We took a long walk today through the center of Copenhagen.  We knew if we got lost we could just make our way back to the lakes, as they are called.  The ancient moat and from there we can get back.  So we wandered.  Aimless wandering, which is a form of walking meditation.  We discovered this beautiful church.

I sat in the first pew of this beautiful church and cried. I miss my dad so much, especially in churches.

Another kind of walking meditation.

Right behind these guys is the future palace of the Crown Prince and Princess which is currently open to the public.  The line to get in was over an hour so we skipped it, partly because it was very cold and windy.  

We saw lots of nooks and crannies like this. Behind the old exteriors are renovated office builidings, art galleries and even the wonderful Hamsa Yoga Studio.

Here is Dave teaching meditation last night. We have a sold out workshop and everyone is in for the whole weekend. Dave and I are thrilled with how smart, curious, and open these students are.

We taught Yoga Body Buddha Mind all weekend and I also taught a special class for teachers on Sunday afternoon, a regular OM yoga class on Monday and a meditation class.  David gave a talk at the Berlin Shambhala Center.

Moveo is a beautiful studio on the top floor of an old, renovated brewery. The students are gathering for the first class.

These little round cushions are just right for Viparita Karani away from the wall.

I went to Detlev's class on Monday. He did a fantastic job of teaching an OM yoga class and even though it was in German I could tell what was happening because the rhythm and vibe was so familiar. He also had the typical OM yoga ingredients of smart sequencing, clear instruction, sensitive hands-on and some well aimed smiles. I loved the class -- good job, Detlev!

We had a really fun OM yoga class last night and it was super cool to get such a positive response.  We’re talking about an OM yoga TT here in Berlin in 2011 — stay tuned!

Dinner with a view of Istanbul’s beautiful skyline and harbor.  Mezza.  Yum.

Our hosts, Can Malta, owner of Yogashala, and his excellent girlfriend, Sada.

We were jet lagged but happy.

Sada and Can ordered everything for us and it was a feast — humus, tomatoes, a huge plates of “weird weeds” as Can put it — and they were delicious — shrimp, fish, eggplant and more.

Finishing up with Turkish tea. Don't you love this traditional cup and saucer?

Nudgie at the Ottoman palace called the Topkapi Palace. It looks a little like the Disney castle to me. I know, I know, a provincial reference but...I am an American after all.

The man who wrote Midnight at the Oasis finally gets to visit The Harem.

Isn't it beautiful? Check out that ceiling.

Now it's time for yoga!!! This is Yogashala -- very cool, beautifully designed and well equipped studio. It has been a true delight to teach here.

Here is the lovely Mey Elbi, OM yoga TT graduate. She took OM yoga TT 10 years ago and now is a full-time yoga teacher in Istanbul, which is her home. We miss her at OM but it has been great to spend the weekend with her and her students.

I know, I know, I know...it's so wrong what with that amazing Turkish coffee right here and all. But Sada took me here and I liked it. It was fun to see the Turkish Starbucks after so recently being in the Japanese Starbucks. Here they have huge sandwiches and big, fattening luscious desserts.

Saturday night dinner with our Danish buddies, Soham and Simon. Soham owns Hamsa Studio in Copenhagen where we will be teaching in two weeks. He told us the workshops are already sold out!

Then, somehow the whole YBBM weekend workshop was over. It was Sunday afternoon and Mey took us all to have fish lunch by the Bosphorus.

In 5th grade I did a report on Istanbul and I've been dreaming of coming to this magical place and to the Bosphorus, ever since. And you know what? It is magical, indeed.

I’m doing the Yoga Journal Basics Column for the whole year coming up.  Part of my assignment is to take photos of the asanas I’m writing about — variations, do’s and dont’s.  But, I can’t take pictures of myself so my lovely student and up-and-coming OM yoga sub teacher, Becca Grossman, helped me out.  Here is a sneak preview of some of the poses/variations coming soon in YJ.

Viparita Karani -- yummy -- this is my favorite pose. Can you see little Leroy watching over Becca?

When the organizing principle and the container principle meet up -- through the use of props, in this case -- a balanced, effective asana happens.

Can you guess what pose this is a prep for?

“When you are practicing generosity, you should feel a little pinch when you give something away.  That pinch is your stinginess protesting.  If you give away your old, worn-out coat that you wouldn’t be caught dead wearing, that is not generosity.  There is no pinch.  You are doing nothing to overcome your stingness; you’re just cleaning out your closet and calling it something else.  Giving away your coat might keep someone warm, but it does not address the problem we face as spiritual practitioners: to free ourselves from self-cherishing and self-grasping.”    – Gelek Rimpoche

I’m so excited about these two pranayama courses.  Not to brag…but I think these will be very special, deep and useful courses on working with your breath…and helping others to access their own natural ability to breathe.  Do you know what the number one most important thing in teaching pranayama is?  Do you know what one of the most important things in breathing awareness is?  Come and find out!

Registration is open for my Pranayama Immersion and Pranayama TT June 14-18, 2010 at OM yoga in NYC.  I will be co-teaching both of these with the excellent Joe Miller.  Joe will be discussing the anatomy of breathing and I’ll lead the pranayama sessions as well as the teaching of pranayama sessions.

For more info, see below or go to www.omyoga.com.

PRANAYAMA IMMERSION
Connect with yourself through the intimate experience of breathing.

Each morning we will practice breathing methods grounded in the ancient yogic tradition of pranayama. Using blankets, bolsters and other props in both seated and lying down positions, we will begin to experience how these simple breathing techniques can positively affect our body and mind, helping us find balance as we start our day.

Your teachers will gently guide you through the traditional 3 part breath, alternate nostril breath, victorious breath, shining skull breath and the most profound of all, simple breath awareness.

Anyone is welcome to attend the pranayama immersion. Working with your breath is good for everybody, including actors, singers, athletes and people who may be experiencing anxiety, depression or asthma. It is also a perfect method for quitting smoking!

PRANAYAMA TEACHER TRAINING

This training will give you the tools to teach pranayama in yoga classes, pranayama classes and with private clients.  Each morning following our Pranayama practice session, we will study the pranayama techniquespracticed that morning.  This training is perfect for yoga teachers, acupuncturists, massage therapists, bodywork practitioners, or anyone interested in learning more about pranayama.

Joe Miller will teach the anatomy of pranayama. You will learn about the relationship between lungs, diaphragm, abdominal cavity and abdominal muscles and how that relationship creates breathing.

He will also teach breathing physiology, or function.

• What causes us to breathe?

• How does breathing affect the rest of the body?

• For example, what effect does Nadi Shodhanam have on the nervous system?

• Why do some people hyperventilate during Kapalabhati?

• How does Viloma relate to relaxation?

Combining practice and study, Cyndi Lee will lead participants in how to apply OM yoga teaching methodology to pranayama so that teaching breath work can become a seamless, effective and meaningful aspect of your teaching offering. Students will work in groups to practice using props and hands-on adjustments for pranayama. Each student will then have plenty of opportunity to create pranayama sequences and teach them in front of the group, receiving feedback from both Joe and Cyndi.

It was a great day.  Beautiful weather.  Good hearts everywhere.  I almost cried at the end of the day although I prefer to stay dignified and tearless.  But I felt deeply moved by my experience here.  I feel touched by these students and I do feel that I have touched them in a meaningful way.  

Mayumi-san is very relaxed.

The whole class had a group breakthrough today.   Their work in the morning active asana class was totally different – very mindful and present through every transition.  Anu, my translator, and I were astonished when we saw the very first Surya Namaskar.  Wow!   There was also a breakthrough in the restorative session.   I noticed people being more free and creative.  I tried to communicate to them that Yoga is not a Box.  It is personal.  They want to know what to do if this happens or that happens but until that happens we wont’ know what to do.  So I taught them the overarching principles and encouraged them to be present through their meditation practice and confident that they will see what is needed.  And…it worked!   A very great day today!

OM yoga Restorative Teacher Training, Tokyo, Japan, 2010

And then…it was over.  No Trikonasana left in the room.  No more Supta Baddhakonasanas to put away.  Empty space.  Time to go home. Back to NYC tomorrow.  Thank you to Chama and Kazumi and Emi.  Arrigato gazimashta.

I taught a 3 hour Yoga Body Buddha Mind workshop at Tokyo-Yoga in Aoyama.  A gorgeous studio – check it out when you are in Tokyo.  The students were — as always — totally openhearted and open minded.  I think it was a good workshop!  

Here are two of the students from the workshop with me.

 The woman on my left, Tammy, is a native born and raised Tokyo -ite, but she lived in NYC for three years.  During that time she was an avid yogini and practiced at OM yoga.  She wanted to take the OM yoga Teacher Training but one of the requirements is the ability to do Sirsasana, Headstand.  She was told by a teacher at another yoga studio that because her upper arms are short and her head is little bit bigger than that length, she would never be able to do headstand.  So she gave up and didn’t take the training at OM yoga.  When she told me that I felt sad because, of course, she absolutely can do headstand.  There are so many ways to do it, no matter what proportions you have.  So I showed her how to place blankets under each forearm to create space for her head and now she is sooo happy that she can do Sirsasana.

Each group or team was assigned to read the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali.  Then through discussion they were to pick one sutra that they want to explore or that resonates with them and make a presentation about that sutra to the group.  Here is what they came up with — fantastic!

Each person on the Bodhisattva team had a sign on her head representing an obstacle to practice. Anu -- my translator -- was in front trying to meditate.

But it is hard to practice when the obstacles come alive!

....and spin around you in circles!

...and start dancing to Lady GaGa!

But Anu's commitment and calmness prevailed and she conquered her obstacles, becoming luminous and mirror-like.

Great job, Bodhisattva Team!  Next up, Sokrates!

They began their presentation by saying that they have no talent. I like that they all borrowed shirts from Kumi, who is an accupunturist, and are holding spatulas. I asked them why and they said, No reason.

Sokrates team had everyone else get in their groups and then they had us sing together in harmony: Ah, OM, Sukha, Cyndi, David, Joe... it was fun and creative. If we work together, we can find balance and harmony. Then Kyoko led us all in our final recitation of the Dedication of Merit all together. Beautiful job, Sokrates.

Next up, Nadeshko. Miho was the MC for this group which enacted a fairy tale.

Here is the lazy person.

Here is the good, hard working person.

Here is the Noriko monkey.

The hard working person accidentally threw her ox into the lake but the goddess came up out of the lake and said because you are good and honest you can have your ox back and also a golden ox -- that thing she is holding is the golden ox.

Hardworking Miyo is so happy to have her ox back and a golden ox.

I didn't exactly understand the rest of the story or what sutra it was but the next thing I knew we were all up and dancing in a conga line!

And then Miyo, who is also a Zumba teacher in Osaka, led us in a kind of Bollywood dance for about five minutes! And that was their sutra presentation -- great job, Nadeshko.

Honeymoon's sutra presentation was about Purusha and Prakrti and how to become more balanced through the gunas. Here is Shizuka being Purusha.

Here are the 3 gunas: Chama is tamas, lazy boy on the floor watching TV; Yukiko is hyper active, agressive Rajas; and Hideyo is a sattvic princess with a miner's light on her forehead. They are pulling on each other all the time because they are out of balance.

There was more -- Hisako got into balance through yoga practice and then Hideyo's miner's light turned on as she became enlightened. And, then somehow, we were all up in a circle, swaying together and singing We are the World. Very fun!

Smile team -- on the subway. Check out the subway strap that Maya is holding -- very clever.

Maya did a fantastic dance showing us how she was frustrated with all the aggression around her.

Then Fumiko, who you can see from her mat bag, is a yogini gets on the subway. She is nice and considerate and her energy shifts the vibe of everyone else on the subway. The power of our practice!

Then they all did a yoga dance together!

Opening their hearts to each other...

Their sutra was the one that is like the Dedication of Merit: friendliness, compassion, joy and equanimity. Bravo!

First we had to have one more student Final Exam Teaching Class which was done by the Bodhisattva Team.

Here is Mayumi teaching and Yoko assisting. This is the seated forward bend section of the class -- very creative..and just right because it was our last day together so we loved doing partner work.

I take all the classes so I can feel if they work and also the students can pratice adjustments on me. Here I am with my partner for this exercise, Fumiko. Tanoshi-i (that means fun).

Then the box of OM yoga goodies finally arrived, after being held in customs for several days. Kawaii (that means cute)!

Miyo and Miho checking out the cute OM yoga t-shirts.