The Heart of Ayurveda by Lea Kraemer

Ayurveda is the longest continuously practiced medical system on the planet! I've been studying it's classical teachings since about 2005 and from the start I loved the idea of Ayurveda as the "Science of Life" because it spoke to the same wholeness and wellness of Being that comes alive in a really good Yoga practice. The root of spiritual psychology is right in the texts of Ayurveda, an ancient system that views mind-body-senses-being as a continuum. 

Yoga and Ayurveda merge very closely in their view of synergistic wellness. A healthy mind and body is one that supports joy, Ayurveda says, and the path for natural healing is in this wisdom. It's an emotional grounding that is one of Ayurveda's most welcoming aspects. You know how after a Yoga class the patterns of our lives can just start to naturally shift? Without force, the way we eat our lunch, or the way we think about scheduling the day, or even how we arrange our houses, just start to shift a little and it feels like things fit in place in a better way. I always hear students talk about this as they come in and out for classes  .... saying things like how their diet changed after a few months of Yoga ..... or how they notice the calm sound of their voice when they are speaking to their child. When our life-style practices spring from consciously observing our own tendencies, inherent reactions and even our vulnerabilities, we are understanding Prakriti, our very nature, and Ayurvedic Yoga is coming alive in us. 

Everything on Earth can be understood in relationship to its qualities. For instance, in everyone's life, day and night time have different energies and should have separate rhythms and practices around them. Maybe it's a lot for a blog ... but it's so nice to start to ponder these relationships that I'll include the"Twenty Types of qualities" here:

गु मद हम िनध लण सा मदृ ु िथरा: । गणु ा: ससू म वशदा: वशं त: स वपयया: ॥

Guru(heavy) X laghu (light in weight)       Manda(slow) X tiksna (quick,fast)               Hima (cold) X ushna (hot)

Snighda (unctuous) X ruksa (dry)               Slaksna (smooth) X khara (rough)              Sandra (solid) X drava (liquid)

Mrdu (soft) X kathina (hard)                       Sthira (stable) X cala (moving, unstable)    Suksma (stable, small) X sthula (big,gross) 

Vishada (non slimy) X picchila (slimy)

A great way to start working with the qualities and forces around you and within you is to notice what tastes you are drawn to. What foods are you missing out on? Are you creating balance in your mind and body at breakfast, lunch and dinner? Ayurvedic Yoga teaches that you will bump up your nutrition if you include all six tastes, but not in the same amounts! Are you over-emphasizing your fire? Or under-whelming your taste buds with a sugary palette? Watch which of the six tastes you go to and you will honestly see your tendencies in action! The Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan says: 

During Winters, (Hemanta and Shishira) and rainy season (Varsa), sweet, sour and salt tastes should be especially used to support as our tissues build. Bitter, pungent and astringent tastes should be used more during Spring Season (Vasanta) to clean us out and keep our fire kindled. Sweet tastes should be used more during Summer (Nidagha) when we can get drained, and sweet, bitter and astringent tastes should be used during Fall (Sharath) when we are in transition. 

Just like the Yogis, Ayurveda teaches that to be healthy, one should get up from bed at Brahmi Muhurtha, as the dawn light is rising! Yes, it's an ideal, but you can do it if you allow your body to rise around 45 minutes before the Sun, around 5 – 6 am. That's the perfect time to meditate, practice Yoga and to balance your spiritual and physical self as the day-light is coming up around you. Many Yoga practitioners rise much earlier to catch this "ambrosia" and for me my ideal time to meditate is at 3:15a.m. 

This past year in a master's class with the DINacharya Institute I had the opportunity to go back and study Ayurveda's incredibly specific morning routine, from what kind of plant material is best for the bristles of your tooth brush to exactly how to clean your nose and eyes. It's all much more detailed than you might have imagined but Yoga and Ayurveda have in common this beautiful idea of waking up to our senses each day. Through special ways of washing and bathing, through Yoga and self reflection best calibrated for you, waking up by cleaning and clearing each sense will give your mind and body a luminous quality that seekers have been enchanted by for eons! We will investigate this higher level of Yogic balance in my upcoming workshop in March. Until then, if you would like to do a bit of self research, take time to clean and clear each sense each day, until .... smelling - tasting - seeing - touching - hearing .... are gateways to the clarity of your mind and power of intuition! 

And last, a kind of charming, curious teaching from a major Ayurvedic text. Don't hold on to crappy energy, is the take away. Be the person you want to be, don't diminish your self for those that are yucky. As life goes up and down, know how to feel like your Self. 

उपकारधानः यादपकारपरे अयरौ सपवपवेकमना,हेतावीयफले न तु

"One should be very helpful even to his foes, even though they are not helpful.

One should maintain a balanced mind both during calamity and prosperity.

One should not be envious towards wealth and happiness of others."

Page No. 20 Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan

I am giving a workshop called the Heart of Ayurveda on Sunday, Mar 15, 2020 from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm. I hope that you will join me as we explore. It's about radiance through conscious living and there will be a strong Yoga practice as well as discussion.

BEYOND THE MAT by Ani Raya-Flores

Just after new years, I went for a hike with an old friend. We noticed the trails were a little more crowded than usual—an excited conga line of hikers wearing their new grippy trail shoes, hydration vests, and sweat absorbing/UV blocking shirts. “Looks like a lot of folks made resolutions,” she said, and then asked if Namaste, like pilates studios, like crossfit “boxes,” and yes, like the Angeles Crest National Forest, was experiencing a similar influx of resolution-ers.  

The answer, of course, is yes. Each year, the studio gets a new batch of students who’ve come to the mat for the first time or back after some time away. And it’s great— as a teacher, I can sense the enthusiasm and commitment in the room.

Unfortunately in modern culture, committed can start to look more like dogged. Before you know it, “I wanna practice yoga everyday!” becomes, “I have to practice yoga every day!” A rigid or unyielding approach can lead to burn out. If we view our resolution as something to conquer, we only have a few options: 1. achieve mastery and quit because been there stretched that, or 2. die on the hill of crow pose. I don’t know about you, but neither of those sound good to me.

If I could share just one bit of wisdom with my students, it would be that softening the approach to yoga is what gives it longevity. Softening the approach doesn’t have to mean that 2020 is the year of child’s pose. All it means is that each time we come to our mats, we take the time to orient ourselves in the space, to put ourselves in touch with physical sensations, to build awareness of what we need, and then move (or not move) our bodies accordingly.

I’ve found that the work of staying present on the mat is what’s helped me take my practice off the mat. I’m learning to sit with physical sensation, to see a pose as an opportunity—hey, I get to experience burning quads— as opposed to pushing, gritting teeth, bearing the unmitigated agony that is chair pose. And that’s the outlook that I try to bring off my mat, to crowded movie theaters, to long grocery lines, to traffic.

It’s a lot to consider, and the tools for a more present and mindful practice aren’t always covered in your average hour-long practice. Which is why I teamed up with dear friend and Fitzmaurice Voicework teacher Scott Ferrara to bring this workshop to the Namaste community.

Join us the afternoon of February 23^rd and we’ll practice staying present in the safe space of a yoga mat so that we may take that presence into our everyday life. 

For more information and to sign up for workshops go to: https://namastestudios.la/workshops

NEW CLASS: Hatha | Kriya | Pranayama with Nora

photo by Dave Getzschman

In our Western/Modern classes, we usually address just the "body" body through the posture or asana practice. But what if we had a class the addressed our other bodies? What if I could spend more time breathing and mediating in class? How would that change my practice? How would that change my day?

Often when I am in my more standard vinyasa or hatha yoga classes, I want to breathe more, or move a bit differently, or spend more time in my savasana or meditation at the end of class. I think I feel this way because, according to the ancient yogic text The Upinashads, it is explained that human beings are made up of not one body, but of five bodies. Explained briefly, those five bodies consist of body, breath, mind, intelligence and consciousness. In this class, the aim is to address two additional bodies of our selves through their corresponding practices : the breath body through pranayama, and the mind body through meditation. If you are like me and find yourself wanting a more multi-faceted yoga experience, one that addresses the multiplicity of your bodies, if you want to breathe a deeper breath and feel a more directed flow of energy and consciousness, then this is the class for you! 

- From, Nora -

Sundays at 4pm, join Nora for Hatha | Kriya | Pranayama to focus on spiritual elements of yoga: powerful meditative exercises (kriyas), spiritual gestures (mudras), verbal formulas (mantras), and breath work (pranayama). Utilizing movement, sound, breath and meditation to relax & restore your mind and body, we delve deeper into a multifaceted yoga practice, and emerge with an enhanced understanding of the gifts of yoga, while improving strength, flexibility and endurance. These classes are for everyone.

How to: Hand Made Party Decorations

As I headed into the paper-cutting section of Michael's, I was excited to find paper punches in all variety of shapes and sizes. Upon realizing my excitement, I let out an internal groan. I thought to myself, "With all that is going on in this world, I am spending time at Michael's to find supplies to make a Pinterest project."

Crafting is something I've often rolled my eyes at for this very reason. Didn't it seem like a waste of energy? But, as I started cutting and folding tissue paper, I was amazed at how peaceful the process was. To see a project from a simple idea in my head to actually hanging on the wall made me feel creative, capable and - dare I say - a little bit Zen.

So, if you're like me and haven't so much as threaded your sewing machine since buying it, here is a chance to bust out your inner artist, and make your walls a little bit happier.

Finding Inspiration

• A few months ago I made a Pinterest account for Namaste so we can share and connect with the community more. I started there, using Pinterest for inspiration for a "rainbow themed" birthday party for the studio. Check out the Pinterest board I created here. 
• I was particularly inspired by hand made garland. I knew I wanted to include photo garland and a few banners, so from there it was just a matter of filling in the blank spaces around these central ideas.

Photo Garland

Our Instagram account is full of color, community and fun. I knew there had to be a simple and cheap way to print those photos. After comparing prices, I went with printing from Walgreen's. They have a direct "upload from Pinterest" option, and all I had to do was check the 25 photos I wanted printed. It cost less than $11 for all those prints. I simply used some twine and clothes pins from Michael's to complete the banners.

Word Banners

To my surprise, there were a bunch of options for printing letters for a few banners. I went with this simple download, and matted the letters to construction paper with my trusty sewing machine, to give things a more detailed feel. This step took less than 15 minutes and cost about $4 in supplies.

Tissue Paper Garland
This was my favorite part of the project. I did get a few pretty decent calluses by the end of making 200 ties, but it was worth it for the final look. I followed these instructions. A few tips I found:

1. I used a paper cutter to make all the cuts. Paper cutters have come a long way since my childhood, and I was amazed at how easy it was to make so many cuts. 
2. I tied each with twine. I would probably advocate using the clear tape like the post suggests, as this was the most tedious part. 
3. I strung them with no particular pattern, and I think this really completes the hand made, curated look.

Circle and Square Garland
I was so inspired by this photo from 'Design Love Fest.' I also thought there was no chance I could make these, but I was definitely underestimating the power of good crafting products. Paper punches exist for nearly every shape, so you do not have to hand-cut the shapes. One quick trip to your craft store, and you will be ready to make all kinds of garlands. I chose circles, squares and rectangles. I found these instructions on Pinterest, and from there it was easy:

1. Cut the shapes. Cut and cut and cut, because you will want to have hundreds at your finger tips when you start sewing. 
2. Have a line of 20 or so ready to go, and simply start sewing down the center. Feed each shape into the machine at a slow speed in order to avoid dropping stitches in between shapes.
3. Once you've got the hang of it, you can pick up the speed. I found it best to do about 10-20 shapes at a time, then pause to get a line of more shapes ready for myself. I loved the result and will be reusing this decor for sure.

As you work your merry way through garlands, remember that even crafting can be a beautiful meditation. Forget about the results, lose yourself in the process, get wrapped up in every tedious detail, and watch the rest of your worries melt away.

Happy crafting,

Bethany

Creating Connection at Your Table

As human beings, we are constantly in search of connection. We want to connect with each other, and we want to connect on a deep level with something great inside of us and around us. An essential element of a yoga studio is facilitating an environment where connection is possible. It is no surprise, then, that a yoga studio owner has some inside knowledge of how to connect people through a simple dinner. Here are some tips from Vanda's table, where our teachers meet annually for a Thanksgiving Dinner.

1. Less fuss and more fun. Keeping things simple is one way to make everyone feel comfortable. Rather than creating a 'formal' environment for our dinner, Vanda set a rustic table outside, lit by dozens of tiny lights and heated by a space heater and fire. The mismatched plates and chairs felt chic and intentional
2. Let your guests participate. Playing host is fun, but most people love the chance to showcase their own contributions to a party. As your guests to contribute a side dish, dessert or bottle of wine (or non-alcoholic wine in the case of so many of our yoga teachers!). Allow your guests to share food with each other, and if they are not inspired to share food, guests can always contribute a playlist, some flowers for place settings or help wash the dishes. You may have heard it's bad form to allow your fiends to wash dishes at your house, but it's actually an intimate invitation to allow them to take a lead role even when in your home. So, when you're planning a party and someone asks to help, take them up on the offer!
3. Plan one simple, shared activity. We've all been to those baby showers with game, game, game. Those parties feel like more work than simple connection, but it's also nice to make sure all your guests come together for at least one special activity. It can be a simple toast, photo slideshow, meditation or - in our tradition - a gratitude circle. As we share our gratitude for each other and our community, we immediately feel connected.
4. Skip the "decorations" that will end up in a landfill and opt for simple additions to your table. Decorate your table with fallen branches or cut flowers from your yard. Opt for candles or colorful water jugs to add ambience. If you are going to purchase decorations, try to keep them simple enough that you can use them again and again. Our table was set with LED candles (buy them once and reuse them forever), jars of lavender, a simple burlap runner and rings of moss.
5. Do you know Doodle.com? If you are planning an intimate dinner with less than 20 people, use this site to help pick a date. This is not feasible for larger groups, but it simplifies the planning process for smaller groups.
6. Nothing is more important than good lighting and great music. 

The Sound That Makes the Bath

Namaste Highland Park Instructor Sondra Sun-Odeon collaborated this summer with musician and recent LA transplant Ian Paige for a yoga class with soundbath accompaniment. The second in the series celebrates the full Hunter Moon and takes place at the studio October 27th at 8pm. The two musicians and yoga enthusiasts sat down for a conversation about how the two worlds intersect.

Sondra Sun-Odeon: I wanted to have you be part of the classes and, with the Full Moon Yin Class, the sonic component helped move the subtle body. Being a musician myself, I've always been interested in sound healing and its power so I'm glad you can join me for the Full Moon Flow and Restore with Sound Bath. Why does this collaboration appeal to you?

Ian Paige: When you invited me to the Yin class, I made sure to attend as a class member before actually performing. The pace and intentionality of that program reminded me of the kind of music I gravitate to. Holding the poses and settling the mind through that slower pace felt like the yoga equivalent to the music I love to make.

I also like that it is live. I'm bringing sequences and predetermined stuff to the set but really i'm working completely off the audience which, unlike a regular concert when you're blinded by the stage lights, it's an interactive situation to feel the audience participation in this really intense way. You can literally hear breath and it becomes the rhythm! So the music itself changes. What i had imagined for that class didn't happen at all. Instead it rolled along with the program itself and they spoke to each other.

SSO: Well you may find in this next class we'll have more movement since it will be both flow and restorative. It'll be interesting to see how you react to the energy of the class differently from the last one.

IP: So what's your intention with the class?

SSO: The Flow and Restore that I usually teach is 45 min of Flow followed by half an hour of Restorative. Since it's the Full Moon though I think we'll go more half and half and it'll be a more gentle flow.

IP: Yeah, that's good for me to know that there's an entrainment for that first half that's a little less droney.

SSO: Does that change things for you? You shouldn't be stressed! You look stressed!

IP: Ha! No, I'm glad we're having this conversation! I literally haven't started planning it yet! No it's cool to know so I can make some preparations for that ... the dynamics ...

SSO: Tell us about the instruments you use in creating these sound baths and what you hope to do for the experience of the listener and yogi participant.

IP: The synths are analog. Digital synthesis is ubiquitous right now and that's a-okay but for this particular scenario, it's like vinyl versus mp3. The waves are deep and real. They hit your eardrums and move through your body in a different way. I use a Roland Juno 60, a Sequential Circuits Six Trak and an old Nord Modular which is admittedly digital but it requires patching voices on a computer (I had to resurrect my 13 year old PowerBook to talk to it because Nord won't support the synth anymore) and I love the flexibility that instrument allows in building sounds and sequences from scratch.

SSO: What artists are informing and influencing the kind of music you make?

IP: I'm into music that creates states. States of being and mind. Psychedelia, less as a genre and more as an approach, has always been important to me. The first LP I ever nabbed out of a bin was Stereolab's  Emperor Tomato Ketchup. I'm thinking of it now because there are elements from the last album from the YIN class that remind me subtly of Stereolab. I dunno, maybe there was a sixteen year old kid a generation before me where it was an ELO or Floyd record or something. For me that band was my entry point. Then of course the decades go by and you trace out all of the branches of the family tree and what I'm looking towards now is more focused and rarified. Anywhere from Terry Riley to Robbie Basho, not that I purport to be anywhere at that level musically, I just feel the spirit of it. JD Emmanuel has become very important to me as a touchstone. Suddenly a lot of these New Age dudes don't sound so cheesy.

SSO: Like Vangelis and all that?

IP: Weeeeeell, he has more than a few moments of being cheesy but there are gems! I guess for me, as an untrained musician, I come at it caring more about the witchier aspects, the incantatory aspects of making music? Is that a word? Does that make sense? I'm from Maine; we're weird woodsy folk. Lots of pagan vibes so I'm less about techno futurism and more about the the more ancient aspects of music as transformation. Ooooh, here's an example. Kraftwerk is another touchstone and they're mostly known for their hyper futurist tropes like in their hit "Pocket Calculator". That album "Computer World" is total genius but my favorite albums from them are right at the moment where they're straddling this transition from psychedelic band with traditional instrumentation into the super synthey group they became famous for. "Ralf and Florian" and "Autobahn" show that beautifully uncomfortable transition. That parallels with the yoga practice. It's not supposed to hurt but you are supposed to be pushing your boundaries to arrive at your destination.

Sondra is a musician and yoga teacher. She will blend her artistic ear for music with her careful eye for energy in this special class to create an irresistible environment.

Ian's latest album, recorded live at Namaste Highland Park, is called YIN I and is available at his band camp site here.

All attendees of the Full Moon Flow and Restore class will receive a free download of the album. The latest video from the album can be seen here.

Saturday Summer Breakfast Series

by Shira Barlas

Saturday, July 11, was the first of our summer breakfast and yoga series! After taking a yoga class, yogis from the community joined together to share a lovely breakfast consisting of steal cut oatmeal, coffee, tea, chia seeds, cacao nibs, mixed berries, and other delicious treats. 

The breakfast series is intended to bring the community together and take our practice beyond the mat.  Most of us are running in and out of the studio and don’t even get to really know the people we are practicing with or the teachers who help us with our practice. The breakfast series creates a space in which we can come together and share our insights, passions, laughter, and appetites. 

Although our asana practice is on our own mats, the space that we practice in and the energy that is cultivated from our fellow practitioners is crucial to our practice.  One of my favorite quotes is from Albert Einstein, it reads: “A person experiences life as something separated from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of consciousness.  Our task must be to free ourselves from this self-imposed prison, and through compassion, to find the reality of Oneness.”

During our yoga practice we may feel separated on our own mats, but part of the practice of yoga is to create a sense of interconnectedness with others.  Part of why we begin and end classes with the sound of Om is it is a way for us to connect and align our vibrations together, as well as with all the past yogis who have practiced for thousands of years before us, and to connect with the vibrations of the entire universe.  Eating together and sharing meals is another practice, just like chanting Om, which people have been doing for thousands of years as a way to connect with one another. 

We all need to eat in order to fuel ourselves and give us the energy to practice yoga.  The Saturday morning breakfast series gives us yogis a chance to enjoy a healthy meal and practice mindful eating, in which we eat with intention, with a purpose to fuel ourselves with energy to live a vibrant, healthy, and healing lives; as well as connect deeply with our fellow yogis and teachers. Hope to see you there!

The breakfast is free for those members that attend a class either before the meal or directly after.

Please sign up before hand so we know how much food to prepare!