Natick Community-Senior Center, 117 East Central St. Natick
Yoga for Young Kids & Their Adults
Friday’s on-going
11:30am-12:15pm
McAuliffe Branch of the Framingham Public Library
746 Water Street
Bring a mat or blanket and water.
Free. Funded by a grant from the Framingham Cultural Council.
Celebrating Cultural Diversity in the Arts at Temple Emmanuel of Chelsea
Learn about the amazing art of flamenco and shout a few ¡Olé’s!
Saturday June 18
2:00-3:30pm
Temple Emmanuel’s social hall at 60 Tudor Street in Chelsea
Free. Funded by a grant from the Chelsea Cultural Council.
The Program starts at 10:00am with CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN WORLD MUSIC, then CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN COLLAGE ART and culminates with CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN FLAMENCO DANCE.
Saudade Sentimentos It’s Just The Wind Tango Improvisado Tomorrow Today Everything Remains The Sky Below Past Perfect Either/Or Fade To Black Puerto Oscura
4 Part Cycle: 1. In and out with the nose. 2. In and out with the mouth (with a gentle rounded mouth). 3. In with the nose; Out with the mouth. 4. In with the mouth; Out with the nose. 5. Start at segment #1. Repeat. Relax into a rhythm. Mentally use the mantra Sa Ta Na Ma to keep all breath segments equal length. Concentrate on the mantra. If you lose track, start at segment #1 again. Relax.
“Sat Narayan” Meditation To Reclaim Your Peaceful Presence.
Go with the flow. Allow the currents of your thoughts ebb and flow with your breath. Feel your love flow. Fill every nook and cranny of your being with your inhale and then on the exhale, relax into your inner peace. You can go back again and again to that place inside you that showers you with love, your inner “love shack”. That place inside you that is safe and peaceful. That space inside from which your whole life flows sweetly.
The more you are able to relax into a state of inner calmness and stillness, the more you can project outwardly: peace, love, and happiness.
Mudra: Hands are resting on knees or lap. Thumbs and index fingers touch.
Posture: Sit with a straight spine.
Breath and Eye Focus: Eyes 1/10th open looking at tip of nose or gently closed, focused on the Third Eye (between the eyebrows). The breath will adjust itself as you vocalize.
Mantra (included all 4 lines as one repetition):
Sat Narayan, Wahe Guru (Sut Na-Rye-Yan, Waaa-Hey Garooo) Meaning: Support & Wisdom
Hari Narayan Sat Nam (Ha-Ree Na-Rye-Yan, Sut-uh naaamm) Meaning: Creativity & Genuineness
Sat Narayan Wahe Guru
Hari Narayan Sat Nam
Directions:
Vocalize along with this recording by Ajeet Kaur, which is my favorite version of the mantra. Put your heart into it! You will find yourself singing it all through the day.
When the meditation has finished, powerfully and deeply inhale while raising arms above your head, and hold for 10-15 seconds. Powerfully and deeply exhale. Repeat inhale-hold-exhale once more with raised arms. Then lower your arms to your lap/knees and sit quietly. Feel the vibrations of the mantra in you and around you.
Meditate 1-11 minutes.
May you be bolstered by the vibration of this meditation and granted its strength always!
I am in the process of putting more of my yoga online, so bear with me. My next goal is to add voice-over to my videos so that people can be guided through the sets. Today’s set is, accompanied by my son practicing his sax, so enjoy!
Here is the video of the practice and below are all the various chair adaptations for the set. If you have a specific issue and would like a different adaptation, please comment and I will make poses for you.
In this set, the warm-up is timed to about three breaths per movement. I have done the 4 U’s at 5 min. each, but you can do anywhere between 1-11 min each (just remember all segments must be of equal time.) *Not videoed: 10 min. deep relaxation (Allow your body to fully sleep. “I am in a deep sleep. I do nothing”)
Breath Series
Part 1: Prosperity Meditation (3 min): Pictures 1 & 2
~It is so powerful in bringing prosperity that more than 11 minutes would be greedy. This meditation stimulates the mind, the moon center, and Jupiter. When Jupiter and the moon come together, there is no way in the world you will not create wealth.” -Yogi Bhajan
Alternately strike the sides of the hands together. When the palms are face down, the sides of the Jupiter (index) fingers touch, and the thumbs cross below the hands, with the right thumb under the left.
When the palms are face up, the Mercury (pinky) fingers and the Moon Mounds (located at the base of the palms) touch.
Mantra: Har. Chant continuously from the navel, using the tip of the tongue (pronounced “hu-duh” or a rolled “rrrr”).
Part 2: I’ve Got It In My Sight/Caliber of Life Meditation. (3 min) Pictures 3-6.
~Removes depression & discouragement
Extend arms straight forward, parallel to ground. Elbows remain straight through the whole meditation.
Curl fingers of right hand into a fist. Extend thumb straight up.
Wrap fingers of left hand around right, so end of palms still touch and extend thumb straight up, so that both thumbs touch along their sides. There will be a tiny “v” between the tips of the two thumbs.
Focus eyes on this “v”. Look as if through a eagle eyes, seeing far away and seeing the “v”.
Inhale deeply 5 sec./ Exhale completely 5 sec./ Suspend breath out for 15 sec. (can increase hold to up to 1 min.)
Part 3: Ego Eradicator with Breath-of-Fire (3 min)
~Ego Eradicator opens the lungs, consolidates the magnetic field, and brings the brain hemispheres to a state of alertness.
Posture: Raise arms up to a 60 degree angle. Keep elbows straight and the shoulders down. Apply Neck Lock. Curl fingertips onto the pads of the palms at the base of the fingers. Thumbs stretched back, pointing towards each other. Feel a rainbow streching over your head thumb tip to thumb tip.
Eyes: Eyes are closed.
Mental Focus: Focus above the head.
Breath: Breath of Fire
Time: Continue for 1 – 3 minutes.
To end: Inhale deeply and bring arms overhead with the thumb tips touching. Open the fingers (like moose antlers), exhale and relax the arms down in a wide arch, feeling the rainbow expand.
Part 4: Peaceful Heart (2 min)
Warm fuzzy happy glow for you
Cross one hand over the other at the heart (try right hand on top and then left the next time; notice). Breathe long and deep. Bring the positive energy into your heart. Share it.
Sun Salutation Variation with Warrior Series
Mountain, Up Mountain, Look Up To Hands, but keep them straight up *First notice your feet. Step hip distance apart. Big toes are slightly turned in towards each other. Knee is tracking the directions set by the line between second & third toes. Sit and stand a few times. Make sure the knee do not fold inwards or splay out; keep them aligned with your toe line.
Utkatasana, Flat Back (1/2 Way Lift), Forward Fold
Lunge, Lunge w/ Arms Up, Low Lunge
Plank var. 1, Plank var. 2
Downward Facing Dog var. 1, Downward Facing Dog var. 2
Cobra, Upward Facing Dog
Wide Legged Forward Bend, Twist var. 1, Twist var. 2, Twist var. 3
Head Stand variations #1 fingers interlaced, pressing firmly on the crown of the head. This contraction helps to build strength in the shoulder complex.
**Headstands are invigorating and revitalizing, resulting in increased positive energy and mental vitality. Headstands also improve circulation and balance.
Crescent Lunge Set-Up, Crescent Lunge **I found in this instance, that trying to turn my back foot out into Warrior 1 caused tweeking in my hips and obliques, so I chose to do Crescent Lunge, a straight back-leg.
Warrior 2, Archer, Dancing Warrior
Kriya/The Four U’s
Originally taught by Yogi Bhajan on July 5, 1984
This is the set of “U.” It invigorates you by adjusting your Pranic Body with your Auric Body in direct contrast with the Ardine. These are called the 4 U’s and they are “for you.” Anytime you do these, you need to do a deep relaxation afterwards.
“The ‘4 U’ kriya sets the nervous system to withstand pressures of society and challenges of times. Do each posture for 11 minutes for 11 days without moving a muscle and this is said to create nerves strong as steel—’stainless steel forever.’ This kriya also works on eliminating fear and developing greater spinal flexibility. Different people will function at individual levels of development and capability. Therefore, though the full time for each posture is 11 minutes, practice according to your individual ability.”
-Mukta Kaur, SuperHealth
July is a hot month! You can choose to channel its fiery intensity into positive thoughts, ideas and bursts of creative energy. Let go of irritability, damaging aggression and bursts of negative emotions. Use the friction to spark positive change!
The playlist:
Om Namo Guru Tune-In by Shakta Kaur Khalsa
Cosmic Cycles by Bachan Kaur
Circles by Adam F
Mondo Grosso (Fearless Mix) by Artist Unknown
Bah Samba (Yoruba Soul Vocal Mix) by Tired Little One
Words (Yoruba Soul Mix) by AbysSoul, Sio, Osunlade
Rose Maria by Chambao
Tangos De Mi Novia by Son De La Frontera
Ek Ong Kar Sat Nam by Snatam Kaur
Har Hare Hari Wahe Guru by
Long Time Sun by Paramjeet Singh & Kaur
Continuing this week on the theme of activating the 3rd Chakra, the seat of your willpower, by activating the abdominal muscles while at the same time striving to completely relax the abdominal muscles, to help them release inherent patterns of restriction and stress. A free and balanced third chakra/abdomen will lead to better digestion and elimination physically, emotionally, mentally and energetically. Heal & Release!
Joy on the inside and peace on the outside, Loving on the inside and laughing on the outside, Kissing on the inside and healing on the outside, Flowing on the inside and thriving on the outside, Clearing on the inside and accepting the outside, Shining on the inside and shining on the outside.
Even though it’s not on the play list for today, I have been thinking a lot about the mantra Om Narayana Shanti Omas sung Wade Imre Morisette. The words just make such sense. Love yourself. Heal yourself. Shine on! Shine on!. The mantra basically means paying respect, peace and love to the ultimate being. You do not have to focus on the identity of a god or a particular being or belief. Just reach deep inside yourself, so far in that you are in your bliss body-the ultimate state of oneness and find your caliber, character, consciousness, courage and commitment. (These are the 5 C’s of Yogi Bhajan). I look at them like the map to being authentically you.
The following set is based on the Kundalini Yoga, the Kriya for Navel Center and Elimination. My classes are a fusion of my life as a flamenco dancer and a dedicated yogi. I have always just wanted to dance. From the days I spent watching Soul Train on Saturday mornings while dancing in my living room using the large picture window as my own private studio mirror, go-go dancing at Man Ray, being embraced by the punk rock community, becoming a Bohemian, discovering the spirituality of the house dance family, tap dancing, flamenco…flamenco…flamenco…to yoga…yoga….yoga…the fusion begins.
Stand: Twist; L arm out; palm front; R hand to chest. (2 min.)
Dance (15 min.)
Alternate leg lifts (2 min.) Didn’t fit into the class.
Seated “U” B-o-F (2 min.)
Easy pose. Arms overhead; palm-to-palm; close eyes; meditate on 3rd eye. Ek Ong Kar Sat Nam Siree Wahe Guru (2-3 min.)
Rest deeply (3-5 min.)
Group Meditation: Har Haray Haree Wahe Guru (5+ min.) This truly was the best part of class. I cannot thank the participants enough for their willingness to try something new!
Time: 7:00 pm, cocktail hour with appetizers and 8:00 pm approx. entertainment will begin.
I will be dancing Alegrías accompanied by Anthony “Tiriti” Tran on guitar.
Location: 12 Highland Street. Delbridge Center for the Performing Arts at the Walnut Hill School.
This fundraiser supports all the great cultural offerings we provide free to the public each year. If you want more info. about us please visit our website: www.natickcenter.org.
Expressive Movement Workshop: ¡Olé Namaste! Yoga & Flamenco for Every/Body Workshop
SUNDAY OCTOBER 28th.
Release Your Inner Dancer!
¡Olé Namaste! Infuses the movements, breathwork and meditation of yoga with the music and dance of flamenco.
This workshop is fully accessible and can be done in a chair or standing and affords participants the opportunity to explore and experience the joy of movement and expression of two arts within a supportive, creative environment, regardless of experience and/or abilities.
Pre-registration encouraged.
$20 pre-registered or $25 at the door.
Register at info@openspiritcenter.org or call 508-877-8162
For more information, please contact Eve Costarelli AdamAnt_Eve@hotmail.com
We will start on mats (or chairs if needed) and move on to dance. Participants may wear hard bottomed shoes or sneakers for the dancing.
Workshop will be held in Edwards Hall at Open Spirit. 39 Edwards Street, Framingham, MA.
I Am Uniquely Eve 