Touching the Earth with Gratitude and Forgiveness: Lammas

     The sun is in Leo and nature is at its peak. You can feel, see and even taste what has ripened on the vine for you. Today August 1st, the harvest celebrations begin. The ancients call this time Lammas, the first of three harvest celebrations. It is a time of gratitude where we appreciate the fruits of our labors. When we slow down and notice all we have created, nurtured and protected.

      This time is also about forgiving what we have worked for and lost since the new year. The time and efforts spent in foreseeing, planting, taking care of and protecting our creations makes it easy to be attached to what could have been. Letting go and doing so with love keeps our heart soft so new seeds can take shape for the next cycle.

      During these first days of August make some time to touch the earth. You can touch the dirt, grass or sand. Touch it and reflect on gratitude and forgiveness for all you have grown this year be it big or small. Seeing with thankful rather than resentful eyes is a pure and deep emotional state. One that is free from ego. These are the eyes that can witness when the harvest's magic appears.

      On a personal note I find August 1st's ancient Lammas sentiment of reflecting on gratitude and forgiveness to be perfectly synchronistic with the birthday wishes of my Father in Law's Guru, Dada J. P. Vaswani from the Sadhu Vaswani Mission in Pune, India. Dada is celebrating 99 years of life on August 2nd. His birthday wish is at 2 pm wherever you are to take 2 minutes to forgive and experience the calmness within. To read more about A Moment of Calm please visit www.momentofcalm.org


"Hearts at peace will create world peace."  -J. P. Vaswani

A Post Summer Solstice Ritual

    Every year I miss out on writing about the Summer Solstice for the same reason, there's so much of everything going on. Between school endings and new summer beginnings for my boys and work schedule, parties, playtime at the pool, park or beach, there's an overload of what to experience and be all at once.

    Handling an overabundance of what's fun to do as the sun shines brightly while doing what has to be done everyday can't always be handled with ease. Feelings of frustration and exhaustion have been a part of my summer vibe so far and this makes me wonder what's got to go for a simpler and well balanced life.

    What's comforting to realize is both Yoga and Ayurveda's wisdom suggests the elements of nature- fire, water, air and earth are found within us. During these sun filled days as nature is brightly buzzing, chirping and growing in full speed around us, it is also doing the same within us.

    The ancients, our ancestors were so in synch with the universe's rhythm and saw this period of peak light as sacred. It was and still is a time to seek refuge and ritual to remedy any dis ease that comes from an overload of energy. It is a time of assessments. A time to recognize what you're truly passionate about. A period of the year to decide where you wish to throw your ball of energy towards and/or let go of for the second half of the year.

    If any of this resonates with you, take the time to sit with yourself and notice what you're now wishing to grow within and around you. Practicing a post Summer Solstice self reflection ritual can assist in balancing what was mayhem into embracing the sweet fullness of summer life.

Happy Fourth of July! Class Schedule

Happy Fourth of July!


I'll be back on the mat and leading two classes Wednesday July 5th:  


9:30am   1hr 30min   Level 2/3   at www.birchwoodcenter.com   in Nyack, New York


11:45am   11:45am   1hr 15min   Gentle Plus   at www.birchwoodcenter.com   in Nyack,  New York

Transformative Tuesdays/A Meditation Class at the Graf Center for Integrative Medicine at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center

   Transformative Tuesdays started last Tuesday June 6th and is meeting for 3 more Tuesdays in June at 6pm for 1 hour. This very special June meditation program welcomes drop in students to any of the 3 remaining classes. This meditation class is perfect for the brand new beginner or for any level practitioner who wants to slow down and tune into a quieter mind and more relaxed body.

    Last Tuesday we began class with a super relaxing restorative yoga posture followed by breath work and easy to follow yoga postures to find flexibility and strength to support your seated meditation practice. After sitting in meditation we practiced a few grounding postures and ended class with a final relaxation pose.

    Doctors, staff, patients and the community joined last week's class. If you are interested in learning to meditate, getting back into it or enjoy meditating with others please join us. I'm looking forward to sharing more this coming Tuesday evening 6pm at the Graf Center of Integrative Medicine at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center.


When:

Tuesdays June 6, 13, 20 and 27 2017
6-7pm



Where:

Graf Center for Integrative Medicine
Englewood Hospital and Medical Center
350 Engle Street, Englewood, NJ

FREE Valet Parking



To Register:

201-608-2377 or grafcenter@ehmchealth.org

$10 per class

Full Moon Friday

This moon cycle is about navigating your journey with a little more precision. If you've been feeling this way for the past two weeks or so, pay attention to how today's Full Moon in Sagittarius is beaming out plenty of messages to remember to steer by the compass of your soul. Stay with it.

Transformative Tuesdays/A Meditation Class at the Graf Center for Integrative Medicine at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center

     This is the Graf Center for Integrative Medicine located within Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in Englewood, New Jersey. This spa like environment is a wellness and healing gem that's open to all. Tuesday June 6th, I start leading a 4 class yoga and meditation series called Transformative Tuesdays from 6-7pm. This special class series is geared towards loosening up both your mind and body so you can easefully sit in meditation.

      Transformative Tuesdays is perfect for the brand new beginner or for any level practitioner who wants to wind down and tune into a quieter mind and more relaxed body. Feel free to attend one class, two, three or all.


When:

Tuesdays June 6, 13, 20 and 27 2017
6-7pm



Where:

Graf Center for Integrative Medicine
Englewood Hospital and Medical Center
350 Engle Street, Englewood, NJ

FREE Valet Parking



To Register:

201-608-2377 or grafcenter@ehmchealth.org

$10 per class

Pics from the Flower Mandala Meditation at Birchwood Center Nyack, NY

      Last Friday night at Birchwood Center of Yoga and Massage's Yoga Study Circle we experienced how making a mandala out of flower petals, leaves and stems can be a beautiful and transformative meditation experience. During our special class we discussed the meaning of mandalas, learned about their Hindu/Buddhist origins and how mandalas can be found throughout history such as in the stain glass rose windows at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City and at Notre Dame in Paris. We noted how today it's in vogue to see mandalas as you scroll through Instagram, Pinterest and in coloring books found at the supermarket checkout stands.

       Here are a few pictures from our meditative evening. Pre event I created a circular rose petal mandala for us to sit around for our mandala discussion and intention setting. After a group conversation about mandalas that expanded my consciousness, I led us through a few grounding exercises to settle into our meditation followed by collecting our flowers, silently finding floor space and creating our own mandalas.

       Once completed we appreciated our creations, some of us took pictures of them and then we individually swept the mandalas up to experience impermanence. Everyone got a bag to take their flower mandala home to discard as they wish.

        I will offer this special event again at www.birchwoodcenter.com in Nyack, New York in the Fall. Next time we will include a silent mindfulness meditation walk to the Hudson River which is only a block away. Here we will do the let go of our mandalas into the river together so the good vibes of our positive intentions can keep moving.