 | | Yoga From The Heart | October 2007 | | Namaste,
I keep wandering through the Union Square farmers' market with an apple cider in my hands, hoping to bring about any sign of Fall! While we wait for the time to pull on our sweaters, there are many fun events to explore in the city. Oh, and only a few weeks left to reserve your spot on the Caribbean retreat...making sure that you'll be on the beach when the weather really does get chilly!
Love,
Chrissy
www.yogachrissy.com
|  | Even before the leaves start turning brown my mind is knee-deep in fashion magazines, scouting out my must-have purchases for Fall. This year, the newest additions to my wardrobe include a pair of Hunter Wellies (in the hopes that it will manifest a farm house in the country), several ballet flats and a few chic accessories. I'm feeling very brazen this season, ready to tackle the on-going conundrum of sweatpants and sneakers - the standard yoga teacher uniform. And so, off the the closet I go!
Upon opening the doors, I'm greeted by a much larger issue...complete and utter disorder. Clothes strewn about and shelves in disarray, the pile on the floor is at least three-shoes deep. The problem is too much to bear and so I shove in the bags and boxes as best I can and quickly close the doors before having to endure any more trauma.
In the battle between the clean and the tidy, I'm a member of the former. Give me rubber gloves, an old toothbrush and a bottle of Softscrub and I'll sit happily on the floor, cleaning grout all afternon. Ask me to organize my office and be prepared to watch procrastination at its best. In the case of my closet, where doors can be closed to the general public, the problem is far worse.
The inward practices of yoga (niyamas) present us with the idea of saucha, or purity, which I like to think of as order. I've heard that monks take great care to line their shoes up neatly outside the door of their monestary, believing that this act relates back to the order in their everyday life. If disorder and untidiness represent the clutter of life, it's no wonder I'd rather be shopping for new things to make my disasterous mess of a closet seem, well, more fabulous.
My yoga practice has foreshadowed this problem for some time. After two grueling minutes in downdog, for example, I'm happy to do anything that gets me out of the pose - give me plank, make me hold chaturanga, anything so I don't have to observe what bubbles up in all that stillness. It took me a long time to arrive at the place where I could even hold downdog for that long, and as I watch my students fidget in the pose, itching to move through vinyasa, I'm reminded that we're all working at the same edge, faced with the same clutter in our minds. The benefits of order in my practice have revealed a new-found interest in Tadasana...its simplicity affording me the opportunity to examine what gets churned up from all my effort. Standing still to watch the release of deeper experiences, emotions and samskara (latent impressions) paints the most potent picture of who we are.
And the truth stings a little, doesn't it? Like the burning of your muscles, or the weight of defeat in a posture, it's far easier to just let things accumulate rather that taking the time to really go through the pile and examine what lies beneath. As the piles of experience grow out of control, avoiding them only prevents us from understanding what we're working through in that moment. Yoga asks us to draw a parallel between the folding of our blanket and the clarity of our intention, between the smoothness of our breath and the mastery over our opinions. It asks us to see the connection between how we exit the posture or the classroom, and how we manage our relationships...because how we leave them is how we find them again.
Back in my closet, things are looking up. I took the time I would've spent writing to clean my clutter and, of course, the words are now flowing effortlessly onto the page. I unearthed many "new" articles of clothing that I'd forgotten I owned, and I'm confident that I'll be oozing style this season...you probably won't even recognize me. Well, ok, you will, but you never what you're going to find once you start digging.
|  | New Moon - October 11th
Full Moon - October 26th |  |  Stillness In Motion
For those of you curious about the inner-workings of saucha, a trip to the Iyengar Institute is in order. This approach to yoga brings clarity to the postures with detailed alignment and precision, but more importantly, allows you to practice the discipline (tapas) of order. A mecca of blocks, blankets and straps, it's a gem in a city overflowing with fast-paced, unconscious movement. Bring sthirum, or strength, to your approach and sukhum, or comfort, to your mind.
http://www.iyengarnyc.org
Mark Whitwell
October 29th, 31st and November 2nd
10am-12pm
$80 for the series, $30 drop-in
Yoga Works Downtown
212.647.9642
This special three-day workshop with my teacher, Mark Whitwell, is not to be missed. A world-renowned yoga teacher, Mark is a long-time student of Desikachar and the late Krishnamacharya. He teaches the ancient and essential secretes of Yoga, adding another layer of depth to your breath, asana and meditation practice.
"Yoga is your direct intimacy with Nurturing Source. Asana is hatha, the union of all polarities. It is the non-dual tantra, the practical means of peace and power available to everyone" (Mark Whitwell).
October Playlist
Baba Hanuman - Krishna Das
Hyper-Ballad - Bjork
This Year's Love - David Gray
Roots East Dub - Ian Sandler
Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap
Divya's Theme - Cyril Morin
October Teaching Schedule
I'll be traveling November 1st-6th, so please check my website for the most current sub list. http://www.yogachrissy.com/group-classes |  |  Yoga Retreat in Dominica
February 2nd - 9th, 2008
http://www.yogachrissy.com/retreats
"If you're just beginning on your yogic path or if you've been traveling on it for years, Chrissy's retreat connects you with your inner spirit leaving you feeling refreshed, revived and inspired in a way I haven't felt in a long time". -Alexis
 Join us for a week of yoga in paradise! The daily two-hour practice each morning will work up your appetite for all the delicious organic food, while the quieter afternoon practices will prepare you for a good night's sleep in your tree house by the ocean. Difficult daily decisions between an afternoon massage, a hike to one of Dominica's many natural wonders, or a lazy day by the pool will leave you in desperate need of a cocktail, or a moonlit meditation under the stars.
All levels welcome. Prior yoga experience required. Discounts available to non-yogi friends who wish to attend but not practice.
Rates include 7 nights' accommodations at this eco-conscious resort, acclaimed by Conde Nast, The New York Times and Body&Soul Magazine. Breakfast and lunch are included as well as two daily yoga classes, three adventure excursions and ground transportation to and from the resort. Deposits to reserve your spot are due by November 15th - reservations after the 15th will be based on availability. Please contact chrissy@yogachrissy.com to reserve your spot!
$300 non-refundable deposit due November 15th with the trip paid in full by January 15th.
$1445 double occupancy/$1995 single occupancy
"In only one week Chrissy transformed my practice and allowed me to rediscover the truth of why I practice. Her clarity of purpose invites us all to come to a better, more truthful place in our lives and in our practice. I could not have had a better experience on this retreat". -Paula
Build Your Home Practice
Saturday, November 10th
12:30-3pm
Yoga Works Downtown
$45 in advance/$55 at the door
212.647.9642
For all of our brilliance in class, trying to recreate our practice at home with no one telling us what to do can seem impossible! There's always a convenient excuse preventing us from unrolling the mat and spending time with ourselves. The task can seem so daunting that we're often left feeling guilty, adding fuel to the fire of fear and aversion.
In this workshop we'll explore yoga as it was traditionally intended - as a home practice. Exploring the common obstacles that stand in our way, we'll discuss some simple ways to inspire your practice at home. Studying the components of a well-rounded class, we'll design and practice our sequence as well as learn how to adapt it to changes in lifestyle, health and ability. You will leave inspired and ready to make it a part of your daily life!
|  |  There's nothing like 80 degree weather in October to motivate one to do something about global warming. There's also nothing like a book entitled The Lazy Environmentalist to feel like you really can make a difference. Pick up your copy, written by Josh Dorfman, and inspire the activist within!
www.thelazyenvironmentalist.com
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