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Contents Winter/Spring 2017
PROFILES
11
people // teachers // students // business
8.
THE TEAM
Editor, contributors, and ambassadors
11. POLAROID SCRAPBOOK
Check out some shots from recent events
14. DO YOU HAVE POISON PALS?
20 22
Inspirations on female friends
16. CONFESSIONS…
…of a yoga teacher
18. YOGA ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
Insights from 40 years of practice
20. THE HAVEN COLLECTIVE
Yoga fashion for everybody
LIFESTYLE
art // music // travel // products // fashion // family // community
22. YOUR YEAR
In a word…
24. WORLD SPIRIT RISING
A poem from Jesse Castro
25. BEYOND THE BEYOND
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An interview with Lee Mirabai Harrington
26. #PURPLEPRANA
MN YOGA + life celebrates Prince
28. WELCOME HOME
Retreat to Madeline Island
32. PRODUCT REVIEW
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A look at BeautyCounter
33. TECHNOLOGY, APPAREL, AND FITNESS
How technology plays into the latest yoga brands
34. AYURVEDIC ANCHORS
Yoga routines to support families
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40. YOGA AND BODY IMAGE COALITION
Maggie & Dianne talk social media
42. FITNESS IN THE PARKS
Saint Paul’s park programming supports healthy living
YOGA
asana // meditation // philosophy // karma
44. BEDTIME ASANA
Yoga for a restful sleep
46. CARE FOR YOUR PELVIC FLOOR
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For a healthy core & more!
48. SILENCE IS GOLDEN
Introduce your kids to the “M” word
50. MEDICINE FOR SEXUAL HEALING
Another benefit of yoga
52. APPLYING PATANJALI…
…to politics
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54. ASK THE SWAMI
With Gracia Gisme McKinley
56. THE NEW ELDERS
Trusting the wisdom
58. YOGA FOR YOUTH IN NEED
Teachers who make a difference
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HEALTH
therapeutics // psychology // food
60. ACUPUNCTURE DEMYSTIFIED
5 frequently asked questions
61. CUDDLE PARTIES
Who wants to spoon?
62. YOGA AND INTIMACY
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How your practice helps your love life
64. ALL ABOUT THE BOOCH
Learn all about kombucha
66. PRESERVING THE HARVEST
Untiedt’s Vegetable Farm talks Fall foods
EVENTS local fun
69. CALENDAR
Upcoming Events in Minnesota
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PROFILES /
People
Letter from the Editor Family. We all have at least one, and they come in configurations of all sorts. Family can include those related to us by blood, and those who are not. It may include children, pets, partners, spouses, parents, and friends. Family is an emotionally laden word and can elicit a variety of responses. For me, the first word that comes to mind is love. Since day one, MN YOGA + life magazine has been a labor of love. I started it while maintaining a career as a school psychologist and raising two children. We aren’t a corporation, there is no board of directors. We are a grassroots magazine driven to bring more light into the world while giving people a voice that may otherwise go unheard. Some of our contributors have few or no social media followers, and we are okay with that! The MN YOGA + life magazine family is comprised of a team of volunteers who donate their time and talents to support our mission of making yoga and wellness more accessible to Minnesotans. This issue is dedicated to these wonderful individuals who have become my magazine family, and to my children, the two beautiful souls closest to my heart. In this issue, you will find many articles relevant to relationships and family. We sought to share information that may help you share a more yogic and mindful lifestyle with your family, no matter who they may be. While the definition of family may broaden over the course of our lives as a dynamic entity, it is important to recognize the people who have become a part of your journey for any length of time. These people are worthy of love and thanks. Thank them for what they do for you. Find time for them. Sit down and talk in real time. Laugh. Hug them. Love. May God bless you, and whomever you call your family.
Peace,
Jennifer Derham MA, EdS, 200 RYT Founder. Publisher. Editor.
Together we make a family.
– UNKNOWN JENNIFER DERHAM, MA, EDS, 200 -RYT EDITOR IN CHIEF AND FOUNDER OF MN YOGA + LIFE MAGAZINE
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PROFILES /
People
Contributors
the 8 Limbs of Yoga and the practices of Ayurveda to the adventures of family life.
Rev. Alan L. Pritz is a disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda and Interfaith Minister. Author of award-winning book, Meditation as a Way of Life (Quest: 2014), he offers meditation instruction and spiritual life-coaching/ counseling for individuals & couples, plus services for organizations. Alan also leads occasional public meditation and Kirtan programs from the Yogananda tradition. See: www.Awake-InLife.com.
Colleen Quiram is an avid vegetable and herb gardener. When not playing in the dirt at home, she plays in the dirt at work as a garden center manager for Untiedt’s Vegetable Farm.
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Calley Bliss’s yoga journey started at her university’s rec center. Yoga would become her most powerful and versatile implement in her “life toolbox,” helping to deal with bouts of anxiety, depression, and stress. Calley believes “The science of the mind” is often an emotional journey by way of a physical practice, but always a practical tool to combat all of life’s challenges and to find happiness in everyday life.
Elizabeth Eilers Sullivan (500RYT, SomaYoga Therapy and Yoga Calm Teacher, SourcePoint Therapy Practitioner, and Birth Doula), practices and teaches at Tula Yoga & Wellness and Yoga North. She writes Adventure Yogi, bringing
Kate Robertson is a professional writer, yoga instructor and mother to her beloved bichon-poodle, Bentley. She enjoys outdoor yoga, afternoon naps and Nebraska football.
Gracia Gimse McKinley radiates warmth and acceptance. She acts as a mirror to reflect the pure goodness and beauty that exists in each of us. Her students learn to rely on themselves as their own authority and trust their own experience as the ultimate source of information. Gracia teaches at yoga studios, conferences, and corporations,
such as Microsoft and Amazon. She is an ordained householder swami and initiates seekers into the Kriya Yoga Lineage. She and her husband, T McKinley, are the co-founders of My Spirit Community in Northfield. See www. myspiritcommunity.org
Lindsay McCoy is a Restorative Exercise Specialist who focuses her work on pelvic floor and core health. Her business, Mama Aligned, offers private sessions, workshops, and group classes in Minneapolis, where she lives with her husband and 4 young children.
Marcia Appel, ERYT500 formerly a journalist and corporate executive, founded Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center in 2007. With her business partner, Merry Beth Freienmuth, they operate integrative centers in Mendota Heights and Lakeville. The com-
pany’s first licensee, Amy Dirksen, opened a Green Lotus in Eden Prairie in October 2015. Marcia earned her 300-hour certification in Mindfulness Yoga and Meditation.
Nita Martin is a home brew master and SCOBY Whisperer. Nita lost her mother to stomach cancer in 2014 and has since has focused on healing her gut, and sharing her passion of good gut flora with others. She is a loving wife, mother of four, and enjoys yoga, running, and traveling. Her organic and vegan probiotics can be found in the hands of many throughout the north metro. Nita can be found on social media @nitas.kombucha.
Dr. Rachel Allyn is a licensed holistic psychologist, yoga teacher, columnist and retreat leader working in private practice in Minneapolis. As
a self-proclaimed Pleasure Expert she helps individuals and couples find more pleasure in their life, work, and relationships. Dr. Allyn offers yoga classes aimed to help students enhance their sensuality and is currently writing a book called The Pleasure Is All Mine: How to Have a More Sensual Life. Learn more at www. DrRachelAllyn.com
Sophie Geisenhoff is a wardrobe and interior stylist, who moonlights as a yoga instructor at DharmaCycle Yoga in her spare time. You can follow her musings and fashion advice on her website, Trends & Tribulations.
Senia Mae Tuominen fell in love with holistic healing more than a decade ago. She’s now the holistic health expert on Twin Cities Live, and has regular appearances on Kare 11, WCCO, and in local publica-
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tions. She spends her days doing acupuncture at Healing InSight, her sunny, aqua-infused clinic on Grand Avenue, where she and her team of practitioners specialize in treating digestive issues, chronic pain, women’s health and anti-aging. In the summer you’ll find her training for her next cycling adventure in the French Alps.
Susan Erickson’s experience with yoga began in 1978 at the age of 28. Throughout her life as a technical writer, quality assurance analyst, business writing teacher, wife and mother, yoga has always been her stabilizing force. She is “a seeker” and continues to learn and grow through personal practice which has helped her to maintain a high quality of life in her golden years. The yogic lifestyle has helped her to grow old gracefully.
Copy Editor for MN YOGA + life, Tatum
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MN YOGA + LIFE MAGAZINE EVENTS
Fjerstad is originally from Minnesota, but she has more than five years of experience teaching yoga all over the country. She describes her teaching style as simple and approachable. “I’m a human being teaching other human beings how to be okay with being human. Ultimately, I just want to be helpful, honest and make you laugh.” When she’s not teaching yoga, she’s writing and managing content for entrepreneurs, small businesses and publications like MN YOGA + life!
Polaroid Scrapbook E 11 KAR Purple Prana!
Live True Expansion Party
Our sis
t e r pu
blic a t
ion!
M YC wit h M aggie & Dia nne
Twin Cities Film Fest!
A reformed perfectionist, Sara Mandel Krug is a Twin cities yoga instructor with a passion for practicing and teaching Ashtanga Yoga. She teaches at Room and Board and The Yoga Center of Minneapolis, where she did her 230 hour YTT. She hopes to inspire people of every age and ability to try yoga and experience its healing power. Sara is a proud mom of 2 and has a very supportive husband who sometimes even takes her Instagram pictures.
H e ar
t Y og
ne r Y Par t
a is O
pe n! Jen at MYC
L il’ Bre at he rs & Yoga C amp!
t og a a
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s E ve e llne s
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K r is &
he r sin ging bo wls, We lov e yo u !
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PROFILES /
People
Ambassadors
WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR OUR AMBASSADORS! THEY VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME AND SHARE OUR MISSION TO MAKE YOGA AND WELLNESS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO OTHERS. THEY WRITE, PROMOTE, INSPIRE, AND HELP WITH EVENTS.
SARAH BAZAKOS, RN, BSN, and 200 RYT is a mother, wife, and yoga teacher. She believes in the power of partnerships and founded Power of Two to share her love of yoga with others by teaching prenatal yoga, partner classes with her husband, and hosting karma yoga benefits. Sarah also enjoys playing outdoors, cooking up a storm in the kitchen, sipping wine, and traveling with her husband and daughter.
JAN JOHNSON, 500hr eRYT, is a trainer’s trainer, serving as faculty for Life Power Yoga Teacher Training, the National Exercise Trainer Association, and Jan Johnson Yoga Yin Teacher Training and certification. She feels that yoga fosters a compassionate journey of self -discovery, understanding, forgiveness, insight, and abundant love that needs to be shared.
STACY JOHNSON is a wife, mother of 2, and a passionate yoga instructor. She believes yoga is a lifestyle that can change you from the inside out. She believes “Yoga practice is life practice.” Stacy also loves reading, warm weather, and being at home with her family. She teaches yoga at The Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center. With a passion for wellness and helping others to feel their best, Stacy is also the new MN YOGA + life Beauty Editor.
JES ROSENBERG is a national yoga educator, a leader in the wellness community, and committed to helping students live an inspired life. Her passion for mindfulness and movement has allowed her to cultivate a uniquely blended teaching style, apps, and yoga programs for every age. Known as our Karma Ambassador, Jes helps coordinate karmic yoga elements into each of our events. Follow Jes at www.JesRosenberg.com.
TERESA NEUHAUS, 500RYT, AYS is a yoga teacher and women’s lifestyle coach. Her commitment is to help and inspire others to live fully and love themselves through the power of yoga and life coaching. Teresa specializes in teaching yoga in corporate environments. She has a wanderlust spirit that loves to travel and explore places near and far. Photography grounds her and her love of yoga books knows no bounds.
KOREEN VALDOVINOS. Co-owner of Open Minds Fusion Studio, a unique yoga and aerial studio in Minneapolis. Koreen has been a yogini for over 15 years and a teacher for 8, and has trained in many traditions of yoga. Currently her loves are teaching Dark Yoga to live music, and teaching Buti Yoga. As a Sensual Shaman, Koreen helps women tap into their own inner, primal beat.
MAGGIE FRYE is a proud exemplar of yogis coming in all shapes and sizes. Her mission is to help people understand that yoga is more than being flexible and looking pretty in poses. She sees yoga as a practice of allowing oneself to feel at home - body, mind, and spirit. Maggie wants to help people put self-criticism aside, and to start loving who they are! In addition to being a wife and mom, you may find her planning meetings and events including some for MN YOGA + life.
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KARA NOBLE started her yoga journey when she was only 16 years old. Years later she completed her first 200 hour certification with Corepower Yoga and has since completed over 300 hours of training with LifePower Yoga and leads yoga teacher trainings. She recently completed “Off the Mat and Into the World” with Sean Corn, Hala Khouri and Suzanne Sterling and plans to attend Prison Yoga to become certified to teach yoga in detention centers. When she is not doing yoga, she is dropping it like it’s hot in one of her Hip-Hop dance classes.
BRYAN PIATT, After years of growing deeper into his own practice, Bryan decided to begin the teacher training journey in the winter of 2015 at CorePower Yoga. Since then, he’s been teaching various pop-up classes and at YogaFit in Linden Hills. “For me, yoga is truly a practice of continuously tapping into and exploring my authentic truth,” Bryan says. Bryan is also an anchor and reporter at KARE 11 News.
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AMY KENOW is the owner of Sunlife Yoga, which specializes in sports specific yoga. Amy wrote about yoga for youth hockey players in Northern Minnesota where she resides with her family. Known as the “North Star” among the MN YOGA + life team, she helps bring more awareness of the MN YOGA + life Magazine mission and community to our friends “Up North.” Amy is a foodie, reader, music fanatic, and wanderluster. She enjoys the great outdoors especially hiking, fishing, and camping.
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PROFILES /
People
DO YOU HAVE POISON PALS?
Inspirations on female friendships!
BY: JULI RATHKE FOUNDER YOGA + LIFE™, GOYO ADVENTURES, AND EXECUTIVE MENTOR AND COACH
PHOTO: MN YOGIS ON RETREAT IN BRECKENRIDGE, COLORADO
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You are the average of the FIVE people you spend the most time with.
You may have heard the saying, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” When I first reflected on this after being asked to present at a women’s conference this past summer which used this phrase as their power statement, I was kind of surprised at what would soon ensue. What came up for me is what also seems to be coming up for a lot of others when discussing the impact that friendships have on women and the direct result of accomplishing their life’s goals. What I have found is that having the right friends is part of steering your life in the right direction, and if things are not going so well, perhaps it’s time to a look at your own average.
Out with the old So what do you do if you have to let a friend go? It isn’t easy; there is a lot of guilt that may surface when you’ve made the decision that a friendship isn’t supporting you any longer. When I have had to do this, I have simply just backed away. No lessons need to be taught and no feelings need to be hurt. I was able to simply state the honest fact that I was busy doing other things. This process created more space for new friends that were more supportive of what I strive to be on a daily basis, friends who supported my yoga lifestyle, and who are genuinely interested in my work and travels instead of judging me by it. This simple practice has been an amazing topic on my retreats over the past year, with my mentoring clients and just other women in my life. The tendency for women is to keep connections, even the toxic ones. So, I think we all need the reminder once in awhile that it’s okay to step back and politely say “no”.
IF YOU FOUND THIS ARTICLE INTERESTING, PLEASE FOLLOW JULI, FOUNDER OF YOGA + LIFE™ AND GOYO ADVENTURES, AT @JULIRATHKE ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA CHAN NELS OR SUBSCRIBE TO HER INSPIRATIONS, TEACHINGS AND RETREATS AT WWW.JULIRATHKE.COM.
Are you sizing up? We all have them, that one friend who always seems to need something from you. Then you have another friend that no matter what will complain about something regardless of how amazing her life really is. So what makes a good friend then? Here is what I have discovered when looking at my own friendship circles with the intention of truly surrounding myself with people who help me “up my average” and make me feel like I am being true to who I really am and working towards my personal goals.
What makes a good friend? 1. Make sure your friends offer emotional support and guidance. 2. Determine if there is a good balance of give and take. 3. Decide if your friends bring out the best in you. 4. Having things in common is essential. (Just having kids the same age doesn’t make for a good friend.)
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PROFILES /
Teachers
Confessions of
A YOGA TEACHER BY: KATE ROBERTSON PHOTO: WENDYBPHOTOS.COM
As yoga teachers, we are privileged to share our passion for yoga. We truly enjoy seeing students progress and grow in their yoga practice. However, we are human. We have vices. We have days we don’t want to go to yoga. Heck, there are days when my dog has a better yoga practice than me. As teachers, we have some confessions. Between the chaturangas and super long holds in chair pose, there are things we notice. Allow me to share a few of these confessions.
Confession #1: We see everything Being teachers, our intention is to bring light and love into students’ lives. So when we see students spreading light and love into the world it makes us happy and fulfilled. But there are some moments of light, and *ahem* love, that need to stay behind closed doors. While it seems like common sense to keep such activities private, occasionally a couple will canoodle in class. Yes; the lights are low. And yes; I know you’re feeling all of that prana (energy) moving through your body and the room. But, perhaps, right now is not the right time to express it? Regularly in class, I have this couple that always holds hands during savasana. This is precious and an appropriate display of affection. In fact, I do that when attending yoga classes with my partner. However, what they decided to do during prasarita (wide legged forward fold) was what you might call “yoga for the bedroom.” Mr. HandHolder was in his wide legged forward fold and Mrs. HandHolder followed suit. Once they realized they were extremely close to each other, Mrs. H decided to rub her head around in Mr. H’s… umm, well… “root chakra” area. This, my friends, is a rather questionable display of affection during a yoga class. While the other students may not have noticed this, I sure had a mental giggle. At the conclusion of class, they spooned in savasana with hands strategically placed.
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As teachers, we love when you feel the prana in the room. Just know that while we keep an eye on you for alignment and energy purposes, we sometimes see those public – yet personal – displays of affection.
Confession #2: We want our mats I know that sometimes it can be hard to get in your car and come to yoga. I applaud you for getting there. But please be on time. And, for sweet goodness sake, if you must be late do not take my mat. Recently, I was teaching a class and 20 minutes in, a woman walked in to the room. She had no awareness of what was going on around her. She slammed the door, walked into class and started picking up my mat and dragging it to an open space on the floor. Umm…no. That’s not how this works. I will allow you to come in late, but sure as all heck, do not take my yoga mat. First of all, more power to you ‘cause that thing hasn’t been washed in months; and second of all, just because I’m not using it at this moment does not mean I will not return to it at some point. I felt the need to say something, so in the most bizarre voice possible I said, “Oopsie; that’s my mat!” She dropped my mat mid-transport and looked right at me. I took her back into the prop closet and found her a mat that she could use. Meanwhile, the other students were holding chair pose. I could feel the tension in the room so when I returned to the floor I said, “Well, how we liking that chair pose?” They giggled and that cut the tension. Moral of the story here: please don’t steal my mat. It’s weird for everybody.
Confession #3: We are people too As teachers, we come to class, greet you with smiling faces and try to exude confidence. We love what we do and we want you to love it also. Although we may seem confident and energetic, that’s not always the case. I give so much energy away that sometimes I’d rather be at home napping with my puppy than teaching a yoga class. After a long day with only nuts and berries to munch on, I perhaps go home to order myself a large pepperoni pizza and pour an even larger glass of wine. I have to carb load after teaching so much right? I mean, it’s justified. Talking for hours can be exhausting. That brings me to the talking thing. Can I just take a moment here to thank my students for listening to my voice nonstop for an hour? Obviously, as teachers we have insecurities. One of them is voice. We want to say the right thing that hits home and truly makes your practice worthwhile. I can’t stand to listen to a two minute video of myself talking with my friends without quivering in horror, so I have no idea how you do it for an hour. So, after class we want feedback. We want to know what you liked about class. We want to know (kind of) what you didn’t like. Your practice is not our practice. We are there to guide you and it is so important to us that you keep coming back. We need to know what you are searching for. And If you happen to have time before leaving, please thank us if you enjoyed your practice. We use our energy to help you create yours and when that is acknowledged, it gives us that little oomph that we need to keep doing what we’re doing. We are real people with real emotions, opinions, and – confessions. Some of us like to take a little time to be silly to offset some of the seriousness. That’s part of what yoga is all about right; finding balance?
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PROFILES /
Students
I began doing yoga when it was not particularly popular. The Beatles had been doing “Transcendental Meditation” in the 1960’s and were following their guru(s).
Yoga Across the Lifespan:
INSIGHTS FROM 4O YEARS OF PRACTICE BY: SUSAN ERICKSON
Y
oga is the union of the mental, physical, and spiritual body. As long as you can think and breathe, you can do yoga. Often I hear people say, “I’m too old for that; I just don’t have the flexibility for yoga; I can’t focus enough; I need something more active.” To the contrary, these are the exact reasons yoga is there for you.
I began doing yoga when it was not particularly popular. The Beatles had been doing “Transcendental Meditation” in the 1960’s and were following their guru(s). Timothy Leary and Ram Das (formerly Richard Alpert) were experimenting with LSD, traveling to India, and following gurus. This was all I knew about yoga. But in 1978 when I was only 28 years old, I met a devotee to Swami Rama, founder of the Himalayan Institute in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, and closely affiliated with the Yoga Meditation Center of Minneapolis. After starting classes in a small studio in Hopkins, MN, this woman changed her home into a yoga center in Minnetonka, MN. For the next 20 years, I worked at being a devoted student of traditional Hatha Yoga, studying all aspects of this tradition and adopting it as an integral part of my lifestyle. My family tried to cooperate, which meant my children and animals frequently watched me and asked to participate in my home practice. I learned early in my practice that one could not allow the distractions of children or animals to be an annoyance, but instead embrace them and fold them into the practice. Having a son with autism tested this theory to its limits. Yet, to this day, when he interrupts me during my practice, I still allow it to happen, knowing he is a part of this practice and a check on my patience. My dog, on the other hand, lays in complete serenity next to my mat throughout my practice, offering me the same serenity she is enjoying. At the Minnetonka Yoga Center our classes were approximately two hours. As we entered the center, immediate silence was required: shoes off and straight to the yoga room, which was the center of the house. Attire was loose fitting cotton clothing, usually a yoga tunic as you might see a guru wearing. Anything that was not cotton, such as leggings like we wear today was considered unacceptable. The skin needed to breathe! The first 20 minutes of class were usually devoted to a short lecture (often humorous and always inspiring) by our teacher, followed by savasana and
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45 minutes to an hour of asana. Once we completed our asana practice, our first steps in preparation for meditation were taken. For the next 20-30 minutes, we would again lie in savasana and then move into our sitting meditation, which would begin with Nadi Shodhana (the channel purification exercise) followed by various breathing techniques and finally into silent meditation. This practice pattern was always the same. This ensured the mental, physical, and spiritual aspects of yoga were always combined in the teachings of the class. Music was seldom used and viewed as “ear candy” by the devotees. Our practice was both strict in discipline of the body as well as of the mind. We were taught the yamas and niyamas, the first two rungs of ashtanga yoga and the gateway through which one must pass in order to enter the path of yoga. Yoga was different then. But I loved it. I longed to go to the Himalayan Institute in Pennsylvania and to India where so many of my yoga colleagues had been privileged to visit. A year after I started yoga, I moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where I was disillusioned by what I perceived as “Americanized” yoga. I would have no part of it. So I bought a book by BKS Iyengar (“Light on Yoga”) and began doing my own yoga practice at home following his techniques as best I could. When I would return to Minneapolis for work, I would attend my Minnetonka Yoga Center classes. It was during that time that I received my mantra, which to this day has never been spoken to anyone. I wanted to remain strictly in the Eastern Indian yoga traditions. After four years of flying back and forth from Missouri to Minnesota, I returned to Minnesota full-time and resumed my full-time practice with my Minnetonka yoga teacher. As the years passed, I moved to other states. It was when I was living in the Philadelphia area, that I was introduced to several varieties of yoga. I began hanging out with an amazing group of women who loved yoga as much as I did. It seemed like there was a yoga studio on every street corner. We called ourselves “the Yoga Six.” We loved experimenting with different studios. I most loved going to New York City and trying studios there. During this time I was introduced to vinyasa, bikram, power yoga with Beryl Bender Birch, kundalini yoga (a favorite), ashtanga, anusara, Shiva Rea’s trance dance, and other eclectic yoga. My preference has
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always been to flow through my yoga practice like a dance: slowly and always mindfully of the position of my asanas. I did, by the way, fulfill my dream of spending a weekend at the Himalayan Institute in Honsdale, PA. India is still on my bucket list. In 2009, I tearfully left my loyal and loving yoga friends of Pennsylvania to return to Minnesota where my husband and I built a retirement home. My one criterion for this home was that I have my own yoga room and I got it! It’s in the basement. Quiet, private, serene and complete with a few of my most treasured items. I love it. It’s important to me that I maintain a yoga community, so I continue to faithfully attend classes. I attend varying levels of yoga, believing that I gain just as much from a beginning class as I do from a level 2 vinyasa or iyengar class. I believe taking my yoga back to its beginnings is essential to keeping a centered and steady practice. There’s always something to be learned or relearned. I am well aware that my body is aging and I can’t stop that. I’m not exactly fond of it, but I’m not going to let it age any more than it has to. I can still do most of the postures that I could do when I was 28 years old. There are certain ones I choose to no longer do for the sake of my own safety (free standing headstand and handstand being the primary ones.) Over time, I’ve worked on letting my ego go. It’s okay if the other students half my age can twist their bodies into a pretzel. I’ll try, but the goal is my own
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well-being, not the show. I am learning how to keep my body safe with each movement I attempt. My newest yoga endeavor is a system called “Body and Brain” which centers on exercising the brain to bring out its full potential – an essential for the aging mind and body. Now in the latter half of my 60s, I feel strong, healthy, and youthful in spite of a broken knee at age 58, a shattered elbow at age 62 and two subsequent heart surgeries in 2012. I realized that I could do yoga with a cast on my leg or my arm. It was all about adapting to my circumstances. I approached each injury and health issue with the question, “What was I supposed to be learning from this life challenge?” By being a seeker of the answer to this question, I was able to attain and keep a positive outlook on the changing conditions of my life. It has worked! Yoga is all about “staying steady” (quoted from Matthew Sanford), resolving to do it, and doing it! It’s your practice and only yours. And it’s never too late to start!
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PROFILES /
Business
THE HAVEN COLLECTIVE Yoga Fashion for Everybody PHOTOS: TERA PHOTOGRAPHY
W
e were thrilled to partner with Tracy Squillante of Haven Collective to wardrobe our ambassadors and cover models for our team cover shoot. We wanted to collaborate with likeminded partners after being inspired by our talks with Dianne Bondy and members of the Yoga and Body Image Coalition at the Minneapolis Yoga Conference last April. Tracy’s desire is to create clothes that marry the yoga practice and all body types - from lean to curvy, with style. Having practiced yoga for 16 years, Tracy knows the best yoga clothes are the ones you don’t even have to think about. “Anything that does not work for your body disconnects you from mindfulness and focus during your practice.”
Anything that does not work for your body disconnects you from mindfulness and focus during your practice. TRACY SQUILLANTE OF HAVEN COLLECTIVE
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MN YOGA + LIFE: TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF, TRACY. TRACY: I am a New York girl, born and raised. I am passionate about good design, all things Italian, great coffee, and compassion for oneself. I spent my life in and around fashion, fine jewelry, and the pursuit of well-being. My first job in New York was at Macy’s, followed by nearly two decades at David Yurman -- growing from a salesperson, to the Vice President of Creative Development. Today, I am a twice-certified yoga teacher with a desire to create clothes that serve my practice and fit my body with style. MN YOGA + LIFE: WHERE DO YOU GET INSPIRED? TRACY: I’m inspired by global travel. Existing in other cultures changes your paradigm and frees up your mind to see things differently. Locally, I am drawn to the Rubin Museum in Chelsea, where I also live. It is this extraordinary place that inspires you to make connections between contemporary life, art and ideas of the Himalayas and India. When not taking in one of their exhibits, I can pass hours in their bookstore. MN YOGA + LIFE: HOW DO YOU CONNECT TO MINNESOTA? TRACY: My business partner, Jillian and I, attended the Minneapolis Yoga Conference and were truly inspired by the community. Everyone was welcoming and open and truly kind – we found some amazing restaurants and could not resist Eggy’s every morning. It is an authentic yoga community, and that really resonated with us. MN YOGA + LIFE: HOW DO YOU GET REJUVENATED WHEN YOU GET OVERWHELMED OR BURNT OUT? TRACY: I am a profound believer in self-preservation. A yoga practice, a deep massage, a great walk in the park, acupuncture - any and all of these things help me to sustain my energy levels while dealing with the intensity of growing a business.
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MN YOGA + LIFE: DO YOU HAVE A PERSONAL MANTRA OR QUOTE THAT REALLY RESONATES WITH YOU? TRACY: All boats rise in high tide. MN YOGA + LIFE: WHAT DOES BEING A POWERFUL WOMAN MEAN TO YOU? TRACY: Obtaining knowledge through experience. Having and earning trust. The pursuit of lifting all women up and knowing when to apologize. MN YOGA + LIFE: WHAT DOES BEAUTY MEAN TO YOU? TRACY: It sounds so cliché, but it really is an inside job. When I meet someone who I feel is beautiful, it is rarely a physical reaction. It is an emotional response to their light, to their energy, to their character and what they are putting into the world. MN YOGA + LIFE: WHAT IS THE BEST BUSINESS ADVICE YOU HAVE RECEIVED SO FAR? TRACY: Be prepared to pivot. Something will go wrong. No matter how perfect a plan, how many times you imagine executing it, your ability to adapt will be tested once you get started. MN YOGA + LIFE: TELL US ABOUT THE COLLECTION. TRACY: At Haven, fit and fabric are our primary objectives – if it doesn’t fit, then it does not work. Our challenge is to make functional pieces beautiful. We take style influences from modern women with classic style. Our Contour Leggings are cut incredibly to move with the body and are fabricated in luxe – opaque – matte tech nylon, with a bit of power mesh in the tummy. This fall, we will be launching an Essentials Group created in Italian Performance Jersey. Our palettes are rich burgundy and deep blues. We are also rolling out a collection of cozy Boyfriend Sweatshirts and drape pants in the most delicious Heather French Terry. The fabric exploration really excites us. It is our way of adding a bit of luxury to refined shapes.
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LIFESTYLE LIFESTYLE // Art Art
YOUR YEAR IN A WORD BY: CALLEY BLISS / PHOTO: SHELLY DIXON
There’s something striking about walking into YOGA Garden yoga studio in the Crown building in NE Minneapolis’ hot new corner of Broadway Street and Central Avenue. Everywhere you look at YOGA Garden, you find inspiration. In particular, there’s a tapestry of word-centered artwork hanging like little flags painted with bright colors and gold and silver stick-on lettering displaying words like “hope,” “trust,” “voice,” and “love.” YOGA Garden owner and founder Laurel Van Matre created the word wall, referring to it as “A reflection of our little yoga community.” Officially it’s YOGA Garden’s Your Year in a Word. Your Year in a Word started five years ago, and has grown to be an integral part of Van Matre’s studio. “I started this project for myself in the fall of 2011. The idea was that as I got closer to winter, I wanted to be clear about the work I wanted to do as the days got shorter and colder and the nights got longer. Winter is a time to go into the dark, literally and metaphorically and get some work done. So, I wanted to be clear about what that work was going to be so I didn’t spend the winter binge-watching Netflix instead of being productive. The plan was to make time to do some artwork and up my yoga practice. So I chose a word, FAITH, and I just decided that whenever I found myself slacking or feeling discouraged, I was going to think of that word and use it as a guide.”
Your word is not something to achieve, but rather a flag you can put out in front of you as your guide. When you lose focus, or get a little lost, or need to figure out what your next step is, your word is there to remind you what is important to you.
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Your Year in a Word is a way of honoring the seasons of the year, and maintaining focus on the mat and in everyday life. Winter, the darkest part of the year, is for sitting with your word and figuring out what it means for you. Spring and Summer, with all their natural energy and growth, is for work and development, and Fall is for enjoying the harvest of what you have cultivated for the year. Your word is not something to achieve, but rather a flag you can put out in front of you as your guide. When you lose focus, or get a little lost, or need to figure out what your next step is, your word is there to remind you what is important to you. Van Matre explains, “In each word there is a story. We start out with a simple definition and what we want to get from it. And over the course of the year it changes from a word to a sentence to a phrase and eventually a story. And over time, these become the stories of our lives.”
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LIFESTYLE /
Art
Happiness is when what you Think, Say, and DO are in Harmony. ~Ghandi~
www.JesRosenberg.com www.AdventuresofSuperStretch.com
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LIFESTYLE /
Art January 28 - February 4, 2017
World Spirit
C
Rising
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
With Amy Patee + Julie Shannon Includes: 2 yoga classes/day (vinyasa + restorative), luxury accommodations, 3 healthy meals per day, surprise gatherings, good vibes + so much more!
Rates start at $1505
Early bird prices through September 15th, 2016
Register: amypatee.com
BY: JESSE CASTRO
one person standing may reach out in prayer lifting the world one person caring carries truth changing the world one person having loved knows salvation blessing the world one person having fallen may rise through faith others will follow
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LIFESTYLE /
Music
Hailed as “the best-kept secret in the chant world” with “a voice that shoots straight to the soul,” Lee (Mirabai) Harrington is a vocalist, author and energy healer based in New York. A long-term practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism, Bhakti Yoga and Kundalini Yoga, her mission is to help others heal through mantra. Her unique approach to kirtan combines the wisdom and metta (loving-kindness) energies of Buddhist mantrayana (the path of mantra) with the euphoria of bhakti (devotional) music.
Interview with
LEE MIRABAI HARRINGTON BY: TERESA NEUHAUS MN YOGA + LIFE AMBASSADOR
TERESA: CAN YOU DESCRIBE HOW CHANTING MANTRAS CAN BE BENEFICIAL? LEE: Chanting mantras can benefit us body mind and spirit. It reduces stress, creates harmony, as well as deepening your connection with your guru, with your entire existence, and with everything around you. This generates more and more harmony within you. You can always chant for other people. I chant for animals at the shelter. The mantras I do for the animals are Tibetan medical mantras. At the very least the atmosphere is changing. The animals on the subtle level are receiving the benefit. I’d like to encourage people to do that. Go in with the intention to help. TERESA: WHO INSPIRES YOU? LEE: Everyone. I’m in awe of every single insect, flower, and animal. The beauty of this world I find inspiring. In terms of people, the people who volunteer at the animal shelter and any human who can continue to meet this world with compassion. That inspires me. I’m also inspired by the masters walking this planet. I wish everyone would look to them for inspiration rather than this or that celebrity. TERESA: WHAT DOES MUSIC MEAN TO YOU? LEE: We are music. We each have our unique sound. We have the ability to heal our selves with our own voice. Music is an incredible gift. TERESA: IF YOU ONLY HAD 5 MINUTES LEFT ON THIS EARTH, TO PERFORM ONE LAST SONG, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY WOULD YOU CHOOSE IT? LEE: I would sing the mantra, Om Mani Padmi Hum as many as I could,
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in five minutes. This is the mantra of the Bodhi Sattva of compassion, Chenrezik. It’s very purifying. It has the power to heal and protect from harm. It purifies negative karma. Buddhists believe, if you chant it 1,000 times a day you can purify for negative karma seven lifetimes back and seven lifetimes forward. It’s a great mantra to chant for others. It’s very powerful. It’s beyond what the human mind can conceive. TERESA: WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NEW TO KIRTAN? LEE: Go as much as you can. Be prepared to have your heart opened and your life changed. Be prepared to experience beautiful one-ness. Don’t get caught up in the way your own voice sounds. It’s a group experience and it’s very personal. It’s not about how you sound. Trust the process. Kirtan brings you to a new relationship with yourself and others. LEE’S DEBUT ALBUM BEYOND THE BEYOND: A MANTRA MUSIC EXPERIENCE (SPIRIT VOYAGE: 2016)—WHICH FEATURES GAURA VANI, CC WHITE, ADAM BAUER AND TIBETAN MONKS—WAS NAMED “ONE OF THE BEST KIRTAN CDS EVER” BY WRPI RADIO. SEE WWW.LEEHARRINGTONMANTRAMUSIC.COM
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LIFESTYLE /
Music
RIP PRINCE
JUNE 7, 1958 – APRIL 21, 2016
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MN YOGA + life celebrated the life of MN legend Prince with a team photo shoot and our event #purpleprana hosted by Saint Paul Parks and Recreation.
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Do me a favor and take care of each other, alright? It don’t matter the color; we are all family. — PRINCE
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LIFESTYLE /
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Travel
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WELCOME
HOME
Retreat to Madeline Island BY: JENNIFER DERHAM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, MN YOGA + LIFE MAGAZINE
T
he native Ojibwa called it Lake Giche-Gami, which translates into Great Sea. French explorers later renamed it Lac SupÊrieur, and today we refer to it as Lake Superior. As a child, I often visited the lake with family. I had a kind of fearful respect for Lake Superior after hearing tales of children who disappeared in its waters, 20-foot swells, and listening to the haunting lyrics of Gordon Lightfoot’s, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The lake was often cold in the middle of July and it waters always held a dark mystery for me. Beautiful, but a bit scary. Having only experienced Lake Superior from the shores of Superior and Duluth, I had no idea it could be so captivating, healing, and not quite as cold as I remembered from my childhood. Our hostess, Christy Wandrei, who resides on the island during the summer, has been teaching yoga on Madeline daily since 2008. She would literally give up her own bed for you. Christy nailed every detail from the family style dinners catered by Cafe Seiche made with fresh, local and organic food, to the welcome bags complete with a journal and a beautiful bracelet made with sacred Rudraksha seeds. Our lodgings at the Sunset Bay Lodge overlooked beautiful Lake Giche-Gami with stunning views. The waters here did not appear dark and foreboding. Up close, they were crystal clear, and from a distance, they reflected a deep blue that would give The Mediterranean a run for its money. One of my favorite parts of the retreat was a group sail to one of the many uninhabited Apostle Islands. There is nothing like being lulled into savasana by the waves beneath you, while the sun warms your skin. Many of us took the exhilarating plunge from the boat into the lake, and swam ashore to explore.
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LIFESTYLE /
Travel
The people We were yogis of all ages and abilities. We ranged in age from early 20s to post-retirement. Each of us seeking something different. Peace, clarity, relaxation, and connection with kindred spirits.
The yoga Enter our instructor, Pradeep Teotia. Pradeep is a San Francisco-based instructor, who was born and raised in India. He was also a presenter at the very first Minneapolis Yoga Conference. He teaches and inspires around the world. Pradeep will captivate you with his twinkling eyes and infectious laugh. The practices were challenging yet simple. He sprinkled warm anecdotes inspired by his teacher and late grandmother that helped us withstand the longest of pose holds. His teaching style is authentic, lacks the pretense that sometimes abounds in the western culture of yoga, and is infused with his love for the practice, nature, and people. He affirms, “By doing what you love, you inspire and awaken the hearts of others.” Indeed. However, my favorite Pradeep-ism is “Welcome Home,” because it captures what yoga means to me personally. To feel connected, one with God, and whole - mind, body, and soul: to feel “at home” within my own skin.
There is nothing like being lulled into savasana by the waves beneath you, while the sun warms your skin.
Pradeep and Christy will do it all again next year. With my new appreciation of Lake Superior and all of its glory, I hope to as well. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PRADEEP AND HIS RETREATS, VISIT PRADEEPYOGA.COM. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOGA AND FUTURE RETREATS ON MADELINE ISLAND WITH CHRISTY VISIT YOGAONTHEROCK.COM. 30
LEADER PRADEEP TEOTIA. PHOTO BY JOE LONGO
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LIFESTYLE /
Products
Stacy s
ays,
“ T his m fresh, ask left m c lear, a y nd wit face feelin h no br g eakout s!”.
b r i n g i n g h e a r t s t o g e t h e r PRODUCT REVIEW
BeautyCounter BY: STACY JOHNSON BEAUTY EDITOR AND MN YOGA + LIFE AMBASSADOR
I
am often skeptical before trying new beauty products. I know what works for my skin and I tend to stick to those things. I also have acne-prone skin. I have found that BeautyCounter products not only cleanse my skin, but they also keep my acne at bay. These products leave my skin feeling renewed and clean. Aside from their promise to get “safer products in the hands of everyone,” all the products are made with the very best, and they are committed to health and safety standards that go far beyond U.S. law. I don’t know about you, but I like that. When BeautyCounter Expert Anna Vig told me about the new Charcoal Mask, I had to try it. Usually, masks leave my skin feeling dry and after a few days I experience a breakout. This mask left my face feeling fresh, clear, and with no breakouts! I have used this mask once a week for 2 months and could not be more pleased. Leave it on for about 10 minutes and wash off with warm water. I highly recommend the Purifying Charcoal Mask, $45. CONTACT ANNAVIGBC@GMAIL.COM
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LIFESTYLE /
Fashion
TECHNOLOGY, APPAREL, AND FITNESS BY: SOPHIE GEISENHOFF
OMbra is a sports bra that uses sensory technology embedded into the fabric to capture data such as heart rate, breathing pattern, cadence, and other analytics and delivers it straight to the wearer’s phone or tablet.
T
echnology has become ubiquitous in our everyday life. For many, yoga is the only time of day when phones are not in use. However, the ever-evolving world of technology is now blurring the lines between our practice and our relationship with activewear. There is new “smart” clothing with wearable technology that can provide everything from heart rate monitoring, to performance tracking, to yoga pants that guide your alignment as you transition into Warrior II. These items are able to track what is happening in the wearer’s body using biometric data that connects wirelessly to a smartphone or tablet. There has been a lot of buzz surrounding the pants by Australian brand Nadi. The pants help to correct your alignment using vibrations as you move throughout various yoga poses. They even emit a relaxing “om”- sounding vibration when your alignment is safe and healthy. There is a shirt by French brand Up T-Shirt that helps to improve posture by stimulating the wearer to stand (and sit) upright. The most well-
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Hexoskin clothing measures breathing rate, heart rate variables, activity intensity, peak acceleration, steps, and sleep positions to help you perform your best throughout your everyday life.
known is Ralph Lauren’s Polo Tech shirt that costs $295, and uses silver fibers woven into the fabric and a small sensor to track biological and physiological data, such as depth of breathing, energy exertion, and the number of steps taken. Many tweaks are still needed to perfect the technological gear, which prevents it from becoming commonplace just yet. These include
factors like cost, battery life, and product defects, among others. For example, the pants by Nadi can only be washed 25 times, and they simply cannot provide the individualized attention that a yoga instructor can. While some tech-clothing boasts benefits that seem unreal, there are other apparel innovations that offer more subtle benefits. The characteristics of these range from anti-bacterial to moisture-wicking to offering UV protection. Not only can clothing made from these fabrics provide benefits to the individual wearing them, it can also provide ecological benefits for the environment. The advancement of technology makes the process of making clothes easier and more efficient, which helps to eliminate toxic chemicals emitted into the environment throughout the dying process, and also helps to conserve water. Essentially, yoga is the practice of connecting our bodies to our minds, so perhaps it makes sense to help bridge that gap even further through the help of technology?
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LIFESTYLE /
Family
AYURVEDIC ANCHORS Yoga Routines to Support Families BY: ELIZABETH EILERS SULLIVAN
Have you ever wondered what kinds of routines can support a healthy family? How can we foster resilience and the ability to adapt to life’s daily transitions and bigger adventures? Ayurveda and yoga are both effective tools with which you can care for yourself and raise resilient, joyful kids. Kathryn Templeton, an Ayurvedic Practitioner, Yoga Teacher, Clinical Psychotherapist, and Ayurveda Yoga Specialist Studies teacher at the Himalayan Institute, recommends four routines to support family health. Templeton offers families ways to anchor wellness into their daily routines and these anchors nurture self-reliance and foster adaptability. She finds the best times to implement these anchors are in the morning for wake up routines, and in the evening for bedtime routines. The following are simple and effective routines that you can implement no matter where you are in the world or what is happening in your community or at home.
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Morning Anchors The top two Ayurveda Dinacharya (“Daily Routine”) Anchors Templeton suggests to support the wake-up are:
TONGUE SCRAPING While this easy and highly beneficial practice is called tongue scraping, it is actually more akin to a gentle tongue petting. It removes the nightly coat that develops on the tongue. It is waste that your body is trying to get rid of, but can’t digest. You may purchase special tongue scrapers, or you can designate a basic household spoon to each family member. The benefits of this morning ritual are plentiful. “Every age can do it, and it is gentle support for digestion. It’s a lifelong habit that also supports good dental health. When someone might be sick in the family it helps to shorten duration of illness, especially congestion,” Templeton said. This is something my family and I have implemented and, overall, we have remained healthier and less prone to sore throats and colds, this year.
MAKE YOUR BED Templeton encourages families to adopt the practice of making the bed. She encourages parents to use developmentally appropriate age expectations. “How a 3-year-old verses a 7-, or a 16-year-old makes the bed will look different, but the point or end goal is not to make a pristine bed. The benefits are about self-care, self-responsibility and self-esteem. It shows the child that they are worthy of a clean bed and clean room. Plus, it is a routine they can take with them as they grow older,” Templeton says. Some days the beds in our house look more made than others, but the effects of slipping into a freshly made bed have proven to be transformative.
PHOTO: ELIZABETH EILERS SULLIVAN
“These two morning routines are a normative self-organizing principal for the child and the family,” Templeton explains. Getting into a freshly made bed at the end of the day also helps finish the day with a sense of order. So when stress, life events or adventure happens, a child or a parent can still tidy their sleeping bag, or hotel bed, and tongue scrape. It is similar to taking a little bit of home out on the road.
Yoga Morning Rit ual At our house, we include Templeton’s morning anchors, and we also provide the option for some physical movement in the form of a Sun Salutation. This is an exquisite practice with many benefits for tuning the body, mind, and spirit toward the day. While there are many forms of the Sun Salutation, it can also be simplified into a Sun Breath. This is a shorter practice, and allows the consciousness of the sun rising in the outer world to rise inside the individual, as well. It helps to align one’s energy with the sun, wakes up the spine, senses, and heart, and illuminates the body and mind with right knowing for the day.
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LIFESTYLE /
Family
. . . Yoga Morning Ritual Continued A SUN BREATH CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS: Mountain Upward Mountain Gentle Backbend Upward Mountain Forward Fold at the hip creases Half-way Lift Back to Mountain Do this three times, with awareness of breath and gratitude for the day ahead.
Bedtime Anchors
For Ayurvedic bedtime rituals, Templeton encourages simplicity. “It is important to implement things that are easy and won’t drain you.” I was relived and excited to hear her approach to adding anchors to bedtime -- sometimes just getting my four kids into bed is a feat in and of itself! NIGHTY-NIGHT DRINK This recipe of warm milk before bed is both calming to the nervous system and nutritionally nourishing. Plus, it’s an easy way to bring everyone together at the end of the day. 1 ½ cup of whole organic milk in a sauce pan ½ teaspoon of nutmeg ¾ teaspoon of cinnamon or 2 cinnamon sticks 2 cloves Optional: ¼ teaspoon cardamom, 3 or 4 threads saffron and 1 tablespoon of ghee
GIVE GRATITUDE As you sip your Nighty-Night Drink, name one thing you are grateful for that happened that day. It may be as simple as one special moment together, or as grandiose, as an epic adventure you experienced as a family. “Whatever it is, take the time to hear about one another’s day and perspective. Offer your gratitude with sincerity,” notes Templeton. We often practice this at the dinner hour, but if this time proves to be too much for your family, then incorporating it into the Nighty
Soft boil for 3 minutes, remove from heat to let cool a bit, strain of cloves and cinnamon sticks Optional: sweeten with a dash of maple syrup or raw honey. Serves 6 (about a ¼ cup for each person) Templeton adds some caution: “To finish the milk is not the goal. Having a sip is a sustaining ritual that is something each person can take with them throughout their life.” When we implement this practice at our house, we all sleep better.
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Yoga Evening Rit ual Moon Salutations also hold many benefits to make a conscious transition from day into evening. We move from being outwardly focused, to being more meditative and inwardly focused. It allows the body, mind, and spirit to cool into the lunar energies of the night for self-healing, self-soothing, and easing the system into rest and digest mode. It helps to clear the day, tap into different states of consciousness -- including the dream state -- and aligns the body and mind to the moon and its rhythms throughout the month. A shorter form can be practiced in the form of a Moon Breath, by choosing only the first portion of the sequence: Mountain Upward Mountain Crescent Moon on each side Goddess Five Pointed Star Wide Legged Forward Fold Back to Mountain Complete three times with breath and awareness. Both Sun and Moon Salutations can help consciously mark the transition from daytime to nighttime and from nighttime to daytime. They follow a specific sequence and can be memorized for ease of practice, or simply posted by the bed so they can be done during an individual’s rising and settling times. When done with awareness, we experience the benefits of these practices in daily life.
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Templeton calls these daily Ayurvedic practices, “Sustaining Rituals.” They are called such because you can adapt them to support a change in circumstance, i.e. a new job, change in schools, or as a way to respond to world events. If your family experiences a major change or challenge in your daily routines, you can use these rituals to adapt to the situation. For example, if a child is feeling particularly uncertain or insecure about something, they can tuck in their “lovey”, or security item, while making the bed to know that the item is well cared for and waiting for the child when he or she returns home. Like with anything in family life, keep it simple, and start small. Implement one practice at a time instead of many at once. Let a single practice become an anchor, then integrate. Adjust practices and expectations as needed. These should be practices of compassionate awareness, that allow you and your family to stay present to what life is asking of you. Allow these anchors and routines to be experiments in nourishment and self-love, instead of rigidity and obligation. Play with being the scientist of your body, mind and spirit and invite your children into being scientists of theirs. These practices provide techniques to calm and support the nervous system, create resiliency, grow health, and the ability to adapt to whatever transition, stress, or adventure comes your way.
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HAVENCOLLECTIVEYOGA.COM
LIFESTYLE /
Community
YOGA AND BODY IMAGE COALITION and Social Media
BY: MAGGIE FRYE, MN YOGA + LIFE AMBASSADOR PHOTO CREDIT: STACY JOHNSON
Last spring, I had the privilege of attending the Minneapolis Yoga Conference and participated in a workshop led by Dianne Bondy. I had been following Dianne on social media and admiring her from afar. She doesn’t fit the mold of what the media says a yogi should look like. I had the opportunity to sit down with Dianne, along with some other fearless leaders, to talk about their work with the Yoga and Body Image Coalition (YBIC) and the power we have to push back against stereotypes of what a yogi should look like. It seemed fitting to start our conversation on social media’s influence on our yoga community. After all, social media lead me to both Dianne Bondy and the YBIC. 40
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Maggie: Social Media can be good and bad. Tell me how you perceive social media in the yoga world. LISA DIERS, RD, LD, E-RYT, of The Emily Program and YBIC: I agree with you that it can be good for some and not as helpful for others and then there are moments in between. I think the risk with social media is the external pull and comparative nature that can happen. It is very easy to get caught up in the “shoulds” of image-based forms of communication. That is where I think the risk is. We all have our challenges and our preconceived ideas of how we fit into this world. I think there needs to be more education on being a critical viewer of social media. It is not really about good or bad, but what can we learn about being viewers of social media - so we can make a choice, an informed choice. DIANNE BONDY, a celebrated yoga teacher, social justice activist, and founding partner of the YBIC: I like the idea that social media can be our own personal platform. I no longer have to wait for mainstream media to validate who I am and what I am doing. I have my own platform, that is free, where I can put my message out there and I can find my tribe that way. If I didn’t have social media, I wouldn’t be sitting here at the Minneapolis Yoga Conference. Social media can allow us to disrupt and push back against mainstream images that don’t represent most of us. It can be a powerful platform when used correctly and when used critically. It does also have the same drawbacks as mainstream media in the comparing of what you are to what is put out there for you see.
Maggie: What would you like our readers to know about the YBIC? DIANNE: We are devoted to creating a diverse playing field and allowing everybody to feel welcome on the mat. We are also devoted to pushing back against mainstream images - that keep people from knowing their true selves, that keep people oppressed, that can create a stereotype or marginalize people who don’t fit that stereotype. We are trying to create equality. The YBIC has used a lot of social media. Melanie Klein, who is the co-founder of the coalition, has been hailed as a person who is very skilled at social media. She is very critical in her messages and we are really careful to let everyone know that ALL bodies are yoga bodies. It is not “us against them.” We are creating a coalition for solidarity; many different voices talking about what yoga means to them. BETH BERILA, PhD, LLC, RYT, and a founding partner of the YBIC: I think one of the things the YBIC really understands is that there are a lot of issues that can get in the way of feeling welcome and empowered in western yoga spaces; issues of racism, heterosexism, transphobia, abledbody discrimination, fat phobia - body image kinds of things. We are trying
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to bring diverse voices in and make sure they have a platform to say what they’ve been saying for a long time. We want to bring people together and have dialogues about how to create the world we want to see. We want to become a broader, more collectively empowered community. LISA: The coalition creates that platform for education, too. We need to teach leaders, who are in serious and powerful positions, to recognize and see the messages they are sending. Help them see it a little differently, maybe through a difference lens. Teachers are really in such a powerful position to make a positive change. DIANNE: We need to be allies in our own cause. We need to stand up and push the influencers of the yoga culture the need to show diversity in yoga and yoga and body image. I am one voice but I am trying to get enough voices to push back against mainstream media. BETH: The great Audre Lorde once said, “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept and celebrate those differences.” Recognizing is not enough. We need to change the culture. Too often, to unite means to assimilate to the norm. We want to unite while recognizing and celebrating all the rich diversity that enriches our communities.
IF YOU’D LIKE TO LEARN MORE, OR SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE YBIC, SEE @YBICOALICATION OR YBICOALITION.COM.
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LIFESTYLE /
Community
FITNESS IN THE PARKS Saint Paul’s Fitness in the Parks program breaks down barriers to a healthy lifestyle
T
hree years ago, Saint Paul Parks and Recreation found an innovative way to encourage healthy and active lifestyles while inspiring more people to explore their local parks. Each year, from June through early fall, residents and visitors can take part in free, outdoor fitness classes through the Parks and Recreation Department’s Fitness in the Parks program. “Our indoor fitness programs had been successful over the years and we were looking for a way to expand fitness opportunities to a wider audience,” said Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Director Mike Hahm, “By adding an outdoor, drop-in based option, we have been able to reach thousands of additional residents. Promoting healthy lifestyles is one of our core values, so we hope to continue expanding our class offerings and locations.” Since its launch in 2014, the award winning program has generated many dedicated followers and received much praise from attendees. “The Fitness in the Parks program is such a wonderful asset to the City of Saint Paul,” said Amy C., a frequent class participant. “We have the opportunity to learn about the health and fitness businesses in our neighborhoods, test drive their classes, learn the latest on new exercises and nutrition, and meet new neighbors from different cultures. This is why I love Saint Paul.” The Fitness in the Parks program is open to everyone and no registration is necessary. A wide variety of classes are offered, including yoga, boot camp, Zumba, Tabata, dance,
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Green Lotus & Me
T’ai Chi Chih, kickboxing and even capture the flag. The classes are hosted by local businesses who have partnered with the City of Saint Paul to volunteer their time.
Transform
“I am so impressed with the incredible businesses and organizations that have partnered with us to make this program possible,” said Gregory Dodd, Health and Fitness Coordinator for Saint Paul Parks and Recreation. “They have shown their commitment to the health and wellbeing of the community they serve and their positive influence is changing the face of our city.” Saint Paul Parks and Recreation would like to thank the following 2016 Fitness in the Parks partner organizations: Baraza, Ramsey County Public Health, Uncaged, Healing Elements, Resistance Movement, Express Fitness, SCM Yoga, Naked Nina’s, Saint Paul East Side YMCA, Capture the Flag, Saint Paul Athletic Club, Saint Paul YWCA, Herba Champs, Heaven on Earth Healing, Como Park Yoga & Wellness, Seven Spokes, Tula Wellness & Yoga, T’ai Chi Chih by Marlene Vernon, I Love Kickboxing, Roots & Rising, American Strength Training, T’ai Chi Chih by Vanjie & Carol, Minnesota Yoga + Life Magazine, Dancers Studio and Corepower Yoga.
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YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT SAINT PAUL’S FITNESS IN THE PARKS PROGRAM AT STPAUL.GOV/FITNESSINTHEPARKS.
CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES Assisting & Adjusting 1 & 2 | Ayurveda | Cancer Care | East Meets West Anatomy Integrative Yoga | Mindfulness Yoga & Meditation | Power Vinyasa | Restorative Sanskrit | Yin | And Many More | CE Courses may be transferred to the 300-Hour Program Excellent curriculum taught by instructors that truly care about the personal and professional development of their students as yogis and yoga instructors. I am honored and proud to have trained at Green Lotus. ~ Serena
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YOGA /
Asana
BEDTIME ASANA Yoga for a Restful Sleep BY: SARA MANDEL KRUG
A
fter a long day, it’s tempting to collapse into bed, turn on your TV or device of choice, and veg out before trying to go to sleep. However once the lights are out, often the body and mind have other ideas. Whether we are aware of it or not, we spend much of the day with our flight-or-fight response activated due to stress. This leads to a build up of cortisol, a stress hormone which contributes to muscular tension and an inability to relax and fall asleep.
Doing a few gentle yoga exercises, accessible to anyone, can go a long way in encouraging a visit from the sleep fairy.
1. CHILD’S POSE Forward folds are very soothing. This is a great way to begin to tell your body and mind that you are relaxing. Place your forehead on the floor. Allow your hips to rest on your heels and take 10-15 slow, even inhales and exhales through the nose. Listening to the sound of your breath brings the mind into the present moment and calms the ‘vritti’ or chatter of your mind. Racing thoughts are one of the great impediments to falling asleep. Simply allowing your breath to be louder than your thoughts can help calm the mind.
2. GENTLE TWIST Come to a comfortable, seated, cross-legged position. Feel length in your spine, from the base of your neck to the base of your skull. Being on phones and devices all day can make us jut our chins too far forward. Take a few deep inhales and exhales, sending fresh oxygen into every area of your lungs. On an inhale, raise both arms straight up and, on a deep exhale, bring your left hand down to the outside of your right thigh. Place your right hand behind your lower back or sacrum. Take a deep inhale, imagining your spine lengthening from your tailbone to the crown of your head, and as you exhale bring your navel in towards your spine and twist a little more. Repeat on the other side and do 3 breaths on each side.
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3. CAT/COW Start in a tabletop position with your hands stacked under shoulders and your knees under your hips. Spread all 10 fingers wide. Gently engage your navel towards your spine and gaze just between your hands. On an inhale sink your belly to the floor, and lift your sit bones. Tilt your pelvis back while sliding your shoulder blades down your back and lifting your gaze without straining your neck. On an exhale, draw your navel to your spine, and round into your upper back. Move back and forth from cat to cow, inhaling to cow and exhaling to cat. You can bring this pose into the side ribs and shoulder blades by moving your upper back in a circle. Do this 10 times.
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4. PUPPY POSE.
5. DOWNWARD FACING DOG
From tabletop, walk your hands out in front of you, shoulder-distance apart, keeping your hips over your knees. Spread your fingers wide, plant your hands and create your own resistance. Keep your upper back broad and enjoy the intense stretch on both sides of your torso. Take 5 deep breaths in this position.
From puppy, walk your hands back underneath your shoulders. Tuck your toes under, bend your knees, and lift your hips up and back into down dog. Down dog helps neutralize your spine and create more space between your intervertebral discs. This allows stale energy to be released. It’s invigorating without being over-stimulating. Take 5 deep breaths.
6. RAG DOLL
7. LEGS UP THE WALL
From down dog walk your hands back towards your feet and bend your knees deeply. Relax your neck completely. Let your upper body dangle over your legs, allowing the traction-like effect to release the spine. Your can gently clasp opposite elbows. Keep your navel pulled in toward your spine. You can nod your head ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to release the neck. Take at least 5 breaths here. Finally, come to rest on your back. Two great options are legs up the wall, or reclined, supported savasana.
For legs up the wall, bring your sit bones as close to the wall as possible. Rest your heels against the wall, close your eyes, and relax your mind by observing any thoughts that come into your head and letting them go again. If you are having trouble relaxing here you can silently repeat a mantra to yourself. One of my favorites is, “Let Go.” On an inhale, silently say to yourself “let,” and on the exhale, say “go.” Do a body scan - starting with your toes and going up your body, making sure each is relaxed. Don’t forget your face and jaw, and even your tongue as relaxing the tongue relaxes the digestive tract. Visualize your muscles melting and your skin softening around the muscles.
8. SUPPORTED SAVASANA For supported savasana, roll up some blankets or stack pillows under your sacrum. Make sure your neck is supported, too. You can open your knees and place your feet together in butterfly pose, or release them long on your mat or floor. Go through the same instructions for legs up the wall, doing a body scan, using a mantra or both.
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YOGA /
Asana
CARE FOR YOUR
PELVIC FLOOR
for a Healthy Core and More BY: LINDSAY MCCOY PHOTO: JENNIFER LIV PHOTOGRAPHY
FREE THE BOOTY We live in a culture of pelvis tuckers and forward thrusters. Most of us, from kindergarten onward, have spent the bulk of our lives sitting in a chair or couch with our bums tucked under so that our backside no longer has the strength to hold us up properly.
Back that “thang” up Send your hips back until they are back over your heels. Here, the glutes must work to hold you up!
Sneeze pee, running pee, jumping pee, lifting pee, run-to-the-bathroomquick pee. If this sounds familiar, you may be among the 25 million Americans who have urinary incontinence. Despite its prevalence, we don’t like to talk about it unless we’re liking funny memes on Facebook with the hashtag of #momproblems. While I’m all for camaraderie, I will not accept sneeze pee as something we can’t do anything about. Our pelvic floor contributes to not only continence, but also sexual health and core stability. This is no laughing matter! Our body adapts to how we carry it most of the time. Just as we cannot undo eating chocolate cake and potato chips all day with one big salad at the end of the day, we cannot undo a day of sitting and/or not moving optimally, by doing yoga or working out and call it good.
Find a neutral pelvis Bring your ASIS (anterior superior iliac spine) over your pubic symphysis. Rather than forcing it, notice if this is difficult and prop your sitz bones up on a rolled up towel, bolster, or block and allow the pelvis to relax into a more neutral, pelvic-floor-supporting position.
Here are three tips to experiment with: 46
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FREE THE BELLY We are a culture of chronic “sucker-inners.” Sucking in increases intra-abdominal pressure, which puts an excessive load on the pelvic floor. Cueing students to “pull the belly into the spine” during fitness classes does not really teach them how to engage their deep core muscles. It perpetuates the tendency to suck the belly in. Holding that much tension in the abdomen all the time is not healthy for the core or the pelvic floor! Invite yourself onto hands and knees and give yourself permission to relax your belly away from your spine for one minute. With each breath, allow the belly to relax even more. It can be quite surprising to see just how much we are sucking in without even realizing it. Be aware of this habit throughout your movement practice and just like Elsa, “Let it go!”
FREE THE FEET There is no way for your pelvis, or whole body, to be in biomechanical neutral, in a heeled shoe. Of course, you don’t wear heels in your yoga class. But as soon as you roll up your mat, what do you put on your feet? I’m kind of lazy in that I don’t want to put effort into something if the rest of the day is spent undoing that effort. I’m not just talking stiletto heels. Anytime the heel is higher than the toe box, the body will adapt in some way in order to remain upright. This is not good for the pelvic floor. If you’ve been wearing heels for quite some time, see a practitioner about safely transitioning into minimal footwear, as your body may need some time and specific corrective exercises.
Pelvic floor health isn’t something we can address on our yoga mats alone. We need to consider how we are aligning our bodies all the time. Whether in your yoga class or out in the world, try out a few of these tips and you’ll surely be on your way to a more functional pelvic floor.
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YOGA /
Meditation
SILENCE IS GOLDEN Introduce your kids to the M word
BY: MARCIA APPEL
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M
y family placed a high value on silent introspection and practiced it daily. Given our JudeoChristian tradition, we paused in silence and spoken prayer before each meal and ended with a period of shared silence. My family stressed that it was just as important to listen – to God and your inner voice – as it was to speak.
In these modern times, hardly a week goes by without another published piece of solid research citing the many benefits of meditation not only for adults but also for children. They encounter stress at levels sometimes even greater than do the adults around them: pressure to perform academically, athletically, socially; facing fragmented or struggling home lives, peer pressure, and more.
From a young age, I came to appreciate these minutes of silence, if only to pause from the stream of chatter at the table. My grandparents, parents, and aunts and uncles didn’t discriminate: from the oldest to the youngest, everyone was invited to dip into silence and also to pray aloud, however haltingly or simply.
But in this day of less church-going, go-go culture, instant and constant communications, how do we introduce kids to silence, to the M word?
We observed a day of quiet every Sunday. We attended church, had family over for lunch or coffee, and maybe even enjoyed a nap in the afternoon. It was a true day of rest. Over my young life, I came to appreciate those boundaries, to have a reason in my teenage years to say “no” when friends invited or pressured me to do this and that. When I left home for college, I missed those rituals. I felt scattered, full of longing. I began to investigate.
Laying on the grass or sitting on a snowbank
Over the years, my search led me down a path where I found yogic and Buddhist meditation, particularly mindfulness. As I learned more, I slowly created my personal practice, pulling together from direct experience strands of awareness. I realized that my elders made it possible for me to explore and branch out from the open-minded foundation they built for me.
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When our children arrived, my husband and I tried a few different approaches. Here are some that might work for you:
On a beautiful spring, summer, or fall day – or a brilliant winter one – invite your kids to pause in nature for 10 minutes or so. Invite them to listen for animal sounds or to feel the different sensations on their skin – the wind, tickling grasses, even dew from the grass. Or encourage them to watch and count clouds, beginning at one and starting over again once they’ve reached 26 (or however high they can count!). If you sense fidgeting, tell them the time has ended, and then talk about what you experienced from temperature, to cloud shapes, to sounds. You can do the same practice while going for a walk – introducing them to the concept of walking meditation. In either case, they will be heading down the path of mindfulness and being present.
Let’s-see-who-can-be-quiet-the-longest game When our son, Tony, was a little guy, he loved to chat in the car. Road trips presented a challenge for two parents who needed some quiet time. We developed this game: We would point to the clock and say, “When the hand gets to here, whoever has been quiet for at least that long wins. While we are quiet, notice as many things as you can, like sounds, your thoughts, feelings in your body, and remember them so we can talk about them.” Invariably, the parent would lose! And along the way, Tony came to see that being quiet and watching your surroundings and thoughts can be pretty wonderful (and winning was pretty good, too).
Pause before eating In our home, we paused before we began the meal. Sometimes we offered an oral prayer, intention, or statement of gratitude. Other times, we simply invited the kids to join us in thinking of how the food arrived on our plates, from bees that pollinated plants, the farmers who planted seeds, to Mother Earth for giving soil, rain, and sun, to the truck drivers who haul the food, and to the hands that prepared it. This simple ritual brought us to the present moment, left the outside world outside, and created a sense of appreciation. Whatever steps you take, remember you are laying a foundation for your children to explore, to find their authentic path, to extend their lives – if not in actual minutes or days – then in being more present in each moment, in the richness of a life fully lived.
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YOGA /
Seva
YOGA:
MEDICINE FOR SEXUAL HEALING
BY: KOREEN VALDOVINOS MN YOGA + LIFE AMBASSADOR
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YOGA /
Philosophy
The more sexual a person is, the more intelligent. Because sex is a deep search to uncover, not only bodies, not only the opposite sex body, but everything that is hidden.
W
hen I was a young woman working at a nightclub in Minneapolis, finishing my Bachelor’s degree, I found hot yoga in the coldest nights of that Minnesota winter. I learned to feel my body more precisely, as I sweated profusely, focusing on the rhythm of my breath and heart. It was a safe place to explore my senses in my body, and the pains of my mind.
into the self that seeks right use of energy and the part of us that seeks Supreme Reality. As we seek, we must not push down the truth that we are creatures of light, creation, reproduction, sex, connection to each other, and the universe. Every cell in our body pulses with the energy of connection. Great healing can come from looking at our connection to our personal and cultural sexual history, without shame or fear.
There, I found my first glimpse of meditative bliss which can only be found in the present moment. Here I felt totally in “the now,” to the point where all the gunk and stories that clogged my mind dropped away. Up until then, the only time I felt the present moment so completely was while being mentally immersed in an art project, or in the throes of sensual and sexual pleasure. This is when the feeling of time disappears, and bliss takes hold.
We can use “flow” to tap into movement energy, and even erotic energy, as medicine for selfhealing. It can be tapped into during any kind of yoga or movement practice, be it Yin Yoga, Power Yoga, or my current passion – Buti Yoga. In Buti Yoga, we utilize asana, tribal dance, primal movements, and power poses to encourage us to feel our whole body. In Buti, we flow and breathe together as a beautiful collective that encourages students to feel their power, including sexual power.
Those who are interested in the science of happiness call the state of complete immersion in an activity, “flow.” A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that “flow” is highly correlated with happiness. This is the essence of my yoga practice, both then and now. But it has changed. It was in that hot yoga room where I took these experiences of flow to be sacred. And I purposefully separated the sacred, from the sexual. This was in an attempt to control and heal the things that hurt me. Back then I thought a lot about Brahmacharya of the Yoga Sutras -- often read to be the practice of sexual restraint or celibacy. But later, I came to understand the term Brahmacharya as ‘right use of energy.’ It literally means “going after Brahman (Supreme Reality, Self or God).” I evolved my practice and harnessed feeling of control and sexuality and healing in a whole new way. Seeking Supreme Reality is about connecting to the primal force of creation that we all are a part of. Once we tap into flow, we are tuning
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I want the women in my classes to feel into the stereotypes, mythologies and the personal stories of who they are. Then examine what might be holding them back -- physically, emotionally, and even sexually. We awaken root chakra. You feel into your hips as you move them, and notice everything that rests there — where physical pleasure resides but also where we hold traumatic memories. No matter what we have been through, especially women, we hold so much there. Inside the hips and around the low chakras we hold the pains of life, memories, births, as well as our creative and pleasure power centers. In this type of practice we shake it loose. As we open our hips, we open our minds. When we start to practice connecting with movement, and with bliss through yoga, we tend to better connect with ourselves, with others, and our sexual partners more deeply. Yoga can be a medicine for erotic and sensual self-healing on so many levels. Learning to love your body physically and emotionally through yoga can lead to sexual enlightenment, says Rebecca, one of my dedicated Buti Yoga students. With joy, she
will tell anyone who listens, that her Buti Yoga practice has greatly enhanced her relationship to her body, her emotional self and her orgasm. After months of dedicated practice, she found orgasm in a way that has eluded her for her whole life. (Just to be clear, it didn’t happen in class). It surely wasn’t the goal of her practice, but a wonderful bonus. Rebecca shared, “It stretches the muscles around the pelvis that regular activities don’t. All those muscles and nerves are connected to the erogenous zones and the clitoris, which is a larger and more integrated organ that most people realize.” In this moving meditation practice, we tap into sensuality, without shame or embarrassment. And that is so important. We can we use that state to not only tune into the bliss, but for healing and harnessing sexual energy and creative force. Breaking the grip on old stories or traumas hold us back from feeling and loving our bodies and minds in the present moment that we so deserve. In this practice we work to love our bodies, and to be present with them, to love our sexuality, to tap into our power, and heal. When a woman like Rebecca starts to really connect with her body, it could very well translate to her relationship to the entire universe. Perhaps it is true what Osho has said, “The more sexual a person is, the more intelligent. Because sex is a deep search to uncover, not only bodies, not only the opposite sex body, but everything that is hidden.” This is not the conventional sense of intelligence that we can measure in tests. It is beyond emotional IQ. We are talking about the intelligence of the subtle intuitive body, which is more about soul than headstands. This is the kind of intelligence that translates to self-awareness through the use of the present moment, flow, and the sacred. This is the intelligence of the subtle body that thrives, heals, and seeks the Supreme Reality, God, or Brahma.
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YOGA /
Philosophy
APPLYING PATANJALI
TO POLITICS
BY: ALAN L PRITZ
G
iven the imminent presidential election and party politics, I felt it might be useful to examine the process of voting and governance in light of spiritual principles; in this case the Yamas and Niyamas which Patanjali codified in his Yoga Sutras. The same kind of ethical application could be derived from any legitimate religion because truth is universal. First, it’s always important to live spiritual principles; not merely because they’re said to be right but because they represent alignment with eternal cosmic laws and their fruit is righteousness and harmony. To cooperate with Spirit is to foster good in every avenue of life. To fudge in this regard, or cherry pick when to do so, leads to imbalance. That said, spiritual laws can be unrealistically applied so must be tempered with wisdom to be efficacious. As Paramhansa Yogananda stated, “If a lower duty conflicts with a higher duty, it ceases to be a duty.” Balance in life is necessary; wise discernment is required to exercise it correctly. Secondly, we must recognize that there is a primary purpose in life: To realize God. Everything that brings us closer to this goal is movement in the right direction, both for the evolution of our souls, and for the good of society in general. Anything that opposes this leads to separation from Source which reduces people and nations to myopic, materialistic limitation. Keeping this in mind, we should analyze how politicians consider and apply ethical principles. Bear in mind, we live in a complex world of diverse interests and global players that are not necessarily nice. All countries tend to be amoral with self-interest at heart. It would be foolish, then, to cuddle a wild tiger and not expect to get eaten. We must operate with eyes and heart wide open, and rationality fully engaged. I invite readers to review the following principles and ask themselves, “Does my candidate act on these virtues or strive to do so?” Weigh your assessment with impartial candor and, if uncertain, meditate. Seek guidance from the Universal Intelligence within. Become still in heart and mind and, when stable in quietude, present your quandary. Feel its response, heed its counsel, act accordingly, and you’ll be guided rightly.
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GUIDING PRINCIPLES: NON-VIOLENCE Do not harm any living thing, physically, emotionally, or mentally. Overcome tendencies to even wish harm. NON-DECEIT Be truthful; never falsify or intend to deceive. Accept things as they are, not as wished for. Exercise self-honesty and recognize that Truth is reality which may present itself through multiple lenses. NON-STEALING Do not take, or even wish for, that which is not yours - materially or immaterially. See all creation as part of your Greater Self. NON-SENSUALITY Regulate sensory activity. Do not dissipate moral resources for faulty returns. Govern the senses to develop refined Self-awareness. NON-GREED Release attachments; act selflessly without fixation on personal acquisition or public recognition. CLEANLINESS Practice purity of body, mind, heart, speech, motive, consciousness, and environment.
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CONTENTMENT Accept things as they are and cultivate emotional serenity based on inner virtue. AUSTERITY Practice purposeful self-discipline. Master likes, dislikes, and energy expenditure for highest attainment. SELF-STUDY Practice objective self-assessment; eliminate delusive notions about oneself. Realize your, and everyone’s, smallness and greatness.
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MOVE FROM WHAT YOU THINK TO THE WAY YOU FEEL
SURRENDER Act to the best of your ability yet simultaneously acknowledge and surrender to the Divine; cultivate humility by eliminating selfimportance.
We live in an era rife with upheaval as older-age consciousness clashes with realizations arising from evolving planetary unfoldment. Though some may wish to do so, we simply can’t turn back the wheels of time to periods when ignorance limited truth to stifled expressions. Many world conflicts depict the death throes of those who reject bigger picture realties and clutch at what they see as singularly viable ways of being. But, fortunately, this too must pass. Do your part by praying for peace and acting peacefully. Cultivate understanding and make choices based on intelligence-guided compassionate insight. Remember spirit in everything and engage politics accordingly.
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YOGA /
Philosophy
Ask the Swami
WITH GRACIA GISME MCKINLEY PHOTO: TAMI ENFIELD
WHAT IS DHARMA AND HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE FOUND MY OWN? MARY S. // ROCHESTER Dharma is the principle of cosmic order. For the individual, dharma is one’s life purpose. To discern your dharma, ask what you’re good at and when you are happiest. Dharma is not only about external accomplishments; increased awareness, connection, and contentment are the best indications that you are truly living your dharma. This doesn’t mean you will be happy all the time or never have a bad day. Life will be both easy and difficult, even when you follow your dharma. Remember: the path that connects you to your highest self leads to your rightful place in the cosmic order.
I HAVE HEARD ABOUT “BAD KARMA.” WHAT IS KARMA AND HOW DOES IT WORK? JEFF D. // INVER GROVE HEIGHTS Karma may be difficult or easy, but it’s never good or bad. Karma is simply the law of cause and effect: what you think, say, and do creates your life. Your attitude, however, categorizes your karma as “good” or “bad.” While we may never know exactly how our actions shape our lives, or why specific challenges arise, we can adjust our attitude to minimize our suffering. Yoga helps us open ourselves to the lessons that karma has to teach. Instead of worrying about your “bad karma,” ask yourself, “What is my karma teaching me today?”
ACCORDING TO THE LAW OF KARMA, ARE THOSE WHO SUFFER GREATLY ‘GETTING WHAT THEY DESERVE’? OWEN M. // NORTHFIELD Absolutely no one deserves to suffer. Blame and shame only create separation. Our first priority is to look for that which connects us. We are all good, whole, and complete at the core of our being. Our job is to see this spiritual truth in all people, regardless of their life circumstances. The act of blaming or shaming others creates difficult karma for ourselves by separating us. It is not our job to discern the nuances of another person’s karma. When others are suffering, we can best help by persistently holding space for their own inner goodness to shine.
>> Questions for this column may be sent to: askaswamicolumn@gmail.com 54
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YOGA /
Philosophy
They are the gentle peacemakers young and old…
Trusting the Wisdom of
THE NEW ELDERS BY: JAN JOHNSON, MN YOGA + LIFE AMBASSADOR PHOTO: EXPANSION IN NEW YORK BY PAIGE BRADLEY (PAIGEBRADLEY.COM)
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I
n this age of chaos and confusion it is not surprising that in the midst of the trauma, turmoil and drama of our world, many of us are at a loss for where to turn to get out of this darkness. We experience the current vibration of this world in many ways - some of us are feeling just plain tired or lethargic, while others are wrapped up in a veil of sadness. Some of us are feeling jittery, off center, while others may even feel like they are sinking low into the abyss of what may be perceived as unknown depression.
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Unknown because we think we have everything we need, so why this feeling then? Some of us are just out-and-out angry. This anger manifests through aggressive actions and reactions in our behavior, and even in our thoughts. Sadness, fear, distrust and anger are only a few of the jagged emotions taking a toll on all of us. It’s all around us - in the very vibration of the world – and the universe seems to be shuddering and shedding tears of anguish. We all feel the something that is amiss. We try to get through it. Every yoga class I’ve taken lately has been themed around the phenomenon that has taken hold of the world’s energetic field. Many strangers I’ve passed carry the look in their eyes of this burden we all share: eyes diverted and eyes that look quickly away but, in a glimpse, anyone can catch that look of uncertainty. So how do we escape? How do we right the wrongs? How do we reclaim our equilibrium and sanity in this often-insane world? The answer keeps resonating within me. It seems that my very soul keeps whispering, ”Look to the wisdom of the Elders” What lessons do they speak that we are no longer hearing? Isn’t it time for us all to stop, look for and listen to the voices of the New Elders? The New Elders are those seekers who have earned wisdom, not by having lived a certain number of years, but via experiences and divine knowing. They are the gentle peacemakers young and old, and they vibrate love. Whether they are a baby or a senior, you may recognize them when you look into their eyes and see an “old soul.” They do not wait for age to define them. This is not to negate the grandfathered-in wisdom of the elders we know by age alone. However, the burden of liberation for us all may lie in the hearts, words, and teachings of The New Elders. There is something about getting older that teaches you how to live better. Surely we look to the oldest Americans as experts on how to live our lives. We look to them and somehow try to tap into that wisdom to help us make the most of our own lifetime. But, is it only those
The New Elders are those who mentor without ego, but look only to uplift those coming up behind. The New Elders are those who exude loving compassion, kindness and peace.
who have lived through decades who possess the wisdom that we all need right now? In light of the world in its crisis, we need to double up on all the wisdom we can gather. We embrace the idea of living in the moment -- the breath-by-breath moments of this life and try not hold too tightly to a past memory or emotion. Everything changes and rearranges itself all on its own. We are taught that no matter what we think, feel, believe, or trust in, we are not really in charge of anything. Yet here we are, thrust in the middle of a changing world that seems to be digressing. Something remains however, something steady and sure and constant, and that is the wisdom of the elders. In every culture, in every part of the country there has always been, and always will be, a turning back to the elders for help in navigating through every lifetime. As Alice Walker wrote in Inner Light in a time of Darkness, “…until I was nearly 50, I barely thought of age, but now as I approach becoming an elder, I find I want to give all that I know to youth. Those who are skeptical with hooded eyes wondering if there really is a path ahead, whether there really are elders upon us…” Now that I have passed beyond the age of 50, and have approached (and passed into) becoming an elder, I too want to give everything I know, everything I have learned, everything to which I have borne witness, to the youth of today. I do not stand alone on this “early” passage into elder hood. We are who they were, and they are who we will become.
They are the spiritual advisors; they are yoga teachers with so much more to give than a 500hour ERYT certification. They have much life and spiritual experience. The New Elders are those who speak and live in true peace. These New Elders are the ones who navigate through this world of chaos and have become spiritual walkers -- working to deliver us all to a place of balance, calm, clarity, and peace. The New Elders are those who mentor without ego, but look only to uplift those coming up behind. The New Elders are those who exude loving compassion, kindness and peace. The New Elders are those who live non-judgment, and realize that it is truly a day-to-day, breath-bybreath practice in the art of living. These New Elders take the time to slow down and to look people in the eyes. With that look alone we can validate a human connection. Perhaps it all boils down to just that: validating and making that human connection. Perhaps the New Elder resides in us all. Let us all stop, take a look inside of ourselves -- each one of us has so much love to give. Let’s give it. Let us reach beyond what we are seeing with our eyes and, like the true elder, reach back with compassion and pull people up. Give the people love right now and some hope for our future. The New Elders are those that are keepers of our memories, documentarians of our history, the witnesses to the promise of hope, the insightful observers of liberation and transformation for us all.
..is it only those who have lived through decades who possess the wisdom that we all need right now? In light of the world in its crisis, we need to double up on all the wisdom we can gather.
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YOGA /
Karma
Teachers Who Make a Difference:
YOGA FOR YOUTH
IN NEED BY: BRYAN PIATT MN YOGA + LIFE AMBASSADOR
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Yoga is powerful. You don’t have to tell that to Laura Adrian. “Yoga, in a nutshell for me, helped me open up to possibility,” she says. Adrian has been teaching yoga for four years, and recently found a new way to share the practice that’s been instrumental in her own life. She’s one of several instructors volunteering time teaching weekly yoga classes to young people between the ages of 11 and 25, many of whom don’t have a place to call home. The classes are hosted by the non-profit organization Face to Face, which aims to help youth gain access to health services, like mental health and prenatal care, when they aren’t getting that support from family. Many of them are experiencing homelessness. “A lot of the youth that we serve have suffered a lot of different traumas in their life,” says Vicki Talapa, case manager for Face to Face. In February, Talapa and her staff started a yoga program to give them another way to nurture their minds and bodies. They wanted to provide “A place where youth can come and
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gather together and know that they’re not alone. We want them to learn how to take charge of their body, how to relax and strengthen their bodies, and feel more connected,” Talapa says. Adrian says she was looking for a way to give back to the community and heard about the classes through Facebook. “It’s been powerful and heart opening for me,” Adrian says. “They’re just such amazing beings.” According to Adrian, many of the students come to class to work through anxiety and depression, which is the same reason that she was drawn to the practice over ten years ago. “I really see they want to help themselves. It’s amazing to see that, and they’re going about it in a beautiful, and holistic way,” she says.
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Some students are relying on multiple busses to get them to their mat every Thursday night at the Face to Face Health Clinic in St. Paul. Face to Face is in need of donations for their classes. They welcome items such as yoga blocks, straps and bolsters, along with bottled water. They want to create a place to call home for these youth, even if it’s just for an hour every Thursday night. “Anything that can make one’s life just a little better, a little brighter, a little more hopeful is a good thing,” Adrian says. “Yoga can do that for them.”
IF YOU’D LIKE TO DONATE TO THE FACE TO FACE PROGRAM, SEE WWW.FACE2FACE.ORG/GET-INVOLVED
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HEALTH /
Therapeutics
ADVERTORIAL
Acupuncture Demystified:
What are the top 5 things acupuncture treats?
5 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What can’t it treat? It’s so hard to narrow this down but I’ll list the top 5 conditions we see in our clinic: Stress-related issues, especially upper back tension, fatigue, irritability, and insomnia Chronic pain, including fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis Digestive issues, like irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, bloating, and reflux Emotional issues, including anxiety, PTSD, and depression Cosmetic acupuncture, a special technique that uses specific acupuncture points on the face to stimulate collagen and elastin production, can reduce fine lines, wrinkles, crow’s feet, baggy eyes, sagging jawline, and discoloration.
BY: SENIA TUOMINEN It’s true that acupuncture has been around for thousands of years, and it’s gained popularity in Minnesota in the past couple decades. Shows like Twin Cities Live host regular segments about acupuncture’s benefits and Abbott Northwestern recently made national news when they hired an acupuncturist for the emergency room.
What is a typical treatment like?
More and more holistic-minded Minnesotans are joining the movement for natural healing. But there are still significant questions about acupuncture. What better place to demystify this natural technique than within the yoga community, where holistic health care and natural healing is highly valued.
Does acupuncture hurt? Definitely the most common question I get about acupuncture is whether it hurts, so let’s start here. The short answer is: it doesn’t hurt. Maybe a tiny poke with a pencil or at worst a mosquito bite, but nothing like the sensation of, say, getting your blood drawn (eek!). Acupuncture needles are so tiny that they could fit entirely inside the type of needle you experience at the doctor’s office. They’re only a couple hairs thick, like a tiny flexible bristle.
So what does it feel like then? Everyone’s so worried that acupuncture is going to hurt, but I think the more interesting question is, “What does it feel like once the needles are in?” This you have to experience for yourself! You might feel the stress lift off their shoulders. Maybe you’ll feel your digestion move, especially if you have irritable bowel syndrome. Your headache or joint pain may dissolve into nothing. You might just feel buzzy or delightfully floaty. Almost everyone remarks at how relaxed and energized they feel afterward. There’s only one way to know how it will feel to you: try it!
Do I have to ‘believe in’ acupuncture for it to work?
Sure, anytime you relax and allow bodywork to happen you get better results (think about when
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you move into downward dog—your body sinks deeper into the pose if you deeply relax). But acupuncture works on very real and physical parts of the body that don’t require your conscious awareness. It releases tight muscles. It relaxes connective tissue to allow increased blood flow and better nerve conduction. It settles the nervous system and stimulates hormones to be released. I still remember when my dad first got acupuncture. He was more than skeptical (he actually believed it wouldn’t work). He went into the treatment feeling super fatigued and when the treatment was over he jumped off the table and had tons of energy. He didn’t believe, but he got incredible results anyways. Acupuncture has a very real, physical effect on the body.
There are different styles of acupuncture clinics but at Healing InSight we try to remove the medical feel and make your experience more spa-like. We have a soothing aqua waiting room overlooking Grand Avenue and private rooms for each patient, all painted meditative colors. At your first appointment, we go in depth with a full health assessment then give you your first acupuncture treatment, where you lie on a heated massage table. Your treatment lasts about a half hour and you get to relax with a lavender-scented eye pillow and soothing theta music playing. You may fall asleep during your session and most people feel noticeably more calm and relaxed when they get up. Since Chinese medicine is new to most people, our practitioners review a personalized Report of Findings with you at your second appointment to explain your Chinese medicine diagnosis, treatment plan and key diet and lifestyle improvements to help you heal faster. Then you get another lovely acupuncture treatment and the healing cycle begins!
Bonus question: When will I notice changes? It’s not unusual to notice changes right away! During the days following your first treatment you should feel relief for the issues you were coming in for. The effects of your treatments will last longer and longer until you feel like a newer, better you. If you want to give it a try, give us a call! HEALING INSIGHT acupuncture | herbs | food therapy 1654 Grand Avenue St. Paul, MN 55105
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HEALTH /
Psychology
CUDDLE PARTIES Who wants to spoon? BY: TERESA NEUAHAUS MN YOGA + LIFE AMBASSADOR
L
Cuddling increases oxytocin which reduces stress, blood pressure, and improves the immune system.
iving in a digital world, the preferred method of communication and connecting is social media and texting. Face-to-face communication and establishing a connection in real time is lacking or non-existent. I’ve met most of my new friends through social media.
However, human beings crave physical interaction and touch. Do you remember the last hug you received? Didn’t it feel good? That’s because science has proven that human touch is necessary to flourish as a human being. Research by the University of Miami’s Touch Research Institute revealed human touch has a wide range of benefits, including facilitating weight gain in preterm infants, enhancing attentiveness, alleviating depression symptoms, reducing pain and stress hormones, and improving immune function. With all those benefits, who wouldn’t want to be touched? Enter the cuddle party. “Cuddling increases oxytocin which reduces stress, blood pressure, and improves the immune system. It’s the same hormone that babies and mothers experience when they’re bonding,” said Candessa Hadsall, a registered nurse and facilitator of cuddle parties in Minneapolis. A cuddle party is a three-and-a-half hour workshop that provides a safe, non-sexual environment for adults to practice touch, boundaries, and communication skills. “It’s not what you think it is-that it’s just an orgy,” said Hadsall. “It’s so far from that, but that’s what people think. People have ideas of what cuddling means. It’s actually not a party. It’s an event and there are certain things that happen in between.” Before cuddling begins, Hadsall goes through the rules of cuddling and participants take part in a one-hour communication skills workshop. She creates a safe environment for participants to practice saying, yes and no. Safe touch can take many forms. During the two-and-a-half hour cuddling portion of the evening, you can give or receive a hand, foot, or back massage or spoon with someone. If you’re not ready to cuddle, you can watch or engage in a conversation. Hadsall emphasizes that the choice is always yours. She’s seen all nationalities, genders, and races come to cuddle parties. Cuddling and the need for touch is universal. People come to cuddle parties for a variety of reasons. Some come to practice saying no or to feel comfortable with their body being touched. Couples have attended to learn how to cuddle without it leading to sex. “The vibe is relaxed and calm, even though some people (including myself) may be a little apprehensive about what to expect. I felt very safe, knowing that I could say no, to anything at all,” said Amy, from Minneapolis.
CUDDLE PARTY TIPS • Arrive on time. • Dress comfortably. • You never have to cuddle anyone you don’t want to. • You get to make your own decisions. • Money back guarantee.
Hadsall said she has never had to throw anyone out for inappropriate behavior. If the idea of cuddling strangers isn’t for you, start at home with the ones you care about most. Start with a hug. A little physical contact goes a long way in boosting your health, happiness, and making you feel more fulfilled. Cuddle on my friends!
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SEE CUDDLEPARTYMN.NET FOR MORE INFORMATION OR CONTACT CANDESSA AT CUDDLEPARTYMN@GMAIL.COM
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HEALTH /
Psychology
Sex is not something you do, but a place you go.
Yoga As a Path
TOWARDS INTIMACY BY: DR. RACHEL ALLYN
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Have you ever returned home from a yoga class and found your partner more enticing than before you went? Or even better, ever taken a yoga class with your honey and found you wanted to go straight home to snuggleup because you were suddenly feeling more attracted to them? I hope so. I have encountered this phenomenon both personally (lucky me) and professionally in my work as a holistic psychologist, sex therapist and yoga teacher. Relationship therapist Esther Perel states, “Sex is not something you do, but a place you go.” The good news is you don’t have to travel to distant lands to feel more sensual or sexually connected with your beloved. But you do need to travel inward to connect with your own vitality first. And there’s no better place than the mat to do so. Move over Viagra: after practicing yoga, individuals find themselves more present, more sensual and more receptive to sharing this vibe with their partner. Here’s why:
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Yoga chills you out Pranayama stabilizes the autonomic nervous system, which can translate to a more calm and relaxing time with your lover. Physical and emotional flexibility cultivated on the mat increases your ability to be more creative, go with the flow, and ask for what you want and need in the bedroom.
Yoga gets you out of your head and into your heart The analytic mind can be limiting at times, keeping you stuck in false beliefs and detached from your body wisdom. The French philosopher Pascal states, “The heart has reasons of which the mind knows nothing.” Moving, breathing, flowing, twisting and bending pulls you away from the unhelpful voices in your mind — like the critical voice or the I’m-toobusy voice. The body helps you get away from limited story lines in your busy mind, refresh your perspective, and make you aware of your innermost desires.
Yoga helps you learn how to surrender A regular yoga practice is the antidote to disconnection
Yoga encourages you to reclaim your right to feel
Most of us have become connoisseurs of distraction — thanks to the multitude of screens and our fear-of-missing-out-culture. Yoga is a portal to a more intimate experience with your own self, first and foremost. The emphasis on breath and engagement of muscular dynamics invites you to pay attention to the reality of your present moment. Plus, yogic philosophy emphasizes acceptance, self-compassion, and balance. This can lead you to feel more aware, safe, and at ease in your body again. This also translates to being more aware of what arouses you and your lover.
Yoga teaches you that feelings are something you can both tolerate and benefit from. Here’s how — with movement you increase your sensory output, stimulate nerve endings and extend your field of perception. Mindful movement connects you to your body’s most basic, primal language: the language of the senses, which informs your emotional body. It is through your smell, taste, touch, sight, proprioception, and intuition that you become more receptive. You have to feel sensations in your body in order to feel your emotions and interpret their messages. This felt-sense experience transcends words; it is a visceral language. For example, couples who engage in partner yoga can communicate on a deeper level without words, and can communicate instead by pairing their movement and connecting to each other’s breath, smell, touch and intuition.
Yoga breaks down the barriers that prevent you from feeling pleasure Americans have a conflicted relationship with pleasure — issues pertaining to the second chakra. Most of us learned from a young age that pleasure wasn’t our right, rather, it was something to be earned relentlessly. But pleasure is actually our birthright. From bodily trust, ease, and acceptance you can receive and welcome the pleasures in your life; this can manifest itself in many ways, whether it be eating a piece of chocolate with gusto or being playful and carefree with your lover.
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Yoga helps your stamina Yogic breathing can increase blood flow to the sexual organs. Plus, focus on the bandhas helps you tighten the pelvic floor muscles which get weakened with age, for both men and women alike. By increasing pelvic and abdominal tone you can improve stamina and performance.
A lifelong yoga practice is akin to a long-term relationship. Even after years of practice, it can be difficult to surrender in a challenging pose. It can also be hard to let go in a safe and trusting relationship because we love to be in control. But you can learn on the mat, one pose at a time, to trust the process and allow your breath to get you through. On your mat you can cultivate tolerance for your vulnerability, which will helps you feel compassion. We are all dynamic yet imperfect human beings, loving other dynamic and imperfect human beings. Yoga invites you to have a more intimate experience with yourself and subsequently, your partner. When consciousness of the mind is connected to the vitality of the body, you can find a dynamic energy flow throughout your entire being. These are the building blocks to having a passionate “charge” towards your beloved. Allow yoga to be a tool that brings you back home to your body, which is the first step to igniting sweetness with your lover’s body.
Pleasure is actually our birthright.
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HEALTH /
Food
Kombucha seems to be the new “it” drink, and favored by many millenials. However, it is not new at all. What is kombucha? It is an ancient, fermented tea that has been around for thousands of years. It originated in China over 2,000 years ago. Why drink kombucha? I started to drink kombucha as a healthier alternative to sugar laden options. I replaced my mid-afternoon Mountain Dew, Red Bull or Caribou run with a kombucha. Kombucha provides organically produced B vitamins (energy), is full of probiotics (good gut health) and glucosamine (anti-inflammatory benefits). I started to home brew so I could control the quality of ingredients using organic tea, sugar and purified water. You can brew kombucha quickly, safely and for about fifty cents per gallon. Every great microbrewery started in someone’s kitchen with a pot and wooden spoon!
To brew at home you will need: • A gallon-sized (or larger) cooking pot. • A wooden or metal spoon. • A gallon-sized (or larger) glass brewing vessel (gallonsized pickle jars work great and you get to enjoy the fermented pickles and their juice for added health benefits). • A coffee filter and rubber band large enough to fit over your glass jar opening. • A gallon of purified, filtered or distilled water. • 1 cup of sugar (organic is preferred).
ALL ABOUT THE
BOOTCH BY: NITA MARTIN
• 6 - 10 tea bags or 3 teaspoons loose leaf tea (organic is preferred). Do not use fancy teas that contain oils like earl grey. Black, green, oolong or white tea is preferred for a classic Tibetan SCOBY. • A SCOBY = 2 cups of strong previously fermented tea.
WAIT! WHAT IS A SCOBY? A SCOBY IS A SYMBIOTIC CULTURE OF BACTERIA AND YEAST. A SCOBY IS A BYPRODUCT OF THE FERMENTATION PROCESS.
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(WHAT IF I DO NOT HAVE A SCOBY?) YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN WITH A 16 OUNCE BOTTLE OF SYNERGY ORIGINAL KOMBUCHA AVAILABLE AT HEALTH FOOD STORES AND EVEN SUPER TARGET! Pour your Synergy into your gallon sized pickle jar and cover with the coffee filter. Secure with tight rubber band. Your SCOBY will form right before your eyes.
Brewing Instructions:
G E T T I N G S A F E R P R O D U C T S I N TO T H E H A N D S O F E V E RYO N E .
STEP 1. Be sure your glass brewing vessel is clean, and add your starter tea. Your SCOBY can hang out for a bit outside of the starter liquid. You could put a bit of the purified water into a bowl and let your SCOBY take a bath while you brew your sweet tea. STEP 2. On the stove, bring 4 cups of water to a slight boil (200 degrees F). A strong rolling boil may cause a bitter ferment. STEP 3. Steep your tea or tea bags for five minutes. If you steep longer you may also get a bitter ferment. If you brew with loose tea, you’ll need to steep in a tea ball, cheese cloth, or will need to strain the loose tea before going to the next step.
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STEP 4. Stir in 1 cup of sugar to dissolve. STEP 5. Add remaining 10 cups of water and stir to dissipate. I like to use a cold gallon of water from the fridge so I can cool my tea quickly! But it does need to get down to 80 degrees or less so you do not harm the SCOBY. Rule of thumb is room temperature.
BE KIND. BE STRONG. BELONG.
STEP 6. Add room temperature sweet tea to your glass gallon brewing vessel. Leaving enough room to lay your SCOBY on top before the vessel starts to narrow at the opening. If you over fill it, the SCOBY can get pushed up and touch the cover. This risks compromising the culture. STEP 7. Cover your jar with an old t-shirt (without holes) or coffee filter and secure with a tight rubber band. You do not want anything getting into our brew! Let stand for a week covered on the counter away from direct sunlight. Do not put in a cupboard. Remember, this is a living breathing culture and it needs air.
DAILY CLASSES + WEEKEND WORKSHOPS 200/300 HOUR PRANA VINYASA® YOGA TEACHER TRAINING An affiliate of Shiva Rea's Global School of Living Yoga
STEP 8. Taste your brew after a week. If it’s too sweet for you, let it go another day or two. If it’s just right, you can save two cups and start the process over again. Drink the remaining 14 cups. I like to bottle mine up for a short second ferment in 16 ounce recycled GT Synergy bottles or mason jars, and add seasonal flavors. Find a local brewing supply store and you can purchase great replacement caps for a tight seal. For a nice fall recipe, include 2 smaller organic apple slices (about 2 tablespoons) and 1/2 an organic cinnamon stick. Enjoy!
WEEKEND TEACHER TRAINING STARTS 11/17 apply now!
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HEALTH /
Food
ADVERTORIAL
Preserving
THE HARVEST BY: COLLEEN QUIRAM
Squash and Pumpkins Available in large quantities from early September to November, squash and pumpkins have long been a winter staple in northern climates. There are hundreds of varieties of winter squash; Buttercup, Butternut, Acorn, and Spaghetti squash being the most common. Hubbard squash is a large, hard variety that stores best for long periods, while those with a sweetness to them such as Sweet Dumpling and Delicata have a much shorter shelf life. Buttercup and Butternut are sweet, creamy, and smooth textured. Buttercup has a deeper orange color flesh, and is thicker when mashed than Butternut. Although popular for roasting seeds and Halloween celebrations, it is not recommended to use the flesh of carving pumpkins for eating. Small, sweeter pie pumpkins are best for use in recipes and will store or freeze the same as squash.
In the cold winters of Minnesota, it can be difficult - if not impossible - to find good quality, locally grown produce. Much of the produce available to us in grocery stores has been harvested unripe to better withstand shipping long distances. It may travel hundreds, if not thousands, of miles across the continent. While this process provides us with more produce selection, we pay the cost in lower nutritional value and higher environmental impact. Fruits and vegetables continue to breathe after picking, a process called respiration. This results in moisture and nutrient loss. However, you can still enjoy nutritious, flavorful, locally grown produce all season long by preserving portions of your summer CSA share or large quantities purchased at your local farm stand.
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If you plan to store your squash whole, without processing, get your squash after a light frost or after a period of cool overnight temperatures, this curing process increases their storability and sweetness. Otherwise, you can cook and then freeze squash in measured amounts for use in pies, breads, soups, and even pancakes. Canning of squash or pumpkin is not recommended for home canners as it is difficult to guarantee food safety. Here is one easy way to transform an uncooked pumpkin or squash into puree used in baking: Cut the pumpkin in half and discard the stem section and stringy pulp. Save the seeds to dry and roast. In a shallow baking dish, place the two halves face down with a small amount of water. Bake in a preheated 375o F oven for about 1½ hours for a medium-sized sugar pumpkin, or until tender. Once the baked pumpkin has cooled, scoop out the flesh and puree or mash it. For silky smooth custards or soups, press the pumpkin puree through a sieve. You can refrigerate your fresh pumpkin puree for up to three days, or store it in the freezer up to six months, enabling you to enjoy fall pumpkins for months to come.
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Pumpkin Pancake Recipe ½ cups 1 1 cup 1 2 Tbsp 2 Tbsp 3 Tbsp 2 tsp 1 tsp 1 tsp 2 tsp 1 tsp ½ tsp
Milk Pumpkin puree Egg, beaten Vegetable Oil Vinegar (plain or apple cider) Brown Sugar Baking powder Baking soda Ground Allspice Ground Cinnamon Ground Ginger Salt
Directions In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil, and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a separate bowl. Stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine. Heat a frying pan or griddle over medium-high heat, lightly oil or butter pan. Scoop the batter onto the griddle, brown on both sides and serve.
Apples Minnesota grown apples are available mid-August through November at many roadside stands and apple orchards. As with squash, sweeter apples do not make for great storage apples. Enjoy Zestar®, SweeTango®, and Honeycrisp soon after purchase. Other varieties such as Fireside, Cortland, McIntosh, and Keepsakes can be kept in a cool, dark place for weeks or even months. Keepsake apples can be kept the longest, potentially into February if stored properly. Refrigerators work well for apple storage if the humidity is around 90% and the temperature stays around 30-32°. Use any apples showing signs of decay quickly. It is true that one bad apple can ruin the bunch. You can make good use of the blemished apples in applesauce. More than just a healthy snack for kids; it may also be used as a substitute for oil in many recipes. Making your own also allows you to control the amount of added sugar; honey may be used as a substitute if preferred. Use more than one variety of apple in your sauce as it improves the flavor, and try spicing up your sauce with cinnamon and cloves, or make it a fruited applesauce with cranberries, fall strawberries, raspberries, plums, or peaches. Let us help you enjoy Minnesota’s harvest by providing fresh, locally grown produce when you join our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. CSAs are a food share program that supports a local farmer. Before the growing season begins individuals become members by purchasing a ‘share’ of the farmers’ crop. Each CSA member will receive a box full of the farmers’ current crops in a weekly harvest. On our farm we grow and maintain nearly 50 different crops to be harvested for the 17 week duration of our CSA.
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Resources: Ball Canning & Home Preserving www.freshpreserving.com
Looking for more recipes? Visit us at untiedtswegrowforyou. com/cook-the-box-recipes
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PARTNER DIRECTORY Where to find us? VISIT OUR ADVERTISING PARTNERS WHO DISTRIBUTE MN YOGA + LIFE AND GET YOUR FREE COPIES! THIS LIST IS NOT EXHAUSTIVE. IF YOU’D LIKE DOOR-TO-DOOR DELIVERY TO YOUR HOME LET US KNOW: MNYOGAMAGAZINE.COM/ SUBSCRIBE
BIG RIVER YOGA 3336 East 25th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55403 www.bigriveryoga.com (612) 978-4360
ANYTIME FITNESS – EXCELSIOR 340 MN-7, Excelsior, MN 55331
ATHLETA – MOA 145 South Avenue Bloomington, MN 55425 ATHLETA – ROSEDALE 2002 Rosedale Center Roseville, MN 55113 ATHLETA – RIDGEDALE 12213 Wayzata Blvd Minnetonka, MN 55305 ATHLETA – 50TH AND FRANCE 5001 France Ave S Minneapolis, MN 55410
AWAKEN VIBRANCE 201 S. State Street, Waseca, MN 56093 awakenvibrance.com AZITALA YOGA 19112 Freeport Street #E113, Elk River, MN 55330 www.azitala.com (763) 595-1099
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STUDIO 925 studio925yoga.com
IMBUE YOGA 2223 E 35th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55407 www.imbueyoga.com (218) 341-1577
TULA YOGA WELLNESS 99 Snelling Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55104 www.tulayogawellness.com (651) 645-5551
LIVE TRUE YOGA 1 Central Ave W #207, St Michael, MN 55376 (763) 445-9886 www.livetrueyogastudio.com
UNTIEDT’S VEGETABLE FARM 4750 25th Street SW, Waverly, MN 55390 See ad for drop-sites www.untiedtswegrowforyou.com (763) 658-4672
CALHOUN BEACH ATHLETIC CLUB 2925 Dean Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55416 www.calhounbeachfitness.com (612) 925-8300
VINCENT YOGA www.vincentyoga.com WILD HEARTS YOGA www.wildheartsyoga.com MINNEAPOLIS YOGA CONFERENCE minneapolisyogaconference.com
AZITALA YOGA 19112 Freeport Street #E113, Elk River, MN 55330 www.azitala.com (763) 595-1099 ANYTIME FITNESS – CHASKA 2980 N Chestnut St, Chaska, MN 55318
www.healthwisestudio.com (651) 846-9095
DEVANADI SCHOOL OF YOGA AND WELLNESS 4401 Upton Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55410 www.devanadiyoga.com (612) 787-7895
GREEN LOTUS YOGA & HEALING CENTER (ALL LOCATIONS) 18480 Kenyon Avenue, Lakeville, MN 55044 750 Main Street Suite 100, Mendota Heights, MN 55118
MYSPIRIT COMMUNITY 313 Division Street Suite 202, Northfield, MN 55057 www.myspiritcommunity.org (507) 301-8939 PLATINUM YOGA (TWO MN LOCATIONS) 509 East County Road 42, Burnsville, MN 55337 14879 South Robert Trail, Rosemount, MN 55068 www.platinum-yoga.com (612) 859-0315
YOGA GARDEN 1229 Tyler St NE #140, Minneapolis, MN 55413 www.yogagardenmpls.com (763) 458-2190 YOGA ON THE ROCK www.yogaontherock.com YOGA NORTH 4628 Pitts Street, Duluth, MN 55804 www.yoganorthduluth.com (218) 722-9642 YOGA TRIBE 328 South Broadway Ave, Rochester, MN 55902 www.yogatribemn.com (507) 251-1596
7941 Mitchel Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 www.greenlotusyogactr.com (651) 319-9525 HEADSTANDS EVERYWHERE 1601 Technology Drive NE, Willmar, MN 56201 www.headstandseverywhere.com (320) 979-7900 HEALING INSIGHT 1654 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105 www.healinginsightonline.com (651) 792-5222 HEALTHWISE MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PSYCHOLOGY STUDIO 11110 86th Avenue N, Maple Grove, MN 55369
Want in? BE IN OUR PARTNER DIRECTORY ONLINE AND IN PRINT, AND GROW YOUR BUSINESS WITH US. RECEIVE FREE COPIES OF MN YOGA + LIFE AT YOUR PLACE OF BUSINESS TO SHARE WITH CLIENTS AND HELP OUR READERS KNOW WHERE TO FIND THEIR ISSUE!
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EVENTS /
Local Fun
Minnesota EVENTS yoga. connection. learn. grow.
October SUNDAY MORNING MEDITATION, MANTRA, AND MESSAGE My Spirit Community, Northfield Meditate in a supportive and calming environment and get inspired by dharma talks. We emphasize the importance of being your own spiritual authority. Every Sunday, 11am Meditation Select Sundays, 10:30am Dharma Talk www.myspiritcommunity.org NEW MOON NIDRA My Spirit Community, Northfield Connect to the energy of the new moon with gentle movement, time and guidance for contemplating goals and intentions for the next month, and a guided yoga nidra practice. Oct. 30 4:30-5:45pm www.myspiritcommunity.org THAI YOGA BODYWORK PRACTITIONER TRAINING - LEVEL 1 Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis Train in one of the most comprehensive practi-
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tioner programs in the U.S. combining assisted yoga poses, rhythmic massage, acupressure, energy work, etc. Helps receivers release blocked areas and stimulate the flow of healing energies within the mind, body, and spirit. Oct. 27-30 www.devanadiyoga.com/thai-yoga-bodywork/ bodywork-courses/ GUEST INDU ARORA: MUDRA TRAINING Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis Learn how to use Mudras, the ancient Yogic art and science of gesturing and sealing vital pranic energies in the human body for health, well being and spiritual evolution. Oct. 29-Nov. 2Â www.devanadiyoga.com/guest-teachers/ DEVANADI TRAININGS FREE INFO SESSION Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis From Yoga to Reiki to Thai Yoga Bodywork to Ayurveda to guest trainings and more! Come learn about our in-depth programs to deepen as well as earn certification. Oct. 30, 4:30pm www.devanadiyoga.com/training/training-programs-info-sessions/ FREE INFO SESSION AT YOGAFRESH
YogaFresh, Woodbury This session is for those interested in our satellite 235-hour Yoga Teacher Training & Intensive hosted at YogaFresh that starts Jan 5. Oct. 30, 7pm www.devanadiyoga.com/training/training-programs-info-sessions/ THAI YOGA BODYWORK PRACTITIONER TRAINING - LEVEL 2 Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis Pre-Requisite: Level 1. Continue to study how energy moves through the body from an Eastern perspective, and how to help balance it. New positions including side-lying, inverted and abdominal included. Oct. 31-Nov. 3 www.devanadiyoga.com/thai_bodywork/level2-trainings/
November RESTORATIVE YOGA WITH ESSENTIAL OILS AND MASSAGE My Spirit Community, Northfield Relax deeply into a mini-vacation! You will be offered optional essential oils and a mini massage for each fully supported pose. Yummy!
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EVENTS /
Local Fun
Nov. 6, 4:30 - 5:45pm www.myspiritcommunity.org FULL MOON FLOW - CHANDRA NAMASKAR My Spirit Community, Northfield Chandra Namaskara (Lunar Salutations), meditation, and chanting at the full moon will help you connect with nature’s cycles and your own internal rhythms. Nov. 13, 4:30-5:45pm www.myspiritcommunity.org YIN YOGA TEACHER TRAINING & ADVANCED YOGA STUDIES Green Lotus Yoga & Healing Center, Mendota Heights Our Yin Yoga training allows students to delve deeply into the practice. Each yin pose will be covered in depth, with modifications, alignment, plus energy meridians, the five elements, and acupressure points. Nov. 4-6 www.greenlotusyogactr.com/training-overview. php MAKE SPACE FOR SILENCE Wild Hearts Yoga Fall Retreat Shire in the Woods, McGrath, MN Yogic Self-Care Nov. 11-13 www.wildheartsyoga.com BEGINNERS YOGA 3-WEEK SERIES Live True Yoga, Saint Michael This series is designed for students who are beginners and gives new students the opportunity to learn the basics of yoga and yoga etiquette. Nov. 7, 14, 21 8:15pm http://www.livetrueyogastudio.com/ INTRO TO MEDITATION 3-WEEK SERIES Live True Yoga, Saint Michael This series will provide an introduction to the basics of meditation, mindfulness, and how both can be merged with our modern lifestyle. Nov. 6, 13, 20 7pm www.livetrueyogastudio.com/ FREE INFORMATIONAL TEACHER TRAINING SESSION Live True Yoga, Saint Michael Meet the trainer and get an overview of the program curriculum. The session begins with an hour-long practice, followed by a Q&A session. Nov. 13, 3pm www.livetrueyogastudio.com/ TEACHING IN THE WORKPLACE Green Lotus Yoga & Healing Center, Lakeville This 3-day, hands-on session includes the business aspect of working in an off-site location, as well as creating sequences and individual plans for a variety of student abilities and environments including chair-based yoga and meditation.
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Nov. 11-13 www.greenlotusyogactr.com/training-overview. php GUEST INDU ARORA: YOGA, TANTRA & AYURVEDA WEEKEND Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis 5 Workshops: Fundamentals of Yoga Therapy, 10 Divine Insights: The Goddesses of Tantra Yoga, Chandra Sadhana: Lunar Practices for Yoga, Mantras in Yoga, and Ayurvedic Food Combining. Nov. 4-6 www.devanadiyoga.com/guest-teachers/ FREE INFO SESSION AT YOGAFRESH YogaFresh, Woodbury This session is for those interested in our satellite 235-hour Yoga Teacher Training & Intensive hosted at YogaFresh that starts Jan 5. Nov. 10, 12 pm www.devanadiyoga.com/training/training-programs-info-sessions/ YANTRA PAINTING TRAINING: THE 7 CHAKRAS Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis Be creative with your YOGA! Learn to paint the architecture of each Chakra, as yantras, as well as how to incorporate the wisdom of the chakras in your yoga practice/teaching. Nov. 18-20 www.devanadiyoga.com/training/yantra-wisdom-painting-teacher-training/ JOURNEY TO THAILAND RETREAT Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis Come treat yourself like a queen/king with two weeks filled with lots of Thai massage, organic cooking class, night bazaar, monk chats, and more. Thai massage study option available. Nov. 17-Dec. 3 www.devanadiyoga.com/retreats/
December SUNDAY MORNING MEDITATION AND MANTRA My Spirit Community, Northfield Meditate in a supportive and calming environment and get inspired by dharma talks. We emphasize the importance of being your own spiritual authority. Every Sunday, 11am Meditation Select Sundays, 10:30am Dharma Talk www.myspiritcommunity.org SOMATIC YOGA THERAPY FOR CHRONIC TENSION RELEASE My Spirit Community, Northfield
Slow, gentle movements get to the root cause of chronically contracted muscles and train your brain to send messages to the muscles so they can relax. Tuesdays 9-10am, Saturdays 8:30 – 9:45am www.myspiritcommunity.org CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY All Green Lotus Yoga & Healing Centers Gift Card Sale, free classes and healing services demos, refreshments and more! Dec. 3 www.greenlotusyogactr.com MASTER REIKI TRAINING Green Lotus Yoga & Healing Center, Lakeville In the Master-level class you will learn the final attunement to become a master reiki practitioner with David Kaley. Prerequisite: Reiki Levels 1 & 2. Dec. 10 www.greenlotusyogactr.com/ReikiTraining.php DEVANADI TRAININGS FREE INFO SESSION Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis From Yoga to Reiki to Thai Yoga Bodywork to Ayurveda to guest trainings and more! Come learn about our in-depth programs to deepen as well as earn certification. Dec. 11, 6:30pm www.devanadiyoga.com/training/training-programs-info-sessions/ FREE INFORMATIONAL TEACHER TRAINING SESSION Live True Yoga, Saint Michael Meet the trainer and get an overview of the program curriculum. The session begins with an hour-long practice, followed by a Q&A session. Dec. 11, 3:00 pm http://www.livetrueyogastudio.com/ BEGINNERS YOGA 3-WEEK SERIES Live True Yoga, Saint Michael This series is designed for students who are beginners and gives new students the opportunity to learn the basics of yoga and yoga etiquette. Dec. 5, 12, 19 8:15 pm http://www.livetrueyogastudio.com/
January COSTA RICA YOGA RETREAT With Amy Patee and Julie Shannon Jan. 28-Feb. 4 www.amypatee.com THE FOUR DESIRES: A GUIDED PROCESS FOR LIVING THE LIFE OF A YOUR DREAMS Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis The Four Desires process is rooted in the
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ancient Vedic teachings that the soul longs for completion in the areas of purpose, material stability, love and relationships, and freedom. Be guided through this transformational process and start thriving now! Jan.-Mar. www.devanadiyoga.com/workshops/
Learn a mini sequence for feet, legs, hips, back, upper back, neck, shoulders, and relaxation. Pair up with a partner to give and receive (yay!) as you learn the techniques. Jan. 6, 6-9pm www.devanadiyoga.com/thai-yoga-bodywork/ bodywork-courses/
SUNDAY MORNING MEDITATION AND MANTRA My Spirit Community, Northfield Meditate in a supportive and calming environment and get inspired by dharma talks. We emphasize the importance of being your own spiritual authority. Every Sunday, 11am Meditation Select Sundays, 10:30am Dharma Talk www.myspiritcommunity.org
WORKSHOP SERIES FOR YOGINIS Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis Mondays with Tanya are a sacred time of learning, practicing and sharing support with a thriving sangha (community). Weekly growth work. Open to dedicated yoginis! Various Mondays 9:30-11:30am starting Jan. 9 www.devanadiyoga.com/workshops/
SOMATIC YOGA THERAPY FOR CHRONIC TENSION RELEASE My Spirit Community, Northfield Slow, gentle movements get to the root cause of chronically contracted muscles and train your brain to send messages to the muscles so they can relax. Tuesdays 9-10am, Saturdays 8:30 – 9:45am www.myspiritcommunity.org
REIKI I TRAINING Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis As an introduction to energy work and the subtle anatomy, this Reiki training also gives you the tools and techniques to begin your selfcare and care for others practices. Jan. 13, 9am-4:30pm www.devanadiyoga.com/training/reiki-trainings/
200-HOUR YOGA TEACHER TRAINING Green Lotus Yoga & Healing Center, Mendota Heights 200-Hour Yoga Alliance certified yoga teacher training. Includes 6 intensive weekends and 12 week nights. Jan. 10 www.greenlotusyogactr.com/6MonthTeacherTra iningProgram.php
CHAIR YOGA TRAINING Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis Chair yoga’s therapeutic adaptive exercises work your body from head to toe. The simple and easy movements are great for people in any condition. No experience necessary. Jan. 20, 6-9pm, Jan. 21, 8-11am www.devanadiyoga.com/training/chair-yoga/
235HR YOGA TEACHER TRAINING & INTENSIVE YogaFresh, Woodbury Devanadi Yoga partners with YogaFresh to bring you their holistic and comprehensive study open to those looking to deepen their practice as well as those seeking certification. Thursdays, 9-4pm, Jan.-Jun. www.devanadiyoga.com/training/235-hourdevanadi-yoga/
GUEST JEANNE HEILEMAN: TANTRA FLOW YOGA Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis Join YogaWorks Master Trainer, Jeanne, and dive into the mystical and sacred with pure Tantric practices consisting of pranayama, core work, strength, Kriya and meditation to help shine our brightest. Jan. 21-22 www.devanadiyoga.com/guest-teachers/
THAI YOGA BODYWORK PRACTITIONER TRAINING - LEVEL 5 Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis Open to students from all schools of Thai Massage, learn to work with special populations such as prenatal & postnatal moms, fertility issues, MS, fibromyalgia, paralysis, etc. Jan. 6-9 www.devanadiyoga.com/thai-yoga-bodywork/ bodywork-courses/ INTRO TO THAI YOGA BODYWORK Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis
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RESTORATIVE YOGA TRAINING – LEVEL 1 Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis For teachers and dedicated students, learn the skills necessary to incorporate restorative yoga into your practice and classes. Restorative yoga uses props to hold the body, making room for healing. Jan. 27-29 www.devanadiyoga.com/training/restorativeyoga-teacher-training/
February SUNDAY MORNING MEDITATION AND MANTRA My Spirit Community, Northfield Meditate in a supportive and calming environment and get inspired by dharma talks. We emphasize the importance of being your own spiritual authority. Every Sunday, 11am Meditation Select Sundays, 10:30am Dharma Talk www.myspiritcommunity.org DEATH MIDWIFE CERTIFICATION WITH ANGIE BUCHANAN My Spirit Community, Northfield Death is a sacred rite of passage. Death Midwives provide assistance and comfort to the dying person and their loved ones during this sacred journey. February 3-5 www.myspiritcommunity.org EAST MEETS WEST ASANA ANATOMY Green Lotus Yoga & Healing Center, Lakeville Learn how to apply western anatomy; muscles, bones, organs and glands to the poses, as well as how to apply the Eastern subtle aspects of chakras, koshas, marmas, and pressure points to the practice. Feb. 10-11 www.greenlotusyogactr.com/training-overview. php LITTLE LOTUS KIDS YOGA TEACHER TRAINING Green Lotus Yoga & Healing Center, Mendota Heights This training is for anyone who wants to see the kids in their lives benefit from yoga. Learn age appropriate yoga poses, games, language, and teaching techniques for kids ages three and up. Feb. 24-26 www.greenlotusyogactr.com/training-overview. php REIKI II TRAINING Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis Pre-Requisite: Reiki I. Gain your Level II attunement, plus learn the Reiki symbols, intuition tools, how to set up a client session, distance healing and more. Feb. 10, 9-4:30pm www.devanadiyoga.com/training/reiki-trainings/ THAI YOGA BODYWORK FOR COUPLES *YOGI DATE NIGHT!* Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis Just in time for Valentine’s Day, learn how to give a basic sequence of stress-releasing stretches, twists and massages to someone special in your life.
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EVENTS /
Local Fun
Feb. 11, 6-8pm www.devanadiyoga.com/workshops/ GUEST INDU ARORA: YOGA NIDRA TRAINING Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis Learn the art and science of deep relaxation. Yoga Nidra is an ancient practice with incredible relevance in the modern world helping reduce trauma, stress and tension. Feb. 23-27 www.devanadiyoga.com/guest-teachers/
March
MINNEAPOLIS YOGA CONFERENCE Hyatt Regency Hotel, Downtown Minneapolis Providing a safe and transformative learning experience that allows each participant to go deeper, connect and awaken to who they truly are through the teachings and practices of yoga. MAR. 3-5 www.mplsyogaconference.com
SUNDAY MORNING MEDITATION AND MANTRA My Spirit Community, Northfield Meditate in a supportive and calming environment and get inspired by dharma talks. We emphasize the importance of being your own spiritual authority. Every Sunday, 11am Meditation Select Sundays, 10:30am Dharma Talk www.myspiritcommunity.org SOMATIC YOGA THERAPY FOR CHRONIC TENSION RELEASE My Spirit Community, Northfield Slow, gentle movements get to the root cause of chronically contracted muscles and train your brain to send messages to the muscles so they can relax. Tuesdays 9-10am, Saturdays 8:30–9:45am www.myspiritcommunity.org THE ART OF ASSISTING AND ADJUSTING Green Lotus Yoga & Healing Center, Mendota Heights For yoga teachers, dive deeply into the art of assisting your students with hands-on adjustments, proper cueing and a better understand-
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ing of body mechanics. Mar. 3-5 www.greenlotusyogactr.com/training-overview. php RESTORATIVE YOGA TRAINING Green Lotus Yoga & Healing Center, Lakeville Restorative yoga is a practice of letting go, of healing the body and mind. For both yoga students who want to expand their personal practice and for teachers who want to teach Restorative. Apr. 7-9 www.greenlotusyogactr.com/training-overview. php GUEST ROD STRYKER: PARAYOGA IMMERSION WEEKEND Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis Rod (Yogarupa) returns for another weekend of deep study, meditation, philosophy and more. Not to be missed! This event always sells out – register early! Mar. 17-19 www.devanadiyoga.com/guest-teachers/ 340HR YOGA TEACHER TRAINING & INTENSIVE Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis Advanced program. Deepen your study, as well as work one-on-one with students. Kicking off with the Rod Stryker weekend, expand your skills on your mat, the classroom, and the world. Begins Mar. 17 www.devanadiyoga.com/training/340-hourdevanadi-yoga/ RESTORATIVE YOGA TRAINING – LEVEL 2 Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis Pre-Requisite: Level 1. For teachers and dedicated students, continue to deepen your study. Help the parasympathetic nervous system release and rest, as well as calm a busy mind. Mar. 24-26 www.devanadiyoga.com/training/restorativeyoga-teacher-training/
April SUNDAY MORNING MEDITATION AND MANTRA My Spirit Community, Northfield Meditate in a supportive and calming environment and get inspired by dharma talks. We emphasize the importance of being your own spiritual authority. Every Sunday, 11am Meditation Select Sundays, 10:30am Dharma Talk www.myspiritcommunity.org
SOMATIC YOGA THERAPY FOR CHRONIC TENSION RELEASE My Spirit Community, Northfield Slow, gentle movements get to the root cause of chronically contracted muscles and train your brain to send messages to the muscles so they can relax. Tuesdays 9-10am, Saturdays 8:30-9:45am www.myspiritcommunity.org GUEST LAUREN TOOLIN: YOGA FROM THE INSIDE OUT Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis Lauren, assistant to Rodney Yee and Rod Stryker, is a true architect of yoga, and passes on her superb knowledge of the human anatomy in these master classes and workshops. Apr. 8-9 www.devanadiyoga.com/guest-teachers/ 235HR YOGA TEACHER TRAINING & INTENSIVE Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis Study alignment, Ayurveda, philosophy, sacred texts, energetics, anatomy and more in our holistic and comprehensive study open to those looking to deepen their practice as well as those seeking certification. Apr.-Dec. www.devanadiyoga.com/training/235-hourdevanadi-yoga/ SPRING CLEANSE FOR DETOXIFICATION Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis Using tools from Yoga and Ayurveda, we’ll guide you to help clear out the dullness and heaviness of winter and brighten up just in time for spring! All levels. April www.devanadiyoga.com/workshops/ GUEST JAMES BAILEY: AYURVEDA WELLNESS COUNSELOR PROGRAM (AWCP) LEVEL 1 Devanadi School of Yoga & Wellness, Minneapolis No pre-requisite! Provides ayurvedic wellness assessment and management skills from the Swasthavritta Tradition. Great for yoga teachers, healthcare/wellness practitioners, parents, etc. interested in applying Ayurveda in their life and practice. April & May www.devanadiyoga.com/guest-teachers/
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THE 4TH ANNUAL
MINNEAPOLIS
YOG A CONFERENCE
WORLD CLASS INSTRUCTORS IN YOUR OWN BACK YARD AND FROM AROUND THE WORLD
ROLF GATES
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M ARCH 3-5, 2017
AT T H E H YAT T R E G E N C Y
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