Joni Yung, Author at LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health https://layoga.com Food, Home, Spa, Practice Wed, 23 Nov 2016 14:22:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 Radha Yoga Los Angeles https://layoga.com/practice/yoga/radha-yoga-los-angeles/ Tue, 27 Oct 2015 23:36:39 +0000 https://layoga.com/?p=13164   Radha Yoga hosts yoga classes for all levels of student in South Los Angeles. Los Angeles has earned the reputation of being the mecca of all that is yoga, with luxurious studios as gathering places of the well-trained and the well-groomed. For the yoga novice, however, the thought of setting foot in these hallowed [...]

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Radha Yoga hosts yoga classes for all levels of student in South Los Angeles.

Los Angeles has earned the reputation of being the mecca of all that is yoga, with luxurious studios as gathering places of the well-trained and the well-groomed. For the yoga novice, however, the thought of setting foot in these hallowed halls can be an intimidating experience.

When Radha Yoga owner Kaitlin Ferrell first moved to LA, she found herself in that same situation. While she craved a regular practice that would keep her body limber and her mind balanced, she felt uneasy going mat-to-mat with students in a group yoga setting. After getting by on YouTube and DVD yoga classes, she finally gathered up the courage to take a class at her local gym. It was only after meeting up with a very supportive and encouraging teacher that she finally felt worthy enough to join a class at a well-established yoga studio. Since then, her practice has blossomed so much that she’s now a yoga teacher with her own yoga studio.

Radha Yoga was created to be a welcoming and authentic community where everyone learns and grows together. Yoga classes and workshops are taught by seasoned teachers handpicked by Kaitlin herself; they include Hatha, Vinyasa Flow, Yin, and Sound Bath Restorative classes. The cozy second floor space is adjacent to USC, Pico-Union and South LA, and as Kaitlin observes, “It’s so cool to have classes where the (USC) students and the locals are doing yoga together.” She adds, “Beginners are offered modifications and the more experienced are given options. And since we can only fit so many into our small space, everyone gets individualized attention.”

Drop-in classes are $10; packages and donation classes are also available.

 

Radha Yoga Los Angeles

2316 1/2  Union Avenue #1 (2nd floor)

Los Angeles, CA 90007

213-948-5173

radhayogala.com

By Joni Yung, blogger-turned-host of the Yoga Chat with the Accidental Yogist podcast, who wishes she had more hours in the day to practice more yoga: yogachatshow.com.

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]]> CicLAvia https://layoga.com/community/destination-la/ciclavia/ https://layoga.com/community/destination-la/ciclavia/#respond Mon, 29 Sep 2014 22:11:10 +0000 https://layoga.com/?p=11045 Inspired by the Sunday ciclovías, or bikeways, in Bogota, Colombia, where streets are blocked off to automobile traffic allowing cyclists, pedestrians, and street performers to take over, a small group of bike enthusiasts banded together with environmental activists and urban planners to bring the concept to LA. After months of persistent lobbying of local government [...]

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]]> Ciclavia 2014 - WilshireInspired by the Sunday ciclovías, or bikeways, in Bogota, Colombia, where streets are blocked off to automobile traffic allowing cyclists, pedestrians, and street performers to take over, a small group of bike enthusiasts banded together with environmental activists and urban planners to bring the concept to LA. After months of persistent lobbying of local government officials and fundraising from private donors, they finally received the green light for the first CicLAvia on 10/10/10. Seven miles of roadway were transformed into an open space where an estimated 100,000 of the city’s residents were able to bike, walk, and skate freely while discovering parts of the city they’d never been to before. Since then, other CicLAvias have opened up streets in different parts of the city, including one that took participants from downtown all the way to Venice Beach.

On Sunday, October 5, the tenth CicLAvia will be held from 9am to 4pm. Dubbed “The Heart of LA,” this new route will be an exciting adventure for those who are unfamiliar with the Eastside of Los Angeles. It will pass through many ethnic communities, from Historic Filipinotown on the western end, through Chinatown and Little Tokyo, to the largely Latino-populated communities of Boyle Heights and East LA on the eastern end. Once again, streets will be closed to motor vehicles, with police positioned at intersections to ensure everyone’s safety. Hubs will be placed strategically along the route for information, souvenirs, first aid, bike repair, and food trucks. Participating businesses will welcome visitors with entertainment and special deals.

A new “CicLAvia Explores” program was launched to highlight the food, culture, and architecture along each CicLavia route. There are two more planned for the October 2014 event: walking tours of the Broadway Theater District on September 7th, and a culinary tour of East LA restaurants on September 14th.

If you’ve never experienced the joy of biking, running, or walking down streets without having to dodge speeding cars, you owe it to yourself to dust off your bike, dig your running shoes out of the closet, or break in a pair of walking shoes and join the crowds at the next CicLAvia. And best of all, it’s free!

For more information about all CicLAvia events, visit their website at ciclavia.org

 

Joni Yung, the Accidental Yogist, has been immersed in LA’s yoga culture for over 10 years and hosts the internet radio talk show, Yoga Chat with the Accidental Yogist on killradio.org. An avid bike commuter, she has enjoyed every CicLAvia and is looking forward to seeing everyone on October 5! yogachatshow.com/Twitter: @ayogist 

 

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]]> https://layoga.com/community/destination-la/ciclavia/feed/ 0 Hollywood Power Yoga: Your Sanctuary in the City https://layoga.com/community/studios/hollywood-power-yoga-your-sanctuary-in-the-city/ https://layoga.com/community/studios/hollywood-power-yoga-your-sanctuary-in-the-city/#respond Wed, 28 Aug 2013 23:18:50 +0000 https://layoga.com/?p=8604 Opened on June 8 of this year, Hollywood Power Yoga is an intimate studio located at the busy corner of Wilton and Fountain Avenues in the heart of Hollywood. HPY founders Liz Espersen, Sean Hanley, Caitlin Talbot, and Henry McMillan are yoga teachers and good friends who had a vision: to create a cooperative where [...]

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]]> hollywood power yoga webOpened on June 8 of this year, Hollywood Power Yoga is an intimate studio located at the busy corner of Wilton and Fountain Avenues in the heart of Hollywood. HPY founders Liz Espersen, Sean Hanley, Caitlin Talbot, and Henry McMillan are yoga teachers and good friends who had a vision: to create a cooperative where everyone, students and teachers alike, have a chance to learn from each other and experience their practice together. Formerly a small theater space, the interior was meticulously renovated by Sean himself, revealing warm brick walls and wooden floors. Classes are affordable and easily accessible to the residents and workers from the surrounding middle class neighborhood. Their students are a balanced mix of experienced practitioners and newbies.

Besides all-levels Power Yoga classes, the schedule includes Rocket Yoga – a more acrobatic form of Ashtanga – and weekend workshops. Restorative and 12-Step Recovery Yoga will soon be added to the lineup. As Liz says, “We’re an amalgam of Western fitness and Eastern yoga principles, not crazily dogmatic nor extremely fluffy, where everyone is equal.”

Stop by soon and visit their friendly and inviting space; your first class is free.

Hollywood Power Yoga

1310 N. Wilton Place, Los Angeles

(323) 871-4088

Hollywoodpoweryoga.com

By Joni Yung who is spotted with her bicycle are spotted at every yoga class, kirtan, and event in L.A. How does she do it? Ask her clones—if you can track them down while they’re busy keeping up with her. Listen to her chat with an amazing array of guests on Yoga Chat with The Accidental Yogist on killradio.org Wednesdays, 1PM Pacific time.

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]]> https://layoga.com/community/studios/hollywood-power-yoga-your-sanctuary-in-the-city/feed/ 0 We Are The Champions https://layoga.com/yoga-in-the-world/we-are-the-champions/ https://layoga.com/yoga-in-the-world/we-are-the-champions/#respond Wed, 13 Apr 2011 00:44:28 +0000 https://layoga.com/?p=3515 Joseph Encinia   Yoga On The Road To The Olympics...   For some people, it’s puzzling: “Yoga is not a competitive sport,” they say. For others, the road to the Olympics is paved with determination and the desire to see the practice become a fully integrated part of one of the world’s largest [...]

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Joseph Encinia

 

Yoga On The Road To The Olympics…

  For some people, it’s puzzling: “Yoga is not a competitive sport,” they say. For others, the road to the Olympics is paved with determination and the desire to see the practice become a fully integrated part of one of the world’s largest mainstream celebrations of human potential. Rajashree Choudhury, founder of the USA Yoga Federation, as well as a five-time all-India champion herself, is steadfast in her commitment to see “the athleticism, discipline, and grace of Yoga at the Olympic games.”

Whether you agree or disagree, love to see the grace of Yoga asana demonstrated or think it should remain in the studio, the championship is a very public demonstration of the transformational power of the practice. Current National Champion Joseph Encinia feels this is the case.

  LA YOGA: What inspired you to participate?

  Joseph: My thirst to be the best I can be in this life. Coming from adolescence full of medical problems, I have been given a second chance in this life with Yoga. After my healing; I vowed not to waste it. After six years of competing, the Championship is no longer 100% about winning or losing. It’s about proving to myself, and humanity, that with determination, self-control, patience, concentration, and faith, any broken-down junk mind/body can be changed to do amazing things!

(Each participant demonstrates some compulsory and some optional poses.)

LA YOGA: How did you select your optional postures?

Gianna Purcell

  Joseph: At the 2011 National Yoga Asana Championship, I demonstrated scorpion and peacock pose; I feel they demonstrate presently who I am. When I was younger, my rheumatologist and orthopedic surgeon told me by the time I was in my mid-twenties I wouldn’t be able to do much physical activity because of rheumatoid arthritis. I wanted to prove to myself with these postures that I would be able to go beyond the usual and do something exceptional.

I’ve been doing the scorpion pose since my first competition—in every variation ( entering the pose from locust, tiger, and handstand). Stamping my feet to my head symbolizes the removal of emotions such as pride, anger, hatred, jealousy, intolerance, and malice, which are more deadly to the mind than the poison a scorpion carries. Through Yoga, I strive to obtain
a mind free of these emotions.

I chose peacock because it demonstrates strength and balance, mentally and physically. The appearance of a weightless body defeating gravity on two hands is something I could only dream about when I struggled with my weight. Through the execution of this pose, I wanted to demonstrate to everyone who struggles with weight issues that, with determined effort, the body would even appear to overcome gravity.

LA YOGA: What message would you like to share with young people considering participating in the championship?

Joseph: Competition drives us to be the best we can be, and a champion in Yoga or any athletic sport is one who has learned to control the fluctuations of the mind while doing what one does best.

As it is said in the great yogic text,
The Bhagavad Gita:
Be Steadfast in Yoga, O Arjun.
Perform your duty without attachment, remaining equal to success or failure
Such equanimity is called Yoga.

Jeffery Rangel

  FINALISTS 2011

Men’s Division

  1. Joseph Encinia, Texas
  2. Zeb Homison, Pennsylvania
  3. Bel Carpenter, Colorado

Women’s Division

  1. Afton Carraway, Florida
  2. Emily Carpenter, Colorado
  3. Emily Vendemmia, Maryland


For more information on the International Yoga Federation Asana Championships  visit: usayoga.org

 

 

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]]> https://layoga.com/yoga-in-the-world/we-are-the-champions/feed/ 0 Coloring the Chakras With Restorative Yoga https://layoga.com/practice/yoga-therapy/coloring-the-chakras-with-restorative-yoga-2/ https://layoga.com/practice/yoga-therapy/coloring-the-chakras-with-restorative-yoga-2/#respond Thu, 26 Mar 2009 04:27:57 +0000 https://layoga.com/?p=4830 My daughter was sitting on my bed when I returned home from a Yoga class. “What’s that on your pants?” she asked. I did a quick scan for food stains. I couldn’t find anything. She pointed. “That thingie on the back of your pants...” I looked in the mirror and saw what she was referring [...]

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]]> My daughter was sitting on my bed when I returned home from a Yoga class. “What’s that on your pants?” she asked. I did a quick scan for food stains. I couldn’t find anything. She pointed. “That thingie on the back of your pants…” I looked in the mirror and saw what she was referring to. It was an embroidered design on the back of my purple Be Present pants. “Oh, it’s a symbol that refers to one of the chakras…one of seven energy centers located on the body, from your feet up to the top of your head. There are bodily functions associated with each chakra, and colors, and…” At that point, I could see her eyes glazing over. Yeah, I know, TMI. I’m glad she wasn’t interested in the details because I honestly couldn’t remember which color went with which chakra. Or which chakra controlled which bodily function. I obviously needed a quick refresher course. But where to find one? I then remembered hearing about the monthly chakra restorative class at Liberation Yoga taught by Constance Hart. When I showed up for class, I expected to find myself doing the usual restorative poses: stretches, twists, hip openers, backbends. But when I saw the rather large light box positioned at the front of the class with vividly-colored bottles neatly lined up on its shelves, I knew that this class was going to be different. And different it definitely was.

Constance Hart shared her background with us at the start of the class. She was initially attracted to Ashtanga Yoga twenty years ago; its demanding practice was a perfect match for her high-energy, goal-oriented personality. But when a friend introduced her to restorative Yoga many years later, she found its gentleness very healing and realized that it was the perfect adjunct to the vigorousness of her regular practice. Delving more into the healing properties of Yoga, she started to focus on the energy-balancing role of the chakras. In time, she felt she had to share her knowledge with others. And her restorative class ended up bringing together everything I’d learned about the chakras from all the Yoga classes that I’d ever taken. And much more. In the darkened classroom, we used our senses to re-energize and awaken all seven energy centers as we slowly moved up the body, from the root chakra up to the crown chakra.

Depending on the chakra we were energizing, Constance placed one or more colored bottles on the shelves of the light box. We were then instructed to focus on the color that resonated with us the most, be it the lighter shade, the darker shade or the more intense color, and absorb the energy that the color triggered. At the same time, we performed mudra (hand gestures) and pranayama (breathing exercises) to further enhance the process. Despite being totally mesmerized by the assortment of colors we were presented with, I actually had a hard time looking directly at the bright light for extended periods of time. I would look just long enough to visually remember the color we were focusing on, then close my eyes briefly before opening them up again for another look-see.

Besides color therapy, Constance also used aromatherapy to stimulate each chakra. She walked around the room, placing on our palms drops of blended aromatic oils that she had created. We would then massage the oils onto the appropriate body part – lower back, navel, chest – while quietly inhaling their scent and feeling the sensation produced by the oil on our skin. There were also times when she’d spritz the air around us with aromatic misters while we sat or reclined in supported restorative poses. Even if I found myself preferring some scents over others, I made a concerted effort to inhale each of them equally; heaven forbid that I’d end up with unevenly balanced chakras.

And while my eyes, nose and skin were busy absorbing whatever energy they could, my ears were also doing their fair share of the work. We chanted bija mantras, seed sounds or single-syllable sounds, to awaken all the energy centers. LAM… VAM… RAM… YAM… HAM… SHAM… OM… I swear I could almost feel the corresponding chakra vibrate as I chanted each sound. Constance later played soothing music for us to listen to as we meditated, and in some cases, she used tuning forks to generate the exact frequency needed to stimulate each chakra.

With all that we did that evening, we all felt restored and recharged. And in my case, thankfully reeducated about all seven chakras.

Chakra Restorative Yoga™ is a meditative metaphysical journey into the chakras offered at Yoga Jones (yogajones.com) in Ventura the second Saturday of the month from 12:30 -2:45 P.M. and at Liberation Yoga (liberationyoga.com) in Los Angeles the second Sunday of the month 6:00 – 8:15 P.M. Pre-registration is recommended to reserve a space. Students interested in a beautiful getaway are welcome to enjoy classes at the Conscious Colors Energy Center in San Luis Obispo. Consciouscolors.com

 

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