No Sleep Til Mysore (er, Flatiron)

2012-02-02T04:00:00.003-05:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

"There is privacy about Winter which no other season gives you...In Spring, Summer and Fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in Winter...can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself."

~Ruth Stout

Thanks to Nancy Perlman for the quote.

2012-01-30T04:00:00.001-05:00

MONDAY MUSIC
"Achyutashtakam" by Adi Shankaracharya
Music by Stephen Devassy, vocals by G. Ghayatri Devi, S. Saindhavi, R. Shruti

2012-01-27T04:00:00.001-05:00

FUNNY FRIDAY
Surprise Bollywood dance on Finnair flight yesterday, to celebrate India's Republic Day

2012-01-26T04:00:00.001-05:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

"Private beneficence is totally inadequate to deal with the vast numbers of the city's disinherited."

-Jane Addams, America's "Mother of Social Service"

The Jane Addams Hull House Association is closing in March, after 123 years of serving the poor. Hull House founded in 1889 by Addams, a pioneering Chicago reformer and karma yogi who opened settlement houses throughout the city to help immigrants and the poor adjust to life in America at the turn of the 20th century. At its peak, Hull House served more than 9,000 people a week, offering medical help, an art gallery, citizenship classes, a gardening club and a gym with sports programs.

Addams was also a leader in women's suffrage, and the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She and her associates influenced policy on public health and education, fair labor practices and immigrants' rights. She also was an antiwar activist and fought against child labor.

Hull House is closing due to lack of fundraising and an increase in demand for service; it currently serves some 60,000 people a year though more than 50 programs at over 40 sites throughout the metropolitan Chicago area.

Why one of the city's billionaires (Sam Zell? Oprah, [why did you have to leave]? Pritzkers? Ty Warner? Kevin Griffin? Bill Wrigley? Eric Lefkofsky?) doesn't step in and bail out this historic organization just boggles the mind.

BONUS QUOTES FROM JANE ADDAMS:

"Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we often might win, by fearing to attempt."

"For ten years I have lived in a neighborhood which is by no means criminal, and yet during last October and November we were startled by seven murders within a radius of ten blocks. A little investigation of details and motives, the accident of a personal acquaintance with two of the criminals, made it not in the least difficult to trace the murders back to the influence of war. Simple people who read of carnage and bloodshed easily receive its suggestions. Habits of self-control which have been but slowly and imperfectly acquired quickly break down under the stress."

"Action indeed is the sole medium of expression for ethics."

"We have learned to say that the good must be extended to all of society before it can be held secure by any one person or class; but we have not yet learned to add to that statement, that unless all [people] and all classes contribute to a good, we cannot even be sure that it is worth having."

and a personal favorite:

"The essence of immorality is the tendency to make an exception of myself."

Read Jane Addams' New York Times obituary here.

Click here to read a Jane Addams poem by Kevin Coval.

2012-01-24T17:02:00.004-05:00

MAHA SADHANA (Dharma Yoga Intensive) SATURDAY (1/28) FROM 2-5
Deepen Your Practice!
The early bird price of $35 has been extended through Thursday

Maha Sadhana means “The Great Practice”, and this amazing asana-based intensive will deepen your yoga practice. It will include chanting, pranayama (breathing exercises), and meditation as well as direction toward the true goal of yoga.

Dharma Yoga is a classical, flowing hatha system originated by New York City-based yogi Dharma Mittra, creator of the Master Yoga Chart of 908 Poses. Dharma’s energizing Shiva Namaskar sequence focuses on opening the hips, shoulders and upper back and includes variations for every level of student. Poses are repeated so that students may go deeper into them each time. Many options are given, so that all levels will feel challenged/comfortable. The emphasis is on practicing in a playful, relaxed manner.

At Sweet Pea's Studio
3717 N. Ravenswood, Suite 213

$35 through Thursday, $45 after
Click here to register via Paypal.

2012-01-23T04:00:00.000-05:00

MONDAY MUSIC

2012-01-20T12:26:00.004-05:00

FUNNY FRIDAY

If only shopping for clothes really were this simple...

"I'll take the sheet on the right."

"Yes, that one really suits you, Madam."

2012-01-19T04:00:00.002-05:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

Maitri karuna mudita upekshanam sukha duhka punya apunya vishayanam bhavanatah chitta prasadanam

"By cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and disregard toward the wicked, the mind-stuff retains its undisturbed calmness."

-Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, I.33

Swami Satchidananda comments:

"Whether you are interested in reaching samadhi or plan to ignore Yoga entirely, I would advise you to remember at least this one Sutra. IT will be very helpful to you in keeping a peaceful mind in your daily life. You may not have any great goal in your life, but just try to follow this one Sutra very well and you will see its efficacy. In my own experience, this Sutra became my guiding light to help keep my mind serene always."

Sanskrit translation:

* maitri = friendliness, pleasantness, lovingness
* karuna = compassion, mercy
* mudita = gladness, goodwill
* upekshanam = acceptance, equanimity, indifference, disregard, neutrality
* sukha = happy, comfortable, joyous
* duhka = pain, misery, suffering, sorrow
* punya = virtuous, meritorious, benevolent
* apunya = non-virtuous, vice, bad, wicked, evil, bad, demerit, non-meritorious,
* vishayanam = regarding those subjects, in relation to those objects
* bhavanatah = by cultivating habits, by constant reflection, developing attitude, cultivating, impressing on oneself
* chitta = mind field, consciousness
* prasadanam = purified, clear, serene, pleasant, pacified, undisturbed, peaceful, calm

Read another commentary here.

2012-01-16T04:00:00.000-05:00

MONDAY MUSIC
"Guru Stotram" lyrics by Adi Shankaracharya, performed by Maneesh de Moor

2012-01-15T08:09:00.008-05:00

A GENTLE REMINDER
Retreat early bird discount ends today

Happy belated Makar Sankrati!

And a reminder that this is the final day to receive the early bird discount on the March 3-4 retreat at the Port for Prayer in Frankfort, Illinois.

If you've been planning to deepen your practice in 2012 and want to make good on your promise to yourself, this will help!

In this peaceful, meditative setting, we will do multi-level Dharma Yoga asana practices as well as breathing, concentration, meditation, chanting and healing deep relaxation. (Dharma Yoga has been described as classical Hatha-raja yoga, which combines the practice of traditional asanas (poses) with devotion to the Supreme Self). Personal attention and helpful hints will be given throughout the weekend, as well as direction towards the true Goal of yoga.

Sign up and learn more here.

Still on the fence? Click here to see pictures and read testimonials from our November retreat.

2012-01-13T04:00:00.003-05:00

FUNNY FRIDAY
the latest cartoon predates the NYT article by a good month.....

Click the word to read more about Sukha (ease) and Dukkha (suffering).

Sargeant, et. al. (2009: p. 303) provides the etymology of the Sanskrit words sukha and duḥkha:

It is perhaps amusing to note the etymology of the words sukha (pleasure, comfort, bliss) and duḥkha (misery, unhappiness, pain). The ancient Aryans who brought the Sanskrit language to India were a nomadic, horse- and cattle-breeding people who travelled in horse- or ox-drawn vehicles. Su and dus are prefixes indicating good or bad. The word kha, in later Sanskrit meaning "sky," "ether," or "space," was originally the word for "hole," particularly an axle hole of one of the Aryan's vehicles. Thus sukha … meant, originally, "having a good axle hole," while duhkha meant "having a poor axle hole," leading to discomfort.[3]

And we all know what the term "axle hole" evolved into!

2012-01-12T04:00:00.002-05:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

"Om is the bow; atman is the arrow; Brahman is said to be the mark. It is to be struck by an undistracted mind. Then atman becomes one with Brahman, as an arrow with the target."

-Mandukya Upanishad

2012-01-10T04:00:00.001-05:00

THE DARK SIDE OF FANCY YOGA TOGS
No comment.

2012-01-09T04:00:00.001-05:00

MONDAY MUSIC
Hooked on Vedic Chants

2012-01-08T07:39:00.024-05:00

THE NEW YORK TIMES IS AT IT AGAIN
This time it's an article called "How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body"

Every couple of months, the NYT runs a provocative piece about that crazy yoga everyone's doing these days.

(Actually, they mean crazy asana. Most practitioners these days seem to be doing bhoga, not yoga. But that's for another post).

The current article is accompanied by several wince-inducing photos of wacky actors doing poses incorrectly. It makes the heart and body hurt to see these pictures - particularly the ones of shoulderstand and plow with the head cocked to the side. OUCH! An experienced, well-trained teacher will tell you to never do this - even if you're an Broadway performer who just landed a high-exposure gig with the New York Times.

In fact, there are five secrets to not getting hurt while performing asana:

Cara Kali's Five Secrets to Safe Asana Practice

-Find an experienced, well-trained teacher - not someone who just received their so-called certification. (The teacher should exhibit the qualities of a yogi off the mat as well). Tell them about any pre-existing conditions.
-Listen to the teacher. Respect the practice.
-Listen to the body. If the teacher tells you to do something, and the body says no, or it hurts or feels wrong, listen to the body - not the teacher.
-Ignore the ego, which will turn the practice into a competition and push you into poses you're not ready for.
-Listen to the body after the pose. If it didn't like it, or there's persistent pain, ask the teacher how to modify it or don't do it again.

But I digress. Here's an excerpt of William J. Broad's article - which cites, primarily, an NYC-based Iyengar teacher and a few horror stories. It's adapted from an upcoming book:

Almost a year after I first met Glenn Black at his master class in Manhattan, I received an e-mail from him telling me that he had undergone spinal surgery. “It was a success,” he wrote. “Recovery is slow and painful. Call if you like.”

The injury, Black said, had its origins in four decades of extreme backbends and twists. He had developed spinal stenosis — a serious condition in which the openings between vertebrae begin to narrow, compressing spinal nerves and causing excruciating pain. Black said that he felt the tenderness start 20 years ago when he was coming out of such poses as the plow and the shoulder stand. Two years ago, the pain became extreme. One surgeon said that without treatment, he would eventually be unable to walk. The surgery took five hours, fusing together several lumbar vertebrae. He would eventually be fine but was under surgeon’s orders to reduce strain on his lower back. His range of motion would never be the same.

Black is one of the most careful yoga practitioners I know. When I first spoke to him, he said he had never injured himself doing yoga or, as far as he knew, been responsible for harming any of his students. I asked him if his recent injury could have been congenital or related to aging. No, he said. It was yoga. “You have to get a different perspective to see if what you’re doing is going to eventually be bad for you.”

Black recently took that message to a conference at the Omega Institute, his feelings on the subject deepened by his recent operation. But his warnings seemed to fall on deaf ears. “I was a little more emphatic than usual,” he recalled. “My message was that ‘Asana is not a panacea or a cure-all. In fact, if you do it with ego or obsession, you’ll end up causing problems.’ A lot of people don’t like to hear that.”

Place a grain of salt on the tongue and read the rest here.

2012-01-06T04:00:00.002-05:00

~~FUNNY~~ FURRY FRIDAY
(best if volume is muted)

NOTE: Not all cats like surya namaskar. Kirby attacks during the Ashtanga sun salutations, and politely leaves the room during the classical Hatha ones. He does like to sit with me, though. And sometimes I catch him in the yoga room in the middle of the night, sitting very still and facing the altar. He is clearly beyond asana at this point.

2012-01-05T04:00:00.000-05:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

-Eleanor Roosevelt

2012-01-02T04:00:00.001-05:00

MONDAY MUSIC
"Calling from Afar" by Krishna Das

From Dharma Mittra: Maha Sadhana Level I DVD

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T09:38:00.001-05:00

"Whatever you're thinking about doing tomorrow, do today.

"Whatever you're thinking about doing today, do now."

-Chandra Om

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2011-12-31T09:05:00.003-05:00

DHARMA'S 2012 NEW YEAR'S MESSAGE, PT. II

A MESSAGE FROM DHARMA
2012: A Year of Challenge

Sri Dharma Mittra

All suffering and pain experienced on the material plane is for the purpose of purification - the gradual cleaning of the mind, heart and intellect so that one day, in this incarnation or one of the next, we may at last have a complete vision of Supreme Reality.

All yoga teachers and students, prepare yourselves! The year ahead will be a year of challenge. It will be a year that will provide many opportunities to really be of service to others. It will also provide us with the chance to discover how strong and faithful we truly are.

According to present and past conditions including predictions and even some direct evidence, sometime during and especially in late 2012, the Earth may pass through some severe weather conditions and maybe even some unusual phenomena. Those with lots of attachment to things and comforts may endure lots of pain and suffering, and those without good health and spiritual knowledge and who are attached to comfort surely will suffer more.

In our study of yoga, we learn about the Kleshas, the mental impurities, the root causes of all pain and suffering. All five are rooted in the first, Avidya or ignorance of your own True Self, but attachment or Raga, another one of the Kleshas, will cause many great problems during this period of transition and change. We can combat this as Yogis by re-dedicating ourselves to Sadhana (spiritual practice), and, the more we learn, the more we'll have to then share with others to help them through the dark days potentially ahead. Commit every bit of knowledge you can to memory and strengthen the physical body so you can help others who are weaker. Many Yogis become flexible and strong through their dedication to the Asana or posture practice, but you mustn't sacrifice cardiovascular fitness, since the ability to run if there is danger is of great value both to save yourself and to then help save others. Do something for at least five minutes every day to strengthen and tone the cardiovascular system, even Jumping Jacks. Pursue Self-knowledge every day with great intensity.

To fully arm yourself, spend more time in contemplation and realize what you really are today! We are all a portion of the Almighty One; immortal, omniscient and formless. It is only by this knowledge that you will truly remain unaffected by the possible external state of turmoil. Stay healthy and share as much as possible spiritual knowledge with others so that their pain can be reduced. Acting in this way is the highest type of charity. Remember, belief is not enough!

How unwise it is to sleep! (To float through life unaware of anything and without learning anything.) How foolish it is to remain unguarded and full of doubts! Constantly breaking the law and taking chances and stupid risks that will always result in disappointment, embarrassment, pain and suffering. The wise man is always awake and fully prepared. He follows the rules and guards his knowledge. Compassionate to all, he lives happily and is immune to delusion. The wise man is ever ready to face any amount of pain that may be inflicted upon him at any time.

But even the holy man's body and mind are still subject to extremes of discomfort, since no one is immune to the forces of nature. Those who are still without Self-knowledge and who abide in a state of ignorance as regards Supreme Reality doubtless will suffer more in the year to come. Due to the present condition of everything, including the mental and spiritual, everything is moving, acting and changing perfectly according to and is affected by these constantly shifting patterns, resulting in a specific new condition. Everything is controlled by the Divine Laws of Nature, and everything is connected to everything else. Whatever happens to anything in any distinct area has an effect on everything else to some degree. [Einstein] saw this through the lens of Physics: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." In Karmic terms, perhaps this is better expressed as: "For every action, there is an equal required action." Or, "Everything we are passing through at present is a result of our deeds from the past." If we were able to look back at every action taken in previous lifetimes, we would come to understand with clarity everything we are now experiencing from moment to moment.

Those devoid of Self-knowledge are fully under the sway of their external environment and its given state from moment to moment. But the wise men and women, endowed with right knowledge, can control the effect these external changes have to affect the internal environment and, most crucially, the mind. Of course, no one can escape their fate entirely, but, since the enlightened one is not identified with the body and mind anymore, he or she is truly untouched by the effect of the outside world upon them.

Only a lit candle can light the unlit wick of another. Some who lose everything will feel that the world really has ended. If you have a little knowledge and a little self-control, you will be able to serve and help anyone and everyone you come into contact with both now and after everything begins to possibly shift and change.

May Brahman bestow upon you the treasure of understanding this Divine knowledge! Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi.

Lots of Love,
Dharma Mittra
Remember! The goal is Self-realization!
__

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2011-12-30T04:00:00.000-05:00

FUNNY FRIDAY
Lino Miele Teaches Nauli

2011-12-29T04:00:00.000-05:00

THURSDAY QUOTE: On Teaching Yoga
From Chandra Om's Q&A

Q:
So, today as a teacher what do you feel are the important qualities and understandings that you bring as a teacher?

A:
Chandra Om: First of all, the teacher has to be kind, not selfish, not turning the yoga system into a business. Also, they must be established most of the time in the state of sattva. Sattva is the state after you do your meditation, after you have some knowledge of Yoga. You are automatically calm, without the ego. You feel like God is passing through you. You feel you are just an instrument. A teacher must believe in God or the Self, the Supreme Self. Also the teacher must be a vegetarian. They may keep the mozzarella, the cheese, no problem. But the flesh must go, because otherwise, they are breaking the first rule: thou shall not kill, or ahimsa. If you are involved in this, your mind will never settle in meditation: always restless. Lower passion increases. So the teacher must be vegetarian, kind, and of course, have Self knowledge and be without the ego. They must have Guru also.

2011-12-26T12:56:00.001-05:00

MONDAY MUSIC
"Linus and Lucy" by the Vince Guaraldi Trio

2011-12-24T11:34:00.039-05:00

HAPPY HOLIDAYS
From Da Windy City

In addition to the tree, there's also a free ice skating rink in front of Wrigley Field. The only thing cooler would be to have ice skating in Wrigley Field. Maybe next year....

Cat Puppet Theatre in front of the old Marshall Field's on State Street - which was far, far more entertaining than Macy's utterly disappointing holiday window display.

Everyone is looking away from the high-tech window displays, towards the old-fashioned puppets.

The historic Walnut Room inside Field's on State Street - where my mother used to model, and where my grandmother took me (on the train) for filet mignon when I was 12. My great-uncle's paintings were on sale (for a lot of money, even in those days) in the store's art section. The Walnut Room is the first-ever restaurant inside of a department store. (In the olden days, women had nowhere to eat downtown, since the only places to grab a bite were bars - which no respectable woman would enter).

Seen on Thursday, between the Civic Opera House and Sears Tower.

Buddha Christmas ornament at the ethnic tchotchke mega superstore at Clark and Diversey. He does not seem to notice or care about the holiday lila happening around Him - which He appears to be part of, but is not. (Don't get me started on the selling of sacred symbols in banal settings; that post is coming soon). Interestingly, this ornament was the highest-priced one in the section.

Massive wreath at the Northwestern Depot (Ogilve Transportation Center) - where we'd take the train in when we were in high school and too young to drive. We'd head straight to Bennigan's on Michigan Avenue for some holiday spirits (for some reason we never got carded). In those days the drink de jour was the whiskey stone sour. Not whiskey sour. Whiskey stone sour.

Pix from my new secret walking place, located well within city limits

Yes, that is a real deer, dear.

Paper star purchased at Christkindlmarket Chicago. The star is from India. The market is modeled after the German one in Nürnberg. The irony is pure Chicago - home of the Union Stockyards and the nation's longest-running raw vegan restaurant.

Everyone loves a little Yuletide windfall - even Kirby "The Scrooge" Q-Tie.

All pix (and "artwork") by Cara-Kali (c) 2011.

2011-12-23T04:00:00.004-05:00

SRI DHARMA ON 2012
Buckle your asana-belts: it's going to be a bumpy ride....

2012: A YEAR of CHALLENGE by: YOGI SRI DHARMA MITTRA

All suffering and pain experienced on the material plane is for the purpose of purification - the gradual cleaning of the mind, heart and intellect so that one day, in this incarnation or one of the next, we may at last have a complete vision of Supreme Reality.

All yoga teachers and students, prepare yourselves! The year ahead will be a year of challenge. It will be a year that will provide many opportunities to really be of service to others. It will also provide us with the chance to discover how strong and faithful we truly are.

According to present and past conditions including predictions and even some direct evidence, sometime during and especially in late 2012, the Earth may pass through some severe weather conditions and maybe even some unusual phenomena. Those without good health, spiritual knowledge, and who are attached to comfort surely will suffer more.

In our study of yoga, we learn about the Kleshas, the mental impurities, the root causes of all pain and suffering. All five are rooted in the first, Avidya or ignorance of your own True Self, but attachment or Raga, another one of the Kleshas, will cause many great problems during this period of transition and change. We can combat this as Yogis by re-dedicating ourselves to Sadhana (spiritual practice), and, the more we learn, the more we'll have to then share with others to help them through the dark days potentially ahead. Commit every bit of knowledge you can to memory and strengthen the physical body so you can help others who are weaker. Many Yogis become flexible and strong through their dedication to the Asana or posture practice, but you mustn't sacrifice cardiovascular fitness, since the ability to run if there is danger is of great value both to save yourself and to then help save others. Do something for at least five minutes every day to strengthen and tone the cardiovascular system, even Jumping Jacks. Pursue Self-knowledge every day with great intensity.

To be continued...

2011-12-22T04:00:00.001-05:00

THURSDAY QUOTES

"Protect me from what I want."

-Jenny Holzer

In 1982, Holzer took an ad (the Public Art Fund paid) on a Times Square LED billboard. It read simply: "protect me from what I want." It was a cutting comment on modern consumerism in the age of "society of the spectacle" ((c) Guy Debord)

BONUS QUOTES FROM JENNY HOLZER:

"Being Sure Of Yourself Means You’re A Fool"

and

"It's better to be a good person than a famous person."

and

"Ensure that your life stays in flux."

Sounds like a yogi to me.

The main focus of jenny holzer has been on the investigation of means to disseminate her ideas within public space. since the late seventies, she has been working in the street and in public buildings, using media that would enable her work to blend in the landscape. from lcd displays (e.g., in Times Square, New York) to posters and stickers (applied to such urban elements as telephone booths or parking meters), the texts function as comments on that environment they fit into, stimulating awareness of our social conditioning as conveyed by the very landscape in which we may be confronted by them.
From this site.

Read more about Holzer - who was born in Ohio - here.

Her Twitter feed is @jennyholzer

2011-12-20T04:00:00.001-05:00

DHARMA COMES ALIVE
His famous poster, that is

Thanks to Tini Lu for the tip.

2011-12-18T05:06:00.000-05:00

MONDAY MUSIC
Remix of "Bho Shambho" by Dr. Nithyasree Mahadevan

Hear the unadulterated version here.

2011-12-16T04:00:00.002-05:00

FUNNY FRIDAY
Johnny B Visits Garry Meier

A couple of weeks ago, it was announced that Jonathon Brandmeier would be the new morning man at WGN.

A short time later, Johnny B. appeared on Garry Meyer's afternoon drive show on WGN.

Unplanned (as it seems) or not, the interaction between these two local talk radio legends is amazing:

Johnny B. is clearly on the Vata spectrum, his ADD in full swing.

Pitta-Kapha Garry is the calm, sharp-minded professional - who gets in a few really well-placed barbs.

I've watched the video twice and have trouble looking away.

Click here here to see for yourself. (This was shot on Garry's birthday, by the way).

Learn about the doshas (vata, pitta, kapha) here.

2011-12-15T04:00:00.001-05:00

THURSDAY QUOTE: TIMELESS WISDOM FROM..... MAD MEN?
(a re-post from 2010)

"Every living thing is connected....

"The only thing keeping you from being happy is the belief that you are alone."

-Anna Draper to Don Draper (the best ujjayi breather on television), Season Three

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Season five began production in August, and there's no word on when it will air. In the interim, AMC is playing reruns of past shows.

2011-12-12T04:00:00.000-05:00

MONDAY MUSIC
"Chandra Chooda Siva Sankara Purandara dasa Raagamaalika" by M L Vasantha Kumari

Composer: Purandara Daasar
Language: Kannada

2011-12-10T00:00:00.002-05:00

FUNNY SATURDAY: THE ASTANGA POLICE
(purists know there's no "H" in astanga)

The Ashtanga Police
by: janbaggerudlarsen

2011-12-09T13:50:00.003-05:00

FUNNY FRIDAY II: EVENTUALLY, EVERYONE FINDS YOGA

After sentencing, the former Illinois gov demonstrates jnana mudra - the gesture of wisdom.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For years, I taught ashtanga in the office below Blago's headquarters, where it all went down.

I still teach ashtanga in the space just below the offices of Taxpayers for Quinn - the current gov's fundraising arm.

Apparently the good vibes eventually seep upwards.

Eventually.

2011-12-09T11:45:00.003-05:00

FUNNY FRIDAY

No. sh!t.

2011-12-08T04:00:00.001-05:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

"Attend carefully to details.
Never despair. Nil desperandum. Plod on.
Watch carefully over your passions.
Be prompt in doing all things.
Sacrifice money rather than principle."

-Swami Sivananda

2011-12-05T04:00:00.001-05:00

2011-12-03T11:30:00.003-05:00

CHASE THE RAIN AWAY

with today's Maha Sadhana three-hour Dharma Mittra practice with Cara.

From 1-4 at YogaNow.

It's just $30 if you sign up online.

It will make you feel sunny inside....

....so it won't matter what's happening outside.

Top image from here.

2011-12-02T17:51:00.015-05:00

FUNNY FRIDAY

Student Dan B. celebrated his first yoga birthday today - one year in the ashtanga self-practice trenches, where the practitioner comes face-to-face with his strengths and weaknesses, over and over again, each day at 6:30am.

It is not a practice for the fickle or faint-hearted.

The regular self-practice students are neither.

(Most people don't stick with Mysore-style ashtanga for a week, let alone a year or decade).

To mark his anniversary, Dan brought fine Belgian chocolate for everyone.

(Chocolate-lover Pattabhi Jois would have approved).

He also brought the card, above.

Pranams to him and the other students for their ongoing dedication to the vexing, rewarding, difficult, life-altering Mysore-style ashtanga practice -

and for Dan's wonderful Miserable Yoga Men illustrations and t-shirts.

2011-12-01T04:00:00.001-05:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

"We don't put much faith in ecstasies here," Dame Ursula had told them. "The nun you see rapt away in church isn't likely to be the holiest. The holiest is probably the one you would never notice, because she is simply doing her duty."

-from Rumer Godden's 1969 novel, In This House of Brede

2011-11-29T16:03:00.004-05:00

SYNCHRONICITY
these are from the e-mails in my inbox, as they appeared this morning, all in a row...

Today's Word of the Day from Anu Garg:

"equable"

MEANING:
adjective:
1. Not easily upset; tranquil.
2. Uniform; steady.
3. Free from extremes.

Today's Q&A from Swami Sivananda:

QUESTION #70: If God is just and merciful, why should there be so much misery in this world? Sometimes we see virtuous men suffer and hypocrites enjoy. What is the logic in this?

ANSWER: Misery is the eye-opener in this world. Had it not been for the presence of pain and misery, no one would attempt for salvation. Misery is a blessing in disguise.

Virtuous men treat suffering as a blessing as it develops the power of endurance and mercy, and makes them remember God always. They welcome suffering. They do not want worldly pleasure and prosperity. They have a changed vision. They always keep a balanced mind in pleasure and pain. You cannot understand their mental state. They rejoice in suffering. Your mind is still worldly. You cannot understand these things.

Today's Bhagavad-Gita Selection:

Chapter II: Sankhya Yoga
(Krishna speaking to Arjuna)
II.57. He who is everywhere without attachment, on meeting with
anything good or bad, who neither rejoices nor hates, his wisdom
is fixed.

COMMENTARY: The sage possesses poised understanding or evenness of mind. He does not rejoice in pleasure nor is he averse to pain that may befall him. He is quite indifferent as he is rooted in the Self. He has no attachment even for his life or body as he identifies himself with Brahman or the Supreme Self. He will not praise anybody when the latter does any good to him nor censure anyone when one does him any harm. This is the answer given by the Lord to Arjuna's query: "How does a sage of steady wisdom talk?"

You think someone's trying to tell me something?

Image by Leah Palmer Preiss. Purchase her work here.

2011-11-28T04:00:00.003-05:00

MONDAY MUSIC
Madonna - "Shanti Ashtangi" / "Ray of Light"

The first song's lyrics are a variation of the ashtanga opening mantra.

Look for the awesome Supta Virasana adjustment from Lenny Kravitz in the second song, around 4:10.

2011-11-25T04:00:00.003-05:00

FUNNY FRIDAY
Raw Thanksgiving

Not naked, but live:

Click here to hear Cara-Kali's radio essay about the raw Thanksgiving dinner she attended back in 2005.

DIET UPDATE:
When this essay was recorded, the diet was 30-60 percent live. Nowadays it can be up to 70 percent live during the warm months. Most of what I consume comes from a short list of specific foods, particularly certain juicy fruits, in their natural form. In the cold months, there is more cooked food. The digestive system is still not a fan of raw food restaurants that use a lot of nuts, spices, seasonings and combinations to make live food look and taste like something cooked. It does, however, seem to like eating seasonally (again, from a short list of specific foods). And it has the final say over what goes into the mouth.

2011-11-24T04:00:00.002-05:00

THURSDAY QUOTE
Santosh

"A person however learned and qualified in his life's work in whom gratitude is absent, is devoid of that beauty of character which makes personality fragrant."

-Hazrat Inayat Khan

SPECIAL HOLIDAY BONUS QUOTE

"Everything we do should be a result of our gratitude for what God has done for us."

-Lauryn Hill

2011-11-21T06:25:00.002-05:00

MONDAY MUSIC
Ashwin Batish - "Bombay Boogie"

We used to play this on our college radio show, and thought it was gone forever.....

2011-11-17T06:05:00.003-05:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

"Kindness resembles God the closest and disarms man the quickest."

-Father Vermeuhlen in A Nun's Story

Click here to read about the novel's author.

2011-11-14T06:18:00.003-05:00

MONDAY MUSIC: PREMA MUDITA

Prema Mudita Manasey Kaho Rama Rama Ram Rama Rama Ram
Papa Ghatey Dukha Mitey Lekey Rama Naam
Bhava Samudra Sukhada Nava Eka Rama Naam
PaRama Shanti Sukha Nidhana Divya Rama Naam
Niradhara Ko Adhara Eka Rama Naam
Maata Pita Bandhu Sakha Sabhi Rama Naam
Bhakta Janara Jivana Dhana Eka Rama Naam
Rama Rama Ram Rama Rama Ram
Rama Rama Ram Shri Rama Rama Ram

With the heart and mind full of love and devotion, recite the name of Lord Rama. Reciting the name of Lord Rama cuts down sins and miseries and helps to cross the ocean of life and death. So potent is Lord Rama's name that it brings eternal peace and bliss and is the only support of those who have no support. O Lord Rama! You are my Mother, Father, Relations, Friends, everything, and all. The only life-long treasure of the devotee is your name.

Chant the mantra 'Rama Rama Ram'. Chant should emanate from the depths of the heart. Remember the name of Rama with love. God can be realized only through love and by no other means.

Click here to hear Satya Sai Baba's amazing, heartfelt version of this lovely bhajan.

2011-11-10T04:00:00.001-05:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

"A human being is a part of the whole called by us Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts, and feelings, as something separated from the rest — a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. The striving to free oneself from this delusion is the one issue of true religion. Not to nourish the delusion but to try to overcome it is the way to reach the attainable measure of peace of mind."

- Albert Einstein, in a letter to a man at the World Jewish Congress

(For the record, Einstein was also a vegetarian, who said,"Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival for life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.")

2011-11-08T00:00:00.038-05:00

RETREAT PHOTOS BY BILL JEPSEN
Words by the Participants

I feel inspired and refreshed. This time away was much needed and now I am feeling renewed strength in my Self.

I feel a strong connection to the Dharma Yoga and the sattvic teachings.
It has pushed me to grow so much already and I have only just begun.

I love the that the teachings are strong in their roots and there isn't a taboo on the subject of God that I have found in other classes.

"Be receptive to the grace of God."

What you said about the true Self got to me. I've heard you say it before but this time was different.

I also felt I had some “healing” in some way. I certainly can attest to the shared warm glow afterward. I hope I can hold onto this feeling!

I felt my body was strong and my mind was peaceful in the retreat! I had a good time and I am glad I did!!

Fond memories of an unforgettable week-end flood my mind as I settle in after a long day of working....:) I feel so blessed to have spent the last few days learning more about the the 8 limbs of yoga. I just can't seem to get enough of the wisdom that yoga offers.

The retreat was even better than I imagined. I enjoyed it all, but most of all, I enjoyed our circle of "offering up" at the end...I was awed by the spirit and expertise of the those who chose to participate. Truly, I have never seen yoga performed so beautifully and freely.

....Such a lovely, energetic and memorable time together.

I can't begin to express what the retreat meant to me. Life has seemed pretty turbulent and exhausting lately. The retreat was the first opportunity I have had in months for true rest. I felt cradled in the arms of the Mother throughout the weekend. Sleep was free of interruption, solitude was peaceful, company was uplifting, devotion was heart-felt and asana was humbling. It felt like exactly what I needed to stay afloat.

I can't wait until the next time we can do it again! I loved every moment spent with you. Peaceful, gentle night, If only I had a labyrinth to walk in the moonlight!

For me, the retreat offered a special transformation. I awakened Saturday night from a new sensation. I found that the persistent pain of an eye ailment I had developed several weeks ago had receded. I shared this news with Cara, attributing it to our breathing rituals, and she reminded me that we had done a purification ritual. She shared with me that we would do more on Sunday, and we did and as I write this to you all, I am still pain free.

I am grateful to the Universe that brings what we need. So on Sunday for the first time,emboldened by that feeling of healing, I had the courage to embrace the beginnings of two inversion postures. My fear left with my pain. So I wanted to say thanks to each of you, for you were a part of that energy, and I am humbled by the power of the experience. I move forward today still warmed by the glow of our synergy. So may I offer to each of you the blessings of peace and harmony in your day.

Thank you to everyone who made this weekend so magical, including my nephew (who made the flyers) and brother (who took the pictures), the Port for Prayer, my Guru and teachers (who taught through me), and the participants - including the many karma yogis who helped out in various ways (including the DeKalb Four, for their lovely photo). It is their selflessness that made this such a powerful experience. Many pranams to you. Om Namah Shivay! Jai Jai Ma!

2011-11-07T04:00:00.000-05:00

MONDAY MUSIC: AVE MARIA
Inspired by this weekend's wonderful retreat

Jai Jai Ma!

2011-11-03T04:00:00.000-04:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

"A nun is not a person who wishes or desires."

-Audrey Hepburn, as Sister Luke in A Nun's Story

I recently caught this 1959 film by accident on Channel 11, and was spellbound.

Based on the 1956 novel by Kathryn Hulme, it's about a young Belgian nurse who in 1900 decided to leave her family to become a nun and work in the Belgian Congo.

The burning away of her lower nature through such pre-Vatican II tapas (austerities) as avoiding useless speech and relationships, writing down her faults, constantly negating her self-will, attempting perfect obedience, getting up at 4am, etc. reminded me so much of yoga, I kept inadvertently substituting the word "yogi" for "nun" as I watched this excellent film.

At one point, Sister Luke is standing across the operating table from the brilliant atheist doctor, performing a surgery.

She starts to blink and turn green, and then begins to faint.

The doctor asks if it's the long hours and lack of food that are making her lightheaded.

No, she says.

"It's all the garlic you ate last night."

* * *

(Garlic fumes make this yogi feel ill, too).

(In fact, when I was in Mysore the students used to avoid garlic and onions so that they wouldn't offend Pattabhi Jois. That is, until Friday night - when they could eat whatever they wanted, since there was no practice on Saturday. More often than not, they went for the pungent, deep-fried, garlic-and-onion-laden Gobi Machuri at Mahesh Prasad).

(If only the students here would do the same).

BONUS QUOTE FROM THE SAME MOVIE

"Tension is a sign of intense internal struggle."

-Dr. Fortunati

2011-10-31T04:00:00.004-04:00

MONDAY MUSIC: "RAGHUPATI RAGHAV RAJA RAM" BY HARI OM SHARAN

They've been doing a lot of Ram bhajans on Sunday nights when the swami is away, and this one is a favorite.

Ram, the ideal man, avatar of Vishnu, and hero of The Ramayana, is irresistible.

I cannot stop looking at Him.

(Don't tell Shiva).

Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram (sometimes called Ram Dhun) is a popular bhajan that was a favorite of Mahatma Gandhi. The version that is most common was put to music by Vishnu Digambar Paluskar,[2] and was sung by Gandhi and his followers as they walked during the 241 mile Salt March to Dandi.

Raghupathi raghava rajaram
Pathithapaavana sitharam
Sundhara vigraha meghashyam
Ganga tulasi salagram
Bhadra girishwara sitharam
Bhakatha janapriya sitharam
Janaki ramana sitharam
Jaya jaya raghava sitharam

Chief of the house of Raghu, Lord Rama,
Uplifters of those who have fallen, Sita and Rama,
Sita and Rama, Sita and Rama,
O beloved, praise Sita and Rama,
God and Allah are your names.
Bless everyone with this wisdom, Lord.

2011-10-27T04:00:00.003-04:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

"To work, alone, you are entitled, never to its fruit. Neither let your motive be the fruit of action, nor let your attachment be to non-action.

"Being established in yoga, O Dhananjaya, perform your actions, casting off attachment and remaining even-minded both in success and in failure. This evenness is called yoga."

-Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita (II. 47-48)

Today marks the Hindu new year - an auspicious day to begin a new endeavor.

It is also the day on which little Krishna held up Govardhan Hill with his little finger like an umbrella, in order to protect the people of Brindavan from the torrential rain and wrath of Indra. (Indra was retaliating after the villagers, at little Krishna's urging, stopped performing sacrifices for him and instead began to worship the Hill. It's a long story. After he held up the hill, the villagers - and Indra - realized Krishna was more than just a talkative village boy). Tonight the local Krishna temple will celebrate with a Govardhan puja. Read more here. Some say this incident set up but it actually set up the basis of the karma path of yoga later detailed in the Bhagavad-Gita. More context here.

2011-10-26T04:00:00.002-04:00

RETREAT TIME

There are still a few spaces left in next weekend's awesome yoga and meditation retreat.

It's Nov. 5-6 at the beautiful Port for Prayer in Frankfort, IL

That's the weekend we turn back the clocks - so you'll get plenty of rest.

You'll also be immersed in the holy science of yoga, including postures, pranayama, concentration, meditation, relaxation and Psychic Development.

There are 50 acres of beautiful grounds with a sacred labyrinth, a forest, a creek, hiking trails, holy sites and more. Inside, the there is a chapel as well as numerous cozy nooks and comfortable chairs for reading and contemplation. The menu features tasty vegan comfort food.

Sign-up ends Monday!

More info here.

2011-10-25T11:21:00.004-04:00

LAST NIGHT'S AURORA BOREALIS
It hasn't been seen here in seven years, and they say it will appear again tonight at midnight -
but not to city dwellers.

Video from here.

2011-10-24T04:11:00.000-04:00

MONDAY MUSIC: JAYA LAKSHMI AARTI FOR DIWALI

We are close to Diwali (Wednesday) and the Hindu New Year (Thursday). Today is Dhan Trayodashi (the 13th day after the new moon of Dasara) and is the day to perform a puja to Lakshmi (the goddess of spiritual and material wealth) and purchase metal items such as Lakshmi and Ganesh coins and murthis (statues) to insure wealth in the upcoming year.

Aarti is a ceremony in which light and bhajans (hymns) are offered to the deity.

This video is a virtual aarti.

And it kicks off this year's Diwali or Deepavali celebration.

While the story behind Deepavali and the manner of celebration varies from region to region (festive fireworks, worship, lights, sharing of sweets), the essence is the same – to rejoice in the Inner Light (Atman) or the underlying Reality of all things (Brahman).

Jai Ma!

Om Namah Shivay!

2011-10-20T04:00:00.000-04:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

"Yoga is the science of Self-realization. It is much more than what is thought to be the physical postures, or even the breathing techniques or concentration. Yoga begins first with the moral and ethical precepts (Yama and Niyama). It is most important to be nice, be kind, don’t hurt anyone, and don’t participate in violence. Watch the thoughts, and remember it is just the body and the mind, it is not you. You are actionless. Whatever you do in life, whatever roles you put on, you must ultimately return to the real Self—so why not just abide in the real Self full time. Yoga provides a science of how to do this. Meditation is your true nature. You may say, 'I am going to practice meditation now,' because there are thoughts distracting you. When the thoughts are dispelled, you will remain alone. In this state—free from thoughts—that is your true nature. The techniques of Yoga help you to uncover this."

-Chandra Om

2011-10-17T04:00:00.000-04:00

Monday Music
New Order: Blue Monday

2011-10-15T11:01:00.024-04:00

JNANI LOVES BHAKTI II
Navrang Raas Garba with Hemant Chauhan, or I haven't been up this late since Shivaratri!

Last night TiaS pinged me around 7:30 to ask if I had any interest dancing the Dandiya (a Gujarati dance with sticks celebrating the end of Navratri or the nine nights of the Divine Mother).

The dance started at 8. In Palatine.

And I was already halfway to dreamland, having taught 19 classes this week.

I tried to beg off, until I noticed that famous Gujarati folk singer Hemant Chauhan would be performing and that TiaS was offering to drive.

We put on outfits, bindis, bangles, spangles, makeup and ankle bracelets.

We felt like drag queens.

We went.

The massive college gymnasium was filled with Indian people of all ages, shapes and sizes.

All were dressed to the nines - some of the men even in the traditional Gujarati costume, and most of the women in ghagra cholis.

The majority of them were dancing.

We got some food, sat down in the bleachers, and watched for awhile.

The musicians were at one end of the gym, the food at the other. Hundreds of people were dancing the garba in between. A shrine was set up near us, featuring images of the goddess and candles (the event was sponsored by a local temple).

During a break, they started handing out the sticks ("Dandiya" comes from the same Sanskrit root as the first seated pose in the ashtanga primary series, "Dandasana" or stick/staff pose).

They ran out of sticks before we could get any.

The music started up, and everyone started dancing.

So we watched for awhile as Hemant and his party performed.

Everyone seemed to be having such fun. TiaS inquired about getting some sticks for us.

We were directed us towards the stage, where we watched the musicians - who were utterly amazing. Hemant, who has an amazing voice and is called the Pride of Gujarat, had an indescribable look of humility, sweetness, contentment and devotion on his face. And the drum crew (including dhol, tablas and an electronic drum) was spot-on, kicking out a rollicking, infectious beat that never let up. At one point, TiaS told me Hemant was singing his thanks to God in the form of Krisha, for coming down to earth. Not only was it devotional, but it had a good beat and you could dance to it!

We also watched the people dancing. The entire gym floor was filled with people.

Most were in lines, facing each other, hitting each others' sticks three times, and moving on to the next person.

Some of the teenagers had fashioned their own variations of the dance. Others were doing more of a line dance. One tiny little girl was really working it, doing spins and voguing. A man in full mirrored costume effortlessly twirled his sticks between taps. Some ladies were doing a graceful Garba dance (without sticks). A few older women were busting out traditional Bollywood moves, their faces lighting up so that they looked like young girls.

Finally, someone scored sticks for us.

TiaS gave me a quick lesson, and we played a bit.

After some time it finally clicked - I can be an incredibly slow learner, hence the obsession with yoga sequences - and we started doing it for real.

It was fun; hitting the sticks, hearing the sharp snap they made, feeling the vibration move through the hands and arms, watching TiaS' smiles and looks of delight. It became hypnotic. I smiled, too. It was fun *and* devotional, and it did not involve shutting out the rest of the world. Plus it was good exercise. Imagine!

We stayed on the floor for some time, dancing in our own circle in front of the stage (I was not quite ready to join the others just yet).

Meanwhile, the musicians moved seamlessly from one well-known Garba song to the next, as if it were one long, joyous, high-energy song. The singers would switch off. Each time, the drums would pick up speed and the song would be little faster. Everyone would whoop and dance a little faster. It reminded me of the seamless dance mixes they used to do late-night on B96. Only so much better. I was transported with joy.

The dance ended sometime around 12:30 or so. Prizes were awarded for the best dancers and costumes.

And then they did aarti (a light ceremony devoted to the goddess), led by Hemant.

Jai Ma!

2011-10-13T04:00:00.000-04:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

Milarepa replied, "I am Milarepa, the yogi from Tibet. There is a great purpose to not having possessions." He then explained this in a spiritual song: "I have no desire for wealth or possessions, and so I have nothing. I do not experience the initial suffering of having to accumulate possessions, the intermediate suffering of having to guard and keep up possessions, nor the final suffering of loosing the possessions. This is a wonderful thing. I have no desire for friends or relations. I do not experience the initial suffering of forming an attachment, the intermediate suffering of having disagreements with friends and family, nor the final suffering of parting with them. Therefore it is good to be without friends and relations. I have no desire for pleasant conversation. I do not experience the initial suffering of beginning conversation, the intermediate suffering of wondering whether to continue the conversation, nor the final suffering of the conversation deteriorating. Therefore I do not delight in pleasant conversation. I have no desire for a home land and have no fixed residence. I do not experience the initial suffering of partiality of thinking that 'this is my land and that place isn't.' I do not experience the intermediate suffering of yearning for my land. And I do not experience the final suffering of having to protect my land. Therefore I do not have a fixed abode."

-- Jetsün Milarepa, from Ten Teachings from the Songs of Milarepa

2011-10-11T09:52:00.003-04:00

TUESDAY MUSIC SPECIAL: JAGIT SINGH

The humble and great velvet-voiced ghazal singer Jagit Singh passed yesterday in Mumbai at the age of 70.

From today's NYT Tribute:

Writing for Mint, Rahul Pandita said:

Delhi “turned some of us lonelier by the day. We fell in love, suffered in love, lost our near and dear ones, made careers, or what is perceived to be a career. Our hair went gray. Emotions lost their edge.

But on some balmy night, when there was no one else to go to, we would seek refuge in Jagjit Singh’s voice. Long ago, he sang these lines of Ghalib’s: “Maut se pehle aadmi, gam se nijaat paaye kyun…” (Before death, why does man want relief from sorrow). Sitting in a metro train, when I learnt about his death, I hoped that in death my friend would be rid of life’s sorrows.”

aum tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭi-vardhanam
urvārukam iva bandhanān mṛtyor mukṣīya māmṛtāt

2011-10-10T05:49:00.001-04:00

MONDAY MUSIC: PRABHUJEE BY RAVI SHANKAR & GEORGE HARRISON

Written by Ravi Shankar.

Prabhujee Dayaa Karo,
Maname Aana Baso.

Tuma Bina Laage soonaa,
Khaali Ghatame Prema Bharo.

Tantra Mantra Poojaa Nahi Jaanu,
Mai To Kevala Tumako Hi Maanu.

Sare Jaga Me Dhundaa Tumako,
Aba To Aakara Baahan Dharo.

Oh Master,show some compassion on me,
Please come and dwell in my heart.

Because without you, it is painfully lonely,
Fill this empty pot with the nectar of love.

I do not know any Tantra, Mantra or ritualistic
worship I know and believe only in you.

I have been searching for you all over all the world,
please come and hold my hand now.

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE!

"He who sees everything in relation to the Supreme Lord, who sees all living entities as His living parts and parcels, and who sees the Supreme Lord within everything never hates anything or any being."

2011-10-09T08:14:00.016-04:00

ENTERTAINMENT VS DHARMA
Natya Dance Theatre's The Flowering Tree

I saw many classical dance performances during my 12 months in India.

But rarely did I understand what was happening onstage: the myriad complicated mudras, facial expressions and other gestures used to convey the story meant very little to my untrained western mind. (I remember my traveling companion Bob-the-dancer being flummoxed by what he called "the shit-eating grins on their faces.").

Last night I accompanied my editor and some other long-time local yoga teachers to the one-night-only performance of Natya Dance Theatre's The Flowering Tree.

Natya Dance specializes in classical Bharatnarayan dance from South India. It is sometimes considered to be a form of yoga (as in union, not asana).

The performance was framed by a narrator (Natya Dance Theatre founder Hema Rajagopalan's daughter, Krithika). So it was easy to understand the storyline - based on a Kannada folk tale. (UC Hinduism scholar Wendy Doniger served as a consultant and wrote the program notes).

The piece focused on a poor woman who has two sisters and a very difficult life. A voice instructs the sisters to use a special mantra and water to transform her into a flowering tree, whose flowers they may gather and sell so that they have enough food to eat. They transformer her into a tree against her wishes, and make a killing selling the unusually beautiful and fragrant flowers at the local temple. A young prince buys the last one and becomes enthralled with the lead sister. Long story short, he marries her and forces her to become the tree on their wedding night. His sister watches through the window, and later forces her to do the same, out of greed. She fails to revive her properly, and the lead sister is left as a crippled stump with a face - a metaphor for man's treatment of Nature or Prakriti.

It. was. amazing. The story. The choreography. The music. The costumes. The set. The performers.

(There were no "grins")

And it was a one-night-only show.

My favorite gesture, though, occurred during the curtain call, when Krithika exited and returned with a bouquet of flowers. She handed them to her mother, Hema, and then rejoined the other performers.

With incredible grace, Hema walked over and handed the flowers back to her.

Jai Ma!

Click here to learn more about Natya Dance.

And here to read my 2000 Reader article about the founder and her daughter - proof that entertainment can also be Dharma.

Read my India diaries here.

Thank you to Sharon S. and Hema R. for the tickets!

NOTE: The photos (I think) are from The Flowering Tree. The video is not.

Occupy Chicago

2011-10-07T14:40:00.001-04:00

The protesters are nestled between the Federal Reserve, Bank of America & the Board of trade. @ lunchtime some traders were engaging in conversation/taunting/flaming with some protesters. It was heartening to see real people engaged in face to face dialog, in person & in real time (& not online).

I told the man in the bottom photo that I'd seen his sign online & that it was my favorite.

He said, "it's my favorite, too!"

Jai Gil-Scott Heron!

- Posted using corporate tools. Jai Steve Jobs!

2011-10-07T04:00:00.002-04:00

OCCUPY SESAME STREET

Sample Tweets:

This show was brought to you by the letter $ and the color GREEN.

Absolutely furious that 99% of the cookies are eaten by 1% of the monsters

Some of us are living in garbage cans. We have every right to be grouchy.

2011-10-06T05:27:00.004-04:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

A letter from Sri.K. Pattabhi Jois to Yoga Journal, Nov. 1995

"I was disappointed to find that so many novice students have taken Ashtanga yoga and have turned it into a circus for their own fame and profit (Power Yoga, Jan/Feb 1995). The title "Power Yoga" itself degrades the depth, purpose and method of the yoga system that I received from my guru, Sri. T. Krishnamacharya. Power is the property of God. It is not something to be collected for one's ego. Partial yoga methods out of line with their internal purpose can build up the "six enemies" (desire, anger, greed, illusion, infatuation and envy) around the heart. The full ashtanga system practiced with devotion leads to freedom within one's heart. The Yoga Sutra II.28 confirms this "Yogaanganusthanat asuddiksaye jnanadiptih avivekakhyateh", which means "practicing all the aspects of yoga destroys the impurities so that the light of knowledge and discrimination shines". It is unfortunate that students who have not yet matured in their own practice have changed the method and have cut out the essence of an ancient lineage to accommodate their own limitations.

"The Ashtanga yoga system should never be confused with "power yoga" or any whimsical creation which goes against the tradition of the many types of yoga shastras (scriptures). It would be a shame to lose the precious jewel of libiration in the mud of ignorant body building."

-K. Pattabhi Jois, Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute, Mysore, South India

2011-10-03T04:00:00.008-04:00

MONDAY MUSIC: SRI MAHISHASURA MARDINI STOTRAM
Bhakti Hymn Composed by the Great Vedantist Adi Shankaracharya, around 810 AD

This song used to blast from the stalls at the top of Chamundi Hill in Mysore.

On my first trip, in 2002, I got hooked on the tune and bought the CD.

I've been playing it ever since.

The hymn is about the the slaying of the demon Mahishasura, from whom city of Mysore derives it name (there's also an elaborate dance that goes with it).

Mahishasura was the king of the Mysore area until he was slain by the goddess Chamundi. She is a variation of Durga - a fierce incarnation of Shakti or Parvati (the wife of Shiva), who rides a lion. The temple at the top of Chamundi Hill is devoted to Chamundeswari. (I keep a picture of her slaying the demon on the desk, next to the laptop. I love that her face is impassive, even though she's committing violence because it has to be done.).

Tonight the swami at the Sivananda Center read part of the Devi Mahatmya - the story of the fierce battle between the Goddesses and the various demons - as part of Devi Puja.

It is auspicious hear such stories, especially during Navratri (the Nine Nights of the Goddess).

(And it is especially wonderful to hear them read in an English accent).

Afterwords, to my surprise, we chanted the Sri Mahishasura Mardini Stotram.

It was amazing, to finally chant the song that has been rolling around in the head for the past nine years.

And they're doing it again tomorrow.

This version of the hymn includes an explanation of each lyric:

This more traditional version, by the Bellary Sisters, is similar to the way we did it last night and is by far my favorite (plus it's easy to chant along to it):

Happy birthday!

2011-10-02T18:44:00.001-04:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2011-10-02T09:10:00.008-04:00

IS THE WHOLE WORLD WATCHING?
Occupy Wall Street Movement Gains Momentum
despite minimal coverage by mainstream media

Yesterday the protesters tried to occupy the Brooklyn Bridge. Some 700 were arrested.

On Day 12 (above), Russell Simmons, et al participated in a "meditation flash mob."

Roseanne Barr and Keith Olbermann - surprise! - are also there.....

meanwhile some observers sipped champagne:

Get the latest here.

Read about the protest - and find a link it its great posters - here.

Click here for info on Occupy Chicago.

Thanks to Boodiba for the tip.

2011-09-29T04:00:00.000-04:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

Ahimsa, satya, asteya,
Brachmacharya, asangraha,
Sharirashram, aswada,
Sarvatra, bhaya varjana,
Sarva dharma samanatva,
Swadeshi, sparsha bhavana,
Vinamra vrata nishtha se,
Ye ekadash sevya hain.

Nonviolence, truth, nonstealing
Sacred sex, non-consumerism,
Physical work, avoidance of bad taste,
Fearlessness, respect for all religions
Local economy and respect for all beings.
These 11 principles
Should be followed with humility, care, and commitment.

-Mahatma Gandhi, morning and evening prayer

2011-09-28T05:48:00.008-04:00

HAPPY NAVRATRI!
The Nine Nights of the Divine Mother Starts Tonight

Spiritual Significance of Navaratri
by Swami Sivananda

During Navaratri, or the Nine Nights, the Divine in the form of the Mother is worshipped with great devotion. On the first three nights, Durga or the destructive aspect of the Mother is worshipped. On the succeeding three nights, it is the creative aspect or Lakshmi that is adored. And on the last three nights, the knowledge aspect or Saraswati is invoked. The tenth day is the Vijaya Dasami day or the Day of Victory. There is a special significance in this arrangement. When the Devi is worshipped by a devotee in this order, as Durga She first destroys the evil propensities that lurk in the mind. Then, as Lakshmi, She implants therein the divine qualities conducive to spiritual unfoldment. Then as Saraswati She bestows true knowledge on the aspirant. The tenth day commemorates the victory of knowledge over ignorance, or goodness over evil. Aspirants are initiated on this day. On this day the carpenter, the tailor, the mason, the artist, the songster, the typist and all technical workers do puja for their instruments and implements. This is Ayudha Puja. They behold and recognise the Sakti or Power behind those instruments and worship the Devi for their success, prosperity and peace.

The celebration at the Chicago Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center runs through Thursday.

Read more about Navaratri here.

2011-09-26T05:45:00.004-04:00

MONDAY MUSIC
Om Namah Shivaya by SP Balasubramaniam

To be played loud - first thing in the morning!

Images are of the Siva temple at Arunachala (Tiruvannamalai) in Tamil Nadu.

View the live Arunachala-cam here.

Pranams to g.d. for the link.

Om Namah Shivay!

2011-09-24T19:36:00.006-04:00

JNANI LOVES BHAKTI
Not Joanie Loves Chachi

Last night's kirtan with Bhagavan Das went on for over three hours.

It's so heartening to people giving 100 percent to their practice.

(Most people do most things halfway, or hold back.

Many kirtan wallahs get caught up in performance and musicianship.

But not Baba and Kali).

To hear the Divine Name sung with heart and soul, and to do the same, is a transformational experience.

Especially when the names are Kali and Shiva.

(And, in the end, Rama and Krishna).

Jai Ma!

Om Namah Shivay!

Hare Krishna Hare Ram!

Hara hara!

Click here to read more about Jnana (Knowledge) vs. Bhakti (Devotion) marg (path).

Pic is from Bhagavan Das's kirtan at Dharma West in NYC, earlier this month.

2011-09-22T05:36:00.005-04:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

"Enquire: 'Who am I?' and you will find the answer. Look at a tree: from one seed arises a huge tree; from it comes numerous seeds, each one of which in its turn grows into a tree. No two fruits are alike. Yet it is one life that throbs in every particle of the tree. So, it is the same Atman everywhere.

"All creation is that. There is beauty in the birds and in the animals. They too eat and drink like us, mate and multiply; but there is this difference: we can realize our true nature, the Atman. Having been born as human beings, we must not waste this opportunity. At least for a few seconds every day, we must enquire as to who we are. It is no use taking a return ticket over and over again. From birth to death, and death to birth is samsara. But really we have no birth and death. We must realize that."

-Sri Anandamayi Ma

NOTE:
I was intrigued when the couple on last night's episode of Property Brothers insisted that their new home face east and have a meditation room. The interest was piqued further when they made an offer ending in their lucky number: 430.96. They explained that it's the birthday of their guru. I looked it up at the first commercial break; turns out it's the birthday of Sri Anandamayi Ma (and their offer was indeed accepted). Jai Ma!

2011-09-19T04:00:00.006-04:00

MONDAY MUSIC
Roches - "The Train"

The Roches (all sisters, from New Jersey) are one of my all-time favorite bands - even during the Mohawk Days when all I listened to was hardcore punk.

Their voices are so sweet. And their lyrics so quirky. And they are such wonderful musicians. They are the anti-Shaggs....

This is not the best recording of "The Train." It's from their debut album - which is one of the few vinyl albums I've replaced since letting go of my record collection back in 2009. (That album also features a wonderful song about Hammond, Indiana).

The Train song has been in my head ever since I realized that I live eight blocks from the Metra commuter train, and that it can get me downtown in 15 minutes. Fifteen minutes!

The El, on the other hand, takes about 30.

The Metra commuter train travels in a straight line at high speeds and makes gradual stops and starts.

The El, on the other hand, meanders, twists and turns (Brown Line) or makes rapid, nausea-inducing stops and starts (Red Line).

The Metra commuter train takes you to a clean, comfortable station filled with shops and restaurants - including RAW restaurant.

The El, on the other hand, ends on a pigeon feces-encrusted platform (Brown Line) or a smelly hole in the ground (Red Line).

The Metra commuter train is quiet.

There is always a free seat.

It has a bathroom.

You can bring your bike on it.

The Brown line is slow and Tamasic.

The Red Line is fast and Rajasic.

And the Metra commuter train is calm and Sattvic!

And it costs less than the El if you buy a ten-ride card.*

Once you step on
you might never get off
of the commuter train
it doesn't go very far away
but just the same
it s a trip and a half

*Although Metra is now asking for a 30 percent rate hike.

Photo by Steven J. Brown

2011-09-17T14:11:00.000-04:00

NEW DHARMA VIDEO
Guess who's in it....

2011-09-15T04:00:00.001-04:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

"Distracted as we are by various thoughts, if we would continually contemplate the Self, which is Itself God, this single thought would in due course replace all distraction and would itself ultimately vanish;. The pure Consciousness that alone finally remains is God. This is Liberation. To be constantly centered on one's own all-perfect pure Self is the acme of yoga, wisdom, and all other forms of spiritual practice. Even though the mind wanders restlessly, involved in external matters, and so is forgetful of its own Self, one should remain alert and remember: 'The body is not I.'

"'Who am I?' Enquire in this way, turning the mind backward to its primal state. The enquiry 'Who am I?' is the only method of putting an end to all misery and ushering in Supreme Beatitude. Whatever may be said and however phrased, this is the whole truth in a nutshell."

-Sri Ramana Maharshi

2011-09-13T17:31:00.003-04:00

AN OLDIE BUT GOODIE

2011-09-12T04:00:00.001-04:00

MONDAY MUSIC
Nick Cave: Hallelujah

Nick Cave says there are basically three themes when it comes to songwriting: love, death and God.

Skip to 1:40 to get to the music.

2011-09-11T00:00:00.006-04:00

9/11 AND YOGA
The Two September 11ths

I was doing my favorite thing in the world on On September 11, 2001: practicing yoga with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois at Chelsea Piers in New York City. After class, we sang happy birthday to Guruji's daughter, Saraswati. Then we paid our respects to Guruji. After receiving the usual hug and kiss, he asked me the impossible question: "You come to Mysore?"

"Yes," I said, "In January," and he patted my cheek twice and said, "Good, good."

A few minutes later, we walked outside, rounded a corner, and saw the ball of angry black smoke rising from the first World Trade Center tower.

The next few days were a whirl of stocking up on food, visiting friends, inhaling poisonous white smoke, trying to get out of town, and making my way to practice with Guruji in the orange zone (Read the rest of my 9/11 diary here).

Of course I made good on my promise to come to India in January, staying four months at the old shala. It opened doors that I thought were closed to me forever, and I returned four more times. From Pattabhi Jois, I learned mental and physical discipline that prepared me for my studies with my satguru, Sri Dharma Mittra.

9/11 provides an opportunity to count our blessings, which is a component of the Niyama called santosha or contentment. It's also a time to reflect on the past decade. After 9/11, there was a yogic feeling of community and one-ness in NYC as people from all backgrounds came together to deal with the tragedy they'd experienced firsthand. When I returned to Chicago, the mood was quite different: people seemed far more interested in revenge.

I will teach all day on 9/11, in order to share the practices that have changed the course of my life (and to keep myself away from the television). I also plan to offer prayers to those whose lives have been affected by that tragic event - from those who perished and lost loved ones that day to the countless widows, orphans, homeless, jobless, incarcerated, mentally ill, and disabled people who are the victims of the wars that followed.

The 9/11 anniversary also provides an opportunity to take a hard look at our own actions.

Did you make any promises that day, to yourself or anyone else? Have you kept them?

Is it time to make some new ones?

I will also reflect upon that other 9/11.

September 11, 1893 was the day that yoga came to the west. That's when Swami Vivekananda made his famous speech at the World's Parliament of Religions in Chicago. The audience loved him, and soon he was speaking and teaching all over town (and then, eventually, New York City). He received a standing ovation from the 7,000 people in audience, whom he declared his “Sisters and Brothers of America.”

He said:

I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation.

"I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings:

"As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee."

Read my 9/11 article, which was published in the Chicago Reader, here

Hear Swami Vivekananda's beautiful speech here.

The 2003 documentary Ashtanga, NY (at top of page) takes place during Pattabhi Jois's visit to the city in September of 2001. Order a copy here. Or watch it on Netflix.

2011-09-10T09:00:00.003-04:00

*SO* WRONG

and yet....

Nope. Still wrong.

Thanks to Linda Sama for the link

2011-09-09T19:50:00.017-04:00

DHARMA'S LABOR DAY RETREAT
A wonderful time was had by all

I was blessed to spend nine-and-a-half hours studying with Sri Dharma Mittra in his beautiful new center last week at a retreat that ended with a kirtan by Bhagavan Das. It was an irresistible double bill for me (even more alluring than Radiohead, Sigur Ros and Merce Cunningham at BAM back in 2003 - which was a great show by the way).

My cheap flight had me getting into town several hours early, so I took the opportunity to take the #4 train down to Ground Zero (following in the footsteps of Tommy Gavin on Rescue Me).

On September 11, 2001, I was in NYC practicing yoga with Pattabhi Jois at Chelsea Piers. After class, I promised him I'd come to Mysore in January. Then we walked outside and saw the cloud of black smoke, and everything changed (read my riveting 9/11 diary, published in the Chicago Reader, here).

On Friday, I ended up taking a guided audio tour of Ground Zero. The place had a surreal quality, and I felt strangely disconnected from the massive construction site.

At some point my watch (purchased in Mysore) fell off the wrist, and I never found it. A short time later a pounding headache started. I ended the tour early, went back north, had the usual lunch at Angelica Kitchen, checked into the hotel, and took a two hour nap. Apparently I was affected by the massive graveyard after all.

The head was still pounding when I walked to the center for the opening night of the retreat. Dharma was compassionate and humorous as always. He began the Friday session with a series of Oms and other chants, and then led us through a Level II class. During the savasana that followed, the headache completely disappeared.

Dharma then led us through pranayama and a powerful meditation followed by satsang, during which he spoke about the concept of time and encouraged us to contemplate its origin – which made me think about losing my watch at Ground Zero earlier that day. Dharma patiently answered questions from students, and led us through some chanting and aarti (light ceremony). Then, some devotees of Swami Kailashananda led us in a beautiful kirtan.

Saturday’s program began at 8:30am with a long, relaxed pranayama and meditation session, where Dharma led us through several different breathing practices and an intense concentration exercises. Even more students joined us for the Maha Shakti class, which concluded with partner yoga exercises - including assisted handstand. It was followed by Dharma’s amazing Relaxation Meditation Method – during which I could literally feel the energy moving through the body.

For lunch, Dharma's wife, Eva, and some students put out a sumptuous home-made vegan buffet. I spent the break talking to Eva and another a devotee of Swami Kailashananda, doing karma yoga, wandering around the center looking at the deities and images of Swami Kailashananda, and doing the Sleeping Baby pose (which is good for digestion).

Dharma began the afternoon program with a Self-Realization lecture, where he shared the highest knowledge with us. Then he led us through 27 sun salutations and another deep savasana. Afterwards we sat up and spent a long time chanting rounds of “Om” that stimulated the pituitary gland and filled us with bliss. He suggested that we observe mauna (silence) afterwards.

Eva and the students put out another wonderful meal for dinner, and before eating Dharma led us through a prayer and a chant.

During these sessions, we did many of the asana, breathing, and purification and chanting practices I normally do at home, on my own. But there’s nothing more powerful than doing it with likeminded souls, in the presence of the Guru, at his prana-infused shala.

As usual, Bhagavan Das and Kali put on an amazing, nonstop, high-energy kirtan. At one point, Baba took a few moments to deliver a brief speech on the nature of time – warning us that it is running out. Again I thought about my missing watch.

I left the retreat feeling spiritually recharged and filled with gratitude.

And with the sense that I shouldn't waste any more time....

* * *

POSTSCRIPT

I bought a new watch at the airport. On the way home from the airport (via rapid transit and bus), the watch broke. The next day, I took out all of my old watches. Not one of them worked. On Wednesday, I planned to use the smart phone as a watch while teaching. Then I lost the smart phone (Dharma and I had also discussed non-attachment when I was in NYC, and it was interesting to watch the mind react to its loss; not as bad as one would have thought, probably due to the bliss from the retreat). Fortunately, the smart phone eventually turned up, and I was able to take the train downtown for the midday class.

We were halfway downtown when the power on the elevated train went out. The train glided to a halt. Its engine quieted down and became silent. The AC stopped working. And we all sat there on the train on the elevated rails between stations as the sun streamed in through the windows and it got hotter and hotter. It reminded me of when the monsoon comes in India, and everything just grinds to a standstill. Everything on the train was perfectly still - until it became apparent that we'd be there for awhile, and people got on their smart phones to tell others they were running late. But I just sat there, enjoying the stillness (and the fact that I had a seat, a book, a mantra, some water and some food). It was as if time stood still.

For a little while anyway.

2011-09-08T14:32:00.000-04:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

"Garlic and onions are worse than meat."

-Swami Sivananda

2011-09-05T04:00:00.000-04:00

MONDAY MUSIC
Klaus Wies: Tibetan Singing Bowls #2

Super-shanti!

Dharma Immersion

2011-09-04T14:22:00.001-04:00

What can I say about this weekend's city retreat w/ Dharma? Spending that much undiluted time with the Guru & the spiritual family is such a special experience. Words cannot do it justice. The heart is bursting.

- Posted using BlogPress from an iPhone

2011-09-01T04:00:00.000-04:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

"Throughout the entire creation every religion has what? The Ethical Rules; thou shall not kill, thou shall not steal, thou shall not lie, you understand? The rules have to be kept in order to build harmony between each other and then the love starts expanding beyond your relatives. And then after human love comes Divine Love."

-Sri Dharma Mittra

2011-08-30T16:00:00.002-04:00

THE BUSINESS OF YOGA
A followup to Thursday's quote

The following article by Lisa Gniady appeared in the August Midwest Yoga Teachers Newsletter. Lisa covered the Yoga Journal Lake Geneva conference for the current issue of Yoga Chicago, and this sidebar was cut due to space. Your comments are welcome.

Yoga Journal Lake Geneva Conference, 7/7/11 – Business of Yoga Intensive
By Lisa Gniady

The Yoga conference began with a two day Business intensive. I was able to attend the first day of the intensive. Even though I have no interest in opening a yoga studio, I still found it an enlightening experience. I gained valuable insight in how to promote my classes and grow my business.

The workshops were all very businesslike. PowerPoint presentations easily displayed the information so you could sit back and absorb the relevant points. Business and yoga seem like polar opposites, yin and yang. However, in the new age of computers, learning to use the media to share our passion is natural. Seminars such as these offered by Yoga Journal give studio owners beneficial tools to successfully share the benefits of yoga to the masses.

Deborah Williamson an energetic speaker began the workshop with wonderful insights on how to grow your business and build a community. She owns four yoga studios in the Midwest and offers teacher trainings around the world.

Some Highlights:

· You can’t be an expert at everything, find people with expertise to help you.

· Spread the word……hand out 3 business cards a day.

· Be enthusiastic and have integrity.

· Teach what you love. Be true to yourself.

· Create a community and support your local community.

· First impressions matter. Be a likeable person. She posed the question, “Would you hang out with you?”

Some business advice:

· Daily posts on Facebook

· Use twitter, E-Blasts

· Offer workshops: Yoga and (fill in the blank) and promote

· Volunteer for free talks

· Hire teachers who can offer what you can’t

Some words of wisdom:

· It is not about the pose, it’s about a better life.

· She stressed the importance of savasana, saying, five minutes in savasana can change a student’s life.

I signed up for her email list and within half an hour of the workshop ending; I received a friend request on Facebook.

Meg McCall, Director of Mindbody Inc. followed with a PowerPoint presentation on building a viable business. She gave useful information on setting goals and turning goals into action.

Interesting statistics according to the “2008 Yoga in America study by Yoga Journal and Harris Interactive”:

· 15.8 million Americans characterize themselves as current yoga practitioners

· Median age of a yoga practitioner is 41; media age of adult population overall is 46

· $74,000 average income for a yoga practitioner household

· 6,204 active yoga studios in the North America in 2009

According to data collected by MINDBODY on the nearly 3,000 studios it serves, the typical profit of a yoga studio is 12 to 13%.

Beth Shaw president and founder of YogaFit the largest yoga school in North America then talked about opening a yoga studio.

Some insights she shared:

· Yoga is a business of passion, labor of love. If you don’t have the passion, it becomes just another business

· Know the demographics of your area; check your local chamber of commerce

· Your website needs to represent you. It is your calling card.

· Move from a place of intuition

· To double income immediately, sell merchandise

· Start small and grow

· Offer free classes to…Hair stylists, massage therapists, nail techs, and chiropractors. Students come from referrals.

· Location and parking can make or break a studio

Poignant question:” Anyone can open a yoga studio, but should you? “Reminding us that when you take something you love and turn it into a business it can take the joy away from it.

She stressed the importance of making more good decisions than bad.

Susan Fireside spoke next on Visualizing Your Company and The Branding of Your Business. She is owner of Winter and Construction Design, specializing in branding and identity of a business.

Susan gave a down to earth discussion on how to market your business. She brought in samples of Webpages demonstrating how to connect a web page to the personality of your business:

· Create a story

· Connect your logo to your story

· Keep it simple

· Attach color palate that reflects your brand i.e. Hot yoga, red

· Be careful of music on a website(remember, people use internet at places of employment)

A few days later, I met Susan in the Ladies’ room. I asked her how she came to present at this conference. She said she approached them. If you don’t put yourself out there, then you limit yourself. .

Ron and Ann Weikers. Partners of YogaBalance Yoga Studio in New Hampshire were the final workshop of the day. Both are practicing attorneys and presented on the legal issues underlying yoga studio creation and management.

It was a concise, organized presentation to help a studio owner with the nuts and bolts of running a yoga business. They displayed examples of sample contracts for teachers and students.

They provided valuable information to protect a studio owner from some of the legal pitfalls of our litigious society. There is more to running a yoga studio than four walls and a teacher. It is important to be informed.

Eric Paskel yogi and founder of Yoga Shelter presented on Friday on Social Media Marketing. He shared his story, knowledge and message in an easy to follow PowerPoint.

· Yoga is a service industry…focus on your higher purpose….to be of service…this will build your bottom line.

· Use social media to help others and build community

· Give it away! Offer free classes to get people in the door. Why would someone want to pay for something they don’t know? Offer Community classes.

· Use social media to elevate yourself

I had the pleasure of talking to Eric before his presentation. As we spoke, he said “Making a living comes from what you get; making a life comes for what your give.” Besides this class, the only class he taught was a free class for the community.

A common theme that came up again and again in the yoga for business workshops was about giving. Yoga Journal offered numerous free classes, meditations and discussions for the community, a good example of the yoga community paying it forward.

2011-08-29T11:30:00.001-04:00

MONDAY MUSIC
So wrong.....

...and yet - ....

Tandoori Knights!

2011-08-25T04:00:00.001-04:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

"Yoga is possible for anybody who really wants it. Yoga is universal. Yoga is not mine. But don't approach yoga with a business mind - looking for worldly gain."

-Sri K. Pattabhi Jois

2011-08-23T05:00:00.003-04:00

WHAT'S IN YOUR ICE CREAM?
Naked Chef Jamie Oliver's Sundae Buzz Kill

While working on the diet section of my teacher training manual, I asked my friend Bo about hidden animal products in food (she's an expert on this).

She directed me to a recent episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution ABC-TV show, where he brings out an army of ice cream and toppings, and invites a class of 17-year-olds to make ice cream sundaes.

As they happily eat, he tells them what's actually in them.

The ingredients include human hair and duck feathers (cookie dough ice cream), beaver anal glands (cheap vanilla ice cream and strawberry sauce), female lac bug secretions (candy coating and other things), and more.

Their spoons drop and so do their jaws.

All together now: EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

At one point, Oliver brings out a list of the ingredients in the sundaes.

As it unrolls, it becomes clear that it's longer than a football field (271 items).

You can see a five-minute clip from the show here.

Later, Oliver gives the students"healthy" sundaes made with just nine ingredients.

The moral of the story?

OLIVER'S: Don't eat food if it's not fresh and you don't know what's in it.

CK'S: There's no end to the terrible things they (we) do to animals --

and people.

2011-08-22T04:00:00.003-04:00

MONDAY MUSIC
Nina Hagen: He Shiva Shankara (live)

If you want to know where Madonna got her early schtick, look no further than groundbreaking East German punk-cabaret vegetarian-activist-singer Nina Hagen.

She's one of my favorite artists dating back to 1980s, and in 2000 she released a wonderful chanting album - Om Namah Shivay!

In August 2009 she was baptized in the Protestant Reformed church of Schüttorf.

Learn more about Nina Hagen here.

God can be realized through all paths. All religions are true. The important thing is to reach the roof. You can reach it by stone stairs or by wooden stairs or by bamboo steps or by a rope. You can also climb up by a bamboo pole.

-Sri Ramakrishna

2011-08-20T15:38:00.005-04:00

KRISHNA JAYANTI
Happy Birthday, Lord Krishna!

Sunday (8/21) is the birthday of Lord Krishna.

It is being celebrated on Sunday night with a 6:15 puja and kirtan at the Sivanada Yoga Vedanta Center, 1246 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.

It is also being celebrated Sunday from 6pm to Midnight at IKSCON Chicago, 1716 W. Lunt. They're even offering free valet parking!

Both events are free.

From Swami Sivananda:
This is the birthday of Lord Krishna, the eighth Divine Incarnation. It falls on the 8th day of the dark half of the month of Bhadrapada (August-September). This is one of the greatest of all Hindu festivals. Lord Krishna was born at midnight. A twenty-four hour fast is observed on this day, which is broken at midnight.

Temples are decorated for the occasion. Kirtans are sung, bells are rung, the conch is blown, and Sanskrit hymns are recited in praise of Lord Krishna. At Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna, special spiritual gatherings are organised at this time. Pilgrims from all over India attend these festive gatherings.

Click here to read more about this special day.

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!

2011-08-18T04:00:00.000-04:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

"In the Eastern tradition of teaching, the aspirant is not 'spoon-fed' information, but rather is stimulated by the guru to be a discoverer, an adventurer, an investigator of his or her own body laboratory."

-Swami Radha

2011-08-17T16:14:00.008-04:00

GUILTY PLEASURES: ROSEANNE'S NUTS
Roseanne Barr's New Reality TV Show

You may have heard that Roseanne Barr is living on a macadamia nut farm on Hawaii's Big Island.

Last night I caught Lifetime's reality show about it - called Roseanne's Nuts.

The first episode had comedians Phylliss Diller and Sandra Bernhard coming out for a visit, eating a locally-grown meal from Roseann's farm and then going to a local hangout and watching Roseanne's partner, the musician Johnny Argent, sit in with a local jazz band. (Diller, 93 drank Roseanne under the table).

The Passover episode featured Roseanne trying to put together a home-grown, sustainable, vegetarian Seder for friends and family, including her real-life son, Jake; her first ex-husband (Jake's father) and the actor who played her TV son on Roseanne.

Of course it fell apart; it's too much work; there's not enough food; she invited too many people.

Enter Greg, the colorfully-dressed happy-go-lucky hippie who lives in a tent on Roseanne's farm. He Oms, pops goji berries, eats off the land, makes up songs on the spot, invokes the Holy Mother and does what it takes to relax the uptight female guest who loses it when she learns she can't get cell phone reception anywhere on the farm.

"Greg represents everything I hate about people - everything," says Roseanne's son, Jake.

But it's Greg who saves the day when Roseanne gives up on the Seder.

He gets everyone to join in and help make dinner.

"I would love to serve the goddess" he says, referring to Roseanne.

And I realized, he's not just some layabout hippie - he's a left-handed tantric.

On Lifetime TV.

Jai Ma!

* * *

Watch the brilliant Passover episode here.

THE SMALL-R REALITY:
From this interview with Roseanne - who is running for president of the United States:
Q) How authentic is the show?
A) The show is 100% fake, like every reality show.
Q) How did Greg Sipes come to live in your yard?
A) He doesn't really live there. It's just for TV. It's fake reality!
Q) What are your hopes for "Roseanne's Nuts?"
A) I hope it messes up people's programming and scrambles people at their core.

2011-08-15T04:00:00.002-04:00

MONDAY MUSIC
All aboard the Express Kundalini!

"Kundalini Express" by Love & Rockets

I never knew why I loved coolly dancing to this song at Neo and 950 back in the mid-1980s.

It wasn't just the great hook, heavy bass, searing guitar and occasional rockabilly elements.

There was something else.

(Even though I owned the 33rpm album, I never actually listened to lyrics, and had no idea what Kundalini meant. I figured it was Silk Road stop somewhere in the Middle East that was only reachable by train).

This is an announcement
For the transcendental run
The train now standing
Leaves for higher planes
Due to a derailment
There will be no other train
So why not hop on this one?
Hear the porter's glad refrain

Each carriage is connected
As is every single train
The rails all form a track
Which is a link within a chain
The chain's connected to another chain now
You will need no ticket
If you wish to ride on this train

All aboard the express kundalini
All aboard the express kundalini
All aboard the express kundalini

The song is in your heart
Your heart is in the song
The song is of the earth
The song is of the sky

You are disintegrating
Into everything around
Reintegrating
The worm we dug from higher ground
You have let go of ego
Ego is no longer you
Closer to nirvana
Since the porters whistle blew

All aboard the express kundalini
All aboard the express kundalini
All aboard the express kundalini
This is an announcement
For the transcendental run
The train now standing
Leaves for higher planes
Due to a derailment
There will be no other train
So why not hop on this one?
Hear the porter's glad refrain

Each carriage is connected
As is every single train
The rails all form a track
Which is a link within a chain
The chain's connected to another chain now
You will need no ticket
If you wish to ride on this train

All aboard the express kundalini
All aboard the express kundalini
All aboard the express kundalini

The song is in your heart
Your heart is in the song
The song is of the earth
The song is of the sky

You are disintegrating
Into everything around
Reintegrating
The worm we dug from higher ground
You have let go of ego
Ego is no longer you
Closer to nirvana
Since the porters whistle blew

All aboard the express kundalini
All aboard the express kundalini
All aboard the express kundalini

Now I get it.

I was already on the train.

I just didn't know it.

2011-08-13T11:15:00.007-04:00

HAPPY RAKSHA BANDHAN!

Today is the holiday where you tie a red thread (rakhi) around your brother's right wrist. It is a symbol of love and means "bond of protection": He protects you all year long; now is the time to thank him and pray for him to have a long life.

I tied one on Dreyfus's hand last weekend - a super-blingy one. I wonder if it's still there. I also brought samosas and lovingly scolded him about his diet.

(My mother - who was devastated when her only sibling died - always said that the sibling relationship is the longest and most enduring one we will ever have, and urged us to try to get along).

"When a Rakhi is tied on the wrists of close friends and neighbors, it underscores the need for a harmonious social life, where every individual co-exist peacefully as brothers and sisters."

Read more about Rakhi here.

In India, you can get one with Hindi superstar Salman Khan's face on it.

In India, one chief minister is tying Rakhi to trees in order to save them.

How are you honoring your brother this Rakhi?

2011-08-12T16:20:00.009-04:00

FREE YOGA CLASS AND KIRTAN
Saturday from 1-4

Multi-Level Yoga Class with Cara Jepsen, 1-3pm
Kirtan with Michael Stewart, 3-4pm

At Sweet Pea's Studio, 3717 N. Ravenswood (Ste 213).

Learn about Cara's teacher training* and meet the faculty - who have over 50 years of teaching experience!

See the facility - and its ample FREE street parking and proximity to the Addison Brown Line!

Space in yoga class space is limited, so please arrive early.

There's room for all at the kirtan.

Live snacks will be provided.

*Cara's in-depth studies and teacher training starts on 9/10/11. What makes it unique: minimum requirements for acceptance into the program; a small group setting; direction on how to develop your own spiritual practice; plenty of personal attention; instruction in the classical practices from a yogi with a guru whose lineage goes back to the ancient Rishis. You will learn to live yoga, not just do yoga. You will also have support for your practice after completing the training. What it has in common with other trainings: you'll learn how to teach the poses and - upon fulfilling the requirements - you'll receive a certificate that you may submit to the Yoga Alliance, which has certified this school. Learn more here.

2011-08-11T16:52:00.003-04:00

THURSDAY QUOTE

"One cannot be spiritual as long as one has shame, hatred or fear."

-Sri Ramakrishna

2011-08-10T21:41:00.005-04:00

GUILTY PLEASURES: SILENT MOVIES
With Live Music Accompaniment on the Old-School Pipe Organ

I got hooked on silent movies back in '89, '90, when the old Film Center put on a silent film series at their old SAIC digs. Each film featured live piano accompaniment, plus a professor would give a little talk beforehand. Just about everything about the films - from the acting to the storyline to the cinematography to the humor to "dialogs" to the music - was far better most of what we have today (Bollywood cinema nonwithstanding).

Of course I'm also a huge fan of Chicago's Silent Film Society -- so much so that I wrote this 2004 Reader article about them.

This year their Silent Summer Film Festival focuses on leading ladies. I rode my bike out to the Portage Theatre a couple of weeks ago to catch the brilliant Cecil B. DeMille-directed Gloria Swanson* romantic comedy, Why Change Your Wife? (above).

There are three films left in the series; all screen at 8pm at the Portage Theatre. Admission is only $12 - which includes the live music:

Aug. 12 - Sunrise
Aug. 19 - The Cardboard Lover
Aug. 26 - The Mysterious Lady

More info here.

*Gloria Swanson practiced yoga under the guidance of Indra Devi. She became a vegetarian around 1928 and was an early health food advocate who was known for bringing her own meals to public functions in a paper bag. Swanson told actor Dirk Benedict about macrobiotic diets when he was battling prostate cancer at a very young age. He had refused conventional therapies and credited this kind of diet and healthy eating with his recovery. Later Swanson traveled the United States and helped to promote the book Sugar Blues written by her husband, William Dufty. (Wikipedia)

2011-08-08T05:53:00.001-04:00

MONDAY MUSIC
Jai Ma!

(Kind of makes me want to revisit all the Ramakrishna books)

2011-08-05T18:02:00.007-04:00

"FIRST GOD, THEN THE OTHER GUY, THEN ME."

When I was a puberteen at summer camp, I used to look up from my bug juice and the din in the dining hall, and see a wooden sign with this quote hanging on the wall:

First God. Then the other guy. Then me.

And I would think, "What a bunch of bullshit!"*

There were other signs on the dining hall wall:

"It is a wise boy who knows he isn't."

"Dream big. Then put on your overalls."

Those made sense: Don't think you know everything. Have a goal and do the work.

But the other one got to me, and got stuck in my head.

First God. What God? Whose God?

Then the other guy. What if the other guy is a douchebag?

Then me. Last again? If I don't take care of me, who will?

Now, decades (and years of therapy and yoga) later, it's starting to make sense.

Now, it has echoes of yoga in it.

Dharma often quotes the Bhagavad-Gita at the beginning of class:

"Fix your mind on Me alone.
Rest your thoughts on Me alone.
And in Me alone you will rest hereafter.
Of this there is no doubt."

First, God.

Then there is the yogic idea of serving God by serving others - in whom God also manifests, external douchebaginess nonwithstanding.

Then the other guy.

And then, taking care of your small-s self.

Then me.

As Swami Radha says, The Divine comes first - then everything else.

Easy to say.

Difficult to put into practice.

Unless of course one puts on her overalls....

and does the work.

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*The mind had a similar reaction to Autobiography of a Yogi the first time around.