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Words of Welcome
Dear All,
As the weather cools and the vestiges of summer have dwindled, we begin to believe autumn is with us. The “beat goes on” toward the holidays and their festivities, beginning with Halloween. When the fall season approached this year, the schedules for renewed activities, projects, and programs were initiated with more energy than the past few years and everyone is grateful for the cessation of the pandemic.
During this period of grief, the balance and relief inherent in our practice of yoga proved to be a great resource. I believe we must continue to practice with even more diligence to keep us strong in body, mind, and spirit. Since we can’t foresee the future, this is a way to use our practice toward preparing for prevention if needed.
Yoga teaches us that we can call on inner reserves of what is needed to sustain us. Its practice strengthens our immune system and encourages positivity and joy, deemed essential for the beneficial effects on our overall well-being. A smile on our faces and joy in our hearts encourage the state of mind that heals!
Being with others of like mind also supports wellness. We are lucky to have the YTA, with its amazing membership, as an ally to help us to reach for our highest good. Join us the second Saturday of each month for this wonderful association to be further inspired by our excellent and experienced presenters.
Yours in yoga,
Paula Renuka Heitzner |
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Saturday, October 14
1:30–4:30 p.m.
In Person at Club Fit
Empowered Embodiment from the Earth to Ether
with Paula Heitzner
Join our beloved master teacher for a workshop that will provide consciousness and awareness to the parts of the body used in any given asana (As the Anatomy Allows). We'll explore the range of motion with this focus, leading to alignment and integration and communication and collaboration of the Brain, Bones, and Breath.
The practice of yoga during this workshop will remind us to seek balance, not only physically but also to explore the techniques of inner balancing to help us through the challenges of our lives. Tadasana, the Warriors, Vrksasana, and other standing poses help us to ground, restore, and reclaim strength to empower our physical and emotional sense of well-being—to “stand on our own two feet” and to “stand our ground” with self-trust, dignity, and integrity. The seated poses will encourage focus on our upper body and breath as we stretch and expand to reset our body’s connection with the self via the nervous system and the brain.
When practicing, one should experience the “edge” with care, concern, and compassion for self to change damaging fear into the courage of the Warrior with the accompanying strength of competency and capability.
Be a witness to your own transformation on the path to becoming the Wise One!
Bring any props that you like to use for seated and standing postures and any questions you might have. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Paula Heitzner, ERYT500, has taught yoga for over 50 years and has trained many others in the time-honored principles, practices, and philosophy of yoga. The “teacher of teachers,” as she is called by her students, can be found at her studio, the Nyack Yoga Center, in its new location at the American Legion Hall. She is also the author of Yoga and You for a Year.
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November 11
Align with the Divine: Yoga for Body, Mind, and Heart
with Todd Norian
In Person at Club Fit
Take a deep dive into the life-affirming philosophy and practices of Ashaya Yoga! Align your body, mind, and heart with the five elements using Ashaya Yoga's four essentials—Open, Engage, Align, and Expand.
Build inner strength, balance, and flexibility with alignment-based, therapeutic asana and quiet the mind and cultivate inner peace through Yoga Nidra. Learn more and register now!
December 9
Self-Regulation and the Bhagavad Gita: Dissecting Detachment with Cristal and Pooja Sharma
Via Zoom
Lean into the wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita to implement emotional, physical, and cognitive self-regulation tools to improve your daily life both as a teacher and student. Learn the meaning of detachment and how you can apply this concept in your daily life. Learn more and register now!
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January 13
So Much More Than Stretching: Teaching
Chair Yoga Stretch
with Beatrice Mattaway
February 10
Subtle Yoga: The Science Behind Slow, Mindful
Yoga Practice
with Kristine Kaoverii Weber
March 9
A Spiritual Approach to Your Livelihood and Client Attraction
with Laura Cornell
April 13
Starting Off on the Right Foot—New Perspectives on the Feet, and Why They Matter with Doug Keller
May 11
Radiate & Return: Relating to Your Core with
Jennifer Brilliant
June 8
Quiet Channels: Creating a Steady Postural Base for Tranquil Asana with Aasia Lewis |
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Important Note: The day-of pricing (see below) that has been suspended since spring 2020 is being reinstated with our September workshop. Register early to avoid the $10 surcharge.
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Unless
otherwise stated, workshops are $45 members / $65 nonmembers in advance
($55 / $75 day of) and count toward Yoga Alliance certification
requirements. Preregistration is
highly recommended in order to guarantee a space in the
workshop. Cancellation within 24 hours of a workshop may result in
forfeiture of the registration fee. |
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From YTA's September Workshop
with Sherri Baptiste |
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From the Earth to Ether by Paula Heitzner |
I am quite delighted to present my workshop, Empowered Embodiment from the Earth to Ether, and travel that long distance together with you on uncharted pathways. I have no thoughts or intentions of teaching any of you, my peers, anything new. We’ve all been practicing for a while and exposed to all forms of yoga through many different formats.
What I am planning to do is to share the teachings, inspirations, and intuitions that have arisen on my journey, grounded on Earth, and how my yoga practice encourages the physical form with its limitations to reach for the light in the Ether.
The age old questions “Why am I here? and “Where am I going?” often provoke deep thought when on the path to the higher energies. As a long-term teacher of dance, movement arts, and yoga, my curiosity about these questions is continually arising, leading to awareness on many levels that come from the knowledge contained within the moving body. These are but minute segments of many different aspects in the various depths within that open us to the answers we seek, even as we learn the body’s language, when the technique of communicating is in the form of sensation (pain) or unease (dis-ease).
I hope to lead the practice to the deepest places within to discover the highest sources of consciousness and the rich wisdom we possess, enabling us to grow and reach for the light with trusted support from our very own being.
The practice of yoga, during this workshop will remind us to seek balance,
not only physically, but to explore the techniques of inner balancing to help us through the challenges of our lives, at any time. The asanas (Tadasana, the Warriors, and Vrksasana) and other standing poses help us to ground, restore, and reclaim strength to empower our physical and emotional sense of well-being—to “stand on our own two feet” and to “stand our ground” with self-trust, dignity, and integrity.
The seated poses will encourage focus on our upper body and breath as we stretch and expand to reset our body’s connection with the self via the nervous system and the brain.
I will also attempt to travel back to the earliest of times when the ancient wise ones, attuned to the universal wisdom, began to extrapolate the information that influenced our current practice of yoga, and the understanding of our “instrument and vehicle” and what we can do to keep running smoothly.
There will be discussions, techniques, and practicalities to connect with the kinetic power we have to deepen the development and process of asana. Bring any props that you like to use for seated and standing postures…and questions you might have.
It is the long and arduous journey of a seeker, and our practice has proven again and again that it provides the opportunity to explore self-trust, truth, and transformation that leads to the next level that we prepared ourselves for and are ready to reach. It is never ending, but it makes life valuable and I would very much like to share my findings and how they presented themselves in my experience.
Please join me to walk this path together.
To learn more about Paula, visit nyackyogacenter.com. |
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Yoga Q & A
Can you make any suggestions about how safety in the room can be addressed?
Recently a student asked me about the following scenario: I am a new teacher seeking teaching experience and am only offered mixed-level sessions at gyms, churches, etc. I am concerned about the safety of the beginning students when more challenging yoga postures (inversions) are introduced with the more experienced students in the same class.
We’ve all been there and don’t let fear overcome your obvious joy of sharing what you love. Here are some suggestions:
1. With no choice in class structure, perhaps suggest that beginning students meet with you 15 minutes before class to get to know each other and discuss what their needs are and if there any problems you should be aware of. 2. Remind both groups to use the breath and brain, rather than the mind and muscles—reminding them there is no ego or competition in yoga. 3. Encourage both groups to ask questions or share their concerns after class or when appropriate during class. Each group can learn from the other: the more advanced can be reminded of earlier struggles, and the newer students can see where they are going.
You’ll soon develop a comfortable, unique teaching style. Good luck!
This section is dedicated to answering your questions about yoga—as a student or as a teacher. Questions? Comments? Send them to yta_editor@ytayoga.com or go to our Facebook page to share your thoughts!
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Paula Heitzner, ERYT500, is a master yoga teacher. She has taught yoga for over 50 years and has trained many others in the time-honored principles, practices, and philosophy of yoga. The “teacher of teachers,” as she is called by her students, can be found at her studio, the Nyack Yoga Center, in its new location at the American Legion Hall.
Learn more about Paula at nyackyogacenter.com. |
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Community Spotlights:
Meet and Move App
and Support Mariandale
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Elena Becker at Northwell Health asked us to share this opportunity to add your one-time and ongoing events and help get people moving. Note that individual teachers' offerings are not currently included in the app—read more to find out how to include yours!
Northwell Health, a nonprofit and the largest healthcare provider in New York State (including Phelps and Northern Westchester Hospitals) has developed the Meet & Move app, a community health initiative with the goal of increasing adult physical activity by helping people find local physical activities while connecting with others in their community. The app is free and does not contain advertising.
Our goal is to aggregate every group physical activity in Northern Westchester (yoga, pickleball, walking, museum/estate tours, fishing, bowling, dance, cycling, gardening, volunteering, etc.) and make it searchable in the app. Users can search by activity preference and how far they are willing to travel; when the resulting list is generated, users are directed to the website of the activity provider (i.e., your yoga studio) for registration. This is free advertising for your studio!
Meet & Move has nearly 1,500 registered users and over 250 providers of physical activities. We have attempted to include every yoga studio in Northern Westchester (defined as north of 287). If you are a studio owner in Northern Westchester that holds in person classes, please contact Elena Becker at ebecker3@northwell.edu to confirm that your studio is listed in the app.
Currently all classes are manually entered into the app. The app was developed with the option to implement API keys (application programming interface) to automate this process. API keys allow the Meet & Move calendar to communicate directly with your studio calendar (MindBody, Vagaro, etc.). This allows scheduling updates to occur automatically, in real-time. Please consider contacting Elena Becker to share your API key, to assure that your class calendar is accurately reflected in Meet & Move. And check us out on Instagram and Facebook!
Another way to get your offerings out there and support the community is to donate a single class, class pass, service, membership, or other offering to the Mariandale's Hope Harvest Festival's raffle/silent auction. Proceeds will benefit the center's outreach programs, which include week-long retreats for those with mental, physical, or housing challenges, temporary housing for refugee families, and a quarterly Midnight Run. If you're interested in donating an item, please contact joshbur@optimum.net or yta_treasurer@ytayoga.com. We hope you will take advantage of these opportunities to expand your audience. Please tell them you heard about it through the YTA! And please share with others in your network.
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Every
month in this space we will share some type of community news—local happenings, volunteer opportunities, member perks or news... If you have something you'd like to share, please email us.
We
will continue to share YTA member workshops, special events, and
trainings occasionally in eblasts. Whenever you have an event or
training to share, please email yta_editor@ytayoga.com. You can also activate your profile in our directory to post your events on our website.
If you are in need of a sub or know of a teaching opportunity, email us at any time and we will get it out to our 800+ mailing list as soon as possible. |
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Small Kindnesses
by Danusha Laméris
I’ve been thinking about the way, when you walk
down a crowded aisle, people pull in their legs
to let you by. Or how strangers still say “bless you”
when someone sneezes, a leftover
from the Bubonic plague. “Don’t die,” we are saying.
And sometimes, when you spill lemons
from your grocer bag, someone else will help you
pick them up. Mostly, we don’t want to harm each other.
We want to be handed our cup of coffee hot,
and to say thank you to the person handing it. To smile
at them and for them to smile back. For the waitress
to call us honey when she sets down the bowl of clam chowder,
and for the driver in the red pick-up truck to let us pass.
We have so little of each other, now. So far
from the tribe and fire. Only these brief moments of exchange.
What if they are the true dwelling of the holy, these
fleeting temples we make together when we say, “Here,
have my seat,” “Go ahead—you first,” “I like your hat.”
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Yoga Teachers Association was created in 1979 by a small group of pioneering yoga teachers who saw the need for affordable and continuing education. Today, YTA continues as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to expanding learning opportunities for teachers and committed students in the Hudson Valley. We offer monthly workshops presented by the leading yoga teachers of our time for the benefit of the community. All are invited. Membership dues and additional contributions are deductible to the extent allowable by law.
ANNUAL DUES
$50 for individual membership
$75 for studio membership
WORKSHOP FEES
$45 members / $65 nonmembers in advance
($55 / $75 day of) |
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President
Gina Callender, ERYT 200, RYT 500, CEP Treasurer
Lorraine Burton Secretary Open
Programming Chair
Sylvia Samilton-Baker |
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Communications
Terry Fiore Lavery, RYT (Editor)
Cassie Cartaginese, RYT (Designer)
Social Media
Open
Membership Open
Board Member at Large
Paula Heitzner, ERYT |
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With some recent resignations from the board, we are in urgent need of a Secretary, Membership Chair, and Social Media Chair. Please spread the word and let us know if you or someone you know would like more information. We would love to talk
to anyone interested in sharing and/or developing their skills; no yoga experience required.
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ytayoga.com
 
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Yoga Teachers Association • 18 Derby Lane • Ossining, NY 10562 • USA |
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