Tag: Yoga

Dying To Our Perceptions

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Dharma, Yoga

“Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible in us be found.”
–Pema Chödrön

The leaves are beginning to turn, a final blaze of color to close out another year of growth.  Fall is a time for letting go of old clothes, old habits, old ways of being.  Echoing Pema’s quote, each and every time we turn to face our fears is an opportunity to shed them.  To also quote my teacher, Jennifer Prugh, we continue to “die to our perceptions, over and over” until we reach the eternal, indestructible Truth.

This month we will explore the themes of letting go and riding the waves of change.  What does your world look like when experienced upside down? Do you resist flipping your perspective?  Why is that, and is it True?

See you on the mat!

Harvest time!

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Mantra, Yoga

Namaste my fellow yogi/yoginis!

My favorite time of the year is just around the corner–Fall!  It is the perfect time to contemplate how prosperity is manifesting in your life right here, right now.   The universe, your physical body, your mental thoughts, the objects and people that surround you, abundance both given and received, are energy bound in different forms.  This month we will be exploring prosperity and abundance, both physically and energetically, via our hips and mantra.

Mantra is a repeated word or phrase that is meaningful or sacred to the practitioner.  Mantra can elevate or modify consciousness, through meaning, sound, rhythm, tone, and reflexology of the tongue against the palate of the mouth.  Mantra helps us connect with, and embody, positive, meaningful, or sacred energy.  One of my favorite mantras we will be working with this month is “Om Gum Ganapataye Namaha.”  This mantra invokes the energy of Ganesha, the elephant-headed deity who is known as the Remover of Obstacles and the Lord of Beginnings.  Ganesha helps clear the way for success and abundance to flow more readily in our lives.  Below is a brief video clip of me working with this particular mantra.  And, just in case you were wondering–after watching the clip–mantra can also be silent!  Chanting or singing out loud is always optional.

See you on the mat!

Meditation Myths & Truths

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Meditation, Yoga

Truth.  No one type of meditation is better than another.  What matters most is consistent, persistent practice of a method that feels right to you.  We will be practicing consistency today, 2:00-2:30pm at Breathe Los Gatos.  See you on the cushion!

https://yogainternational.com/article/view/3-myths-about-meditationand-the-truth?utm_campaign=Weekly+Newsletter&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=32798269&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9Dx_s7Oh_Q-UtMXlxtezt6nrzvMwLh14Ofd_Lva_I8wRswj_A5YBMx2DjMyMZ5JIXWWc1EFyNQ0COSo-wDeOi077EIesHQokeoImRBKDtoEoCE7Uo&_hsmi=32798269

Summer Challenge

by Claudia Fountain, posted in news, Yoga

Looking for a fun little challenge this summer that will up the peace quotient in your life?  The Breathe Los Gatos 2016 Summer Games begin June 5th!  The Summer Games are a fantastic opportunity to check out yoga classes you’ve never taken, and to help you establish a regular yoga practice.  Full participation includes a chance to win some amazing raffle prizes!

Full details here:  http://breathelosgatos.com/?tribe_events=summer-challenge-2016

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Compassion in Action

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Compassion, Yoga

“Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded.  It’s a relationship between equals.  Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others.  Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.” –Pema Chödrön

Compassion in action begins with self.  Notice how many moments during your average day, when you are unkind to yourself.  Self-judgement, feelings of unworthiness, comparison of self versus another are just a few of the ways we are unkind toward ourselves.  This month we will explore the many ways we can soften the relationship we have with self and others.

See you on the mat!

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The Essential Breath

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Meditation, Pranayama, Yoga

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras outlines an eight limbed path to self-realization, or enlightenment, called ashtanga.  Ashtanga translates literally to eight (ashta) limb (anga).  Pranayama, or breath control, is the fourth limb, and one of the key components to both asana practice (the third limb) and meditation (dhyana, the seventh limb).  Breath both carries and sustains us during asana practice, and provides an anchor for meditation.  Pausing and paying attention to our breath is also very useful in everyday life, helping us to respond rather than react when encountering stressors.  Join me this week for dedicated pranayama practice, along with meditation, at our new time:  Breath & Meditation, 2:00pm, Fridays, Breathe Los Gatos.

P.S.  This video gives a beautiful explanation of the science behind breathing and its affect on the nervous system.

http://upliftconnect.com/breathing-in-yoga-video/

You Are Here! Mapping the Energy Body

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Koshas, news, Workshop, Yoga

I am excited and thrilled to be presenting my very first workshop next month!   Have you ever wondered if there was more to yoga than laying down a sticky mat and moving through a series of poses?  In this workshop we will learn about and explore the Koshas–an ancient system for mapping the energy body.  And, how we can use the Koshas to deepen and transform our yoga practice.

When & Where:  October 11, 2015, 1:30-4:30 pm, $55, Breathe Los Gatos, Los Gatos, CA

For more information:  Kosha Workshop, http://breathelosgatos.com

Yoga for Nepal Fundraiser

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Nepal Earthquake Relief, Yoga

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Join us Sunday, JUNE 28th at Mind, Body, Zone, Fremont, for a benefit yoga event to raise support for earthquake victims in Nepal.  All proceeds will go to the Yeti Foundation (www.yetifoundation.org).  Sunday, the 28th is also Global Give Love Day.  Simultaneous events around the bay area (https://www.facebook.com/MCYogi108) are joining together to raise funds and good vibes for Nepal.  Come get your yoga groove on and send some love to Nepal!

Yoga For Nepal Fundraiser

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Nepal Earthquake Relief, news, Yoga

In April-May of last year I was journeying through Nepal with my teacher and a really amazing group of yoginis.  I returned from that trip with a deep respect for how my fellow human beings on this Earth, half-way around the world, live with so little.  I fell in love with the people, the culture, and their deep, spiritual history.  The recent devastating earthquake in Nepal broke my heart.  The Nepalese have a very long road to recovery in front of them.  In service to that hopeful recovery, I will be co-hosting (with Su Wong) a yoga fundraiser later this month.  All proceeds will go to the Yeti Foundation and their recovery and relief efforts.  Please mark your calendars, and join us for two hours of yoga, meditation, and chanting.  Minimum requested donation: $30.

Sunday, June 28th, 1:00-3:00 pm, at Mind Body Zone, Fremont, CA
For more information on the Yeti Foundation: http://www.yetifoundation.org