Bhoga Blog

We’re celebrating the New Year by offering a workshop series called 40 days to Personal Transformation. Kiara Boch leads this series from January 9th through February 20, 2012. Weekly meetings on Monday night (7:30pm to 9pm) anchor the program.

Baron Baptist pioneered the 40 Days concept and we use his teachings combined with other influences to present our own unique version of the program.  Read on for answers to some common questions about 40 Days To Personal Transformation.

What is the 40 Days series?

Baron Baptist observed “Many of us are searching without knowing exactly what we are looking for. Some of us go on a diet to lose weight and try all kinds of programs and workshops to make ourselves feel better, or perhaps we throw ourselves into our work and seek wealth and status to fill the void, but underneath, an emotional emptiness remains. No matter how much we try to gloss over that yearning with temporary fixes, it is still there, whispering the truth: that what we need isn’t another quick fix, but a rather a rebirth — a whole-life revolution. “

40 days to Personal Transformation is a breakthrough program to radically change your body and awaken the sacred within your soul. A daily combination of asana practice, meditation, diet, journaling and personal reflection will cultivate a solid foundation from which students can live and grow.

Why is 40 days an important length of time?

“The number 40 holds tremendous spiritual significance in the realm of transformation.  Jesus wandered in the desert for forty days in order to experience purification and to come to a greater understanding of himself and his mission.  Moses and his people traveled through the desert for forty years before arriving home to the holy land.  Noah preserved the sacredness of life by sailing his ark for forty days and forty nights.  According to the Kabbalah, the ancient Jewish mystical text, it takes forty days to ingrain any new way of being into our system, and that is what we are aiming to do here: wipe out the old and welcome the new. In forty days, you can shift into a whole new way of living and being.”   -Baron Baptist

What goes on at the weekly meetings?

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In mid October we had the pleasure of hosting  Jason and Chelsey of the Yogaslackers for a weekend workshop. A strong showing of Portland’s AcroYoga community turned out to learn and practice the “Acropy Portland” flow which was fun and challenging. After six hours of practice the first day and five hours the second, we took a breath and started filming.

This first video is a montage of the students performing the flow.  The second video is of Jason and Chelsey performing the same flow. This was a great workshop and with a super inspiring group of people!

For some time I thought the studio needed a proper altar table. After all, this is Shiva we’re talking about, destroyer of the world and maybe one day your ego, and Shiva’s current table was a far cry from godly. So like any sensible yogi, I went to the Ikea catalog and looked at tables, but it just seemed weird to buy an altar. Thinking about it more, I decided to build one myself, an altar that symbolized the practice of yoga in a deep and personal way.

That’s a tall order and I was thinking about this design off and on for about a year. I came upon the work of George Nakashima. George was among other things a graduate from the University of Washington, an architect, an early disciple of Sri Aurobindo, and a master of Japanese style woodworking.  Interestingly, it was George’s dream to create seven “altars of peace” with one residing in each continent. The first of these tables were made from massive pairs of matched walnut for the table top. These tables bore George’s signature style — a split down the middle of the top that was joined by inlaid butterfly dovetails.

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Yoga practices such as Hatha and Vinyasa focus on active movement of the body to stretch and strengthen muscles.  These practices provide great benefit as they increase our vitality and health.  Yin yoga, by comparison, applies healthy stress to joints and connective tissue.  Connective tissues (tendons, ligaments, and fascia) respond to long, steady, and moderate loads of stress by lengthening and growing stronger.  Yin postures focus on the joint and connective tissue in the low back, pelvis, and hips.

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Looking to polish your AcroYoga skills?  This circuit will get you in tip top shape.  Spend 30-60 seconds at each exercise and then switch.  Repeat the circuit two to three times and enjoy!

Sun salutations
Downdog push-ups
Hula hoop
Straddle Jumping Jacks
Press walks-forwards and backwards
Push-ups
Hollow body with side tucks
V-ups
Switch kick handstands

At the end of April, the 40 Days to Personal Transformation program began at Yoga Bhoga.  This program follows the principals and laws Baron Baptiste presents in his book 40 Days to Personal Revolution. Through meditation, yoga, journaling, weekly meetings and diet changes the participants of the program move on a journey of self-exploration and self-awareness. By becoming more aware of oneself, we bring to the surface buried emotions, thoughts, habits of avoidance, and self-sabotage. Only by recognizing these behaviors are we then able to change our patterns and find a place of greater joy. Read More

It’s your chance to join Amy Armstrong and Leigh Drake to study with their teacher Molly Lannon Kenny in her upcoming workshops at Yoga Bhoga. Read on to learn about Amy and Leigh’s experience with Molly.

What attracted you to study with Molly?

Leigh: Meeting Molly was different from anyone else I had met; she doesn’t just talk about meeting people where they are, she actually does it. Being present, not judging, examining the quality of action; these are integral to how Molly operates.
Amy: Molly clearly demonstrates a commitment to being inclusive of all kinds of people. Samarya Center serves a community of people with incredibly diverse abilities and backgrounds, embracing, celebrating and supporting all of them. Read More