Lu Jong Tibetan Yoga ~ August 2017 Classes (East Hampton area)

What is Lu Jong? Lu Jong is an ancient Tibetan practice that combines physical exercise with meditation for self-healing and overall wellness.
Simple yet powerful movements gently work the spine to promote flexibility and core strength.

Similar to Qigong, energetic blocks are released within the chakras which strengthen the immune system as vibrancy is restored to Body and Mind.

The moves are gentle yet powerful and accessible to students of all abilities.

Bring a yoga mat and wear comfortable clothing

 

When: Tuesdays, August 15th, 22nd & 29th

Where: Springs Community Presbyterian Church Hall

Time: 10:00 am to 11:00 am

Cost: 1 Class/$15  OR  3 Classes/$40

 

No credit cards. Please arrive 10 minutes ahead of your first class.

Questions?  Joelle@LuJongNewYork.com  OR Call  1-855-4LUJONG

Stay informed of upcoming classes:

 

www.LuJongNewYork.com

Joelle Kelly Yoga Meetup

 

Lu Jong Tibetan Healing Yoga – FREE Introductory Class (Hamptons area)

What is Lu Jong? Lu Jong is an ancient Tibetan practice that combines physical exercise with meditation for self-healing and overall wellness.
Simple yet powerful movements gently work the spine to promote flexibility and core strength.

Similar to Qigong, energetic blocks are released within the chakras which strengthen the immune system as vibrancy is restored to Body and Mind.

The moves are gentle yet powerful and accessible to students of all abilities.

Bring a yoga mat and wear comfortable clothing

When: Tuesday, July 25th, 2017
Where: Springs Community Presbyterian Church Hall
Time: 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Cost: FEE WAIVED for this introductory Class

Classes scheduled to start in August

Questions? Joelle@LuJongNewYork.com

Stay informed of upcoming classes:

www.LuJongNewYork.com

Joelle Kelly Yoga Meetup

What’s New For June?

First up, a jam-packed Tibetan Lu Jong Workshop in NYC.

 

WHEN: Saturday, June 24th

WHERE: Three Jewels NYC ~ 61 4TH AVE, 3rd FL

TIME: 1:00 to 3:30pm

FEE: $30 early bird ends June 21 | $35 after June 21

 

How do I register? CLICK HERE

 

 

Curriculum

• The Five Elements movements (for opening the spine and general balancing)
• The Five Body Parts movements (for the musculoskeletal system)
• The Five Vital Organ movements (for improving function of the kidneys, heart, lungs, spleen, and liver)
• How to work with the Breath and the Subtle Body
• Principles of Tibetan Medicine and the Five Elements world view
• Why it is important to nurture the subtle body and release blockages

 

How do I register? CLICK HERE

I look forward to seeing you there!

 

Yes, it’s been a while since my last post, but the absence has not been without purpose.

I deepened my Lu Jong studies with the exploration of more vigorous poses, adding an entirely NEW level of movements to the Lu Jong core practice. These movements are the next level of training for students comfortable with Lu Jong Level I.

I’ve been working on yoga workshops and retreats, in addition to Lu Jong Teacher trainings, drawing upon all my skills and knowledge to create purposeful and fun experiences in different locales. Oh my!

In addition, I’m preparing to launch an exciting and dynamic practice: Tog Chod – The Dance of the Wisdom Sword. I mean c’mon, who can resist learning how to work with a sword?

More information about this incredible Tibetan Martial Art and the chance to take exclusive classes will come very soon!

Spring Cleaning: Lu Jong Workshop

AN ANCIENT PRACTICE TO REVITALIZE BODY & MIND

 

A LU JONG NEW YORK WORKSHOP AT TIBET HOUSE, US

 

SATURDAY, MARCH 18TH, 2017 ~ 10 am – 4 pm

 

 

Use Code  LJNYTHUS  For a 10% DISCOUNT

 

QUESTIONS?  JOELLE@LUJONGNEWYORK.COM

Posture & Meditation

The basic method for taming our hyperactive mind is to bring our awareness to the body and breath. When we do this, we notice that the state of our body and breathing affect our mental state and that our mental state affects our body and breathing.

This is why posture is important in meditation.

The seven point meditation posture, also known as the Seven Points of Vairocana, is commonly practiced to achieve balance in mind and body through the sitting posture. If the position of the body is correct, it will calm an agitated mind, cheer up an unhappy mind, and produce clarity in an overwhelmed mind.

– The First of the seven points of posture is to sit down, to sit on some kind of cushion. If you are flexible, you can sit in the vajra posture, which is usually known in the West as the lotus posture. But if you’re not that flexible, or you find this posture uncomfortable, or you can’t sit cross-legged at all, and you need to sit in a chair, don’t worry about it. Don’t feel that it will harm or inhibit your meditation to sit in a chair.

– The Second point is to place your hands evenly. This is referring to the left hand being placed palm up in your lap and the right hand is placed palm up in the left. But it can also be understood as keeping our hands at the same height, such as placing them on your knees.

– The Third point of posture is that your spine be straight. This is quite important because by keeping our back straight, we straighten out the subtle channels within our body through which our subtle winds or energies flow. This will allow our mind to relax naturally and become calm.

– The Fourth point is that the shoulders be pushed back a little bit. Here the shoulders are really just an example. It means that all parts of our body are held in a proper and wakeful posture, so that they are relaxed, but not so relaxed that the posture becomes sloppy.

– The Fifth point is that your chin is brought back in and down. This should happen naturally by straightening your back.

– The Sixth is to touch your tongue to the palate.

– The Seventh and final point of posture is the gaze, which is what we do with our eyes. This is important because our thoughts tend to follow our gaze, or our eyes. We should be relaxed looking into space, at nothing in particular, somewhere about 16 fingers width in front of the nose.

Although it may be hard for beginners to get used to this classical Buddhist meditation posture, the rewards of a few sessions help the mind find peace, strength and control. It also benefits the physical body by bringing its energies into balance.

TIBETAN MEDICINE ~ A Lu Jong New York Learning Series – Part 3

CONTINUING with our exploration of Tibetan Medicine …

When I teach LU JONG I explain the practice has its origins in the merging of three sources of wisdom: Tibetan Medicine, Bon, and Tibetan Buddhism.
I get many questions about Tibetan Medicine so why not, in the spirit of ‘Back to School’, take a brief look at what some of this is all about?

***Before we proceed any further I would like to clarify that I am NOT a doctor of Tibetan Medicine, nor do I diagnose and/or treat people in this area of expertise.My knowledge comes from what I have learned from my teacher and Root Lama, the venerable Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche, who IS a doctor of Tibetan Medicine in addition to being a high Tantrayana Buddhist master.

THE THREE HUMORS (INTRO)

 
Having briefly touched upon how the Mind is the ‘behind the scenes’ power for the Body to exist, we move into the realm of the Three Humors as they are the basis of the theory and practice of Tibetan Medicine.

 
The humors are the vital substances of the body responsible for all bodily functions. They rule physiology, anatomy and morphology, regulate the functioning of the body, its organs, the brain, nerves, bones, blood circulation, lymphatic systems, digestion etc. The three humors also produce the temperament and quality of a person’s body and mind. In effect, they weave together the physical and subtle levels of the Body.

 

 
The Three Humors – Lung (Wind), Tripa (Bile) and Beken (Phlegm) carry both subtle and physical energies in and out of the body from birth to the end of life. They are also inherently delicate by nature and thus can easily become unbalanced. All diseases are described in terms of an imbalance of one or more of the humors.

Since the three humors are an integral part of our bodies, in Tibetan Medicine, it is said that we carry the seeds of disease within us. As soon as there is a cause and a condition, the unmanifested disease will become apparent.

Taking this one step further … each humor is also linked to one of three mental poisons. When Tripa (Bile) is out of balance it causes anger, unbalanced Lung (Wind) causes attachment or grasping, and unbalanced Beken (Phlegm) creates delusion or ignorance. It is precisely this association that creates the link between imbalances of the mind/emotions and those of the body.

 
For example, if someone is always angry (bile), no matter what is done to treat the liver (gallbladder), if the anger is not addressed as well the liver will continue to ail. Healing the Body also means Healing the Mind.

In sum … Balanced humors give positive health and harmony to the body/mind, and provide a good base for the development of the immune system. On the contrary, the loss of balance among the humors causes energy disharmony, either physical and/or mental disequilibrium, which may appear at any time and become the cause of diseases.

************* In the next installment we take a closer look at each of the three humors.

 

New Year. New Lessons.

“Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
― L. Frank Baum

(I think this quote best reflects how I feel about The Art of The Blog.)

Ok, Yes …I can do this … but it sure as heck will be a unique learning experience with three tech-savvy sons offering critiques and chuckles along the way!

So … Why Blog?  Well … Why not?

First business – To usher in the Chinese New Year as we are officially in the Year of the Green Wood Horse!

The 15 day celebration of the Chinese New Year began yesterday, January 31st, with the first new moon of the calendar year.  The day marks the end of the Year of the Water Snake and welcomes the start of the Year of the Wooden Horse.  For those who don’t know their yin from their yang or who haven’t visited a Chinese astrologist recently, here’s some stuff to ponder:

• The Chinese zodiac – or Shēngxiào – is a calendar system originating in the Han dynasty (206-220BC), which names each of the years in its 12-year cycle after an animal: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig, in that order.  According to the system, the universe is made up of five elements – earth, water, fire, wood and metal – which interact with the 12 animals, resulting in the specific character of the year ahead.

• People born in the Year of the Horse are said to be a bit like horses: Animated, active and energetic.  They are quick to learn independence and have a straightforward and positive attitude towards life. They are known for their communication skills and are exceedingly witty. ( Hey!! I’m a Horse … )

• If none of this rings true, don’t worry. The animal signs of each year merely indicate how others see you or how you choose to present yourself. There are also animal signs for each month, known as inner animals, signs for each day, called true animals, and animals for each hour, or secret animals. (Whew, too much pressure!)

• According to superstition, in your zodiac year you will offend Tai Sui, the god of age, and will experience bad luck for the whole year. To avoid this you should wear something red, which has been given to you by someone else.  In general, the lucky colors of Team Horse are green, red and purple; the lucky numbers are three, four and nine; and the lucky flowers are giant taro and jasmine.

• The Year of the Horse is a year in which people are likely to stand firm on their principles, making negotiation difficult.  Years of the Wooden Horse are also associated with warfare.  The last time the Year of the Wood Horse occurred was 1954  — and it just so happens that the United States tested the hydrogen bomb on Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands that year. Just something to think about.

• If you were born in the Year of the Horse, you’re in good company. Fellow members of the horse club include Genghis Khan, Mongol ruler; Franklin D Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the US; Louis Pasteur, a 19th-century scientist; Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon; the singer Aretha Franklin; and the model Cindy Crawford.  If you have Wood or Fire elements in your natal chart you will do well this year, if not – try to buddy up with someone who does (be sure to update your online dating profiles.)

• The industries that are predicted to do well this year are those associated with the Wood element, including education, healthcare, and agriculture, as well as those that fall under Fire, like marketing, entertainment, restaurants, and (of course), social media.  My view? Tweet and Post til your fingers hurt, and if you are thinking of taking a class …  Do it.  Since education is a Wood industry, which is associated with growth, 2014 will be a good time to learn something new. (Ah! Blogging!)

• Last notes … In order to stimulate the correct feng shui for the Year of the Wood Horse, consider rearranging the furniture in your home or office to face South, making sure your computer faces that direction too.  You’re also going to want to make yourself more yang — the sun, light, and male elements in Chinese philosophy —  by adding active elements to your home life. Suggestions include playing music in the house and having sex more often. (Hey, I don’t make this stuff up.)

So with ALL of that clarified,  Gong Xi Fa Cai (Mandarin) …  Gong Hey Fat Choy (Cantonese) … Happy New Year!