Danile Seward-Guest Teacher October 15th-19th 2018
Dan has been practicing Ashtanga since 2010. He spent three years in Brisbane with Richard Clark, and the past five years in NYC with Guy Donahaye; he assisted Guy as a teacher at AYSNYC from late 2014 until the summer of 2018.
The Ashtanga method, coupled with dietary changes, has helped Dan to overcome a variety of physical ailments, including asthma, seasonal allergies, back pain, and IBS. Mentally, the practice has made him calmer, more content, and a better parent. He was taught that this approach to asana is a form of tapasya, or purifying practice (one of the niyamas as outlined in the Yoga Sutras) and found this to be true through experience. Daily Ashtanga practice with consistent breathing can release stress, clear the mind, cleanse the physical body, and increase resilience.
In a previous life, Dan worked in product development, but when his first child was born, he decided to leave the business world to focus on parenting and yoga (in that order). He has two children – Ellery (5) and Reed (3) – and is married to his highly complementary wife, Carly. The family lives in Wyckoff, NJ.
Kiril Yordanov-Guest Teacher
Guest Teacher at AYM -August 18th to 25th, 2018
Kiril Yordanov will be our guest teacher from August 18th to the 25th. Kiril has traveled around the world practicing and teaching. We hope you enjoy the week with him and that you will take full benefit as he has recently spent a month with Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor in Boulder. In 2017 Kiril received the blessings from Paramaguru R. Sharath Jois (Authorized Level 1) to teach the traditional Ashtanga Yoga method and assisted Him in the KPJAYI Main Shala 2 consecutive seasons in March 2017 and in January 2018.
Kiril believes in the ancient principle of Guru-Shishya Paramparā – the transmission of spiritual knowledge from teacher to student. He is deeply honored to study with the current lineage holder of Ashtanga Yoga tradition. Since 2015 he travels every year to the source – the K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute (KPJAYI) in Mysore, India.
Kiril has been initiated in the Ashtanga Yoga practice by Kristina Karitinou -Ireland on the island of Crete. He felt that experience like coming home. Besides the regular study with Sharath Jois in Mysore, India, Kiril often travels to practice with KPJAYI Certified teacher KRANTI (Renato Libonati) in Tokyo, Japan to deepen his knowledge. Before Ashtanaga Yoga, Kiril has spent 12 years practicing traditional Chinese internal Gongfu. He trained Taijiquan in Beijing with the 19th
generation Grand Master Chen Yu. Kiril also traveled to Mount Wudang to study Taoist Meditation and Baguazhan with Master Yuan Xiu Gang.
Guest Teacher Ken the Rolfer at AYM this July 2017
We are pleased to announce that Ken will be covering classes from July 3rd to July 10th, 2017. You can read on all about what Ken has been up to. I am delighted that he will be able to share his depths of knowledge about the method in the Mysore room for all AYM members and anyone wishing to drop in. We have a weekly rate and welcome drops ins with a practice.
Ken has been formally exploring human structure, movement and their psycho-emotional restrictions and empowerment through Rolfing and Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga for over 20 years
After regular “Stretching and Breathing” practices to balance his ski racing addiction since 1974, Ken finally began a formal exploration of Yoga in 1995 when he began his studies as a Rolfer in Boulder, Colorado. He practiced and studied Yoga with Richard Freeman and John Friend regularly until he left for Mysore, India to study with Ashtanga Guruji, Sri K Pattabhi Jois, in winter 2002.
That summer Ken also began his second Major since university, the long Rolf Institute Teacher Training program. Rolf Institute in the summer and Guruji in the winter. This “Double Major” of eastern and western disciplines continued for 3 years, when Ken chose to put Rolf Institute on hold and move to Mysore to study with Guruji and the Jois family full time.
Ashtangis know about Rolfing, so Ken kept busy in Mysore Rolfing hundreds of Guruji’s students, including some well-known Ashtanga teachers of today, and with that Rolfing depth of experience began developing his monthly Yoga Anatomy workshops. Authorized to teach in 2007 by Guruji, Ken taught Mysore style Ashtanga Vinyasa and Yoga Anatomy for 6 winter seasons in Goa, India, and around northern Europe in the summers before settling in Istanbul from 2011 – 2014. Here he ran the Ashtanga Yoga program at Yoga Sala, taught Living Yoga Anatomy and Rolfed those Yogis looking to go even deeper with their Yoga and Life practices.
Free to travel and study again, Ken spends the winter in Mysore (like the good old days) studying with Sharath then teaching internationally, so your moving meditation in the Mysore room is closer than you think.
He has recently discovered the amazing country of Vietnam where he is busy cultivating the first ever Ashtanga Vinyasa program in the beach town of Hoi An.
- Authorized by Sri K Pattabhi Jois, AYRI
Level 2 by Sharath, KPJAYI - Certified Advanced Rolfer® & Rolfing Movement Practitioner
- Accredited Yoga Alliance Anatomy Instructor
Kino in Montclair – Oct 2016
AYM is hosting Kino MacGregor the weekend of October 21st to the 23rd, 2016. We will have 4 sessions and we hope you will come to o one or all. Kino shares a love for the practice and is a renowned yoga teacher. She teaches worldwide and we are honored to host her once again in New Jersey. All sessions will be held at the Central Presbyterian Church Gym, 46 Park Street, Montclair. Once you get to the registration page, go to the workshop tab to secure your space.
Friday, Oct 21st 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Saturday, Oct 22nd 9:00 am to 11:00 am
Saturday, Oct 22nd 1 pm to 3 pm
Sunday, October 23rd 1 pm to 3 pm
Tim Miller at AYM Sept 23rd to the 25th, 2016
6 sessions over the weekend with Tim. You can still register and join the group coming from the Tri-State area to listen and practice with Tim. He is a legend and shows so much love to the practice and his guru, it shines through when he speaks.
Register here. Once at class schedule go to workshop tab https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/admhome?studioid=26729
Here is what he says about teaching.
“My goal as a teacher is to inspire a passion for practice. The practice itself, done consistently and accurately, is the real teacher.”- Tim Miller
Fundraising for Trini Foundation this September
September is National Recovery Month. To support those on the path of recovery, we have teamed up with Ashtanga Yoga Montclair to offer yoga classes to raise money for this important cause. All proceeds will go to the Trini Foundation, a non-profit that shares Ashtanga yoga and other wellness resources with people who suffer from drug and alcohol addiction. Help Powerflow Yoga Bloomfield and Ashtanga Yoga Montclair reach their $1,000 donation goal during the weekend of 9/16. Cash or check only, make checks payable to: Trini Foundation. Learn more about Trini Foundation at www.trinifoundation.org
Friday, 9/16
Led Ashtanga yoga class with Deb Williams • 6:30 – 8 pm
(AY Montclair, 127 Valley Road)
Saturday, 9/17
Vinyasa yoga class with Alison McCue • 12 – 1:15 pm
Guided meditation with Kristen Brunello • 1:20 – 1:45 pm
(PFY Bloomfield, 71 Washington Street)
Sunday, 9/18
Yin yoga with Jody Domerstad • 5:30 – 6:45 pm
(PFY Bloomfield, 71 Washington Street)
Suggested donation: $20 per class | Fundraising goal: $1,000
Registration for Fall workshops-Early Bird savings thru August 15th.
Guest Teacher July 8-10, 2016
July 4th-Moon Day
Happy Independence Day! This year the moon day falls on July 4th so there are no classes that day. Take the day off and head to your local parade. The Montclair 4th of July Parade is a tradition around here and it starts at 11 am. I’ll be on Park and Chestnut with the pups.
We hope you come to practice with us over the weekend as we are open for Mysore on Sat & Sun of the holiday weekend from 8 am to 10 am. Get your practice in and then head to the beach or whatever your favorite weekend events are. Drop ins and beginners are welcome to try. Personally I am looking forward to taking in the fireworks this year.
Lastly the next fun weekend event is the Greg Nardi Mysore & More weekend starting on July 8th Friday evening with 2 sessions on Saturday, July 9th and Sunday, July 10th. Greg comes to visit our Shala often and we are able to build upon what we have been working on. Added this time is an Adjustment workshop which will give you a chance to try out various techniques on how adjustments are done as well as conference time for in depth questions and discussions on yoga and the practice. As Sharath says, “sensible yoga questions.” Please register today for this and we look forward to seeing you all and connecting as we delve deeper into our practices.
Namaste!
Deb at AYM