January 19, 2019 by Diana Gould Bonyhadi

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

Salute the Sun Tomorrow @ 1:30pm

October 15, 2014 by Diana Gould Bonyhadi

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.

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

September 2, 2014 by Diana Gould Bonyhadi

Fall Newsletter; New Classes & Upcoming Workshop

Labor Day has come and gone, and so we bid adieu to Summer. Here in the Pacific Northwest, our long warm days have been filled with adventure, friends and family. As we turn our attention towards Fall I hope you will carry the nourishing energy of the sun with you as the days begin to grow shorter and cooler.

For many of us, September brings a return to structure. The kids are back in school and we can resume our regular routines, or maybe even begin new ones. What do you look forward to returning to? What new routines do you seek to embrace? How can your yoga help to strengthen your commitments to yourself and others?

This week, I return to my regular teaching schedule and look forward to seeing all of my students again. I’ve missed you! Most of the classes will stay the same but I have added an advanced practice class on Tuesday evenings. If you are looking to up-level your practice be sure to join me for this deep and expansive class featuring stronger asana variations and more time for pranayama and meditation.

To welcome the Fall, I will be hosting a workshop September 27, 1:00 – 4:00pm at River Tree on Structure and Dynamic Transitions of the Sun Salutations.

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. Space is limited, so do sign-up early. Call 425-765-3173 to reserve a place for your mat.

February 26, 2014 by Diana Gould Bonyhadi

Inspired by the Sun & Surf

I spent last week on the beach in Mexico. I played in the waves and soaked up the sun and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my family. Being a California girl, I find that I sometimes need a break from the Pacific Northwet. I am so grateful that I was able to take this time to restore and renew. A big shout-out to my subs for covering for me while I was away.

Indeed I am recharged. I am looking forward to a busy teaching schedule for the next few months. I am pleased to announce that I am now part of the wellness team at a Naturopathic clinic in Redmond. Starting next week I will be teaching a Hatha and Wellness class on Tuesday & Thursday mornings at 9:15am at Alpine Integrated Medicine in Redmond. If you are looking for a more natural and holistic approach to your health care, do check them out.

Classes at River Tree Yoga (located at Tree House Point) continue to grow. We have tweaked our schedule just a bit to further meet the needs of our students. There is now a single class on Monday & Wednesday evenings from 6:30 – 8:00pm. You no longer need to choose flow or restorative, this hour and a half class provides a comprehensive practice which will help you to work out the kinks in your system, inspire you to reach deeper, and allow you to relax more fully. We also offer classes on Saturday mornings at 9:30 – Vinyasa Flow Style.

And don’t forget about Village Green Yoga, where I have been teaching for several years now. Monday & Wednesday mornings we study alignment, Tuesdays & Thursdays at noon, its an hour of gentle therapeutics, and Tuesday & Thursday evenings we get the music out and flow. Sunday mornings its all about going deeper with great music and fun times.

This weekend I will head down to Oregon for the Cannon Beach Yoga Arts Festival. If you don’t have plans for the weekend, I highly recommend this event. It features exceptional teachers in a beautiful and low key environment. Oh, and did I mention beach?

Quote for the week by David Gershon:

How can we create sustained positive impact in the world, in the shortest amount of time, for the highest number of people?

That’s it for now. Check out the schedule page for class times and locations.

Shalom & Namaste

Diana Bonyhadi

December 24, 2013 by Diana Gould Bonyhadi

Holiday Greetings and Abundance for 2014

Solstice Fire

Happy Holidays Everyone

As we turn the corner from darkness to light, we look to the New Year and see so many opportunities for expansion and fulfillment.

River Tree Yoga continues to grow, serving an enthusiastic population of yogis who love the woods, nature and their practice in equal measure. Yoga in the Pond Room has become a haven for many and our workshops an inspiration for all. I will continue to teach Wednesday nights 6:30-8:00pm, and alternating Saturday mornings at 9:30am.

Mark you calendar for January 19th, 1:00 – 4:00pm for Foundation for a New Beginning, the first workshop of the year will focus on Ten Fundamental yoga poses – perfect for building your home practice and/or deepening your understanding of the poses you see so often in class.

Village Green Yoga has also expanded, adding more teachers and opportunities for learning across a broad range of yoga styles and techniques. My classes continue to be popular with students frequently coming early to reserve their favorite spot.

Sunday Morning Vinyasa has grown to become such a warm and nurturing community of yogis, that we all look forward to the weekend, just so we can spend our Sunday mornings together yoga-ing, laughing and healing.
Monday & Wednesday morning’s Hatha Integration Class is the workshop class for the studio. Come and explore your favorite asanas, practice pranayama and meditation. Study and Inquiry are the hallmark of this alignment-based class. So much to learn, so many ways to deepen.
Tuesday & Thursday Mid-Day Bliss/Gentle is just exactly that; a gentle exploration of posture and breathe, which is massages the mind, body and spirit. An hour of movement in the middle of the day – a beautiful way to renew and inspire.
Tuesdays and Thursday Evening Vinyasa Flow is a steady and playful sequence tuned to some awesome vibes, designed to get the heart rate up and the stress out.

I offer to all a bow of gratitude for your continued support throughout the years. It has been an honor and pleasure to be your teacher, as you continue to be my muse.

May the blessings of the season and the twinkle of bright lights bring joy and peace to you and your loved ones.

Shalom & Namaste

Diana Bonyhadi

November 20, 2013 by Diana Gould Bonyhadi

Live Music at Gratitude Workshop

Dear Seattle Yogis,

Are you ready for an amazing workshop, guaranteed to open your heart to the abundance of the Holiday Season? I can’t wait for this Sunday. I just got off the phone with our musicians and I am so psyched. We are going to move and chant and be moved by their incredible voices and rhythms.

See you soon.

Diana Bonyhadi

A Practice of Gratitude
Sunday, November 24th
1:00 – 4:00pm

Welcome the Holidays with this Essential Heart Opening practice featuring live music by Tova Ramer and Steve Grant.

Steve has been singing Kirtan for years and has performed with his Bhakti Bliss Band as well as studied with Jai Uttal and Gina Sala. Tova has been singing for years in Jewish, interfaith and folk rock groups in the Seattle area. She’s inspired by Snatam Kaur, Gina Sala and Deva Premal.

This workshop features heart-opening asanas such as backbends to help you open more fully to the experience of the holidays and digestive asanas to help with you process the physical and emotional abundance of the season.

Our flow will be beautiful and deep and enhanced by the sweet sounds of live kirtan.

Open to students of all levels.

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

$40/student, pre-registration strongly recommended.
Workshop limited to 15 students

Contact Diana Bonyhadi to sign up
425-765-3173
Diana@KharmaBellaYoga.com

October 14, 2013 by Diana Gould Bonyhadi

Discovering the Heart of Yoga – October Workshop

Dear Seattle Yogis,

I am pleased to announce that I will be offering the amazing workshop which completely sold out this summer one more time this year. Be sure to sign up early , as class sign is limited.

Discovering the Heart of Yoga

Dynamic Sequencing for Stability, Strength & Intentional Alignment

Moving from our core not only stabilizes our practice, it also invites us deeper into ourselves. Core strength refers not only to the strengthening and toning of the abdominal muscles which hold us stable in standing poses and allow us to float gracefully upward in inversions, it also refers to our ability to connect to the emotional essence of who we are, so that we may stand in our essence and act from our heart.

This workshop will help you discover the strength and stamina you need to live and move from the center of your being. We will explore a range of asanas, including backbends and inversions, as well as breath work and meditation.

October 27, 2013
1:00 – 4;00PM

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

$40/student, pre-registration strongly recommended.
Workshop limited to 15 students

Contact Diana Bonyhadi to sign up
425-765-3173
Diana@KharmaBellaYoga.com

March 25, 2013 by Diana Gould Bonyhadi

Passover – Traditions which inspire and transcend

Hello to all my favorite yogis.

Sorry, I have not written in a while. Seems that keeping a proper blog is not in my constitution. Oh well, I can let that go.

Tonight begins the Jewish Festival of Passover. Like all good Jewish traditions, this one centers around food. But it is not just any food, this is a meal, and a week of meals that is designed to remind us that we were once slaves in Egypt, and by the grace of G-d we were able to escape to freedom.

Tonight we will gather around our tables and tell the story of our escape from enslavement. We will eat foods that will remind us of the tears of our ancestors, the hard work they did building pyramids, and the bread they were unable to finish baking in their rush to leave.

Passover provides us a unique opportunity to remember that we are not the only ones who have suffered slavery. And more importantly, it encourages us to work to end the slavery that exists in world today. Yes, people all over the world are enslaved; children in sweat shops, children in the sex trade, adults in unsafe jobs with unfair/negligible wages, indentured servitude, battered spouses, and unfortunately the list goes on. We don’t have to dig very deeply to find the ugliness of physical slavery in every corner of the world.

And our enslavement is not only physical. We are trapped by our computers, TVs and cell phones. We are preyed upon by advertising which makes us think we are incomplete without the newest, latest, greatest whatever. We suffer hunger, sexism, racism, global warming, etc. We are trapped by our childhood tapes of what it means to be good. Spiritually and psychologically almost all of us are held by something.

And so here is Passover, and we get a chance to look about and within and choose once again to fight against slavery. We get to rededicate ourselves to fight for freedom. Freedom from the shackles of both physical and emotional bondage.

So, here is the work. Look around and help out. There are many programs out there that fight against modern-day slavery. Pitch in, lend a hand or send a dollar. To quote a favorite musician, “none of us are free if one of use is chained.”

And also look inside, and see what are you willing to let go of this week? Select something that is holding you back from living fully as your wonderful self. How are you enslaved, and by what? I know this is hard work, and it takes a brave heart to begin to let go of those chains. Even the Israelites were reluctant to leave. Slavery wasn’t good, but at least they knew it. Change and freedom is scary, it is the unknown, and in the land of the unknown, we need to reach deep into our hearts for strength. But isn’t it better that we live lives of wholeness, lives of connectedness, even if it means stepping into the wilderness.

In my classes this week, I will be encouraging my students to use their yoga practice to find the strength to touch their points of constrainment, to use their asanas to open their hearts, to become flexible enough to open the places that were closed within before. We will be exploring backbends and their counterposes – opening our hearts and stepping into moments of awakening. And then from these moments of awakening, we can connect and be powerful in our openness and our oneness, and walk the path of yoga beyond the mat.

Shalom & Namaste
Diana Bonyhadi
Issaquah, WA

February 26, 2013 by Diana Gould Bonyhadi

Early Morning Inspiration

Good Morning.

I was wondering what to write about today. Vacation? Yes, I highly recommend it. Family? Definitely worth cherishing. Yoga? Keeps you limber and strong, is good for your blood pressure, joints, and mood. Meditation? Yes, do it every day to find out more about yourself and to help you deal with the challenges life throws at you. Okay, covered those topics, what to write about? And then I found this video of a young woman in South Africa. She brought smiles and tears to my eyes. I hope you enjoy her as much as I did.

http://youtu.be/BPszAxLjFSs