God as Silence

Nothing in all creation is so like God as silence. - Meister Eckhart

Nominate nilambu yoga!

Please nominate nilambu yoga for best yoga studio in the City Life Category at WashingtonPost.com.

So you don't forget, do it right now. The deadline is June 3rd. If you're not already an registered reader of the Washington Post online, you'll need to register first, but I'd appreciate the effort and your vote.

While you're there you can also vote for best museum, live theater, live band among others. How wonderful that yoga is considered as important to city life as museums and live theater and music! Go vote! Just type in the blank spot for yoga studio "nilambu yoga." Thanks!

Summer Classes Continue

At nilambu yoga the student gets very personalized attention in small classes. Only 4 students are permitted to enroll, so the teaching responds closely to the participants. You are welcome to join up at anytime. A new 7 week class session begins the week of June 13th and continues through the week of July 25th.

Classes are held on the following days and times:

• Monday 5:30 - 6:45 pm (space available)
• Tuesday 10 - 11:15 am (space available)
• Tuesday 5:30 - 6:45 pm (space available)
• Tuesday 7:00 - 8:15 pm (space available)
• Wednesday 5:30 - 6:45 pm (space available)
• Wednesday 7:00 - 8:15 pm (full)
• Saturday 8:00 - 9:15 am (space available)

The cost for 7 weeks is $135 except for the Monday night class. No class is held on July 4th, so the Monday night class meets only 6 weeks and is $115. Single classes are available ($20) if space is available.

New comers are welcome anytime! New clients are entitled to a free 45 minute private orientation session with me. Ideally, this private time should be scheduled before attending any class, but this orientation is not a prerequisite. If there's room, we'll accommodate you in the class. Please email me first to ensure a space at cass@nilambu.com.

Private sessions are always available. Also, if you have a group of friends and would like to schedule a class, with a minimum of three, I'd be happy to set up a session at a convenient time.

Meditation and Writing

As a writer who meditates (or a meditator who writes), Natalie Goldberg's short essay on how to keep a meditation practice going very much intrigued. She compares writing and meditation, speaks of the "monkey mind," and acknowledges the challenges of maintaining a meditation practice.

I always enjoy reading her work, but check out this piece in Yoga Journal by clicking here.

How To Deal With Illness & Fatigue

The Yoga Sutras compiled by Patanjali, are aphorisms that represent the essence of yoga knowledge and experience. The statements are succinct (averaging six words) and provide guidance on the benefits, philosophy and practice of yoga. For more about the Sutras, click here.

What are the nine obstacles in yoga?
Nine obstacles or distractions are outlined: illness, fatigue, doubt, carelessness, laziness, attachment, delusion, the failure to achieve samadhi and the failure to achieve samadhi. (Chapter 1:30) . Even 2500 years after Patanjali first assembled the Yoga Sutras, these obstacles can still veer yogis off their path.

Note that Samadhi means "settled mind," which is said to bring very deep rest to the entire body. In this issue of nilambu notes, I examine the first two - illness (vyadhi) and fatigue (styana).

What does yoga say about illness?
Illness or sickness that disturbs the physical balance is the first distraction, because in yoga, the body is the key mechanism. If the car breaks down, the trip stops. The root of the Sanskrit word, vyadhi, means to "stand apart" or "be scattered" (Georg Feuerstein, The Deeper Dimension of Yoga, p.157).

So illness is said to break apart and alienate a person, a life. The primacy of the physical health indicates how, in yoga, the body is integral to and important for the mind. Mental development and that settled state of mind will be harder to achieve, though not impossible, when the body is ill.

What does yoga say about fatigue and apathy?
Styana is variously translated as fatigue, apathy, languor or lethargy. The root means "to grow dense." (Ibid, p. 158). A yogi who is fatigued or apathetic enjoys no enthusiasm and forms no aspirations.

BKS Iyengar notes that in this state,

mind and intellect become dull due to inactivity...water in a ditch stagnates and nothing good can flourish in it. (Light on Yoga, p. 25)

My current yoga teacher speaks of the "walking dead" - people who are listless and unaware and unable to concentrate.

So what are we to do about these obstacles?
They impede obviously - but the Sanskrit term for these "obstacles" actually means "interval." That is, illness and apathy create a break or a gap and thereby distract from the goal. The gap can be bridged. The Sutras continue,

Such distractions make the body restless, the breathing coarse, the mind agitated. They result in suffering. But they can be eliminated if the mind is repeatedly brought to a single focus. (Chapter 1:31-32).

Notably, the sutras do not deny or belittle these challenges. They exist. The sutras acknowledge the pain they can cause and note yoga requires an even more diligent focus when these obstacles are encountered.

So the answer to distractions?
Focus. Not a stunning aphorism, but one worth remembering. Important to me is that yoga recognizes these difficulties. And the etymologies of the words resonate and illuminate fresh perspectives on difficulties that can arise to hinder us.

These obstacles are not huge boulders, too weighty to move, that stop us dead in our track. Nor are they locked gates on our route that we ignore by going around another way. These obstacles are potholes in our path. And so we continue on our chosen way with heightened care and concentration - watching out for the potholes and gaps to bridge.

That's the message of the Yoga Sutras.

Guided Yoga Nidra by Local Yoga Teacher

Last month, I discussed yoga nidra. Robin Carnes, whose CD is reviewed below, reminded me of the purpose of doing yoga nidra:

While relaxation is a worthy outcome in and of itself, the true purpose of yoga nidra, as with all forms of yoga, is to help us access the actual experience, not just the concept, of our Oneness with all creation. It helps dissolve our separateness and experience our connectedness.

Well put and captured in both of the guided yoga nidras reviewed below. Robin also brought to my attention a short, helpful piece on yoga nidra from a recent issue of Yoga Journal. To read, click here.

Yoga Nidra by Robin Carnes A short introduction outlines the purpose and practice of yoga nidra. Ms. Carnes teaches at a local DC area studio, Willow Street Yoga Center, in Takoma Park.

In her introduction, she captures the state of being in yoga nidra as a "hovering between sense consciousness and sleep consciousness." Two guided yoga nidras follow.

Her confident voice calms and comforts. As you set your resolve (your sankalpa) for your yoga nidra, she encourages you to conjure an image that captures your intention - something or some way of being you wish to bring to fruition in your life.

Then, as traditional she guides your awareness around your body in several layers - sometimes specific small parts of the body (each finger), other times larger areas (whole leg). She directs you to be aware of the surface of your body (the skin in specific areas), channel your breath, wash colors through your body or conjure images of landscapes (tree, mountain, cloud) or objects (rose, ball, tunnel).

New to me, Ms. Carnes brought an "awareness of sensation" and suggested I feel my body first heavy then light, cold then hot.

The second nidra at 42 minutes is slightly longer the first (27 minutes), but both are excellent and authentic.

Judith Lasater once said to me,

that you don't do restorative yoga, it does you.

Robin Carnes said the same of yoga nidra "you don't do it, it does you." And when yoga nidra is done doing you, you free great! This rewarding CD is $15. To purchase, contact Robin Carnes at rdcarnes@starpower.net or 301-587-1835.

Shiva Rea's Drops of Nectar

This 2 CD set is subtitled, "Yoga Relaxation for Rejuvenation and Healing." Last month I describe yoga nidra and the steps to achieve that yogic state of rest. Only one track on these CDs is a formal yoga nidra, but it's a delicious 19 minutes.

Shiva Rea (her website here) is known for her integration of dance and yoga, but this CD demonstrates her talent for going deeper in another way. Music underscores her voice and the nidra track opens with "a sea of Oms" chanted one over the other while she encourages you to "become one vibration with the sound."

She directs you to imagine your body looking down at yourself, as if outside of yourself, set an intention, sankalpa, and then leads you through a brisk survey of the body. She also brings attention to each of the chakras "brightly flaring" and connects the image of your heart to other living beings to foster a sense of connectedness.

Throughout, simple tones of music, graced with bells that sound like wind chimes, support the experience just as much as the surface underneath your body. Her guidance may be confusing if you've not perused the liner notes; she presumes you know the location of the chakras and familiar with certain terms.

But as excellent as her guided CDs are, her liner notes are more outstanding. She presents additional information concisely and clearly to enhance your practice and even includes helpful photographs.

The rest of the tracks include information on how to do a Moon Salutation, Chandra Namaskar, a cleansing breath exercise, Nadi Shodhana Pranayama, and several guided Corpse Poses, Savasana - one inspired by the moon, another by a Rumi poem and another by a sunset over the sea.

To purchase, click here.

Magazine Articles of Note

Judith Hanson Lasater wrote an informative, reflective essay on pratyahra, which is the yoga practice of withdrawing the sense.  (Yoga nidra is a state of being, pratyahra is an action) Take the time to read her essay, Return To Stillness; In a world of information overload, the yoga practice of pratyahara offers us a haven of silence.    Click here. http://www.yogajournal.com/wisdom/459_1.cfm

Yoga International featured a woman who teaches yoga and who, like me, has fibromyalgia. Her experience closely mirrors my own.  Click here to read about how yoga helps alleviate the symptoms.   http://www.yimag.org/features.asp?articleid=3.  In three respects, my experience diverged from the woman featured:

1. On days when crutches or wheelchairs are necessary I don’t see how headstands are – but the monstrous disease does wax and wane. 
2. She doesn’t address how still, “restorative” poses are very difficult and challenging when in pain.  Sometimes the body is better off moving because pain in a warm body in not as gripping and breathtaking.  Other times, restorative postures are alternated with more active postures. Yoga teaches you to be aware of your body and responsive, whether you’re dealing with an illness or not.  
3. She also speaks of “flare-proofing” with certain precautions.  In my experience, there is no flare-proofing. The behavior she outlines is still important; you do your best to minimize damage from the random onsets.  But sometimes the bad times just hit and wreck havoc.  Her sense of control and “proofing” again flare-ups belies her acceptance of surrender.      

To read of my own experience with yoga and my disease, click here.

If you have any suggestions for future nilambu notes, please feel free to email me at cass@nilambu.com

Summer Sessions Announced

Come and try out some yoga this summer at nilambu where the classes are extremely personalized. Only 4 students are permitted to enroll, so the teaching responds closely to the participants. The two sessions are:

• 6-week session from the week of May 2nd to the week of June 6th (cost is $115)
• 7-week session from the week of June 13th to the week of July 25th (cost is $135)

Classes will be held on the following days and times:

• Monday 5:30 - 6:45 pm
• Tuesday 10 - 11:15 am
• Tuesday 5:30 - 6:45 pm
• Tuesday 7:00 - 8:15 pm
• Wednesday 5:30 - 6:45 pm
• Wednesday 7:00 - 8:15 pm

Classes will focus on one of the following: standing poses, balancing poses, backbending poses, twisting poses, seated poses, prone poses, supine poses and restorative. For sample classes click here.

Please note: because of the Memorial Day holiday on May 30th and the 4th of July holiday, no classes will be held on those Mondays. Therefore, registration for the Monday 5:30 class is $105 for the first session and $115 for the second, reduced to reflect fewer classes. Single classes are available for $20. Make-up classes are also allowed. Please just email first to ensure that there’s a mat for you.

New clients are entitled to a free 45 minute private orientation session with me. Ideally this private time should be scheduled before attending any class. But any one is welcomed to attend any time, and if there's room, we'll accommodate you. Please email me first to ensure a space is available at cass@nilambu.com

Private sessions are always available. Also, if you have a group of friends and would like to schedule a class, just let me know. With a minimum of three, I’d be happy to set up a session at a convenient time.

Yoga Nidra - A Restful State of Being

Yoga Nidra. What does it mean?

Well, the answer to that has varied over the centuries. It’s often translated as yoga sleep, but sleep is understood very differently in yoga.

Patanjali wrote of sleep in the 10th Sutra of Chapter One -

Sleep is the mental activity that has as its content the sense of nothingness. - trans. by Alistair Shearer

Sleep is the turning of thought abstracted from existence. - trans. by Barbara Stoler Miller

So in yoga, sleep is not the absence of consciousness. It’s just a different stage of consciousness. In the earlier centuries of yoga, yoga nidra even was considered the highest form of consciousness, the closest to God. In this altered conscious state, one experiences continuous awareness of the self and a merging or even engrossing with God’s consciousness.

But today, yoga nidra most often refers to a state of deep relaxation in which the senses are aware of external stimuli but do not in any way react, even in the mind.

How does one get to that state of relaxation? Here are some steps:

1. Put your body in a comfortable physical position. Typically, this pose is corpse pose or savasana – you lie on your back, palms up. You can support your neck and head and put a cushion behind the knees. Just be sure you’re comfortable.
2. Set an intention – this could be to let go of an irritation, to forgive someone who wronged you, to make this deep relaxation effective – whatever you’d like.
3. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Slowly try to match the length of the inhalation to the exhalation. As you exhale, try to image the carbon dioxide, the waste, that your body naturally exhales.
4. Survey your body – think in your mind of each body part, right side and left side separately. You can be as specific as thinking of each toe. The more precise you are the better. As you think of each body part, concentrate on relaxing that part. Do all of this in quickly. Don’t linger in any place of the body.
5. When the survey is complete, think of the whole body, supported by the floor. (hopefully by now, you’ll have a slight sensation of floating)
6. Think of your intention.
7. You can repeat the body survey or simply focus on your breath. You can stay in this for 10 minutes or 60. You should feel calm, a calm abiding. You are aware of sounds, the floor touching you, smells. But you don’t react to them, either actually or even in your mind. You may even fall into a different state of consciousness (sleep).
8. Come out gently.

You can do yoga nidra on your own. Admittedly, it’s easier to have someone with a kind and gentle voice to guide you in, through your body survey and back out.

I’ve actually transferred some of Shiva Rae’s yoga nidras onto my Ipod and sometimes go into yoga nidra to help me transition into night or during the day when I need deep rest. (See review of her Yoga Nectar CD next month, but if you want to check out her web site, click here. www.shivarea.com).

I also really relish doing it. I come out feeling refreshed and renewed. Nectar, indeed.

For general background on Patanjali click here and the Yoga Sutras, click here.

How To Return to Stillness

Judith Hanson Lasater wrote an informative, reflective essay on pratyahra, which is the yoga practice of withdrawing the senses.

Some definitional clarification:
yoga nidra is a state of being
pratyahra is an action

Take the time to read her essay, Return To Stillness. In a world of information overload, the yoga practice of pratyahara offers us a haven of silence.

Click here.

Yoga and Chronic Illness

Yoga International featured a woman who teaches yoga and who, like me, has fibromyalgia. Her experience closely mirrors my own. Click here to read about how yoga helps alleviate the symptoms.

In three respects, my experience diverged from the woman featured:

1. On days when crutches or wheelchairs are necessary I don’t see how headstands are – but the monstrous disease does wax and wane.


2. She doesn’t address how still, “restorative” poses are very difficult and challenging when in pain. Sometimes the body is better off moving because pain in a warm body in not as gripping and breathtaking. Other times, restorative postures are alternated with more active postures. Yoga teaches you to be aware of your body and responsive, whether you’re dealing with an illness or not.


3. She also speaks of “flare-proofing” with certain precautions. In my experience, there is no flare-proofing. The behavior she outlines is still important; you do your best to minimize damage from the random onsets. But sometimes the bad times just hit and wreck havoc. Her sense of control and “proofing” again flare-ups belies her acceptance of surrender.

To read of my own experience with yoga and my disease, click here.

From the Taittirïya Upanishad

In the beginning this universe was not.There was just pure potential, from which was then born Being.And from Being was born the Self, which is known as perfect.

Truly, that perfect Self is the essence of existence.Truly, in tasting the essence one rejoices in bliss.  Indeed, who could breathe, who could live, were there not this all-pervading bliss?

Truly, it is this essence that bestows bliss. Truly, when a person discovers a foundation of fearlessness in the Self, in that which is invisible, 

formless, unlimited, and self-sufficient, then has he found true fearlessness.

If, however, he makes in this unity even the smallest gap, then fear is born.To all whose self is small, the form of the formless brings fear.

The Taittirïya Upanishad is one of a school of Vedic philosophy that outlines the five sheaths (kosas) of the self in order to know – intimately, intellectually, experientially - the supreme self (paramatma-jnana).  

Upcoming Classes - March/April 2005

Tues. March 22nd          Core Strength Class (Special time 6 to 7:15 pm)
Benefits: Opens the full range of motion of the shoulder joint; brings attention to the alignment of the upper body in preparation for handstand; strengthens and extends the leg muscles. 

Friday March 25th          Backbend Posture Class (12:30 to 1:45 pm)
Benefits: Lengthens the hip flexor muscles across the front of the hips (which will improve the position of the pelvis and may alleviate lower back pain); opens the shoulder and upper back muscles; improves posture; strengthens and invigorates the whole body; improves respiration; energizes the nervous system; can counteract depression. 

Tues. March 29th            Balance Postures Class (5:30 to 6:45 pm)
Benefits: Fosters a lightness and agility as well as endurance; muscle tone increases; improves coordination and concentration. 

Wed. March 30th             Twists Postures Class (5:30 to 6:45 pm)
Benefits: Maintains suppleness in spine and shoulders; can relieve pain in the neck, shoulders, and back from sitting at a computer; increases energy level; tones and massages the abdominal organs and improves digestion.

Tues. April 5th                  Seated Postures Class (5:30 to 6:45 pm)
Benefits: Stretches spine, shoulders, hips, hamstrings and groin; stimulates liver and kidneys; improves digestion; can relieve mild depression, anxiety, fatigue; therapeutic for high blood pressure, insomnia, or sinusitis. 

Wed. April 6th                    Backbend Postures Class (5:30 to 6:45 pm)
Benefits: See above.

Tues. April 12th                 Supine and Prone Postures Class (5:30 to 6:45 pm)
Benefits: Stretches the abdomen; increases mobility of the spine and hips; strengthen the back, arms and legs; stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for breathing and digestion) and therefore can be deeply soothing.   

Meditation Articles

I recommend two articles available online. 

Here Comes the Sun by Richard Rosen  Richard Rosen, the author of THE book on yoga breath (The Yoga of Breath: A Step-by-Step Guide to Pranayama), wrote a delightful and enlightening article on the sun salutation for Yoga Journal.   As the sun returns to us, this first week of spring seems an especially appropriate time to remind ourselves about the origin of this basic yoga sequence called Surya Namaskar.   Surya – sun; namas – salute (same root as namaste which means literally “I salute you.”) 

Here’s a sample – The outer sun, they (ancient yogis) asserted, is in reality a token of our own "inner sun," which corresponds to our subtle, or spiritual, heart. Here is the seat of consciousness and higher wisdom (jnana) and, in some traditions, the domicile of the embodied self (jivatman).

It might seem strange to us that the yogis place the seat of wisdom in the heart, which we typically associate with our emotions, and not the brain. But in yoga, the brain is actually symbolized by the moon, which reflects the sun's light but generates none of its own. This kind of knowledge is worthwhile for dealing with mundane affairs, and is even necessary to a certain extent for the lower stages of spiritual practice. But in the end, the brain is inherently limited in what it can know and is prone to what Patanjali calls misconception (viparyaya) or false knowledge of the self.

To read the full article, click here. http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/928_1.cfm

The Complete Package: Meditation and Yoga by Cyndi Lee This piece originally appeared in the July 2001 issue of Shambhala Sun.  Written by my former teacher and mentor in New York City, Cyndi Lee includes this vivid episode about a frightening accident as a spark for why one practices yoga and the variety of benefits.  What she describes here echoes my own experience with yoga, though I’ve never been dumped unexpectedly into the rapids of a river.  She sets forth her ideas about how yoga can be meditation in movement and how to approach your physical practice with a sense of curiosity rather than judgments measured against goals.  She’s a wise yogini, and I encourage you to read the full article here.  http://www.purifymind.com/CompletePackage.html

Upcoming Classes

Tues. March 22nd Core Strength Class (Special time 6 to 7:15 pm)
Benefits: Opens the full range of motion of the shoulder joint; brings attention to the alignment of the upper body in preparation for handstand; strengthens and extends the leg muscles.

Friday March 25th Backbend Posture Class (12:30 to 1:45 pm)
Benefits: Lengthens the hip flexor muscles across the front of the hips (which will improve the position of the pelvis and may alleviate lower back pain); opens the shoulder and upper back muscles; improves posture; strengthens and invigorates the whole body; improves respiration; energizes the nervous system; can counteract depression.

Tues. March 29th Balance Postures Class (5:30 to 6:45 pm)
Benefits: Fosters a lightness and agility as well as endurance; muscle tone increases; improves coordination and concentration.

Wed. March 30th Twists Postures Class (5:30 to 6:45 pm)
Benefits: Maintains suppleness in spine and shoulders; can relieve pain in the neck, shoulders, and back from sitting at a computer; increases energy level; tones and massages the abdominal organs and improves digestion.

Tues. April 5th Seated Postures Class (5:30 to 6:45 pm)
Benefits: Stretches spine, shoulders, hips, hamstrings and groin; stimulates liver and kidneys; improves digestion; can relieve mild depression, anxiety, fatigue; therapeutic for high blood pressure, insomnia, or sinusitis.

Wed. April 6th Backbend Postures Class (5:30 to 6:45 pm)
Benefits: See above.

Tues. April 12th Supine and Prone Postures Class (5:30 to 6:45 pm)
Benefits: Stretches the abdomen; increases mobility of the spine and hips; strengthen the back, arms and legs; stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for breathing and digestion) and therefore can be deeply soothing.

A Yoga Creation Story

From the Taittirïya Upanishad:

In the beginning this universe was not.

There was just pure potential, from which was then born Being.

And from Being was born the Self, which is known as perfect.

Truly, that perfect Self is the essence of existence.

Truly, in tasting the essence one rejoices in bliss.

Indeed, who could breathe, who could live, were there not this all-pervading bliss?

Truly, it is this essence that bestows bliss.

Truly, when a person discovers a foundation of fearlessness in the Self, in that which is invisible, formless, unlimited, and self-sufficient, then has he found true fearlessness.

If, however, he makes in this unity even the smallest gap, then fear is born.

To all whose self is small, the form of the formless brings fear.

For more on the Upanishads, click here. The Taittirïya Upanishad is one of a school of Vedic philosophy that outlines the five sheaths (kosas) of the self in order to know – intimately, intellectually, experientially - the supreme self (paramatma-jnana).

All About Sun Salutation

Here Comes the Sun by Richard Rosen is a delightful and enlightening article, chock full of information and instruction regarding the sun salutation. Richard Rosen is the author of THE book on yoga breath: The Yoga of Breath: A Step-by-Step Guide to Pranayama.

As the sun returns to us, this first week of spring seems an especially appropriate time to remind ourselves about the origin of this basic yoga sequence called Surya Namaskar. Surya – sun; namas – salute (same root as namaste which means literally “I salute you.”)

Here’s a sample –

The outer sun, they (ancient yogis) asserted, is in reality a token of our
own "inner sun," which corresponds to our subtle, or spiritual, heart. Here is
the seat of consciousness and higher wisdom (jnana) and, in some traditions, the
domicile of the embodied self (jivatman).

It might seem strange to us that the yogis place the seat of wisdom in
the heart, which we typically associate with our emotions, and not the brain.
But in yoga, the brain is actually symbolized by the moon, which reflects the
sun's light but generates none of its own. This kind of knowledge is worthwhile
for dealing with mundane affairs, and is even necessary to a certain extent for
the lower stages of spiritual practice. But in the end, the brain is inherently
limited in what it can know and is prone to what Patanjali calls misconception
(viparyaya) or false knowledge of the self.

To read the full article, click here.

Why Both Meditation and Yoga?

I recommend to you this essay, The Complete Package: Meditation and Yoga by Cyndi Lee, which originally appeared in the July 2001 issue of Shambhala Sun. If you're not aware, Shambhala Sun is a magazine on Buddhism, culture, meditation and life.

Written by my former teacher and mentor in New York City, Cyndi Lee includes this vivid episode about a frightening accident as a spark for why one practices yoga and the variety of benefits. What she describes here echoes my own experience with yoga, though I’ve never been dumped unexpectedly into the rapids of a river.

She sets forth her ideas about how yoga can be meditation in movement and how to approach your physical practice with a sense of curiosity rather than judgments measured against goals.

She’s a wise yogini, and I encourage you to read the full article here.

Martha Stewart Teaches Yoga in Prison

Did you hear about Martha Stewart leading a yoga class in prison and going into a headstand in the visiting room? Click here.

No comment.

Why Meditate?

At the Washington National Cathedral’s spirituality conference this past weekend, Sharon Salzberg noted that medical science has been studying the neurophysiologic benefits of meditation with MRIs and brain wave studies. As one of the foremost meditation teachers in the United States, she fretted that they’d put her in one of those machines and find the wrong parts of her brain activated. She got a good laugh at that.

With alpha, theta and beta wave increases, science documents what the ancients observed for centuries: People who meditate enjoy calm and focus as well as improved creativity and increased ability to vividly imagine.

Meditation frees the mind from turbulent desires, emotions and thoughts. The mental muscles that contort, strain, tense as they judge, rationalize and defend all relax. A time set apart to meditate also can bring unconscious thoughts into conscious awareness.

Salzberg stresses that if you learn nothing else from a meditation practice, you learn that you can begin again.

In meditation, you begin again all the time, and in doing so, you experience renewal that permeates your life.

For me, that sense of renewal is the best reason to meditate.

How To Sit in Meditation

Many postures are available for sitting meditation. Walking meditation produces wonders as well but is a subject for another nilambu note. (I walked the labyrinth on the floor of the Cathedral for the first time this past weekend).

Some believe that the purpose of yoga is to prepare the body to sit; others come to meditation thru yoga as meditation is the 7th limb of yoga, dhyana. However you come to meditation, any pose you pick must comfortable enough for your body to relax.

In order of difficulty, several sitting poses are:

Friendship pose

maitryasana
Sit on edge of chair with hip, spine, neck and head in one line. Feet flat on floor. Hands rest on thighs.

Adamantine pose

vajrasana
Kneel and sit on a bench that is 5-8” off the floor and which is tilted forward.

(Adamantine means unyielding or hard and brilliant, as in a diamond)

Easy pose

sukasana

Sit with the legs crossed and folded in front of you. Sides of feet rest on floor. Knees point toward ceiling at 20 or 30 degree angle.

(Called Indian style when I was in Kindergarten, but probably no longer called that).

Auspicious pose

swastikasana
Sit in a tighter cross legged and rest the feet not on the floor but on the back of the opposite calf. Heels should be about 4” apart. Knees rest flat on floor.

Accomplished pose
siddhasana
Hard to describe and challenging to do.

Lotus Pose

padmasana
Also hard to describe, but more commonly known.

If you can’t sit because of illness or pain, you can lie down. I recommend lying on your back, with the soles of your feet on the floor (or bed) and knees up toward the ceiling. Place your palms on your belly, below your navel and gently interlock your fingers.

How To Meditate

Meditation is prolonged concentration. You can concentrate on a sound (or mantra or prayer beads) or an image (icon or a candle) or a passage of writing (or scripture). Or you can simply focus on your breath.

As your mind wanders (and it will), once you notice that meandering simply bring your attention back to your point of focus. Be neutral and non-judgmental toward your distractions. Simply begin again. See the analogy quoted below about the quality of the mind in meditation.

Some recommend that if you are feeling sluggish to place your palms up either in your lap or on your knees or thighs. And if you are feeling hyper to place your palms down and on your lap, knees or thighs.

Also, before I sit down on my mat alone, I often jot down my list of things to do. I found that if I don’t do this, all the things I’d not done would pop into my head during my meditation, and then I would worry I’d not remember them later. And the train would be off away from my object of focus. I keep a pad of paper nearby, so I can jot thoughts down and let them go. Thoughts will arise. Some thoughts are easier to let go if I know they are safely written down.

Start with a short time. For beginners, 3 minutes can seem like an eternity. Add minutes and work up to 10, 15, 20 or 30 minutes. Some meditate 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes at night. Some do a prolonged single session. Others combine their meditation with a practice of prayer or journaling. Some meditate every day; some when they remember to do so.

The more you meditate, the more the people in your life will notice that you do.

Why be Still in Meditation?

Stillness in the body helps to bring stillness in the mind. I don’t view this as an absolute proscription.

If you are in a room with others, be considerate and respectful that any movement disrupts their concentration.

A foot asleep is a distraction for you and should be addressed – just do so as unobtrusively as possible. Even if you alone, still try not to move.

Going to start a meditation practice?

This quote from Dennis K. Chernin’s excellent book, How to Meditate is the most helpful image I’ve encountered in my broad reading on the subject.

In the aftermath of the tsunami, the ocean as a reflection of the mind may seem dissonant, but read on and contemplate his analogy -

The benefits of meditation can be understood by the following analogy. The human mind is like the ocean, the conscious mind representing the surface of the sea and the innumerable fluctuations of thought and emotion representing the ocean waves. Lying beneath the surfaced is the unconscious mind, analogous to the deep and submerged ocean expanse. The turbulence of thought waves obscures the depths of knowledge underneath the conscious mind in a similar way that ocean waves make it impossible to see beneath the ocean surface. The process of meditation calms the tumultuous ebb and flow of the mind’s outer layer of wave activity like a calm day quiets the ocean surface. Unconscious repression and habits deep within the mind are allowed to rise to the surface to be observed, in a similar way that bubbles and currents rise and dissipate on the ocean surface. Since no energy is supplied to suppress them, the bubbles gently burst and dissipate. The dispassion averts the creation in the unconscious of further increased psychological pressure that can produce exaggerated emotional reactions, like tidal waves in the ocean. The conscious mind becomes quiet and still, and the deeper mysterious layers of the unconscious can be observed and experienced, similar to the way the ocean depths become visible on a calm, wind-free day. Finally, the individual, separate self merges with universal consciousness, like a wave that merges with the great ocean expanse. - Dennis K. Chernin, How to Meditate (Ann Arbor: Cushing-Malloy, 2002) pp. 34-35. (Used by permission)

Poetry: "The Ocean" By Moschus

The Ocean by Moschus

3rd century B.C.
Translated from Greek by Percy Bysshe Shelley

When winds that move not its calm surface sweep

The azure sea, I love the land no more;

The smiles of the serene and tranquil deep

Tempt my unquiet mind. – But when the roar

Of Ocean's gray abyss resounds, and foam

Gathers upon the sea, and vast waves burst,

I turn from the drear aspect to the home

Of earth and its deep woods, where intersperst,

When winds blow loud, pines make sweet melody.

Whose house is some lone bark, whose toil the sea,

Whose prey the wondering fish, an evil lot

Has chosen. – But my languid limbs will fling

Beneath the plane, where the brook's murmuring

Moves the calm spirit, but disturbs it not.

Check out other poetry in nilambu’s poetry gallery here.

Come to a class, and you’ll hear other lyrical words to guide you into your savasana (corpse pose).

nilambu Classes Ongoing

Classes focus on different aspects of yoga every week (Every class includes meditation). The participants are limited to ensure personalized attention with no more than five participants.

There will be no classes held the week of March 14th.

Schedule: Both the Advanced Beginner Class and the Low Intermediate class are nearly full. Both the Beginner classes are wide open for enrollment.

Tuesday 5:30 – 6:45 pm Advanced Beginner

Tuesday 7:00 – 8:15 pm Beginner

Wednesday 5:30 – 6:45 pm Low Intermediate

Thursday 11:30 am – 12:45 pm Low Intermediate

Cost: Clients enrolled are given space priority. A single class is $20. A 4-week course session will run from the week of March 21st to the week of April 11th for $75. Make up classes are available, but please confirm and call 202-333-8854 to ensure a space.

Free: All new clients are entitled to a free 45 minute private orientation session. Please contact me directly to schedule at cass@nilambu.com.

Private Sessions: Private and semi-private sessions are available. Please inquire.

Wisdom of No Escape - Book Review

Wisdom of No Escape and the Path of Loving Kindness by Pema Chodron

Pema Chodron is one of my favorite authors, and this book introduced her to me. It’s about how to sit still – in that still point, as T.S. Elliot termed the place (“At the still point of the turning world,” in Burnt Norton. I strongly encourage you to read the poem, one of my favorites.)

In short chapters, Chodron outlines Buddhist ideas and attitudes, and, as presented here, they are simple, doable, and desirable.

The chapter titles reveal the subjects she discusses:

• No Such Thing as a True Story;
• Taking a Bigger Perspective;
• Not too Tight, Not too Loose;
• Taking Refuge;
• Sticking to One Boat;
• Not Preferring Samsara or Nirvana (Samsara is defined as the “vicious cycle of existence,” and nirvana is defined as the “cessation of ignorance and of conflicting emotions.”)

A reader can dip into any one of these essays and come away enriched.

Beginning Mindfulness - Book Review

Beginning Mindfulness: Learning the Way of Awareness by Andrew Weiss

This book is good introduction to the practice of mindfulness. The author sets forth a 10 week structured course to build a growing awareness and provides guidelines for beginning a mediation practice – both a sitting practice and walking practice.

The text offers suggestions for growing mindfulness in daily life with a series of formal and informal “home play.” A disciple of Thich Nhat Hanh, Weiss’ writing is accessible and down to earth.

nilambu Classes Resume

On January 31, 2005, the nilambu class schedule will resume. This session will run for six weeks, ending the week of March 7th. Class sizes are very small to ensure personalized attention with no more than five participants.

Schedule:

Monday 5:30 – 6:45 pm Low Intermediate

Tuesday 11:00 am – 12:15 pm BeginnerT

uesday 5:30 – 6:45 pm Advanced Beginner

Tuesday 7:00 – 8:15 pm Beginner

Both the Advanced Beginner Class and the Low Intermediate class are nearly full. Both the Beginner classes are wide open for enrollment.

Cost: The entire 6 weeks is available for $115.00 (cash or check please). Make up classes are available as are single classes, but please confirm and call 202-333-8854 to reserve a space. First come, first serve but those signed up for the entire 6 week session are given space priority. Single class rate is $20.00.

Free: All new clients are entitled to a free 45 minute private orientation session to review goals and concerns. Please contact me directly to schedule at cass@nilambu.com.

Private Sessions: Private and semi-private sessions are available. Please inquire.

Neptune Seminars Announced

nilambu initiates the Neptune Seminars this term with three offerings.

Neptune seminars are two hour workshops that allow time to go to the depths. Nothing beats the experience of simply doing yoga, and these workshops will provide you with the awareness and experiential knowledge of yoga’s benefits to address particular ails.

When afflicted with pain, the relief that can result from moving your own body confers an often elusive sense of control. You just need to know how to move and what to move, and I’ll even tell you why.

A work sheet with instructions is included for home use. Space is limited to 5 participants and the cost for each is $30.

Insomnia Friday, February 4th 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Back Pain Sunday, February 27th 4:00 pm – 6:00

Headaches Saturday March 5th 10:00 am – Noon

National Yoga Day

The Yoga Alliance designated January 29th 2005 as National Yoga day. Check here for free activities that celebrate yoga in your area.

Bringing Yoga To Life - Book Review

Bringing Yoga to Life: The Everyday Practice of Enlightened Living by Donna Farhi

I can’t recommend this book enough. Donna Farhi is well versed in yogic literature and deftly draws on her knowledge in chapters such as Sloth, The Seasons of Practice, The Freedom of Discipline, and A Larger Life.

She’s very readable and peppers her writing with both classic and contemporary parables.

She also animates her text with cultural references. For example, she posits that the proper attitude towards the challenges of life is somewhere between the deadly earnestness epitomized by Mission Impossible and the silly, madcap approach of Get Smart.

Only very rarely does she veer into strange suggestions – such as when she recommends spontaneous impulsive movement while others look on and extrapolate the emotion emoted and interpret the meaning in a neutral manner. (My aversion to such instructions is animated by bad modern dance classes I endured in the 70s).

But luckily, these moments are few and far between in her otherwise intimate, courageous and intelligent text. My favorite chapter is the Riptide of Strong Emotions which I reread when I feel a swell.

Find Out More to Purchase

A Women's Book of Yoga - Book Review

Women’s Book of Yoga by Linda Sparrowe and Patricia Walden

This resource is newly available and invaluable. Sparrowe is a former editor of Yoga Journal and Walden is a long time Iyengar teacher; their experience and knowledge, generously conveyed, is this book’s best feature. There are others.

The picture quality clearly shows the poses, with attendant props. Even new yoginis can recreate the set ups and glean benefits. I also like how the chapters are organized.

Various body challenges are loosely categorized into different periods in a woman’s life. Chapters address subjects such as eating disorders, back pain, immune support and headaches. Each opens with a general discussion of basic biological and anatomically background to inform your personal practice and then a series of poses are proposed. A good index can direct you to a specific pose.

Tips offered very adequately address common problems. And one of the best restorative yoga gurus in the US Judith Hanson Lasater penned the foreword. (Judith Lasater trained me to teach restorative yoga)

Find Out More to Purchase

Is Yoga a Religion?

The short answer is no. But yoga is more than an athletic endeavor. While yoga practice is often distilled to a single limb of yoga – the asanas (or poses), the spiritual aspect of yoga is integral to the practice of yoga.

Much richness and reward is lost with an exclusive focus on the physical disciplines. However, even more so than the physical practice, the spiritual practice is very personal. As such, no teacher, yogi, or guru will instruct your beliefs. But hopefully, yoga will encourage you to examine and reflect on your spiritual life.

Donna Farhi describes this process well. She notes that yoga is not

a religion, although the practice of its central precepts inevitably draws each
individual to the direct experience of those truths on which religion
rests. - Donna Farhi, Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit (New York: Henry Holt,
2000), p. 5.

What do the spiritual disciplines of yoga entail? Do they require conversion to Hinduism or Buddhism? No.

Certainly, you will learn more about both of these religious practices as yoga originated and grew along side each of them. Many find that a full yoga practice enhances their spiritual life whatever their upbringing or religious beliefs. In Living Yoga: Creating a Life Practice Christie Turlington reveals how yoga renewed her commitment to her Catholic faith and drove her to learn more.

For myself, I found that my yoga practice very much added much to my own faith. With exposure to these other religious rituals I re-examined in my own faith for comparable practices and tenants. I learned the difference between meditation and prayer. I reacquainted myself with Christian mystics such as St. Francis of Assisi and Julian of Norwich. I compared the Ten Commandments and the Yamas and Niyamas and found they both respect the divinity in our selves and in each other.

This investigation goes on with study and participation in my local high church Episcopalian parish in DC, St. Paul's, and in my enrollment in the Education for Ministry coursework at St. Albans.

An aside: the Washington National Cathedral is offering “Sacred Circles – A Celebration of Women’s Spirituality” on February 18th -19th and one of the morning session features a workshop of yoga and Christian prayer (specifically the prayer to St. Francis of Assisi) to “invoke the transformative presence of Christ for strength and humility, steadfastness and fluidity, openness and focus.” Check out the entire program here.

The contrasting encounters that accompanied my growing yoga practice very much echoed the loving, tolerant and generous religious education I enjoyed as a child. I learned much more about my faith because I was a Protestant learning in a Catholic school run by the Sisters of the Holy Child. At the age of nine, I was very scared and nervous about my new school. On my very first day, as we recited The Lord's Prayer, I embarrassed myself as I continued beyond the end of the Catholic version of the prayer with the Protestant ending (the added doxology).

Thereafter, I consistently queried why things were and why beliefs differed. And in this way, my religious values were fortified by the constant distinctions against another faith structure. At the same time, I grew to deeply respect and value many aspects of the Catholic faith.

I've learned much about Buddhism with my yoga practice. The spiritual writings of Sharon Salzburg, Pema Chodron provoke and inspire me (Salzburg will be a featured speaker at the Cathedral’s Sacred Circles). Karen Armstrong, a former Holy Child nun, instructs me with her scholarship.

And, as before, I am often struck by the common precepts and practices. But just as when I was a child and young adult, this investigation inspires me to learn more about the spiritual life in my own tradition. With my replenished spiritual practice, my life is more fulfilled, and I consider this benefit amid the most rewarding of my yoga practice.

One final note: I was fascinated to learn the term "religion" enjoys a similar etymology as yoga. Derived from the Latin word, "religare," religion means "to bind back" or to reunify. (Alistair Shearer, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (New York: Sacred Teachings, 1982), p. 24.)

Yoga is not a religion by itself. It is the science of religions, the
study of which will enable a sadhaka [a seeker, an aspirant] the better to
appreciate his own faith. - B.K.S. Iyengar Light on Yoga (New York: Schocken Books, 1966), p. 39.

How To Achieve Contentment

Perfect happiness is attained through contentment - Yoga Sutras chapter ii; 42

Samtosha is the capacity to feel fulfilled with the life that one has and at peace with the stage of growth we are in currently. Put another way Samtosha is the ability to feel glad with whatever fate may bring. Samtosha (sometimes spelled Santosha) is one of the yoga niyamas and is the most challenging yogic observance for me.

For more on the niyamas and how they fit into the world of yoga click here.

I’d always dismissed the pursuit of happiness as a particularly perverted optimistic American aim indoctrinated by our Declaration of Independence. I considered the single minded pursuit of happiness selfish. Suffering ennobled. Suffering conferred status (suffering long work hours especially in DC). Suffering created artists. And a perfect happiness? Hard to conceive never mind achieve.

Contentment is where desire and opportunity meet without tension or conflict. How do they converge? First, you have to be honest with yourself about your wishes to recognize those desires suppressed and those needlessly elevated. Once you’ve evaluated what you deeply want, you can either refashion your desires to meet the opportunities available or search for new opportunities to meet entrenched desires. The common thread through this union of desire and opportunity is perspective. So this approach may strike you as mental gymnastics – simply shifting a point of view to promote happiness. And you’d be right. The niyamas are yoga for the mind.

Of course, much in life sucks and sucks absolutely. This exercise is not to belittle real frustrations, injustices and unfairness. Nor do I mean to suggest this shift is facile. Yoga is hard but, in my opinion obviously, worthwhile.

Michel de Montaigne wrote,

We must learn to endure what we cannot avoid. Our life is composed, like the
harmony of the world, of contrary things, also of different tones, sweet and
harsh, sharp and flat, soft and loud. If a musician liked only one kind, what
would he have to say? He must know how to use them together and blend them. And so we must do with good and evil, which are onsubstantial with our life. Our
existence is impossible without this mixture, and one element is no less necessary for it than the other. To try and kick against natural necessity is to imitate the folly of Ctesiphon, who undertook a kicking match with his mule. - Michel de Montaigne, The Complete Essays of Montaigne. Trans. Donald M. Frame (Stamford: Stanford University Press, 1943) p. 835.

How do I avoid a kicking match with a mule? A fight sure to be lost?

Another yoga sutra aids me in the transformation of my outlook:

Tranquility of thought comes through the cultivation of friendship, compassion,
joy and impartiality in spheres of pleasure or pain, virtue or vice. - Yoga
Sutras chapter i, 33

How does this really happen?

• Cultivate a friendliness and joyfulness to your friends, family and strangers. A practice of joy creates joy.
• Nurture deep empathy for those whose suffering is worse than our own. No one owns suffering to the exclusion of others.
• Celebrate the fortune of others, truly and without qualification. Avoid recriminations based in envy or disdain.
• Acknowledge others and their feelings, thoughts and needs. Act with integrity in light of that recognition.
• Rejoice in the approval and admiration of those who love you. Show them your appreciation.
• Release regrets. Liberate ill will. Delete old painful stories. Be impartial to those who harm you.
• Detach from blame and fault. Towards others and towards ourselves.

What does espousing these attitudes (brahmavihara) do?

In her translation of the sutras, Barbara Stoler Miller suggests that this cultivation requires

a radical change in [one’s] perceived relationship with other creatures on
earth. These practices work to demolish the boundaries between oneself and
others, and to break through the barriers that lock people into egoism. (page
39).

The premise and promise of these yoga sutras is that by relinquishing myself from the center, by giving up my hold on suffering, by yielding to reality, by reaching out to others. In those efforts, I will find peace. Where these unite, harmony and balance occurs in the mind and happiness ensues in the heart.

Yoga can help you be noble, artistic, esteemed as well as happy.

Free Classes Until Columbus Day!

Come and try out nilambu classes on any of the following days -

Monday, September 27th 6:30 – 7:15 pm
Tuesday, September 28th 10:00 – 11:15 am
Tuesday, September 28th 6:30 – 7:15 pm
Saturday, October 2nd 10:00 – 11:15 am
Monday, October 4th 6:30 – 7:15 pm
Tuesday, October 5th 6:30 – 7:15 pm

Classes are small enough to accommodate all levels so all are welcome any day. Just call 202-333-8854 or email info@nilambu.com to reserve a spot. Space is limited to 6 per class.

Also special introductory rate of $35 for an hour private session is available until October 5th.

nilambu Founder Quoted in UPI

I spoke with a business reporter about the popularity of yoga, and this appeared last month:

"For me, as a teacher, the biggest challenge is broadening the scope of
yoga for Americans, who tend to view yoga as simply a physical practice or as
calisthenics with an Eastern tinge," said Cassandra Metzger, a Washington,
D.C.-based yoga instructor. "The popularity of yoga is a mixed blessing. On the
one hand, many are venturing in who would never before consider yoga. On the
other, many often have misconceptions about the broad basics of yoga -- from the
approach, the benefits, the history to the fundamentals."

Noting that the interest in yoga has "just exploded," Metzger added
that teaching yoga requires a great deal of training.

"I practiced yoga for eight years before training to be a teacher. The
training was the hardest thing I've ever done," she said.

To see the full text, click “Soon Everybody Will Be Twisting” (United Press International News; Published 8/7/2004)

Urban Yoga Retreat in Soho

Om Yoga coordinated with the Soho Grand for a fantastic fun weekend in New York City. Cyndi Lee’s vinyasa yoga style and Buddhist approach works wonders.

I know that personally and deeply. That’s why I studied for over nine months at Om Yoga to get my teaching certificate. I can’t recommend Om Yoga highly enough.

This weekend at the Soho grand is taught by OM yoga-NYC, directed by Cyndi Lee. Other Om Retreats around the country can be found here.

If you have time, you should check out the real thing at 826 Broadway (at 12th Street) on the 6th floor right above the another New York original, the Strand Bookstore, “18 miles of books.” Yeah, Om Yoga and the Strand is a heady nexus. Go there!

Details on the retreat in New York City can be found here. The retreat features plenty of outstanding yoga (restorative and some meditation too) as well as plenty of free time to enjoy the wonders of New York City.

NBC Nightly News’ Anne Thompson featured Om Yoga in a piece on the body-mind connection on Monday, September 20, 2004. To see the video clip, click here and then click on Using the mind to heal the body

Fall Class Sessions Announced

New nilambu class sessions run for 7 weeks from Saturday, October 16th to Monday, December 6th. No classes will be held the week of Thanksgiving from November 20th to November 27th. And there’ll be an extra long component of meditation to calm all our nerves on Tuesday, November 2nd!

Class levels: nilambu classes offers classes at various levels. The classes are small (6 clients maximum) to ensure personal attention and responsiveness. I am happy to consult to find your most suitable class.

Monday Evenings 6:30 to 7:45 pm
Quarter Moon

For those who are rising or receding in their practice.

Tuesday Mornings 10:00 to 11:15 am
Full Moon

For those who have never practiced yoga.

Tuesday Evenings 6:30 to 7:45 pm
Full Moon

For those who have never practiced yoga.

Provisional Class Offerings

(if enough interest; level determined by those who register)
Saturday Mornings 10:00 to 11:15 am

Sunday Afternoon 4:00 to 5:15 pm

Cost: The entire 7 weeks is available for $135.00 (cash or check please). Make up classes are available as are single classes are available but please confirm and call 202-333-8854 to reserve a space. First come, first serve but those signed up for the entire 7 week session are given space priority. Single class rate is $20.00. Free Introductory session should be arranged first to ensure smooth transition into the flow.

Free: All new clients are entitled to a free 45 minute private orientation session to review goals and concerns. Please contact me directly to schedule at cass@nilambu.com.

Other services: Private and semi-private sessions are a great way to boost your practice or to hone in on a particular challenge. To encourage consistency, special private packages for groups or singles are available, just inquire. Gather some girlfriends and give nilambu a call to fashion a special class just for your group.

More Client Testimonials

Cassandra's approach to teaching yoga is genuine and multi-faceted. She understands the benefits of yoga and imparts her wealth of knowledge in a way that is authentic, challenging, and fun. Her adjustments are amazing and she has the gift for helping students achieve the maximum physical benefits in way that is gentle, supportive, and feels right. Her yoga feels good--physically and spiritually. – Christina

I tried a lot of different yoga studio in the DC area before I found nilambu. I love the small class sizes. I know that if I do something wrong she’ll see it and correct it on me. She’s also very intuitive and responsive to the needs and moods of the participants and readily adapts. She takes the time to get to know her students and doesn’t assume anything. Nilambu Classes can be hard work, but I always feel like I'm being pushed in a good way. It’s not just an exercise class that’s reproducing the busy part of my day, making my mind more frantic. The atmosphere is perfect for concentrating on a movement. I’m in good hands and can’t wait for classes to start again. – Carole

What Are nilambu notes?

Welcome to the first edition of nilambu notes! Cass Metzger, RYT, writes this monthly e-newsletter to deepen your understanding of your physical yoga practice. This premier issue also introduces and announces the opening of nilambu: a personal yoga studio in Washington DC. I want to share my new enterprise with all of you, and I hope that you will forward this news along to your friends (especially those who live in the DC area).

Why read a newsletter on yoga? For those who haven’t yet experienced the benefits of yoga, maybe this news will tempt you to try. (To find a registered teacher in your area click here http://www.yogaalliance.org/YA/index.jsp) For those of you who already practice yoga, you know the experience on the mat is very important and an essential prerequisite. No book knowledge can substitute for the sensations of actual experience on your mat.

Yet many don’t have the time to investigate yoga beyond the physical practice. Yoga philosophy clearly delineates the difference between intellectual knowledge and experiential knowledge. But the immeasurable riches behind and beyond the physical practice of yoga are not widely known.

What elements of yoga will nilambu notes address? nilambu notes will expand your mind to connect with how your body extends on the mat. Only by fostering flexibility of the body, mind and soul will the full benefits of yoga be enjoyed.

These nilambu notes will be small nuggets; subsequent issues will be half the length of this introductory edition and more substantive. nilambu notes will point you to other reliable resources to enable further investigation for those interested. The scope of nilambu notes includes:

• History Understanding the evolution can validate your own personal yoga experience.
• Customs Diet, lifestyle and breathing can all animate your endeavors in yoga.
• Culture The philosophy can contribute to a better integration of yoga into other aspects of your life. Yoga can seem alien to Westerners, but the culture around yoga is not as foreign as you may think.
• Literature The popularity of yoga generates lots of books and articles which feature this ancient practice. Reviews will assist you in discerning among the overwhelming resources.
• Current Yoga Events Special yoga conferences and meetings will also be noted.

If you have any suggestions or specific questions for nilambu notes, please don’t hesitate to submit them.

I hope you enjoy receiving nilambu notes. If this e-newsletter was forwarded to you by a friend and you’d like to register your email address to get nilambu notes directly, click here.

What is nilambu yoga?

nilambu is a place where yoga is enlivening and therapeutic. nilambu’s mission is to provide a place that makes the full practice of yoga fun, nuanced and rewarding for all - young & old, disabled & able, strong & frail, clumsy & coordinated, neophytes & old hands.

A personal studio located on the western edge of Georgetown, nilambu serves as your guide to help you explore yoga in all its facets – physical, mental and spiritual. For a vigorous practice, yoga is offered in the vinyasa style, in which the breath is harmonized with the poses. nilambu also addresses special health challenges with restorative yoga. With tailored teaching, sessions encompass physical postures (asanas) as well as control of the life force or breath (pranayama) and meditation (dhyana).

nilambu classes are very personal to ensure close attention and support. nilambu limits classes to no more than 4 clients. nilambu offers private or semi-private sessions and special weekend intensives as well.

For more on nilambu’s services click here.

Please explore and start your yoga journey by checking out nilambu’s website.

What Does nilambu Mean?

nil : blue

ambu : water

nilambu : blue water : ocean

Washington is awash in words. nilambu, like the ocean, can help you clear away the extras and find the essentials. Water is a source of life and healing. So, too is yoga.

Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. --- 2nd Yoga Sutra of Patanjali

Ocean, who is the source of all. ---- Homer, The Iliad, book XIV, line 246.

Your Back - the Upper West Side of the Body

Before Olmstead ever laid out Central Park and created an East Side and a West Side in Manhattan, an east side and west side divided the human body. The east side in yoga is the entire front of the body. The west side is the entire back of the body. These designations presume that you meet the rising sun and face east. The sun sets in the west, on your back.

In yoga, you always look forward to the new day.

Note that even the word “back” is a flexible word. In English the word “back” can act as a -

Noun: backbone; turn your back; on your back; back of the crowd
Verb: Back up; back your allegation; backed by supporters
Adjective: back draft; back pack; fullback
Adverb: stay back; roll back; sit back

Just as in language, the back of the body is often taken for granted though it’s very versatile.
Also never really seen, the back is essential. The central nervous system is central to all the systems of the body. The spinal cord carries messages through out the body and is protected by the vertebrae of the back. Further, the back comprises the largest and most dense area of muscle in the body. A healthy back is a vital part of vitality and yoga increases muscular strength and flexibility of your upper west side.

Seated forward bend is a basic pose in yoga. Health clubs commonly use this posture to evaluate flexibility. In yoga, seated forward bend is called Paschimottanasana, which translates as intense west side stretch pose:

paschima = west;

ottana (uttana) = intense stretch;

asana = pose

Properly done, the entire west side of the body is intensely stretched. Popular activities such as running and lifting weights make us strong but often at the expense of a flexible posterior. Yoga complements and balances the results of these actions.

In sports the fullback is a defensive player. Taking care of your back with yoga is an affirmative defense against illness. A strong and flexible back

• Ensures the health of your vertebrae,
• Protects your spinal cord, and
• Lubricates your central nervous system for the smooth running of your entire body.

Yoga Journal Review of May/June 2004 Issue

This issue is chock full of good infrmation and very worth 5 bucks.

Of note:

1. Bringing Balance Home by Cyndi Lee (page 85). Cyndi Lee is the founder of OM Yoga Center, where I did 200 hours of teacher training study. Her prescription is, as always, excellent.
2. Positive I.D. by Nora Isaacs (page 106) Improved body image is an important benefit of yoga not often recognized. Makes mention of Om Yoga Center too.
3. Living Yoga by Judith Hanson Lasater (page 143). Ms. Lasater is a wise woman and trained me to teach restorative yoga.
4. Heroes, Saints and Sages by Colleen Morton Busch (page 120). Read for fun and learn the myths and legends behind the names.
5. For Beginners: Bridge Pose by Claudia Cummins (page 56). A great all around pose with excellent pictures and instructions.

Roger Cole and Gary Kraftsow are both very knowledgeable and reputable. Their contributions to this issue are well worth your time as well.

Confused By All the Types of Yoga?

What are they? What do they entail? Click here.

Also available at the link above are answers to these questions:

• What is yoga?
• What's with all the types of yoga?
• What is a yoga path?
• What is hatha yoga?
• What is the traditional literature of yoga?
• What is teh Bhagavad Gita?
• What is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika?
• What are the Yoga Sutras?
• What is the difference between Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Yoga Sutras?
• What are the Upanishads?
• Who was Patanjali?
• Is yoga a religion?
• What is the best way to relax?
• Why and how to meditate?
• What are the 8 limbs of yoga?
• What are the 9 obstacles in yoga?
• What are some quick tips on how to meditate?
• How do you give yourself a hot oil massage?

Where's Some Yoga Humor?

Don’t miss the hilarious The New Yorker yoga cartoons here. Additional New Yorker cartoons are on display in the restroom at nilambu’s studios. One compares the benefits of yoga to the benefits of martinis.

New Class Sessions to Begin in 10 Days!

New nilambu class sessions begin Monday, May 30, 2004.

Yoga in the summer? Yeah, its summertime, but the cicadas are coming! Get some relief from the sound, smell and annoyance of these bugs with a great indoor yoga class! See this CNN article.

Class levels: The moon governs the tides, and the tides move the ocean. nilambu classes offers classes at various levels. In recognition of the mercurial nature of our bodies, these guidelines simply guide. At any time in any class, should you need to practice at a higher level or lower level, nilambu’s small class size can accommodate. You are the captain of the ship, but I am happy to consult to find your most suitable class.

Monday Evenings 6:30 to 7:45 pm
Full Moon

This session is designed for those who have never practiced yoga.

Tuesday Evenings 6:30 to 7:45 pm
Quarter Moon

This session is flexible for those who are rising or receding in their practice.

Tuesday Mornings 10:00 to 11:15 am
Full Moon

This session is designed for those who have never practiced yoga.

Saturday Mornings 10:00 to 11:15 am

Quarter Moon

This session is flexible for those who are rising or receding in their practice.

For more detailed information on nilambu course structure and offerings click here.

Cost: Classes will run for eight weeks and cost $160.00 per person (cash or check please).

Free: All new clients are entitled to a free 45 minute private orientation session to review goals and concerns. Please contact me directly to schedule at cass@nilambu.com.

Schedule: No classes will be held one week in June: on Saturday, June 5th, Monday June 7th or Tuesday June 8th. This summer 8 week session will last nine weeks and conclude the week of July 26th.

Other services: Private and semi-private sessions are a great way to boost your practice or to hone in on a particular challenge. To encourage consistency, special private packages are available.

Neptune Seminars afford time to go to the depths for several hours on a weekend. In this format, students can concentrate and distill aspects of yoga in a manner that a regular class session simply doesn't allow time to do.

Teacher: All classes are taught by me (Cass Metzger, RYT). Learn about my extensive training and qualifications here

Client Testimonials

"Can I start drooling now?" - Olivia"

All I need now is a Mai Tai with a really long straw." - Anthony

"I feel less aggravated but I'm not sure if that's because of restorative yoga or because I've been away from my (4) kids for an hour." - Beatrice

"We miss you; your classes were so athletic." - Anonymous

"You can feel the energy of her warmth and wit vibrating in the room. The class atmosphere encourages me to strive, not compete. It's a welcome relief and change from the hectic, pressured pace of my daily life." – Angela