of our attention, the ability to hear that inner voice of knowing, and of course the ability to respect and respond to that voice with intelligence.
I’ve had many students over the years who have complained of shoulder and neck pain. One reason for this is that in the practice of Ashtanga and other forms of yoga, there are some opportunities for repetitive upper body stress injuries from all of the Chaturanga Dandasana and Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (up-dog) in the sequence.   Chaturanga Dandasana is extremely difficult, because it requires both great strength and tremendous coordination of multiple muscle groups.   When lowering down into the pose from down dog or plank, the journey from straight arm to bent arm puts a load on the shoulder joint that can strain the tendons, ligaments, bursa, and other connective tissue.    Weakness in the rhomboids, middle trapizius, rear deltoids, terres minor, and tricep muscles, (upper back and back of arm), combined with tightness in the pectorals, front deltoids, subscapularus, and latisamus dorse (chest and front of arm), all combine to pull the head of the humerous (the top of the upper arm bone), forward, closing the chest and straining the front and rear of the shoulder joint. If you watch people doing the pose from down dog or plank you can usually see this forward rolling and dropping of the shoulder on the way down. And when your attention is brought to it, you can definitely feel it when it’s happening.
So, what to do? Well, once you’ve gotten an all-clear from your medical practitioner, the solution is to practice, practice, practice. But in addition to working on chaturanga, practice all of the poses and exercises that strengthen those weak areas and stretch those tight ones.   Pec stretches at the wall are a good daily routine for all of us, and especially for people working on opening a tight chest. Any variety of chest-opening poses and stretches will make a difference in the process of slowly creating the condition in the chest that allows the muscles of the back body to hold the head of the humerus toward the back of the body. Poses that strengthen the mid and upper back and triceps, such as cobra and locust, makarasana, bow, and bridge pose are great.
Another unfortunate side effect of the shoulder rolling forward in chaturanga is that it causes the upper trapezium muscles to roll toward and, therefore, crowd and compress the back of the neck, causing neck strain.
block placement
Along with practicing the poses and stretches that support the strength and flexibility needed for Chaturanga, there are ways to practice the pose itself that can teach awareness of the needed actions without the strain of the full pose. For example, the pose can be done with support. Take 2 blocks. Place one in front of the other on the lowest height to make the longest shape possible.
Lie down with your pubic bone just in front of the first block, not on it, and rest your front torso on the 2 blocks. Then take the general shape of Chaturanga. Place your hands by your side ribs. Separate your feet hip width and tuck your toes under. Stretch your heels back and lift your kneecaps toward the ceiling, firming your quadriceps as much as possible. Then, curl your tailbone toward your pubic bone. Reach your side ribs forward and align your neck and head with your spine keeping your sternum parallel to the floor. Maintaining all of that, lift your shoulder bones to the ceiling so that your upper back muscles contract and your chest opens. Ideally your upper arm bones should be parallel to the floor and your forearms should be perpendicular to the floor, but in the beginning your hands can be a little further forward than that for more leverage.    Now, press down into your hands and the balls of your feet and engage all the muscles that you feel would be required to lift you evenly a half an inch off the blocks. But don’t come off of them. We’re just engaging muscles here.   Specifically focus on your quadriceps, abdominals, pecs and triceps. After 30 seconds relax. Repeat this 3 times. Then repeat the process, but this time concentrate on keeping the front of your shoulders lifted as you go ahead and try to evenly raise yourself off the blocks. Watch to see if your shoulder alignment corrects, once you’ve brought your focus and attention to that area of your body. Good luck!

Please feel free to email a general question or a question for a specific teacher regarding yoga to betsy@yogahaven.com.

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