Yoga for the Cancer Journey returns to The Yoga Loft

If you or a loved one has been on the cancer journey, make sure to note this offering at The Yoga Loft.  Co-founder Maureen Oar also can speak from the heart about her journey.  “Mo” as she’s often lovingly called, has also survived cancer. This ancient art has been a central part of her journey.  Just see what she’s previously written:

“ Yoga is for every body and can be adapted and adopted to fit all needs. As we introduced ourselves, some people shared what they felt comfortable with and others just spoke their name. What they shared wasn’t important; we knew we were all there to support one another. Yoga is a way for survivors to manage the symptoms and the stress of cancer, beyond diagnosis and treatment. Just as important for the caregivers, yoga helps us manage the stress of a loved one dealing with the challenges that arise.”

Come and learn how yoga can help you to create, stimulate and maintain an optimum state of physical and emotional health.  Anyone living with cancer, survivors and caregivers are welcome. All classes are located at The Yoga Loft, 219 Legion Way SW, Suite 202, Olympia, 98501.  The free events are on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

August 4

September 8

October 6

November 3

December 1

By Doug Adamson 

We're back!

The Yoga Loft is open again after Lakefair!  We’re soooo happy.

Yeah!  We also could use the Sanskrit word for victory which is Jai! 

All classes are back on normal schedule.  

Come and deepen your practice.   Come find yourself here!

Cool things to do during The Yoga Loft closure

OK, Capitol Lake Fair has us closing after the noon class on Wednesday, July 17.  We’re back at it Monday July, 22.    So, as we take a break, here’s a few things to try.  

-         Dedicate yourself to doing 20 minutes of savanasa at home everyday.  Put away the cat, close the door, and turn off the phone. It’s tough, especially if you have kids.  But, the regular practice of savanasa can help make your life sparkle even more.

-         Enhance or begin a meditation practice.  Repeat the same steps above.   Simply place your hands on your low belly and watch your breath.  Don’t change it. Just watch.  Reread the last sentence from the above paragraph and replace the word savanasa with meditation.

-         Two words ( if it’s right for your body ) PLANK, CHILD’S, PLANK ( REPEAT!) And then have fun with mediation and savanasa.

-         Make sure to check out the summer focus class with Kirsti Lyons on Sunday, July 28 and Sunday, August 25. All levels are opened for this heart opening themed offerings.

See you soon!

By Doug Adamson

Peaceful Warrior at The Yoga Loft on the 4th!

Do you have the 4^th of July off?  Please consider joining The Yoga Loft Co-founder Maureen Oar for a special offering.   Maureen will focus on perhaps one of the most famous and well known poses, Warrior.  As a reminder, all remaining classes are cancelled that day.  We didn’t want to do it, but fireworks and savasana aren’t a good mix. All classes resume their regular schedule on Friday, July 5^th.

by Anne Phyfe Palmer

When I think of Independence Day, the word freedom comes to mind..The word for freedom in Sanskrit, the language of yoga, is moksha. The actual meaning of moksha is "release" or "to let loose, to let go." It's opposite is to hold, to restrain, to control.  Many things can bind us from the outside - laws, familial obligations, work - but we can also be wound tight by our own minds. The gift of yoga is that it teaches us to use control to find freedom. We learn through the discipline and attention of practice to become less held by the fluctuations of the mind. We learn to witness not follow its dance. We become able to be with what is, rather than follow the yarn our mind weaves about what was, or what could be.  The true goal of yoga is moksha, freedom. How do you experience freedom, today? What still binds you? What freedoms are worth fighting for?  May you enjoy your July 4th, and consider the freedoms we have, and can  continue to receive. 

Maureen Oar talks yoga misconceptions, cancer recovery and The Yoga Loft!

See The Yoga Loft Co-Founder Maureen Oar interviewed on “Around Thurston County" with Patrick Babineau

Check out Maureen's interview!

See The Yoga Loft at the Capital City Marathon

Running and yoga go hand-in-hand.  That’s why The Yoga Loft will be a part of this coming weekend’s Capitol City Marathon.  Before the annual event, Yoga Loft teacher Kristi Lyons will help runners with a warm-up routine. Also, make sure to stop by our booth at Sylvester Park.   Learn what some runners already know, that yoga provides many benefits.

Why do runners grove on yoga?

-It helps provide balance to muscles.  Some athletes overwork some while neglecting others.       

- Yoga postures help lengthen hip mucsles, hamstrings and other overly contracted muscles.

                                                                                                                 

- Runners who do yoga can better listen to their body.

-Yoga helps build a sound body alignment to help prevent misstep

- Yoga helps your mind by building better concentration and growing confidence.

By Doug Adamson

Mother’s Day Yoga and Tea

5 good reasons to take mom to The Yoga Loft for Mother’s Day Yoga and Tea

 

5. Mom is cool, so is yoga.  Need we say more?

4. Did we mention tea?  

3. It's led by The Yoga Loft’s co-founder Maureen Oar, who’s also cool.  

2. Sure beats 3000 calories from a Mother’s Day buffet

And the number one reason to attend The Yoga Loft’s Mother’s Day Yoga and Tea:

1. Mom saw you do happy baby’s pose, while you were a baby.

$20 per person.  Bring mom or someone who is a mother for $10 more.

Sunday May 12 from 2-4 p.m. at The Yoga Loft.   Pre-registration is required.

You can do that on The Yoga Loft website.  

Mamaste!

By Doug Adamson

More about Sound Healing at The Yoga Loft

Kristen's talents for teaching yoga are wide ranging.  Kristen does so much with expecting mothers through prenatal classes and her work with kids.  She also is known for her Sound Healing offered at The Yoga Loft.  This month, there's a little added extra: chanting with Amitabhan.  If you've never been to one of her Sound Healing events, here's some more information.

 YL:  Can you tell us a little about Sound Healing?  What is it?

KR: Throughout time and within many cultures, music and sound have been at the heart of healing. Sound healing is vibrational medicine that can help reduce stress, alleviate pain, improve sleep and concentration and create a deeper sense of well being.

YL:   What's the reaction from people afterwards?

KR:  Here's a few quotes from people who've attended:

“If everyone attended Kristen Rubis’ Group Sound Healing, our world would be a better place. My experience was profound and remained with me for days afterward. Every cell in my body hummed with the vibrations of the singing bowls and a sense of peace and calm overwhelmed me as I exchanged with the universe my suffering for its healing. Love yourself enough to experience this healing ceremony because it will ultimately benefit those that you love the most..”  ~Annette , Olympia WA

"During Kristen's concert, I felt like I was being bathed with sound all the way down to my cells. So nourishing, thank you!" ~Kelly, Sedona, AZ

"Amazing unworldly magic!" ~Sherri, Sebastopol, CA

 

YL:  How will this experience be a bit different with Amitabhan?

KR:  I will start the evening with an hour of Sound Healing – using Tibetan and crystal quartz “singing” bowls, bells, planetary chimes, a healing gong, and other soothing percussion instruments.  I’ll then lead some simple breathing exercises and a guided meditation. For the remaining hour Amitabhan will lead kirtan, and share a few of his heart-opening original songs.

YL:   What inspires you to do this offering?

KR: I am humbled by the healing potential of this sacred music. I receive emails and messages from folks sharing their pain is decreased, their anxiety is diminished, their insomnia is gone, their creativity has opened in a new way. It's heart opening and humbling to witness folks shifting in such positive ways. It's a beautiful non-invasive way to invite the nervous system to relax and alleviate stagnation in our body, mind and spirits!

YL:  Anything else?

KR:  Sacred music is becoming a bigger part of my path and a deeper part of my service. I listen with my hands and heart while I trust in the divinity of this sacred music. The mystery, magic, and medicine of the healing sound moves through me with deep grace. I am humbled and honored to share this ‘Sacred Sound Healing’ with the world.

The concert starts at 7pm Friday, May 10.
Tickets are available at the door - $15 - $25 (sliding scale).  

Sound Healing event with Yoga Loft's Kristen Rubis and Amitabhan

Kristen Rubis and Amitabhan will be performing at The Yoga Loft in Olympia on Friday, May 10th.  This will be the first show of their “Sound Healing” tour through the Pacific Northwest.  The pair recently completed a tour of Yoga Studios and Healing Centers in Northern California.   Kristen is based locally, where she has been sharing yoga and the healing arts for many years.  Her “Healing Sound” concerts and workshops have been offered at a venues ranging from Retreat Centers to Correctional Institutions in Washington, Oregon, California and Arizona.   Amitabhan is an award-winning songwriter based in Northern California.  He travels extensively through the US and into Canada, and shared his music at over 150 events in the last year.  He has appeared at events with many well-known spiritual teachers, in addition to offering his own concerts at Yoga Studios and Healing Centers around the country. Each “Sound Healing” event has two components – a chance to deeply rest in the healing vibration of various instruments, and a chance to creating healing sound from within ones own body. Kristen will share an hour of Sound Healing – using Tibetan and crystal quartz “singing” bowls, bells, planetary chimes, a healing gong, and other soothing percussion instruments.  Many people find these instruments to be powerfully transformational.  As one attendee recently stated, “Every cell in my body hummed with the vibrations of the singing bowls and a sense of peace and calm overwhelmed me…” Kristen will also lead some simple breathing exercises and a guided meditation. Amitabhan will lead Kirtan – call-and-response chants from India.  Kirtan is an invigorating practice that not only energizes the body, but also brings people to a state of deep relaxation.  You can learn more about these artists and hear their music at: www.sacredawakenings.org/site/sound-acutonics, and www.amitabhan.com.  The concert starts at 7pm.  Tickets are available at the door - $15 - $25 (sliding scale).  

Yoga Myth #2

#2 Yoga is just about stretching

Stretching has fantastic benefits for your body. Tight muscles can have a cascade effect.  Bones can be knocked out of alignment. Tight muscles also can increase your chance of injury, and create pain.   The beauty of postural yoga also includes bringing balance to your body.  That’s why classes at The Yoga Loft also help you build new strength.  Many of the poses have you using multiple muscle groups at the same time.  Frequent and sustained practice that tones your muscles helps build functional strength.  Then there’s balance.  Many people will blame being wobbly by saying they’re just that way.   There’s a pretty common reason for it.  People have weakened muscles from a lack of exercise.  Those degenerated muscles are there to support you.  Yoga Loft teachers work to help build up that balance which helps in so many ways…not to mention helping you keep from tumbling over.  Make sure to click on The Yoga Loft schedule and find a class and time that’s convenient for you. That’s where you’ll quickly learn it’s a lot more than stretching.

By Doug Adamson

Come to The Yoga Loft for Arts Walk!

Yoga is an art. It's graceful.  There are elegant lines.  It's sweeping and dynamic. That's why the Yoga Loft happily once more is a participant of this year’s Spring Arts Walk.  We invite you into our warm studio to help celebrate the arts.  Take in images of feathers from the world.  Artist Chris Maynard’s latest shadowbox pieces will be on display.  Also, see many prints of this uplifting art.  Drop by The Yoga Loft at 7 p.m. where you can hear more about the art inside the studio.  Cover artist China Star will be in our studio Friday April, 25 from 5 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. with her work Sculpted Nests.  It's also your chance to pop inside and see our inviting studio.

By Doug Adamson

An afternoon of yoga and support

by Providence Regional Cancer System | Monday, April 22, 2013 | Email Article

Editor's Note: This article is written by Maureen Oar, RYT at YOGA Loft. She has met all the educational requirements needed to be registered with the national Yogo Alliance and has pursued additional studies in the therapeutic applications to yoga. 

As I turned up the heat, turned on the lights, put on the music and swept the floor at the Yoga Loft, I wondered, “How many will come this afternoon?”
People began to arrive. I greeted familiar faces and welcomed new ones. Before I knew it, we had 21 people join us.
Within the group we had, men and women, old and young, people that had never done yoga before and those that were returning for more.
I thought to myself, “This is what yoga is all about.”
Yoga is for every body and can be adapted and adopted to fit all needs. As we introduced ourselves, some people shared what they felt comfortable with and others just spoke their name. What they shared wasn’t important; we knew we were all there to support one another.
Yoga is a way for survivors to manage the symptoms and the stress of cancer, beyond diagnosis and treatment. Just as important for the caregivers, yoga helps us manage the stress of a loved one dealing with the challenges that arise. Next Month, Sunday May 5th, the doors are wide open as we welcome you onto the path of Yoga...

Yoga for the Cancer Journey

Come and learn how yoga can help you to create, stimulate and maintain an optimum state of physican and emotional health.
Cancer survivor and certified yoga instructor Maureen Oar, RYT has met all the educational requirements needed to be registered with the National Yoga Alliance and has pursued additional studies in the therapeutic applications of yoga. This class is created to meet the needs of any level of health and fitness and to support you in modifying your practice appropriately.
Anyone living with cancer, survivors and caregivers are welcome. All classes are located at The Yoga Loft, 219 Legion Way SW, Suite 202, Olympia, 98501. View Flyer >>

• Sunday, May 5, 1-2:20 p.m.
• Sunday, June 2, 1-2:20 p.m.
• Sunday, July 7, 1-2:20 p.m.

Fight stress, be at ease

What happens when you get angry?   You might clinch your jaws and teeth.  Did you know your breath also shallows when you’re stressed out?  That’s not the only thing that’s happening to your body when you’re in the midst of jammed traffic, screaming kids, or being confronted by an upset boss or customer.  Your body’s fight-flight-or-freeze response kicks in.  It’s a defense mechanism. That’s great as long as you’re not regularly in that mode. Stress can arrive anywhere and at anytime.  That’s where yoga plays a role in de-stressing.  Check out what the Mayo Clinic reports:

“Yoga is considered a mind-body type of complementary and alternative medicine practice. Yoga brings together physical and mental disciplines to achieve peacefulness of body and mind, helping you relax and manage stress and anxiety. Yoga has many styles, forms and intensities. Hatha yoga, in particular, may be a good choice for stress management.”

April is Stress Awareness Month.  Ironically, you may not really know how stressed you are until you’re kicking in that mind-boy connection.  Stressed right now?  Try this:

Stop

Close your eyes

Pay attention to your breathing

Without changing your breath, count every time you exhale

Do this for ten counts  

You should begin to feel a difference rather quickly.  See if you're still clinching your jaw…and make it a priority to visit a class at The Yoga Loft.

By Doug Adamson
Mayo Clinic article

Namaste for The Yoga Loft honors!

Words we use after learning The Yoga Loft again has been voted as the ‘Best Yoga Studio’ in Olympia.  

“Gratitude, thankful, appreciative, honored, pleased and Namaste!”

It’s a back-to-back honor from the readers of the Weekly Volcano.

Come see what makes The Yoga Loft so special.  First time students can get a special introductory pass.  Also, make sure to revisit us if it’s been a while since your last class.

The Yoga Loft has:

-         An open and warm studio

-         Multiple class offerings  

-         Talented teachers who have your best interest at heart

-         Frequent workshops

-         A “pay what you can”  class

-         Local ownership

Again, a gracious thank you and much appreciation!

By Doug Adamson

"Yoga 101" offered during free event

You’ve heard about the benefits of yoga.  So, what’s keeping you?  The Yoga Loft happily presents ‘ Yoga 101’ on Saturday April 6.  It’s designed to help people who:

-         May feel uneasy or have questions about going into a yoga studio

-         Have watched videos about yoga, but have never been in a studio

-         Wonder what it’s like to take a yoga class

Experienced yoga teachers Patti Moore and Maureen Oar will take new students on an easy exploration of yoga.  The Yoga Loft co-founders will provide a supportive environment for those who want to learn more about yoga.  You’ll learn a few basic postures.  You’ll be able to ask questions.  This is a perfect event for absolute beginners.   No yoga experience is needed…whatsoever.  It’s also free.  Make sure to wear comfortable clothing, such as something you’d wear to the gym.  We’ll provide everything else.  It runs from 2-3 p.m. on Saturday April 6.   It’s a great opportunity to get into a transformational practice at The Yoga Loft, which has been voted “Best Yoga Studio” in Olympia for two years in a row.  

By Doug Adamson

Clear Out the Winter Cobwebs with the Spring Tune Up!

Clear Out the Winter Cobwebs with the Spring Tune Up!

As the days start to get longer and the urge to do some spring cleaning surfaces, it's good to remember that our bodies may need a little bit more attention too.  Up for your consideration is the Spring Tune Up!  This workshop is inspired by the return of Spring and the Equinox… the time of year when the sun passes over the equator while day and night are (more or less) the same length.  Our practice will reflect this balance so that we may find attunement with ourselves and nature. 

The first half of the class will focus on an energizing, flowing yet quite gentle practice.  For any of you familiar with my Level I class, it will be more gentle than that.  The intention is just to get everything moving and flowing (including those places that don't always get enough attention).  The second half will focus on restorative poses and deep rest. 

This workshop is for people who…
- have been out of practice for a while and need a gentle re-boot, or want to know how to re-boot if they ever do fall out of practice
- just want a relaxing, gentle way to spend their Saturday afternoon
- need to de-stress and a shorter class doesn't always do it
- want to learn how to care for their joints and get them moving
- want to learn a handful of restorative poses that they can practice at home (these are very useful during times of fatigue, dis-ease and a few are great to practice during menses; for the men reading this, don't worry they are great for you too :  )
- want some time to tune in, reflect and reconnect
- want to set a theme/intention for the Spring, or the rest of the year

This practice is one of the best ways to get back into yoga after some time off and also one of my favorite ways to unwind and de-stress... great for a Saturday afternoon.  Join us so I can share with you some of my favorite things (that don't always make it into a regular class).

Spring Tune Up! takes place on Saturday March 23rd from 2-4pm at the Yoga Loft... $20 in advance or $25 at the door.  Please see the Upcoming Events page of the website for more information. 

Looking forward to practicing with you!
Robyn.

P.S. We will be using lots of props!  Feel free to bring your own if you want to... we will be using 2 blocks, a strap, yoga blankets and/or a small bolster (although a large one could also work), an eye pillow and of course a yoga mat.  Also... wear plenty of layers, especially if you run cold, so you can stay warm during the restorative/relaxation part of the class.

 

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Yoga for the Cancer Journey

If you or a loved one have been touched by cancer, you’ll want to take note. The Yoga Loft has several offerings for those who wish to create, stimulate, and maintain their optimum physical and emotional health.  Yoga Loft Co-Owner Maureen Oar, a cancer survivor, has several free events.  They’re being held on the first Sunday of each month.  It’s sponsored by Providence Integrated Cancer Care.

YL: How will this benefit me?

MO:   Yoga will help you manage the symptoms, the physical, mental and emotional challenges.  The focus on the breath, the gentle movement of yoga and the meditation aspect will support you on the cancer journey.  People who practice yoga report having more ease in falling asleep which helps fight fatigue. Frequent yoga practice can help reduce stress hormones. That can be a great help for someone who is going through treatment or has been through treatment.  The combination of the body-mind connection also has so many benefits for your quality of life.  Plus, the class also uses the power of visualization which can help in your healing process.

YL: I'm a loved one. Could I attend too?

MO: Yes!  A loved one also is on the journey, perhaps more than many realize. It is a wonderful thing to share with a friend or family member.  Yoga is a stress buster. I invite all caregivers to attend. Many students who began this class as cancer patients, have continued to attends years after and moving on to other levels of yoga we offer at Yoga Loft

YL: What if I've never done yoga before. I'm not flexible.  I have a number of other challenges too. How is this appropriate for me?

MO:  Our motto at Yoga Loft is "Practice Yoga with Ease and Support", never more true than when it comes to this class. Everyone starts as a beginner.  Your frequent practice helps you begin the process of gaining flexibility, plus some strength.   As always, it’s recommended that you check with your doctor or health care provider before beginning any new program.  As with any class at the Yoga Loft, all students are given the opportunity to modify poses. This class in particular is appropriately modified for those who’ve had or are having health challenges. 

YL: How would people who take these offerings describe how it helps them?

MO: People who leave the class feel energized, peaceful and at ease.  New students often are apprehensive about this approach.  However, assuring teaching where students are guided into activity that’s best for them really can make feel fantastic. The opportunity to network with others that are experiencing similar symptoms can be very helpful

YL: You yourself have been on a cancer journey.  How has yoga played a role and how does it impact your classes?

MO: Cancer is what actually guided me to yoga. It seems strange to say, but yoga has been the silver lining to that dark cloud. For many years I "dabbled" in yoga, attending classes now and then, I always knew there was something there for me. However after my diagnosis 12 years ago, I found a yoga class for cancer patients, and it changed everything for me. I personally experienced how much yoga can support, create and maintain the balance in our lives. I Suddenly discovered there was something I could actually do for myself rather than having done to me! It was and continues to be the lifeline to my true self.

The free sessions are scheduled March 3, April 7, May 5, June 2, and July 7.  They run from 1 p.m. to 2:20 p.m. 


By Doug Adamson

Yoga Myth #1

 #1 I can’t do yoga, because I’m not flexible enough.

Surprise! Most people are tight. Few are regularly limber.  Tension, stress, sitting in chairs, and extended use of computers can all combine to leave people in a state of inflexibility.  You come to yoga to start working on flexibility. Our practice sessions gradually warm up the body.  We then build on that through mindfully created sequences.  Our students are reminded to find the effort, but avoid strain and stress. Flexibility doesn’t come overnight. However, it's something that will come. Your commitment to regular yoga practice can bring new freedom of movement. People who regularly practice find it gives them a new found freedom of movement through life. It includes simple tasks, work-life, and play.  This also mentions nothing about new strength, improved balance, and an increased mental sense of ease. Come find out on your own.  Join us! Remember, your first class with us is free. 

By Doug Adamson 

4 reasons why you should bring a friend to a yoga class

You’ve heard so much about the benefits of your regular yoga practice.  Just the stress relief alone has people frequently finding themselves in a studio.  Being with a friend can make your yoga practice and your relationship even better.

1. It’s a non-competitive environment.  There are plenty of opportunities to be competitive outside the studio. Isn’t a relief that you can take your foot off the gas peddle for just a bit?  Everybody progresses in their yoga journey at their own pace.  That’s a deeper experience when shared with someone else.

2. It’s drug-free.  It’s uplifting. You can feel amazing. Doing yoga with another friend is real quality time together.  It’s incredibly beneficial for you both.

3. You laugh together. Sometimes at each other.  Yoga should help you become a happier person.  There’s nothing like trying a challenging pose and then both of you burst out in uncontrollable laughter when something happens.  Yoga should be fun and light-hearted.  

4. Yoga helps you view life in deeper way.  It can alter your life for the better.  It’s also a journey. Isn’t that journey made so much better when it’s a shared experience?  Time on the mat also helps you better get into the present moment. So, imagine the depth of your conversation if you get together with your friend after class.

So this Valentine’s Day, there’s a special offer.   Bring a friend new to the Yoga Loft and that class is free for both of you.

By Doug Adamson 

Exploring the Yoga Tradition part 2!

Mark your calendar!  The second of Annie Barrett’s “Exploring the Yoga Tradition ” workshops is coming Feb 9 at 2-4:30 p.m.  Here’s more if you’d like to take part in this rich workshop. Make sure to return to the website to pre-register. 

YL:  I wanted to go to Part 1, but I missed it.  Can I still attend Part 2? 

AB: Absolutely!  The content presented in Part 2 is different from that of Part 1.  The second can be a stand-alone class.

YL:  Is there something I missed in the first workshop that would be helpful for my attendance in the second part of the series?

AB: In the first presentation, I detailed the most ancient teachings and texts of the yoga tradition.  However, it is not necessary to have this knowledge in order to benefit and enjoy Part 2.  In Part 2, I will review some key concepts from the previous presentation and I will provide a timeline that will place these ancient texts and teachings in context as we move into the Classical Yoga and up through to the modern era. 

Q: In essence, what will we hear in the second part? 

AB: In Part 2, my aim is to present an overview of the philosophical teachings and practices of the Yoga Sutra of Patañjali, which is the root text of the yoga tradition. I will discuss how these teachings and practices are taken up and are expanded upon in the Post Classical Yoga traditions of Tantra, Hatha Yoga, and Modern Postural Yoga.  I will also highlight the key figures in yoga of the past century.  As in the previous workshop, participants will enjoy practices such as chanting, asana, (movement) and meditation.

 YL: You're offering some movement in this workshop.  Tell us a bit about your asana style? 

AB: The workshop will begin with asana (yoga postures) as this is the gateway into the yoga tradition for most Westerners.  The type of asana I teach comes mainly from the Anusara tradition. It has roots in Tantra and in which I spent 14 years studying and practicing.  Prior to that, I studied and practiced Iyengar yoga.  My style is alignment based and heart-oriented.  For me, yoga is the practice of stepping fully into one's body, mind and heart.  Yoga is a path in which we learn to confront and embrace ourselves fully - our bodies, emotions, thoughts, challenges and joys, and via the tools of profound practice move more and more toward a stabilized condition of well-being and expansive freedom.

YL:  What else should we know? 

AB: My desire is that this workshop will spark enthusiasm for exploring more of the greater yoga tradition.  Asana (postural yoga) is wonderful and vital. There is a world beyond asana.  I hope participants gain exposure to and a basic understanding of the central concepts and practices of yoga through the ages, thereby gaining a greater understanding of the context of their yoga practice today. 

by Doug Adamson 

Did you hear about Annie Barrett’s upcoming workshops called “Exploring the Yoga Tradition?”  Here’s a bit more about this opportunity.  Part one starts Jan. 26

YL: Most people associate yoga just with the movement called asana. How will this deepen my yoga practice?

AB: What you say is true.  There are 15 million Americans practicing yoga today.  That is a lot of Downward Dogs!  However, Downward Dog or yoga asana, is just one of the many and varied practices of yoga.  Most people who come to yoga are not just coming to get fit, they are looking for a tool to help them live their life with greater ease, purpose and joy. 

Yoga through the ages has aimed to answer the BIG questions, the purpose and meaning of life: Who am I?  Where did I come from? Where am I going? What must I do?  In Exploring the Yoga Tradition, my aim is to show how through the ages, yoga has sought to answer these questions and to provide tools for individuals to experience these answers for themselves.  Yoga is about deepening our understanding of who we are and our connection to the world.  Yoga’s wisdom is timeless.  Participants in these workshops will not only gain knowledge about the tradition, they will also gain tools for deepening their own yoga practice.

YL: What caused you to study the roots of this ancient practice?

AB: I began practicing yoga asana twenty years ago.  I mainly began taking yoga classes because I thought it would be a good way to increase my flexibility.  Very quickly I discovered that yoga offered me much more than just a means to a more flexible and strong body.  I discovered that when I practiced yoga, I became calmer, more connected to my true core, and more able to make sense of my life.  And, while yoga asana continued to be an important practice for me, I yearned to know more about the tradition at large. 

I began yoga teacher training in 1998, and absolutely fell in love with yoga philosophy!  The timeless wisdom of this tradition had immediate practical values for my life.  The ancient texts spoke to my heart.  Under the guidance of wonderful teachers and mentors, I began to meditate and to incorporate other yoga practices into my life. 

Currently, I have the very good fortune to study with one of the most prominent scholar/practitioners of Tantric Yoga, Dr. Paul Muller Ortega.  My on-going study and sadhana with Paul has opened up the world of yoga even wider.  I have a much greater knowledge and understanding of the history, texts, philosophies and practices of yoga thanks to Paul.

YL: How old is yoga and where did it start?

AB: It is difficult to ascertain exactly old yoga is, but the oldest reference to yoga dates back 5,000 years to the Indus Saraswati civilization in Northern India, the oldest of the ancient civilizations.  Archaeologists have uncovered  a seal called the Pashupati Seal which dates about 3000 BCE portraying a seated yogi.  After this, we have references to yoga in the Vedas beginning about 1200 BCE.  It is amazing to realize just how old yoga is.  However, postural yoga which is the most familiar type of yoga found today is a much more recent tradition.  It is important to understand too that yoga is continuing to evolve and change.  The tradition is not static, it is very much alive and we are part of it!

YL:  “ Exploring the Yoga Tradition” will include study of some ancient texts. What if I’ve near heard of these? 

AB: It is absolutely fine if you have never heard of these texts!  Many Westerners have not.  Nonetheless, these are root texts of the yoga tradition that contain timeless wisdom that is worth our study.  For example the Yoga Sutra of Patañjali outlines the theory of the practice of meditation and is perhaps most well known for codifying the 8 Limbs of Yoga, which include yoga asana (posture) and pranayama (breathwork).  The Yamas and Niyamas listed in the text serve as a code for living well in the world and include observances such as non-violence, truthfulness, non-grasping, discipline and self study.  Very relevant today!

The Bhagavad Gita is an exquisite householder yoga text that, among many themes, elucidates the theme of the yoga of action and the question of dharma, one’s purpose in life.  It may come as a surprise to learn that the Bhagavad Gita was a central text and tool for several extraordinary Western figures such as Henry David Thoreau, Beethoven, and Gandhi.

 YL: Anything else?

AB:I really look forward to offering these two workshop!  I hope that folks will come with many questions and curiosity and that our exploration together will fuel the fire for deepening our understanding and practice of yoga together!  Namaste!

By Doug Adamson