Yoga & Body Image: Summer 2016

SUMMER 2016

05 finding peace through practice 08 time to shine 14 yoga beyond the physical 16 a fternoon ayurveda

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• SUMMER 2016

E DITOR ’S LET TER

Yoga: EqualOpportunity Pleasure ince we published our first issue in 2013, the mission of YogaIowa is the same: promote and encourage the benefits of yoga. This issue is one of my proudest moments as founder as we address the untrue perception that only a certain type of person, with a particular body can practice yoga. Inside this issue, you’ll find inspiring personal stories from ten Iowans representing all walks of life, in all shapes and sizes, who paint a picture of real yoga, and how it helps them find self-empowerment and a renewed body image.

From the start, we never set out to photograph only women with long limbs and negligible body fat on the front cover. In fact, our first cover model was a male: US Navy veteran Kody Waldstein.

The continued diversity we celebrate on our covers represents the true picture of yoga in Iowa—which surprises a lot of people! Our current cover star Michele Chillook is a yoga instructor at the Body & Soul Wellness Center in Dubuque, where I took a yoga class while in town for a family reunion a couple years ago. Her body confidence and self-acceptance was inspiring. I left that class with an epiphany about and newfound respect for my muscular arms and legs, probably earned from lifting hay bales on my family’s dairy farm in Eastern Iowa.

This issue brings together a vast collection “Love yourself as of voices that I hope broaden your much as you can, perspective of the body image movement that and all of life will is strong in the yoga world. From a national mirror this love advocate for self-love and body positivity; to back to you.” individuals with special needs and abilities; – Louise Hay to teens struggling to fit in with their peers; to someone who has overcome an eating disorder—these and other stories drive home the point that yoga improves self-esteem, selfworth, and social-emotional wellbeing for all.

The cardinal rule in yoga is to honor yourself and not judge. Not everyone is so good at this at first, but it is the basis from which we operate as our whole selves. So whether you’re a size 2 or 22 aspiring yogi, please join us this summer at any number of outdoor classes, or find your flavor of yoga with a personal instructor or at a studio/gym in your neighborhood.

You can do it!

Leaving chronic headaches and the corporate world behind, Lisa Acheson, RYT 500, has yoga to thank for her new life of ease and uncovered entrepreneurial spirit. She shares her passion for yoga teaching classes in the Des Moines area. Visit lisaachesonyoga.com.

Ryan Allen, Ph.D., is the co-owner of Lumin Therapy, a kids’ yoga teacher at Evolve Yoga and Wellness, and an associate professor of English and writing at Briar Cliff University. He lives in Sioux City with his wife, three children, and dog.

Jim Bennitt began studying yoga, tantra, and Ayurveda in 1997 and began teaching in 2002. He combines a strong physical practice balanced by subtle breathing and meditation techniques. In Jim’s class at Tejas Yoga Chicago, expect to sweat a little, breathe a lot, and leave with the state of mental clarity that defines yoga.

Val Brown, RYT 200, is a certified Relax & Renew restorative yoga teacher and the Social Media Manager for Maharishi Ayurveda Products International (mapi.com). She is pursuing an Ayurvedic Wellness Consultant Certification through Maharishi University. Val recently learned Transcendental Meditation, and looks forward to a lifetime of practice.

Sheree Clark, EdM., AADP, CHHC is an inspiring author, television show host, health coach, and raw vegan chef (fork-road.com). She’s written about and presented on topics ranging from raw food 101 to overcoming career burnout. Currently, she hosts a television show called “Fork in the Road with Sheree Clark” and advises private practice health and nutrition clients.

With a goal to empower children and teens, Lora Frank-Fuller LPN, LMT, RYT, has guided them for several years as a pediatric nurse and through other holistic approaches. A pediatric massage therapist and yoga instructor, Lora owns Kneaded Health and Wellness (KneadedHealthandWellness.com) in Dubuque and also works at a middle school.

Intuitive Counselor Rita Henry has helped thousands of people live more joyful, authentic lives. Rita’s approach combines energy work, meditation, and breathwork to help clients heal mind, body, and spirit. Rita founded Inner Prosperity (innerprosperity.com) to provide unwavering support to clients through individual phone and in-person sessions, classes, workshops, and retreats.

Welcome to the YogaIowa team:

Dana Hinders first became interested in practicing yoga as a way to naturally cope with her anxiety and depression. She’s currently a full-time freelance writer living in Clarksville. Learn more at danahinders.com.

Kelby Arnold Editorial Intern

Bethany Grabe Advertising Sales bethany@yoga-iowa.com 641-430-7447

LeAnn Gentry Advertising Sales leann@yoga-iowa.com 319-499-2708

YogaIowa’s Managing Editor Tracey L. Kelley, E-RYT 500, teaches at her boutique yoga studio in South Des Moines and specializes in working with beginning students.

Tracey is also the founder of re: communications, a firm focused on improving communication through mindful listening. Learn more at recommunicationsmedia.com.

Olivia Kvitne is founder and director of the nonprofit organization, Yoga For First Responders. (yogaforfirstresponders.org) She has written for YogaIowa since its inaugural issue. Olivia is the yoga instructor for the Des Moines Police Academy, the Des Moines Veterans Association, and several local fire departments.

A recent college graduate, Theresa Macdonald has pursued photography for most of her life. After being introduced to YogaIowa while studying graphic journalism at Grand View University, she became a marketing assistant for Des Moines Parks and Recreation. Theresa has a passion for photography and loves capturing happy moments.

As a facilitator of “Old Fat Guy’s Yoga,” Brian McCormick, E-RYT 200, uses the class to encourage men over 55 to discover the benefits of regular yoga practice. He received yoga teacher training through Lotus House of Yoga via Evolve Yoga and Wellness, and currently teaches a variety of classes at Evolve as well as Studio 83 in Sioux City.

Kirstin Pope of Dubuque fell in love with photography while working in her father’s darkroom. Her photography (rippleinfinity.com) is an artistic blend of color and visual texture that captures the essence of the moment; communicating stories of authenticity, love, and energy. She nurtures her mind-body-spirit through yoga, whole food, nature, and meditation.

Renee Posner is VP of Marketing for Maharishi Ayurveda Products International (mapi.com). She has a biology degree from American University and studied physiology at Georgetown University School of Medicine, providing her early foundation in health and critical thinking. She also teaches Transcendental Meditation, which she has practiced for 35 years.

Bobbi Schmeling, Certified Professional Photographer (CPP), is the owner and operator of Creative Photography (creativephotography1.com) in Milford. She achieved the status of CPP through rigorous testing, continuing education, and adhering to a strict code of business ethics. She’s a member of Professional Photographers of Iowa and Professional Photographers of America.

Michele Chillook rocks Wheel/Upward Bow, or Urdhva Dhanurasana, in front of the Dubuque Star Brewery complex in the Port of Dubuque. Once Iowa’s oldest brewery, it’s now an entertainment center and office space, and listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Photo by Kirstin Pope.

• SUMMER 2016

On Our Cover

Professional photographer Kaylyn Hoskins passionately specializes in empowering women of all ages to feel confident in their own skin through her photography sessions. Kaylyn’s main studio is located in Solon. She welcomes to you find more information about her work at KaylynHoskins.com.

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HAVE YOU TRIED

everything?

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who attended the Summer issue launch party.

We are so grateful for our readers, friends, supporters, and for the opportunity to help grow and unite our community.

A HUGE thank you to our sponsors and host: Recycle Me Iowa Music: Milk & Eggs, Iowa City Samples: FarmHouse, Fresh Café & Market and Peace Tree Brewing Co. Artists: Portrait Studio, Des Moines Community yoga practice led by Founder and Director of Yoga for First Responders Olivia Kvitne

We can’t wait to share our next issue with you!

SAVE THE DATE! October 11, 2016

Taught by Kate Cardamon, M.S.P.T., and Libby Trausch, D.P.T., DMU physical therapists trained in Medical Therapeutic Yoga

YOGA@DMU

YOGAIOWA IS DISTRIBUTED QUARTERLY THROUGHOUT IOWA. SUMMER 2016 VOLUME 4, NUMBER 3 P U B L I SH E R / E DI TOR Angela Banowetz Ossian MA N AG I N G E DI TO R Tracey L. Kelley

✷­ ­ Perfect for beginners or those wanting to refine their practice

A DVE RTI SI N G AC COU NT EX ECU TIV E

✷ ­­ Emphasizes stability and balance over flexibility

Ron Klipfel Bethany Grabe LeAnn Gentry

✷ ­­ Promotes mindfulness and meditation ✷ ­­ Recognizes the breath as the foundation

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A RT DI R ECTI O N Cooper Smith & Co. C O P Y E DI TO R Becky Langdon

For absolute beginners Tuesdays, 7:00-7:45 am Sept. 13 – Oct. 18 $50 for 6 weeks

PHYSIOYOGA 102 For those with some yoga experience Mondays, 4:30-5:15 pm Aug. 15 – Nov. 7 $100 for 12 weeks

• SUMMER 2016

FIELD EDITORS: Central Iowa: Linsey Birusingh thehumblehedonist@gmail.com South Central Iowa: Brandi Kastler kastlermonte@centurylink.net Cedar Rapids: Kim Reed dancingbuddah@gmail.com Dubuque: Sheila O’Laughlin sheilaolaughlin@mchsi.com

Kelby Arnold A DVI SO RY B OA R D

Western Iowa: Trishia Gill trishia@evolvesiouxcity.com

Sheree Clark, holistic health and nutritional coach Diane Glass, facilitator, Tending Your Inner Garden Dennis Kelly, founder of Yoga in the Park and Meditation Around Town, Des Moines

HELP US CONSERVE RESOURCES. Share this publication with a friend.

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Send comments, story ideas, calendar submissions, press releases & public announcements: editors@yoga-iowa.com • 515.979.5585

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E DI TO R I A L I N TE RN

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Comments & submissions

finding peace through practice

BY OXANA HOGAN

BY LORA FRANK-FULLER

Photo by Adam Hammes

• Eating disorders are a daily struggle for 10 million females and 1 million males in the US. • Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.

• Without treatment, up to 20% of people with serious eating disorders die. With treatment, that number falls to 2-3%.

If you struggle with food or exercise issues, the NEDA features a confidential and anonymous online screening: screening.mentalhealthscreening.org/NEDA For more immediate assistance, call the toll-free helpline: 800-931-2237. You may also use the click-to-chat function on the NEDA website: nationaleatingdisorders.org/informationreferral-helpline The Eating Disorder Coalition of Iowa (edciowa.com) provides additional resources such as a treatment referral guide and a list of health professionals available in Iowa.

“If my body doesn’t look like yours in a yoga pose, why would my body look like yours just walking down the street.”

Teens face many peer pressures, from drinking, drugs, body image, and social media, to relationships, grades at school, sports, and extracurricular activities.

Working several years with pediatrics, including as a nurse in a clinic setting, as a nurse assistant in a middle school, and as a yoga teacher, I’ve seen and heard the stresses of today’s youth. I’ve watched them struggle to fit in with peers. I’ve also witnessed the effects of bullying and wiped away the tears of the victims. These stories drive my passion to use yoga to help build the selfesteem and self-worth of teenagers.

When I teach teens yoga, the main focus isn’t on form. My goal is to guide them to a place where they can self-reflect and develop selfworth and individuality. Yoga isn’t a competition, unlike sports, nor is the goal of yoga to look like everyone else in a yoga pose. It’s important to help teens in this modern age of frequent selfies to understand that every body is different. Now reframe this into the perspective in everyday life: if my body doesn’t look like yours in a yoga pose, why would my body look like yours just walking down the street? I encourage teens to open their minds, think deeper, into a place of selfdiscovery—to be a guide to reveal what already exists within them. This helps develop a more positive body image.

But issues with self-esteem go beyond the external. I’ve seen a lot of youth over the past few years diagnosed with anxiety, and panic attacks are a common occurrence. Some teens aren’t even aware of what a panic attack is—they may think they are ill or maybe misdiagnosed or ignore the symptoms that develop. Stress doesn’t discriminate by age; today’s youth are quite susceptible to anxiety and depression.

Yoga teaches youth it’s not only a physical practice, but also a practice from within. Yoga and meditation help them tune in to their body. I teach them to become aware of what their body feels like during certain emotions—for example, happiness, nervousness, fear, or anxiety—and to notice their breath, muscle tone, and posture.

As most yoga practitioners know, slowing your breath and relaxing your muscles sends signals to the brain to tell your body to relax, changing thoughts and in turn, changing our actions. Teens appreciate learning this healthy aspect of control.

And to stay with positive action, I teach them to work with “I am” mantras: I am capable, I am beautiful, I am smart, I am important. “I am” is such a powerful statement, and helps teens realize that how we talk to ourselves is important, and sets the expectation of how we allow others to treat us. Telling our subconscious self how we are will, in time, lead us to what we will be.

• SUMMER 2016

hree years ago, I checked into an eating disorder recovery center in Minneapolis. When the doctor got the results of my blood test, she immediately ordered an ambulance to take me to a hospital emergency room. Because of years of dieting and bulimia, my heart was at risk of failing.

It felt like hitting bottom, but I also felt a sense of relief; I could begin recovery.

Intensive work with a therapist, doctor, physical therapist, dietitian, and health educators was supplemented with an online recovery program and a lot of internal work. Through the process of recovery, I came to truly love my body, and yoga played a tremendous role in that. At one point, they asked me to eliminate all physical activity (which was difficult). Then, I slowly began restorative yoga classes, and was amazed how good 20 minutes of stretching and breathing followed by a meditation could make me feel!

After each class, my mind calmed down noticeably, and concerns about the size and shape of my body subsided. I actually felt graceful.

“Yoga helps those in Yoga helps those in recovery from eating disorders find recovery from eating peace through surrendering. It teaches you to let go of disorders find peace trying to manipulate your body, accept it the way it is, and surrender to every curve of your body, to its fullness, to all through surrendering.” perceived limitations.

The gentleness of yoga can be truly healing if you allow it. Yoga is meant to meet you where you are and bring the whole system—mind, body, and soul—into harmonious balance. A growing number of eating disorder treatment centers across the world acknowledge that yoga has a power to completely transform how we view our bodies and relate to others.

Like many other aspects of movement, practicing asanas can be taken to an extreme and feed an eating disorder rather than heal it. Someone with controlling tendencies toward exercise has to be mindful of intentions. So check in with yourself to ensure that your practice has a healthy motivation. Social media demonstrates the popularity of images featuring many advanced practitioners. Be careful not to compare your practice to others, and remember that we are all on unique journeys.

Traditional yoga texts always remind us not to make practicing and perfecting asanas a final goal, and to inquire into that which is beyond the physical. In his book, The Heart of Yoga, T.K.V. Desikachar puts it beautifully: “Yoga is primarily a practice intended to make someone wiser, more able to understand things than they were before. If asanas help in this, terrific! If not, then some other means can be found instead. The goal is always bhakti, or… to approach the highest intelligence, namely, God.”

The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) identifies three primary types of eating disorders: anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. Each one has specific behaviors. There’s also a subset of feeding/ eating disorders that include behaviors such as restrictive intake, night eating, and excessive exercise.

teens & yoga

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PRAC TI CE

A safe and loving place of exploration, learning and transformation.

YOGA • MASSAGE • REIKI • CHIROPRACTIC SHAMANISM • SACRED ACTIVISM READINGS • SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE At Illuminations Healing Arts Center, we provide a large variety of holistic services for total health in mind, body, and spirit. We hope that you will join us in making the world a better place by starting with healing for yourself!

SHOP OUR METAPHYSICAL STORE: • Spiritual Tools

• Books

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• Crystals

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Please sign up for our newsletter for class schedules, events, community events, practitioners specials, and much more at:

illuminationshealingarts.com

TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT Call 319-775-0117 or email illuminationscenter@gmail.com The Cherry Building • 329 10th Ave SE, Ste. 115 Cedar Rapids, IA 52401

On your road to health and wellness, we meet you where you are.

• Specializing in the Gonstead Technique • The only woman Chiropractor in the Historic East Village • Focusing on women’s healthcare needs help you on a better road to health.

515.868.6155 Dr. Penny Hanson

• SUMMER 2016

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The Yoga and Body Image Coalition

BY DANA HINDERS If you’ve ever been frustrated by media depictions of yoga as the domain of thin, young white women in bikinis, you’re not alone. The Yoga and Body Image Coalition (YBIC) is working to broaden the public conversation surrounding yoga to accurately welcome and represent people of diverse backgrounds. The organization seeks to bring awareness to the positive benefits yoga offers to those who have body image issues relating to race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, size, age, class, and/or physical ability.

Melanie Klein, co-founder of YBIC, is a professor of sociology and women’s studies at Santa Monica College and has regularly practiced yoga since 1996. “Yoga has improved my body image exponentially,” she said. “I went to my first class with my sister simply because it sounded interesting, but once I discovered how it made my body feel I kept going back. It was so different from weights, cardio, and strength training. I loved not comparing and competing with others or myself. Movement with consciousness was a liberating thing for me.”

Klein started blogging about yoga from a feminist perspective in 2010, establishing a platform to connect with people who’ve had similar experiences using yoga to heal a distorted body image, silence self-criticism, and stop the pursuit of “perfection” by any means necessary.

In 2014, she released Yoga and Body Image: 25 Personal Stories About Beauty, Bravery, and Loving Your Body with Anna Guest-Jelley. Featuring contributions from Alanis Morissette, Seane Corn, Bryan Kest, Dr. Sara Gottfried, and others, the book explores the idea of yoga as a tool for selfempowerment and healing. “I felt compelled to share the transformative benefits of a practice but wanted an anthology of voices, since I knew my experience wouldn’t be personally relevant to everyone,” Klein said. “My goal was to create a book where everyone could find at least one person with a story they related to.”

After Yoga and Body Image was published, there was an explosion of conversations centered on making yoga more inclusive. YBIC was founded as the “action arm” of the book, spreading its central message through workshops, panel discussions, events, and media creation. “We’re working to combat and challenge mainstream yoga imagery where yoga culture is compared to what you see in a fashion magazine,” Klein said. “YBIC challenges stereotypes while also working to create new media imagery that reaches out to a wide range of people who are interested in yoga.”

Although YBIC is a relatively new organization, it’s accomplished a great deal. The #whatayogilookslike series with Yoga International profiles yogis from all backgrounds, letting them share their stories to broaden the perception of who practices yoga. It’s been showcased in a wide range of yoga industry and news outlets, and instrumental in encouraging fitness and media corporation Gaiam to diversify its catalog imagery to showcase a wider range of ages, ethnicities, and body types. Representatives are scheduled to speak at conferences throughout the year, including the Accessible Yoga Conference in Santa Barbara in September.

Visit ybicoalition.com to learn more about YBIC or to purchase t-shirts that help fund future projects.

YOGA AT THE BOTANICAL GARDEN Wednesday evenings, 6 – 8 p.m.

July 13 – August 31

Unwind, renew and reconnect your spirit to the great outdoors in the beauty and serenity of the transformed Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden in this 8-week series, hosted in partnership with Drew Maifeld.

INSTRUCTORS ARE:

July 13

Brent Aronsen, Tiffany Thomas, Bridget Nicole Ryan – Acro Yoga & Thai Massage (Des Moines)

July 20

Brette Berlin Scott – Shakti Yoga Shop (Des Moines)

July 27

Kim Johnson – Maya Yoga (Kansas City)

August 3

Mary Clare Sweet – Lotus House of Yoga (Omaha)

August 10 Ben Vincent – One Yoga (Minneapolis) August 17 Kirk Lautensleger – Powerlife Yoga (Des Moines) August 31 Zaplin Vermie – Blissful Willow Yoga Center (Iowa City) Cost per class: FREE for Botanical Garden members; $20 for nonmembers Registration is recommended due to limited spots available.

• SUMMER 2016

August 24 Mindy Sisco – Kaizen Yoga (Korea)

Walk-ins will be allowed as available each week.

Registration and details are available at dmbotanicalgarden.com/yoga

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time to shine

BY RYAN ALLEN When our daughter, Sawyer, was born, my wife Meghan and I quickly learned she had Down’s syndrome.

Within moments, we realized an important lesson we were never prepared to learn: a person is not a diagnosis. That’s what love does to you. Practicing yoga reinforces this.

We all deserve the chance to shine.

Sawyer was the inspiration for us to offer yoga-based services to special populations of individuals and families.

Teaching yoga to children with special needs and abilities carries with it the same duties and responsibilities as it would in any population: we need to know our students’ medical backgrounds and any possible contraindications. We need to establish connections, practice patience, praise generously, and lead with love and fun.

The mission of Lumin Therapy in Sioux City is to empower individuals and families with special needs to live beyond boundaries by providing direct care and integration of the mind, body, and spirit through the practice of yoga. Learn more at lumintherapy.com

For individuals with special needs and abilities, the benefits of yoga include (but aren’t limited to):

• improved strength, flexibility, and coordination • increased circulation • reduced blood pressure • better mental clarity and creativity

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relieved muscular tension hormonal balance decreased hyperactivity improved concentration and confidence

For children who have a difficult time communicating, music helps encourage creativity and self-expression. For children with autism, breathing exercises are powerful tools because they help decrease stress and anxiety. Lowtone children with Down’s syndrome benefit from strengthening poses, and high-tone children with cerebral palsy benefit from poses that stretch tight muscles. Children managing ADD/ADHD and sensory processing disorders find peace with calming and self-soothing skills through relaxation exercises.

We’ve seen these benefits firsthand in kids we work with. We see it in the smile and laughter of a little boy with sensory processing challenges as he wiggles and squirms around the floor in a yoga mat burrito roll. We witness it in the balance of a young girl with cerebral palsy seated in easy pose when before she could only W-sit, or when her rigid, hypertonic muscles find openness and release. And as a parent of a child with Down’s syndrome, we get to experience it almost daily as we watch our little girl in Downward Dog, Wide-Legged Forward Folds, and in Supported Seated and Reclining Twists.

This is the magic of yoga.

As we practice yoga, we’re not treating disabilities; we’re helping to unlock ability. In yoga, the quiet can commune their voices, the sedentary can discover motion, and those in pain can find some release. For the important things in life, we find the individuals and families we share space with have plenty to give to the world. They are our teachers. Yoga is simply the language we speak to learn from one another.

An Interview with Dianne Bondy

BY TRACEY L. KELLEY

YOGA MEDIA SENSATION DIANNE BONDY HAS A MISSION: TO HELP PEOPLE FIND FREEDOM, SELF-EXPRESSION, AND SELFLOVE IN THEIR YOGA PRACTICE. A passionate spokesperson for diversity in yoga and yoga for larger bodies, she’s a popular contributor to multiple media outlets; develops positive body image messaging through Instagram challenges such as #propitup and #showmeyourasana; creates books, webcasts, and DVDs; and attracts thousands of practitioners to her online classes, workshops, and festival appearances throughout North America. We caught up with her shortly after her workshop at the Minneapolis Yoga Conference this spring.

YogaIowa (YI): When were you first attracted to yoga, and how did regular practice make an impact?

Dianne Bondy (DB): My mom introduced me to yoga when I was three. She needed some peace and quiet, and yoga created that space. She had three children under the age of four and didn’t drive. My parents are from Barbados and were relatively new to Canada. I am sure they felt outof-sorts and isolated. My dad worked full time, so Mom used yoga to help her navigate being a new mother.

My regular practice made a big impact on my outlook on life, feeling good in my body, and helping me figure out my purpose. Yoga saved me from depression. Yoga helped me find peace and understanding. Yoga helped me develop compassion towards myself and others.

YI: How do you use yoga’s ability for healing and compassion to help people cultivate a positive body image?

DB: Yoga is a great equaliser for me. Yoga has no size or ethnicity. You don’t need money, special clothing, or a lot of time (all contrary to popular belief) to take a few minutes to connect with your breath and soul. Yoga is a practice that is for you and about you. It frees your mind

and creates a movement which, for me, heightened my awareness of my body’s ability to move and feel good.

That connection helped change the way I felt about my body and cultural body image ideas. In yoga practice, I wasn’t competing with anyone. I could just find peace.

I am all about shifting the paradigm of self-hate to one of self-acceptance. Radical self-acceptance is when you step into your own power and not give a sh*t about what others say about you. My motto is #doyou, be you, and embrace you.

When I made peace with myself and my body, I wanted to share those feelings with others, and that’s what inspired me to start teaching. I teach from the perspective of self-acceptance, and that resonates with my students.

I am blessed to watch students make connections with their breath and overcome their own body shame. When people see a fat girl doing yoga and a fat person loving their body, it gives them permission to do the same!

YI: How do you see yoga evolving?

DB: I see the images of yoga becoming less about beauty and more about self-acceptance. The body positive movement is on fire right now! As long as the message about body positivity and ultimately, fat acceptance, stays on point, it will continue to flourish. We need to be aware of people trying to profit from body positivity without doing the work to shift the culture.

YI: Please detail The Santosha Project.

DB: It’s about learning the art of self-acceptance. We use yoga, meditation, journaling, and discussion to overcome our feeling of shame and inadequacy, and to form a connection to vulnerability and courage to confront old ideas and conditioning. We learn to step into our own power and start to love ourselves.

I’ve redesigned the course with my friend and colleague, Dr. Beth Berlia, a women’s studies professor, who focuses her teaching on mindfulness. The course relaunches later this summer as the Self-Love Project.

Yoga is a mirror or snapshot of what we see in the world at large. The privileged few are being represented on the mat. Those who don’t fit the idealised standards of beauty (for example: white, cisgendered, thin, flexible, able-bodied, wealthy, and beautiful) and the underserviced, such as people who are poor or have disabilities, are marginalised. If we are indeed practising yoga, we will allow everyone to join us on the mat! Yoga studios will no longer be exclusive clubs that discriminate based on ability and wealth. Yoga will transcend capitalist ideals and become about the people who need it and practice it.

Learn more about Dianne Bondy and the Self-Love Project at diannebondyyoga.com and her new online studio, yogasteya.com

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your body WE RECEIVED EXTRAORDINARY RESPONSES WHEN WE ASKED YOU TO SHARE YOUR STORIES OF BODY IMAGE AND YOGA. WE ASKED:

What sparked your interest in yoga?

How do you maintain a positive body image? how would you encourage someone else to practice?

From age to weight, injuries to attitude, each individual revealed an insightful, personal journey, yet the underlying message was the same: through breath and movement, the true self emerges: strong, beautiful, and confident.

• SUMMER 2016

PHOTOS BY BEN EASTER, SARA GILL, KAYLIN HOSKINS, THERESA MACDONALD, KIRSTIN POPE, AND BOBBI SCHMELING

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COVER S TOR Y

Michele Chillook 37, Dubuque • Practices and teaches at Body & Soul Wellness Center

When I took my first class, the teacher’s friendly nature, teaching style and sequencing—and I’ll be honest, her British accent!—felt so natural and helped me get into the practice, which I have come to know as “getting into my body.” The feeling remained for nearly a week in muscles that I hadn’t any memory of ever using, and that was so cool! I didn’t get it at the time but I felt alive!

I slowly built up to a regular daily practice.

The poses felt very natural to me. I really loved the spiritual connection that I found within the physical practice, but it took me a while to feel like I really belonged there, even though I knew in my heart that I had found home. I was young and green. Everyone knew each other. I wanted to be a part of that.

I have to admit that esthetics are big, too! The scents, the music, the colors of the room—that stuff matters to me!

It all drew me in, where the gym setting has always been too... opposite. But I have found that the teacher makes a difference in that. I really go for the people, my sangha, and the shared sacred space, the energy, the connection.

And I recreate that at home with my 5-year-old son.

Yoga allows me to feel empowered in the inherent introversion within the practice itself. As an artist, I tend to focus on externals, and my yoga practice keeps me focused inward, and on the breath. Because of this, I am better at being myself and bringing my passions into my work. I feel more, balance my intuition, and expand my intellect.

(left) 60, Iowa City • Practices at Heartland Studio In November, 2000, I suffered a traumatic brain injury after a devastating fall down the basement stairs and onto a concrete floor. I probably should not have survived that fall.

Before the surgery, my physician sent me home to “put my affairs in order.’’ After the surgery, I awakened to the realities of living with a wounded brain. I began yoga a few years later, terribly frightened and desperately hopeful that it would help me to regain a sense of being, of presence, in my body and that it might help me in the daily struggle to rediscover balance on my feet.

Sixteen years ago, I hoped yoga might keep me from walking into walls when I intended the doorway, that it might help with the sudden tumbles that happened frequently. And it did, somewhat, but most of all, it introduced me to a community of compassion, where despite my wounded brain and injured self, I began to feel welcomed and embraced.

In 2011, I underwent spinal surgery to remove a cyst on my spinal column. For the five years prior, yoga kept me moving and walking and teaching, despite the escalating pain. I returned to yoga in November 2012 on the prescription of my orthopedic surgeon; yoga was my best chance at preventing that cyst from returning. At Heartland Studio, I discovered a yogic community that combines practice with philosophy and compassion.

I believe my traumatic brain injury was one of the greatest gifts of my life. It has taught me humility, kindness, and honesty.

Yoga has taught me how to honor those gifts and this body of mine because of its disabilities and its challenges. Yoga teaches one to breathe deeply—into the crevices of who you are and into the possibilities of who you can become. Yoga teaches gratitude for the life one lives, and that, for me, has been the difference between defeat and triumph.

Elena Hicks

(right) 18, Des Moines • Practices and teaches at Power Life Yoga In elementary school, my mom took my little sister and me to the occasional Saturday morning kids’ yoga class at Fire House Yoga.

Then in 6th grade, yoga was part of my treatment plan while being hospitalized for an eating disorder. At a time when I thought I’d tried everything and still couldn’t kick my negative mindset, yoga became the most healing coping method for me. It’s helped me let go of an obsessive relationship with food and exercise. Practicing yoga has helped me become less competitive with myself and others and let go of racing towards perfection. It’s taught me to tune in to my body and mind in a way that allows me to make healthy decisions on and off the mat.

I hated my thighs and stomach for the longest time. Yoga gradually guided the replacement of my negative thoughts with positive ones. Now I appreciate these powerful legs that carried me to a personal best at a state track meet and my strong core that lets me hold arm balances.

I now look at the stretch marks I was constantly self-conscious about as the badass battle scars that they are! Yoga really led the way for me to love not only my body but my whole self so that, in turn, I can foster healthy, loving relationships with others, too.

I encourage everyone I meet to try yoga. I tell them that whatever their problem is, yoga will help them immensely. I look at it this way: If yoga causes someone to turn inwards and pay attention to what their mind, body, and soul are saying, how couldn’t something good come out of it? And there are so many styles of yoga, everyone can find what’s best for them. This spring, I’ve convinced student athletes at my school to try yoga so they can stay injury free and be mentally stronger while performing.

• SUMMER 2016

Linda Bolton

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COVER STO R Y

Cindy Powers

55, Ankeny • Practices at Balance Yoga Lounge I started yoga after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013 and going through reconstruction in 2014. My daughter convinced me to try a private yoga class with Sandy Eimers.

I had so many issues at the time. I had range of motion difficulties from the reconstruction surgery and also needed a hip replacement. I had been told to never sit cross-legged and had not been able to so in quite a long time. But after my first class, I was able to sit that way on a cushion. And I felt peace.

In the beginning, I wasn’t comfortable with my body; in fact, I was angry at my body for getting cancer. But my self-image has undergone great changes, and over the past year, yoga helped me make peace with myself. The meditation, the comradery from others in the group class I’m in now, and the encouragement and modifications from all the teachers have been over the top. I’m now fully recovered and learning and trying to do the poses the “normal” way.

I think the peace and contentment you get from yoga is good for anyone. In my breast cancer support group, I talk about how yoga has helped me, and several in the group have tried it also.

Ellen Graham

70, Urbandale • Practices with Robin Bourjailly at Radiant Om Studio When I was 59, I was in a car accident. My left side had a lot of nerve damage and I had a concussion. My exercise program at the time was walking and doing some free weights. My friend and I decided to try yoga at the Urbandale Community Center because we thought it would be easy, something I could do. Well, the first time we did Downward Dog, I looked at her and said, “What the heck have you gotten me into?”

What surprised me at first was how hard yoga actually is. I was even more surprised how vital yoga was to my healing process that year. Then, when I was 64, I had my first hip replacement surgery. In recovery, I was not allowed to bend over or lean sideways for two months.

Walking was my therapy. Practicing with Robin gave me confidence in myself and in my yoga. Now, I have two artificial hips. The second one was harder to recover

from—I suppose because of my age. Slowly but surely, I worked back into yoga with the support of Robin and my yogi friends. Then last summer, I received a pacemaker.

What a surprise that was.

Yoga for me now is accepting some limitations but being exceedingly grateful for what I can do. I’m the “prop queen” at the studio—I love my blocks and blankets!

My practice gives me strength in an aging body, and confidence in every day. I have good balance and an optimistic attitude. My friends tell me they are too stiff, they can’t bend over or get on the floor. If I didn’t do yoga, I would be in the same place.

Anybody can do yoga. It’s a practice, not the finished product. My only regret is starting at 59, not 25.

Joel Rydberg

28, Johnston • Practices at Power Life Yoga Yoga makes me happy and I feel more outgoing. It has helped with stress and is changing my life. I lift and bend a lot at work. With yoga, I started getting stronger after doing the stretches, and I just feel better. I have shown people who complain about back pain some of the yoga poses I think help.

Angee Vinzant • SUMMER 2016

40, Ankeny • Practices Diamond Dallas Page Yoga (DDPYoga) and teaches at Aspen Athletics

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I first learned about DDPYoga from Michael Manna, a former WCW/ECW wrestler. Then, a few years later, Diamond Dallas Page, WWE/WCW wrestler, messaged me on Facebook and offered to mentor me if I committed to the nutrition changes and DDPYoga workouts as he instructed. I was hooked at that point. I lost 40 pounds in three months prior to having vertical sleeve bariatric surgery. After that, I lost more than 100 pounds. I’m now a part of the DDPYoga app and DVD series.

I documented my journey through photos, which allowed me to see the changes and be objective. But health isn’t just an appearance: it’s from the inside out. Now that I’m working toward DDPYoga teaching certification, I’m holding myself accountable. I’m very passionate about what this approach has done for me and suggest to anyone to at least try it.

COVER S TOR Y

Gabrielle Callistein

50, Des Moines • Practices with Toni Jacobson at Zen Stone Yoga and the YMCA I had an interest in yoga for years because I had heard it’s relaxing, increases mindfulness, and maintains good health. But I have 13 thoracic and lumbar vertebrae that were fused in 1981 due to scoliosis and felt too limited in the poses I could do. I tried yoga several times with different instructors, but they didn’t know how to best adapt the poses to my body, and I gave up every time.

In 2015 I learned that my spinal fusion was collapsing.

As a result, I developed extensive edema and arthritis up and down my spine, fractured vertebrae, and severe migraines. I underwent physical therapy twice a week for a year and committed to a daily program of stretching, strengthening, swimming, and walking. I significantly reduced my pain, increased strength, and became more flexible. Then my husband, who has practiced yoga for 16 years, introduced me to Toni. I was willing to try yoga one more time, with a lot of trepidation.

For 36 years, orthopedists had told me all the movements I shouldn’t do for fear of hurting my back—no bending forward, twisting from side-to- side, stretching without lying flat on my back, and so on. Toni debunked the “should nots” and helped me gain courage about what my body can do instead of focusing on what it can’t. I now do poses that include all of the moves I feared. Through daily practice, I’ve significantly broadened my stretching abilities, muscle strength, and tone, and my overall figure is in better shape. Without question, my body image and perception have been enhanced.

It’s absolutely possible to create a happier, more comfortable daily life that will make aging easier and more enjoyable. Yoga is a wonderful way to do that! Find an instructor that personally works well for you. There’s someone out there just for you.

Tom Crawford

56, Sioux City • Practices at Evolve Yoga and Wellness, {be} Studio, and Studio 83 My wife and I went to a new yoga and massage studio for a couples’ massage. Discussion afterward turned to yoga, and that’s when my wife suggested that I might like it. I will try just about anything once, but I was terrified of the thought of an old, stiff fat guy like me going into a room full of bendy girls in Spandex. That’s when Julie, the studio owner and one of the yoga instructors, offered private classes to us. That was eight years ago, and it was one of the best things to happen to me.

When I started practicing, I was 48, overweight, out of shape, and getting stiffer by the year. Being sore at first I expected, but how much I enjoyed class was a surprise, and it wasn’t long before I was more flexible, stronger, and more confident in my poses. As my yoga practice evolved, my physical health and my mental perspective improved.

My friends became a little curious about yoga. I tried to get some of them to go with me, but guys in my demographic need more than encouragement. So I came up with the idea of OFGY: Old Fat Guys’ Yoga. The instructors that I approached at first liked the idea but wouldn’t commit to teach, probably because it was outside of their comfort zone. Then along came Brian McCormick, a fantastic young man and instructor. Thanks to him, OFGY started over a year ago and the response has been awesome. It’s a wonderful addition to our yoga community and I’m very proud of them.

I encourage people to accept what their bodies can do and enjoy it. The risk is small and the reward is great.

Emily Gene Reed 82, Spirit Lake • Practices at Yoga Okoboji

In the late 60s, I moved to Spirit Lake, where most people hadn’t heard of yoga. So I started a class in my home, then taught at a Methodist church, and then at Iowa Lakes Community College. Because of a fundamentalist fear of something new, a rumor started that I was a witch and practiced Satanism! I taught for 15 years or so at events and conventions, read many yoga books, and continued to expand my practice. I also attended a convention where I took a week of classes from Bikram Choudhury—which was an interesting experience!

When step aerobics became popular in the 80s, I took those classes and felt they were worthwhile, but not as good for my body as yoga.

So, one of my former students and I talked our aerobics teacher into becoming certified in yoga.

I cannot do what I once did, but yoga still lets me breathe deeply; helps my balance, strength, energy; and keeps me somewhat flexible, even though I have two artificial knees. Meditation keeps me calm, positive, understanding, and connected to the wonderful intelligence of the body. Yoga yokes mind, body, and consciousness. It’s a spiritual practice.

I encourage everyone I know to try yoga. There are practices for every part of the body, from eyes to toes. One can start at any level or age. Some people doing chair yoga have never taken any other kind. They all benefit. Thank you, Yoga.

• SUMMER 2016

I lived in Ohio in 1960, when yoga was just starting to happen in the United States. A lady at my church left our community for three months to study with Marcia Moore, the yoga teacher featured in a popular book at the time, Yoga, Youth, and Reincarnation by Jess Moore. When she came back, she started a class at the church. I’ve been interested in metaphysical and Eastern philosophies for most of my life, so I took the class. I loved the breathing, stretching, strengthening, and flexibility of yoga.

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PRAC TI CE

WE ARE DIAMONDS TAKING SHAPE The “Diamond Body,” or vajra deha in Sanskrit, is a yogic ideal used to describe the end product of intentionally refining your physical body through the practice of yoga as a mean of developing your whole self.

Like the intense heat and pressure needed to form the pure, luminous crystals of a diamond, the physical and energetic practices of Adamantine® Yoga have the power to transform you into the best expression of yourself; body, mind, and spirit.

I invite you to learn more about Adamantine® Yoga, and discover how you can forge a flexible, strong, and beautiful new you through the fires of your daily practice.

— James Miller, Founder, Adamantine® Yoga

Yoga Beyond the Physical

BY JIM BENNITT If you say, “I’m going to practice yoga,” what does that actually mean? Are you stretching your muscles, breathing in a certain way, or sitting very still? What if you’re chanting, looking deeply inward, or just staying intensely present and completely in the moment?

According to the ancient texts, there are four classical branches of yoga.

Traditionally, the guru would teach the student the branch that they were best suited for. Oddly enough, none of them include stretching. Classical yoga consisted of:

• Raja Yoga, or the yoga of meditation, which is pretty self-explanatory. You take a seat and practice stilling the mind.

• Karma Yoga, or the yoga of action, is remaining completely present while you do whatever you do. There is no expectation of being rewarded in the future for your actions.

• Bhakti Yoga, or the yoga of devotion, is usually practiced by chanting to a higher power and offering yourself completely.

• Jnana Yoga, or the yoga of knowledge, is the practice of deep self-inquiry and asking yourself, “who am I?” So why is stretching on a sticky mat called yoga today?

In the 13th century, a group of radical yogis, led by a man called Goraksha, saw that meditation was being taught in India but without much success.

Preparatory exercises were being ignored while ethical and moral principles were overemphasized. These radical yogis followed the non-dualistic philosophy of tantra. Instead of seeing the physical body as a distraction to spirituality, they believed that the body could be used to accelerate spiritual growth and reach samadhi, the ultimate goal according to Patanjali in his book, the Yoga Sutra, considered to be the most important text on Raja Yoga.

This process, called hatha yoga, is a tantric elaboration of Patanjali’s eightlimbed approach.

The first step in hatha yoga was asana, or physical postures; shatkarma, or purification techniques; pranayama, or breathing techniques; and kumbhaka, or breath retention. Next, techniques called bandhas and mudras, which are physical locks and gestures, helped to seal in, redirect, and ultimately stop the flow of prana—your vital life force.

Stopping the flow of prana is the key here. Hatha yogis believed that when prana stops, so does chitta, or consciousness. If our awareness is constantly jumping from one thought to the next, we begin to identify with those thoughts. Instead of struggling with the mind directly, ancient yogis used pranayama and bandha to stop their breath and the movement of vital life force which, in turn, stops their awareness from shifting.

Like those radical yogis from the 13th century, I believe hatha yoga can be a very effective route to self-realization. My hope is that today’s yoga community continues to evolve and move beyond the physical body, but for that to happen, we may need to take a step back and embrace the traditional approach to hatha yoga by adding more breathwork into our practice. Keeping the physical body strong, pliable, and healthy is important, but only the first step. Controlling the breath is the real work. In fact, hatha yoga may be summed up best by the following quote from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, “By stopping the prana through retention, the mind becomes free from all modifications.”

• SUMMER 2016

Experience for yourself.

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TRY ADAMANTINE® YOGA FOR ONE WEEK FREE.

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In the Yoga Sutra, Patanjali says that we suffer because we identify with the mind. If we continue to focus on physical postures without including the deeper practices of breathwork and meditation, we are doing little to stop this false identification. On the path to self-realization, we need those moments of time that pranayama can help to provide where the mind is free of modifications and there are no thoughts, emotions, memories, etc. Those moments of clarity are little windows of opportunity where we are able to identify with the deepest aspect of ourselves and find true happiness.

Join Jim August 26-28 for a weekend intensive at the YMCA Healthy Living Center in Clive. The weekend workshop begins with a master class open to both workshop attendees and drop-ins. Four additional workshop classes focus on foundation, purification, rejuvenation, and going deeper into your practice. Register at dmymca.org/YogaWithJim

The Power of SelfAcceptance

BY RITA HENRY When we look in the mirror, we’re looking at our very best friend.

Unfortunately, it can be far too easy to make ourselves or our lives wrong or to think we’re not enough. Acceptance feels like the best hug ever and yet we fall into the trap of thinking that making “what is wrong” right will lead us to being happy.

MAKING

MEANING IN PRACTICE A WEEKEND INTENSIVE WITH BRETTE BERLIN SCOTT

SEPTEMBER 23-25 FRIDAY 6-8PM • SATURDAY 12-4PM SUNDAY 11:30AM-3:30PM

For instance, do you ever get unhappy toward a spouse, lover, child, or friend thinking it will make them change, so then you’ll be happy? I cannot begin to tell you how many times in my past I fell into the habit of getting angry at someone or a situation with the belief that my anger will make them change and then I will be happy.

Let’s be clear: it didn’t work. Life didn’t change just because I was angry.

Plus, it was insane for me to base my happiness on someone else and what they did or didn’t do. Looking to others to provide my happiness made it precarious at best.

The behaviors we learned to play out with those close to us get extended to people who don’t even know we exist. Seriously, have you ever been unhappy about politics, as if simply being unhappy will change it? How about a driver who just cut you off, either intentionally or with innocent ignorance? Do you think being unhappy with them will make them drive any differently? Your unhappiness is not going to make anyone conform to how you think they should be, so basing your happiness on their actions is just plain silly.

“Acceptance feels like the best hug ever and yet we fall into the trap of thinking that making “what is wrong” right will lead us to being happy.”

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Now consider for a moment that since your unhappiness doesn’t change the people around you, will being unhappy with yourself or your life lead to any of it changing or increase your happiness? Unlikely.

We would never consciously choose to be unhappy.

So what to do: 1) Identify why you are unhappy and what you want to change.

2) Explore accepting what is happening and being happy anyway.

3) Rinse and repeat.

Explore a new level of selfacceptance and download a free mp3 of Rita’s guided meditation “Love of Self” by visiting innerprosperity.com/products.

Once you select the “Love of Self” meditation at checkout, enter the code YOGAIOWA.

• SUMMER 2016

Waiting for someone or something to change so then you can be happy is essentially giving your power away. Life will do life and your being unhappy will not change it. With self-acceptance, you have all the power to be aware.

In awareness, you can choose true happiness beyond life’s circumstances and that is pure freedom. Happiness is possible through acceptance of yourself and of the world around you. Don’t settle for anything less.

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Afternoon Ayurveda Tips to Avoiding Digestive Drama

BY RENEE POSNER AND VAL BROWN The next time your lunch hour rolls around, keep the following Ayurvedic tips in mind: Eat your main meal of the day at lunch. This might sound ridiculous, but try it out! When the sun is highest in the sky, your agni, or digestive fire, is working at maximum strength. As the sun goes down, so does your agni. To have time to burn your largest meal of the day, eat when your digestive fire is strongest.

“What you eat becomes your mind. As is the food, so is your mind.”

Ayurvedic proverb

Nourish with food. According to Ayurveda, fresh, pure, and not-processed cooked foods full of prana, or life force, are more bioavailable for our bodies. Well-cooked foods are easier for our body to digest and assimilate.

When possible, avoid eating lunch on the go (especially fast food), and favor prana-filled foods. This may require planning ahead and packing a lunch the night before or in the morning before going to work. An easy-toprepare lunch: sautéed veggies combined with rice or quinoa, seasoned with one of our Organic Churnas spice mixes. If brown-bagging your lunch isn’t possible, find healthy, local restaurants close to work, and give yourself a few minutes after lunch to breathe, walk, and shift gears before the next meeting.

Mindful eating. Often lunch hours are filled with more than just eating, and we stand, walk, type, or drive our way through our meals. But to absorb nutrients from the food we eat, your body needs a settled environment to enjoy and digest lunch. When eating, bring awareness to the taste and source of your food, free from your to-do list, computer, and cell phone.

Digestion starts in your mouth, and when you take the time to eat properly, chewing and tasting your food, “well begun is half done.”

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Stimulate digestion. If you feel fatigued after eating or have weak digestion, peel and slice one-inch pieces of fresh ginger and keep them in the office ‘fridge. Chew on a piece before or after meals. If these ingredients are not handy, steep organic ginger tea—sip and feel the difference.

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Drink warm water throughout the day. When you’re hydrated, it’s easier for food to pass through the digestive system. Try switching to roomtemperature water, or mix the hot and cold water from the office water dispenser. Keep a stash of your favorite teas to enjoy throughout the day.

Of course, we’d think a soothing cup of our Organic Calming Vata Tea does wonders to settle a whirling, busy mind.

o .

• SUMMER 2016

To learn more about the importance of maintaining healthy digestion, we recommend The Prime: Prepare and Repair Your Body for Spontaneous Weight Loss, by Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary, Integrative Neurologist. In this, her first book, she shows us how to sharpen the brain, and smarten and heal the gut. (myvpk.com/theprime) For more Ayurvedic tips, visit mapi.com.

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T RANS FORM AT IVE T RAVEL

Beauty. Art. Love.

Inspiration.

BY ANGELA OSSIAN

me: fts I Brought Ho Three Greatest Gi , or , Muslim, Christian, Scientologist

• Whether you are a Hindu accept that we are a teeny-tiny anything else, we need to humbly l lead us to peacefulness. part of the universe, and this wil s can be profound.

• In a new land, the simplest joy lf is exhilarating, empowering, and • Conquering something by yourse enture trip to the other side of adv extremely fulfilling. My first solo definitely a confidence booster. s the world to a foreign culture wa

have a yogic trip to share?

• SUMMER 2016

Photos courtesy of Angela Ossian

i

was intrigued by Our fearless retreat leader, Jessa Walters from LEO (July 23-August 22) Get ready. Opportunity this particular Minneapolis, led our group of 12 female adventurers is circling like luggage at the baggage claim horoscope last on a safe and supportive journey for exploring deeper conveyor belt. The key is in remembering to let go summer as I was levels of self. of the moment that’s already passed so your hands about to celebrate a Personal enrichment and self-discovery extended well are free to grab this new one as it goes by. milestone birthday. beyond the yoga shala into cultural excursions such as: Plus, I had been operating at a super • Visiting the Holy Temple of Tirta Empul for a high RPM and really needed to hit the PAUSE button. A day later, purification ceremony in the natural spring waters. an email arrived with an opportunity to travel to Bali, Indonesia, in March • Participating in a mesmerizing Legong Dance 2016 for a women’s retreat. There are few pleasures in life as soul-stirring performance, which is an ancient Balinese and transformative as travel, so I signed up in a heartbeat for my first globemythological dance, featuring highly trained local trotting, far-reaching, trans-continental trip—solo! artists telling stories through intricate finger My 30+-hour journey to Ubud, Bali, started in Des Moines and ventured movements and precise footwork. through Minneapolis, Tokyo, Singapore, and then Denpasar, Bali. The • Exploring the stunning, emerald-green Tegallalang final destination was the Narasoma Retreat Center, roughly an hour away Rice Terraces and the sacred Monkey Forest. from the airport.

• Enjoying deep relaxation during My Balinese driver, Kadek, navigated tiny streets where there are no signs a 90-minute Ingham Reflexology or rules. Along the way, we encountered my first experience of the island’s treatment, which uses thumb deep sacredness for ritual. Traffic came to a halt for a funeral procession, movements as well as powder renowned for intense color and spectacle. Village men carried a funeral and a small stick to press tower, which leaned precariously at times as they made their way to the meridian points. cemetery. Kadek told me he knew the man, and I watched his bright, smiling face turn solemn for a second, trying not to reveal his sorrow. Author Unni Whenever I recall this Wikan notes that in Bali, to “reveal one’s heart, one’s true feeling, to people adventure, a journal entry from beyond your intimate circle of family and friends is considered shameful my first night immediately and selfish. It is imposing one’s own concerns on people who have enough of comes to mind: “I can breathe their own.” Within my first hour on this lush and sensual island, I witnessed a here. I can relax here. I know unique, ritualistic way of life on a deep, authentic level. that I am safe here.”

Narasoma Retreat Centre (narasoma.com) is a compound of traditional Balinese buildings carved from sandstone, located on a quiet lane off the busy Monkey Forest Road. Nara means human, soma means the elixir of life. Its open-air rooftop yoga shala was our daily sanctuary for morning retreat sessions that were filled with movement, song, stillness, sharing, oment: Most MemorabofleSilM creating, listening, ence and Bali’s New Year Nyepi is the Hindu Day exploring, healing, , gigantic, ferocious-looking celebration. On the eve of Nyepi ify caring, learning, h-ogoh paraded the streets to pur papier-mâché figures called ogo m fro releasing, being. d itte spiritual pollutants em the natural environment of any ring Nyepi, streets are deserted, the activities of living beings. Du ve hotel complexes. This is done and tourists aren’t allowed to lea believing there’s no one left into intentionally to fool the demons s, the demons will retreat. whom they could bother and thu e solar eclipse was visible in parts On the same day as Nyepi, a rar Pacific. Our group enjoyed the of Southeast Asia and the South Nyepi, a day for soul renewal as serenity and spiritual vibration of enon. we witnessed a rare natural phenom

E-MAIL US AT EDITORS@YOGA-IOWA.COM 17

COM MU N I TY + FAM ILY

GET TO KNOW AMY CRAWFORD Where do you teach? Sol Hot Yoga in Davenport, and two locations in Moline, IL: the Two Rivers YMCA and Shine! Yoga & Bodyworks Website: instagram.com/namastechubby Favorite yoga pose: I love Tree, or Vrksasana, because it reminds me of the balance yoga brings to my life.

Something you splurge on: Traveling One thing people don’t know about you: I was a kindergarten teacher in Cairo, Egypt, for two years.

Could you please describe the difference that yoga has made in your life? Yoga has taught me to enjoy movement, appreciate my body, and live in the moment, which has brought so much peace into my life.

zero residue zero worries

What did you find most challenging about learning yoga, and how did you overcome that challenge? My perfectionism and ego. I wanted to do everything “right.” Slowly, I learned yoga is a practice, and there is no perfect way to do it. My studies also opened up a whole world of yoga philosophy; it’s not just a physical practice.

What was your most memorable experience from teaching or practicing yoga? I will always remember the first class I taught on my own. I was so nervous, but the students were kind and appreciative.

Every time I teach, I say a prayer that I will be helpful.

Feel clean and good. Here’s $20 toward your carpet cleaning service.

We’re waiting for you at zerorezdesmoines.com.

What advice would you give to someone new to yoga who may feel intimidated? Go with a friend! It’s also important to find a welcoming studio. Take classes with a variety of teachers, and find what you enjoy.

Why do you practice and teach yoga? I practice because it’s a fun way for me to move my body, and it calms my mind. I teach because I want others to experience the joy and peace that I’ve found.

What makes your style of teaching unique? I take a “feel good” approach with my classes. I guide students through poses, and invite them to breathe and focus on the present moment. I don’t want anyone coming into a pose if it hurts or doesn’t feel comfortable. I am also a fat yoga instructor, so I hope my classes inspire people of all sizes and abilities to practice yoga.

your inner pharmacist professional yoga therapist designation through Integrative Yoga Therapy

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Integrative Yoga Therapy 200 hour certification

2202 west first street ankeny, iowa 515.210.8138 info@balanceyogalounge.com • balanceyogalounge.com

GONG FU TEA

®

• SUMMER 2016

140 LOOSE-LEAF TEAS | ACCESSORIES | GIFTS

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How has the yoga philosophy resonated with you? The idea of letting go. I’ve learned to see each breath, each moment, as a gift.

Upcoming Highlights: I will teach a self-care workshop at Shine! Yoga & Bodyworks in Moline on Sunday, July 24, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

lead instructor at

RETHINK YOUR DRINK 414 EAST SIXTH STREET, DES MOINES, IOWA 515 288 3388 WWW.GONGFU-TEA.COM

What inspires and motivates you? I am inspired by my friends and family, and motivated to take care of myself so I can live a happy, healthy life.

Photo by Angie Bogosian

SANDY EIMERS, RPh, C-IAYT, ERYT500

LIFE + HEALT H

HE’S SUCH A PAIN IN MY ASS I WISH SHE’D GET OFF MY

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DRAMATIC. BUT OUR LANGUAGE AND CHOICE OF EXPRESSIONS OFTEN GIVE CLUES TO A MUCH DEEPER MEANING. BY SHEREE CLARK ave you ever received bad news and suddenly felt as though you were going to throw up? Or injured yourself and spiraled into a massive depression?

Ever been weighed down by responsibilities and unexplainably gained 10 pounds?

True wellbeing encompasses all our parts, not just the physical body. When our emotions are in turmoil or the mind is bombarded with obsessive thoughts, our health is compromised.

The human body gives cues and feedback all the time. Sometimes we sense the signals immediately—upset stomach, aching back, pounding headache—but we are so often distracted that we miss the warning signs. When this happens we remain unaware that something is amiss, sometimes becoming seriously ill. It is possible to develop such conditions as heart disease, high blood pressure, or cancer from not listening to your body.

This is not to say that all illness is “caused” by our thoughts. The relationship between the mind and body is complex, and sometimes things happen at a physical level for which

I CAN’T

STOMACH THIS

there isn’t a plausible explanation. We may have an inherent tendency for health or imbalance; in some cases, genetics is a large factor underlying an illness. At the same time, we all have an amazing potential to heal and transform ourselves through our thoughts, perceptions, and choices. The body is a magnificent network of intelligence, capable of far more than what science can explain.

Maintaining balance between the mind, body, and spirit is necessary to live a happy and fulfilled life. The three so are interconnected that when one aspect is off, so are the others.

Mind Emotional health and wellbeing is a crucial part of the wellness equation. Stress can distort decision-making, disrupt emotional thought processing, and compromise the health of the human spirit. Depression, anxiety, and emotional disorders can prohibit people from living happy lives.

Body One of the easiest ways to maintain physical health is through proper nutrition and regular exercise. Those who make caring for their bodies a priority tend to have more

!

ANY MORE physical and mental energy, sleep better, and are often able to enjoy excellent mobility well into old age. Exercise can significantly aid in emotional wellbeing, while depression is often relieved by an exercise routine. There are many different forms of exercise—from walking to yoga to Tai Chi—and any form of consistent physical exertion can be beneficial.

Spirit The spirit or soul has a great effect on happiness and how people tend to view the world around them. Some people achieve a balanced condition through religious practices or services. A sense of spiritual connection contributes to a positive outlook and can give comfort and strength in times of adversity. Spiritual happiness can also come from secular sources, like meditation or a connection to nature. Spirituality brings humans closer to their true selves.

• SUMMER 2016

PEOPLE OFTEN USE IDIOMS TO MAKE THEIR LANGUAGE MORE INTERESTING OR

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COM MU N I TY + FAM ILY

Yoga for men

BY BRIAN MCCORMICK

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For men, the ultimate battle is our masculine ego, our peers, and the internal critic that coincides. I considered my life to be well-rounded and always thought I was fairly open to life and its experiences. But if someone were to ask me what I thought about yoga five years ago, I thought it was for skinny women, hippies, and “feminine” men. Not for me.

I was wrong.

From the very first class, it felt as though all the feelings and ideas I had troubled over became a little more clear and identifiable. I had been dealing with some personal issues with which I felt very lost, and as I lay in my first Savasana, tears were rolling to the point that my ears were filled to overflowing.

Now when I see other men in class, I know some of them are also dealing with their troubles in life and I try to comfort them without leaving them feeling awkward.

Sometimes, simply suggesting to let go of all the labels we have produced in life and all the fog we try to navigate through helps these guys find the clarity of what’s truly important. They hear this and have more than once pulled me aside and thanked me and showed through not only their practice but also in the yoga of life that they are also on that incredible journey of yoga.

And as an instructor, this is worth far more than any monetary benefits. I always tell people that I may not be rich, but yoga has made me wealthy.

“For men, the ultimate battle is our masculine ego, our peers, and the internal critic that coincides.”

In Iowa, it’s a safe assumption that studios feature predominately women practitioners. However, more men are showing up, and what’s inspiring is as they begin to “feel” the practice, they encourage other men to give it a try. This courage to step outside of their comfort zone, express interest in something besides the Midwest male stereotypical standard of pizza, wings, and football (which I also enjoy!), and face the possibility of ridicule is the triumph of who we are becoming. I believe as this balance of the sexes in studios becomes more prevalent, the war of the sexes will diminish and create the society and communities we strive for.

Yoga offers all students regardless of size, sex, or capability the opportunity to find a space of self-examination and discovery as well as healing and transformation.

Photo courtesy of Brian McCormick

THE ROLF METHOD

Body image is quite possibly one of the most complex avenues of yoga and human mentality to navigate. As yogis, our practice exposes the realization that we have to move into acceptance of our bodies, as well as our lives, in the present moment. That being said, I find it is nearly impossible to ever fully find said acceptance, but we try.

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Yoga and Body Image: 25 Personal Stories About Beauty, Bravery, and Loving Your Body by Melanie Klein and Anna Guest-Jelley

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A cornerstone of the Yoga and Body Image Coalition, this book features stories from yoga industry leaders, celebrities, and other notable figures on how to use yoga to develop greater empowerment and a renewed body image.

Stop, Breathe, Believe: Mindful Living One Thought at a Time by Dianne Morris Jones As much as we’d like to live wholeheartedly and honor our true selves, sometimes negative thinking gets in the way. In this book, Morris Jones shares methods to change thought patterns for the better.

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Body Respect: What Conventional Health Books Get Wrong, Leave Out, and Just Plain Fail to Understand about Weight

by Linda Bacon and Lucy Aphramor Nutrition and health experts Bacon and Aphramor debunk common theories about weight and health, and also explore sensitive topics such as homophobia, classism, and racism in relation to body insecurity.

Yoga from the Inside Out by Christina Sell Considered the first book on Anusara Yoga, Sell moves beyond where to put your heels or how to bend your arm and focuses on where to place your heart in yoga. Written to help people find peace and acceptance in their lives, their bodies, and their practice.

Body Image: A Handbook of Science, Practice, and Prevention

by Thomas F. Cash A comprehensive guide that brings together established and emerging theories and findings regarding body image, including pop culture, health, disorder, and gender. The expanded second edition includes body image in boys and men, positive psychology perspectives, and other topical updates.

Born with spina bifida, Glass, the creator of “Tending Your Inner Garden,” moved past the diagnosis, but still harbored feelings of unworthiness because of her body’s imperfections. A diagnosis of breast cancer at age 52 shattered that shell and opened her to a life of grace.

• SUMMER 2016

This Need to Dance: A Life of Rhythm and Resilience by Diane Glass

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NEWBO CITY MARKET • CEDAR RAPIDS BY OLIVIA KVITNE tanding tall and proud in the cute historic area of New Bohemia, a.k.a. NewBo, in Cedar Rapids is the NewBo City Market—a spacious oasis for food, entertainment, and community. Reminiscent of an upscale farmer’s market, City Market provides authentic tastes from around the world with a downhome feel.

Upon first glance the amount of food choices may feel like a glorified food court, but when you look more closely it is so much more. My first stop was to taste traditional Czech open-faced sandwiches and kolaches which the owner assured me, in his thick Czech accent, that this is the only place in the country you can find them served with such authenticity. The open-faced sandwiches are rich and creamy with a light spread and three different cheeses. A kolache is a traditional Czech pastry that is semi-sweet and therefore a wonderful light treat, especially when shared.

Walking up and down the two large aisles felt like a trip around the world. I passed culturally distinctive culinary specialties including La Reyna Taqueria, Zaytoon Mediterranean Grill, Dumpling Darling Korean Food, and a twist on American grilled cheese from City Melt Hand-Crafted Grilled Cheese— where a sandwich fulfills all of your grilled cheese dreams. Their classic grilled cheese with a farm fresh fried egg, caramelized onions and pesto is melty, rich, and messy in all the right ways.

Another delight I recommend is the tilapia bowl with spicy jerk sauce and a side of plantains from Island Grill. The tilapia is fresh and the plantains are just how you’d find them in the Caribbean. Wash this all down with a glass of wine or a beer-ontap from the bar or a fresh juice from Get Fresh juices, and your day has been made.

The cherry on top is that the prices are right. Fresh juice with unique food choices and affordability usually don’t go handin-hand. This makes NewBo City Market an economical weekly expedition or a regular stop to fulfill your grocery list. Consider just-baked bread from Rustic Hearth NewBo City Market Bakery, where even the flour is freshly 1100 3rd St. SE ground on premises, or hot-off-theCedar Rapids, IA 52401 pasta-press ravioli to cook at home from 319-200-4050 Zaza’s Pasta Shop and Italian Market.

In addition to the fabulous food choices, you can purchase unique gifts, such as cute garden decor from Bark and Bloom, handcrafted items from baby onesies to throw pillows at The Artisan’s Emporium, and something for your pup from Furry Friends’ Boutique. I always enjoy shopping at small businesses where it’s possible to speak directly to the owner or artist of the item that you love.

City Market is also a hub for a variety of community events such as yoga, roller derby, poetry slams, and Pilates classes.

During my visit, families arrived on bikes and enjoyed treats in the large outdoor seating area. When you plan your trip to NewBo, allow for extra time to wander along Main Street to peruse the neighboring breweries and boutiques.

Photo by Olivia Kvitne

“I noticed a difference from the very first session” Melissa Harris, Yoga Teacher

pleasures at the table

COM M U NIT Y + FAM ILY

BY LISA ACHESON

I’ve found that yoga can bring a lot of attention to my body, but in a more positive light. I’m less concerned with my proportions and

weight, and more concerned with doing right by my body and mind. Instead of “Do these jeans look good on me?” or “How many calories did I consume?” it’s how will this food nourish my body, how can I move in a way that is therapeutic for my body, and how do these aspects impact my overall state of being?

Each day I practice encourages me to embrace and celebrate my one-of-a-kind body, which makes my practice a true gift. We recently asked our teachers:

I was 58 when I started yoga asana practice. It became apparent that my body would never fully express most poses. Now in my 17th year of practice (you do the math!) my intent is fully expressing myself within the context of the poses, finding acceptance of my body, gratitude toward my body for getting me this far, and forgiving myself for not treating my body differently in the past.

Yoga has completely changed the way I see myself inside and out. It reminded me that I am strong, beautiful, and capable. My body can do amazing things even if I can’t do a headstand and move into all of my Chaturangas from my knees. My body is not the same as the body on the mat next to me. It never will be, and that is not a bad thing.

“How has your yoga practice affected your relationship with your body?”

JOHN JADRYEV

IOWA CITY

ERIN LANDSEE

HEARTLAND YOGA IOWA CITY

Yoga taught me that I am not my body. In class we spend so much time on asana, which is obviously physical. But yoga teaches us that the body is a temporary residence—an incredible, imperfect, messy, beautiful machine that we get to navigate for a little while. As long as I’m telling myself “My body is me,” I can never settle fully into it. When I know my true identity is the undying spirit residing in the body, not only can I inhabit my body with joy, I’m also better able to tune in and listen to the messages it sends me that help create a healthier, happier home for the spirit.

JAMIE BURCH ELLIOTT CURVY YOGA DSM DES MOINES

BETSY RIPPENTROP HEARTLAND YOGA IOWA CITY

I distinctly remember a particular moment in my early 20s, when the negative body attitude that I had carried around like heavy baggage suddenly changed during a yoga class. I had only been practicing a few years, and my Iyengar teacher had us in a Shoulder Stand. I was looking up at my legs, and was struck by their strength and power. For the first time, I was aware of being grateful for the shape and size of my body rather than trying to shrink it into submission. It was a profoundly healing moment, and marked the beginning of my journey toward creating a kinder, healthier, and more compassionate relationship with my body.

Please submit your questions for Ask the Teacher to editors@yogaiowa.com.

Good for one event in 2016 for which Prairiewoods accepts registrations.

319-395-6700 • www.Prairiewoods.org

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YOGA

at the GLEN

FREE YOGA • LIVE MUSIC • FAMILY FUN

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COMMUNITY @ 5:30 PM

YOGA @ 6:00 PM

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This FREE, family-friendly event will be fun for all. Activites will include yoga, live music, face painting, balloon artists and more! Adam and Steph Geneser will lead the yoga class with music by Brad Seidenfeld.

• SUMMER 2016

YOGA LED BY ADAM & STEPH GENESER MUSIC PROVIDED BY BRAD SEIDENFELD

Yoga at the Glen is an annual event held to benefit the Hannah Geneser Foundation.

This foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, was founded in 2011 to honor the memory of Hannah Geneser and to promote the safety and well-being of children through public advocacy and education.

All proceeds raised at the event will be donated back to the Hannah Geneser Foundation.

www.PowerLifeYoga.com | www.HannahGeneserFoundation.org 24