Download Betsey's Audio Classes from the iHanuman Store: ]]> http://www.ihanuman.com/index.php?pageId=2914 en-us Tue, 13 Mar 2007 16:23:18 EDT Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:43:25 EDT Tue, 13 Mar 2007 16:23:18 EDT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Bluewallllc.com Content Management System peter@bluewallllc.com, sara@bluewallllc.com 180 yoga, anusara yoga, garden of heart yoga center, betsey betsey http://www.ihanuman.com/pdsFiles/betsey_final.jpg http://www.ihanuman.com/index.php?pageId=15030

Yoga means “yoke” in Sanskrit, a technique to yoke or unite all aspects of one’s being and to come into union with the greater energy which forms the basis of the Universe. Yoga was first codified and written down by Patanjali around 220 B.C. He devised an eight-limbed system of yoga that included: yamas (ethical behavior), niyamas (personal disciplines), asanas (yoga postures), pranayama (breathing), pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (the state in which consciousness becomes totally absorbed in the soul, described as a state of truth and bliss). The yoga postures Patanjali referred to were primarily seated poses for meditation. The familiar poses of hatha yoga that we practice today did not evolve until about a century ago.


The yamas and the niyamas are the foundation of the spiritual path of yoga in Patanjali’s system. The yamas include nonviolence, truthfulness, non-stealing, moderation, and non-covetousness. They are principles of right living aimed at creating a better world. Each of the yamas is worthy of an in-depth examination, which is not possible in the short space of this article. However, I would like to elaborate on a few of the ideas. For instance, nonviolence obviously means not harming anyone or anything. However, it extends beyond that to the point of not harboring negative feelings, such as malice or hatred, toward others, and includes developing a love for all living beings. The goal is to see the spirit or soul within each person.


The yama of non-stealing includes not only refraining from theft, but also honoring and caring for whatever things are under our guardianship. The yogic attitude is that nothing in this world really belongs to us; we are merely borrowing it for a while.


The Niyamas are personal practices. They include cleanliness of body and mind, contentment, self-discipline, study of the self, and surrender of all thoughts and actions to God/Universal Consciousness. Cleanliness is based on the recognition that the body is the temple of the soul and external cleanliness is a method of honoring the indwelling spirit. Mental cleanliness is of great significance, and includes remembering constantly the deeper reality, the spirit, residing within each person.


Self-discipline is a major element in a yogic life, and surprisingly, true discipline is considered to be moderation in all things: moderation in eating, recreation, activity, sleep, and wakefulness. It is balance and self-control, always remembering the purpose of discipline, which is to experience the underlying essence within ourselves and others.


Contentment is another subject worthy of contemplation. Cultivating a sense of contentment in life means accepting what is, being free of worry, and developing trust in the Universe that what is happening in our lives is just what we need in order to grow and progress on our spiritual path. Another form of contentment is to smile… to develop the habit of having a faint smile on your face at all times. This simple spiritual discipline can transform your daily life!


Yoga is a complete system for personal development that encompasses ethical principles, personal disciplines, and physical and mental techniques to unite the body, mind, and spirit for health and fulfillment, bringing greater contentment and joy in our daily lives.


I wish you a beautiful summer to experience the deeper nourishment of yoga.]]> http://www.ihanuman.com/index.php?pageId=15030 ihanuman, betsey downing, yoga, yamas, niyamas, garden of the heart yoga center, sarasota, florida Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:03:44 EDT http://www.ihanuman.com/index.php?pageId=6732
Through several magical and serendipitous events, such as meeting my landlords at an orchid fair at Selby Gardens, I found the current location and Garden of the Heart Yoga Center opened in January 2003. We started with 117 students in the new location. After 2 years here we have grown to 362 weekly students!

However, beyond the numbers, what really amazes me is the inner growth and heart expansion that Anusara Yoga offers us. One of the major teachings of Anusara is to look for the Good first. Founder John Friend teaches us to do that when we are leading classes, working on our own practice, or when we are relating with others. Looking for the good has transformed our yoga center! The most wonderful group of teachers, students, staff and wok-study volunteers has come together!! Our work-study folks are at the front desk to greet you for class and welcome you to the yoga center; plus we have other work-study folks who keep the yoga center clean and sparkling, order the books we sell, and add more beauty to the center with fresh flowers. Mary Anne, our office manager, takes care of the bulk of the administrative details with superb effectiveness and joy. Mary Rice has come onboard to help with the administrative workload that has grown as we have. Everyone is so positive and uplifting! Seeing the good in ourselves and in each other makes it possible to resonate with the best in each other! This has truly transformed my life and our yoga center!

On a technical level I find Anusara Yoga's Universal Principles of Alignment to be unsurpassed in brilliance and effectiveness! Our students are experiencing how empowering it is to be in alignment. I am still amazed when I see the value of the Universal Principles in working with injured students, in my own practice, or helping students move with greater ease into the postures.

Anusara also emphasizes taking the yoga teachings off the mat, and into daily life. Anusara yoga is "heart-oriented", emphasizing a celebration of Spirit in the poses and expressing various qualities of heart through the poses:courage, patience, compassion, stability, freedom, joy, etc. It follows that we can take these attitudes off the mat and incorporate them more fully into our lives. This approach empowers each of us to express our uniqueness, our joy, and our spirit! In effect, to live more fully!

Yoga is not just a series of physical poses; it is a process of becoming who you truly are...and along the way you become stronger and more flexible, more centered, and joyful. Yoga is not about the final pose; it is about the transformation you go through to get there...the transformation of your heart.

May your heart bloom to its full capacity!
]]> http://www.ihanuman.com/index.php?pageId=6732 ihanuman, betsey downing, anusara yoga, garden of the heart yoga center, universal princliples of alignment Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:22:52 EST http://www.ihanuman.com/index.php?pageId=4521
Anusara Yoga is an exceptionally therapeutic system because it is founded on Universal Principles of Alignment that bring the body into balance. This specific alignment positions the joint and muscles for maximum stability, flexibility, and safety and optimizes the circulation of blood, vital energy and other internal fluids for the healthiest flow. Anusara also teahes 7 Loops & Spirals that act as fine-tuning dials for the energetic and structural alignment in the body.

In addition to the strong emphasis on alignment, poses in Anusara are considered to be "heart-oriented" and are expressed from the "inside-out." Instead of trying just to control the body externally, the poses originate from a deep connection inside, and they are an expression of each individual's uniqueness. There is an emphasis on remembering the spiritual purpose of hatha yoga, which includes reconnecting with our innate goodness, power and beauty, and expressing ourselves from that divine place.

Each of us is essentially good. The highest intention of practicing Anusara Yoga is to awaken to the truth that our essential nature is part of the divine flow. In each pose, we artistically offer our individual light and our unique music to the flow of life.

Flowing with Grace through Anusara is saying yes to the whole spectrum of life. It is a willingness to be aware of all parts of ourselves - the light and the dark, the full range of our experience, thoughts, and feelings. It is simply to open our hearts with love to the present moment without clinging or pushing. Anusara Yoga teachers look for the good, especially in their students and in themselves. Anusara Yoga teachers do not try to "fix" or "correct" student's poses but instead they help enhance and reveal the beauty and divine qualities already present in the poses. They bring the student's posture into greater alignment and balance by reference to the Universal Principles.

Anusara Yoga is one of the fastest growing schools of yoga in the country. It has been growing with harmony and integrity through the vision of John and the Anusara teachers to serve each student and help them unveil their innate goodness, worthiness, and supreme nature. The Anusara community is a wonderful, heartfelt group of highly trained teachers and fun-loving students, who are eager to share their energy with others.]]> http://www.ihanuman.com/index.php?pageId=4521 ihanuman, yoga, anusara, john friend, betsey downing, divine flow Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:14:20 EST http://www.ihanuman.com/index.php?pageId=3881
What is fascinating to me is that I had never considered the idea that I could balance in the middle of the room-even though Handstand is one of my favorite poses, even though I had been practicing it for years against the wall. I'd seen other people balance in the middle of the room, mostly the men, but it never dawned on me that I was capable of it also. I had all kinds of reasons-mainly fear. With no wall to support me, I had a fear of falling over and hurting myself.

After John demonstrated to me that I could do it, I began to practice it at home, exploring how to do it safely and how to appropriately manage my fear of falling. I started out at the wall and gradually moved farther away. After awhile I could kick up to Handstand about 24 inches from the wall and balance without ever touching it. Later I ventured out into the middle of the room, having someone spot me. Then I tried it in the yard (for a softer landing). And then on a few courageous occasions, after I was well warmed up (so if I fell I could land in Urdhva Dhanurasana, a back bend pose, and not hurt myself), I tried it in the middle of the room. Finally I could do this pose! I was truly amazed!! For decades I've been working on Handstand and four months after John opened my mind to a greater possibility, I learned, at age 52, to do Handstand in the middle of the room-by myself!

What this demonstrates to me is that it's not about physical skills; it about mental skills. It's about what we believe that we are capable of. I never conceived of doing the pose in the middle of the room so I never tried. I had unknowingly created a false ceiling for myself. The physical possibility did not exist because the mental concept was not in my field of vision.

One of the most intriguing things to me about yoga is how it can be a metaphor for life. When we overcome some of limited concept of ourselves in yoga class, we take that new awareness into our daily lives. We begin to explore new activities, ope to fresh, new experiences, and try things that we may previously have been afraid to do. This process makes life an adventure, and keeps us supple, physically, mentally. It keeps us growing, and developing, keeps our hearts young, and our spirit vital.

It makes me wonder what other opportunities are available in life that we miss because they are not in our field of vision- we just don't see them or act on them. What experience is out there just waiting for you to discover it? What will you look back on in your life and wish you had tried? I remember reading a research article that found the most common regret among older people was not having taken more risks during their lives. What regrets will you have? What risk, what road, will you wish you would have taken?]]> http://www.ihanuman.com/index.php?pageId=3881 ihanuman, betsey downing, john friend, anusara yoga, handstand, risks Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:59:44 EDT http://www.ihanuman.com/index.php?pageId=3708
It is profound to see how much yoga changes not only the physical body, but everything else as well! When I first started yoga, I had a loose, weak body. Later on when I was introduced to Iyengar yoga with an emphasis on standing poses and strength, my initial response was to want to quit because it was so hard! Most of the yoga I had taken before was rather easy with lots of sitting and lying poses, not much attention to detail or alignment, and no balance between flexibility and strength. However, I had paid my money for the 9-month Teacher Training Program, and I was too cheap to quit!

Over several months of practicing the standing poses I became noticeably stronger, and I felt a new energy and power. That was a pleasant outcome, but what really surprised me was that I was becoming stronger mentally and emotionally. Like many of us, I had been trained to be nice and agreeable. I now found myself listening to my own inner voice, and beginning to set my own course, choosing what was appropriate for me. I felt stronger from the inside out.

Learning deep relaxation also had its revelations. I found that I experienced states of peacefulness I had never known. I discovered a new inner dimension where I could view myself (and others) with compassion and forgiveness, understanding that I was doing the best I could at the time. It was an inner sanctuary of stillness and peace. I began to naturally move away from situations, relationships, and jobs that were negative and move into circumstances that were more positive and supportive. Relationships that I valued began to improve. Life began to flow more smoothly. Life was less stressful, because I was more relaxed, peaceful and strong inside. Over the years I have observed similar transformations in thousands of my students.

My experiences have led me to believe that after we discover the depths of our own true nature of stillness, peace, and strength, the real work begins. We seek to transform those aspects of our personalities, habits, and patterns that block that connection to our peaceful center. It can sometimes be hard to work to release our negative mindset; to let go of criticisms, judgments, insecurities, fears, guilt, the ways in which we close our hearts, lack compassion, fail to honor ourselves, become defensive, remember old hurts, and withhold forgiveness of ourselves, to clarify our communication, and speak from the heart with firmness and compassion. We begin to live our lives from the larger perspective of our spirituality.

In fact the reason I chose the name Garden of the Heart for the yoga center is that it is another name for the inner sanctuary of peace and strength we all have inside us. Connecting with our inner sanctuary gives us a perspective that transforms our perception of what is stressful! I hope you will find Garden of the Heart Yoga Center to be a path to your inner sanctuary.]]> http://www.ihanuman.com/index.php?pageId=3708 ihanuman, betsey downing, garden of the heart yoga center, inner sanctuary, Fri, 07 Sep 2007 15:37:10 EDT http://www.ihanuman.com/index.php?pageId=3415
Obviously, he thinks quite differently about what is possible at age 78 than the average person his age. He hasn't bought into the typical beliefs about physical decline that come with age. Imagine what his quality of life is like compared with his peers. He moves and feels and looks like someone decades younger!

TV, movies, radio, magazines, books, and our own observations typically present us with a reality that does not include 78 year olds bending and stretching in every conceivable direction! We then begin to conform to the attitudes and beliefs about what it means to get older. However, when we see one person doing something out of the ordinary, it gives us the inspiration and freedom to be extraordinary too.

We all could make more powerful choices in our thinking processes. We could think the highest thoughts about ourselves and look for our best qualities. We could appreciate the strengths and positive qualities we already have, and focus on qualities we wish to develop. Retraining the mind to think about what is possible rather than being limited to what is apparent is a powerful technique that will bring forth the best from yourself. You will create the person you want to become physically, mentally, and spiritually.

I loved the movie Calendar Girls, a true story about a group of older women in England who posed nude (tastefully & carefully) to raise money for leukemia research. One inspiring man in the movie state that each woman is like a flower that becomes more beautiful with time. What an empowering attitude!

As we get older yoga can become a valued companion on our journey - a method to keep healthy, fit, vital and alive: a way to help our flower continue to bloom!]]> http://www.ihanuman.com/index.php?pageId=3415 ihanuman, yoga, betsey downing, aging gracefully, aging with yoga, calendar girls, getting older Thu, 05 Jul 2007 14:46:32 EDT http://www.ihanuman.com/index.php?pageId=3371
When I remember what it is I want out of life and how I want to feel on a daily basis, it is easy for me to see that a regular yoga practice makes an enormous contribution. I especially feel that way now that I am no longer a "spring chicken" and notice the aging process takes its toll on people who do not take care of themselves. Attending yoga class is a great first step toward living with intention. There is tremendous value in regular attendance. The instructor reminds you of nuances of poses that increase awareness and concentration. A trained instructor observing poses keeps students from falling back into their typical patterns of misalignment.

However, I don't consider that someone "practices yoga" until they have a home practice. A home practice signals an enormous shift in consciousness and a transition to a status of yogi or yogini. In doing a home practice, the poses become your own, not just your teacher's list of instructions. A combination of attending class and doing a home practice is the ideal way to develop on the yogic path toward an intentional life, to deepen your understanding of yoga, and to reap the full benefits that yoga has to offer.

Establishing a home practice involves 2 things: first, setting time aside in an already busy life to do yoga, and second, knowing what to do when you come to your mat. In the spring session we begin our offerings of workshops to inspire students in their further study of yoga, and in their home practice. Books and CDs are also a great way to get more instruction, and we provide handouts every two weeks as a reminder of the major poses we did in class. I have found that for most students the practice gets much easier over time!! In fact, a home yoga practice becomes a treasured part of one's life.

The discipline of yoga is about so much more than just touching your toes! It is also about increasing your awareness of how your body moves, and where your limits are. It's about challenging yourself appropriately and in that process expanding your potential. It's about learning to listen to your inner guidance, both on and off the yoga mat. All this is tremendously enhanced by a home practice. Yoga is a process that brings you home to yourself, and also expands your awareness of who you are! Come join us for a class or a workshop for the adventure of your life!]]> http://www.ihanuman.com/index.php?pageId=3371 ihanuman, yoga, betsey downing, home practice, garden of heart yoga center, discipline, Fri, 08 Jun 2007 12:09:05 EDT http://www.ihanuman.com/index.php?pageId=3360
Reflecting on this experience I realized why I felt so happy: I was fully present in the experience of cleaning. Instead of wanting to be doing something else, I was fully engaged in each moment, feeling fully alive.

Yoga teaches us that the quality of attention we bring to our poses is very important. The quality of our attention has a tremendous influence on our experience of any activity. I’ve discovered that I actually enjoy doing almost anything, if I totally pay attention to what I’m doing. I even like doing Complete Boat Pose (a challenging abdominal strengthener) … if I’m totally there, paying attention to all the nuances of the pose and not thinking about when it will end! I’ve even found that I enjoy changing the kitty litter, if I totally pay attention!

However, most of us are not fully present in the moment: we’re at work and thinking about running errands; we’re home and worrying about work; we’re cleaning the house and thinking about what we have to do next week; we’re doing yard work and thinking about reading a book ... and so it goes. The most stressed out people I see are those who are not living in their present moments. Basically they are out of the flow and rhythm of their own lives.

So the dilemma is, how can we want to be doing whatever it is we are currently doing, or need to be doing. The technique that helps me the most is to acknowledge that I have choices in how I respond. I can complain and wish I were doing something else, or I can fully engage myself in the task at hand. This realization of having choices is very empowering, because I am taking responsibility for how I feel. I may not be completely responsible for the situation, like getting stuck in traffic for instance, but I am completely responsible for my response to it. With this understanding we take our yoga awareness off the mat and into our lives.

In life, you have to be present to win!]]> http://www.ihanuman.com/index.php?pageId=3360 ihanuman, yoga, betsey downing, paying attention, awareness, garden of heart yoga Wed, 23 May 2007 16:44:00 EDT http://www.ihanuman.com/index.php?pageId=3283
Those of us who have been practicing mind-body disciplines like yoga, meditaion, and relaxation know first hand what wonderful physical, mental and spiritual benefits we receive. It's very exciting to see that science is validating what we've known all along. I recently reviewed the research in a reference work titled Alternative Medicine, The Definitive Guide, compiled by The Burton Goldberg Group.

The Yoga Biomedical Trust was established in 1983 in England to promote the practice and research of the therapeutic potentials of yoga. One project curveyed 3,000 yoga practitioners, among which the following percentages of people reported improvedments in their health conditions that they attributed to yoga:

Back pain 98%
Arthritis 90%
Anxiety 94%
Migraines 80%
Insomnia 82%
Menstrual Problems 68%
Premenstrual tension 77%
Menopause disorders 83%
Asthma or Bronchitis 88%
Diabetes 80%
Duodenal Ulcers 90%

Although this type of self-reported survey does not qualify as "hard scientific evidence," these are remarkable findings, which explain why so many people are practicing yoga and sticking with it.

The benefits of yoga for increasing flexibility and strength are well known. The ability to reduce tension and anxiety comes in part from yoga's emphasis on deep, smooth, and regular breathing, which has a calming effect on the nervous system. Less well known but equally important are the benefits to the endocrine system. Yoga stimulates circulation to the various endocrine glands, which secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream to regulate major body processes. For instance, in the shoulder stand, the gravitational forces of being upside down increase the circulation to the thyroid and parathyroid glands in the base of the neck. This increased blood flow is reported to have an influence on regulating the thyroid gland.

Five years ago, I was diagnosed with low thyroid function, and after repeat tests, the doctor recommended thyroid medication. However, I wanted to look first at other options and sought out a yoga teacher experienced in working therapeutically with thyroid issues. Following her recommendations, I increased my time and regularity of shoulder stand, an upside down pose, for a period of four months. When I was retested, my thyroid function was normal and has remained so since then, and I have not needed medication.

It is clear that the benefits of yoga have been and are being validated by science. I invite you to explore some techniques that may be new to you, and attend one of our free sample classes. If you have practiced yoga in the past and have drifted away, I invite you to take a sample class and remember what it is like to feel relaxed, refreshed, energized, and centered. As my friend's first yoga teacher asked, "How can you afford not to?"
]]> http://www.ihanuman.com/index.php?pageId=3283 ihanuman, yoga, yoga biomedical trust, benefits of yoga, back pain, betsey downing, arthritis, anxiety, migraines, insomnia, menstrual problems, asthma, diabetes Fri, 27 Apr 2007 15:38:09 EDT http://www.ihanuman.com/index.php?pageId=3276
Most students have sincere intentions when they start yoga, but busy lives have a way of interfering. Unless the student stays focused on a goal of regular attendance, the urgent events in life displace the important things. It's easy to get lost in the pressing details of everyday life and lose sight of the important goal of taking time for personal renewal and nurturing. After missing a few classes it is difficult to get back into the flow and another attempt to find health and relaxation goes by the wayside.

In my 30 years' experience teaching yoga, I have discovered tremendous value in structuring the yoga program in a way that enhances students' commitment. To achieve this aim, Garden of the Heart Yoga Center courses are taught in sessions of 8-10 weeks. This structure means students make a time commitment and a financial commitment for the entire session. Often, in the beginning, it is this structured commitment that keeps students coming back to class.

Because students have made a commitment to yoga, we have a consistent group to work with week to week and we can therefore teach systematically and progressively. My experience has shown that students make more progress in this instructional format. Beginners are grouped together and experienced students are grouped with others having a similar yoga background. In order to protect the experience of those who make this commitment, new students are not accepted after the third week of the session. By that time, new students have missed too much of the groundwork and cannot be incorporated into the class without taking attention away from the rest of the students. With a consistent group attending each week, our teachers build on their previous instruction and develop the class logically and progressively over time. Fourteen class offerings per week at 4 different levels of difficulty with flexible make up policies gives students the opportunity to find the class that's right for them.

You might consider trying our yoga approach to see what happens when you make a commitment! You may discover that you are gradually and systematcally learning to do things you never thought were achievable and you are expanding your horizons of what is possible!...not only for your body but also for your mind and spirit. You then find the essence of yoga :living your life with more joy and greater peace in a relaxed and healthy body. ]]> http://www.ihanuman.com/index.php?pageId=3276 yoga, ihanuman, betsey downing, garden of the heart yoga center, commitment, class schedules Wed, 25 Apr 2007 18:48:13 EDT