N E W S L E T T E R.. A R C H I V E S • Y O G A L I C I O U S #3 — August / 2000

Namaste Yogis and Yoginis, Welcome to the 3rd issue of The Yogalicious Newsletter. The inspiration for this newsletter comes from many of your questions regarding deepening your yoga experience and practice. I love to receive your comments, submissions, and word on how you doing. PS. Don’t miss the YOGA VACATION IN PARADISE at the bottom of this newsletter! Enjoy Jillian
 
—— IN THIS ISSUE ——

“When you don’t punish or condemn yourself, when you relax more and appreciate your body and mind, you begin to contact the fundamental goodness in yourself.” CHOGYAM TRUNGPA, founder of Shambala Meditation Center, author of a VERY COOL BOOK called CUTTING THROUGH SPIRITUAL MATERIALISM.
 
PURIFICATION AND CHANTING RETREAT
Over July 4th weekend I went to a retreat in Roscoe, NY with Yoga Master Dharma Mittra and Krishna Das, Chanter Extraordinary. I camped under the stars near a rushing river with my best friend Nicole. (Instead of buying birthday gifts for each other each year, we celebrate by going to a yoga retreat.) Each day we woke at 6:30 am for 90 minutes of pranayama and purification techniques, two hours of asana practice (postures), and an evening Kirtan with Krisha Das. It was a pretty intense retreat. Moment by moment we were encouraged to “Be receptive — Don’t expect the fruits of your labor.” Since I have been home, I have been enjoying more pranayama and chanting in my personal practice and in my classes.    back to top
 
KAPALABHATI BREATHING
Kapalabhati is a cleansing breath and best practiced before main pranayamas and asana practice. This technique takes a while to get the hang of; don't worry if after the first few hundred times, it still seems horrible. It took me three years to dig it. To perform Kapalabhati, you breath in and out rapidly, powerfully contracting the stomach muscles back towards the spine to create a sharp expulsion of air. After each exhale, immediately let go of the contraction, allow the belly to soften and inflate, letting the inhale happens naturally via the recoiling of the abdominal wall. When you are starting out, go as slow as YOU need to, and do only as many repetitions as feels comfortable. As you become more experienced, build up to one exhalation a second, and eventually two per second. This technique is not recommended for those with high blood pressure, or eye or ear problems. Benefits: cleanses the nasal passages and sinuses, purifies the blood, removes phlegm, improves circulation, tones nervous system, stimulates and massages liver, spleen, and pancreas, improves digestion and elimination, and strengthens the abdominals. For more info on breathing techniques, check out THE COMPLETE YOGA BOOK by James Hewitt. Or check out Dharma Mittra’s Purificaiton Class Fridays at 6:30. 3rd avenue at 23rd street.     back to top
 
A NOTE ON CHANTING
Chanting, or Mantra Yoga, is much more than the spiritual act of singing. Chanting stimulates, opens, and purifies your nervous system, throat and heart centers. It’s also known to evoke the relaxation response, lower blood pressure, and heighten mental clarity and creative expression. You don’t need a good singing voice (trust me!), or knowledge of the meanings of the chants in order to receive the benefits. For more information and Kirtan schedules check out http://www.krishnadas.com      back to top
 
CHANTING OM
Om is the original and most powerful mantra. The Meaning of OM, like Amen means THAT which manifests as all that is. OM is the “word” as in; “in the beginning was the word” which means primal sound or vibration from which all other names and forms arise and to which we all return. Repetition of OM dissolves the mind in it’s Divine Source. Chanting OM several times aloud purifies the atmosphere.     back to top
 
ESSENTIAL OILS
Found a great selection of essential oil at Enfleurage at 321 Bleecker St. Phone: 212-691-1610. http://www.enfleurage.com      back to top
 
DESKTOP YOGA WEBSITE
Need a quick fix at your desk? Check out this site for some simple stretches. http://www.will-harris.com/yoga      back to top
 
ASKING FOR GUIDANCE
Last month, during shivanasana I introduced the practice of asking, “Is there anything I need to know right now?” I learned this from my teacher Erich Schiffmann. It’s my favorite technique for listening inward. It’s best to ask this question when you are relaxed and receptive like at the end of shivansa or meditation. You don’t have to address the question to anyone specific; just posing the question helps set up the atmosphere for information to flow back in to you. Ask with faith, willingness, and an attitude that you DO NOT know the answer! Simply put the question out there, knowing at some point you will receive an answer. Sometimes an idea, thought, image, memory, or word will flow in immediately, sometimes you’ll get it in your fortune cookie that night, or in the shower the next morning, or from a song lyric the next week. The point is when you practice asking for guidance, you begin to open your mind and heart to a larger body of information than you “think” you have. It’s a practice; the more you do it, the better at it you get, the more you begin to receive the benefits.   back to top
 
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM FELLOW YOGIS
Thanks Thamar for sending in this recommendation: MOLECULES OF EMOTION: The Science Behind Mind Body Medicine,’ by Candace Pert, PhD. It gives a very readable account explaining how emotions are stored in your body, how they influence our memories as well as how they influence what we are able to perceive in our surroundings. I cannot put it down! Thamara.     back to top
 
PUBLISHED IN SIMPLYCITY MAGAZINE
I recently had an article published, YOGA SIMPLIFIED, in the July issue of SIMPLYCITY magazine. You can find the magazine at Barnes & Nobel, Hudson News, or in Health Food stores. You can also read it at http://www.simplycity.com      back to top
 
YOGA VACATION WITH JILLIAN MEXICO
Save the date now for a unforgettable Yoga Vacation in Paradise with Jillian (me). March 17-24, 2001 in Isla Mujeres, Mexico. Renew yourself with 7 days of soft white sand, crystal Caribbean water, golden sunshine and YOGA EVERY DAY. Enjoy a two-hour yoga class each morning and five evening classes, which will include restorative poses, meditation, and deep relaxation, and meditation on the beach too! The rest of the time is yours to vacation however desire. Come to play rigorously or retreat deeply. Hotel Na Balam is on Isla Mujeres’s, a tiny gem on Mexico’s Turquoise Coast. The Resort is directly on the beach. Amenities include: Gourmet restaurant featuring a fusion of Mayan and Vegetarian cuisine; Secluded pool; Therapeutic Massage; Swimming, Snorkeling, Fishing and Scuba Diving; Two Palapa Bars, a Snack Bar and a Fresh Juice Bar. The open-air yoga studio is equipped with mats, blocks, and straps. The hotel is set in spacious tropical gardens complete with hammocks hanging under the palm trees. The Tiki bar is the perfect spot for Sunset-watching. (nice combo huh?) Check out the Hotel website at http://www.nabalam.com and also http://www.Isla-Mujeres.net You’ll find links there that will give you more info about the island. Cost is $875 and includes all yoga classes, daily breakfast, Welcome and Farewell dinners, and accommodations (based on double occupancy). Come alone, come with a friend, OR you can even share the vacation with a friend who does not practice yoga; the package minus yoga is $750. To hold your spot a 50% deposit is due by November 31, 2000. Cost doesn’t include Airfare, other meals, other activities or excursions, transportation to and from hotel. I’ll be sending out another flyer on this soon. Attendance is limited to 23 yoga students. If you have questions please email me. Hope to hang with you there!     back to top
 
NEW YOGA CLASSES
It’s great to see so many of you in my new Yoga classes at Power Pilates. Thanks for your presence, I'm honored. Those of you, who haven’t gotten a chance to come by, please do! First class is FREE. Mon & Fri 12:30-1:30. Tue & Thur 7:15pm-8:40. Power Pilates is at 49 23rd street. 10th floor.      back to top
 
UP COMING WORKSHOPS
Restorative Yoga: July 24, at 8:30pm at YMCA. Developing Your Home Practice: August 14 at 8:30pm at YMCA. Email for details. Also, email me for my complete teaching schedule.     back to top
 
Well my friends, thanks for your attention. I had a lot of fun putting this together. Please let me know if you have an e-mail address change or would like to be taken off this distribution. In addition, if you have friends that would like to be added to this list please have them send their E-mail address. Much joy, Jillian

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