September 11th, 2010
Detox Yoga Workshop @ Sun & Moon
I have the best intention to document my activities. I even remember to pack my camera as I head out to Meguro. Then, as I proceed through the 3-hour class full of bright and shiny students, I completely forget to take even one solitary photo. So here’s a photo of Fuji-san on the day of the full moon amidst the glorious setting sun; a true balance of sun and moon.
Oh well, more important than snapping photos was being at the one and only Sun & Moon Studio! As Leza reminded me, during my first visit here in Tokyo we had met and talked about doing a yoga program there. And here it is, many years later that this vision has finally become a reality.
Since this was a 3-hour workshop, I was able to share my full Kundalini Detox Yoga set, some Dream & Sleep Yoga practices as well as Yogi Bhajan’s style of Ishnaan (cold morning showers). We also went over the benefits of dry brushing, supportive healthy eating habits, and the fundamentals of fasting. And as a further way to support interested detox students, I’m beginning the cycle of Kundalini Yoga for my morning class plus I’ll be offering another 10-day version of the mung beans and rice diet.
The detox program was fun and full of energy, and a great platform for providing more workshops and intensives at Sun & Moon in the future.
September 5th, 2010
Mini-Detox Weekend, Izu-Nagaoka
One of the more popular of our Rudra Yoga programs is the 5-Day Yoga Detox Intensive. It’s a unique schedule of around-the-clock yoga, healing/creative work, hydrotherapy, cleansing diet, and study of the teachings. To prepare for this intensive endeavor which will occur next Spring, we did a mini version at a ryokan in Izu-Nagaoka with my team of guinea pig yogis (enjoying healing time at the foot bath on top of Mt. Katsuragi).
This yoga intensive is unique because it focuses on cleaning and clearing the physical, emotional and mental material that we no longer need or unnecessarily hang on to in our lives. We did this through a liquid diet of orange/apple/papaya juice (nourishing) and onion/garlic juice (detoxifying), hydrotherapy in hot and cold baths, healing with Reiki, plus a whole lotta Kundalini Yoga. It was a great way to close the Summer months and enter into the beginnings of Fall with clear body, energy and mind.
Though the weekend version is much lighter, everyone felt the wonderfully enlightening effects of detoxing. It was nice to have a weekend outside of Tokyo, and it was a fun and memorable way to be together with friends. When the next 5-day Yoga Detox Program comes around, it’s something I recommend trying at least once. You’ll never forget it!
by admin | Posted in Health & Healing, Retreats, Travel In Love Show, Yoga Programs | No Comments » |
September 1st, 2010
GYROTONIC® in Sendagaya, Tokyo
It has arrived!! The GYROTONIC® Pulley Tower Unit is now here. The crate survived the treacherous overseas journey, and with the help of a drag queen in a pick-up truck made it across the greater Tokyo metropolis to my Sendagaya apartment. The unit may be scientifically designed around the human physiological form and its anatomical movement, but it’s also a stunning piece of art (which I’ve been told is now quite valuable because the new Chinese units lack the quality of these which were made in the U. S. of A.).
What I love about the GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® is that it’s precision exercise that is also incredibly expressive. It has the breathing and energy of yoga, the movement and musicality of dance, and the healing qualities of body work; it leaves no part of the body untouched. Of course there’s so much more, but until you get yourself on one of these babies and experience it for yourself, it’s a fairly well-rounded description.
I must thank the master teachers who have paved the way for my journey with this system. In Portland, Emma Kingston; in New York, Billy Macagnone; in San Francisco, Debra Rose; and of course my yoga teacher Isa Aragon who brought the world of Gyrotonic into our yoga school. I have only encountered the highest of quality trainers in the Gyrotonic world, and I look forward to providing excellent service and continuing my education to someday become such a master myself. Tokyo, get ready…
June 17th, 2010
10-day Mung Beans & Rice Diet
As a continuation of the Yoga Detox Program, a group of us did a 10-day version of the Mung Beans & Rice diet. This dish is an easy to make Indian style kicherie which reduces the normal stress we put on the digestive system, giving it a chance to heal and repair itself. The dish itself is delicious and nutritious which makes it an easy beginners diet/cleanse. Normally it is done for 30 to 40 days, but I adjusted it so it could suit our first time cleansers. The diet was supplemented with whole fruit in-between meals and all you can drink Yogi Tea (made from scratch). Probably the most obvious change was the weight we lost, but in time this diet can help one feel the shedding of unwanted and unneeded emotional and mental material as well. And because many of you have requested the recipe, you can find it here. Plus I recommend reading Yogi Bhajan’s thoughts about fasting.
Recipe: Mung Beans & Rice + Yogi Tea
Enjoy!
June 5th, 2010
Detox Yoga Workshop @ UTL
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Saturday, June 5
Detox Yoga Workshop
spring cleaning for the mind, body and soul
14:00-16:00
@ Under The Light Yoga School, Yoyogi
When we begin our journey with yoga, it’s like preparing the soil for a garden to produce an abundance of fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices. As we deepen our practice, we plant the seeds that we choose to cultivate. And if we want the best possible result with our garden, we create the best possible environment to nurture these seedlings. So similarly in our yoga practice, it is an important step to cleanse the body and mind to properly cultivate the ‘seed’ or light of our true nature which yoga reveals.
Spring is the perfect time of year to cleanse. It is when new growth appears in nature. It is when new blood is produced in the body and naturally we shed old, unused material. And by doing specific dietary cleanses in combination with asana, healing breaths and meditation, we create the optimal environment for our work with yoga to bear fruit.
In this workshop, we will introduce yoga asana designed specifically to heal the digestive system which, if not working properly, is the cause of many illnesses and diseases. We will also learn to use the breath and meditation to heal the major organs and release burdensome thoughts and negative emotions. Finally, we will look at a few suggested yogic cleanses which will aid in our body’s natural desire and ability to repair and heal itself. If we simply lighten the load we place on our bodies and minds, our yoga practice will bear the fruit that will nourish us deep within and eternally without.