Yoga + Surfing = True Bliss!

Yoga & Surfing Rockaway Beach Day Getaway!

Saturday August 25th, 2012

Click on the link or go to Retreats tab for details:

http://ruahyoga.blogspot.com/p/retreats.html

Here's a video of me riding the waves to get excited!  This could be you!

Yoga and surfing are so intricately connected!    They both evoke an incredible connection to the body mind and spirit!  Ever since my experience of learning to surf for my July birthday, I have continued to dream about a day retreat of surfing and yoga!

Well, dreams do come true and I would love for you to be a part of my dream! Join me for a day of Yoga on the beach and stay to relax and enjoy the view or to have an exhilarating experience on a surfboard! 

Yoga in Fashion! Vivienne Tam Launches

It's no surprise that yoga is fashionable, but now it is literally "in fashion" as Vivienne Tam launches her yoga line this fall.

I had the pleasure of participating in the yoga approach to a runway show, a live sculpture garden of lovely yoginis practing yoga led by yoga superstar couple Rodney Yee & Colleen Saidman. 

Yoga is certainly not about attachment to the material world , but as I mention in the NY Post video below, "for some yogis, they don't feel as comfortable with it, but the way I see it if it (yoga in fashion) spreads yoga to people who otherwise wouldn't do be practicing it, then, it's a good thing."  When yogis feel good about themselves it can inspire them to continue to practice.  In this case, it might be feeling good in glowing bright colors made from organic fabric!

NY POST coverage including sound bite and a few clips of me : )
http://www.nypost.com/video?vxSiteId=fe3e21a8-49f1-4cec-9ba5-cfe372fa6572&vxChannel=PostTopFilmStrip&vxClipId=1458_1304671&vxBitrate=300

Ruah Yoga for Lululemon in Bryant Park & Soho!

FREE RUAH YOGA

Sponsored by Lululemon

Sun., Sept. 25th 9:30-10:30am: Lululemon Soho
Tues., Sept. 27th 10-11am:  Bryant Park Yoga

Yoga Journal Magazine Cover!

Please check out my entry and vote for me (once a day until April 15th) to be considered for the cover of Yoga Journal magazine!

Here is the link:

http://talentsearch.yogajournal.com/view/2243

"Yoga inspires me to find balance in my life, striving towards being the best part of myself in the present moment. It helps me to have faith that everything is a preparation for who I am to become. When I practice yoga, it helps me to let go of any attachment to concerns about the past or the future – appreciating exactly who I am and all of the blessings that I have.

I chose this photo of jumping back into chatturanga since it represents that space where I feel connected to a peaceful, strong and happy self. I remember when I first started working on the effortless “float back.” I would repeat the mantra “I am who I am” since it helped me to focus on the task at hand and smile with gratitude – regardless of what the pose looked like. It was a hard transition to learn at first, but once I found that place where I could just surrender, it became an effortless process.

The Bhagavad Gita reminds us to be mindful and present in our actions, without attachment to what happens next. “Self-possessed, resolute, act without any thought of results, open to success or failure. This equanimity is yoga.” As in “floating back” to chatturanga, the journey is the beauty of life, not only the results of what we do.

My life has taken so many winding paths of successes and failures, yet each stage of life has taught me something about the importance of who I want to be. I grew up in Manhattan, went to college in upstate rural NY and lived in countries like Senegal, Sri Lanka, India and France. As so many of us do, I spent much of my life searching for the right career, place to live and partner in life.

Throughout every exploration, my regular yoga and meditation practice have been the anchors that help me stay healthy both physically and mentally. I always feel at home with myself when I practice yoga and that I am heading in the right direction. Eventually, yoga helped me to trust my path of finding the true loves of my life – my husband, my son and my life as a yoga teacher!

I am so grateful to all that yoga has brought me. Yoga continues to inspire me to be a better person so that I can enjoy life and share love with others!"

Ruah Prenatal Yoga Flow Workshop 2.26.11 1-3pm

Ruah Prenatal Yoga Flow Workshop

Yogaworks West Side

Saturday, February 26th 1-3pm

Pre-reg: $35

Day of: $45

Register: 212-769-9642

Prenatal Ruah Yoga Flow guides you through a sequence preparing you for a peaceful, happy, healthy pregnancy and birth. Enjoy a two hour personal retreat to encourage a healthy pregnancy for you and your baby. Learn useful guidelines and techniques to practice yoga safely throughout your entire pregnancy all of the way into delivery. The practice includes:

• Flowing movements to relieve tension, energize, strengthen and open the body;
• Mindful breathing techniques to improve the nervous system for you and your baby (pranayama) and help prepare you for later stages of pregnancy and labor;
• Relaxation/meditation methods to relieve your mind of any anxiety or distractions.

Ruah uses her experience of teaching yoga for over a decade, as well as her own experience of being pregnant and giving birth to guide you into to feeling deeply connected to the best part of yourself and to your baby. You will leave with a sense of being refreshed, invigorated and peaceful in your mind, body & spirit, ready to welcome your child into the world.

Ruah Yoga Returns!

Atta yoga anunasanam! Now is the time for yoga! After enjoying being a mom and yoga teacher to my baby son Nadal, it's now time to follow the path back to teaching NYC yogis! Starting in January, I'll be back to teaching!

Nurturing another human being has certainly been teaching me many life lessons that are useful as a yoga teacher. Also, the balance that yoga, meditation and pranayama has brought to my life has been integral to getting through the challenges of being a new mom.

I'm so excited to start teaching yoga again (beyond my baby) and share the peace and bliss that yoga brings to all of our lives.

Looking forward to seeing you at Equinox & Yogaworks soon!

Namaste,

Ruah

Nadal Phoenix Bhay is Born!

Please join ,me in sharing positive thoughts and blessings for the new arrival of Nadal Phoenix Bhay, born on Tuesday, 10.12.10 at 1pm sharp.

Labor was a challenging and life-changing experience with 36 hours from when my water broke to Nadal coming into the world. With the help of my team of support from my amazing-beyond-words husband, wonderful doula, Gayle Lemke and phenomonal midwife, Sandy Woods, I was able to push him out after 12 hours of contractions and forty minutes of pushing (all without an epidural) and even catch him with my own two hands!

Nadal is Sanskrit for "fortuitous" and "blessed". Of course, Neil & I are also excited that he shares a name with a great U.S. Open winner! We chose Phoenix, the bird and spirit of fire, as it represents rebirth - just as we are experiencing a birth of a new phase of life!

I feel so very blessed and lucky to have him join our lives after patiently watching him grow into a unique and beautiful being in my belly! We are so thrilled to now share Nadal with the world. We hope to raise him as a thoughtful, caring, compassionate, intelligent and strong yogi boy to make a difference for the better in the world around him.

You can find out what Nadal is up to and see more photos on his Facebook Page under Nadal Bhay.

I will be sure to keep you updated with Ruah Yoga as it progresses - with a return to teaching classes and workshops in the new year. Finally, always be sure to find me on Facebook and my blog for other updates.

Facebook: Ruah Yoga - Minda, Body, Spirit
http://www.facebook.com/ruahyoga#!/pages/New-York-NY/Ruah-Yoga-Healthy-Mind-Body-Spirit/64080503705

Peace, Love & Light to all!

Ruah, Neil & Nadal

38.5 Weeks Pregnant

Emotions and senses heightened beyond even my normal sensitive-self;

Blissful in my mind & body;

Grateful for last few days of this life inside me;

Amazed that there are more blessings beyond my imagination to this journey up ahead;

Moving slowly like through water;

Deeply in love with and grateful for Neil, family, friends & yoga;

Indebted to yoga for feeling strong and guiding me through daily headstands, shoulder stands and even arm balances...on the other hand...can barely roll over or get up in the morning;

Dreaming of how this beautiful boy will look and envisioning our first exchange of a heart-felt glance;

Motherhood and a real-life baby seem so far away even though they could arrive any moment;

Wondering what contractions will feel like and how I will (like every other woman before and after me) somehow figure it out when they come;

Looking forward to whatever birth is part of the life-path while visualizing and praying for a natural and blissful one.

Ruah Prenatal Yoga on Lake Winnisquam

Practicing yoga this far into the pregnancy at 35 weeks and beyond truly proves the miracle of what yoga can do for your body, mind and spirit!

Every day I thank G-d for bringing yoga into my life and helping me to feel better in my body and in my mind as this incredible transformation literally happens before my (and everyone else's) eyes.

Here are a few photos of my practice taken by my wonderful mom at the beautiful childhood home of my husband and where my amazing in-laws still live in New Hampshire.

Ruah in Resident.com July Edition

Check out this article on private sessions with a notable mention of me. "Not Your Average Yoga Studio" is written by one of my lovely private students, Grace Lee. Grace also happens to be expecting and even has the same due date as me in October!

Article on P.27 & 29: http://view.vcab.com/?vcabid=cgaSncecScegjha

Magazine Website: www.resident.com

One of the most amazing joys of being a yoga teacher is witnessing the incredible progress of regular, committed students over time. This is especially so with all of my private students. When studying yoga privately, a student has the opportunity to fine-tune their practice and work on poses and meditations that are adapted to the how the student is feeling the day of the practice. Also, private sessions offer a space for students to deepen their relationship and understanding of themselves.

Group classes, of course, award wonderful benefits including absorbing the shared flow of energy and learning from others in the class. However, practicing with a private teacher can really deepen a sense of awareness, encouraging the practice self-study, svadyaya.

When a teacher guides a student through postures that are carefully aligned to the indivual body, the muscle memory returns to recreate the best variation of the posture everytime the student practices. As a student becomes increasingly mindful of their mind-body connection it becomes an effortless process to explore new postures, deepen variations of familiar postures and discover the peace of mind naturally present within all of us. This is how we advance in our practice.

Peace,

Ruah

Baby Bhay Yoga 22.5 Weeks and Growing!

Ruah Yoga Prenatal Flow at Reebok June 26th 3:30-4:30pm

Reebok Sports Club, 160 Columbus Ave.

Members: $25

Non-Members: $40

TO SECURE YOUR PLACE IN THE WORKSHOP PLEASE CONTACT Anne-Sophie Rodriguez at REEBOK:

ASRodriguez@reeboksportsclubny.com


Enjoy a two hour personal retreat to encourage a healthy pregnancy for you and your baby.
Learn useful guidelines and techniques to practice yoga safely throughout your entire pregnancy and delivery.
Prenatal Ruah Yoga Flow guides you through a sequence preparing you for a peaceful, happy, healthy pregnancy and birth:

Flowing movements to relieve tension, energize, strengthen and open the body;
Mindful breathing techniques to improve the nervous system for you and your baby (pranayama) and help prepare you for later stages of pregnancy and labor;
Relaxation/meditation methods to relieve your mind of any anxiety or distractions.

Ruah uses her experience of teaching yoga for nearly a decade as well as her own pregnancy (she's expecting a baby in October!) to guide you into to feeling deeply connected to the best part of yourself and to your baby. You will leave with a sense of being refreshed, invigorated and peaceful in your mind, body & spirit; ready to welcome your child into the world.

Ruah Detox Yoga Flow at Yogaworks May 16th

Sunday, May 16th 1:30-4:30pm
Yogaworks East Side 1319 3rd Ave., 2nd Floor

Release stress and detox your entire mind & body through intense flowing movement, mindful breathing, guided relaxation. Detox Yoga Flow © maps out a simple union of three essential yoga practices:

• Asana: intense flowing yoga postures to strengthen and open up the body;
• Pranayama: mindful breathing to improve the nervous and digestive system;
• Dhyana: meditation techniques to effortlessly guide yourself into deep relaxation.

Detox Yoga Flow© enhances the hypometabolism (oxygen consumption), stimulates the hypothalamus (body's ability to react/fight or flight response) and improves the nervous system (breathing, digestion, cell rejuvenation).

This three hour personal mini-retreat will leave you feelingl balanced and healthy in your body, mind and spirit.

Detox Yoga Flow© All rights reserved Ruah Bhay 2009.

TO SECURE YOUR PLACE IN THE WORKSHOP PLEASE CONCTACT YOGAWORKS:

Email: hollyr@yogaworks.com

Ruah Reviewed in Beauty Logic!

For the full article click:

http://www.beautylogicblog.com/2010/04/foxy-fit-mommy-prenatal-yoga-yoga-works.html

Foxy Fit Mommy Prenatal Yoga - Yoga Works

In the early nineties, when Mommy got sick with cancer, she started to turn to a healthier lifestyle, and began Yoga. Because I was always with my mommy at the time, at the age of twelve, I was practicing Yoga right alongside with her. As I grew older, and into my own life, I stopped doing yoga, but then when I hit my early twenties, I began again. The benefits of Yoga are amazing. Not only does it physically help you, but I feel such a sense of calm and wellness as I do it. Anyway, after finding out about Little Mr. DE, Yoga Works, blessed me with a free prenatal yoga session, and I must say that’s just what the doctor ordered. Many of my friends practice at Yoga Works and have given it rave reviews so I was really excited about going. The location I went to was in Soho although Yoga Works has a few other spots throughout the city. My instructor was Ruah Bhay. It’s so important to feel comfortable with your instructor, and I immediately loved her. Her voice, spirit and energy were all so comforting and warm. My session was an hour (although it was going so great that it went way too fast for me), and during the hour, Ruah taught me so many positions. Ones that I really liked were the Balsana Child pose which relieves tension in hips and back, soothes the mind and restores energy to the body. When you’re 7 months pregnant, back pain is a common problem, and this position really helped alleviate the stress on my back. We also did the Seated Cow, which helps create space in the spine and hips and stimulate the mammary glands to prepare for breast milk, (I plan to breast feed my little squirrel) and to improve the immune system. All in all, the poses I did helped me feel amazing. When I walked out of the place, I hadn’t felt that good, well since before my pregnancy. Ruah is a great instructor, and Yogaworks is a place that I will def be making another prenatal yoga appt for.

Balasana Child’s Pose (1 minute)
 Big toes to touch, knees as wide as your torso (or wider for tight hips), point your toes.
 Lower the forehead to the floor or onto a block.
 Extend your arms to straight reaching your hands as far forward as you can.
 Hands shoulder distance apart, fingers spread wide, palms flat and pressing down into the floor.
 Lift the arms up as you press the hands down.
 Inhale, find length in the spine
 Exhale, find depth in the pose.



Seated Cat/Cow. (1-5 minutes)
 Still seated on the blankets place the soles of the feet together about a foot from your pelvis, knees out to the side and hands onto your shins with straight arms.
 Inhale, open the chest and draw the shoulder blades down the back.
 Exhale, round the spine spreading the shoulders on the back and tucking the chin into the chest.
 Add one arm lifting up on the inhale and lowering on the exhale and then switching.
 Add both arms.


For more info on Yoga Works Log on to. www.yogaworks.com
For more info on Ruah log on to her page at http://ruahyoga.blogspot.com/ or follow her on twitter @ruahyoga

Spring Greetings!

"As the sun shines upon my heart, may my heart shine upon the hearts of others!" - The Upanishads

Dear Friends,

I hope that this finds you happy, healthy and delighting in the beginning of spring!

What a miracle change is! Transformation happens so quickly this season as the warmer weather and moist air brings along all of nature's budding beauty. It is in the air, more change is certainly on the way!

This season of change in Ayurveda (the science of the body) is called kapha, a time when our bodies and minds tend to be slow and even sluggish in the process of awakening out of our hibernation from winter. Now is a time to get to bed early and arise at an early hour to avoid the feeling of heaviness that often comes with sleeping-in during this time. Drink hot liquids with spices like ginger and cinnamon and be sure to include daily exercise to cleanse the body and mind. Create a plan and pave a path for your body and mind to spring into a healthy and happy you! I hope that you will join me Sunday, May 16th for Detox Ruah Yoga Flow workshop at Yogaworks and also please read below for some very special news!

In gratitude, peace, joy, love and good health.

Namaste,

Ruah

Compassion, Love & Transformation

This coming October, with the grace and miracle of the universe, I hope to experience the new joy and blessed occasion of sharing a new sense of compassion and love as a mother!

I have always known that I wanted to be a mother. I grew up loving kids spending my entire young adult life babysitting, playing with children and being a summer camp counselor. It always just felt natural and was what I loved. Now with the actual prospect of becoming a mother to my own little one, I am overwhelmed with excitement, anticipation, fear, and wonder! While I understand that we can never know what the universe holds up ahead, I do feel that this new experience is meant to be exactly as it is, to teach me so many things and hopefully be able to share this miraculous experience with others.

I once attended a wedding where the priest spoke of the Hebrew word for compassion, rechemet, which derives from rechem, which is Hebrew for womb. The miraculous existence of the womb is so clearly connected to how we as humans are able to share compassion with ourselves and with others. In order to be compassionate and to love others, we must first be compassionate to and be in love with ourselves.

As much as it is difficult to fathom, we all lived inside our biological mother's womb at the beginning of life. Our own form as we are now started out barely the size of a poppy seed, growing over time inside of her as we slowly transformed into the physical foundation of who we are today. During this special time inside of our mother's womb, we were equally dependent on our own health as we were on the health of our mother. Likewise, she was dependant on her health as well as ours in order to survive.

As tiny human beings growing at an amazing rate inside our mother's womb so many years ago, we were already in motion to developing into exactly who we are right now. Our mother also experienced the transformation of her body and life as she discovered this entirely new identity that she also learned to accept and love as her new self. This rhythm continued for 40 weeks as we both intimately integrated as one being and eventually gave us life on this earth - capable of passing on that love and compassion we experienced in the womb with others.

So as this new chapter of life develops, I am reminded of the priest's advice, love yourself first and the divine energy within you, then you will best be able to love another. As our bodies, minds and life continue to transform in ways beyond our imagination, it is important to do our best continue to love exactly who we are in each moment (even if your favorite yoga top & jeans don't fit and you can't jump back into chatturanga ; ), so we can focus on sharing the love that we cultivate within ourselves right into the heart of loved ones.

What Next?
In case you are curios, my plan is to teach! I expect to teach as far along through this as my body and this beautiful little one growing inside me will allow and return to teach a few months afterwards with hopefully plenty of new lessons learned. Fortunately for me and other mom-to-be yoga teachers, many inspirational yogini teacher moms have pioneered and paved the path to doing it all - Gurmukh Khal Khalsa, Shiva Rea, Rainbow Mars, Anita Goa and many more. I hope to follow in their footsteps and continue my path as a yoga teacher. We will see what the universe has in store and I will be sure to continue with more updates.

Breath Meditation for Wisdom, Happiness & Peace

Sit comfortably with your eyes closed and spine erect and lower back supported if you have tension (if you become uncomfortable, feel free to adjust your body and find stillness again).

· Inhale for a count of 4-8 and Exhale for the same count.
· Notice the natural retention or pauses between the inhale and exhale.
· Continue to follow the breath up your spine as you inhale and down your spine as you exhale.
· If distracting thoughts come, acknowledge them and then use the breath to draw you back from any distracting thoughts.
· Allow the breath to become more and more effortless and shallow with each passing moment.
· Once you feel a sense of ease, draw your awareness back to the breath.
· As you inhale, visualize a sense of peace and happiness expanding from within you.
· As you exhale, visualize letting go of any physical tension or gripping.
· Allow yourself to care about absolutely nothing, letting go of last moment and freeing yourself from the next.
· Be fully present in your breath and sense of peace & happiness from within.

Tips for Healthy Digestion

Drink to your health!
First thing every morning, start with a full cup of water with fresh lemon to start cleansing the digestive system.

Spice up your Day!
Choose spices like cumin, fennel, pepper, turmeric when cooking. Clear toxins in your body by sipping hot water throughout the day. Try eating very lightly for a day - choosing soups, fruit (raw and stewed), juices, herbal teas.

Wake up to a Green Juice Smoothie!
Prior to having morning sickness (aka heightened food sensitivities and tastes), I absolutely lived by this amazing morning pick-me-up concoction! Many students have agreed to this special way of starting the morning with a yummy green juice in the blender! It is truly delicious and honestly, the green taste is very subtle, it's actually quite sweet with the fruit. So, I haven't completely given up my morning juice, but for now I'm just doing the fruit version since apparently my body isn't as thrilled with the green part. If you're like me right now and can't stomach green in the morning, you can follow the fruit version below.

Green Juice Smoothie:
(enter into blender in this order for best blending results)
1/2-1 cup of chopped melon (cantoloupe, watermelon, honeydew melon etc.)
1 sliced banana
1 avocado (optional)
½ cup of berries (optional)
1-2 handfuls of spinach/kale/swiss chard (just one or all three together)
1 tblsp organic oats

Fruit Juice Smoothie:
1/2-1 cup of chopped melon (cantoloupe, watermelon, honeydew melon etc.)
1 sliced banana
1 avocado (optional)
½ cup of berries (optional)
1-3 tblsp organic low-fat plain yogurt
1 tblsp organic oats

Use your breath!
Breathing in and out with your right nostril only will help stimulate your digestive system. Do this before and after every meal to improve your metabolism.

Pingala Pranayama (2-5 minutes)
Sit comfortably and close your eyes, taking your awareness inside.
Close off your left nostril with the ring finger of your right hand and breath in and out through your right nostril.
Nadi Shodona (3-11 minutes)Follow along with me on Ruah Yoga YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ruahyoga?feature=mhw4#p/a/u/0/p-qbjk10tB4

Ruah's Detox Yoga Flow at Equinox March 4th

You are invited as Ruah's personal guest to

A NIGHT OF YOGA at Equinox 74th Street

WHEN: THURSDAY, MARCH 4th 5:30-8:30pm
WHERE: EQUINOX 74th Street & 2nd Avenue

5:30-5:50: Yoga fashion show in the shop window with Phat Buddha
6:00-7:00: Ruah's Detox Flow Vinyasa Yoga
7:05-7:30: Health & wellness benefits of yoga /meditation with Ruah
7:30-8:00: Deepening your Private Yoga Practice demo with Ingrid
8:00-8:30: (Intro) Yoga for Dudes demo with Nathan Bennett

Please RSVP to dana.steer@equinox.com and include that you are my guest in order to reserve your complimentary entry for non-Equinox members.

KARMA YOGA: Make a Difference in Peoples' Lives & Your Own

Karma Yoga is the “yoga of action” with the intention of liberation from the results of our actions through self-transcending service and dedication to something greater than ourselves.

Save ST. VINCENT’S HOSPITAL in Greenwich Village
This is the hospital that my mom WALKED to while in labor to give birth to me and wrapped up my fractured wrist at ten years old! St. Vincent’s has been and still is an essential part of the downtown community and can use our help. PLEASE visit the link below to find out how to spend a few moments of practicing Karma Yoga – giving back to the community.

http://savestvincents.com/

Support HAITI in its recovery and rebirth
I am honored to share the amazing story of a lovely and dedicated yoga student B.J. Adler’s son. Walter offered the gift of 12 days and endless energy in the immediate relief efforts in Haiti as an FDNY EMT. B.J. has been a yogi for decades and it shows on and off the mat, and now in supporting her son’s generous work in Haiti. Let Walter’s story touch and inspire you, reading it through B.J.’s voice.

http://naea.typepad.com/naea/

Haiti can still use our help, please consider continuing your support by making a donation here:

Partners In Health
http://www.standwithhaiti.org/

The Clinton Foundation
http://www.clintonfoundation.org/

Doctors Without Borders
http://doctorswithoutborders.org/

Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org/

UNICEF
http://www.unicef.org/

SUPPORT NYC NON-PROFIT GREENWICH HOUSE

Make a Donation: www.greenwichhouse.org

Mission The mission of Greenwich House is to help individuals and families lead more fulfilling lives by offering social and health services, cultural and educational programs, and opportunities for civic involvement to New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds.

Vision As was true with Greenwich House's founders in 1902, we, its board and staff, are dedicated to improving the quality of life of the individuals and families who make up the communities we serve and who need our services. We welcome New Yorkers from all segments of society, regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, and religion. We offer flexible and responsive services that address a wide variety of contemporary challenges-early childhood education, drug and alcohol abuse, mental health, health care and services for people living with HIV/AIDS, arts education and enrichment, and elder care. Our professionally trained staff is committed to maintaining excellence in our programs and the personal service we provide.