yoga

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Practicing Yoga and Forgiveness

In the Jewish Tradition, this past week and weekend were the holiest of Holy Days – the Days of Awe.  For 8 days, Jews the world over, participated in a period of reckoning. In preparation for the Jewish New Year, we have spent a week looking back over the year and doing a little personal housekeeping.  We our paid off our debts, reconciled our promises, and made amends.

We spend quite a bit of time focused on the following phrases.  They are simple and profound.  Just a couple of sentences which encompass just about everything.

For all the things I have said or done consciously or unconsciously which may have caused pain and suffering to others, I am sorry, please accept my apology.
For all the things I have said or done consciously or unconsciously which may have caused pain or suffering to myself, I am sorry, please accept my apology.

There you have it.  An acknowledgment that even when we don’t mean to, we can do things or says things that are hurtful.  I know this one pretty well.  I have a tendency to open mouth – insert foot.  I have the best of intentions, but sometimes things just don’t come out the way I envisioned and people get hurt.  I am sorry, I really didn’t mean to.  Or sometimes my commitment to honesty gets in the way.  I know, not everyone needs to know how I really feel or think about something.  I am sorry.

Then there are those time when I fail to speak up about the things that are really important – politics, the environment, community issues, etc.  Sometimes, I fail to say or do what needs doing/saying.  For those moments of omission, I am sorry.

Now for the big one.  For all those times when I hurled unjust judgments and recriminations at myself, I am sorry.  I know I must be willing to give myself a chance to be human, and therefor fallible.  I must let go of all those “would’ves and should’ves” and just let the past be the past.  This is so hard, I really want to be a better person. I hate screwing up.  But I have to be willing to forgive myself.  We all do.

In yoga, we strive to stay in the present moment and connect with the interconnectedness that we are.  We move and breath, hopefully linking our breath with the movement, to assist the brain in settling in to the present  We practice asana and pranayama so we can sit in mediation, focusing and releasing the thoughts, slipping into the eternity of the here and now.  And it is a challenge.  That is why Patanjali in Sutra 1:14 states that “the practice becomes fully grounded with we attend to it over time, without a break and with earnestness.”  In other words, keep trying, don’t give up, and do this practice with care, and effort.  Be serious about it.

So, yea, I know I make mistakes, we all make mistakes.  We are human.  The trick is to keep trying and  to pay attention to our thoughts and deeds.  Try to not to hurt others or ourselves.  This is the essential practice of Ahimsa.  And next year when Yom Kippur rolls around, maybe the sorry-list will be shorter, and maybe it won’t, but if we will keep trying to attend and be earnest in the effort, the world will be a better place.  And that’s what its all about, isn’t it?

Shalom & Namaste,
Diana Bonyhadi

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Living Sutra I:33 – Life with Joy and Balance

May I be happy. 


May I be peaceful. 


May I be safe from harm. 


May I enjoy happiness and the root of happiness. 


May I experience ease and well-being in body, mind, and spirit.

Today has been perfect, and I am only half way through.  I attribute it to my morning meditation on Pantajali’s Yoga Sutra 1.33.

maitri karuna muditopeksanam sukha duhkha punyapunya visayanam bhavanatas citta prasadanam
Tranquility of thought comes through the cultivation of friendship, compassion, joy, and impartiality in spheres of pleasure or pain, virtue or vice.

There are 4 words that stand out for me in this sutra, and they are:  Metta or maitri (lovingkindness); Karuna (compassion); Mudita (joy); and Upeksha (equanimity).  Patanjali places these words in balance with their opposition.  Yes, in difficult situations and with difficult people it is especially important to cultivate joy, compassion and equanimity.  But what really resonated for me today, was the importance of living fully in the moment, aware of the need to bring joy, compassion, kindness and balance into all aspects of my life.

 
Thus, I started today’s class with the prayer/chant above.  We then moved into a practice that allowed everyone to deepen and yes, sweat.  We did vinyasas, we did the sagital series, we did arm balances, head stands and more, but the best came at the end.

Because our focus was on staying happy, and peaceful, and practicing compassion, everyone slipped gracefully into Svasana.  I could feel the room melt.  The pranayama practice and the meditation happened effortlessly.  We were all breathing together.  Breathing in to a place of peace and joy.  There a a tangible sense of letting go and letting in.  It was truly a moment of blessing.

And then after class, I got to totally yoga-geek-out with my good friend Pat.  We played with hand-stands and arm-balances and jump-throughs.  I still have yet to master lifting up into a handstand with legs together but we got awfully close.  And again, I think it all worked so well, because I came to it from a place of Mudita/joy, and Upeksha/equanimity.  I left the need to “conquer/master” and just went to have fun with some cool and challenging asanas.  And it worked.

 
Later in the afternoon, I got to romp in the woods with my dog.  The air smelled so good, and the leaves were just changing colors.  because I didn’t stress out about my to-do list, I was able to get that one more thing in.

So, I just wanted to let you know that, yes, today it worked.  Starting off with a meditation on balance and joy and compassion, can and does make a difference.

Now it is off to feed kids, make dinner, run errands, drive kids and teach again.

Have a great day

Shalom & Namaste,
Diana Bonyhadi

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Yoga Class Schedule Change

Hey Everyone,

Just heads-up that there are new changes to my schedule at Urban Oasis. I think this will be good news for most of you. Starting tomorrow, Level II Vinyasa Flow will return to its previous schedule of Tuesday and Thursday evenings 5:30 – 7:00pm. And I will be adding a new Alignment Level I class on Mondays at 6:00.

Look forward to seeing everyone this week.

Shalom & Namaste,
Diana Bonyhadi

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Changing Your Lifestyle and Yoga Practice to Match the Season

Balancing the Energies of Autumn

Changing your life style and yoga practice to match the season – does it make sense? Yes it does, and adding a few simple changes to your routine can make a world of difference in how you feel.

So, if you are currently feeling any of the following, here is some good news.

Sluggish?
Joints Creaky?
Skin dry and cracked?
Having trouble sleeping?
Harder to get up this morning?

What is going on?

Don”t worry you are not crazy.  Your body is adjusting to the change in seasons.  Ayurvedically speaking we are moving into the Vata season, known in the western world as Fall.  This is one of those times when you are reminded that, not only are we finely tuned instruments, but also that we are all interconnected beings.  Interconnected with each other, and the planet.

As we move from Summer to Fall, as the weather shifts from hot to cool, and as the air becomes wet and blustery, our bodies begin to adjust as well.  We slow down, and begin to let go of the collected heat of the summer.    And depending on our constitutions (doschas) and the balance of stress in our lives, the transitional period may go very smoothly or it may need a bit of fine tuning.

Here are a couple of things you can do to ease the transition from Summer to Fall.

  • Check-in and listen:  If you are tired get more sleep.  Go t bed earlier and maybe even take a short nap during the day. If  you are thirsty, drink more fluids.  I don’t mean to sound trite, but often the first thing we do is turn off the volume and ignore the signals being sent to us by our bodies.
  • Move the system along:  help your body adjust to the change in the season.  Add some cleansing and nourishing practices to your daily routine.  Here are a few things to help bring your body back into balance with the season.
  • Drink a glass of lemon juice and water to start your morning.
  • Brew yourself some ginger tea and drink it throughout the day.
  • Put more twists and longer holds in your asana practice.
  • Spend a few moments in meditation.
  • Take a long hot bath with salts in the evening before bed.
  •  Get a massage – go ahead, you deserve it and it will feel so good.
  • Add oils to your body – both internally (fish and vitamin E), and on the skin (Coconut & Sesame).

If you are interested in learning more about Ayurveda, your doscha, and more ways to stay in balance with the season, here are a few good links.  Also, I know there are many of you who read this blog that know way more than I do, so please chime in.

http://www.ayur.com/about.html

http://www.holisticonline.com/ayurveda/ayv-basis-harmony.htm

http://ayurvedaseattle.com/index.php?CID=28

Have a great day,

Shalom & Namaste,

Diana Bonyhadi

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Yoga Reading List – My Favorite Yoga Books

Yoga Book List

Today I thought I would share with you a list of some of my favorite yoga books.  This list is not complete by any means, and I hope that if you have any books that should be added to this list, you will post them as a comment at the end.

Happy reading.

Shalom & Namaste,
Diana Bonyhadi

ASANA
Dancing the Body of Light by Dona Hollerman and Orit Sen-Gupta
Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar
Light on Pranayama by B.K.S. Iyengar
30 Essential Yoga Poses by Judith Hanson Lasater
Yoga the Iyengar Way by Silva Mira and Shyam Mehta
Ashtanga Yoga Practice and Philosophy by Gregor Maehle
The Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga by Srivatsa Ramaswami
The Heart of Yoga by T.K.V Desikvhar

ANATOMY
Anatomy of Movement by Blandine Calais-Germain
Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff
Yoga Body, Anatomy, Kinesiology and Aasna by Judith Hanson Lasater

YOGA  – A DAILY PRACTICE
Living Your Yoga – Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life by Judith Hanson Lasater
Mindful Yoga – Mindful Life by Charlotte Bell

YOGA PHILOSOPHY
Poised for Grace – Annotations on the Bhagavad Gita by Douglas Brooks
The Radiance Sutras – 112 Tantra Yoga Teachings by Lorin Roche
The Bhagavad Gita – I have three different translations I refer like, try a few and choose what calls to you.
The Unpanishads translated by Eknath Easwaran
The Essence of Yoga by Bernard Bouanchard
Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh

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Is There a Link Between Bras and Breast Cancer?

Is there a link between the wearing a bra and increased chances of breast cancer?  I know that wearing an underwire bra is rather uncomfortable.  I mean they have gotten better, but still, it is a hard metal wire under my breast.  That can’t really be good for me – okay, I admit it makes the girls look better, but is there a cost?

My dear friend Keesha Ewers of Fern Life Healing Center has posted some new data proving that there indeed may be a link between higher incidences of breast cancer and the wearing of underwire bras.  Read her page and the links she provides, and decide for yourself.

I just thought I would share.

Shalom & Namaste,

Diana Bonyhadi

P.S.  I was going to post an image of a bra – but I just couldn’t decide which bra to choose…

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One – The Event

The tenth anniversary of the bombing of the World Trade Center in New York is this weekend.  September 11th changed the course of American history.  This was the first time we felt any physical effects of war upon our own soil.  We were struck by surprise; at the hatred and animosity that engendered the attack, and by our own fear and hatred in response.  Thousands of lives were lost in an instant and many thousands more have been lost over the years as we sought to assuage

our pain through war.

But war is not and never has been the answer.

And I am happy to announce that in Seattle this weekend, there will be an historic event of remembrance for September 11th.

This September 11, Choose Love and Unity.

Tens of thousands of people will be joining musicians, speakers, and celebrities, both live and on the web to intentionally send love, compassion and unity to all of humanity. Come to he Memorial Stadium at 3:46 PM Pacific Time on September 11th, and be a part of this monumental transformational event will be happening in Seattle at exactly 10 years and 10 hours after the 9/11 tragedy.

Click on the link in blue and learn more.

ONE: THE EVENT

WE ARE ONE
ONE with ourselves
ONE with each other
ONE with our planet
MAKE THE SHIFT

This is Karma Yoga, yoga of action.  This is living your yoga.  Make this September 11th truly a day of remembrance – remembering our interconnected with all beings.

Shalom & Namaste,

Diana Bonyhadi

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Surfing the Big Waves

Okay, so this not really a yoga post. It is a post about being present.  It is about letting go and connecting with the sacred space.  It is about tapping into the energy of this glorious planet.  It is about doing what you love in full awareness. It is about fluidity in motion.  It is about strength and flexibility.  It is about connection.

Riding the Wave

This is a link to some of the most amazing surfing I have ever seen.  Talk about being present.  Check out this link, and be prepared to be amazed.  The footage is from the Billabong Pro championships in Tahiti, and clearly these guys are doing what they love and doing it with complete integrity.

Wait I take it back.  This is about yoga.

So, go out and do something you love today.  Embrace it fully and have fun.

Shalom & Namaste,

Diana Bonyhadi

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New Yoga Classes for the Fall in Issaquah

Hey Everyone,

School started today.  Both my kids were out the door before 7:ooam.  That seems an ungodly hour for teenagers to be up.  But both of them were up ahead of schedule and ready to go.  Good for them.  And the weather cooperated as well.  Who wants to go to school on a hot sunny day, better that is was gray and cold here.  But it is so quiet here, and I miss them already.

Now that we are back into the school routine, it is time to figure out how to spend all those uncluttered hours while the kids are gone.  And even if kids are not a part of your daily planning, Fall is a great time to establish or re-establish your routine for healing and exercise.

My teaching schedule for the Fall has changed quite a bit.  I will be offering more classes, in more locations, and with greater variety of styles.  As always, each class will be designed to meet the needs of the students, but I will incorporating more of the therapeutic trainings I have been doing as well as more of the Anusara studies I love so much.

It is with regret that I am announcing I will no longer be teaching at the Samena Club in Bellevue.  I will miss all my wonderful and dedicated students and it would be great to see some of you again at any one of my expanded teaching locations in Issaquah.

I will begin teaching on Monday and Wednesday mornings, (9:30 – 11:00am) at Village Green Yoga, in Gilman Village, starting Wednesday September 7th.  This would be a great class for all you Samena folks who want to stay on the same schedule we were before.

I am also pleased to announce that I will be teaching at the new Swedish Hospital in the Issaquah Highlands.  I am offering two classes:  7:45 – 8:45am on Mondays  and Wednesdays with a class therapeutic class focused on hips and backs.  I will also be teaching an hour of Hatha Integration yoga at noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  These classes should begin the second week of September, ut we are still working out some kinks in the system so I will let you know as soon as we have everything launched.
Finally, my hours at Urban Oasis Yoga & Wellness have also changed.  I will continue to teach my Tuesday and Thursday mornings Vinyassa Flow classs from 9:30 – 10:45, but my evening Vinyassa Flow class has been moved from Tuesdays & Thursdays to Mondays & Wednesdays  at 5:30 – 7:00.

So, that is all for scheduling.  I hope you have all had a wonderful summer, filled with  many moments of fun, play, and relaxation.  Perhaps even some travel, and time for family.

While I maintained a full teaching schedule, I was blessed with some great travel adventures.  I also got some well-deserved hammock time.  Lazing in a hammock is pretty close to a zen experience.  I mean once I get in, I find myself letting go completely.  I watch the clouds, feel the sun on my skin, and listen to the birds in the sky.    And I don’t do much more than that.  I think I may have to figure out a way to hang a hammock in my house. It seems that I drop  more quickly into meditation mode in the hammock then I do when sitting in my studio.  I do hope that many of you were also able to find time to let go and be present – with or without the hammock.

Speaking of hammock time, here is a great video.  This was a talk on TED which is one of my favorite web sites.  The guy’s name is Eoin Finn and he is a Yogi and Blissologist, and the founder of Hammock Enlightenment.   I think guy is on to something.  Enjoy!

See you all soon.

Shalom & Namaste,

Diana Bonyhadi

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Welcoming Summer

Good News Seattle-ites

I think summer is finally here.  This means you should probably dig out your sun glasses and sun screen.  Apply sun screen before you begin your out door practice.  Yes, that’s right.  I am encouraging you to take your mat outside and do some yoga in the sun.  I love it when it is warm enough that I can role out of bed and do my practice outdoors.  Some how it just feels right – sun salutations in the sun, and the music of the birds as background.

Yoga for Hope was wonderful.  It was a gift to be able share space with all of you and do something good for our community while also doing something good for ourselves.  Thank you.

Vacation:  I will be heading off for vacation next week and will be gone till mid-August.  I have subs for all my classes, so no worries there.  Taking a class with a new teacher is always a opportunity for growth.  He or she may say something you have been hearing for a long time, but put it in a way that is new and by doing so,  you find a new way of entering and opening into a pose.

New Fall Schedule:   I will be expanding my teaching schedule this Fall. Swedish Hospital just opened a new campus in Issaquah and they have created a wellness and yoga studio.  Lucky us – a hospital dedicated to wellness from the ground up. Come check it out.  You can even get a lovely organic lunch there after class.  Class times are Tuesdays & Thursdays Noon-1:00.

Friendship:  Summertime seems a time for friendship.  I remember long days of summer as a girl, we would just travel from one friends house to the next.  Lazing around the day, doing whatever we wished and then staying up late at night talking, talking talking. I am reminded how important friendships are to sustaining our health.  I encourage you to take advantage of the long days of summer to nourish your souls with the gift of friendship.

A Friend is one to whom
You may pour out
All the contents of your heart,
Chaff and grain together
Knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it,
Keep what is worth keeping, and with the breath of kindness,
Blow the rest away………

 

Shalom & Namaste,

Diana Bonyhadi