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I moved to Burlington in 2006, beginning the next stage in my journey through life. That winter after a day of learning to snowboard a friend suggested that we stretch and do some yoga. With an open mind I went through some simple poses and then she introduced meditation, I was blown away by the act of trying to relax and watch my own mind and the energy experienced in trying to do so. Afterwards she said “I could see you becoming a Yogi”. Who knew that this experience would begin a path that would transform my life.
My practice began at the living yoga studio where a Wednesday morning embody class slowly became what I was most looking forward to every week. From there I happily read about Buddhism, Yoga, Meditation and the parallels with modern physics. While science and physics were my primary mode of making sense of the world, I had found a complementary ocean of wisdom that spoke to how I felt my entire life but I did not have a framework to put it into context. My influences grew by the introduction to the mind and life institute which joins western objective science with eastern contemplative science. This launched my study of the “mind/body” to include neuroscience, psychology, quantum physics, integral theory, and various meditative techniques. In addition my yoga practice branched out with Ashtanga, Bikram, Kripalu, Anusara and Jivamukti learning about each tradition and taking the parts of them that helped me along my path. I would like to offer gratitude and loving kindness to Annelies Smith, Kathy McNames, Scott York, Jane Jarecki, Keri Johnson, Emily Garrett, Andrea O'Connor, all of the wonderful teachers at Burlington Bikram, Shinzen Young and Allan Wallace for their guidance and teachings that have shaped my practice.
I plan to continue my exploration of yoga, meditation, study of the mind and the nature of reality while integrating modern science and technology in a context that culturally agrees with our present situation. There is much about objective reality that we have learned through the careful rigorous observation of phenomena, but to limit our view and experience to this materialistic reduction is to do a disservice to our true selves. I believe that it is also necessary to look inward at our subjective experience and cultivate the tool of our minds in which we use as the lens to view our relative reality. Yoga is one of many paths capable of helping us achieve this goal.
“Notice the illusion of space, time and objective reality.
Where ever you are going, what ever you are seeking.
It may appear that there is always something you still need to learn, still need to achieve, still need to experience.
Calm the fluctuations of the conceptual mind, Breathe.
Let all representations of what you think you know fall away.
In the sensed let there just be the sensed.
Be that which can not be learned, that which can not be achieved, that which can not be experienced.
Rest in the emptiness of the inconceivable and discover there is only one point on your path Here and Now.
Love It !”
Classes
In addition to a weekly Vinyasa and Meditation Class on Sundays, Danny has created a monthly class called Jam Band Meditative Flow at the downtown studio on Saturday evenings - 9/26, 10/24, 11/21, 12/19.
Class Description: Music can be used as the object of meditation. Music provides a complex combination of energetic frequencies that can entrain our minds, resonate with our bodies and touch our souls. When this experience is shared by many people together, its effects are magnified offering insight into interdependence and oneness. While one can bring focused attention and clarity to the objective sound music creates, one can also bring the same focus and clarity to the physical and emotional sensations induced by the music. Experience the energy of music in a new light. Begin by turning your awareness inward to develop concentration, sensory clarity and equanimity noticing your subjective music experience. Then while maintaining that inner awareness, send your energy outward as you explore your own meditative yoga flow. Each song will have a category of poses, where you will draw on your own intuition and spontaneously enter into the pose the music is asking of your body. Use pranayama techniques to ride the waves of build up and release within each song. Music will be chosen from recorded live shows of the jam band genre, where the experience of the artist and the energy of the crowd draws you into the present moment. Feel the music groove inward and outward, surrender to its flow and you will truly be free.
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