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!

“Breathing in, I calm my body.
Breathing out, I smile.
Dwelling in the present moment
I know this is a wonderful moment.”

This week, in her noontime yoga classes, Debbie Steingesser read this passage from Thich Nhat Hanh’s Being Peace and Peace is Every Step. The emphasis on taking one breath at a time and being in the present moment resonated with me because my mind often strays to thoughts of work while I’m practicing. In twenty two words, this prose sums up what I strive for in my yoga practice: still mind, open heart, and joy in the moment.

Debbie’s classes allow me to achieve all these things. First, like a breath of fresh air, Debbie welcomes all with a big smile and kind words. I feel instantly at peace when I practice with such a warm teacher.

Second, with constant flow to an eclectic mix of music, Debbie’s classes are alive with positive energy and surprises. I know Debbie’s classes are challenging, but also moving and fun. Today’s sequence was warrior 1 to devotional warrior to peaceful warrior, with another sequence added on after we were thoroughly warmed up of warrior 1 to warrior 3 towards the front and towards the back of the mat. We were just dancing from one end to the other! I appreciate such a sequence because it keeps the practice active and playful.

Finally, as Debbie always reminds us, and as I have felt every time I go to her class, there is no judgment in this practice. There is only joy to be had when we all take flight together. I look forward to experiencing this flight with anyone out there who has a free lunch hour Monday and Fridays. Namaste!

I had the pleasure of attending Kate Truka’s Sunday morning Hatha Yoga class this past weekend. Like some other early risers, I walked in tired and groggy. (“Darn,” I thought, “should have grabbed a cup of coffee before class!”) But the miraculous thing about Kate’s class is that, without fail, I always walk out feeling rejuvenated, calm, and ready to have a completely beautiful Sunday.

The class started out quietly, as we began developing our breathing together in a seated position. Kate’s soft voice encouraged us to root our sit bones and grow our spines long, feeling the light flow through and out of us as if we were trees or plants or flowers or something otherwise entirely earthy. In this still environment, I dedicated this session to furthering my goal of patience: patience in life, in work, and in my yoga practice.
Guided by Kate’s voice, I began what grew into a strong and mindful practice. Each pose gave me time to feel the strength collecting in my body, from downward facing dog to tree pose to spinal twists. Kate was attentive to my need for adjustments and guided the class through the benefits of each pose. I had no idea how many poses can stimulate my liver and spleen until I began going to Kate’s class. (Did you???)
Halfway through class, I began to lose myself in the poses—and not in a good way. My ouija breathing turned into panting and my arms felt wobbly in plank. As if on cue, Kate reminded us that we could rest at any point and that “the pattern of our breath should match the patterns of our mind.” So into child’s pose I went, and after a few seconds of my own mantra (“patience…patience…patience”), I regained stillness of mind and steadiness of breath. After a strong hour and fifteen minutes of practice, I settled into savasana, delighting in the sound of bells and happy that I didn’t need that cup of coffee after all.

I spent the weekend at Bernal, well not the whole weekend, but I went to class on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the memories I have from those three classes have sustained me throughout the week. For one, I was able to hold tree for the longest time I could remember (important not to grasp onto that too much because lo and behold, on Tuesday I was moving all over the place!). But as KT said on Saturday, we do the same moves again and again—tree, warrior one, warrior two, triangle—and every time, there is something the adjust, something to shift, a way in which we carve the sculpture of asana a bit more.

What was special about the weekend was that as usual, every teacher offered a nugget of wisdom. On Friday night, in Emily Dillof’s Jivamukti class, she reminded us of the importance of intention. While she said, we are all good people, being constantly aware of the intention of our actions and speech helps us be more aware of the ways in which we can be kind to others. That intention comes into practice as well, as we start our classes with an intention, a dedication, a purpose beyond the physical and emotional reward we get for practicing yoga. I remembered how special it is to think of someone for whom you are doing this practice, a stranger, a partner, a family member, a friend. It makes a world of difference.

The next day, in class with Elizabeth, we were all getting into crow pose. Crow is one of those poses where I have always thought, this ain’t happening. But then one day, I got my knees up on my upper arms, balanced and touched my toes. It did happen. Well on Saturday as it was happening, I fell forward and started laughing. And Elizabeth said, it’s great to be able to get into a pose but in the end, it really doesn’t matter, none of it matters, it’s just the process that counts. And everyday, that process evolves.

Finally, KT on Sunday. She always brings great things to class, her energy,  her humor and warmth and a poem. As I said earlier, this week she reflected on refinement and how every day, every moment, we have this chance to be free, to refine our choices and perspective and open up to possibility, to change. Here’s to that transformation.

There’s something to be said for going to yoga three days in a row. My lovely friend Anna was in town from NYC and said she wanted to go to as much yoga as she could while she was here. So what better place to take her than Bernal!

Each class was special in its own way. Elizabeth Herrick stands out because of what seems to be a deep practice of meditation. It was a chilly and sunny Sunday, and Elizabeth ended class with a deep and guided meditation that prepared us for a peaceful and vibrant day. It also reminded me how much yoga is not just a practice of the body but is actually a practice of the mind. As many teachers will say, our practice does not end on the mat. In fact, it is off the mat where some of the most fundamental practices come. Elizabeth is a very caring teacher, always noticing each and every person in the room and considering where we are and where we are moving towards. She is conscious of every movement and how it has developed over time. And she is keen to remind us to not force, say, chatarunga. Even if we go down a tiny bit, might as well go down in the correct way.

The next day, Anna and I took KT’s class. It was packed, even though she thought people would be celebrating Easter. She reminded us how this is a time of renewal, of change, of shifting and growth, of shedding the old and engaging with the new. Through twists and standing poses, headstands and balances, we were reminded of this chance for renewal, and for change.

Then Monday, Stephanie Bernstein led us through a fast paced, vinyasa driven class where the time seemed to just fly by. There’s something rewarding about taking a class in the evening after work. It’s like a little gift to yourself. And Stephanie suggested time and time again to thank ourselves for being there, for doing this practice and sticking with it.

As for practicing three days in a row (soon to be four), I am all for it. I noticed how much stronger I became in that time, how my tree became more stable, my warrior three more open and my acceptance of things not necessarily shifting, well, more accepting.

Bernal Yoga has been dropping all kinds of wisdom seeds these past few weeks. I haven’t had a chance to reflect on some of the magical things that have happened there recently like Carlin’s class from a couple weeks ago, when she led the class through a 108 heart openers (108 is a very special number in Buddhist tradition) or when KT reminded us that we had to “lose our balance to find our balance” or, possibly most bittersweet of all, when Thomas led us through headstand reminding us how straight our back can look to gently balance it over shoulders, head and forearms. The bittersweet part is that Thomas will be leaving the studio, his last class was last night, Tuesday March 30th. He lives in the East Bay and the commute is just too much. We will miss your humor and vigor and excitement and support Thomas! You were such a brilliant addition to the Bernal Yoga crew.

One of the best things about this studio is that every teacher, regardless of the style or level of the class, reminds us that where we are is the perfect place to be. We don’t need to push ourselves beyond the limits that are most comfortable for us. And as KT said this morning to a room full of early risers, “You are your best teacher”. So listen to that inner wisdom. That’s precisely what we are asked to do when we hit the mat: dig in, look inside, trust and move.

Times are a changin’ a bit at Bernal. Thomas is leaving and Grey Wedeking is coming in. Grey will be teaching an intermediate/advanced class on Tuesday nights at 7:30. KT will be taking over Thomas’ slot and there’s a special offer coming up for those committed to 7 a.m. yoga. I can tell you, it’s an amazing way to start the day!

I will end with this, words of wisdom from within the walls at Bernal: “Others can only know you as well as you know yourself.” Yoga is a path to deepening that knowledge.

…or at least the belly is. Elizabeth Herrick is pregnant! But that sure doesn’t stop this amazingly attentive teacher to demonstrate a perfect shoulder stand. How does she do it with a belly growing a baby?!

Filled with many yogis this past Saturday, Spring was in the air, as was the excited chatter of students preparing to do a series of heart openers in Elizabeth’s class. There’s a very casual and warm feeling to this class, as Elizabeth walks to every single student asking their names (if she doesn’t know it already) and what injuries they might have. She wants to know the condition of each and every one of us. And it certainly helps, she seems to be able to remember just what we need to focus on.

My achilles heel, so to speak, is chatarunga. A couple of days before, Carlin Chew offered a great demonstration of this position. The important thing is to keep your shoulders and elbows in. Chatarunga is a core position and on Saturday, Elizabeth added another dimension, the importance of not sticking our backside up as we go down. So many things to think about! But it’s wonderful to know that even the most seemingly straightforward poses take perfecting. And as we’re always reminded in class, it’s ok to take the time to perfect. None of us are in a rush here.

Heart openers are powerful in many ways. Just the sound of a heart opener makes one more, well, open to the world around them. But what was special about this class was that the notion of Metta, which means loving kindness, was brought into the mix. Loving kindness is an intention, traditionally in Buddhist practice, of wishing those around you wellness and freedom. As class came to a close, Elizabeth reminded us to do just that. And after a class where we all felt cared for by our teacher, it didn’t seem like too much of a stretch to extend that beyond the Bernal Yoga walls.

Savonn Wyland, co-owner of Bernal Yoga and yogi extraordinaire, led another two hour Yoga Dive-In session at the studio this past Sunday. The last time she did this was in December and it happened to be the day before I was leaving for India. The experience of that class stayed with me throughout my trip so when I heard that Savonn was back, it was hard to restrain my excitement.

I have a sense many people coming to the workshop have that same feeling. There is a very focused attention Savonn brings to the studio and her students follow in suit. For the first hour, it was almost as if we were breathing in unison, the focus was so strong. And moment by moment, through vinyasas, standing poses, arm balances and back bends, Savonn guided with clarity, consistency, demonstration, grace and strength. It’s interesting to have taken class both from Savonn, and Bill, her brother and co-owner of the studio. They both have a sense of calm they bring to their classes, this idea that they are completely comfortable teaching and guiding, and this sense that they truly love what they do.

In fact, it is with that foundation that many of the teachers at Bernal thrive, and what makes it such a special studio.

Similar to the last Dive-In, we did positions I had never tried before: We did a headstand with a block on one of our feet while moving our legs around trying to balance the block, we did variations on back bends using the wall and we did shoulder stand, being reminded that although it may be uncomfortable, it is so good for our inner body (like our lymphatic system, who knew!).

Savonn was always there to demonstrate, support, guide and adjust and I was reminded of just how wonderful it is to come to class (as oppose to practicing at home). With the right teacher, there is such a deep sense of support and safety, as there are in many Bernal classes.

The class began with a poem about the importance of realizing that every moment is new and fresh, a chance to relinquish the past and be with the present. It ended with the invitation to be a warrior in this wild and ever changing life. For those of us in class with Savonn, we walked out feeling empowered to be just that.