Celebrate the season of reflection, rebirth and renewed purpose!

The Winter Solstice is upon us and we are so grateful for the rich fertilizer of wisdom born of experience for reminding us  what is essential. Teaching us to ground down and dig deep. Showing us how to strip down to basics, let go of the old and lighten our load. Finding  radiance in the nectar of the darkness whose roots are firmly grounded in the deep nourishment of understanding and compassion.  Gaining clarity and luminescence as consciousness re-awakens and we open to a whole new realm of possibilities.

More updates coming soon!

Look for new recipes, on-line shopping for Super Foods and upcoming events  for 2010!

New things are always in the works.

To sign up for Lady Ruth, visit the LADY RUTH DALLAS PAGE.

Winter 2009

Let this Winter’s Solstice and New Year’s Chakra Tuning with deAnna serve as an opportunity to dig deep and nourish the roots of reflection and seeds of reinvention!

deAnna returns to Arlington Yoga Center!

5 December 2009

10:15am-12:15pm Jivamukti Master Class $25

1pm-4pm Raw Foods Holiday Class  with Steven $40

Enjoy Jivamukti practice and celebrate compassion this season.

LOKAH SAMASTA SUKHINO BHAVANTU

May all beings everywhere be happy and free…And May the thoughts, words and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all.

Winter Solstice Yoga Practice at Equinox

20 December 2009

Sunday. 2pm-4pm. $30.

& Celebrating at Karmany with Steven.

21 December 2009. Monday. 7:30pm-9:30pm.

Experience how purposefully engaging in the yoga practice during dark times shows you how to become your own sun! This special class will begin with cleansing practices called Kriyas which will elevate the body’s temperature and boost hormone production from your internal pharmaceutical lab,which will reduce anxiety, stress and fatigue associated with Winter Seasonal Affective Disorder. Then we will move through a fun, fast-paced asana practice set to an inspiring musical soundtrack accompanied with colorful and therapeutic ambiance that will guide you from the darkness to the Light! We will conclude with a guided meditation that will serve as our inner compass in the coming year.

New Years Eve & New Years Day Chakra Tuning Immersion at Karmany Yoga

31 December 2009. 6pm-12pm.

Ring in the New Year with Karmany Yoga!

Founding Teacher, deAnna Anderson and Karmany Teachers, Ariel Nessel and Steven Haun invite you to join them as we engage in practices  and herlad the upcoming year. The evening will be offered in sections. We will kick off with an invigorating Jivamukti Chakra Balancing Class with deAnna where you will lose yourself in an inspiring soudtrack and wild Colorgize TM therapeutic lights! Next we will enjoy a family-friendly potluck with great food from our fellow “veg-heads” and some Kirtan. The evening will shift into a more reflective mode as we move into Meditation& Mauna. We will then experience a Dharma Talk and Dharma Mittra-style Psychic Development Practice with Ariel that is guaranteed to promote receptivity and intution. Stay tuned for the evenings itinerary!

1 January 2010

10:30am-1:30pm.

$36 by donation.

Start the New Year off right! Come together with a group of adventurous yogis for  a purifying and invigorating asana practice set to an inspirational soundtrack commencing with uplifting chanting and grounding intentions. Prepare to polish your inner lens and start the year off with a fresh perspective! Be sure to arrive early as this event will be full.

BHAKTI BLAST OFF!

2 August 2009

Join deAnna with guests Jay Lobo and Brooke from Sunstone Yoga for Karmany’s first Kirtan!

We will be accompanied by harmonium and guitar. This Sunday evening from 6pm-8pmish. Suggested donation $5.

Find relief from the heat of August with the soothing nectar of Bhakti Yoga…

Bhakti yoga is the yoga of pure devotion. The yoga of love! It is one of the pillars of Jivamukti Yoga and is a fundamental aspect that links together all spiritual traditions. One of the most powerful expressions of Bhakti is chanting mantras and prayers with the elevated intention of transcending into a state of cosmic consciousness…entering an ocean of bliss and tranquility!

At first that may sound like some far out activity that is limited to those in cults or maybe it sounds dry and boring…or maybe you are not comfortable with the sound of your own voice.  In my experience, you have to try a few different styles and find one that really resonates deeply within you.  There are many expressions of Kirtan (ecstatic chanting) and these days there are a lot of really great modern variations such as MC Yogi, Wah!, Manorama, Sean Johnson and Wade Morrissette.  These artists have gained inspiration from traditional guys like Ravi Shankar, who played with The Beatles back in the 60’s.  Krishna Das, Jai Uttal and Bhagavan Das really brought chanting into its current popularity with their folk and rock influences.  Mike D. from the Beastie Boys even played with Bhagavan Das on the album Now! and accompanied my guru, Sharon Gannon, on a few tracks such as SATTVAM for her album neti-neti and Reverend Run from Run DMC rapped with her on the same album on the track “Sound is God”.

Why would these popular mainstream artists do side projects with Ravi Shankar, Bhagavan Das and Sharon Gannon? Perhaps they experienced something profoundly uplifting when they explored Sanskrit chanting during their yoga practice or spiritual journey…and since they are the sort who are ahead of the curve, they realized the potential of blending the ancient with the modern and wanted to share the gifts they received and pulsations they experienced from these mantras with the rest of the world in a way that felt hip and familiar.

When we chant sacred sounds, a vibration awakens within us and we heal our hearts and sooth our minds and emotions. Sanskrit is a language where sound and meaning unite.  It is a universal language like music or mathematics.  Actually, I feel this beautiful language is like a marriage of music and mathematics.  The ancient rishis or seers, put the same attention to detail in formulating the Sanskrit language that they put into creating mathematics.  You might notice if you ever see Devanagari script written that the alphabet has some very familiar shapes.  While this is fascinating on the intellectual level, the experience is even more amazing. When we chant in Sanskrit, we promote healing of the mind and emotions.  Ultimately, one of the aims of yoga practice is to lift ourselves up out of our thoughts…going beyond the mind and the definitions of how we see things so that we can see the world trough a fresh set of eyes.  We see the world differently and the world sees us differently. We raise our vibrations and thus become a shining light to those around us and the world looks shiny and new to us!

This month’s “Focus of the Month“ from Jivamukti is “Panoramic World“. ( If you get a chance, I highly recommend reading Sharon Gannon’s essay which is linked into the previous sentence.)  Mantra repetition and chanting plant seeds deep in our hearts for strength and faith to grow. Faith is an essential element for yoga practice and it is something that no one else can give you. It is what each of us is made of.  As we cultivate bhav (the mood of one who is intoxicated by love for the Divine), we uproot doubt and confusion and gradually profound shifts begin to occur.

As we chant these mantras and verses silently or aloud, we attract the virtuous qualities of the divine manifestation which we are calling out to and we find a healing outlet for our multi-faceted, tumultuous emotions.

On a scientific level, we are quite literally rewiring our neural nets, uprooting stagnant, negative patterns of thought and expanding positive thoughts.  Now that is something worth investigating.

Note: If you wish to use any part of this essay please ask permission first or reveal and credit the source. Thanks!