So You Think You are not Changing the World?
My Journey Into Yoga
Part 1: The Beginning

It was 1986. I was an exercise-obsessed 16-year old working at the front desk of a New York City fitness studio in exchange for unlimited classes. My mother and I used to go to classes together in an over keen attempt to stay thin, fit, and healthy.

On the day they added a yoga class to the schedule, my mom took notice right away, and asked me if I wanted to go with her to see what yoga was all about. At the time we both knew yoga to be totally far-out, and WAY fringe, but I was open to anything and agreed to try.

The teacher’s name was Oonaja Malagon, and she was not at all like the other fitness teachers at the studio. To me, she was super cosmic, mystical looking, and way mellow. I was intrigued. Back then in the 80’s, most yoga was all “flow n’ glo,” meaning you would be instructed to come into something like warrior 1 pose, hold it (flow), and then immediately drop into child’s pose (glow) to rest from the “effort”.

At the end of the practice, Oonaja lead us through a guided body scan for savasana. I was lying next to my mom on a towel (this was before sticky mats!) and drifting off to the soothing sound of her voice, as she meticulously encouraged us to relax each part of the body. “Relax your jaw…relax your neck….relax your shoulders…relax your solar plexus, relax your abdomen….”

And then…

“Relax your genitals…”

I woke up.

And more, “Relax your anus…”

Oh my God.

I opened my eyes and turned to look at my mom. I mean I was 16, so in my head I was doing the Beavis and Butthead thing: “She said anus, heh heh heh…”. And my mom was holding back laughter. We got such a kick out of it after class, (and to this day actually) having never heard anything like that in our fitness classes before!

Needless to say, we loved Oonaja, and loved yoga, and I kept going to Oonaja’s classes, eating up all the asanas, the self-inquiry, and mostly the feeling of engaging in a connection to something bigger than myself, which was helping me make sense of who I was in the world.

One day Oonaja disappeared and I have never seen her since. Thanks to social media and google, however I just friended her on Facebook and plan to message her with some long overdue appreciation.

It’s funny how many of us think we do not make a difference in the world with the small things we do each day…or that the seemingly fleeting interactions we experience have much merit. Yet, there is no question that both my mother, who urged me to join her that day, and Oonaja, who was my very first yoga teacher, helped to set me on a life long path, a path that as a teacher myself, is now planting seeds in others lives, for generations to come.

No matter what you do, your very existence is changing the world.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this story…

I’d love to hear your thoughts and stories of your own "yoga firsts" so please leave a comment below.

About Amy Ippoliti


An author, teacher, leader, do-gooder, and entrepreneur, Amy enjoys bridging the gap between ancient yoga wisdom and our modern lives. She has been studying yoga since 1986, and became one of the first certified Anusara Yoga teachers in 2000 after being to drawn to Anusara yoga for the artistic, heart and community centered teachings. Amy apprenticed closely for many years with Anusara founder John Friend on his national tours, and currently chairs the Anusara Yoga Curriculum Committee. Amy is widely recognized for her down-to-earth teaching approach, lucid instruction, and for assisting her students in achieving personal breakthroughs on and off the mat.

This story is also posted at Elephant Journal.

The History and Birth of the Anusara Yoga Immersion

The very first Anusara Yoga Immersion took place in the fall of 2002 in New York City at Virayoga with myself and a group of 52 eager yogis. When we finished, the idea quickly caught on through out the DC area, and in California, until John Friend made it an official pre-requisite for Teacher Training in Anusara yoga. Now the Immersion is a household name not only in Anusara yoga but in many schools as a way of fully immersing students in the method before learning to teach it. It was always my intention for it to spread like wildfire, to shift the paradigm of huge teacher trainings (with unqualified trainees) so that ultimately the students of yoga would be served with the finest teachers, and have the opportunity to experience the most comprehensive dip into the yoga lifestyle one could imagine!

I have never published the letter I wrote to the NYC community the day I decided to cancel the upcoming and long awaited Teacher Training and replace it with this new funny thing called "the Immersion". You see, our community was STOKED to start teacher training, and I had it on the calendar. But now I was "negging" on them and offering them this thing they had never heard of, and they wanted a certificate! So this was a BIG deal.

I offer this letter to you now, as it was originally written, after all these years as an offering of history, and to relish and reflect on where our kula (community of the heart) stands today from having shifted a paradigm that was firmly rooted, but now has been reborn!

Enjoy!

The TT graduates (a.k.a, the Banyans!) who made it through the very first Anusara Immersion.

Top row, left to right: Me, Sara Thorson, Tracy Toon, Christy Nones, Chloe Gottlieb, Lizanne Hinkle, Lynn Hazan, Nancy Mercado.

Bottom row, left to right: Christina Hatgis, Beate Chee, Kiriaky Binihaky, Julie Dohrman (assisting!), Hilary Weissberg, Dana Covello, Anne Libby, Adriana Araiza and Cat McCarthy.

______________________________________________________________

October 25, 2002

Dearest friends,

I am writing this letter as an expression of some recent contemplations and insights I've had about the future of Anusara Yoga in our community and the way in which we think about learning this yoga, and ultimately teaching this yoga. I realize that this letter may disappoint some of you and for some it might be sensational news. However after thinking seriously about what is possible for myself as a teacher, and what is best for the long term education of our community, I have made some significant shifts in what VIRAYOGA will be offering for teacher training.

In the last few weeks before the weekend workshop "All About Anusara", in late October, I sat with myself and mulled over a growing feeling I was having, consulted with friends, past trainees and both John Friend and Douglas Brooks. With guidance and full support from John and Douglas, I came to the very pivotal decision that a paradigm shift is necessary in how we all as a yoga community approach teacher training. Based on the urgency of what my heart was feeling, in 48 hours we came up with an entirely new program to offer. Thanks to Lynn Hazan's programming expertise and Elena Brower's support, the Immersion came into being. At the weekend workshop, as some of you know, I made the announcement. This letter is a summation of what I told the group.

The great news is that I believe this change will very positively affect the future of learning at VIRAYOGA in the sweetest of ways. I believe that this will benefit each one of the rapidly growing number of yogis who have shown such tremendous interest in learning Anusara yoga and becoming teachers.

In past trainings I've offered, the emphasis was on a beginning a middle and an end. When the end had come, there was an idea that now the graduates would teach Anusara style yoga and would receive a certificate to do so. Most of the participants would inevitably realize that they had in fact just completed an immersion into yoga and that the journey of yoga had just begun! Others, who had simply wanted to take their practices deeper, found themselves in a teacher training, learning to teach others, when in fact they really just wanted to learn more about yoga.

What has become clear to me now is that somewhere along the line, the process of cultivating a practice of yoga and teaching it has gotten reversed. Rather than immersing ourselves first more deeply in Anusara, in the yoga, in the process of really imbibing these teachings, and then going toward a teacher training, we have been starting from the teacher training! Then we try to teach from a place of knowledge, but with out all the wisdom and experience behind it!

This is not to say that the past trainings I have offered were of no use, far from it! It is simply to ask ourselves, what is it that we really want?

My proposal is that we start from the most basic and sweet desire to first immerse ourselves into this yoga, a yoga that because of its sophistication takes time to discover and absorb. Even after 5 years of literally parking myself next to John Friend, I will always be in a state of amazement at how much I don't know. I have learned from Douglas that there is such a beauty in not knowing, in ignorance, because it means that I am OPEN. In contrast, arrogance is where there is a fear and insecurity in not knowing. When we admit that "we don't know", the possibility of what we are capable of is truly endless and the opportunity for huge transformation presents itself.

So, rather than doing a teacher training in a yoga that is still in reality quite new, I am asking that you each take this opportunity to step into the process of commitment and practice and really deepen the yoga before thinking of teaching it. To immerse yourself in the experience of this yoga means being seen and seeing, it means allowing yourself and the community to embrace your gifts, talents, strengths and weaknesses and for you to step into these strengths and weaknesses and hone your skills. With this shift in thinking, I realize that it would be a disservice to accept any one of you into a TT program with out first having spent the time building a lasting rapport. I am committed to being around to get to know you and learn about who you are and for you to get to know me. This, I believe is the way to truly create professional yoga teachers and meaningful relationships that will withstand the dance of life's many offerings.

One of the things to let go of when we make this paradigm shift is the idea that getting a certificate is what's really important. I invite you to see teacher training, not as a credential that you rack up, but truly as a practice. As Douglas said, "a practice is not just an activity, it's an expression of who you are". When the time comes for you to take the seat of being a teacher, you will be hired on the basis of what you know and who you are, not what you have on the wall, as he says. In my years of teaching yoga I have actually never been asked to present my certificate to anyone who has hired me, in fact I couldn't even tell you where my certificates are right now because I never use them! I have always been hired based on recommendations from teachers, students or friends, even in the most corporate of gyms!

What we as a staff at VIRAYOGA have decided is best, is for us to offer a totally new opportunity for those of you who have so enthusiastically come forward wanting teacher training in the last year. I realize that this is a shift in what was on our website and emails and that you may very well be disappointed, but I know in my heart that this is what will ultimately bring the most integrity and truth into our community.

Having immersed yourself in Anusara in this way, and with the knowledge that the process will continue on and on, when the time is right, a teacher training will be a culmination of your efforts and study, not the beginning of the journey! Doing it any other way, would be like walking down the aisle with someone you think you love. Or looking at real estate - on paper the house looks great, but it's the feeling you get when you are inside the house and have examined it that makes or breaks the decision.

Immerse yourself in the exploration of this yoga, before you attempt to teach it. What you have on paper (the hours you've acquired, your past trainings, your education) is not what ultimately matters to me. It is the relationship that I have with you, it is the chance for me to see you do a bunch of yoga and the wisdom of time together. The Anusara Immersion will give us all that opportunity to establish a new depth of commitment to each other, and ourselves where ever you are at in your practice.

We are raising the standards, because we believe that integrity and dedicated learning is crucial. The Immersion is a pre-requisite, and simply another way of preparing for teacher training down the road. Other ways to dive deeper, include coming on retreat, making the time to study with Douglas and John, and attending other Anusara teacher's classes here in the NYC area.

We hope that you will join us in this new journey, because your enthusiasm and love is contagious. I feel so privileged to be in your company, it's astounding.

I HIGHLY encourage each of you to call me personally or write me at amyoga@mac.com with your thoughts, feelings, disappointments, ecstatic outbursts or suggestions.

Thank you for your continued commitment and for literally going with the flow (the meaning of the word, "Anusara"), as I myself grow and step into this new change.

Saprema (with divine love),

Amy Ippoliti

To learn more about the Anusara Immersion with me, and the amazing gift of $200 off I am offering until midnight tonight (August 4th!) visit http://www.wildspirityoga.com/Immersion_2010_Amy_Ippoliti.html

My Immediate Reaction to the NYT Article on Anusara and John Friend

Yes, I just read the NYT and subsequent bloggage. Overall it is simply a excellent that John Friend and the school of Anusara were featured in such a prominent paper. Clearly Anusara is enough of a movement to merit that kind of attention. Having grown up with the NYT on the breakfast table daily, and having been interviewed myself for magazines and articles, I know how easily quotations can be taken out of a larger context. I won't get into all the things I want to say about some of the quotes just now...however, what stuck with me is how this article has stirred up the age-old, conversation about the "commercialization of yoga". (oooh! Hide, run away!)

Here are my two cents on the subject...Can I be frank?

I would love to see the people (who are freaking out) get over themselves around all the concern over "the commercialization of yoga". What good is doing yoga in a cave and not letting people know about it? What good is one yoga weekend in Podunk, when that teacher goes home and there are no more teachings? Enter Yoga DVD's or an internet yoga class which can hugely help these students stay connected!

We are all marketers at heart - whenever we give teachings, we are shifting people's minds. Guess what? That is the definition of marketing! I have always LOVED that John Friend is a model of prosperity, abundance, ethical, and sustainable business as a yogi, while at the same time able to go SO FULLY DEEP into the topics of spirit and oneness. Isn't that combo what we all want?

Not to mention, if yogis actually made and had money - OHHH AH OH WOW! (insert double rainbow guy inflection) what a world this would be. Think about it, since yogis generally do not use money to harm, be corrupt, or overly consume - think of all the causes and charities the yogis would give to if they were making more than $35K a year!! The world is in dire need of this kind of contribution. I want to make this kind of contribution.

I say keep marketing, John. You go!

Nothing but love and a whole lotta shri from me on this topic.

Living in the Paradox

For a whole month I have been enjoying being home in Colorado, getting caught up in my office, bonding heavily with my cat, Jaya, and hosting lavish raw foods dinner parties in my home. Not too shabby.

My practice and application of Yoga allows me to embrace the paradox of, on the one hand, living my life fully, enjoying nature, the garden, and keeping company with great beings, while at the same time feeling deeply the space of heart break. Millions of gallons of oil are still gushing from the floor of the Gulf of Mexico, my friends along the Gulf are in sorrow at losing their ocean habitat and lifestyle, not to mention the effects of climate change tangibly being felt around the

planet. With all this AND the world economy continuing to be in shambles, it can be easy to want to give up, blame, or become a total grump. Lucky for us, yoga philosophy has answers if we are willing to listen.

Many of you know the theory of the Kleshas or "stains" which are aspects of our humanity that are unsightly, flawed, or vikrokti (broken). When I have been hurt, to help myself heal, I have sometimes made a decision (usually a limited decision) about the way life is, who I am, what I'm capable of, about men, or about women, yadda yadda, that has become part of the fabric of my belief system. We have all done this at one time. And so we use that fabric to build a tent to hide ourselves under. Meanwhile the life we really want to live is outside this tent! At our dinner party the other night we decided that to get "the gold" out of the hurt we have experienced, the process of a conscious yoga practice can help us turn that fabric into something new and fabulous - a garment that we wear which holds the wounds of the past, but now has taken the form of wisdom.

This is turning your kleshas into Lakshmis. The great Goddess Shri, or Lakshmi wears her blood in the form of her hot red sari.

So instead of limiting ourselves to those beliefs we made created when we were especially broken, we can choose to wear the fabric not as a tent to hide beneath, but morph into the fabric of a NEW and totally breathtaking outfit!

The oil gush in the Gulf right now is a Klesha on our ocean of catastrophic proportions. To be transmuted into a Lakshmi, every single person on the planet must pledge to take more personal responsibility for energy conservation and to take the time to speak up regularly to demand clean energy legislation in their country.

Together I believe we can turn this tremendous wound into wisdom, and help mother earth find a new gown to wear, worthy of the princess she is!

Join us this July and from here forward on Facebook for the July 30 Day Yoga Challenge. This month we are dedicating our challenge to the Gulf waters, people, and wildlife who are hurting right now with practical direct things you can do to make a difference. The challenge is to practice your yoga daily, with the A/C in the OFF position, (or if you are a hot yogi, practice with the heater in the OFF position), for 30 days!The corresponding green challenge is to simply get into the VITAL habit of unplugging any unused appliances, lights, cell phone chargers, or other electronics when not in use! I can't wait to hear about how bendy you all will get with out A/C this month.

Off to Telluride this weekend for the completely GREEN-run Telluride Yoga Festival.

Sending our big virtual fist bumps to all as you re-vamp your spiritual wardrobes,

Amy

A Complete Circumnavigation of the Earth in 33 Days!

A Complete Circumnavigation of the Earth in 33 Days!

My voyage began with an around-the-world ticket on September 25th from Denver with touchdowns in Washington DC, Rome, Perugia, Florence, Geneva, Munich, Seoul, and Los Angeles, and finally back to a snow storm in Denver!

People sometimes glamorize world travel, yet like anything, travel is not always easy and comes with its ups and downs. Precicesly at the moment I would start to miss home or feel the wear and tear of the road, I'd log in to Facebook or open an email and there would be a message thanking me for traveling as much as I do, appreciation for sharing the teachings despite the hardships of travel, and general loving wishes. I must thank each of you who wrote, because these messages came at exactly the moments I needed to hear them, and they meant so much to me. Truly, thank you.

The tour kicked off with my 8th retreat to Umbria, and another outstanding week of decadent food, wine, and yoga.

After an exciting day in my old stomping grounds of Florence, Kelli and I had an adventure – an overnight train to Geneva! We were greeted in the morning by David Newbery who promptly fed us with fresh juiced fruits and veggies made by 16-yr old, up-and-coming raw foods educator, AJ.

As always it was a total pleasure working with the exceptional Swiss and French Kula in Geneva.

After a day of rest, home practice, catching up, and a hot bath, I left for Munich and on to Seoul for two weeks of the Part 2 Immersion!

Since 2007 I have been helping to build Anusara yoga in Korea with Tina Park at Jai Center in Seoul. This was my 5th trip to Korea and this year we started a 3 part Immersion which has been rocking the yoga community.

Our one bi-lingual student, Henna Lew, summed up the Immersion with these words: "It's been truly magical for the past two weeks and has brought so much courage and happiness to a level that some of us have not experienced in our entire life until today!"

It has been a total honor to teach so much this year in Korea, because like anything into which we put our love and energy, a great vibration is created. It is wonderful to feel such a deep bond with a group of women who speak completely different languages than I, and who live in radically different cultures. Because of their dedication and eagerness to learn, the student’s transformation from Part 1 to Part 2 has been astonishing. Check out these shakti-filled sisters!

I have been learning Korean with Tina and the women, and enjoying the challenge. Because it is so difficult, I just end up laughing at myself a whole lot.

Trip to the DMZ

A few of us also had the great fortune of touring the DMZ (De-militarized zone, the 4 kilometer wide boundary that divides North and South Korea), which was a hugely eye opening and moving experience for me. The DMZ has had almost no human contact for over 50 years. Consequently, the whole stretch of this 4 kilometer-wide zone has reverted back to nature, attracting rare and otherwise extinct species of birds, animals, plants, and insects.

When these two countries reunite, all of the Korean peninsula will have this gorgeous wildlife preserve to enjoy – a gift to come out of the separation.

What was most uplifting about being there was seeing the art work on the South Korean side which was full of hope, as well as real structures such as a Freedom Bridge and a fully functioning train station that was built complete with train tracks that extend across the DMZ toward North Korea. Even though there is technically no use for this station, it was built as a vote of confidence and as a gesture toward the reality of the need for transportation across once reunification occurs. “Fake it till you make it, build it and they will come”, I always say!



Ribbons of Hope
In this photo, are the ribbons we placed containing our written prayers for unification.

At this stage on the tour you can see below Elizabeth (who has been assisting me on all three of my Asian tour stops this year) and I having a tough time smiling, as we were still absorbing the heaviness of the reality going on at the border.

We were also joined by om time Immersion graduate, Bill Carver from Durango, CO who will be traveling in Asia until January and joining parts of the Korean Immersion.

On our tour, we were taken into “The Third Tunnel”, one of 4 tunnels the North Koreans started digging under the DMZ to eventually invade Seoul. It is said that they began excavating at the end of the war, but the South Korean army discovered the 4 tunnels throughout the 70’s to the 90’s before they could be used.

Along with a slew of young soldiers, we entered the South Korean tunnel that had been built by the army in order to access and then block the North Korean passageway. We then came upon the spot where the North Koreans had stopped digging before they got caught, an actual narrow tunnel that was designed to dispatch thousands of soldiers in an hour's time. Total erie alert!

Everyone had to put on these ridiculous helmets, which I was convinced were a gimmick, but when I heard all the tall people’s helmets hitting the top of the tunnel repeatedly, I realized they were a needed commodity. We are smiling in this picture because, despite the heaviness of the actuality, the young soldiers were so jovial inside the tunnel, we couldn’t help but smile. At one point I was questioning the light-hearted vibe jokingly, and Tina said, “Yeah, what’s with the party attitude in The Third Tunnel?” Well, this was their educational field trip from hard training – they were as much tourists as we were!

Overall, it was an unforgettable experience for me. The fact that such a separation exists, and that so many people are intentionally isolated from the global community (the North Koreans have no cell phones, internet, or cars!) is totally wild.

Whenever there is separation, there is a lack of relationship and therefore isolation and then delusion, and when there is a lack of relationship or isolation, there is NO YOGA.

On the ribbons we set out on the fence of the DMZ, we placed our prayers for unification. It has been too long to hold such a stance of separation and hope is very much REAL.

In our lifetime, may we be witnesses to the DMZ’s dissolution, may all the fascinating nature that has emerged be left standing as a symbol of rebirth for the entire planet, and may North Korean citizens be welcomed lovingly into the International community with peace and harmony. May it be so. May it be real.

Los Angeles

The day after the immersion, I had one of the longest Mondays I've ever had - I left Seoul at 12:08pm on Monday and arrived in LA on Monday at 10:15am, "earlier" than I had left! In three short days, I managed to sleep off dangerously drowsy jet lag (thank you Tanya and Beate for driving me around the first day!), I saw 11 different friends I have not seen in years, got a much needed and ecstatic facial at Julique, had productive meetings, and got my toes wet in the Pacific. It was too short, so I will make sure to go back to LA soon, and stay much longer next time!

As I write this from the plane, I return to the first major blizzard back home in Colorado, the final stretch of my planetary circumnavigation!

Yogi Highlight - Eric Ryan!

Every so often a student comes along who, in a relatively short period of time, seems to deeply transform and radically shift their vibration after committing to a dedicated practice and study of Anusara yoga. It is always such a lift to keep company with those who, despite the fear of the dark side, go inside to honor their own truth and show up for their lives and the people around them in a higher way. I've created this new blog series to put the spotlight on some of these great yogis in hopes of inspiring, and highlighting what is possible when we enthusiastically devote ourselves to our own self study and evolution!

The first yogi I am featuring, is Eric Ryan from New Jersey. Eric is known all over the world now for his radical transformation in the last two years since studying Anusara yoga. Since I met him, he has been with me on the mat on Martha's Vineyard, in Italy, Chile, Colorado, Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts. When I met Eric, I found him to be bright and kind, yet there were clouds cloaking his full light from shining. He was less fully engaged, less social, and more withdrawn. He could not push up off the floor in Urdvha Dhanurasana, his handstands were enthusiastic, but his alignment was not refined, so his stamina would burn out like a flame in seconds and he'd be down. His athletic background made him competent on the mat, but he would not pause long enough to sync with me and so he'd rush in and out of poses, and over-effort many times.

Watching Eric soften, open up, channel his greatness, and embrace being part of a kula (community of the heart), has been a total blessing for me. Each new workshop or part of the immersion, his light would come through with more clarity. His poses, out of no where, started to unfold. For example, within only a year and a half he went from "can't push up" in urdhva dhanurasana to demoing drop backs and dwi pada viparita dandasana and nailing it on the first try.


He slimmed down significantly. His skin tone and overall luster energetically started to glow.

Eric became a true friend to all of us, became an official Douglas Brooks groupie, and over the course of the Immersion a spectacular tattoo of Ganesh evolved on his upper back followed by Kali alighting on his foot! I have not seen it yet, but apparently there is a third addition - Hanuman in flying form holding the mountainside of Sanjivani herbs, now on his chest.

Congratulations, Eric. You've worked hard, your adhikara (studentship) rocks, your devotion is appreciated, your service to the greater good and the kula is our greatest blessing, and your presence is an inspiration! Keep on evolving!

Words from Eric:

My first Anusara Yoga class was also one of my first yoga classes. It was a workshop with Amy on Martha’s Vineyard in 2006. I was pretty clueless and had to watch other students to have any idea what the poses were. I felt awkward and clumsy but something clicked and I knew that this was something I wanted more of.

What really attracted me was the sense of welcome I felt. Folks asked :“How are you?” and I sensed that they actually cared about the answer. The quality and depth of my every conversation and interaction improved; as did my sense of connection to my heart and the community.

The Fall of 2008 was calamitous. The economic collapse caused me significant dislocation and demanded reappraisal of what I had held as precious. My marriage seemed irreparable, and there was the passing of loved ones. I arrived in Umbria raw and grieving. The kula was a lifeline and I felt like a drowning man. The kula took care of me with loving support, acceptance and hugs.In Umbria Amy spoke about the Immersion as the next step for those who wanted to deepen their understanding of the Anusara philosophy and system of alignment. I felt ill prepared for such a big step but I hungered for it.

I asked Amy: What would I have to do to be ready for the Immersion?
I expected a checklist: Practice 10 hours a week. Kick up into handstand at the wall. Urdva with straight arms… etc.

The answer that Amy gave was: It is just a breath away.

I could no more refuse her invitation than I could stop my own breath. I returned home and amped up my class schedule, trying to get prepare. The Immersion proved to be more than I could have hoped for. Here were people who had chosen the same path I had. My sense and appreciation of the kula deepened and enriched me. The authenticity of the connection among us was profound and powerful. It inspired confidence and effort. I found that by trusting my teacher and living and breathing my commitment that the boundaries of my asana practice were expanding. Asana also became more playful. Even falling out of a pose became an occasion for laughter and joy.

One of the things I have experienced along the way is that progress is seldom linear and it can be frustrating to me when I think that I am about to finally “get it” and then “it” decides to dance out of my reach. I often feel as if I am actually going backwards. This is the time to take a “step towards the teacher”. Sometimes that teacher is the universal principles of alignment, sometimes the asana teacher standing in front of you at the studio and sometimes it is the teacher that is in each of our hearts. In all cases taking a step towards the teacher results in the teacher taking two steps towards you.

It sounds mundane; but the commitment to scheduling chunks of time for yogic exploration and restoration is an affirmation that this is the path I have chosen and this is the path that I am on. Even the act of marking my calendar with a future event is making an important choice that renews my commitment to my practice and to ordering the rest of my life so that it is in support of that practice. Then, when challenges come, I look at the calendar and think: Well, this month may be a bit of a bumpy road, but the middle of next month I get to be in the company of some amazing beings and then the Shakti will really pulse!

I have immense gratitude that I stumbled in to Anusara. I am also deeply grateful for the teachings of John Friend, Douglas Brooks, Amy, and all of my other teachers and I am grateful for the support of the kula. May it continue to expand and enfold.

Why Keeping the Rainforest Standing Benefits You, Your Loved Ones, and the Future of Planet Earth

This recent New York Times article reaffirmed my choice two years ago to dedicate time and energy to the Amazon Herb Company and ACEER Foundation. Since I was a girl, I have always had a passion for the rainforest and animals. For as far back as I can remember, innately I could feel the vital importance of our interconnection on planet earth, and I was determined to be an advocate.

With just 28% more devastation, the Amazon will reach its tipping point, and all those centuries of growth, the world's main source of oxygen, a stable climate and cooler temperatures would go out like a flame. We are rapidly reaching that point, but there is a solution!!

I encourage you to watch this inspiring video by the Cousteau Society about what is happening in the Amazon these days. Then, consider participating as a consumer of the life-enhancing super foods available through Amazon Herb Company. No other organization or business is making such a powerful impact in the Amazon, preserving almost 1 million acres thus far, and helping tribes like these all over the Amazon to get their legal land titles and deeds, so their land is protected.

Recently Peru repealed laws that were passed which would open up 70% of Peru's Rainforest to oil exploration. Public appearances were made in Peru by Amazon Herb's founder, John Easterling and his wife, Olivia Newton-John speaking about the importance of the rainforest. After all the media attention surrounding the company's work and Olivia's involvement, public opinion turned and these laws were repealed!! Read story.



This is great news, and there is more. Each of us has the power, through our purchases to help keep the forest standing. The circle of benefit is genius - by supporting our own health and well being, we support the tribes. With the tribes supported and prosperous, the land is protected. With the land protected, the whole Earth continues to have a stable climate and we can breathe again.

Contribute to the circle of healing by supporting your own health, the health of the tribes, and therefore the safety of everyone on the planet. It is simple, drink ZAMU and eat Amazon Herbs. The secret behind Zamu™ is the synergy of all Rainforest ingredients featuring camu camu - the exciting Amazon 'feel good' fruit. Sustainably harvested in the Rainforest, the camu camu berry and other ingredients in Zamu™ are scientifically recognized for their beneficial properties.

With every delicious sip of ZAMU™ you are flooding your body with life-enhancing nutrients that support a positive life experience. Order a 4-pack Box and other vital superfoods from the Amazon HERE.

If you are interested in becoming an associate messenger for this good news and earning referral income, contact us at drinkzamu@me.com.

Asia tour 2009

South Korea

In May, I traveled to South Korea for the third time to teach at Jai Center, a yoga studio dedicated to building yoga community in Korea. This time we offered the first ever Anusara Yoga 100-hour Immersion, to a group of extraordinary students from all over Korea and the world.

The immersion was translated from English into Korean by my dear friend and yoga teacher, Tina Park, who is bilingual and also grew up in Korea. Because of Tina's skills, and a 15 year friendship that makes us totally in sync with translating, the teachings penetrated the room, creating a synergistic cross pollination of cultures and backgrounds which linked the hearts of the Western and Eastern students in a profound way.

In addition yoga is really growing in Korea, so to be sharing these teachings feels really remarkable when you consider that only 50 years ago South Korea was desecrated from war. Out of so much destruction, in such a short time, Seoul has totally re-created itself and is now a thriving modern city full of life, culture, and urban prowess. This energy of rebirth, re-creation, and perseverance truly permeates the culture in Seoul and that shakti floods the practice and the energy in the yoga studio, a total inspiration and a metaphor for our own yoga and personal expansion that we experience in the Immersion. It was profound to be a part of such a meaningful week with everyone.

The Immersion was so powerful for the students that we decided to offer an additional Part 1 in August so that more students throughout Asia can begin the Immersion cycle that will continue through spring of 2010. With the challenge of bringing US teachers over to Asia consistently, it is rare to be able to take the whole 3-part Immersion with the same teacher and the same group throughout. My immersion graduates are always so thankful for the experience they gained by doing the complete program with the same group and same teacher. If you have every wanted to visit Seoul or wanted to take a 3 part Immersion in this way, now is the time to jump on this training, August 28-September 6th, 2009. To register visit Jai Center.

There will be a 4-day break in between long weekend sessions so you can see, and experience Seoul and assimilate the teachings. And one of the wonderful benefits of translation is the natural pause that occurs while the English is being translated - it gives you time to take amazing notes and really take in the teachings. And very exciting, we will be preparing the ground for John Friend who will be visiting Korea for the first time in April of 2010!

South East Asia

Touring in South East Asia this year was a record high on many levels. More students than ever came out for Anusara Yoga. I taught in Singapore for the first time and loved it, we had our usual epic yoga marathon in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and we culminated the tour with a fabulous Therapy Retreat in Koh Samui Thailand, where I taught our group daily therapeutic yoga. We were all mercilessly pampered by amazing spa treatments that abound on the island.

Anusara Inspired teacher, Elizabeth Linton, a graduate of my 100-hr Anusara Immersion and teacher training in Denver, joined up on the tour to assist me. She was a total trooper and added so much to the tour. The students truly benefitted from all the added attention and we had a blast traveling and hanging out with the kulas all over South East Asia.

We did a lot of great eating in Singapore!

Riding the "Flyer" in Singapore

Celebrating John Friend's 50th birthday with Durian Cake and the Malaysian Anusara Kula.

Retreat on Koh Samui at Absolute Sanctuary

Following the retreat a few of us got to go to some of the islands by boat. In this picture we are sitting in the ocean where multi colored rainbows of fish did auspicious pradakshina around the Goddesses. This does not even capture the majesty of it!

Thanks to everyone who helped make my tour in Asia so gorgeous, especially Tina Park (Seoul), Elizabeth Linton (from somewhere else), Sumei Shum, Lynn Yeo and Monica Lee (Singapore), Vincent Tam (Kuala Lumpur), Jeanne Chung (Singapore/Koh Samui) and Joung-ah Ghedini-Williams (Bangkok)!

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