Lakulish Yoga in St. Augustine, FL

Yoga for Children

Many of us struggle our entire lives to free ourselves from the debilitating, limiting, and mostly false beliefs, perceptions, and patterns of our minds. Children do not initially have these patterns. They learn them by observation, trial, and error.

When a child is not limited by his or her mental patterns, his or her creativity, imagination, self-esteem, and natural wisdom and knowledge flourish. The child is removed from culturally inherited beliefs, fears, and negative conditioning. The child fully steps into his/her glory and radiance. Good manners, care and concern for others, positive morals, and values naturally manifest themselves.

Yoga is a means through which we can keep our children program-free. Lakulish^TM Yoga for Children helps children relax and focus. Each class employs the use of Yoga postures (Asana), deep diaphramatic breathing (Pranayama), and meditation.

There is a link between the cycles / habitual patterns of the mind and improper breathing. Deep diaphramatic breathing immediately calms and focuses the child’s mind. Lakulish^TM Yoga postures, which are done in combination with deep diaphramatic breathing, allow the child to breathe deeper into his or her lower abdomen, immediately eliminating stressful and more negative thoughts and emotions. Meditation helps children develop focus and concentration as well as become more observant of their own positive and negative behavior patterns.

Children who practice Yoga:

• sleep better
• are less anxious
• are more focused
• are more self-confident
• display good manners
• become role models for other chlidren
• avoid drugs and gangs
• are respectful of others
• are more creative
• get better grades in school
• perform better on quizzes and tests

For more information on how to get your child enrolled in Lakulish^TM Yoga for Children classes, please contact Jennifer at (904) 392-6588 or email lakulishyogaschool@gmail.com

Affiliated with Lakulish Yoga, LLC, USA

Children’s Yoga Classes Starting September 8th!

Lakulish School of Yoga (affiliated with Lakulish Yoga, LLC) is partnering for six weeks with the Cyprian Center For Expressive Arts to offer a series of Lakulish Yoga classes to children of all ages.

The classes will begin September 8, 2010 and will run through October 13, 2010. They will be held every Wednesday afternoon from 3:00pm until 4:00pm.

If you are interested in signing a child up for these Yoga classes, please visit the Cyprian Center website at http://www.cypriancenter.org or call (904) 829-8828.

City Yoga Is Now A Donation Based Community Yoga Center!

View the original release HERE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) – Jul 01, 2010 – St. Augustine, FL July 1, 2010 – When times get tough, the tough get innovative. In an effort to bring yoga to the people of St. Augustine, FL, City Yoga of St. Augustine now allows students to pay what they can having switched to a donation only business model.

City Yoga of St. Augustine is located in the historic downtown district of the Oldest City in the Nation, St. Augustine, FL. The yoga studio opened it’s doors to the public in October of 2009 and has been steadily growing ever since. Owner Angela Jones remarked “I initially wanted to open this business with a donation model, but feedback from my peers was strongly against it. I listened to their feedback, putting my heart’s voice to the side. I knew I’d revisit this decision, but I decided to wait until the studio was a little more financially stable. We have a healthy student base now. I feel certain this is the right time to change to a donation based model.”

Offering yoga by donation may seem to be a new trend in the United States; however, in it’s birthplace, yoga was always offered in this fashion. Yoga by donation allows the studio to maintain the integrity of this ancient art by offering their practice the way it was originally intended. Now, more than ever, it seems to make perfect sense. Growing a business through tough economic times means adapting and being willing to take risks, and that is exactly what City Yoga is doing. For a successful example of this model, look no further than “Yoga To The People”, a donation based yoga studio which has grown to be three locations strong.

Classes at City Yoga of St. Augustine are offered on a daily basis and every class is donation based. Often, City Yoga will hold specialized workshops and events – these workshops and events may have set fees, depending on the facilitator.

City Yoga is also hosting a DJ Yoga Party on Sunday, August 1, 2010 at 6:00PM – this event is free to the public and will be held at the St. Augustine Beach Ocean Pier Pavilion. The event will consist of a yoga class set to a live DJ as well as a short meditation. All ages, sizes and fitness levels are welcome to attend. (It is highly recommended attendees come well hydrated with a yoga mat, a long towel and some water – the floor is concrete so if possible bring two yoga mats to stack.) “We are holding this event to show the people how powerful, amazing and fun the experience of yoga can be. Yoga is for anyone regardless of age, weight or any other disposition. We encourage everyone to come and give it a try, it will be a great time – it may just change a life or two.”

When it comes to the donation based studio, City Yoga of St. Augustine, specifically, Owner Angela Jones had this to say: “It is important for our students to know that they are assisting members in the community who could not otherwise afford to participate in class. I believe that this is simply the right thing to do… taking a leap of faith may not be easy, but how can you betray your heart? How can you judge who should be able to participate solely based on financial status? The cost of yoga has become outrageous, it is time to make a change – no actually, it is time to BE the change. Plant a seed and watch it grow.”

For additional information about City Yoga of St. Augustine, including class descriptions, times and location visit http://www.cityyogastaug.com or call 904-825-0999.

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About City Yoga of St. Augustine:
City Yoga of St. Augustine is a community centered, donation based yoga studio located in St. Augustine, FL. City Yoga is dedicated to providing a safe, non-competitive and enjoyable environment for the practice of yoga. City Yoga offers a variety of yoga styles and classes.

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How Yoga Can Assist In Cancer Treatment

by Jennifer E. Jacobsen, LMT, RM
Owner, Lakulish School of Yoga
Saint Augustine, FL

YOGA is becoming more and more recognized as an accompaniment to cancer treatment. Mostly viewed and experienced as a way to relax the mind and to tone and shape the body, Yoga is a very ancient science that is misunderstood in today’s society. While the benefits of Yoga surely can include a calm mind and fit body, Yoga is a way of building and maintaining healing energy while removing the more damaging patterns and behaviors that otherwise drain this precious, healing resource. To be a Yogi, one must master one’s mind.

Mental, emotional, and physical stress stem from a mind that has become destructive rather than constructive. While most people live their lives in search of creativity, success, abundance, and a sense of accomplishment, they often do so at the expense of their own well-being. Most of the time, this is unconscious. Some people live very successful and creative lives, and then there are people who intend to live very successful and creative lives yet do not know how to. At the end of the day these individuals feel mentally, emotionally, and physically drained and exhausted.

Exhaustion, stress, and lack of energy all stem from behaviors and patterns of living that are in disharmony with the first two laws of Yoga: Yamas and Niyamas. The Sanksrit word Yama means “death”. The Sanskrit word Niyama means “death inside”. We must ask ourselves, what is it that needs to die in our external environments and in our internal environments? Of what can we let go? What is no longer needed? In which ways are we damaging ourselves, allowing our minds to drain our energy, and leading destructive rather than constructive lives?

Patanjali, a great Master of Yoga, has shone his light on a path we all must follow. In his legendary Yoga Sutras, he tells us that the reason our minds, bodies, and spirits are not at rest is because our minds are violent. It is the mind that seeks to hurt its own system and the systems of others. We are not truthful with ourselves. It is the mind that deceives its own self and attempts to be deceptive with others. The mind is a thief. It steals, covets, hoards, and eventually drains our energy in patterns of which most of us are unaware. Yet, for the Master of Yoga who has reclaimed his or her own energy through Yamas and Niyamas and the practices of Yoga, the mind is no longer an enemy, but it is a great friend.

The question that then forms in the mind is, what does Yoga have to do with cancer? Cancer appears in a body that is destructive rather than constructive. The internal cells are in a state of attack, and the body is a battlefield.

Science has been able to prove that cancer cannot exist in an oxygenated environment. Dr. Robert O. Young, head of the pH Miracle Center in Valley Center, CA, has demonstrated that when the pH of urine drops below 5, on the scale of 1-14, the chances of an individual developing cancer increase dramatically. A low internal body pH deprives the body of oxygen, and the blood becomes dirty. Our internal cells are like fish in a fish tank. If the cells are not bathed in pH balanced water, and if our “fish tank” is not kept clean, the body begins to lose more energy than it gains because it is forced to clean up a dirty internal environment. In a dirty fish tank, bacteria grow. The bacteria morph into yeast. The yeast morph into fungus. The fungus morph into mold. These toxins deprive the body of oxygen. The internal pH of the blood begins to drop, and the body goes into survival mode. The pH of the blood will only drop when the tissues in the body have become so toxic that they have entered a state of latent tissue acidosis. The degree of latent tissue acidosis is most commonly measured by urinary pH. A urinary pH of 5 or below signals severe latent tissue acidosis and a body that is severely deprived of oxygen. The state of the blood can clearly be seen in a Live Blood Cell Analysis.

How does a body end up in a state of latent tissue acidosis, and how can Yoga return a body to health? The world of Yoga practices spans every bodily system. A Yogic diet is an alkaline diet centered around pure, fresh, organic fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and low-acid grains. Making the body more alkaline is the key to eliminating latent tissue acidosis. Cleansing the body and bringing fresh oxygen into the system also makes the body more alkaline. Pranayama (building healing energy in the body through breath) brings fresh oxygen into the lungs, the blood, and the cells. Both Pranayama and Yoga Asanas (postures) cleanse the body’s internal organs, remove acidic toxins from the body, and cleanse and heal energy pathways in the body (refered to as Nadis in the Sanskrit language). The practices of Yoga are designed to clean the blood.

Aligning oneself with the Yamas and Niyamas destroys the damaging patterns and behaviors that make an individual more extrovert, stressed, and capable of draining the healing energy built through the Yogic practices of Pranayama and Asana. In fact, there is a Yama in Pranayama. It is therefore necessary to be mindful of one’s attitude towards oneself and others before the practices of Yoga can begin to heal the body. This is the reason Yamas and Niyamas are the first two steps in the eightfold path of Yoga.

It is exciting that Yoga has been recognized as a useful and helpful addition to cancer treatment. Yoga is currently being taught in conjunction to cancer treatment in Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Memorial Sloan-Kettering, MC Anderson, and many other major cancer treatment centers. As a patient learns the ways his or her mind has become destructive rather than constructive, the practices of Yoga will naturally heal the body. The human body is remarkable by design. It contains everything it needs to heal itself, and the body is constantly amazing practitioners in the medical field. Unexplained miracles happen every day.

The practices of Yoga can bring a person who is out of balance into a state of balance. It can help an individual live a very long, happy, creative, and abundant life. It can assist a person to live free of sickness and disease, to move from a dark place into a place of love and healing light. This is my prayer for all of those who suffer with cancer or any dis-ease.

If you would like more information on how Yoga can help you with your internal battle for health, please contact Jennifer at the Saint Augustine Lakulish School of Yoga online at http://lakulishyogaschool.com or by phone at (904) 392-6588.

Bio of Swami Kripalu

The following biography of Swami Kripalu is now under the About the School page:

by Jennifer E. Jacobsen

(Information gathered from discussions with Swami Ashutosh Muni, Lineage Holder of Kripalu Muni Mundal)

Swami Sri Kripalvanandji (1913-1981) was born in a small town near Baroda in India. His parents gave him the name Saraswati Chandra. When he was only 7 years old, his father passed away, leaving the young boy with the enormous responsibility of supporting his family himself.

From the age of 7 until the time he was 19 years old, Saraswati Chandra agonized over his role in life. He was raised in the Brahmin tradition, an upbringing that created in him a deep love for God and a longing to merge with God. This longing to connect to his spiritual roots lead him to commit many a failed suicide attempt. At the age of 19, he tried to commit suicide once again in Bombay, yet he was saved by the being who would become his spiritual Father and Guru.

Unknown to the young boy, the being that saved him that day was not an ordinary person but was Lord Lakulish Himself, the 28th incarnation of Lord Shiva. For 15 months, however, Lakulish would be known to Saraswati Chandra as Swami Pranavanand, a 60 year old sannyasi. Swami Pranavanand took the 19 year old Saraswati Chandra to His mansion home in Bombay.

For the next 15 months, Swami Pranavanand taught this young boy everything he would need to know in order to become a sannyasi in the future. Swami Pranavanand taught his disciples sections of the Bhagavad-Gita for an hour every morning. After this period of study, the Swami and the Saraswati Chandra would walk the sea beaches for hours as Swami Pranavanand further taught the boy the Gita, a shloka at a time. Saraswati Chandra was encouraged to ask any questions that he had, as the lessons were very in-depth and far advanced.

At the end of 15 months, Swami Pranavanand tied other scriptures in the Sanatan Dharma lexicon into his teachings of the Bhagavad-Gita. He used Bhagavad-Gita as a foundation to further teach even more advanced principles to the young boy, principles which Saraswati Chandra would find very useful in his future Yoga sadhana. After making sure the boy had a thorough understanding of all Sanatan Dharma scriptures, Swami Pranavanand took the young boy on a trip to northern India. The two would go to remote, abandoned temples late in the night, and from 12:00am – 3:00am every night, Swami Pranavanand revealed the final and the most esoteric secrets of Yoga sadhana (keys which only God can reveal and are not recorded anywhere) to Saraswati Chandra, way ahead of the time when the boy would need these key secrets for his sadhana.

One day, Swami Pranavanand disappeared, leaving Saraswati Chandra alone and very sad. Before the Swami left however, he had prophesized that within 10 years Saraswati Chandra would become a sannyasi and begin his Yoga sadhana. He predicted that this boy would become the finest Yoga teacher in the entire world. For the next 10 years, Saraswati Chandra studied the Sanatan Dharma scriptures very extensively.

At the age of 31, Saraswati Chandra awoke one day with an urge to give up everything and become a sannyasi. Thoughts and feelings within his mind and body guided the young man to board a random train from Bombay which eventually brought him to an ashram with a collection of several herds of cows/ There, he came upon a Swami by the name of Swami Shantanand. Swami Pranavanand had told Saraswati Chandra that the Swami who would initiate him into sannyas would be a very kind, wise, and cow-loving person. Saraswati Chandra asked for sannyas initiation from Swami Shantanand, and he was ordained a sannyasi in the sannyas order of the Muni Mundal Lineage. Saraswati Chandra was then given the name Swami Kripalvanand.

For the next 10 years, Swami Kripalvanand was a wandering sannyasi. He wandered from town to town, giving discourses on the Bhagavad-Gita. During this time, Swami Pranavanand appeared to Swami Kripalvanand, this time in his original, Divine Body, giving the young Kripalu further instructions. Also during this time, Swami Shantanand passed away. This broke Swami Kripalvanand’s heart. He had one Guru who was a Divine figure, and his only physical Guru was now gone. He went into depression, and he begged his Divine Guru to please let him begin his Yoga sadhana. His Guru agreed.

When Swami Kripalvanand was approximately 41 years old, he began his Yoga Sadhana and took a vow of silence. He began to realize that he needed a stable and comfertable place to reside, and he decided to settle in Malav. Over time, many people had chosen to follow the Swami, and one day, at the request of one of his female disciples, he visited the town of Kayavarohan. As he approached the outskrits of the town, he saw a statue of Lord Lakulish. Recognizing the statue to be the exact image of his Guru’s Divine form, he began slipping into unconscious meditation. He quickly asked to be taken to his meditation chamber, and during his meditation, Lord Lakulish and Lord Vishvamitra appeared to him. They showed him the history of Kayavarohan and its connection to the Muni Mundal lineage, and he discovered the true identiy of his Divine Guru, Lord Lakulish. These great Masters of Yoga asked Swami Kripalvanand to move from Malav to Kayavarohan, reestablish the Lakulish temple in Kayavarohan, and move the statue that he had found into the temple.

Swami Kripalvanand moved to Kayavarohan and completed the installation of the Lakulish statue into the temple. By 1974, his Yoga sadhana was demanding more of his time and energy. The atmosphere of Kayavarohan was no longer suitable for his sadhana, and he moved to America in search of more seclusion, silence, and love. During the first few months he was in America, he broke his silence to teach his disciples about the Yamas and Niyamas, which he said are the foremost secrets of Yoga. His teachings on the Yamas and Niyamas were later compiled into a series of books called the Premyatra darshans.

In 1981, Swami Kripalvanand attained samadhi. Before his transition, on January 14, 1981, Swami Kripalvanand ordained Swami Ashutosh Muni as his only sannyas disciple to carry on the spiritual Lineage. Swami Ashutosh Muni created the Mahasamadhi temple, Kripalu Samadhi Mandir in Malav, in loving memory of and devotion to his Guru. Swami Ashutosh Muni is the current Lineage holder of the Lakulish Yoga community and the Muni Mundal Lineage.

New KIRTAN Group!

NEW! Kirtan Group

Who: Urja (Jennifer Jacobsen) of Lakulish School of Yoga and YOU!

When: Every Wednesday evening from 6:30pm – 8:30pm beginning July 8th, 2009

Where: Sponsored by Namaste Healing Center - 2551 St. Augustine Blvd, St. Augustine, FL 32086

How Much: $5 suggested donation

What: Kirtan is a call and response chanting of Indian Sanskrit mantras and hymns along with various musical instruments.  The chants are usually devotional in nature, directed towards the Divine or Higher Self.  Kirtan is not religious in nature, and yet it easily encompasses all faiths and religious paths.  Kirtan belongs to the Bhakti Yoga family, the family of love and devotion, and it dramatically builds and increases prana (the vital life energy). 

For kirtan, bring a small pillow to sit on, as we will be sititng on the floor in a group.  Bring your voice, and bring an instrument if you have one!

Lakulish Family Movie Night

Join us for our first Lakulish Yoga Family Movie Night!

What:  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Where:  St. Augustine Ampitheatre (1340 A1A South, St. Augustine, FL 32080)

When:  Friday, May 15th at 8:00pm

Cost:  FREE!

We will meet promptly at 7:45pm by the food concession stand to go inside for the movie.

I look forward to having you with us!

Lakulish School Of Yoga On Meetup.com!

The St. Augustine Lakulish School of Yoga is now on Meetup.com!

Join our Meetup.com community and stay informed as to new classes and workshops, group gatherings and fun adventures!

Visit http://www.meetup.com/St-Augustine-Lakulish-School-of-Yoga/ today and get connected!