There were many reasons why I loved Whitney Houston.  Her voice was the soundtrack to my early childhood and adolescence, the vibration to which I connected to my soul. When I was dancing to her songs in my bedroom, hairbrush in hand, performing to the mirror which to me represented thousands of fans, I was home.  I emulated her sound, her interpretation, her lyrical majesty in my performances with only a sliver of a prayer that one day I could gain a mastery over my instrument as she had hers.

As I grew up, I began to understand Whitney on another level.  I was in Highschool when the news of Whitney’s addiction to drugs became public scandal.  Im not sure how many people can truly understand the depths of the disease, in fact I can with all confidence say that unless you have been to the edge, a place so lonely, disparaged, hopeless and helpless, there is no way.  It is a solitary darkness, isolating in its illusion and remarkable resolve to sustain itself while maintaining functionality in society…. but only to a point.  After some time, just like any disease, the cracks start to show, the clarity starts to dim, sharpness begins to dull, and even the most gifted and brightest of stars begin to fall.

…Love gone wrong. When it began, it was the perfect escape, a friend.  A casual relationship numbing out the loud voice of insecurity, judgement, doubt and fear, maybe even offering a healthy dose of self confidence.  The seduction is in its long game, as the disease knows that time will increase our dependency and in turn its power.  If given enough of it, freeing ourselves from its chains will be a war with as many casualties as victors.

After news of Whitney Houston’s untimely death, and tears poured out of my eyes as I watched riveted at the media coverage trying to make sense of it in my mind, I realized she had lost to her demon, whereas I had not.  I saw myself in her till the end. Battling with an eating disorder for the better part of a decade, I know the unexplained subconscious self hatred which finds you staring down the hole of a toilet bowl, the syringe of a needle, the blade of a knife or the timeless abyss of a casino, the worst part being in the knowing that this is emptiness, the addiction no longer protecting us with its charm …making deals with God for the strength to make it through and come out the other side, promising for this to be the last time and if you make it through to ask for help.

Whitney sang of love, strength, faith and promise throughout the three decades of her career.  Her music and artistry inspired and provided me with the fortitude in which to apply my gift as a means to forgive myself and find the courage to accept and embrace my imperfections, opening the door for the life, learning and service I am blessed with experiencing today.  I am deeply saddened that my childhood hero has suffered such a tragic fate, and though she was loved by many – loving yourself truly is the greatest love of all.

<3

Alana

After awhile, I started to wonder about Mysore – the style of Ashtanga where instead of practicing the full series led by a teacher, poses are given to you one by one as the teacher feels you are ready to accept them and incorporate them into your practice – both physically and energetically. I had always been extremely intimidated by Mysore – and was under the false impression that you needed to be at a certain advanced level to even begin. It is absolutely meant for all levels of practitioners. If you’ve never practiced Ashtanga before your practice might be short to begin – as you also need to be able to memorize the sequence that has been given to you and continue to practice it in the same order before the teacher adds additional postures. The structure is a little different than what you might be used to – you come in, set up your mat, and go. At first, the room seemed too quiet. It was almost distracting and I felt so alone with my experience – without a teacher guiding and counting my breath, cueing, and filling the room with sound and instruction. But very quickly I began to appreciate the silence. I fully let my breath guide my movement – breathing in to lengthen, breathing out to twist or fold more deeply. It was incredible. I had time. So much time to breathe. Time to really begin exploring the shape of the postures within my own body, how they felt to me, that day and in that moment. Time to go further and deeper if I wanted, and to hold back and take extra breaths when I felt I needed them. In essence, you learn to become your own teacher and to guide yourself through the sequence. But you’re never alone. Alana was and is always there – offering expertise and her guidance as needed, providing suggestions and adjustments, answering my questions, helping work through areas of injury and tension, and holding a space where I continue to feel safe and nurtured.

This is only the beginning of my Mysore journey, a practice I hope to persevere for many years to come, and I feel grateful and blessed to have found both a strong, knowledgeable teacher and a beautiful community in which to practice.

While I was resting in savasana (final relaxation) today, I reflected upon how different and challenging many of the “beginner” postures I have been practicing for years have been feeling lately. My personal Ashtanga yoga practice requires I practice the same sequence of poses every day, occasionally adding in new postures guided by the discretion of my teacher, based on an intelligent system and sequence intended to  support each individual’s health, age, stamina and lifestyle.  I choose to teach this same system in my classes, because I believe it to be the most effective and transformative vehicle through which to gain the benefits of yoga on a physical, subtle and emotional level.

In this style of yoga, its easy to get caught up with the “new poses”, as there is a certain level of excitement and confidence gained from the notion of being validated that we are going somewhere or moving forward in some way.  But really, where are we going? Is there really a forward, a stagnant, or a backward?  Are we really ever moving in a linear direction or is that just some idea that our mind has conjured up to make sense out of existing at all?

Today, when I was thinking about how much newer, different and challenging the older poses felt in my body in relation to when I began practicing, and how much they continue to teach me something new every year even though the outline and label remains relatively the same, I realized how circular and vibrational everything is.  How it is a disservice to ourselves and our growth as people to assume that there is anywhere to go or that one experience can offer more gains than another.  The truth is there is newness and inspiration to be had in every experience regardless if it’s repetitive, old, or undefined by language.  Our only job is to use our lives and our practice to cultivate the humility, curiosity and patience to notice.

<3

Alana

- Mary Oliver

For questions, updates and to join our mailing list email info@sanghayoganyc.com

A Sangha Shabbat

6:30-745 Traditional Vinyasa Flow* (led by Hanniel Levenson)
8-9:15 Sabbath Practice

Pre-register for class here

Join the mixed multitude in the continuum of the mythical mystical paths of the worlds traditions.
Shabbat is rooted in the sitting practice of distinguishing the sacred from the profane through chanting, teaching, and story.
Find your voice – Share your voice – Find your silence – Share your silence. Prerequisites are an open heart, an open mind, and yoga clothes if you are coming to flow.

Bring a dish of food, a musical instrument, or a libation for the practice.

*The Sabbath Practice is free, see Sangha Yoga Shala for yoga class drop-in costs with the option to pre-pay.
Come to one or both!

If there is one thing we learn as we embark on this endless road towards unity and nothingness, its that it’s layered.  And not the kind of layers, you can see coming – like a trifle or a cake, but more like a really good consistent hairstyle.  The kind of hairstyle, where the shapes and angles are so skillful and the layers are so perfectly imperceptible that what results is a wonderfully integrated albeit ever evolving masterpiece.

Yoga is the same in its natural state of flux, yet constant refinement.  As a student and teacher, I am motivated by the idea of the boundless practice.  Exploring deeper into the layers of my discipline, a common thread appears throughout many of the classes I’ve attended over the years – this being the intention of transcending boundaries.  As we move through a class, guided by an instructor, we are encouraged to come to the edge of our understanding of ourselves and our perceived limitations and go further – confront fear, judgement, uncertainty, and imperfection head on.  Swim in the supportive waters of surrender and compassion and allow faith to lead us into another hidden layer of the practice – A place where the opportunity to begin and refine the cycle again awaits.

It was during one of these times that I had a thought.  Yoga teaches us to expand our consciousness – be in the world and of the world at the same time.  Perceive the big picture with the same precision as the small picture. I wondered if its possible that after years of transcending boundaries in a space supported and constructed by someone else – had this experience now become the boundary itself?  Was I at my edge and if so, where to go from here?

An introduction to Mysore-style ashtanga yoga gifted me with the endless ‘edge’ I have been seeking by providing a foundation in which there is no ceiling – there is no organized time limit or choreography with a start and an end. The structure of a class is a supervised self – practice to be invested in over a lifetime in which the postures serve as an opportunity to practice a breathing system which only commence when breathing is no longer.  Without a traditional instructor leading the class, a set series of postures are taught sequentially and conscientiously by a trusted teacher over time one on one, while being practiced at an individual pace during the allotted class hours amongst other practitioners practicing the same system. A teacher, present at all times to assist and answer questions if needed, allows for the flexibility and personal accountability to truly experience the expansiveness of boundless practice.

<3

Alana

Vinyasa with Malka at 10:30am

Anusara with Hannah at 12:00 pm

Sunday January 1st

*SPECIAL CLASS* Guided Ashtanga Full Primary Series at 3pm

$10 drop-in (*members bring a friend for free*)

* A traditional holiday feast for manifesting abundance, love, health and prosperity will be served. <3

This month long fundamental immersion program is specifically tailored to develop a well rounded ongoing practice under the guidance of an experienced and teacher.  Our commitment is to support your progress every step of the way from Intro to Ashtanga and Basics, to Ashtanga Primary Series and Vinyasa.

Our specialized class schedule structure, including the personal relationship with the teacher at every level of practice, ensures you will always be learning, growing in a consistent direction and moving deeper into your understanding of yoga and yourself at a pace that best suits your individualized needs.

Our beginner classes are inspired by the Ashtanga and Iyengar traditions, guiding the student through the breath system of Ashtanga as well as the precision of alignment found in Iyengar.  We aim to inspire and support each and every practitioner while offering comprehensive and easy to understand introductions  supporting an informed and evolving practice.

It is recommended to begin with Intro to Ashtanga but not mandatory.

Investment: 1 month  $50 

Included in this month long Introductory special is unlimited access to Basics and Intro to Ashtanga classes only.

Alana Kessler’s Bio 

Ive been thinking about this idea of how sometimes the smaller things are bigger than the bigger things and ultimately refining and paying attention to those often “drive-by”details are the key to long standing change and achievement of loftier and broader goals.  To draw from the yoga practice- its easy to get caught up and overwhelmed by the thought of accessing an entire shape or pose.  Besides the notion being general,  paralysis by analysis can hinder the minds ability to motivate and try.  But if you focus your breath on a specific area or action for some time and then move to another at a later date eventually playing back and forth between them – all of a sudden one day you realize that you have achieved the “bigger thing”, and in fact it was the smaller things that were the bigger things all along.

<3

Alana

Through yoga we are instructed to practice brahmacharya, narrowly defined as celibacy, broadly understood as the controlling of the senses – meaning the practice of containing one’s emotional, physical and spiritual energy.  You may relate to this feeling as the need to decompress and spend time alone after a long week or an emotionally charged experience.  This is our inuitive selves inviting us to recharge and restore by tapping into and finding comfort in the energy within.  If allowed the space and time to reflect, a quiet strength will emerge and provide a sense of clarity, confidence and purpose.

Unfortunately, these opportunities of solitute are harder to come by in modern times where access to people and information are available at the push of a button.  The information superhighway and handheld computers have blurred the line between personal and public space and it seems more and more there is confusion as to where the boundary lays, creating a false sense of control, unrealistic expectations. and entitlement not only in regards to accessing individuals but also information and intellectual property.  Everything is so easy to attain and become an authority on these days, enslaving the mind to the senses potentially limiting the  ethical and moral compass of the human being due to the absence of discretion related to instant gratification.  The mind gets used to wanting something or someone and getting it with the flick of a finger regardless of the trespass- be it energetic or physical.

Relating to brahmacharya, this trend creates an extremely challenging environment in which to conserve and appropriately share our energy and maintain a sense of boundaries. Its important to understand and respect the energetic, intellectual as well as physical property of things and people so as to not deplete our own reserves and the reserves of those around us.  Be patient with the process and allow time for awareness, integration and assimilation.

<3

Alana