 from Art of Alignment and Assisting Workshop | WHAT IS SOMAVINYASAYOGA? (continued from HOME page) In Kashmir Saivism, a branch of Tantra, soma denotes nectar of immortality. Somatics comes from the field of movement and means 'movement from within' which makes sense considering that as yogis we ideally move from our center and develop the ability to not be swayed by external forces. Vinyasa is a well-known word since it is one of the most popular forms of yoga. I have been studying for the past three years with my teacher Shiva Rea. I have learned deeper meanings of vinyasa, most especially, the idea that life is all yoga, life is full of cycles/waves, and that the application of vinyasa to life helps us move easefully through transitions seeing the beginning, middle, and end in all experiences. I teach Prana Flow yoga (the name of Shiva Rea's style of yoga) on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Why don't you drop in for an experience? Peace to you and may all Beings be happy and FREE! PRANA FLOW Embrace the flow and allow the prana to guide you. Prana: "life-force of creation" Flow: "the state of unified consciousness" Prana Flow is an energetic, creative, full-spectrum approach to embodying the flow of yoga cultivated by Shiva Rea and the Global Vinyasa Collective of Teachers. Students of all levels are empowered to experience prana - the universal source of breath, life-energy and conscious intelligence - as the navigating source of yoga practice and vital living. Practioners learn classical and innovative approaches to vinyasa yoga and the state of flow drawn from Krishnamacharya's teachings, Tantra, Ayurveda, Bhakti, Somatics and Shiva's teaching experience from the last fifteen years. Prana Flow is also:
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 Me and Baron in 8/03  My first international workshop in Tokyo on January 23, 2005  Woodstock Weekend Retreat, February 2005 with Sharon Gannon and David Life | MY EVOLVING STORY “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” – Buddhist proverb I was introduced to yoga while visiting my sister in San Francisco in July 2001. Upon returning to Boston, I experimented with yoga and fell in love with it and its many gifts. I was attracted to the challenge and peace. Instead of completing a graduate degree, I decided in 2003 to follow the path of yoga because I believed that sharing and teaching yoga provided a balanced and creative life. “Follow your bliss.” – Joseph Campbell I am currently completing a 500-hour teacher training certification with Shiva Rea. I am also an assistant at her teacher trainings and serve as a mentor to several students in her program. Shiva’s Prana Flow yoga style resonates with me because it emphasizes the breath, is rooted in the arts and traditions of yoga and ayurveda, and incorporates creative movement and music facilitating the yogic process. I teach in the Prana Flow yoga style creating challenging and inspiring classes which focus on alignment, breath, and a well-rounded sequence of poses. I believe that the beauty of yoga lies in the experience of transcending one's limited view of self, while unifying the mind, body, and spirit through breath and movement. Yoga is thousands of years old tradition that is both an art and science. The practice provides tools for conscious, daily living and the continual growth process of life. I completed my first teacher training program with Baron Baptiste and was an assistant at his Cambridge Studio from February 2004 to September 2005, and at several Baptiste retreats. I am grateful to Baron who encouraged me to teach yoga. “Truth is One; Paths are many.” – Swami Satchidananda I believe that you can learn something from everyone, and that all knowledge is universal. Other influential teachers with whom I have studied are: Barbara Benagh, Ana Forrest, David Life and Sharon Gannon of Jivamukti Yoga, Coeli Marsh and Patricia Walden and Peentz Dubble (Boston area Iyengar teachers). The teachings of Gurumayi, Sally Kempton, Swami Muktananda, and Mark Whitwell also inform my classroom stories. In addition to teaching yoga, I work in the Boston Office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on the investigation and cleanup of contaminated sites. I view my work at the EPA and teaching yoga to be similar in the sense that both vocations involve healing and balance. READ MY LATEST WEBLOG ENTRY | MY TEACHERS A teacher is one who not only guides you into new, foreign territories but also knows what to compassionately push and challenge in you to your own evolution.
These great Beings are my teachers. PAUL MULLER-ORTEGA MIGUEL RIVERA |
