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

Why Metal Yoga?

 

Why Metal Yoga?

by Matthew Clark who leads a yearly Metal Yoga class on the Winter Solstice.

A yoga class in the Western world, or at least in America, is often accompanied by a playlist or soundtrack.  Obviously, that wasn't the way of traditional yoga in India.  I believe that some very wise yogis specifically brought yoga to America, knowing the massive cultural influence of this country and used that influence to broadcast the benefits of yoga globally.  In the 1920's, Parahamsa Yogananda established the headquarters of his Self Realization Fellowship approximately 2 miles away from our studio.  His famous book Autobiography of A Yogi, used parallels of Christianity with yogic concepts and philosophy and was successful in initiating many Americans into these new ideas.  Decades later, Ram Dass penned his classic Be Here Now, which was meant to explain yogic concepts through the lens of the American hippy experience.  It always struck me as a book written by his Guru, through him, to best spread the message, using unconventional typesetting and drawings to connect to a new audience.  My point is that yoga, in coming to the West, was always bound to shift and change and cater to an experience that would resonate with a Westerner.  This brings us back to the topic of playlists.  There are definitely very traditional American studios and institutions that would never use a playlist. For those of us that do use music, it's become somewhat of an expectation, something to keep a pace and a helpful tool to establish a baseline of sound to make a passing ambulance siren or loud talker on the street strolling by less jolting.  We don't live in a bubble.  In my playlists, I try to use mostly songs that wouldn't be distracting or emotionally charged and songs that won't alienate most people.  Listening to a pop song or a Kirtan with a house beat could be blissful to one yogi and agonizing to another.  Conversely, listening to a metal song during practice could be ecstatic for one student and could drive another yogi crazy.  Enjoyment of music is completely subjective.  The point of doing our annual Metal Yoga practice is that it is an experience where, for those who would enjoy it, we use a very different sort of music, one which the attendees have signed off on and are excited to practice with.  My playlist will consists mostly of Doom and Stoner metal tracks, specific styles that I find are at a good tempo and have kind of a raga like quality, they float and meander and shred at times.  Bands such as Black Sabbath, Om, Sleep, Earth, Flower Traveling Band are usually featured as well as some heavy space rock sounds from the likes of Hawkwind and other spacey musical explorers.  This music I find to be powerful and cathartic, both being important elements of a yoga practice.  Aligning with the Winter Solstice has become a tradition for this class. The longest night of the year seems an apt time to embrace these sounds and delve into a powerful cathartic practice which leaves us feeling lighter and uplifted heading into the New Year.

Join Matthew Saturday December 21 at 6pm for this special class.

Ninja Spotlight: Anna

We've added some new smiling faces and helping hands to our Front Desk Ninja team. Get to know the folks saying hello: meet Anna!

Where are you from, and what brought you to Highland Park?

I am from Pomona, a suburb town about 30 miles east of LA. My first time in Highland Park I came to see a show at Permanent Records which was how I found out about Namaste.

What is the first thing you noticed about Namaste Highland Park?

First thing I notice was the gallery feature, thought that a yoga studio/gallery combo was a tenuous idea! 

Do you remember your first yoga experience? What was your impression of yoga & what brought you back?

First time I did yoga was during my 2 week run with the P90x program. I thought the yoga day was the hardest of the week haha! But I loved that I felt better after the class than I did before so that kept me coming back for more. 

What's something you could talk about forever?

Probably world travel or different ways to experiment with physically manipulating 35mm film.

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.

Teacher of the Month: Hannah Skye

Hannah was one of the first people to call herself a teacher at Namaste Highland Park. She has watched our community grow, and we are forever grateful for the part she has played in that growth. Hannah is our NHP teacher of the month.


Namaste Highland Park: Where could we find you as a child?
Hannah: I had a lot of pets as a kid, so I was often seen with a cat or some sort of small rodent in my arms. I also played really involved games with elaborate stories (usually with Barbies, if I'm honest), sometimes with other kids, but often by myself. When I got older, I got really into writing and journaling; by the time I was in high school it was all about theater. Most of my free time after the age of 14 was spent in rehearsal for something or other...even if I wasn't acting, I was backstage doing hair or makeup, or at the local middle schools teaching improv classes.

NHP: Do you remember your first yoga class? What was your experience like?
Hannah: I think my first yoga class probably happened sometime pre-college. I'm sure it was mortifying to me since I wasn't in very good shape and had zero flexibility. I took Bikram yoga in college with friends and got really into it because it seemed like a challenging workout. I was one of those people that thought more was always better, so I always tried to go lower into the pose and to put my hand on the ground in extended side angle and triangle, even though my alignment was probably painful to look at. It took me a long time to develop an understanding of alignment and body awareness, and how to balance strength and flexibility. I eventually fell in love with vinyasa yoga because of the variation and the space to play and experiment. The flow seemed to me almost like an expressive dance married with meditation.

NHP: At what moment did you go from thinking, "I like yoga," to, "I'm a yoga teacher?"
Hannah: Post college I had to move home because I was broke. I was working a job I hated, trying to save money. I started going to yoga even though it was an expense because, frankly, I needed SOMETHING to keep me sane. Eventually I came to the realization that yoga was the best part of my day, every day. I was going to a chain studio and they were constantly selling their teacher training. Even though I didn't feel like I was good enough at yoga, I asked about the training, just in case I wanted to do it "some day." Before I knew it, the teacher had convinced me that I should sign up NOW. Since I was moving to LA, she contacted one of their sister studios in Sherman Oaks and got me registered so that I was able to jump right into the training after relocating.  I found out as soon as the training started that I was much more equipped than I realized to teach. It seemed like everything I was interested in (movement, the mind-body connection, the creative aspect of theming and creating playlists, the study of people) came together in the yoga studio. I still had (have) an acute awareness of what it felt like to be a beginner, and I remembered what I wished teachers had explained to me then...and it seemed to make sense as I began to sequence and cue my own classes.


NHP: What do you hope people take away from your class?
Hannah: This is a big question. I'm always working at becoming a better teacher, but ideally I would hope that students leave class feeling like they just attended a $50 workshop. I hope that students can learn something (even a small something) about themselves, their yoga, or that they gain some sort of perspective each time they step onto the mat.

Realistically though, I know that sometimes being good teacher simply means holding a space for people. I say this a lot in my classes, but it's a huge part of what a yoga practice is to me: Yoga gives us context. The poses themselves don't change very much from day to day, they're just shapes. But we (humans) change. And maybe the pose becomes the context needed to become stronger, or more flexible, or maybe it illuminates something deeper like how we confront challenge or how we see ourselves off the mat. Maybe it allows us to laugh at ourselves, or gives us a space to process something happening in our lives. We can all make roughly the same shapes with our bodies (with some variation), but the experience of that shape can be drastically different from person to person and day to day. I'm not here to tell anyone what to think or feel, but to give students the space and time they need (and deserve) to go on their own journey.

NHP: How does yoga go beyond the mat in your life?
Hannah: My mom tells me that yoga has "softened" me. In a good way. Before I had a regular practice and before I was a teacher I was more judgmental, more temperamental, and certainly moodier...not because that's who I actually was, but rather, because I was so anxious and stressed all the time. I went around making snap judgements and panicking about non-issues. Yoga on the mat has helped me to slow down, breath, and put things into perspective. Before yoga, I dealt with a lot of health issues related to Crohn's disease. And while yoga hasn't "cured" all of my problems, it has brought my mind and body back into some sort of balance with one another at least in terms of understanding and awareness. I've learned to be gentler with myself and others.

NHP: What does your personal practice entail?
Hannah: Whether I'm at home or in a class, I love a sequence that really flows, and I love to play with different qualities of movement. Sometimes I pretend that I'm some kind of animal and wonder what it would be like to move in that kind of body, or I practice with different kinds of music that you wouldn't normally hear in a yoga studio to see how that flavors the rest of the practice. I also consider other types of physical activity to be a part of my yoga, even though it isn't specifically an asana practice. I run stairs, sometimes work out with weights, hike, climb, run...and all of that contributes something different to my physical health and body awareness, which in turn becomes part of my yoga practice.

NHP: What is something we'd be surprised to learn about you?
Hannah: As a child, when my parents told me that I could grow up to be anything I wanted, I it took very literally. I usually planned on becoming some sort of animal, which changed depending on my mood. Once I remember deciding that I wanted to grow up to be a pig. Yoga teacher was not on my radar back then.

NHP: You lead retreats through Namaste. What inspires your retreats, and why do you think they are an important part of yoga?
Hannah: Vacation and having time to reset is so important. A lot of the time though, we equate R&R with indulgence and mindless relaxation. Having time to step outside of the daily grind and to actually spend time investing in personal development and self-study is kind of magical. Having a yoga practice is invaluable. But normally we go to class, leave, and then immediately jump back into traffic, or work, or taking care of kids, ect. In a retreat setting, there's time to really bask in the after-glow and to get some perspective on the practice. There's time to connect with other yogis and to see and be seen for who we actually are. There's time to reflect and when we talk, to actually be heard.  Usually things in life are prioritized based on what's most pressing instead of what's most important. Getting a weekend away from it all is like a pause button to reassess and work on the personal stuff that really does matter. In terms of the physical practice, classes are smaller and everyone (for the most part, it is optional) attends all the classes. Because the classes are cumulative, students can retain more of the information and work on their specific challenges, while building up to some of the bigger poses that may be more intimidating in a normal studio setting.

Hannah will be leading our annual studio retreat in April. For more information, visit Retreats by Namaste.

Yogi of the Month: Becca Kinskey

When I opened Becca's email containing her responses, here is what it said: I'm very happy to revise anything that isn't clear or is too fart-related. I knew we'd made an excellent selection. Becca has been making it to her mat with us for years, often with her husband, Justin, by her side, and we admire her dedication to practice.

Read on for more yoga realities, the good and the fart-related:

Namaste Highland Park: When did you first find yoga and what were your intentions or expectations for your first class?
Becca: I first came to yoga after back-to-back endurance events: a 50 mile ultramarathon which I followed up by immediately going to Berlin & walking around for a week. When I got home the soles of my feet were literally too tender to stand on so I decided it was time to find a whole new - hopefully gentler - way to get to know my body. My favorite part of ultrarunning was the meditative time & space it carved out in my life, but I was working too much at the time to keep it up, and that was another hope I had for starting yoga - to find time within the more typical routines and itineraries of my life to be alone amongst others.

I was also hoping yoga could be less goal-oriented than the kind of athletics I normally did, like triathlon or other endurance events. Yoga is full of small goals, and I love it because I get to see at least at little bit of progress every time I practice. But the very fact that we call it a "practice" is what I hoped for and have come to love - it is a thru line, an open-ended, long-term process rather than aimed at a specific date and achievement. In the past I have felt a little manic with my athletics - working so hard towards one horizon, and then feeling aimless and burned out once I got there. With yoga my horizon keeps deepening.

NHP: What is your next goal in your practice?
Becca: On an asana level, I'm working on Becca's 3 Big Blocks: crow, pinchy-raya-flores (pincha mayurasana that I always mispronounce as my good friend & yoga teacher Ani Raya-Flores' name) and hand stand.

I don't know what my deal is with crow - I landed it the first time I tried it and its been 3 years of mystery since then. The other two tie into the central block of my life - I'm pragmatic and careful above all else, and I really don't want to be ass over kettle without a strong foundation. I can headstand till the cows come home but I hate breaking that connection with the ground. So that's the next & larger goal - enjoying and trusting that severing.

I'm also working on developing my home practice. I love going to the studio but also want to expand what I can do on my own, how I can learn to sequence to relate different poses and practices to one another in my own head, as well as to cut out the excuse not to practice if I just can't make it to the studio here or there.

NHP: What just makes you say, "YES!," about a yoga class?
Becca: I grew up as a long distance swimmer which is basically just one big water treadmill. I loved it and still do, but I love yoga for the sheer variety and creativity within a common repertory of movement, and I love a class that asks me to surprise myself a couple times. Swimming masked my prodigious sweatiness better though.

NHP: Are your friends (or family or partner) grateful for your yoga practice? Why?
Becca: Yoga has actually helped my husband become a morning person, which has given us 2 to 3 hours together most mornings that we didn't used to have. I began going to yoga in the mornings (see: growing up as a swimmer/morning person), then he started coming too, and now we get up by 6 most days, even if we don't practice. Having yoga in our lives has given us a shared deliberateness and helped us recognize our desire for quiet time together before the day begins.

NHP: What is something we'd be surprised to know about you?
Becca: I'm not necessarily happy with this, but the first and strongest impulse I have to answer this question is to talk about farting in yoga. Not personally, though I did do it once. But I just really really love when one slips out of someone in class. It's the funniest thing in the world. Just fills me with immediate joy.

Maybe you didn't need a yoga related answer here, in which case... I just learned to snap my fingers. I've been trying for 31 years and I just got it! Maybe things are looking good for crow after all.

NHP: Where can we find you when your not at Namaste?
Becca: Probably working! I'm a TV producer and have recently set up my own company, so that's the full time gig in my brain right now. My husband and I also rescued a dog who has needed a lot of time and care - luckily his medicine makes him VERY flatulent, so you know I've been having a good time.

4 Rules to Follow when Shopping for a Yogi: with bonus gift suggestions

Follow these rules when buying a gift for the yogi in your life:

1. Avoid waste. Get your yogi-friend something very usable rather than simply beautiful. Some go-to suggestions? 
1. A yoga class pass is a sure bet. All month long, if you buy an unlimited class pass gift card ($135 value), you receive a FREE tee "Namaste" teeshirt for your friend or your recipient.
2. Give food: a gift certificate for a juice cleanse, a case of kombucha, hand-crafted healthy fare from your local organic market, or - if you want to give a gift that keeps giving - a subscription to a CSA box service that will deliver fresh, seasonal fruits and veggies to your recipient each month.
2. Buy eco-friendly. Even if you weren't buying for a yogi, an eco-friendly gift is just the responsible way to spend money and resources. Our favorite eco yoga products?
1. Jade Yoga mats. If eco-friendly is the number one priority in your mat, go for Jade. The company is committed to organically-sourced yoga mats, and the quality is on par with any equally-priced yoga mat. 

2. Patagonia Provisions. This is Patagonia's line of camping food, such as fruit and nut bars, buffalo jerky and black bean soup. Like everything Patagonia makes, these products are environmentally responsible and tell a wonderful story about our world.
3. Give an experience. Yoga is all about experiencing each present moment, and you can help your recipient do just that. Some amazing yoga experiences?
1. Biggest budget: teacher training or retreat
2. Little less dough: tickets to a yoga festival
3. Nice but not breaking the bank: A pre-purchased workshop with a favorite teacher
4. An easy way to make it happen: Take your loved one to a class and brunch. 
4. Help them take their yoga home. Everyone is looking for ways to deepen a practice, and yoga at home is the best way to do just that. Here are some supplies your recipient would love:
1. A subscription to a yoga video service like YogaGlo, YogisAnonymous, Grokker, or a similar site
2. A set of props: 2 blocks, a blanket and a bolster are great starters
3. Books on philosophy to invite them deeper into the practice. Recommended: Meditations from the Mat, Light on Yoga/Light on Life, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, The Autobiography of a Yogi
4. Music and mantra to fill their home. Recommended: Snatam Kaur, Ram Dass, Girish, Wah!

Happy shopping.

Teacher of the Month: Steven Arcos

Let's be honest: we all want to know Steven a little better! He is fun, kind, interested and interesting. Here are a few insights into Steve and his approach to life and yoga.

Namaste Highland Park: Where could we find you as a child?
 Steve: As a child I was wild. Find me running in the neighborhood, shoeless, tireless, and getting into trouble!

NHP: Do you remember your first yoga class?
Steve: My first yoga class was memorable but it was a class I took a few years later that was life changing. When I finally FELT my breath, body, and mind come together to shape the pose I was taking I knew I had found what I was put on this earth to do.

NHP: Is there a teacher who inspired you to take your practice further and/or teach?
Steve: One of the teachers that really inspired me to teach and continues to inspire me is Veronica DeSoyza. Her knowledge, commitment, and dedication never cease to amaze me!

NHP: What do you hope people take away from your class?
Steve: I hope people understand my passion. I am teaching with earnest. I want every student to learn something new and to leave knowing that I truly want to see them grow. It's very important to me that students know I am dedicated to helping them on their journey of self discovery.

NHP: What has been the most transformative part of your practice?
Steve: (This is a hard question) physically: back bending and heart opening have transformed my body and movement the most. Mentally: I have learned to manage anxiety, depression, ADD, and addiction issues through a regular practice. This more than anything has changed my life. Spirtualy: yoga has become my "church." It's how I connect to a power greater than myself which I see as prana, community or sangha, and the asanas.

NHP: What books do you always recommend?

Steve: I am a really big reader! I love East of Eden by John Steinbeck; it's a beautiful story of life, love, and everything in between. My favorite genre however is fantasy and sci-fi. I love trilogies and series. Check out Foundation by Isaac Asimov which reminds me of Star Wars, A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin aka Game of Thrones, and the Ex-Heroes novels by Peter Clines where super heroes become zombies!

NHP: What does your personal practice entail?
Steve: My personal practice at home is equal parts yoga and strength training. I use high density foam rollers and pilates to maintain healthy muscle connections. I couple yoga poses with weights or incorporate flows between sets to keep my workout dynamic. In group classes I like to be creative. I enjoy finding places to play and experiment while being taken on a journey. Overall my practice tends to be physically demanding so that I am able to get out of my head and let go of any self imposed negativity.

NHP: What is something we'd be surprised to learn about you?
Steve: I am a HUGE Marvel Comics fan! I love the X-men and spend at least an hour a day reading comic books. Catch Steve on the mat in his Intro to Advanced classes Monday & Wednesday OR his NEW Hatha Yoga classes Tuesday & Thursday mornings. He is offering two workshops in the coming months: Arm Balances & Inversions on January 3 Hips & Gifts on December 20 Namaste, Steve!

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.

Student Feature: Thelma!

How did your yoga journey start? My journey started with taking just a two week class, not thinking I would really enjoy it, but I was surprised. I am very much into  exercising & yoga became part of my routine. I still have a lot to learn but it is fun learning.

How long have you been practicing at Namaste? I have been practicing for 13 months.

What superpower does yoga give you? The superpowers I get from yoga are  strength and energy.

What is your next goal in your practice? My next goal is to get better with my balance (I really need  it).

What are you grateful for? I am so grateful that Namaste came to Highland Park. I would have never tried yoga (and I mean it, I have always said I wanted to ) if it had not  come to Highland Park.

I enjoy the studio and  all the instructors are great.  Some of my favorite class are Fridays Meditation, and the Yoga Sculpt classes. Don’t get me wrong, they are all great, and I have tried all of them.

What is one way that yoga has changed your life? Yoga has changed my  ways of thinking toward others. I am more calm now and I don’t let just any little thing bother me or get to me. I have learned to tune unwanted noise out  and I find myself more relaxed and  less stressful.

What is your favorite tea served at Namaste? My favorite tea is the EARL GREY!

Member for: 1+ year

Yoga classes attended in the past year: 391

Favorite class: Yoga Sculpt

Favorite teacher: Krysten

I just want to thank Holly & Bethany & Alisa & Matthew, these were the

instructors that I took when I first started practicing yoga in Highland Park.

They had so much patience with me, helping me with my poses and teaching me how to use the blocks & blankets. Thank you all so much, this is what makes my practice very enjoyable! 

Yoga and Healing - Fundraiser at NHP

By Krysten Clark

I like to think that I didn’t find Yoga, but rather, Yoga found me. 

I remember feeling very lost, unsure of where I was going, and frankly, a bit broken.  It was 2010 and after going through a painful divorce, following a troubled and dark marriage,  I needed SOMETHING.  My boyfriend at the time, now fiancé, (bless his heart) had bought me a Yoga DVD for Christmas.  I popped it in, and was intrigued but discouraged because I didn’t feel like I was doing the postures right and wasn’t feeling the benefits I heard you were supposed to have.  I disheartedly commented, “Maybe I just need to take a class.”  That was just the beginning of the healthiest relationship I have ever had…my Yoga practice. 

I remember how it was for me when I first started.  First of all, I SUCKED, which surprised me greatly.  Well, this turned out to be very challenging but I kept pressing on day after day.  Physically, I adapted and my body started to change, but really the true change was far more dear and precious-and completely unexpected, a sense of love and self worth. 

I thought I had loved myself before my practice.  But it showed up for me in different destructive ways.  I didn’t really value myself or my body.  I ate and drank what I wanted and didn’t really think of any consequences.  I was very self gratifying but again, not in a nourturing way.   What happened for me during the times that I forced myself to take a Yoga class and push myself through my excuses, is I started to actually show up for MYSELF.  Day by day, moment to moment, I realized so much about who I am and what I have to offer.  I started to feel a true sense of gratitude for life and for whom I chose to fill it with.  I started to truly love myself and care about the choices that I made and demand more for myself.  I can’t even begin to express how Yoga has helped shaped me into the woman that I am proud to be today.

The reason why I tell my story is because we all have a story.  Most of us can identify with some dark or currently dark times.  Many of us can relate to feeling stuck, alone, un-nourtured, broken, unwanted, etc etc.  Yoga to me, was the greatest gift that found its way into my heart.  And I want to share it with some women that may or may not ever have the opportunity to experience. 

I, along with my amazing Team, am putting together a Healing and Yoga Retreat to benefit 20 women from Haven Hills Shelter who are victims of Domestic Violence.  The retreat itself will be a 2 day/1 night stay in beautiful Topanga Canyon in a quiet and scenic B&B.  They will experience guided Yoga and Meditation, healthy organic meals, workshops, group therapy with professionals, connection to nature, hiking, a “Cooking For Nourishment” class, Reiki, and other self care/beautifying activities.

  We are hosting a silent auction/fundraiser at our studio to support this venture on August 8^th from 7-10:30PM during Highland Park Art walk.  We will feature live music, a healthy taco food truck, complimentary beverages, awesome goods and services from local businesses and vendors to bid on, and mini reiki, massage, and taro card reading stations.  All donations will be used towards funding the retreat.  Please come out and have fun with us! 

For more information on how to get involved or to make a donation, please visit www.HealTheAbuseRetreat.com

Yoga and healthy self care brought me so much joy and closer to myself.  I want to share with those who need a little extra love in this world.  Please join us in this beautiful cause and help support and bring awareness to Domestic Violence.   Your support will make such a difference!  Namaste. 

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!