Tag: kreuzberg yoga

Flow into Spring – Bring a friend for free yoga to our new Hatha Yoga Flow class

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Spring offer for free yogaThroughout the month of April, English Yoga Berlin offers you the chance to bring someone new for free to our new Hatha-Flow yoga class, Fridays at 5:30pm.

What is Hatha-Flow?

Built on the principles of Hatha Yoga – learning to become aware of your body and its sensations through movement, breath, and relaxation – the Hatha-Flow class includes more dynamic movement / breath integration than the standard Hatha Yoga classes. It can also be a suitable step in beginner yoga for those who would like to move on later to the Vinyasa Yoga classes.

We offer English yoga in Berlin Kreuzberg. Our teachers are injury conscious and will be happy to assist you before and through-out the class with tailored variations for your yoga poses. We believe that the increased awareness that we cultivate in our yoga classes together with the suggested variations for your unique body, make a difference both to practicing yoga in daily life and to the yoga benefits you take with you after class.

Free Yoga Class to Welcome Back Pedro!

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Pedro teaches Classical Yoga at English Yoga in BerlinEnglish Yoga Berlin’s Classical yoga teacher, Pedro, has returned from his sabbatical and will give a free yoga class in welcome.

Please join us!

When: Sunday March 29 at 6pm (18h-19:45h)
Where: English Yoga Berlin’s Kreuzberg Yoga Studio

Happy New Year from English Yoga Berlin!

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“Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations.”
-Faith Baldwin

2015 is now well under way and we hope your year has started off well. As we bid farewell to our dear long time colleague and friend Meg, and welcome Pedro back from his sabbatical, we offer some changes and additions to our weekly class schedule.

Hatha Yoga teacher Meg and her cat

Adieu Meg!

In March, Meg will be spreading her wings and flying off back across the Atlantic to pursue further education in non-profit organizational management. We wish her all the best with her studies and future career, though we are sad to see her go!

Hatha Yoga with Pinelopi

Hatha Yoga with Pinelopi

 

 

Hatha Yoga with Pinelopi

As of the beginning of March, Pinelopi will be teaching Hatha yoga on Tuesday evenings at 6pm and Thursday evenings, 6pm and 8pm.

 

 

Hatha-Flow yoga

Hatha-Flow Yoga

 

New Hatha-Flow Yoga

Juli introduces a new class on Friday evenings at 5:30pm, which goes slower and deeper than the Vinyasa Flow classes, but maintains the flow. It is suitable as a yoga for beginners class.

 

 

 

Classical Yoga

Classical Yoga

With Pedro‘s return, Classical yoga makes a comeback at EYB. The classes begin with a “Free Welcome Back try-out class” on Sunday March 29th from 6-7:45pm, and continue every Sunday from the beginning of April.

 

 

Friday Community Class

 

Due to overwhelming demand for another community yoga class, we are happy to offer a new rotating teacher class on Friday evenings at 7:30pm! Keep posted on our website Schedule and our Facebook page for the weekly rotation.

 

March 1st: Embodied Kundalini for the Glands Workshop

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This 2.5hr yoga workshop is a great opportunity to get to know your own body in a different way, learn some Kundalini techniques and give your endocrine system a supportive boost as the Springtime arrives! Poet, dancer and bodyworker Laressa Dickey will use embodied anatomy techniques from BMC (Body Mind Centering) to guide participants through a non-dogmatic, highly personal exploration of what Kundalini Yoga can offer for the glands. For more information, click here.

English Yoga, 10997 KreuzbergWhen?  Saturday, March 1st, from 11h until 13h30

Where? English Yoga Berlin’s Kreuzberg yoga studio, Goerlitzerstr 39 (map here)

How much? sliding scale, 15 to 30euro

The workshop is limited to 10 participants; please get in touch if you would like to reserve a space.

Laressa Dickey teaches a Kundalini Yoga (inspired) Workshop

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The Endocrine System: Glands & Balance

Chances are, some of us may have come across Kundalini Yoga before. And chances are, some may have walked away with definite opinions and reservations. While there is a brand of it that is perhaps over-the-top for many of us, Kundalini Yoga as a practice has much to offer in terms of kriyas (set of exercises) that target and promote health and balance in particular body systems.

This workshop will offer the chance to experience Kundalini Yoga in a non-dogmatic way, and instead through an embodied anatomy approach. We’ll work using techniques from Body Mind Centering (BMC) to learn about the endocrine system: where these glands are, what they do and why they are important for our health and well being. Then, we’ll integrate this new body awareness into our practice of the Kundalini kriyas.

Why glands? Why now? The endocrine system is an underlying support for so many of our human cycles: metabolism, sexual development, immunity, mineral and hormonal regulation, menstruation, sleeping/waking, digestion, survival instinct, etc. This system regulates the function of the body’s organs, and its job is to preserve our balance (homeostasis). This time of the year in the transition between Winter and Spring is a great time to promote balance in the body; we are not quite finished hibernating and not quite ready for blooming yet, even though we may feel the coming new season. With emphasis on the glands, we give time to really be where we are, and we “tune up” so we can maintain balance as we transition.

Come with your imagination and curiosity! Come with loose clothing and a willingness to try new things. 

About me:

As a yogi, I come to the mat also as a dancer, a poet, and bodyworker. I come from a perspective of movement, having studied dance since I was a child, and I teach (and try to live) from my experience working with the body in the study of dance improvisation and somatics. I also come with a keen interest in health and healing, and my own life experience of working with the limits of the body using yoga, expressive arts, and alternative medicine. Kundalini Yoga as a modality has been a big support to my health and development as a person, without me having had to adopt any of the perceived dogma of it. I now understand what my own Kundalini teacher used to say: “We don’t do Kundalini yoga because of how it makes us feel while we are doing it. We do it because of how it makes us feel afterwards.” It is the benefits Kundalini Yoga offers that make it meaningful to me.

  • Date: 1st March 2014
  • Time: 11 AM – 13.30 PM
  • Cost: 15-30 on sliding scale
  • Where: English Yoga Berlin

Please email englishyogaberlin@gmail.com to reserve your place.

Endometriosis and a Personal Approach to Healing

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It wasn’t until my 30s that I started realizing there was something off about my menstrual cycle. I’d always had pain during the first few days accompanied by heavy bleeding, and often experienced what is called ‘breakthrough bleeding.’ But it gradually started to get worse, until there were months when I was bleeding every day of my cycle. With the advice of a friend, I went to see a naturopath, who prescribed homeopathic medicine (specifically, venom from the snake, Lachesis). I was open to trying it, but after about half a year, I felt no change for the better, and out several hundred dollars. In the meantime, I moved 5000km to another city for graduate school.

At this point I’d had a yoga practice on & off for about 8 years. After I moved, I made an effort to continue my yoga practice and
discovered many more different teachers and styles of yoga than I had before. I felt that my practice had been good for me ‘physically.’ I became more aware of the pain I was experiencing and was able to ease it a little during my menstrual cycle. But I didn’t recognize the healing benefits until much later on. I continued to struggle with menstrual cycle problems, and had now built up a lack of trust towards naturopathy. So I tried allopathicremedies – the birth control pill was advised for hormone balancing, even though I didn’t need it for contraception, and I had several invasive surgeries. After the second surgery to remove ovarian growths, a biopsy showed that it was endometrial tissue. That was when I got the diagnosis of endometriosis. But the hormone therapy didn’t seem to work: the tissue kept growing, albeit perhaps slower.Endometriosis is a rather common illness, affecting approximately 10% of people with female reproductive organs, and perhaps more who show no symptoms. The allopathic methods of treatment vary from mild hormone treatment to organ removal surgery. Sadly, I know several people who have had full hysterectomies, and yet still experience the return of growths. Growths root down onto other organs or muscles, making them difficult to remove completely and can cause lung collapse, kidney failure and/or extreme pain. Endometrial tissue can often even grow on the scar tissue from previous surgeries! Hormone therapy such as IUDs or contraceptive pills can slow the growths and relieve some pain, but not always. Sometimes androgen hormones are recommended to induce menopause. One person I know had tried this method twice and still experienced the return of the growths and painful menstruation.Often, pregnancy and subsequent breast-feeding can act to “re-set” the adrenal system so that endometriosis may not return. Menopause may see an end to more growths, but the ones that have already rooted down may continue to grow. There has been some evidence to show that even people without ovaries and a uterus may develop endometriosis on the prostate. It is seen by the medical system as a woman’s disease, making it difficult for male-identified people to receive proper treatment.

Having no success with allopathic or naturopathic methods, I began to investigate the alternatives. My personal approach to healing began when I decided to become a yoga teacher and delve deeper into my practice. I read this book that recommended a strict endometriosis diet and followed it dogmatically for one year. And I tried out many other modalities – body talk, the sadhana practice of kundalini, myofascial massage, acupuncture, mindfulness meditation and medicinal roots. I sought advice from elders and spiritual practitioners. A couple years ago, I had yet a third surgery – recommended because of something that looked cancerous but turned out not to be. All of the methods I had tried became too much for me to keep up a regular practice with, it became a stress to try to keep up the discipline of the diet. And I wanted to do other things than focus on my body all the time! But I learned an awful lot through experimenting with different things and I eventually found what worked for me.

Endometriosis is an immunodeficiency illness, attacking the body when it’s low on other resources, so I focused on trying to keep healthy. I also became convinced that stress causes endometriosis by the physical tightening of muscles around the pelvis. The practice of mula bahnda (the root lock) brought more awareness for me about what was going on in my pelvic area. During menstruation I now try to focus on letting go of any tightness, sometimes even doing exercises to push out any stuck endometrial tissue. And I am also careful not to do inversions during heavy days. I continue to make smoothies out of spirulina (for immune boosting properties), maca root (for adrenal health), and trying to not let stress overtake my life, while keeping a balance of having some fun, expanding my limits and moving beyond my comfort zone once in awhile. I occasionally get some pain and breakthrough bleeding, and then I know it’s my body telling me to slow down. So far, the growths have not returned, and I’m still years away from menopause! It may not take becoming a yoga teacher for you, but I know there’s a way that you can heal yourself too.

Juli teaches Vinyasa Flow Yoga and Restorative Yoga in our Berlin Kreuzberg studio. She continues to explore self healing with yoga and encourages her students to do so, too.

New Year News: Workshops, Classes and Babies, oh my!

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English Yoga in Berlin

English Yoga Berlin

“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.”

– Victor Hugo

Welcome to a brand-new year!  We wish you a healthy and happy 2014, full of laughter and learning.

Our collective is very excited about the beginning of 2014: we have opened new morning classes, will offer a deep-cleansing workshop and are celebrating the arrival of a special and very small new member of the EYB community!

New Morning Classes

To help you keep your New Year’s Resolutions, we will be offering Yoga on Friday mornings. From 10am until 11h45, Pedro will offer Classical Yoga. Each class includes yoga asana (poses), breathing exercises (pranayama), deep relaxation and Yoga Nidra. Yoga on Friday mornings is an ideal way to relax and prepare for a great weekend! Check out this and other classes on our schedule.

Shatkarma Workshop: Yogic Detox

Over the weekend of January 18/19, our collective will be offering a yogic detox, cleansing and self-care workshop! In this workshop, you’ll learn a range of detoxifying practices that you can use to bring balance to your body and clear toxins and stress. You can see more detailed information here.

Community Class Re-Schedules

Our collective’s popular Community Class has moved to Fridays at 12.15pm.  This is a donation-based class  that we offer for people in low-income situations or those who cannot otherwise afford our regular classes.  It is guided by a different teacher each week and is part of our collective’s commitment to accessibility. For more information check out What is a Community Class?

Yoga Mom

Zoe has Landed!

Our Pinelopi has given birth to a healthy and gorgeous baby girl!  Zoe arrived last October to the delight of her proud parents and the cheers of all of us at English Yoga Berlin.  Pinelopi’s maternity leave will continue for a little while longer, as mother and child get to know each other and enjoy this very special time together.

We are looking forward to a full year of offering Hatha yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Classical Yoga and Restorative yoga classes in Kreuzberg. We would like to, once more, extend our appreciation and gratitude to the wonderful community of yogis who practice with us at English Yoga Berlin! Your presence and contributions transform our Kreuzberg studio into a place of belonging and community. Thank you for your practice and your dedication!

New Year’s Message from English Yoga Berlin

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I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.  Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re Doing Something.  So that’s my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody’s ever made before. Don’t freeze, don’t stop, don’t worry that it isn’t good enough, or it isn’t perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.  Whatever it is you’re scared of doing, Do it.  Make your mistakes, next year and forever. – Neil Gaiman

In order to help you stick to your resolutions, we start the year with a new class, specially for those who prefer morning yoga:

Friday 10am – Classical Yoga

and a new schedule for our popular community Class

Friday 12h15 – Donation Based, a different style each week.

Consult our schedule for more details.

We wish all of you, the EYB community, a healthy, happy and brimful 2014.  May your mistakes lead to achievements, and may your achievements lead you to dare making more mistakes.

December got you wrapped up in stressful knots?

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Whether you celebrate Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Christmas, Yule, or Dōngzhì, or no religious-cultural festival at all, the month of December in the Northern Hemisphere can be a stressful time of year. Winter is starting to hit hard, the hours of light dwindling down to their shortest, and the temperature is dropping. Additional stresses can wear us down; such as family or work social obligations, exams, deadlines, trip-planning, depleting finances, and attempts at tying up our own loose ends or goals for the year. Our hibernation impulse kicks in, and we want to stay inside where it’s warm and snack on comfort food.

Acknowledge your stress

Sometimes we can get so caught up in all these activities we don’t realize we’re wearing ourselves down or getting irritated in the process. Once you acknowledge and recognize that stress is indeed affecting your mood or sleep cycle, you can give yourself permission to slow down, take breaks or drop things with less priority. It may seem counter-productive to schedule more things in, but adding some regular breaks, and things that are for ‘you’ to your schedule, will make the other stressful items on your list seem easier. You can look forward to the little present you give yourself – your Friday evening acupuncture session or swing dance class.

Eat Hearty Warm Food

Being on the go all the time can deplete our resources and zap our body of nutrition. It’s more important than ever during stressful times to eat well. There are a lot of sweet treats around this time of year, which fill us up without providing nutrition. Depending on where you live, you might also feel more dehydrated because of cold weather. Also, according to Ayurvedic nutrition, our bodies need more Vata energy during the cold winter months. They recommend eating more heated root vegetables, rather than raw salads. You can save time by making large batches of soup or stew. If you spend most of your time away from home glass jars can provide a DIY alternative to a thermos in order to carry around your delicious hearty lunch.

Breath and Movement

Outdoor activities in the cold can be quite exhilarating if you’re prepared for it. Wrap yourself up in a warm scarf and wear loose clothing made with natural fibres. One misconception most people have in countering the cold is to hunch their shoulders up by their ears and round forwards. This actually makes us colder! If you open up your chest and drop your shoulders down, your lung capacity increases and allows more oxygen to enter and warm up your body! If you breathe deeply and slowly or take slight pauses as you hold the breath in, it helps to keep the warm air in longer. Keep your body moving by riding a bike or walking quickly. And when you reach your destination do some gentle stretches to come back to the warmth of the inside temperature.

Regenerate

A regular yoga or meditation practice helps to recuperate us from stress. Keep going to your yoga class, despite your busy schedule. Or even add a new one!

Take advantage of our special offers this month at English Yoga Berlin – bring a friend for free to our slow and rejuvenating Restorative and Classical yoga classes.

And remember, as the daylight hours grow shorter, the actual Winter Solstice on December 21st is approaching, which means the daylight hours will start to increase again!

And as the New Year is shortly upon us, so is our new yoga schedule for 2014.

Yamas and Niyamas Part 2

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Yamas explained by English Yoga Berlin

In our last blog introducing Yamas and Niyamas, we started to explore a few of the non-physical aspects of yoga. Many people find our English yoga classes in Berlin during their search for fitness or physical rehabilitation. However, because yoga has such mentally and emotionally restorative effects, many people find that over time they are able to not only make peace with their own bodies but with the world around them.

With a total of 10 ethical guideposts (Yamas and Niyamas have 5 each), Asteya is the third Yama, and it means ´not stealing´. This is a more complex concept than the translation conveys. Was Patanjali  talking about stealing a loaf of bread to feed yourself or your family? We believe Asteya is not about stifling need, it is about restraining greed. Asteya guides students to ask themselves: do I really need this? Am I hoarding materials goods out of fear, or taking out of honest need? Can this body, ecosystem or relationship sustain my demands upon it? Asteya challenges us to believe that there is enough in the world to feed us all, if only we can learn to share.

Where do you take, or give, more than your share? What is the effect of this behavior on yourself and your community?

 

Brahmacharya is the fourth Yama, and one of the most widely misunderstood. It  is translated into English as ´celibacy´, but can also be looked at as a ´conscious use of energy, especially sexual´.

The sexual energy can be seen as a sacred force that should only be used responsibly and wisely. Because pleasure, desire and attraction are such powerful feelings that can bring great pleasure, they can be used to manipulate, violate and hurt people very, very deeply. Instead, it challenges students to make their sexual decisions consciously, in a way that feels good for everyone involved.

How could you live your sexual life with more honesty, integrity and pleasure?

Aparigraha is the last Yama, and it means ´non-comparing´. This Yama is about jealousy, and acceptance. Patanjali recognized that the human mind has a tendency to compare, in order to understand. In our Kreuzberg yoga classes we often tell students to observe without analyzing. Unfortunately, this tendency easily slides into envy and jealousy, because, as we all know, ´the grass is always greener on the other side´. Aparigraha guides our focus back to where it should be: our own sphere. Envying other people is distracting and depressing. In asana practice, this means that, even if your neighbor can do the poses perfectly and you feel like a penguin with two left feet, you practice keeping your focus on your own body and your own experience. You let jealousy arise if it needs to, and you also let it dissipate when it has run its´ course. You measure yourself by the only real standard that you have- your own.

How have envy and jealousy affected your life?