|
|
 Long Island Yoga Association
SATSANG |
| Volume 14 Issue 4 |
Autumn 2009 | |
|
LIYA Officers
|
President
Laura Inserra
Vice President
Nancy Owens
Treasurer
Jeff Logan
Recording Secretary
Robin Shores
Directors
Roxana Lucero
Gail Scamoni
Elayne Seligman
Ann Slattery
Marie Wooley
President Emeritus
Marianne Mitsinikos
|
Save the Date
|
Leslie Kaminoff
Yoga Anatomy & The Breathing Body
November 14, 2009
Lauren Schumacher
AUM is Where the Heart Is - A Heartwarming Blend of Asana & Kirtan
December 5, 2009
|
|
| Greetings!
This is the maiden voyage of our Satsang on the web!! It was not a planned decision, we had discussed changing next year from print to email because of the tremendous costs, time and energy involved in the production of this newsletter. However, so much information needed to get to the membership ASAP and with the end of summer and our fall schedule quickly approaching, it seemed like the best time. We hope you enjoy this first issue.
This fall is going to be very busy for LIYA. The LIYA Conference is being held on October 2-4 at St. Joseph's Renewal Center. The schedule will have something for everyone including asana, meditation, and chanting on Saturday evening with WAH! The cost for this event is only $250 and includes all classes, meals, overnight accommodations, and the concert. Please register as soon as possible.
In addition, our elections are happening this fall. One week after the September 12th workshop, the membership will receive the Nominating Ballots in the mail. Members must have fulfilled both requirements of attending three (3) board meetings and five (5) workshops in 2009 before the nomination date of October 13th in order to be placed on the election ballot. Election ballots will be mailed to the membership by October 21st. Please cast your votes and return the ballot to the Election Committee address. Ballots must be postmarked by or before November 15th to be counted. The elected Board will be announced at the December workshop. The Board will then select the Officers, i.e., President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary from the Directors that the membership has elected.
The current Board will be discussing and, consequently, voting on a change in our future scheduling as well as costs for future workshops. LIYA has worked very hard to keep the cost of workshops and retreats for members to the lowest amount possible while still providing highly qualified teachers. However, LIYA expenses, such as rent, insurance, printing, mailing, and refreshments have increased. One factor that that has influenced our bottom line is the cost of maintaining our summer workshops. Since they are not as well attended as the workshops during the rest of the year, LIYA conducts these workshops at a loss. This summer we were forced to cancel a workshop because of low attendance. Historically, the founding members of LIYA did not hold summer workshops; they were added later on and have had a record of lower attendance numbers. LIYA needs a minimum of 30 attendees at a workshop to break even and, from September to June, this has never been a problem. Therefore, eliminating the July and August workshops is under consideration because it would help to reduce our costs. The Board will be reviewing and debating other costs cutting options at our October Board Meeting. You are all welcome to attend and to have your opinion heard. LIYA's best future depends on its members stepping forward and becoming involved. Please join us at this and other Board Meetings, which for our members' convenience, are scheduled before every monthly workshop at 8:00 a.m. and held on the third floor at United Methodist Church in Farmingdale.
Your participation is very important as it is your input that enables the Board to direct LIYA's continued development along a course best suited to the needs of our members and the continuance of our mission. Please attend as often as you are able. Thank you.
Namaste,
Laura Inserra
Member Spotlight
Cherly Tortorice at a Workshop
 |
|
|
Holistic Practices for Brain Health and Memory Improvement
By Rosemary Barnitz, RN, RYT
|
|
Affirmations: All life is change, and my mind is flexible. I relax and remember.
Aromatherapy: Patchouli, white thyme, rosemary, cloves, citronella, coriander, ginger.
Asana:
Adhomukha Vrksasana
Janu Sirsasana
Paschimottanasana
Prasarita Padottanasana
Adhomukha Svanasana
Uttanasana
Halasana
Supta Baddhakonasana
Supta Virasana
Setubandha Sarvangasana
Viparita Karani
Savasana
Diet: Concentrate on a lower calorie diet containing some non-animal protein (nuts, seeds, beans, legumes) at each meal along with complex carbohydrates and a variety of vegetables especially green leafy ones. Sesame seeds and butters are especially good as are blueberries, omega 3 rich fish (salmon), kidney beans, pinto beans, cranberries, artichoke hearts, blackberries, prunes, raspberries, strawberries, red delicious apples, granny smith apples, pecans, cherries, plums, russet potatoes, black beans, and gala apples.
Drink green tea, and season foods with anise, basil, cardamom, chives, cilantro, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, leaks, onions, oregano, rosemary, and sage. You can also make a tea, from one or more of these spices, and sip it as a tonic whenever your power of concentration is waning.
Meditation: Areas of the brain involved in attention and memory are thicker in those who meditate regularly.
Pranayama: Ujayi
Avoid: Alcohol and other central nervous system depressants, environmental toxins, lack of sleep, over processed foods, polyunsaturated vegetable oils, smoking, stress, and foods containing trans fats.
|
| LIYA-brary Corner
By Betty Phillip |
 In the introduction to her amazing DVD Get Fit Where You Sit! - Chair Yoga, Lakshmi Voelker talks about her inspiration for creating her Chair Yoga. She wanted to help a friend and yogi who developed rheumatoid arthritis and could no longer get down on her mat to do yoga. Imagine being wheel-chair bound or arthritic and losing much of your mobility. In this DVD, Voelker presents two classes. The first class is an energizing series and the second class is a balancing series. Both classes can be concluded with a deep relaxation tailored for individuals who have challenges which preclude doing postures and deep relaxation on the floor.
She teaches each of the two classes in two steps: First, she demonstrates the entire class including breathing, asanas, and mudras as well as Chinese acupressure that you can do to yourself. After you feel comfortable with the step-by-step routine, you can do the regular class, which is identical in content, but with less verbal instruction making it possible to go more deeply within for a peaceful and calming experience. She also demonstrates each asana for three different mobility levels: low, moderate, and high. She indicates that you may have low mobility on one side of your body and high mobility on the other side and that you can mix the levels for your own benefit. She uses both the Sanskrit and English names of each posture. Her excellent instructions on doing the acupressure were simple and can enable you to do a wonderful knee massage for yourself. I found the incorporation of acupressure into this particular practice to be a wonderful bonus for someone with limited mobility because it can enhance the pleasure of his or her yoga practice.
After either class, whether you choose the step-by-step routine or regular routine, you can finish your practice with a deep relaxation while sitting up straight in a chair. The peaceful sounds of ocean waves induce a relaxation state aided by Voelker's instructions on where to place pillows and how to use your breath to have a wonderful rest.
This practice can be used by seniors, office workers, frequent flyers, wheel-chair users, the overweight, the disabled, or even the temporarily fatigued or inflexible yoga practitioner. This is an excellent DVD whether you are a student practicing by yourself or a teacher who encounters students with limited mobility. Thanks to Lakshmi Voelker's innovative and creative Get Fit Where You Sit! DVD, you need not sit out of yoga classes anymore. Just pull up a chair!
|
KARNAPIDASANA (Ear Pressure Pose)
By Jeff Logan
|
 This asana should be practiced as a continuation of Halasana (Plow Pose). To prepare for Karnapidasana, you might want to put a few folded blankets on your mat to support your shoulders so your neck does not over stretch in this rather intense pose. Your head should rest on the floor a little below the level of the shoulders. First, come into Halasana using the above mentioned support. Keeping your feet on the floor, bend your legs, separate the knees slightly, and bring them near your ears as shown in the illustration. Be sure not to collapse your chest while doing this so that you are able to maintain steady and even breathing. Do not despair if your shinbones do not make it to the floor at first. Yoga postures are processes, not events. To come out of Karnapidasana, first return to Halasana and then roll down to a supine position to rest. Reflect on the inward journey you have just experienced |
Yogi's Kitchen
By Robin Shores
Sun-dried Tomato and Artichoke Dip  |
|
Ingredients
9 oz. box frozen artichokes, thawed, chopped or, 14 1/2 oz. canned variety
1/2 cup feta cheese
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil packed ) and extra for garnish
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
Course salt and fresh ground pepper
Whole wheat baguette, sliced and toasted
Directions
1. In a food processor, combine 1/2 cup artichokes, 1/4 cup feta, garlic, lemon juice, and
2 teaspoons water. Puree until smooth.
2. In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, pine nuts, basil, remaining chopped artichokes, and
remaining 1/4 cup feta cheese. Puree and season with salt and pepper.
3. Serve on baguette slices and garnish with sun-dried tomatoes.
This dip can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and stored in refrigerator.
|
 |
|
|
In a Word...Dhyana (Part 3 of 4)
By Gail Scamoni |
In the previous two articles, I reviewed the physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits of meditation practice and highlighted the fact that through concentration, we prepare the ground for meditation and, subsequently, samadhi to arise spontaneously. Also highlighted, by reference to Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, was meditation's role in the extinction of the endless chatter of our minds, the obstacles, i.e., mental and emotional resistance, to our practice, and the gradual unfettering and liberation of our lives through the natural inner process that occurs through our regular practice.
Objects of Meditation
Tip: Meditation, whether it be part of a secular or non-secular tradition, requires an object of meditation to help us concentrate. Different traditions use different focus points to engage the mind in concentration and higher forms of contemplation. As you begin a meditation practice, or reinvigorate an existing practice, you may want to explore the various traditions as well as the various objects to find those best suited to you. Selection of a tradition and an object of meditation is and must be subjective. You want to settle on something that inspires you and facilitates concentration. Due to our various temperaments and tendencies, no one tradition or object is right for all of us.
Objects of meditation are: repetition, aloud or silently, of a mantra; recitation of the universal mantra, "Aum; mindfulness meditation; visualization on a symbol, deity, object of choice, and most effective of all, light; cultivation of a virtue by focusing on it and allowing the corresponding feeling states to arise; sensations of any one of the senses can become an object, i.e., sound, sight, smell, taste, and touch; contemplation and continual rumination aloud and silently on a text or a teaching; and, the most traditional and universal of all, staring at a flame (trataka) to still the mind, quiet the senses, and cultivate deep concentration both before and after meditative absorption.
Meditation Basics
Tip: First and foremost, remember you start by concentrating on your object of meditation and allow the meditative state to arise spontaneously. There is no need for performance anxiety and, if you have any expectations about what meditation should be, it is best to leave them behind the moment you sit down. Most importantly, as thoughts arise, let go of them gently and do not get lost in analyzing them--this would just be thinking about thinking and not meditation. Do not judge your thoughts or yourself for having them--this can create emotional disturbance and completely disrupt your practice. Last but not least, do not have the idea that you must forcibly stop or control your thoughts in any way. Your only task is to be present, to observe, and to continue to bring your mind back to your point of focus, i.e., object of meditation.
1. Find a quiet spot and a time where you can be free of interruptions. Sit in a comfortable position. You can also sit on a chair but be sure your legs are uncrossed and your feet are flat on the floor.
2. Do be sure that your spine is straight and erect but not strained or forced. Keep your neck and head erect with your chin just slightly tucked to insure that you do not tense neck muscles.
3. Place your hands on your lap in a comfortable position, or if you prefer, in mudra.
4. Begin to scan your entire body and wherever you have muscle tension or are experiencing discomfort, make the necessary adjustments to these will not distract you during your practice.
5. Breathe naturally or do a pranayamic technique like nadi shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) for a few minutes. The breath itself can be observed as a point of concentration and can be sustained as the substance of the practice until the meditative state is achieved.
6. Begin your practice with your chosen object of meditation.
Meditation is one of the most singularly powerful and effective transformational tools in the history of consciousness and it can be practiced anytime, anywhere, and requires no external support. Meditation facilitates personal change--whether that change be along the lines of cultivating more positive states or shedding negative states. Remember, one's own self is the true object and goal of meditation. Both the object and goal need to be held loosely for what you believe, know, and come to realize about them will change over the course of your practice until, as yoga and other spiritual traditions promise, you arrive at the stable ground of the universal (or true or eternal) self.
| |
|
SATSANG
Satsang is a quarterly newsletter for distribution to the members of the Long Island Yoga Association. The articles published in Satsang reflect the views of the authors and not necessarily of LIYA. However, the Board of Directors reserves the right to make final decisions regarding inclusion of submissions to Satsang. Letters to the editor, articles for publication, comments and suggestions are welcomed. Address correspondence to:
LIYA: SATSANG
Nancy Owens, Editor Gail Scamoni, Assistant Editor
PO BOX 657, Northport, NY 11768
Or email: nowens@optonline.net
E-mail the association at: Longislandyogaassociation@yahoo.com
Visit our website at: www.longislandyogaassociation.org
Call us at: 631-261-1777
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
