September 1, 2012 by Diana Gould Bonyhadi

Appreciating the Labors of Living

Hello Everyone,

This weekend marks the official end of summer. Folks are bounding out for their final fling; boating, hiking, beaching, capturing live music. I hope that this weekend you will find some time to celebrate and honor the labors that you have put forth this year.

Often times we find ourselves running from one thing on our “to-do” list to the next. We wonder if we will ever get it all done. By the time we are half way through that list, we are already building the next list. It is this busy-ness of living that wears us down. Without taking time out to appreciate all that we have done, we will forever feel like the mouse on the wheel; spinning and spinning, yet going no where.

This is, I think one of the true gifts of meditation. We set aside time to be in stillness. We give ourselves permission to step off the spinning wheel of the doing and busy-ness of living. This is really hard to do, believe me, I know. I really like my lists. I am a doer of the highest order. And while we may stop our physical activities, the mind is still trying to keep it all going. It takes time for the mind to slow down, and stop making lists and telling stories. But if we get in the habit of sitting, every day, if even for a just a little bit, our bodies and our minds begin to look forward to this time of not doing, to this time of being. If you are new to meditation, or are looking for a refresher class, I will be hosting a meditation workshop September 22 at Village Green Yoga.

So, I am grateful for Labor Day Weekend. I am grateful I have the time to pause and reflect on all that I have done this year. I am grateful to all the workers – that would be all of us – who make this life possible. So a big shout out to farmers, truckers, engineers, laborers, office workers, cooks, writers, yogis, scientists, teachers, all of you who put your time and energy into making a living and making a life. Thank you for your labors of living.

Have a great weekend. Step with ease into the Fall. Lots of interesting things will be happening in the Seattle yoga community. My contributions include a couple of workshops and a meditation circle to begin in October, after I return from a meditation trip to India. A brief summary of my schedule is listed below, more details available through the links.

Shalom & Namaste

Diana Bonyhadi

Upcoming Events:

Loving Your Sun – A workshop exploring the fun-damentals of the sun salutation series

Intro to Meditation – A workshop offering tips and tools to help your meditation practice.

Class Schedule

Day Time Style Location

Monday 9:30 – 11:00 Hatha Integration Village Green Yoga

Tuesday Noon – 1:00 Hatha Integration Swedish Hospital

Tuesday 5:30 – 6:45 Vinyasa Flow Village Green Yoga

Wednesday 9:30 – 11:00 Hatha Integration Village Green Yoga

Thursday Noon – 1:00 Hatha Integration Swedish Hospital

Thursday 5:30 – 6:45 Vinyasa Flow Village Green Yoga

Sunday 9:30 – 11:00 Sunday Salutations Village Green Yoga

August 20, 2012 by Diana Gould Bonyhadi

The wisdom of having a spiritual practice

Hi Everyone,

Hope you have been having an awesome, amazing and abundant summer. How did you do on that Pacific Northwest checklist of fun? Let’s see, just this week, I logged:

Blueberry picking
Camping
Visited the San Juan Islands
Watched the Orcas swim by
Jumped and played in three separate lakes
Danced to Pink Martinis at Zoo Tunes
Meditated – lots and in some really cool places
Finished a couple of books

Whatever you decide to do these next few weeks make sure it nourishes your soul. So often we forget about that in the hustle and bustle of living, and then I wonder if we really are living. Find Joy & Embrace it.

Next month (September) I will be hosting two workshops at Village Green Yoga. More info to follow shortly, but mark your calendars now.

Loving Your Sun – learning the fun-damentals of the Sun Salutation Sequence
Sunday, September 23, 1:00 – 3:30
Taking the Time to Meditate – opening to the heart of a meditation practice.
Sunday, September 30, 1:00 – 2:30

And here it is, the reason for the title of this posting. This is an excerpt from a letter from my rabbi on this week’s Torah portion. The whole of his writing is powerful, but this short bit says it all. Enjoy!

When we make spirituality an essential part of our existence, however, what we are able to see is radically different. Because our spiritual path serves to reconnect us to Source, it expands our awareness beyond the tunnel vision of the ego. In removing our blinders and opening our eyes it also opens our heart. As we become spiritually aware, we are able to see the essential goodness of the world, the miracle of life, the unfathomable gift of our own birth, and the preciousness of relationship. We are able to hold the pain and suffering, the struggling and the fear with acceptance, understanding and compassion. The existence of love brings up feelings of gratitude, the wonder of aliveness, feelings of pure joy. In such awareness the other is no longer seen as a means to satisfy one’s needs; one is able to leave the past in the past, welcome the future with an open heart, and be fully present to one’s experience in every moment, just as it is. When awareness transcends the ego, one can’t help but see abundance and love.

Shalom & Namaste

Diana Bonyhadi

July 26, 2012 by Diana Gould Bonyhadi

Summer Schedule Changes

I find it hard to believe we are half way through summer. But I know it must be true, because I just sent my daughter off to Camp Nor’Wester for a month, and she won’t be back till the end of August. That means there are only 6 weeks left of summer.

Earlier in the month I wrote a post about what to do in Seattle in the summer. How are you all doing with that? So far I have been to the beach, hiked in the woods and gone berry picking & made some raspberry jam. I have a lot to do in the next 4 weeks. Next month, I will cram in all the rest – summer concerts, Shakespeare in the Park, Paddleboard Yoga and a trip to the San Juans, to name a few. Did I mention I want to go on a food cart junket?

I missed Wanderlust at Whistler (the 3-day outdoor yoga & music festival) – Did any of you go? How was it?

As you may have noticed there are some changes to my teaching schedule this summer. New Summer hours:

Yoga at Swedish Hospital:
Tuesday & Thursday Noon – 1:00 Hatha Integration/Therapeutic Alignment

Village Green Yoga:
Monday & Wednesday Mornings:

9:30 – 10:45 Hatha Integration – Alignment/Anusara Inspired

Tuesday & Thursday Evenings:

5:30 – 7:00 Vinyasa Flow

The Meditation Circle will restart in the Fall.

Speaking of meditation, if you have ever dreamed of going to India to study meditation and/or yoga, there is still time to sign up for Journey to the Source – a 2 week life changing trip to India in October. Travel with Ajayan Borys (Effortless Mind Meditation)and myself to the Majestic Himalayan Mountains and the source of the Ganges River and explore the roots of Yoga and Mediation. For more information and to sign up, click here. As the date draws nearer I am getting more and more excited. Two weeks of meditation and yoga right in the very birth place of the tradition. Ajayan spent many years in this very location deep in meditation, so not will we be traveling to an amazing location, but we will be traveling with an amazing and dedicated teacher. Join us as we reach deeper into the very heart of our practice.

Have an adventuresome August.

Shalom & Namaste

Diana Bonyhadi

July 23, 2012 by Diana Gould Bonyhadi

We Are Made of Light

We are made for Light. There are moments of perfect happiness, moments when one feels so well, at peace with oneself and with others. Such moments of fullness exist. They are rare, perhaps, but we have all experienced them. Each of us is capable of living such moments. They continue to send signals to us even when we are in despair.

(Jacques Gaillot)

July 21, 2012 by Diana Gould Bonyhadi

I Do Not Live Here Alone

I came across this poem today, and since its been so long since I’ve done a post I thought I would keep it short and sweet. I do believe that everything we do is interconnected. That every action is significant, and that every person is important and perfect.

I Do Not Live Here Alone

Each breath I take affects the air all around me

 Each word I utter falls on someone else’s ears.

That which I touch is felt by another .

That which I do will certainly affect another .

That which I do not, will also affect another.

We never know how far-reaching something we say or do  really is, until it returns to us.

And it always does.

All things in life form a circle .

Whether or or not we see the circle.

I do not live here alone.

May 28, 2012 by Diana Gould Bonyhadi

Yoga Practice for Memorial Day

Thoughts on a Memorial Day Practice

Honoring those who continue to inspire and guide us

Class today was supported by inviting in and celebrating the energies of those whom we hold sacred in our lives. We chose to remember people whose very existence has deepened our own experience on this planet. It didn’t matter whom we chose to bring with us into our practice. Some may have chosen their mothers, or grandmothers, or friends, or maybe they invited Lao Tsu, or Rumi, or Leonardo DaVinci, or Ramakrishna, or Abinhavagupta or Gandhi.

We didn’t discuss who was inviting whom to class, or why. We simply chose in our hearts, one or two people to celebrate during our practice. And what a magnificent practice it was. Heads bowed to open hearts, warriors were courageous and strong, mountain poses were the embodiment of strength and endurance, and forward bends – poses of stillness and embrace were soft and nurturing.

I am grateful to my wonderful students today who chose to honor Memorial Day through their yoga practice, and in doing so, honored their heroes, ancestors, and sacred teachers as they celebrated and nourished themselves.

Shalom & Namaste,

Diana Bonyhadi

May 20, 2012 by Diana Gould Bonyhadi

Reflections on Yoga & Gardens

Happy Spring/Almost Summer.

Wow! I am amazed at how much growth there has been in my garden this week. Flower beds that have been dark and empty all winter are now overflowing. Honest, I haven’t planted anything. I just get to watch and enjoy. I guess it’s just that the conditions were perfect for emergence. The soil had all the nutrients, there was plenty of water, a burst of sun and some careful attention, and plenty of space to allow for expansion and abundance.

And that is what we do in yoga, we create conditions which enable us to emerge from the darkness. We sow the seeds of abundance and create space in which to grow. We kindle the natural energies of expansion – earth, fire, water, air.

And it is from this place of nurturence that we find our deeper selves rising to the surface. Our bodies begin to shed the densities of the winter months and perhaps even years of dormancy. As we move slowly, with compassion and integrity, our bodies begin to heal and strengthen. Injuries and traumas from years past which have remained buried and stuck can be carefully addressed. Injuries of the spirit and soul which have become stored within the body memory, can also be released.

Plant the seeds of your healing, nourish with healthy food and plenty of water, build some heat, and add some prana, breath deeply and aerate, allow space for growth, and be open to the growth and change that can and will happen.

Have a great week.

Shalom & Namaste

Diana Bonyhadi

May 9, 2012 by Diana Gould Bonyhadi

Rembering Maurice Sendak

Maurice Sendak, illustrator and author of many wonderful children’s books passed away yesterday. This is a loss I feel deeply, for Sendak’s work was not only a part of my childhood, but also a part of my children’s childhood. As a child I was fascinated with the boy who stole away in a ship of his own making, whose room had been covered in vines and trees. As a mother, I loved showing my claws and gnashing my teeth with my children.

While Sendak was clearly a marvelous illustrator, what I treasure most about his work, was his irreverence for social norms and his willingness to embrace the freedom of a child’s imagination. His characters all seem a bit tousled, like they had just had so much fun on the playground or just climbed out of bed. They get in trouble and take on monsters. They eat chicken soup and rice, every day of the week, and curl up in their grandmother’s lap after coming back from space. Sendak used his pen to awaken our dreams and inspire us to be ourselves. His characters seemed to embody their thoughts and emotions so fully that they are still clearly imprinted upon our minds and hearts.

We shall miss you Maurice. Thank you for inspiring us to howl at the moon, dance with kings, and make soup with friends. Thank you for creating memories for parents and children that shall forever be cherished. Thank you for encouraging us to step more fully into our creative, imaginative and wonderful selves.

Shalom & Namaste

Diana Bonyhadi

April 25, 2012 by Diana Gould Bonyhadi

Meditation Blog – I will always be a beginner

So I have been meditating off and on for over 20 years. That seems like a long time when I put it down on paper. But in actuality, it feels like a short time. Why? Because I still feel like such a beginner.

This Fall I rededicated myself to my meditation practice. I promised myself I would meditate at least twenty minutes a day every day of the week. Twenty minutes isn’t that long. Particularly if you think of what a small fraction it is of a twenty-four hour day. But actually taking out twenty minutes from every day to meditate has been harder than you might think.

And it is not that I don’t want to meditate. I do. In fact, I love meditating. It’s just that I can find all sorts of reasons to procrastinate – too much going on around me, I might be interrupted, I just need to make that phone call, and return an email, I woke up late, I will get to it later….

The trick I have found is to either do it first thing in the morning, or at mid-day during my lunch break. Getting to it in the evening never seems to work.

You can probably tell by all this that I haven’t always meditated every day, but I think that getting to it at least 5 days a week is a good start.

Now about those 20 years of practice. I have learned/tried a lot of different styles of meditation. Living in the Bay Area in the 1970’s, Transcendental Meditation (TM) was all the rage. Since then I experimented with several other kinds of meditation, with varying degrees of satisfaction.

I can’t say there is one best way to do it. I view all the different styles as useful paths to get to the same place. Some are more rigid and demanding than others. All offer tools and techniques to assist you in your journey. The main thing I have found is that it takes patience and practice.

Here are few tools I have found to be very helpful this year.

Listen to Dharma Talks: They are readily available on the internet. Google Dharma talks and see where it takes you. I have over the past year had the privilege to listen to so many wise teachers just by checking out their audio blogs online. I have learned so much about myself and my practice, and the Dharma path.

Insight Meditation Timer: This is a handy app available for both Droid and IPhone formats. I turn my phone to silent mode, and choose a preset timer, and off I go. I have created several presets, so that I can choose whether I will have a 10, 20 or 40 minute meditation. I love the interval gongs and the ending gongs, and the journal and statistics options are helpful. It is also nice to see who else around the world is meditating with you.

Find a Teacher: Meditation is both hard and easy. It is helpful to have someone you trust to whom you can direct your questions. You will be amazed at what you discover about yourself and your mind while in meditation. Having someone to talk to about your experiences and to guide you is nourishing.

Meditate with Others: If you have a commitment to share meditation space with others it will help to ensure that you will actually practice on that day at that time. This is the obvious benefit. But there is also the amazing energy of being in the same room with other folks who are meditating. Their energy will support your energy. For all you know, they too could be wondering about the dust in their navel, but maybe, just maybe, they are deeply connected to the energies of the universe, and that is good mojo.

Give Yourself a Break: Okay, so you skipped the meditation this morning. The world won’t end. Okay, so you spent your entire meditation doing your errands in your head. That’s happens too. Meditation is not about being perfect. It is about learning; learning to watch the mind, learning to calm the mind, learning to learn and learning to connect. Meditation is about everything else and nothing else, and so, it is about learning to give yourself a break.

Yes, after all these years I am still a beginner. I don’t know what my meditation practice will yield on any given day. I don’t know if I will be able to sit comfortably or not. I don’t know if I will have one of those amazing moments of connection and stillness. I may have none or a may feel transported for the entire session. But I do know, that just by trying, my response to my world has gotten calmer, and for that I am grateful.

Shalom & Namaste
Diana Bonyhadi

April 20, 2012 by Diana Gould Bonyhadi

Yoga Videos Worth Thinking About

Hi Everyone,

It has been a busy couple of weeks around here. I have been on vacation with my children. Driven from Seattle to San Francisco and back again. Gone on a journey from Slavery to Freedom, eating the whole way, and have launched a meditation circle, just because folks seemed interested.

There has been lot of interesting news out in the yoga world. It amazes me how much one can learn about the yoga world by keeping their eyes on their computer. But as you know, sitting in front of a computer is not one of my favorite things to do, so I do it in fits in spurts. I admire all of you super active bloggers and yogis.

Anyway, I came across these videos over the past couple of days and they continue to tumble around in my head.

I haven’t decided if I really like the first one, or if it really bugs me. The yoga is amazing, but there are a couple of other details about it that leave me wondering. What do you think?
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