Hosh Yoga of Greenpoint and Williamsburg » Testimonials

Music in the tubes

hamid — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 23:20:44 +0000

As usual I was on mta autopilot, navigating the passageways with attuned precision, predicting a like bike messenger, dodging like a boxer, breathing like a yogi, and even aligning my car exits and entrances for the maximum possible efficiency. Coming quickly around the corner, judging by the large amount of people waiting, a quick breeze and a faint sound I knew that my next train connection is here. What a perfect timing, I thought, I feel so proud of myself, I got skills, skillllzzzz!

Sweet and delicious interchangeable play of accordion and base slowly started making its way into my busy mind. My body started leaning towards the music but my legs kept moving in the direction of the train doors like an unstoppable metronome. I made it, I caught it, I’m in the train, I have control over my precious minutes and the victory over time is mine.

me(m): this is so wrong
the other me(tom): what do you mean wrong?
m: I want to listen
tom: well, you are standing in front of the door facing them
m: for another five seconds
tom: instead of arguing just listen, three seconds by the way, better enjoy it
m: screw this
tom: wow, hold up, we are going to waste a lot of time!

Train doors close behind me; nobody is on the platform, except the music and me. I sit on the bench right by the band, close my eyes and soak in the tunes. I missed this feeling so much. It comes and goes setting me off on a rollercoaster. Actually missing that train gave me a chance to get the best seat, listen more and talk to these guys. I should do this more often.

I was behaving myself like that theology student on his way to make a speech about being a good Samaritan while passing by in a hurry a slouched over person on the steps of the auditorium. Where am I running? Do I really have something pressing to get to right at this moment? Honestly…no. I just got out of a yoga class, shopped around a bit and set out on my way home. Where did all of that yoga ways have evaporated? If the only place I can practice my “yoga” is on the mat, then I have even more to work on than I thought…Not this time, not today, I can still surprise myself.

m: thanx guys, where can I see you play?
accordion player continuing to play with one hand and reaching for a contact card with another: email me, I’ll tell you

Train doors close behind me, it moves. I find a comfortable seat, close my eyes and fuse the gentle rocking of the train with fading away dancing sounds of music. Smile…I should do this more often.

music in the tubes

Reflections on Half Pigeon

yuuki — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:10:31 +0000

I knew half pigeon to be a very restorative pose, but it did more that just open my hips today. It was a very intense class and I decided that I would push myself, getting as low as I could go in my lunges, trying to keep my front knee at a 90 degree angle, sitting extra low in my chair pose, engaging all muscles. I pushed, I worked, I sweated.

To counter balance all of the intense strengthening of the thigh and hip, at the end of class we released into half pigeon. Starting off on the right side we stayed in the pose longer than usual. My practice has allowed me to get into half pigeon fairly easily now, but remaining in the pose for what seemed like an eternity had pushed my practice right to the edge. When the teacher brought us out of it I was more than relieved, I let out a quiet but large sigh as I stepped my foot back and returned to downward facing dog. As we transitioned to our left leg I was starting to become apprehensive. Although the teachers remind us to practice each pose as if it were our first time, the opening of my right hip was a much stronger reminder that this might get intense.

I lay my foot down, took in a deep inhale and exhaled slowly into the pose. I was a little tense, not wanting to leave my hip as vulnerable and opened as it was on the right side. But, with each breath as I was able to slowly deepen into it.

As I took in one more full breath and exhaled I entered a state of complete release and relaxation that I had not experienced before. I could visualize my body from a third person in half pigeon, the silhouette of my body stretched out on the mat. I began to notice a wave like energy radiating from my body. With my palms facing each other I could feel warmth flowing between my hands. I was in bliss. I remained focused, breathing even more deeply, allowing the hip to open even more fully and trying to let go of physical and emotional tension. I took in one more breath and exhaling slowly pressed myself back up and flowed my way back to downward dog.

I walked away from class floating, with a new appreciation for the practice and a sense of warm loving that is more than enjoyable in these cold, dreary, depressing winter city days. When you allow yourself the extra time and care for your body, you will be amazed at what your heart will allow and open up to.

warm up with winter yoga

yogis — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:16:16 +0000

2 years ago in that last bleak stretch of winter, I was feeling pretty awful. I was depressed, struggling financially, out of shape, achy, tired, frustrated with life in general, and just thoroughly sick of winter!!!! I felt like a clogged drain and wanted to just hibernate until spring. The yoga I was doing had become routine, easy, superficial, ineffective. Thankfully my dear friend told me about a donation based studio called Yoga to the People in the East Village, where you could pay what you wish. I remember asking her, can you really just pay what you wish though? Like… can I pay a dollar? I’m poor! Sure enough it was the truth. We went together and I couldn’t believe how challenging it was. It was such a full body workout and I was sweating 5 min. into the class! That was my first vinyasa class and wow was I surprised.The yoga I had been doing was like a gentle stream but this was like a raging river and I was loving it!
By the end of class, lying in the final pose of Savasana, I felt so relieved. I thought, this is what I need to do, everyday or as much as I can. And even though I felt a little guilty at first only donating a few dollars, depending on what I could; I kept going, and soon realized that no one cared what you donated. No one checked. It didn’t matter. This was yoga for everyone, in any physical state, of any economic situation. I found this really beautiful, welcoming, generous, and very in line with the principles of yoga.
I felt such a difference in just one hour that I knew this was what I had been looking for, and after just a week of practicing this new yoga, I felt so much better. It was such a relief to sweat, and to be so sore! I felt more open, happier, and like I was getting somewhere. I went often as I could. And when a wonderful teacher mentioned an upcoming teacher training, I felt inspired to delve deeper into learning more about yoga and became certified through the studio.
So in these winter months, as it gets colder, resist the urge to bundle up and hibernate. Come out to Hosh, to laugh, sweat, open up your body, release some pent up emotion, bring your body back into balance, and pay whatever you wish. Burn away those winter blues and plant some beautiful seeds for spring. Practice now through the cold and sometimes bleak, and start to feel the awakening; the blossoming of your beautiful self on the path to becoming healed, whole, happy.

morning practice

hamid — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:16:30 +0000

As a yoga teacher one might think I do yoga every day, probably having a well established home practice. At least I want to see myself that way when I think of my self image. However it is not so. As a current western world dweller and a New Yorker, I am at constant give and take with the speed and intensity of my life. Maintaining calm state of being while having a restless mind with multitude of goals and deadlines is a tough one to balance. But then, that is what yoga is, at least one of the many things.

The union of ying and yang, mind and body, crazy moments in subway and peaceful rest in the park. No wonder people are drawn to New York City, and whether they leave or not, nothing is imprinted in their mind and soul as this city. To enjoy this city and what it has to offer better, I feel it is important to be grounded, focused. Of course one has to have energy to spare, sometimes getting 25 out 24 hours a day. However multitasking, which I might add is highly overrated, shortens our attention span to mere seconds.

Here comes the morning practice, something I personally want to cultivate and mold into my everyday life as a permanent healthy habit. Waking up and grounding myself with few poses and deep breath is a great way to start your day anywhere, especially in the city of constant stimulation. Many reasons can be in our way to stop us, mind you the ones we made for ourselves. We might tell ourselves that unless we do a certain number of poses in a certain environment we can not consider it worthy of calling yoga. Many other reasons can be quoted as to why we can’t or shouldn’t do something, like with everything in life.

Being the decisive element in your life you can look at this situation from a different perspective. Even if you do one Down Dog, couple of Sun Salutations and a Sahavasana, that’s yoga. Seating in a chair and stretching for two mintues, that’s yoga. Walking on the street and breathing deeply while taking in the world, that’s yoga. You decide what yoga is for you and when you are ready you will have your morning/evening or any other time of day or style practice on and off the mat.

Coming back to the topic at hand this morning I did a sequence of five Sun Salutaionts, Low Lunges, Warrior I and II on both sides, Chair Pose, Dolphin Plank and finished it off with multiple twists and a headstand. That was my personal choice of today. Tomorrow I will do my best to practice again early morning, and it might be completely different. Whatever it is, as soon as it puts a smile on my face and makes me sing and dance, helping me to cherish the present moment, appreciate my past the way it is and take a peek at what’s coming ahead. Namaste.

Testimonial from a Yoga Skeptic

tom — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:43:29 +0000

I gotta admit I was skeptical. I’m a 6’3, 225 pound guy who’s played basketball his entire life. In high school I played against future NBA All Stars Elton Brand and Ron Artest. However as I got older, and the people you play with begin to dwindle, I was looking for a new avenue for exercise. I’m not one of those huge muscle-heads who loves going to the gym, veins bulging as I lift weights and check myself out in the mirror, before going home to indulge myself in more protein-overload. I’m also not very self-motivated; in other words if I need exercise and know I need exercise and even have the means to make it happen, I’ll find every conceivable excuse to put it off.

So I needed a new challenge. When I was younger, I took swimming lessons. The instructor made me an example in front of the rest of the class about what not to do, and I actually still don’t know how to swim to this day. I was sort of scarred from that experience and rather reluctant to join a class, for fear of the teacher making me look like a jackass.

So I decided to give this yoga a try based off some information I found. After showing up with as much yoga experience as a homeless drunk, I explained to the instructors when I first arrived that I didn’t know what I was doing but that I was fairly flexible. The instructors were great. 15 minutes before class began they took the time to walk me through the basic poses and what to expect. Ok I was ready! So 15 minutes later as class began and they said “child’s pose” I had forgotten everything. But the point to all this was that it didn’t matter. I was able to emulate a couple other people for the class and the class was never interrupted for everyone to see what I was doing wrong. In other words the instructors encouraged you to “move at your own speed.”

I have to say I wasn’t prepared for that first class. One hour of stretching poses I’ve never really done I almost felt like stopping halfway through. But I’m a tough guy and couldn’t let the girls in the class see they were somehow better at this than me. So I persevered and got through it. Subsequently I was incredibly sore the next 4 days.

Since that day back in August I’ve continued going at least once a week to Hosh Yoga classes. The classes take place right on the border of Greenpoint and Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York. Even though I live in New Jersey I gladly make the trip out there for several reasons. First off the workout is tremendous. Yoga really helps tone the core muscles that I desperately need worked on. Secondly I’ve made a lot of good friends from the class, both instructors and fellow classmates.

Lastly they say the best things in life are free. Brace yourself for this, Hosh Yoga as of now is actually a free New York City yoga class. Ok you’re supposed to make donations since it is a non-profit organization and I most certainly do. But for any yoga doubters out there, who’ve never tried this before, I insist you give it a shot at Hosh Yoga, and only Hosh Yoga. You have nothing to lose by attending a session, but a lot to gain in personal growth as a result. Most NYC yoga classes you obviously must sign up and pay for. But what if yoga’s not for you or what if you’re a yoga novice like I was? Wouldn’t it be better to try NY yoga before committing the money to a class? It’s like buying a car without test driving it. Who would do that? Do you want to feel better about yourself and improve your physique? Then this yoga in Brooklyn is for you! Ok I’ll stop promoting it but you get my drift.

Hosh Yoga is a phenomenal resource- just read my Yelp review. So if you have doubts like me, give it a go. It’ll really impact your life positively in so many different ways.