In this newsletter:

• Friend Bodhisattva Yoga on Facebook for tips, tricks and inspiring quotes!
  
• Advanced Flow Qualifying Class — RSVP
  
• Express Sunrise Yoga Series

We hope you had a lovely Labor Day weekend!

I enjoyed bidding farewell to summer keeping it local (and low carbon) with an outdoor beach adventure to Fire Island’s national state park, the Sunken Forest. Among all the fun I was having, however, I craved and missed my duties back here at the studio– managing, teaching, and practicing asanas. (Vivekan can attest to my nerdiness.) :)

So here I am, happy to be back to work–in the studio and on the mat. I feel like a kid preparing for “Back to School” with new supplies and a shiny new lunchbox, only now, with my yoga mat in tow and some realistic yoga goals. The anticipation of Fall always brings a new found commitment and a renewed sense of purpose in the air. What’s yours?

Stay tuned to all of our upcoming Fall yoga goodness by friending us on Facebook and scroll below!

Health & Happiness,

Jess & Team Bodhisattva Yoga

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Advanced Qualifying Class

Coming this month … The 1st semi-annual qualifying class (QC) to gain invitation to the Advanced class returning this Fall. Refer to the website for complete qualifying criteria! This first QC will take place Sunday, September 26th at 2:15pm.

RSVP by September 17. E-mail Jessica@BodhisattvaYoga.com.

Registration fee: $55. Online registration available (under the “Workshops/Retreats” tab).

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Express Sunrise Yoga Series

The first session of Express Sunrise Yoga commenced this morning but there are still 9 weeks (9 sessions) to go! Enjoy a comprehensive class including energizing sun flows and post-class seasonal fresh fruit every Thursday, 7-8am.

Registration fee: $100. Online registration available (under the “Workshops/Retreats” tab).

Do your best to practice at least once a week!
You deserve health.  It is your birthright.  Give it to yourself.

Are you feeling lazy, blah and unmotivated? Do you sometimes need a push to keep your yoga practice? …Maybe it’s a big shove that’s needed for you to resume your asana practice. Well, remember, you’re not alone. That fact however, shouldn’t keep you on the sofa without maintaining or getting back into your yoga practice though. Here’s more empirical information about the benefits of yoga that may help give you that push (or shove) needed to get back into your practice — and, feel good about it too.

New Study Corroborates what Yogins Already Know

Science Daily has published the summarized findings of investigators from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) looking into the effects of yoga. These researchers, seeking to determine what, if any, effect yoga may have on moods, and GABA levels (GABA, gamma-aminobutyric, is a brain compound associated with depression and a host of other anxiety disorders), have determined “that yoga may be superior to other forms of exercise in its positive effect on mood and anxiety.” (Ahem. I said corroboration, not revelation.)

As published online in Science Daily:

The researchers followed two randomized groups of healthy individuals over a 12-week long period. One group practiced yoga three times a week for one hour, while the remaining subjects walked for the same period of time. Using magnetic resonance spectroscopic (MRS) imaging, the participants’ brains were scanned before the study began. At week 12, the researchers compared the GABA levels of both groups before and after their final 60-minute session.

Each subject was also asked to assess his or her psychological state at several points throughout the study, and those who practiced yoga reported a more significant decrease in anxiety and greater improvements in mood than those who walked. “Over time, positive changes in these reports were associated with climbing GABA levels,” said lead author Chris Streeter, MD, an associate professor of psychiatry and neurology at BUSM.

According to Streeter, this promising research warrants further study of the relationship between yoga and mood, and suggests that the practice of yoga be considered as a potential therapy for certain mental disorders.

Yoga should not be about blind faith – this has taken many societies and individuals to ruin. A practitioner should, in the ideal, investigate for oneself the effects of yoga. If one’s experience is entirely different than that purported by the lineage masters, and the non-biased and empirical findings of science, then one must examine where it is that they strayed from the path.

Join me in health – and, in a better mood!

–Vivekan

Dear President Obama,

As an American, I’m proud of the human rights values our country embraces. It’s time to take our support of freedom, equality and liberty to a higher level. I urge the United States of America to endorse the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as adopted by the United Nations on September 13, 2007 in New York.

It is very important for the United States to be a leader in human rights protection. In our country and around the world, human rights of indigenous peoples are being ignored and are often violated. Violations of indigenous human rights, such as rights to land, resources and the environment, often lead to disastrous consequences that hurt all of us.

By endorsing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the United States will affirm to the world that indigenous peoples have a right to exist as distinct peoples and cultures, the right to be free from discrimination and forced assimilation, and the right of self-determination.

Let the UN Declaration be a part of the United States’ comprehensive strategy to bring real and lasting change for Native Americans, as you promised during the White House Tribal Nations Conference in 2009.

Thank you in advance for the endorsement of the UN Declaration.

Sincerely,

Jessica Root
Bodhisattva Yoga

Follow BY’s manager Jess as she explores the Southwest sustainably in this multi-part blog post series on Discovery Communication’s PlanetGreen.com.

Happy traveling!

In this newsletter:

• Express Sunrise Yoga Series (Groggy Yogin)
• Intensive Yogic Immersion/Teacher Training Info Session
  
• Advanced Flow Qualifying Class
• Post-Yoga Retreat Pics and Blog Post!

The end of the summer always offers a great opportunity for practicing being in the present. All to often we ask, “Where did summer go?” It’s still here. Enjoy it as best as you can!

We’re proud to say that many Bodhisattva Yoga practicioners practiced the art of savoring the summer season this past weekend, on our Garden to Plate: Yoga Retreat in the nearby Catskill Mountains. The crisp country air, garden-fresh meals and invigorating sun flows made a perfect mid-summer respite from city life stressors.

Check out the latest blog entry for post-retreat musings and check out our happy, beautiful retreat guests striking a pose in a squash patch (we like to keep it interesting!) on Bodhisattva Yoga’s Facebook page.

Looking for more ways to keep your practice inspired from here on out thru Fall? Keep scrolling!

For all events and activities, register in person, online or call (718) 499-9642 (YOGA).

In Health & Happiness,

Jess + Team Bodhisattva Yoga

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Express Sunrise Yoga Series (Groggy Yogin)

Early morning is an ideal time to fit in your practice. Mentally, we are in a space of more clarity—and physically, we can use a boost to start the day the right way. Enjoy a comprehensive class including energizing sun salutations and fresh fruit to nibble on as a post-class treat!

Deadline to register: August 5 (This Thursday!). Click “Workshops/Retreats” and choose Groggy Yogin!

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Intensive Yogic Immersion & Yoga Teacher Training Info Session

Itching to share the goodness of yoga with others thru a Yoga Alliance-recognized teacher certification? Or simply wish to immerse yourself in a structured yoga program? Learn everything you need to know, ask questions and mingle with us over light refreshments. Saturday, September 12 at 2:15pm.

RSVP by August 31. E-mail Jessica@BodhisattvaYoga.com.

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Advanced Qualifying Class

Coming this September… The 1st semi-annual qualifying class (QC) to gain invitation to the Advanced class returning this fall. Refer to the website for complete qualifying criteria! This first QC will take place Sunday, September 26th at 2:15pm.

RSVP by September 17. E-mail Jessica@BodhisattvaYoga.com.

Registration fee: $55. Online registration available.

Do your best to practice at least once a week!

You deserve health.  It is your birthright.  Give it to yourself.

Bodhisattva Yoga
http://www.bodhisattvayoga.com

Another summer, another fabulous BY Yoga Retreat at the Heathen Hill Retreat Center!

The weekend commenced with a good night’s rest in the crisp country air followed by a relaxed morning practice. It peaked with a garden fresh lunch followed by lazing around the pastoral property’s swim hole, jacuzzi and rolling green hills. Then went out with a bang having warmed up into Vivekan’s  invigorating Inspired Flows including deep twists, back bends and challenging tri-pod headstand combinations. (Good calorie burning for the homemade and harvest-inspired pasta dishes, salads, garlic bread and pie/ice cream dessert!)

A nourishing lunch…

Tho I was fortunate to join the fun on my mat, I was pleased to sneak glimpses of everyone working at their own edge despite pregnant lapses in their practice, injuries (go Jennifer, go!), varying levels of practice experience and fatigue.

In fact, exhaustion was a common theme in our closing circle. Our astute practicioner Meredith admitted to not feeling as strong in her practice as she would have liked to be for this retreat. The retreat came, and all of a sudden she found herself physically whipped. I seconded her feelings. My tri-pod headstand tho feeling stronger than ever in the first morning’s practice, resembled something more like wobbly jello by the second day. A part of the journey, yes, but many of us agreed: we’re over-worked and over-stressed. We needed this retreat!

And body-nourishing asanas (poses).

These retreats are precisely what’s needed regardless of whether we are able or unable to fling ourselved into a fancy inversion or twist up into a pretzel pose because we can’t– or are tired. It’s great to break thru glass ceilings and make a break-thru accomplishment on the mat, not to mention on retreat–but the sincere yogin knows working within one’s limitations, finding the joy, the delicious physical releases and rest can keep us enthusiastic for the times we do have more energy. As the great yogi and Buddhist master Shantideva reminds us,

Thus in order to increase my enthusiasm, I should strive to abandon its opposing forces, To (amass the supports of) aspiration, self-confidence, joy and rest…

Bodhisattva Yoga retreats are the perfect place to put rest (yes, a foreign concept for many New Yorkers!) into practice.

Stay tuned for the next thru our monthly e-newsletter and Facebook page!

In peace, Jess

Many activists, policy makers, scientists and ordinary citizens alike feel let down about the fact that the US Senate has, this week, decided not to enact climate legislation before its summer recess – and, possibly not in this year’s congress. This has emboldened some to spread misinformation about what is really occurring regarding climate change. In these days when the pen is mightier than the sword, one can only wield the pen to the extent that they are informed.

In this spirit, I ask you: Do you ever find yourself at a loss when the water cooler talk turns into climate topics that defy experience and reason? Worse, do you feel ill-equipped to form an intelligent reply, or provide a counter-argument when matters on climate change arise? Well, you are not alone. This is common among those of us who do not need scientific measurements to tell us that winters are not what they used to be — though naysayers continue to claim that the climate is the same. However, scientific measurements are valuable because hearsay and anecdotes are unreliable. So, with that in mind, who better to discuss scientific measurements than the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). These ten points below, provided by NOAA, will arm you with concrete facts that will make you an informed member of our society. I copied and pasted below Eli Kintisch’s ScienceInsider article which was published online today. Go ahead, and wield that pen…

NOAA Has 10 Answers to Allegations That ‘Climategate’ Disproves Warming

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a report today on 2009’s climate, which says the decade of the 2000s was the warmest since readings were first kept. In a phone interview with reporters today, Peter Stott of the U.K. Met Office, a contributor to the 224-page report, said the scientists who wrote it had sought, among other things, to draw attention to 10 variables he said “most intuitively” reflect temperature. He called that part of the report a “response” to allegations in recent months that scientists at the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia or NASA—or both—could jigger the record to fake warming, particularly by purportedly skewing records of land surface temperature. From the report:

If the land surface records were systematically flawed and the globe had not really warmed, then it would be almost impossible to explain the concurrent changes in this wide range of indicators produced by many independent groups.

What follows are the 10 variables that show warming, according to the report:

Air Temperature Near Earth’s Surface: The 1960s and 1970s were cooler than the 2000s by about 0.6°C, the 1980s cooler by about 0.35°C, and the 1990s cooler by 0.2°C. Seven sets of data were used to come to that conclusion, with some of the same raw data in several of those sets (p. 28).

Humidity: A warmer atmosphere means a moister one, and three sets of data each show a steady rise since 1970, with peaks in “1987/88, 1997/98, 2002, 2006/07, and 2009 (/10)” (p. 31).

online chess

Chess has been around for centuries. It has been played and enjoyed by some of the greatest minds that have walked this planet — many of whom have extolled the virtues of playing this classic game.

Though I am not good at it, I see the mental benefits that playing chess regularly provides. The game forces you to think clearly, and to consider the consequences of your actions. Who can’t benefit from that? Studies indicate that playing chess can prolong your mental faculties; and, I say, it is a wonderful complement to any yogic regime. If you like chess, &/or are interested in learning it, GameKnot.com is an excellent place to start. Take a look and share your thoughts after clicking the icon above.

Have fun!

Vivekan

This morning, I stumbled upon some excellent news in an article published in Earthjustice’s newsletter by Brian Smith, WA Moms Summit Mt. Rainier in Call for Green Energy. This past Saturday, July 17, 2010, four moms (yes, you read that, moms) climbed Washington state’s Mt. Rainier in a statement against the use of the highly polluting, coal.

Each of these mothers have children from ages 3 – 6! (Those kids have some awesome moms.) Talk about a breath of fresh air! This is exactly what I always imagined fortunate, educated moms to do: protect their children, and the future of their children.

How these great moms are protecting their children

Since the Reagan years, it’s become somewhat acceptable and even cliché to mock those who constructively take their time to make a statement for environmental (viz. human) health. In the meantime, it has become acceptable for moms to prepare their children for a good education before kindergarten, though everyone knows that this can amount to a tremendous load of pressure on kids. Yet, I never hear moms talk about how they and their children discussed environmental pollution, and what needs to be done as a family unit to minimize everyone’s contribution to it, or, what effects worsening air quality can have on their children’s ability to breath, and overall health in general.

Moms keeping it real

“Today, we demand that coal burning end in Washington,” said climber Genevieve Raymond. “The Governor’s plan to burn dirty coal for fifteen more years is unacceptable. The time to transition to clean energy is now.”

Climber Jennifer Williams said, “Every hour of every day, lax regulations allow poisonous mercury to be dumped onto the glaciers and dirty carbon into the atmosphere. Our children are counting on us to transition to renewable energy now.”

Leading by example

We don’t necessarily need to climb a mountain to get attention to our ambient environmental woes (i.e., poor air quality, dirty waterways, etc.). But, we can follow the lead that these courageous moms have taken. We can in our own neighborhoods, in front of court houses, and houses of legislature, even on the Brooklyn Bridge make a statement indicating our dissatisfaction with how the status-quo has managed our environmental problems. (Hint: Don’t blame the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the EPA; whenever they’ve tried to do good for the public, special interests pressure congressional members, etc. to hobble the agency’s mandated motives to better our air quality, etc.)

It’s up to you and me, we’ve got to do it — demand better environmental quality; not just for us, but also for our children and posterity.

Join us,

Vivekan