Get Inspired Yoga Blog

The 12 Steps, and their Relationship to The Yamas and Niyamas (The Universal Vows) of the Ashtanga (Raja) Yoga Path

2012-02-14T04:52:00.000-08:00

A wonderful offering On yoga and the 12 Step Tradition of AA

12 Steps and Yoga Embracing Recovery Through Yoga
Leslie Kalechman, LCSW,RYT ..http://embracingwellness.com

The 12 Steps, and their Relationship to The Yamas and Niyamas (The Universal Vows) of the Ashtanga (Raja) Yoga Path

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable. Satya, truthfulness, first and foremost with the self. Acceptance, surrender:
*Yoga teaches us how to physically, energetically, and mentally experience these difficult, ego-involved concepts and move through them towards greater growth, integrity and wholeness. In Yoga we are always resolving the dynamic dance of willful effort and radical surrender.

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. How does one get here if one is a non-believer??
*Yoga hastens the transformation. Practices of Yoga open us up to a very real and tangible experience of a transcendent consciousness whatever we wish to call it, the higher Self, the Universal Mind; God; Allah; Christ-consciousness; Higher Power.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
*This saying, "Help, I can't do this all myself", is a very real point in the Yogic path, as described in the Bhagavad Gita, part of the Mahabharata, one of the seminal pieces of Yogic literature . In a key scene, the hero, Arjuna, is on the battlefield, (metaphorically the battle for the control of the mind over the senses); he must do battle with his own relatives, friends, teachers. He knows he devoutly wishes to avoid this battle, and doesn't know what to do. He turns to his Higher Power, Lord Krishna, who is in the war chariot with him and says: (Ch2:7) "I am weighted down with weakmindedness; I am confused and cannot understand my duty. I beg of you to say for sure what is right for me to do. I am your disciple. Please help me for I have taken refuge in you." This is the "conversion experience" referred to by Jung. Ishvara Pranidhana - the 8th limb of Ashtanga. The challenge here is to cooperate with our higher, or spiritual selves in a more positive and creative way. "Instead of using ego-power-trying to dominate and control everything for selfish gain, the type of compulsiveness that drives people to drink, drugs, and other destructive forms of behavior - each of us must come to be aware that we are accountable to an "inner dimension" that continuously invites us to be more loving, caring and responsible." (O'Murchu, Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, Vol.11, 1994, p. 177.)

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
*This is Satya, the path of being completely honest, first and foremost, with ourselves. Tapas, or self discipline, effort. Also Svadhyaya, self-inquiry. In AA this is looking at various "character flaws" and other difficult aspects of ourselves, eg. jealousy, anger, fear, sexuality; etc. Yoga teaches us how to witness ourselves having these "character flaws" (Yoga calls them citta vrittis, or fluctuations of the mind, and just assumes that these are the nature of the uncultivated, untrained mind) with neutrality and self-compassion (equanimity). Stephen Cope, in his book, Yoga and the Quest for the True Self does a wonderful job of talking about the importance of The Witness, necessarily being comprised of both Awareness and Equanimity.

5 Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
*The importance again of Svadhyaya, or self-study; Satya, or truthfulness, Saucha, cleanliness: doing some spiritual housecleaning! Satsang (an aspect of svadhyaya, or fellowship) as the profound experience of finding that others will accept us as we truly are, imperfections and all.

6.Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
*Working with surrender and acceptance, Ishvara Pranidhana. Also Santosha, contentment, equanimity, ready to accept whatever is necessary for our own growth.

7.Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
*Surrender and acceptance of help.

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. Shaucha, cleanliness, cleaning up the messes we have made!
*Also Satya, truthfulness,; and Asteya, non-stealing in the form of returning, if possible, whatever we might have taken (on a psychological dimension.) Tapas, self-discipline.

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. Ahimsa, non-harming.
*Asteya, non-stealing: returning something that we took for ourselves. Tapas, self-discipline.

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
*Continuous Svadhyaya, or self-study, self inquiry. Assumption is that the practices are for life. Tapas, the self-discipline required for this practice.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. While encouraging meditation, the 12-Step Program does not give specific recommendations or instruction on how this is done. "In the absence of a systematic, effortless meditation technique to direct awareness deep within, many recovering addicts have felt frustrated in their attempts to become attuned to this profound inner dimension of life."(O'Murchu, ATQ, p. 177).
*Yoga gives very clear steps on how to meditate through study of the last four limbs of the 8-Limb Path: Pratyahara ability to focus within, control of the mind over the senses; Dharana, one-pointed concentration; Dhyana, Uninterupted concentration/meditation; Samadhi, absolute tranquility.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. *This gives a beautiful example of the Yama of Aparigraha, non-hoarding; once we have achieved peace and serenity for ourselves we must share it with others. In an Ashtanga Yoga sadhana, or practice, we offer chants of peace to the world at the end, after we have connected with our own "bliss molecules", or own inner peace. We don't keep it only for ourselves; we share it with the rest of the universe.

Leslie Kalechman, Embracing Wellness In Recovery Through Yoga 2002.

The Art of Floating and Flying ~ Inversions & Arm Balances Workshop with Garry Alesio Feb 26th 2012 1:30-3:30 PLAY Yoga Studio Carlsbad CA

2012-01-29T08:14:00.000-08:00

The Art of Floating and Flying ~ Inversions & Arm Balances Workshop with Garry Alesio Feb 26th 2012 1:30-3:30 PLAY Yoga Studio Carlsbad CA
http://www.peaceloveandyogastudio.com

The Art of Floating and Flying ~ Inversions & Arm Balances Workshop with Garry Alesio Feb 26th 2012 1:30-3:30 PLAY Yoga Studio Carlsbad CA
http://www.peaceloveandyogastudio.com

1/18/2012 New Yoga Class Music Playlist Garry Alesio/ Getinspiredyoga.com

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

Hi Fi Rendezvous 6:29 David Gordon Angels Voices
Evening Cafe (Ibiza Dub) 5:28 Del Mar Café Chillout
Naked 5:41 Tya Worldbeat Workout
Indigo 5:20 Tya Klassik Lounge - Nightflight, Vol. 3
Deep Blue 4:35 Tya Buddha Groove 3
Wake Up 4:30 Melibea Café del Mar, Vol. 15
La Foret Inconnue 4:08 Arno Elias Buddha-Bar:
A Sea of Steps 6:41 Erik Wøllo Elevations
Close to Heaven 5:18 Thierry David Zen
By Your Grace/Jai Gurudev 7:17 Krishna Das Heart As Wide As the World World
Still Waters 6:06 Shajan Ocean of Silence: Music for Reiki and Meditation, Vol. 3
Waters of Miriam (Live at Esalen) Part 6 14:03 Josh Brill Waters of Miriam

2012 New Years Yoga Workshop Jan 8th 1-3pm with Garry Alesio in Vista CA

2011-12-01T15:52:00.000-08:00

From my new Yoga class playlist today... 11/14 Savasana Relaxation Music

2011-11-14T15:45:00.000-08:00

From my new Yoga class playlist today... Just the beautiful pure sounds of the ocean washing up onto the shore I used it for Savasana in class this morning and will again tonight as well. There are three seperate cuts each over 30mins .Namaste

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/3d-ocean-environment/id41230533

If You Knew--- Poem by Ellen Bass

2011-10-30T13:53:00.000-07:00

If You Knew--- Poem by Ellen Bass

What if you knew you'd be the last
to touch someone?
If you were taking tickets, for example,
at the theater, tearing them,
giving back the ragged stubs,
you might take care to touch that palm,
brush your fingertips
along the life line's crease.

When a man pulls his wheeled suitcase
too slowly through the airport, when
the car in front of me doesn't signal,
when the clerk at the pharmacy
won't say Thank you, I don't remember
they're going to die.

A friend told me she'd been with her aunt.
They'd just had lunch and the waiter,
a young gay man with plum black eyes,
joked as he served the coffee, kissed
her aunt's powdered cheek when they left.
Then they walked half a block and her aunt
dropped dead on the sidewalk.

How close does the dragon's spume
have to come? How wide does the crack
in heaven have to split?
What would people look like
if we could see them as they are,
soaked in honey, stung and swollen,
reckless, pinned against time?

by Ellen Bass

Viloma Pranayama

2011-10-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

Viloma Pranayama
'Vi' means against, Loma means hair, viloma means against the natural flow. In Viloma pranayama the inhalations and exhalations are interrupted with brief pauses.
Instructions
Find a comfortable seated posture Gently exhale all of the air from the lungs.
Hold the nose with the thumb and one finger.

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Stage 1
Inhale through both nostrils without restricting the intake in any way. On the exhalation stop when the air when it is half way out. Hold the breath for about 4 seconds before continuing to exhale all of the air out of the lungs.

Finding the half way point can be challenging and takes some time and inner analysis. Enjoy these early stages of pranayama and always practice fine tuning the lower Stage instructions.

When exhaling control the air as it leaves the lungs through the nostrils. Make the outflow of air even on both sides.

Begin to also control the intake of air through the nostrils so that it is even. (This can be quite hard if one nostril is completely blocked. If this is the case just allow the intake of air to flow in as well as possible without obstruction.)

After this is mastered work up to 2 pauses during exhalation. Practice this for a while before increasing the amount of pauses further.

There can be many pauses after exhalation. The exhalation can be done with continuous short fast pauses. This causes a completely different type of energy but does not provide the same insight to different parts of the breath.

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Stage 2
Inhale and halfway fill the lungs then pause for a few seconds before continuing to breathe. Spend time finding the point where the lungs are half full. To do this count on an uninterrupted inhalation. Interrupt half way through the count.

Exhale out of both nostrils evenly. If one nostril is naturally blocked a little try closing the other partially so that they both release the same amount of air at the same time.

After finding a good breathing rhythm and maintaining it for some time introduce 2 pauses during inhalation. Practice this for a while before increasing the amount of pauses further to 3 or 4 pauses during inhalation.

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Stage 3
On the inhalations breath normally. Pause after inhalation
On the exhalations pause up to 4 times each time for 2 or 3 seconds.

It is also good practice to reduce the pause for the first few breaths and slowly fine tune the pauses a little longer when there is less internal conflict.

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Stage 4
Pause up to 4 times during inhalation. Pause at the top of the breath Exhale without interruption.

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Stage5
Pause up to 4 times during inhalation. Pause at the top of the breath
On the exhalations pause up to 4 times each time for 2 or 3 seconds.

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Stage 6
On the inhalations breathe without interruption. On the exhalations pause up to 4 times each time for 2 or 3 seconds.
Introduce a pause at the bottom of the breath

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Stage 7
On the inhalations breathe with interruptions pausing up to 4 times each time for 2 or 3 seconds.
On the exhalations breathe smoothly and without interruptions.
Pause at the bottom of the breath
Hold as long a possible without having a negative effect on the next breath. Most of the time the breath is held for too long be sensible and gradually increase the durations so that comfortable practice takes place without struggle.

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Stage 8
On the inhalations breathe with interruptions pausing up to 4 times each time for 2 or 3 seconds.

On the exhalations pause up to 4 times each time for 2 or 3 seconds. Pause at the bottom of the breath

Hold as long a possible without having a negative effect on the next breath. Most of the time the breath is held for too long be sensible and gradually increase the durations so that comfortable practice takes place without struggle.

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Stage 9
On the inhalations breathe without interruption. Hold at the top the inhalation. Hold as long a possible without having a negative effect on the next part of the breath.
On the exhalations pause up to 4 times each time for 2 or 3 seconds.
Pause at the bottom of the breath
Hold as long a possible without having a negative effect on the next inhalation.

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Stage 10
On the inhalations breathe with interruptions pausing up to 4 times each time for 2 or 3 seconds.
Hold at the top the inhalation. Hold as long a possible without having a negative effect on the next part of the breath.
On the exhalations breathe smoothly and without interruptions.

Pause at the bottom of the breath
Hold as long a possible without having a negative effect on the next inhalation.
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Stage 11
On the inhalations breathe with interruptions pausing up to 4 times each time for 2 or 3 seconds.

Hold at the top the inhalation Hold as long a possible without having a negative effect on the next part of the breath.

On the exhalations pause up to 4 times each time for 2 or 3 seconds.
Pause at the bottom of the breath Hold as long a possible without having a negative effect on the next inhalation.

It is also good practice to reduce the pause for the first few breaths and slowly fine tune the pauses a little longer when there is less internal conflict and a comfortable breathing rhythm.
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Based on a book by B.K.S Iyengar
Light on Pranayama: The Yogic Art of Breathing

In grattitude to http://www.yogapranayama.net for this offering

The Four Ashramas of Yoga.. The traditional Indian culture promoted four Ashramas, or stages of spiritual life,

2011-08-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

The Four Ashramas of Yoga
The traditional Indian culture promoted four Ashramas, or stages of spiritual life, that provided a simple framework of life planning for the spiritual aspirant. Each Ashrama defined a level of spiritual practice based on the duties and responsibilities required at each stage of life. The four Ashramas allowed the Indian culture to participate in and actively support a rich spiritual life, as well as gave the individual comfort and clarity to progress along the path of Self-realization. These four stages need not be practiced in a sequential order, and while they were traditionally discussed as lasting 21-25 years, the duration of the Ashramas will vary with the individual.

Brahmacharya (Student)
The first quarter of spiritual life is spent as a celibate student, closely studying with a spiritual teacher (guru). In this stage the focus is on yogic training, mental discipline, and learning about spiritual, community, and family life. This Ashrama creates the foundation and overview of spiritual practice that follows in the three other stages.

Grihasta (Householder)
The second quarter of spiritual life is spent as a householder, creating and supporting a family and fulfilling one’s worldly interests and duties. The most appropriate path of yoga for this stage is Bhakti and Karma Yoga, and other practices that can be performed in the context of worldly life and service to others. During this Ashrama one utilizes the training, discipline and knowledge gained from the Brahmacharya Ashrama to live a complete life and to enjoy worldly pleasures. The Householder’s challenge is to “Live in the world but allow not the world to live in you.” He or she must view life as a great teacher and strive towards a spiritual life in the midst of worldly temptations and distractions. The Householder path is also considered the most important Ashrama as it supports all of the other three Ashramas.

Vanaprasthya (Hermit)
In the third Ashrama, one begins to withdraw from the world to establish a state of hermitage. This is a transition stage, moving away from fulfilling the needs of the family and society to deepening the practices started as a householder in preparation for the forthcoming renunciate stage. A quiet living space is sought, a simple yogic lifestyle is practiced and the close ties with family and community are reduced to the role of a detached counselor.

Samnyasa (Renunciate)
In this last Ashrama, the yogi/ni retreats from all involvement in all worldly pursuits and seeks only the attainment of the unitive state of Self-realization. Becoming a Sannyasin requires committing to a set period of practice and the taking of spiritual vows, usually including a vow of poverty and the abandonment of physical possessions. In order that all their time, energy and focus could be expended on spiritual practices, the Sannyasin cannot stay in a household, he has to stay in a temple or live in forest or ashram, relying on charitable donations for food.

The structures and meanings of the Ashramas have changed over the years due to the loss of caste system and through the influence of Western culture. The distinctions between the Ashramas have over time become blurred, and their overall importance has become diminished. The deeper yoga practices, once only taught to renunciates, are now becoming available to Householders who wish to practice a hybrid path. Unfortunately, these changes have produced a level of confusion and misunderstanding in the modern world of yoga, as the levels and types of yoga practices are missing an overall context. Reviving the idea of the Ashramas will not only provide this missing context, it will also give modern yoga practitioners a valuable long–term plan for their progress along the path of yoga.

A New Yoga Class Music Playlist 8/1/2011

2011-07-31T15:17:00.000-07:00

Divine Connections 8:28 Medwyn Goodall Dolphin Quest
Sacral Nirvana 5:35 Oliver Shanti & Friends Best of Oliver Shanti & Friends: Circles of Life
Pacific Drums 6:04 Drumspyder Kytheria
Khaleegi Stomp (Thievery Corporation Remix) 3:56 Transglobal Underground Desert Grooves 3
He Ma 3:43 Brenda McMorrow Ameya
Supreme Illusion (Nickodemus Remix) 4:02 Thievery Corporation ESL Remixed
Nama Sankirtana (Yoga Mix) 7:12 Ghandharva Cafe Yoga Salon
The Road 3:45 DJ Drez Jahta Beat
Arunachala 7:01 Steve Ross Grace Is the Name of the Game
Ong Namo - I Bow 5:42 Gurunam Singh The Journey Home
Waves of Delight 8:18 Gandalf Lotus Land
Ocean 8:05 Mirabai Ceiba Ocean
Balearic Blue 6:34 Blank & Jones Relax Edition 2 (Sun) - EP
Dawn Shimmer 8:13 Deuter East of the Full Moon
The Legend of Kristy Lynn 7:09 Rudy Adrian MoonWater
Dream Thirty 30:26 Liquid Mind Dream - A Liquid Mind Experience

My New Yoga Class Music Play List for July 19th Enjoy

2011-07-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

My New Yoga Class Music Play List for July 19th Enjoy

Last Summer Rain 7:47 Diatonis Ambient Life
Ardes Bhaee 8:24 Mirabai Ceiba Jamtse - Love & Compassion
El Gato Loco (feat. Jef Stott) 4:06 Drumspyder The Nekyia Vol. 1
Nines Over Easy 7:51 Zakir Hussain Zakir Hussain and the Rhythm Experience
Pacific Drums 6:04 Drumspyder Kytheria
Supreme Illusion (Nickodemus Remix) 4:02 Thievery Corporation ESL Remixed
Soulsmooth 5:09 Mahara Mckay Café del Mar, Vol. 14
In a Daydream (Acoustic) 4:00 The Freddy Jones Band The Freddy Jones Band
Night Highway 5:33 Andrey Denisov Café del Mar, Vol. 14
Ong Namo - I Bow 5:42 Gurunam Singh The Journey Home
Ocean 8:05 Mirabai Ceiba Ocean
Wavepool 1:00:00 Robert Rand Wavepool

Insight & Presence A Yin Yoga & Mindful Meditation workshop with Garry Alesio and Leslie Baron July 17th 1:30-3:30 PM offered Free as a gift to all

2011-06-23T17:26:00.000-07:00

Insight & Presence A Yin Yoga & Mindful Meditation workshop
With Garry Alesio and Leslie Baron
This "Free" workshop is offered in gratitude as a gift from Garry,Leslie and PLAY "Please Register early spaces are limited"
July 17th; 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM P.L.A.Y. Yoga Studio Carlsbad CA
Peaceloveandyogastudio.com

Lightening Up for Spring.. Carlsbad.patch.com

2011-04-20T06:20:00.000-07:00

Lightening Up for Spring carlsbad.patch.com

I was delighted to contribute to this edition of the Carlsbad Patch written by Megan Pincus Kajitani A P.L.A.Y Yoga Family member

I love to offer insights to help people get inspired about their lives. One way I practice this myself is to recommend getting 30-45 minutes less sleep. (Yes, less sleep!) Give yourself extra front-end-of-the-day time. Wake up before you need to, rather than squeeze out that last minute of sleep. Then prepare a wonderful breakfast of grains and fresh fruit, or even a baked sweet potato or brown rice. Get it all set, then go shower and dress, then sit quietly without the distractions of TV, computer or phone. Close your eyes and imagine the moment as a spa-like experience. - Garry Alesio, yoga teacher and personal trainer

My Yoga Class Music Play List 3/21/2011

2011-03-22T05:19:00.000-07:00

Speechless 6:30 Diatonis~ Edge of the Dreamworld
Tower of Song 5:37~ Leonard Cohen The Essential Leonard Cohe
Teardrop 5:31 Massive Attack~ Mezzanine
Natural High 4:49 Tosca ~Natural High
Walking Through 6:13~ Kaya Project~ Walking Through
Africa 4:46 Cottonbelly~ X Amounts of Niceness
Marisi 6:38 Cantoma~ Cantoma
World of Guitars 4:37 Chaouzo Tunnel~ Chill Zone, Pt. 2
Harmonic Oasis 5:31 Kevin Wood~ Scenic Listening
The Long Way Back 4:47 7and5~ Trading Stories
Have a Little Faith 3:54 Michael Franti & Spearhead~ All Rebel Rockers
Track 4 6:57 Sigur Rós ( )
For Love of Woman 6:16 Robert Beau Michaels~ Tantra Bliss
Wavepool 1:00:00 Robert Rand~ Wavepool

2011 PLAY Yoga Studio 3 week Immersion Class Series with Garry Alesio (the second weekend) Sunday March 13 1:30-3:30

2011-02-28T11:05:00.000-08:00

Immerse Integrate Inspire This Sunday March 13 1:30-3:30
Step into exciting second part of the Three Part PLAY Immersion Series with Garry Alesio
This Sunday we will focus on Hip Opening/Mobility and Backbends level one. We will also enjoy a playful energetic review of highlights from our Core Strengthening and Yoga workshop from the w...eek before. You are invited to attend one or all of Immersion Workshops.
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My Yoga Class Music Play list for Tues Feb22 6pm PLAY 2 class at Peaceloveandyoga Carslbad Ca

2011-02-22T11:49:00.000-08:00

An Ending (Ascent) 4:26 Brian Eno Apollo:
Opal 8:18 Adham Shaikh & Catherine Potter Fusion
Ha Yah 5:41 Erik Wøllo & Kouame Sereba Bako -
Earth Tribe 5:36 Didjworks collective unconscious
Bamboo Dub 6:01 Shaman's Dream SATORI - Eastern Yoga Grooves by Yogitunes
Soulsmooth 5:09 Mahara Mckay Café del Mar, Vol. 14
Night Highway 5:33 Andrey Denisov Café del Mar, Vol. 14
El Alba 5:44 Steen Thottrup Café del Mar, Vol. 14
Peaceful Heart 4:28 Gandalf Calling Wisdom
Light and Truth 9:54 Jeffrey Koepper Luminosity
Summer Fields 7:19 Rudy Adrian MoonWater
Wavepool 1:00:00 Robert Rand Wavepool

My Yoga Class Music Playlist 2/21/2011 for my classes at Peaceloveandyoga..YogaOceanside..YogaBranch..YogaVista Studio..Shadowridge Yoga

2011-02-21T12:25:00.000-08:00

An Ending (Ascent) 4:26 Brian Eno Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks
Bamboo Dub 6:01 Shaman's Dream SATORI - Eastern Yoga Grooves by Yogitunes
Opal 8:18 Adham Shaikh & Catherine Potter Fusion
Soulsmooth 5:09 Mahara Mckay Café del Mar, Vol. 14
Night Highway 5:33 Andrey Denisov Café del Mar, Vol.
El Alba 5:44 Steen Thottrup Café del Mar, Vol. 14
Peaceful Heart 4:28 Gandalf Calling Wisdom New Age
Light and Truth 9:54 Jeffrey Koepper Luminosity
Summer Fields 7:19 Rudy Adrian MoonWater
Moment of Grace 10:58 Liquid Mind Liquid Mind VIII: Sleep
Rapture 16:49 Kip Mazuy Elements Of Ecstasy

A Yoga Fundraiser To Benefit The Lypps Family Sat March 12 2-4pm

2011-02-13T17:28:00.000-08:00

A Yoga Fundraiser To Benefit The Lypps Family
Sat March 12 2011..2-4pm
YogaBranch Vista CA
www.YogaBranch.com

Yoga Class Music Playlist 1/27/2011

2011-01-27T11:21:00.000-08:00

Summer Fields 7:19 Rudy Adrian MoonWater
Satyam Shivam Sundaram Featuring Gunjan 4:07 Thievery Corporation The Cosmic Game
Africa 4:46 Cottonbelly X Amounts of Niceness
Sun People (Earthrise Soundsystem Remix) 7:32 Nickodemus Sun People Remixed
Dourbiha 6:04 Mo Mo Earth 'n' Bass - Volume One
Indra 5:47 Urban Nature Coming Home
Floating 5:55 David Gordon Buddha Groove 4
Sometimes 9:12 Red Buddha Raindance
Atonement 5:22 Kevin Wood Kindred
Coming Home 5:54 Urban Nature Coming Home
Tropical Rainforest Paradise 1:00:34 Ethereal Dreams Pure Deep Relaxation
""Tropical Rainforest is one hour long uninterrupted""

The Quiet Strength of a Woman's Body By Kino MacGregor

2011-01-25T06:42:00.000-08:00

In a political year where the United States had the first viable female contender for the Oval Office, the question on the tip of every woman's tongue is what defines a strong woman. Is a female leader one who learns to master a man's world? Or is there some other essence that is at play in a woman's claim to empowerment?

Far from being a respite from the politicized arena of gender politics, the yoga world sometimes makes deeply held assumptions about male and female roles more evident. Contemporary dogmas of what's possible for men and women contribute to what every yoga practitioner believes is possible for male and female bodies. If you're a woman, you might wonder whether you're the wrong shape, size, weight or gender to actually be able to catapult your woman's hips through the air and resign yourself to being flexible. But this type of thinking undermines a true sense of power for either gender.

In yoga there is an unfair assumption that all men effortlessly perform gravity-defying lift-ups, and all women snake their way into all manner of flexible positions. While the mindset of teachers, students and traditions often perpetuates some very traditional gender roles, the reality of yoga practitioners tells a different story. There are men who are hypermobile and unable to lift their butts off the ground, and there are women who are stiff as a board but able to balance unwaveringly in a handstand. One of yoga's greatest lessons is that there are no universal standards for bodies, and that all bodies, genders, races and ages have the ability to benefit from and master this ancient practice.

That being said, if you're a woman it's still easy to discount yourself when you peer into the lexicon of masterful yoga DVDs from strong, skinny men like Rodney Yee, David Swenson, Richard Freeman, Chuck Miller and Sharath Rangaswamy. Your child-bearing hips and soft curves may look nothing like these master teachers' sinewy legs. When you look for evidence that women can actually be strong in the yoga world, you dig into the very essence of femininity. Sometimes it seems like women who can perform gravity-defying feats and achieve political success have overcompensated in toughness to excel in a male-dominated world. Locking down traits typically associated with femaleness like softness, openness, emotionality, and tenderness means that powerful women are often feared for their harshness. The word "bitch" is often indistinguishable from assertive when applied to a woman's presence. Some people are even afraid of Ana Forrest, and many call Hillary Clinton an ice queen.

Trading quintessential female traits to succeed in a man's world devalues the essence of a woman. The complexity of gender is such that there are no easy answers to what constitutes essential male or female traits. My personal journey into yoga led me to ask the very difficult question of whether there is a natural strength in a woman's body that is different, but not less, than a man's. I began my journey into yoga nearly ten years ago as the stereotypical flexible girl with no strength. In awe of the mysterious lift-up, arm balances, handstands and vinyasas, I looked critically at my extra cushioning around the bum, small arms and petite frame, and blamed my shape and gender for what I could not easily do. Male teachers in the Western world, meaning well, simply let me slide, saying that they did not expect women to actually match men's strength. Movement-based, scientifically-backed anatomy books state that women's bodies have a lower center of gravity and therefore have a different set of rules to work with, thereby casting women as the physically weaker gender. Science, stereotypes and points of view could have created an artificial limit, but I dug deeper.

My ninety-three-year-old master teacher, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, said one day in a group conference in Mysore, India in his iconographic broken English: "Yoga changing. Now some women very strong. Correct asana performing possible. Before, not possible. Now possible. All women doing all asanas o.k." Krishnamacharya, all of our teachers' teacher, was the first Brahmin to allow women into the secret study of the Indian sacred texts and is also quoted as saying that women are the future of yoga. In the arena of a quickly equalizing realm of power, it is fitting that women's role in yoga also changes and evolves. The basic teaching in yoga is the unification of extremes, and in that light it is appropriate that both men and women are asked to move towards a balance between strength and flexibility. When I attempted to experience this balance in my own body, I was pushed to the very limit of my physical, emotional and spiritual potential. Just as in any situation that pushes the envelope of possibility, existential questions as to the nature and reality of my being took form and shape in my daily practice.

After years of practice and mastery over seemingly impossible postures, there is now no doubt that women have an equal type of strength, too. Marianne Williamson says that a true woman's power is magnetic, attractive and visionary. A woman's body receives, nurtures, gives, produces, holds, bears, bends, grows, shrinks and sometimes even breaks, only to rebuild. Rather than an exposed sexual organ, in the heart of every female form rests a womb that is a great, silent and dark potential for life. This darkness that draws its archetype from the lunar cycle pulls energy, tides, change, life force and fertility to it. Where a man's body has muscles to push, thrust and engage, a woman's body beckons, seduces and contains. It is in this crucial difference where women must find their strength in the yoga practice and in life: Not in emulating the deep belly thrust of a man's world, but in tapping into a uniquely feminine way to engage the world will women touch the mystery of true female power.

If women deny the reality of the female body, including its cycles and birth potential, then the feminine soul is still held in highly contentious chains. If female yogis simply grunt, grin and bear it while toughening their skins, then their feminine softness is enslaved by the tension in their jaws. Instead real female strength comes from embracing the softness and solidity of every curve. Having practiced the challenging Advanced Series of Ashtanga Yoga continuously for the last five years, I find that endurance, pragmatism and grace are well within the domain of my woman's body, strength and soul. A man's strength is louder, directed outward, striving, reaching and sometimes fighting. It's not to say that women don't fight or aren't violent, but that in a woman's body violence takes on another form. A woman's sometimes smaller body cannot simply mimic male form in the physical world to succeed. In order to perform the same feats of strength with the graceful heart of a woman, the female body must learn to access its natural reserves of strength by honoring the female form in and of itself. This strength lies not in forceful thrusting, but instead in determining exactly how and where to work, with a perfect mix of strength and grace.

For most of my life I have carried the residue of the 1970s feminism in my genes, and on a subtle level, fought and vied for male power while never really loving the men in my life. Yoga has given me the gift of real and total self-adoration; in that sphere I rest as a strong woman with a sense of the beauty and power of my woman's body. A woman who loves herself is also able to love and celebrate men as they truly are. In every handstand, arm balance, backbend, and gravity-defying lift-up, I do not seek to replicate the male form, but instead to allow the flow of my female life to course through my veins, muscles, body, mind and soul.

Women are the great gatekeepers of the world. Our "yes" permits entry to the inner space of our bodies, while our "no" draws lines of approval and disapproval. In our ability to choose, to gather and to draw, we find our true empowerment: Not in emulating the boisterous strength of men, but instead shining like the full moon on a clear night, we are graceful, iconic, powerful, beautiful, mesmerizing, enchanting and captivating. In the yoga practice strength must come for women as well as men. When it comes, it is not at the expense of the graceful female form but as an enhancement of it--for it is a quiet strength that lies within every woman's body.

Kino MacGregor

Timeline of Events in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Life

2011-01-21T06:59:00.000-08:00

A TimeLine Of Events in Martin Luther Kings Jr's Life

Born on at noon on January 15, 1929.
Parents: The Reverend and Mrs. Martin Luther King, Sr.
Home: 501 Auburn Avenue, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia.

1944
Graduated from Booker T. Washington High School and was admitted to Morehouse College at age 15.

1948
Graduates from Morehouse College and enters Crozer Theological Seminary.
Ordained to the Baptist ministry, February 25, 1948, at age 19.

1951
Enters Boston University for graduate studies.

1953
Marries Coretta Scott and settles in Montgomery, Alabama.

1955
Received Doctorate of Philosophy in Systematic Theology from Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts on June 5, 1955.
Dissertation Title: A Comparison of God in the Thinking of Paul Tillich and Henry Wiseman.

Joins the bus boycott after Rosa Parks was arrested on December 1. On December 5, he is elected president of the Montgomery Improvement Association, making him the official spokesman for the boycott.

1956
On November 13, the Supreme Court rules that bus segregation is illegal, ensuring victory for the boycott.

1957
King forms the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to fight segregation and achieve civil rights. On May 17, Dr. King speaks to a crowd of 15,000 in Washington, D.C.

1958
The U.S. Congress passed the first Civil Rights Act since reconstruction. King's first book, Stride Toward Freedom, is published.

On a speaking tour, Martin Luther King, Jr. is nearly killed when stabbed by an assailant in Harlem. Met with President Dwight D. Eisenhower, along with Roy Wilkins, A. Philip Randolph, and Lester Grange on problems affecting black Americans.

1959
Visited India to study Mohandas Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolence.

Resigns from pastoring the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church to concentrate on civil rights full time. He moved to Atlanta to direct the activities of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

1960
Becomes co-pastor with his father at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.

Lunch counter sit-ins began in Greensboro, North Carolina. In Atlanta, King is arrested during a sit-in waiting to be served at a restaurant. He is sentenced to four months in jail, but after intervention by John Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, he is released.

Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee founded to coordinate protests at Shaw University, Raleigh, North Carolina.

1961
In November, the Interstate Commerce Commission bans segregation in interstate travel due to work of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Freedom Riders.

Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) began first Freedom Ride through the South, in a Greyhound bus, after the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed segregation in interstate transportation.

1962
During the unsuccessful Albany, Georgia movement, King is arrested on July 27 and jailed.

1963
On Good Friday, April 12, King is arrested with Ralph Abernathy by Police Commissioner Eugene "Bull" Connor for demonstrating without a permit.

On April 13, the Birmingham campaign is launched. This would prove to be the turning point in the war to end segregation in the South.

During the eleven days he spent in jail, MLK writes his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail

On May 10, the Birmingham agreement is announced. The stores, restaurants, and schools will be desegregated, hiring of blacks implemented, and charges dropped.

On June 23, MLK leads 125,000 people on a Freedom Walk in Detroit.

The March on Washington held August 28 is the largest civil rights demonstration in history with nearly 250,000 people in attendance.

At the march, King makes his famous I Have a Dream speech.

On November 22, President Kennedy is assassinated.

1964
On January 3, King appears on the cover of Time magazine as its Man of the Year.

On February 2, King is arrested in Selma, Alabama during a voting rights demonstration.

After President Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act into law, Martin Luther King, Jr. turns to socioeconomic problems.

1966
On January 22, King moves into a Chicago slum tenement to attract attention to the living conditions of the poor.

In June, King and others begin the March Against Fear through the South.

On July 10, King initiates a campaign to end discrimination in housing, employment, and schools in Chicago.

1967
The Supreme Court upholds a conviction of MLK by a Birmingham court for demonstrating without a permit. King spends four days in Birmingham jail.

On November 27, King announces the inception of the Poor People's Campaign focusing on jobs and freedom for the poor of all races.

1968
King announces that the Poor People's Campaign will culminate in a March on Washington demanding a $12 billion Economic Bill of Rights guaranteeing employment to the able-bodied, incomes to those unable to work, and an end to housing discrimination.

Dr. King marches in support of sanitation workers on strike in Memphis, Tennessee.

On March 28, King lead a march that turns violent. This was the first time one of his events had turned violent.

Delivered I've Been to the Mountaintop speech.

At sunset on April 4, Martin Luther King, Jr. is fatally shot while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.

There are riots and disturbances in 130 American cities. There were twenty thousand arrests.

King's funeral on April 9 is an international event.

Within a week of the assassination, the Open Housing Act is passed by Congress.

1986
On November 2, a national holiday is proclaimed in King's honor.

Teacher Highlight PeaceloveandYogastudio Carlsbad Dec 2010

2010-12-23T07:21:00.000-08:00

A special "Thank You" to Jess the Owner of PeaceloveandYogastudio in Carlsbad for the incredible honor of being your first Highlighted Teacher. To all the wonderful Yoga Studio owners who have given me the opportunity to teach along the way Thank you!. Without your commitment and hard work I would not be able continue ...to learn and grow as a Yoga Teacher and more importantly as a person. Love and Blessings Garry

Yin /Yang Yoga Workshop Sunday Dec 19th 1:30-3:30 Garry Alesio & Susan Taylor Carlsbad CA

2010-11-23T07:37:00.000-08:00

New Class And Studio Yoga OceansideWed Dec 1st 9am

2010-10-29T17:19:00.000-07:00

Big News Yogis
If you looking for me on Wed mornings starting Wed Dec 1st.. 9am I will be teaching in the beautiful new studio Yoga Oceanside. It is owned by Danielle & Melanie they have created a most beautiful quiet space to really enjoy and expand your Yoga practice. ..December 1st Wed Vitality Vinyasa, 9 - 10:15am at Yoga Oceanside Namaste..Garry

Some Really Nice Articles about Men and Yoga by Mindbodygreen and Jason Wachod

2010-10-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

Dudes & Yoga: Jocks Throw Down Their Mats - MindBodyGreen http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-1477/Dudes-Yoga-Jocks-Throw-Down-Their-Mats.html
‎

5 Reasons Why Dudes Should Practice Yoga - MindBodyGreen http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-923/5-Reasons-Why-Dudes-Should-Practice-Yoga.html

What Inspired Yogis to Hit the Mat By Jason Wachob
Men and Yoga: What Inspired Yogis to Hit the Mat - MindBodyGreen http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-1500/Men-and-Yoga-What-Inspired-Yogis-to-Hit-the-Mat.html

Yin/Yang Yoga Workshop with Garry Alesio & Susan Taylor Sunday Oct 17th 2010 1-3pm YogaBranch Vista CA

2010-10-09T18:39:00.000-07:00

Garry Alesio Presenting at the Womens Health Conference in Vista Oct 9th/10th 2010

2010-10-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

Iam incredibly honored to have been invited by Rebecca Miller who is the Owner of Vista Jazzercise, LLC, and Yoga Branch.She is my good friend/fellow Yoga teacher/fitness guru and studio owner.She works endless hours in Seva/Karma Yoga/Service to others in so many ways,she is an inspiration to myself and all who know her...Please join me and the other wonderful presenters for this very important weekend conference on Women's Health.
This is a topic that has always been close to my heart after the heart breaking loss of my mother when I was 19 yrs old "1969" due to Cancer.. Hope to see you there.. Garry

An abundant week 9/27/10 of great classes to teach this week in and around Carlsbad Ca

2010-09-27T07:24:00.000-07:00

An abundant week 9/27/10 of great classes to teach this week in and around Carlsbad Ca. More info and studio locations at getinspiredyogaq.com

Mon Noon PLAY Cbad
Tues 6pm PLAY Cbad
Wed 9:30 am Play Cbad "sub"
Wed 6:30 pm Yogabranch Vista
Thurs 9am PLAY Cbad
Fri 9:30am Play Cbad
Sat 8am Play Cbad
Sat 10am Yogabranch "Shadowridge"
Sun 10:30am Yogavista Studio

My Yoga Class Music Play List 9/19/2010

2010-09-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

Sitar Lights 8:54 DJ Drez Jahta Beat a Path to Light
Crazy Heart 7:09 Bahramji & Maneesh De Moor Call of the Mystic
Starry Spiral 4:10 Lodestone Resonator Buddha Groove 4
Ajnabee Feat. Go-ray 6:08 EarthRise SoundSystem The Yoga Sessions
Bars 1,2,3,4 5:20 März Love streams
Butterfly 4:26 Talvin Singh O.K.
Daylight As Sunset 7:06 EarthRise SoundSystem The Yoga Sessions
The Pride In Your Eyes (Om Nama Shiva) 3:46 Tillmann Uhrmacher Difference
Floating 5:55 David Gordon Buddha Groove 4
Have a Little Faith 3:54 Michael Franti & Spearhead All Rebel Rockers
Path to Light 5:45 DJ Drez Jahta Beat a Path to Light
Wavepool 1:00:00 Robert Rand Wavepool

Yoga Inversions Basics And Beyond Workshop Sunday Sept 26th 1-3pm

2010-09-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

Inversions Basics & Beyond...
Garry Alesio
Sunday Sept 26th 1-3 PM
$20 Pre paid $25 at the door
Peaceloveandyogastudio
Carlsbad CA

Back to Basics Yoga Workshop Sept 12 1-3pm YogaBranch Vista

2010-09-06T07:10:00.000-07:00

Come Join me for a super fun Back to Basics Yoga Workshop Sept 12th 1-3pm
YogaBranch Building - Renovations Fundraiser all proceeds go to supporting the ongoing creation of the beautiful YogaBranch Studio in Vista, everyone one welcome.
I look forward to seeing you there.
Garry

My 5AM Intermediate/Advanced Yoga Practice in Carlsbad Ca

2010-08-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

My 5AM Intermediate/Advanced Yoga Practice in Carlsbad Ca

Greetings Yogi's
On Sat 8/28/2010 during the 10am Yogabranch flow class that teach I was asked by one of my very inspired students who truly reflects the spirit and beauty of yoga within and without to share my home practice on my blog. So with gratitude for her interest and request I thought I would.
This is my 5am Intermediate/Advanced Yoga Practice that I do everyday and find that is brings a sense of calm and confidence throughout my entire day as a result of my offering to myself.
While normally Iam drawn to the active flowing asana expression of a Yoga Practice this practice itself only lasts about 15 or 20 minutes,I have found this early morning practice the most challenging to maintain though.In many ways it feels more life enhancing and transformative then the active physical asana practice which I still enjoy and continue to do later each the day.
I start it about 5am by awakening naturally without an alarm while its still dark outside and begin by taking a shower without turning on any excess lights or connecting to any outer sources of distracting energy or sound then absolutely necessary."Not checking emails or phone messages or tv".I then prepare my breakfast quietly still any without anymore light than needed to attend to ritual safely.
My first meal of the day consists of a few pieces of a fresh fruit a combination & amount of choice for that day ( it might be a peach/banana/fresh pineapple/ apple),and 1/2 a sweet potato already cooked ,small amount of steamed rice already cooked.I place this mixture in a large glass bowl and warm the mixture in the microwave for about 3 min and stir together afterward to blend the beautiful flavors and natural sweetness.Once that is prepared with the warm bowl in hand I sit with it in my lap and palms feeling the warmth and close my eyes breathing in the sweet aroma I pause and reflect in gratitude.
After each spoonful I place the spoon back in the bowl and releasing my hold on it while chewing and bringing my awareness to giving myself the gift of tasting the warmed blend of flavors in my meal.
During that time I close my eyes a breath in and out with out a pause at the top or bottom with a breath flow that is about 50% of capacity.Once Iam completely finished that spoonful portion of my meal and before taking another spoonful I pause fully take two full cycles of breath.Then I begin the cycle over again as I mentioned it takes about 15-20 min's and I find it quite challenging and interesting to observe how my mind runs off to planning the day ahead or I start eating faster or forget to release the spoon or even get up to do something while iam still chewing as if in a mind controlled trance.This practice does have an almost trance like calming effect as well that has been amazing and I also notice that I feel complete and full after only a few spoonfuls..When I complete my meal I place the bowl beside me sit in a warm inner calm and stillness that abides till I feel complete.I then get up and go on the enjoy my day having given myself the gift of 15 -20 minutes.

This meditative Eating, Breathing and Observing Yoga Practice has brought me a renewed sense of joy,calm and inner fullness.
I am delighted and honored to have been asked to share a part of my Yoga Practice/Life with you..
Love and Blessing
Garry

Multiple Sclerosis Yoga Fundraiser Aug 22 Yoga Branch Vista 1:00-2:15 PM with Garry Alesio

2010-08-03T17:43:00.000-07:00

Moving Beyond Success to Significance

2010-07-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

"Moving Beyond Success to Significance"
Source: Michael Josephson, charactercounts.org

I frequently address people who are highly successful. They’re at the top of their field and often have all the comforts that wealth can afford. Most seem to enjoy their success.

So, in a way, it surprises me how deeply many of them respond when I talk about the difference between success and significance. Invariably, I see knowing nods when I describe Alfred Nobel’s disillusionment when he read his obituary that was printed by mistake after his brother died. Although it was complimentary, describing him as a brilliant chemist who’d made his fortune inventing dynamite, he was struck by how hollow and inconsequential his accomplishments seemed as the summation of his life. Determined to leave a more worthy legacy, he established the Nobel Prizes to acknowledge great human achievements.

Mr. Nobel realized there’s a transitory quality to success but immortality in significance. A life devoted to attaining personal goals can be admirable and satisfying, but it can be enormously enriched when we use our talents and time to improve the lives of others.

In his book Living a Life That Matters, Harold Kushner wrote, “Our souls are not hungry for fame, comfort, wealth, or power. Our souls are hungry for meaning for the sense that we have figured out how to live so that our lives matter, so that the world will be at least a little bit different for our having passed through it.”

If we realize this before it’s too late, we’re less likely to dishonor our families and our legacies with dishonesty or selfishness. Success isn’t enough.

Michael Josephson Commentary: Moving Beyond Success to Significance 655.3
Source: charactercounts.org

Inversions Basics & Beyond Yoga Workshop Sept 26th 1-3PM PeaceloveandYoga Studio Carlsbad CA

2010-07-14T07:58:00.000-07:00

Inversions Basics & Beyond
A Yoga Workshop for beginners & everyone else
Garry Alesio
Sept 26th 1-3pm
PeaceloveandYoga Studio Carlsbad CA.
http://peaceloveandyogastudio.com
...Details to Follow..

East Meets West,Fitness/Yoga Bootcamp Sunday July11th 1-3pm

2010-07-04T18:07:00.000-07:00

Sunday July 11th 1-3pm Yogabranch Vista
An active challenging workshop for new and experienced yoga and jazzercise students.
Cardio, endurance,strength,core fitness and flexibility.Also incorporating The practice of Yoga to achieve spinal alignment a healthy back and happy hips.
Click on the flyer link below for details hope to see you there ..Garry

http://garryalesio.com/images/yoga_workshop_east_meets_west_large.gif

Greetings Yogis Iam very excited to announce I am subbing two upcoming classes at Yoga Vista July 5th & 12th 9-10:15am level 1/2

2010-07-01T07:49:00.000-07:00

Greetings Yogis Iam very excited to announce I am subbing two upcoming classes at Yoga Vista July 5th & 12th 9-10:15am level 1/2
Yogavista.net

Greetings Yogis I am so happy to be home and looking forward to sharing some of the many gifts from my travels

2010-06-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

Greetings Yogis I am so happy to be home and looking forward to sharing some of the many gifts I received on and off the mat during my travels with included Esalen and Tassajara .Below are linked below if you have never been to either of the wonderful locations.

I resume my regular class schedule this week June 22nd
Tues PLAY Studio 6PM
Wed YogaBranch Vista 6:30pm
Fri PLAY Studio 9:30 am
Sat PLAY Studio 8am
Sat Yogabranch Shadowridge 10am

http://www.sfzc.org/tassajara/photos.asp?catid=4,19&pageid=1788

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2010/06/esalen-yoga-festival-5-days-5-deities-for-personal-transformation/

Iam off to share the abundance of life at Esalen & Tassajara June 6th-18th.

2010-06-06T06:32:00.000-07:00

Iam off to share the abundance of life with many beautiful Souls & wonderful teachers at Esalen & Tassajara for Yoga/ Meditation/ Hot Springs/ Amazing food from June 6th-18th.
I look forward to returning to teach yoga beginning the week of June 21st and sharing all the gifts I have received.
Much love and Blessings Garry

Off to my Yoga Big Sur Vacation..June 6th

2010-06-01T06:51:00.000-07:00

It is with much gratitude that Iam letting you know about the truly gifted yoga teachers that have so kindly agreed to hold the sacred space of your YogaBranch Yoga practice for me while Iam on vacation for two weeks starting this Sunday June 6th. My time away will be spent in celebration of life through deepening my Yoga practice,training, meditation,nature and great food in and around Big Sur CA. I look forward to returning and opening the gifts I receive with you all on the week of June 21st. If you want to learn more please do stop by this week to meet and be as inspired by them as Iam. Much love Garry

Stephanie Turley is going to assist & share some teaching moments this Wednesday 6:30Pm, Vista and will sub the following two.
Kimberly Chapman is going to assist & share some teaching moments this Sat and will sub the next two Saturdays at 10am Shadowridge.
Carla Tanner will assist and share some teaching moments this Thursday 7:30 Pm,Vista class and then transition as the "permanent teacher" for that slot as let go of that class and teach it for a final time.

The Heart and Soul Of Yoga..Asana,Pranayama,Meditation Garry Alesio.. Wed May 26th 6:30-8:00 PM

2010-05-23T12:07:00.000-07:00

The Heart and Soul Of Yoga..Asana,Pranayama,Meditation
Garry Alesio.. Wed May 26th 6:30-8:00 PM "Yoga Challenge Class"@ YogaBranch/Vista www.yogabranch.com
Asana~The ancient yogis used asana to prepare the body for meditation.
Pranayama ~A yogi's life is not measured by the number of days but by the number of his breaths," Pranayama purifies and removes distractions from the mind making it easier to concentrate and Meditate. Dhyana~ The goal of Meditation is not unconsciousness or nothingness. It is heightened awareness and oneness with the universe.

Words of Inspiration ..Georgia O'Keeffe

2010-05-22T18:06:00.000-07:00

Words of Inspiration ..Georgia O'Keeffe “I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life -- and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.” Georgia O'Keeffe

Yin/Yang Yoga Workshop ..Garry Alesio & Susan Taylor

2010-05-16T09:41:00.000-07:00

Yin/Yang Yoga Workshop
Garry Alesio & Susan Taylor
Sunday May 23 2010 1:00-3:00Pm

Cultivate the Art of Stillness in Movement and the Flow in Stillness.
Go deeper where you are rather than where you think we should be.

The Yin style of long-held passive poses opens and targets connective tissue, specifically ligaments and tendons in the joints and spine.The Yin practice restores the vital Chi/ energy to flow through the subtle channels while creating the opportunity to expierence a more contemplative, non-reactive quality of mind. A more active,dynamic,Yang style Vinyasa practice will follow,strengthening and invigorating the body and mind.Yang Yoga is a powerful sequence of Hatha postures practiced continually in combination with bandhas and ujjayi breath. This combination creates a deep heat for internal cleansing and a relaxed, meditative state.
Cost $20 pre-paid or $25 at the door
Click Yogabranch.com for Info and Registration
Yoga Branch 1260 E Vista Way,Vista Ca 92084
760-630-0101

Death. "Encouraging Words" by Zen Master Guishan

2010-05-12T07:26:00.000-07:00

Death. "Encouraging Words" by Zen Master Guishan

Some day you will die.
Lying on your sick bed about to breathe your last, you will be assailed by every kind of pain,
Your mind will be filled with fears and anxieties and you will not know where to go or what to do,
Only then you will realize you have not practiced well.
The skandhas/aggregates (matter, sensations, conceptions, impulses and consciousness)
and the four elements in you will quickly disintegrate, and your consciousness will be pulled wherever your ancient, twisted karma leads it.
Impermanence does not hesitate.
Death will not wait.
You will not be able to extend you life by even a second.
How many thousands times more will you have to pass through the gates of birth and death.
If these words are challenging, even insulting, let them be an encouragement for you to change
Practice heroically
Do not accumulate unnecessary possessions.
Don't give up.
Still your mind, end wrong perceptions, concentrate and do not run after the objects of your senses.
Practice diligently.
Be determined not to let your days and months pass by wastefully.

A Yoga Journey to uncover your Core Truth ~ Garry Alesio Wed May 12th 6:30-8:00pm

2010-05-09T19:37:00.000-07:00

Garry Alesio Wed May 12th 6:30-8:00pm "Yoga Challenge Class"@ YogaBranch/Vista www.yogabranch.com
A Yoga Journey to uncover your Core Truth.. An Abdominal Strengthening And Spinal Twist Class .We will move with awareness and confidence through our dynamic, energizing flow practice. The creative sequences,innovative spinal twists and empowering abdominal work will inspire and awaken your body while guiding you to uncover your own Core Truth both on and off the mat.

Seeking Balance In Yoga And Life ~ Garry Alesio Wed May 5th 6:30-8:00pm

2010-05-05T06:14:00.000-07:00

Seeking Balance In Yoga And Life ~ Garry Alesio Wed May 5th 6:30-8:00pm
"Yoga Challenge Class"@ YogaBranch/Vista www.yogabranch.com is the meeting of effort and surrender with steadfast courage to find balance by hugging to the midline.The balance poses we explore in our yoga supports us to remain strong in the midst o...f life's challenges."Thanks" to very inspired yoga student Josh for the great theme idea.

New Beginnings- Awaken The Flow of Spirit Within

2010-04-26T07:11:00.000-07:00

New Beginnings- Awaken The Flow of Spirit Within
Backbends and Inversions~Garry Alesio April 28,6:30-8:00Pm
"Yoga Challenge Class" @ YogaBranch/Vista www.yogabranch.com
Embrace the excitement and courage of new beginnings through this energizing flow practice that will awaken your heart and spirit with a dynamic Inversion and Backbend flow culminating with your own beautiful expression of Vrschikasana. An all levels active class with options "play full" for everyone

Inversions For Beginners Sunday, April 25 –1:00–3:00pm

2010-04-21T07:11:00.000-07:00

Inversions For Beginners
Sunday, April 25 1:00-3:00pm
Yoga Vista Studio 319 E Broadway Vista CA 92084
Do you know that inversions are considered one of yoga's Fountain of Youth practices? With gravity pulling us down to earth most of our lives, we can counteract this strong force by doing the opposite with inversions. This workshop is for those who have never done an inversion or are fairly new to the concept. You will learn safe and easy ways to "turn your life upside down" and have fun in the process! Cost: $20 pre-paid or $25 at the day of the Workshop.

54 "FUN" Salutations Garry Alesio Wed April 21 2010

2010-04-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

54 "FUN" Salutations /Garry Alesio April 21,6;30-8:00Pm
"Yoga Challenge Class"@ YogaBranch/Vista www.yogabranch.com
A wild and playful exploration of transitions,sequences and poses designed to build strength,flexibility and bring a huge smile to your body, mind and spirit

2010-04-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

Pranayama Basics and Beyond
Sunday April 18th
1:00pm-3:00pm

Cost $20 pre-paid or $25 at the door
Click Yogabranch.com
for Info and Registration

**Note this workshop is for everyone including Yoga students and Yoga teachers looking to integrate a Pranayama practice to their classes**

Yoga Branch
1260 E Vista Way,Vista Ca 92084
760-630-0101

Yoga Class Music Play List April 14th 2010

2010-04-12T20:31:00.000-07:00

Music Play list Garry Alesio April 14th 6:30 Pm Class
..Forward Bends,Hip Openers,Twists

The Viaduct -(Kid Loco Remix) 6:01 The Pastels- Illuminati
Dread Iternal- 9:20 Bill Laswell Sacred System, Book of Entrance
Starry Spiral -4:10 Lodestone Resonator- Buddha Groove 4
Ajnabee Feat.- Go-ray 6:08 EarthRise Sound System- The Yoga Sessions
Bars 1,2,3,4- 5:20 März- Love streams
Butterfly 4:26- Talvin Singh- O.K.
The Nomad- 5:10 Niraj Chag Along the Dusty Road
Daylight As Sunset- 7:06 EarthRise SoundSystem- The Yoga Sessions
Floating- 5:55 David Gordon- Buddha Groove 4
Little Gem- 4:31 Euphoria Beautiful My Child
A Beautiful Day- 3:52 India.Arie- Testimony, Vol. 2: Love & Politics
Aphelion 5:19- John Adorney- Beckoning
Summer Sky -7:14 Honeyroot Sound Echo Location
I Saved the World Today- 4:53 Eurythmics- Peace
Light and Truth- 9:54 Jeffrey Koepper- Luminosity

Forward Bends,Hip Openers and Twists~ Garry Alesio Wed April 14 2010

2010-04-12T07:17:00.000-07:00

Forward Bends,Hip Openers and Twists~Garry Alesio April 14th,6;30-8:00Pm
"Yoga Challenge Class"@ YogaBranch/Vista www.yogabranch.com
The Source of all that we long for is deep inside of us.
We will playfully examine the introspective nature of these poses and the authentic personal expression of concealment and revelation on the mat and off.

Happy Hips ~ Happy Back Workshop with Garry Alesio

2010-04-07T05:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Hips ~ Happy Back Workshop with Garry Alesio
Sunday, April 11 – 1:00-3:00pm
Do you sit alot, drive alot, stand alot and/or get minimal daily movement to your back? Garry will help you understand the close connection between your hips and your back by exploring focused yoga poses to open and release your hips so th...at you can experience a healthier and happier back. Cost: $20 pre-paid or $25 at the day of the Workshop

The Getinspiredyoga 100 ~ Garry Alesio April 7th,6;30-8:00Pm

2010-04-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

The Getinspiredyoga 100 ~ Garry Alesio April 7th,6;30-8:00Pm
"Yoga Challenge Class"@ YogaBranch/Vista www.yogabranch.com
The Getinspiredyoga 100 is a High Energy Yoga Celebration of 100 poses.
We will flow playfully and integrate upper body,core strengthening poses,inversions,back bends,twists and more to invigorate and awaken your mind, body and soul.This practice is "open to all" who love to live life to the fullest on and off the mat.

Jedi Flight School Yoga Class~Garry Alesio, Wed March 31,6;30-8:00Pm

2010-03-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

Jedi Flight School~ Garry Alesio March 31,6;30-8:00Pm
"Yoga Challenge Class"@ YogaBranch/Vista www.yogabranch.com
Soar into new heights in your Arm balance and Inversion practice tonight. We will cultivate the steadfast courage of your own warrior spirit by connecting deeply to your core power to,invigorate,awaken and strengthen your confidence in your practice and your life.

Music Playlist/Yin & Yang Yoga Class,Garry Alesio March 24,6;30-8:00Pm

2010-03-24T07:38:00.000-07:00

Music Playlist/Yin & Yang Yoga Class,Garry Alesio March 24,6;30-8:00Pm

Namaste 8:01 Karl Maddison ~ Tibetan Groove
Harmonic Oasis 5:31 Kevin Wood~ Scenic Listening
Relax (Blank & Jones, Vargo Vocal Mix) 6:08 Blank & Jones Beauty
Banana Pancakes 3:12 Jack Johnson In Between Dreams
The Viaduct (Kid Loco Remix) 6:01 The Pastels Illuminati
Patan Part 1 8:03 Red Buddha Raindance
Rocket-out With the Tide (jeno's Keyed In Mix) 5:13 Rocket Revolutions In Sound
Alsema Dub 5:48 Bill Laswell & Jah Wobble Radioaxiom -
When Roads Become Divided 3:54 7and5 ~ Trading Stories
Peaceful Heart 4:28 Gandalf ~Calling Wisdom
Something to Believe In 4:48 ~Clannad The Best of Clannad: In a Lifetime
Threshold/Ascension 7:12 Robert Beau Michaels Tantra Bliss
Beneath Clouds - Part Four 17:36 Thom Brennan~ Beneath Clouds

Yin & Yang Yoga~ Garry Alesio March 24,6;30-8:00Pm

2010-03-21T13:54:00.000-07:00

Yin & Yang Yoga~ Garry Alesio March 24,6;30-8:00Pm
"Yoga Challenge Class"@ YogaBranch/Vista www.yogabranch.com
We will playfully cultivate the art of Stillness in Movement and the Flow in Stillness.Learning to go deeper where we are rather than where we think we should be the Yin style of long-held passive poses opens the body to more flexibility and energy flow through the subtle channels while also being open to a more contemplative, non-reactive quality of mind. A more active,dynamic,Yang style Vinyasa will follow,strengthening and invigorating the body and mind.www.getinspiredyoga.com

Turn Towards The Mystery..GarryAlesio Wed March 17 6:30-8PM

2010-03-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

Turn Towards The Mystery..
Garry Alesio Wed March 17,6;30-8Pm "Yoga Challenge Class"@YogaBranch/ Vista www.yogabranch.com Mantain your balance while turning towards a new direction in your life.Big changes can be exciting,scary,even seem like its just not worth the effort.In our practice tonight we will have the opportunity to create a firm,strong and stable platform. With a fierce and playful courage
in poses like Parsva Bakasana~Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana,Parivrtta Trikonasana,Parivrttaikapada Sirsasana..... we will powerfully twist...
and turn towards that new direction which calls our soul.

"Fire and Ice" Yoga Class/ Garry Alesio March 10th 6;30-8PM

2010-03-07T18:47:00.000-08:00

"Fire and Ice" Garry Alesio March 10,6;30-8Pm
"Yoga Challenge Class"@ YogaBranch/Vista www.yogabranch.com
Kapalabhati & Bhastrika Pranayama fires up our passionate flow practice tonight & it cools down with Nadi Shodhana & Meditation.
Hope to see you there~ Garry

What Is Our Life About by Ezra Bayda

2010-03-07T05:58:00.000-08:00

What Is Our Life About?
By Ezra Bayda
Our aspiration, our calling, our desire for a genuine life,
is to see the truth of who we really are —
that the nature of our Being is connectedness and love,
not the illusion of a separate self to which our suffering clings.
It is from this awareness that Life can flow through us;
the Unconditioned manifesting freely as our conditioned body.

And what is the path? To learn to reside in whatever Life presents.
To learn to attend to all of those things that block the flow of a more open life;
and to see them as the very path to awakening — all of the constructs, the identities,
the holding back, the protections,all of the fears, the self-judgments, the blame —
all that separates us from letting Life be.

And what is the path? To turn away from constantly seeking comfort
and from trying to avoid pain. To open to the willingness to just be,
in this very moment, exactly as it is.

No longer so ready to be caught in the relentlessly spinning mind.
Practice is about awakening to the true Self; no one special to be,
nowhere to go, just Being.

We are so much more than just this body, just this personal drama.
As we cling to our fear, and our shame, and our suffering,
we forsake the gratitude of living from our natural Being.

So where, in this very moment, do we cling to our views?

Softening around the mind's incessant judgment,
we can awaken the heart that seeks to be awakened.

And when the veil of separation rises, Life simply unfolds as it will.
No longer caught in the self-centered dream, we can give ourselves to others,
like a white bird in the snow.

Time is fleeting. Don't hold back. Appreciate this precious Life.

Yoga Class Music Playlist 3/3/10

2010-03-02T19:24:00.000-08:00

Crazy Heart 7:09 Bahramji & Maneesh De Moor
Anand Prabat 5:41 RANGA
Ecstasy 4:25 New Order
Rocket-out With the Tide (jeno's Keyed In Mix) 5:13 Rocket
Breath In 4:30 7and5
Viva la Vida 4:01 Coldplay
Always (Lovetronic Vocal)7:07 Lisa Shaw
Music and Wine (Teksoul Dub)5:23 Blue Six
Fly 4:12 7and5
Livingston Storm 7:00 Lotus
Three Stars No Match 4:23 Naomi
The Time of My Life 3:34 David Cook
Colorado 5:07 Lotus
Not As We 4:45 Alanis Morissette
Relax (Blank & Jones, Vargo Vocal Mix) 6:08 Blank & Jones
A Column of Glyphs 4:27 Richard Bone
Moment of Grace 10:58 Liquid Mind

A Special Power Yoga Class Wed Mar 3rd 6:30-8:00PM

2010-03-01T07:35:00.000-08:00

A Special Power Yoga Class Garry Alesio Wed Mar 3rd6:30-8:00PM
Yoga Challenge Class,YogaBranch/Vista www.yogabranch.com
A Special Power Yoga Class Garry Alesio Wed Mar 3rd 6:30-8:00PM Yoga Challenge Class,YogaBranch/Vista www.yogabranch.com A dynamic class which synchronizes breath and movement,creating the highest level of energy,vitality within.We will practice in a slightly warmed room to create optimal flexibility and physical health by invigorating our whole body,strengthening the weak links, and releasing long held tensions.

Yoga Class Music Play List for Wed,Feb 24th 6:30-8:00Pm

2010-02-24T10:56:00.000-08:00

Desh Nayad Feat.5:37 EarthRise SoundSystem
East Vs West 7:14 Eastern Spirit
Desert Rose 4:46 Sting
Anand Prabat 5:41 RANGA
Spiritualize 9:15 Lotus
Viva la Vida 4:01 Coldplay
Three Stars No Match 4:23 Naomi
Adrift 3:56 Jack Johnson
Krishna Murti 6:53 Wah!
Threshold/Ascension 7:12 Robert Beau Michaels
Summer Fields 7:19 Rudy Adrian
Beneath Clouds - Part Four 17:36 Thom Brennan
'Sensation' 8:08 Soundscapes

Asana~Pranayama~Dhyana Garry Alesio Wed Feb 24th 6:30-8pm

2010-02-22T05:54:00.000-08:00

Asana~Pranayama~Dhyana Garry Alesio Wed,Feb 24th 6:30-8:00Pm
"Yoga Challenge Class"@ YogaBranch/Vista www.yogabranch.com
Pantanjali's 8 Fold Path ~ Asana & Pranayama help's us build a foundation,
Dhyana helps us recondition our minds and,move towards a full realization of our true nature and oneness with spirit.

What To Remember When Waking by David Whyte

2010-02-20T20:31:00.000-08:00

WHAT TO REMEMBER WHEN WAKING

In that first hardly noticed
moment to which you wake,
coming back to this life
from the other more secret,
moveable and frighteningly
honest world where everything
began, there is a small
opening into the new day
which closes the moment
you begin your plans.

What you can plan is too small
for you to live. What you can live
wholeheartedly will make plans
enough for the vitality
hidden in your sleep.
To be human is to become visible
while carrying what is hidden
as a gift to others.
To remember the other world
in this world is to live in your
true inheritance.
You are not a troubled guest
on this earth, you are not
an accident
amidst other accidents
you were invited
from another and greater
night than the one
from which
you have just emerged.
Now, looking through the slanting light
of the morning window toward
the mountain presence
of everything that can be,
what urgency calls you to your
one love?
What shape waits in the seed
of you to grow and spread
its branches against a future sky?
Is it waiting in the fertile sea?
In the trees beyond the house?
In the life you can imagine
for yourself?
In the open and lovely
white page on the waiting desk?

~ David Whyte ~
(The House of Belonging)

Happy Hips~ Happy Back A Free Yoga Workshop 2/20/10

2010-02-17T17:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Hips~Happy Back with Garry Alesio
A Free Yoga workshop
Saturday Feb 20th 1:30-2:30
Do you sit alot~drive alot~ Stand Alot and or get minimal daily movement to your back?Garry will help you understand the close connection between your hips and back by exploring focused yoga poses to open and release your hips so that you can experience a healthier happier back
Yoga Vista,319 East Bway Vista,Ca,92084.
760-630-9642

Standing Poses Yoga Challange Class Wed 2/17/10

2010-02-15T12:31:00.000-08:00

Standing Poses Rooting & Rising A Yoga Class Wed 2/17/10
Garry Alesio Yoga Challenge Class 6:30-8pm
Yogabranch Vista Ca http://www.yogabranch.com/
Like the deep roots of the mighty Oak tree we will plant our roots deeply into the earth to create a strong and steady foundation to support and celebrate your practice and life. We will reconnect with many of the basic standing poses as well as have the opportunity to playfully explore more challenging ones like Adho Muka Vrksasana & Eka Hasta Vrksasana.
Namaste Garry http://www.getinspiredyoga.com/blog

Hip Opener & Backbends Yoga Class 2/10/2010

2010-02-08T07:42:00.000-08:00

Hip Openers and Backbends Yoga Class Wed 2/10/2010

"Nothing Happens untill Something Moves 'Albert Einstein"
Garry Alesio,"Yoga Challenge" Class 6:30-8pm
YogaBranch Vista Ca http://www.yogabranch.com/
We will deeply and playfully release our hips and open our hearts
to the celebration of life join us for an all levels active practice ~
Namaste Garry http://www.getinspiredyoga.com/

Yoga Music Playlist 2/7/2010

2010-02-07T15:16:00.000-08:00

Dancing For A Vision /David & Steve Gordon 9:25
Beloved Karma/I Sweat Fitness Music 5:58
Send Me on My Way/Rusted Root 4:23
Summer Sky/ Honeyroot 7:14
Forward Wayback /7 & 5 5:43
Moving/Erik Wollo 5:37
Heavenly/ Skylar Blue 5:25
So Near Yet So Far/ Robert Beau Michaels 5:05
River Flowing /Diatonis 8:40
The Way Home Kevin Braheny 24:53

Our Deepest Fear by Marianne Willaimson

2010-02-06T06:11:00.000-08:00

Our Deepest Fear
by Marianne Williamson
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Inversion Yoga Class Wed 2/3/2010

2010-01-31T15:28:00.000-08:00

Aversion to Inversions these days?/ Lets straighten Out that Banana !
Garry Alesio Wed,Feb 3rd 6:30-8:00Pm "Yoga Challenge Class"@ YogaBranch/Vista www.yogabranch.com Join us Wed Eve"All Levels Fun" Active Practice.The keys to getting out of "your banana" are strong work in the legs~muscular energy,hugging to mid-line. Also a strong engaged core to draw the ribs back and keep your lower back happy. Inversions enliven your body,mind and spirit by reversing the effects of gravity and flood your vital organs and brain with nourishment. Namaste Garry

2010-01-28T07:38:00.000-08:00

Fire in The Belly /Garry Alesio Wed,Jan 27th 6:30-8:00Pm "Yoga Challenge Class"@ YogaBranch/Vista www.yogabranch.com Join us Wed eve for a "Fiery Core" engaging and strengthening "All Levels" advanced practice. Our spirit and body's,will be awakened with a dynamic flow then playfully we will explore,expand and support ...our practice from the inside out. We will then complete our practice with Bhastrika & Kapalbhati Pranayama "All Levels" of practitioner will go home feeling empowered, cleansed revitalized Namaste Garry

Yoga Class Music Playlist 1/27/10

2010-01-26T19:55:00.000-08:00

1. Happen / Jesse Hozeny 12:05
2. Walking Through / Kaya Project 6:13
3. Joi / Tumbara 8:10
4. Patan Part 1 / Red Buddha 8:03
5. The Warm Life of Sacred River / Pierandrea "T... 5:23
6. Red Guitars / Erik Wøllo 5:22
7. Soft Landing / David & Steve Gordon 7:06
8. Tribal Hymn / Kevin Wood 5:35
9. The Jewel In the Lotus (Tibetan Chant Plus Ur... 6:26
10. Balearic Blue / Blank & Jones 6:34
11. Desire of the Ages / Robert Carty & Sylken 11:03
12. Journey to Peace / Liquid Mind 11:20

90 Minute Class Music Playlist wk 1/19/10

2010-01-19T11:46:00.000-08:00

1. Forever / 7and5 5:10
2. Patan Part 1 / Red Buddha 8:03
3. Indra / Urban Nature 5:47
4. In My Bones / Groove Armada 4:45
5. The Warm Life of Sacred River / Pierandrea "T... 5:23
6. Aigiri Nam / N.A.i.D 5:43
7. Breath In / 7and5 4:30
8. Soft Landing / David & Steve Gordon 7:06
9. Hanuman Jai / Bronwin 8:01
10. Tribal Hymn / Kevin Wood 5:35
11. The Jewel In the Lotus (Tibetan Chant Plus Ur... 6:26
12. Where the River Joins the Ocean / Gandalf 7:10
13. Days of Wonder / Space Guru 6:36
14. Desire of the Ages / Robert Carty & Sylken 11:03
15 Liquid Mind 11:20

My Yoga Class Music Play List 1/14/2010 (90min)

2010-01-14T07:09:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends of Getinspiredyoga
Here is my Yoga Class music play list for my upcoming classes at YogaBranch/Vista & Shadowridge www.Yogabranch.com & Lajollayogacenter www.lajollayogacenter.com
week 1/14/2010 I would love hearing about the music you enjoy as well.
Blessings Garry

Gliding In Azure 7:24 David & Steve Gordon Yoga Hotel
Indra 5:47 Urban Nature Coming Home
In My Bones 4:45 Groove Armada Vertigo
The Warm Life of Sacred River 5:23 Pierandrea "The Professor" Music for Yoga
Aigiri Nam 5:43 N.A.i.D Varanasi
Breath In 4:30 7and5 In a Moment's Time
Soft Landing 7:06 David & Steve Gordon Yoga Hotel 3
At the River 6:34 Groove Armada Vertigo
Tribal Hymn 5:35 Kevin Wood Scenic Listening
Where the River Joins the Ocean 7:10 Gandalf Sacred River
Days of Wonder 6:36 Space Guru Raya Yoga - Lesson Two
Desire of the Ages 11:03 Robert Carty & Sylken The Endless Vista
Now More Than Ever 9:46 David Helpling & Jon Jenkins Treasure
Silver Part 3 7:02 Thom Brennan Silver

My Yoga Class Music Playlist 1/4/2010

2010-01-04T07:52:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends of Getinspiredyoga
A few wonderful students have requested the names of some of the music/songs which I play in class so I thought I would post it weekly,Enjoy~
Here is my Yoga Class music play list for my upcoming classes at YogaBranch/Vista & Shadowridge www.Yogabranch.com & Lajollayogacenter www.lajollayogacenter.com
week 1/4/2010 I would love hearing about the music you enjoy as well. Blessings Garry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
65 Percent 8:25 Kaya Project Elixir
Dourbiha 6:04 Mo Mo Earth 'n' Bass - Volume One
Krsna Pranam 6:26 Jaya Lakshmi & Deva Priyo Ocean of Mercy
Aigiri Nam 5:43 N.A.i.D Varanasi
The Warm Life of Sacred River 5:23 Pierandrea "The Professor" Music for Yoga
Raindance 7:25 Red Buddha Time to Relax - Wellness & Spa Edition
Gliding In Azure 7:24 David & Steve Gordon Yoga Hotel
Sacred Mountain 7:33 Karl Maddison Tibetan Groove
Saragossa's Manuscript 5:52 Patrick O'Hearn The So Flows Sessions
The Eternal Return 5:18 Kevin Wood Kindred New Age
Black Bamboo 7:33 Deborah Martin, Greg Klamt & Mark Rowland Convergence
Where the River Joins the Ocean 7:10 Gandalf Sacred River
Tranquil 8:01 Paul Avgerinos LOVE
Drawing Water 7:35 Darshan Ambient The Zen Master's Diary (Remastered)
All Things End 6:14 David Helpling Sleeping on the Edge of the World

My Teaching Schedule for 2009/2010

Tuesday 6:00-7:00PM
Peaceloveandyogastudio~Carlsbad, Ca*(starting Feb 2010
peaceloveandyogastudio.com

Wednesday 6:30-8:00PM Yoga Challange
YogaBranch Vista, Vista Ca **
Yogabranch.com

Friday 7:00-8:15AM Hot Vinyasa
LaJollaYogaCenter, La Jolla Ca
Lajollayogacenter.com

Saturday 8:00-9:15AM
Peaceloveandyogastudio/Carlsbad(starting Feb 2010)
peaceloveandyogastudio.com

Saturday 10:00-11:30AM Yoga Flow
YogaBranch Shadowridge, Vista Ca
Yogabranch.com

Sunday 8:00-9:15AM Hot Vinyasa
LaJollaYogaCenter, La Jolla Ca
Lajollayogacenter.com

Sunday 9:30-10:30AM True Beginner
LaJollaYogaCenter, La Jolla Ca
Lajollayogacenter.com

The Road More Traveled

2008-11-12T17:27:00.000-08:00

The Road More Traveled

I recently picked up an early personal growth book I was given in the beginning of my own road to some deeper level of self awareness.
The Road Less Traveled by M.Scott Peck written in 1975. It immediately brought me back to a time of personal upheaval in my life through a divorce/family structure & the perception of stability after a 24year marriage I then also reflected on my Road Traveled and the 13 years that have passed since then. It seems I have been blessed to have found more of a Road "More Traveled" than less like that book title promised if i only followed the wisdom within.

During my 54 years living in NY & working in NYC for 29 of those years There were two main roads that were famous for huge pot holes .The FDR Drive and the Cross Bronx Expressway. Those roads would be the victim of the continued freeze thaw and road salt process of the weather in the northeast. They would put a quick patch on it then watch its release of that asphalt band aid the next spring. The road side was a hub cap grave yard with 100s of interesting trophy's strewn along side the gauntlet. Once and a while a entrepreneurial soul would hang them for sale hoping perhaps that the original owner looking for an unusual match to his missing hub cap might stop by.

I then started to reflect on how at times I have still chose to drive that Road More Traveled in some ways .I then of course wonder why on those occasions I feel the all too familiar life jarring pot holes. I love the insightful mantras that support us find a smoother road to drive on like~ Don't go to the hardware store to buy a loaf of bread~, The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. My personal favorite is~ That only on a very rare occasion does a tree crash into the front of a car. Perhaps the poetry below may be an invitation for us all to drive on that Road Less Traveled in your journey and mine.

Namaste
Garry
www.getinspiredyoga.com

AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN FIVE SHORT CHAPTERS
Portia Nelson

I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I fall in.
I am lost ... I am helpless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes me forever to find a way out.

II
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in the same place
but, it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

III
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in ... it's a habit.
my eyes are open
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

IV
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

V
I walk down another street.

Life on The Edge

2008-05-09T10:37:00.000-07:00

Life on The Edge

Last week I spent a few days at Esalen www.esalen.org in Big Sur Ca. The amazing retreat center for gathering,learning and reflecting.The time I spent in the natural hot springs bath that overlooked the Pacific and the fun loving Sea Otters below seems to continue to bring me awareness to my journey.It was challenging for the first 24 hours to unsuccessfully still my distraction achieving mind. I kept checking my phone messages & emails. There were of course none there but anything was better than stillness. Whew it was like a fever that broke then I was blessed with calm. Its not the first time I have experienced that but it still catchs me off guard.

Since then I have thinking about all the ways I busy myself rather than be still.Most of them not very productive other than getting high marks for distraction. So I wondered about this need I have had to achieve & collect trophy's "of all sorts" in my life. Thankfully that need has abated but in its place is an unsettled sense of a need to know what awaits. Which is just another distraction of course.

I had a dream(while I was awake) that on my "judgement day". I don't really believe there is such a day but if there was,there would be two lines waiting to get in.
One would be the high achievers line with their arms full "life resumes"~ The other line was those that "loved well" that meaning being able to give and receive love.
I wondered which line would be longer?? This is of course only a dream! Or is it??

Namaste
Garry

He Died at his Desk

2008-05-02T11:42:00.000-07:00

I have been unable to release that phrase from my mind for weeks. A friend in NY called me to tell me about a guy he knew slightly who was 46 years old and that he had died at his desk while working.

I have been wondering if this man was living his dream and had he found his deepest passion. I also wondered if being at his desk would be the location he would have chosen and been happy with for his last breath.

Or was he not prepared and waiting for another time or next year to explore, develop or reconnect to the deepest part of himself in his work or other aspects of his life.

Having been at "my desk" for 25 years in NYC construction industry and not living but going through the motions waiting for another 5 years to add one more week to a cherished vacation that could never live up to the expectations of a 52 week wait.

A wonderful book Yoga and The Quest for The True Self written by Kripalu Yogi Stephen Cope sums it up beautifully that through our Yoga practice we will learn to become aware. It is through self inquiry that we will have no other choice but find our own "True Self".

My desk now is my yoga mat and I no longer wait 52 weeks to enjoy my life.

Namaste
Garry