There’s a very special feeling that comes with ending the work day and knowing that a yoga class at Bernal Yoga will have the impact to sort out all the kinks that came in the day. And while the studio and the instructors are certainly integral to that impending sense of comfort and ease, the whole process of walking to class initiates that feeling of relief. First there is the special evening light of Bernal Hill. It’s about 6 p.m. (or 7:30 if you’re going to a later class) and depending on the time of year, the sun is going down and the sky has that brilliant pink, blue, purple and coastal light that comes with living in San Francisco. The walk or drive to Bernal itself is filled with gorgeous views. I happen to drive from the Mission and I always end up traversing the bottom of the hill to see the expansive view of San Francisco and the Bay. And then there’s the quaintness of Cortland Street itself: the wonderful grocery store across the street that students often run to after class for a few goodies for dinner or breakfast the next day, the shop with all the gorgeous flowers adorning the sidewalk in front of it, the independent bookstore down the street with great reads and magazines to browse through, the coffee shop with delicious pastries and artisan coffee, the bakery, the restaurants and the people walking home, beginning their evening. Bernal Yoga, by virtue of its special locale, offers an experience beyond the practice of yoga. It offers a sense that you are part of a larger community, one that stretches outside of its walls and into the street, and people, around it.

A lot of stuff comes up when you hold a pose for a while, especially one you think (ok, I think) is so standard and, well, comfortable like downward facing dog. Last Saturday morning, Carlin had us hold downward facing dog for some time and she mentioned we would be in the position for a while. She suggested we start thinking about what it feels like, what parts of our bodies are we becoming aware of, maybe even for the first time, is something hurting (if there’s pain, go into child’s pose), or is there shaking (don’t worry, she reassured, that’s vriti). As we have been reminded in former classes, Mr. Iyengar said that it’s precisely when you want to get out of the pose that the pose actually begins. And, believe me, there were many moments that I wanted to get out. So why did I stay? Was I trying to prove something to myself, was I trying to prove something to others, to the class, to Carlin, was I actually enjoying it, was I curious? All of these questions may not be the same ones that come up for you, but the questions that do come up, and the answers that follow are one of the central reasons we practice yoga, to better understand ourselves so that we can be free. We take yoga so that we can listen: to our bodies, our minds and our hearts.

Many times in class we hear yoga is not only about what you do on the mat but what you do off it as well and that is so true. Carlin’s class has stayed with me since Saturday. I have thought about the joys and frustrations I felt and why. At one point, she asked some of us to contain our energy and outbursts and I have since thought about the importance of containment. I think the Dalai Lama, whose 75th birthday it is today, sums it up in a beautiful way in this quote: “Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.”

If you walked past Bernal Yoga at midday Monday, you probably heard the harmonium, drums, and lots of joyful voices singing love mantras.  Yes, it was a yoga class…and kirtan rolled into one.  And it was beautiful.

Debbie Steingesser truly believes that the practices of yoga, dance, and music are designed to help you fall in love again and again.  It was only fitting then, that The Kirtaniyas (Vijay, Raskia, and Nitai) joined us for the afternoon as we chanted to the long lasting love between Radha and Krishna.

Debbie encourages students to move as they feel, whether it be in a pose or in dance.  In this class, the Kirtaniyas’ infectious spirit had students moving energetically about.  In between vinyasas and chair poses, we swayed to the music and enjoyed an impromptu group dance around the studio.  I can attest that it was as fun as it sounded to the onlookers who came to the door.

The addition of live music to this practice was a lovely treat.  Vijay played the harmonium, Raskia sang, and Nitai played the drum.  As they led call and response chants to Radha and Krishna, I found my voice growing stronger and stronger, and my heart growing wider.

This was a dynamic experience that allowed me to sing, dance, and practice yoga all at once.  The openness and love I gathered from this afternoon will stay with me for a long time, and I hope to share it with anyone interested in a yoga class with live music soon.

We missed KT while she was off in the homeland. KT is originally from England (thus her very cool accent although, according to her, she was asked in England if she was from the South in the US). KT has not been living in England for a while. Before San Francisco, KT was in Hawaii where she was doing, amongst other things, an intense teacher training. It was wonderful to have her back. One thing that Bill had said about her was that KT tells you exactly what she is thinking, she is an open book and she shares what’s on her mind. I love that, especially in a yoga class, because in so doing, she reveals her vulnerabilities and tendencies and allows us to see our own and acknowledge the ways in which we would like to grow and develop. Something that Bill did not mention, although I am sure he knows, is just how funny KT is and I was reminded of that last week. She’s always cracking a joke, be it at herself or at the wonderful absurdity of the world we live in. She makes us laugh, she offers us a chance to laugh at ourselves and she is so warm and real through the whole thing. She is not trying at all. You see KT in class through and through.

Last week in class, KT was speaking about what it was like to go back home and to know it’s not where she wanted to live. There happened to be a few other English people in the class, all of whom had made the same decision, to leave England and live in America. It brings to mind the question of how we define and create home. Is home where we were born? Is it where we feel most ourselves? Is it where we live? And how many different homes and communities do we have? Bernal Yoga is a home for many and we are so lucky to be living in a city that offers so many different experiences of home.

It’s always special when Bill or Savonn come to teach class at Bernal. While all the teachers are brilliant, there’s something special about taking class from the founders. My first introduction to Bernal was through Bill. His straightforward style, paired down to asanas and instruction with a selective reference to the spiritual side of the teachings makes for a very focused class. Don’t get me wrong. I love the metaphorical associations between yoga and life, like what comes up when there is challenge, or how to breathe through a tough moment. Those help me with my day to day. But there’s a focus and calm that I love about the way Bill teaches. He has this encouraging way of letting us know, in subtle ways, be it walking through the room or offering a supportive “good” after we get into a pose, that he is there for us. And because he has been part of Bernal for so long, it’s almost like taking class from a cousin or a friend, someone that has been in your life in one way or another for a while, a wonderful familiarity.

Turns out Bill also taught Thai Massage over the weekend and some Bernal teachers took the class so we may find moments of massage over the next few weeks.

Bill also told a great story about KT, a brilliant teacher. He said that when she came to Bernal, she went to Bill and simply said, “When do I start?”, having just met him. “Have you not heard about me from Stephanie?”, she said. Needless to say, she was hired and with great pleasure. Bill said he felt honored to be teaching a class she usually teaches. As did we.

Bernal Yoga is full of magical wisdom. After being away for two weeks in New York, I was craving class and after Carlin’s Saturday morning class, I realized just what I was missing. KT is out of town and so Carlin, who studied under the same teacher as KT, was taking her place on Saturday. She mentioned at the beginning of class that hers can sometimes be a tough one, with poses held and flow encouraged. It also happened to be a hot day outside, a wonderful rarity in San Francisco, so we were drenched in sweat during class. And it was wonderful.

Carlin incorporates a powerful combination of asanas and insight. On this Saturday morning, two lessons particularly stayed with me. The first was about ease and the extent to which we somehow resist it in life. So often we think we are striving for ease in our lives. It’s the clutter of the mind we want to settle, challenges we want to overcome and possibly avoid, the static of the everyday we want to clear. But Carlin wondered to what extent do we seek out the challenging, how do we make things more difficult for ourselves and why. Are there ways we make things uncomfortable rather than resting in what may seem like mundane simplicity. It was a very interesting point and really got me thinking.

The other point Carlin made, and one that I have thought about before but not in the same way, was about how we react when we are in a difficult pose. If we look at that reaction in a moment of an uncomfortable asana, it may inform us about how we are in other uncomfortable moments in our lives. Do we check out (I wonder what I’ll be having for dinner), do we get frustrated and self-critical (wow, I really am not very good at headstand), or do we explore deeper (how can I open my chest more?). It’s an interesting question and a reminder, once again, that yoga is a metaphor, a tool to better understand ourselves and the way in which we think and live. Yoga is a practice of the mind, body and soul and the lessons we learn on the mat are ones we can hold with us wherever we go.

And one final thing Carlin mentioned: Our time in class is a time for us, a time where we can really listen to what is happening inside and out, a time where there are no interruptions. What a privilege.

Yoga is a daily practice and it doesn’t necessarily have to involve movement.  The term yoga means “union” and that union is that of the mind, body and breath. That doesn’t have to happen through Asanas. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the foundational text of yoga, very much speaks to some of the more internal movements, like breathing and meditation. For instance, the sutras speak about the eight limbs of Raja Yoga which include, amongst other things,  Ahimsa meaning non-violence in act or thought, Satya which means truth in word and thought and Pranayama which refers to the control of the breath. None of these involve asanas, no downward facing dog, no warrrior, no pigeon. Yoga is as much about the mind as it is about the body, in fact maybe even more so. One of the focuses on yoga is liberation, from the binding thoughts of our minds and the movement is another means to access that. When our muscles are stretched, we let go of something, a shift happens, and it may not seem immediate but with a commitment to practicing on and off the mat, that freedom is inevitably felt.

BKS Iyengar once said:

“Yoga, an ancient but perfect science, deals with the evolution of humanity.  This evolution includes all aspects of one’s being, from bodily health to self-realization.  Yoga means union – the union of body with consciousness and consciousness with the soul.  Yoga cultivates the ways of maintaining a balanced attitude in day-to-day life and endows skill in the performance of one’s actions.”

But maybe one of my favorite quotes about yoga and an important reminder is:

“Don’t just do something – sit there!”

I have realized that there is a potency to practicing  yoga a few days in a row. Somehow the muscles in the body seems to have a stronger memory and poses become more fluid, tried and true poses like Warrior Two and Bridge.

However, beyond the fluidity of asanas is the community feel that is established. Having been going to Bernal for a few months now, I can surely say that it has expanded my community. And yoga is a practice that goes far beyond physical execution and rests in a much deeper place, a place of connectedness and understanding.

This weekend, I sensed that completely as I practiced amongst fellow Bernal yogis. We laughed at the jokes KT would make, like when she spoke of her doppelganger who sells bagels in Virginia. We also shared in a sense of accomplishment when Megan asked us to hold crescent with our back leg bent deeply, feeling the communal burn in our thighs and supporting each other through it.

Community may be one of the most important ingredients to happiness. All studies show, beyond money, beyond possessions, it is our social relationships that bring us joy and make us who we are.

I really dislike being out in the rain. I’ll practice at home to Krishna Das rather than run through the rain to attend a class. In other words, it takes a lot to motivate me to run through the rain. Brianna Taylor’s yoga class on Wednesday was just the motivation I needed to brave the downpour at noon.

Brianna, a very warm and knowledgeable teacher, began class with a fun story about trying out new things (in her case, break dancing) and invited us to keep an open mind as we began our practice. Throughout class, Brianna asked us to shift our perspectives about coming into poses by giving us more possibilities. Surya namaskara was a beautiful sequence as we poured our hearts as offerings to the earth and moved fluidly through each step. Crescent lunges and twists became an offering of our own light to the rainy sky as we dynamically opened our hearts and arms. We then danced from warrior one to devotional to triangle to side angle, and shifted our feet towards the back of the mat to do the same again. Back and forth everyone went with their own breath; it was great to feel the energy created by these dancing warriors.

And although I was soaking wet when I came into class, I quickly forgot about it and smiled as I lost myself in the practice and the sunshine that eventually emerged from behind the clouds. I’ll be there next Wednesday at noon, rain or shine.

A last minute trip this month, took me away from my work at Bernal Yoga to the Art Creation Foundation for Children in Jacmel, Haiti. I found myself surrounded by the bursting energy of about 40 children, many of whose schools have not been in session since the earthquake. I don’t speak Creole, have no background in French and was at the mercy of dictionaries, hand gestures, charades and translators which is frustrating for a gal like myself who likes to talk quite a lot.

In an effort to encourage young Haitians to tell their own stories on what’s happening there, my friend Jennifer & I were training kids to work as photojournalists through her nonprofit Zanmi Lakay. Often our Haitian colleague Georges would patiently translate for me as we taught the kids. When Georges was too busy doing other things, my limited vocabulary of words like hello, thank you, good and beautiful, just simply wasn’t enough. The kids & I wanted a real conversation.

One afternoon my translating companions Georges and Jen were in a long meeting and I couldn’t just sit there in a room full of beautiful, lively children with nothing to say to them. So I took a breath, touched my toes and worked my way down into crow pose. They were delighted and within a minute three little boys were next to me, palms pressed to floor, proudly presenting their own sweet versions of the pose. By this time a small boisterous crowd had gathered, pleased as punch with the arrival of something new in their world.

I took another breath, kneeled down and put my elbows on the floor. They giggled, wondering loudly, in Creole of course, what would happen next. I understood them and delivered an answer to their curiosities. I cupped my hands, put my head down, tightened my tummy, lifted my knees and stepped up onto my tippy toes. “OHHH” they responded, not expecting this.

They leaned down to meet eyes with me, trying to guess where this was going. Next I slowly lifted my right leg, then my left and floated up into headstand. You would have thought Michael Jackson had arrived by the excitement this ignited in the kids. Now I was speaking their language! I twisted my legs to the left, then the right, back to center, slowly touched my toes back down and took child’s pose where at least 20 warm little hands reached out to greet me. Finally, we’d had a whole conversation all on our own, thanks to yoga. It was fabulous!