 | | Yoga From The Heart | September 2007 | | Hello yogis and yoginis,
I'm so thrilled to announce my second annual yoga retreat in Dominica! Slip back into your yoga practice with the sounds of the waves and the rustling palm trees as your guides. Space is limited so reserve your treehouse in paradise before they sell out!
February 2nd-9th...see you there!
Love,
Chrissy
www.yogachrissy.com
|  | I still remember exactly where I was the day it happened. Completely unsuspecting at the time (as it was, perhaps the key to my success), I was utterly unaware of what I had accomplished. Now, as I gaze forward from downward dog towards that small space between my hands, I try to imagine how I must've felt all those years ago with no expectations, no fear and no attachments. Wrapped up in the drama of my incapability, today feels so much different. I spring off my feet and already I can tell that I won't make it through my hands to sit. Indeed, this has become an obsession.
It's a curious thing, this obsession of mine, because in the fitting irony of yoga and the delivery of its message, I'm faced again with the challenge of letting go. The audible groans of defeat as I practice jumping forward at the end of a sun salutation reveal quite a lot about the drama I've created for myself. I experience so much pressure to land with my feet directly between my hands (let alone through my hands, good Lord) that when I fall a few inches short, it's as if the world is ending all over again. With every failed attempt I plant a new seed, or samskara, which haunts (and thus foils) every future effort.
As proud as I am of my attention to the necessary work involved in reaching my goal, it appears that it's also responsible for my downfall. In yoga, we're asked to let go of the achievement and focus instead on what's illuminated through the process (vairagya). And yet, in a statement of complete contradiction, yoga also asks us to strive beyond what we think we know in order to evolve as a spiritual being (abhyasa). Through my own experience I've found a deeper layer of this contradiction that asks us to surrender not only the goal, but also our attachment to the work itself. After the therapy and the acupuncture and the long sleepless nights in deep contemplation over said drama, when do we let go and trust that we're ready to take the leap?
I do believe that when you ask the universe for help, the answers will reveal themselves, so as I work to keep my groans to a bare minimum, I've managed to open myself to receiving new wisdom on this topic. In what's clearly meant to be applied to all areas of my life, I've found the way out of my drama through my drishti, or gaze. As one of my friends and teachers, Jenny, has been instructing, the body will follow the focus of your eyes - if you look down, your body will collapse in that direction, whereas if you look towards your goal, the body will align with your vision.
When put into practice, my new attention has revealed that the only thing between my "grounded" practice and my goal is a leap of faith. My eyes now fixed on a point well forward of my hands, I'm unable to watch the drama unfold beneath me. I can no longer see my hands or the small space I'm required to slide through and, therefore, can no longer add to the momentum of my samskara. Instead, I must see the goal (literally and figuratively) and trust in my abilities to get there. To me, this is groundbreaking and yet so simple, as if I've known it all along.
As we strive towards our goals, be they asana or an aspect of our lives off the mat, we have to be willing to acknowledge that drama only ties us to where we already are. While abhyasa provides the resistence we need to move through our samskara, at some point we just have to let go - to surrender to a deeply rooted faith in our own abilities. To take that leap of faith is to know that one of two things will happen; we will either arrive safely at our destination or trust that our earnest and consistent efforts will, at the very least, cushion our fall. As I gaze forward through my hands, I'm sure of one thing - this time, I'm ready.
|  | New Moon - September 11th
Full Moon - September 26th |  | A Healthier Obsession
As a true, self-proclaimed gourmand, it's only fitting that I recommend my favorite go-to restaurant in Manhattan, Souen. You're sure to run into your favorite NYC yoga teachers at this amazing macrobiotic eatery, located on 13th Street between 5th and University. I'm addicted to their lunch special, which for something like $9 provides you with your choice of the healthiest food New York has to offer. Not to miss - the curried fish stew. Bon appetit.
Fall Playlist
Baba Hanuman - Krishna Das
Sadra - Ashla Bhosle
The Only Living Boy In New York - Simon & Garfunkel
Blackbird - Sarah McLachlan
Amsterdam - Coldplay
Five Elements - Cyril Morin
Autumn - Paolo Nutini
Guru Rinpoche Mantra - Deva Premal
Golden Slumbers - Ben Folds
Fall Teaching Schedule
I'm back from DC and can't wait for fall in New York! My beloved schedule is still the same, so I hope to see you in class soon! http://www.yogachrissy.com/group-classes |  |  Caribbean Yoga Retreat
February 2nd - 9th
http://www.yogachrissy.com/retreats
Join me February 2nd-9th for an amazing tropical adventure on the beautiful Caribbean island of Dominica. Luxurious tree-houses, cliffside spa treatments and two daily yoga classes will set the backdrop for our retreat. We'll dive into the practice in either the 2400 sq ft yoga studio or on our open-air yoga deck, both overlooking the ocean. Swim in the volcanic rock pool, hike to the natural sulphur springs or practice yoga on the beach deck to the sounds of the crashing waves. 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. This retreat will sell out quickly so please contact chrissy@yogachrissy.com to reserve your spot!
$1445 double occupancy/$1995 single occupancy
$300 non-refundable deposit due November 15th with the trip paid in full by January 15th.
Global Mala Project
Saturday, September 22nd
http://yogachrissy.publishpath.com/global-mala-project
hosted by Devotion Yoga
Pier A, Hoboken
Join us for 108 sun salutations in the park and support a great cause. The Global Mala Project, inspired and organized by Shiva Rea, is a worldwide celebration in honor of the Fall Equinox and the United Nations International Day of Peace, raising money and awareness for some of the most important issues facing the world today. Yoga studios, teachers and organizations acorss the globe will choose their own charitable organization and unite the yoga community through collective practices based upon the sacred cycle of 108, creating a global "mala around the earth".
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It's sometimes shocking to count all of the plastic bags we seem to acquire after a Saturday of running errands in the city. Choose instead to bring your own carry-all (chic, of course) and say no to plastic bags.
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