The Gayatri Mantra

Om bhur bhuvah svah
Tat savitur varenyam
Bhargo devasya dhimashi
Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat

"Om, We meditate on that
wondrous Spirit of the
Divine Solar Light, which
shines in every dimension of
life. May that Light inspire and
guide our inner vision."

Restorative and Chakra Yoga

In addition to my private yoga instruction, I am pleased to announce two new classes at the Novi Civic Center come January 2011. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Online registration begins December 13, 2010 at www.cityofnovi.org.

Restorative Yoga ~ Tuesday at 10am
Create balance physically and mentally with Hatha yoga poses and meditation. Bring your response system back into equilibrium by triggering the parasympathetic nervous system. This class is suitable for the beginner to intermediate level. Bring a mat, strap, block and towel/blanket.

Chakra Yoga ~ Saturday at 10am
Explore all three aspects of your yoga practice (physical, mental and energy/spiritual) and tailor them to your unique personality and circumstances. This journey will take you deep within yourself to experience the balance and union that is yoga. This class will include some Vinyasa flow and is suitable for beginner through intermediate level. Bring a mat and blanket/towel.

Namaste ~ MJ

Mantra For Peace

Om saha navavatu saha nau bhunaktu
saha viryam kara vavahai
tejasvi nava dhitamastu
ma vidvisha vahai
om santi santi santihi

OM Lord, protect us as one,
Nourish us Lord, as one.
Let us flourish in Thy strength as one.
Let our knowledge, O Lord, be changed to Light and
Change our hate to love,
OM Peace, peace, peace.

Fall Yoga

October presents an ongoing Slow Flow Vinyasa (Bhakti/Devotional Yoga)at St. James Catholic Church in Novi (46325 W. 10 Mile Rd.) Wednesday's at 7:15pm. No RSVP necessary nor religious affiliation. Cost: FREE

Bhakti Yoga Private Sessions (Please call to schedule your session)


~ Private $35/hr. first private session
~ $50 one hour private session/$75 out of studio within 15 mile radius
~ 5 private sessions for $225, 60 minutes each (Save $25)
~ 5 private sessions for $325, 90 minutes each (save $50)tea and chakra assessment included
~ Yoga & Massage (with nationally certified therapist) $100 per session, allow two hours
~ Novi Chamber of Commerce Discount (please call for details)
~ PayPal available

~Wear comfortable clothing that allows you to move freely.
~If needed, eat a healthy, small meal at least an hour and a half before class.
~We encourage you to bring your own mat, but if you need to,
we have a limited number for use.
~Please reserve your space ahead of time and arrive 5-10 minutes early.


Blogger's notes: Although I am not in Key West anymore, my spirit floats anywhere I send it. As long as it is from the heart, our Anahata Chakra, the genuine intention holds steadfast.
When on the mat, my intentions vary, but they are always from the heart. They shift from peace, to family, to strangers, to global issues, to causes and the list goes on. It is the quest of a yogini (or yogi) to follow those intentions off the mat or to release them when fulfilled. Tonight, my intention is for my children. Sweet dreams...

Bhakti Semi-Private Yoga Schedule

Sunday, August 29 ~ 7:00pm
Wednesday, Sep. 1 ~ 7:30pm FREE to launch Yoga Awareness Month*
Sunday, Sep. 5 ~ 10:00am
Sunday, Sep. 19 ~ 10:00am
Saturday, Sep. 25 ~ 10:00am
Sunday, Sep. 26 ~ 7:00pm

*The Department of Health and Human Services has declared the first National Yoga Awareness Month! If you've never tried it, join our journey for personal balance where we honor these values (our essence): Let go of competition, expectation, judgment, stay in the present moment, feel, breathe, and listen.

Yoga Awareness Month FREE Slow Flow Vinyasa beginning Wednesday, Sep. 8 at St. James Catholic Church in Novi (46325 W. 10 Mile Rd.). No RSVP necessary. Bring your own mat. Tentative start time is 7:30pm. Check blog for updates.


Please RSVP 24 hours in advance for semi-private instruction and email or phone to arrange private instruction. Thank you!

"Love is the force behind Consciousness. Whenever I put love first I am aligned with Consciousness, and my life flows effortlessly."

Last Week at a Glance ~ From Marathon Runners to 3-Day Walkers

This last week I was honored with two opportunities. The first was to speak and perform a demo for an advanced marathon running group at the Running Fit store in Northville. I was so pleased and pleasantly surprised to find approximately 30 runners prepared (with mats and all!) to unwind with me after their run in our 90 degree weather.
Even amidst the heat and perspiration, the pleasant smiles, warm greetings and positive attitudes were all I needed to share my passion and practice of yoga. Oh, and I failed to mention the fact that we were on Haggerty Rd. outside the store so there was a pertinent need to project my voice over the trailing rush hour. Such a gesture is not typical of a soothing yoga practice, but when the need arises to make do, you make do!
The goal was to stretch and educate on the benefits of yoga to runners. Ahhhhh, where do I begin? To summarize the lengthy answer was a challenge, but not out of my grasp. I presented a foundation with the essence of yoga: breathing, listening, feeling, staying in the present moment and letting go of expectations, judgment and competition. Of course, to combat the 1,000 steps per mile that a runner takes and any physical misalignments, we focused on core, breathing, and mind/body synergy. I pray the evening was mutually beneficial as I was beaming with energy arriving at home.
This energy is identical to the energy I felt consume me after I had the pleasure of stretching out another group of approximately 30 walkers on day two of the infamous 3 Day Walk for Breast Cancer. The atmosphere here was was of friendship, love, humility, and selflessness. Women walking for themselves, for loved ones past, and for endless friends with one common goal.
Details of such an event take months of planning and to provide stanchioned space and (pink) yoga mats but no instructor was merely an oversight I'm sure. When a walker friend called me pleading to instruct, I was honored to assist and join my mother (a two-time walker) to support an endearing cause and share my passion of yoga with others. Though handfuls of walkers bypassed the mat for the medic tent, others awaited instruction and relief on their pink mats.
With my 11-year-old son at my side (and camera in his hand) we made our way through the barricades, police and volunteers to make way to the main camp. We were greeted by fatigued, but spirited walkers and soon the flow began...fulfillment for a yogini, a serendipitous experience for my son (from vans decorated with undergarments to port-a-potties with Dr. Seuss on them), pain relief for the walker's arduous day, and a dose of gratefulness for all.
Cancer surrounds us in all forms and the benefits of yoga are vast. From improved sleep patterns, to self awareness and acceptance, to empowerment of the mind to stress reduction and beyond, yoga brings peace and balance to all those who seek it. A cleansing breath brings detoxification and purification. Strength is built and/or maintain when the physical body is weak. If only to give yourself the time you deserve for yourself, an hour for the day or for a week. Learn to live yoga off the mat and see your life and world transformed.
Blessings to all those touched by cancer in any form. For strength, for love, for hope and eternal peace.

Yoga and Chakras: Understanding How They Work Together For a Balanced Life

"The Chakra System is a map for the journey through life. Its seven rainbow colors represent the full spectrum of human possibility that stretches from the ordinary to the extraordinary, from Earth to Heaven." Anodea Judith

Learning about the chakras gives you access to your programmed responses so you can minimize their negative effects and maximize their positive ones.
A chakra is a spinning vortex of activity created by the presence of the consciousness within the physical body. There are seven major chakras whose locations correspond to seven central nerve ganglia branching out from the spinal column. The mind and the body are brought together by the life force running through you. In yoga, it is referred to as prana, which is equal to chi. Both mean “life force”. It is this vital energy that the chakras organize. When we work mind and body together (as in yoga), the basic tasks of life flow more smoothly and enjoyably.
The word chakra means wheel or disc. There are various ways to balance these spinning discs, but one consistent identity is their color. Imagery used with chakra balancing is that of a lotus flower…a flower that grows out of the mud unfolding into divine purity and beauty suggesting expansion of the soul. Below are characteristics of each chakra:

Chakra One
Location: Root of spine
Purpose: Foundation, grounding, survival, stability
Color: Red
Lotus Flower: 4 petals
Chakra Two
Location: Sacral area
Purpose: Movement and flow
Color: Orange
Lotus Flower: 6 petals
Chakra Three
Location: Solar plexus
Purpose: Energy, will
Color: Yellow
Lotus Flower: 10 petals
Chakra Four
Location: Chest/heart
Purpose: Love, relationship, compassion
Color: Green
Lotus Flower: 12 petals
Chakra Five
Location: Throat
Purpose: Communication, creativity
Color: Bright blue
Lotus Flower: 16 petals
Chakra Six
Location: Brow/third eye
Purpose: Seeing, intuition, insight
Color: Indigo
Lotus Flower: 2 petals
Chakra Seven
Location: Crown of head
Purpose: Pure awareness, understanding, unity with divine
Color: Violet or white
Lotus Flower: infinite petals

Using Nadi Sodhana Pranayama to Achieve Balance, Clarity, and Peace

Sadly, the world is in a hurry and life is passing us by. If we could only eliminate ten of the items on our 20-item “to-do” lists, we could perhaps find ourselves on a path to some balance, clarity, and peace. Though many are told to rid their lives of unnecessary “things” and slow down the warp speed pace, they still don’t listen. A nod of acknowledgement gets them off the hook and on their way they go back to the daily grind.

Somewhere out there exists a select few have taken the path to peace, or rather, found the path to peace. A path where each step unfolds into a beautiful journey. This is a quest that will come at no cost, but have many, rich rewards. Call it an alchemy of sorts where wisdom is gained through prayer, breath, and silence.

Though silence is necessary for authentic meditation and prayer, there are actions necessary to achieve enlightenment. Arriving at a place where there is no judgment, no competition or expectations. Yoga, in any form, brings us to this place. When we use karma (which means action), it is a force causing good things or bad things to come to us. Since it is really our own inner conditionings and processes that are leading us to experience outer effects or consequences in relation to our own actions, we must continually monitor our choices for the self to rest in its true nature.

Yes, mind games. Or let’s say mind balance. One way to achieve this balance is through relaxation. We can achieve relaxation through our breathing. In many forms of yoga the three-part breath is used. Before final Savasana, or any time we need to fight off stress, we can perform Nadi Sodhana Pranayama = nostril breathing.

Purification of (energy) channels through nostril breathing is balancing, relaxing, and calming. Thus, eases stress through lowering heart rate, synchronizes the two hemispheres of the brain, synchronizes breathe through continued practice and can ultimately lead to spiritual awakening.

If you are unable to breathe through either side of the nose, you will not be able to perform this practice. The air must be able to move without obstruction to perform the pranayama (breathe). Wait until you are clear or use the Jala Neti Pot technique.
1. Sit in a comfortable cross legged position on a cushion to ensure a straight spine.
2. Relax the entire body by closing your eyes.
3. Begin with your right hand in Vishnu Mudra: fold your pointer and middle fingers into your palm, leaving your thumb, ring finger, and pinky sticking up.
4. Bring your thumb to the right side of your nose and your ring finger to the left side.
5. Close off your right nostril with your thumb.
6. Inhale through your left nostril for eight counts or until you reach your full and comfortable inhalation.
7. Close off your left nostril with your ring finger.
8. Open and exhale through your right nostril again for equal counts.
9. Inhale through your right nostril.
10. Close off your right nostril with your thumb.
11. Open and exhale through your left nostril.
12. Inhale through your left nostril.
13. Continue alternating 5 to 10 times.

I will use this technique in some of my classes so please feel free to reserve space for a class that is convenient for you. Hope to see you soon! Until then, breathe long and deep, close your eyes, feel the sun on your face, the wind in your hair, and the beat of your own heart….
Namaste~
MJ

New Yoga Website Coming Soon....

I am pleased to announce that I will have a wonderful space in Novi available soon for small group and private yoga. Though my foundation is devotional (Bhakti), my practice, like any, will create strength, flexibility, tone muscles, bring peace and serenity to our all consuming and hectic lives.
There will be great savings for series packages for the first 30 days so take advantage of this and please share with your friends and family!

Let the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable to Him.

Namaste ~

MJ

Vinyasa at The Sports Club of Novi

I am pleased to announce that I am teaching a Vinyasa class this week at The Sports Club of Novi. http://thesportsclubs.com/
This Thursday, April 1 at 5:30pm to 6:45pm. It is free to members, but if you would like to take a tour you can take the class. Allow a half hour for that and you will also be required to sign a waiver.
It will be 90 degrees and fast flowing. Be prepared for Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose). So, get ready and join me if you can!

"May I be at peace... May my heart remain open... May I know the beauty of my own true nature... May I be a source of healing in the world."


Namaste ~ MJ