Plasha Yoga

What is Yoga Therapy?

2009-02-22T14:12:00.000-08:00

According to my Ayurveda and Yoga teacher trainer Dr. David Frawley, Yoga therapy today in America is mainly treating the physical body or annamayakosha like a physical therapist or chiropractor but using an asana or posture sequence as the main treatment modality. These yoga therapists may or may not apply asana sequences to treat the symptoms of disease within the context of allopathic medicine. Most of these applications are supplementary to other medical treatments and usually follow non-yogic medical models.

Yoga therapy today raises the important issue of what system of medicine does the yoga therapist use for the diagnosis and treatment of disease? Usually they are not trained in a yogic system of medicine that has its own diagnosis, prognosis or treatment measures. However, the system they might be relying on is as important as the type of treatment they are offering. Traditional Ayurveda provides a yogic system of medicine through which yoga can be fully utilized and in harmony with its spiritual and philosophical roots, which improves the efficacy of yoga therapy.

The main treatment methods of the Ayurvedic yoga therapist include all the main practices of classical yoga including Vedanta and the eight limbs of Raja Yoga according to Ayurvedic diagnostic guidelines relative to the doshas (bio-energy body types) and gunas (psychological types).

This therapist will understand how to use asana, pranayama, pratyahara, mantra and meditation as treatment modalities according to Ayurvedic principles like the ”prescription” of asanas to correct specific doshic and gunic imbalances. In addition to balancing the doshas and gunas, the Ayurvedic yoga therapist will also know how to develop the positive health and consciousness or spiritual aspects for each person like prana, tejas and ojas.

Once Ayurveda gets fully licensed in the west, then yoga teachers will have to work under an Ayurvedic doctor in order to legally practice yoga therapy. I was one of 24 students in the world to take Dr. Frawley’s first Ayurveda and Yoga training. I am available for private Ayurvedic and Yoga consults to optimize a yoga practice that is right for your dosha/guna type. Otherwise, even yoga can elevate your doshas and gunas. I can also coach you on many lifestyle support strategies to bring you into better balance.

A one-hour consult is $50. Ayurveda is now offered at high-end spas like Canyon Ranch, which cost thousand of dollars per week, however, affordable Ayurveda and Yoga are available right here in Erie! Call 864-1114 to make an appointment.
Many blessings,
Michael E-RYT 500
Erie’s Choice – Best Yoga Studio
www.plashayoga.com

Testimonials

2007-05-04T12:48:00.000-07:00

Eleven years ago my daughter excitedly called me up after taking a yoga class from Michael. She felt it was something I would enjoy and encouraged me to give it a try. Coincidently, at that point in my life I was looking for something to fulfill my need for some kind of personal development. Little did I know the connection and fulfillment I would feel from developing a yoga practice with Michael.

At first I thought yoga was mostly just practicing asanas {postures/poses). I felt this overwhelming awareness of my body parts and how I was in control of them. I was thrilled when my flexibility, strength, and range of motion began to improve. Then when pranayama (steady breathing) was introduced, I began to understand the importance of the mind-body-breath connection and the need for harmony. Michael’s skillful teachings taught me early on to “listen to the wisdom of your body” and when approaching asanas to focus/direct energy to different parts of my body within my limits. I try to remember that the practice of asanas is a process and not a goal of attainment. I must admit that it has taken me years to feel comfortable enough within myself not to compare myself to others and not to be judgmental.

Yoga “quiets the monkeys of the mind” is another phrase from my early on practice.
Yoga cultivates mindfulness and paying attention to everything whole-heartedly. I have tried to integrate this into everyday life, be it through striving to be present, practicing asanas, pranayama, mantras, or meditation. Yoga brings a kind of spirituality to my life that I can’t quite explain, but I definitely feel its meaningful presence. Meditation is an area I need and want to explore more so that when I close my eyes I can guide my mind to a place where I feel more contentment and peace within. Yoga definitely is a life long journey of discovery, acceptance, and joy.

Michael’s wisdom and skillful teachings are the key reason yoga has become an essential part of my daily life. His deep commitment to quality and authenticity, to living his practice and teachings, and to constantly continue his education make him a master teacher. He strives to create classes to encompass all levels of students. He consistently gives options to rest/relax or deepen a pose/find your personal edge, or gives modifications to the pose so that benefit is still gained. Michael’s ability to guide a class into challenging poses in a non-harmful way with clear, precise, sequential steps is unsurpassed. And he does all this with compassion and a sprinkle of humor and laughter.

Yoga fits in throughout my daily life, be it through breathing, practicing postures, meditating, remembering a bit of philosophy, repeating mantras, or reciting catchy
phrases; but mostly I look forward to my class with Michael where I can listen – focus –do – just be – with a smile on my face and in my heart. Michael has the ability to make me feel inspired and more in touch with my inner self. It’s what keeps me coming back! - Joyce Zuck, Plasha Yoga student of the decade (strted in Jan. 1998)!

Michael's teaching style masterfully blends breathing techniques with philosophy and knowledge of the body with yoga postures. He guides his students into mastering challenging new postures with clear direction while maintaining a sense of lightness and humor. I have taken classes in several major cities and Plasha Yoga offers as much if not more than any class I have taken. After over 10 years of practicing at Plasha Yoga I continue to learn something new about yoga as well as myself. I love Plasha Yoga!
Carol Gehrlein

I just want to let you know how much I appreciate your teaching. I enjoy the things that you send through the e-mail...little tidbits on health. I also enjoy the teachings you give during classes. I'm all about "healing"...spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically - the whole person. You introduce that gently in your classes which is great. Then people can choose to accept it or reject it on their own. But if they reject it now, at least a seed has been planted. I know you've been teaching a lot of years, but I just wanted you to know how perfected your teaching has become. I've seen a big difference since I took my first class until now. We all go through that "fight" with ego. But very apparently your Godself is gaining more consistant control with you. I know personally how very difficult it is to work through your Godself and let go of your ego-self. We have to start fresh every second of every day. But I see you mastering that more and more all the time. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I see that and that your personal work has not gone unnoticed. Thank you for the gift of you. Take care and have a most wonderful day!! - Paula Pontillo

Yoga classes began as a gentle physical exercise class. I was recovering from cancer surgery and extended treatments. Prior to that I played tennis,but that seemed much too rigorous at this point in my life. A dear friend suggested I try Yoga. I learned the asanas and the correct postures from an Iyengar teacher. Eventually, I signed up for classes at Plasha Studio. It was there that I truly began my journey into enlightenment, relaxation, and healing. I loved the incense, the music, the lessons, and the asanas. It was no longer merely a physical exercise class. Thank you, Michael. - Cheryl

It has been a blessing to have Michael in my life. Having known him as a caring and accepting instructor for over fifteen years, honoring self and gaining fexibility while honoring others and beauty within. He treated all equal and worked within limits and beyond. I respected also the blend of ecumenism with Eastern practice and recognition of all. Truly he is a Master of his Art and attuned to the Higher Power. I'm honored to have had him a part of my journey. Thank you, Michael. Namaste. - Mary Ann White

My love for Yoga began with an Anusara class I took in Manhattan several years ago. It took place in a modest yoga studio on 175th street owned by a hardworking man named Triveni and his wife, Janet. Their energy brought forth an accepting environment in the studio that made it comfortable for people of all levels to feel safe to practice yoga without the fear of being judged. My husband and I took a Wednesday night class taught by a beautiful person named Chloe. She prefaced each class with a poem or thoughts that she had had throughout her day. Each introduction was a way to get Manhattan and the stress of work out of our minds and look to our mats as a holy space. Her sermons, if you will, truly spoke to me. Her classes were set to the background of music, which really brought me deeper into the flow of my practice. When we moved, I eagerly looked for my Chloe replacement. I took several yoga classes in various places and never found a space or instructor that clicked with who I was and what I looked for in a yoga class until I moved to Erie and stumbled upon Plasha Yoga.
I feel that sometimes you grow with a yoga instructor and sometimes you find styles that work with the new person you have grown into. I no longer am the stressed ‘Manhattanite’ who only has time for one day to escape. I have become an individual who has developed a TRUE love and respect for yoga and thus find myself needing an instructor who guides me towards the deeper meanings of each asana and encourages me to delve deeper into myself. Michael once wrote an article called Hatha Meets Raja that truly influenced how I approached my practice. In it he explains that we need to “let go of our inner critic and not pay attention to any negative judgments about our practice”. This one statement taught me to break down the negative barriers hindering me on my journey. He goes on to explain that it is important to give back as much as we take from our practice, still holding in our hearts the respect for ourselves and intentions set during our practice when we leave the studio. Hatha Meets Raja really resonated within me and gave me an understanding of what Michael’s intentions were as a yoga instructor.
Michael’s approach or style in his yoga classes is grounded by years of experience and accumulated knowledge. He knows the mechanics of how to get into challenging asanas without hurting yourself, as every instructor should, but Michael breaks it down systematically, making it more understandable. Sometimes in class, I can’t believe how flexible my body can be as I am led into asanas that I had mistakenly assumed were beyond where I was in my yoga practice.
We are also encouraged to find freedom in our practice by moving into asanas that speak to our inner selves. One class consisted of each individual creating his/her own personal flow. That class marked the first time I had been challenged to deeply listen to myself and I believe that has been my favorite class yet. Along with developing a deeper understanding of ourselves comes Michael’s incorporation of Ayurvedic knowledge into our practice. Discovering my dominant doshas has really shifted my focus toward finding balance within myself physically and mentally. Michael’s gift to his students is not only a rigorous and refreshing flow of asanas but an invitation to opening our hearts and minds to a deeper understanding of who we are. - Elizabeth Vose

Practicing yoga--which at the time I thought was just the asanas--was something I had wanted to do since I was about 17. I tried reading books, watching PBS, and using video tapes, but I didn't really get the notion that this is a live transmission kind of a thing. So when I first took your Basic course I felt more than ready to commit to this practice, which I came to realize was way more than I had imagined. From the first, I had this overwhelming feeling of being at home in my body. No other form of physical activity or movement had ever done that for me. It, along with the breathing instructions, just felt "right" on me. I somehow gravitated toward your repeated suggestions to "listen to the wisdom of your body," and bring body, breath, and mind into harmony.

Not long after I started your classes, I discovered a lump in my breast. Off to the various doctors who recommended that it be removed and biopsied, of course. I remember very vividly being kinda anxious about finding it, but at the same time I had this very "low frequency" thought pop into my head that told me that I know this body and I would know if there were anything really wrong, and there just wasn't any feeling like that present. I "scanned my body from top to toe," just as we do in savasana, and came up clean. Nevertheless, on the day of the procedure, the nerves came up again in that very clinical setting, but I sat there and in my mind replayed your words to "breathe in and out of sensation." I used my breath to move the energy around so it wasn't getting bottle-necked in the pit of my stomach. And of course it worked. After the procedure and biopsy were over, Heidi and I rejoiced to learn it was just an irregular cyst, simply the first of several I'd wind up having to deal with over the next few years. I came out of that experience knowing that I was learning how to listen to my body, how to treat it with the loving kindness it so richly deserves.

The deep feeling of knowing hasn't stopped, either. Whenever I check in with myself I can feel the presence of my breath, mind, spirit, and body together. The riches that spring from that feeling are jewels beyond price. I wish everyone could "own" them.

Anyway, I've probably gone on far too long with my little story, so I'll end by saying I am very grateful for being able to experience your class every week and "take my peaceful feelings and good nature and share them with lots of people." Joanne

After a tumultuous life filled with childhood abuse, alcoholism of a parent and my spouse, troubled children, young widowhood, single parenting, remarriage, empty nest syndrome, and now menopause, I knew I had to do something to reclaim my life and find inner peace, and just possibly, experience this thing called “joy” that I had always heard about. There were several pieces of the puzzle that brought me to the much better place I am at now, and yoga is one of the main pieces. I sought the good, and I found it. I realized I had found one of the good things at Michael’s studio when after each class, as I rise from my mat, I have that goofy, happy, contented, almost intoxicated grin on my face! What’s the catch phrase these days?... “priceless”! When during a particular class I felt the sensation of joy, it startled me, as I was not used to it, and it brought tears to my eyes. One of my inner, self-guarding walls had been removed! Yoga has reconnected me with my own spirit and spirituality, my body (all long neglected), and revived my moral awareness. With Michael’s gentle guidance, I have learned so much, and I am very grateful. I hope to continue to learn and grow in all ways, and I hope Michael realizes how much he has enhanced the lives of his students by sharing his gift. May he be very blessed. Peace, love, blue skies, green lights…and of course: Namaste. - Anonymous

My mother purchased some yoga classes for me as a 30th birthday present nearly 7 years ago. Since then I have taken every class offered, on and off, with the exception of Vigorous at Plasha Yoga.
The philosophical and physical aspects of yoga have changed my life. Michael's confidence and knowledge of his art are palpable upon entering the studio, putting me at ease even as a beginner. This is no easy feat for a genetically predisposed anxious person! Non-competitiveness is encouraged as Michael gently reminds us to listen to the wisdom of our bodies. This approach helped me give birth to my first yoga-baby.
I took prenatal yoga through the second and third trimester of my "normal" pregnancy. As the due date approached, it became the concern of my doctors that my baby was getting a bit too big. I agreed to let them induce my labor with pitocin. There I lay in a hospital bed shackled to monitors and IV's and anger crept into my vision of a free moving birth. I started my deep breathing before contractions began! I remembered the theory of non-attachment that Michael teaches during class and soon I was making the best of the situation, moving around as much as the lines would let me. Pitocin brings on unnatural and more intense contractions than natural labor. One of the techniques that I practiced in prenatal yoga helped me get through the hard hitters that came in 45 second intervals: tensing one part of the body while letting the rest of the body relax. We did this in class so when I put it into play, it allowed my body to do it's work without me tensing up from the pain. The nurses were shocked when after only 3 hours, I was ready to push. All throughout my pregnancy I practiced squatting both in and out of class. This helped so much! I really felt open when the baby came down and I didn't push for more than 20 minutes. As my baby descended, he was in distress due to the cord being wrapped around his neck 3 times! Instead of panicking, I went to that meditative place (my mother, who was there, said I went into a "trance!") and had clarity during an intense situation with the doctor and nurses. I could have never done that before practicing meditation at yoga! I would've flipped out and let the "drunken monkeys" that Michael describes take over my thoughts and make the situation worse. My son was born just fine, and large, and alert because I had no pain medication. I credit my success to my yoga training at Plasha Yoga.
We are pregnant with our second big baby boy and again, I am taking prenatal yoga. I can't express how it made the birth of my first child a day I will remember as the moment I knew I could accomplish anything. - Shelley Cimino

You are a great yoga instructor. Your classes give me strength, focus and believe it or not relaxation. I find it very difficult to relax sometimes and my mind goes a mile a minute but when I am in your class I am focusing on my practice and I think I've improved (aside from the meditation piece which I just can't seem to get). I've not experienced this with any other instructors, other than Rodney Yee. But I can't get him in person. If you ever left town I'd have to go back to Rodney tapes I suppose. You're the best in this town and probably many others. Just thought you'd like to know that you are appreciated and that your class is loved!
Ann Ayers

I’m a relative newcomer to yoga, having only begun to take classes with Michael three months ago, in January of this year. However, the benefits thus far are much greater than I had expected or could have hoped for and I’m certain that yoga will be a permanent part of my life for years to come.
The practice of yoga is designed to meld the mind, body and spirit into a unified whole and help to silence the constant chatter in our brains. For a physical fitness enthusiast like me it adds a welcome complement to my daily aerobic and strength building regime, promoting flexibility, balance and core strength. Michael’s patient and compassionate teaching methods help to promote self acceptance and goodwill toward others. While I’m not a religious person, I’ve long felt that my life was missing a key spiritual element. Michael’s classes bring a certain spirituality to my life, and this is a welcome and surprising benefit.

Anyone can feel comfortable taking a yoga class with Michael, regardless of their physical condition. He helps us understand that challenging yourself is important, but competing with and comparing yourself to others has no place in the practice of yoga. I leave his classes feeling relaxed, cleansed and focused and I would highly recommend his classes to anyone. - Meg L. Rosthal

Aside from walking, taking your classes is the only form of exercise I have ever enjoyed or looked forward to. I only wish I had started 20years ago because I'm not very flexible and not sure I ever will be.However, I have learned to accept that and just enjoy myself. But I doplan to stick with it. I find the deep breathing very helpful in my dayto day. The fact that I enjoy and look forward to these classes says alot about your approach. - Debbie Lopez

I have been taking yoga classes from Michael at Plasha Yoga for more than five years. During this time yoga has been my refuge during times of chaos, my solace during difficult moments and the path I have followed to discover myself. I began taking classes because I was curious to find this bit of bliss that friends and acquaintances had described when talking about yoga. What I found is a life practice that is challenging but gentle, and full of acceptance.
Many Thursdays I have battled weariness after a long day or driven through blinding snow in order to go to my yoga class and I have not once regretted it. Michael always greets us with his welcoming smile as we enter Plasha Yoga's serene studio and my tension begins to diminish immediately. The classes are always a beautiful balance of readings, information, anecdotes, physical practice, humor and spiritual reflection. Michael has an incredible breadth of knowledge from years of studying and practicing which he draws from to create classes that suit all levels of students. Even in the most vigorous practice, Michael consistently gives options to rest and relax or to deepen a pose, urging us find our own pace and edge. Michael combines his considerable expertise with a warmth and generosity that makes studying with him a real joy. I am grateful to have found Plasha Yoga. - Cappy Counard

After 30 years of practicing yoga, yoga has become for me much more than a “practice” -- it is a way of life. I marvel that yoga continues to be full of discovery for me. Michael Plasha has been the person who has brought me to the understanding that yoga is a pathway to transcending the stresses and strains that can sometimes overwhelm us. Yoga is about becoming more aware of ourselves and more conscious of the divine breath that sustains us.

Michael conducts each class as if it were a gift he intends for each of us personally. I am grateful to Michael for explaining what yoga is all about, for reading poetry to us, for sharing his sense of humor with us, for gently suggesting ways to move our bodies and for reminding us that “the movement within the moment” is all that really matters.

After class, Michael's gentle reminder to “take your peaceful feelings and share them with others,” seems like a benediction to me. As I roll up my mat and fold up my blanket, I feel a deep sense of connection with all people, with nature, with the universe. I walk out the door with a heightened sense of my body moving through time and space and a renewed awareness of the inner light that is always within me. Once more, I am reassured that life, although a great mystery and challenge, is full of wonder and love. Yoga helps bring me to that sense of wonder and reminds me that love is the energy that sustains everything. - Sandra Renner

I have been attempting to write you ever since Sini was born, I'm not sure if you remember me, I'm from Vermont and took your prenatal class last February and a couple classes in April. I couldn't finish in April as we were moving to NY, but I kept practicing all I learned, right up until I gave birth to my daughter Aleksandra Sini.She came into this world on 30 June at 11:35pm, she must have heard me say I didn't want a July baby! I was in labor for 20hrs, that's starting from the most minor contractions to pushing time. It was all round a wonderful experience! As Lillian may have told you I basically "om-ed" Sini out. I didn't have any pain medication, pushing was surprisingly the easy part! And I didn't have any wounds or awful after-birth reactions to tend to (i.e.hemorrhoids), just a wonderful baby who is now cutting her second tooth. I can't thank you enough for teaching me how to ensure a positive labor & delivery. - Ashley Swierczynski

I wanted to let you know how interesting I find the class so far. As I told you before, I have had little to no experience with Yoga prior to this class. I am really enjoying many aspects of your class--including the similarities in MANY of the positions/postures to some of the Pilates positions/exercises. I break a smile every time you explain principles that are exactly the same in my method--only taught a little bit differently and with different cues--I may have to steal some of your words.
The breathing is going to be tricky for me. That's probably the biggest difference. Just crack me one when you hear me exhale through my mouth :-)
Also...what I am enjoying the most about Yoga is the one thing which Pilates lacks--a philosophical/inner-spiritual connection. Where Pilates is a practice in which your mind must remain active and invloved with the movements in your body, Yoga is almost learning to move/use your body without over-thinking--as you say--learning to "let go". It seems that the mind control is focused on releasing while holding and feeling, whereas in Pilates it is using your mind to control contraction/movement in the muscles. I REALLY need to keep working on clearing my mind--it likes to be very busy! Gen DeRose - Inner Balance Pilates

I attended your prenatal yoga classes from February 2002 until June 2002. I never got the time to thank you in person, but I wanted to tell you how much yoga was a life saver to me and my baby. I thoroughly enjoyed and looked forward to every Tuesday. My labor was easy. My friend told me about yoga and I thought what a great idea. Then she told me about Plasha yoga. So I went to your website and found out information about the class and signed up. Then my whole pregnancy took a different turn. Every week I looked forward to my yoga classes and my relaxation during my meditations. Michael was wonderful and kind. He was a great yoga instructor. He was very educated in not only the practice and study of yoga, but very knowledgeable in prenatal yoga. Everything from the first moment to the end was such an uplifting experience for me. I was very disappointed when I had to stop taking prenatal yoga, due to the birth of my son. Every time I have someone ask me about how my labor was...I say "it was great and I owe it all to the yoga". I had my son natural. The movements that I learned during my classes helped me to come in touch with myself and my baby. I was able to apply the breathing that I was taught and use it during my labor. I even labored not realizing I was in labor! I just kept doing some of the yoga positions that I was taught by Michael, I was fine. I can't describe this special feeling that I shared every Tuesday night in class with my baby and myself. Michael was so careful with each and every move that we all did. Every time we worked on a certain move, Michael was able to relate it to how it will help us in delivery or help us make our pregnancies easier to deal with in the times of pain. I put my whole body, heart, and soul into yoga and I enjoyed every moment. To be honest, my son, now one year old, is so mild tempered and always has been from day one. The moment he became able to sit up, I would catch him sometimes doing yoga movements that he was continuing from the womb. He still does downward facing dog! From the calmness of the room, to the music and smell of the environment, my son always becomes very still whenever he enters a room that is burning incense and or playing the music from yoga class. Thanks again to all the breathing and meditating techniques you shared with the class. Everything was wonderful. I am living outside of Phoenix currently. We have found a few places to do yoga, but nothing is really as intimate and special as yours. Well I just wanted to say thank you for all the help a year later. You are always in my thoughts! - Elizabeth Hokaj

Just a brief note to thank you for the re-newed blessing and benefits of Yoga that you have given me these past few months..I feel the effects and a definite surge of new energy!! Having had practiced yoga in the 70's...seems like another lifetime..(maybe it is)..and now to return to it, when I am no doubt appreciating it more fully, I can only thank you for coming into my life and re-introducing me to the magical effects of this ageless practice..shanti and namaste. -Joanna Zurn.

How to Find A Yoga Teacher

2007-01-28T13:32:00.000-08:00

Dear Friend,

If your looking for a yoga teacher in or out of Erie do a bit of reflection. What do you want from your practice and from your teacher? What are your goals and intentions? Looking for relief from back pain, headaches or any other afflictions? Want stress relief? Is your first priority strength and flexibility? Find a teacher who can meet these needs. Ask teachers about their qualifications? Are they certified? Can they prove it? How long ago was it? Which school certified them? How long has this school been training teachers and what kind of reputation do they have? Do they have a web site? Is the teacher listed as a certified teacher on their web site? What kind of continuing-ed are they doing? When was the last workshop they attended? A teacher might say I teach Iyengar or Ashtanga. Are they trained or certified? The training might be minimal and from a sub school. To be certified in Ashtanga you have to go to India and be approved by the master himself. No one in Erie is certified to teach Iyengar or Ashtanga including me. I have several hundred hours of training in both combined.

I have over 800 hours of certified training from the Integral Yoga Institute. They have been training teachers for over 30 years. Be wary of certifications that come from new fitness driven forms of yoga like Yoga Fit which only offers physical and not spiritual yoga or a place that has only one teacher as the trainer. Spiritual yoga offers the complete experience which has more benefits than just yoga for the body. Spiritual yoga addresses the mind, body and spirit. Look for a teacher that is supported by an internationally recognized organization. Be very wary of anyone who claims to be self-taught. They have not had any feedback from their peers or mentors. So look for certification and Yoga Alliance registration. They have 200 and 500 hour level registrations. I am over 800 now. You really have to prove your hours in all of the important areas of training to be registered. Unfortunately, it is pretty easy to get your teacher training approved and there are many weak ones nationwide. So check out the legitimacy of the training program. I am registered as an E-RYT 500 level teacher which means I have over 6,000 hours of experience teaching yoga plus over 500 hours of training. I am the only teacher in Erie with this accreditation. How long has the teacher taught yoga and how often? And how much experience do they have with adapting yoga to students with health conditions? And are they asked to give presentations to teachers and have they led a teacher training program? Are they a teacher of teachers?

A good teacher will leave you feeling calm, accepted, supported, inspired and more in touch with yourself. A good teacher will show different ways to practice and not claim to know the only way. A good teacher will have studied the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, Advaita Vedanta and the Yoga Sutras for many years. Some web sites for finding a teacher outside of Erie are http://www.yogafinder.com/ or http://www.yogadirectory.com/ and www.yogaalliance.org.

Visit my website http://www.plashayoga.com/ and go to the About page for my background and to the Resource page for more web sites. Know that my aspiration is to be the most helpful yoga teacher I can be and that for me there is no end to my learning process.

May your lives go well!
Michael Rhadeya Plasha E-RYT 500
Plasha Yoga is Erie's Yoga studio offering the highest level of training and experience available locally. Feel the difference experience make!

Current News

2007-01-27T11:54:00.000-08:00

NEWS AND NOTES

Plasha Yoga Studio was voted the Best Yoga Studio in Erie 2007-2008 and again in 2008-2009 by the Erie Choice Awards! 2007 was the first time voting was open to the public for the yoga studio category so it was truly an Erie choice. I thank you for your support, in some cases for over ten years!

I completed Ayurveda and Yoga teacher training with Dr. David Frawley, internationally recognized as the foremost western scholar of Ayurveda in Nov. 2007. We studied a 400 page manual and read six books! This is equivalent to a previous 300 hour long distance program. Many teacher trainings for teaching beginner hatha yoga are only 200 hours which typically produces posture teachers and not yoga teachers. Frawley says limiting one's yoga practice to only asana creates more attachments to the body that we are trying to transcend! I agree! My intention for taking this training is to serve you even better and to help support you in going deeper in your practices. I am only one of 24 in the world to have taken this training.

I have been hired by Gannon University as an Adjunct Instructor of Classical Yoga to teach the two credit Introduction to Classical Yoga in the Sport and Exercise Program in the College of Science, Engineering and Health Science. I have also been hired by Flow Yoga Center in Washington, DC to assist them in their teacher training. In addition, I continue my relationship as a teacher trainer with the Samyama TT also in DC.

Karma Yoga is the Yoga of Selfless Service. Plasha Yoga has given countless free classes in yoga for over 25 years in many community settings as a way to introduce yoga to the masses including folks who might not be able to afford it. This service started in my living room in 1982!

I have recently published an article in Integral Yoga magazine titled When Hatha Meets Raja. You can read an excerpt at http://www.iymagazine.org/. Other authors include nationally known teachers such as Stephen Cope, Pema Chodron, Dr. David Frawley, Nischala Joy Devi and Rama Jyoti Vernon.

My wife, Allison and I led a weekend workshop in Yogaville, Virginia Feb. 9-11, 2007 titled Celebrate Your Soul Mate: A Valentine's Day Celebration. It was a wonderful time and included a couple who have been married 52 years and are best friends with poet Coleman Barks!

Our next one there was July 27-29, 2007 and titled The Supreme Adventure: Realizing Your Full Potential. We returned for a similar program June 20-22, 2008. Go to www.plashayoga.com/workshops.html for details. I also gave a workshop at Schoolhouse Yoga in Pittsburgh April 28, 2007 titled Practicing Asana as a Context for Healing the Mental/Emotional Body. Their web site is http://www.schoolhouseyoga.com/.

I led another workshop at Schoolhouse Yoga in Pittsburgh on November 3, 2007. The title is: The Supreme Adventure: Hatha Yoga as a Spiritual Practice.
Since we tend to know ourselves as physical bodies, many students of yoga practice for physical reasons. But the masters of Yoga designed the science of Hatha Yoga within the context of Raja Yoga- the eight limbed methodology of reuniting with the Self and feeling our oneness with everything and everyone. Learn key practices from Raja during a two hour intermediate level vinyasa class. Experience many asanas for the mind and spirit as well as the body!

I was interviewed for the cable show Amazing Grace on the benefits of yoga to people over 50. The scheduled air dates were March 5 and 7, 2007 at 10:30 am, 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm on city cable channel 2 or county channel 19.

Yoga for Pregnancy began again in February. For more details, go to www.plashayoga.com/workshops.html. I am the only person in Erie with prenatal yoga certification. This was a 10 day training and earned 130 Yoga Alliance hours. Some prenatal yoga trainings are only one day! Yoga students be aware of flimsy certifications. Always ask teachers details about their certifications and trainings and read the blog on Finding a Great Yoga Teacher. I am also available for private lessons.

Yoga Day USA 2007 was a big success raising money for the Erie Peace and Justice Center whose philosophy is a wonderful example of ahimsa, the great vow in yoga of non-violence. May their work go well. Yoga Day USA 2008 introduced yoga to many new people and I was featured on the WSEE progam Insider Erie with Kelly Gaughn as a way to promote it. Erie Yoga teachers chose Plasha Yoga studio to host the 2009 Yoga Day celebration.

If you would like to receive regular updates and join my growing e mail list, just write me at rhadeya@plashayoga.com

Many blessings,
Michael Plasha E-RYT 500

Plasha Yoga Studio is Erie's Yoga studio that honors the classical tradition of Yoga with the highest level of training and experience available locally. Feel the difference experience makes!

2007-01-21T05:39:00.000-08:00

Top 10 reasons to try Yoga for Life or to continue your practice! The health and fitness benefits of yoga have long been reported by practitioners and are now being confirmed by scientific research. Give yoga a try and discover what it can do for your body, your mind, and your soul. This list was provided by the Yoga Alliance, a national organization that recommends minimum standards of training for teachers. Look for RYT 200 or 500 teachers or ideally E-RYT 500, the most experienced and trained teachers.

1. YOGA FOR… STRESS RELIEF: Yoga reduces the physical effects of stress on the body. By encouraging relaxation, yoga helps to lower the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Related benefits include lowering blood pressure and heart rate, improving digestion and boosting the immune system as well as easing symptoms of conditions such as anxiety, depression, fatigue, asthma and insomnia.
2. YOGA FOR… PAIN RELIEF: Yoga can ease pain. Studies have demonstrated that practicing yoga asanas (postures), meditation or a combination of the two, reduced pain for people with conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, auto-immune diseases and hypertension as well as arthritis, back and neck pain and other chronic conditions. Some practitioners report that even emotional pain can be eased through the practice of yoga.
3. YOGA FOR… BETTER BREATHING: Yoga teaches people to take slower, deeper breaths. This helps to improve lung function, trigger the body’s relaxation response and increase the amount of oxygen available to the body.
4. YOGA FOR… FLEXIBILITY: Yoga helps to improve flexibility and mobility, increasing range of movement and reducing aches and pains. Many people can’t touch their toes during their first yoga class. Gradually they begin to use the correct muscles. Over time, the ligaments, tendons and muscles lengthen, increasing elasticity, making more poses possible. Yoga also helps to improve body alignment resulting in better posture and helping to relieve back, neck, joint and muscle problems.
5. YOGA FOR… INCREASED STRENGTH: Yoga asanas (postures) use every muscle in the body, helping to increase strength literally from head to toe. And, while these postures strengthen the body, they also provide an additional benefit of helping to relieve muscular tension.
6. YOGA FOR… WEIGHT MANAGEMENT: Yoga (even less vigorous styles) can aid weight control efforts by reducing the cortisol levels as well as by burning excess calories and reducing stress. Yoga also encourages healthy eating habits and provides a heightened sense of well being and self esteem.
7. YOGA FOR… IMPROVED CIRCULATION: Yoga helps to improve circulation and, as a result of various poses, more efficiently moves oxygenated blood to the body’s cells.
8. YOGA FOR… CARDIOVASCULAR CONDITIONING: Even gentle yoga practice can provide cardio-vascular benefits by lowering resting heart rate, increasing endurance and improving oxygen uptake during exercise.
9. YOGA FOR… FOCUS ON THE PRESENT: Yoga helps us to focus on the present, to become more aware and to help create mind body health. It opens the way to improved concentration, coordination, reaction time and memory.
10. YOGA FOR… INNER PEACE: The meditative aspects of yoga help manyto reach a deeper, more spiritual and more satisfying place in their lives. Many who begin to practice for other reasons have reported this to be akeyreason that yoga has become an essential part of their daily lives.
For more information on the benefits cited here, and on studies about the health benefits of yoga, visit www.plashayoga.com and to find Yoga Alliance registered teachers go to www.yogaalliance.org.

May your practice go well!
Michael Plasha E-RYT 500

What is Advanced Yoga?

2007-01-19T19:06:00.000-08:00

Dear One,
Advanced Yoga in America is usually understood as the ability to practice very physically challenging asanas (postures)like the scorpion or headstand. But this understanding reduces yoga to only the physical body. The word yoga comes from the root word yug which meant to yoke an ox to a cart which symbolizes a person's capacity to reunite their essential union or Oneness of themselves with the Self. The feeling tone of yoga is a calm mind open to divine guidance and an unconditional loving heart. If you can do that all day, you are doing advanced yoga! It starts with the breath. As the breath goes so goes the mind. Slow, smooth deep breathing tends to calm the mind. I have taught advanced yoga to paraplegics so if you are thinking, I can't do yoga because I am inflexible or too old, your mind has already defeated you! Does flexibility start in the mind or the body? If you said mind than you are ready to begin the practice and experience of yoga. Please go to www.plashayoga.com to learn about the next FREE introductory class.

May your journey go well!
Michael Plasha E-RYT 500

What is Classical Yoga?

2006-12-30T10:16:00.000-08:00

What is classical yoga? About 15 million Americans take yoga now and they spend an estimated $20 billion on yoga and yoga related products. Due to its popularity, many yoga schools have emerged in the past 5 years. Even the ones who are registered with the Yoga Alliance, only need to document 20 hours of study time and the required minimum of ten hours of contact or instruction time to fulfill the philosophy and ethics requirement to graduate 200 hour level teachers. That’s 30 hours to absorb the depth of Classical Yoga! For someone who has studied it regularly for 30 years, this requirement will hopefully begin a lifetime of joyful exploration. I regularly assist in teacher trainings or continuing ed workshops for teachers and am encouraged by the enthusiatic hunger for these timeless teachings like the Bhagavad Gita.

Classical Yoga includes the 108 Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, Advaita Vedanta (these three include Jnana, Bhakti and Karma Yoga), Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (Raja Yoga) and Hatha Yoga texts like the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Related books can be found on the Resource page on my web site. Classical Yoga addresses not only the physical body but the energetic, mental-emotional and intuitive bodies as well. Most importantly, Classical Yoga includes the witnessing aspect of being fully human that transcends the other bodies. In addition, it includes chanting, pranayama and meditation. Classical Yoga schools are connected to a historic lineage of realized yoga masters. It is the mental and spiritual yoga.

The assembly line hatha yoga schools promoted by the fitness industry are usually not linked to a yoga master and tend to focus only on the physical body. Many focus on flowing from pose to pose which can play into the restlessness of the typical American who has difficulty slowing down. In Classical Yoga, you have mastered asana if you can hold it for three hours in comfort! Many of these schools are doing watered down versions of Ashtanga Hatha Yoga, Iyengar and Viniyoga, which are very deep hatha schools connected to Yoga master Krishnamacharya. I had the pleasure of attending his Viniyoga School in India and studying with his son and grandson. I have also trained with several leading Ashtanga and Iyengar Yoga teachers in America. What they typically are not doing is the meditative, integrative and holistic approach of Master Sivananda who has had equal influence on Yoga in America with Krishnamacharya. One of his students Swami Satchidananda founded Integral Yoga which influenced Dr. Dean Ornish to model his reversing heart disease program on the yogic lifestyle. I am recognized as a senior teacher in this system. You can read an excerpt of an article I wrote for the Winter 2007 issue of Integral Yoga magazine titled When Hatha Meets Raja at www.iymagazine.org which highlights my approach of integrating classical Yoga into a hatha class and using the asanas or postures as a context for exploring the teachings of Jnana and Raja Yoga. Other authors include Master Sivananda, Pema Chodron, Dr. David Frawley, Stephen Cope, Nischala Joy Devi, and Swami Satchidananda. For more about my training and these schools please go to the Welcome, About and Resource pages at www.plashayoga.com.

The popular names for these light versions of Hatha, Ashtanga and Viniyoga are Vinyasa, Flow Hatha, Dynamic Hatha, Power Yoga, YogaFit, Yogalates, YogaMotion, Yoga Fusion, Aerobic Yoga, Hot Yoga and even YogaButt! There are even hybrids like Yoga-Pilates-Resist-A-Ball, Yoga-bar for Weightlifters and Yo-Tai-Pilates done in a swimming pool. God bless Yankee ingenuity and the quest to make a buck. Now, there can be benefits related to any practice but adding something like weights to hatha yoga might add the benefit of bulging biceps but if it ignores the mental and spiritual practices than many other benefits have been lost. In terms of Classical Yoga, they are skimming across the deep ocean of teachings (even the one in the pool) that help to root out the causes of stress which start in the mind. It is the chatter filled mind that can prevent one from reconnecting to the divine presence within. Hatha Yoga without Classical Yoga as a foundation can release the effects of stress but may not root it out. As the Hatha Yoga Pradipika says back in the Middle Ages, Hatha Yoga is the ladder to Raja Yoga. I hope that all types of hatha yoga styles will lead aspirants to the glories of Classical Yoga.

And you don't need to be a pretzel person or a fitness buff to succeed because the most valuable practices are mental and spiritual. I have shared these timeless teachings with students in wheel chairs and they experienced the wellness and wholeness of Yoga. If you can breathe, you can do and be Yoga. What are you waiting for? To start, go to the Class page at www.plashayoga.com.

Many blessings,
Michael Plasha E-RYT 500