MahaMondo

575 South Coast HWY : Encinitas

I'm feeling the beach towns of San Diego after meetings in La Jolla & Rancho Santa Fe today. What a glorious , it's almost Fall day.

My associate & I were discussing during the drive and concurring that La Jolla , Cardiff-by-the-Sea , Del Mar & Encinitas had a lot more charm & personality going on for them versus Montecito & Laguna.

The laid back dream of So. Cali is alive & well in these towns.

And here's the window of Jois Yoga Shala in Encinitas with Guruji & Sharath beaming smiles to all passing by or driving through the Coast HWY.

I wasn't able to practice there today but as per their new Fall schedule , the shala will start conducting Mysore classes from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Which makes me hope that Ashtanga Yoga New York will also revive their Fall & Winter evening Mysore classes with Eddie S. , in time for my trip there the week of Sept. 19th.

Thanks for keeping us working class folks in mind with evening Mysore -

Bhakti Yoga : Higher Thinking

In this vdo , Ayush from the Adi Templo Sao Paulo leads the Maha Mantra kirtan. Going back to the theme of " higher thinking ' from the previous post , this is a quote from Maharaja when he was asked , " And how can people train their minds so that their conscious beliefs & thoughts have a greater influence on their behavior ? " " I suppose one must have integrity, in the literal sense: one must integrate (combine two things so that they become a whole) one’s belief and actions. Of course there will inevitably be a creative, dialectic tension between one’s present state, and the state to which one aspires. But the simple, and profound, acceptance of the need for integrity, will lead one on to wholeness, consistency, and integrity. One must of course also be very careful to cultivate beliefs which are reasonable and which reflect the purest, highest notions of the soul."

Vyasa Puja & TYMI 2011 : Aspen , CO

This was the view from my table at Peaches in Aspen this morning where I got to read the  inspirational Vyasa Puja 2011 Offering of Maharaja.

He paid tribute to his Guru by saying : " That both purity & intelligent strategy are needed to spread Lord Chaitanya's divine mission.

On the holy day of your appearance , we pray that you bless us with purity & intelligence that we can powerfully perpetuate your grand movement and serve you as worthy descendants . "

There is no escaping the lofty views of the various peaks & mountains around Aspen , and with this in mind , Maharaja's message regarding purity & intelligence , higher thinking.

 Leslie Hendry wrote this genuine & intelligent article in the Huffington Post today as well entitled " Yoga Gives Back Around the World . "

Here is an excerpt which resonated with me : " Here's what I do know: The physical practice of yoga changes the body. As the body changes, our physical, mental and emotional well-being improves.

 So much so that I've made lifelong friends, studied scripture and philosophy ( We were classmates at Joel Bender's Sanskrit classes ) , traveled near and far to practice yoga with compadres and respected teachers, and I contribute through Yoga Gives Back , a non-profit that helps women build sustainable livelihoods with microloans and helps their children reach their dreams through education. "

You can read  Leslie's article in its entirety here via http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leslie-hendry/yoga-gives-back_b_935591.html

 

* Obrigado Kayako M. of YGB for this FB credit :

" MahaMondo.com features YGB and "Thank You Mother India". It was MahaMondo.com who inspired and hosted the first successful TYMI event in Los Angeles with YGB Ambassador Jorgen Christiansson last fall, now growing to become an unprecedented global event! Thank you. "

Nama Om Vishnu Padaya.

Yoga is an Internal Practice : The Rest is Just a Circus

A Day of Ashtanga from Nicole Alvarez on Vimeo.

Maharaja reminded me this morning , as I did service for him , that the physical practice of yoga is just 1 miniscule component of the Ashtanga Yoga as described in the Bhagavad Gita. This was great wisdom from him on Janmashtami. I bring this up as teachers I practice Ashtanga Yoga with , Jorgen C. & Eddie S. , have a spiritual aspect to their shalas & teaching styles. However , I can still feel during class , those with somewhat advanced physical practices , that have not transcended the baser elements ; their energies tinged & emanating with the smugness of a Cirque du Soleil performer. As Guruji had said , " Yoga is an Internal Practice. The rest is just a Circus . " There is liberation in breaching the unexplored physical & mental boundaries of the practice , but it is the "yuj" or union that is its rasa. Hari Om Tat Sat. Thanks to Nicole Alvarez for documenting " A Day of Ashtanga Yoga " @ Evolution Movement Centre in Aix-en-Provence.

Sri Krisna Janmashtami : Iskcon Seattle 2010

This coming Sunday is the celebration of Sri Krishna Janmashtami. On Janmashtami , one who fasts , follows the Janmashtami vow , and keeps an all night vigil on this day becomes freed from the sins of ten million births. This vdo from Iskcon Seattle shows the auspicious moment at midnight when the temple altar curtains open for darshan. Jai Sri Krishna !

TriYoga Chelsea : TYMI London 2011

   Thank You to Emily Natassia Gopaul of TriYoga Chelsea London for this update on YGB's Facebook page :

There are now 50 shalas & studios who are celebrating & donating to the TYMI 2011 Global Event.

Thanks as well to YGB founder Kayoko M. for listing me as a Silver Sponsor. Yes, my check is in the mail. I will  " give back " , hehe.

" For all those in the UK - come to our first " Thank You Mother India " YGB fundraising class! 26th August @ TriYoga Chelsea.

We have the amazing teacher Lisa Sanfilippo & renowned musician Jason Kalidas , leading us through a 2 hour workshop. It is going to be FUN !

All proceeds go to Yoga Gives Back. "

Jois Shala Encinitas : Workshop with Saraswathi

Thanks to my friend Stephanie Spence , the Travelling Yogini , for posting this vdo of the workshop she attended at Jois Shala Encintas with Saraswathi. Visit her vlog @ www.one-with-life.com for more videos.

Miami : Noon Arati & Evening Mysore

After barely 2 days in NYC ( was in JFK 2 days in a row hehe ) , I flew into a stormy Miami Tuesday evening.

Miami is now starting to feel more like an outpost of Brazil as Portugese is equally heard as much as Spanish there now. Brazilian investment in Miami grew to 25 %  this year.

The humid summer rainy season weather also reminded me of Rio. It was a huge relief to enter the cool shelter of the Coconut Grove Temple for Thurs. noon arati.

Greeting the Deities & performing dandavats pranam on the cool temple floor ; I didn't want to get up from it & head back into the material world of meetings & emails .

I was also able to move a dinner around with an associate that same evening & practice at Patrick Nolan's evening Mysore class @ Miami Life Center. I had dropped-in on his now defunct Ashtanga Elements class last year also at MLC.

Patrick is very hands on in his teaching style. His teaching manner is distinct because he has a sense of humor. Mysore in the early morning can be very solemn , contemplative. The evening sessions probably tend to be more relaxed & looser as everyone has gone through the grinder of the workday & are just ready to let go.

I'd like to thank Patrick for spending time & working with me on asana & adjustments . He had his regular students in the room & I was the "drop-in ". He had me the minute he asked , " Are you familiar with the Ashtanga system ? "

If you are in South Beach for business or vacation, definitely "drop-in " for evening Mysore. Patrick will take care of you , & make you laugh.

I took the image above of the 20th St. Beach outside the hotel early this morning. The rain had stopped & the sky was starting to turn blue. I will be back. Ate mais Miami.

Broome Street Temple : 10 Year Anniversary

I was in NYC earlier during the week & was able to attend early Monday evening puja ( with Eddie S. as pujari ) at the Broome Street Temple , in SoHo.

The new sign by the "Yoga Buzzer " now clearly proclaims the location of both the mandir & shala on Broome St.

I really love the feeling of the temple / shala ; the walk up the 2 flights of stairs to the space always feels reassuring now. And got even more so as I heard Eddie ringing the bell & chanting during the beginning of puja.

The temple will mark its 10th anniversary with the 10th Annual Abhayankara Maha Ganapati Ganesh Festival from Aug. 31st to Sept. 4th.

For those who would like to volunteer , please come to the temple on Sundays after 12:30 PM & before 4:30 PM for volunteer training.

Marichyasana C. : Jorgen C. Adjustment

Marichyasana is a series of asanas dedicated to the sage Marichi , son of Brahma & one of the 10 Prajapatis , the Lords of Creation.

It is a seated spinal twist that requires hip flexibility to accomplish & helps to relese tightness in the upper back.

Jorgen C. , is known for his strong adjustments , and he has been helping me move forward in the Primary Series by not holding back with them on me , hehe.

I've been bestowed in this incarnation with a combination of Kapha ( a hearty build ) & Pitta     ( perspire a lot ) , which initially made binding & clasping in Marichyasana a challenge.

With my teacher's help , I have been able to break through past Marichyasana B & now as seen in the pic to the left , am starting make progress in Marichyasana C. The key as illustrated , is to get the armpit as close as possible onto the opposite thigh before trying to bend the arm to clasp. And breathe . Sthira sukham asanam .

For Pitta's like me , a small towel on the knee  will provide traction. As Jorgen says, it is important when adjusting to push with just the right amount of pressure for each person.

For those who would like more room & time for their Mysore practice , the morning hours for the weekly Mysore class at my teacher's shala , Omkar108 ,have been extended & now run from 7 to 11 AM. Mysore afternoon  classes are from 4:30 to 6:20 PM. Jai !