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New Yoga Hall | Angela's DVD
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Feburary
2006
In February Angela and Victor traveled back
to Mexico for their workshops in Zihuateneno and Peurto Moreles.
At Zihuateneno Hector and Norma Orci hosted the six day workshop
in their beautiful home.
The workshops there are limited to 16 people so there
plenty of opportunity for individual assistance from Victor and
Angela and time to dive deeper into each individual's own yoga
experience
The
next workshop in Mexico was at Villas Shanti in Puerto Morelos
hosted by Jean & Jack
Loew
January
In
mid January 2006 Angela and Victor were in San Francisco for
the Yoga Journal Conference. While there they also taught two
one-day workshops to as benefits for the new Yoga Hall that is
now open in Lesvos, Greece. Here are reports on the YJ conference
and the workshops at the Yoga Loft in SanFrancisco and in Berkeley
at 4th Street Yoga / Studio Raza.
The
2006 Yoga Journal Conference in San Francisco
The
conference was held in the Hyatt Hotel, downtown and near to the
Bay Bridge. We had a beautiful room with a
view out across the water, but spent very little time in it. As
always at these yoga conventions, you are kept busy with the
teaching schedule and then there are evening social events. We
enjoyed meeting old friends, Richard Rosen, Gary Kraftsow, Rodney
Yee, Shiva Rei, India Supera and her daughter Crystal from the
Feathered Pipe Ranch. Anna Forest (who gave a breathtaking
Yoga-Flow demonstration one afternoon), Meg from “The Loft” Yoga
Studio, who has assisted Angela in her class for women, and many
others, as well as making new friends.
Many months
before a convention you must send in the title and description
of each class you will teach. Not so easy to
know what you will do in a class almost a year ahead on a certain
day at a certain hour! We were asked to repeat some of the
classes we had taught at a previous convention that had been especially
successful. This was a challenge, as we usually try not to
repeat, but remain spontaneous and creative in the moment! It
turned out fine, as we were able to put a ‘new spin’ on
the themes and even discover more in the process!
Our classes
were well attended and produced a lot of questions and interest. Students
were intrigued and surprised at how different and internalized
our approach was from most of the other classes they attended.
Together we
taught a full day on “Yoga from the Inner Body”. During
the morning session we gave a general introduction to yoga
through the ‘energy body’, ‘rooting’, the
use of gravity, Rajas, Tamas, Sattva and the perineum and it’s
potential for awakening energy throughout the body as well as giving
us a deeper connection with the earth. The afternoon took
us into releasing and unwinding with front bends and inversions,
leading to uncovering the inner channels of the breath throughout
the body to calm the nervous system and evoke deep meditation.
We taught a
class called ‘Twisting from All Angles” – you
can guess what we did in that one! Another class was entitled “The
Breathing Body” where we approached asana and movement through
the breath, showing how to connect with the earth and open up into
a pose like a plant drawing energy from the ground. How to
empower dull or weak areas of the body with specific breathing
and how to enhance breath awareness so that pranayama evolves,
rather than yet another exercise to do.
Victor taught
a class on opening up the breath in the palms of the hands and
the feet in order to gain more stability and freedom in the poses
and move more freely as the energy flows through these channels. The inhalation and exhalation can be felt through
the hands and arches of the feet with a sense of closing and opening
similar to that in the nostrils. This class gave the students
a new sense of standing and feeling more connected to the energy
throughout their bodies.
Angela taught
a class called ‘Underground Rivers’ where
we explored the deep flow of energy through the body during specific
movements and asanas. By listening more internally, allowing
relaxation to occur in the posture, and then riding the release
of energy that is the natural outcome, we can dive deeper and deeper
into our ‘underground rivers’. This class ended
with a playful and circus-like exploration of literally pouring
oneself over a partner’s dog pose, into a backbend, full
arm balance and uttanasana!
Angela also
taught a class for women who have suffered sexual abuse. She feels that this is a huge area of work, generally
ignored or over-ridden in the world of Yoga. The class showed
how a yoga practice can be used to cover up old fears and wounds,
or it can be approached in a way that brings trust and compassion,
enabling us to trust and make friends with those places where old
fear and pain lie hidden often very deep in our body tissues. Over
60 women attended this session and the feed back was of gratitude
and requests for more of this work.
We
also visited the ‘Yoga Market Place’ of the conference
where vendors sold everything from yoga pants to Indian Miniatures. We
were able to buy a beautiful wood hand carved statue of Ganesha
with Parvati that will fit perfectly into the door of our Yoga
Studio in Greece.
Benefit
at the Yoga Loft in San Francisco
Jane Dobson
and Meg Whitbread held a Benefit in support of
Angela and Victor's new Yoga Hall in in Lesvos, Greece.
Angela
and Victor led day-long practice at The Yoga Loft in
SF. Jane writes:
The Yoga Loft in San Francisco has a relationship with Angela and
Victor that dates back to even before the studio opened in 2002.
Co-founders of The Yoga Loft--Jane and Meg--have been inspired
both directly and indirectly by their work and feel continually
supported simply knowing that they are out there. Amidst the backdrop
of The Yoga Journal Conference, this Monday afternoon benefit workshop
was attended by a core group of Bay Area yogis whom were happy
to sit in the low-key studio with Angela and Victor and be reminded
of why we are all practicing.
 Looking
around the room that day, it was clear that many teachers, bodyworkers,
and students crave the integrity, depth, and humanness they bring
to the practice. The purpose of the benefit January workshop was
to spread the word to the community about the beautiful new yoga
hall in Lesvos. Jane made the journey to Lesvos last year. Since
her return, she has been telling everyone she knows about the incredible
opportunity that Angela and Victor have created for us in Greece.
It is Jane's intention to return to Lesvos in October, this time
with more teachers and friends from The Yoga Loft in San Francisco.
Angela and Victor's work continues to be so appreciated at The
Yoga Loft that in addition to hosting them when they are in the
Bay Area, we would like to offer students the opportunity to immerse
themselves in the teaching of Angela and Victor in new home
studio. If you are interested in traveling to Lesvos from San
Francisco in October, call The Yoga Loft for group-travel information.
In
Berkeley
Here are Barbara Voinar's
impressions from Angela and Victor’s
Workshop in Berkeley at 4th
Street Yoga / Studio Raza:
Angela and Victor’s teaching is always groundbreaking with
their significant departure from the association we as yogini’s
and yogi’s have with what a “traditional” asana
practice looks like. Time starts to shape itself a little
differently, you start to experience yourself in relationship to
the asanas from the inside looking out. What you see as you look
out, not only at your shape but others as well, is a morphing not
only your vision but the physical form’s fixed identity with
the asanas.
Angela and Victor guide you to breathe life into the deeper recesses
of your being, helping you to open all the doors of perception
from a road well traveled and investigated by them over all their
years of dedicated practice. Angela and Victor’s deeply
rooted connection to nature presents you with the beautiful compliment
of both the feminine and masculine characteristics of each asana.
You may subsequently go back to your form of the asana, which they
strongly support you to do, but with it will come a deeper sense
of understanding, and a keen appreciation for knowing the deeper
terrain of your being.
August
2005 - The first year’s Summer Workshops in
the new Yoga Hall in Eftalou on the island of Lesvos in Greece
are complete and Angela and Victor are traveling again finishing
out their workshops in England, Ireland and the United States.
Several days ago I received a letter from Angela with a few
pictures.
Letter
from Angela and Victor...
Looking out from the terrace upstairs we
see these beautiful olive trees, their silver leaves like waves
in the sea, moving with the summer breeze.
From the other side of the terrace we see
the sea and the coast of Turkey.
This
photo is similar but taken down at the beach. The open sea to the
left is where our sun sets.
You can lie in the warm water that bubbles
up in the sea in front of the Haman (the little chapel like building
that contains the thermal pool) and watch the ‘big red ball”
descend over the horizon! Or you can sit under the fig trees at
our local Taverna (5 minutes walk from the Yoga Hall) and watch
it there with a glass of wine or a plate of stuffed vine leaves!
The
Eftalou Yoga house seems to love people and lots of people came
visiting. Besides all our students, almost everyday visitors (local
and from abroad) stopped by to see the “beautiful building”
that they had heard about! It is a happy house and the energy flows
freely through it.
We
held some evening meditations on the terrace upstairs and enjoyed
sitting on the warm flagstones and hearing the bird songs and sounds
of the sheep bells. It was very hard to leave and now we are in
London and I depart for the US tomorrow. This is the last big tour
and next year we’ll be “at home” in Eftalou from
April to November! Come and see us!
Lots of Love,
The Front Entrance
Guest Studio to left, Yoga Hall on right, Apartment above.
Yoga Hall, ready for this Summer's classes
And classes begin
Angela and Victor's Apartment
View of Eftalou Valley
Meadow and Olive trees behind the Yoga Hall
Olive Tree
Angela is floating with happiness in the new yoga hall.
This
Summer's workshops in the new Yoga Hall in Eftalou are possible
because of over five years of effort and intention of many people
who have participated in helping Angela and Victor bring the new
Yoga Hall to fruition, buying Victor's watercolours, hosting benefit
workshops, and in many other ways contributing to make this dream
real.
DVDs, Now there are Two
Angela's beautiful and inspirational "The
Feminine Unfolding" is now available in DVD. It is beautiful,
inspirational, spiritual, and deeply insightful. If you have not
seen it yet, do yourself a kindness.
Angela's second DVD is now available.
The title is "Inner Body Flow". It is
a is an introduction to the vibrant concepts
of "Inner Body Yoga". It allows the student to participate
at their own level as Angela instructs a class. Victor's beautiful
and illustrative watercolours are included to give extra illustration
of the poses.
Victor's
Third Yoga Notebook and Galleries
As
the Yoga Hall is underway, more good news is coming on Victor's
third Yoga notebook. Ganesha Press, has told us that the book
is now back from the printer and ON SALE now. Here is the review
from Yoga Journal:
"...
an idiosyncratic, uncompromising excursion. Van Kooten's own drawings
illustrate dynamic principals in our bodies, our psyches, and the
universe. His gift for illustration and penchant for poetic language
is evident on every page." -Yoga Journal
And, Ellen Toomey of Ganesha Press tells
us that Victor's book is a Finalist in the Independent
Publisher Book Awards 2004. See more information about all three
of the books in
Victor's Yoga Notebook Trilogy
Also,
Victor has completed a new series of watercolours for his Thank-you
Gallery. Victor's Galleries have been re-organized into a Ganesha
Gallery, and Gallery One and Gallery
Two.
Yoga
Poetry
New poems have been added, one from the
Women of Wisdom Workshop, and
several from Janet Hockfeld. These are added to an earlier poem
Angela has sent from the Harbin workshop. This all started when
a tall guy with wild hair and an infectious smile handed me two
pieces of paper at the Chapel Hill 2003 workshop. And then there
is the Ohio Poem from Yellow Springs several years back. Take
a look...
Victor's
Tea
At the Chapel Hill workshop last year, as he has done often in his
travels, Victor brewed up his tea for the participants. Several
people asked for the recipe. Here
it is.
Background
on the Yoga Hall:
Angela
and Victor have purchased just over an acre of land on the island
of Lesvos, Greece and have started construction on a
yoga hall. You can look the pictures
from last month and the previous pictures
of the final excavation showing the ancient walls and where
the coins and pottery shards were found. Victor has been sending
original water colors in appreciation
to the support people are giving in this project.
The
Yoga Hall on Lesvos will be a place where many future yogis will
be able to go to explore and expand their practice, as well as a
home base for Angela and Victor.
Donations, pre-purchases
of the Molivos Workshop on Lesvos, elections
from Victor's Ganesha Gallery or Gallery
2, or just contributions from your overflow would be welcome.
Contributions
can be sent to:
Angela and Victor
c/o Patricia Schneider
1350 President Street
Yellow Springs, OH 45387
Phone: 937-767-7727
Fax: 937-767-7366
Additional
News:
Nov 2005 -
The 2005 Yellow Springs Workshop
June 2005 -
The Yoga Hall Opens
April 2005 -
Getting Ready for Summer workshops
9-Dec 2004 - Windows and Doors
15-Oct 2004 -
Start of Stucco work
14 Aug 2004 - Angela and Victor see
the progress
7 May 2004 - The roof is complete
19 Mar 2004 - Roof is started
18 Feb 2004 - Second Floor and Start of
Roof / Sidney Wkshp
12 Dec 2003 - Enclosing the First Floor
20 Nov 2003
- First views of the inside of the Yoga
Hall
10
Oct 2003 - The First and Second Floors
take shape
25 Aug 2003 - The Foundation of the new
Yoga Hall
9
July 2003 - Work Begins on the Lesvos
Yoga Hall
15 Feb 2003
- Sidney Wkshp & New Yoga Hall Update
25- July 2002 - New Yoga Hall Update
- July, 2002
05- June 2002 - New Yoga Hall Update - June,
2002
29- Jan 2002
- New Yoga Hall Update - February, 2002
10- Sept 2001 - New Yoga Hall Update - September,
2001
27- Oct 2000 - New Yoga Hall
-Owen
Daly, Webmeister
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