See you in New York!

Hi all,

It has been a truly amazing fifteen years, and last night's going away party was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. I am so thankful for my experiences teaching yoga in San Francisco, and for knowing all of you amazing people. Yoga has been the ground and center of everything that I have done for many years, and that isn't going to change, though navigating academia from that place will be a wonderful new challenge. And then there's surviving New York :)

I'm not thinking of this as goodbye, and I hope I will be seeing all of you in New York some time soon, if not here or in Hawai'i next year.

Thank you for all of these wonderful years of yoga!

My phone number won't change, and I'm on facebook if you want to stay in touch that way. This mailing list will prob'ly become a bit less active, as I don't know that I'll be teaching in New York. If I do, it won't be until Spring, at least. But I'll blog a bit about my trip to Europe on the way to New York, and about settling into Brooklyn.

With overwhelming gratitude, and love,
Jamie

Kalani 2010, Yoga Retreat on the Big Island, Hawai'i

Vinyasa Flow Yoga Retreat with Jamie Lindsay:

A nine night retreat in paradise! The energy of Kalani is absolutely magical, the food is just delicious, and we’ll be doing a ton of vinyasa yoga. At least two classes a day, with a few optional advanced workshops thrown in there for fun, and the two daily classes will be a mix of meditation, breathwork, detail-oriented alignment precision holds, light flowing energy-awakening vinyasas, comprehensive Universal Yoga-style joint mobility openings, and powerful fiery sun salutation practices, with some restorative to help integrate the energies released by so much yoga, and some partner play for fun. We’ll have some side-trips as well, for snorkeling, and lava walks, and afternoons on the black sand beaches!



Hi all,

Most of you were inclined towards returning to Kalani, and many of you expressed an interest in a somewhat longer retreat (with more vegan desserts :)). So I've booked a retreat for next year, close to the same time: May 29 thru June 7. It's two days longer than the last retreat, total of nine nights (ten days). I strongly encourage everyone to arrive before dinner on May 29th, and to plan for an afternoon flight on June 7th!

If you register before I leave San Francisco -- July 24th -- I'll give you a $100 discount on the retreat, and Kalani will give you a free upgrade in accommodation (which varies according to your inclination. Dennis wrote, for example: "so they can pay for a lodge shared and get a lodge private. or pay for a private and get a cottage. or pay for a cottage, and be in the tree house.").

Also different this time: Dennis will be handling the booking, and I won't. So you can reach him on his direct line: 808-965-0468 x122. He'll ask for a $200 deposit, and 100 is
refundable up to a 2 months before the retreat begins.

Also different, I'm going to be flexible about people coming for shorter times. For example, if you want to come for 7 rather than 9 nights, you can pay a mostly pro-rated tuition and do just that. Also this time, partners are quite welcome to come, and Kalani will give them a nice partner rate. You can check with Dennis for details when you call him.

The rates for the retreat, for all nine nights, are:

lodge single pvt bath: 2035
lodge double pvt bath: 1585
lodge single shared bath: 1765
lodge double shared bath: 1441
camping: 1225
cottage single: 2125
cottage double: 1675
tree house single: 3025
tree house double: 2125

I'm looking forward to seeing all of you before I leave ;)

Love,
Jamie



About Jamie Lindsay:

While practicing standing backbends during an Ashtanga practice in 1997, Shiva nearly knocked me over with a first blast of kundalini. I've been a devoted teacher and practitioner of yoga ever since. I am grateful to all of my teachers, and I enjoy all styles of yoga, but my teaching tends to focus on accurate alignment within vigorous Vinyasa as a means to liberate the breath, prana, and ultimately kundalini, and more simply, as a tool to assist in the continuous learning of the capacity to simply pay attention. Attention heals. This practice is the love of my life, and sharing it is a great joy.



Kalani's Website

Retirement, Hawaii, next year's retreat?

Hi all!

Hawaii was absolutely amazing, my favorite retreat yet :) and Kalani was so easy, though next time there will be more vegan options at all meals, and I'm definitely diving with the Mantas!

Lisa took amazing pictures if you'd like to see:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lmpicard/collections/72157619779026962/

And she wrote a sweet review for her blog:

http://lisapicard.blogspot.com/2009/06/chefs-and-yogis.html

My last classes in San Francisco will be July 19th, and I'll be teaching my usual schedule at Grace Cathedral, Yoga Tree, and James Howell Studio until then. Afterwards, you can find me in Brooklyn!

For next year, I'd love to go ahead and start planning another retreat, so if you're interested PLEASE let me know immediately about it, and if you have preferences. I'm inclined towards going back to Kalani, as it's set up so perfectly, but if you know of another destination that wouldn't be prohibitively expensive, let me know!

biglove,
jamie

FINAL 6am class sequence, from this morning

photo from Kevin's practice class at Mission Yoga

So, school's begun to require a great deal more work. Final semester, thesis, advanced logic seminar, and so forth. I'm reducing my schedule yet again, no more Tuesday 6am, but Adrienne has been organizing early morning open practice sessions at James Howell Studio, and I strongly encourage you to get together for yoga, or to deepen your home practice, and to begin exploring all the other wonderful yoga teachers that San Francisco has to offer.

Or DEEPEN YOUR HOME PRACTICE!!!

My schedule at James Howell Studio, Advanced Class by donation, will be:

Saturday and Sunday mornings, 8am.

Nothing else will change :)

And, this was the practice from this morning:


Movement Series, 30m:

Siddhasana, pelvic circles
Cat Rolls, from pelvis
Bhadrasana, snaking sidebends
Down Dog, alt. knee bends
Dog Vinyasa
Uttanasana, alt. knee bends
Simple Jatara P.
Eka Pada Setu Bandha Sarvangasana core Vinyasa
Mandalanamaskar (inspired by Shiva Rea)


Inhalation Focus, 30m:

Down Dog
Sphinx
Heart Stretch
Bhujangasana
Supta Virasana
Child's Pose
Three-Legged Dog R
Pigeon I R
Three-Legged Dog R
Sirsasana, Hanuman Pigeon R
Child's Pose (and then repeat set to the left)
Ustrasana
Child's Pose
Headstand Scorpion
Three-Legged Dog R (lighten left hand)
Low Lunge R (then repeat both to the left)
Ganda Bherundasana


Exhalation Focus, 30m:

At wall, block on crown, elbows touching
At wall, block sliding upwards
At wall, block forward, set elbows, raise
Down Dog, partner grounding sacrum
Pincha Mayurasana, partner assist for balance

Surrender, 30m:

Upavistha Konasana, with head support 5m
Diamond, with head support 5m
Paschimottonasana, with head support 5m
Reclining twist with thighs crossed 5m each side
Savasana

DO try this at home!

Advanced Class, James Howell Studio, 1/25/09

(the sky, walking to class this morning)

today's class was quite similar to yesterday's, though the pacing was somewhat more vigorous, and we did more pranayama and less core. i was originally aiming towards Setu Bandhasana and Ganda Bherundasana, but we stopped with Mandalasana instead.

If i got any of this out of order, or skipped anything, please comment!

Siddhasana
Kapalabhati with single-hand Muladhara Mudra
Bhastrika, Muladhara Mudra
Arm rotations with spinal undulations
Hip rotations
Pelvic circles
Down Dog, alternate knee/hip rolls
Balasana
Bhadrasana, snaking sidebends
Down Dog
Uttanasana, hip rolls
Tadasana/Uttanasana vinyasa from foundation
(adding some lateral movement)
Sidebend vinyasa from legs
Dharma Mittra-inspired rapid rotations
Nauli
Mayurasana
Balasana

Hatha Salutation
Hatha Salutation with Shiva Rea-inspired Mandalanamaskar
Suryanamaskar A (Ashtanga-inspired)
Samakonasana Handstand jumpings
Prasarita Pad. III
Star Arch
Runner, neck release
Reverse Warrior into Revolving Runner (R/L)
Star Arch
Runner, neck release
Hanumanasana I-II (R/L)
Star Arch
Prasarita Pad. III
Chatturanga Vinyasa
Standing Tittibhasana
Tittibhasana (arm balance)
Kurmasana
Tittibhasana
Bakasana
Prasarita Pad. III
Stupa Pose
Samakonasana

Runner into Janu Sirsasana I (soft)
Cradle Stretch
Leg-Behind-Shoulder Twist
Eka Pada Sirsasana
Paschimottonasana (soft)
Navasana (whole set, then other side)

Halasana
Salamba Sarvangasana I
Karnapidasana
Parvrtta Halasana
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
Matsyasana
Urdhva Dhanurasana I (with rocking)
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
Supta Baddha Konasana (abdominal breathing)
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
Matsyasana
Urdhva Dhanurasana
Tadasana
Tadasana Mandalasana variation
Pristhasana
Urdhva Dhanurasana
Chakra Bandhasana
Sirsasana
Vrshikhasana in Sirsasana
(or Sirsapadasana)
Mandalasana

Open Practice Period

Twist
Nadi Sodhana
Savasana / Restorative pose
Kapalabhati
Simhasana

Namaste,
Jamie

Vinyasa Sequence from Advanced Class, Saturday 1/24/09

(We should take new pictures; I'm leaving soon, and I'd love to have the memories!)

Just a quick notation of the basic sequence, as a record for folks who were there, perhaps as a guide to practice.

Connecting movements left out :) and if i missed anything please comment...

Siddhasana
Arm rotation waves
Hip rotations
Seated pelvic circles
Down Dog alternate leg hip rolls
Bhadrasana snaking side bends (from crown)
Cat rolls snaking from base

Ana Forrest-inspired hip stretch curls
Jatara Parivartanasana I-II
Rolling like a ball
Nauli
Standing side vinyasa (from base)
Dharma Mittra-inspired vigorous rotations

Hatha salutation
Hatha salutation with Shiva Rea-inpired Mandalanamaskar

Series from Star, with backbend/psoas stretch:
Runner (softening neck)
Reverse Warrior
Vashisthasana
Hanumanasana I-II (on the right)
Stupa
Samakonasana
Hanumanasana I-II (on the left)
Star with arch
Reversal of Samakonasana
Standing Tittibhasana
Tittibhasana (arm balance)
Kurmasana (and bind)
Tittibhasana

Halasana
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
Matsyasana
Rolling like a ball
Chakrasana
Sirsasana I
Vrishikhasana in Sirsasana
Chakra Bandhasana
Dropbacks

Open Practice Time

Shift to Abdominal Breathing:
Supta Baddha Konasana
Ardha Apanasana
Simple Reclining Twist
Savasana

Nadi Sodhana
Kapalabhati
Simhasana

Namaste!
Jamie

Yoga Retreat at Kalani, on the Big Island, June 7-14 2009

It's official, we're going to Hawaii!!!

It's a day longer than the usual Kalani trip, I thought Sunday to Sunday would be lovely, and there's no group after us, if you'd like to book a longer stay. This is just casual notification, I'll fill in more details later on.

But, I booked us for a lodge (or maybe two), and at double-occupancy, it'll be $1350, though I'm open to a partial scholarship or two if money's a substantial issue. Also, there are other accommodations at Kalani you could select, from camping to tree-houses with ocean views. Check out: www.kalani.com...

We'll have (at least) two yoga classes a day, delicious food, trips to the lava flows, snorkeling, etc...

I'm going to use facebook for the group page, as it'll give everyone a chance to get to know each other a little before we even get to Hawaii!
Go to: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=54874522791&ref=mf