I’ve started to do a tour of Yin Yoga classes around Philadelphia.  If you know of a good one in or near the city, please let me know (jacobshealing@gmail.com).  I just can’t get enough Yin!  It’s the perfect medicine for me right now.  As I learn new things about my Yin Yoga practice I slowly integrate them into my Yoga & Reiki class at Hawthorne.  This class blends Yin Yoga poses with pranayama and “mini” Reiki treatments.  It’s my signature class and I just recently started training other Yoga teachers to lead this kind of class on their own.  Like all creations, this one is evolving and I’m constantly in need of new ideas and inspiration.  Luckily here in Philadelphia I have access to Wake Up Yoga‘s top-notch Yin Yoga program.  Corina Benner has done an incredible job of expanding the Yin Yoga practice in this city with regular drop-in classes at 3 locations and occasional advanced training programs.  I’ve been fortunate to have the time (and money) to attend some of these classes.  One Wake Up Yoga teacher in particular stands out: Monica Kriso.  She opens class with call and response chanting, usually accompanied by harmonium.  If you aren’t interested in Yogic chanting you can just sit and listen – it’s very meditative and puts the mind at ease.  She then leads us through guided meditation and into the first Yin asana (physical pose).  Each pose is held long enough to allow my muscles to relax and my connective tissue to lengthen.  The entire sequence is filled with just a few basic grounding asanas (no balancing, inversions, warriors, etc..).

With Yin Yoga my body sinks into stillness and I have nothing to do but breathe and sit with my thoughts.  It drives me crazy at times but for someone who has a hard time sitting still and just “letting things be” the Yin practice challenges me in a way I’ve never been challenged before on the Yoga mat.  After 5 minutes in a pose I think I’ve gone as far as I can but then I take an even deeper breath and allow gravity to pull me a little deeper.  For me Yin Yoga is all about letting go and giving into the subtle earth energy.  The Yin Yoga teachers at Wake Up Yoga do a beautiful job helping me achieve this goal.

So where did “Yin” Yoga come from?  For starters you should check out the book pictured here, Paul Grilley‘s “Yin Yoga – Outline of a quiet practice”.  It’s a quick read and lends itself to self discovery with it’s “how-to” introduction to Yin Yoga poses and philosophy.  It gives you some great sequences to try on your own.  In my opinion it is the perfect remedy for the modern American Yogi.   It’s been a huge source of inspiration for me recently.  His argument is simple: We have primarily a “Yang Yoga” practice in this country which is out of balance.  I see this plain as day here in Philadelphia with the incredible demand for Vinyasa Yoga, Power Yoga, Bikram Yoga, “Gym” Yoga, advanced flow style Yoga and the like.  I admit that my Yoga practice fell into the same Yang trap and at times has caused me more harm than good.  I’m 31 years old.  I’ve been doing Yoga for almost 8 years and teaching for 5.  I am at a point where I want stillness, I want meditation, I want the essence of Yoga.  I want to sit with the peaceful glow that resonates through the sutras, asanas, pranayamas and meditations.  I want more Yin.  Maybe you do too.  Give it a try sometime and see for yourself.

Thank you Paul Grilley, Corina Benner and all my Yin Yoga teachers.  I am truly grateful and I look forward to expanding the practice even further.

I had a chance to spend some extra time reading during the month of December.  It’s usually the slowest month of the year at the studio so it’s a good opportunity for me to escape the city and retreat to nature with a few books and creative projects.  One book in particular took me for a ride through the washing machine.  All my assumptions were shaken to their core.  Everything I learned, in my pre and post-Yoga lifetime, was challenged and brought to new light.  I was questioning everything including my existence, my “job”, my interests, my “soul’s purpose”, my rises and falls over the past few years.  Dr. Donald Epstein cleans the slate in this amazing piece of work, “Healing Myths, Healing Magic.”  I of course borrowed the book from Hawthorne Yoga & Reiki’s free resource center located on the bookshelf just outside the studio.  I recommend checking out this book or one of the others available there.  Just fill out the card in the back of the book and leave it in the cigar box.

I liked his metaphor of the “stories that we tell ourselves”.  He made this amazing argument that our healing really depends mostly on creating better “stories” for ourselves.  In other words, medicine, herbs, exercise, experts, healers and doctors are important but it does not stop there.  He goes on to talk about the idea of self care and scanning the body with the hands and sensing or listening to what it is saying on an energetic level.  Epstein references Reiki and hands-on healing throughout the book but never calls it by name.  I like this approach because it’s universal and does not bind the reader to one philosophy or “lineage of healing”.  It also puts our health back in our hands at a time when outside forces are taking it away from us.

Donald Epstein’s book at times brought me to tears, at times made me laugh out loud and at times brought me to a stand still with that deer-caught-in-headlights look.  Dr. Epstein nails many key points and brings to light the many myths of our time.  His style is unique as he lays out a “healing myth”, a supporting argument and its corresponding “healing magic” in each chapter.  He touches on our social myths, biomedical myths, religious myths and new age myths.  Dr. Epstein, thank you for sharing your truth with us!

I would like to share 4 of his myths & magic here:

From “Healing Myths, Healing Magic” by Donald M. Epstein, D.C., copyright 2000, Amber-Allen Publishing, Inc.:

“Myth #3: Healing is Expensive.
Magic: The internal process that is mine alone is both priceless and free.  Although I may pay for a professional to assist me in regaining my health, the process initiated by me, within me, and through me is absolutely free.  I claim my freedom to heal and celebrate my own healing power.

Myth #12: Healing means symptoms and disease disappear or come under control.
Magic: My symptoms alert me that my bodymind needs more self-respect, compassion, and my focused attention.  They may require that I spend quality time with myself, or even guide me to change my direction and choices in life.  I patiently accept my symptoms as information, vibration, and pulsation, with a story to tell me about my life’s journey.

Myth #20: Heaven is only available after this life.
Magic: I accept the state of consciousness known as “heaven”, while living here and now.  I know that my body and my life are sacred here and now.  I honor my body and joyfully declare the presence of the Divine as it joins my life here on Earth.  Today, regardless of my circumstance or situation, I choose to experience heaven.

Myth #27: I am responsible for creating my reality.
Magic: I am not responsible for creating my external reality.  I am responsible for my internal state of mind, emotion, and vibration.  I am responsible for focusing my attention on my inner environment in relationship to my life circumstances.  It is my gift to become aware of the state of tension, pain, or ease in my bodymind, and to accept experiences – pleasant or unpleasant – with nonjudgement and love.”

Visit Donald Epstein’s website: http://www.donaldepstein.com/

A huge THANK YOU goes out to Wes Kays-Henry for volunteering his time to take these pictures at the Hawthorne Studio.  There are some from a Reiki 1 student clinic and some from my Wednesday night Yoga & Reiki class.

I’m still enrolling students in Reiki Level One Certification the first full weekend in January.  We’ll meet from 9:00am to 7:00pm on Saturday, January 7 and Sunday, January 8 with an hour and half lunch break.  At the end of the weekend you will be a certified Reiki practitioner and you’ll be able to practice Reiki on yourself and others anytime you want!  People learn Reiki for a variety of reasons – to support emotional or physical healing, to explore the “spiritual” or “energy body”, to enhance career options or simply out of curiosity for the Japanese art of palm healing brought to us by Mikao Usui.

Reiki is a natural energy healing system from Japan which uses light touch to facilitate healing on many levels.

This course will include:

4 Reiki Attuentments
A Basic History of Reiki and Japanese Culture
Introduction to Chakras, Auras and human Energy Systems
Introduction to Other Modalities of “energywork” and Natural Healing Systems
Brief Exploration of Crystals, Meditation, Intuitive Card Readings and Breathing Techniques
Best Business Practices, Ethics, Legalities, Support and Ideas to Start Your Own Professional Reiki Practice
Hands-on Experience in a Student Reiki Clinic

I am still enrolling students in “Poses, Principles & Pranayama”, a Beginner Yoga series which meets 4 consecutive Friday nights in January (8 hours total).  I will lead you through some basic Yoga sequences, breathing exercises, meditations, cleansing techniques and Yoga lifestyle changes which you can easily take home with you.  We will be setting our intentions for the new year and reading from some of the classic Yoga books and literature.  This course is designed for those who are new to Yoga or those who are looking to re-activate their dormant Yoga practice.  There are still a few spots available.  The cost is just $75 for the entire course.  Full course description is available HERE.

Questions & Sign-Up: jacobshealing@gmail.com

I am putting the finishing touches on my new manual, “Reiki for Yoga Teachers: Jacobs Healing Method”.  Once complete, it will be my first official publication and the primary text for my continuing education program for Yoga teachers launching in January 2012.  While this course is specifically designed for certified Yoga teachers, the general principles are for anyone with whom it resonates.  I would like to share the opening pages of the manual with you here:

My intention with this manual is to bring the Japanese art of Reiki to a larger audience, especially Yoga students and Yoga teachers.  I have seen over the past 2 years hundreds of people experience Reiki for the first time in my “Yoga & Reiki” combined class at the Hawthorne Yoga & Reiki studio in South Philadelphia and I see how it is opening up a whole new Reiki community.  This has inspired me to expand the course offerings to include “Intermediate Yoga & Reiki”, “Kundalini Yoga & Reiki”, ”Beginner Yoga & Reiki” and most recently “Reiki for Yoga Teachers: Jacobs Healing Method”.  Thank you for joining me on this journey.  The manual you are holding is the culmination of 3 years of intense study, experimentation, prayer, trial and error and collaboration with teachers, healers, artists and Yoga students.

I was first attuned to Reiki in February 2009 by my Reiki teacher Danielle Stimpson.  At the time I had a regular Yoga practice and was teaching Yoga classes at various locations around the city.  Within weeks of learning Reiki I started offering “mini” Reiki sessions to my Yoga students during savasana, the final resting pose at the end of the most Yoga classes.  In the fall of 2009 I decided to offer a Yoga & Reiki combined class.  The class was placed on the schedule at the Hawthorne studio on Monday mornings as a regular drop-in class and I was fortunate to have the assistance of Reiki Master Sabina Trandafir.  Attendance was low at first but with persistence we had a steady following – not an easy task for a weekday class offering.  It was not until early 2011 that I began teaching the combined Yoga & Reiki class on weeknights and weekends.  This shift allowed a whole new group of people to experience it – those that were working Monday mornings.  Shortly after I noticed other Yoga teachers around Philadelphia were starting to imitate my idea.  I was flattered and it pushed me to create a special training program to expand this idea to more Yoga teachers, Yoga students and Yoga studios.

My Yoga practice began in July 2005 within weeks of moving to Philadelphia.  This practice has included several styles of Yoga since then: Kundalini, Yin, Iyengar, Jivamukti and Hatha.  However the lion’s share of my practice, both teaching and personal, has been devoted to Vinyasa Yoga.  At the time I discovered Yoga I did not have a regular exercise routine so naturally the asanas presented in my first Vinyasa classes were powerful and caused me to to study further.  I had no idea Yoga could be so physically challenging.  I thought it would be chill, relaxing and meditative.  It does embody these elements but, WOW, it also increases your heartrate and makes you break a sweat!  Over the next 5 years my Yoga practice went from one of a “cardio” focused practice to one of a “spiritually” or “energetically” focused practice.  By this I mean I was getting sensations which could not be categorized within the 5 basic senses.  Something else “beneath the surface” was developing in me and the result was pure joy and ecstasy bleeding into every facet of my life.  Simply put, I was experiencing a new awareness of the body. 

While I appreciate what Vinyasa Yoga has done for me and continues to offer others I also realize more clearly how it can be damaging for your body if done without proper alignment, attention to detail and plenty of warm-ups before attempting the more challenging asanas.  I’ve injured myself several times and learned this lesson the hard way.  I have also seen other Vinyasa Yoga students and teachers over the years injure themselves in what I would call an overabundance of Yang (active) energy activity.  Now that I am in my 30′s I have come to appreciate the passive side of my Yoga practice.  I am more interested in patience, stillness and a deeper study of a few basic asanas.  I am thrilled to see the practice of Yoga expanding in Philadelphia but I am concerned that these new Yoga students are pushing themselves too far, too fast.  I truly belive in my heart that the Yoga & Reiki class I have developed is a perfect compliment to a high-energy Vinyasa Yoga practice which gained in popularity over the past decade in Philadelphia.

The people most attracted to the Yoga & Reiki class at Hawthorne and the ones who make it a regular activity are a slightly different variety of students than you would see in a typical Vinyasa Yoga class.  While a Vinyasa Yoga class is dominated by mostly white women in their early 20′s to early 30′s, a Yoga & Reiki class is much more diverse.  My Yoga & Reiki students tend to fall into one of the following categories.  These students are either:

-New to Yoga,
-Restarting their dormant Yoga practice,
-Curious about Reiki but don’t want to receive a full private session,
-Feel intimidated by the Vinyasa Yoga “scene”,
-Feel lost or confused in faster-paced classes,
-Want to diversify their established Vinyasa practice or
-Prefer the gentler, slower, calmer energy of Yoga combined with Reiki. 

The Yoga & Reiki class caters to a wider circle of ages, bodytypes and conditions.  For instance, many students in my Yoga & Reiki class simply cannot practice Vinyasa Yoga because of an injury, physical disability/limitation or mental/emotional condition.  I want you to know that the main reason I combine Yoga poses, Pranayama and Reiki in one class is because it resonates with me.  If it did not, I would not have pursued it and I certainly wouldn’t be offering a more advanced training on it.  Please keep this in mind as you read the following pages and know that this is not for everyone.  You should only practice this combined approach if it resonates in your heart as the right thing to do.

Special thanks to the amazing Reiki practitioners that have assisted me with this class over the years.  They are listed here.  I could not have done this without you!  Thank you for your light!

Sabina Trandafir
Rita Tamburrino
Nancy George
Melissa Ameika
Danielle Stimpson
Katrina Brady
Nikki Roszko

I love failure.  I love obstacles.  I love falling flat on my face.  I love being humiliated, teased, challenged and attacked.  It builds character, toughens you up and in the end makes for a more interesting journey in this lifetime.  After all, how many times did we fail at the light bulb before it was perfected?  How many times did Steve Jobs fail before realizing success in his field?  How many times did we, as humans, try to fly, then crash, fly, then crash and so on before building the airplane?  Live and learn.  Trial and error.  This is the human experience and I love it.

I am winding down what was probably the most difficult year of my life.  I’d like to say thank you and send Reiki to 2011 for the roller coaster ride and lessons learned.  As some of you know I lost my house this year and made the difficult decision of closing the Kensington Yoga & Reiki studio.  These were, among others, the hardest failures to swallow.  However, as time passes I am gaining perspective and seeing the successes within these failing situations.  With those failures I have more appreciation for what’s left in my life:  a healthy (less stressed) body, a supportive network of friends and healers, a roof over my head and a blossoming Hawthorne studio.  I feel like I am moving closer to my soul’s purpose at a faster clip and as that happens I am wanting more and more to connect others to their soul’s purpose.  I am truly blessed through both failure and success! 

I had a conversation with a friend recently that somehow drifted into the topic of suicide.  What’s the point of doing this?  Living and going through these motions, experiencing the world in this body?  He said something that really stuck with me: “It’s a great story.”  I’m not going to say he nailed the meaning of life in 4 short words but it did shed some light on the question.  This life IS worth living and it IS a great story that’s worth writing.  When moments of darkness, doubt or depression set in this winter, remember that your life situation is always temporary.  Instead of hanging your head in misery, simply ask yourself, “How can I be of service?”  If you don’t figure out the answer, just keep repeating that phrase over and over again.  You’ll be amazed at how quickly things change.  Trust me, it works!

Thank you to everyone who stood by my side this year.  Here’s hoping for another year of (mostly) successes and some failures too.  I’d like to share my intentions with you for the new year.  In 2012 I would like to:

Continue teaching Yoga and Reiki, together and apart, at Hawthorne.
Solidify the Hawthorne Yoga & Reiki community as a permanent presence in Philadelphia.
Open up Jacobs Healing classes in 5 new locations.
Bring Reiki to more Yoga teachers and Yoga studios via the Jacobs Healing Method.
Teach Integrated Energy Therapy.
Devote more time to studying and praying to Angels.
Devote more time to studying and interpreting Dreams.
Deepen my GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® practice and begin studying at their New York headquarters.
Study Astrology, Shamanism and Sufism.
Learn how to surf.
Learn how to read Tarot cards.
Create music, sing and continue playing the bass guitar.
Bring Community Reiki Clinics to music festivals around the country.

Thank you for supporting my dreams!

Vist the South Philly Handmade Brigade on Sunday, December 11th at 1241 Carpenter Street, just up the stairs from Hawthorne Yoga & Reiki.  There are always some great gifts to be found at this one-of-a-kind arts and crafts sale South Philly style!  Snacks and drinks will be served.  Here are the details:

South Philly Handmade Brigade

Sunday, December 11th

12pm to 6pm

at 1241 Carpenter St.

For a list of artists, visit the facebook event page:

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=102084869906786&fb_source=message

Hawthorne Yoga & Reiki at 1241 Carpenter Street in Philadelphia is now recruiting Yoga Teachers and Reiki Practitioners for 2012.  Join a well-established, supportive network working together in a collective business setting.  Take free Yoga classes, launch your career in the healing arts, promote yourself to the Hawthorne network and help sustain the affordability of Yoga and Reiki services in Philadelphia.  If you are interested, email hawthorneyoga@gmail.com for details or visit www.hawthorneyoga.com.

I’ve been sifting through some old notes attempting to clear some clutter from my room. I came across my journal from my Yoga teacher training days. I studied at Dhyana Yoga from 2006 to 2007 and during that time experienced a huge transformation in my Yoga practice and overall health. This journal entry below highlights the wide-eyed glow I was getting from B.K.S. Iyengar’s ”Light on Pranayama”, a must-read for any Yoga student.

November 2006 Journal Entry

Iyengar’s overwhelming knowledge and mastery of the art of breathing expressed in ‘Light on Pranayama’ opened my eyes to a new way of life. I found myself taking bits of the text and testing them against my own assumptions of the meaning of Yoga. His meticulous how-to style led me to experiment with the exercises outlined in detail in the book. From the outside there really isn’t much to breathing – just in and out like a machine. Iyengar helped me see far below the surface. As an asthmatic my whole life, I was particularly struck by the power we as humans have over our lungs. There were even a few exercises specifically for asthmatics. Having removed myself from regular use of inhalers after practicing asanas, I found it encouraging that there is even more I can and should be doing to increase that control over my lungs. As Iyengar explains, asanas were just one of the devices prescribed by the ancient Yoga teachers to conserve energy generated within the body and prevent its dissipation. This book triggered me to engage in a more disciplined pranayama practice outside my regular asana practice. One of my favorite lines is, ‘‘Discipline the body by asanas and the mind by pranayama. This leads to self realization which frees you from the dichotomy of pleasure and pain.”

From my brief experience with attempting pranayama, I’ve noticed an extreme amount of clarity and sharpness in my mind immediately after practicing.  I took Iyengar’s advice of performing the breathing exercises early in the morning.  The effects, I felt, were stronger than a cup of coffee.  Iyengar also explained some of the health benefits that result when pranayama is performed properly.  “Diseases disappear and a radiant state of well being, enlightenment and serenity is experienced.”  I remember hearing a teacher tell our class in the middle of an intense pose that, as Yoga students, our lives are not measured in years, but in number of breaths.  For some reason that idea really stuck with me.  Through pranayama we lengthen our in and out breath, thereby slowing the aging process.  I now see how it leads to a healthier life.  Reading the book made me wonder why more people haven’t caught on to this very basic, logical concept.  Maybe in my lifetime pranayama will find its way into physical education classes across the country.  Maybe doctors will prescribe pranayama instead of MaxAir to their asthmatic patients.  MaxAir by the way is an expensive drug that a doctor once told me I would have to take daily for the rest of my life to manage my asthma.  I guess I can’t really blame him.  How would he know any better?  Thankfully I didn’t take his advice.  I am sticking with Mr. Iyengar.