MahaMondo

Dany Sa' : Segunda Serie DVD

As mentioned in a prior post , here is an excerpt from Dany Sa's Segunda Serie Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga DVD which was shot in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil. She studies with Matthew Vollmer. I like how it is very serene , devoid of the buzz & chatter which sometimes characterize other yoga videos.

Bhajan : Jaya Radha Madhava

One of my favorite bhajans . It has been described as a " devotional love song ". Bhakti Yoga Ki Jay !

Eddie & Jocelyn Stern : Ashtanga & Devotion Workshop Rio de Janeiro

Matthew & Carla Vollmer of Rio's Astanga Spirit will be hosting Eddie & Jocelyn Stern at the Jardim Botanico yogashala from Mar. 27th to April 1st for Mysore & guided classes , lectures & puja.

From the Astanga Spirit website : " Eddie is known for his total devotion to Ashtanga , Guruji and the Hindu tradition.

His shala is a temple , where he teaches daily to the most devoted Ashtanga practitioners and leads pujas and other Hindu rituals of devotion. "

That encapsulates what I like most about practicing at AYNY / The Broome St. Temple , the tradition & devotional atmosphere.

I never got a chance to practice with Matthew Volmer during my last trip to Rio , as I was attending classes at Nirvana in Gavea & Blyss Ipanema. I did meet Dany Sa' , who is one of Matthew's students. She gave me a copy of her " Segunda Serie" DVD which Felipe Bretas shot.

The Cariocas will definitely find Eddie & Jocelyn's visit transporting & muito maneiro -

Ashtanga Yoga Miami Beach : Teacher Patrick Nolan at Miami Life Center

Miami Life Center just uploaded this vdo which captures Patrick Nolan's rasa as a teacher. He has made multiple trips to Mysore , India to study with Sharath Rangaswamy & his mother Saraswati. As he puts it , " The philosophy is in the practice itself. " As a teacher Patrick continuously strives to keep a proper balance between firmness and compassion, gravity and humor, and respect for tradition while remaining down to earth. He feels a strong sense of duty to pass on the knowledge that has had such a profoundly positive effect on his life.

Saravana Bhavan : Delhi

Saravana Bhavan is another Indian gift to the West. Its chain of Southern Indian Vegetarian Restos stretches in a mala of 60 + locations starting in India , Asia , the Middle East , NYC & recently Paris.

My teacher , Jorgen C. , had told me about the NYC location in Curry Hill. It has now become a "must-visit " on every trip I make to the city.

Having lunch there every Sunday after attending AM Mysore at  AYNY, then walking back downtown to my flat in Soho became a regular drill during the past winter.

Here's a picture taken from my teacher's recent trip to India  during lunch at Saravana Bhavan Delhi. Dosas , idlis , uthapam , sambar , poori & thalis. 

The right side of the menu has images of Balaji AKA Sri Venkateswara.

Govindam Adi Purusam : Yamuna Devi Dasi

I will never forget the 1st time I heard Yamuna Devi Dasi singing with George Harrison " Govindam Adi Purusam " when I attended The Greeting of the Deities at the Honolulu temple a couple of years back . Even to this day , it never ceases to transport. After visiting Maharaja yesterday , Lila invited me to attend a kirtan which Sura Das of the Temple Bhajan Band was conducting at a celebrity's home in Malibu. It turned out to be a memorial for Yamuna , who passed on a month ago. It was incredible as I got to meet & chant with Shyamasundara & Gurudas , who along with Yamuna , had been sent by Srila Prabhupada over 40 years ago to open a temple in London & meet the Beatles. Govindam adi purusam tam aham bhajami.

Miami Life Center : Kino MacGregor & Patrick Nolan

From The Miami Life Center website : " Please note that you should learn only from a traditionally trained teacher who follows the lineage of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois ( parampara ) to ensure a safe and healthy journey for the body and mind into the science of the Ashtanga Method to yoga. " MLC is unique among all the yogashalas with certified & authorized teachers that I drop in for a couple of reasons. The 1st being it is a community space that is dedicated to yoga, the study of holistic health & consciousness.An oasis of calm in the midst of South Beach's hedonism ( MAYA-mi , hehe ). The 2nd is the fact that they have 2 rooms where Led & Mysore classes can be held simultaneously. A great way for a beginner to segue into the Mysore Primary Series. I was blessed to be able to attend a couple of Patrick Nolan's evening Mysore classes this week. He is Mr. Feel Good. Every assist & adjustment that he provided me always ended in an encouraging " Good " after he counted out the 5 breaths. Which could be trying at times after along day of meetings ,walking into MLC stiff , and then getting opened up in Prasarita Padotanasana C. Jai to MLC for conducting evening Mysore & Led classes simultaneously. And Patrick , thanks for all the tips & encouragement.

The Great Yoga Divide : New York Times India Ink

I am in Miami but the above feature Is worth a quick post via my iPad. Jai & bravo to Heather Timmons & Firstpost India for a sweet & succinct rebuttal to the dramatic " Yoga Injury " article last week. As Shakespeare phrased it , " Much ado about nothing." " Om My God Who Wrecked Our Yoga " is the OG Indian voice to what I have been observing via this blog platform. Yoga may have been India's greatest export / gift to the US but is now just a form of Western exercise. Their tone of gentle mockery ( it works better than snark ) skewers all the manias & karmi obsessions of Western practitioners. Bottom line is there is no relation to The Yuj , the original etymology of Yoga , as in " to yoke " . As the article pointed out , it is not just about asanas , it is about the union of body , mind & spirit. Check out the full feature at www.nytimes.com. It is worth reading. Hari Om Tat Sat.

Raghunath : Advancing in Yoga

I had met Raghunath several years ago when he subbed a couple of times for Jerome Mercier. He would  brings his harmonium  & play a bhajan or 2 before the start of a challenging class. At that point in time , he was teaching at YogaWorks here in Los Angeles.

The latest issue of Time Out NY features Raghunath's "Flight School" at Pure Yoga NYC with a link to his website / blog , " Advancing in Yoga ". He describes himself on it as among other things , " an ex-punk , ex-monk , yogi , husband , evolution assistant , coalesced by kirtan , reciter of Gita , transcendence in training , likes to chant , servant of the servants , durian eater , harmonium hugger , conscious of Krishna ". ( That was beginning to sound like a new version of the Vishnu Sahasranama  ).

He is another member then of that rare breed , the Bhakta who also teaches Hatha and / or Ashtanga Yoga.

I just checked out his blog & it is full of devotional images like the one on the left. There is also a section on it entitled " India Pilgrimages " . The South India trip scheduled for 1/27 to 2/8 is sold out. An upcoming Northern Indian Pilgrimage is slated for October 2012 with visits to Vrindavan , Haridwar , Rishikesh & Dev Prayag.

Raghunath has also conducted workshops with Radhanath Swami Maharaja & kirtans with Gauravani. Jai !

Advancing in Yoga = Transformation.

Bhakti Fest 2010 : Ayush Attri Sharma

12 year old Ayush at Bhakti Fest 2010 shows us how to practice Bhakti Yoga. From the Bhagavad Gita : " Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer obeisances to Me and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me. (B-Gita 9.34)[5] " Bhakti Yoga : No drama , no fuss , no hatha yoga injuries -