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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Emma’s Favorite Outdoor Yoga Pose is…..

By Emma Silverman


If you've taken my Yoga in the Park class at all this summer, you might have gotten used to a similar occurrence. Instead of moving quickly through Downward Facing Dog onto the next pose, it's likely that we spent some extra time upside-down. The reason is simple: Downward Facing Dog is my favorite outdoor yoga pose.

In Downward Facing Dog we press our hands and feet into the earth (quite literally!) and are rewarded with a totally new outlook on the world. The sky looks beautiful when we're upside-down; in Downward Facing Dog we're stable enough to appreciate the outstanding view!

The next time you find yourself practicing outside, I encourage you to take some extra time in this posture with your eyes open. Bring your awareness to the sky, the underside of the trees, and the people in the distance. See if you notice anything new by seeing it with a completely changed perspective. Your perspective off the mat might change, too.

This summer Mighty currently offered a Community Class at Dewitt Park Fridays at noon.  All donations from these Yoga in the Park classes have benefited Cayuga Pure Organics and Hospicare. We’re aiming to keep those classes at the park, until Mother Nature kicks us back inside this fall.  In the meantime, check out our Facebook for updates on our park class.  And come play with us in Dewitt Park!  

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Liz wants you to take off in The Rocket!

By Liz Falk (dare we say it, our local Rocketeer?)


If you're a fan of Vinyasa Flow yoga or you're an Ashtangi but sometimes crave a little spice, Rocket Yoga will suit your fancy - more accurately it will blow your mind! :)  After my first Rocket class, I experienced a Savasana euphoria. Perhaps you've had this experience… where your body, mind and being feel so complete that if you weren't a yogi, you'd think it was an out of body experience. Yet because you're a yogi, you realize it's actually the most humble and refreshing in-body realization you've ever had. You're present.  You're alive.  And you realize it more than ever.  In my experience this euphoria is a known, yet somewhat rare phenomenon, at the end of yoga classes, and The Rocket sequence seems to be ingeniously designed to facilitate this feeling every class.

To me, The Rocket is the best of Vinyasa and Ashtanga combined into one awesome class. Originally designed by Larry Shultz, a student of K. Pattabhi Jois and traditional Ashtanga Yoga, Larry created the Rocket as a more accessible alternative to traditional Ashtanga by encouraging students to try full or modified poses from 1st-3rd series (in traditional Ashtanga teachers were authorized to give a student a new pose to practice after the teacher felt the student had mastered the previous one.) Schultz was a yoga teacher for the Grateful Dead, and Bob Weir named the sequence The Rocket because "it gets you there faster".

The combination of the two styles creates "a feel good" routine that is challenging, fun, energizing and yet still, utterly restorative. The sequence includes arm balance and inversion options within the standing and seated portions of the sequence, back bends and counter forward folds, twists and more. Most intermediate yogis will recognize most of the asanas of the Rocket, and the style of sequencing calls for numerous poses done in a row on the right side before repeating them all on the left side. This style of sequencing will be new for Ashtanga students, yet still feel familiar and meditative.  And Vinyasa Flow students will find the numerous seated poses with a Vinyasa in between (i.e. the lift-up, jump back, chaturanga, up dog, down dog, jump through to a seat) to be new and challenging.

Warning - Rocket Yoga is likely to have the following side effects: unexplained happiness, sense of freedom, physical tiredness, restlessness of the mind, cleaning of organs (detox), a new love for yoga, a desire to do handstands all the time, ability to focus and relax.

Want a taste of The Rocket? I'm teaching it at Mighty Yoga during our Anniversary Week, Sunday, Aug 25 @ 1:30pm.  Join us for an awesome flow at the bargain price of only $4!

And I'm psyched that my teacher and Rocket master, David Kyle, is visiting Ithaca and Syracuse yoga studios next month as part of a Rocket Science Yoga Weekend organized by the Finger Lakes Yoga Alliance.  Mighty Yoga is hosting a $10 community class w/ David, Friday night, Sept. 6 @ 6:30pm.  We're calling it Rocket III Happy Hour.  This class sold out last year, so you don’t want to miss this!

For more info about the weekend and to sign up online visit FLYA’s website like now!

Rocket Science Yoga Weekend
w/ David Kyle
September 5 - 8, 2013
Ithaca & Syracuse Yoga Studios
Visit www.fingerlakesyogaalliance.com and Register here!


Monday, August 12, 2013

Mighty Community: Yogis helping out the Meat Locker!


We’re thrilled to be supporting a local fundraiser for the Meat Locker Pilot Project, thanks to one of our Mighty Yogis, Kat!  In a little more than a week, H&J Hospitality is hosting a Farm to Table Dinner & Silent Auction at Silver Queen Farm to benefit the project.  The Meat Locker is a walk-in freezer for consumers to store their local bulk meat purchases. The Locker Project, in conjunction with the meat marketing website, www.meatsuite.com, is designed to increase sales of locally raised meats in a 9 county region and beyond. For more information, please visit:  http://meatlocker.peaksoverpoverty.org/

Here are the dinner & auction deets, if you want to take part.  The auction includes a class pass from Mighty, too!

Farm to Table Dinner & Silent Auction to Benefit the Meat Locker Project
Hosted by H&J Hospitality at Silver Queen Farm
Thursday, Aug. 22, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Event information and reservations:  http://handjhosp.com/hj-sqf

Facebook event:  https://www.facebook.com/events/224561884359029/


Friday, August 9, 2013

Mighty Community: Fuel The Learning Web Spark!


Meet Augusta, one of the members in our Mighty Yoga community. She is doing a fundraiser for a local Ithaca nonprofit, The Learning Web, in which she is going to do 50 hours of yoga in eight weeks. She is trying to raise $20 for each hour of yoga for a total of $1000. With $250 raised so far and 37 days to go in her challenge, that would only mean just over 1 hour a day for the remainder of her time and she could meet her goal.

Check out her fundraising page to see more on how she is a Champion for this Causehttp://augustayc.peaksoverpoverty.org/?campaign=1278

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Acro Yoga Demonstration Tonight

Ever wonder what Acro Yoga looks like? Too afraid to come to a full Acro class? Interested in how Acro yogis move? Well stop your Youtubing and come to the Summer Concert Series Downtown tonight to see Mighty Yoga's own Gina Newlin do an Acro Yoga demonstration during the intermission of the concert. Can't make it tonight, don't worry, she does a demonstration every Thursday!