By training their minds, advanced yogis do not allow circumstances to dictate the state of their consciousness. They understand that everything outside of themselves is always changing and that resisting or judging or responding negatively to those outside circumstances is futile and non-productive at best.

As a yogi, it is important, therefore, to keep training not only physically during your practice, but also mentally. You can begin by becoming aware of your thoughts during each yoga session. For example, if the thought occurs to you that the class is too hot, or not hot enough, observe that thought and then let it go. Instead of dwelling on the temperature, take your attention back to your breath and doing your best in the asanas.

During savasanas, allow both your body and your mind to relax in stillness. Practice resting in silence with no thoughts or emotions. Again, as thoughts or emotions arise, go back to consciously breathing and relaxing.

Begin to be aware that you are not a victim of a “ping-pong” mind, one that moves back and forth helplessly, perhaps recklessly, without control. By training your mind in yoga, you will realize that the majority of unhappiness, restlessness and dissatisfaction is self-created. In fact, by stilling the mind of its fluctuations, you will discover a deep source of happiness and peace.

Avoid getting “stuck” in the beginning/intermediate stages of yoga where students pay more attention to the physical component of the practice. Set an intention to clear your analytical mind and ignore pesky, ping-ponging thoughts about physical preferences and desires.

By consciously training the mind along with the body in yoga, yogis begin to find that, “When the undulating waves of consciousness are stilled by yoga, the sage beholds in the inner calm the omnipresent Eternal Tranquility,” as Paramahansa Yogananda said.

Someday a fly on the wall at yoga might hear only the sounds of contentment.

Student of the Month September 2010

Tell us about yourself, Laura.
I manage a tech manufacturing factory in Redwood City and co-own a small production winery in Russian River. I enjoy travel, being exposed to different cultures, spending time with old friends and making new ones. Yoga has helped me find new ways to heighten my senses with exploration of self discovery. My practice has opened so many of these doors. My epiphany has been to embrace the stillness when I am so eager to rush past. The joy is in the journey, so I attempt to follow the most diverse and interesting path welcoming change and the lessons.

How and when did you discover yoga?
I’ve been practicing yoga since ‘08 but really intensified my practice in January 09. I committed myself then to a daily practice as a goal for the year. I found myself in different places, spaces and countries due to a hectic schedule, but soon realized the extraordinary benefits in helping me cope and deal with all the noise. Yoga has been my antidote to managing stress.

What style of yoga do you practice?
I am gratefully addicted to Bikram. I love the expression of challenging physical isometrics with the calming effects and mental escape. I am continually in awe of the amazing feeling following every class. It’s true when teacher Beverly says “you hear the dialogue every class but the same words will have a different meaning when you are ready to hear it.” Teacher Diana gives such nurturing guidance and Teacher Vicki’s “plug yourself in” and “belly breath” gives me a restored calm on the days I am most in need. Bikram at Being Yoga is a reset for me in these chaotic times and a sanctuary retreat that keeps me grounded, aware and always grateful.

How has Being Yoga helped you in your journey?
Being Yoga has introduced a special balance: solace to my mind when there is chatter, a calm to my soul when there is challenge and a peace to my heart when there is conflict.

Any final words of wisdom or encouragement for the students?
Commit to a regular practice. The regular focus will stimulate self awareness. Realize the journey is long (hopefully) and that your learning never stops – it’s always evolving. You will find more meaning in all you do and best of all, each time you come, your gift is to yourself is that “healing feeling.”

Despite the purported “ease” of summer, often times this season brings a whole new set of stresses with it. Kids are out of school and underfoot, workloads increase as colleagues leave on vacation, and home life intensifies with visitors from out of town. Yoga is still very much needed to help with the first “D” – “De-stress.” De-stressing through yoga is important at this time so that even with the extra summer demands placed on parents, employees, or hosts, all can remain patient and calm. Staying de-stressed, people sustain a higher energy level during the day, sleep more peacefully at night, and generally have a happier, more productive summer.

The second of the 3-D’s, or “De-crease,” is a reminder that especially during the summer – with increased outdoor activity levels – people need to de-crease their stiffness and increase their flexibility. Staying flexible and strong through yoga helps to de-crease chances of injuries during extra summer sports and to de-crease the recovery time it takes for muscles to heal after the strain of new or extended exercise.

Finally, the third “D” of the 3-D’s, “De-velop,” refers to the fact that during each season – whether it be fall, winter, spring or summer – de-veloping one’s spiritual side should continue to be a top priority. There’s not a season where developing self-control and peace of mind isn’t important, and continuing a regular yoga practice helps keep a yogi on the path to successful self-realization and, therefore, joy. As Paramahansa Yogananda said: “Success . . . is a little seed-thought and you have to develop it . . . All kinds of seeds of power are within you, waiting for you to develop them.” There’s no summer break for developing those positive “seed-thoughts.”

So, again, we at Being Yoga urge you to keep in mind the “3-D’s” and make a commitment to your summer yoga practice!

Tell us about you and your new family member:

Mike and I have had a “life-events” filled year. We got engaged in July 2009. In December 2009, we found out I was pregnant and due in August 2010. Therefore, we scaled back our larger wedding plans and on June 5, 2010 we got married on the beach in Lake Tahoe surrounded by our family and closest friends. On Tuesday, July 13, 2010, Penelope Gemma Breen (aka Poppy) entered the world 5.5 weeks early. She weighed 4 lbs 15 oz and was 18.75 inches long. Due to her early arrival, she was transferred from Sequoia Hospital to El Camino Hospital’s Level III NICU. She is absolutely beautiful and we expect her home in early August.

How and when did you discover yoga?

Cathy: I was introduced to Power Ashtanga yoga after I pulled my groin training for a marathon in the late 1990’s, but I was not devoted to a certain style of yoga until I joined Being Yoga. I have been practicing Bikram yoga at Being Yoga since September 2008. A friend introduced me to the studio and I fell in love.

Mike: I read about the benefits of yoga in a book called Going Long so I started practicing Vinyasa Flow yoga twice a week in 2006 as part of my training for the Coeur d’Alene Ironman. I joined Being Yoga in September 2008, but increased my practice significantly in the past year.

What style of yoga do you practice?

We have tried several styles of yoga, but we are most dedicated to Bikram and Yin. We practice 3 to 5 times per week at Being Yoga and in Tahoe. We love the discipline of Bikram. It allows us 26 opportunities to improve and learn. Yin provides an awesome balance with Bikram. It allows us to really focus on the meditative qualities of yoga.

Why do you practice yoga?

Cathy: I initially started practicing yoga to supplement my triathlon training, but it has become one of my primary forms of fitness. It has helped me be grateful every single day. It calms me and gives me patience. I love the people, the positive atmosphere, and the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of this practice. Yoga provides Mike and me a great opportunity to do something positive together.

Mike: I assumed I just had to live with chronic back pain until I discovered yoga. Bikram yoga has eliminated this pain entirely so I practice for my back’s health. I also practice because it promotes healthy eating, better sleep and a healthy lifestyle. It has increased my productivity, focus and patience at work and at home. Finally, I practice because yoga is helping me become a better triathlete.

How has Being Yoga helped you on your journey?

Being Yoga supports both of our journeys. We love the people we practice with and all of the teachers. The dialogue is virtually the same, but we learn from each teacher’s different style and approach. We are so thankful for Being Yoga.

Any final words of wisdom or encouragement for the students?

Cathy: When I am having a difficult time staying present, I visualize that my thoughts are clouds passing by as teacher Diana recommends (it works, J!). When I have ants in my pants, I like to break the class into 4 parts (warm-up, last one minute hold posture – standing bow, final standing series posture – tree/toe, floor series) so that I celebrate mini-victories along the way. Despite doubts at the beginning of class, I always walk out of the studio so grateful that I came to class that day.

Mike: When I need extra motivation to go to class, I visualize how good I am going to feel after class. This positive association gets me to the studio every time and I never regret the decision.

There you were in Eagle—extremely hot, standing on one trembling leg with both arms and legs wrapped tightly around each other, sweat dripping off your chin, and your mind racing around in your head shouting out directions and corrections as you were fighting to hold on to the posture with every ounce of your strength – when somewhere, far from the distant peripheral edges of your awareness, you heard a calm voice state . . . “It doesn’t have to be a struggle.”

“WHAT?” you might have asked yourself, “How can you NOT struggle in Eagle? Isn’t fighting and struggling to someday attain a perfect posture what yoga’s all about?”

Please read on to understand this somewhat confusing suggestion and the studio’s Theme of the Month, “It doesn’t have to be a struggle”:

There’s a good chance the calm voice mentioned above was that of Teacher Kevin. Kevin’s been known to offer this tip a time or two throughout his classes because, despite the apparent contradiction of not struggling while performing a demanding posture, this idea is profoundly important.

In a nutshell, this thought is important because so much of the difficulty – or the ease – of our yoga experience is determined by the way we perceive our postures. In other words, when we listen to the voice in our head telling us how difficult a posture is, we experience the posture as difficult. When we view our effort as a fight or a struggle – it is.

So, if you’re having a hard time in a posture, chances are you are being distracted by thoughts telling you to interpret your experience as hard. As Rolf Gates says in his book, Meditations from the Mat, “Our minds are wedded to the habit of distraction.” So, instead of clearing the mind and focusing on the task at hand, most of us are in the habit of focusing on the running judgmental commentary in our heads: “This posture is hard. It’s too hot. I’m not doing as well as the person next to me. The person in front of me is blocking my view. I’ll never be able to get my hips squared to the mirror . . . ” Mr. Gates goes on to say that we can “train [our minds] to let go of this habit.” Training one’s mind begins by first being aware of the noise and then consciously letting it go. “Thoughts are energy, and you can make your world or break your world by your thinking,” Susan Taylor is quoted in Meditations from the Mat.

Along similar lines, if you’re struggling in a posture, there’s a good chance you’re trying too hard or pushing yourself too fast. We all have a desire to achieve picture-perfect yogic postures, but putting unrealistic demands on ourselves to move faster than what our bodies are capable of, or ready for, results in disappointment, pain or injury. Again, instead of listening to the running commentary of the expectations we hold for ourselves in our heads, it’s important to quiet the mind and experience the places we CAN get to in our postures.

It’s not uncommon to hear students comment on the phenomenon that some of their best practices have occurred during a class when they felt tired walking into the studio and decided they weren’t going to “push it too hard.” Moving in sync with their current energy level without expectations, they found an inner strength that moved them beyond their normal level of expectations. As our Kriya Yoga Master Arley Gaines has said, “You don’t need to make anything happen. Just be who you are.”

Of course, the yoga principles that help you on your mat can only help you off the mat. Being aware of the constant chatter and distractions in your mind, and then working to quiet them in order to pay attention to the present, without judgment, will help you to find a wellspring of inner strength at home, at school, in the office, while traveling, etc. In our world off the mat, “It doesn’t have to be a struggle” either. As Rolf Gates says, “Put aside your biography and allow yourself to simply be present with what is,” because, “To become happy, we simply have to stop making ourselves unhappy.”

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Tell us about yourself, Darren

I enjoy outdoor activities and my family…my wife of 26 years, Jill, and my 2 boys of 20 yrs and 18 yrs of age. If I am not mountain biking, then I am either golfing, exercising or on the lake wake boarding. I enjoy great activities and great red wine. My wife and I are about to be emptynesters, so the opportunity to enjoy nature and the rest of life’s jewels is right around the corner.

How and when did you discover yoga?

This November will mark my third full year at Being Yoga. This is where I started my practice. I was seeking a yoga studio that was nearby and that had a enjoyable atmosphere. This is a fantastic studio with great fellow yogis and yoginis.

Tell us about your yoga practice.

The only style that I practice is Bikram. That was the reason I joined Being Yoga. This type of practice is the one I feel fits my needs best with the time I have to dedicate myself. Down the road I am looking to try other styles.

Why do you practice yoga?

Bikram yoga allows me be true to my self for 90 minutes. I enjoy taking a breather from the daily demands and distractions that can deteriorate peoples lives. The combination of quiet concentration, stretching and sweating in a clean controlled environment for 90 minutes is irreplaceable. As Kevin the teacher states so profoundly, “Just depositing another dollar in the bank of life”. Bikram yoga pushes my physical elements also, my stretching, my mental determination and my daily posture. It is all good…no, it is fantastic!

How has Being Yoga helped you on your journey?

Life’s journey is filled with opportunities and challenges that can easily create false or unhealthy perspectives. I feel this practice has helped me enjoy the pureness of my journey and thus be more balanced in the way I see things, which has increased my positive thoughts and decreased the need to dwell on things that are not within my control.

Any final words of wisdom for the students?

Embrace each yoga day. Each day’s movements may feel easy or may feel challenged, but stay true to yourself. Take the 90 minute journey with an open mind and a developing body. Today’s life makes these 90 minutes most valuable.

Tell us about yourself, Tim.
Most of my time is with my family and work. You might find me substituting as a catcher on my son’s softball team or babysitting my granddaughter. My latest interest is indoor rock climbing with friends from work. This activity requires some upper body strength, core strength, and surprisingly, lots of flexibility. Although I have a fear of heights, I wanted to challenge myself and utilize some yoga principles, especially the breathing, to help calm myself and focus.

How did you discover yoga?
After conversations with my niece, she thought I would enjoy Bikram yoga. With Being Yoga’s new location opening in fall 2007 and an aging / aching daily lower back pain, I attended the free class and was surprised with the immediate relief. By the end of 30 days, my body mechanics improved and my over all health was stronger. Pending a third knee procedure, I invested my time with yoga practice and avoided the surgery. My initial introduction to Bikram yoga from the teachers at Being Yoga was amazing then, as well as now. They are all friendly, supportive, non judgemental and express a genuine care for everyone’s well being.

Tell us about your yoga practice.
I mainly practice Bikram yoga because the back strengthening poses have been beneficial to my spine. I value the combination of the heated room and the postures because I feel it contributes to increased muscle tone and flexibility. My balancing poses are a challenge, but slowly improving. I give full credit to the teachers for their consistent teaching and detailed dialogue in enabling me to improve my practice every day, and giving me confidence in seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Lately, with the added Yin classes, I’m able to define the poses and with the power of the breath. I have learned to appreciate, develop and relax into the poses rather than struggle. 3-4 x’s a week practice has been my general routine. Every time I go to yoga I treat it as an adventure – who knows what I’m going to learn or experience?

Why do you practice yoga?
I practice because I enjoy the physical benefits of the yoga. I’m learning to integrate the body and mind relationship by focusing more, staying in the present and allowing the breath to maintain internal peace. I’m astonished with my progress over the past two years and look forward to upcoming years, as yoga is in integral part of my life now. I believe longevity and yoga go hand in hand.

How has Being Yoga helped you on your journey?
My journey has just begun as I venture further into a new life style where yoga has had such a positive influence on my self awareness and well being. Being Yoga has helped me develop a strong foundation and given me a safe sanctuary to learn, explore and experience the essence of yoga. I always recommend yoga to my friends and family.

Any final words of wisdom for your fellow yogis?
Have patience with the poses, build a strong foundation, try to add one small change to your routine every week and practice with all the wonderful teachers at the studio.

Paramahansa Yogananda said, “Practice the art of living in this world without losing your inner peace of mind. Follow the path of balance to reach the inner wondrous garden of Self-realization.“ After reading that quote you might be thinking to yourself, “That bit of advice sounds good, but how, in reality, does a person do that?” After all, everyone “living in this world” wants “peace of mind,” but how can it be attained? The answer is found in the second sentence of the quote, and that is, “balance.” Following the “path of balance” is the key.

In our western culture, we have all been taught that hard work and perseverance is the key to success and happiness, and that is true—to a certain extent. But hard work and perseverance alone can only be sustained for so long and can, in fact, end up being counterproductive and lead to unhappiness if not balanced out.

Our Being Yoga Theme of the Month is “Enjoy. Escape. Experience,” because enjoying, escaping and experiencing is the balance to all the effort, struggle, busyness, and weariness that we associate with hard work and perseverance.

Want to find balance in your life? Please read on:

Let’s face it: everyone needs a break now and again to find balance. At some point during the day, everyone needs to stop doing, going, producing, worrying and thinking by taking a deep breath, relaxing and clearing the mind. Anyone that practices yoga knows that, and certainly anyone who meditates knows that. Taking daily breaks from the constant hum and beat of life helps to revitalize and re-energize. Intentionally taking quiet moments throughout the day to relax and meditate actually leads to more productivity and more peace of mind than if one keeps ceaselessly pushing forward to the breaking point.

As sustaining as daily breaks are, however, there also comes a time when everybody needs to find balance by physically retreating from day-to-day life as well. “Getting away from it all” and removing oneself from one’s normal venue and regular routine is amazingly cathartic. Undoubtedly, it is easier to be present and connected when removed from the ordinary, so it’s important to have a change of pace and a change of scenery in which to revitalize one’s perception of life.
That is why we at Being Yoga invite you to join us at a yoga retreat in Tulum, Mexico from September 18th through the 25th. Join us to enjoy, escape, and experience life under the Caribbean sun. In this natural, pristine setting you will be able to leave the fast pace of the Bay Area and immerse yourself in the present moment of quiet white sandy beaches, blue skies and ocean breezes. And through meditation and yoga, with the guidance of Kriya Yoga Master Arley Gaines and Yoga Instructor Robin Duffy, you will rediscover and reconnect with the real you—the one who is naturally whole, happy and free.

A long, long time ago (at least two thousand years ago), the practice of the physical postures, Hatha Yoga, was developed to prepare the body for meditation. Despite meditation’s antiquity, however, it didn’t catch on here in the United States until the 1960’s at which point it was “mainstreamed” into our culture through various spiritual leaders and organizations who touted its many mental and physical benefits.

Since then, much scientific research has proven their claims to be true; meditation has been shown to be an effective way to improve mental and physical health. Just to give a few examples, it is now known to relieve stress, lower blood pressure, sooth digestive problems, boost immunities, increase creativity, and alleviate chronic pain.

These examples alone should motivate us all to meditate on a regular basis; however, to understand the full “Power of Meditation”—our studio’s Theme of the Month—please read on:

As important as the above-stated benefits of meditation are, perhaps the most important reason to meditate is to “facilitate awakened spiritual consciousness,” as Kriya Yoga Master Roy Eugene Davis states in his An Easy Guide to Meditation. Meditation helps us turn off the noise in our heads so that we can hear the calling of our true nature.  By becoming aware of our true nature, Mr. Davis tells us, we “remove all mental and physical restrictions.”

So, even though most of us have been walking through life with the belief that we are isolated and virtually powerless individuals being buffeted about by chance, through meditation, we can peel away that illusion. Through meditation, we can come to realize that we are actually “unbounded consciousness” with limitless potential. The “Power of Meditation” is that through it, we can find our true power!

By meditating we can achieve, as Mr. Davis lists in Seven Lessons in Conscious Living: “enhanced intellectual and intuitive powers,” “orderly unfoldments of innate knowledge,” “progressive clarification of awareness,” and “spontaneous emergence of cosmic conscious states.” In other words, through meditation we can rise above the mundane and actually find the power to achieve enlightenment.

So, how does one begin meditating? Just by practicing yoga, a person begins the meditation process. Clearing the mind by focusing on the breath and the postures, yogis begin lifting themselves above the roar of the “thinking mind,” as Gregg D. Jacobs, author of The Ancestral Mind, calls it. (Mr. Jacobs says the “thinking mind” is the one “whose pulsing message throughout adult life is, essentially, ‘Worry and work, worry and work’.”) Yogis can quiet that mind, however, by setting time aside each day to sit in silence.

There are a variety of meditation techniques that can be employed to turn off the “thinking mind,” in fact too many to be addressed here. However, many informative books about meditation can be obtained at libraries, book stores and even our own studio. And, of course, every Thursday night Being Yoga offers meditation sessions from 8:30 – 9:30 (including philosophical Kriya Yoga discussions with Guru Arley Gaines) and Saturdays from 6:30 – 7:00. Come find your power with us and further your progress down the yogic trail to enlightenment.

“You have a spark of divinity within yourself…Step out from the crowd and discover how much power you really have.”  –Paramahansa Yogananda

It is a joy teaching and practicing with Llewellyn.  In the flow classes he inspires us with his love of yoga, his playful experimentation and the way he seems to fly through the air during the Vinyasas.  In Yin, he is a quiet, peaceful presence in the room

In addition to yoga, what are your other passions? I love dance, Modern, Ballet, African, Salsa, Samba, Tango…almost any dance. I also love to race cars and have found that every auto racing friend that I have introduced to yoga loves it. I think yoga, dance and racing must trigger the same part of the brain for these activities. I also love keeping freshwater fish in aquariums.

When did you begin practicing Yoga? I think I’ve been practicing yoga for over 3 years now. I was introduced to Yoga at an Ashram in Kansas City of all places. A friend was staying there and while I visited I tried yoga for the 1st time. I’ve been hooked since.

Tell us about your yoga practice. I practice Bikram Yoga 5 to 7 times a week. I practice Vinyasa and Yin when my schedule allows. I have a real passion for Vinyasa Yoga. That was the style I practiced the most in my home state of Minnesota. I love Vinyasa for the movement. I dance Vinyasa sometimes, loosing myself in it. I like the structure of Bikram. I always know what will be worked and stretched. Yin is a perfect cool down after Bikram.

What do you get from your yoga practice? I’m an endurance animal by nature. Yoga accesses endorphins without the shock and tight muscles of other activities. I also love the movement, as well as seeing and feeling the improvements, balance, and coordination a steady practice brings.

How has Being Yoga helped you on your journey? Being provides a pleasant environment and a variety of instructors that bring out the best in us. Some crack the whip, some kill with kindness and some make you lock your knee. :)

And final words of wisdom…. An old Russian expression that works well with Yoga. “Repetition is the mother of all learning.” When I started dance and yoga I could barely touch my toes. Through repetition I’ve become quite bendy.