The Yogi Next to You

Meet JAMES COVIELLO!

What’s your yoga story? How did you find Mala?

I have been self-employed my whole adult life. Of course it has its pluses, but for me the stress is by far the worst part. I was looking for a way to control it. Many of my friends recommended yoga and thought I should give it a try.

Because I never practiced before, and naturally being the stressed-out guy that I am, I was nervous to jump right in. Am doing it right? Why can’t I do that? I think we have all been there! Some one I know suggested I try some private lessons to ease myself into it, and they recommended Marcus. So I began two private classes twice a week for three months and I was, to say the least, hooked!

I thought, “hey I think I can go to a class”, and Marcus suggested Mala. He said I would love it and they would make me feel right at home. And, here I am almost two years later, and still as excited to come as that very first day!

What pose do you want to do all day? What pose could you never do again?

I love any back-bendy pose – I love camel, upward dog, crescent lunge. I also love tree and all of its arm variations. I really have an aversion to half-moon pose. I think mainly because I have that typical guy issue with my hips, but I am getting there.

What are your biggest yoga obstacles and how do you overcome them?

I don’t see anything in yoga as an obstacle, besides my own physical limitations (again all guy stuff, tight hips, shoulders, etc.) I am willing to try anything!

What was the last Dharma talk that resonated with you?

I like the idea of dedicating your practice to someone else, and the concept that being good to yourself also affects everyone around you and makes their life a little better in turn! What a wonderful thought…

Where is your favorite place to get coffee, or a drink post yoga?

I live in Brooklyn Heights, so on my walk home I grab a bottle of red at Brooklyn Wine Exchange. I love that place.

If you could practice yoga anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I have traveled all over the world and still have not been to India. When I go, I will practice a little yoga and, I am sure, experience a little culture shock.

How has practicing shifted other aspects of your life?

Since I have been practicing yoga, I am able to handle all the curveballs life continuously throws at me in a more rational, calm, and thoughtful way. This is by far the greatest benefit for me.

I really like the physicality of the practice as well. I think I have become stronger, more thoughtful, and finally realize what it is truly like to actually breathe!

Each week we’ll bring you the story of a Mala yogi in their own words. Maybe you know them, maybe you’ve never seen them before, maybe they look familiar, maybe you once knew their name, but forgot. Whatever the case may be, here is the chance to learn a little more about the person practicing on the mat next to you. Click here to read about past yogis.

Stretch, Strengthen, and Release…in 15 minutes

You’ve got a million things to do.  You have work, a cranky toddler, a thousand unread emails, a list of groceries to buy, a train to catch…you’ve got 15 minutes of free time. And that’s a generous estimate.

Well, this sequence is for you! Angela takes you through stretching, strengthening, and releasing.  All in under 15 minutes.  We promise.  This sequence is designed so you can practice along with her.  She’ll talk you through everything, and then you can be on your way.

(Bonus: if you didn’t make it to Guatemala, and are curious about going next year, here’s the studio we practiced in!)

Click below to watch!

*Edited by Anna Norman

Words to Live By

“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”

- Mark Twain

The Skill of Inner Listening

by Steph Creaturo

We say the instructions over and over again to hone the skill of inner listening. We listen with the ears but we become immune because our sense of hearing is overworked.  Our headphones are firmly jammed into our ear canal so we can disengage in order to stay sane.

Our senses, like anything else, can be overworked.  Like muscles we overuse in down dog, our senses are constantly working. And in urban environments, we use our senses to withdraw.  So they go into a defensive posture and stay there.

Yoga is as much about retraining the senses as retraining the body. We start in a quiet seat and we use the breath to draw our external energies and engagements inward.

We watch our thoughts if we can let ourselves do so.  The insidious nature of the voices in our head will make yoga as routine as your commute on the F train.  And we stay stuck.

Yoga is a way to reignite our senses. It is a balm for the weary, cynical, caustic urbanite. Yoga is persistent, like the guy you keep saying no to for your first date and end up marrying.  The practice of yoga is messy. It requires us to disengage our routine cylinders. And that break in routine, in habit,  can put us in emotional no-man’s land unless we accept the vulnerability of the new – whatever the new may be.

The Yogi Next to You

Meet CHRIS AND ANNIE!

What’s your yoga story? How did you find Mala?

CHRIS: It all began for me in the spring of 2005… Tired of running and seeking help for chronic sinus issues, I stumbled into my first yoga class at Crunch Fitness. I made the ego-driven mistake of going into an advanced class – boy was I in some serious pain the next day. I made my rounds trying all different types of yoga, including Kundalini and Bikram. I almost gave up on yoga after my one and only Bikram class! I then searched for a credible yoga studio, which led me to The Shala. There, Lisa Yi taught me the foundation of my yoga practice and to this day I am incredibly grateful! I stuck with it and went to basics regularly with the ultimate goal of going to ashtanga and the “hard” classes. Within six months, I started with the advanced classes.

In July of 2007, two years into my practice, I met the love of my life, Annie! She had little prior yoga experience so we began to go to basic classes again! After two years of regular practice, going back to the basics with Annie helped me learn many new things. We love to practice next to each other! I enjoy smiling at her in the middle of a class (of course that’s with glasses on).

In the summer of 2008, we decided that we wanted to explore Brooklyn more. I came across the Mala grand opening news article and emailed it over to Annie! I remember the photo of Steph, Angela, and Christina standing with paint rollers. I believe our first class was with Angela and we were hooked!

ANNIE: Before I met Chris, I had taken one yoga class during college and it didn’t really click. When we met, I was really impressed with Chris’s dedication to yoga and was so thrilled when he asked me to go to a class with him (after our third or fourth date)! I was surprised that I actually could do yoga and enjoyed it!

What pose do you want to do all day? What pose could you never do again?

CHRIS: Ardha Chandra Chapasana is my favorite yoga pose! It gives me a great feeling of openness in both my chest and quad!

I like the challenge of learning about a pose and trying to figure it into my 6’4″ body, but to this day Upavistha Konasana doesn’t work for me! Somehow at home, watching TV and sitting on the floor, I can fold forward and rest on my forearms. But this never seems to happen during the practice!

ANNIE: I love the thrill of doing jump backs (not that I could do them all day though!). I could happily do without camel pose.

What are your biggest yoga obstacles and how do you overcome them?

CHRIS: Practicing at home is my biggest obstacle! Annie and I often do Mala podcast classes. I’ll setup our mats and blocks and mentally prepare myself to focus. We start and I often make an excuse to stop early! I guess I’m still working to overcome the distraction of the TV!

ANNIE: I agree, weeknight home practices are our downfall. I’m easily distracted by our two cats and more prone to “give up face,” as Chris calls it. We do love the Mala podcasts though. They keep us on track most of the time!

What was the last Dharma talk that resonated with you?

CHRIS: A teacher was talking about the idea that in the winter, we humans tend to want to hibernate like other animals and there is nothing wrong with that. It all clicked for me…. After years of sinus/asthma issues during the winter I realized that when it’s really cold we belong inside! I have had a healthy winter (knock on wood)!

ANNIE: I always love Stephanie’s talks on being okay with where we are in our practice now, today. “You’re here, you made it. That’s the hardest part,” also resonates!

Where is your favorite place to get coffee, or a drink, post-yoga?

We travel to Mala from Williamsburg, so following class we look forward to good coffee and grilled cheese sandwiches from Depanneur.

If you could practice yoga anywhere in the world, where would it be?

CHRIS: Anywhere with Annie! Practicing together with an amazing ocean view in Hawaii was amazing!

ANNIE: Aww, I agree, anywhere with Chris! Right here in Brooklyn might be my favorite.

How has practicing shifted other aspects of your life?

CHRIS: Yoga has done amazing things for my health and has made me a calmer person! At times I get very worked up to practice and after I finally do, I feel a shot of total relaxation! Throughout a stressful day I know that I will have peace and quiet for 1-2 hours. I have always been a goal-setter and yoga has helped me realize not to be upset or over react if you don’t reach the goal fully. Instead yoga has taught me to accept where you are in this moment!

Yoga is something that Annie and I share and it has become part of our weekly life. We look forward to coming to Mala all week! It makes me feel comforted to know that Annie is right next to me!

ANNIE: Yoga is something that I never would have thought to try before meeting Chris. Through my practice, I realized that I could do more than I ever thought! I love that yoga is something that Chris and I will share forever.

Each week we’ll bring you the story of a Mala yogi in their own words.  Maybe you know them, maybe you’ve never seen them before, maybe they look familiar, maybe you once knew their name, but forgot.  Whatever the case may be, here is the chance to learn a little more about the person practicing on the mat next to you.  Click here to read about past yogis.

The Value of Splunk-asana

by Steph Creaturo

We fall. We fall all the time. We create loop-di-loops in our head to cover up the fall, no matter what it is. We screw up at work, we talk behind a friend’s back and get caught, we trip and stumble off the curb. We fall off the perch we’ve set up for ourselves in our head. That hurts our ego. We feel embarrassed, our cheeks turn red. The piercing eyes of self-mortification burn inwards with words like “stupid”; “why can’t you do anything right?” plays Ring Around the Rosy in our heart.  The insidious perfection continues its mossy growth that dims the brightness of our soul.

Then we step onto our yoga mats and are encouraged to fall. The art of the fall is heralded, celebrated, lauded, even taught.  We learn to fall small, out of something like tree, which teaches us the blow to the ego is mostly self-perpetuated. We learn to fall big, out of headstand, and stop/drop/roll takes on a whole new meaning. We fall on our face in crow. We flip over in forearm stand. The chorus of falls feels louder than the solo of poses we nailed. But, once we nail a pose, we lose perspective on the art of the fall that got us there. We recreate our process as a linear destination as opposed to the messy engagement of process.

The more we flip, slip, wobble, and topple on the mat, the better. The pose in and of itself isn’t worth much without the falls that got us there in the first place. Falling sharpens our senses, recommits the tentacles of engagement. It keeps us humble and makes us strong at the same time. It reminds us to laugh and lean into momentum of the universe, of the greater energies around us, as opposed to fighting it.  If we never learn the fall and its value, we never appreciate the effort it takes to balance on one foot, two hands, or the crown of our head.  Or gain the perspective that falling bestows on us each time we do it. So, go ahead and fall. Laugh, cry, let those cheeks burn bright, but whatever you do, make sure when you fall out of a pose to topple perfection off its perch when as you splunk.

Mala Yoga Teacher Training

You want to teach yoga. You’ve been on your mat for a number of years and you’ve gotten the itch. You love to learn like your hair is on fire.

So join us.

We’re excited to launch our first teacher training program in May 2012.

About our program:
The teacher training experience is the container that allows changes to take root from the process that this practice is. We’ve designed a program that moves this process into action-oriented steps so that your intention to teach becomes a reality.

• Learning:  We’ve designed our anatomy, asana, and philosophy labs to appeal to a variety of learners.  Even if a particular area isn’t your strong suit, you’ll experience it in a different way to gain the knowledge you need to build a teaching tool box that is practical, realistic, and empowering.

• Teaching:  From the very beginning of the program, you’ll gain practical experience in the seat of the teacher by teaching asana, anatomy, and philosophy.  You’ll also participate classroom observation, small group teaching sessions, engage in a constant dialogue to develop your teaching voice, and assisting classes.

• Personal Growth: The unique skill set you bring to your yoga experience shouldn’t disappear because you’re a yoga teacher! Our intimate size allows us to work with you to incorporate your professional experiences, career themes, and strengths into developing your teaching seat.

What You’ll Get:

• The confidence to lead yoga classes with crisp verbal instruction, effective hands-on assists, and clear visual cues
• A strong grounding in basic knowledge of functional anatomy and kinesology
• The ability to customize appropriately: How to teach to the level of the room and work with scoliosis, imbalances, proportions, pre & post-natal, and injuries
• Real training as a teacher–including class planning, keys to a relevant dharma talk, sequencing, and when to teach off your class plan–so you can craft safe, interesting yoga asana classes
• An overview of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and Tibetan Buddhist philosophy
• A foundation in basic meditation and breath work techniques
• Tools to navigate the shift from being a yoga student to becoming a yoga teacher while remaining a committed student of the practice
• The training necessary to register with Yoga Alliance at the 200-hour level upon successful completion of our program

Time & Financial Investment
Schedule:  
May 2012-September 2012
We believe that good training can be available at the community-based level, with a schedule that meets the needs of your real life. The program will launch with an intensive retreat at Good Commons from Wednesday, May 9 – Sunday, May 13 (included in the fee). We’ll then meet at Mala Yoga on select Friday evenings & Saturday late afternoons & evenings.
Specific dates & times will be distributed at the Teacher Training Open House.

Financial Investment:
$500 deposit with application
$3500 if paid in full by May 1st (less your deposit upon acceptance)
$3800 if paid in three installments over the course of the program (less your deposit upon acceptance)

For an application, please email Angela Clark, Director for Teacher Training – angela@malayoganyc.com

Informational Open House
Sunday March 11th, 6.45-8pm:
We will answer your questions and go into more detail about the program, content and structure.