Mudras

Mudras [mud:’ra] – Sanskrit meaning ‘seal’

- Spiritual gesture and energetic seal
- Found in Hinduism and Buddhism
- In Yoga, it is used with Pranamaya or breathing techniques to stimulate different parts of the body to affect the flow of prana

Five Element Theory, in relation to hand :

o Thumb Fire (nourishes the energy of the other fingers, absorbs excess energy and restores balance)

o Index Air (heart chakra, large intestine, and deep meridian of the stomach are associated with this finger, air element represents thoughts)

o Middle Ether (throat chakra, circulation meridian and deep meridian of gall bladder)

o Ring Earth ( root chakra, deep meridian of the liver, rules the pelvic floor, gives stamina, staying power and power to be assertive)


o Little Water (second chakra, energy center of sexuality, interpersonal relations


Jnana Mudra (mudra of knowledge)
- done by touching the tips of the thumb and the index together, forming a circle, and the hand is held with the palm inward toward the heart
- symbolizes unification of individual soul with the world soul
- clears the mind, promotes memory and concentration

Anjali Mudra - (AHN-jah-lee MOO-dra) ( mudra of offering)

- Place both hands in front of heart chakra, with small space between palms
- Coordinates right/left side of brain, brings forth silence balance and peace
- Namaste ( the divinity in me greets the divinity in you)
- Poses : Mountain, Prayer, Tree

Hirschi, Gerturd; Mudras: Yoga in the Hands; 2000

yoga brunch this sunday!

The class starts at 11am followed by food at 12:30pm. We hope to see you there!

Next yoga brunch will be Sunday, Sept 27th from 11 - 1:30pm.
Bring a vegetarian dish or beverages and class/meal are free, or pay $15 for both.

Date:
Sunday, September 27, 2009

Time:
11:00am - 1:30pm

Location:
Golden Om Yoga
778 Lafayette Ave
Brooklyn, NY

Phone:
7186049291
Email:
goldenom@gmail.com

yoga brunch this sunday!

Our monthly Yoga brunch is going strong. The class starts at 11am followed by food at 12:30pm. Last month it was great to have all of the potluck contributions. We hope to see you there!

Next yoga brunch will be Sunday, August 30th from 11 - 1:30pm.
Bring a vegetarian dish or beverages and class/meal are free, or pay $15 for both.

Questions/requests? Email us:
goldenom@gmail.com
or call
718 604 9291

Rushing into action, you fail.

Rushing into action, you fail.
Trying to grasp things, you lose them.
Forcing a project to completion, you ruin what was almost ripe.
Therefore the Master takes action by letting things take their course.

Lao Tzu

This is what we are referring to when talking about a breath-centered yoga practice. Often a yoga instructor's cadence becomes, "inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale..." until it becomes ambient sound and our ears habituate as we no longer pay attention. And at any given point you will hear the instruction: "coordinate the movement with the breath."
Yadi yadi. Yada yada.
It's plenty easy for your mind to convince you and your body to do a lot of things. The converse is true too-- you may convince yourself that you have no control and you are possessed by your body by addiction or greed or whatever other deadly sin you might think up. These two things are true (and not just because I'm trying to promote the concept of non-duality either).

Try this: cat/cow vinyasa
inhale, cow
exhale, cat

Fair enough. Now breathe normally. Let the cow happen as the breath comes. As though the transition is in fact a function of the breathing mechanism. It is.

We are being breathed. The atmospheric pressure outside of the lungs and the pressure within the lungs is what causes the diaphragm to move up and down. Respiration is an autonomic function. You do it while you sleep.

And cat comes because you exhale. Bring your mind into your breath. The song is the breath and your movement is the dance. Freedom within choreography. Moving and breathing in a yoga practice is a celebration of being alive and capable--
bringing your mind into your experience
and being there
with yourself
the whole time
to witness,
to act,
and give thanks
just for that.

Now, try this:cat/cow vinyasa
(do this simultaneously)
inhale=cow
exhale = cat
(let the postures and transitions become synonymous with the word "breathe")

The movement is fluid and the breath is like a river...always flowing.... Sometimes it settles
as in a lake
and the breath suspends
and the mind stops.

If we try to force our bodies to do things without first giving ourselves space to breathe, we will never be able to live in a place of ease and stability. If we fight against the currents around us, we end up defeating ourselves. If we try to hold on to all of our possessions, they will possess us. If we strain, we restrain. If we take shortcuts, we don't understand where we are.

Practicing restraint in yoga is not about denial, it is about transformation. There is no need to bottle up. To be frozen in our emotion. Become a Master by moving with the energies that nourish you. Support yourself without gripping. Trust yourself. Use self-authority by receiving guidance from all that you are and can be. Pain and pleasure follow the same rules of nature--they each will come and go. Inhale. Exhale. Birth. Death. And the spaces in between. Before and after. Let's take more time and find more space and live a little now and then.

vibrational vinyasa

Sunday evening on August 23rd, Golden Om will host a special vigorous yoga class led by Lia Hall with musician and sound healer, AJ Block. With Tyler Sussman, AJ co-founded the Didge Project which is a didgeridoo awareness movement.

"The didgeridoo is an incredible instrument that can be used in music, meditation and healing. Meditation, in its many forms, is one of the keys to restoration of harmony. Through meditation we can improve our ability to listen to our mind, body, and spirit, identify our desires, passions, and motivations and choose a life of health and happiness. The vibrations of the didgeridoo facilitate meditation, helping us to get into states that can be otherwise difficult to enter."


$17 before 8/20 $20 after

Date:
Sunday, August 23, 2009

Time:
5:30pm - 6:45pm

Location:
Golden Om Yoga
778 Lafayette Ave
Brooklyn, NY
11221

718 604 9291
goldenom@gmail.com

yog in the park

Join us on Saturday, August 22nd for a donation-based outdoor class taught by Golden Om instructor, Tina Paul.

We will meet on the corner of Tompkins and Lafayette at 10:45am. Class will run from 11am - 12:15pm. Bring a beach towel and a bottle of water.

In the instance of rain, we'll hold the practice at Golden Om.
778 Lafayette Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11221.

Suggested donation is $10.

email us if you have any questions.




Date:
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Time:
11:00am - 12:15pm
Location:
Herbert Von King Park
Streets:
Greene, Marcy, Lafayette, Tompkins avenues
Brooklyn, NY

cycling for yogis

It only took under an hour and a half to arrive at Fort Tilden Beach from Golden OM. We even took a little scenic detour with no cars threatening and a little glimpse of nature. We got to the beach early enough to beat the swarms and immerse ourselves in that fantastic Atlantic. No matter how dirty you think it is, the ocean definitely has healing and cleansing capabilities. That may have been what inspired our impromptu partner yoga session--experimenting with postures never attempted before!
Next time we'll leave a little later. I think some were Sunday brunchin' since most people showed up later in the afternoon. Stay tuned...we're taking this trip again. And let us know if you have other dream destinations.