Namaste
Many questions are arising about the summer session! Check out the summer schedule and our other exciting offerings in July and August. In addition to regular classes, there will be 4 timed practices to be enjoyed by donation. The money raised will go towards an AED (automated external defribrillator) for our studio. We look forward to helping you maintain your practice throughout the summer months!
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Upcoming Events
Movie Night
Friday June 22nd, 7:00 pm at KYH. Featured Movie: "I AM"
Free for members. $2 for non-members. Popcorn will be served, so come and join us.
Parvathy BaulSaturday, July 14 at 7:00pmAdmission is a suggested minimum donation of $20. Enjoy a unique musical experience! Parvathy, who is recognized around the world for her brilliant voice and masterful solos, is a true sadhika. Her music is a distinctive blend of devotional Hinduism, esoteric Sufism and Vajrayana Buddhism. Parvathy Baul is a singer, painter and storyteller from West Bengal who has committed herself to the disciplined life of spiritual and yogic training in the tradition known as Baul. Parvathy is a devotee of Sanatan Das Baul who is respected by his peers as one of the few contemporary Baul practitioners to have realized the sublime fruit of this yoga. In 2009 Parvathy received her final initiation from Sanatan Das, empowering her to represent the Baul teachings and music with students of her own. Parvathy, has attended and performed at Baul festivals in the villages of West Bengal and across India, and at international music festivals in Switzerland, Lebanon, France, Holland, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Italy, Denmark, USA and Japan. She is a full-time sadhika and one of the very few women to have withstood the hardships of the Baul practitioner's way of life. For more, please see her w ebsite: www.parvathybaul.mimemo.net Shakti Yoga and Art Retreat for Mothers and Daughters Wednesday, July 18 to Sunday July 22 9:30am to 3:30pm (2 hour lunch break) 
Let Iyengar Yoga instructor Krisna Zawaduk guide you on a unique journey through yoga asana, pranayama and philosophy and then join artist and educator Rena Warren to create beautiful mandalas using block print. $250 includes 20 hours of instruction and all materials. Surrogate daughters are welcome. Minimum age of participants is 13. Krisna and Rena have over 30 years combined experience in Iyengar Yoga, formal art and e  ducation practice. In 2006, they travelled together with their families and since have both made several trips to that country of deep inspiration. For registration or more information, contact Krisna at 250-869-8771 nerolidevi@hotmail.com or Rena at 250-448- 5533 capricornucopia@hotmail.com
See the "Events" section on the website for further information on any of the above events!
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Deepening Awareness through Dynamic Action: A student's perspective on the Linda Shevloff Workshop - June 8-10, 2012
by Laurie DeBray
As a participant in the Linda Shevloff workshop this past weekend, I am grateful for the many insights received in body, mind, and spirit through her energetic and inspiring instruction. Linda is a Senior Canadian Iyengar yoga teacher who guides her students to find precision, dynamic action, and awareness within the poses. As we worked on straightening unevenness in the body through proper alignment and extension, energy flow was enhanced and blockages within the body were encouraged to release.
Linda gave an example of how energy leaks from our bodies and minds: A candle when first bought is straight and well shaped. After being lit, it forms a pool of wax that gradually begins to drip over the sides causing the candle to become uneven and misshapen. In a similar way, our own bodies and minds leak energy over time, becoming unbalanced through illness, injury, wear and tear, and lack of awareness. In this workshop we worked on smoothing out the bumps, blockages, and obstacles within our own minds and bodies to the best of our capabilities.
Each pose was practised several times with long holdings and a focus on alignment. We were constantly reminded to make the legs dense (not hollow) and to flatten the backs of the knees "like chapattis". In standing poses awareness was sharpened as we were instructed to stretch from the inner groins to the inner knees, from the inner knees to the inner ankles, and from the inner ankles to the inner heels, lifting the inner arches and grounding the outer sides of the feet. We were reminded to "comb the thighs" making them straight by rolling them in and pressing them back and down. Each pose required deep concentration as we worked towards bringing our bodies and minds into as much alignment, balance, and awareness as we were able.
The workshop was very dynamic and included standing poses, inversions, twists, lateral extensions, forward bends, and backbends. On the last day, backbends formed the heart of the class, with a continued focus on mobility and smoothing out unevenness. We were encouraged to open, extend, and expand to our maximum in the asanas while maintaining awareness of a stable foundation. To get the action of opening the chest and collar bones and taking the shoulders and dorsal spine into the back, we sat in Virasana (Hero pose), extending forward with elbows and forearms pressing down, first on low stools, then on wood blocks while lowering the chest toward the floor. This action helped prepare us for all of the backbending poses that followed.
Rope work was enlivening as we did backbends with our shins against the wall, strongly lifting up through the chest and sternum and extending through the thighs. We also released and opened the body in rope-supported backbends with legs straight, feet on the wall, and arms pressing into the floor or a bolster. These poses brought exhilaration, lightness, and energy to the body and mind.
In Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow) from the floor, we were instructed to "let the head go as if it were filled with cement", neither holding it back nor forcing it down. This instruction resonated with me as we so often 'lead with the head', either by overdoing the action or by not taking it far enough. In this way, Linda encouraged us to be more open to the balanced flow of energy within the body/mind that brings freedom and ease to the pose.
Finally, after all this effort, our Savasana felt deep and spacious. Linda had challenged us all to penetrate and discern the necessary actions and awareness in the poses, leaving imprints not only in the body, but also within the mind and heart. Although I could feel every muscle that had been so strongly engaged, the mind felt enlivened and refreshed as if an invigorating breeze had just swept through my being. This workshop taught me a great deal about how our energy needs to flow more and more freely in the body and the mind without becoming stuck in blocked limbs and limited thinking. Balancing just the right amount of intelligent effort and discernment with an equal amount of letting go allows channels in the body and mind to be more open to the 'effortless effort' that sustains and nourishes our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
We extend our deep gratitude to you, Linda, for sharing your expert teaching with us and welcome your return soon to Kelowna Yoga House.
 Stephanie Kiesling (left) and Krisna Zawaduk (right) |
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Thank you to everyone who attended our founder Margaret Lunham's Celebration of Life and to all of the people who helped organize such a beautiful and inspiring tribute.
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"Make friends with your body before your body turns against you." Raya from the IYAC AGM in Toronto
Go Deeper: Kelowna Yoga House
1272 St. Paul Street, Kelowna, British Columbia V1Y 2C9
250-862-4906
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If you would like to see more photos from the Linda Shevloff Workshop and Margaret Lunam's Celebration of Life, then:
to view more!
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Yogini of the Month
 Yogawarehouse.ca is featuring Krisna as their first ever Yogi of the Month! Here is an excerpt from the interview:
What does Yoga mean to you? This is a huge question. There are the definitions of Yoga given in the scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras etc, and I wholeheartedly agree with each one. Yoga is a process as well as a way of being. For me Yoga is discipline and surrender. It is opening oneself to grace through constant self-observation, devotion, and service. It demands that we face our fears and the unsavory aspects of personality and behavior. It is a process of "unconditioning" ourselves. Yoga is awareness and energy management. And, it is "just this". Perhaps I am sounding a bit vague, but that is because of the enormity of the subject, Yoga is imbued with so much meaning. There are so many levels to it, so many practices have been given, there is so much to explore. There are so many doors you can take to open inwards, and once you have glimpsed that crystal clear vision of your true and divine essence, you can have a fearlessly intimate and unfettered relationship with life, not to mention a realistic view of death and beyond. To see more, click through to the
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One Woman's Journey
by Tracy Forsythe
(Tracy at Robert's Creek)
The definition of journey is 1. Trip somewhere 2. Process of development. My journey to Robert's Creek on the Sunshine Coast for the Introductory II Assessment to become a certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher was definitely the combination of the two aforementioned definitions. The teacher training process in the Iyengar method is... Click here to read more... |
Iyengar Yoga Teacher Training at KYH
Are you a keen student of Iyengar Yoga who would like to train to become a teacher? Contact Deborah Lomond (250-769-6413) or Krisna Zawaduk (250-869-8771) for details.
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Aparigraha:
Non-Hoarding
by Terry Tustain
The concept of non-hoarding or non-collecting is something I often think about. It is a yama (external ethical observance) which seems to be quite close to home, in a literal sense. I have only to look about my house to see the things which I have acquired over the years, many of which are quite unnecessary to my life. As much as I like simplicity in design and interior decoration, it seems I have a natural inclination to accumulate things I don't really need. i have an equally strong inclination not to get rid of them. It is as if the acquiring and keeping of things will protect me from something. In fact, parigraha (greed/collecting) diverts my attention from what I know I ought to be doing. The adding of more "stuff" to my life is a way of entertaining myself, of delaying the work at hand, or in a larger sense, the putting off of the doing of my duty. It is also the denial of faith in any higher power to provide what might be needed in the future.
In the section of Light on Yoga which deals with aparigraha, Iyengar says that the yogi keeps faith "by keeping before him the image of the moon". The moon waxes and wanes but does not "stray from its path" and is "indifferent to man's lack of appreciation". It knows that its fullness will return, and with it, our admiration. It does nothing but its own work, with a firm faith in renewal. In my yoga practice I try, not always successfully, to have faith that a consistent and steady practice will yield consistent and steady results. It is when this faith falters that I can overdo things, eager for more and quicker results. This overdoing, without patience or trust that progress is usually slow but sure, often causes injury. This, I think, is also a form of parigraha. It has always been a challenge to me to accept that progress tends to be slow. Iyengar goes on to say that "by the observance of aparigraha the yogi makes his life as simple as possible and trains his mind not to feel the loss or the lack of anything". Later, he says that the sadhaka (practitioner) develops the capacity to remain satisfied with whatever happens to him. This equal acceptance of success or failure is very much a work in progress for me.
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What is an AED?
In January of this year the teachers and teachers in training from KYH completed a First Aid and CPR course through St. John's Ambulance. At this all-day course, we learned how to use an AED or automated external defibrillator. An AED is used in cases of life threatening cardiac arrhythmias which lead to cardiac arrest.The teachers brought the idea to the Board to fundraise for the purchase of this device. An AED costs approximately $1600. Over the course of the year we will be offering Timed Practices By Donation with 100 percent of the proceeds going towards the purchase of this device. See our Summer Schedule for the practice dates.
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Willing to Billet?
We have teachers arriving in Kelowna on September 19 from across the country to participate in a therapeutic workshop series at Kelowna Yoga House. If you are interested in hosting one of these teachers for a few days, please contact Krisna at nerolidevi@hotmail.com
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Student Testimonials
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Do you have a story about Iyengar Yoga or want to
share your pictures with our community? Drop us a line at
kelownayogahouse@telus.net
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RECIPE
Pear Salad with Walnuts & Roquefort
1 bunch arugula
1 bunch watercress
4-5 tbsp chopped walnuts
1/2 cup Roquefort cheese, crumbled
2 ripe pears
Vinaigrette:
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
6 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp raspberry vinegar
1 tbsp honey
salt and freshly ground pepper
Wash and dry the greens and remove the stalks. Rip leaves into pieces and place in a serving bowl.
To make the vinaigrette, whisk the garlic and olive oil and raspberry vinegar. Season to taste with honey, slat and pepper. Pour over the greens and mix well.
Peel the pears and remove the core. Quarter the pears or cut in to slices. Put the pears in the bowl with the salad and toss. Sprinkle the walnuts and Roquefort cheese over the top and serve.
Serves 4
(Recipe taken from 500 Salads by Susannah Blake)
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