Yoga Breathwork Meditation

Barbie's Reflections

2011-01-26T10:55:00.000-08:00

What is the measure of a woman? Her body? Her
weight? Her face? Her family? Her boyfriend? Her career? Her
finances? Her charitable works? Her yoga practice? Her practice of
any kind? As a founding member of The Hub, I've often measured myself
as a woman by the work, loyalty, and dedication that I did at The Hub
as the attorney, business manager, and yoga teacher. And, now that
I'm following my road less traveled to Sweden (Vasteras for those who
know), I'm measuring myself on a scale of the heart - how much can I
love and how much love am I willing to receive. In fact, now I
realize that the measure of myself has always been about love, how
much do I give and how much am I willing to receive.

Love comes in many forms, but to me, the measure of a woman is how
acutely she can perceive love in every form that is offered. In my
experience with The Hub since it's inception in Lauri's yoga class at
PJ's house when we were all throwing out ideas for names, many people
have crossed my path, many different forms of love have been offered
to me and from me. From students like Julia Blanchard and Paula Tiso
and Daria Donovan, teachers like Nita Rubio and Matt Pesendian, and
healers like David Elliott and Nisha Sharma, the lesson of
recognizing, giving, and receiving loving words, actions, and feelings
has been stronger than ever. And it's because of the deep friendship
with Lauri and our courageous and hilarious efforts to always find the
love that we have grown as women - more loving, more expansive, more
understanding, more compassionate than the moments beforehand. What a
complete pleasure and exhilaration it's been for me to witness and
participate in the loving off!
erings from every single teacher, every student, and everyone who has
worked at The Hub during my tenure. We've laughed so hard. How many
people can say that they laughed collectively at every business
meeting in their company? Genuine smiles and genuine well wishing to
others? I don't think that's common - in fact, I think it's rare.
The Hub is a rare jewel for this reason - the ability of everyone
involved to find the love in all interactions.

I bought out The Hub's inventory of green Hugger Mugger yoga blocks
and sent them with my fiance, Mattias Eriksson, to Vasteras in order
for me to prepare to teach yoga and breathwork in Sweden. I also
bought yoga mats and sent them off to Sweden last Fall when I was
there. When The Hub's doors opened in February of 2009, I was
teaching a full schedule of yoga classes for the first time in my
life. Who knew that I would continue teaching two years later in
another country? I'll always be grateful for that learning ground.
7am classes every weekday with Lisa Siegel (Thank you Lisa!) and 4pm
yoga classes during the week and eventually 4pm restorative yoga
classes on Sunday, for which I gained a great circle of students. We
learned from each other, at least I hope we did, or rather, I know I
learned from them. In fact, my students have now become my greatest
teachers. I was practicing yoga until my low back gave out, but I
kept teaching yoga because of my new debilitati!
ng weakness. I knew more about the practice of yoga and moving the
body because of my inability to move the way my heart wanted to. My
teaching shifted as I became more vested in my students' abilities to
understand how their bodies work and listen closely to the language of
their bodies. More than ever, I made it my mission to impart the
wisdom of listening to our bodies and honoring those communications.
As the great choreographer and some say inventor of "modern dance",
Martha Graham, said, the body never lies. And as I embark to Europe,
I hope to continue to create space for people to develop that close
friendship with their own bodies, to listen closely when we move our
bodies, and to understand that the body is always telling us something
about our hearts.

I know I'll be back at The Hub in the future. For now, I want to tell
the world about how awesome and wonderful are the people at The Hub,
past and present. Workers like CJ McCrary, Tess Jablon, Lizzy Rich,
Mike Baker, Dana Stall, Stacy Mullins, The Prince - Scott Ishihara,
and Alex Richmond (whom I'm training to take over my weekday 7:30am
yoga classes because he's as cool as a cucumber with impeccable taste
in music and an excellent way of teaching morning yoga). Didn't we
all laugh hard together? You each taught me how to be humble and how
to be a better leader and manager. Meagan McCrary for being a damn
good writer, girlfriend, and yoga teacher - please contribute and read
her Little Black Blog of Red Flags. She's doing a great service for
all us Sistahs! Chris Barton for agreeing with me (haha) and being an
excellent accountant. All women who have worked at Lululemon and
supported The Hub with their dedication to the practice of yoga and
genuine smiles from the!
heart all the time. David Elliott for giving me the space to
express myself freely in public (sounds frightening) and the time to
come full circle in truly understanding what life is like when I
actually learn to accept, appreciate, and love myself just as I am -
and for creating a community of individuals who gather at his events
and take it over and make it their own foundation of love and
acceptance on which to go out into the real world. Teachers and
leaders like Scott Schwenk (my first breathwork leader and simply my
favorite group leader), Tad Robichaux (a Duke of Love and Dance and
the kindest, friendliest, intelligent man), Chad Hamrin (my favorite
no bullshit yoga teacher), Gail Bennett and her husband, Bill
Tunnicliffe (she is humble and has one of the most beautiful yoga
practices that I've ever seen - and he literally made the Hub with his
bare hands and a little help from Flavio ;) ), Matt Pesendian (his
Shadow Yoga teachings and his ancient wisdom as a Chin!
ese Medical Doctor validated what my body was trying to tell me - than
k God for Matt), Nita Rubio (she taught me that great teachers
actually channel information from another plane of existence), Cass
Phelps (a cutting edge leader on the treatment of autistic children
and the vitality of calming down), Edward Yu (who else can do Tai Chi
balance poses on the edge of a tall boulder in the ocean?), Jay Co (a
trail blazer at trail blazing and cute salutations such as "Peace,
Love, and Pear Ice Cream with Candied Pecans" - also a fantastic
teacher trainer), Vicki Howie (for her incredible dedication to the
importance of balancing one's chakras and loving one's son), Sarah
Ezrin (Sistah!, Teacher, and Business Phenomenon - survivor, lover,
daughter, and expert at all things Facebook and connecting with the
world - lover of Ashtanga and mutual appreciator of Sonya Cottle),
Sarah Court (classy, funny, wise - she rocks the Bejeezus out of her
students!), James MacDonald (for shaking his booty in Upward Dog and
getting into every single solitary pose in!
the Anusara wall map of asanas, I mean WOW - and his dedication to
helping cancer patients), Sabrina Kappler, Kate Szilagyi, Erin Fukuda,
Hank Ostendorf, Cindy Starry (Sistah Mermaid and Pied Piper for the
welfare of children), Suwon Weaver (amazing fashion designer and
healer), Nisha Sharma (great leader, great Sistah), Katrina Rivers
(boldly going where no woman has gone before - please contribute to
her New Mexico retreat center), Laurence Walsh (for showing everyone
how to go for it in her breathwork classes and writings), Mike Baker
(for leading with empathy and compassion and great music), Scott
Ishihara for Leading the Dance and Preparing to Lead the World (I'm
taking credit as the first person to push him to teaching breathwork
in the world and yoga at The Hub as soon as possible), Jenny Miller
(for painting the Elf Tree of Life in the office, the rainbow
paintings of human diversity in the lounge, and the floating feathers
with the hidden Moby Dick in the Sun Room!
- what a talent - and an excellent breathwork leader and interior des
igner), Chris Chavez (for showing me how empowering it is to lead a
class with passion, calling people by their names, and giving them the
confidence and blast of energy to take poses to an entirely higher
level of practice, and to videotape my teaching to learn and improve
as a teacher), Deirdre Doherty (great interior designer and breathwork
leader), Ryan Brewer for singing your heart out and grooving to a
sweat, John English for showing me the way of the South, Chris Doggett
for showing me the way of my heart and Patchimama, Charu Morgan (for
showing me how easy it is to be loved by a man when I open my heart -
she helped me receive Mattias and hold onto the best man), Sarika
Quach (for opening my mind to new names and sweetness), Lara Catone
and Sarah Vosen (for entertaining me with their remarkable Acro Yoga
and being living examples of practicing what they preach), Jamie
Bechtold (for the gong and subbing restorative - thank you), Oscar
Marquez/Sat Nishan (for the gong!
, for being available, for listening, for being a great therapist and
financial advisor), Marga Laube (for teaching astrology at the Hub and
teaching Lauri, Mike, and I about The Hub and our relationship to it),
Jade Sol Luna (for being my astrologer, my friend, and my champion as
a maha jyotish astrologer and writer of new book Asterian Astrology,
and guiding Lauri, Mike, and I in ways that catapulted our growth),
Amy Lombardo (for teaching Open Level Yoga on Sunday mornings and
showing me how someone can move to a new city and make a life for
herself as a professional yoga teacher and head of a major charitable
organization), Chloe Ashworth (for making me laugh and working with me
on MindBodyOnline and all the clothing inventory and picking out yoga
clothes to sell - that was fun!), Chris Ashworth (for helping Lauri
birth the baby Hub when it was just a glint in her eye), Nina Irani
(for having a glint in your eye when Lauri and I had the Hub glint in
our eyes), Gali Kron!
enberg (for writing so expertly and teaching the laws of attraction an
d being a fun dancer to go out with), Christiane Schull (for being an
excellent rebirther, my therapist, and force to prepare for Mattias'
great love), Kris Nelson (for teaching me how to get a lot done by
doing less and relaxing around business conflicts), and and
and,

For those of you that I have forgotten to write about here, of course
you are vital and important to The Hub and to me. I know I'll be
thinking of your names and faces and contributions and talents as I
walk the Earth. The Hub is actually all of these contributors, all of
these cells, all of these spirits working in concert to make a unified
whole that we call The Hub. The Hub grows as the leaders, teachers,
and, most importantly, the students grow in number, diversity,
laughter, sweat, and tears.

And here's a toast to the students I've met along the way - both my
students and co-students in classes with me: Lisa Siegel, Daria
Donovan, Corinne Theile (LAX Bikini Girl and Charitable Giver of Kind
Bars), Paula Tiso, Leslie Dick (bless your family), Karen Milak, Rama
Yaffe, Delan Hilliard, Patty Miller, Patti Mills, Reva Ferguson,
Stephanie Fish, Terese Stryker, Mona, Kathy & David Tavitian, Ramsey
Woods, Marc Peterson, Lindsay Doering, Chad Matthews and his three
beautiful little daughters, Stacy Mullings, Blaise & Jimmy & All the
Brothers at UCLA, Lulin Tsai, Lauren Kutasi, Robin Udany, Ashley
Marrs, Dr. Richard Marrs, Kyle & Kelsey Milack, Felicia Tomasko (also
for subbing and being a great business advisor), Ariel Hyatt (from
teen to Woman), all of the David Elliott community, and my Allyu. The
list just goes on and on. Thank you for teaching me. Aho
Mataquiasan.

Lauri Ashworth has been my teacher, my best friend, my Sistah!, my
client, and my student. While Lauri owns her baby, The Hub, many have
believed that she and I were business partners at The Hub. For me,
that mistaken belief is the ultimate compliment to me. I work from my
heart, and her love, influence on the world, and talents are what drew
me to support her project of creating The Hub from a mere glint in her
eye. I have a degree in the Entrepreneur Program at USC's business
school, so writing business plans is one of my many skills. For me,
writing the plan with her was a total joy in creativity, imagination,
artistry, humor, family, and intuition. Turns out, my financial
predictions were on the money. The Hub is a dream turned into
reality, and she gave me the opportunity to be a crucial part of that
inception. Lauri is an excellent cook, and we had many meetings over
her food with her family. And, like a family, especially a family
doing business together, we !
have had a rainbow of emotions, interactions and exchanges at The
Hub. I definitely feel that I am a member of the family, and that is
the most important thing I take away from all of this.

Through my experience at The Hub and the willingness of Lauri and the
others to work with me through all of our stuff and the kindness of
strangers, I have matured into a solid and trusted business attorney,
a more decisive leader, and a confident, supportive
teacher/healer/leader of classes and workshops.

What's good that's coming up? My wedding in Stockholm in May (we
hope) with my American family and my Swedish family! More
personalized yoga classes and shaman based breathwork classes in
Vasteras and Stockholm, Sweden. Continued legal work advising my
business clients on their entrepreneurial ventures. More cooking of
delicious, healthy meals for Mattias, my Swedish family, and friends.
More massage therapy and helping others to feel good in their bodies
(Mattias is a lucky man). Re-picking up the guitar (Sweet JR Getches,
please send my white Stratocaster back to me) and bass after 20 years
and jamming to AC/DC, The Eagles, and Rainbow with Mattias in our
living room and with The Mahoneys in Scottsdale, Arizona in July.
And, of course, more laughter. Lots and lots and lots of laughter.

--Barbie

i practice with Chad Hamrin

2011-01-26T10:53:00.000-08:00

whenever possible.

-Claudia Taylor

The Declaration of Interdependence:

2010-10-21T12:45:00.000-07:00

written by Scott Ishihara and the 10s

When in the course of Human events, it becomes necessary for One people to recognize Its common denominator and to perceive among the powers of the Universe, the inseparable and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, an Eternal agreement requires that We must remember the Truth of our Unification.

We hold this Truth to be self-evident, that everything in this Universe is created equal, and is endowed by Its Creator with a certain unalienable connection known as Unconditional Love. The time to remember who and what We are is Now. It all ways has Been and It all ways will Be. With the Universe as our witness we hereby set The in10tion at 10:10pm on the 10th day of the 10th month of the 10th year of this millennium, to do as best as Humanly possible to honor and uphold our Eternal agreement to remember in each and every moment that We are created by Love, that We are Love and that Our-Soul’s purpose is to serve and lead as many Humans as Humanly possible, including Our-self, to realize this Truth.

The 10s is a growing energetic force created by the conscious remembrance of the infinite bond unifying Us all together as One. We in10d to share the Light with as many Souls as possible through exchanges of Unconditional Love initiated by artistic expressions of Truth. Ultimately, We are serving to usher in a new age of Peace, Love, Unity and Respect on this planet and within this Universe.

Amen, AhOm, Namaste,Shalom, Salaam, Shanti, Peace and In Munay -the 10s

FREE Intro to Life Mastery Training

2010-10-21T12:28:00.000-07:00

workshop with Jay Levin

Saturday, October 23
11 am - 1 pm
FREE

Jay Levin, founder and former editor of the LA Weekly, offers a free introductory orientation for the Life Mastery Basics course he teaches that has helped so many people. The orientation is a compelling and eye-opening experience that dramatically re-orients your sense of self and understanding of the world in one sitting and opens inner doors to tremendous levels of rapid growth and mastery with your own sensitivity. The orientation is also a doorway to a unique training program that you can use for yourself - or to become a coach to others. The program provides a rich education in one's internal workings, dramatically elevating your emotional and spiritual education levels, and includes tools to re-invent for the better one's relationship to oneself and to the world with its teaching of manifestation skills.

Most people who take the full course report dramatic improvements in their lives, sense of self and their relationships by the end of the course. The class best serves people who are ready to propel forward the new powers they are feeling and to learn a comprehenisve way to advance yourself. Also it supports those who seek a new direction in their life, or of some aspect of your life, or want perspective on their relationships, or maybe are struggling financially.

Participants obtain serious skillsets and growth. Your understanding of the world as well as yourself will grow - and potentially greatly. While the classes are effective and hold attention, participants testify they are also fun.

The training draws on Jay's background first as a journalist in which, in order to write about them, he participated in scores of trainings and workshops in post-Freudian healing and human development. Later he continued his education for its own sake. Jay's major education in human development have been via the Master's degree program in spiritual psychology at the University of Santa Monica and the trainer's program in Pathwork.

Metamorphos.ish

2010-10-14T11:11:00.001-07:00

written by Scott Ishihara

As I approach the one year mark of first crossing the threshold into the warm embrace of the Hub, I am moved to remember where I was just one short year ago before being introduced to this community of yoga, healing and spirituality. I wonder about what actually led me to a job working at the front desk of a yoga studio when I had never done yoga in my life. A year ago I thought it was because no other employers were responding to my cover letters and that I desperately needed to start paying bills after 2 months of traveling through Europe following my graduation from UCLA. But after a year of being here, I now realize that something far greater than my need for income, something far greater than myself for that matter, guided me into the place that I now call home. Home is where the heart is, the heart is the Hub of all sacred places, and I’ve been called here to roam.

So Friday marks one year for me and I’ve been reflecting on who I thought I was when I arrived at the Hub’s door last October in comparison to who I know I am now. I was living in Rome after graduation with Livia, my partner at the time, and I had this experience in a park called Villa Celimontana. In the summer at this park they play Jazz in the evenings, and people come and lay out on the grass, play with their dogs and enjoy the shade of the trees while the blazing sun makes its daily retreat beyond the horizon. Livia and I were laying out on a blanket when she pointed out a butterfly floating by in the sky. We happened to be discussing butterflies on the bus ride to the park, and I immediately had this urge to stick out my hand, focus on the butterfly’s flight pattern and try to get it to land on my hand. It felt like something I would have done as a kid, and part of me was astonished when this Red Admiral actually flew closer and closer, eventually landing on my hand and staying there for what seemed like an eternity. That same part of me was even more shocked when it flew away, only to come right back and land on my hand again, this time elegantly folding its wings down from their previously upright position to show the beauty of its true colors. I was frozen, time was standing still and I was so tuned into the moment that I could feel the disturbance in the air as its wings gracefully descended toward my skin; I felt those wing beats send ripples throughout my hand, like a pebble tossed into a still pond, spreading further up my arm and then throughout my entire being. If Livia hadn’t been there witnessing the whole thing go down and capturing it on camera, that astonished part of me may not have let me believe that it actually happened the way it did.

Then there was the other part of me, the part of me which intuitively opened my hand and opened my heart to the possibility that I could somehow attract this butterfly to my hand. It was as if this part of me had been laying dormant inside, hidden beneath layers of dirt, like a seed waiting for the optimal conditions to begin germination. This part of me knew what to do, how to make it happen and that it was exactly the right thing to do in that moment; somehow it knew I would be deeply affected by this experience, which would inevitably lead me to an incredible journey of self discovery. In the days after, I couldn’t stop thinking about what forces were responsible for that experience. It led me to start questioning my current lens of perception about how the Universe truly worked. That part of me, my intuitive gut feeling, was telling me that there was something more to life than what I could then understand. There was something connecting me to that butterfly that I couldn’t see nor explain. This part of me continued to grow as I began seeking answers.

Soon after being rocked by this butterfly effect, my friend Josh started talking to me about coming back to LA to pursue a passion for producing electronic dance music, which we both fell in love with while studying abroad in Barcelona, instead of going back to Spain to teach English as I had planned to do after the summer in Rome. Again, my intuition was pushing me to go back to LA and to throw the plans I had made in Spain out the window. Where I was assigned to teach in Spain wasn’t really where I wanted be, and to even take up the position I needed to fly back to the States just to get a visa, and then fly all the way back to Europe, so ultimately I went with my gut, venturing into the unknown without any real plans or sense of security. Without realizing it, my metamorphosis had already begun...my days as a caterpillar were coming to an end.

Upon returning to LA and looking for any job to support myself while pursuing a passion for music, I found the Hub, or rather, the Hub found me, and on October 15th 2009, a year of heavy transformation began. I’ve recently realized that when friends and family ask what I’ve been up to since graduating from college and I tell them that I work at a yoga studio, it doesn't really capture the essence of what I am now fully immersed within. I know this because it’s taken me a full year to even realize a fraction of what it all means to me; so here I go attempting to describe the indescribable.

Yoga is far more than a trendy way of exercising. Not only is it more physically demanding than it seems, but as with most things, its roots run much deeper than its outward appearance. The practice of yoga that we know in the West (body postures) is actually only one limb of the bigger 8 branch yoga tree, which includes practices concerning morality, breathing and meditation among others. The word yoga itself means to yoke, or union, and the true practice of yoga is really aiming to realign the mind, body and spirit back to the inner perfection that we were born into this world with, which brings us back into harmony and union with the true nature of the Universe. It may sound a bit esoteric at first (it certainly did to me when I first started!), but this is exactly what yoga has done for me in the past year, and I now realize I was actually practicing yoga in that park in Rome as I came into union with nature and with the Universe through my connection with Vanessa Atalanta (red admiral’s latin name).

In this past year I’ve been monkeying around from branch to branch on this yoga tree, tasting the multitude of fruits that each limb has to offer along the way. As I’ve moved around to different vantage points, I’ve gained clarity in many individual aspects of my life, which is leading me to a greater overall clarity about what I truly want to do with my life. My practice has taught me how to make the small adjustments moment to moment, which eventually lead to larger transformations. For example, I’ve learned about the importance of non-judgement. I’ve really started to see how every time I judge someone or something, I am really judging an insecurity that I hold inside myself. By consciously working to stop making so many judgements about people and things, I’ve started to judge myself less and less, and naturally love myself more and more. This has helped me to free up more mental space to begin appreciating the true beauty that is constantly surrounding me in every moment of life. Taking the opportunity to slow down and experience the vibrancy of things that I’m inherently attracted to, like a particular flower, a sunset, a hummingbird, a baby smiling in the grocery store or a butterfly in the park, has ultimately led to me see how all those things are really just reflections my own inherent beauty.

The deeper I’ve gotten into these practices, the happier and more content I’ve found myself to be in each and every moment, and for me, this is what yoga is really about. As William Blake would say, it’s about cleansing the doors of perception so everything appears as it is, infinite. The clarity I’ve gained as a result has allowed me to see how it all ultimately comes back to love. I can honestly say that until I started practicing yoga and learning about self-love, I didn’t even know what true love was, or at least I didn’t remember. It turns out that for me, love was more of an idea than a reality. Everything I thought was love was really just an illusion, appearing to be the real thing. It had been far too long since I had truly experienced unconditional love: the pulsing, electric, buzzing, magnetizing feeling that radiates out from the heart and connects everything in the Universe with everything else. I now know that in order to truly experience unconditional love, I have to be generating it from within first, and somewhere along the way I lost my ability to love myself, and didn’t even know it! Practicing yoga has allowed me to rediscover what love really is, what it really feels like to be generating this ultra magnetic force. I’ve come to understand that love is actually a vibrational frequency that is incredibly attractive by nature; it is the universal connector. The more I practice loving myself, the more everything is naturally attracted to me and I to It. When I love me, the entire Universe loves me! It is our deepest desire in life to be love and be loved, but we can only experience this when we are in love with our selves first. It’s unreal to me that it took so many years to realize what love truly is, and also what it is not.

And now I know what led me here. Love is what transformed a caterpillar into the butterfly that touched my hand and my heart in Rome, love is what attracted me back to LA and ultimately to the Hub, love is why I now manage the studio, love is why I teach yoga, love is why I do healing work, love is why I am writing this right now! Yoga is not about exercising, yoga is about learning to love yourself so that you can realize that YOU ARE LOVE, nothing more, nothing less. The Hub is not a place to exercise, the Hub is a heart, generating the frequency of love; it’s a sacred place holding sacred space to attract more people who are carrying the same seed inside that is patiently waiting for the optimal conditions to begin germination, to begin the process of remembering their own true nature... so come here and roam. Don’t be afraid of the darkness of chrysalis, hold strong through the turbulent changes of metamorphosis. Follow the Light until you can break free, spread your wings and fly away, only to land on the hand of another, initiating this process all over again.

In the bonds of peace, love, unity and respect,
-Ishhhhhhh

Breathwork with Laurence Walsh

2010-10-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

Sunday, October 10
5:30-7 pm
$35 exchange

Beloved

Can you feel how beloved you are?
Do you feel safe, protected and cared for?
Can you recognize your inner value beyond what you’ve accomplished or accrued?
Do you know deep in the center of your being how valuable you are?

You are a beloved child of the universe and if you can’t feel it in your body, you are missing out on incredible feelings of relief, joy and bliss.

Your life is a metaphor. If you are not receiving enough money, enough joy or enough love, it’s because of a breakdown of your core connection to source energy or THE LOVE MATRIX.

And when I say breakdown, I actually mean rejection. We subconsciously reject love.

It is a learned response. What happens is that often we are given love by the same source that gives us pain. Our mother or father, a teacher or a friend. (Or we blame God or the universe for causing us pain.) Since we don’t want the pain, we create defenses to keep it away and end up pushing away the love as well. We become disconnected. If the pain is bad enough, we will disconnect from even our own bodies to avoid it. But…

Love is not painful. Love does not leave. Love does not come at a cost. You don’t have to buy love or compromise yourself to get it. These are all (very understandable) misinterpretations. Love is constant. Love surrounds us and protects us. The truth is: we are love.

So, how can we learn to distinguish? How can we receive love without the pain?

First, we have to let go of our limiting beliefs about love. Then we have to clear the pain and finally, we have to open our hearts to receive the love.

In this breath circle we will release the painful misunderstandings about love. We will break through the armor that keeps us numb and stuck and we will receive the incredible abundance of love, energy and support the universe has for each one of us.

We will feel the treasure of who we really are. We will dissolve the differences. We will melt into the love matrix. We will receive all that the world has to offer us. We will know we are beloved.

“Laurence's breath workshop was transformative for me. The dynamic breathing, along with the gentle, yet powerful focus she kept us on allowed my body to fully release issues that, in the past, I had difficulty letting go of. The energy flow present in my body created a path to allow my unconscious to heal in ways that I am not even aware of, other than I feel different today -lighter and am present with more joy in every day! I experienced Self Forgiveness.” – Veronica K.

LONDON’S HOTTEST EXPORT: Renowned Yogi and Scholar Marcus Freed brings the Kosher Sutras to Los Angeles with “Bend, Stretch, Learn” Class Series

2010-09-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles, Calif…..Direct from London, British born Marcus J Freed arrives in the U.S. via Los Angeles to introduce to the states BIBLIYOGA®, his renowned method of achieving enlightenment by embodying ancient biblical wisdom through classic yoga.

Marcus J Freed will offer a “Bend, Stretch, Learn” series of classes in October co-presented by JconnectLA. Each class features a vinyasa flow yoga class for all levels infused with biblical wisdom followed by a brief salon discussion. Classes are $16 each or $54 for a series of four. For more information and to register for classes visit www.jconnectla.org

Freed teaches THE KOSHER SUTRAS which are a whole new way of experiencing yoga, combining classic asana and vinyasa with powerful Hebrew wisdom. “The yoga tradition is incredible,” explained Freed, “It is a system for body-soul meditation and is accessible to everyone, regardless of their shape, size or age. The Kosher Sutra method is about using these powerful postures alongside inspiring wisdom from the Rabbinic and Kabbalistic traditions, to leave us feeling inspired and uplifted”.

Marcus J Freed is available for press interviews.

Mornings at “Mimoda Studio” in Mid Wilshire

Tuesday mornings: October 5, 12, 19 and 26, 2010

9.00 - 10.15 am

5774 West Pico Blvd (at South Ogden) L.A., CA 90010 www.mimodastudio.com

Mid-day and Evenings at “The Hub” in West LA

The Hub ~ Yoga-Breathwork-Meditation studio

2001 S Barrington Ave. # 150, L.A., CA 90025 www.thehub-la.com

Thursday midday: October 7, 14, 21 and 28, 2010

12 pm - 1:15 pm

Sunday evenings: October Sundays 10, 24 and 31, 2010

5.30 pm - 6:45 pm

Marcus J Freed is a studio-trained yogi, yeshiva-trained educator, published author and classically-trained actor. He completed his teacher training with the renowned yogi Edward Clark (Tripsichore Yoga) and Elizabeth Connolly (Yogafarm) and has studied with many of the greats including Erich Schiffman, Danny Paradise, Saul David Raye, David & Sharon Gannon (Jivamukti). Marcus began developing Bibliyoga in 2003 and fuses his yeshiva learning, a deep understanding of yogic theory and practice. Marcus is also an accomplished actor and has recorded over 80 broadcasts for BBC Radio 2 and toured the world performing his quartet of Biblical comedies which include Solomon: King, Poet & Lover and King David's Greatest Hits. Marcus's weekly Kosher Sutras are read by over 2000 people. To find out more, email marcus@bibliyoga.com and to reserve a place at the workshops, go to www.jconnectla.com.

Woman, Moon, and Serpent: A reclaiming of Feminine Wisdom through the wisdom movement of Serpent

2010-09-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

With Nita Rubio

Sunday, October 24
12 - 3:30 pm
$75

Women and snakes have been associated with birth, death, and resurrection since Neolithic times. This connection is depicted through all cultures from the early 5th millennium B.C.E. in Greece ,the Ukraine, and Albania, to Egypt, India and Mexico.

We will explore this link between woman, Goddess and snake in this experiential 3 ½ hour workshop with Nita Rubio. The workshop will be a weaving of teachings of the snake/Goddess connection and actual subtle body experience of these teachings. Teachings will include the connection of snake, woman, menstruation and moon, movements of Kundalini, and snake as woman’s connection to feminine power. Woman’s fear of snake is fear of her own power. Our movement will be an in-depth exploration of the subtle movements of spiral, wave, and serpentine motion and the womb to 3rd eye connection.

And, yes, we will be working with the grace of live temple snakes to experience visceral connection between the living energetic body of woman and the living energetic body of snake!

Please contact the instructor at embodyshakti@gmail.com to register and reserve your spot. Space will be limited to 13 women. Prior experience in the Tantric Dance of Feminine Power with Nita is a pre-requisite to attend this workshop. visit www.embodyshakti.com for current class schedule.

Rising Inner Peace: Shiva Garuda Dharma

2010-09-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

with Lama Norbu

Saturday, October 23
1:30 - 3:30 pm
$40 if pre-registered by the day before,
$45 at the door

The great Padmasambhava made a prophecy in the 8th Century: "When an iron horse flies up into the sky, tantric teachings will spread widely in the land of red-faced people." The precious Shiva Garuda practice provides an expedient and beneficial dharma path to help us overcome worry and fear while balancing body, speech and mind. It is an essential and powerful transmission for modern times.

Originating from Divine Mother Guan Yin, Shiva Garuda was transmitted in secret by advanced Tibetan yogis. Lama Norbu received this transmission to help people master our increasingly turbulent times with peace and clarity. Through a potent combination of breathwork, visualization, intention, mantra and mudra, Shiva Garuda enables us to hold a higher frequency of vibrational energy while elevating our consciousness.

Also known as the Phoenix-Agape practice, Shiva Garuda leads us to a state of deep, meditative focus while attuning us to our own rising, self-healing energy. This profound, esoteric teaching increases our joy and inner peace while helping to heal the collective suffering of humankind. Shiva Garuda teaches us to release limiting concepts, return to our Inner Nature and discover ultimate freedom. In this workshop (suitable for all levels), we will learn the Shiva Garuda practice and rediscover the reservoir of peace that resides within!

Monthly In Depth Studies Series with Chad Hamrin

2010-09-29T12:21:00.001-07:00

Sunday, October 17
3:30-6:30 pm
$75

This an ongoing, monthly, in-depth study with Chad Hamrin, and is an exclusive offering to facilitate devoted students interested in strengthening their daily asana practice by coming together to study as a community once a month. Limited to fifteen people.

Dive deeper into the yogic experience and strengthen your personal, daily practice with this three-hour, in-depth study lead by senior teacher, Chad Hamrin, on the third Sunday of every month at the Hub.

Yoga asanas will safely be explored from moment to moment in a supportive, encouraging, and communal environment. A highly exploratory and experiential approach, you will be guided to listen and reflect on your individual experience to refine your practice and encounter profound breakthroughs. The idea is to have a solid foundation in technique to transcend technique by bringing a creative presence and encouraging intuition to the practice of yoga.

Phoenix Agape free workshop with Lama Norbu

2010-09-29T12:12:00.001-07:00

Thursday, October 14
7-9 pm
FREE

Experience the powerful Shiva Garuda practice, a precious gift from Divine Mother Guan Yin. Overcome worry and fear while balancing body, peech and mind. Cultivate inner peace, clarity and joy with breathwork, intention, mantra and mudra. Raise your vibrational frequency and elevate your consciousness while helping to heal the collective suffering of humankind.

In this unique, all-male workshop, we will learn the Shiva Garuda practice, release limiting concepts and return to our Inner Nature. This workshop will be a celebration of peace geared specifically toward males between the ages of 17-30.

Lama Norbu, master of Vajrayana and an adept in Supreme Yoga Tantra, was born in a remote village located on the shore of Lugu Lake, in the region of Shangri-La. The area around Lugu Lake is home to the Mosuo people, a small tribal society based on a matriarchal hierarchy, which is the only feminine-dominated society existing in the world today. His father was a Lama in the Tibetan tradition; his mother, from Muli, a decendent of the ancient Guge kingdom. Lama Norbu spent his childhood around Lugu Lake and Muli Monastery, a famous Tibetan Buddhist temple in the Sichuan Province. Throughout childhood, he was nurtured by natural environments and exposed to different teachings from many masters and Lamas who visited Muli Monastery. As a teenager, he followed his master to India to receive his formal education in Tibetan Buddhism and received the title of Geshe Lama at Sera Monastery. He recently authored Love Sutra Lama, a revealing commentary on the Divine Feminine and its importance for our times. He currently serves as Spiritual Director of the New Century Foundation.

This is a FREE workshop offered to males between the ages of 17-30. Please call the Hub at 310-575-4200 or e-mail us at info@thehub-la.com to register beforehand. It will be okay to show up the day of without registering beforehand.

Evoking the Crystalline Form: A Toltemetry Workshop

2010-09-23T17:11:00.000-07:00

with Steve Miller

Saturday, October 2
1 - 3 pm
$40 if preregisted by 11/1/10, $45 thereafter

Please join us for an afternoon of self discovery, personal empowerment and profound emotional clarity.

Presenting Toltemetry, a fresh new modality that combines the knowledge of the Toltec peoples, the wisdom of Totemic earth medicine, and the empowerment of Telemetry.

These movements are specifically designed to reconnect you with the forgotten resources in and around your body that you were born with. They assist in the dimensional re-establishment of our subtle energy bodies, which are essential for a fulfilling life. These subtle bodies become compromised over time due to emotional structures, traumas, illnesses and synthetic energy patterns from modern devices.

Learn how to become open, connected and protected. Experience Life Synergy first hand.

There will be a brief introduction and lecture on the movements, followed by guided practices. Please bring a pen and paper if you like to take notes, an open mind, an open heart, some water and your yoga mat.

Steve Miller is an energetic healer, channel, mythologist, and student of ancient languages and holographic theory. From a very early age he always wanted to know "why" or "how" on an esoteric level. He was born in Japan into a family where energetic healing was already practiced, and spent his formative years being exposed to Chinese spirituality and Tibetan Buddhist perspectives while growing up in then British Hong Kong. His own personal studies and medicine path began in 1995 and continues to this day. Steve apprenticed with Native teachers in the Four Corners area, where he learned their mytholgies and rites of passage, and continues to learn from Shamans and guides from South and Meso America. He has developed dynamic healing maps of the human and canine emotional and energetic bodies showing where various energy stories are stored, and the system of healing that helps to identify and unwrap threads or stories of consciousness. A nexus of this work resulted in a book Steve wrote about dogs from an energetic level, which is currently under review for publication.

He also developed and teaches a shamanic based movement system called "Toltemetry," that promotes "Life Synergy" through subtle body enhancement. This system creates repeatable mechanisms of motion that can allow the pracitioner to feel more empowered, contained and yet still very much connected.

He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son.

For more information please visit www.Toltemetry.com.

Workshop Weekend with Mitchel Bleier

2010-09-14T22:25:00.000-07:00

“Hip”pie Love (all levels - light vinyasa)
Friday, October 8
7:30-9:30 p.m.
$45

In Sanskrit, "sukha" means easy or content. And that's exactly what we love about this workshop - it's easy on the joints and the long, deep holds make for very happy hamstrings and hips.

These far out forward bends and hip openers are groovy poses to sink into - especially if you're parked at your desk all day. You'll be breathing your way into different postures and holding them for awhile - kind of like giving yourself and your practice a big, fat hug! So if a little bit of self-love is on your radar, then it's high time you hit up this deeply opening, somewhat psychedelic workshop. Give yourself some Hippie Love!

Open Up (all levels - vinyasa with alignment)
Saturday, October 9
3-6 p.m.
$60

Maybe it's time to OPEN UP? To reconsider everything about yourself and your practice. To take your yoga to the next level. To twist this way and that. To get your arms straight in urdhva dhanurasana and maybe, just maybe press up into a handstand. To laugh in the face of arm balances. To focus on your breath and attempt the some of the more challenging poses just because you can.

Sound like you're ready to OPEN UP? Then take this workshop and we'll get you out of your head and into your body. It will also empower you to take your yoga to the next level, no matter where your yoga is (or goes)!

Open Wider (all levels - intermediate/advanced vinyasa)
Sunday, October 10
10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
$60

Ever consider flying? What about pausing in mid-air or jumping without making a sound? How about breathing deeper, expanding more, or breaking the "I can't" barriers of your soul? Then it's time to OPEN WIDER. Take this part circus show, part mind-altering, part "here are the secrets no one ever told you" workshop and see how the universe takes on an infinite number of finite possibilities. Or maybe just to have that jaw-dropping, I can't believe what I'm doing moment, or at the worst a good chuckle!

OPEN WIDER is your time to jump, float, press, fly through arm balances and backbends, forward bends and inversions on your mat in wild fits of ecstasy (or exhaustion) that are not for the weak at heart.

***Sign up for all three workshops for $145 ($20 savings).

Clearing the Path to Authentic Heart-Centered Partnership

2010-09-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

with Allyson Kulavis

Sunday, October 3
10 am - 3 pm
$75 if pre-registered
one week before the event,
$95 thereafter

Whether in relationship or seeking a partner, being energetically, mentally and emotionally tethered to past partnerships can keeping us from fully manifesting and enjoying what our heart desires most. Based on the fundamental principles of Spiritual Psychology, this experiential workshop introduces tools and methodologies, for identifying and releasing ties to the past, as well as limiting beliefs of love, partnership and self-worth. These limiting, and often irrational beliefs are what keep us from our joy and hold us in a place of fear. They also keep us from authentically connecting to our beloved and making self-honoring choices.

Learn how to deepen in your loving, connect more fully to your inner guidance, experience unconditional compassion and discover new levels of intimacy with your self and others. Expect to walk away fromthis workshop with straightforward tools and methods for working your process and clearing your personal path. With humor and integrity, we can choose to be free.

Allyson Kulavis holds an MA in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica; she supports and counsels clients through all types of personal challenges. Her fascination and expertise in partnership, stem from a vast array of personal experiences and those of her clients. After ending an engagement, she made an agreement with the Universe to clear whatever was blocking her from receiving her soul mate. She is beyond grateful to say that she’s made good on her agreement. Each person possesses all of the necessary resources to heal even the most ancient hurt. Allyson’s intention is to serve as a conduit for Spirit and create an environment of unconditional acceptance and empowerment for the purpose of healing and spiritual evolution. For one-on-one counseling and life coaching, she can be reached at akulavis@gmail.com.

Bliss Out! Costa Rica ... A Girls Only Getaway

2010-09-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

With Amy Lombardo
February 19-26, 2011

Some things are so good,
they're worth repeating!

Forget what you think you know about retreats. This life-changing "aha" kind of experience takes it to a whole other level. If you've been waiting for the right time and the right trip to commit to, your wait has now ended.

Last year, I led a Women's Yoga and Empowerment Retreat to Costa Rica. Being a spontaneous, adventurous, and somewhat impatient person, I usually create an offering once and then move on to new ideas after it's completed. But this retreat changed all that.

Perhaps, it was the perfect recipe of yoga, empowerment coaching, and nature adventures. Or the great group of fabulous women attracted to this kind of experience. Maybe it was the 5,000 acres of private beachfront and rainforest property, or the horse rides at sunset; or the fire dance performances under the starry sky; or the monkeys calling out from the lush green forest in morning yoga class. Whatever it was, this retreat delivered.

TESTIMONIAL:
"If there is one thing you do for yourself all year, make it this. You'll be taken care of in every way and wouldn't believe how much fun you can have, even without knowing anyone ahead of time. I have made life-long friendships with the other participants and have a renewed outlook on life. I am so grateful I had this chance to re-evaluate my life; renew my energy; and reconnect to myself. This was such a gift!"

- Cathy C., Former Participant

Still, months later, I get emails from retreat participants with updates - some have gone back to Costa Rica a second time because of the initial impact of this retreat. Others paired up with new found friends from the retreat and traveled to new destinations. Others changed jobs; started new relationships; left bad ones behind; moved to new cities, and on and on. Transformation was happening and still continues to this day. A spark had been lit because a small group of women had agreed to travel together and support each other on their journeys of empowerment.

TESTIMONIAL:
"Our retreat to Costa Rica was life-changing - a combination of incredible beauty of the land, the ocean, the rainforest; and the energy of a wonderful group of smart, supportive women of all ages. Practicing yoga every day on the beach with the howler monkeys above us; hiking; riding horses; meeting children at their school; savoring incredible meals cooked outdoors; honoring the land and our place in nature; and taking in the knowledge and generosity of our wonderful guides -- every day was a new and shared adventure. Amy's incredible love of opening new vistas and expanded potential for women is nothing short of magical and natural all at the same time."

- Jeannie F., Former Participant

Together, we co-created a once in a lifetime experience, and it's time to co-create again. Please join me and 13 other like-hearted travelers for BLISS OUT! Costa Rica.

YOUR TIME TO SHINE HAS ARRIVED.

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION ENDS DECEMBER 1st.

FULL DETAILS AT WWW.BLISSOUTJOURNEYS.COM.

Breath Work with Michael Baker

2010-08-04T17:02:00.000-07:00

Friday, August 6
8-9:30 pm
$35 exchange

“All problems are Illusions of the mind”- Eckhart Tolle, The Power Of Now

The human brain weighs approximately 3 pounds.

The median weight of the average American is 178 pounds.

How can one muscle, out of the 850 that make up the human form, which occupies only 1.7 % of our whole physical being, run on auto pilot and convince us that we are anything other than love? Mind

What is our preoccupation with the thinking mind and why does it hold steady to fear, attachment and expectation?

How often does it take us out of the experience of what actually is?

Why is it that the mind can often be so busy in it’s own mental chatter, that we miss what is going on right in front of our faces?

The mind is an amazing tool that serves us well when there is formula, calculation or information to be stored.

When we say we weren’t paying attention what we really mean is, I relinquished my power to the thinking mind. I wasn’t grounded, present and in my body enough to receive what existence was attempting to award me. This preoccupation is an ailment as old as time itself. The remedy for this ailment is getting out of the head and into the body. Feeling rooted to the earth and grounding.

Many speak of grounding but have little or no true practice around it. Through mindfulness practices taught by David Elliott, we have easy access to our feet and the direct connection to nourishing energy that the earth has to offer in unlimited, vast supply.

Come drench yourself in tranquility this Friday night from 8:00 to 9:30 at the Hub in West Los Angeles for a practice in grounding, filling and breath that will allow the brain to take a brief hiatus and the body to recharge with the natural flow of life force energy. No experience necessary. Wear comfortable clothes. Bring a yoga mat, water and an open heart.

Tantric Purification Practices for Women & Men

2010-08-03T14:12:00.001-07:00

five week series with Nita Rubio

August 12 - September 16
Thursdays 7-9 pm
$135

Come and experience these ancient and valuable Tantric practices of purification. The orientation of purification in these traditions are not about morality, but practical energetic applications. It can be likened to cleansing the inner energetic palate to be able to enter and be absorped into deeper states of meditation and presence. These practices are appropriate for both the beginning and advanced practitioner.

We will come together weekly for 5 weeks to have a consistent practice in two powerful body meditations. First, we will experience Bhutta Shuddi. This practice is a cleansing of the basic elements in the body and their corresponding chakras by utilization of each chakras seed (bija) sound and mudras (hand gesture that creates an energetic seal in the body). Information will also be given on how to weave this into a daily practice. Next, we will learn and practice weekly the Chandi Nyasa.

This is a profound practice for women as it deeply cleanses the obscurations and impressions women can hold deeply in their wombs. We will apply this practice directly to specific nadi's (energy channels) in our wombs for deep healing. Common benefits of this practice, if used consistently, is regulation of the blood and menstrual flow, release of residues of trauma or abuse, and increased libido. This practice also helps us develop a real sensitivity to the subtle energies of our wombs (considered the "seat of the Goddess" in Tantra).

Nita has received direct transmission and permission to impart these teachings from Parvathi Nanda Nath, a lineage holder in the Yogini tradition of Kaula Tantra. Both practices purify the energy body and help to establish a "ground" in our bodies for any further spiritual work in any modality.

Registration in advance for this class series is necessary and also ensures you to receive the orientation e-mail. For any questions or to register, please contact Nita at 310-560-6225 or embodyshakti@gmail.com

Free Your Shadow Breath Circle

2010-07-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

with Laurence Walsh
Friday, July 30th
8pm-9:30pm
Exchange: $35

We use massive amounts of energy denying, pushing away and burying our shadow. This leaves us as fatigued victims of half-lived lives rather than empowered co-creators of our destiny.

When ignored, our shadow lashes out causing headaches, backaches, addictions, cravings, and behaviors that shock and disappoint us. Sometimes our shadow just throws a heavy blanket on our emotions leaving us numb, immobile and confused. We don’t know who we are or what we want.

When we deny our shadow, we force others to act it out for us. And they do this literally. Our bosses yell at us. Our spouses act insensitive. Some "jerk" cuts you off on the freeway. But our image remains pure as the driven snow. We are golden.

Yet when we take responsibility for our projections, we can clear them and find serenity inside and out.

As Caroline Myss reminds us, “Your shadow aspects are primarily rooted in fear patterns that have more control over your behavior than does your conscious mind.” –Sacred Contracts

In this breath circle we will
-let others witness our shadow sides
-accept ourselves and others exactly as we are
-release the fear pattern under the shadow aspect
-take responsibility for our projections
-free our repressed energy
-discover the benefits of embracing our shadow
-bring light to the unloved parts of ourselves
-celebrate our wholeness

So bring your inner asshole, your outer bitch, your lazy, good-for-nothing selves, your skeptic, your procrastinator, your sexy vamp, your aggressive brut, your poor huddled masses and we will love them all and set them free. Plus, it’s me, so it will be fun.

What to bring: water, blanket, yoga mat, shadow.

Trust your gift and share it!!!!

2010-07-21T10:28:00.001-07:00

Breathwork Circle with German Torres
Sunday, July 25 5:30-7 pm
$35 exchange

As I walked in Topanga Park last week I realized that, we all have a destiny. We are all, at some point in our lives, in search of our path. Some of us are in the realm of discovery, of awakening, contesting the questions, what exactly is our gift, what is our purpose? Others of us know our path in this lifetime. There are those of us which are searching for what we like, that which brings us joy.

Are you waiting for the right moment, the ideal circumstance, when it all feels right or ready? Do you know what your good at?What are you waiting for?

Do you know the impact that you can have by simply sharing your gift with others? How many people are waiting to hear, read or see their purpose, their gift? Maybe you're a writer, a musician a nurse or possibly a gardner, your unique gift is something that you conduct with ease and fills other with joy.

Are you ready to trust in spirit and let go of the excuses that keep you out of integrity with who you are destined to be, who you truly are?
Do you want to cultivate your connection with spirit and relish in the trust and joy that sharing our gift with others brings. Come this Wednesday and breathe, move those blocks and begin to fully engage your life, all you need to do is show up.

German T.

Jay Co - Practice and Fun

2010-07-15T10:01:00.001-07:00

I know this video is for selling yoga towels, but it's so much fun, and it's all about our JAY CO!
Here's the link:

Rave - A Spiritual Practice

2010-07-08T09:17:00.000-07:00

My close friends and I had already begun building strong intentions going into our 2010 Rave experiences to consciously foster and spread this Love, so that we and everyone who came into contact with our energy would experience what we feel Raving is truly about. My intention going into EDC this year was to receive all the Love I could and then give it right back to everyone and everything around me, whether that was through words, hugs, bracelets, light shows, dancing or any other medium of expression… give it all out and let it all flow right back in. People open up quickly at Raves because they inherently resonate with the vibration of Love, which is the prevailing vibe throughout an event like EDC. One thing I have learned in my experiences as a spiritual teacher thus far is that once I’m in sacred space and people start to open up, it’s time to go to work, expressing my own inner Love/Light and using it to tease out the inner Light of all those around me, whether they are friends or people I have yet to befriend. Ultimately it is all about exchanging this Love and this Light with each other, which allows universal energy to flow between us, creating a connection, a bond, that unites our energy as One. A typical example of how this happens at a Rave is through the trading of homemade bracelets between people, which serve as a physical representation of these energetic exchanges of Love. Leading up to the event, as many others do, I made about 10 beaded bracelets, each with its own specific intention and vibration. With yoga and healing in mind, 7 of these were based on the colors of the rainbow, each representing one of the 7 main energetic centers (chakras) in the body and what it is generally responsible for:

Red - Grounding
Orange - Creation
Yellow - Flow
Green - Love
Blue - Expression
Indigo - Intuition
Violet - Ascension

-Scott Isihara, taken from www.progressiveenlightenment.com

Walking into the Mystery

2010-07-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

Healing Breathwork Circle with Laurence Walsh

To know the truth of who we are
To feel it in our bodies
We have to let go of
Identifying ourselves as our job, our status, or our good qualities.

To flow with everything around us
We have to give up the struggle.

To be able to hear divine guidance
We have to give up knowing what’s best for us (and everyone else).

We can fight so hard to maintain control
When the joys in life are in surrendering.

Surrendering
Our issues and problems
Surrendering
Attachment to relationships, jobs, addictions
Surrendering
Our personality and specialness

What we find in surrender is a release of the pain and anguish that’s been holding our negative patterns in place.

Then there’s a free fall, a breaking of the chains, an opportunity to see that our fears are just illusions.

“The only thing to fear is fear itself.”

Through the freefall, we develop trust. We appreciate our obstacles as indicators of limiting beliefs to be released so we can realign to our path. We let go of what we want, so we can receive what we need. We discover we are held and supported by a loving universe. We find a sweet connection with everyone and everything. We feel the divinity of ourselves and see the light in others.

Once we are present, we can blissfully see and feel our true path. We know our life purpose. We receive inspiration, ideas and next action steps. We follow the path of our true hearts desire with faith. The path unfolds effortlessly and life feels like magic.

Then we walk in co-creation, with ease and grace, with deep satisfaction -- fully supported, completely self- expressed and vibrating with universal love.

Join me in 'Walking into the Mystery'
Friday night, July 9th
8pm- 9:30pm
The Hub
2001 South Barrington, Ste. 150
LA, CA 90025
Exchange: $35.00

Thanks and love,

Laurence Walsh
www.laurencewalsh.com/
www.healingthroughbreathing.blogspot.com/

From Christiane Schull

2010-07-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

"When you let go, you make room for your dream. You may not see it, so focused you are on what is leaving. But if you could see as God sees, you would see the golden sails of the Mighty Bountiful cresting over the horizon -- its sails catching the sea wind with unbounded Joy! You thought your ship had passed you by, when all the while, it was just waiting for you, Child, waiting to come in."~~ Christiane Schull

Cleansing

2010-07-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

Last night was my cleanse consultation with Cass Phelps. I know I've talked about this process before, and it may sound like I am repeating myself, but I know the questions surrounding my observations are something to be shared. Anyway, Cass usually begins by asking your reason for participating in the cleanse, what outcomes you would like, and what layers are you committed to facing and moving through, shedding. Each cleanse has become a building block on top of the other, and the first two definitely built upon one another. Cleanse #2 revealed my mind’s programming, its association with food, and how it feeds my emotions.

I confess that I am addicted to coffee - it's my drug of choice. I love it. Cass said humans are the only species on the planet with addictions. A part of me feels stupid sharing this. I know it's a popular addiction, otherwise Starbucks wouldn't exist. Anyway, with every cleanse, I've been able to give up coffee, and it's really not been that big of a deal. I like the way I feel when my nervous system is not pumped with caffeine and how grounded and connected I become. It's all for the good, yet I still desire the satisfaction of the taste and rush I get from drinking coffee first thing in the morning. I know how good I feel when I don't drink coffee. Yet after every cleanse, I slowly sink back into feeding this old pattern and start the ritual all over again. I know better - so why do I choose this and what am I avoiding? Why am I choosing to bury and numb myself from the field of existence? Is it because I am not ready to fully step into my power? Do I confuse my power with caffeine? Are these the lessons going to keep coming into my life until I wake up and see the divine, beautiful mother inside and out?

My work is to mother myself so that I can be the container for the energy of Mother. Listening, watching, and feeling the inner awareness are direct connections to the heart. I know that my intuition always comes from my heart space. Intuition is a strong component of the feminine divine principle, which is "not knowing" and "not doing." When I focus my mind on the practice of not doing and not knowing, my intuition becomes a magnetic force that illuminates the path, moving from the background to the foreground. All the practices (yoga, breathwork, meditation, dance, cleanse, etc.) enhance the sixth sense/mother energy, and stoke the fire to explore and navigate the unknown. - Lauri Ashworth

Healer Training Level 1 with David Elliot

2010-06-30T15:02:00.001-07:00

This 2 day course gives you the basic tools of this technique. Ideally students have read the book, or listened to the audio's of THE RELUCTANT HEALER and HEALING and become familiar with the written information prior to the start of the class.

Once the class begins the process of understanding and connecting to your energy and intuition is initiated. The first technique used to connect you to your energy is an ancient breathing technique known as pranayama yoga. This technique has been fine-tuned by David with over twenty years of practice and use in healing. Just the breathing training alone will give the participants an incredibly powerful tool. There will be much practical application working with the breath during this 2-day course.

Simultaneously you will be learning how to access your intuition through the openings that occur with the breathing - which will provide you with an unobstructed pathway to spirit. The intuition exercises have been specifically created for this class. Your connection to spirit will be powerful. Spirit always shows up as you learn to access it though your energy! Once this connection is made you will learn how to work with energy to bring about your own healing. This is accomplished by clearing the blocks on physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels. And finally the healing work segues intoï¿½an understanding of how to work with others.

You will have a partner each day to work and share your gifts with. Each person’s gifts and talents are brought out to establish originality with each healer. The whole class is a lot of fun! * This class will be taught by David **

Mp3 Audio of The Reluctant Healer available under PRODUCTS/Books Payment Plans available - call Nisha @ 323-256-2005 to setup Location: the Hub, 2001 S Barrington Ave, Suite 150, Los Angeles, CA 90025 Time: 9am - 4:30pm; Sat & Sun What to bring: notebook and pen, yoga mat/pillow to sit on, and any healing tools you have (oils, eye pillow, etc) www.reluctanthealer.com

AcroYoga: Intermediate Playshops

2010-06-27T22:32:00.000-07:00

series with Lara Catone and Sarah Vosen

In this intermediate workshop series for experienced AcroYogis we will link flying positions with inversions to create dynamic flying flows. Learn to flip, spin, drop back and float, all while suspended in the air with the support of a partner!

Each playshop will build on the next and explore different sequences. Participate in all 5 parts for maximum fun! PACKAGE PRICE: $150 FOR ALL FIVE INTERMEDIATE WORKSHOPS (and an opportunity to perform at The Hub Holiday party).

June 12, 4-7 pm Part 1: Mounts, Dismounts and Shoulderstand Variations

July 17, 2:30-5:30 pm Part 2: All-Star

Sept 25, 2-5 pm Part 3: Pops, Drops and Walkovers
(additional pre-req: wheel with straight arms)

Nov 13, 2-5 pm Part 4: Twists and Turns

Dec 11, 2:30-5:30 pm Part 5: Washing Machines
(additional pre-req: participation in 2 other Intermediate workshops in this series)

Each playshop will build on the next and explore different sequences.

Pre-requisites for All Intermediate Workshops: comfortable with flying, basing and spotting Therapeutic Flying headstand in the center of the room without a spot handstand against the wall No partner needed! Follow us on facebook AcroYoga LA Full class details at www.acroyoga.org/la and www.thehub-la.com

James Hayman: True Prosperity & Unconditional Happiness in the Quantum Now

2010-06-27T22:29:00.000-07:00

workshop with James Hyman

Thursday, July 15
7:30-9:30 pm
$20

Master Teacher, James Hyman, Founder of the Deep Emotional Release Bodywork, for this transformational workshop. James is a Los Angeles based Shaman who also has Private Sessions available for new clients on a limited basis.During this experiential workshop, you will witness and experience emotional release and quantum healing that will help to deepen your spiritual practice and experience. Several participants will also get to work one-on-one with Jim in a Chakra clearing and balancing mini-session.

By breathing, tuning into and feeling the energy, the collective consciousness of the group will breakthrough to higher frequencies of energy and vibration. From a place of Quantum-Theta Healing, Jim will help you identify your vision for this lifetime, and release anything that may be blocking your true prosperity and unconditional happiness in the Quantum now!

A skilled and gifted healer, Jim has helped thousands, including some of the most famous people in Hollywood, to connect on a deep level with their unlimited, unconditional love. By clearing emotional and mental blockages and the subconscious beliefs, James Hyman's work helps you to break through to a new level of your creativity, spiritual practice and your personal evolution.

"James Hyman is nothing short of incredible, with the ability to release lifetimes of blocked energy and get the person in touch with their real self within just a single session. I cannot recommend his work more." Saul David Raye

Interview video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGTmoTkXI9E&feature=related
Learn about Deep Emotional Release Bodywork : http://emotionalrelease.com/

Medicine Wheel

2010-06-26T17:18:00.001-07:00

Mother Sister Jaguar. Thank you for showing us how to be in our shadow and eat the Sun. Wow - that's the invocation when facing the West and praising our ability to boldly go where we would rather not - into our dark characteristics, our fears, and our sadness. I am courageously facing all of what I think are my dark qualities and also embracing me entirely for who I am. John English is a truly powerful and beautiful teacher, thoroughly going over the technical details of various Peruvian Shaman Ways. And, helping me to open my heart and face my demons to help me release them, to figure out my triggers, and to find my heart, my bliss. So, tonight I'm off to Bergamont station to see Giorgio's artwork and then back to the Hub to hear CC sing her heart out at the Bhaktifest charity concert tonight 8:30pm-11pm. Om Namah Shivaya and Aho Mataquiasan

Breathe

2010-06-24T15:44:00.000-07:00

With 60 other participants, I attended last weekend's Summer Solstice Healer Training 4 weekend with David Elliott. We all stayed a the 29 Palms Inn, situated on a rare oasis in the middle of the Mojave Desert. And just as precious as the water in that climate, our hearts were nurtured, cherished, and uplifted. We were able to experience one on one breathwork with our circle opposite. Hence, I was able to experience breathwork lying next to the oasis on soft green grass, as well under a giant, old lingonberry tree in the far corner of the Inn's lush, organic garden where hundreds of artichoke plants were flowering their busy lavendar chokes and hundreds of towering sunflowers were opening their wide sunny yellow faces. To feel Mother Earth's gravity pulling me down into the rich soil and smell the fruity scents of ripe fruits and vegetables was the epitome of the open heart experience. My partners, Giorgio and Randy, have become my soul brother and soul sista as we awa!
kened our hearts and came out of hiding. And, well, our entire circle played on the rocks in Joshua Tree under the bright sunset and infinite shining stars. I would say a tribe is born. David will be at the Hub again July 24th & 25th, August 21st & 22nd, and October 16th & 17th - as well as in Sedona for his annual Labor Day retreat. Love and Gratitude, Aho Mataqu Yasin, Barbie

p.s.

Oh yes, and let's not forget the amazing Integratron in Landers, just north of Joshua Tree. I lead 2 breathwork classes there last Friday, and one of the owners lead a gorgeous Sound Bath. What a weekend! Everyone said that they really Spaced Out! Look for future breathwork workshops at The Integratron!

- Barbie

Lessons from the Mat

2010-06-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

by Hub owner, Lauri Ashworth

The summer weather seems to have finally arrived in Los Angeles. Everyone, including me, is out enjoying the glorious weather. Last week, I declared that I was going on a sabbatical from teaching weekly yoga classes. Part of my decision to put a hold on teaching is to shed some light and attention back to my own personal practice. I have not kept up with the regular yoga discipline for over a year now mainly due to the fact of outer hamstring injury. The injury has discouraged me from practicing the way I used to - balls to the wall. Perhaps that is why I got injured in the first place, and I am realizing that my body is no longer 35. However, my mind likes to believe that idea.

The summer weather seems to have finally arrived in Los Angeles. Everyone, including me, is out enjoying the glorious weather. Last week, I declared that I was going on a sabbatical from teaching weekly yoga classes. Part of my decision to put a hold on teaching is to shed some light and attention back to my own personal practice. I have not kept up with the regular yoga discipline for over a year now mainly due to the fact of outer hamstring injury. The injury has discouraged me from practicing the way I used to - balls to the wall. Perhaps that is why I got injured in the first place, and I am realizing that my body is no longer 35. However, my mind likes to believe that idea.

One of my new rituals is heading back to the classroom and studying yoga with Chad Hamrin. I've pledged my allegiance to spend three hours focusing on breaking down specific yoga asanas with him every month at The Hub. The focus of the study group is to see and feel the areas that are stuck, where the prana is not moving, to obliterate old programming and replace it with new connections. On Sunday, we worked on the groins and hips, opening the lower body to release emotions held in the pelvis, legs, and feet. Chad explained that without a connection to our lower body/lower chakras, how can we even begin to open the upper body/higher chakras? The practice was slow, focused, and deep. I have never had so much emotion come up and purge from my body. This was the first time ever for me. As we sat for long periods in deep hip opening poses, all I wanted to do was sob, cry like a baby. I wanted my mommy. I felt the same emotions from my dancing days. The days when I would spend 12 hours a day practicing and rehearsing choreography and would have the "off" day. The day when I couldn't do anything, remember anything, or get anything to work. Feelings of anger, frustration, self hatred, and sadness would wash over me. It was as if I knew nothing and was starting from the beginning, all over again. I felt as though I achieved nothing, a complete failure.

But this time, instead of holding back the tears, trying to be stoic and muscle my way through it all, I broke down and cried my eyes out. Of course, I didn't break down in in front of everyone in class, I waited until after Chad had gone home and buried my head in Mike's shoulder. It was a hard day, and I do not like to FAIL. My dear friend, teacher, and healer, Scott Schwenk, has said to me that walking the spiritual path is like walking the razor's edge. I felt that on Sunday. And, Monday was another day with a much better experience. I was back in Chad's class and felt hopeful. This time things got a little easier, and the practice was less of a struggle. Now I can say from my own personal experience that I understand how the physical practice of yoga brings up deep emotions for many people, and I now know what that FEELS like. I realize that only when you are truly ready to "let go", when you allow yourself to FAIL, is when all the magic happens. And, isn't the work seeing the beauty in the miracles that come out of all the icky, sticky, yucky stuff that you have to schlep through? Isn't what lies on the other side a sense of gratitude in your heart?

Trust yourself and the path your heart continues to lead you towards. That's my work these days.

Namaste,

Lauri

Astrologer Margaret Sweet

2010-06-23T12:56:00.001-07:00

from MargaretSweet.com

It was such a treat to be involved in a Solstice ceremony at a friends home a few days ago. A group of us gathered under a very starry desert sky, with incense wafting in the air, a small fire in the center, as we waited for the hostess to perform a "saging" on each of us, in the Native American tradition.

As the ceremony continued, I felt such a deep peace settle over me and within me. This feeling of connectedness was so palatable. I came away from the evening remembering how powerful it is to share ceremony and intention with others.

Astro Tips

June 7 - July 28 Mars in Virgo With Mars and Saturn both transiting the health oriented sign of Virgo this month, we are more prone to stress, so it's a good idea to allow for additional rest and pay close attention to the needs of our bodies. Watch out for self-worth issues being on the rise, along with a tendency toward being overly critical.

July - mid Sept T-Square  A T-square pattern comes together this summer which involves Uranus/Jupiter in Aries, Saturn late Virgo/early Libra and Pluto in Capricorn. This combination can make us feel especially vulnerable in stressful circumstances which have a negative impact upon our psychological wellbeing.

July 3, 10, 16 and 30/31   On these dates, the Moon comes up against the planets involved in the T-square mentioned above, bringing our attention to the need to ground ourselves and set clear emotional boundaries with others.

July 26  Saturn/Uranus opposition  This is the last of six Saturn/Uranus oppositions, which we've experienced since October of 2008. We may feel the influence of this placement for 10 days prior to and after the exact opposition.

July 30/31  Moon/Mars/Uranus activity This combination can create feelings of being extremely erratic and unpredictable, like we've had way too much coffee! Tempers flare more easily and we can feel put upon by others. Challenging political situations, and events which already seem out of control, do not tend to fare well with this challenging combination.

Making rash judgments while under pressure and especially when "speed, action or technology" is involved, can lead to accidents.

Lunar Activity

Solar Eclipse  19 deg Cancer at 12:40 pm PDT on July 11 There tends to be a build up of energy between eclipses. The Lunar Eclipse on June 26th is in the sign of Capricorn and this Solar Eclipse on July 11 is in the sign of Cancer.

Since the focus of Capricorn and Cancer is centered around security issues, loss and melancholy, financial concerns, and family matters, we can find ourselves giving a lot of emotional attention to these areas of our lives. We may notice that we miss those family members and/or friends who are not close by, and whom we'd like to spend time. Staying close to the home base is generally desirable.

Full Moon  3 deg Aquarius at 6:37 pm PDT on July 25 With the Full Moon in the friendship sign, we will likely feel socially outgoing, more communicative and philosophical.

Build Your Tool Kit

With so many stressful events taking place in the outer world, our established "anchor" could feel a tad wobbly at times, making this the perfect time to have "tools" in place which contribute to our emotional and psychological wellbeing on an ongoing basis.

When creating or re-constructing your bag of tools, remember to choose a variety of practices. Here are some ideas:

1. Movement: The body loves to move, so consider a movement class, yoga and stretching, take a dance class, daily walks or work out at the gym.

2. Breathing: Deep breathing, especially upon rising, brings inner calm and physical vibrancy, helping us stay in the flow throughout your day.

3. Music: Being around uplifting music makes us happy. Sing while showering, sing in the car on your way to work, chant, go with friends to your local karaoke joint!

4. Quiet Time: There are so many ways we can embrace quiet time. Turning off our cell phones, computers, and TV's for awhile each day is a good practice. Learning to take time to truly connect with ourselves helps us come into the space of our hearts, where we can seek nurturing and embrace the process of gently "allowing" and "accepting". This practice can help us let go of the "rough edges" often experienced from being constantly busy.

5. Connecting with others: Being with others shouldn't be a time for complaining, sharing our worries and woes, and re-enacting the endless details of our day. Instead, we can make it a practice to listen to others respectfully, share positive insights and thoughts which are uplifting, and always say goodbye on a high note.

Remember to take time to rest during this upcoming Lunar Eclipse (details mentioned in June newsletter).

So here's wishing you a very relaxed and enjoyable 4th of July!

Thanks for joining me.

With much love
Margaret

In the Eastern Tradition, I would like to wish my long-time spiritual teacher, Gurumayi, Happy Birthday.

\\Happy Birthday Gurumayi!//

COED Tantric Dance of Feminine Power

2010-06-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

five week series with Nita Rubio
July 1 - August 5
Thursdays 7-10 pm
$185

Tantric Dance: COED!
with Nita Rubio
5 week series July 1 - August 5
Thursdays, 7-10 pm
$185

The Tantric Dance of Feminine Power is movement modality which connects us to the subtle energies of the body. By cultivating deep surrender and sensitivity to the sensations and impulses always present within us we begin to follow these sensations back to their source.

That source is Shakti, the tremoring, alive, wisdom movement of the cosmos. Shakti is both immanent and transcendent. By resting deeply in the subtle movement of Shakti we are able to dissolve deep habitual patterns held in body and mind. The movement is not codified, yet very specific guidelines are introduced to keep the experience internally referenced rather than outwardly defined. This is a powerful re-orientation for women today.

The Tantric Dance of Feminine Power also helps us explore our relationship to our own sexuality and life force. Releasing the patriarchal lens on our sexuality is a powerful experience and crucial for the transformation towards a life affirming planet. This is not done through sexual intimacy techniques in this tradition but through very deep communion and exploration in how this energy expands, circulates and expresses itself through the nadi's, pathways and central channel of our bodies.

There are many layers of the Dance to explore including sound work, the female shamanic group, and opening the devotional heart. The specific mix of women, men and the energy present in class dictates the focus for each class.

Registration in advance for this class series is necessary and also ensures you to receive the orientation e-mail. For any questions or to register, please contact Nita at 310-560-6225 or embodyshakti@gmail.com.

Four Part Clean Up with Cass Phelps

2010-06-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

April spring cleaning tele-series:
Full mind-body cleanse

This is a 7-10 day Digestive System Cleanse. We have built it into a 4-week Tele-Series as part of The Four Part Clean UP. We start the actual physical cleanse on or around April 9th. Aside from having the group focus and support, you will be given new information about safe cleansing, proper pro-biotic re-populization, mineralization, PH balance and a mucus free diet.

You have the option to do a 7,14,21 or 28 day Digestive System Cleanse. If you feel called not to do a cleanse and would rather focus just on making consistent healthy choices in food that is good, too. I will be covering the 5 basic signals your body is giving you every moment of every day and teach you how to supply the body the healthiest nutrients for these signals. You can then place your focus on the other 3 parts of The Clean Up: Mind, Home, Relationships.

Own your health, vitality, vigor and youth! Balance weight as you resolve the past! Develop a healthy, clean, balanced diet and relationship with food and others during and after the cleanse. Clear your mind, body, home and relationships of history and toxic waste. Lear to set healthy parameters with yourself and others.

During this 4-week process we will focus on your personal inspired outcome, for every aspect of your life and develop a structured plan, charting out every step of success.

What’s included? A 30min pre-cleanse consultation with Cass where we establish your Clean Up Outcome, evaluate your mind-body system and design a specific cleanse with specific cleanse herbs and supplements best for you. We refine your Clean Up outcome which saves you much time and energy.

Investment: $155 (not including cleanse products that you will purchase from other sources that I will recommend- I do not make any money on the products I recommend) -- Tele-Conference group gatherings. Calls are 1-2 hours long.

Calls start at @ 6:30 pm PST time. Tuesdays are July 6,13,20,27 and Fridays are July 2,9,16,23, August 3,10. Friday session are mostly for questions and if there is energy for it we will have a Dive (guided breath movement mediation. Tuesdays will have about 30min of Q & A then around an hour and half of a Dive. We will work with cleaning breaths, movements and healing shifts in perspective. Yummm.

Waking to an inner-body experience in Los Angeles

2010-06-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

Posted By JOHNNY GLANVILLE
Posted 1 day ago
http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2624307

While travelling through L.A. recently, I took a friend's offer to try something completely new by going to an Awake-One class. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a form of body control that, through wave-like breathing, has you feeling like you're still in the womb. The class was actually called;The Flow-learning to move with the intelligence of love.

Our instructor, Cass, asked us all to sit close, so close I could smell what the other participants ate for lunch. Then he asked us what we wanted to work on. Hands shot up and people spoke of ailments both physical and mental. Fear, tight hips and anxiety were just a few of the offerings I heard. I kept my mouth shut. Not only did I wish I could just melt into the bamboo walls, but I also had no idea what I wanted help with.

Then he took his shirt off (the ladies in the class didn't object to that), after which he lay on the ground and demonstrated something that if I hadn't seen, I wouldn't have believed. His body was breathing. Not his lungs, his body. I saw ripples run through him like waves on an ocean. Every inch of this man moved, his fingers and toes twirled while his hands, arms and legs and torso began to morph like some Photoshop altered video. His breathing was silent, only the noise of his skin squeaking off the wooden floor could be heard as he demonstrated an act of grace so profound it mesmerized me.

"It's curious movement," he said, "like that of a newborn Be creative and imaginative, and instead of thinking with your analytical mind, listen while acting with your playful mind; then your body will follow along as you discover what can happen with the flow." I swallowed hard, my comfort level was low, the lights were dimmed and I felt altogether over my head with this group of hyper-hip gypsies. But funnily enough after squirming a bit on the floor I got it, so much so that I stopped thinking completely. For a few moments, no longer than a dime of seconds, I was operating without my mind. My body, or organism as Cass had referred to it, was acting on its own. If I had to define it in my own words, I would call it full-body- meditative exercise.

Cass acted as though he were an alien inside a human body enjoying the discovery of the organism's strengths and weaknesses. He describes this as being an eternal spirit inhabiting the body while moving and breathing within the quantum flow of intelligent love. His open-minded and imaginatively cool California approach made him the kind of guy who, depending on your disposition, you would either dismiss as crazy, or accept as a guide to help you believe in the unbelievable.

Suffice to say The Awake-One approach is a stretch, reserved for free-thinkers only. However, between Santa Monica and Venice Beach, where a lot of fresh spirits tend to congregate, it's closer to conventional. Ultimately, the class helped me with something I have struggled with for a long time. By making me wholly uncomfortable and breaking down the social and cultural boundaries I have set for myself, I found myself wondering if I, or them, were crazy. It's a totally terrifying experience when you honestly wonder if perhaps you have lost your mind.

But it's also rewarding, because in the end I found the solution wasn't in trying to determine which side of crazy street I reside, but in not asking the question in the first place.

To see it yourself go to www.awake-one.com

Johnny Glanville is a Barrie writer and tennis instructor.

Breathing Circle

2010-06-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

A basic description of this profound, yet simple practice: Pranayama, or Conscious breathing is an ancient form of meditation utilizing a simple, but profoundly effective three part breath. Within minutes you will feel your energy begin to move throughout your body. Some people describe this sensation as a vibrating electricity.

In this awakened state, many are able to release fears & inhibitions and re-connect with their Divine Birthright of Spirit Many people experience intense joy and an awakening in their hearts, as well as relief from emotional anguish that may have been trapped in their body for years.

Led by: John Rozenberg
Founder of Living In Balance; John Rozenberg is an intuitive healer who provides private and group healing sessions, life coaching, and mentoring in the practical application of the Universal Law of Attraction, new paradigm business, and conscious life creation. John also leads workshops and retreats covering subjects ranging from cleansing and healing, to prosperity consciousness and sustainable living. John’s life’s work is to empower people to define, create, and live the life of their dreams

www.livinginbalance.net
Contact John at: 323 363-5761

Teaching

2010-06-02T08:51:00.000-07:00

I am amazed at the grand power that a teacher holds for his students, for the space in which he teaches, and for the teachings. I've been taking yoga courses for 20 years, and I took the very first class taught by a brand new teacher, our front desk guru, Scott Ishihara. Even if I don't think I have what it takes to do something powerful, such as argue in front of a judge or teach a giant classroom, when given the seat of the teacher, I rise to the occasion and somehow let spirit take us all on the ride through class. I believe Scott did some of that, catching the wave of spirit, rising to the occasion, and giving us all what we needed. I haven't done an official yoga class in awhile, and yet with his energy, his voice, and his intention, I went right along with him on that road. Totally awesome.

-barbie

the rebirth of progressive enlightenment

2010-05-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

(via www.progressiveenlightenment.com)

If you look at the date of the first post on this blog, you’ll see that it was over a year ago with only a few posts thereafter. My close associate Riley and I really began waking up in the Winter of 2009 after I returned from studying abroad in Spain. Upon my return I found myself in an odd place; somewhere in between the detached reality of my experience in Barcelona and the old routines and patterns of my role as a UCLA student. Coming back was like trying to fit into an old pair of clothes after a growth spurt: the pants hadn’t changed, but they no longer fit comfortably. My new perspective forced me to look at my old role in a new way and reevaluate everything that I was doing before. I soon realized that I was going to have to go shopping because no matter how hard I tried and how much time I spent, those old clothes were no longer fitting.

Riley found himself in a similar place as he began doing more research for his senior thesis focusing on China’s growing role as an economic powerhouse. I remember specifically an article that Riley sent me on February 9th written by Noam Chomsky in 1993. “What Uncle Sam Really Wants” (http://ats_krew.tripod.com/whatunclesamreallywants.pdf) summarizes many of the exploits of America’s aggressive, imperialistic foreign policy over the years. After reading and discussing this article, things really started to click for us. We started to see more and more interconnectedness between things like pop culture, imperialism, consumerism, politics, capitalism, advertising, wars on terrorism, etc. We began to academically label it all as “bullshit.” The more we talked, thought and discovered, the more angry and disconcerted we became with the “machine”. We eventually came to the conclusion that we had to fight this bullshit somehow, and that’s how Progressive Enlightenment was born. Progressive Enlightenment is the name that Riley and I gave to our vow to start within ourselves a positive, informative counter movement to all the bullshit working to keep the masses controlled and asleep. The blog page served a physical representation of our overall efforts of resistance, and was planned as a platform for disseminating pertinent information and ideas. While we did not work on the blog as much as we worked on ourselves, it stayed waiting until the appropriate time for its use.

The inspiration to really get going with the blog came to me about a year after initially creating the page. A lot has changed since that Winter of ‘09 — Riley and I have since emerged from hibernation. Since graduating, Riley has been in China all year teaching English to little kids, perfecting his Mandarin and expanding his perspective daily. I escaped to Rome for two months in the summer and was able to clear my head of the typical “what’s your plan after college” bullshit. I was going to teach English in Spain after summer, but decided to move back to LA to pursue musical endeavors. Meanwhile, I needed to find a job to start paying bills, and after about a month of searching with no leads, I decided to send in a cover letter for a job managing the front desk at a yoga studio that I had seen on UCLA’s career center website. I had never done yoga, nor did I consider myself spiritual in any way, but I figured my experience working at UCLA’s gym along with an open mind was good enough. They really liked the cover letter I wrote about my travels and my resulting expanded perspective on life and I was in for an interview and starting my first day within a week of sending in my resume… I never expected my life to start shifting as dramatically as it did after I started working at the Hub.

I feel like before starting at the Hub, I was cruising along a bumpy dirt road with only a vague idea of where I was headed. But once I started the spiritual practices that are now a part of my daily life, it was like merging onto a paved superhighway of self-discovery. Track 6 from the Beatles’ Sgt Pepper album comes to mind as it was as if “something inside, that was always denied, for so many years” was beginning to emerge. It seemed as though after embodying the role of a “student” in the traditional academic system for 16 or 17 years, my REAL education was finally beginning. I’m now almost 7 months into my studies and am inspired to finally begin writing, sharing and expressing about my experiences and everything that I have been going through.

The intention for the blog is the same now as it was back when it started on February 20, 2009, which is coincidentally (and I use that term loosely and ironically) the same exact date that my boss Lauri opened the studio I now call home. The overarching intention is to make progress toward enlightenment. The main difference I see is that before we were angry about all the bullshit and wanted to fight back, and now I feel I have shifted outside of the bullshitters’ batting box. I’ve learned that engaging with bullshit only creates more unconsciousness. Rather than trying to play the “game” and “fix” problems, I embrace a more Gandhi like approach… “be the change you wish to see in the world.” For me the blog is a way to track my own experiences and ideas that I feel add to the overall progress of what Eckhart Tolle calls “the flowering of human consciousness.” Making a concerted effort at documenting my own progress within this bigger picture will force me to be more aware in my daily life, which will help me along my own journey. I am forced to step into Presence whenever I am writing or thinking about what to post. Any practice that allows one to step into Presence is invaluable. My hope is that I will help others to realize their own potential to wake up and contribute to the evolution of human consciousness by following their own Truth. Even just a glimpse of Truth is enough to spark the awakening process, which once initiated can never be undone.

One last note I would like to make surrounds the idea that we are by nature already Enlightened beings. I truly believe this, and I just want to make the point that Progressive Enlightenment is rooted entirely in making progress toward remembering or realizing the Truth that is already within each of us. One way I like to look at this “path” or “journey” toward Enlightenment is by comparing it to taking a hypothetical “journey” or “trip” around the world by walking in one direction (considering you can walk on water of course). You would probably meet some cool people along the way, see some amazing things and discover a lot about who you really are, but ultimately you would come full circle and end up in the exact same place that you began… you would still BE exactly the same as when you left, exactly the same as you’ve always been and exactly the same as you’ll always BE. The only thing that really changes through all this is your perception and consciousness.

I envision this blog as a Lighthouse, shining out into the dark, stormy night, serving only as a temporary guide until the Sun rises again, filling the world with its warm bright Light.

-scott

2010-05-25T18:15:00.000-07:00

Hello Hubbies, My friend is managing an amazing band that I know you'll love. I hope you'll check them out. And, LET ME KNOW HOW THE MUSIC MOVES YOU (OR NOT). Hahahah.
Tipped by Kings of Leon's Matthew Followill as the new band to watch in NME's 2010 New Music issue (a sentiment echoed by Matt Costa on jambands.com), The Romany Rye is touring in support of its debut album, 'Highway 1, Looking Back Carefully', an intimate collection of songs penned by former Colour guitarist Luke MacMaster. The singer-songwriter produced and recorded the album along with Delta Spirit's Kelly Winwrich and the two were joined in the studio by a group of friends that included Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes), David Quon (We Barbarians) and Blake Mills. Shortly after completing the album, MacMaster put together the band now known as The Romany Rye, inviting Judson Spillyards, Joshua Spillyards and Ryan Hitt from Christopher Denny's former backing band, The Natives, to join him.

"If love is a language, I will cut out my tongue/no use for singing songs already been sung," sings MacMaster on the soulful album opener, "Brother." Gentle and melodic to the ear, a closer listen to "Dear Holly" shatters any peaceful, easy feeling as the narrator describes himself as "a ghost town with seven empty lakes." "Marquee," a tale of striving for fame in a city where "every diamond in the sidewalk is fighting for its time to shine," unfolds over a lazy banjo line. It's juxtapositions like these that brighten this journey through a dark night of the soul.

-barbie

Tour Dates:

05/30 - Little Rock, AR - Riverfest

Tour Dates (w/ Delta Spirit):

06/07 - Costa Mesa, CA - Detroit Bar
06/08 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up
06/09 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent
06/10 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir
06/11 - Seattle, WA - Neumo's
06/12 - Vancouver, BC - The Venue
06/14 - Boise, ID - Neurolux
06/15 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Urban Lounge
06/16 - Boulder, CO - The Blue Theatre
06/17 - Omaha, NE - Waiting Room
06/18 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theatre
06/19 - Chicago, IL - Metro
06/21 - St. Louis, MO - Firebird
06/22 - Indianapolis, IN - Radio Room
06/23 - Columbus, OH - The Basement
06/24 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
06/25 - Pontiac, MI - The Pike Room
06/28 - Boston, MA - Middle East Downstairs
06/30 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
07/01 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
07/02 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
07/03 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
07/05 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
07/06 - Charleston, SC - Pour House
07/07 - St. Augustine, FL - Café 11
07/08 - Orlando, FL - The Social
07/09 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
07/10 - Birmingham, AL - Bottletree
07/11 - Hattiesburg, MS - Thirsty Hippo
07/13 - Little Rock, AR - Juanita's
07/14 - Tulsa, OK - Cain'e
07/15 - Dallas, TX - Lola's
07/16 - Houston, TX - Mango's
07/17 - Austin, TX - Emo's
07/20 - Santa Fe, NM - Santa Fe Brewing Company
07/21 - Tucson, AZ - Plush
07/23 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
07/24 - Santa Barbara, CA - Velvet Jones

2010-05-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

Today I feel lighter. More connected. More sure of what’s to come. There may be judgment around accepting that we will never know or be sure of anything in this life and that there is solace in that knowledge but after completing the Relationship Course with author and Shamanic Practitioner John English on Saturday at the Hub in Los Angeles, I have truly released that pattern.

The work that was done using me as an example was deep and profound. Like shinning a light on some old toys in a closet full of cobwebs that had been long tucked away over the course of my life.

He’s witty but direct, he is laser focused yet gentle. And, as he speaks I can feel my body changing. Loosing up, my heart swelling and the freedom I once had as a child returning into my experience. No longer am I locked in the need to seek approval from others as it is unveiled in my recapitulation with John that the pattern that I had been using since I was just a boy gave me tremendous power for my vast achievements in the past.
It has never become clearer to me that what might be conceived as failure by another is truly the way I had patterned my behaviors to give me enough inertia to achieve high goals but that those same goals could be achieved with out needing approval or the crash and burn experience to move to the next level. It’s all happening now and I love the process and myself. Medicine Wheel in LA this weekend. Time to get free!

-Mike

Ecstatic Breathwork

2010-05-18T22:14:00.000-07:00

Scott Schwenk

With the release of my mentor and friend David Elliott’s second book Healing, a tidal wave of expansion is afoot among everyone embracing the work. Why is that? Self-Love. I’ve lost count of the number of people I’ve bumped into from my past in recent weeks asking me if I’m in love, what’s different about me, and if I’ve changed my hair (I’ve been using the same settings on my electric clippers for a few years, lol!). The difference is an awakening, a deepening, and a ripening of Self-Love. I walk around practicing the “feeling” of being in-love without an object or person to be in-love with. It’s a feeling I’m cultivating and working with inside myself, in my heart. There’s no end to the causeless joy I taste in this practice. It excavates places within me that have not discovered this self-love, places of insecurity and self-doubt. Through this “in-love” practice, I’m able to fill the empty crevices with lasting nutrients from my own heart. I’m not dependent on anything outside of me for this fuel, and it’s catalyzing everything great in my life into a wave of expansion that only appears to have an exponential future of growth.

This week, I’ll be leading two healing workshops with ECSTATIC BREATHWORK, one at The Hub in West LA on Friday night, and one late Sunday afternoon at Liberation Yoga on La Brea. You’ll know if it’s time to for you. Just take a moment to pause, slow down, take a couple of breaths, and humbly ask your intuition to come forward. Ask your intuition, “Should I do this?”. If you get goosebumps, that’s your Spirit running through your nervous system...it’s encouraging you, it’s cheerleading you with a palpable YES!

Friday, May 21st ~ 8pm-9:30pm ~ The Hub

Freedom and Fluidity with Sexual Energy

Compulsion or Choice? The freedom and fluidity of choosing where to put your energy begins with a strong, rooted foundation. That foundation can be felt and experienced when you have anchors of support you consciously feel, recognize, and trust…anchors that are rooted solely from within, and then mirrored in all of your relationships.

Sunday, May 23rd ~ 4:30pm-6pm ~ Liberation Yoga (Hancock Park/Weho)

Stillness

Stillness brings the gift of awake attention to the Truth of any given moment. Stillness can be cultivated and deepened exponentially. Stillness is a profound expression of self-love. Where could you benefit from the deeply healing elixir of stillness? Where in your body, emotions, mind, and spirit could this stillness bring the kind of nectar that cracked, arid land releases on the first longed-for rainfall?

These ECSTATIC BREATHWORKSHOPS are nothing less than a journey deeper into the experience and expression of who and what you are, a journey into the Heart of Freedom within. Through a simple and powerful breathing meditation, you gain and deepen the tools for seeing past your former limitations, gain muscle for being your own best ally, teacher, and healer, and deeply taste a place free of insecurity, full of self-love.

LOVE,
SCOTT
http://trustthebreath.com
http://scottschwenk.blogspot.com
http://huffingtonpost.com/scott-schwenk

Sacred Breathing Circle

2010-05-18T22:06:00.001-07:00

This pranayama, or onscious breathing, is an ancient form of meditation utilizing a simple, but profoundly effective three part breath. Within minutes you will feel your energy begin to move throughout your body. Some people describe this sensation as a vibrating electricity. In this awakened state, many are able to release fears & inhibitions and Divine Birthright of Spirit. Many people experience intense joy and an awakening in their hearts, as well as relief from emotional anguish that may have been trapped in their body for years.

This Month’s Topic: What Are You Thinking?

Our thoughts create our reality. When we change our thoughts, we
change our reality. What reality are your thoughts creating?

We start with an exploration into this powerful topic, then transition to
the breath work which opens the door to healing and transformation
on a deep level allowing you to identify and release mental, emo-
tional and physical blocks.

Led by: John Rozenberg

Founder of Living In Balance; John Rozenberg is an intuitive healer who provides private and group healing sessions, life coaching, and mentoring in the practical application of the Universal Law of Attraction, new paradigm business, and conscious life creation. John also leads workshops and retreats covering subjects ranging from cleansing and healing, to prosperity consciousness and sustainable living. John’s life’s work is to empower people to define, create, and live the life of their dreams.

Anusara Yoga Level 2 Teacher Training

2010-05-18T21:33:00.001-07:00

21 teaching hours with Ross Rayburn

Tuesday - Friday, June 8-11
9am - 3 pm
$500

• Hone your observation skills
• Refine the artistry of your teaching
• Become masterful at sequencing your classes
• Theming: Learn to integrate meaningful languaging and Anusara’s Shiva-Shakti tantric philosophy into your postural instructions
• Learn and practice hands on adjustments
• Engage in contemplation & journal writing to make your alignment instructions more effective and potent

Best suited for Anusara-Inspired, Certified teachers, or any other teachers who are dedicated to advancing in the Anusara yoga method. PRE-REQUISITES: Strong working knowledge of the Universal Principles of Alignment, Immersion and Level 1 Teacher Training graduate.

Ross Rayburn is a Certified Anusara Yoga Teacher based in New York. He started teaching in 1999 and was certified by John Friend in 2003. Ross continues to learn from his teacher and to date has studied closely for over a decade with John. Formerly the owner of Yogainsideout, Ross now travels internationally teaching some of the most fun and inspiring yoga classes around. His classes are known for their clarity in the principles of Anusara woven into a challenging class that seeks to connect all levels of students to their highest potential. To read more about Ross go to: www.rossrayburn.com

Breathe in and breathe out

2010-05-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

Nita and I have danced together for almost 15 years. She is an incredible wisdom teacher, with clarity and body knowledge of the deepest kind.
Here is something I wrote after one of our classes together:
"When I danced, I was so in my body there was nothing but the sensations, particularly the pleasure. Then emotion welled up and I was weeping, it was so deep and profound and then there was nothing but my left hip and focusing on a spot on my left pelvic bone.

After the dance Nita commented that the amazing thing was how I came out of the dance, there was no drama, no holding on I simply acknowledged my sisters and backed away from the altar. She also mentioned that the emotion was more 'real'.
I commented that I thought what she was referring to was the lack of attachment to the emotion. It was not attached to anything, it simply came from my body, I felt myself more in my body. It was just my hip, nothing else, not to discount the miracle that my hip is. And then I got it. It was being able to live in that miracle simply and completely. That’s all…no drama or stories, hoopla, or dynamite, just life in all of it’s splendor and pain. Breathe in and breathe out…birth and death."

-Kamala

Tantric Dance of Feminine Power

2010-05-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

with Nita Rubio
Five Week Series
Tuesdays, 7-10pm

Upcoming Series:
June 15-July 13
July 27-Aug 24
Aug 31-Sept 28
Oct 12-Nov 9
Nov 16-Dec 14

The Tantric Dance of Feminine Power is movement modality which connects us to the subtle energies of the body. By cultivating deep surrender and sensitivity to the sensations and impulses always present within us we begin to follow these sensations back to their source. That source is Shakti, the tremoring, alive, wisdom movement of the cosmos. Shakti is both immanent and transcendent. By resting deeply in the subtle movement of Shakti we are able to dissolve deep habitual patterns held in body and mind. The movement is not codified, yet very specific guidelines are introduced to keep the experience internally referenced rather than outwardly defined. This is a powerful re-orientation for women today.

The Tantric Dance of Feminine Power also helps us explore our relationship to our own sexuality and life force. Releasing the patriarchal lens on our sexuality is a powerful experience and crucial for the transformation towards a life affirming planet. This is not done through sexual intimacy techniques in this tradition but through very deep communion and exploration in how this energy expands, circulates and expresses itself through the nadi's, pathways and central channel of our bodies. There are many layers of the Dance to explore including sound work, the female shamanic group, and opening the devotional heart. The specific mix of women and the energy present in class dictates the focus for each class.

5 week series 7-10 p.m. COST: $185 series fee Registration in advance for this class series is necessary and also ensures you to receive the orientation e-mail. For any questions or to register, please contact Nita at 310-560-6225 or embodyshakti@gmail.com

2010-05-05T21:33:00.001-07:00

I have been gifted a life that has supported study with many of the best yoga teachers in Southern California and I can’t help but be amazed by the amount of growth I experience when I take the risk of working with resistance. What we resist persists, so we may as well just lean into it when it comes up. That’s my new motto.

It’s obvious that time and experience lead to a better practice. I mean let’s say you study for 30 plus years… you will not only be exposed to a plethora of asana and alignment, but also to the philosophy of yoga and the physiology of the human body. I love Yogic philosophy; it’s changed my life. I’m still working with the body. And boy does it get worked.

That being said, if you are expanding your awareness through a history of linear time related experience, you will be much better off studying with a teacher who has been teaching and studying yoga for 30 years, than if you were spending your valuable time in a class lead by someone who has less than a decade of experience under their belt, or should I say, on their mat. I would never study martial arts with a novice teacher. Have you ever thought to ask how much experience your yoga teacher has?

To make another important point, if you are going to teach yoga but are not continuing your own studies with more seasoned, knowledgeable teachers, should you really be teaching? I’m not attaching attitude or some far out ideal to this topic but I am witness to many teachers with very little experience who are not involved in a continual education while attempting to teach this ancient healing art. This is telltale sign of how we’ve all become convenience junkies. We portray ourselves as connoisseurs of quality but when it comes to our own personal enlightenment we’re just fine with a number 3 super sized with a coke!

Many of these teachers are actually only certified in one practice by one teacher. How can you teach a vast complex science like yoga with such limited exposure? These folks are missing the whole point of the expansion of awareness and its continuous organic flowering. If you got hooked enough to teach, why stop now? Your growth has only just begun little sprout, you have yet to flower and bloom.

I guess if you are practicing yoga of some sort it is better than none. However it does remind me of an individual who graduates from high school and then postures themselves as the dean of a high level Ivy League university. Leaving behind all of the necessary preparation and schooling to really be what they are destined to be in its fullness and entirety. Do we really want to represent a practice that teaches growth and expansion while we lay dormant and stagnant in our own sadhana? Seems like a façade of self-importance to lead without also being active in practicing as the follower. If this piece rubs you the wrong way, it’s all you baby. If you spot it, you got it!

I’ll get to the point. We live in a region where yoga has blossomed and brought many of us into awareness and love beyond what simple words can describe. There are literally teachers on every corner who can lead you through vinyasa and then finish with a heartfelt and truly connected Namaste. But…are they growing in their own practices? Are they really qualified to even be teaching at all? Your life…your path, your decision.

If you were to travel to India, would you seek study with a student or would you go straight to the lotus feet of the master to bathe in divinity. In Los Angeles it’s a wash. There are very few master teachers, however there are some worth studying with if you are going to put your practice into actual practice. Don’t kid yourself. There is monumental difference emotionally, physically and energetically when your karma yoga practice is upgraded to the highest level possible. One question…why settle for less?

Chad Hamrin is one of the few, the elite and the well… not so proud. As a matter of fact he is quite humble, and very understated for a guy with just short of a half-century of yogic study and practice in his bio. When you enter his class you have no idea of his true expertise until after his subtle humor filled instruction starts to educate the sleeping places in your system like you have never felt before. He will not even move into teaching beyond downward dog in his weekend workshops until the students learn the right way to lubricate and prepare the system for the pose. A true master leaves no trace. You would never know had you not been told that Chad taught the founders of the first and arguably most successful yoga studio and teacher training course in the United States.

Studying with Chad is the real deal and after sharing space with him for a very brief time, I’ve learned that a three hour class that exposes the students to philosophy, and the proper way to get into and out of maybe just one pose, right down to acknowledging blood flow in the finger tips, is like 2 years of studying with a teacher who does no continuing education or work on themselves. I also see Chad out studying with teachers like Doug Keller when they come to town as Chad’s practice and expanding awareness is always on the rise not only for himself but also for those who commit to coming to his classes. He is completely committed to his students and the evolution of universal consciousness and the proof is in the pudding. I love pudding.

This is not advanced yoga. Anyone and everyone, “especially active yoga teachers” should be studying with Chad or someone close by who really has the experience to be leading a yoga class. Again if you get it…get it for real. Put down the weed and stop dicking around. The snooze button on your alarm clock is busted and it’s time to get out of bed.

After all, yoga or “integrated union with ones self” is a complete, sometimes seemingly complex system combining Yani “Mind”, Karma “Body” and Bhakti “Devotional” practices which provide and guarantee a blue print for liberation and well being “Moksha”. I’ll have some of what they are having.

I don’t want to risk getting the wrong advice or instruction when it comes to a refined science like yoga. It can cause damage to the central nervous system, injury and can in some cases, even be a waste of time. I’m not going to give specific class times to study with Chad. When the student is ready the teacher will appear. Check out Yoga Works, the Hub and Google.

In the movie “Enlighten Up”, B.K.S Iyengar has this moment where he is asked something to the effect of why yoga is important and he bursts out filled with passion saying humans are innately flawed. That we must practice discipline and follow a path that leads to health and well-being or we are doomed if left to our own devices. I think he might be on to something there…anyone else?
Bueller?...

In Service

Swatantrya Certification

2010-05-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

Setting a Standard
By Doug Keller

I have long been asked about creating a program for training in yoga therapy — and for yoga in general. I’ve delayed moving forward with this because I wanted to have a ﬁrm foundation for study in place — and because I didn’t want to set forth yet one more training for yet another ‘style’ of yoga. There are plenty of popular ‘styles’ out there, and they have their role to play in the growth of yoga. I’m interested in substance.

I’m well aware that teachers, after making a great investment in training, want to have something at the end of the process that acknowledges their effort and accomplishment. Thus far I’ve been immediately useful and enlightening for yoga teachers and enthusiasts who want to go deeper into the art of their teaching and practice, and I’ve tried to present it in a way that can be incorporated into any style or method of teaching and practice. My intention is to continue along those lines, yet it is time to take a step forward in providing what serves teachers best.

In this newsletter I want to set forth my own intention so that, with input from everyone who is interested, we can all move forward together.

I’ve been considering initiating a program under the name of the ‘Swatantrya School of Yoga‘ — and my choice of words is quite speciﬁc.

What I want to establish is not a ‘style’ but a school. Typically yoga styles are organized around and deﬁned by the ways of a founding teacher who sets the tone and methods that are expected to be followed by all who want to be part of that style. Certiﬁcation in a style of yoga has typically been run according to rules that resemble the requirements for participation in business franchises, and these methods have been very successful in expanding the growth of teaching yoga as a business. It has not always served the growth of knowledge or shared wisdom.

A school or university is not centered around the tastes or methods of a single teacher. The very process of learning invites and encourages many perspectives, and in the end is meant to produce independent, self-directed individuals who are prepared to make a unique contribution to their ﬁeld of learning and to society.

‘Swatantrya’ is a Sanskrit word most easily translated as ‘independent freedom,’ though its subtle nuances are rich and varied. The roots of the word suggest one’s own (‘Swa’) expansion (‘tan’), while recognizing the relatedness (‘tantram’) of all knowledge and of all things. The true, ultimate ‘Kula’ is the whole, and its health depends upon the uninhibited growth of the individuals of which the living tapestry of the whole is made. Learning is the food for inner growth, and while outer examples of excellence are helpful and even necessary, ultimately the teachings of yoga urge that we turn within for guidance, allowing wisdom to unfold from within.

What I would like to establish is a foundation for a community of independent yogis who are like-minded simply in their love and respect for yoga, and who come together to deepen their understanding and practice with open minds and hearts, free to practice and to teach yoga according to their own nature.

It is a path of learning in which each member is evaluated in his or her progress according to his or her understanding of the ﬁeld of knowledge at hand (anatomy, philosophy, etc.), rather than by his or her style of presentation or adherence to any particular kind of script, languaging, or mandated thematic elements. A teacher is of course free to follow these as guides for effective teaching; it’s just that in this case the teacher is not to be evaluated according to his or her skill at presenting along these prescribed lines. (Such standards of evaluation simply leave budding teachers at the mercy of their evaluator’s subjective tastes, and injects an enormous amount of politics into the process). The teacher is simply expected to know what he or she is talking about, and is able to back it up with more than just someone else’s opinion.

What I would like to start with is a solid program for therapeutics — and for training in the teaching of asana and pranayama in general. It would of course in the beginning be based upon the work I’ve established in my writings, as well as upon suggested reading that can be brought into the process.

And beyond that, I would want to give ‘credit’ for study done with other teachers, since they too have something valuable to offer. Credit would not simply be given for ‘hours’ spent in a teacher’s workshop; rather, you would write a short (1-2 page) essay detailing exactly what you learned from the workshop, and if possible, how you have come to be able to apply that knowledge. In other words, credit is not given just for the hours you sat in the room with the teacher, but for demonstrating what you learned.

I would hope that the best teachers out there would want to come to associate themselves with or participate in this process, so that a robust and varied curriculum would grow in a genuine community of yogis. In the meantime students would receive credit for their learning toward certiﬁcation even if the teachers with whom they studied show no interest in participating. This allows the students their own freedom to explore and to expand, and would enrich the sangham as a whole.

Moreover, you can be assured of a number of things after certiﬁcation. There would be no arbitrary ‘reevaluation’ of your certiﬁcation or ‘recertiﬁcation process’ in the future, no monitoring of your methods of teaching by others who evaluate how well you ‘represent’ a prescribed style of teaching, and no possibility of having your certiﬁcation ‘revoked’ (or of being encouraged to relinquish your certiﬁcation), any more than Harvard calls back its graduates to take back their diploma. Your accomplishment is your own, and cannot be taken from you. And while continuing your participation after certiﬁcation is welcomed and encouraged, it’s certainly not required to maintain your status. This is neither a teaching license nor a business franchise attached to legal rights to use a name, but rather an acknowledgement that you have achieved a level of learning in your ﬁeld.

The difference between a basic and an ‘advanced’ certiﬁcation would be this: in universities, an advanced or ‘graduate’ degree is given when you make a unique contribution (usually through a thesis) that advances learning in your ﬁeld. Your ‘thesis‘ — in whatever form it may take — would represent an advance in knowledge in the ﬁeld of yoga: something that is your own individual contribution by which the sangham is advanced and enriched as a whole. In addition to having it recognized for advanced certiﬁcation, you might also present it to the yoga community in a form of your choosing, such as a published work in a journal of yoga therapy, or as a published book or manual. The rights over your work remain your own.

Part of your participation in the Swatantrya school would be your inclusion in an online registry right from the start (unless you decline), where your work could be made available for viewing or download (with your permission). (Alternately, you could have samples of your work with links to ways of purchasing it through your own web site.) It would in essence serve as your online resume as a teacher.

Symposiums with coordinated presentations by a variety of teachers for a rich learning experience and for credit would likely be a part of this future, both in the US and through my friends in Europe, hopefully coalescing into an international standard for learning which both transcends and yet can include a variety of styles of yoga.

Obviously there is a wealth of practical details to be worked out in realizing this vision. The most signiﬁcant challenge lies in the ongoing issue of state laws, fees and regulations for yoga training (in particular as ‘vocational’), which differs from state to state. However I present this program, it would of course have to take these laws into account.

While the details still roam about in my head and generally hijack my meditations, I’m presenting at least the outlines of my intentions to you, and if you support it, I welcome your input, suggestions, and any offers to help make it a reality!

Yours,
Doug Keller
www.DoYoga.com

2010-04-27T14:45:00.001-07:00

Can anybody give me some good ideas on strengthening transverse abdominus?

Your Relationships A Pathway To Personal Power

2010-04-26T21:19:00.001-07:00

1-day workshop with John English

Saturday, May 15
10am - 5pm
$100

Have you ever wondered why there is so much joy in some relationships and angst in others? Have you longed to be in your power and have your relationships work at the same time?

Join John English for an experiential workshop based on his newest book, The Little Book on Relationship. During this workshop John will share his knowledge and experience on how to access universal power in all your relationships!

• Obtain relief from the pressure inherent in getting to know your Self.
• Learn to use all your relationships to empower your life.
• Explore and balance the sacred masculine and feminine.
• Experience using the power of creation in your daily life.

John English is the award-winning author of The Shift and the The Little Book on Relationship the first in The Little Book series. He is the founder and chairman of DreamTime, LLC, whose mission is to assist others in making a positive shift in their lives and live in the power of their Spirit. John is an international speaker, shamanic healer, and a successful entrepreneur. He teaches and writes about a variety of holistic subjects: meditation, energy healing, shamanism, and the medicine wheel.

Call today to pre-register: 480-473-8957 or workshop@mydreamtimellc.com www.mydreamtimellc.com • www.NoSpiritLeftBehind.com

AcroYoga Acrobatics

2010-04-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

Helping Hands: Art of Spotting
all Levels workshop with Tobias Frank and Jaqui Wan

Saturday, May 1
2 - 5 p.m.
$45, earlybird price of $40 by 4/29

"Spotting" is the art of being alert and be supportive when needed to others so that they can truly reach their potential. Inversions turn our world upside down and bring out our inner child. In this workshop we will teach you to "spot" building the foundation for acrobatic balancing and develop greater levels of confidence in an environment of safety. Expect to play upside down and we will also explore easy partner acrobatics and flying moves. Experience or a partner are not necessary.

Flying On The Wings of Grace
intermediate level with Tobias Frank and Jaqui Wan

Sunday, May 2
10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
$75, earlybird special of $65 by 4/29

We all have the potential to be acrobats and achieve superhuman skills that appear to be impossible. Learn how to tap into that power by using acrobatic training methods and working with the power lines , soon you will be doing things you thought not possible! In the morning we will focus on acrobatic conditioning techniques to build on strength and alignment. In the afternoon will bring these elements together into sequences encouraging you to be creative and flow with abundant grace. Prerequisites: to have a handstand practice against the wall and or a free-balancing headstand.

*Special rate of $100 for both workshops if registered by April 29.

Open Hearted PR & Marketing

2010-04-14T10:46:00.000-07:00

with Hillary Rubin

POSTPONED FOR A FUTURE DATE

If you’re a yoga teacher or holistic practitioner with a big vision and a burning desire to make a huge impact in the world with your message, gifts and talents, yet you struggle to actually get yourself out there because:

1. You don’t know where to start?
2. You think promoting yourself is tacky?
3. You are overwhelmed by the idea of doing business and feel it takes away from your service?

Then this practical, Open Hearted PR & Marketing one-day intensive will give you the clarity and easy step-by-step process you’ve been seeking to “up-level” your impact in the world.

We’ll get you started and cover the how-to of CONSCIOUS pr, marketing & networking mindsets, strategies, and tools you need to get clear on your message, expand your business AND increase your income in as little as 90 days.

Get ready to turn your passion for healing, helping others and serving the world into “the news” that uplifts humanity. Please bring in any marketing materials you have including flyers, business cards, postcards and products you have.

“If you seek to reach others through your work, learn from Hillary. She understands her role as a teacher and guide successfully sharing her message with clarity and grace – and will help you do the same.” Elena Brower, Founder/Co-owner Vira Yoga

Hillary Rubin, Conscious PR & Marketing Strategist, worked as a PR/Marketing Executive at Prada, overcame a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis using yoga, is a certified Anusara™ teacher who produced of her own top DVD - Yoga Foundations and has been featured by Fit TV, Yoga Journal, American Fitness, Conscious Choice Magazine and is on the March Cover of LA Yoga Magazine.

The Winds of Change

2010-04-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

by John English

To change oneself is to flow with the force of life itself. When we resist change we place ourselves at odds with this constant of life. The question becomes how do we embrace change in our own lives and then inspire others to do so as well? This is especially poignant at a time when many of us see and feel that we need to change our collective course for the good of the planet.

First we must see the need to change. In many traditions a life-altering change is referred to as the knock of the Spirit. Usually it’s a crisis large enough to make us want to change. Most spiritual traditions have different maps for working with change.

In the Medicine Way we learn to embrace change as a constant in life and work with it as soon as it shows up. This is a beautiful way to live and it eliminates a lot of suffering. One way the conscious person works with change is to realize that it leads to transformation always. If we remember this, then we can stay out of fear when change appears. It is very difficult to work with a force in life like change when our thoughts and actions are held captive by fear. Change requires growth, and growth requires moving outside our past and programming. Fear keeps us in the past and into programs on how to avoid pain. If we remember that change always leads to transformation, then we are conscious. When we are conscious we remember we are not who we think we are. Next we remember that our current set of circumstances is not what it appears to be! We are then ready to stop and contemplate how we brought on this force of change in our lives. We are ready to flow with it instead of resisting it. In the Medicine Way we use the four directions to work with this force called change and most everything else in life.

The four directions of the Medicine Wheel are forces in life and they are very effective for working with it. Each direction also corresponds with MEST (Matter, Energy, Space and Time). When change shows up we stop, recognize it, and go to the East direction to receive clarity. We can’t begin any journey worth taking without clarity and another property of the East: vision. The East is also the direction of Time and we need time to work all this out.

Then we go to the West, the direction of Space, Feeling and the Heart. This change in our lives is going to require us to expand our Space. Whatever this change is, it’s going to take up some space when it becomes our physical reality. In the West we can use feeling produced by our intuition and take Heart while working with change. We are then ready to move back and forth on the line from East to West to get as much clarity and heart on the change taking place and to create the time and space for it.

Once we are finished with the East/West line we move South to receive the energy and power to participate consciously with the change in our lives. This brings the warmth of the South winds, which center and calm us before we move North.

Now it is time to move North and anchor the change in Matter, the physical. This brings a new strength to our lives. Strength is the reward for working consciously with our lives and the forces that guide us all.

Most of us have realized at one point or another in our lives that we can only change ourselves. We do, however, often underestimate our abilities to impact others and our world. When we work with the force of change consciously in our lives, and remember who we are, we inspire others to ignite this force in themselves. When we heal ourselves we heal our world.

Healer Training Level 3

2010-04-12T19:15:00.000-07:00

with David Elliot

Saturday & Sunday, April 24-25
9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
$475

This class focuses on group energy. It teaches you how to interpret and work with the energy of groups, which allows you to stay clear leading, and participating in groups. I will show you how to trust your intuition - before, during, and after the group experience. A lot goes on in groups!

They can be overwhelming for most of you, especially since most of you are sensitive empathics - you feel everything! Within this intensity of groups there is also a wonderful opportunity to be empowered, to grow and strengthen your intuition. You just have to know how to navigate the experience. If you find yourself in groups this class will be great for you. I love teaching it, and we always have a great time playing as we learn! The focus has wide application, way beyond the idea of healing work.

To register http://www.thereluctanthealer.com/events

Doing Things Differently: Expressing The Goddess Within

2010-04-12T19:08:00.000-07:00

A women's workshop with Katrina Rivers

Saturday, April 17
2 - 6 p.n.
$75

Who are you as spirit? What is your particular expression? How does your spirit want to move and articulate through you? Are there times you censor yourself or second guess? Do you edit who you are depending on who you are around? Are you ready to know and trust all of you no matter what?

In this workshop we will be shining some light on the fetters that keep your spirit at bay. The active pranayama breath is a powerful tool to cleanse and revitalize the energy centers, bringing you to a place where you can go deeper into all you are as essence. Come ready to EXPRESS! and shift out of the places where you are not fully You. Rediscover and anchor the place that you are.

Please bring something for the alter which you take home with you after; a pen and notebook; a water bottle (cause what’s good for the Mother is good for us too!); a bikini or swimsuit (you will see why) and some extra scarves and fun pieces you like to wear that don’t cover you all up! (a light snack will be provided) For more about Katrina and the work, please visit www.breatheintolove.com.

AcroYoga for Communication

2010-04-12T18:59:00.000-07:00

workshop with Lara Catone and Sarah Vosen

Saturday, April 17
2 - 5 p.m.
$45

Take your personal yoga practice into the rest of your life by tapping into and expressing the deepest truth that is unfolding inside of you.

Do you find yourself questioning your intuition? Have things come up for you that you are afraid to acknowledge or express? Do you find it easy to communicate in some situations and difficult in others? Do you feel that your mind gets carried away by unresolved thoughts and feelings? Would you like to have more fluidity in your relationships?

In this workshop we will use both self-reflective and interactive exe rcises to practice authentic and compassionate communication in a playful, supportive environment. We will explore ways of expressing through: *body language *voice *words *touch *eye contact *writing We will practice ways of expressing through: *listening and holding space *recognizing messages from the body and breath *lovingly acknowledging old patterns and creating new ones *giving and receiving feedback *cultivating vulnerability and strength *conscious thoughts and language

This is a workshop for EVERYONE and prior yoga experience is not required.

Lara Catone and Sarah Vosen have been co-teaching AcroYoga together for the past year; a practice that cultivates trust, communication and connection in their highest forms. Lara and Sarah have a shared passion for educating and empowering people through the pathways of self-healing and inner wisdom. They bring you this workshop to help you cultivate clear, concise and compassionate communication in all relationships. With Metta, unconditional loving kindness, as their vehicle they are creating a heart-centered community within which to share all of their tools. Lara is a birth doula and educator of childbirth and human sexuality, as well as a faciliator of vinyasa flow yoga. Sarah is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Massage therapist, practicing on the Westside. They honor their many teachers who have helped to open their hearts and inspired them to share their gifts with you. -- www.shaktiflowyoga.com www.illuminatedbirth.com Shakti Flow Yoga & Doula H e a l i n g A r t s

In-Depth Studies with Chad Hamrin

2010-04-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

Third Sunday of the month, 3:30-6:30 p.m.

Geared towards serious students with a desire to take their yoga practice to a deeper level, this three hour in-depth study of the yoga asanas lead by Chad Hamrin will help you fine-tune and deepen your understanding of the practice of yoga.

He begins each session by asking his students what challenges they face in their practice, where have they become bored and what would they like to cultivate as a result of coming together. He explains that we have all created unconscious habits in our poses, causing energy blocks or jams, and by moving more intuitively, feeling what’s taking place inside, and working deeper on the structural level of our bones, not our muscles and joints, you are able to bring more precision, balance, alignment and freedom into your practicyou are able to bring more precision, balance, alignment and freedom into your practice. Seeing beyond the physical level, beyond on the surface of the skin, and into the core root of the body, Hamrin is a skilled magician and to experience his mastery is not only to take your practice to the next level physically, but energetically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually beyond current limitations, making significant breakthroughs possible.

If you are seeking more expansion on all levels of being from your yoga practice, this three hour class is unlike any workshop you have experienced and comes highly recommended by serious practitioners and teachers. Coming together on the third Sunday of each month, naturally into a deep this is a unique experience to truly study with one of the greatest teachers available to us at this time.

An Evening of Awakening

2010-04-06T15:53:00.001-07:00

Tantra Puja Ritual with Charu Morgan

Saturday
7-11 p.m.
Cost: $75, $60 early bird rate

We are all so lonely, isolated from a genuine connection to ourselves, our families, our lovers, and our world. We find ourselves thirsty on a deep level for something real, something that can remind us of the brilliance of being alive. Many of us search for it in books, modern gurus, various spiritual teachings... few of us experience what we know is possible. We leave our Yoga classes with our bodies open and vibrant, but barely say a word to the person who was on the mat beside us. We awaken in seminars or sermons where visions and possibilities are alighted before us with words, and still we are lost when it comes to fulfilling relationships.

Experience a rare opportunity to say 'yes' to this voice within, to return to our natural state of reverence for all things. Allow yourself to be overcome with awe for all of life's expressions... a feeling akin to falling in love or feeling like a child again. From this space we overflow with reverence and express it by cherishing every moment, every breath, every interaction. Everyone in the room becomes a mirror of you, and suddenly 'namaste' is no longer just a word. It is an experience. The essence within you is honored by each man and woman, and it fuels your genuine acknowledgment of the essence of them.

This evening is informed by an ancient Tantra Puja Ritual. This ritual is a prayer. In Tantra, our prayer is recognizing the divine in every human being, our temple is the body. In this Puja ritual each man will have the opportunity to partner with each woman for a simple exercise or meditation. We will draw from the 112 Meditations from the Vighyan Bhirav Tantra which use breath, movement, sound, visualization, and simple partner exercises. This is an opportunity to explore reality, awaken to the present and be deeply nourished by life. The ritual is an offering, a shedding of our limiting beliefs... making way for a simple delight rarely experienced in our modern times.

Medicine Wheel in Santa Monica, CA.!

2010-04-05T17:16:00.000-07:00

Dreamtime Presents:

Medicine Wheel Journey of the South
May 20-23, 2010
Doubletree Guest Suites
Santa Monica Hotel
Santa Monica, CA

The Journey Of The South Begins For You Thursday May 20th at 1:30 p.m.

The Medicine Wheel program is a series of experiential Shamanic workshops based on ancient wisdom. It is a journey of your personal path to power in whatever you do in your life. The rites of passage from the shamanic tradition of the Q’ero indigenous people of Peru will be transmitted to you as they were transmitted to John from his teacher and from John to his assistants. With these rights you will begin to grow the shaman’s medicine body. These rites of passage will inform you how to walk the medicine way.

The South direction is the path of the serpent. To embark on a path of beauty and power you must shed your past and programming. This is the work of the South where you release your past energetically and mythically as the serpent sheds its skin. This is accomplished by working with three themes in your life that are keeping your energy stuck in the past. As these themes are healed your energy is brought into present time, empowering you to fulfill your life's purpose.

In the work of the South powerful techniques are presented on how to practice non-attachment, non-judgment, non-suffering and beauty. You will fully embody the lessons your life has taught you while no longer having to live with the pain and suffering they have produced.

In the South you also begin to assemble a Mesa, the Shaman’s altar, a collection of khuyas (pronounced Cooyahs) or medicine stones which will assist you with your transformation into your new medicine body.

No pre-requisite
Tuition: $450.00 (lodging and meals not included)
Date: May 20-23, 2010
Location: Doubletree Guest Suites, Santa Monica, CA
Start Time: Thursday check-in Noon; workshop 1:30pm
End Time: Sunday at Noon

“I have the deepest gratitude for the students who decide to embark on a new path and move into their power. This world needs it! It has been a great honor for me to share the work that has completely changed my life and the way I walk through it.” - John English

2010-03-17T09:14:00.001-07:00

Incidentally, as a follow up, it's 2 months later when I last blogged about dredging up my mom's hoarding. The GREAT news is that her apartment is rocking out! It looks and feels amazing. A red kitchen, a sleek white bathroom, purple carpeting, and beautiful furniture. Most of the stuff will never go back. All of the clothes fit her and look terrific on her. And, . . . . drumroll please, she's so healthy! My mom hasn't felt this great in years. Yay for her!

-barbie

2010-01-21T18:39:00.000-08:00

I'm cleaning out my mom's apartment. I think the word cleaning is actually not really the right word – it’s more like confronting, analyzing, discussing, emoting, chucking, saving, storing, boxing, bagging, moving, washing, scraping, gutting, acid washing, de-molding, and walking in nostalgia my mom’s apartment. My parent’s are divorced. Yet, my mother has hijacked my father’s apartment (with him still in it) since she got the swine flu in late summer of last year. Yes, that pesky little swine flu – which I she gave me and, apparently, I readily accepted. As a witness, a friend, a daughter, a good Samaritan, and a yogi, I realized that if there is an aspect of my life, my family, that affects me, I can choose to either detach from it or do something about. Back in December when I was making a collage as part of a breathwork workshop lead by Jenny Miller, I came across quotes from Mother Theresa that inspired me. One in particular was an answer to a question upon receiving her Nobel Peace Prize. Someone asked her what people can do to bring more peace on earth, and she replied, “Go home and love your family.” It occurred to me that if anyone was going to get my mom out from under the rubble, it was going to be me. I had already extracted two sets of china from her apartment to use at Thanksgiving, so I thought knew what I was in for. On January 3rd, I dug in. Turns out, she actually has 10 full sets of china. Imagine finding that, one after the other, in cupboards, on the floor under the cupboards, under the bed, behind a couch. One by one, thing by thing, object by object, an entire universe hidden from plain site came into the foreground of my consciousness. And, the memories from my childhood started flooding in. According to my mother, each object has a history directly related to her life path. But, turns out, my memory and my penchant for nostalgia is very strong – who knew? My mom thought that some things were from her mother or perhaps were worn during the awards event for my dad or were bought in a store in London. I would correct her as the memory would swarm upon me, crystal clear, like a psychic vision. “No Mom,” I’d say. “It’s actually from Contempo Casuals in the 70s – it was mine.” On and on. The photo albums, incidentally, are numerous and bulging. Yesterday, I hit a milestone. I packed up the very last book, a black and white photo book for a coffee table of native American Indian artifacts. My partner in “cleanse,” Flavio, and I hauled everything off to storage. We expect that once she emotionally detaches from these objects and the dust literally settles and the mold hopefully stops multiplying, we can give it all away to someone who will attach a new memory perhaps to that Gilbert & Sullivan book of lyrics or the compilation of Tennessee Williams plays or the encyclopedia of operas. It all sounds so cool – but there comes a time when even the most fascinating stuff just has an air of dirt, germs, grime, and stuffiness. There’s actually a light at the end of the tunnel. I think she’ll have a move in date of 4 weeks. Her apartment will be hypoallergenic, handicap friendly, chic, beautiful, feminine, and hospitable for visitors. Whether she keeps it up or not is something I have to detach from, right? I mean, I can visit often enough and clean up. We can make deals that she won’t cramp it up again. But as part of this process, what am I really willing to let go of? Control of someone other than me? Control of anything in life? Maybe just the act of doing this, truly a blessing and medical necessity, is an act of love – enough in and of itself. Do I have to hold onto the act and remember what I did years from now? Or, can I truly practice detachment and literally just be in the moment? And, can I just love my mom pure and simple, without requiring anything of her? Who knows. --Barbie

An Evening of Awakening

2010-01-09T19:20:00.000-08:00

The New Year's Eve Evening of Awakening, Tantra Puja Ritual was a magical evening indeed. The Blue Moon was full and rare as were the people who joined us. Full of wonder, openness, and so much love.

There was a nice blend of 32 new and familiar faces this evening. Ages ranging from mid 20's to late 40's. A beautiful rainbow of ethnicities.

The evening began with one of the gentlemen gifting us with his singing brass bowls. What a sensory delight! He offered us each an intimate moment with the bowls as he walked around the room playing this sweet instrument as Charu guided us into a grounding exercise.

We then moved into some very interactive group work with a lot of verbal sharing, physical movement, and light touch. Charu was very mindful of incorporating exercises that would "shed the old and create space for bringing in the new". Expressing outloud the changes we want, embracing another like minded human being and dancing together as the clock struck midnight, felt very potent.

The evening was topped off with delicious Vegetarian treats, chocolate, champagne, and sparkling apple cider.

-Etirsa

2009-12-29T13:51:00.000-08:00

PRACTICE OF YOGA AND DEVELOPMENT OF SPIRITUAL QUOTIENT

Religion and Yoga reflect identical meaning. Religion (re-ligare) means union again with Ultimate Reality or binding back to Absolute. Yoga is the derivative of Sanskrit root ‘yuj’ which means yoking of power of body, mind and soul. Yoga primarily consists of concentration, meditation and realization apart from practicing asans, mudras and breath control which help to achieve concentration and physical and emotional well-being. Yoga is experimental technique of spiritualism. Religion is blend of ritual and spiritual. Rituals dominate religion these days. Whereas rituals are altogether not necessary for practicing yoga.

Yoga in India has been practiced since the dawn of the human civilization, according to Hindu mythology millions of year back.

In Bhagavad-Gita Lord SriKrishna says to Arjuna:

“I taught this immortal Yoga to Vivasvan (sun-god), Vivasvan conveyed it to Manu(his son), and Manu imparted it to (his son) Iksvaku. Thus transmitted to succession from father to son, Arjuna, this Yoga remained known to the Rajarisis (royal sages). It has however long since disappeared from this earth. The same ancient Yoga has this day been imparted to you by Me, because you are My devotee and friend, and also because this is a supreme secret”.

At this Arjuna said: You are of recent origin while the birth of Vivasvan dates back to remote antiquity. How, then, I am to believe that you taught this Yoga at the beginning of creation? Lord SriKrishna said: Arjuna, you and I have passed through many births. I remember them all, you do not remember.

Famous historian Romila Thapar has described in her book A History of India about the status of Yoga in 300-700 A.D. She writes: “Yoga (Application) which was based on the control of the body physically and implied that a perfect control over the body and the senses led to knowledge of the ultimate reality. A detailed anatomical knowledge of the human body was necessary to the advancement of yoga and therefore those practising yoga had to keep in touch with medical knowledge.”
As far as anatomical knowledge of human body is concerned it is very much required for the optimum result during practice of Yoga. Yoga system has very close connection with the human anatomy i.e. chakra or nerve centres distributed along the spinal column and in brain region.

Besides, connection chakras with the practice of Yoga, chakra has also great role in the development of personality. People do not realise that personalities can grow to include a balance of all the six chakras. Jung referred to this growth process as "individuation", and associated it with life's spiritual dimension. Danah Zohar evolves a model of spiritual quotient (sq) based on the six petals of a lotus and its centre, corresponding to the seven chakras described by the Hinduism's Kundalini Yoga, as an aid to the process of individuation in the mid-1990s. Contribution of Danah Zohar for coining the term spiritual quotient for the first time is immense. But she did not establish any mathematical relationship, which is very much required, for this quotient.

Deepak Chopra has given a formula of spiritual quotient in terms of Deed (D) and Ego (E). According to Deepak Chopra S.Q. =D/E. He (2006) writes: If Vedanta is right and there is only one reality, then all desires must follow the same mechanics, desires arise and are fulfilled in consciousness. Making yourself happy involves ..... I have a " Spiritual Quotient" where SQ = D/E. Where D = Deeds and E = Ego. Now you can ONLY have an SQ = infinity when E = 0. If E is little even then SQ is approaching infinity (or one is close to be a "Great Master") but not actually "Pure .This appears to be very fascinating but it is highly abstract which cannot be measured experimentally, accurately and precisely. However, this formula has immense value to understand S.Q.

I have also discovered a mathematical relationship for S.Q about eight years back in 2001. I have used physiological parameters which can be measured accurately and precisely and can be tested and verified experimentally. According to this formula S.Q. can be expressed as the ratio of parasympathetic dominance (P.D.) to sympathetic dominance (S.D.). Parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) are the two parts of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) which is largely under hypothalamic control. Hypothalamus is situated very close to the Sixth Chakra. During practice of meditation at Sixth Chakra these centres are galvanized which has very positive effect on practitioners spiritual, emotional, psychological and physical well being.

According to this relationship spiritual quotient can be written as:

S.Q. = P.D./S.D.
If the value of S.Q. comes >1 (greater than one), it can be assumed that the person is moving towards self-realisation and if the value of S.Q. comes <1 (smaller than one) it can be predicted that the person is living under stress.

There are various types of meditation available, which are being practiced by sages, saints, seers and others. The difference in various versions lies in the fact that these practices involve concentration to meditate at different centres known as Chakra in Yoga System. These chakras are, in fact, energy centres which correspond to nerve centres distributed along the spinal column and in brain region.

Some practitioners start to meditate at Basic/Root Chakra (Muladhara) – situated at the base of spine, some at Heart Chakra (Anahata Chakra), some at Ajna Chakra – Optic Chiasma – Master Chakra and some from even higher centres situated in the brain region. Among all these types of meditation, practice at sixth chakra is considered to be the most ideal which brings about optimum results.

Sixth Chakra is situated very close to hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is a portion of brain that contains a number of small nuclei with a variety of functions. One of the most important functions of the hypothalamus is to link nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary glands.

Autonomic nervous system (ANS) is largely under hypothalamic control. ANS consists of parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) and sympathetic nervous system (SNS). PSNS is activated during meditative calm and during stress SNS is activated. When PSNS is activated, heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure decreased. Supply of blood in the digestive tract increased. When SNS is activated heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure increased. Supply of blood to the muscles and exterior organs increased and to the digestive tract decreased. In addition to these, there are many other parameters which can be compared. Parasympathetic Dominance (P.D.) is the state of PSNS activation and Sympathetic Dominance (S.D.) is the state of SNS activation. Instruments are available in medical science to measure these parameters.
Now we can assign numerical value to each parameter. Then put the value in the formula for S.Q. and see the result. We can show the calculation as mentioned below:

S.Q.= P.D./S.D. = Σ X / Σ Y
Where X=x1+x2+x3+ …….
And Y=y1+y2+y3+…….
During PSNS activation (P.D.), we assign ‘1’ to each parameter (x1+x2+x3+…..) and ‘0’ to each parameter (y1+y2+y3+…..). During SNS activation (S.D.), we assign ‘1’ to each parameter (y1+y2+y3+…) and ‘0’ to each parameter (x1+x2+x3+….).

By putting the numerical value, thus achieved, in the above formula for S.Q. we can calculate the Spiritual Quotient of an individual.

Practice of Yoga and Development of Spiritual Quotient has been posted by Anirudh Kumar Satsangi

2009-12-22T23:13:00.001-08:00

Lee Konecke's Mindfulness Meditation class last Wednesday has been extremely helpful even after just one session. His simple and easy suggestions helped me to understand some of the common issues that had been popping up during my own previous efforts at meditation. This is not to say that after the class I was magically transformed and could meditate for hours. Rather, his explanations and tips have helped me to begin to understand the Mindfulness approach to meditation, which has helped me to continue to relax instead of becoming frustrated and judgmental when my mind starts to drift back to its inner dialogue. I have also found myself incorporating these same tips into my yoga practice, which has helped me in relaxing my mind during difficult and tiring poses rather than focusing on how hard they are! --Scott

2009-12-15T12:42:00.000-08:00

Barbie Baylis: Steve Stone is an orthopedic acupuncturist. I didn't even know such a profession existed. He totally released my low back pain and psoas. I am a licensed massage therapist myself, and I practice myofascial release. I have never had a feeling in my hip like this before - I feel so free. In fact, I feel myself unwinding as I write this. I cannot more highly recommend Steve Stone to everyone I know. I already made an appointment for my mom to see him about her horrible knee condition. In any case, The Hub will host Steve Stone to lead a workshop at The Hub soon, hopefully he can focus on getting rid of back pain and the importance of the transverse abdominus. I'm just feeling so good right now. Wow.

2009-12-08T12:01:00.000-08:00

I attended the performance of Savion Glover and two awesome tap dancers, Marshal Davis and Maurice Chestnut. As a group, the three dancers call themselves, and the show, Bare Soundz. They are sick, as in fantastically wonderful, unlike any other tap dancers I’ve seen before. They displayed ways of moving on their feet that just blew my mind. In yoga, often master teachers will refer to the “four corners” of the foot to help yogis find the foundation of their stances in various standing poses and inversions. They’ll say “Press down on the inside upper corner of your foot, through the ball of the foot and press down on the back outer heel.” But Savion and his two super star friends found about 50 sides to one foot. The inside front corner, the corner that’s about a millimeter next to that one, and on and on, ad infinitum. It helped me to realize how their bodies could find more room to move as they found more places around and under the feet to stand on, even for a millisecond. Never before could I appreciate that I can press on my standing foot in one place and kick my other foot up and stand in the air at the same time. I know it’s sounds crazy to read, but it was even more awe inspiring to watch. Yoga and Tap Dance – the next wave of workshops at your local studio!

2009-12-03T10:50:00.001-08:00

Barbie's Mixed Level class on Tuesdays and Thursdays has been perfect for me as a beginner with no former yoga experience. The small class size really allows for a lot of personal attention. My first class was a little intimidating since I had never done yoga before, but Barbie made sure I was comfortable, and that my body was correctly aligned in each pose. She moves at a pace that is slow enough for me to keep up, but fast enough for the other more experienced students to get their workout. This really helped me to learn and also alleviated my worry that I was impeding the progress of the class. By the end I was feeling much more relaxed and in tune with my body. Thanks Barbie!

2009-06-25T15:21:00.000-07:00

Ryan Brewer’s class was the one I finally found after trying dozens of teachers looking for someone authentic, challenging, and gentle. If you’re looking to explore new places physically and/or spiritually, you will be given the space and guidance to do so in Ryan’s class. Heart-centered, serious, funny, Ryan brings it. Seriously, try this class.

2009-06-24T19:44:00.000-07:00

After taking the Introduction to Tantric Dance of Feminine Power class with Nita Rubio last night, i realized what a truly wondeful place the Hub was to offer such a diverse set of classes. Nita was moving and inspirational. I highly recommend coming to this studio and learning about the different offerings it has...

Namaste

2009-06-24T11:42:00.000-07:00

Looking on the world wide web for a yoga studio, I wasn't looking for a place where I didn't have to wait in line or do my hair and make-up to go to class. I was looking for a place with some awesome teachers and people, when I came across the Hub. First two classes free! Yes, please.

I took my first class at the Hub with the awesome Meagan McCrary, and was inspired by her love for yoga, which was fabulous, but what made the experience a winner was that after class I found myself hanging out for an hour or so with a bunch of the Hub's teachers just chit chatting about yogic things and not-so-yogic things.

The teachers were accessible and I enjoy all of them. Each has a unique personality, a special focus, passion, and sense of humor. Being at the Hub is like being at Cheers without the cocktails ... you can take a break from all your worries (sure would help a lot), everybody knows your name, they're always glad you came, and our troubles are all the same ... I had found my new kula.

2009-06-13T23:11:00.000-07:00

Walter Spatny has such amazing energy. Everyone is walking out of his workshop ike they are floating on air. He is definitely someone not to be missed.

Facilitating Healing

2009-05-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of Sundays ago I spent four hours in a workshop lead by Scott Schwenk with a group of about fifteen people, all of whom came open, willing and ready for a shift. This was the fourth time I’ve worked with this specific breathing technique developed by healer David Elliot, and each time I’ve had incredible openings and revelations. Having been told since I was a child that I need to get a grip on my emotions, the freedom to just cry, cry as much and as hysterically out of control as I needed to, was an incredible blessing and I was able to release long stored emotions both energetically and even physically.

This past workshop in particular was overtly powerful as we asked ourselves personal questions: What lessons am I ready for the universe to be teaching me at this time? and How do I use my emotions to remain stuck in the past? We wrote down the answers as they arouse in our journals. We then discussed and moved through the layers of our existence – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual – facilitating the breathwork to help find additional answers, heal old tramas, and transform our experiences of the present.

Personally, my largest transformation took place during the “emotional” portion of the workshop, which wasn’t surprising since I live and interpret the present completely through my emotions. When we laid down to begin the breathwork I asked one question over and over again: What if I can accept the universes unconditional acceptance of me? For me, unconditional love is the hardest truth to accept. While breathing, with my body vibrating with energy, I began to cry as I realized why it was so hard for me to accept unconditional love – because it’s extremely hard for me to unconditionally love myself. My entire life I have striven for perfection, not believing I deserved love otherwise. As I allowed myself to cry and continued with the breath an incredible cleansing took place, it was almost as though I felt myself become whole again, and realized a few of the hidden reasons why I struggle so much with self love.

I’m not saying I was cured in one four-hour workshop, that I never use self-criticism, or that I have fallen totally, madly in love with myself, but I will. Because I will continue to do the breathwork, I will continue to uncover locked emotions and beliefs, ridding myself of the ones that no longer serve me and cultivating new, healthy positive thought patterns. And I’m sure, like everything else, once I’m able to let go of the need to be perfect, there will be other areas of my life that will need attention, but I’m in no rush. The breath will support me, I have healers I can turn to in times of despair, and since I am willing to feel uncomfortable I will continue to shift and grow.

There will be another four hour workshop with Scott this Sunday, 6/7 from 1 -5 pm, don't miss this amazing opportunity to shift!

More Than Just a Studio

2009-05-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

In the past two months the Hub has become so much more than just the place where I work (and yes teaching yoga is considered a job). It has become my community, my hang out – my place of refuge. Within the Hub I have found a supportive family of friends, teachers and healers, a group of people with whom I feel completely comfortable being myself, who respect my boundaries and appreciate my gifts. I am more than grateful to the Hub founder, Lauri Ashworth for manifesting such an amazing, sacred space, for her guidance that extends well beyond the duties of a studio owner, and for bringing together not only like-minded individuals, but also a group of compassionate, incredibly talented people who recognize the gift that is the Hub.

I’ll be keeping you guys updated on what’s going on at the Hub, as well as introducing the diverse styles of yoga and healing practices offered. Check back weekly for new blog posts, and stop by the studio, West LA’s urban sanctuary.

With gratitude,
Meagan