Ever wonder how yoga relates to justice and peace? Check out a blog post by Yoga District founder Jasmine on how our yoga practice can serve as self care and as a practice of peace in its own right. From teachings of former Harvard Professor Ram Das to Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Emily Greene Balch, you’ll explore a few simple ideas about how everyday life is full of opportunities to practice peace.

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IS peace the point or the journey? 

Back in 2009 I asked Ram Das, former Harvard professor and author of Be Here Now (pictured here), how to love people who I considered political enemies. He told me:

“You’ll never find peace in the outside world. Just go inside, find peace, then become an instrument of peace.”

So next time you do some yoga, do it as an instrument of peace. Your practice is not just for you. It’s for everyone, everywhere, who deserves or needs that peace. It’s for peace itself.

Every time you practice in this way, it’s as if you’re making a little deposit in the universal bank account of peace. When you join a peace demonstration, when you are kind, when you eat vegan, when you don’t buy something you don’t need, when you speak truth to power, you’re making little deposits in the peace bank.

If you’re attached to achieving peace, you might find yourself upset with much of the results these days. But attachment to achieving peace isn’t the goal. Instead, like Nobel Peace Prize laureate Emily Greene Balch (pictured here) said, “Peace is the way.” So the goal is to peacefully fight for the fight for peace.

As always, thanks for sharing your practice with us, and please keep finding ways to contribute to peace. Be sure to do plenty of yoga as self care so you develop strong resilience to any ups and downs you have on the journey! 

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 Meet Maylin, one of our teachers at Yoga District who focuses on accessibility, inclusivity, and healing practices. Learn about her journey with yin yoga and how she helps her students practice the best yoga for their bodies. Check out Maylin’s current class offerings at bit.ly/yd-maylin. 

Yin yoga features poses held for longer periods of time compared to flow and other hatha yoga classes, and the practice incorporates principles of traditional Chinese medicine.  It’s a great way to do some deep, meditative stretches to develop real flexibility and mindfulness.

Yin Yoga Journey 

I’ve been practicing yoga since college but had only done ashtanga/vinyasa classes. To rebuild my strength after an injury, I took a Yin/Yang class and discovered that I really loved the yin practice. Finding that yin teachers were in short supply, I did extensive yin yoga teacher training and even trained under its founders, Paul Grilley and Sarah Powers. 

Now, as a yin teacher, I love sharing my practice with others. Not only does this practice provide physical, energetic, and mindful benefits, it encourages each student to customize poses to their bodies (1). For example, in yin yoga, we can all be in slightly different poses when working on hamstrings. Each of us utilizes props as we see fit to support ourselves in our poses. Since we hold yin poses for several minutes, I have time to work with students individually to make their poses optimal for their bodies. 

Yoga for All

A lot of people tell me they can’t do yoga because they aren’t flexible, which is a huge misconception. My teacher Bernie Clark is famous for saying, “We do not use the body to get into a pose – we use the pose to get into our body.” I encourage people who haven’t tried yoga to not worry about looking “perfect” in a pose or whether they can touch their toes. Yoga is about getting in tune with body and breath. You may eventually find some mindfulness and energetic benefits as well. 

My yin yoga training has taught me a lot about skeletal variation. Everybody has a unique skeletal structure and we may need to adjust poses accordingly (2). For example, I have a long torso and short arms, so it’s impossible for me to touch my hips in the starting position of a bridge pose. I can come into a traditional bridge pose, but I’ve learned that I can get into a much deeper backbend and feel more supported with my feet further apart.

Our skeletal structures may also limit us when doing certain poses. For example, I admit that even as a yoga teacher, I cannot do a headstand because of the structure of my shoulders and length of my arms. In a supported headstand, I learned that my head was hitting the ground first just by a bit, which is why I could never figure out how to leverage my arms to support me in the inversion. In my classes, I incorporate teaching with skeletal variation (i.e. functionally). I will be pursuing more training in functional vinyasa and hope to share this approach when teaching vinyasa as well. 

Teaching Yoga

I love that I get to teach a variety of students in my classes. I strongly believe in making my yin and yin/yang classes accessible to all ages, body types, and conditions. It’s inspiring that so many students, particularly those with injuries and conditions, are willing to try my classes and trust me to guide them in their practice. 

In my classes, the top requests I get from students are to work on hips and shoulders. These areas carry a lot of tension and emotion in our bodies. Prior to COVID-19, I would often do some gentle adjustments and reiki on my students during yin poses. I feel my students’ energy change during child’s pose, figure four, or sleeping swan — a yin version of pigeon (3). They tend to release stress during shoulder openers, such as supported heart-opener, supported fish pose, or simply savasana (4 and 5).

Sources

1. 1. Benefits of Yin, https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/types-of-yoga/yin/yin-yoga-2/
   2. A Lesson in Anatomy: Why Your Practice Won’t Look Like Anyone Else’s, https://yogainternational.com/article/view/a-lesson-in-anatomy-why-your-practice-wont-look-like-anyone-elses
   3. Sleeping swan pose, https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/9618/sleeping-swan-pose-yi
   4. Supported fish pose (Matsyana), https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/modify-fish-pose-joy-contentment/
   5. Savasana, https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/6582/savasana

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Most yoga that you practice is likely yang in nature like a Vinyasa Flow. A dynamic class that is active to a certain degree working your muscles, building strength, stamina, and flexibility. 

Michelle, a Yoga District teacher, talks about her experience with Yin Yoga. Learn about this incredibly rewarding practice and maybe try a Yin class or workshop for yourself.

Yin Yoga’s Power

As I sat back in child pose, I felt a sudden urge to cry. It was as though my 5 year old self was holding me in present form, caressing my back while telling me I’m doing great and will be okay. I didn’t understand what was happening. All I knew was that I couldn’t hold back the tears. I began sobbing like a child in the middle of the class. Concerned by how I would be perceived by everyone around me, I tried to talk myself out of crying. “Stop! You’re being too emotional! What’s wrong with you? Everyone is watching!”

Of course, judging never works and I broke down in an even louder sob. I didn’t know why I was crying but I knew I needed a release. I left class feeling light and revived – like I had untapped a new source of energy. I wasn’t quite sure what had transcended but I knew that Yin Yoga was powerful stuff.

Unlike restorative which is more soothing and prop heavy, Yin is a healing modality by which stillness in certain asanas (poses) stimulates our fascia (2). – the stuff that literally binds us together (i.e. the connective tissue.)

Meridian Lines & Yin Yoga

According to Dr. Motoyama (3), fascia runs along the same pathways as the energy lines/meridian lines of Ancient Chinese Medicine. So by stressing the fascia, we stimulate the energy lines inducing certain physical and emotional responses. Responses can vary according to the organ that’s stimulated – for example during the last YinDulge Yourself Workshop in June some participants shared they felt “so open” and “light” in their upper body. They felt a sensation of their “hearts overflowing” and some went on to describe a “euphoric state”. These are all effects associated with stressing and releasing the pericardium fascia which run along the heart and lung meridians (shoulders, rib cage, belly).

If we give ourselves permission to slow down, sense ourselves, take up space, and observe our thought patterns then we are able to access our deeply written programming.  With enough practice and skill Yin Yoga gives us the opportunity to rewrite our own stories. 

What you can Expect in a Yin Class:

• Longer held meditative poses (usually on the ground) 
• Non active stretching (ie folding forward vs. pulling forward)
• An opportunity to tune in to the patterns of tension in our body and mind, followed by a release or sense of spaciousness in both the mind and body
• A sense of rejuvenation and increased mobility of the joints

For a taste of Yin Yoga’s power, try one of  Yoga District’s  Yin Yoga Yoga classes!

Sources:

1. Yin Yoga https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/5216/yin-yoga
2. Fascia https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4173815/
3. Theories of the Chakras https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1924113.Theories_of_the_Chakras#

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If you’re wondering about Dharma Yoga then don’t be afraid to try it. Feel free to attend one of our Dharma inspired classes! Maybe join us for one of Yoga District’s annual Dharma Day with international teacher, Sri Dharma Mittra! Emily and Christina, Yoga District teachers, highlight the practices of Dharma Yoga and it’s personal impact.

Origin & Principles of Dharma Yoga

Dharma yoga is based on the teachings of Sri Dharma Mittra (1). Sri Dharma Mittra is a humble yet humorous teacher and a true yoga master. He has been teaching yoga in New York City and internationally for over 50 years. You may recognize him from the Master Yoga Chart of 908 poses or from his framed photograph, which hangs in Yoga District studios.

Dharma Yoga Chart of 908 Poses

Dharma yoga is derived from various practices with a focus on the Eight Limbs of Yoga (2). The principles of Dharma yoga are rooted in the classical system of hatha-raja yoga. It emphasizes a clear mind, vibrant health, and a kind heart. Sri Dharma Mittra often reminds his students that yoga without the ethical guidelines of Yamas (restraints) and Niyamas (observances) is like spaghetti without the sauce. Compassion towards all beings is at the heart of Dharma Yoga. Dharma Yoga should move the practitioner closer to the goal of self-realization.

Christina’s Introduction to Dharma Yoga

Sri Dharma Mittra Headstand

In  2008, I discovered Sri Dharma Mittra when I saw a photograph of him doing a hands-free headstand on a manhole in the middle of the street. I was drawn to attempt the pose and was curious about the man in the picture. I traveled to New York City after discovering he taught a special three-hour class (Maha Sadhana- The Great Practice) one Saturday a month.  I didn’t know anything about Dharma or his lineage but I was blown away by the packed studio and the palpable excitement. I’ll never forget him opening the class, walking around the room and past my mat, and saying, “Imagine God is standing in front of your mat.”  His class and teachings brought me to a new depth of yoga practice, beyond asana, that I didn’t realize I was missing.

Christina’s Experience with Sri Dharma Mittra

Sri Dharma Mittra Teaching

Attending Dharma’s 200- and 500-hour teacher trainings in New York City was an amazing opportunity for me to learn from a living master and his dedicated staff.

It helped me develop the benefits of consistent breathing and concentration during my yoga practice.  Dharma says to do ten minutes of savasana, or deep relaxation, every day to experience wonderful physical and mental benefits.

Above all else, Sri Dharma’s priority and passion is to teach about the ethical rules of yoga, with the foundational step of Ahimsa, or non-violence.  He suggests we let our compassion extend beyond our immediate family and to all living creatures.

A Dharma Yoga Class

Dharma Yoga Class

Dharma Yoga is classic Hatha-Raja yoga .  Well balanced classes begin with vinyasa then hatha style of practice including standing balancing postures and floor postures.

Classes start with a warm-up sequence called Shiva Namaskara (vinyasa in style) (3).  Followed by a series of hatha style main poses held for longer periods of time.  Breath is not cued and students are encouraged to allow the breath to be natural.  Dharma classes are notable for efforts by the teacher to fit in breathing exercises, guided deep relaxation, bit of concentration or meditation, and maybe even chanting.

Come explore Dharma Yoga Class at Yoga District.  Instructors keep it approachable and will help modify the sequence and poses to fit each student’s body and level of experience.

Dharma Yoga Readings, References & Resources:

• 1.Interviews with Sri Dharma Mittra & videos of his classes: Dharma Yoga Center YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/user/TheDharmaTube
• 2. Sri Dharma Mittra & Dharma Yoga information, quotes, and photographs: Dharma Yoga Center’s website, https://www.dharmayogacenter.com
• 3. Practice with the yoga master at Sri Dharma Mittra in NYC at weekly classes, https://www.dharmayogacenter.com/classes-and-workshops/register-online-2/

Dharma Day

If you are interested in exploring Dharma Yoga then come to Yoga District’s annual Dharma Day with teacher, Sri Dharma Mittra! You will have the option to sign up for individual classes or to attend all day. Dharma Day will hopefully resume when it is safe health wise.

Typical Dharma Day schedule:

• 9:30-10:00 Community Mantra & Chanting: Kirtan  (Donations class)
• 10:00-12:00 Master Class
• 12:00-1:00 Yoga Nidra
• 2:30-5:00 All-Levels Practice

Class descriptions:

Master Class

The workshop will include: Asana, Guided Meditation, Pranayama, Chanting, Lecture and Guided Relaxation.  Sri Dharma Mittra will provide profound sacred teachings on the ethical rules, nature of being, yogic diet, ancient varied breathing practices, and sound techniques.

Yoga Nidra

This guided restorative session helps you break free from the stress of the noisy and restless world that maintains its presence in our bodies and minds at all times.

All- Levels

This workshop includes Asana, Guided Meditation, Pranayama, Chanting, Lecture on Purification, Guided Relaxation, and a “Devotional Dharma Asana Satsang Jam”

Sources:

1. Sri Dharma, https://www.dharmayogacenter.com/about/about-dharma-mittra/
2. Eight Limbs of Yoga, https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/the-eight-limbs
3. Shiva Namaskara, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0skdIDSSzQ

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Salamba Bharadvajasana (Supported Spinal Twist)

Embrace the Calm

Deep breath in. Slow sigh out.  Body sinks to floor. Mind becomes decluttered.  

I attended my first restorative yoga class during a high stress week. This passive practice has become a beautiful counter to my hectic life. Plus in this hot summer it is an excellent way to cool the body down. While it’s not always easy to relax one’s mind and body, the benefits are abundant.

Read on as Christine, a Yoga District teacher, highlights the principles and practices of Restorative Yoga.

If you’re wondering about Restorative Yoga then don’t be afraid to try it. Feel free to attend one of our Restorative Yoga classes or any upcoming workshop.

Origin and Principles of Restorative Yoga

Supported Savasana (Supported Reclining Pose)

Relaxation is the antidote to stress!

Restorative Yoga, also known as the “Rest and Digest”, practice originated from the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar . It brings deep relaxation and balance to both the mind and body. One of Iyengar’s senior teachers, Judith Lasater popularized Restorative Yoga in the U.S. calls it “an active relaxation.”

The comfort and needs of the individual are met with the use of props to support the body in relaxation poses. Along with the props’ support, Restorative Yoga also uses gravity to assist with relaxation and release of tension. Minimal light to darkness, silence, warmth, and natural or calming breathing are used to reduce excess stimuli and keep the muscles and mind tranquil.

Additional helpful info:

Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall)

This is a self-care practice that counters the chronic stress and fast-paced lifestyle of the modern day.

The supported poses and calming breathing provide deep restfulness that nourishes the organ systems of the body and activates the Parasympathetic Nervous System (digestion). This balances our body’s “fight or flight” stress response that comes from the Sympathetic Nervous System.

Restorative Yoga gives time and space for ourselves, allowing us to just be, giving the body a chance to heal itself and the mind a time to settle through relaxation.

Common benefits:

• Relieve effects of chronic stress
• Reduction of blood pressure
• Improves sleep
• Improves digestion
• Reduces muscle tension and general fatigue

Sources and recommended readings:

• ‘Light on Life’: B.K.S. Iyengar’s Yoga Insights
• Judith Lasater
• Therapeutic Yoga by Cheri Clampett

Restorative Yoga Class

Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Butterfly Pose)

Restorative yoga classes are accessible for new and experienced yoga practitioners. They can be adapted for various conditions and injuries. A class typically consists of only a few postures. A little goes a long way!

Classes generally begin with grounding and breathing practices in a seated or reclined restorative pose. Then a slow transitions to each supported pose, held up to 15 minutes.

Props such as blankets, bolsters, blocks, and straps are offered in different variations and can be adjusted in each pose as needed. The purpose is to find a comfortable position with the props. This will allow the body to release on its own with minimal or no effort.

I often tell students, “You are not supposed to feel a stretch, but rather a sigh of release as if you can fall asleep in the pose.”

If you feel a pull or a stretch, the sensation will only intensify countering the active relaxation.

Come explore Restorative Yoga Class at Yoga District by signing up here

Resting Dragonfly

A Restorative Yoga Workshop 

During a typical Restorative workshop, your body and mind will become cool and at ease. Students will be guided through a series of gentle stretches and comfortable restorative poses. This will be combine with breathing practices, visualization, and meditation. It is designed to lead the body to gently open and release into a deep relaxation. 

Join me and you might just fall in love with the Restorative Yoga!

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Welcome to our

Yoga is steeped in history and tradition. It began over 5,000 years ago.  Several different types of yoga have emerged and each offer their own unique practice.  Our newest series will explore various yoga practices.

Jess, a Yoga District teacher, explores the ancient tradition of Ashtanga Yoga and how it does not need to be an intimidating practice.

Feel free to attend one of our Ashtanga inspired classes or any upcoming workshop.

Sign up here for the classes.

If you’re wondering about Ashtanga yoga then don’t be afraid to try it out! It builds strength, flexibility, coordination and symmetry in the body through set sequences.  

Ashtanga Yoga History & Overview

Ashtanga can be a very intimidating practice because of its strong ties to tradition and rigid sequencing. Yet it is actually the root of all modern vinyasa flow practices.  In the 1950’s, Ashtanga yoga began to spread to the West via K. Pattabhi Jois, a direct student of Krishnamacharya. Eventually westerners adapted the practice to better suit their needs and the needs of their students. It evolved into Power Yoga and other more familiar types of yoga.

Ashtanga is generally practiced Mysore style. This style originated in Mysore, India. In Mysore practice, students are not led together by a teacher but instead practice at their own pace. The teacher gives them poses of a set sequence one by one that they must memorize. Students may not progress past the pose they have been given or make modifications to either the sequence or each pose.

Ashtanga Primary Series

The most commonly practiced sequence is the Primary Series:

• It starts with the Sun Salutations and standing poses like warriors and triangles (the same standing poses that we know and love)!
• The sequence then moves towards a series of seated postures that become progressively more pretzel-like. There’s a vinyasa (jump back to chaturanga, upward facing dog, downward facing dog, jump right back through to the seat) between each seated posture.
• All Ashtanga practices end with the finishing series. It starts with 5 rounds of bridge or wheel pose and then moves into cooling inversions followed by meditative postures to prepare the body for rest.

Principles of Ashtanga

Whether you’re a Mysore practitioner or simply a yogi that dabbles in led primary series then the principles of the practice are the same:

• pranayama (breath focused)
• bahnda (core engagement)
• drishti (gaze)

You may have heard these terms used in a vinyasa flow class since they are so integral to the vinyasa method.

Ashtanga Yoga Classes

Ashtanga yoga is held very sacred to some who only practiced it Mysore style. Yet, others wish Ashtanga to be accessible to a wider group of practitioners.

Teachers who hold a more progressive view may lead primary or modified primary series classes. These classes invite students to try out the full series even if they have to modify or skip some poses (or some of the 40+ vinyasas typically practiced in a primary series).

Ashtanga doesn’t have to be intimidating! Yoga District offers Ashtanga inspired classes along with three weekly led primary series. Don’t worry, we keep it approachable and will help you to modify the sequence and poses to fit your body and level.

Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga Workshop

Ashtanga Yoga is now one of my favorite practices. I love the mobility, symmetry, and awareness it cultivated in my body.  

In a typical workshop: you’ll learn the origins of Ashtanga, be instructed in Pranayama (breath-work work), run through a 90-minute asana practice (break down the poses and transitions) of modified primary sequence series.

Come ready to sweat, deepen your practice and connection to the roots of flow yoga.

Join me and you might just fall in love with the Ashtanga too!

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Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga have a natural sense of community

In the second post of our Children & Yoga series Taylor, a Doula and Yoga District teacher, shares insights about the benefits of teaching and practicing prenatal & postnatal yoga. 

Feel free to attend a Yoga District prenatal or postal class!

Sign up for a class here.

A main goal of yoga is to tune in to and learn more about our body. Through a regular asana practice we start to become more aware of our body’s needs and limits. This awareness in our yoga practice can extend to everything we do throughout the rest of our day.

Apply this same goal to Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga. Try to tune in and learn more about our body: prepare for pregnancy, the childbirth process, the postpartum period, and early parenthood.

Yoga Practice Designed for the Prenatal Body

Prenatal Yoga class builds strength to stabilize parts of your body. During pregnancy your body may become hypermobile in parts due to some of your hormones.

Lean how to use yoga techniques like asana and pranayama in childbirth specifically. Practice shapes that are conducive to labor. Poses you might want to do while giving birth are great to practice throughout your pregnancy. This will enable you to get used to it as your body is changing.

Pranayama (breathing techniques) bring a certain kind of balancing and calming energy, which is essential for labor and once the baby arrives. Calming breath (equal inhales and exhales) and Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) are used frequently in class.

This type of yoga is great for anyone who has questions about pregnancy and birth. As well as how to use a yoga practice to facilitate connection to yourself, your partner, and your baby during that time.

Yoga Practice Designed for the Postnatal Body

Postnatal Yoga class emphasizes letting the body heal from labor and pregnancy. Providing a nurturing time to get to know your body now that it needs to care for and possibly nourish a child (if breast/chestfeeding).  Also gentle strengthening, stretching, and breath-work that is found in prenatal yoga.

Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Community

There is a natural sense of community with prenatal and postnatal yoga. You are sharing your practice time and space with other people who are in the same very powerful stage of life. You are preparing to welcome a new life into your family.

Sense of community is one of the reasons I love teaching prenatal and postnatal yoga. The saying goes “it takes a village to raise a child”. As a yoga teacher and a Doula, I know it also takes a village (yoga community) to raise up a parent. It can feel incredibly isolating, welcoming that new life, without support of other people we know and care for around us.

Teaching prenatal and postnatal yoga classes, more than anything else have made me much closer with the Yoga District community. Seeing people go through their pregnancy from beginning to end then meeting the baby afterwards is so special. I continually feel honored that people trust me to facilitate their practice at such an important part of life.

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