KSO and Yoga at The Mill & Mine

If you’re looking for a little music to go with your next yoga session, how about considering bringing in the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra to perform a few tunes?

That’s precisely what happened October 4th at Mill and Mine. The orchestra put on a little night music while instructors from multiple yoga studios led movements as part of KSO UnStaged: Flow.

Organizers said the event was a great way to merge the yoga and orchestra communities.

“It’s a big part of how I teach, but to have it live just takes it to the next level, and makes it an experience that you really feel in your body,” yoga instructor Jennifer Beyt Coffin from The Glowing Body said.

Other participating yoga studios included Real Hot Yoga and Breezeway Yoga.

Originally appeared on WBIR.com

Journey into the History of Yoga with a New Book by Ramesh Bjonnes

A Brief History of Yoga: From it’s Tantric Roots to the Modern Yoga Studio

by Ramesh Bjonnes

Yoga is growing in popularity all over the world today, yet misconceptions about its original purpose and ancient roots abound. In this refreshing tale of the history of yoga, the author unveils the true heart of the tradition and introduces us to its most influential teachers.

Most writers on yoga have claimed that the practice originated in the ancient Vedas. An increasing number of scholars, however, find this view problematic, both historically and philosophically. According to this fascinating book, yoga did not originate in Vedic society, rather it developed among the enigmatic teachers of Tantra.

Uncovering when and where this popular path to health and enlightenment originated and how it developed over thousands of years, A Brief History of Yoga is essential reading for all those who care about the past and future evolution of yoga.

 

If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about the source of Yoga, but didn’t know where to start your journey of discovery, we’d recommend starting here. Here are two reviews to help you and should you want, download the Kindle edition for only $.99 for the next 48 hours! Click here to purchase.

 

About the Author:

Ramesh Bjonnes has traveled the world as a meditation teacher, Ayurvedic practitioner, author, and is currently the Director of the Prama Wellness Center, a retreat center teaching yoga, meditation, and juice rejuvenation. He studied yoga therapy in Nepal and India, Ayurvedic Medicine at California College of Ayurveda, and naturopathic detox therapy at the AM Wellness Center in Cebu, Philippines. He is the author of four books, and he lives with his wife Radhika and Juno, a sweet, gentle Great Pyrenees, in the mountains near Asheville, North Carlina. Connect with him via his website: prama.org and rameshbjonnes.com.

 

Reviews:

A Brief History of Yoga casts light on a very important issue i.e. the confusion of yoga with Hinduism, and Tantra with the Vedas.

I love the Hindu and Vedanta traditions for their rich philosophy, their music, their wisdom teachings and mythology. But they are also associated with some irrational or even harmful religious dogmas including the caste system, idol worship, the dowry practice (the main causal factor in the deaths of millions of girl fetuses and infants in India) and in some cases, animal sacrifice.

Ramesh’s book is a breath of fresh air for someone like me who loves the practices of yoga and tantra but does not want to be associated with the negative aspects of the historically related, but quite distinct, spiritual traditions of Hinduism.

Ramesh’s book is very well researched and written, I’ll be using this as a reference text for my meditation students.Close Your Eyes and Open Your Mind: A Practical Guide to Spiritual MeditationClose Your Eyes and Open Your Mind: A Practical Guide to Spiritual Meditation

The Monk Dude, Amazon Verified Buyer

 

I have read other books by Ramesh Bjonnes and have found them to be well researched, full of very useful information and in some ways life changing. This latest book is no exception.
There is so much written about Tantra which just isn’t so. Ramesh provides the real history and practice of the true Tantra Yoga. He clears up all of the misleading information and supplies the reader with the true facts.
I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of Tantra Yoga and deepen there spiritual practice.
Ramesh has the real life experience and provides the tools for taking your practice to the next level.
A truly sacred experience.

Jeffrey R. Donohew, Amazon Verified Buyer

The Role of Yoga in Healing Trauma

Originally posted here on NPR.org

Missy Hart grew up in Redwood City, Calif. — in gangs, on the street, in the foster care system and in institutions.

“Where I’m from,” the 26-year-old says, “you’re constantly in alert mode, like fight or flight.”

But at age 13, when she was incarcerated in juvenile hall for using marijuana, she found herself closing her eyes and letting her guard down in a room full of rival gang members.

Back then, she says, yoga was just another mandatory activity, run by a Bay Area program called The Art of Yoga Project. It offers what it calls “trauma-sensitive yoga” to incarcerated girls.

At first, 13-year-old Hart felt uncomfortable. But, gradually, she learned to use the poses and breathing to relax, and she loved it.

“Most of us [in juvenile hall] come from traumatic childhoods,” she says. “It was the only time you experienced a quiet time, when everything was so chaotic.” She believes the practice helped her cope with symptoms of bipolar disorder.

A new report from the Center on Poverty and Inequality at Georgetown University’s law school, says that for young women like Hart, who have been through trauma, there is mounting evidence that yoga can have specific benefits.

The study focuses on girls in the juvenile justice system. It also reviews more than 40 published studies on the mental health benefits of yoga.

“What we’re learning,” says Rebecca Epstein, one of the report’s authors, “is that fights go down on wards after adolescents participate,” in yoga.

Girls, she adds, “are requesting medicine less often. They have fewer physical complaints.”

The findings, Esptein explains, come from speaking to experts in the field, as well as the authors of peer-reviewed articles and some randomized, controlled trials.

Study of Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACE, in boys and girls in the juvenile justice system. Courtesy of Georgetown Law

Two Georgetown pilot studies showed girls and young women who did yoga reported better self-esteem and developed skills that they could use in stressful situations — taking care of their own children, for example.

Educators and others who work with youth are, increasingly, paying attention to the science of trauma.

Large studies show that people who have been through one or more “adverse childhood experiences” have not only poor mental health outcomes, but also higher incidence of heart disease, diabetes and even some cancers. Those experiences might include such things as physical abuse, the incarceration of a close family member or mental illness in their household.

Further, statistics show that compared with boys, girls experience different forms of childhood trauma, with an impact that adds up over time. They disproportionately experience sexual violations, for example. And, for girls, this abuse is more likely to occur in the context of a relationship, Epstein says, which interferes with forming intimate and trusting relationships with others.

The new Georgetown Law report argues that, since the effects of trauma can be physical, “body-mind” interventions, like yoga, may be able to uniquely address them. Regulated breathing, for example, calms the parasympathetic nervous system. Practicing staying in the moment counteracts some of the dissociative effects of trauma. And the physical activity of yoga, of course, can directly improve health.

Yoga that is specifically designed for victims of trauma has modifications when compared with traditional yoga teaching.

For example, says Missy Hart, “they always ask you if you want to be touched,” for an adjustment in a pose. “I see now that really helped me. Other girls who have experienced sexual abuse, sexual trauma or are in there for prostitution at the age of 13, 14, they had their body image all mixed up.”

And the institution doesn’t always help, she says.

“Being asked to be touched, it gave us a little power back in a place where all our power is taken,” she explained. “We’re kids and we’re being strip-searched. We can’t even go to the bathroom, take a shower, or brush our teeth without asking.”

Yoga, she said, offered choices. “You can sit and reflect and think about what you want to think about. It helped us feel normal.”

When Hart turned 18, she was out of the foster care system, and became homeless for a time. “I was really searching for myself.”

Today, she is painting and studying to become an art therapist at Foothill College, near San Jose, Calif. She’s going back this summer to one of the institutions where she spent time as a girl, this time as an art teacher.

And, she is beginning her vinyasa yoga teacher training certification. Her ultimate goal, she says, is to open a group home that will offer creative arts and yoga. “When I was doing yoga, that seed was planted. I built my toolbox.”

WORKSHOP: Yoga for Jaw Tension (TMJ) with Gina Baker

Yoga for Jaw Tension

Presented by Gina Baker

Do you clench your jaw or grind your teeth? Do you experience headaches and neck pain? This workshop is for you!

Jaw Tension also known as TMJ or TMD (Temporal Mandibular Joint Dysfunction) is a very common and often painful condition that affects a large portion of the population that cause tension and disfunction in the body that often compromise the nervous system and  cause additional problems.

This workshop was inspired through Gina’s CranioSacral practice after working with thousands of patients suffering from TMD.

In this workshop you will learn:

  Relieving pressure point techniques

  Simple asana sequence to release face and jaw muscles

  Self care techniques to encourage the body to relax

  Simple meditation to help release the thinking mind so you can

release tension in the whole body

Call or text Gina at (415-858-2417) to request a space.  $35 early bird special — $40 after January 17th.

Unity of the Community Day at the YMCA

Unity-of-the-Community-at-YMCAJoin Breezeway and other Knoxville yoga studios at Unity of the Community Day at the YMCA! Saturday, November 21, 10:00AM.

This day is dedicated to wellness – mind, body and spirit. Join this one of a kind community Yoga event. Light refreshments will be served. Yoga classes offered all day with special guest instructors from The Glowing Body, Breezeway Yoga and Balanced You Studios, Barre Belle Yoga & Fitness, and many of your Y favorites! The Mindful Center will be here giving a demo class. Chair Massages will be available. Free child watch. Free Parking in the Locust Street Garage.

  • Free and open to the community
  • Join the Y and joining fee waived at this event
  • Yoga Studios setup in the gym. Please bring your mat

When:  Saturday Nov. 21, 2015

Time:  10:00AM -4:00PM. Come and go as you please.

Location: Lindsay Young Downtown Y

605 W. Clinch |  Knoxville, TN | 865-622-9025

NamasteBetty: Free Yoga on the Lawn

Betty_YogaintheParkPlease join the Knoxville yoga community as we honor the memory of our dear friend and mentor, Betty Kalister, with a free yoga class on the lawn of the World’s Fair Park, Saturday, August 29th at 9:30AM. Arrive a few minutes early to set up and mingle with your fellow yogis. ALL levels of experience are welcome! Bring a mat and your water bottle. #namastebetty