Weekly Newsletter

On Yoga Conferences

Namaste

I have just returned fully charged and feeling great from being at the 2^nd annual Vinyasa conference. It was held this year in Las Vegas which I call "the city that never sleeps and the buzz of energy that never stops.” The Green Valley Hotel in Henderson was beautiful. The best part about it was the pool area outside where there were plush, large luxurious beds. There were rounded red beds and square baby blue beds. It was great to lounge in the sun on the break and soak up some Vegas sun and warmth.

The spa at the hotel was fabulous. I decided to be pampered and received a relaxing facial and two great deep tissue massages. I have come home feeling totally transformed.

Before I left, life had taken many unexpected and difficult turns and my emotions were on overload. I was completely depleted. This trip enabled me to take good emotional care of myself and use the yoga classes to allow everything to surface and be released.

Shiva Rea was at the conference and her classes were fantastic. She has amazing flow and grace and intuition when she teaches. I took an all day intensive with her on how to be more immersed in your daily Sadhana. We started out in a cold stuffy hotel conference room and she immediately decided we needed to be elsewhere. She transported the whole group outside where we spent the day.

We did it all. From practicing an Agni Sadhana to journaling, to sharing in groups and listening to the gifts Shiva had to share. It was the perfect way to begin the 4 day journey.

Other classes I participated in were Saul David Raye, Sean Johnston, Mark Whitwell and Paul Grilley.

I had studied with Saul previously. May I suggest if you have never taken a class with him, seek out the opportunity. He has so much to share. He brings a peace through his energy and his teaching is filled with a variety of information.

Sean was fun and different. We sang some Kirtan and then he led the class while his White Lotus band played background music. During the class they infused aromatherapy and we ended class by biting into some delicious organic chocolate. I had my first experience of Yin Yoga. I was quite tired by the time I strolled into this class. It was exactly what my body needed. After five minutes in pigeon’s pose I wanted to scream.

I closed the conference with Mark Whitwell. I was supposed to be in a different class but my intuition led me to his. He began with a discussion of yoga and led us in a short practice where he emphasized proper Ujjayi breath and stood in front of you to really listen to if you were breathing correctly. It was simple but I learned a lot about my breathing and what its potential is. I bought his book Heart of Yoga. I just started reading it this week. It looks amazing. It is full of his years of study and deep connection to yoga. I look forward to taking more of his classes.

In the evening there were special events every night. Most loved the concert with Deva Premal and Mitten. They are a beautifully connected couple. I always play her music but have never seen them live. The whole room had a vibration through their voices. It was enchanting and meditative to sit and be with them and listen to their beautiful voices.

Kirtan with Steve Ross was a big natural high. By the end of it I was up and moving and grooving. I had the mojo to move as the music took me to a higher level.

The following evening Shiva gave a offering as she called it. It was titled a yoga demonstration but Shiva explained why she objected to the title. She moved with strength, agility and pure grace. In her closing she gave an Arati ceremony to all and invited us all to take the light into our lives.

If you have never gone to a yoga conference go one day and check it out. It is fun, inspiring and interesting to see and experience what different teachers are doing.

Saul David Raye put it in a beautiful way. He said his teacher told him “it is like taking a flower and plucking all the petals and then going and making your own garden.”

A different take from Wayne Dyer is:

Be creative - in your thoughts, in your feelings, and in all of your actions. Apply your own uniqueness to everything you undertake.

May you continue to absorb all the teachings you can from those teachers who resonate with you and then may you fly high on your own, illuminating your sky with brightness, grace and creativity.

Om Shanti,

Sara

A Car Ride With Shiva Rea

Do you know what the term "chutzpa" means? It's a Yiddish term that means nerve. I guess I have it.

I just returned from the Las Vegas Art of Vinyasa conference where I trained with Shiva Rea for the first time. But that was just the beginning.

None of the restaurants at the hotel was health and there was a Whole Foods two minutes away and I had a car. I went up to Shiva and asked her if she wanted to go to Whole Foods for lunch. She turned and said, "But I also have to go into Las Vegas to take care of something." I told her I would be happy to take her.

I wish you could have seen Sara's face when I told her Shiva Rea and I were going to lunch. Of course, I invited Sara to come. (She would have made me pay for it in practice by holding Pigeon's Pose for 20 minutes otherwise...)

And that was the beginning of my journey with Shiva. We really connected. Underneath the graceful body of a yogini and a dancer is a heart of pure gold.

I watched her connect with Sara who is completing her 500 hour teacher training program with Shiva and it was beautiful. We went to Whole Foods and then I was off with Shiva on a secret mission.

I can't tell you where we went because I promised Shiva I would keep it a secret. (Shiva, if you're reading this, see - I did keep our secret.)

No we did not go gambling. But on the way she read me like a book. And from that time on, she kept a close eye on me in all of the trainings.

Since my wrist is still injured from over-extending myself in handstand, Shiva typically said things like, "Okay, go into Ardha Chandrasana. Harlan, put your arm all the way down and stay off your wrist." When I attended her "Jai Hanuman" class on handstand, Shiva kept her eye on me the whole time and worked with me personally when it was time to go into headstand.

On a personal note, when Shiva discovered I was an Orthodox Rabbi, she spent a great deal of time and a lot of class time on spiritual questions I was having. She knew exactly where to go and what to say.

I came to train with Shiva Rea and left having made a friend. We are going to connect next month in Fort Lauderdale at the Omega conference.

I went up to Shiva right before she left to head up to Kripalu and asked if she thought I would fit in to her teacher training. She smiled and said I was welcome.

I better be. I'm still guarding our little secret.

Love you Shiva!

Harlan

PS. We are looking forward to an interview with James Bailey, Shiva's husband and an expert on Aryuvedic medicine. Look for it in our paid newsletter.

PPS. October's newsletter will feature an extensive interview with Sara and Saul David Raye.

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