Back in Action

Hello my dear readers,

I apologize for the long hiatus. However, the time was well spent. My husband and I welcomed our son, Rocco, on February 16th. He has added a new layer of joy and learning to our lives. Of course, my appreciation for yoga and its teachings has grown since becoming a parent. It has enabled me to enjoy the present moment to its fullest, dig deep to overcome challenges, and to find the time to just BE in the midst of the happy chaos.

I am pleased to announce that my site has been updated and many exciting classes and workshops are on the horizon. Please visit Sara Yoga for details.

Peace and love to all of you!

On Tour!!!

I am thrilled to announce that finally my dear students can get a taste of what I am experiencing here in India. Sri Sharath Rangaswamy, the Ashtanga Yoga teacher and grandson of Guru Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, will be holding 2 weeks of classes in New York City this spring. I will be attending class both weeks and it would be a thrill for my students to accompany me to as many or as few as they would like. Please click here for the details of the tour.

I am looking forward to seeing all my students again and teaching everything that I am learning. Sending you all lots of love from India! XOXO

Operation Shanti

In addition to being a student of Yoga and sanskrit in India I have begun something I TRULY wanted to do for a long time....give back. Yesterday I taught my first arts and crafts class to the children of Operation Shanti, an organization which supports children in Mysore and gets them off the streets, out of the slums, and into a clean home and school.

Upon arrival I was bowled over with hugs and smiles, from kids whom I had never met. The joy of sharing such simple things (time and energy) was beyond well received. Simply making paper fans inspired such joy in these little angles. I'd might as well have given them buried treasure! Instantly it became clear why I am here for 3 months this trip. I am learning yoga in a new, different way. These children, whom have lived through things I can't even imagine, have taught me how to open my heart. I will be eternally grateful.

You CAN help! Visit operation-shanti.org to contribute however you are able. I can assure you that even the smallest aid brings the biggest smiles.

Back to Blogging

Hey Readers! Thank you so much for your patience. Ben has gone home from India now, so I will be blogging much more frequently. I am absorbing so much here and I can't wait to share it with all of you. I know April 1st seems far away, but time is going quickly here during my stay as a yoga student. Stay warm, keep practicing, and feel the love! I will write again soon.
Love,
Sara

Selfless Service

I've been quoted! Elyce Neuhauser, a beautiful soul in the Long Island yoga community, interviewed me for her article on selfless service for Canvas Magazine. I hope it will stimulate you to become more conscious of all the ways you can help others, both big and small.

Click here to link the article and get inspired!

Returning to the Motherland

It is time for me to announce to my dear students and friends that I am returning to India this winter. I am thrilled for so many reasons. First, I will be staying for 3 months! Something I have wanted to do for so long and has finally fallen into place. I know this will help me to deepen my relationship with Guruji and Sharath, at last. Second, my husband, Ben is coming with me! This is his first India trip and I have no doubt it will blow his circuits....in a good way. We leave New York together and arrive in India on December 27th. We will spend one week in Goa, absorbing the sun, ocean, and celebrating the arrival of 2009. On January 3rd we move on to Mysore and will happily be yoga students! Ben returns home after one month (thank goodness for skype) and I return to teaching on April 1, 2009.

I am so grateful for the support I have received from everyone regarding this journey. I know it will be life altering, as India tends to be. Please do stay tuned in via my blog and website, to keep abreast of my trip and the exciting events upon my return. 

In the meantime I wish all of you an amazing holiday season with your loved ones. Peace, love, and light to all. Namaste.

Sthirasukhamasanam

Yoga Sutra II.46 states "Sthirasukhamasanam", meaning an asana must have dual qualities of alertness and relaxation to be considered an asana at all, let alone an effective one.

This is a principle to be practiced in any tradition of Hatha Yoga. In order to engage in poses and receive their complete benefit we must be alert but not tense, and relaxed without being dull or heavy. In my practice and teaching of Ashtanga Yoga I find this to be crucial. Unfortunately, it seems this unforgettable part of all asana practices is being forgotten in Ashtanga's beloved lineage, by both practitioners and teachers alike.

I live in Long Island, New York, and recently many students and colleagues of mine have given up Ashtanga Yoga for more "gentle" traditions. When I ask what has brought about the change the response is often, "Ashtanga is too hard on my body" or "I don't have the energy". While I don't deny that Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga can be a challenge, isn't it our own responsibility to find a peaceful place within that challenge? Sure, our teachers can lead us and guide us with their own knowledge but they do not inhabit our bodies and minds. It is OUR duty to be conscious during practice and know when to respect our limitations. If you aren't ok setting limits for yourself it is high time for an ego check! If we are experiencing physical pain from our practice then what is most likely the case: The practice is to blame for hurting our bodies......or WE are approaching our practice with a forceful, all or nothing mindset? 

If we abandon Ashtanga Yoga (or any method for that matter) because it isn't giving us what we want is it really fair to blame the yoga? Isn't yoga just a mirror to show us what is deep within us anyway? Furthermore, how can we learn Sthirasukhamasanam slowly and patiently if we just stop doing the things we need to make peace with? One of the most beautiful pieces of the Ashtanga method is that it encourages self study. Practicing with sthira and sukham requires us to constantly see ourselves objectively and to adapt to what is needed in the present moment. If we are truly present without ego we can make any asana a place of steadiness and peace.