Happiness Buddhist Spiritual Leader to Speak at French Embassy

Many of you may recall my review of Ricard's book, Happiness in the last issue of nilambu notes last year. And now he is going to be leading a whole day seminar at the French Embassy, right in my neighborhood!

The day begins with a 30 minute social gathering, and builds from there. Discussion highlights the different paths to happiness, how to increase happiness and illumination about Tibet, a country that measures Gross National Happiness rather than Gross National Product. Should be an interesting day.

To see the full day schedule and register...

Foremost Christian Meditation Guide Comes to DC

If you've never heard Thomas Keating speak or read any of his writings, you are deprived. He is irreverent, real and entertaining, and lucky us, he is speaking on Thursday evening, March 15 somewhere in DC (tbd) sponsored by the Smithsonian Associates program.

Fr. Keating founded Contemplative Outreach and is very knowledgeable about the tradition of meditation and contemplation in the Christian faith. With his ministry and writing, he is really the proponent of the renewal of modern Christian meditation and will show you how the practice of meditation can enliven Christian spirituality.

For more info and to register....

Women Convene at Cathedral to Implement Love

Sacred Circles, a "celebration of woman's spirituality" only comes around every two years. I attended for the first time in 2005 and wow, what an awesome experience. This year's theme is "Implement Love." No words can capture the joy and wonder of worship in the National Cathedral with those who gather for this event. And the individual break-out sessions address a wide variety of interests and needs.

Last time, I did yoga to the prayer of St. Francis of Assis, applauded Marianne Williamson as she acknowledged the distress of war and division, and expressed my admiration personally to Sharon Salzberg, one of my favorite mediation teachers and Buddhist writers.

This year Sharon Salzberg is back and other highlights include

• Artist Karnamrita will chant devotional Vedic verses
• Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, a South African, will describe the process of reconciliation to help us bridge our own divides
• Carol Gallagher, a Cherokee Episcopal bishop, will highlight our connectedness to the living earth
• Roberta Bondi will illuminate Julian of Norwich's teachings on love

To find out more and to register...

Abhyanga, Self Oil Massage, Nourishes Skin & Body

A regular practice of giving yourself a full body oil massage is an essential part of yogic health. Ayurvedic medicine complements and completes yoga and is the traditional healing system of India. As old as yoga (5000 years old!), Ayurveda uses the same Sanskrit language as yoga.

Snehana is the Sanskrit term for massaging herbal oils into the skin. The root of this word highlights a vital aspect of this practice. Sneha means love, and the literal translation ofsnehana is to love your own body. So as you do this, you really need to feel affection for your own skin and what's underneath.

Abhyanga is a broader term and refers to any massage treatment that uses oil, and here I will be describing how to administer a self oil massage. Abhyanga is also a Sanskrit word and with ang meaning "movement" and the prefix abhi meaning "into" or "toward", Abhyanga literally translates as moving into the body. Moving what into the body? Energy, love, prana.

One of my clients suggested I was highlighting this because of Valentine's Day. The connection is apt. If you have someone in your life, this practice is wonderful to do with a partner. Whether with a partner or alone, practicing love toward your body with the practice of abhyanga is a perfect way to celebrate St. Valentine's Day.

To find out more about why to do this and how to...

Revised Schedule & Music Now Available

Are your days flying by but you've not yet made time for yoga? nilambu classes began this week with a return to the basics - a review of that self-administered foot massage to wake up the feet for standing postures. We then did the standing postures with an emphasis on extending the spine. Finally, we started our nilambu philosophical focus with a spotlight on compassion. A new schedule is shaking out so be sure to check the schedule on the nilambu web site for updates.

Please come by a try a class! Or if you're too shy, try a private. The first try out is free. Yoga is for everyone and more than physical postures (called asana in Sanskrit). An asana is not a posture which you assume mechanically. It involves thought, at the end of which a balanced is achieved between movement and resistance. - BKS Iyengar.

Finally, with the start of the new year, I've assembled some unique nilambu playlists. Yes, music is an integral part of nilambu classes. Using music in yoga classes is a source of debate. I use it in class because I've experienced music's power with movement and how sound can work on a subtle level on the brain and even change the breath. My perspective on this debate is shaped by my experience growing up in ballet classes, no doubt. And my yoga practice deepened when after 4 years I discovered yoga could be done to music. Sound gave me a whole new dimension to "meditation in movement."

But that said, I also very much appreciate the value of silence. So nilambu classes offer a bit of silence too. There's just not enough of the absence of sound in our lives and silence can be immeasurably useful in order to bring awareness to our experiences and to our body.

I've published my playlists on iTunes as an iMix, and the list is available now. (For some reason, clicking on the link below doesn't work with my default internet browser, Mozilla Firefox. But if I paste the link into Microsoft Explorer, itunes opens the imusic store no problem. Unusual instance of synergy between Microsoft and Apple.) Look for more in the future.

To check out nilambu music playlist...