sacred activism

by

Andrew Harvey in Seattle

Hey Everyone,

Did I tell you that Andrew Harvey (world re-known author, scholar, mystic) and Karuna are going to be leading a 5-day retreat/workshop right here in Seattle?  Lucky us.

Hosted by Wisdom University, this workshop entitled Heart Yoga will take us deeper into the connection of Sacred Activism and Yoga.

Want to learn more?  You can participate in a free hour-long  teleconference with Andrew Harvey tomorrow night at:pm PST.

To Register for that call: myaccount.maestroconference.com/conference/register/4P4XE5DH051PO15T

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A Week of Enlightenment

A Week of Divine Enlightenment

Well no, I can’t say that I have become an enlightened being this week, but I did set the intention for the week to open myself up to the possibility of experiencing the divine fully in each and every moment. And what a great week it has been.

It started as a simple question; “If I were truly an enlightened being, how would my actions in the moment change?”  The first thing I noticed was a shift of awareness.  My internal critical self took a step back.  Enlightened beings are not so judgmental – wow what a relief that was.  In my practice, I found it easier to open more fully to each asana, delighting in the postures for their own sake.  My breath flowed more gently and my meditations were longer and deeper.  In my daily life, I discovered that the traffic was less annoying and chores became vehicles for nurturing my family – not dreaded tasks.  In short, I found myself more open to the positive in every situation and more supportive of everyone around me – even those teenagers with whom I share space.

As a yoga teacher, this has turned into a deep blessing.  Opening each class with an invitation to honor the divine within, allowed all my students to reach deeper into their practices.  As a result the room became a sanctuary, and each student a manifestation of the divine.  Literally, all of us were glowing.  The asanas shimmered and the meditations were nurturing and affirming.

When we invite the divine into our lives, we are making the choice to fully acknowledge the grace, beauty and sacredness of our world. If my experience this week is any indication, creating space for the divine is a pathway for creating greater possibilities for peace in our lives and the world.

Finally, a comment on the numerous articles in the press about the perceived conflict between yoga and religions.  First, yoga is not a religion, it is a philosophy.  It is best viewed as a road map for our intrapersonal and interpersonal interactions.  Yoga – which literally mean yoking or union – strengthens the connections between the individual and their own religious commitments. In my practice this week, I found support and clarification of my Jewish faith, particularly as expressed through the Sh’ma: “Listen Israel, Adonai is holy, Adonai is one.”  By embracing the divine, I embraced the concept of the holiness of all beings and the interconnectedness of everything.  I mean, if I am divine, then you are too, and he is, and she is and he is, and so forth.  What a beautiful sparkling world of divine beings we are.

Shalom & Namaste,

Diana Bonyhadi

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Celebrating Freedom

Happy Independence Day

Aside from the the usual – bonfires, s’mores, roasting hotdogs, parades and fireworks – how will you celebrate 4th of July?  I will practice sun salutations on the beach and stand on my head and watch the waves move in and out.  I will also watch a parade and go to a bonfire.  But there is more to it than that.  I am called on this day to look deeper.  I am called to a moment of presence, an opportunity to set an intention and to honor the gift of freedom, given to me as a citizen of this fine country.

This American of American Holidays stands as a hallmark of our country’s commitment to freedom.  Freedom to be who you are, celebrate how you wish, pray as you believe and walk tall as an individual.  It also marks our country’s determination to choose our own alliances and set our own economic and political trails.  This is a heady list of choices to make at the personal and social level.

I can’t remember who said this, but “with choice/independence there  comes great responsibility.”  So it seems that on this day when were are celebrating our freedom, we should also be examining our own commitments and intentions.   So perhaps today is a day which can practice living  in the same way that we our start our yoga practice.  Today let us set our intentions for our practice of life.

Questions to consider

  • I am free to choose how I live – how do I want to live?
  • I am free to pray as I want – to what or whom do I want to dedicate my prayers?
  • I am free to associate with anyone – how shall I choose my friend and how can I support them?
  • I am free to vote and exercise my political will – what do I truly care about and how can I support that with my vote?
  • I am free to live each day as I wish – how can I live each moment of each day more fully?
  • I am free to celebrate as I wish – what is it I want to celebrate and bring light to?

Have a fantastic 4th. Enjoy the celebration of freedom.  Enjoy your freedom.

Shalom & Namaste,

Diana Bonyhadi

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108 Sun Salutations

108 Sun Salutations, are you kidding?  All in a row? One right after the other?  Why?

There are a lot of good reasons, and I will give them to you in a minute, but for now, let me give you the details.

Yoga for Hope

Fundraiser for City of Hope

Cancer Research

July 10, 2010

Registration @ 9:00am

Salutations begin @ 10:00am

Memorial Stadium at the foot of the Space Needle

Seattle, WA

Nine of Seattle’s leading yoga instructors will teach an outdoor class focused on the sacred number 108-practicing 108 Sun Salutations underneath the Space Needle at Memorial Stadium in hopes of bringing the spirit of health and community together! The instructors have partnered with City of Hope, a leading biomedical research, treatment and education center, to help raise support and awareness for cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Researchers at City of Hope understand the importance of complementary and integrative therapies like yoga. Their Integrative Medicine Program, by incorporating complementary modalities with state-of-the-art medical care, is seeking to understand the mind-body-spirit connection to assist those battling life-threatening diseases, such as cancer, diabetes and HIV/AIDS.

Click here to register, and support this fine project. It will be a great day, a great practice, a fantastic experience.

Tomorrow I will share with you about the wisdom and history of this amazing practice.

Shalom & Namaste,

Diana Bonyhadi

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Today – Yoga With A Purpose

Today I am dedicating my teaching practice to Yoga with a Purpose. All Proceeds from my classes will be donated to the African Village Survival Initiative.  Simply by attending class, doing that which you know  nurtures your body, you will be doing something good for others.

We call this yoga of compassion.  Yoga of the heart.  Yoga to heal the soul of the planet.  Kharma/Seva Yoga – the highest form of yoga, which is an offering to the planet.

I wrote about the AVSI last week, so if you want more information, go back a post or two, or link on out of here.

Come join one of my classes, or look to see what other studios in your area are supporting this week of Yoga with a Purpose.  Yogis across the country are offering classes, so if you haven’t chosen your studio/teacher for today, find one who is giving it up for AVSI.

Have a great day.

Shalom & Namaste,

Diana

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Gumby Yoga – Only if you Lead with your Heart

Gumby Yoga

What comes to your mind when you think of Gumby?  A cute green, super flexible, smiley cartoon character?  Do you remember anything else?  Maybe his buddy, the horse Pokey?  They were best friends, always there for each other.  Maybe you remember his adventures.  I know, it was a long time ago, but dig deeper.  Here’s what I recall – that Gumby was always “bending over backwards” to be there for folks.  His heart was so open, so full, that he could literally stretch himself to be there for others.

Now that’s what yoga is all about for me.  Not that super flexible body stuff – that’s cool and all – but where I resonate is with that open heart business.  As my practice deepens, I realize that it is not about finding more ways to tie myself in knots – we tangle ourselves up enough as is – but rather the real focus is on finding more ways to stretch open the spaces in my heart and dust off the cobwebs of my mind.

Don’t get me wrong, I love finding new ways to deepen my back bends.  Urdhva dhanurasna (wheel), ustrasana (camel), eka pada rajakapotasana (one-legged king pigeon pose), pincer mayurasana/vrshchikasana (forearm balance/scorpion) & Warrior I – lay them on me.   But help me to remember that a pose is just a pose.  And the pose will remain static and boring until that point when my heart lifts up into it, and I am able to live from that open space.

In order to fully live my practice beyond the mat, I must be able to embody the being of Gumby – stretching, reaching, opening my heart so that I have the space to truly bend over backwards to be there for others.

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Yoga with a Purpose

Yoga with a Purpose

Word is getting out.  People are beginning to live their yoga beyond the mat.  Yogis are giving of themselves to make this world a better place.  And they are doing it by doing what they love – yoga.

Here is an example, of a really cool project, which I will be supporting  by donating the proceeds from all of my classes on Thursday May 6th.  I hope you will also join me in supporting:

2nd Annual Yoga with a Purpose Benefit Week

May 2-9, 2010

Last year almost 50 studios around the United States joined together to support the African Village Survival Initiative (AVSI). AVSI is a program created by the African-led Uhuru Movement for community-based economic self-reliance. The African Village Survival Initiative (AVSI) is working to equip the Uhuru House, in St Petersburg, FL with a recording studio, and a commercial kitchen for community based economic development projects.

AVSI Uhuru House projects are designed to support the  African community in addressing and resolving the critical issues that confront them by uniting Africans together all over this country and the world for self-determination.

This program addresses a critical need both here and abroad – African peoples must gain sustainability and economic independence.  The building of community kitchens and sound production studios in Florida and on the African continent is a clearly achievable and reproducible goal.  The need is clear – more than 50% of the African population here in the US lives below the poverty line and on the continent it is way worse.  Building commercial kitchens and sound production studios will enable the African communities to engage in economic activities which will allow them to become self reliant (recordings, meals, restaurants, bakeries, etc).

This is not a project that is limited to persons of African descent.  It is a project that begs all of us to attend.  To quote a favorite musician “If one of us is chained, none of us are free.”  Years of slavery and economic and social abuse have unfortunately marginalized the African community.  No longer can we keep our eyes closed and our hearts barred.  Here is a chance to make a difference.

If you live in the Seattle area, come and take one of my classes at Urban Oasis on May 6th.  All proceeds from those classes will be donated to Yoga with a Purpose.  The monies then will be used to support AVSI.   If you are a teacher/studio owner – sign up to donate your classes.   It’s a win-win: You get great yoga, and you get to support a good project at the same time.

Take a moment to check out how many studios across the country are already signed up to do this.  Pretty cool, huh? I loved looking through the list and seeing all those studios across the US contributing classes.  Makes me want to visit those studios when I visit those towns.



THANK YOU!

A partial list of contributing studios

Laughter Yoga with Purvi Jani
285/287 Newton Ave, Oakland
pveggielady@yahoo.com

Hawthorne Yoga
1241 Carpenter St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
www.hawthorneyoga.com

O15 Workout – High Intensity 15 Minute Workout
201 S. Camac Street, 2nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107
www.o15workout.com

Khalsa Healing Arts Center
Meditation Class – Mahan Rishi Singh Khalsa
301 Oxford Valley Rd Suite 1504
Yardley, PA 19067
www.meditationpathways.com
events@khalsahealingarts.com

Hawthorne Yoga
1241 Carpenter St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
www.hawthorneyoga.com

SANKHYA YOGA SCHOOL & WELLNESS CENTER
1206 North 5th Street, Studio C
Northern Liberties
Philadelphia, PA 19122
www.sankhyayoga.com

DiBella Yoga Studio
Depot Shoppes
31 Plank Avenue #304
Paoli, PA 19301
www.dibellayoga.com

Dhyana Yoga Rittenhouse
1611 Walnut St, 4th Floor
215 222-YOGA (9642)
www.dhyana-yoga.com

Evolution Physical Therapy & Yoga
20 Kilburn Street
Burlington, Vermont 05401
evolutionvt.com

The Awareness Center at Fit
62 Rockford Road
Wilmington, DE 19806
www.awarenesscenterde.com

Saraswati River Yoga – Denyse
408 York Rd, suite 2
New Hope, PA 18938
www.saraswatiriveryoga.com

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center
1200 Arguello Blvd in the Inner Sunset neighborhood in San Francisco.
www.sfyoga.com

Dhyana Yoga Rittenhouse
1611 Walnut St, 4th Floor
www.dhyana-yoga.com

PRANA MANDIR Yoga Studio
4 West 43rd Street – Suite 501
NY, NY 10036
www.pranamandir.com

Vallejo Yoga in the heart of downtown Vallejo, CA
www.vallejoyoga.com

Studio 34
4522 Baltimore Avenue in West Philly
www.studio34yoga.com

Dhyana Yoga West Philly
3945 Chestnut St.,
2nd fl in the HUB
215 222-YOGA (9642)
www.dhyana-yoga.com