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Yoga on Labor Day, Dennis Skipper and Keith Dowman
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Hey There,
Sorry for the late notice regarding the Labor Day Holiday schedule-
Both Morning and Evening times are unsupported and open. If you have the means feel free to practice at a time that suits you. I am practicing during the evening and if you require guidance or adjustment I will be happy to assist you. If the door at the street is locked enter “#2212″ on the intercom and the door will unlock. If the studio is locked call me at 503-890-2212 for instructions on how to enter. Enjoy the final holiday of the summer and the last until Thanksgiving!
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Dennis will be introducing the basic precepts of ngondro on September 12th at 6pm. I asked him to do this so we could engage in simple preparations for the upcoming Keith Dowman seminar. The following are my thoughts about Keith. His website is www.keithdowman.net if you want to check out the texts he has translated and his personal essays.
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I attached the flier for the up coming Keith Dowman Dzokchen seminar and I’d like to offer my views on what he represents to me as a student of yoga and hopefully inspire one or a few of you to attend his workshop. Keep in mind that the workshop is happening at 40th and Hawthorn not at NEY. It costs $120 dollars but scholarships are available. The dates for the seminar are September 30th and October 1st and 2nd.
Since returning from India in 2008 my focus as a student of classical yoga along with Yoga Sutra has been directed toward Buddhism specifically Vajrayana and Tantra practices of the Tibetan yogis. My great friend and teacher Dennis “Lokanath” Skipper began to encourage the practice of Ngondro in 2006 and since May of 2008 I have made a diligent effort to practice it both formally and informally in my daily affairs.
Ngondro translates from Tibetan as “preliminary” and is the basic sadhana (practice) that monks and nuns undertake to prepare them for the subtler “pointing out instructions” that come from Lama’s and Rinpoche’s. Over time sitting with and reciting the ngondro I have been profoundly affected by the memory of the pristine concepts and not a moment goes by that I am not considering what I have learned from a few short pages and working at making it the seed of my actions. Ngondro is a difficult as it is rewarding. The breath work alone resulting from chanting has allowed me to retain accomplishments made from years of pranayama practice. My faults are greatly illuminated in the practice as well which has been hard to experience but all the same very rewarding since the practice offers resolution for them as well.
Before now I have been slow to write anything about ngondro for two reasons, one is that I don’t know enough about it and the other, stemming from that, I don’t want to accidentally turn people off to it by reflecting it with my limitations. I think we all are able to understand what it is if we allow it in and reflect upon it personally. I am here to encourage that. The written teachings of the yogis can accomplish far more than I can. That said, this year, under the counsel of Dennis who has years of experience and an encyclopedic knowledge of yoga teachings, I have shared the opening stages of the practice to a few people. Those who have taken it on as a practice will confirm it’s power and value in daily life. For this reflection I am greatly pleased and relieved. More than anything I hope to both share this method and support a sangha where the knowledge and benefit can be shared.
That is essentially the function of the initial stages of the ngondro- to encourage and support the generation of wisdom and merit via taking and offering refuge. This alone is a precious gem and a gem that can be perfectly duplicated. The process continues on from there but I will not spoil it by offering my feeble words. It’s not about my words anyway. We all have our lives to live and understand. Ngondro is by design very personal. A personal attempt to engage it will reveal personal insights. We all need that experience and which can only come from within.
What does this have to do with Keith Dowman? Keith is a translator of Tibetan Buddhist lineage teachings living in Nepal. He speaks a writes very clearly about these concepts but avoids the trappings that often distract and confuse the western student. In winter 2010 I had read a few of his translations and was blown away. He took the insights from my practice which I had no idea how or where to employ and set them on fire. I am not the only one. He is revered in the Buddhist community. I wrote him and invited him to Portland. Via a fluke of mutual association with Dennis and others he happened to have a old friend here in Portland and agreed to come teach.
You might be wondering if his teaching is for you. Considering that my goal is to continue to support yogis, the ngondro and develop in my own practice, the opportunity to have that for yourself is highly possible. This may be, as it was for me, a way to leverage some growth in both your asana and meditation practice and life for that matter, that in my view is unlimited. As mentioned before Dennis will be at Near East Yoga on September 12th to cover the basic precepts of ngondro. With that and some personal practice and reflection any of us will be well suited to make use the shelter of a wise knower like Keith Dowman. and…I feel duty bound to inform you that a great sage is coming and to take shelter with him.
With metta, Casey
Schedule Change
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Hi There,
Happy Summer! Hope you are getting out and enjoying it and getting your practice in as well.
Friday has a schedule change for the remainder of summer- after the 7AM group primary (which has been hopping!! I love it), the 9AM time will be open practice time.
If you have questions about yoga, meditation or pranayama you can meet me at 9AM on Fridays. Letting me know about it in advance would be nice. I will be suggesting it to some of you. It’s always a good time to look deeper into the next stages of practice.
I have also been dedicating that time (and others) to my personal sadhana of reciting yoga sutra and other chants I have been connecting with over the years and am very open to sharing that time with you. I love reawakening my desire to know the yoga on that level. The study I have been undertaking of the yoga sutra this year has been revealing and very inspiring. Chanting it adds an entirely new element.
Make sure you say hello to the new sign board set up outside. I am really proud of Near East and the great energy you bring there. I’d like people to know we are there. If it works to inform more than a few I will put it away for a while.
I’m still a fan of the small group.
See you all soon and often. Casey
Happy Birthday Guruji!
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Happy Birthday Guruji!
Thursday the 14th is the full moon day of July and both the birthday of Sri K Pattabhi Jois and the day to celebrate the birth of all guru’s. Come celebrate this once a year event with the Near East Yoga community.
Bring a small, vegetarian offering of food, or flowers for the altar. We will be reciting rounds of Hanuman Chalisa and Sri Ram kirtan starting at 730AM . Then we will eat and visit, finishing in time to get to work or class. Everyone is welcome.
Below is my personal reflection on the Moon Day and celebrating Guruji-
In our daily practice of ashtanga yoga vinyasa krama the spirit of Guruji lives on. What he intended for us as yogis is embedded in this magnificent vehicle. The practice gives us direct access to the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali and the full manifestation of ashtanga yoga, if we choose to surrender to it- what a profound gift to be given and surely one worthy of a day devoted entirely to a Guru.
Resting from daily asana, combined with the opportunity for personal reflection, the full and new moon days give light to a simple yet elegant teaching- asana or no asana, we are the seer. The “seer” or drashtu to borrow from Patanjali, of sun, earth and moon, body, mind and soul.
Via a practice of being the direct witness of the churning of those heavenly bodies and the churning of our earthly bodies we can experience the churning of our mind which is infinite, un-fillable, spacious and the window of being aware when the mind is clear and settled. We discover that beyond mind there is no churning and we can rest there. Practice is a choice and once executed is thereby the cessation of all other possibilities- this is nirodah, the beginning elements anyway.
In practice we are both observing the churning and aware of it at the same time. We can get close to understanding there is a foundation to ourselves that is untainted, the part that does not churn. It is in the vision of the cosmic churning that we can recognize we are fully aware and that the churning is within us if by “us” we mean the part that is not churning- wow. I love that I can access this logic and direct my energy toward abiding in it in this lifetime. Thank you Guruji for your life and work.
All the great masters make this point in one way or another and offer us a vehicle for attaining such an experience- so we will also celebrate them on the 14th. Guruji, Sri K Pattabhi Jois, our guru, for his part, offered us a fire to light our way and to offer to others. If you are touched by this fire and now are on fire yourself, then please celebrate his auspicious birth and life and your auspicious connection with him in this life where ever you are. Please feel very welcome to join the Near East Yoga community in celebration if you can.
Peace, Casey
Remote posting
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As I get more Internet savvy, the ability to post to the NEY blog gets easier. I just got an app for my iPhone that allows me quickly add information, saving me from needing to do it at my desk. Here’s what I would have posted yesterday if I had had this app-
July 4th schedule is open practice at 9am only. Enjoy the lovely summer festivities!
A Big Thanks!
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Hi,
While the memory of Kathy’s visit is still fresh, I want give Near East Yoga a big thanks for bringing her to Portland. Prior to departing she told me how wonderful it had been to connect with all of us and that the teaching was beginning to develop in deeper ways for her as a result of her history with Portland.That is quite a compliment and one that grew from the opportunity you all gave Kathy by being open to what she had to offer. She will be back soon I hope. We did talk about some “what if” situations. I will keep you posted.
The final moment of her time with a few of us was at breakfast after the group primary on Friday. Kathy, along with her old friend Pam and my teacher Dennis, all children of the Age of Aquarius and spiritual sojourners of the current age, told how they got caught up in this movement 40+ years ago. Their telling, both humorous and profound, spoke of the arc of history I have found myself uplifted and moved forward by. I am always grateful for this path and often am moved that I live in an age where it is made possible by the work these and other life long seekers. I don’t think this possibility is even on the radar in many places. It’s sad to think that people disregard asana practice as exercise. What other vehicle offers us a chance to align ourselves with our teachers?
Years ago I spoke out into space something along the lines of “send me a teacher with time and energy to devote to me” with an intention of finding a source that was not simply a workshop circuit star or another seeker of my own age, but a wise person I could get to know and who could help me learn and grow. I was looking for the person I knew had to be out there- an old hippy who had done the work for 30 years and had something to share but was not interested in students. This “request” is how I came to know Dennis. I got what I wanted and more. Not only is he a great friend but has turned me on to some amazing teachings and given me an understanding of what “lineage” is all about and why it is so important . I don’t think he knew he would become a “teacher” but that old adage “when the student is ready a teacher will appear” must work both ways. After few years I knew to “ask” again but this time for a “woman teacher” specifically and out of that Kathy appeared. I can’t be more delighted to have “spiritual parents” such as these. This ethic is precisely why Kathy is such a good fit for Near East Yoga. She has the time, energy and intention to devote to us and has the heart to back it up. I feel really supported by these two and hope to convey that here since they do a lot to bring energy to Near East Yoga.
Meeting teachers, learning yoga and connecting to an eastern slant to spiritualism in the west is both a shelter and an inheritance for my generation. Via the lineage teachings, yoga is tangible and transmittable and something I plan to preserve and participate in. From my perspective of age 41, having been a product of the summer of love quite literally, it seems practicing yoga and spreading it around is what I was meant to do. It better be since I can’t go back to waiting tables. So I watch and learn how it works by watching myself, others and especially these teachers among us and see that they are still using the ancient dharma to work out whatever life sends their way, in this age. I think this is why I ask Kathy to come visit us every year, to get that darshan or view of an actualized yogi and learn by seeing how they live in the world. Yoga is not easy, it’s way beyond asana and it has great rewards which can be the twist that causes the living of a life to great. I think for anyone who gets it about Kathy will understand what I mean.
This Memorial Day weekend marks the 9 year anniversary of Near East Yoga (woo hoo!). The space was a wreck then and over 2 weeks while teaching my classes in the garage on 14th and Broadway and waiting tables at Chez Jose I polished up a space for a few of us to practice in. I can still smell the fresh paint and if you were there you will know what I mean. I am really proud of the place and the people who make it great. I always feel caught up in the groundswell of cheer surrounding Near East Yoga and see it as a force of it’s own making. I can be a bystander to it all if I want because the community is strong and interested in each other. The community has also given me a big chance to do this and I am always and forever grateful to make my contribution and feel compelled to accomplish as much as I can to keep it a great place.
A final thought might be if you ever think to ask into space for that teacher or mentor who has the time to devote to you. Kathy is not far off. Dennis is open as well. There are others still or maybe you have one already and with them will go deeper still. We all keep changing and growing but still share a great vehicle of ashtanga yoga vinyasa krama and the power of Sri K Pattabhi Jois. It’s a fire he gave us and by that light may we be illuminated on our path. May it reveal the teacher we are looking for, the inner, the outer and the secret.
Peace, Casey
Kathy Cooper Update
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Hello,
We are in the final week of our time with Kathy. It’s unbelievable how the time flown.
As a favor to me so I can take a couple mornings off Kathy has agreed to offer an additional class on Wednesday morning plus the final 3 that were scheduled. Here are the details.
Kathy’s remaining classes -
Wednesday at 9AM and 530PM
Thursday at 9-11AM
and sadly her final class is the group primary on Friday at 7AM.
For this week only! Unscheduled and unsupported times.
Wednesday and Thursday are open unsupported practice prior to 9AM.
Friday post 9AM is open and unsupported. Join Kathy for a bon voyage breakfast after the group primary. Location tba.
Thanks Kathy for a great 3 weeks. I’m looking forward to our next time together already.
Casey
Kathy Cooper at Near East Yoga May 2nd thru 20th
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Dear Friends,
It’s great a pleasure to announce Kathy Cooper’s 3rd consecutive year visiting and teaching Mysore classes at Near East Yoga. This is a rare opportunity to have a senior teacher in our lineage offer Mysore classes at all (most teachers do a three day weekend which requires years to get to know them) In this case she’s with us for 3 weeks. Kathy brings wealth knowledge that only years of personal experience stemming directly from her extensive time with Sri K Pattbhi Jois, 25 years as a Waldorf Teacher, mother and lifetime practitioner of Ashtanga Yoga can bring. Many of you have an already deeply developed relationship with her while others will be meeting her for the first time. In my experience with Kathy I have found her to make fast connections with people and quickly bring out a subtle concept in the yoga that remains personal and teachable long after she has moved on to other great yoga venues and makes it completely worth the cost of tuition. Here way of expressing herself alone is a teaching on yoga. I have always felt a deeper connection to why I practice after my time with her. I want that for all of us. Other well known teachers in our lineage hold Kathy in the highest esteem. The term “real deal” often comes up when people speak of her. Keep in mind that the community of Near East Yoga is hosting Kathy in Portland. For that reason I have made the price low for people in the community as the cost is something we will all share to bring her here. I hope you will take advantage of this auspicious moment that comes each May at Near East Yoga. Thanks Kathy for the grace of your presence and teaching.
Here are the details. All the classes are with Kathy and require an RSVP.
$75 dollars- pick ten classes. add $7.50 per class >10. OR
$10 dollars per class if under 8 classes OR
$20 dollars per class if you are visiting from outside the NEY community.
Cut and paste the schedule below and return it to neareastyoga@gmail.com with an X next to the classes you plan to attend.
If it fills up I will add classes. Make all payments in cash please before May 1st.
The “*” denotes a “non-fee” class but feel free to donate to Kathy if you like and an RSVP would be helpful.
May 1st, Sunday. 11AM Meet and greet with Kathy Potluck (a tradition at this point) after the regular Mysore class (this is not a “class” so there is no fee) bring something yummy.
May 2nd, Monday, New Moon, No Classes
May 3rd, Tues, 8-10AM
May 4th, Wed 530-730PM
May 5th, Thurs 8-10AM and 530-730PM
May 6th Fri 9-11AM and 530PM Kathy discusses yoga topics tba. No asana practice and open to everyone*
May 7th Sat 9-11AM
May 9th Monday 530-730PM
May 10th Tues 8-10AM
May 11th Wed 530-730PM
May 12th Thurs 8-10AM
May 13th Friday 9-11AM
May 15th Sunday 9-11AM and 430PM Women’s Forum, Topics tba, Younger children allowed. No Dudes*
May 16th Monday 9-11AM
May 17th Tuesday Full Moon, No classes
May 18th Wed 530-730PM
May 19th Thurs 9-11AM
May 20th Fri 7AM Kathy leads group primary then leaves us for California.
Thanks everyone for your help in making this happen. Casey
PS- The studio will be open regular hours while Kathy is here so you will have plenty of opportunity to get you practice in if you cant make it to her classes
Expanded and Revised Schedule
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Hey there,
The schedule posted below is the revised 2011 Near East Yoga practice times.
The schedule posted in the side bar is in need of an update and the schedule you see here is in effect immediately.
The fee’s have not changed. Thanks for the support.
Tuesday at 7am is still Progressive Pranayama. I will be offering a catch-up class soon. Please inquire if you are interested.
Friday at 7am is still Group Primary.
Mysore practice is again possible during each of the group classes and you can begin your practice at a time that suits your schedule.
Note that all morning practitioners are requested to begin by 9AM and all evening practitioners begin by 6PM.
The unsupported times are not posted so check with me if you want to come to them.
Folks new to Near East need to schedule their first class with me. Call the number in the side bar.
Peace and Thanks, Casey
