2008 Ashtanga Calendars: The hunt

Do you really want another Yoga Journal calendar this year?

The goal: find a yoga calendar that speaks to ashtanga people.

Here is what I have found:

1. Caroline Klebl 2008 Ashtanga Yoga Calendar :

This is a black and white ashtanga-specific calendar. I like that it is polished and well-designed, but I wish it were of more than just one person. I think it can be a bit austere. (Picture on the right of Caroline in Karandavansana.)

2. If you must, here is Yoga Journal's calendar:

I love the bright colors of this calendar, but if you feel like you've seen these images before, it is because you have...This photo on the left of Kino MacGregor, for instance, was used for a cover, and to promote their conferences, and now this. There is only one ashtangi (I think) in this calendar, the rest are super-star yoga journal types, which is great (if you're into that sort of thing). Still, Kino's back bends are intoxicating. Can we have a posted of just Kino...backbending...all the time?

3. 2008 Shakti Calendar:

So, I was looking around this yoga boutique one day, when I came across this book called, Yoga Shakti, or was it just, Shakti? Anyway, it is a book of nudie ladies doing nudie yoga. Yep, that's it. I am under the impression that it was one of Shiva Rea's doings. And, here we have the calendar version. Will you like it? Well, it is in black and white, and therefore, tasteful, right? Do you like Anne Geddes calendars? You know the naked babies dressed as flowers or pumpkins? Well if you don't like those, you probably won't like this, unless of course, you really like boobs.

4. 2008 Acro Yoga Calendar:

Say what you will about the Acro Yoga vibe that is sweeping the world, but well, they are taking the world by storm. It has got to be something about the smiling and all the fun they seem to be having doing none other than yoga. This is a vibrant calendar printed in color with images of balancing, twirling, etc., all with partners in interesting locations. It is fun, it is inspiring, it is co-ed. If you're not down with the Acro Yogis, you won't be down with this. But it is nice that these are images of "real people". The picture on the left is of "March".

5. 2008 The Yoga Calendar:

This is what you would expect from the typical run-of-the-mill, cheesy, hobby-related, calendar. It incorporates all things old-school-back-of-yoga-journal-spiritual-advertisements: Extreme asanas, of no particular theme or style (except aaah factor), extreme locals* (think David Swenson across to boulders), and bike shorts. It does get points for being color, outdoors, and non-yoga journal.

*Sometimes pics of people doing yoga outdoors is annoying to me. They weren't doing their whole practice, they were just like BAM! here's a move that's cool, right? Take a picture! It just isn't very authentic and hard for me to look at for a whole month.

6. 2008 Yoga Wall Calendar (Balance of Body and Soul):

This calendar looks like an Omega add campaign set in Greece. That's all I have to say. See cover image on left.

7. Calendar I wish they were making in 2008*:

I first saw this calendar (image on right) in February on a visit to Ashtanga Yoga of Albuquerque. As far as I know, they are not available this year, which is a shame, as they truly capture the feeling of practice. Perhaps this feeling of authenticity comes from the fact that these people in California are actually practicing. It is full-color, full-on ashtanga mysore every month of the year. Well, at least for the lucky few that had one in 2007.

*Thanks to Yogibare for informing me that there are calendars available in 2008. I don't know if there are any left, as you have to pre-order, but it is worth a try! Try this link http://www.morningmysore.com/ or http://www.divine-eye.com/calendar.html.

8. Guru 2008 Calendar

I suppose yoga does have the reputation for being a "girlie-thing". It is in this spirit that this calendar was put together.

Blah blah blah

I included this all-man, "manly" calendar because watching them try is just so darn cute!

9. Wake up yoga 2008 Calendar:

This sweet little calendar is of local teachers at the studio, "Wake Up Yoga", located in in Philadelphia. Perhaps I shouldn't have included this calendar, as it is not ashtanga-specific. But let's face it, there just really isn't that much to offer at the moment. If it is any consolation, they have an ashtanga led primary on their schedule...Anyway, I like cheering for the underdogs, and here we have some local peeps, doing their thing. I am SO into that!

10. The only calendar I live by:

"Shala time". Period.

HAPPY 2008 EVERYONE!

Be sure to check out http://www.livingmysore.com/ in January as we are launching our first magazine issue very soon!

A first-timer's meditations on mysore, practice, and all things India

The great thing about reading blogs is that it is like reading a story that is taking place in "real time". Well, probably because it is. I wonder if anyone out there is writing completely fictional blogs. I find this fascinating. So did I, or did I not study for three months in Mysore? You'll have to decide for yourself.

This blog chronicles my trip to Mysore, India from July-October 2007.

Unfortunately, the blog format is not very user-friendly for those wishing to start from the beginning. To read the blog from the beginning, scroll down this page and look for the "archive" located on the right. Click on "July". You'll have to read the entries from the bottom up. Does anyone know how to reverse this?

Thanks for reading my blog. If you have any questions or feedback, please email me at livingmysore@gmail.com, or leave a comment on my current project, http://www.ashtangainspired.blogspot.com/.

The Yoga Passbook and Shopping for the Yogi in Your Life

Okay, so I just read this blog entry:

http://blogs.yogajournal.com/cityblog/new_york/

December 04, 2007 New York: The Yoga PassBook

In case you were wondering, I'm here to break it down for you. I've been a yoga skeptic, a yoga student, a yoga teacher, a yoga studio administrator, even a yoga tourist. So based on my experience, here is my take on what said blog dubs the "perfect gift"...The New York Yoga PassBook.

Pros

1. It is very inexpensive and a great deal. For only $75 you get a whole year's worth of yoga. Really, there are way more passes than a person can use in one year.

2. You get to try a variety of different classes and styles.

Cons

1. You'll always be going to a different studio. This could be a good thing, but you miss out on the whole student/teacher relationship.

2. Even though it is not always enforced, on the back of each pass, it says that the classes are for new students only. So you might be turned away if you try to use it at a studio you've already been to, or you might not.

3. Call ahead, sometimes the pass will only apply to certain classes on the schedule.

4. The studios DO NOT get reimbursed in any way in the sales of these books. What this means is that a studio agrees to be in the book and that they will give away an unlimited number of free/discounted classes. The idea is that students are buying these passes to try out classes and then to pick the studio they like best. Studios hope that students will pick them. Unfortunately, many people abuse the passbook and buy one year after year, returning to studios year after year, expecting free classes. Although the passbook itself says that passes are for "new students" only, they still sent me a notice reminding me to buy another passbook this year, perpetuating the cycle.

5. Sometimes, teachers are paid "per head" and "comp" students don't count.

6. My passbook arrived ONE MONTH LATE. This was after a number of phone calls to the "company" (a guy sitting in his pricey NY apartment, he didn't even answer the phone with a company name and seemed confused when I asked if I had reached the right number), asking for a new passbook to be shipped. There is a shipping fee and the guy would not even wave the fee, even after a month of waiting. He did, however, encourage me to meet him at his apartment to pick up a copy if I'd like. Weird.

Conclusions:

If you have a lot of time, buy the passbook, try out some classes. You only need to take about 4 classes to make it worth the purchase. Please keep in mind that the studios and teachers are providing you a free service, and be sure to thank them PROFUSELY!

Holidays got you stumped? What do you get the person who wants nothing but inner peace?

My holiday shopping recommendations for the yoga-enthusiast in your life:

1. Yoga mat bag. Its classic. But make sure they don't already own, like 10. Try to make it eco-friendly, or handmade, organic, etc. You'll get extra points if it has pockets for their stuff. Saka bags are really fab, but they are made in China:(.

2. An eco-friendly yoga mat. Try harmony, gaiam, or manduka. You'll get extra points if you offer to donate their old mat to charity for them. Contact organizations like bent on learning, homeless shelters, or your local animal shelter.

3. A gift certificate to lululemon, prana, gaiam, hyde, hard tail, or be present. You might think your taste is fab, but your gift recipient is practicing yoga. Although honesty is encouraged, they are likely to tell you that they love whatever you got them. Do them the favor and let them pick something they really like.

4. A private lesson with their favorite instructor. Do the research!

5. A class pack at their favorite yoga studio or a workshop. You get points if you are going to attend the class/es/workshop with them.

6. A mat cover. Either a "mysore rug" or Yogitoes. If they live in the city and don't want to haul their mat, they might be using studio rentals. I don't want to begin about that...Just believe me when I say that you really want them to cover that mat! The rug/yogitoes are light and convenient to use. If you know they aren't into that, maybe get them some mat wipes...

7. An eco-friendly water bottle. I saw these great metal bottles at wholefoods yesterday... While you are at whole foods, you could also get a gift set of all organic, paraben free products from companies like Pangaea organics....

8. A subscription to a yoga magazine. There is yoga journal, namarupa, joy and living, fit yoga, vegetarian times, etc...I know, its not very eco-friendly, but its better than buying off the newsstand!

9. Yoga/India movie. Check yoga journal's website for ideas. Try Iyengar's Estes Park Video if your person is into Iyengar and they already have a subscription to yoga journal. If they practice ashtanga, go to ashtanga.com and get them maybe "ashtanga, ny", "guru", or "sharath's primary series" video. You could also get them something that is all about India. There's that movie, "Water". OR you could go for a documentary like yoga unveiled, naked in the ashes, or yoga inc.

10. Books. So either think BIG like a coffee table book for pictures, information, or philosophy. If you are buying for an ashtangi, try the Mysore book, or maybe ashtanga Yoga As it Is. There's also Light on Life or anything by Pema Chodron. Shantaram is really great. I'd say Eat, Pray Love, but EVERYONE has read that... Think about what they are into and what makes sense for them. Oh! A cookbook from an ashram or retreat center would be great!

11. Massage

12. Ayurvedic consultation, nutrition consultation, going green advisor, palm reader, etc.

13. a haircut or other service from an organic salon.

14. eye pillow. not everyone will want this. but it is nice to have your own for savasana.

15. Donation. make a donation in their name to a charity.

16. Healthy Restaurant. A gift certificate or date to a healthy restaurant or an Indian restaurant. PS-you aren't allowed to complain if you don't like it.

17. Yoga vacation. Get them frequent flier miles, a ticket, or maybe the fees to take that dream yoga vacation. You get points if you go with them.

18. Yoga Date. Take them to a class, take the class with them (that is important), buy them something from the boutique if they want, take them out to tea/dessert/smoothies/a meal.

19. Baked goods/home cooked meal. always nice!

20. A pedicure! Boy do we yogi people need them!

Hope this helps! But really, what's best is to just spend time with them and maybe pretend you are interested next time they want to tell you about downward dog.

"Antennas to heaven"

When it finally does snow, it stops being cold, it becomes beautiful.

The snow keeps its own pace. I sometimes remember to look up, and when I do, I'm surprised at how the sky really is falling right down on me at a rapid speed.

Recently viewed: The Beach. Please don't watch it. Once again, the book was SO much better.

Also: Water. Soft, subtle, colorful, horrific, beautiful, life changing, and all things India.

Current Read: Sigmund Freud's Civilization and its Discontents. I particularly enjoy his comments on the westerner's pursuit of eastern practices such as yoga. Also interesting, he says there are 3 sources of suffering. 1. our bodies are decaying and we will die. 2. the world is relentless and cruel. 3. people.

I find that like anything else I read on life and philosophy, turning on the lights is a great way to figure out that the monster in the corner is actually a pile of clothes.

Listening to: "Antennas to Heaven" by Godspeed You! Black Emperor (Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven [part2]) and then "Moonrise" by Sean Hayes (Alabama Chicken)

Money

Yes, money.

I just read these articles listed on the e-sutra list. You can read them by clicking either of these links:

http://esutra.blogspot.com/2007/12/financial-realities-and-occupational.html

http://esutra.blogspot.com/2002/09/yogis-behaving-badly.html

While I agree with the majority of what they are saying, I feel like they avoid the main issue: how to dedicate one's life to sharing the gift of yoga while at the same time being able to live.

I remember during my first teacher training, the question of money was a taboo subject. Maybe it was not intentional, but no one really wanted to talk about it. Yes, I was doing the training for my own practice and to share this gift of yoga with others, but at the same time, I have to pay rent just like anyone else.

Entering the world of teaching yoga was surreal. No one could have prepared me for it. There are no real standards for paying teachers, and in fact, there is often no professionalism. I have had multiple studios fail to pay me for classes I taught, but I guarantee that they never failed to collect money from the students.

I've had studio owners who were very nonchalant about pay dates and the writing of checks, and those who were personally offended by my "energy", when I requested that I be compensated for classes that I taught.

As a yoga teacher, there are usually no contracts, written or otherwise, that guarantee a teaching gig. (Requesting one is out of the question. Being hired is usually about your "Energy". Unless of course, you have been teaching since 1990, have packed classes, and your own line of videos.) The class could be cancelled in a second with no notice. Further, there is hardly ever a duration attached to a class. Everything is "indefinite".

Lets say I want to give up a class, studios often are upset if there is less than A MONTH of notice. At the same time, a teacher can be fired without even knowing it.

Sometimes, payment is given on a per head basis. It is interesting to find when these arrangements are made for a class time that is known to be unpopular, only setting the teacher up for failure.

YOGA TEACHERS OFTEN DO NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE!

There are no guarantees that one will be able to attain classes. Education often has little to do with it. People may be hired because they want a male on their teaching staff, or this person is beautiful, or they like their energy, or they are friends with so and so. Ultimately, it is about who will get the classes packed and keep the students coming. Everyone has rent to pay.

Yes, the commercialization of yoga can be disheartening. Yes, the number of poorly trained and ill-experienced teachers may be on the rise. But, I am having a hard time staying in an industry (and it is an industry) with such poor labor practices when the product they are selling is kindness, understanding, mindfulness, enlightenment, inner peace, etc.

Some of us aren't so lucky that we can't simply ask for more classes to have enough to pay the rent. And even if we did, this is a physically and mentally exhausting job.

So why do I do it? I do it because of the way I feel when I practice. I do it because of the way I hope I can help people feel when they practice. I do it because I hope that the industry will change. I hope that studios will learn how to be fair and to respect the teachers and the time they are giving. I hope that studios can find a way to make yoga accessible to those who cannot afford a $15 yoga class. I hope that teachers can start speaking up for themselves and that maybe working together, we can change the direction this is going in.

There are some studios that are really trying hard to make these changes. For instance, Yoga Works is now offering a 401k plan for ALL of their instructors. This is HUGE! Some studios offer health insurance, but these are generally the large franchises, and it is only offered to teachers who have over a certain number of classes (so it would be in the studio's favor to limit a teacher's class number).

When are we going to start getting serious about honoring our educators? Not just yoga, but also public school, college, etc? If this is not what we value, what are valuing?

Snow is coming

I try to imagine what it would be like if it snowed in Mysore. This makes me remember watching the "Guruji, Copenhagan" film at the India Song House in Mysore. In it, Guruji is all bundled up, ready to face the weather. This makes me smile.

I miss him, and I miss Mysore. I miss having a teacher watching me. I miss the simplicity of the days.

I walked into my room today and just did my laundry. This event has been some time in the making. But I did it. I didn't think about it, I just did it.

Sometimes when I practice, I'm looking at the tip of my nose, and where I am seems timeless, place less, even. I feel like maybe Sharath is to my right and that the blur I can sense is him instead of a laundry bin.

I want to tell myself that right now I am learning leaps and bounds of information, that I am going out every night and meeting new people, that my classes are packed and in demand, that my relationships are strong and mutually fulfilling. I'm searching my mind, my heart, and wondering if there is some sort of block, something I can't see, some kind of resistance, something. Despite all the "spiritual growth" and inquiry, despite all the philosophy and life practices I have been studying for some time, I still fall into these same patterns. I don't want to be dramatic, but they are patterns of self-inflicted misery. The worse part is that I am usually completely aware that I am doing it. Its like being in for surgery and hearing, feeling, and seeing the surgeons slice my skin. Hmmm.

I consider myself lucky to have moments like I just did where I can step back just far enough to admit that I feel like shit, but also that its all so ridiculous.

No matter all the precautions one may take, a flat tire is always a possibility. The thing is, when one gets a flat, usually the reaction is not to just ignore it, but to actively go through the process to have it repaired.

Recently Read: "The Beach" Verdict: couldn't put it down. It made standing outside on a subway platform at five in the morning in the snow, bearable.

Recently Watched: The author of "Eat, Pray, Love" on Oprah. I haven't fully digested this yet, but I think there is something good happening here.

Post script: But its the students that really get to me. I've had 2 walk out of my led primary recently when they saw I'd be teaching. But what I am actually refering to is the students who keep coming back and keep trying. Its amazing. There are days when I really, seriously want to throw in the towel, and then I see them practice and I remember that this is why I'm here.