Podcast #10 – A Conversation with Kira Ryder

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One word for Kira is – Generous! I had the blessed opportunity to take X-mas weekend off in Ojai with my husband and puppy at the Lavendar Inn and had a blast hangin with Kira. (thanks to Lara from Yoga Peeps who suggested I interview her..) Ojai has made an impact on Kira’s life on and off the mat. It has taken her deeper into herself, the relationship to yoga and life in a small town.

We shared stories and practiced in her sweet studio which she allowed us to do for both days – sweet huh? I also stopped in their store Bhavantu at Lulu B’s ran by the cool Catherine Nation – a fashion yogini as well and ate at her husbands cafe Iron Pan – it’s worth just a drive to chow down fantastic eats.

Links:

• Lulu Bhanda’s – great pages inside click on Channel Yoga to see some great videos of Yoga

• Endometriosis
  
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Christina McLeod of Yoga Source in Palo Alto note: looks like she does not own the studio to date
• Erich Schiffman
• Dana Flynn, Laughing Lotus NYC

Sanskrit words:

Guru – teacher or weighty one Savasana – corpse pose Ashtanga – means 8 or referred to 8 limbs of yoga along with it being a style of yoga Asana – pose or posture of your heart

Photo: Kira and I in partner navasana (boat pose) in her sweet studio…

Podcast #9 – Embrace Your Courage Level 1/2 Class – Explore Your Hips, Twists, and Fwd Bends

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Courage is a quality of mind & heart that all of us have or are not sure how to dive in and apply in our lives. Fear becomes the great holder of this energy bravery ushers us through it. The root of the word courage is ifrom the french word Coeur meaning heart. It takes courage of the heart to go deeper into the questions of who you are and who you want to be in the world.

I have looked back on this year to see the many things of have done for the first time – all which took my focus and energy to find my endless wellspring of strength & courage. After we take steps into the unknown, we take steps into a pool of fear, we take steps into our heart which allows us to grow and become the person we choose to be. Always remember YOU are NOT ALONE!!! Many have walked the path you have and if that confronts you use this as the fuel for 2007 to do new poses, make new friends, or perhaps forgive that one person you haven’t yet.

Remember these are suggestions & you are not obligated by any means as you are FREE to choose..

I chose to stay on the floor for the most part in seated poses to take us in out and twisted around all to find where this courage you have lies. Appreciate what you did this year, revel in that and now there is an even stronger base to step into the fire to transform, evolve and enjoy the life you desire to live.

• Maha Mondo

Meet the Yogi’s you are practicing with Gio & Christine LOVE YOU GUYS!

Sequence: Level 1/2

Sukhasana – Easy Posture

Balasana – Extended Childs Pose w/ Arms Overhead

All 4’s – Hands and Knees

Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward Dog

Uttanasana – Standing Fwd Bend

Straight Leg Lunge

Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward Dog

Uttanasa with Hands Clasped Behind the Back – Knuckles Facing Up

Down Dog

Balasana – childs pose

Dandasana – Staff Pose

Janu Sirsasana – Head to Knee Pose

Bhaddha Konasana – Restrained Cobblers Pose (this is how indian cobblers sit)

Parsva Uptavista Konasana – Side (torso over leg) Wide Angle Pose

Uptavista Konasana – Wide Angle Pose

Bhaddha Konasana

Sukhasana with a Twist

Down Dog

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana Prep – Pigeon Prep
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana Prep w/ prayer twist

Balasana – Childs Pose

All 4’s Knees Crossed In Front Prep for Gomukhasana-

Gomukhasana – Cow Faced Pose

Gomukhasana – With a Twist Opposite Elbow to Knee

Paschimottanasana – Seated Fwd Bend

Ardha Paschimottasana – Seated Fwd Bend with Tree Pose Leg

Krounchasana – Heron (the bird)

Triangamukhaipada Gomukhasana -One Leg in Gomukha other Extended out
On Back Knees to Chest

Supta Padangusthasana – Supine

Supta Padangustasana w/Leg Out to Side and Across Body in a Twist

Knees To Chest

Supta Baddha Konasana – Supine Cobblers Pose

Savasana

Namaste!

Podcast #8 – Conversation with Jodi Guber

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One word for Jodi is – Dedicated! Meeting up with Jodi Guber was fun. I was able to shop her line Beyond Yoga, find cute pants (that are in the pic of us doing crescent pose but you can barely see them.. check her site for sweet goodies) and talk about Gratitude, who we are on and off the mat, and what this moment offers us. We even have an interruption from her fiance (giving us 10min warning) which brings life and reality right there in an urban yogini’s lifestyle.  * Fun note I didnt know till I saw an issue how humble of her : Jodi was one of Paper Magazines Beautiful People for 2006..

• Beyond Yoga
• Tara Guber (her mother def had an influence) – Yoga Ed
• Alan Finger
• Power Yoga
• City Yoga

Podcast #7 – Co-create with the Breath/Lev 1 Class

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Just Breathe… Simple huh? We do it unconsciously more than consciously and even if we forget to breathe it happens without thinking about it as long as we are alive. If you hold your breath you will pass out then She (the goddess) will breathe you. Once I understood how the rhythm of my breath moved within my body my practice deepened & expanded. I became more connected and in touch with how I felt, connected to others and most importantly my body finding ease. Breathing is simple yet complex at times but always there to guide us when we focus our awareness on its flow.

note: you may hear more of my breath with a new mic – thank you Gayle

In this episode I mention a Tantric way of looking at the breath in the form of the goddess/universe and you are co-participating with her as you inhale and exhale. WOW – is right that was my response until I went deeper and actually found comfort in the thought and reality of it.

• I must thank my sweet teacher who poetically taught me this beautiful teaching of breath. (Douglas Brooks is my teacher of Rajanka Tantra) Soon he will have a book out titled Rajanaka Heart.

• “The breath ties the soul to the body”- Paramahansa Yogananada click to find his book Autobiograpy of a Yogi

Sanskrit Vocabulary: Shakti – divine feminine /expression Prana – Life force

Muscle Energy described on Vira Yoga’s Site (nyc studio) Anusara Yoga in Wikipedia

COOL INFO: Did you know that dolphins choose to breathe and never sleep… they are always in the moment of the breath perhaps they are the goddess consciously breathing us?

Source – National Geographic Channel Dolphins have conscious breath… always breathing by choice.. always doing yoga…

Sequence: Level 1

Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward Facing Dog

Wide Legged Uttanasana – Standing Fwd Bend

Urdvah Hastasana in Tadasana – Arms Overhead

Plank Pose

Chatarunga Dandanasana

Down Dog 5 Breaths

Uttanasana – Samastithi – Urdvah Hastasana

Straight Leg Lunge

Down Dog – Uttanasana – Urdvah Hastasana

Crescent Pose then Twist to Variation of Parsvakonasana

Vinyasa (Plank Pose, Cobra, Downdog)

Utthita Parsvakonasana – Extended Side Angle Pose

Vinyasa – Down Dog

Balasana – Childs Pose Extended Arms

All Fours Hands and Knees

Down Dog

Virabhadrasana II – Warrior II

Utthita Trikonasana – Triangle Pose

Prasarita Paddotanasana with Hands Clasped Behind the Back

Samasthiti

2 Adho Mukha Vrksasana – Handstand 2X

Balasana – Childs Pose

Vrksasana – Tree Pose arms float up and down then a twist (hug to midline)

Urdvah Hastasana in Tadasana

Uttanasana

Kneeling Thigh Stretch

Down Dog

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana Prep – Pigeon Prep

Down Dog

Dhanurasana – Bow Pose 2X

Parsva Dhanurasana – Bow Pose on The Side

Down Dog

Parsvottanasana

Uttanasana

Janu Sirsasana

Paschimottanasana

Savasana

Namaste!

PODCAST #6 Conversation w/ My Student Linda

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The one word I have for Linda is – INSPIRING!!! I remember when Linda came to her first class and now 2 years later she is still practicing Yoga. She definately stuck it out and saw how Yoga offered her many opportunities to learn about herself and work through her challenges inside and out.

• Yoga Groundwork – a site that talks about some points of Anusara very well (a great resource)

Hillary (wearing wild holdiay pants by Enerchi) & Linda strike partner Tree pose after our interview @ City Yoga.

IF YOU THERE IS A QUESTION YOU WANT ME TO ASK LET ME KNOW…

Changes

I love that we have the choice in life to change how we look on the outside. When we allow the divine to be offerd through our creative expression we make life more meaningful.  Keeping this in mind I made changes to this page to offer what is meaningful to me. See how you can play and express yourself as fully as possible and begin to enjoy the deep connection to the source. See how you can look at the world in a new way. See how you can enjoy the evolution of your heart with every breath making the world even more beautiful.

Namaste!