Yoga Journal December 2009

yoga JOURNAL
3 key moves
for healthy
shoulders
SPIRITUALITY
stress-free
RELATIONSHIPS
body, happy
NATURE
6 soul
WORK
poses to reconnect
HOME
with yourself
MEDITATION
Home practice
to transform your
FOOD
perspective
FITNESS
Strengthen your core

HEALTH
Give from the heart:

be generous in hard times
Joy of baking:
DECEMBER 2009
vegan chocolate cake
WHY WE GOSSIP,
WHY WE SHOULDN’T
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d ecem b er 2009
contents
on the cover
3 key moves for
healthy shoulders (85)
Stress-free body,
happy soul
72 6 poses to reconnect
with yourself (72)
Home practice
features to transform your

perspective (63)
Strengthen
on solid ground ( 72 ) your core (46)
Give roots to your restorative practice Give from the

heart: Be generous
and be free to expand. by Karen Macklin
in hard times (19, 66)
Joy of baking: vegan
gifts of love ( 66 ) chocolate cake (35)
Celebrate the yogis in your life this holiday Why we gossip, why
FROM TOP: RICHARD SEAGRAVES; THAYER ALLYSON GOWDY; CHRIS ANDRE

season by sharing presents from the heart. we shouldn’t (55)
66
a good read ( 80 )
Cover credits
Curious about all that yoga has to offer?
Seane Corn in Surya
80 Get off your mat and cozy up with a good Yantrasana (Sundial
Pose), variation;
yoga book! by Hillari Dowdle
stylist: Rita Rago;
hair/makeup: Jetty
Stutzman/Aim Artists
Agency; clothing:
Beyond Yoga.
Photographed by
DAV I D R OT H
4 YO GAJ O U R N A L .CO M DECEMBER 2009

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contents d ecem b er 2009
35 departments
39
adventure ( 39 ) practice
Peak experience Soothing yoga added
to a snowboarding retreat makes for basics ( 46 )
the ride of a lifetime. by Lauren Ladoceour Full boat pose Paripurna Navasana builds
strong abdominal muscles that can help
media ( 89 ) support your lower back. by Marla Apt
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: SHERI GIBLIN; ZENSHUI/LAURENCE MOUTON/GETTY IMAGES; ML HARRIS/GETTY IMAGES
Reviews of the latest books, CDs, and
DVDs, including titles by Ravi Ravindra, home practice with
19 Trevor Hall, Mark Whitwell, and more. janet stone ( 63 )
Side attraction A sidebending practice
inspiration the yj interview ( 108 )

can open areas you don’t often stretch
and leave you feeling more balanced.
om ( 19 )
Accidental anatomist Yoga educator
Bringing your practice to life The gift of

Leslie Kaminoff believes that the breath anatomy ( 85 )
and the lab of the human body are our Shoulder to shoulder Liberate your upper
giving; create new traditions; natural cookie
greatest teachers. by Diane Anderson body by strengthening and lengthening your
decorations; add some seasonal sparkle.
latissimus dorsi muscles. by Roger Cole
mantra ( 44 ) food
Invoke peace Affirm that peace is always
available to you, and create more peace in eating wisely ( 35 ) EDITOR’S LETTER ( 12 )
The joy of baking One cake at a time, CONTRIBUTORS ( 14 )
the world. interpreted by Christopher D. Wallis
a woman learns to nourish the hearts of LETTERS ( 16 )
wisdom ( 55 ) friends and strangers through food.

Pssst, pass it on Gossip can cause trouble by Rachel Meyer AD FINDER ( 101 )
in your inner life as well as your outer life. YOGA PAGES ( 102 )
LIVING WELL ( 105 )
Here’s how to rein it in. by Sally Kempton
CLASSIFIEDS ( 106 )

lucy inspires performance™
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“This is
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Designed for maximum flexibility, moisture

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Now through December, a portion of the
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new at
yogajournal.com
FUL
PEACE E
PRACT
IC
25
days of
giveaways!
Yoga Journal is celebrating the holidays
with its third annual 25 Days of Give-
aways Sweepstakes. Log on for your
chance to win a different prize each day!
yogajournal.com/freestuff
READ THIS
A regular yoga practice can be a saving grace during the hustle and
Yoga Journal’s Yoga Diary blog offers
bustle of the holiday season. This video podcast will remind you to slow
a glimpse into how others experience
down your practice, take time for yourself, and keep holiday stress at bay.
the practice of yoga so that you can draw
yogajournal.com/podcast inspiration from their unique stories.

yogajournal.com/diary
DON’T WORRY, CONSIDER THIS

DO YOGA The holidays are a time for celebration,
but they’re also often the cause of
During uncertain times, yoga
tremendous overconsumption. Learn
provides welcome stress
how giving up the consumer habit for
relief and a fine opportunity
even one day can shift your view of the
for quiet reflection. This
FROM TOP: RORY EARNSHAW; THAYER ALLYSON GOWDY
world and your role in it. You might be

sequence of tension-taming
surprised by what you discover.
postures will help you find
your inner source of calm
yogajournal.com/consumption
and loosen anxiety’s grip on
your body and mind. FOLLOW THIS
yogajournal.com/anxiety
MORE ONLINE Look for this symbol throughout the magazine, pointing
you to exclusive content and free offers on yogajournal.com.

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pure, balanced & radiant

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1 0 YO GAJ O U R N A L .CO M DECEMBER 2009

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editor’s letter Ka i tl i n Q u i stg a a rd
SHIVA REA
DAILY ENERGY
VINYASA FLOW YOGA
( )
Energize your everyday
with seven 20-minute
practices to mix
all is bright
and match Beneath all the color and lights,
discover the source of holiday joy.
In my mind, December is a gorgeous collage of baking, gift making, my cousin’s

amazing winter solstice celebration ...I love the holidays! But this year, my eight-
year-old daughter wanted more than anything to be in a musical, with perfor-
mances taking place the first three weekends of the month. We’d trade in craft
making, cookie baking, and The Nutcracker for tech rehearsals and curtain calls.
PHOTO: DAVID MARTINEZ; STYLIST: LYN HEINEKEN; HAIR/MAKEUP: FRANCE PIERSON-DUSHANE/ARTIST UNTIED; RED WRAP: FOAT DESIGN; PINK TANK: JOY ORGANIC; NECKLACE: SATYA
Honestly, I found the prospect unsettling. But, seeing the delight and confi-
dence my child radiates when singing for a crowd, I agreed to set aside my tradi-
tions for a year. First, though, I thought hard about what I enjoy most about the
season and whether I’d be happy giving some of it
up. What I realized is that—for all my love of par-
ties, rituals, and gifts—the true joy of my holidays
can be traced to two simple things: connection
with people I love, and the supreme relaxation felt
on December 26, when the hoopla subsides and
there’s nothing to do but luxuriate in the stillness.
Knowing this, I figured I could easily experi-
ence a radically different December and still feel
the joy. I’d simply honor my need for connection
FLUID POWER and for deep, restful quiet. Ah, happiness is so
VINYASA much simpler than my ideas about what’s required to achieve it. Once again, a
FLOW YOGA yogic truth had revealed itself, compliments of daily life. When we spend the time
Over 3 hours of
programs and to discover and honor the source of our joy, every season is a happy one.
a customizable That connection to our underlying source of joy is something that pervades the
yoga matrix
pages of Yoga Journal and this brilliant December issue. In the spirit of celebration,
there are sweet stories on cake baking as a devotional practice (“The Joy of Baking,”
page 35) and gingerbread yoga people (“Sweet Treats,” page 26); plus a super-inspiring
SURF gift guide, with options for making your own, or finding something fabulous for
YOGA SOUL
Develop total-
your favorite yoga practitioners (“Gifts of Love,” page 66).
body strength And in the spirit of stillness, there’s a gorgeous guide to the grounding and nur-
with a unique turing practice of restorative yoga (“On Solid Ground,” page 72), plus a great feature
practice
on yoga books to curl up with on a long winter’s night (“A Good Read,” on page 80).
There’s so much more than I can mention here, but I do want to offer my grati-
tude to Janet Stone for an exhilarating home practice (“Side Attraction,” page 63)
and to Frank Jude Boccio for his eloquent guide to being “Kind and Generous”
( page 19). And to my mother, who kindly and generously set aside her expectations
of a relaxed summer to knit the spectacular shawl shown on page 67 in time to
meet our photo shoot deadline. Thanks Mom! ✤

contributors
Youÿre all seane corn

A four-time Yoga Journal cover model, Seane Corn
grown up. teaches a potent mix of vinyasa, visualization, and
prayer as a path to self-empowerment. “Through
Now eat your Self-confidence,” says Corn, “we develop trust in our
innate intuition and faith that the diverse experiences
of life—both light and dark—are equally divine.”
gummies. Corn is a co-founder of Off the Mat, Into the World, a
nonprofit devoted to humanitarian service. Having
raised $500,000 for the Cambodian Children’s Fund,
the group now hopes to help the impoverished of
Africa (visit offthematintotheworld.org/sevachallenge).
“Yoga teaches us that there is no separation,” Corn
says. “Service puts that perception into action.”
richard seagraves
When it comes to photographing yoga, Richard
Seagraves aims to evoke the same sense of peace that
you experience doing the practice. (See “On Solid
Ground,” page 72.) “Through our bodies, we can find a
deeper connection to source, and through photo-
graphing yoga, I’d love to inspire other people to find
that as well,” he says. Seagraves credits his own prac-
tice with increasing his flexibility and countering the
stiffness that comes from travel and hauling photogra-
phy equipment. It also keeps him balanced. “When I
don’t do it, I feel a little cranky,” he admits. Seagraves,
Nutrition Now
ow
w® who has worked with Cooking Light and Condé Nast
brings you the good
ood d Traveler, lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
stuff from nature in
a delicious gummymyy
FROM TOP: DAVID MARTINEZ; COURTESY OF RICHARD SEAGRAVES; WENDY YALOM

vitamin.These janet stone
n
tasty multivitamin
As an urban mother of two young girls, San Francisco
peciallly
gummies are especially
dults, with
formulated for adults, vinyasa flow teacher Janet Stone keeps plenty busy.
an excellent source of Vitamin D. Juggling the duties of packing lunches, carpooling,
Made with natural colors and flavors. and, of course, teaching yoga, she knows how easy it
is to fall into the go-go-go mode. Sidebends are one
way she finds to sidestep the constant pull to get on to
the next thing. (See “Side Attraction,” page 63.) “When
I invite my side body into my practice, I awaken to
a new way of focusing my breath and my attention
toward expansion in all directions,” she says. “A
certain softness and fluidity is invoked, and I end
Nutrition Now ®
up feeling less rigid and more able to dance between
The Good Stuff
f From Nat
a ure and expand into my various responsibilities.”
Try them all. Available in fine health food stores.
nutritionnow.com
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Embark on a healing,
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letters
Live Your Inspiration
Freedom
behind Bars
I want to commend you on “Peace on the a picture-perfect Tittibhasana—straight
Inside” (Oct. ’09). Our society focuses on legs, straight arms, fired-up toes, and all.
punishing crime rather than remedying The instruction is friendly, clear, and easy
the source of criminal activity. Yoga is the to follow. I can’t wait to “Take It Back”
only thing that has helped me realize the with Lee (in the Sept. ’09 Master Class on
source of my self-destructive behavioral dropbacks). What a treat!
patterns and the need to take control and Amanda Shepherd Long Beach, California
responsibility for the state of my mind
and my actions. I am glad that someone Where Are the Men?
is finally raising awareness about the vital I’ve been a loyal reader and fan of Yoga
need in prisons to teach inmates to exam- Journal for years. However, I don’t under-
ine the realities they create. Thank you stand the lack of men on the cover and
for not overlooking this vital population throughout the pages. Most articles are
that is so often pushed out of view. written for and about women. How about
David Way Kemper-Neshoba Regional diversity? It’s a yoga magazine, after all.
Correctional Facility, De Kalb, Mississippi Rocky Revells Miami Beach, Florida
Deity Dance You Are That

Thank you for the Home Practice with There is a potential for growth in the Yoga
Dana Flynn from Laughing Lotus, with Journal readers who write to express dis-
Jasmine Tarkeshi, Laughing Lotus co- satisfaction at the perceived lack of men
founder, demonstrating the sequence and gay communities in the magazine,
(“Cosmic Dance,” Sept. ’09). The practice and those who complain that difficult
was dynamic, creative, and fun; I thor- poses on the cover make them feel infe-
oughly enjoyed doing my best Ganesh rior. If you want Yoga Journal to please
and Kali impressions as part of my yoga you, then let it. If you want to see your-
practice. Dana and Jasmine are some self represented in its pages, then read
of the best teachers on the yoga scene, them more closely. You are there. You’re
and their beautiful spirit radiates off the the potential in every asana. Your higher
pages. Their devotion and enthusiasm consciousness is in every article of wis-
are the reason I am a yoga teacher today. dom. Divest yourself of labels and just be.
Thank you for including them. Natalie Sack Vandergrift, Pennsylvania
Anna Argeropoulos Chicago, Illinois
SEND FEEDBACK TO Letters, Yoga Journal,
Perfecting Poses 475 Sansome Street, Suite 850, San Francisco,
I’m always happy when a new Yoga Journal CA 94111; email: letters@yogajournal.com;
arrives. The August 2009 issue rocked ex- fax: (415) 591-0733. Include your name, city,
tra hard. Cyndi Lee’s Master Class, “Light state, and phone number. Letters and emails
Up and Fly,” got me into (what feels like) may be edited for length and clarity.
JANICE KUN
The exercise instructions and advice presented in this magazine are designed for people who are in good health
explore the collection at and physically fit. They are not intended to substitute for medical counseling. The creators, producers, partici-
pants, and distributors of Yoga Journal disclaim any liability for loss or injury in connection with the exercises
www.TheBarbersDaughters.com
shown or the instruction and advice expressed herein.

Holiday
Gift Guide
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outstanding instruction from world-class website for details. (Pedicures too!) GIVE PEACE.
teachers like Jill Miller and her Yoga Toll Free: 866-964-2726 BE PEACE.
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Yoga Journal is proud to donate a portion of the proceeds of this holiday

gift guide to The Healthy School Lunch Campaign. For more information
please visit: healthyschoollunches.org
SPEC I AL PROM OTI ON SECT I ON

Dear Subaru,
“As our friends waved us off, my new husband and I jumped in our not-so-new
Subaru. I would’ve felt silly wasting money on a car and a driver to take us 12
miles home. I enjoyed driving off in our own car. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
-RuthAnn D., Kennett Square, PA. Love. It’s what makes a Subaru, a Subaru.
Tell your story at subaru.com/dearsubaru
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.c om
om
kind and
generous
Practice giving without
expectation and enjoy a
bountiful sense of connection.
At holiday time, generosity can feel like

something that’s expected of us. For all its
festivity, the season can be rife with poten-
tially stressful situations, such as big family
gatherings where everything is expected
to go perfectly, or the unspoken pressure to
select the ideal gift.
At its heart, generosity is about letting
go. When we are caught up in attachments
to things, persons, activities, and outcomes,
we grow tight, stingy, and contracted. The
yogic sage Patanjali tells us that asmita—
the feeling of “I-am-ness” that leads us
to identify the body, mind, and possessions
as Self—causes us to feel separate from
others. Yoga challenges us to practice
generosity even when we feel selfish, even
when we feel that if we give, there will
be less for us. Giving in the face of these
feelings reveals to us that the sense of
separateness is based in ignorance; when
we practice generosity, we see that we all
depend on one another. Generosity is the
natural response of the awakened heart.
It is also the practice that awakens the
heart and loosens the bonds of selfishness.
ML HARRIS/GETTY IMAGES
The point isn’t so much what we give

or how much we give. The point is that
we loosen our habit of clinging. Even the
smallest gesture of generosity begins an
evolution toward true letting go, and our
rigid patterns of relating to others begin to
DECEMBER 2009 YO GAJ O U R N A L .CO M 1 9

generosity
kind and generous

change. At a recent family gathering, I
realized I was harboring irritation with
one of my relatives over a past politi-
cal conversation that had grown heated.
When I consciously allowed myself to let
go of my irritation, I felt lighter, more
open, and my interaction with this person
became filled with a sense of ease and joy.
My sense of self and the polarization and
opposition dissolved into a pure letting go.
Ironically, “giving” to strangers some-
times feels easier because we have fewer
attachments to them than we have to
family. We can relate to those we don’t
know without baggage, free of obligation.
But with those closest to us, our feelings
are more complicated. We feel obliga- overwhelming
tion and expectation, and we can fall into
taking them for granted, whether we see
them every morning or just on holidays.
abundance
Discover all that
you have when you
What a wonderful opportunity to notice offer to others. In 2006 Cami Walker was suffering from
where we hold back and shut down, and recently diagnosed multiple sclerosis when
where we’re still clinging! her spiritual teacher challenged her to give a gift every day for 29
Ease your holiday stress this season days. The gifts could be anything—a pretty shell to a child building
by taking delight in the very act of giving, a sandcastle, money to a person on the street, a word of cheer to
with no expectation of return. By prac- a friend—as long as they were given with consciousness and inten-
ticing true generosity, you can come to tion. This experience of reaching out to others, which Walker chron-
see that there is no separation between icles in her book 29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your
the one who gives and the one who Life, resulted in what she describes as a fundamental shift in her
receives. In giving, one receives; and in
mind-set, imbuing her with a deep sense of freedom and joy that
receiving, one also gives. Is it possible
affected her experience of her illness.
to find the place in which there is no
“It turned my life around completely,” says Walker. “I now see
sense of giver, receiver, or gift, but simply
I am a small part of a much greater whole, rather than the self-
giving and loving?
contained, deserted island I felt like before.” Walker, who is in her
Frank Jude Boccio is a teacher of yoga
18th consecutive cycle of giving a gift a day, founded 29 Gifts
LYLE OWERKO/GETTY IMAGES
and Zen Buddhism and the author of (29gifts.org) so that others could undertake the giving challenge
Mindfulness Yoga. as part of a community. “Yoga teaches us that we’re not here to
live in a vacuum,” Walker says. “We’re here to be of service to each
other and have a common experience.” C H A R I T Y F E R R E I R A
& www.fantamag.com
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diary
solstice
tree
One family finds a
meaningful way to
celebrate the season.
When I was a child, the holiday season brought

feelings of conflict and confusion rather than joy
and goodwill. My family did not celebrate Christ-
mas, and while I wasn’t attracted to the excesses of
the season, I still felt left out when all my friends
at school were talking about what was going to be
in their stockings on Christmas morning.
Although I didn’t see it at the time, I think part
of my longing to share in the celebration came
from a desire to honor the changing of the seasons
and the traditions of my ancestors. For thousands
of years, human beings have celebrated the return
of the light at the winter solstice, when the days
begin to lengthen, promising the return of spring.
Many of the rituals of the holidays celebrated
at this time of the year have their roots in ancient
cultures’ celebrations of the solstice. To spare my
daughter the conflict I experienced as a child, I
adapted some of these traditions for our own holi-
day celebration. Every year on the winter solstice,
my daughter and I buy a live tree. We spend the
day with friends and family, eating, drinking, and
decorating the tree with strands of popcorn, apples, and flowers while we talk about
all we have learned in the past year. Then we write our hopes and dreams for the coming
year on strips of paper and tie those to the tree, too. On Christmas morning we head
outside to plant the tree (edibly decorated for the birds), to grow and flourish along
with our wishes for the new year. K AT H E R I N E R A E
grow your own

tradition be the sun you want to see give gifts that fit
Start a tradition of giving gifts
Take a nighttime walk in nature
If the standard gift-giving
on the winter solstice, the longest with meaning. For a pet-loving pal,
frenzy doesn’t hold much
night of the year, noticing how the offer your time at an animal shel-
meaning for you, create world looks in the darkness. Af- ter; for a favorite foodie, volunteer
your own holiday ritual. terward, eat dinner by candlelight at a community kitchen. Athletes
and think about how you can bring might appreciate a donation to the
more light into the world. Challenged Athletes Foundation
(challengedathletes.org) or the
light up your life Special Olympics (specialolympics
Connect with a local group (or .org). And for the family that has
AIMEE SICURO
form your own) to practice 108 Sun everything, buy warm coats in
Salutations on the winter solstice adult and child sizes and donate
to celebrate the coming light. them to a local homeless program.

© 2009 P&G
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wellness
joy story
Open your heart A recent study published in Emo-
on the mat and tion, a journal of the American
bring happiness Psychological Association, sug-
into the world. gests that happy emotions can
lay the groundwork for long-term
well-being. Over time, researchers discovered, feeling
happy helps you build resources for navigating a wide
range of life’s challenges.
On some days it can be harder to access happy emo-
tions than on others, but your mat is a great place to
connect with your inner joy. “Not everyone comes to
yoga every day super bubbly and excited to be there,”
says certified Anusara Yoga teacher KK Ledford of San
Francisco. Pausing for a moment to set an intention
for your practice allows you to tap into the current of
bliss that exists within all of us, Ledford says. Hold your
intention to connect with joy. To engage your playful
side and open your heart, concentrate on rooting down
through your legs and rising into your heart as you prac-
tice the poses below. If arm balances are a part of your
practice, add Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm Balance) after Ustrasana; Ledford says it’s one
of the most effective poses for lifting the spirits and connecting to your inner joy.
On days you feel less than blissful, says Ledford, you don’t have to change how you feel.
“Just tapping into the current that’s already there can put a little bit of a smile on your
face. We don’t stop being divine when we have a bad day.” C H A R I T Y F E R R E I R A
PHOTO: JULIE TOY/GETTY IMAGES; ILLUSTRATIONS: DONNA GRETHEN
Utthita Trikonasana Anjaneyasana Bhujangasana

(Extended Triangle Pose) (Low Lunge) (Cobra Pose)
Kapotasana Ustrasana
(Pigeon Pose) (Camel Pose)

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food
gingerbread
cookies
MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN 4-INCH COOKIES
1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1
⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1
⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
1
⁄8 teaspoon salt
3
⁄4 cup brown sugar
1
⁄2 cup butter, softened
1
⁄4 cup molasses
1 large egg
1 In a small bowl, stir together flours,

ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves,
and salt. In a large bowl, beat the sugar
sweet treats and butter until smooth and well blended.

Beat in molasses and egg. Stir in flour
mixture until well combined. Spoon dough
Decorate your holiday Decorating gingerbread cookies with kids is a onto waxed paper and wrap tightly. Chill
cookies with festive sweet holiday tradition, but it can seem a little until firm, 2 to 3 hours, or overnight.
natural ingredients. less so when you start reading the ingredient
2 Preheat oven to 350°. Line two cookie
labels of commercial decorations—many contain
sheets with baking parchment. On a
artificial colorings and additives. If you’re committed to feeding your family
lightly floured surface, roll the dough out
naturally and organically, start at your local natural foods store, where you’ll
to 1⁄8 inch thick. Cut with lightly floured
find possibilities from organic powdered sugar (make a simple royal icing by
cutters and place cookies 1⁄2 inch apart
mixing sugar with a little water) to colorful fruit leathers to cut into shapes.
on the cookie sheets.
Other options include tiny dried currants or dried blueberries for eyes and
buttons, shredded coconut, raw sugar (just the right tawny color to sprinkle on 3 Bake until cookies are firm to the
reindeer), sunflower or sesame seeds, and chopped nuts, which can be placed touch, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from
either before baking or after icing. pans, cool completely, and decorate.
Many stores stock decorative candies made with less
CANDY SHOPPING
refined sugars as well as food colorings based on vegetable
PHOTOS: SHERI GIBLIN; FOOD STYLIST: ERIN QUON
sources. “Artificial colors may be derived from petrochemi- For natural colored sugar
sprinkles and food colorings
cals, so they’re not something we want to ingest or introduce
derived from vegetable
into the environment or sprinkle on our cookies if we can help
sources, visit indiatree.com.
it,” says Dawn Van Hee, the founder of NaturalCandyStore
.com, which stocks a variety of natural and organic candies For natural and organic
and decorations made without artificial ingredients. “Candy decorations, including candy
may never qualify as health food, but it doesn’t have to be canes and sprinkles, visit
naturalcandystore.com.
junk food, either.” Van Hee says there are now more options
than ever for decorating without additives, making this year For a gingerbread person
the perfect time to start a tradition of making holiday treats in Tree Pose cookie cutter,
that are better for the whole family. K AT E WA S H I N GTO N visit coppergifts.com.

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people
gifted singer
Snatam Kaur’s At the outset of her musical career,
success is a boon for the Sikh devotional singer and
those with whom she Kundalini Yoga instructor Snatam
shares her profits. Kaur made a promise to the uni-
verse. If her first CD turned a
profit, she vowed, she would donate 10 percent of the money
it earned to charity.
“Lo and behold, the CD did make a profit and I was able
to write that check,” she says. “And I really feel that that
set things afloat with my music career. I can’t prove scien-
tifically that it increased sales, but I feel there was a direct
relationship. The more I gave, the more successful the
music became. And the more successful the music became,
the more I was able to give.”
It is all part of the Sikh practice of dasvandh, “which
means giving 10 percent of your earnings to charity,” Sna-
tam explains. “The universe responds to that giving, and in
that way you stay in the flow of prosperity. It’s something
that I grew up with as a child, watching my parents.”
Snatam actually does dasvandh one better by practicing
guru dakshina—that is, giving an extra 1 percent to her teacher’s organizations. A portion of the profits
from her music goes to support the Miri Piri Academy, a children’s school in India, as well as to Sikh
ashrams and others, including Ma Jaya’s Kashi Ashram and Swami Satchidananda’s ashram; in addition,
she supports a variety of charities, including the World Wildlife Fund, Defenders of Wildlife, and the
Natural Resources Defense Council, along with political organizations such as the Democratic Party
of New Mexico, MoveOn.org, and the We Campaign.
Snatam also practices dasvandh and guru dakshina by performing free and benefit concerts in
impoverished communities, shelters, and hospitals. “Part of our dedication to music and touring is to
give people that experience of faith—an experience that the Divine really exists and is with us every
moment,” Snatam says. “That’s the greatest gift we can offer.” A L A N D I P E R N A
sound of devotion
Liberation’s Door, by Snatam Kaur.
Spirit Voyage; spiritvoyage.com
Snatam Kaur’s voice—tender, yet imbued with gentle
strength—embodies faith, repose, and grace. Her new album,
Liberation’s Door (and particularly the track “Mother’s
Blessing”), radiates a mood of divine maternal expansive-
COURTESY OF SNATAM KAUR
ness, which she likely came into after the birth of her
daughter in 2008. The album is an ideal accompaniment
for Kundalini Yoga practice, but sepia-toned cello passages also impart a
sense of contemplative stillness. As always on Snatam’s records, layers of
vocal harmony, dreamy synthesizers, mellow acoustic guitar, and traditional
Indian instrumentation enrich the songs of devotion. A . D. P.

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PHOTO: RORY EARNSHAW/SANDBOX STUDIO; STYLIST: JULIE DODGE

let your story unfold.....
“T he s ki ll s a n d le s s o n s I l ea rn e d i n m y
t ea c her t ra i n i n g s ha v e i n f u s e d ev er y p a rt
o f m y l i f e, i n c l u di n g my i n t era c t i o n s w i t h
t ho s e a ro u n d me o f f t he m a t . I t ry t o
a ppro a c h e very da y w i t h c o m pa s s i o n ,
equ a n i m i t y a n d jo y . ”
Name. . . . . . jen
. . . . . . . . .ho
. . . . .lla
. . . .n
. . .d
................................................
Year Graduated. . . . . . .2o .....o

. . . . .ho
. . . . .u
. . .r
. . . . .2008
. . . . . . . . . . .,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
300 ho u r 2009 ( NYC)
....................................................................................
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....................................................................................n NYC
Current Career. . . . .fu . . . . . ll-t

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. . . . . . . . yo
. . . . .g. .a
. . . . .tea
. . . . . .c. .her
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. . . . .g. .a. . . . fo
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...........................
Why YogaWorks Teacher Training. . . .I . . .g. .ra . . . . .du

. . . . . .a. .t. .ed
.....
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .o. .g
fro m Ha rv a rd wi t h a B A i n ps y cho l . y.
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. . . . . . . .pa
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. . . . .i o n
fo r yo g a w i th o thers .
.....................................................................................
YOGAWORKS TEACHER TRAINING

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310.664.6470 x126 teachertraining@yogaworks.com
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style
FINISHING TOUCH (left) Gold and silver jewelry
draws the eye to ears and wrists. From left: Satya Gold
Vermeil Teardrop Lotus earrings ($108), Satya Silver
Heart of the Lotus ring ($98), satyajewelry.com; Lotus
bangles ($36 to $94) by Baroni, cloandiz.com.
STARRY NIGHT (bottom left) Dust glittery

natural mineral makeup on eyelids or anywhere else
you need some sparkle. From left, the bareMinerals
Extreme Glimmers set comes with three shimmering
shades plus a brush and eyelid primer ($32), sephora.com.
Bellá Pierre Cosmetic Glitter ($14.99) comes in nine
colors, including Sterling (shown here), bellapierre.com.
Eye Dust from Medusa’s Make-Up is shown here in
Meteor and Star Struck ($6 each), medusasmakeup.com.
GLOSSING OVER (bottom right) Buxom Babes’

Winter Escapade Lip Polish set ($28) includes four
sparkly winter shades (red not shown), bareescentuals
.com. Tarte Cosmetics’ Double-Ended Lip Gloss ($19)
has two shimmering colors in one tube. Natural Cheek
Stain ($30) comes in a sparkly tube for the holiday
season; see tartecosmetics.com for more shades. Aubrey
Organics’ Natural Lips in Mocha Pearl ($7.50) adds a
subtle shine, aubrey-organics.com.
PHOTOS: RORY EARNSHAW/SANDBOX STUDIO; STYLIST: JULIE DODGE

© 2009 ACH Food Companies, Inc. Patak’s ® is a registered trademark, licensed to ACH Food Companies, Inc.
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eating wisely by Ra chel Meyer
the joy
of baking ( One cake at a time, a woman
learns to nourish the hearts of friends
and strangers through food. )
When I was a little girl, I’d sometimes answer a
knock at our front door to find one of the local church
ladies bearing a homemade cake. My sisters and I
would marvel at the confection delivered in howling
winds and subzero temperatures to our remote acre-
age on the edge of a South Dakota town. Throughout
the year, these kind women filled potluck tables with
their homemade pies, cakes, and breads in celebration
of births, weddings, and harvests; the same desserts
were also offered to the sick and grieving. By watch-
ing these generous bakers offer the fruits of their
PHOTOS: SHERI GIBLIN; FOOD STYLIST: ERIN QUON
ALMOND POLENTA CAKE

(RECIPE ON PAGE 37)
YO GAJ O U R N A L .CO M 35
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ea t in g wisely
kitchen labors to those who could use a product; the act of the offering, not the
sweet surprise, I learned early on the joys offering itself.
of nourishing the heart through food. Some 60 cakes later, I see now how my
Making food for friends and family has a “bundt cake Saturdays” have given me a
powerful effect on both giver and receiver, creative outlet that, among other things,
says Scott Blossom, a Berkeley, California, reminds me that compassion can tran-
yoga therapist and Ayurvedic educator. scend urban boundaries. Strangers on the
“It’s not unlike the kind of nourishment street soften at the sight of my cake caddy,
that comes from romantic love. Food pre- asking if that’s a cat I have hiding in there.
pared with loving intention is spiritual.” Even the bus driver will wait patiently for
“the cake lady,” going out of his way to
A YEAR OF BUNDTS drop me off at work, where my colleagues
As an adult, I rediscovered the practice light up like children at the prospect of
of baking heartfelt gifts in my new com- a new flavor to sample. I’ve shipped cakes
soy free munity in San Francisco. At one point, I across the country to old college friends
decided to devote a year to baking cakes and my new goddaughter on the East
as offerings. Every Saturday morning I’d Coast; buckled them into the back seat
roll out of bed bleary-eyed, fill an empty for a winding trip to a surprise birthday
bundt cake pan with batter, and give the party in Santa Cruz; and hauled them up
resulting cake to someone in need of com- steep San Francisco hills to share with a
fort or a little celebration. As I listened to friend going through chemotherapy. In
the city wake up, I counted and chopped, the process, these silly bundts have nur-
no trans fat mixed and measured. And in the process, tured burgeoning relationships among
my mind became still, my breath slowed, strangers, reminding me of the truth of
my body felt balanced and at peace. What yogic interrelatedness and the power of
I experienced was more than mixing but- compassion to comfort the lonely.
ter and eggs—it was a practice in baking
and giving from the heart. GIFT EXCHANGE
It all began when my friends Heidi As word of my practice spread, acquain-
and Jeff were celebrating birthdays in the tances showered me with unexpected
midst of difficult times: One was heartbro- gifts: cake molds and mixes, gadgets
ken, the other far from home. They shared and glazes, recipes carefully clipped out
a fondness for almonds, and so, after a of newspapers. In this receiving, I real-
quick Web search and a trip to the mom- ized that when we offer up our labor,
excellent source of and-pop store around the corner, I set time, energy, love, and craft—humble
ala omega 3 up shop in my small kitchen, armed with
a new cake pan and a recipe for a simple
and imperfect as they might be—with no
expectation of return, people respond
almond bundt cake. A few flour-covered in kind, and tenderness opens up in the
hours later, sifting powdered sugar over spaces between.
the nearly finished cake, I felt a connec- A few weeks ago, as I finished making
tion with the women in my family and a cake—chocolate decorated with red
community who’d taught me to bake hibiscus flowers for a potluck with my
when I was a little girl in South Dakota. yoga kula—I realized that my bundt pan is
Later, I learned to toast walnuts, make a perfect rendition of the yogic mandala,
streusel, and adhere rose petals to coco- a whirling chakra, a vortex of energy spin-
nut cream frosting. I also learned to bal- ning out hope and sacred intentions in the
ance hope for a beautiful confection with body. How fitting, I thought, to find here,
a letting-go of expectations, for there in this simple pan, a reminder that giving
were certainly failures. and receiving are circular, that what we
At the same time, I learned that build- put forth with love and intention comes
ing such a regular practice into my life back to us in equal joy. '
meant that there would always be a chance
to approach each creation as a fresh start. Rachel Meyer writes about bundt cakes and
It was the practice that mattered, not the more at rawrach.blogspot.com.
& www.fantamag.com
eating wisely reci p es
VEGAN CHOCOLATE
BUNDT CAKE
Almond Polenta Cake

MAKES 8 SERVINGS
Cake is pictured on page 35.
3
⁄4 cup softened unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
3
⁄4 cup stone-ground polenta
1 teaspoon baking powder
1
⁄4 teaspoon salt
3
⁄4 cup buttermilk
Powdered sugar for glaze, optional
Vegan Chocolate the saucepan from the heat and set aside Sliced almonds for garnish, optional
Bundt Cake to bring to room temperature.
MAKES 12 SERVINGS 3 In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1 Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour
the granulated sugar, oil, applesauce, a 6-cup tube pan.
1 3⁄4 cups freshly brewed coffee and cornstarch until the sugar and corn- 2 With your mixer on medium-high
2
⁄3 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed starch dissolve, about 2 minutes. Mix in speed, beat the butter and granulated
cocoa powder the extracts. Once the chocolate mix- sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Add
1 ⁄2 cups granulated sugar
1
ture has cooled a bit, stir that in as well. the eggs individually, beating well after
1
⁄3 cup canola oil 4 Sift in the flour, baking soda, baking each. Stir in the almond extract and zest.
1
⁄3 cup applesauce powder, and salt. Beat until the batter is 3 In a small bowl, add the flour, polenta,
1
⁄4 cup cornstarch relatively smooth. baking powder, and salt. Stir half the
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 5 Pour the batter into a prepared pan flour mixture into the butter mixture.
1 teaspoon almond extract and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a Add the buttermilk, then the remaining
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour toothpick or butter knife inserted into flour blend. Mix. Scrape the batter into
or all-purpose white flour the cake’s center comes out clean. the prepared pan and bake 40 to 50
1 teaspoon baking soda 6 Remove the pan from the oven and minutes, or until a toothpick inserted
1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder let the cake cool for about 20 minutes. into the cake’s center comes out clean.
1
⁄2 teaspoon salt Then invert the pan onto a serving plate 4 Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes,
2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar to remove the cake, and cool completely. and then invert it onto a cooling rack.
Once the cake’s cool, sift the confec- Remove pan and cool cake completely.
1 Preheat oven to 325°. Lightly grease tioners’ sugar over the top and enjoy. Mix together powdered sugar and a little
an 8- or 10-inch bundt pan. water to desired consistency, and drizzle
2 Heat the coffee in a saucepan over Recipe adapted with permission from it over cake’s top. Garnish with almonds.
medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Veganomicon, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
Turn heat down and whisk in the cocoa and Terry Hope Romero (Marlow & Recipe adapted with permission from Eat Well,
powder until it has dissolved. Remove Company, 2007). by Charity Ferreira (Oxmoor House, 2008).
DECEMBER 2009 YO GAJ O U R N A L .CO M 37

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adventure by La u ren La d oceour
peak
experience
( Soothing yoga added to a
heart-pumping snowboarding retreat
makes the ride of a lifetime. )
The Canyon Express chairlift creaks
and moans in the fierce wind as it slowly
carries us to Mammoth Mountain’s mid-
point. In another minute we’ll have to hop
off with one booted foot strapped onto
our snowboards and glide over the packed
snow for a few yards to avoid causing a traf-
fic jam. “I’m nervous,” says Marianne. “I
haven’t gone snowboarding since last sea-
son.” Between us is Serena, who assures
Marianne that everything will be OK.
The three of us met the day before on our
way to a four-day yoga and snowboarding
retreat in the resort town of Mammoth
Lakes, California. Serena is by far the most
experienced of our little group, but she has
readily agreed to accompany us on a hand-
ful of intermediate runs.
For the most part, I keep quiet, silently
telling myself that this is no big deal. Sure,
I’ve had just four full days of snowboarding over two seasons, but I to rotate my hips and kick my board in unison
know how to do this—I think. with her to keep up. All is silent except for the
“Ready, girls?” asks Serena, obviously pumped for the first ride of sound of our boards carving the snow and the
the day. Up here, the wind kicks up the powder, making for occasional “woo-hoo!” from Serena up ahead.
little visibility, but I can still see narrow trails below, a few moguls, It feels like we have the whole mountain to
NORBERT EISELE-HEIN/GETTY IMAGES
and tight turns bordered by tall snow-covered pine trees. I take a ourselves. That is, until the land flattens out and
deep breath of the biting winter air. There’s no turning back now. we’re closing in on new chairlift lines. Suddenly
people are all around—people I could easily
WHAT A RUSH blow right into. And just like that, I lose speed,
It doesn’t take long to forget my worries; as I start down the sharp, the front edge of the board dips into the snow,
snowy incline, the sun soon reappears. Even though I’m flying past and ...clip. Trip. Thud. Smack on my back.
the trees and weaving across the mountain, the landscape seems I turn around, and Marianne, too, is down
to go by in slow motion. Marianne and I ride side by side as I try but looking cheerful. “Let’s do it again,” I call

a d ve ntu re
out. And we do. Over and over again. (By

the end of the weekend, I will have several
ticket
spectacular green and purple bruises.) to ride
Pure source, When our group of 20 gathers back at
the cabin in nearby Convict Lake Resort Trip Rundown Adventure
pure essential oils. Yoga Retreats’ yoga and snow-
for yoga and dinner the first night, it
boarding excursions welcome
Aura Cacia® searches all seems everyone’s hurting. With all the skiers, too, of course. Check
over the globe to find the purest aches, pains, and fatigue that come with the website (ayretreats.com)
a sport as physically demanding as snow- for details on January and
and best sources for our essential
boarding, it’s hard to imagine doing vigor- March 2010 trips to Telluride,
oils. We strive to do business ous yoga after a day on the slopes. Colorado, and Mammoth Lakes,
with farmers that are Well California. Trips start at $575
We all let out sighs of relief when Ted
and include room, breakfasts
Earth™ certified through our McDonald, our retreat leader and the and dinners, and six yoga
sustainable sourcing program. owner of Adventure Yoga Retreats in classes. Lift tickets, transpor-
Santa Monica, California, announces tation, and massages (they
Some companies create scents
that evenings will be dedicated to a gentle bring along two therapists)
with chemicals, but we figure Yin Yoga practice. Yin Yoga consists of are up to you.
nature does it better than any long-held floor poses that, according to More Around the
scientist ever could. To find McDonald, are great for lengthening mus- World Check out winter
cles that have become bunched up and snow-sport retreats from
out more about Aura Cacia’s
sore from hours of skiing or snowboard- Babes in the Backcountry
Well Earth™ program and our ing. “Most people are exhausted from a (babesinthebackcountry
100% pure essential oils, head long day on the mountain, and their body .com) in California, Canada,
Japan, and South America;
to www.auracacia.com. is tight,” he says. “No one has the energy
Kripalu (kripalu.org) offers
ZENSHUI/LAURENCE MOUTON/GETTY IMAGES
Available at natural to flow, but everyone wants to feel better. cross-country skiing and yoga
Yin sets you up for a great night’s sleep retreats in the Berkshires of
product retailers near you.
and another day on the mountain.” We Massachusetts; and Women’s
settle into a series of quieting forward Quest (womensquest.com)
bends, juicy hip-opening low lunges, and takes yogis cross-country
skiing and snowshoeing
reclining twists, happy for the chance to
in Colorado.
slow down and take care of ourselves.
Since 2003, McDonald has been lead-
(VVHQWLDO2LOV"%RG\:DVKHV ing winter yoga retreats in Mammoth
0LQHUDO%DWKV")RDP%DWKV Lakes, a small resort community a little
%RG\3ROLVK"%XEEOH%DWKV
Shower Tablets DECEMBER 2009
www.
w.
more than 300 miles north of Los Ange-
Winter Solstice
les. Most of the retreaters—men and wo-
men in their 20s through early 50s—are
longtime skiers and snowboarders who
Meditation
have made the trip with McDonald sev-
eral times before. After a warming din- The word solstice means “sun
ner made by an Ayurveda-inspired chef, sitting still” and refers to the
everyone gathers around the fire or soaks
in the hot tub to kick back and share peak of the cycle of diminishing
the day’s stories. Really, it feels less like day length that occurs at winter.
a retreat and more like a bunch of old
friends who meet up once a year, rent a The sun seems to pause on this
cabin, and bum around one of California’s special day before the days
most treasured ski mountains to do what
they love best. I’m one of the few newbies
gradually begin to grow longer
to the group—and to snowboarding—but and brighter.
by bedtime, I feel more than welcome in
the cozy little cabin, and I crawl into one Take a cue from the sun, and
of the bottom bunks to rest up.
pause dur ng this hectic season
A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS to meditate on peace and
Sore as I am the next morning, I join the
crowd in the cabin’s living room before goodwill with this aromatherapy
McDonald and Power Yoga teacher Ash- recipe from Aura Cacia®.
ley Turner arrive to lead class. While the
chef makes a savory breakfast in the
kitchen, we meditate, chant, and then Winter Solstice Meditation Blend
1
move into a vigorous flow sequence that /4 cup water
wakes me up. Turner and McDonald’s 3 drops Aura Cacia® Frankincense essential oil
practice emphasizes hip openers, lunges, i ® Eucalyptus essential oil
3 drops Aura Cacia
side stretches, and core work. 4 drops Aura Cacia® Tangerine essential oil
My arms are pretty tired from all the 1 Aura Cacia Aromatherapy Candle Lamp
falling and getting back up, so I skip a Place the water in the cool bowl of an aromatherapy
lot of the Chaturanga Dandasanas (Four- candle lamp diffuser. Add the oils.. Light the candle.
Limbed Staff Poses) and notice I’m
not alone. Turner adjusts me into some
incredibly deep backbends, which are
MANUFACTURER’S COUPON EXPIRES 2/28/10 ACYJ91
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(Corpse Pose), Turner reminds us to take
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the mountain, but your blood is moving More valuable coupons and aromatherapy recipes available
and your mind is ready.” In other words, in the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Everyday Coupon Book
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DECEMBER 2009
www.
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om
a d ve ntu re
that began the practice, wakes you up, agrees. So we spend the morning snow I also notice I’m more comfortable—
gets you feeling energetic, and cultivates boarding through quiet areas where they less worried about snowboarding “the
calm focus for whatever comes next. coach me through some basics: to ride right way” and better able to flow, feel-
And he’s right. When we arrive at squatting like I’m in Utkatasana (Chair ing the movements of the board under
Canyon Express, I decide that, instead Pose), to deeply exhale before leading my feet and letting my weight shift back
with my hips and shoulders to turn, and forth. In this moment I remember
to bend my front knee and bravely something Turner said about snowboard-
I feel as light as a feather, lean into the front of my boots and ing earlier in the retreat: “It’s so good to
toes, and most of all, to keep smil- get out of my head and just be.”
thrilled enough to scream
ing when I fall. When I finally put Serena and I are on our last run to-
out “woo-hoo!” it all together, we ride as a trio into gether, and impulsively I veer off to the
McCoy Station for a cafeteria lunch left when we come to a fork. She con-
with the rest of the group, where we tinues to the right, leaving me alone on
of stumbling through the runs today, I’ll share high-fives and stories of the morn- a trail that seems to have escaped every-
be more aware of my body while I ride ing’s adventures. one else’s radar. Here, the snow is a little
and try to figure out what I’m doing that fresher, people are absent, and I have no
causes me to suddenly crash. With my FREE TO BE idea what’s up ahead. Flying solo along the
feet back in my boots and strapped onto On Saturday, there’s a clear sky, no wind, trail, carving steady turns, spraying snow,
my board, I’m surprised at how familiar and intense sun, which brings in the I ride self-assured on my toes and heels.
the stance feels—like a shorter version of crowds and leaves little need for heavy I feel as light as a feather, thrilled enough
Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide-Legged winter coats, hats, and gloves. In fact, to scream out “woo-hoo!” And then I fall,
Standing Forward Bend). after each run with Serena, I shed a few with the biggest smile across my face. ✤
“It’s your toes,” says Serena, after more clothes until I’m down to a single
watching me take a few turns and tumbles. layer plus helmet and sunglasses. Now Associate Editor Lauren Ladoceour is a self-
“You’re afraid of leaning into your toes, so that I’m not so bundled up, I feel freer proclaimed klutz but still loves snowboarding
you’re just riding on your heels.” Marianne and move with greater ease. and all things adventure.
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mantra
by C h ri stop h er D. Wa l l i s
invoke peace
( Om, shanti, shanti, shanti

Om, peace, peace, peace! )
This mantra is an invocation of peace, often repeated at the end of a greater peace within yourself; with the second
session of practice. It has two functions. First, it affirms that peace is avail- shanti, peace in your family and friendships; and
able to us at any moment that we choose to tune in to it. Second, repeating with the third, peace on the planet. When you
THAYER ALLYSON GOWDY
this mantra helps to create more peace in the world, because according to do this with full faith, devotion, and focused
yoga philosophy, when we call something into being with a pure heart and a intention, you will create greater opportunities
focused mind, we are using our consciousness to shape reality. This is in fact for peace in all of these realms. ✤
the primary purpose of all mantras: They are tools to manifest intention.
To extract the full power of this mantra, visualize each word’s impact Interpreted by Christopher D. Wallis, a Sanskrit
as you recite it. For example, while reciting the first shanti, you can invoke scholar at the University of California, Berkeley.
& www.fantamag.com
Swami Sivananda Swami Vishnudevananda
(1887 – 1963) (1927 – 1993)
Dates and Locations:

An intensive four week NASSAU, BAHAMAS QUEBEC, CANADA
Dec 6, 2009- Jan 2, 2010 Feb 14- Mar 14, 2010
immersion in the yogic Jan 3- Feb 27, 2010
way of life: March 4- 31, 2010 CU CHI, VIETNAM
April 4- May 1, 2010 Feb 27- March 28, 2010
May 5- June 1, 2010
Open to students of all levels who VRINDAVAN, NORTH INDIA
TYROL, AUSTRIA March 6- April 3, 2010
have a sincere desire to learn. Dec 19, 2009- Jan 17, 2010
Certificate given upon successful July 31- August 28, 2010 HIMALAYAS, INDIA
Aug 29- Sep 26, 2010 Apr 11- May 9, 2010
completion of the course. June 20- July 18, 2010
NEYYAR DAM, Oct 3- 31, 2010
Recognized by Yoga Alliance. SOUTH INDIA
Jan 10- Feb 7, 2010 GRASS VALLEY, CA
In depth study of: Asanas, Pranayama, March 21- April 18, 2010 May 1- 30, 2010
Meditation, Mantras, Vedanta, Nov 14- Dec 12, 2010 Oct 2- 31, 2010
Bhagavad Gita, Kriyas, Yogic Diet, MADURAI, SOUTH INDIA WOODBOURNE, NY
Anatomy & Physiology. Jan 24 – Feb 21, 2010 June 2- 30, 2010
Feb 28 – Mar 28, 2010 Sept 10- Oct 8, 2010
Oct 24 – Nov 21, 2010
Nov 28 – Dec 26, 2010 CHÂTEAU DU YOGA,
ORLÉANS, FRANCE
July 2- 30, 2010
1800 263-YOGA in Canada HQ@sivananda.org

1800 783-YOGA or 1800 469-YOGA in USA www.sivananda.org
1866 446-5934 in Bahamas
KEEP THROAT SOFT
LIFT STERNUM STRETCH ARMS AND

HANDS FORWARD
PULL SHOULDERS
BACK AND DOWN
FIRM AND
TIGHTEN KNEES
MOVE BACK RIBS

FORWARD
& ww
www.fa
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nt amag
amag.com
by Ma rla Apt
basics
full boat pose
( )
paripurna navasana
paripurna = full, complete
nava = boat
asana = posture
You’ve probably heard that Paripurna Navasana (Full Boat Pose) builds
core strength. But in yoga, the “core” refers to more than just abs. B. K. S.
Iyengar says that practice leads you on an inward journey from the periph-
ery of your body to the core of your being. With Navasana, you’ll build
strong abdominal muscles that can help support your lower back.
The process of coordinating the work of your limbs and your torso while
strengthening your spine will also teach you about your breath, your atten-
tion span, your emotions, and your very nature. Eventually, even a simple
pose like Navasana can penetrate beyond the muscles, nerves, bones, and
DO bring your legs close to your torso,

DON’T let your back round and chest collapse.
and lift your back and chest.

ba si cs
pose benefits
Relieves bloating
and gas
Strengthens the
abdomen and back
contraindications
1
Bent knees
PHOTOS: RORY EARNSHAW/SANDBOX STUDIO; MODEL: JASON CRANDELL; STYLIST: LYN HEINEKEN; HAIR/MAKEUP: VERONICA SJOEN/ARTIST UNTIED; TOP: MOSSIMO; SHORTS: YOGABELA
support bringing
Pregnancy
the thighs and
torso together Menstruation
with a long spine. Diarrhea
however, your attention draws inward,

and you can find stability again.
Although Navasana will work your
core muscles, it’s no gym crunch. Instead
of bringing your chest and pelvis close
together and shortening the front body,
you’ll pull your ribs away from the abdo-
men to lift the chest—all while balancing
on your buttocks. You’ll discover how to
engage and stretch the abdomen simul-
2
taneously. Lengthening the front body
like this is an essential action for many
asana and pranayama techniques. It sup-
ports the entire chest cavity (as opposed
Use your hands to a tight, short front body, which puts
to help you pressure on the lungs, internal organs, and
balance and to lower back), and it can facilitate smooth
lift the spine.
and efficient breathing as you do your
asana practice or go about your day.
HALF-MAST
Full Boat Pose is like a balancing version
organs to your Self—your innermost core. feeling strong and supple as well as men- of Dandasana (Staff Pose), so if you can-
Navasana is a compact pose that requires tally and emotionally steady. not sit up straight in Dandasana because
you to draw everything toward your But if your mind wanders, the inner of tight hamstrings, you may find it dif-
center: The abdomen moves toward the firmness you’ve cultivated will waver, and ficult to bring your legs toward your torso
spine, the spine moves forward to support you’ll lose your balance. So, to find your without rounding your back and sinking
the front of the trunk, the shoulder blades inner core and stability in the pose, keep into your chest. Bending your knees in
move down and in toward the chest, while your face soft and your breath relaxed. The the first variation ( see figure 1) takes your
the chest spreads, and the arms and legs idea is that when your brain is tense and hamstrings out of the equation, enabling
stay firm. The integration of all of your your eyes bulge, your focus becomes ex- you to practice the pose without sagging
body parts in Full Boat Pose will leave you ternal. When your facial features recede, in the spine. If your abdomen, back, or

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basics
ON N A I
AD N S
M
legs are weak, the second variation (see your shins, parallel to the floor, palms fac-
T
T
IT
UN
UT
MO
figure 2) will show you how to lift your ing each other. Notice how your abdomi-
E
spine. Both variations give you the op- nal muscles engage as you pull your thighs
portunity to learn the pose gradually so closer to your torso. Don’t let your back
that you can experience the dynamics round, but see if you can lengthen the
of the back, legs, and abdomen working front of your torso more.
together to bring you into your core. Even as you stretch your arms forward,
To do Navasana with bent knees, be- pull your shoulders back and move your
gin by sitting in Dandasana, and then shoulder blades down and in toward your
place your palms on the floor beside your chest. Although simultaneously engaging
hips. Press your thighs down and stretch and lengthening your abdomen is chal-
Intro to your heels away from your pelvis to fully
straighten your legs. Lift your torso away
lenging, these actions bring your atten-
tion inward toward the source of your
AYURVEDA from the floor and open your chest. Your
back should feel as though it’s moving for-
movements and help keep you internally
focused. Breathe normally, relax your
Dr. Vasant Lad ward, toward the front of your body. Now
lift the front of your body all the way from
throat, and look straight ahead. You can
hold the pose initially for 30 seconds, and
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC the bottom of your pelvis to the top of then work up to one minute. When you’re
Januar y 29-31, 2010 your chest. To create some space between ready, exhale and place your feet on the
your torso and legs, press the very tops floor to return to Dandasana.
of your thighbones into the floor and lift
the bottom of your abdomen up away ANCHORED AND STEADY
from your thighs without leaning on the In the second variation you’ll balance in
back of your buttocks. Lift your rib cage Navasana with straight legs while keeping
away from your abdomen and roll your your hands on the floor to help you feel
shoulders back. steady and support the lift of your spine.
Next, bend your knees and place your Start in Dandasana. Lean back slightly
feet on the floor. Hold the tops of your and place your palms a few inches behind
knees with your hands and pull on them your hips. Lift your chest, bend your
slightly to lift your sternum. Raise your knees, and raise your legs until your shins
are parallel to the floor. Bring your
thighs toward your torso, and move
Let the effort to become your back ribs and shoulder blades
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your legs without rounding your
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find your center
Now you’re prepped and ready to practice “Let go of it all. Just remain in the center
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wisdom by Sa l l y Kem pton
pssst, pass it on
( Gossip can cause trouble in your
inner life as well as your outer life.
Here’s how to rein it in. )
Mullah Nasruddin, the famous Middle

Eastern trickster figure, once—so the story
goes—took a pilgrimage with a priest and
a yogi. On this spiritual journey, they were
inspired to purify themselves through mu-
tual confession. They decided to confess to
each other their most embarrassing ethical
lapse.“I had an affair with my assistant,”
said the yogi.
“I once embezzled 10,000 rupees from
the church,” said the priest. Nasruddin
was silent. Finally, the others said, “Come
on, Mullah, it’s your turn!”
Nasruddin said, “I didn’t know how to
tell you, holy brothers. But my worst sin
is that I’m a compulsive gossip!”
This fable cuts right to the swampy heart
of human nature. Most of us, if we’re hon-
est with ourselves, will admit that we’ve
been on both sides of the gossip aisle. I
certainly have. I’ve been the one who con-
fided an embarrassing secret to a trusted
friend, only to discover a month later that it had gone viral. I’ve also, is that kind of compulsive sharing the same as
to my shame, been the one who couldn’t resist sharing a juicy bit of your natural desire to talk to your sister about
information, even when it meant betraying a confidence. whether your other sister’s boyfriend is right for
Gossip is one of our most widely shared—and, often, most her? Or the pleasure you take in hashing over a
unconscious—addictions. People rarely consider themselves gos- public figure’s marital problems?
sip addicts, even when they’re filling the empty spaces in conversa- Maybe not. Yet, if you were to spend a day
tion with tales about mutual acquaintances. Someone like Adrian, noticing how you talk about other people, you
SARAH WILKINS
who’ll leave a message on your voice mail with the entire story might begin to recognize a slightly compul-
behind John’s recent firing—now, he’s a gossip. And so is Susan, sive quality in your desire to share the news.
who considers anything you say to be fair game for her blog. But Maybe you do it to be entertaining or to lighten

wi sd o m
the atmosphere. Maybe your impulse is
purely social, a way of bonding with oth-
recovering
ers. But anyone who’s tried to stop gossip-
ing usually finds out that it isn’t an easy
from a gossip
habit to break. And that should tell you
something about why the great yogic and
Here are some tips for monitoring
and controlling your tendency to
addiction
talk negatively about others.
spiritual traditions are so down on it. Any
real yogic journey, any journey to spiritual
Just say no Turn down invitations
Pick a gossip buddy One spiri- to pick others apart. Try changing the
maturity, will at some point demand that tual teacher suggests that you subject when a friend wants to have
you learn to observe your own tendency confine your gossiping to one or two a bad-mouthing session. Ask them
to gossip, and then to control it. people, perhaps your best friend, (tactfully) to talk about something
Of course, only a committed hermit spouse, or significant other. If you else, and tell them that you’re trying
can completely abstain from talking have a designated gossip buddy, it’s to break yourself of the negative gos-
much easier to practice restraint sip habit. You’ll find that many people
about other people. After all, if we didn’t
with the other people in your life. will actually thank you.
gossip, what would we talk about? Public Choose someone who can keep
policy? Yogic principles? Well, yes, but all secrets and who will support you
Don’t rush to judgment When
the time? The evolutionary psychologist someone confides a piece of gossipy
in your desire to be more conscious
information about someone else,
Robin Dunbar maintains that the gossip of what you say.
question it. Check the source. Don’t
instinct is basically hardwired in us, and Catch yourself Learn to notice believe something unless you have
that language evolved because early when you’re about to make a snarky clear proof—and the fact that a whole
humans needed to talk about each other remark, and stop yourself before you lot of people are saying something
in order to survive as social groups. He do. If one slips out, apologize. does not constitute clear proof.
also reports having conducted a study Notice the aftertaste Become Try a one-day gossip fast
on workplace sociability in which he and aware of what it feels like after you Decide that for one whole day you
his colleagues found that 65 percent of the gossip. It will be different for every- won’t talk about other people. Then,
conversation in the office was people talk- one, but for me the aftertaste of gos- notice when that’s especially diffi-
sip feels like anxiety (tight shoulders, cult. Observe what feelings prompt
ing about—you guessed it—themselves
tight stomach) and what I can only you to share news about someone or
or someone else. His point: We can’t help describe as a worried, slightly sinking repeat something you’ve heard. Does
gossiping. What makes gossip problem- feeling that comes from sensing I your desire to gossip come from a
atic is not that we do it, but how and why might have said something I’ll regret. feeling of emptiness or boredom?
we do it. Some kinds of gossip help grease Note where you feel the tension in Does it come from a desire for inti-
the wheels of human interaction and con- your own body the next time you macy with the person you’re talking
engage in a gossip fest. to? What happens inside you when
tribute to human delight. Other types of
you deny the urge? How do you feel
gossip are more like junk food for the when you’ve gone through a whole
mind. And then there’s the nasty gossip— conversation without once saying,
the kind that creates rifts between peo- Have you heard?
ple, wrecks reputations, and even breaks
up communities. people say about him. Is George someone into other human beings and helps us
So, how do we tell the difference be- I should work with? What did so-and-so understand the nuances of the human
tween good gossip and harmful gossip? really think of the meeting? drama. God loves stories, says a Hasidic
When is gossip helpful, or at least harm- Gossip is also, for better or worse, a proverb, and so do the rest of us. When
less? And how can we engage in the harm- form of social monitoring. It’s one way you talk about other people, you often do
less kind without stepping over the line? society keeps its members in line. If a it partly from the love of a tale and partly
person or institution behaves erratically in a genuine spirit of inquiry, a desire to
GOOD GOSSIP or unethically, people will start talking unravel the mystery of another person.
Gossip has three important social func- about it. The evolutionary psychologists Why do you think he said that? What
tions. First, it facilitates the informal describe this as the social need to control does her behavior teach me about what
exchange of information. Dunbar points “free riders”—that is, those who contrib- to do and what not to do? Is that just the
out that gossip is indispensable to the ute less than they take. The idea is that way he talks to people, or does he have
running of institutions. In a university, the fear of word getting out may keep something against me?
or a yoga studio, students informally rate people from, say, abusing their family
the teachers. When you’re trying to find a members or exploiting their employees. BAD-MOUTHING
teacher, or get to know a new person, you But my favorite argument for the use- But then, of course, you step over the
ask around and find out what different fulness of gossip is that it gives us insight line. The good story becomes just too

take a winter
Get away for a few days and immerse yourself in a topic of interest—
you’ll discover deep inner resources for renewal and return home
ready for whatever the world brings.

Rodney Yee ! Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa ! Tara Bennett-Goleman and Daniel Goleman
Joan Borysenko ! Swami Nirmalananda ! Dharma Mittra ! Rajashree Choudhury
Alex and Allyson Grey ! Sudha Carolyn Lundeen ! Ubaka Hill ! Beryl Bender Birch
Joe Dispenza ! Kofi Busia ! Natasha Rizopoulos ! Jack Kornfield
John Douillard ! Amy Weintraub ! Ann Greene ! Todd Norian
Dan Millman ! Anodea Judith ! Sierra Bender ! Zhi Gang Sha
David Swenson ! Robert E. Svoboda ! Yoganand Michael Carroll
Julia Cameron ! Bessel van der Kolk ! Krishna Das ! Kali Ray
stockbridge, massachusetts 800.741.7353 kripalu.org

wisd o m
irresistible, and you find yourself offering
up a detail you know a friend would not
Brandon Cox
want shared, or saying, “Yes, that’s what
CorePower Yoga I love about Ned, but doesn’t this other
thing about him drive you nuts?”
When you’re addicted to gossip, even
harmless gossip can be a slippery slope.
Have you ever hung up after a gossipy
phone conversation feeling wasted, as
though you’d lost energy and time? Or
felt depressed after lunch with a friend,
realizing that you spent your time on tid-
bits of idle news and speculation—but
missed the opportunity to connect in a
more intimate way? Have you ever spent
an hour dissecting Jeff ’s character and
then felt guilty the next time you saw him?
So-called idle gossip can easily tip over
into snarky put-downs, or sarcasm, or a
recitation of your grievances against the
person you’re talking about.
One sure way to know you’re in the
www.bepresent.com
1.877.747.7202
realm of bad or compulsive gossip is by its
info@bepresent.com aftertaste. Good gossip leaves a friendly
aftertaste. You feel closer to the person
you’ve been talking about, more con-
nected to the world around you. Good
gossip feels pleasantly informative, like
catching up on old friends. It doesn’t leave
you feeling out of sorts, angry, or jealous.
Give the gift of I first began considering these ques-

tions several years ago, after a series of
conversations with my friend S. She and
Serenity I were taking a walk when she began to

share her dissatisfaction with another
friend, whom I’ll call Fran. Fran is some-
one I’ve always loved and respected. She’s
generous, smart, and fun, and she goes
out of her way to help others. Of course,
like most of us, she has her foibles, but
certainly nothing that diminishes her
essential attractiveness and good nature.
S and I started out talking about how
much we liked Fran. But then S men-
tioned she was having a hard time work-
ing with Fran, that she found Fran to be
careless about details and selfish about
sharing. I realized that S was using our
conversation cathartically, trying to work
through some of her anger at her friend.
So I tried to take a more or less objective
perspective, defending Fran while doing
Small Lotus Handmade Capiz Shell Tealight Holder - Gemstone Amethyst
my best to “help” S work through her feel-
The Blue Trumpet 1-888-449-0327 www.thebluetrumpet.com ings. Only in hindsight did it occur to me

to suggest that S discuss these things with should tell him. But many tales, rumors,
Fran herself rather than bad-mouthing opinions, and even facts don’t need to
Fran to me. For the next few months, S be passed on to others. That’s the point
rarely let a lunch or a walk go by without made in the Buddhist Lojong precept
a comment about our mutual friend. After “Don’t speak ill of others’ injured limbs.”
a while, I stopped defending Fran. In fact, In the Jewish tradition, there is a specific
for a while I stopped seeing so much of prohibition against spreading negative
her. Instead of a friend I adored, Fran had information that is true.
become someone I didn’t quite respect. This is the core of the ethical issue:
Not because I had had any negative expe- Most of us wouldn’t knowingly repeat
rience of her, but because I had allowed false information about someone else.
myself to get pickled in someone else’s But we don’t have the same prohibition
negative gossip. That was when I began to against repeating something that happens
consider how deeply other people’s words to be true—even if it could cause deep
can skew our opinions and even our feel- and unnecessary damage if it got around.
ings for a friend, teacher, or colleague. Harmful speech, as defined in Bud-
dhism and other traditions, is anything
STOP THE SPREAD you communicate that could needlessly
Yoga circles are like other communities: and pointlessly hurt others. It’s a fairly
perfect arenas for newsgathering. Like broad category, since we don’t even have
our
other communities, they offer endless to use words to comment on someone’s
opportunities for spreading rumors. A missteps or character foibles. The eye roll
spicy secret will sometimes start a game you give behind Larry’s back. The sar-
of telephone, in which slight distortions castic or condescending tone you use to
mount up, and by the time the story has damn with faint praise (“Jim is such a cool
made the rounds, it often bears only the guy”—said in a tone that conveys that
slightest relationship to the truth. So Jim is exactly the opposite!). gift to
when someone tells you that X is mean to This kind of gossip is like a triple-
people, or is having private meltdowns at bladed ax. When you speak harshly of
odds with her public image, or inflating George—even if what you say is more or
his credentials, you never really know if less true—you will probably affect the way
it’s exaggerated or downright false. And other people think of him. But you will
you.
also make it hard for other people stay for 2 R&R nights
to trust you. As a Spanish proverb and get 1 free—or stay for
You cannot direct negativity goes: “He who gossips with you will 3 nights and get 2 free.*
also gossip about you.”
toward someone else
The third edge of negative gossip
without having it hurt you. is what it does to your own mind. I
Exactly what you need … a time for self-care and
rejuvenating yoga classes; or a chance to jump-start
no longer see S—partly because I’m
afraid of what she might say about your fitness routine and get outdoors; or maybe an
even if the story is true, there’s the deeper me, but also because I always came away opportunity to get inspired about nutrition and healthy
and equally serious question of how much from our encounters feeling unsettled. eating—with plenty of time to soak in the whirlpool.
harm you would cause by spreading it. Negative gossip leaves an especially Kripalu’s Retreat and Renewal program is as unique
In some situations you definitely have a nasty aftertaste, whether you speak it or as you are. You’ll choose from a variety of workshops,
responsibility to say what you know about hear it. That aftertaste is the inner karmic
yoga and movement classes, and guided hiking
another person. If Amanda is going out effect of gossip, and it’s a useful indica-
and snowshoeing excursions, all with expert faculty.
with a guy known for his Don Juan com- tion that your words or tone have done
plex, she might appreciate your passing some damage to the delicate fabric of Time away to de-stress—how did we know?
the information on to her, especially if you your own consciousness. On the subtle *Restrictions apply; call or get online for details.
preface it by saying, “I heard” or “Some- level, you cannot direct negativity toward
one told me that ...” rather than claiming someone else without having it hurt you.
it as absolute truth. When you know that Even so-called idle gossip can leave a pain-
do something
the person Loren is considering going to ful residue, especially if you’re sensitive special for yourself.
work for cheats or abuses employees, you to the nuances of your inner state. Try kripalu.org/freenights
DECEMBER 2009 kripalu.org stockbridge, ma 800.741.7353
www.storemags.com & www.fantamag.c

.com
.c
wisd o m
reading an entire issue of Us Weekly, and
then notice the feeling state in your mind.
Isn’t there a subtle agitation, a feeling of
vague discontent, a disturbance in the
force field of your own consciousness?
KICKING THE HABIT

Perhaps you suspect that you’re a little
bit addicted to gossip. If you want to
change a gossip habit, it’s a good idea to
start by taking an honest look at what
you get out of it and what motivation lies
behind your impulse. Part of the thrill of
gossip—any gossip—is simply the plea-
sure of being in on a secret. With negative
gossip, there’s another hook: It’s com-
forting to feel that you’re not the only per-
son who makes mistakes, suffers losses,
fails. Somehow, knowing that Jennifer
Aniston got dumped makes you feel a little
better about your own painful breakup.
Satya Jewelry
jewelry with beauty & meaning
Talking about other people can also
be a way to avoid looking at something
difficult or painful in yourself. A woman
on a family vacation found herself com-
xxx/tbuzbkfxfmsz/dpn plaining about her sister-in-law’s casual
parenting style. Only later did she realize
that her sister-in-law’s way of handling
the kids had brought up her own insecuri-
ties about parenting, and that she’d used
gossip as a way of keeping her maternal
insecurity at bay.
It’s not always an easy thing to admit,
but behind most negative gossip, espe-
cially when it’s about friends, relatives, or
colleagues, is some form of jealousy. The
German word schadenfreude describes
one of the more shadowy aspects of hu-
man nature—the tendency to take just
the tiniest degree of pleasure in another
person’s misfortune. Gossip is a way of
getting that feeling. Maybe you have a
moment of slight satisfaction in hearing
that a college friend was left by his wife, or
that a professional colleague was passed
over for a promotion. Nearly always, this
feeling comes up when the other person
is a peer and, thus, a hook for your sibling
issues or your projected negative feel-
ings about yourself. In other words, when
there’s jealousy.
Most human beings have some inse-
curity about the amount of abundance
that’s available in the world. Most of us

kripalu
also tend to measure ourselves against starts feuds, creates wedges in spiritual
our peers. Sometimes, we even feel that communities, and dissolves reputations.
yoga
another person’s success takes something A man I know is still dealing with the fall-
away from us. That’s when we might find out from the breakup of his marriage. His teacher
ourselves resorting to gossip as a political wife had not wanted to break up. When
or social weapon to neutralize rivals, espe- he insisted, she mobilized all her friends training
cially if we feel that they take up space in and circulated a letter on the Internet in
the world that we’d like to have ourselves. which she accused him of infidelity, of what does
Perhaps the darkest reason behind abusing his kids, and of failing to credit
gossiping is a desire for, to put it bluntly, sources in his work. At no point in the
your potential
getting even. A lover leaves you. A teacher letter did she mention her own contri-
dismisses you from class or criticizes you butions to the failure of the marriage.
look like?
more sharply than usual. You have a fight The stories have been picked up and The best yoga education provides a solid
with a friend. You’re hurt or angry, and spread through blogs, tweets, and word foundation from which students can grow into
their highest potential. Kripalu Yoga Teacher
you don’t feel that you can clear it up by of mouth. As a result, many of the man’s
Training prepares people to become successful
talking to the person with whom you’re students and friends no longer trust him. yoga teachers by mastering the essentials of
upset. When you share the story, you We all gossip. We all listen to gos- yoga. How do we do this? Our unique inquiry-
discharge some of the pain. Of course, sip. But it is possible, if you’re willing to based approach guides you to understand
talking to a friend about your heartbreak exercise awareness, to begin to discrimi- the technology and language of yoga on the
or confusion can be genuinely cathartic: nate about how and when you do it. Like mat, while learning how to incorporate the
One reason you need friends is to philosophy of yoga into the rest of your life.
have someone who’ll listen when !BOEIPVSDFSUJGJDBUJPO
you’re in emotional turmoil! Make your conversations !USBJOJOHTFBDINPOUI
But there is a line between
more conscious, more
cathartic sharing and vengeful
disciplined, more measured.
get online
gossip. You know you’ve crossed
it when you find yourself sharing
today.
dates and details, applications,
only your side of the story. You testimonials, and more
exaggerate a little bit. You paint the per- wine or chocolate, which can be good kripalu.org/yogaschool
son’s behavior as more unfair or cruel than for you in measured doses, gossip can be
it actually was. You don’t reveal that you delightful—but only when you are honest
had been making sotto voce wisecracks in with yourself about what you’re saying
the teacher’s class, or that you had spent and what its effect might be.
years dumping criticism onto the friend Obviously, you can’t cut out all con-
who no longer wants to see you, or that versation about other people, and you
your “unfaithful” ex-boyfriend had made don’t have to. Instead, you can make your
it clear when you began dating that he conversations more conscious, more dis-
didn’t want to commit to being in an ex- ciplined, more measured. You can con-
clusive relationship. template exactly why you sometimes feel
Instead, you impute dishonest or un- compelled to bad-mouth a friend, or to
ethical motives to the other person, bring spread a rumor that might cause harm.
in gossip you’ve heard from others, theo- You can look into the feeling of empti-
rize about their possible pathologies. ness that often lurks behind the urge to
“She’s a clinical narcissist,” someone says fill spaces in a conversation with gossip.
about a friend who refused to become a And you can consider whether one of the
lover. “He has horrible boundary prob- greatest fruits of our practice is the ability
lems,” a man says about his former teach- to remain silent, even when you’re dying
ing partner. We do this, consciously or to share a piece of juicy gossip or justify
not, with the intention of getting the your dissatisfaction with a friend. ✤
person we’re talking with to share our
anger and validate our own feelings. Sally Kempton is an internationally recognized
This is seventh-grade behavior, of teacher of meditation and yogic philosophy
course, but that’s not to negate its seri- and the author of The Heart of Meditation.
ousness. This is the kind of gossip that Visit her at sallykempton.com.
DECEMBER 2009
kripalu.org TUPDLCSJEHF NB
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home practice wi th J a net Stone
side
attraction
PHOTOS: CHRIS ANDRE; MODEL: JANET STONE; STYLIST: LYN HEINEKEN; HAIR/MAKEUP: FRANCE PIERSON/ARTIST UNTIED; TOP: LULULEMON ATHLETICA; BOTTOMS: DANSKIN
( A sidebending practice can

open areas you don’t often stretch and
leave you feeling more balanced. )
“The craziness of modern life often
means we take on an aggressive, plow-
through-it-all mentality—a linear model of
pushing through and getting it done. This
mentality can take over our practice too,”
says Janet Stone, a vinyasa flow teacher in
San Francisco. How often do we push our-
selves to attain a deeper backbend or forward
bend? “In learning to open and move our
side body, we can change that habit a little.
Instead of moving straight on, we breathe
into our sides to create space for subtle yet
powerful transformation.”
To help you explore a new angle,
Stone created the sequence
on the following pages;
it includes strength-
ening, hip opening, and
lots of sidebending. And sidebends stretch
out muscles, like the quadratus lumborum,
to finish
Kick back Take Viparita
that don’t get as much attention or release in
forward bends and backbends. Stone recom- to begin Karani (Legs-up-the-Wall
Pose). Place both hands on
mends that as you lean into poses, you send Take a seat Sit in your belly, one hand on top
breath through the ribs, lower back, hips, Sukhasana (Easy Pose). Walk of the other, and send breath
neck, and the entire side portion of the spine. your hands in front of you. there to free up your creative
Keep your chest open and enjoy a new, more Take a moment to set the life force. Now move your
intention to flow into a new hands to your heart and take
spacious perspective. D I A N E A N D E R S O N
perspective. Now walk your a deep breath into your heart
hands to the right and pause; space. Release your hands
walk hands to the left and out to the side, palms up. Rest
pause; move back to center. here for 10 minutes.

home practice wi th J a n et Ston e
2
1
1 Swingin’ Uttanasana
(Standing Forward Bend), variation
Separate your feet just wider than your hips, turn your 5 Three-Legged Down Dog, variation
heels out slightly, and fold forward. Hold the opposite From Down Dog, ground your left heel and raise your right
elbows lightly as your spine lengthens and the crown of leg to the sky. Find balance, bend your right knee, and
your head descends. Swing your torso from side to side, open the hip as you lengthen through your tailbone. Send
loose and free like a pendulum, for 5 breaths. energy through your hands and breathe into your side
body for 5 deep, long breaths. Straighten your leg, level
2 Malasana (Garland Pose) your hips, and lower your leg to the earth. Change sides.
With your feet as wide as your mat, squat, reaching your
sitting bones toward the earth. Lift your chest and the crown 6 Parighasana (Gate Pose)
of your head to the sky. If your heels don’t touch the floor, Bend both knees and place them on the mat. Extend your
place a blanket beneath them. Bring your hands to Anjali right leg out laterally, turn it out, and place the sole of
Mudra (Salutation Seal) at your heart. Hold for 9 breaths. your right foot on the ground. Inhale and bring your arms
out to the sides at shoulder height; as you exhale, bring
3 Parsva Tadasana the right hand to the top of the thigh or shin and reach
(Sidebending Mountain Pose) over to the right. Hold for 3 breaths. Press down through
From Malasana, interlace your fingers; as you inhale, stand the left shin, inhale, and come up. Change sides.
up, spin your palms to the sky, and reach to the right, bend-
ing and lengthening your side body. Exhale back to Mala- 7 Elbow Plank, variation
sana. Interlace, inhale, stand up, and reach to the left. Place your elbows on the earth, fingers facing forward
Repeat this sequence, moving from Malasana to Parsva and forearms parallel. Bring your legs back into Plank Pose.
Tadasana, 3 times on each side before moving to Adho Feel energy running down your centerline as you send your
Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose). heels back and reach your heart forward. Engage your low
belly as you spin both heels to the right, feet stacked, and
4 Anjaneyasana (Low Lunge), variation drop your right hip toward the earth, hovering just an inch
Step your right foot between your hands, lower your left or 2 from the ground, without compromising your center.
knee to the earth, untuck your toes, inhale and raise your Keep both forearms on the floor. Hold for 5 breaths.
arms. Lengthen your tailbone. As you exhale, touch your Rise back to Elbow Plank and change sides. Move
right fingers to the earth (or a block) and reach your left side to side, fully engaging the oblique mus-
arm up and over to the right, arcing your left side body. cles, at least 10 times.
Hold for 5 breaths. Inhale as you raise both arms, exhale
and lower your hands, return to Dog, and switch sides.
10
9

3
4
8 Wild Thing
5
Bring your feet together in Plank. Turn onto the outside
of your left foot, stack your right hip on top of the left, and
extend your right arm to the sky. Lift the right leg, bend
your knee, and place the ball of the right foot 6 to 8 inches
behind your left knee. Extend your right arm toward the
top of your mat. Lengthen through your low back. Hold for
3 breaths. Return to Plank and change sides.
9 Temple Pose
6
Stand sideways on your mat and widen your stance. Spin
your toes out, heels in. Bend your knees deeply, and draw
your low belly in as you extend through the top of your
head. Once your spine is long, place your right forearm on
your right thigh and reach your left arm up and over to the
right. Find your breath expanding through your ribs as
your side body opens. Hold for a cycle of breath. Repeat
10 times, alternating sides.
10 Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana

(Revolved Head-of-the-Knee Pose)
Sit down, extend your right leg to the right, and draw your
left heel into your left groin. Sit tall and reach your right
arm toward your right toes. Bend your right elbow, place
it inside the right knee, then twist your torso to the left as
you reach your left arm up overhead toward your right
toes. Lengthen the left side body and roll your left ribs to
the ceiling as you open and extend. Change sides.
7
8
✄
cut out
and save!

y ogis
te the his
a
e l ebr r life t by
C ou on
in y ay seas ents
d es With the winter holidays comes a sweet oppor-
holi ring pr eart. tunity to connect with loved ones and show your
sha the h appreciation for them. Homemade gifts or care-
from fully chosen presents that reveal your respect for
your friends’ and families’ interests and passions
are sure to make hearts sing. ✱ For those whose
practice already brings them comfort and joy, what
better way to show your love than with presents
designed to nurture it? Here, we’ve put together
a kind of yoga gift guide—one that we hope will
inspire you to use your imagination and heart to
offer presents that reflect your loved ones’ tastes,
needs, and practice. ✱ Some of these DIY proj-
ects take just a few minutes; others require a sig-
nificant amount of time. Whichever you choose,
try practicing peace, patience, and compassion as
you create your gifts. Let your intentions infuse
your gifts and create more goodwill this season!
www.
www.st
w. stor
st orem
oremag
emags.
ag s.co
s.com
com & ww
www.
w.fa
w. fant
fa ntam
nt amag
amag.c
ag .com
.c om
stitch by stitch &
breath by breath:
a meditation shawl
Detailed instructions for this
and each of the other projects
shown here can be found at
yogajournal.com/giftsoflove.
www.
www.st
w. stor
st orem
oremag
emags.
ag s.co
s.com
com & ww
www.
w.fa
w. fant
fa ntam
nt amag
amag.c
ag .com
.c om
cloaked
in kindness
Any meditator on your list would surely love a
(PREVIOUS PAGES) HEADLINE EMBROIDERY: DOLIN O’SHEA; SHAWL KNITTED BY PATRICIA BEARDEN; CLOTHING: LUCY; (RIGHT) MAT BAG SEWN BY DOLIN O’SHEA; SWEATER: DKNY; PANTS: HARDTAIL FOREVER
cozy meditation shawl (pictured on previous
page) to wrap around her shoulders for an
early morning sit. There are many available
patterns, but if you’re an experienced knitter,
choose a gorgeous natural-fiber yarn and
an open, lacy stitch, and create something
74 inches long and at least 15 inches wide.
Snuggly and sweet For luscious-feeling shawls

that you can buy, check out lamb’s wool shawls
from Panchachuli ($38; panchachulistore.com),
One World Projects’ fair trade Burmese woven
textured cotton shawls ($56; oneworldprojects
.com), and Hamsa’s wool meditation shawls
(starting at $105; hamsashawls.com). All offer
beautiful designs and colors.
spice route
With its warming spices and sweet aroma, chai is the drink
of choice among many yoga practitioners. Mix the traditional
PHOTOS: THAYER ALLYSON GOWDY; STYLIST: JENEFFER JONES/ARTISTS’ SERVICES; HAIR/MAKEUP: TOKYO/WORKGROUP
Indian spices in a jar (recipe online), and package it with
another jar filled with loose black tea. You can add a jar of
honey and a box of soymilk or other nonperishable milk for
Remember how special it a ready treat. Then write out a pretty note with instructions
was to receive a mixed tape
on how to make this winter-warmer:
made just for you? Touch
someone’s heart by creating In a small pot, bring to a boil:
a playlist to accompany his 1 scant cup water and 1⁄4 teaspoon chai mix
home practice. Put together Let simmer for 5 minutes, remove from heat, and add:
a playlist via iTunes—it 1 teaspoon of loose-leaf black tea
doesn’t matter if you own Let steep for a minute, then strain and add:
the songs or not—and then 1
⁄4 cup milk and sweetener to taste
click the arrow to the right Enjoy!
musically of it in Sources, where you

select Give Playlist. You Well spiced For ready-made gifts, try boxes of chai from
gifted can have iTunes send your

present in an email or as
Yogi Tea ($4.49; yogiproducts.com), Traditional Medicinals
($5.49; traditionalmedicinals.com), or Celestial Seasonings
a gift certificate.
($2.99; celestialseasonings.com).
From DJs with love
Go to yogajournal.com/
multimedia/playlists to
download playlists created MORE ONLINE Detailed
by yoga teachers. Also, instructions for all of these
there are lots of great CDs projects can be found at
for practice, including Cyndi yogajournal.com/giftsoflove.
Lee Presents Om Yoga
Mix 2 (Dharma Moon) and
Yoga One (Quango), by
Amy and Michael Caldwell.

carry on!
Pick out some pretty fabric
that has an eye-catching
pattern and use our easy-
to-follow online instruc-
tions to sew a custom mat
bag that will help a friend
get to and from class with
ease and style.
Gift bags If sewing is not

your thing, check out one
of the following bags: Pra-
na’s Henna Mat Holder
($36; prana.com) is cov-
ered in festive embroidery,
is lightweight and practical,
and has a front pocket for
a wallet. Lululemon Athleti-
ca’s Best Basic Yoga Tote
($54; lululemon.com) has
more than enough room
for a mat, towel, and water
bottle. The versatile Obi
Yoga Bag ($65; tkuu.com)
looks like a silky sash and
does triple duty as a scarf,
belt, or headband when not
toting a mat.
www.st
stor
oremags.com
m & ww
www.
w.fa
w. fant
fa ntam
nt amag
amag.com
ag om
mat
makeover
Your friends will enjoy
Down Dog even more
when their mats are
clean and sweet smelling.
David Crow of the
essential-oils company
Floracopeia suggests
mixing 6 parts water
with 1 part silver fir
essential oil and 1 part
eucalyptus essential oil
in a bottle, for a natural
antibacterial spray.
All bottled up Yoga mat

sprays also come as
washes and convenient
wipes made with various
essential oils. Stirlen’s
Chi Mat Cleanser ($9.99;
stirlenchi.com), Jo-Sha
Wipes ($20/20 wipes;
joshawipes.com), and
Herban Essentials’ Yoga
Towelettes ($15/20
wipes; herbanessentials
.com) all make excellent
stocking stuffers.
uniquely Beauty and the mat There are

yours some outrageously pretty mat
designs available these days. Try
Give your pal a mat that’s as one-of-a- JadeYoga’s Edge Collection mats
kind as he is by sending your own quirky ($74.95; jadeyoga.com), which
doodling or an inspiring digital picture are made of natural rubber and
from a trip you took together to Yoga- perfect for the green yogis on
Matic, which will turn your image into an your list. The company promises
eco-friendly mat like the one shown above to plant a tree for every mat pur-
($85 and up; yogamatic.com). Their site chased. Part of the proceeds from
will guide you through the process and Manduka’s eKO Lite mats goes
help you find a cool mat color. to Seane Corn’s Off the Mat, Into
the World program ($42; manduka
.com). And Beinjoy’s Premium
Embossed Love Mat ($62; beinjoy
MORE ONLINE Detailed .com) offers a “love” mantra to
instructions for all of these focus on during practice.
projects can be found at
yogajournal.com/giftsoflove.

easy on As yogis, we know the value of
the eyes rest and how something as simple
as an eye pillow can turn an ordi-
nary Savasana into deep relaxation. An eye pillow
is a great first sewing project, and our online guide words to practice by
will show you how to transform soft fabric and a
If you’re a teacher or have signifi-
bit of all-natural filling into a sweet yoga prop.
cant training and you’ve developed
Get some rest A few ready-made eye pillows, like
sequences of real benefit for your-
Barefoot Yoga’s (starting at $14; barefootyoga.com),
self, consider making a practice
have a zipper so you can add or remove filling to
create the ideal weight. DreamTime’s velvet Inner book for a friend. To create a cus-
Peace Eye Pillows ($9.95; amazon.com and drug- tom book through self-publishing
store.com) are filled with flaxseed and calming lav- companies like Blurb, you’ll need
ender, chamomile, and orange granules. Hugger to sequence 10 to 12 poses (taking
Mugger’s Silk Eyebags ($15.95; huggermugger.com) into careful consideration the
are cool on the skin, come in a wide array of colors,
other person’s needs, strength,
and have a removable cover for easy cleaning.
and flexibility), write out clear pose
instructions, and maybe provide
pictures of yourself doing the
poses. For an example, go to
blurb.com/bookstore and search
for Yoga with a Twist.
muscle love
For the times when your friend
overdoes it in class and comes
home sore, make an energizing gel
for tired muscles (recipe online). If
you really want to spoil him or her,
tuck in a handwritten gift certificate
for a massage given by you.
Handle with care Or give Aveda’s

Active Composition body oil ($21;
aveda.com), which creates a hot-
cold sensation that helps soothe
muscles. China-Gel (prices start at
$13.95; chinagel.com), a favorite of
EYE PILLOWS SEWN BY DOLIN O’SHEA
Jivamukti Yoga teachers, heats the

body and helps release tense mus-
cles. Sometimes a hot soak is in
order: Try Burt’s Bees Therapeutic
Bath Crystals ($10; burtsbees.com),
a combination of rosemary-leaf oil,
lemon oil, eucalyptus oil, and sea
salt, to soften skin and relax tired
and aching muscles. ✤

www.
www.st
w. stor
st orem
oremag
emags.
ag s.co
s.com
com & ww
www.
w.fa
w. fant
fa ntam
nt amag
amag.c
ag .com
.c om
on solid
Give roots to your restorative
practice and be free to expand.
by Karen Macklin
photography by Richard Seagraves
www.
www.st
w. stor
st orem
oremag
emags.
ag s.co
s.com
com & ww
www.
w.fa
w. fant
fa ntam
nt amag
amag.c
ag .com
.c om
been a long week, so you sign up for a
Friday evening restorative yoga class. Unwind-
ing with some rejuvenating supported postures
for an hour and a half sounds perfect—almost
like a minivacation. But moments after you
close your eyes and immerse yourself in the The poses in this sequence are designed to
first pose, an unexpected visitor arrives: anxi- give you the experience of being cradled and
protected while providing the opportunity
ety. Suddenly your mind is filled with an end- for deep relaxation and rejuvenation. When
less stream of thoughts about the past week’s you’re practicing them for the first time, it
events, your job security, and everything you can be helpful to have a friend assist you in
setting up the props. Warm up with a few
have to accomplish over the weekend, not to rounds of Cat-Cow Pose, or any other gentle
mention doubts about where your relationship poses that help you connect with your
is headed and whether or not you paid that breath. Once you’re propped and positioned,
take the first few minutes in each pose to
credit card bill. The pose feels as though it’s sense where you connect with the floor
going on forever, and although your body isn’t or the props. What part of your body rests
moving, your mind won’t stop racing. You feel rest- most heavily on the support underneath
less, agitated, and out of control. This is supposed you? Let this area be like an anchor rooting
to be “restorative” yoga. What happened? you to the earth. Slowly allow this sense
Restorative yoga is a passive practice in which of connection to spread to all the areas
where you meet the ground and the props.
poses like Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound
Angle Pose) or Viparita Karani (Legs-up-the-Wall When your body feels completely supported,
Pose) are held for several minutes at a time, propped let your attention turn toward your breath.
with blankets, blocks, and bolsters to minimize Like an ocean wave, each breath will rise
the amount of work that the muscles are doing in and fall on its own. Rest your mind on the
the pose. A restorative practice can rest your body, tide of your breath. Throughout each pose,
stretch your muscles, lower your heart rate and blood let your attention move back and forth
pressure, and calm your nervous system, moving you between the earthlike qualities of your body
into a peaceful state of deep relaxation. But while and the fluidlike qualities of your breath.
the practice of restorative yoga comes easily to some
Stay in each pose for up to 15 minutes. Even
people, it can present real challenges for others.
a few minutes will make a difference. If you
“A lot of people think that restorative yoga is like feel restless but want to stay in the pose,
a bliss practice, where they’ll just be lying around and you can do small vinyasa movements with
relaxing,” says Jillian Pransky, the national director your hands to help yourself settle down: Roll
of restorative yoga training for YogaWorks. “But the your open palms to the sky as you inhale;
practice of being still and restful provokes anxiety roll them back to the ground as you exhale.
for many people. And during times of extreme stress,
such as illness, a difficult transition, or grief, releas-
ing control of the body can overwhelm the nervous asana sequence
system.” Passive postures can evoke feelings of by Jillian Pransky
discomfort for myriad reasons. On a physical level,
Pransky says, the body is in a vulnerable state: You are
releasing control of all your muscles, lying with your
eyes closed and your chest and abdomen—the loca-
tion of your vital organs—exposed. In many restor-
ative poses, the body is also splayed out, and often
the bones are not resting in their sockets, which can
leave you feeling physically unstable or insecure. In
Savasana (Corpse Pose), for example, the thigh bones >>
74 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M DECEMBER 2009

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Viparita Karani
(Legs-up-the-Wall Pose), variation
This pose is usually done with the legs extended all the way up
the wall. Having the legs lower, with the feet against the wall,
encourages grounding by creating a sensation of “standing”
on the wall, as opposed to having the feet wide open to the sky.
Lie on your back with your calves and feet supported by either Salamba Balasana
bolsters or blanket-covered blocks. Wrap or cover your calves (Supported Child’s Pose)
with a blanket. Rest the soles of your feet against the wall.
Place blocks underneath the two ends of
Place an additional folded blanket across the pelvis to help
a bolster and come into Child’s Pose, with
release tension there and to encourage the pelvis to rest more
your torso supported by the bolster. It
heavily on the ground. Rest your arms by your sides, either
should feel as though the support is com-
palms down or, if facing up, with an eye bag in each open palm.
ing up to meet you rather than your torso
If your upper back and shoulders don’t rest heavily on the floor,
dropping into the support. Slide your arms
support them with towels or blankets. Place a folded blanket
underneath the gap between the bolster
under your head.
and the floor, bringing each hand toward
You should feel firm support all the way up the torso, out the opposite elbow. If the forearms or
through the arms, and up through the neck and head. Your elbows don’t touch the ground, fill in the
throat should feel open and tension free. On each exhalation, space with towels or blankets so that you
allow the weight of your lower legs, pelvis, upper back, and are supported from the elbows to the
head to be fully held. On each inhalation, allow your ribs to fingers. Supporting the elbows and arms
expand in all directions. Stay in the pose for 5 to 15 minutes. helps to release tension in the upper back
and neck and to integrate the
arms back into the body. In
order to release tension in the
lower back and create a deeper
sensation of groundedness,
place a heavy blanket on your
sacrum. If the base of the
shins or the tops of the feet
are off the floor, prop them
with a rolled-up towel.
Turn the head to one side,

alternating sides halfway
through the pose. On each
inhalation, feel the back body
expand; on each exhalation,
feel the support under the
chest and belly. Stay in the
pose for 5 to 10 minutes.

Supta Baddha Konasana
(Reclining Bound
Angle Pose), variation
>> pop up from the weight of the feet on the floor and Supta Baddha Konasana opens the whole
the external release of the leg muscles, as opposed to front of the body: the pelvis, belly, heart, and
resting inside the joint as they do when you’re stand- throat. These are areas we instinctively pro-
tect, which is why a pose like this can leave
ing or reclining with the knees bent.
one feeling exposed and vulnerable.
On an emotional level, restorative poses can be
challenging because, when the body is in a passive Place a block lengthwise under one end of
posture, the mind has fewer physical tasks and sensa- a bolster to prop it up on an incline. Sit with
your back to the short, low end of the bolster.
tions to focus on than it does in more active poses,
Place a second bolster under your knees and
making your attention more likely to turn inward. bring your legs into Bound Angle Pose with
Any emotions you might have been suppressing the soles of your feet together. Wrap a blanket
throughout the day—fear, frustration, sadness, anxi- around your feet to create a feeling of con-
ety—are likely to come to the forefront of your mind tainment. Place another folded blanket over
once your body begins to relax. the pelvis to create a feeling of insulation.
Lie back on the bolster. Place supports under
Finally, if you go very deep into the meditation
your arms so that they are not dangling and
of the pose, says Pransky, you can lose a sense of your there is no feeling of stretch in the chest. Stay
physical shape. If you are in a content and secure in the pose for 5 to 15 minutes.
frame of mind, this can deepen your experience and
provide a sense of bliss; but if you are going through
a difficult time, losing a sense of your body can feel
frightening and disorienting.
But just because restorative yoga can trigger
anxious or uncomfortable feelings doesn’t mean you
shouldn’t do it. In fact, times of high anxiety or stress
are the times you can most benefit from the healing
aspects of a restorative practice. The solution, Pran-
sky says, is to support passive postures with props
in such a way that the body and mind feel grounded, >>
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Side-Lying Savasana and
Jathara Parivartanasana
(Side-Lying Corpse Pose and Revolved
Abdomen Pose), variation
TAUPE ECO BLANKETS AND CORK BLOCKS: HUGGER MUGGER; ORANGE BLANKETS: FOUR SEASONS; ROUND BOLSTERS: YOGAWORKS; RECTANGULAR BOLSTERS: MATSMATSMATS.COM; EYE PILLOWS: BAREFOOT YOGA CO.; RUG: CB2
Twists are generally good for the nervous system, but some twists blanket under your head and neck to lift your head in line
can make breathing feel constricted, which can be anxiety provok- with the spine (figure 4a). Rest here for 2 to 5 minutes.
ing. This gentle, supported twist allows more room for the breath
To move into the twist (figure 4b), roll your torso to the
to come into the rib cage and belly.
right over the bolster, keeping your right arm fully sup-
Start by lying on your left side with your feet at a wall and your ported by it from shoulder blade to fingers. Your right hand
back against a bolster that is at least as high as your spine. Bend should be no lower than the height of your right shoulder.
your right knee to 90 degrees and support your right knee and If you have tightness in your shoulder or chest, try placing
shin with a bolster or folded blankets so that the right leg is as more support under your arm until your hand is higher than
high as the right hip; rest the sole of your left foot against the your shoulder. You should not feel a stretch, but rather as
wall. Next, place folded blankets under your top arm and hand though your chest is open and your breath is fluid. Stay
to lift them to the height of your shoulder. Finally, tuck a folded in the twist for 2 to 5 minutes. Repeat on the other side.

Savasana
(Corpse Pose)
Savasana can be a very expansive pose, especially when done with the legs wide
apart and the arms away from the side body. Keeping the legs and arms a little
closer to the body encourages a more contained feeling.
Roll up a blanket and place it alongside a wall. Lie down with the soles of your
feet against the blanket. Place an additional rolled blanket or bolster under your
knees to encourage the thighbones to drop deeper into your pelvis. This helps
release tension in the iliopsoas and allows the pelvis to rest more heavily on
the ground. Place a folded blanket over your belly to release tension and weigh
the hips down even more. Rest your arms by your sides, palms facing down.
If your upper back and shoulders are rolled toward your heart and don’t rest
heavily on the floor, fill in the space with towels or blankets so you feel firm sup-
port all the way up the torso to the neck and head. Support your cervical curve
with a small rolled towel and place a folded blanket under the head to create
a cradling effect. Your chin should be perpendicular to the floor, and your throat
should feel open and tension free. With each exhalation allow the earth to fully
hold each part of your body: your heels, thighs, pelvis, upper back, and head.
Once you feel completely connected to the ground, rest your mind on the waves
of your breath. Stay in the pose for 5 to 15 minutes.
>> safe, and integrated. That way, you can still experi-
ence the benefits of restorative yoga, and can eventu-
ally learn to use the practice as a tool for being with Pransky’s experience with anxiety led her to
all those feelings. develop an approach to restorative yoga that could
Pransky didn’t always teach restorative yoga with accommodate and support an agitated mind. She
these adaptations. Her own restorative practice was drew on her training in Anusara Yoga, which empha-
initially more about feeling light and blissful than sizes the biomechanical and alignment principles
feeling rooted and stable, she says. But 11 years ago, of “integration” (setting up the bones so that you
a death in the family brought on a period of intense can draw them toward, and not away from, the core
anxiety that caused her practice to change. Suddenly of the body). She also tapped into her studies with
her former way of practicing restorative yoga—going somatic therapist Ruella Frank, PhD, in which Pran-
so deep into the meditation of the pose that she’d sky says she learned how to “contain the outline of
be aware only of her energetic body, not her physical the body” with the use of supportive props and blan-
body—was no longer blissful but destabilizing and kets so that the body feels cradled and safe, similar
disconnecting. “I was just out there. It was really to the way a baby becomes calmer when swaddled.
scary,” she says. Other techniques for making the body feel less
vulnerable in restorative postures include using
blankets to create a layer of warmth and protection,

and placing eye bags over open palms to create a “hand
holding” effect. Pransky also recommends resting the
feet against something—a wall, a rolled-up blanket, or
a partner—in every pose. This helps the body feel more
connected to the earth, she says, and integrates the legs
back into the body, creating a deeper sense of stability and
safety. Props such as folded or rolled blankets placed to
support the arms and legs likewise ensure that the weight
of the leg bones and arm bones drops in toward the body, Reverse Savasana
and that the weight of the head is fully supported. (Corpse Pose), variation
Finally, Pransky recommends leaving the eyes open dur-
This reversed variation can feel
ing a restorative practice if closing them is uncomfortable more secure for someone who
for you. “When you have a very busy mind, closing the eyes feels vulnerable in Savasana. Lie
can be an invitation for the mind to wander into worry,” on your belly. Turn your head to
she says. “Keeping the eyes open can help you feel more the right. Bring your arms out to
connected to the outside world.” the side, elbows bent. Take your
right knee out to the side. If
With these adaptations, Pransky says, you can develop
needed, place a blanket for cush-
the capacity to be more grounded and relaxed in restor- ioning and support under the right
ative postures, whatever your mental state. “Once you can arm, knee, thigh, belly, or all four.
become more connected to your breath, the whole nervous Cover your entire body with a
system calms,” she says. “And then, when those difficult blanket, including the exposed
emotions arise, you might find that you can handle them soles of your feet. After a couple
of minutes, turn your head to the
more easily than you thought you could.” ✤
other side and switch the position
of the knees. Stay here 5 to 10
Karen Macklin is a writer, editor, and yoga teacher who lives minutes, releasing your whole
in San Francisco. Visit her website at karenmacklin.com. front body into the ground.

A Good Read
Curious about all that yoga
has to offer? Get off your
mat and cozy up with a
good yoga book!
I
n your yoga journey, there will probably come
a time when you wonder just how some Sanskrit term
applies to daily life or how the physical practice of asana
relates to yoga’s transformative powers. Fortunately, people
have been writing books about yoga for thousands of years—
and no matter what your question, someone probably has
addressed it in writing somewhere.
Arriving at a coherent understanding of this rich and varied
tradition takes time and contemplation. Books can become
great friends and guides along the path. Many ancient texts
are deserving of serious, scholarly study, of course, but there
are also plenty of great reads worthy of curling up with on a
by Hillari Dowdle
winter’s eve. Here, we’ve gathered a small library of titles we

think provide a broader understanding of the practice and a
deeper awareness of how yoga can transform your life.
Because there are literally hundreds of books to choose
from, we limited ourselves to titles that were published within
the past 10 years—a limitation we thought might aid in our
quest to answer that eternal question: How is the ancient prac-
tice of yoga relevant to my life right now? We bypassed asana
photog raphy by Chris Andre
& www.fantamag.com
manuals and reference guides—not
because we don’t use and love them,
but because we wanted readable works
that can inform your understanding of
more than one facet of the practice.
You’ll find other books we like in “A
Bigger Shelf ” (see facing page), but nei-
ther that list nor the one that follows
comes close to including all of the yoga
books we love. This article is meant to
be a sampler of yoga literature, a little
something to whet your appetite.
Examined
Lives
The Wisdom of Yoga: A Seeker’s Guide

to Extraordinary Living
By Stephen Cope (Bantam, 2006)
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To go right to the heart of yoga,
you might consider picking up a copy
of the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, widely
recognized as yoga’s primary source-
book. Written somewhere between teachings. Each character in the book love, compassion, gratitude, and con-
500 and 200 BCE, the text explains exemplifies a human flaw that impedes tentment into your life, Cope says, and
what yoga is and how to undertake its happiness. Lawyer Jake’s aversion and your psychology will follow. Practice
practice. But get your hands on one of commitment problems ransack his happiness, in other words, and you’ll
the 100-plus English translations, and love life. Kate, a professional dancer soon begin to feel happiness.
you will likely find that the Sutra is dif- raised to look on the bright side of “The early yogis were really psychol-
ficult reading. Written in Sanskrit as a things, inhabits a world of delusion. ogists,” says Cope, a psychotherapist,
series of tightly compacted principles, Interior designer Susan lusts after yoga teacher, and director of the Kri-
it requires not simply translation but a food. And Maggie, an elderly would-be palu Institute for Extraordinary Living
knowledgeable interpreter to help you writer, lives in the past, which hampers in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. “They
understand what it is saying. her self-expression in the present. were interested not in dogma, but in
Stephen Cope takes up that task in In revealing how each character is the way things work. How do percep-
The Wisdom of Yoga, as he chronicles changed by practice, Cope shows how tion and delusion work? What causes
the experiences of several students transformative yoga philosophy can suffering? How can we see clearly?
who spend a year actively applying be. “I wanted to get across three main The system they devised is way more
the practice of yoga to their personal pillars of what Patanjali says creates a sophisticated than anything we have in
challenges. Rather than giving a line- fully human life,” Cope says. “One, we the West.” Read this inspiring book for
by-line interpretation, Cope offers a all have the capacity to still and focus a look at what the Yoga Sutra says and
great armchair read that illustrates the mind. Two, we can use this disci- does. Then, to live an extraordinary
several of the Yoga Sutra’s fundamental pline to investigate our experience. life, start practicing.
And three, it’s not enough to investi-
gate experience—you have to practice
nonafflicted [positive] states.” Do the
daily work of inviting more breath,

Feminine
a bigger shelf
Critique More recommended
reading for yogis.
The Secret Power of Yoga:
Mindfulness Yoga: The Awakened
A Woman’s Guide to the Heart and Union of Breath, Body, and Mind
Spirit of the Yoga Sutras by Frank Jude Boccio
By Nischala Joy Devi Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual A thought-provoking and informative
(Three Rivers Press, 2007) by David Swenson book that explores the common
A guide to Ashtanga Yoga’s primary ground of yoga and Buddhism. Practi-
series, expertly modeled. In the cal guidance for how and why to apply
Radically unlike a traditional tradition of the late K. Pattabhi Jois, mindfulness techniques to asana.
commentary on the Yoga Sutra, Nis- the book offers 99 percent practice
Moving Toward Balance: 8 Weeks of
chala Joy Devi’s The Secret Power of and 1 percent theory.
Yoga with Rodney Yee, by Rodney Yee
Yoga interprets the terse, intellectual Autobiography of a Yogi Yee makes home-practice time
sutras as a meditation on living with by Paramhansa Yogananda compelling by offering eight weeks’
ease. “Most [of the sutras] are writ- The classic spiritual memoir, first worth of instruction with weekly
ten by men for men, and men have a published in 1946, still resonates themes: for example, “opening to
with practitioners today who are vulnerability” or “listening inward.”
very different temperament,” explains
looking for self-realization.
Devi, a yoga teacher who spent 25 years Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Mov-
studying with Swami Satchidananda, The Eight Human Talents: Restore the ing into Stillness, by Erich Schiffmann
Balance and Serenity Within You with A guide to 45 asanas, with thorough
founder of Integral Yoga. “Women
Kundalini Yoga, by Gurmukh Kaur instructions. This book is filled with the
live in the world, with their children. Khalsa and Cathryn Michon wise advice of a master teacher yet
They are by nature connected and A walk through Kundalini Yoga marries points the reader toward the wisdom
open. I wanted to make an interpreta- Gurmukh’s personal experience with of the ultimate guru: the Self.
tion of the sutras that was positive and the wisdom of her teacher, the late
Yogi Bhajan. Yoga Anatomy, by Leslie Kaminoff
heart centered.” Ever wanted to look inside a
Traditionalists might find her ex- The Heart of Meditation: Pathways to yoga pose? This book’s excellent
plication of the sutras unrecognizable. a Deeper Experience, by Sally Kempton illustrations show exactly what’s
(aka Swami Durgananda) happening in the body in 75 asanas.
The first principle, ahimsa, classically
How to transform—rather than tran-
translated as “nonviolence,” becomes, scend—your emotions with a wide Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescrip-
for Devi, “embracing reverence and range of meditation techniques. Out tion for Health and Healing, by Yoga
love for all.” Asteya, known as “non- of print, but well worth tracking down. Journal and Timothy McCall, MD
An important bridge between
stealing,” becomes “abiding in gener- The Heart of Yoga: Developing a yogic wisdom and Western medical
osity and honesty.” And aparigraha, or Personal Practice, by T. K. V. Desikachar tradition, this book also serves as
“nongreed,” becomes “acknowledg- A clear and rewarding introduction a fine introduction to yoga therapy.
ing abundance.” The result is a man- to what “yoga” means beyond the
practice of asana, written in straight- Yoga: Awakening the Inner Body
ual that reframes the intellectually by Donald Moyer
forward prose that—as the title
demanding concepts as a loving, heart- An underappreciated yoga master
suggests—speaks to the heart.
based approach to transformation. dives beneath the surface to teach
“In drawing out the feminine char- The Language of Yoga: Complete A to asana from the inside out.
Y Guide to Asana Names, Sanskrit
acteristics, she puts the heart fore- Terms, and Chants, by Nicolai Bachman The Yoga of Breath: A Step-by-Step
most, even above the intellect,” says A guide to Sanskrit words commonly Guide to Pranayama, by Richard Rosen
Karusia Wroblewski, a Toronto yoga used in yoga classes, with an emphasis This book on pranayama serves as a
teacher. “Her way of storytelling and on pose names. An accompanying CD compass for those eager to explore the
offers correct pronunciations. uncharted territory of the breath.
of peppering the book with anecdotes
and teachings gives a modern example The Yoga Tradition: Its History,
Literature, Philosophy and Practice
of how you can test the knowledge of
by Georg Feuerstein
the sutras. She adds a sense of coming A thorough compendium of philosoph-
from the heart. She doesn’t say that ical knowledge, complete with transla-
continued on page 96 tions of several key yoga texts.

complete beginner’s
guide WITH VIDEO POSE ENCYCLOPEDIA
by Jason Crandell
NEVER MISS A DETAIL WHEN

YOU LEARN EACH POSE IN 360°
VIDEO ENCYCLOPEDIA
35 poses in a 360° view
60 MINUTE essential practice

15 MINUTE awakening practice
15 MINUTE quieting practice
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anatomy by Rog er Cole
shoulder to
shoulder
( Liberate your upper body by
strengthening and lengthening
your latissimus dorsi muscles. )
HUMERUS
ACROMION PROCESS
Do tight shoulders limit your backbends? SUPRASPINATUS
When you reach your arms high overhead, do
your lower ribs stick out in front? Do you feel a
pinching sensation on top of your shoulders when
you practice Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho
Mukha Svanasana)? If you answered yes to any
of those questions, the problem might be tight
latissimus dorsi muscles. LATISSIMUS DORSI
These muscles connect your upper arms to your
lower back. When you raise your arms overhead,
the “lats” stretch, so tight lats make it difficult
to reach up. Stretching them is not hard, but the
best way to do it effectively is not always obvious.
Learning how to loosen your lats is worthwhile,
though, because it will improve your range of
motion in every yoga pose that requires you
to lift one or both arms above your head. What’s SACRUM
more, looser lats can make it easier to do everyday

activities such as changing a light bulb or getting
things off a high shelf, and can even help protect
you from rotator cuff injuries.
To find out how tight or loose your latissimus dorsi muscles are, lifting up at all. This will probably create a sensa-
try this test (if you have a shoulder injury, do not do the exercises in tion of stretch on the outer sides of your armpits
this article unless you are under qualified supervision). Lie on your and make it harder to reach the floor. The stron-
back on the floor with your arms by your sides. Feel where the back ger the stretch and the greater the restriction of
of your rib cage touches the floor, taking special note of the point movement, the tighter your lats are (although
ILLUSTRATIONS: STEPHANIE MCCANN
of contact that lies closest to your waist. Turn your palms up, then other tight muscles may increase the limitation).
lift your arms up and overhead to the floor, or as close to the floor
as they will go without you bending your elbows or separating your LOCATE YOUR LATS
arms wider than your shoulders. For most people, this movement To understand what’s going on here, you first
will make the lower ribs lift off the floor in back and jut out in front. have to know where the latissimus dorsi attaches
Now return your arms to your sides and repeat the same actions, to your body. The latissimus is a broad, flat sheet
but this time, as you reach overhead, press the lower rib cage—the of muscle whose lower end connects to your
point closest to your waist—firmly into the floor to prevent it from back in several places, including the vertebrae
& www.fantamag.com
a n a to my
of the middle and lower spine, the sacrum
(the bone that joins the spine to the pel-
vis), the upper rim of the pelvis alongside
the sacrum, and the back of the lower
four ribs. (In some people the muscle also
attaches to the lower tip of the shoulder
blade, making the shoulder extra tight.)
The muscle fibers of the latissimus dorsi
run upward and forward around the side
of the trunk, where they bunch together
and twist into a large bundle that forms
part of the rear wall of the armpit. From
there, the fibers run toward the front of
the body (between the upper arm bone,
or humerus, and the upper rib cage if your
arms are by your sides), then wind part-
way around the arm bone to attach on the
front of it, where it meets the shoulder.
(You can’t see this attachment to the front
of the arm in our illustrations because the
arms are overhead and externally rotated.)
This physical arrangement of muscle
attachments explains why the reclining
arm-elevation exercise stretched your lats
and pulled your ribs upward. When you
were on your back and turned your palms
up, you also rotated your upper arm bones
outward. This rotation moved the attach-
ment points of the lats on the upper arm
out to the side, further winding the muscle
around the bone, like rolling up thread on
a spool. When you then lifted your arms
overhead, you pulled the wound-up top
ends of the muscles upward, away from
the lower back. This caused the muscle
fibers to tug on their lower attachment
points on the bones of the back rib cage,
pelvis, sacrum, and spine.
The first time you did the exercise, you
probably allowed this tug to drag those
bones upward along with the arms, and
this tilted the pelvis, arched the back,
and lifted the lower ribs off the floor. The
second time, when you held your ribs
down, you kept all of the muscle’s lower
attachment points stationary, creating a
stronger stretch. So one key to lengthen-
ing the lats is to stabilize the pelvis, lower
back, and lower ribs as the arms move up
and backward.
Another crucial action when stretch-
ing the lats is to rotate your arms firmly
outward before you begin to lift them up,
and to keep turning them the same way,

uses props to stabilize the
To create space for arms, suitable for all levels of
the supraspinatus,
students; and a variation of
externally rotate
your arms before
Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm
you reach up. Balance). In all these prac-
tices, the cardinal rules are to
HUMERUS move slowly, never force, and
LATISSIMUS back out of the pose if you
DORSI feel a pinching sensation in
ACROMION your shoulder or upper arm.
PROCESS
SUPRASPINATUS HIT THE WALL

The freestanding practice
helps students whose lats are
fairly loose to lengthen them
even more. You’ll know that
you belong to this group if
your hands reached the floor
before you felt much of a
stretch when you practiced
the reclining arm-elevation
but even more strongly, throughout every test at the beginning of this article. In that
phase of the pose. Not only is this essen- case, to get a strong lat stretch, you have
tial for achieving the stretch (because to move your arms even farther back, so
it keeps the upper end of the latissimus they end up behind your head.
wrapped around the arm bone), but it also This is impossible to do lying on the
helps prevent injury to the tendon of one floor, but you can do it as follows. Stand
of your rotator cuff muscles, the supraspi- with your back against a wall, exter-
natus. This muscle lies in a bony depres- nally rotate your arms as far as you can,
sion atop the shoulder blade. Its tendon and reach them overhead until you can
passes through a tight space underneath a press your palms into the wall. Step for-
shelf of bone called the acromion process ward a few inches, maintaining the same
(which is part of the shoulder blade) and alignment with your hands off the wall.
above the top end (head) of the humerus. Then—without arching your back, pok-
The tendon then crosses to the outer side ing your lower ribs out in front, or moving
of the humeral head and attaches there. your hips forward—reach your arms still
Whenever you raise your arm, you run higher and farther back until your palms
the risk of pinching the supraspinatus press into the wall again. This backbend-
tendon between the humerus and the ing movement of the shoulders is the
acromion. However, if you rotate your same movement required in poses like
upper arm outward far enough before Downward-Facing Dog Pose and Urdhva
lifting it, you move the tendon out from Dhanurasana (Upward Bow Pose). To
underneath the acromion, so you can make it work, put extra effort into main-
raise the arm freely without damaging the taining the rotation of your upper arms,
tendon. If the latissimus dorsi is tight, it because losing rotation would unwind
will limit your ability to externally rotate the upper latissimus muscle from the
your arm, which will increase your risk humerus, putting slack on it.
of pinching the supraspinatus tendon
and, over time, you may develop a rota- GIVE YOURSELF PROPS
tor cuff injury. This alone is reason enough Whether your lats are loose or tight, the
to learn to lengthen and loosen your lats. second method deepens your stretch
Here are three different ways to stretch more effectively by using props to align
the lats: a freestanding practice for rela- and stabilize your arms. Here is a good
tively flexible students; a practice that way to do this. Kneel on a folded blanket

a n a to my
in front of a chair. Option-
ally, drape an unfolded Using a chair and a block
sticky mat over the chair can create an excellent
stretch for your latissimus
seat. Hold a yoga block in dorsi muscles.
front of you, one hand on
each short end. When you
are in the pose, this block
will keep your upper arms
fully rotated by holding
your forearms apart, so
choose a grip that keeps
your hands and wrists as
far from each other as possible. Bend your found a strong yet comfortable stretch,
elbows 90 degrees, and carefully place the relax your outer armpits, the sides of
backs of your elbows, near their tips, on your trunk, and the surface of your lower
the front edge of the chair seat, about back all the way to your sacrum to allow
shoulder-width apart or slightly closer. If the latissimus muscles to fully release,
you have trouble keeping your elbows on lengthen, and permit deeper movement.
the seat, loop a strap around your fore-
arms very close to the joint. Adjust the TAKE IT UPSIDE DOWN
backs of your elbow tips so they rest as If you regularly practice inversions on
close as possible to the chair’s front edge your own, you can apply the movements
without risk of sliding off when you put from the elbows-on-the-chair pose to
weight on them. Pincha Mayurasana. To do this, place a
Walk your knees away from the chair block about six inches from a wall, broad
until your trunk is parallel to the floor side down. Loop a strap around your
and your knees are directly under your forearms just below the elbow to prevent
hip joints. Draw your front lower rib them from separating beyond shoulder
cage upward so it does not sag toward width (don’t strap the upper arms, or you
the floor, and keep it there throughout won’t be able to drop your head between
the pose. Exhale, and being careful not them) and place your hands, palms down,
to allow your elbows to slide off the chair, around the ends of the block. Kick up
move your hips horizontally backward into the pose, then press your elbows and
to lengthen your spine, slide your outer outer shoulders toward the floor to lift
shoulders toward your ears, and draw your your body as high as you can. Tuck your
head away from the edge of the chair seat. chin toward the chest to move your head
If there’s room, allow your head to hang far forward between your arms. Look up
down in the space between your trunk toward your chest, draw your tailbone
and the chair. Exhale again and move toward the ceiling, and pull your front
your hips back more. Press your tailbone lower ribs into your body. Finally, lifting
slightly toward the floor to stabilize your your body still higher, move your shoul-
sacrum, pelvis, and lower back; keep your ders horizontally away from the wall,
ribs slightly lifted; and move your outer beyond your elbow tips if possible.
arms (triceps) toward the floor as far as That’s a lot to manage, but if you can
you comfortably can. do it, you’ll experience one of the most
If you experience discomfort in your potent shoulder-opening poses on the
shoulders, back out of the pose a little planet. And even if your elbows remain
by moving your shoulders up away from chairbound, with regular practice, you’ll
the floor; then, as you reenter the pose, free your shoulders to reach toward the
squeeze your elbow tips toward each heavens for a lifetime. ✤
DAVID MARTINEZ
other without actually sliding them

closer together. (If this doesn’t relieve Roger Cole, PhD (rogercoleyoga.com),
your shoulders, back out of the pose and is a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher and sleep-
seek help from a teacher.) When you have research scientist in Del Mar, California.

reviews b ooks + m u si c + v id eos
media
BOOK THE WISDOM OF CD TREVOR HALL, DVD YOGA: Flow, with CD DVD THE PURE LOVE
PATANJALI’S YOGA SUTRAS, by Trevor Hall. Vanguard Records; Zyrka Landwijt. Real Bodywork; PROJECT, by Mark Whitwell,
by Ravi Ravindra. Morning Light vanguardrecords.com realbodywork.com/yoga Reem, and Shanee. Heart of Yoga;
Press; morninglightpress.com Trevor Hall dedicates his According to the DVD’s heartofyoga.com
This translation and com- album to Neem Karoli Baba, introduction, the Sarasvati Mark Whitwell teaches yoga
mentary on the sage Patanja- the late Indian guru who River Tradition is a goddess- based on lessons gleaned
li’s Yoga Sutra comes from influenced musicians Krishna centered practice with ele- from his 20-year relationship
Ravi Ravindra, professor Das and Jai Uttal, among ments of hatha, jnana, and with the late T. Krishna-
emeritus of comparative reli- others. The 13 songs range bhakti yoga, and Taoism, macharya. While his CD and
gion at Dalhousie University from Jack Johnson–esque Kashmir Shaivism, and DVD won’t show you how to
in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Can- pop ballads to rock ’n’ roll. Tibetan Yoga. The DVD has meditate or lead you through
ada. The book’s highlights There’s even a hint of kirtan eight sequences to choose a sequence of poses, they do
can be found in the conclud- (chanting), with Krishna Das from, depending on how provide seven tracks of man-
ing self-reflections, made to singing harmonies on the much time you have: three tra and meditation music
further your understanding uplifting devotional song for beginners, with breathing that have themes of nature
of the text and its use as a “My Baba.” Hall is a humble and standing poses; three in a and love. The DVD offers a
guide on the yogic path. seeker, claiming his songs are more challenging series, with visual meditation—a surreal
Ravindra is eclectic, expand- not directives so much as breathing, chanting, and a mix of nature scenes, manda-
ing on his reflections with reminders to continue to vinyasa practice; and a Sun las, chakras, and lotus petals
quotes from the likes of J. discipline himself on his spir- Salutation that begins with dissolving into fingers. “The
Krishnamurti and poet Wil- itual path—the Rastafarian- breathing, and then coordi- purpose is to give peace
liam Blake. Ravindra’s style influenced “Internal Heights” nates its movements with through music,” says Whit-
is quite readable, his com- being but one example.While mantras and chakra visualiza- well, “to expresses each per-
mentaries on the individual Hall’s more upbeat songs, like tions. There’s also a short son’s direct intimacy with a
sutras are always provocative the guitar-driven “Volume,” supine Yoga Nidra guided natural state, which is a nur-
and insightful, and his exer- are solid, his softer side meditation. Zyrka Landwijt’s turing, abundant force.” His
cises offer juicy questions proves even more appealing, instruction is clear, her mod- message seems to be as sim-
to chew on for years to as when his classical guitar eling admirable, and her ple as his final words on the
come. R I C H A R D R O S E N takes center stage with beau- presentation earnest. R. R . last track: “Please enjoy your
tiful tones on “Origami yoga.” CA M I L L E C U S U M A N O
Crane.” D E R E K B E R E S

med i a
transform your career ! BOOK THE YOGA SUTRAS OF

PATANJALI, by Edwin Bryant. North Point
Press; fsgbooks.com
TRAINING IN PHOENIX RISING YOGA THERAPY offers The thousands of English translations of
an opportunity for a fulfilling career that combines ancient Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra and their accompa-
yogic wisdom and contemporary body-mind psychology. nying commentaries run the gamut from
GET THE PROFESSIONAL EDGE by becoming a Certified the widely read to the highly technical.
Phoenix Rising Practitioner or Yoga Teacher. Change lives Usually the translator
by exploring emotions on the mat. provides only a single
perspective, but from
2010 TRAINING – BRISTOL, VT Edwin Bryant, a profes-
Yoga Therapy: Level 2: Jan 5 –10 sor of Indology at Rut-
Level 1: March 19 –23 Level 2: March 25–30 gers University, come
Level 1: June 4 – 8 Level 2: June 10 –15 interpretations from a
Yoga Teacher with a Yoga Therapy Approach: variety of angles, pro-
Module B: Jan 22–29 Module A: April 13 – 21 viding readers with a much broader per-
2010 TRAINING – OTHER LOCATIONS spective on the Yoga Sutra’s teaching and
Call for dates in: AZ, CA, CO, FL, IL, LA, transformative potential.
MT, NC, NY, WA and Canada Bryant’s book opens with a beautifully
written account of the history of yoga
from before Patanjali’s time, followed by
an overview of classical yoga. In the fol-
800.288.9642, 802.453.6444 or visit lowing 450 pages, Bryant reveals his con-
PHOENIX RISING pryt.com for certification details
and new programs.
siderable insights and includes wisdom
gained from other commentaries, includ-
yoga therapy training
ing Vyasa’s famous 1,600-year-old bhashya
(discussion) and the 1963 commentary by
Swami H. Aranya. Bryant pulls in works
from other Hindu yoga schools and tradi-
tional texts, such as the Upanishads, the
Bhagavad Gita, and the Puranas (known
as the “old stories”), to position the Yoga
Sutra in the broader context of Indian
spiritual literature.
The individual commentaries run
from one or two paragraphs to 10 pages
or more. The inclusion of different com-
mentaries on the Yoga Sutra makes this
translation quite unusual. If that’s not
enough, there are more nuggets of infor-
mation in the 50 pages of detailed foot-
notes at the book’s end.
This is a textbook for serious students
of the sutras. But the nice thing is, it’s
written in a way that makes it accessible
to every student. All you need is a willing-
ness to apply yourself and a strong desire
to dive deep into Patanjali’s yoga. R. R.
CD PRESENCE: Meditation Music for

the Oneness Blessing, by One. Sounds True;
soundstrue.com
Presence is a study in meditative musical
minimalism. Led by composer Yantra de

Vilder, the Hindustani classical music that characterizes the mind in medita- from the body, has much in common
trio from Australia weaves an immersive tion, the cycles of life, and good ambient with yogic spirituality. “Yoga can help
listening experience out of a few simple music. A L A N D I P E R N A Christians realize that
but effective sonic elements. The result the body is an essen-
is an album that is ideal for accompanying BOOK JESUS IN THE LOTUS: The tial vehicle for spiritual
meditation or gentle asana, or creating a Mystical Doorway Between Christianity realization,” he writes,
peaceful ambience at home. and Yogic Spirituality, by Russill Paul. adding that this can be
The songs are firmly based in the mind- New World Library; newworldlibrary.com done without worship-
focusing, heart-centering power of the Russill Paul, a former Benedictine monk ing the massive Hindu
drone, generated here by tamboura and and current yogi, ambitiously sets out to pantheon. Instead, when
electronic keyboards. The alternating and delineate how contemporary Christianity a person practices asana, Paul writes, the
overlapping improvisational interplay can open itself up to the divine union that body opens up, as does the mind, leaving
of de Vilder’s piano, Armando Ornano’s is the ultimate goal of yoga practice. This the practitioner to ponder some of Chris-
bansuri flute, and Asakti Evans’s chanting short book is aimed at Christians who are tianity’s grander mysteries.
of the Moola mantra and the Vedic hymn looking to incorporate their religion into The book’s discussions of yogic phi-
“Hari Om Tat Sat” creates a sense of slow their yoga practice. losophy are sprinkled with humorous and
and gentle unfolding. Paul provides a philosophical and, to relevant anecdotes about Paul’s personal
More structured musical motifs also some extent, practical basis for doing so, journey from a naive, confused kid wan-
emerge, one of which along with clear explanations of basic dering around a mountain ashram to a
is reminiscent of kir- yogic philosophic concepts such as sama- serious, studious yogi and monk. High-
tan songstress Deva dhi (union) and the difference between lights include Paul’s mystical visions in
Premal’s musical in- the Self and the ego. He expands the defi- India and a funny account of the evolution
terpretation of the nition of what it means to practice yoga, of his asana practice.
Gayatri mantra. Pres- arguing that true Christianity, free of the Most surprising is how Paul exam-
ence is a disc that connects deeply with “institutional superstructure” of the mod- ines Christianity’s roots, which he says
the play of repetition and randomness ern church that preaches estrangement are based largely in the core principles

me d ia
of ahimsa (nonharming) and other yogic a yoga teacher specializing in teaching
values discussed in the Yoga Sutra. people with cancer, AIDS, and other ma-
In some ways, the Christianity that jor health issues; her classes focus on re-
TM
Paul describes more closely resembles storative yoga, gentle yoga, breathwork,
Hinduism than it does Judaism, the guided meditation, and hands-on healing.
religion from which Christianity is sup- Biff Mithoefer also came to yoga as
posed to have sprung. Paul’s passion for therapy through his
the topic and his deep scholarly knowl- own need for healing—
Bodhi Lifestyle Shop edge definitely help build a bridge to in his case, he injured his
understanding the still-nascent and ever- knee and hip by pushing
the exclusive online evolving spiritual life of Western yoga his aging body during an
culture. N E A L P O L L AC K advanced, physically rig-
orous yoga retreat. This
BOOK CD THE THERAPEUTIC YOGA experience led him to
retailer KIT: Sixteen Postures for Self-Healing Yin Yoga, a practice that encourages an
Through Quiet Yin Awareness, attitude of acceptance and helps release
by Cheri Clampett and Biff Mithoefer. the need for constant striving and action.
Healing Arts Press; healingartspress.com Over breakfast in 2007, these two
Years ago, during the final relaxation at friends recognized the similarities
the end of a yoga class, Cheri Clampett between their practices, and The Thera-
experienced a sharp, shooting pain and peutic Yoga Kit was born. Like Mithoefer’s
took the sensation as her body’s warning earlier Yin Yoga Kit, it includes a book,
signal that something was wrong. Shortly a set of posture cards with instructions,
after that class, Clampett consulted a and a 75-minute audio practice CD. All
doctor and was diagnosed with cancer. 16 postures are restorative supported
This experience led Clampett to become floor poses held passively for 10 minutes
www.bodhishop.com
1-800-230-9917
Source Code BL02207

or more. The authors offer transitional produced their own “good book,” a vol-
movements and stretches to do between ume that’s wide ranging and yet often
poses. The chapters on addressing ill- extremely concentrated. From their three
ness and injury, doing guided meditation, decades of experience, the Thomases
giving self-massage, and creating asana have distilled the information they’ve
sequences make this a valuable program found most essential in practicing and
for personalizing a practice tailored to teaching Iyengar Yoga.
each individual’s needs on the road to Two sections form the book’s practical
health and healing. CA R O L K R U CO F F core. First, there are instructions for 70
foundational asanas (plus preparations
BOOK IYENGAR YOGA: The Integrated and variations), including key actions,
and Holistic Path to Health, by Dr. Tommi- points of alignment, mistakes to avoid,
jean Thomas and Benjamin A. Thomas. and benefits. Second, 20 sequences pro-
Self-published; iyengaryoga-thomases.com vide a jumping-off point for developing
When authors and real-life couple your own intuitive sequencing.
Tommijean and Benjamin Thomas first You’ll find a list of
traveled to Pune, India, to study with 76 practical and phil-
B. K. S. Iyengar in 1979, they apologized osophical points con-
to him for having had so little formal cerning yoga practice
training. Instead of studying directly with and 25 pages on Patan-
yoga teachers, they said, they’d learned jali’s Yoga Sutra. There
almost everything they knew from Iyen- are also sections on pra-
gar’s book Light on Yoga. With character- nayama, meditation,
istic self-assurance, Iyengar replied, “A chakras, mantras, Sanskrit pronunciation,
good book is better than a bad teacher.” and the primary alignment principles of
Now, 30 years later, the Thomases have Tadasana (Mountain Pose), which ground
me
sheeky
ms
meSheeky.com

me d ia
all other asanas. Also included are sur- and to stretch tight hamstrings and outer
veys the Thomases created to assess yoga’s hip muscles so that you can give the
benefits in beginners and longtime Iyen- back greater freedom to move with ease,
gar Yoga practitioners and instructors. whether you are in the middle of your
This book will be especially use- favorite yoga pose or are going about
ful for students who want to develop a your workday. R. R.
personal yoga practice that helps them
explore their physical, psychological, and CD JAHTA BEAT: The Progression,
spiritual strengths and weaknesses—and by DJ Drez. Say It Loud Music;
systematically address the latter. As a sayitloud-music.com
one-volume compendium of essential If you live in Los Angeles, you might have
knowledge about asana practice and its seen DJ Drez spinning records alongside
place in the greater yogic tradition, this Shaman’s Dream at Micheline Berry’s
book should more than fulfill its authors’ vinyasa flow classes.
hope to keep yogis “busy and intrigued” A yoga teacher him-
for many years. TO D D J O N E S self, Drez also per-
forms at yoga retreats
DVD YOGAFIT BASICS & BACK and music festivals
HEALTH, with Beth Shaw and Chrys Kub. throughout the world.
YogaFit; yogafit.com His music is heavily influenced by Indian
This asana-based exercise DVD is an dance beats and instruments, and, of
unabashed “workout,” as you’re reminded course, his personal yoga practice.
several times by YogaFit founder and fea- “Om Jahta,” the first song on Jahta Beat:
tured instructor Beth Shaw. Although The Progression, the follow up to Drez’s
Shaw leads you through a range of exer- first Jahta Beat release in 2006, encapsu-
cises, the foundation of the practice is a lates his musical style. The track progresses
sequence of well-known standing poses. from an opening invocation of Om to a
Most are performed in the popular vin- klezmer line, bhangra chants, a phrase of
yasa flow style with the alternating spine flügelhorn and trombone, then the sinewy
extension/flexion exercise commonly twangs of a sitar. All this is backed up by an
called Cat-Cow Pose. Other poses are infectious beat and other elements of turn-
serially linked together, as in a Warrior- table vinyasa. When Drez gets his flow on,
based sequence. his songs—with their complex rhythms,
Shaw is an experienced instructor, syncopated breakbeats, and scratches—
reminding you continually to breathe, to are nigh impossible to listen to without
work within your own bouncing along.
limits, and to try to be On top of Indian music are some sur-
conscious of the ef- prising elements. Take “Sands of Fun,” a
fects of the workout compellingly raucous mélange of Egyp-
on both your body and tian mizmar (a Middle Eastern oboe),
your mind. The sec- noirish saxophone bluster, invigorating
ond part of the DVD beats, and a grooving bass line. “Golden
features Chrys Kub, Age” is similarly stirring, while the mel-
a physical therapist and the founder of lower “True Self ” features a few words
YogaFit Yoga Therapy Training, leading a from the late Swami Prabhavananda of
22-minute back-health workshop. the Vedanta Society: “Out of ignorance
This is a fairly easy practice, designed comes ego, which is the root cause of our
as a preventive measure rather than as forgetfulness of God, our true self.”
therapy. The asana-based exercises are Some of the downtempo tracks on
performed kneeling, as in the Cat-Cow Jahta Beat are entrancing, whereas others
Pose, prone for a modified Salabhasana seem more focused on evoking a mood.
(Locust Pose), and supine for a hip stretch Drez offers plenty of musical vivacity to
or twist. The sequence works directly to keep yogis attuned to the beat and their
strengthen and stretch the back muscles vinyasa flowing. J E R E M Y L E H R E R ✤

Jane Austin
Scott Blossom
Chase Bossart
Jnani Chapman
Roger Cole
Seane Corn
Jason Crandell
Nikki Estrada
Angela Farmer
Dana Flynn
YJEVENTS.COM Lilias Folan
800.561.9398 Register Ana Forrest

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The 7th Annual Yoga Journal

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a g o o d rea d
pilates movement for life TM

continued from page 83
yoga is about stilling the modifications of
the mind field; she says it’s about uniting
consciousness in the heart.”
Some critics object to the liberties
Transform how your body looks, feels and moves taken here, but Sanskrit has no word for
» Buy Pilates equipment, DVDs, and workout toys “translate.” The closest one is anuvada,
» Find Pilates classes near you which, according to linguist Ashok R.
» Learn more about Pilates Kelkar, means “saying something again
in one’s own words.” Certainly, Devi has
captured that here. Her book can be seen
as a doorway to the Yoga Sutra, inspiring
you to live from the heart as it invites you
to explore a classical approach to the text,
to see what she is responding to.
Epic Wisdom
Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation
By Stephen Mitchell
(Harmony Books, 2000)
Another classic yoga text is the

www.pilates.com | 800-PILATES (745-2837) Bhagavad Gita. The Gita is the sixth
Call for your Free “Pilates Advantage” DVD and catalog (coupon code: YJ08) book of the Indian epic Mahabharata,
which tells the tale of Arjuna, a warrior
prince who loses his will to fight on the
battlefield; his mind can’t make peace
with the idea of fighting his cousins and
friends. Fortunately, his charioteer is
Lord Krishna, who delivers a treatise on
dharma: You must act according to your
duty but surrender the outcome of your
actions. The Gita is a manual to living
with the challenge of making choices even
when there are no great options. “Yoga
students today are householders in the
21st century,” says Anusara Yoga founder
John Friend, who recommends the Gita
to students. “We want to engage in the
world, and need to know how.”
Stephen Mitchell’s contemporary
translation is a lyrical, enlivening read. “I
use it to introduce the text to newcom-
ers,” Friend says. “It’s not the most literal
translation, but it’s so poetic and inspir-
ing that people get turned on to the story.
It inspires people to be more ethical and
fundamentally nicer, and that is really the
key. It’s one of those epic stories about
the struggle between good and evil—like
an ancient Star Wars. You relate to poor
Arjuna—he’s just like me, he’s scared, he’s
confused, he doesn’t know what to do. But

Statement of Ownership,
he has this wise companion who is speak- Ayurvedic practitioner, and prolific
ing the truth so clearly that any reader can author, with more than 30 other titles to
Management, and Circulation
let it resonate in their heart.” his credit, many of which explore subjects 1. Publication Title: Yoga Journal
There’s no Sanskrit here, but rather a for “serious” students. 2. Publication No.: 116-050
soulful rendering of the poem into con- Rod Stryker, the founder of ParaYoga, 3. Filing Date: 9/15/09
temporary English. “Mitchell has created is a fan of Frawley and this book. “David’s 4. Issue Frequency:
a poetry that speaks directly to the heart,” an American sage,” Stryker says. “He is 9 times per year: February, March, May, June, August,
September, October, November, December
says Kate Tremblay, a yoga teacher in Bir- one of our leading authorities and most
5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 9
mingham, Alabama, who reads the book important links to the wisdom of the
with her students. “You can resonate with ancient traditions. He embodies the 6. Annual Subscription Price: $21.95
the truth of it without really needing to practice and is one of the few voices that 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known
Office of Publication (Not Printer):
work so hard to understand it.” make the ancient teachings available to
475 Sansome St., Ste. 850, San Francisco, CA 94111
Tremblay calls the book a “gateway the modern reader. To read him is to come
8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters of
Gita,” because it introduces the story in into the presence of the teachings them- General Business Office of Publisher (Not Printer):
a beautiful way that inspires students to selves.” That sounds like a good reason to 475 Sansome St., Ste. 850, San Francisco, CA 94111
move on to other translations to study keep this book near your practice space. 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses
the text more deeply. But she still comes of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor:
back to Mitchell’s book again and again
for a hit of that original inspiration. “It
Light on Iyengar Publisher: Bill Harper, 475 Sansome St., Ste. 850,
San Francisco, CA 94111
just kind of wakes up your better self and Light on Life: The Yoga Journey to Whole- Editor: Kaitlin Quistgaard, 475 Sansome St.,
says, ‘Hey! Pay attention,’ ” Tremblay ex- ness, Inner Peace, and Ultimate Freedom Ste. 850, San Francisco, CA 94111
By B. K. S. Iyengar (Rodale Books, 2005) Managing Editor: Kelle Walsh, 475 Sansome St.,
plains. “I can open it, read a bit, and feel Ste. 850, San Francisco, CA 94111
linked to my higher Self.” 10. Owner: Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc.
Ask around about yoga books, and 300 N. Continental Blvd., Ste. 650
El Segundo, CA 90245
Guided Path chances are you’ll hear at least three of
B. K. S. Iyengar’s classic works mentioned 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other
Yoga: The Greater Tradition again and again: Light on Yoga (the asana
Security Holders Owning 1 Percent or More of
Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other
By David Frawley Bible), Light on Pranayama, and Light on Securities: None
(Mandala Publishing, 2008) the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. These have 12. Tax Status: NOT APPLICABLE
profoundly influenced yoga in the United 13. Publication name: Yoga Journal
Scores of great yogic texts delineate States today. These how-to books are 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below:
everything from proper postures to eso- among the most popular around. December 2009
teric philosophies. David Frawley sum- With Light on Life, Iyengar delivers a 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation:
marizes many in his mini-encyclopedia, why-to book. It is a collection of the mus- Average No. Actual No.
of Copies of Copies of
Yoga: The Greater Tradition. This simple, ings of a master yogi nearing the end of Each Issue Single Issue
straightforward overview shows what his life. “I am old, and death inevitably During Published
Preceding Nearest to
yoga is, where it came from, and where approaches,” he writes. “But both birth 12 Months Filing Date
it can take you. “My aim is to provide stu- and death are beyond the will of a hu- a. Total # of Copies (net press run): 490,551 465,187
b. Paid/Requested Circ:
dents with a new vision of the universe of man being. They are not my domain. I do
1) Paid/Requested Outside County Mail
yoga in all its vastness,” he writes. not think about it. Yoga has taught me to Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541: 272,353 267,354
In a mere 110 pages, he delivers. With think only of working to live a useful life.” 3) Sales Through Dealers and Carriers,
Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and
short sections, breakout boxes, and illus- In each chapter, Iyengar digs a little Other Non-USPS Paid Distribution: 74,781 76,732
trations, the book offers a lot: a history deeper into the meaning of practice, shar- c. Total Paid/Requested (b1 + b3): 347,134 344,086
lesson, an introduction to yoga philoso- ing his insights and experiences. You learn d. Free Distribution by Mail (samples, comps): 4,842 4,967
f. Total Free Distribution (d + e): 4,842 4,967
phy, a discussion of different yogas—for that Iyengar was born with certain infir-
g. Total Distribution (c + f): 351,976 349,053
example, jnana, bhakti, and raja yogas—a mities that ignited his passion for thera-
h. Copies Not Distributed: 138,575 116,134
thoughtful exploration of the eight limbs peutic yoga. He took up teaching yoga i. Total (g + h): 490,551 465,187
of yoga, a road map to the body’s subtle against the wishes of his family, causing j. Percent Paid and/or Requested (c/g): 98.65% 98.54%
energy system, and an explanation of him to feel embattled and defensive. He 16. This Statement of Ownership will be printed
common mantras. This book is a powerful adopted stern mannerisms to ward off the in the December 2009 issue of this publication.
resource for novices who want a broader advances of students (and to keep his vow 17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher,
understanding of the practice and the of brahmacharya, or sexual continence). Business Manager, or Owner:
way its various elements and traditions “Time has mellowed me, but in my youth,
Patricia B. Fox, General Manager 9/15/09
fit together. Frawley is a yoga scholar, haughtiness was the only way I knew to

a g o o d rea d
preserve myself in what seemed a hostile Asanas for Emotional Stability. This is, it Everyday Yoga
world,” he writes. would seem, what Iyengar has decided is Living Your Yoga: Finding the
The book also contains a mix of prac- most important: Build your body all you Spiritual in Everyday Life
tice advice and philosophy. More ap- want, but without an open, steady, loving By Judith Hanson Lasater
proachable than a technical manual or mind and heart, yoga is nothing. (Rodmell Press, 2000)
a philosophical treatise, Light on Life is “My hope is to have overcome the prej-
a memoir to enjoy from the couch, not udice that hatha yoga is only physical and
Bringing Yoga to Life: The Everyday
to study on the mat. As Iyengar recounts it has nothing to do with the spiritual
Practice of Enlightened Living
his experiences, he offers his take on the life,” he writes in the conclusion. “My life’s
By Donna Farhi (HarperOne, 2003)
essence of yoga, rather than the asana work has been to show how…this is a path
details he so famously teaches. The book’s that can lead the dedicated practitioner to
only practice sequence comes at the end: the integration of body, mind, and soul.” Clearly, there are many great how-
to practice books and many great works
on yoga philosophy, but as Iyengar him-
self suggests, it’s not always easy for us to
see the connection between our physical
practice and inner transformation. As a
bridge between the two, Judith Hanson
Lasater, a longtime teacher and physical
therapist with a PhD in East-West psy-
chology, shows us how yoga applies to our
daily lives and enables us to act more skill-
fully in the world.
For those seeking to connect their
work in forward bends to the work of
commuting, managing a career, raising
children, and taking care of the small stuff
that does sometimes make you sweat,
Living Your Yoga is filled with moments of
inspiration and opportunity drawn from
Lasater’s experience as a teacher, shopper,
mother, and more. In sharing her stories,
she shows how you, too, can let your prac-
tice seep into every corner of your life.
Although her book contains a pas-
tiche of inspirational quotes from the
Yoga Sutra and Bhagavad Gita, parables,
anecdotes, and suggestions for off-the-
mat practice, it is mostly a guide to sim-
ply noticing your thoughts, feelings, and
reactions to the life unfolding around you.
Lasater arranges chapters around life’s
big issues—courage, fear, compassion,
faith, impermanence, and love—but she
looks for clues in mundane places: in
the waiting room at her dentist’s office,
at the sandbox, in a Calvin and Hobbes
cartoon, within a Father’s Day card, and
even inside a store-bought pie. When she
uncovers a bit of truth, it’s often funny,
profound, and wholly relatable—as when
Lasater’s toddler daughter informs a fam-
ily friend that her stressed-out mommy is
practicing “traumayama.”

Her message is that life, as it is, pro-
vides everything you need to guide you
to your own enlightenment. “Yoga phi- (AY !(OUS E !)NC !PRO UDL Y !PRE S E NT S
losophy can be very challenging—even for
advanced students,” notes Tracey Ulsha-
fer, a yoga teacher in East Windsor, New
Jersey. “The gift in Judith’s book is that
she takes a sutra and puts it in the context
of everyday life. Her stories are ones we 4HE!-IND!"ODY!AND!3OUL!2ETREAT
can all relate to, and you can really get the
point: This is all part of the journey.” In
other words, yoga happens off the mat, IWd:_[]e"CWo')#',"(&'&
too. “Yoga is about transformation, about
understanding where we are and how we
Jehedje"CWo(-#)&"(&'&
are in every moment,” Lasater says. “If JWcfW"Del[cX[h''#'*"(&'&
I decide that yoga only happens on my
mat, I’m completely missing out. Yoga
is everywhere.”
One of Lasater’s students also has ideas
about how yoga can help you on your jour-
ney. New Zealand yoga teacher Donna
Farhi assisted Lasater for years. Naturally,
Farhi too is interested in the intersection C7H?7DD;M?BB?7CIED :H$M7OD;M$:O;H 9EB;JJ;87HED#H;?: HE8;HJ>EB:;D"F>$:$
between the yoga mat and the “ground” it
meets—which is to say, real life. In Bring-
ing Yoga to Life, Farhi uses her experiences
as both teacher and student to build a case
for getting on a mat.
=H;==8H7:;D IED?79>EGK;JJ; 8HK9;B?FJED"F>$:$ @E>D>EBB7D:
The first section, “Coming Home,”
examines the various reasons we practice.
The next section, “On the Means,” details
what’s required: slowing down, purifying
and disciplining yourself, embodying
awareness, observing prana (life force), 9>;HOBH?9>7H:IED :EH;;DL?HJK; 8H?7DB$M;?II"C$:$ B?I7M?BB?7CI
trusting your inner teacher, applying your-

self, surrendering, and setting an inten- <og\i`\eZ\@:Xe;f@k#]fiX[Xp
tion. In a tone that’s compassionate but fik_\n\\b\e[Xe[Xkk\e[c\Zkli\j
firm, she explores the width, depth, and ]ifd[fq\ejf]pfli]Xmfi`k\Xlk_fij%
v!8cc$E\n8lk_fiCè\lgn`k_Dfi\:_f`Z\j
breadth of the path and addresses the pos- v!;`jZfm\iPfliKil\GXjj`feèC`]\
M;B9EC?D=H;C7HAI
sible pitfalls and stumbles. The last sec- BEK?I;B$>7O
v!<eafpJgì`klXcEfli`j_d\ek]fiPfliJflc
v!J_Xi\k_\:XdXiX[\i`\f]C`b\$Dè[\[=i`\e[j
tion, “Roadblocks and Distractions,” lets
you know what to look out for along your If[Y_Wb=k[ij7ff[WhWdY[XoBek_i[B$>Wo
=ifd_\Xck_#elki`k`fe#Xe[n\cce\jjkfgjpZ_`ZjXe[[i\Xd
yoga journey and gives advice for dealing èk\igi\kXk`fe#k_`j\m\ekn`cc\e\i^`q\pflidè[#Yf[p#Xe[jgì`k%
with its inevitable snags. Farhi’s writings
on sloth and resistance will resonate with
modern practitioners who allow compet- I_]dkf\eh[l[djd[miWj
ing priorities to sink their practice.
Farhi combines fun fables and anec-
mmm$_YWdZe_j$d[jeh
dotes from class with questions that any YWbb.&&#,+*#+'(,\eh
serious practitioner should ask. And she’s
a vocal advocate of practicing—using your ceh[_d\ehcWj_ed$
time on the mat to examine your physical
and mental patterns every day. “This book
www.healyourlife.com®
is written for people who have given up on
& www.fantamag.com
a g o o d rea d
the fantasy that happiness is determined of Yoga for Wellness, a seminal book about typically teach privately or in small groups
by luck or circumstance and have realized applying the tools of yoga in a therapeutic and offer you a sequence to do on your
that a fulfilling life is the result of skill- context. But one might argue that Yoga for own, based on your particular situation
ful means and self-determination,” she Transformation, which makes profound or on a therapeutic approach to a spe-
writes. Farhi makes it clear that, really, practices and abstruse ideas readily avail- cific condition. So it is surprising to find
the only thing standing between you and able to readers, is an even greater work. that Kraftsow offers five ready-made
a happy, whole, and healthy life is your In Yoga for Transformation, Kraftsow sequences, each linking asana, pranayama,
own self. You’ll want to come back to her offers a path to enlightened living—not chanting, ethical intention, and medita-
words for inspiration again and again. But transcending the human experience, but tive practices. But Kraftsow makes it
to honor the spirit of Farhi’s effort, you’ll transforming it into one of connection, clear that he’s presenting the essence of
have to put down the book and get on love, and happiness. He takes you through the teachings—not the particulars. By
your mat. Because yoga is for practicing, a guided tour of the five koshas (energetic applying the information to your unique
after all—not just reading about. sheaths), with the aim of engaging and set of circumstances, you can work out
maximizing the functioning of the self at the details for yourself.
every level. This approach is evident in “Read with the right intention, the
Transformative the chapter names: “Nourishing the Phys- book can take you on an inward journey to
Therapy ical,” “Energizing the Vital,” “Educating know yourself,” says Robin Rothenberg, a
Yoga for Transformation: Ancient the Intellect,” “Refining the Personality,” Viniyoga therapist in Issaquah, Washing-
Teachings and Practices for Healing and “Fulfilling the Heart.” As in the kosha ton, who wrote The Essential Low Back
the Body, Mind, and Heart model for spiritual development, no part Program. You don’t even have to commit
By Gary Kraftsow of the self is left behind on the quest for to a Viniyoga practice to reap benefits.
(Penguin Compass, 2002) union with the Divine. “His rich, deep map will lead you places
Viniyoga is a personalized form of you have been unable to see so far.” ✤
practice modeled on the teachings of
Gary Kraftsow, the founder of Vini- Sri T. Krishnamacharya. Rather than Hillari Dowdle, a former Yoga Journal editor,
yoga, may be remembered as the author teach large classes, Viniyoga instructors writes in Knoxville, Tennessee.
YOGA JOURNAL Issue 225 (ISSN 0191-0965),

established in 1975, is published nine times a year
(February, March, May, June, August, September,
October, November, December) by Cruz Bay
Publishing, Inc., 475 Sansome Street, Suite 850, San
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www.st
storemags.com & www.fantamag.c
.com
the yj interview by D i a n e An d erson
accidental
( ) anatomist
Yoga educator Leslie Kaminoff believes
that the breath and the lab of the
human body are our greatest teachers.
body, not intermediaries. In 1987 I met T. K. V.

Desikachar, who rocked my world, so I studied
with him. Yoga’s the only job I’ve ever had.
You call yourself a yoga educator instead of a
yoga teacher or a therapist. Why? “Teacher”
is generic and associated with yoga teacher
training programs; “therapist” misrepresents. I
don’t want turf battles with physical therapists
or psychotherapists. There should be another
term. We are educators. I want yoga training
in our educational systems. Larry Payne’s Yoga
Therapy Rx program at Loyola Marymount Uni-
versity is a step in the right direction.
You teach “rational yoga.” What’s that? I
say that to distinguish what I do from other
approaches. Many other teachers are rooted in
an Indian tradition, but I don’t think we derive
our authenticity from ancient texts. Is yoga
dependent on a particular geography or point
in history? Early yogis were humans who had to
oxygenate—thinking, breathing bodies living on
planet Earth and dealing with gravity, nothing
more. Ancient teachings are true inasmuch as
they relate to reality. What’s reality? As an athe-
ist, I don’t feel the need to extend my concept of
Having taught yoga for 30 years, Leslie Kaminoff is now spirituality beyond the material plane.
enjoying the success of his book, Yoga Anatomy. A “hard-core New So you’re not seeking the mystical aspect of
Yorker,” who balances time between the city and the country, he yoga? I am explicitly a nonmystical person.
founded The Breathing Project in New York—a nonprofit educa- My sense of spirituality is derived from my
tion organization and studio devoted to preserving the one-on-one sense of spirit, my breath, the life force I can’t
student-teacher relationship—where he spends four days of the stop. I don’t need a deity or altar. I just need
week. He spends the other three at home in Massachusetts with skin, bones, diaphragm. I have no choice about
his wife, Uma, and two sons. (A third son lives away from home.) whether to take the next breath. But I have a
How did you discover yoga? I wanted to dance but have two left choice about how I relate to that fact. We’re
feet. So I looked for something else that would allow me to reimag- all in search of more goodness and less suffer-
ine my body. I took my first Sivananda Yoga class in 1978, was sleep- ing. We have to make choices about the food,
ing in a tent in Canada to do teacher training in 1979, and ran the people, and practices that are appropriate for us.
RYAN DONNELL
Sivananda Center on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles in ’81 and ’82. We need to learn about space and boundaries.
I didn’t agree with formal education, but yoga was perfect for me. It Within those, there is all this freedom you can
put me directly in touch with something I could learn from: my own find. The main guidepost is always the breath. ✤

Andrea Holmes
Track and Field Athlete
Elite Ambassador
www.
www.st
w. stor
st orem
oremag
emags.
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s.com
com & ww
www.
w.fa
w. fant
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nt amag
amag.c
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.c om

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