Yoga Classes

Taking Care of Yourself

Taking Care of Mind and Body & Helpful Online Resources

It’s been a long time since last I wrote….

I have had many requests of late.  Friends, family, students, all asking for what they can do to nourish themselves in this time of Covid 19.  I am honored to be asked, and humbly offer you the following:

There is a glut of information online about how to stay healthy in mind, body and spirit.  By this point, we all know to maintain physical distance from one another, keep our bodies and living spaces as clean as we can, eat well, exercise and get fresh air and plenty of rest.  To this, I am going to add, that we really don’t need to check the news every hour.  I worry that the tendency to do this will only feed our fears and further stress our bodies.  Sure, check your news feed in the morning or once some time during the day, but you probably don’t need to do it all day long and especially not right before bed.  If you frequent social media sites, check-in with yourself, notice if the time spent there is making you feel calmer and more present, or if it is making you more anxious and stressed.  If it is the later, maybe it is time to pick up a book, work on a puzzle, make some art or music or practice yoga or meditation.

I know many of you have asked me to make you a video.  I might just do that, but in the interim, there are so many very good offerings out there, I encourage you to explore them.

If you don’t have a home practice, and just want some coaching and guidance and want to feel like you are part of a class, there are numerous online yoga and meditation resources that have been around for years and provide a deep well of information and teachings.  Many of these require a paid membership, but in these times, that may be a worthwhile expense.  Some of these are free and offer super high quality accessible classes (Veterans Yoga Project and Insight Timer).

These are the ones I tend to return to again and again.  Just click on the links to check them out:

Yoga:

YogaInternational.com, yogajournal.com, YogaGlo.com, gaia.com, Yoga with ADRIENNE,

Veterans Yoga Project

Meditation:

Meditation Insight Timer, Waking UP, calm.com, Sounds True, Shambala

Zoom Classes:

In addition, most studios in our area and across the country are now live streaming their classes, as are many master yoga teachers who would normally be hosting large group teacher trainings.  Some of these classes are free for the next week or so, some are already fee-based.  Most yoga studios and teachers operate on very narrow margins, and as a result of the mandatory closures, they are finding it hard to make ends meet.  So taking their classes online enables them to pay their teachers and hopefully re-open their doors once this virus has run its course.

In order to take these live-streamed streamed classes, (practicing with the teacher in real time with the teacher), you will need to click on a link that will take you to a Zoom window in your browser.  The process is pretty self-explanatory, but it does require a bit of computer savvy, so do give yourself some time to figure out the technology or you will miss the start of class.

Here are the links for a few of local studios that have been posting classes.  I only post these, as I have taken the classes and know the teachers. However, there are many more out there to explore.

TwoRiversyoga.com

rivertreeyoga.com

dayafoundation.org

seattleyogaarts.com

twodogyoga.com

Home Practice Essentials:

Before you get started, make sure you have everything you might need near by.  Choose how long you want to practice and make a commitment to that.  Even 10 minutes a day will make a difference. Get a drink of water or tea.  Turn off your phone, ask housemates to join you or at least not interrupt you.  Sit down and center yourself before you begin.  Remember svasana at the end.

Props:

Yes, one of the benefits of going to the studio or gym is that they will have all these wonderful props.  Of course you can order your own online, but you can also make do with some common household items.

Yoga Mat  – or anything that will keep your feet from sliding out from under you

Straight backed chair – for support and chair-based practice

Yoga Blocks – or books or anything that raises the floor a bit will support your hands

Yoga Straps – or belts, or scarves

Yoga Bolsters – rolled up blankets/towels or pillows or sofa cushions

Yoga Blankets – firm blanket that is not slippery to provide support and comfort

 

That’s it for now.  More to follow soon.  If you have online resources you’d like to recommend, please do share.  Seems I have and abundance of time these days to practice yoga and meditation.

by

Summer is Almost Here

Greetings Yogis

 

Well,  I’ve done a remarkable job of not writing on this blog.  Oh well.  I’m learning to accept this part of myself.  Computer screen time simply falls very low on my to-do list.

Given that Summer is almost officially here, with the Solstice this weekend. I wanted to wish you all a very happy, playful summer.  Go on, get out there.   Romp around in the sun, hike in the woods, play on the beach, eat warm freshly picked berries and handmade ice cream, attend a local outdoor music venue and dance under the stars.  Share the summer sunny days with friends and family.

I will  be doing quite a bit of travel and sailing this summer.  As a result, I will be so much in and out of town, I’ve decided to put my public classes on hold until the Fall.  However, I will still be available for privates when I am in town.  Feel free to give me a call to schedule a private if you are interested and we will see what we can arrange.

Be well, take care, keep up your practice and enjoy the summer sunshine.

Shalom & Namaste

Diana Bonyhadi

by

New Year, New Beginnings

Happy New Year

I am just back from 3 weeks in Mexico feeling refreshed and ready to embark on the New Year.  I admit to being a sun-aholic.  I love hanging out on the beach, playing in the water and living practically full-time out of doors and being warm the entire time.

I believe it is incredibly important to determine what nourishes you spiritually and physically and to make a commitment to setting aside time to recharge yourself.  Vacationing is certainly one way to do that, but we don’t always have the time or the resources to wander off to the retreat of our choosing.  But we can set aside time each week, and even each day to nourish our bodies and spirit.

Take some time to figure out what makes you feel good.  When do you find yourself smiling, both inside and out?  When do you experience a sense of contentment and well-being?  What gives you joy? Make a list, put it some place you can return to easily.  And then you have your own handy pick-me-up protocol.  Here are some of the things I do regularly that keep me happy, grounded and smiling.

  • Daily yoga & meditation
  • Walks in the woods and along the beach
  • Listening to music and having my own private dance party
  • Sipping tea, wrapped in a warm blanket and reading a book
  • Hanging out with my friends – perhaps with a glass of wine in hand
  • Spending time with my husband and kids
  • Cooking and gardening
  • Teaching and studying yoga

Okay, so there you have it, you know my list of nourishments.  I wonder what you will put on your list.

Good News – I am starting a new Tuesday Evening Slow Flow yoga class in West Seattle at Limber Yoga on February 5th at 4:30pm.

Come Check it out.  I am super excited to finally be teaching in West Seattle, and Limber Yoga has a great open light filled space, fully equipped with all my favorite props.

Happy New Year, may it be a year of joy and blessing and good health for you and all those you hold dear.

Shalom & Namaste

Diana Bonyhadi

by

Last Sunday Class in Issaquah

Namaste Yogis,

A quick note to remind you all that this Sunday will be my last day of teaching my 9:45am All-Levels Vinyasa Flow Class at Village Green Yoga.  Gosh I hope to see all of you there.  We have had such a good time together these many years.  We have learned so much about ourselves and each other, and of course about yoga.  I am deeply grateful to all of you.  I do hope you will join me this Sunday.  I guarantee you an amazing and heartfelt practice.

Don’t worry, my Tuesday/Thursday Noon Mid-Day Bliss Class at Village Green is not going away.

Are you excited about the eclipse this Monday?  I am.  Hopefully you will be able to take an hour out of your busy day and spend some time experiencing this amazing event.  Research tells me that we will see 92% of the eclipse which is pretty close to the entirety.  The darkness will only last a couple of moments, but the whole event will last from 9:02-11:38am. The silence and stillness will peak at 10:22. I fully believe that that stillness will be felt deeply in our spirits if we allow ourselves to be open to it.  Make sure you have those proper glasses and are in a wide open space, preferably facing southeast.

Be Well

Namaste

Diana Bonyhadi

by

Letting Go & Reclaiming Space

Dear Yogis

Happy Summer!  I hope everyone is enjoying this long stretch of sunshine we have had in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.  I know I have.  As  usual, summer finds me playing on the water, hiking in the woods, picking berries, and dancing to music in meadows.  Yep, life is good.

I wanted to let everyone know that after much consideration, I have decided to make some changes to my teaching schedule.  I have decided to reclaim weekends and evenings and spend less time on the road driving.  Its has been a hard decision to make, and even as I write this I feel a pang of loss.   I will miss our Wednesday evenings in the woods and weekends mornings when we all breath together and nourish our bodies and spirits.  We have all grown so much over the years, and I will miss each and everyone of you.  Truly, it has been an honor.

But in letting go of these teaching slots, I will open myself up for more opportunities to study, practice and travel. I look forward to deepening my understanding of yoga, philosophy and anatomy and meditation through retreats and workshops that frequently fall on weekends.  Let’s call this a mini-sabbatical.

What this means  in the short run is that I will no longer be teaching at River Tree Yoga on Wednesday evenings or on Saturday mornings.  It also means that I will no longer be teaching at Village Green Yoga on Sunday mornings.  

My last day at River Tree Yoga will Be Wednesday August 9th.  

My last Sunday at Village Green Yoga will be August 20th.

I will continue to teach my Tuesday & Thursday Mid-Day Bliss class at Village Green Yoga.

And I am still offering privates, scheduled at your convenience.

In the Fall, I will be adding a weekly evening class in West Seattle and a monthly advanced practice class at Village Green Yoga.  There is also the possibility of workshops at River Tree Yoga.  More details on all of these will be coming your way shortly.

 

Be Well, Breathe and have an amazing Summer.

Shalom & Namaste,

Diana Bonyhadi

by

It Pays To Speak Your Mind

Thank You Everyone.

The response to my post and newsletter two weeks ago was incredibly supportive and affirming.  I guess I am not the only one who has been trying to figure out how to navigate these challenging times.  Thanks to all of you, I not only feel comforted but also inspired to continue to teach yoga from my space of satya (truth).  Now when I listen to the news, I realize that there is something more that I can do other than make phone calls, sign petitions and march.  And I have been doing it all along – teaching yoga and helping people to find a space of inner peace and strength to follow their own path of Dharma.

Announcements:
We have made a slight change to the schedule at River Tree Yoga.  On Wednesday evenings I will only be teaching one class at 6:30pm.  It will be a Hatha-Yin Fusion class.  We will go slowly and deeply into our poses, look to alignment and strength, and finish with some long luscious yin holds to restore and rebalance our energy.

Other news at River Tree Yoga, we have a Yoga Sound Bath with Daniella White scheduled for Tuesday February 28th at 7:30pm.  If you haven’t gone to a Sound bath yet, you really should.  Imagine a gentle yoga practice followed by a nice, long svasana and being lulled into a deep state of meditation by crystal singing bowls, vocal harmonics and gongs. Participants are bathed in powerful vibrations that help entrain their brain waves into Theta. It is in this deeply relaxed state that physical / mental / spiritual healing can take place, activating the parasympathetic nervous system, cellular regeneration, stress release, and emotional/physical healing. Click here to register.

All my other classes are on schedule as planned:

River Tree Yoga, Fall City

  • Wednesday, 6:30 – 8:00pm:                             Hatha/Yin Fusion
  • Saturday, 9:00 – 10:30am (alternating):              Hatha Flow

Village Green Yoga, Issaquah

  • Tuesday & Thursday, Noon – 1:00pm:          Mid-Day Bliss/Gentle
  • Sunday, 9:45-11:15am:                                       Hatha Vinyasa Flow

BendnMove, Seattle

  • Wednesday, Noon – 1:00pm:                           Mid-Day Bliss/Gentle

 

Thank you again for your continued support.

Shalom & Namaste

Diana Bonyhadi

 

by

Yoga for Real Bodies – March 22, 2015

Happy March Every Body,

This is a bit of a late notice.  I meant to get this announcement out before I went on vacation, but it just didn’t happen. Oh well, as it is, I am restricting the class size on this workshop to ensure super personalized attention, so maybe it is a good thing if every body can’t make it.

I will be hosting a workshop at  River Tree Yoga which I have been planning for quite some time and am super excited about.

Yoga for Real Bodies – Working with Injuries and Chronic Conditions
River Tree Yoga at Tree House Point

Sunday March 22nd, 2 – 5 pm


Do you have pain in your knees, hips, shoulders, back?

For those of us who have played hard throughout our lives and have at some point or another sustained some form of injury that seems now to limit our mobility or enjoyment of movement, this workshop is for you.

Learn how to modify your yoga practice and adjust your asanas (postures) to ensure safety, reduce pain and maximize benefits. When you sign up, you can even let me know your specific injuries so that I can be sure to address them in the workshop.

This workshop is appropriate for all bodies and all levels.

Cost is $40 before March 12, and $48 after.

Please contact me directly to sign up.

Diana@kharmabellayoga.com

 

by

February Reboot – Intention Keeping

Happy February,

Actually, we are about half-way through.

How are you doing with those New Year’s Resolutions?  Not meaning to nag or anything, but this is just about that time where we are either congratulating ourselves on a job well-done, or kicking ourselves for not having more “stick-with-it-ness.”

So, first off, isn’t nice to know you are not alone in this.  Almost all of us set some sort of new intention at the beginning of the year. Some intentions are easy to maintain, others, not so. As we set those intentions we are envisioning a future where we are no longer plagued by this habit or that habit, or we see ourselves having mastered some amazing new accomplishment or skill.  Then, after a couple of weeks, the thrill of the challenge has worn off.  Now it just seems like just so much hard work.  How do we stay present with our intentions? As we work towards fulfilling them, where do we find the support for our resolutions?

Where?  Well, why don’t we look to our yoga sages. Way back when, Patanjali (~400 CE) suggested that our practice should be Sthira sukham asanam. (Patanjali Sutra, II.46).  In other-words, the posture/practice should be steady and sweet. On our mats we learn about developing a steady (sthira) practice, and a sweet (sukham) practice.  We learn not to push ourselves so hard we collapse in a puddle (puddle-of-go-asana) or pull muscles (strain-asana).  We also learn that we must put in the appropriate amount of effort so that we can actually hold ourselves in the posture, but gently.  Too little effort and we won’t get there, too much and we burn out.  We know it can be hard, and if we only focus on the hard (dukha), it is very difficult to maintain the steady (sthira) practice.  So, as we do on the mat, so to can we do with our New Years’ Intentions.  Honor the sweetness, the daily, moment by moment successes, stay steady, and resist focusing on what is not working.  In this manner, our intentions will become manifest.  Stira Sukham Asanam is a mantra not just for your mat, but for living your life.

Was one of your intentions to start or deepen your meditation practice?

Last month I gave you that handy-dandy illustrated guide to meditation.  This month I have a little video for you.  This one is on the scientific benefits of meditation.  I’m so glad this came across my desk when it did, as I was just in the middle of writing a review of the recent research on meditation.  Now I can just encourage you to watch this short video.

On a different note, I’m off to Hawaii on Friday for 10 days of sun, surf, hiking, and relaxing.  Mark and I have even included a side trip to Oahu for some yoga and music at Wanderlust.  I have arranged subs for all my classes, they are pretty amazing, so take this opportunity to experience their unique teaching gifts.

Shalom & Namaste

Diana Bonyhadi

 

by

Sun Salutation Workshop – Rescheduled for November 2nd @ 1:30

Sun Salutation Workshop

Sunday, November 2nd

1:30 – 4:00pm

There are still a few spots left available for the Sun Salutation Workshop this weekend.  

Sign up now to reserve a place for your mat. 

River Tree Yoga
Tree House Point
6922 Preston-Fall City Road
Issaquah, WA 98027

Sun Salutation – Surya Namaskar  is nothing less than a prayer to the sun, the earth and all that is in between.  As we move through these poses we nourish the body and spirit in deep and powerful ways.

This sequence of 8-14 poses can be found in its entirety or separately in almost every yoga class.  If you have ever wondered how to step fully into and through each of these powerful poses, then now is the time to learn to own them, enjoy them and truly benefit from them.

This workshop will focus on the elements of alignment within the poses, techniques for transitioning between the poses and the role of the breath throughout the poses.

The workshop is suitable for all bodies and all levels.  Learn how to modify and adapt the poses to ensure safety, and enhance your practice.

$40
Call early to reserve a place for your mat.

425-765-3173

or email me,

Diana@kharmabellayoga.com

by

All the Better to Hear You With, My Dear

Greetings Yogis,

I told you earlier this month that Fall is the Season of Change.  And so it is for me.

My server doesn’t like handling my mailing list.  Sending out a regular newsletters was becoming oh so very cumbersome. And I was concerned that not everyone actually associated Kharma Bella Yoga with me, Diana Bonyhadi, the yoga teacher at several different studios.

So, I have decided to create a newsletter and an online presences as Diana Bonyhadi Yoga, and I will be using Mail Chimp for distribution.  I have done the research and have determined that it is a safe and respectful service and includes easy to opt-in and opt-out features which will allow you and other yogi friends to choose exactly how often you want to hear from me.

The newsletter will be short, keep you informed of upcoming workshops, changes to my teaching schedule, interesting local yoga events, thoughts on yoga, and perhaps some other  juicy yoga tidbits on anything from philosophy to fashion (?), to book reviews, asana, music, food, etc.

If you are not on my mailing list you can easily join by completing the form at the bottom.

The Blog/this website will continue as before.

Do let me know how you like the changes.  I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you on the mat or out and about.

 

Shalom & Namaste

Diana Bonyhadi