Spring 2009 - Arizona Yoga Association

Vol. 16, No. 2 • Spring 2009
Spring 2009
What
inspires
you
Also in this issue:
Artist Portrait:
Bradford Goeppner
Thai Yoga
Ask the Yoga Therapist

Arizona Yoga Association
P.O. Box 43368
Tucson, AZ 85733
www.azyoga.com
OFFICERS, Board,
AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS
President-Elect
Jeff Comer
president@azyoga.com
Vice President
Tina Wilshusen
rtw2000@cox.net
Secretary
Cheryl Bucky
cheryl@justtouch.com
Treasurer
Lori Compton
lori.carroll@usa.net
Webmaster
Marcia Galleher
webmaster@azyoga.com
Memberships
Stephen Sennott
membership@azyoga.com
Additional Board Members
Tom Mendola
tmendola@gmail.com
Ginny Beal
yoginny@cox.net
Elena “Rose” Kress
rosekress@yahoo.com
Tom Beall
karmangedon@hotmail.com
Carrie Stover
tn8247@cox.net
Sally Weber
sallymweber@msn.com
Lori Compton
lori.carroll@usa.net
Founding President
Marie Kearney
yogamarie@msn.com
__________________
Arizona Yoga
Editor
Stefanie Neuburger
editor@azyoga.com
Advertising
Margaret Nicoll
margaretnicoll@gmail.com
Community Calendar
Charles Mort
charlie@rawforlife.com
Art Director
Charles Schnarr
charless@cityhighschool.org
Arizona Yoga is a publication of the Arizona Yoga Association,
produced in Tucson and mailed quarterly to AYA
members. We welcome your letters and articles. Send
correspondence to our Editor: editor@azyoga.com.
Deadlines: Jan 15, April 15, July 15, October 15.
Distribution is five weeks after deadline. We reserve
the right to edit all submissions.
Cover Photo by:
Bradford Goeppner
president’s
message
Marcia Galleher
Oooommm. Thank you for picking up this issue
of the Spring newsletter. Please place it on your
lap as you read on. Turn the palms up on your
knees. Be here now instead of allowing your
mind to drift into remembering, planning or
questioning. Pause. Wait. Breathe, preparing
for a chakra healing visualization.
The inner, mystic eye sees red light at your root
chakra (perineum), Muladhara. Four petals of
royal red glow from this center of your subtle
anatomy. A strong Muladhara connection
provides security within, necessary when life
can seem so uncertain. With your attention
there, breathe in through the nose and take the
energy to the top of your head. At the crown
is a 1,000-petaled white lotus, the Sahasrara
chakra.. Exhaling, breathe down back to your
root.
Again, from there, breathe in to the top of your
head and exhale down to the region above your
pubic bone, below your navel. Six petals of
orange light radiate out from Svadhishthana,
the 2nd chakra. Creativity is sparked.
Inhale from this center to the top of your head
and exhale down to the solar plexus below
the base of your ribs. Ten yellow petals shine
out from Manipura. Alive with power and
presence. Again, from here, take the inhalation
up to the crown and exhale the energy down to
the heart at the center of your chest.
Twelve green petals, or nadis, open here at
Anahata, healing the heart.
From this center, inhale to the crown chakra
and on the exhalation, descend the breath
down to the throat. Vishuddha directs 16 blue
petals outward to cleanse the throat, enhancing
truth and purity of self-expression.
From Vishuddha take the breath up to
Sahasrara again; exhale down to the third eye
between your eye brows and above the bridge
of your nose. Ajna has two dark purple petals
glowing outward from your inner vision.
Breathe in and up to the crown. Keep it there!
Continue to breathe in and out at the 7th
chakra with the healing effects of this colorful
visualization.
In the summer of 2003, Traditional Yoga
Studies, founded and directed by Georg
Feuerstein, created an essay contest on the
subject title, ‘Yoga and World Peace.’ After
reading about it in Yoga Journal magazine,
I was moved to submit my view of living
on the yogic path and how it contributes to
peace on the planet. In the contemplation
that accompanied the process, it ignited
the question of war and conflict. After all,
writing about peace would naturally make
me wonder about non-peace. When did we
separate from each other to see and feel
opposition Where did this duality come
from In my efforts to obtain an explanation,
I came upon a theory that occurred over
13 billion years ago known as the ‘Big
Bang’. This was known to be the birth of
the universe. Speculation and discoveries
reveal that prior to this expansion, there
was nothing. No space, time, matter or
energy; simply infinite phenomenon. At the
moment of this birth, the universe, as we can
conceive it, was created. The cosmos was
defined and had an appearance.
As yogis, in agreement that we are One with
the universe, then we are also defined, finite.
Here is an unusual paradox, but explains
the origin of duality. From no-thing into
some-thing. So it is.
This could be a controversial subject to
discuss. You are encouraged to write an
article about it.
I did not win the $1,008 allotted to the
winner, but the experience was rewarding.
My essay focused on various techniques of
yoga practice. It emphasized the healing
effect of Yoga on the world; affecting those
you live with, your neighbor, neighbor’s
neighbor... Your yoga practice is a service
to humanity.
Megan McDonough was selected the
essay winner. She is a business yogini and
consultant, founder of Mindful Marketing.
Megan brings yoga concepts into the
corporate world and business techniques
into the yoga world, helping yoga teachers
and wellness organizations sustain the
business that they love. She is a Yoga teacher
and member of the Kripalu Yoga Teacher’s
Association. megan@mindfulmarketing.
com
This closing segment was included in my
essay for further reflection:
...at the end of the talk someone from the
audience asked the Dalai Lama, “Why didn’t
you fight back against the Chinese” The
Dalai Lama looked down, swung his feet
just a bit, them looked back at us and said
with a gentle smile, “Well, war is obsolete,
you know.”
Then, after a few moments, his face grave,
he said, “Of course the mind can rationalize
fighting back...but the heart would never
understand. Then you would be divided in
yourself, the heart and the mind, and the
war would be inside of you.”
Namaste. All is One. Marcia Galleher
Spring 2009 • ARIZONA YOGA 3

Happy New Year!
However you may have celebrated the holidays, I hope you
had a great time gathering with family and friends. If you are
like me and enjoy the warm weather much more than the
cold - well, ok, cool weather, then you are slowly coming out
of hibernation. So what to do with the New Year Stay the
course Do something different
Gyms are filled the first few weeks of the New Year as members
are driven by their new year’s resolutions. However, by
February attendance is back down to the regular numbers.
At home, new organizational schemes are being laid out to
keep things clean and tidy, only to be replaced by the normal
clutter a few months later.
How do we stay inspired Do we put too much pressure on
ourselves about being perfect
How can we sink deeper into our yoga practice to let it guide
us on whatever the New Year brings for us
In this issue Gabriel Azoulay Thai Yoga, and how it can
help us refine our feeling skills, mentally, physically and
emotionally. In addition, I was able to interview Bradford
Goeppner, a local Phoenix artist about how his yoga practice
and becoming a yoga instructor have evolved and deepened
his artistic expression. Of course Matthew Taylor is back with
another installation of “Ask the Yoga Therapist”, taking us
into the world of chronic pain and how to alleviate it through
Yoga Therapy.
Our next issue’s subject: Energy
If you have any experiences or teachings to share, please email
them to me at editor@azyoga.com
Until next time! Blessings,
Stefanie Neuburger
Stefanie Neuburger
editor’s
letter
6 What’s Up
8 What is Thai Yoga
by Gabriel Azoulay
In this issue:
9 The Yin Yoga of Thai Yoga
The subtle energy in the physical body
by Gabriel Azoulay
12 Ask the Yoga Therapist:
Yoga for Chronic Pain
by Matthew J. Taylor, PT, PhD, RYT
14 Cover Story
Artist Portrait: Bradford Goeppner
Om and other Adventures in Paint
Interview by Stefanie Neuburger
16 Community Calendar
Find yoga-related events in your area!
21 Studio Coupons
Try a free class at a studio near you!
www.azyoga.com
AYA Board and Member Meeting
Sunday, April 19th, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Desert Song Yoga & Massage Center
4811 N. 7th St.
Phoenix, Arizona
85014

what’s
AYA News and Items of Interest
up
There is always something ‘Up’ within the Arizona Yoga
Association. We now have a new Advertising Executive. Rose
Kress was the contact manager in 2007-2008 to receive your
advertising display ads for the quarterly newsletter. She has
shifted her position and is now the head of the AYA Advertising
Committee.
At the start of this New Year, the board of directors approved
Margaret Nicoll as the current Advertising Executive.
Originally a Vermont native, Margaret now lives in Prescott
where she teaches yoga and owns a rainwater harvesting
business, High Desert Rain Catchment, with her brother. She
is presently an instructor at Yoga Shala in Prescott, teaches at
the Downtown Athletic Club and also offers private lessons.
In addition to being the new Advertising Executive for AYA,
she serves as the secretary for the local US Green Building
Council and organizes many rainwater harvesting workshops
in Arizona. Welcome Margaret! For those who submit display
ads regularly, periodically or are interested for the first time to
promote your studio, products or services, contact Margaret
at margaretnicoll@gmail.com.
Coming and going, like the tide upon the ocean, changes
continue. Kristi Gall left the Arizona Yoga Association at
the start of 2009 as Treasurer. A yoga teacher living in Rio
Rico, Kristi moved quite suddenly to Colorado at the request
of her brother to help him with his business. Colorado is
where Kristi’s heart is; enjoying the magnificence of the tall
mountains, snow sports and the new yoga community there.
She had co-coordinated with Stephen Sennott, the AYA
bookkeeper, on developing a budget in 2008 and reviewed
the monthly financial reports with him as well.
Lori Carroll Compton, AYA member from Sonoita, joined us
for the General Membership meeting at the Casbah TeaHouse
in Tucson on January 4th. She expressed her interest in
becoming a member of the board of directors. A consensus
vote approved Lori and she is new to the association, also.
She works as a computer consultant in the Sonoita area, doing
contract work at a geologist’s office. Lori started practicing
Yoga in 1977 and enjoys all forms of yoga from Ashtanga to
Bikram to Yin and Yang. In 2008, she completed her RYT 200-
hour Yoga Teacher Training in Costa Rica and acquired her
Mat Pilates certification from Power Pilates. Lori now teaches
intermediate Hatha-style Yoga and Mat Pilates at the Walker
Ranch in Sonoita. Lori contributes her natural organizational
skills to the association. Welcome Lori!
All the previous presidents have contributed to the foundation
and growth of AYA - as is true with Marcia Galleher. She
completes 18 months as President of the Arizona Yoga
Association on March 1st. A long time member of AYA, Marcia
was instrumental in creating the newly designed azyoga.com
website. With the help of the board members, she organized
the very successful fund raiser at Desert Song Yoga in October
of 2008. In her resignation statement to the board she stated,
“Thank you for an amazing, transforming, growth-promoting,
life-enriching experience.” As a long time Bisbee resident and
yogini, Marcia appreciated the opportunity to expand her
relations with studios and members throughout Arizona, from
north to south. She remains involved as an AYA member, will
be a transitional advisor as Immediate Past President and will
be in service to the association as a volunteer webmaster.
The website www.azyoga.com is your resource on the internet
to reach anyone looking for special yoga activities; practitioners
new to yoga or advanced, teachers, therapists and studios. At
any time all AYA members can post their special yoga events
in the online Calendar for free. This supplements the quarterly
newsletter. Use your log in and follow the easy directions.
Need your log in information
Contact info@azyoga.com and it will be provided.
Happy Spring!
6 Spring 2009 • ARIZONA YOGA

Southwest Institute of Healing Arts • 1100 E. Apache Blvd. Tempe AZ 85281

What is Thai Yoga
Gabriel Azoulay
Yoga practice can be defined as ‘the effort to connect two
things’: to bring together two aspects which reveal a larger
picture. More specifically, to connect mind and body, revealing
one’s true nature.
Your mind can think of being at the beach, yet your body
might be sitting on the couch. In fact, mind can wander away
from the body and the body can function without the mind
(brain “dead” cases where the mind is gone, yet the heart
beat continues). Asana yoga practice draws practitioners to
connect their mind and body, along the string of the breath.
On one end lies the physical body, on the other end are the
mental/emotional responses we experience within. As we
concentrate on the breath, a new revelation occurs about our
physical existence.
Beginning students often share at the end of my classes
what an incredible feeling it is to actually feel their own
bodies. Practitioners of all levels comment on the joy and the
excitement of learning how to control and expand their own
range of motion, while taking note of the effects practice has
on their emotional reactions - from quick temper outbursts at
any unforeseen difficulties, to a personal observation, which
leads to responding rather than reacting.
The practice of Thai Yoga takes this idea a step further. Thai
Yoga is a practice where students learn how to move their
body, through very specific positioning and breathing, creating
a focus and an energetic exchange that is very similar to any
Yoga class.
Rather than focusing on the other, in Thai Yoga the focus is
primarily on the experience of the practitioner.
Something very interesting happens when we take our
practice and engage another body in it. The minute we touch
another, suddenly we loose all awareness of where we are. In
a traditional Yoga practice the focus is extremely individual.
We turn our attention inward, in the hopes of expanding
externally. The more connected we are to where we are, the
more we realize the connection that exists between everything.
This is exemplified in Thai Yoga, where the practitioner follows
a set sequence of movements that revolve around another
physical body, yet remain connected to the practitioner’s
experience.
Through specific positioning and transitions, connected
through the breath, two bodies connect together; two separate
beings become one integrated body. The minute touch is
created; the sense of touch remains constant. As proficiency
is gained in the movements and transitions, there will not be
a loss of touch, until the entire dance has been completed.
Thai Yoga is based on two of the three primary principles of
Thai Massage, the principles of stretching and compressing.
The third principle, pressure points along the energy lines,
is activated passively, since the energy lines run all over the
body, any movement and pressure engages the energy lines
themselves. These principles apply to both practitioners.
When the practitioner places the receiver’s foot inside
their hip engaging the other in a yogic posture similar to
‘pavanamuktasana (wind release pose)’ that enhances the
colon for the receiver, a stretch along the inner groin occurs.
This expands the energy flow along the three inner leg lines,
while enacting a pressure into the large intestine, which
enhances elimination, stimulates digestion, and charges the
upper body with fresh blood circulation, and thus increases
energy to the heart.
Though Thai Massage is quickly becoming the leading modality
in the west, with weekend courses that certify massage
therapists as Thai Massage therapists, one should heed the
impact it can cause their body. Thai Yoga is an accessible
practice that provides the experience to any individual. With
its yogic foundation this practice is an incredible tool for any
individual. Whether you are a personal trainer who would like
to understand how to stretch your clients or a yoga teacher or
practitioner wishing to enhance your student experience or
grow in your practice, to friends, family and couples learning
safe and easy ways on connecting with one another, you can
learn how to touch with care, awareness and connection.
While you can go to masters like Pichest, or B.K.S. Iyengar
(who is known for healing his own body through asana yoga
and can see where energy is blocked in his students) and over
time learn how to tap into these modes of therapy through
postures, this process is a kin to a musician learning to play
his instrument. You can learn a song, which is a sequence of
notes, played in a certain rhythm, as much as you can learn the
sequence of Thai Massage or a yoga sequence like Ashtanga,
whether you will become a musician or a Thai Massage healer
lies in your artistic experience. Thai Yoga on the other hand,
is the safe experimentation in playing a song that effectively
transforms both bodies, while connecting individuals together
in a meaningful and spiritual way.
After all, the word Yoga means to ‘connect,’ and the only way
to step out of your own world is to go deeper into your inner
experience.
8 Spring 2009 • ARIZONA YOGA

The Yin Yoga of Thai Yoga
The subtle energy in the physical body
Gabriel Azoulay
“What do Yogi do What do Yogi do” My master’s question
is intended to challenge the listener, to challenge the
perceptions we, the students, have about this ancient, yet
pop culture, attraction.
“Yogi sits, Yogi feels, Yogi connects.” His answer seems so
simple, direct and true.
After all, what does the word “asana” mean Asana literally
translates to “a seat,” or to be in a stable position.
“Feel. Feel or don’t feel” In contrast to our confusion, he
is a modern-day Shakespeare, trying to express something
beyond the scope of words. “Feel. Feel yourself, feel your
body, feel the energy in your body. Terribowl.” His accented
English resonates with laughter and joy. He knows it’s not an
easy subject to grasp.
All healing begins with feeling.
All Yoga practice – whether Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga or Thai
Yoga – involves learning how to feel, over time learning to
feel beyond ourselves and into the connection among all
things. We start with how to feel the muscles working, the
bones moving, the blood circulating, the breath expanding
and over time, feeling the stillness at the fluctuations of
consciousness.
Hatha Yoga (the practice of Yoga through asanas) is akin to the
Yin/Yang perspective, where the body is the vehicle for energy,
and through postures, much like with acupuncture needles,
this energy can be harnessed, released and expanded.
One practice in the Hatha Yoga system, Yin Yoga, aims
at directing practitioners’ awareness to the flow of Yin/
Yang energy in the body, while exposing the multiple
interconnections these energy lines have with everyday
experience. Though the modern Western model also accepts
that energy flows throughout the body, this model considers
only two primary energy exchanges: the nervous system,
with its electrical pulses, and the chemical system, with its
eliminating reactions.
These models are based on verifiable experiments, and
instruments to measure are constantly being refined. MRI
scans, brain mapping and other tests point to chemical
interactions within our organs and synaptic responses, which
are activated throughout the nervous system.
Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama is a well-known Japanese scholar
who graduated from the Tokyo University of Literature and
Science with Ph.D. degrees in Philosophy and Physiological
Psychology. An award-winner for his work in the comparative
study of Eastern and Western mysticism, he has been
conducting experiments and developing instruments to
measure and outline the flow of the Yogic energy, which lies
at much lower voltage level than the nervous or chemical
systems. One such instrument, the “AMI”, successfully
measures this current.
In his book, Measurements of Ki Energy, Diagnosis, &
Treatments, he diagrams where the energy channels are in the
body. When observed in a cadaver dissection, one can find a
resonance of grooves along the inner layer of our connective
tissue. When drawn out, these grooves match the outlines
drawn hundreds years before by the ancient acupuncturists.
What exactly are our connective tissues Connective tissues
connect all body parts together. In a broad sense, we actually
have an outer layer just below the skin that envelopes all our
muscles, organs and bones. This layer is our largest continuous
tissue. Connective tissue also refers to our ligaments, which
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connect bone to bone, like our ACL at the knee, and tendons,
which connect muscle to bone, like the Achilles tendon at
the ankle.
Any action affects the connective tissue. This metaphor can
easily be seen with the shirt you are wearing. Sit up straight
and straighten your shirt. Begin to twist any section of the
shirt and you will notice wrinkles forming and lines climbing
in all directions. Our inner layer is constantly reshaped and
reformed due to our movements and our daily actions.
Yet, there is a difference in the effect our practice will have
on the connective tissue around joints, the ligaments,
tendons, and fascia between bones, compared to a practice
that stimulates our connective tissue and the muscle. When
muscles are engaged, they stabilize and protect the joint
connective tissue, limiting the impact. We would not want
our joints to collapse in the midst of an arm balance, or while
balancing in tree pose. This stabilization of our connective
tissue is a primary reason Western medicine considered these
tissues stable and unchanging. Any activity that deemed to
manipulate them was considered dangerous and unhealthy.
Yin Yoga founder Paul Grilley, Dr. Motoyama and Master
Martial Arts Paulie Zink demonstrate this theory is incomplete.
While practitioners should avoid any activity that causes
destabilization, whether in a Yin (relaxed) or Yang (muscular)
interaction, the connective tissue is as malleable as the muscle
fascia, and should be engaged and exercised regularly, as well.
In fact, the connective tissue plays a larger role in the range of
motion our muscles can enjoy, and should simply be engaged
in a different manner, a Yin manner.
This Yin manner places the focus on the ligaments, tendons
and fascia surrounding the joints, primarily the joints of our
lower back, our hips and our knees. Freedom in these joints
will translate to comfortable sitting position for long periods
of time.
Faced in the West with long hours of sitting in a chair, the
connective tissues around these joints contracts, compresses
and over time loses much of its lubricating synovial fluids,
leaving individuals with limited range of motion, discomfort
and pain.
Interestingly, the acupuncturist view of these consequences
is a lack of energetic flow along the meridians of our hips
and back, the Kidney and Urinary Bladder meridians, in
particular.
By engaging our bones to their edge, placing them at their
deepest range of motion, just beyond our comfort zone,
releasing muscular activity, and holding the pose for long
periods of time, five minutes or more, the connective tissues
receives a fresh surge of synovial fluids, which keeps it healthy,
lengthens and elongates it and stimulates energetic flow
throughout the body.
While Yin Yoga will increase range of motion, help alleviate
strain and tension in your joints and leave you feeling
refreshed and alive, Dr. Motoyama points to a greater benefit.
Our life force, the energy that sustains us, is stimulated and
its flow increased. Furthermore, as this energy flows along
the connective tissue channels, relaxed muscles enhance this
stimulation, while tight, condensed muscles limit it.
“Feel, or no feel” Can you feel this energy moving through
your body Thai master Pichest Boonthume urges practitioners
to go beyond the gross expression of skin and muscle, to the
subtle domain of energy in the body. A master of energy,
Pichest can feel where energy flows freely and where it is
blocked. His intuitive experience allows him to simply look
at someone and know where that energy is blocked; yet this
intuitive sensation starts with feeling his own body.
Thai Yoga is an energy-sharing system expressed through the
physical body. An ancient system, based on Yoga postures and
the effect these postures have on our physical and energetic
body, it involves a practitioner stretching and pressing on
another body. Popularly called “Yoga for the lazy person,” it
is founded on the same principles that make Yin and Yang
Yoga so effective.
Thai Yoga is a practice where students learn how to move
their bodies, through very specific positioning and breathing.
Inspired by Thai Massage, the healing system in Thailand,
Thai Yoga’s focus is less on the person who is receiving and
more on the experience of the practitioner. Through practice,
one develops a sensory awareness on where movement is
limited, indicating less energy flow, whether muscles are dense
and hard like taffy, or soft and relaxed like marshmallow, and
the sense of connection that underlies the differences between
the two forms.
Here as well, energetic flow is determined by the softness
and elasticity of the ligaments and tendons. The softer the
muscles, the more relaxed the connective tissue, the stronger
energetic flow through the tendons. Coordinated with the
breath, specific presses and extensions produce a response
that travels throughout the connective tissue, increasing blood
circulation, enhancing neural response and inducing them
into a relaxed position.
Breath awareness, coupled with an opportunity to relax
through external pressure, teaches practitioners the value of
letting go.
We tend to believe that we have to work hard in order to
achieve something. We feel we had the best Yoga class, or the
best workout if we can barely walk at the end of practice. For
10 Spring 2009 • ARIZONA YOGA

eginners the idea of a Yin practice, to stay in the pose without
doing anything, sounds bizarre and ineffective. Engaging
another in Thai Yoga, we step outside of our bodies and into
our heads, thinking that we should press harder, stretch
deeper and do more. In reality, and as we grow in our practice,
we discover that Yoga is letting go of effort, of relaxing into the
moment, of surrendering to the energy that lives in us.
“Feel, or no feel” Yoga, any Yoga practice, awakens us to
this feeling experience. From the sensory experience of our
body, to the experience of the unchanging consciousness that
underlies the constantly changing reality. We are more than
our bodies. We are the energy that sustains the body, and that
energy is the same energy in all things. In the words of the
Buddha, we are light, not heavy, we are the light, so why not
awake and light up the world
Gabriel Azoulay is the creator of Thai Yoga, a yoga practice for
two people, an author and an international Yoga instructor.
Having spent almost two years in Thailand and India, Gabriel
brings a fresh perspective to age old principles. With a passion
for stories and anecdotes, his teaching, writing and daily
approach to the mat will leave you laughing to the stars. Thai
Yoga previews and DVDs can be found on his website www.
gabrielazoulay.com.

Ask the Yoga Therapist
Matthew J. Taylor, PT, PhD, RYT
This is an ongoing column for submitting your or your students’
questions about Yoga challenges and related health and safety concerns.
Please send your questions to askatherapist@yogatherapy.com
Q: Why is Yoga therapy well suited for supporting
individuals with chronic pain
A: The new neuroscience research of the past five years
has revealed a new and fascinating understanding of the
experience of pain. Unfortunately many of those who bill
themselves as pain relievers continue to practice with outdated
models of pain from last century. Allow me to share a few ideas
about Yoga, pain and suffering. This is a large topic so I have
also listed resources at the end of the article for continued
exploration.
One definition of Yoga is the science and practice of easing
present suffering and preventing future suffering. Yoga is
also defined as stabilizing the mind-stuff (Sutra 1.2). Here
we discover the relationship between mind and suffering….
Instability = suffering…Stability = ease or prevention of
suffering.
So what is mind We hear body-mind-spirit advertised for
everything from stock trades to cold cream for your dog!
Currently “mind” is defined by Daniel Siegel, MD of the UCLA
Mindfulness Research Center as: “a process that regulates the
flow of energy and information.” He further defines mind as
having both interpersonal quality (i.e., the process within
an individual human) and intrapersonal (the same process
between humans). Therefore when this process is destabilized
either within one person or between persons, suffering ensues.
A very practical, modern definition for the unity consciousness
described across the millennia.
Suffering in Yoga is said to occur when the mind (individual
and collective) errs in ignorance (Avidya) as the integrity
and unity of all of creation is forgotten. Said another way,
suffering occurs when we lose our “minds” as individuals
and human communities. The Sutras (2.3) further delineates
this ignorance in describing the kleshas, or roots of misery.
They include believing the “small-mindedness” of the self or
ego; attraction toward some illusion as relief from suffering;
avoidance of some illusion to prevent suffering; and, fear of
death or annihilation of the small self.
So how does chronic pain fit in The old pain understanding
was the light-switch model….a bad thought or piece of tissue (a
cut) creates a pain. Fix the thought or cut, the pain is gone.
We now know pain is a very complex experience of the brain
created not by a single switch, but a distributed, constantly
reorganized network that forms a matrix which allows
athletes to complete performances with fractures and paper
cuts to cause disproportionate pain. This pain experience
(both energy and information) is then interpreted by various
centers of the brain that evaluate it (a process) and regulate the
individual’s response to the experience. The centers include
that of pain and fear memories, as well as centers projecting
future outcomes. Ultimately the experience is our reality of the
moment in which we either react with a habituated behavior
(samskara) or create a novel, detached response to modify the
experience or decrease future suffering (new karma).
The alteration of this web of interaction in modern terms is
called neuroplasticity (changeable nervous system). In Yoga
the process is known as nirodha (1.2)…both a process and
a state. The eight limbs of Yoga not by chance impact all of
these various centers of the brain and with practice quite
literally change the connections, thickness and reactivity of
each center. Modern science is literally painting pictures of
the process of regulation we call mind. So when someone
with chronic pain begins to study all the limbs of Yoga, they

immerse themselves in a science that doesn’t just try to flip
the right switch to alter an experience, but quite literally ease
their individual suffering and prevent future suffering, but
that of those with whom they interact. For more detail please
refer to the following resources.
Resources:
Any commentary on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras…I like A
Comprehensive Sourcebook for the Study & Practice of
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras: Reverend Jaganath Carrera (2006)
www.lifeisnow.ca Yoga for Chronic Pain DVD and book
www.iayt.org Neil Pearson, MSc(RHBS), BScPT, BA-BPHE
Yoga for People in Pain Intl J of Yoga Therapy Vol 18, 2008.
Matthew J. Taylor, PT, PhD, RYT has a doctorate in transformational
learning and change (a.k.a. yoga) from the California Institute of
Integral Studies. Matt is an AYA member living in Scottsdale
where he and his wife have a yoga-based rehabilitation clinic. He
has authored numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and
textbooks on yoga therapy. He serves on the board of directors of
the International Association of Yoga Therapist, teaches nationally,
and maintains a busy private yoga therapy caseload. He is an expert
legal witness for yoga injuries and is passionate about yoga safety.
For more information see www.drofyoga.com
Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy is
based on the reality that body, spirit
and mind are connected. The work
combines the best of ancient yogic
wisdom with contemporary methods
of body-mind psychology.
Get the Professional Edge!
Become a Certified Phoenix Rising
Practitioner and change lives . . .
including your own!
JOIN US FOR THE MAY 2 – 5
Yoga Therapy Level 1 Training
Southwest Institute of Healing
1100 East Apache Boulevard
PHOENIX RISING
yoga therapy training
TO ENROLL CALL 800.288.9642 OR VISIT PRYT.COM
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Artist Portrait: Bradford Goeppner
Om and other Adventures in Paint
Interview by Stefanie Neuburger
After many years of living
and breathing life in the
arts, mostly through
painting and work in the
decorative painting world
Brad had clearly come to
a point of feeling tired and
worn down from head to
toe. Happily or as he likes to say, thankfully his own
curiosity with eastern thought led him to his first yoga
class. The first 42 years of Brad’s life had proven to be
hard on his body. It was certainly the physical aches
that brought him to his first yoga
mat. Those first Iyengar classes, with
the long, slow, and meticulous poses
proved to be the perfect introduction
to yoga. Brad would later learn how
ungrounded he was and that settling
into the present would take many years
on the mat.
7 or 8 years of practice later, Brad took
up Anusara yoga and so began the
deeper commitment to himself and
to his life as an artist. At this point he
started to see that yoga was far bigger
than the practice of asana. “Yoga moved into all my
nooks and crannies and really freed up the restrictive
notions I had about what art is for me. The Om image
came first, because it simply was visually interesting.
Right away, like I had always felt about doing art in the
past. The Om symbol seemed to have a life of its own,
with no end to its potential as a creative and spiritual
symbol.”
14 Spring 2009 • ARIZONA YOGA
After completing the
Desert Song Yoga Teacher
Training program in
2007, Brad suffered his
first “yoga hangover.
The intensity of that
experience opened my
eyes to the depth of
personal work I still had
in front of me. The yoga never gave up on me nor did
I walk away from yoga. I found it stays with you as life
moves along. I kept it with me just like I have always
returned to my paintings over the years, both support
my spirit for life. It has been a blessing to be with art and
yoga and the family of people that now grace my life for
having come to on this journey.”
Although he has a new series of large paintings underway
that is a direct result of my studies in YTT, the Om work
is still a prominent part of his focus as an artist. The yoga
hangover has turned into an excitement for the work that
still lies ahead. One of his big dreams is a huge Om on an
exterior of a building here in Phoenix
or for that matter anywhere around
the country. His way of teaching is
sharing the peace and love of yoga
through his paintings.
Bradford Goeppner works in all setting
and interior sizes. Some of his mural
work can be seen in several yoga
studios around Phoenix (Desert Song
Yoga, AZ Yoga & Yoga Village). You
can reach him by email at bradfaux@
aol.com or call 602-750-6620.

Community Calendar
use your AYA membership
card for discounts to these
events
List your Event in our Community Calendar!
Please submit directly as an attached word document
to Charles Mort at charlie@rawforlife.com We try
to include as many events as space allows. 5 listing
maximum per studio/teacher each newsletter.
Deadline for Summer Issue: April 15, 2009
Eden
Friday – Tuesday, May 22 – 26,
12:00pm, Friday - 2pm, Tuesday
Eden Mother Earth Jam, Eden Hot Springs
Rest, Relax, Rejuvenate! Includes camping, organic live meals,
yoga, olympic-size pool, five other geothermic pools, mineral
mud bath, hiking, music, much more! Less than 3 hours
from Phoenix, Tucson and Silver City. Contact: Charlie Mort,
rawforlife.com, 480-496-5959 or 866-729-4543, sungaze@
me.com, $65 per night pre-reg. by May 15, $75 after March 20
Phoenix
Saturday & Sunday, March 7 and 8
The Conscious Man: a 2-day workshop experience for Spiritual
Men
This course explores what it means to live as and be a spiritual
man, including how to succeed and communicate as a man,
the relationship between sex/spirituality, potency/projection,
consciousness/creativity, as well as special foods, diet and
exercises for men. Taught by Sevak Singh Khalsa, Contact:
Yoga Phoenix, 2302 N. 9th St. Phoenix, AZ 85006, 602-271-
4480. www.yogaphoenix.com. Cost: see www.YogaPhoenix.
com, $155 pre-registered by Feb. 28, $165 after Feb. 28
March 9, April 6, and May 11
Full Moon Gong and Meditation Class with Sevak Singh
Celebrate the energy of the full moon with deep meditation
and gong relaxation. Taught by Sevak Singh Khalsa. Contact:
Yoga Phoenix, 2302 N. 9th St. Phoenix, AZ 85006, 602-271-
4480. www.yogaphoenix.com. $13 per class – or purchase a
class pass for a discounted rate
March 28-29
Yoga Therapy for Challenges of the Low Back and Pelvis
Join Matthew J. Taylor, PT, PhD, e-RYT for this two-day
event at Desert Song Yoga & Massage Center. Contact:
Desert Song at (602) 265-8222 or visit our website at www.
desertsongyoga.com.
April 2-5
Desert Song’s Sunglow Ranch Spring Yoga Retreat
Desert Song Director, Mary Beth Markus and Sioux Jones
lead this four-day retreat to beautiful Sunglow Ranch in
the Chiricahua Mountains. Contact: Desert Song Yoga &
Massage Center at (602) 265-8222 or visit our website at
www.desertsongyoga.com.
April 24-26
Yoga Therapy Workshop with Doug Keller at Desert Song
Join renowned instructor Doug Keller and Desert Song Yoga
& Massage Center as we explore the intricacies of yoga therapy
in this two-day workshop. Contact: Desert Song at (602) 265-
8222 or visit our website at www.desertsongyoga.com.
May 9
SHANTALA at Desert Song
Benjy & Heather Wertheimer visit Desert Song Yoga &
Massage Center to once again share their stirring music with
the Arizona yoga community. Contact: Desert Song at (602)
265-8222 or visit our website at www.desertsongyoga.com.
June 2009
Desert Song Kids Summer Yoga & Tai Chi Camp
Fun starts this June at Desert Song with the onset of our
second annual Kids Yoga & Tai Chi Camp. Kids have a chance
to explore the benefits of yoga and tai chi while parents get
time to participate in their own practice. Contact Desert Song
at (602) 265-8222 or visit our website at www.desertsongyoga.
com.
March 13-15
Yoga Philosophy Lectures from the Tantric Perspective with
Carlos Pomeda
Five separate lectures covering the “Essence of Yoga” and
insights into the Shiva Sutras. Includes guided meditations.
Contact: Barbara Adams,480-905-8801, Yoga Village/
Scottsdale AZ 85260, www.yogavillage.net, Full weekend
$195/$210 after 3-6, Friday 6-8 pm $35/$40 after 3-6, Sat/
Sun $43/$50 after 3-6, AYA: addt’l 10% off
- Printed with soy ink - Spring 2009 • ARIZONA YOGA 15

Sat, May 9, 2009, 10:00 – 5:00pm
Yoga Anatomy with Martin Kirk
Full day workshop explaining the anatomy of movement
from the yogic perspective. For teachers and students who
wish to further their knowledge of alignment to enhance their
practice. Fun and informative workshop with a nationally
acclaimed teacher. Contact: Barbara Adams,480-905-8801,
Yoga Village/Scottsdale AZ 85260, www.yogavillage.net,
$85/$95 after April 2, AYA: addt’l 10% off
Friday and Saturday – March 13-14
Howard & Jennifer Beckman present: Three Sister Sciences,
Jyotish, Ayurveda & Yoga
Seminar explaining the links between the stars, subtle anatomy
and our physical, emotional and spiritual health. Contact: 7
Centers Yoga Arts, 928-203-4400, Sedona, AZ, www.7centers.
com, 928-203-4400, Friday – FREE, Saturday: $45/$5
March 18, 2008
Snatam Kaur Sacred Chant Concert, Kirtan
You may call in advance to reserve tickets or go online www.
spiritvoyage.com, Contact: 7 Centers Yoga Arts, 928-203-
4400, Sedona, AZ, www.7centers.com, Donation
928-203-4400, $25 in advance, $30 at the door
March 20
Replanting the Global Garden – David Crow
Slide show of global cultivation of medicinal plants, preserving
and regenerating eco-systems and grassroots healthcare and
much more. Contact: 7 Centers Yoga Arts, 928-203-4400,
Sedona, AZ, www.7centers.com, Donation
March 21-22
Contemplative Aromatherapy Retreat with David Crow
Meditation based approach to essential oils affects on body
mind using Buddhist meditation methods and Ayurvedic
philosophy. Contact: 7 Centers Yoga Arts, 928-203-4400,
Sedona, AZ, www.7centers.com, Space limited. Preregistration
required, Donation basis
March 28-29
Scottsdale
Sedona
Barbara Marciniak & the Pleiadians
12th Annual Sedona Seminar – latest news and guidance for
2009 from the Pleiadians Contact: Chet Snow 928-204-1962, 7
Centers Yoga Arts, Sedona, AZ, Chetsnow.com, Register by email:
cbsnow@npgcable.com, $110 per day; $175 both days
April 16 - 26
Yoga Meets Dance Teacher Training with Beth Rigby in
beautiful Sedona, Arizona.
Enjoy 11 beautiful days in Sedona while learning to lead
others on a transformational dance journey. Visit www.
yogameetsdance.com, email: yogameetsdance@yahoo.com
or call (928) 300-6944 for more details
April 9-12
Tempe
Recreating Earth’s Ancient Solar Civilizations
Four-day conference on sun yoga, mysteries of the sun, vaastu,
heliophysics and the 2012 solar max, color therapy, past
golden age civilizations, and more. Special guest speaker Mark
Amaru Pinkham will give a free lecture April 9th, 7:30 pm on
“The Yezidis, Ancient Tribe and Children of Sanat Kumara.”
Sungazing & sacred dance at sunrise. Contact: Wayne, 623-
780-0261, InnSuites Hotel, 1651 W. Baseline Rd., Tempe,
www.heartscenter.org. ,$175 or $50/day
6-8 p.m. March 20; 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2-4 p.m.
March 21; 10 a.m.-1 p.m. March 22
Spring Renewal with Rita Lewis-Manos
Weekend workshop with gifted yogini Rita Lewis-Manos,
longtime senior student of B.K.S. Iyengar and co-director
of The Abode of Iyengar Yoga in San Francisco. Contact:
Katherine Maltz, 520-743-7142, B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Studio of
Tucson, 3400 E. Speedway, Ste. 200, Rancho Center, Tucson,
AZ, 85716, www.iyengartucson.com, $195, Space limited to
25 students. Per-class fees from $45-$55
March 26-29
Tucson
Yoga’s Healing Models: Module 2, Advanced Training
Series
The Yoga Sutras presents a four-step therapeutic model, a
profoundly simple strategy for change. This highly effective
methodology requires knowledge and careful application of
Yoga’s many tools, including Asana, Pranayama, Meditation
and Sound. Come enjoy a fascinating exploration of these
ancient, yet cutting edge healing models, essential for
cultivating deep joy and personal transformation. Contact:
520.323.0203, providenceinstitute.com or Providence
Institute, 3400 E. Speedway Blvd. Suite 114, Tucson AZ
85716, 350
16 Spring 2009 • ARIZONA YOGA

March 27
Patanjali Yoga Sutra Discourse by Enlightened Master
Paramahamsa Nithyananda
Free public program. “I’m not here to add movements to
your life. I’m here to add life to your movements.” Come and
Experience Nithya Ananda! Contasct: Geetha 480-254-3758,
arthanag@gmail.com, Indo-Amer Hall, 2809 W Maryland
Ave, Phx AZ 85017, www.Yogam4you.org, FREE
March 28
Kalpataru Darshan w/Enlightened Master
KD from Paramahamsa Nithyananda sows in you the seeds
of: Shakti(energy) to change things which need to change,
Buddhi(intelligence) to accept that which cannot change,
Yukthi (understanding) that all is a dream, & Mukthi
(liberation) to live blissfully, Contact:
www.Yogam4you.org,
Phoenix, $150 Early, $200 Reg
Saturday, March 28
Power Vinyasa, the Lotus Within w/Gabriel Azoulay
Surrender, focus, and let your mind and breath be guided
by supportive instruction. Learn the foundations behind
lightness and strength to cultivate a regular practice.
Contact: Yoga Flow, 520.321.YOGA, Tucson AZ 85719, www.
yogaflowtucson.com
Saturday & Sunday, March 28-29, 9am-4pm
Rama Jyoti Vernon, Yoga Sutras & Therapeutic Approaches
to Yoga
Explore a unique approach to Yoga developed by renowned
teacher Rama Jyoti, from years of study with great Yoga
masters & healers. For all students who wish to deepen
their practice. Contact: Ginny Beal, 520-325-0354, Sedona,
yoginny@cox.net, Cost: $185 by March 13; $205 after March
13, Pay by check to: Ginny Beal, 2509 N. Campbell Ave.,
Box 300, Tucson AZ, 85719, AYA:$10 off for two-day Early
Registration
Sat April 4, 1:30-6:30PM & Sun April 5, 10AM-6:30PM
Certified Laughter Yoga Leader Training
Learn laughter’s benefits, how to make a living teaching
Laughter Yoga, market your services, start and run a laughter
club. Contact: Gita Fendelman 520-777-7544, Curves Fitness
Studio, 2816 N. Campbell, Tucson, www.laughteryogawithgita.
com, $295, ($275 by March 28) AYA: 5% discount
April 23-26
Fundamentals of Course Planning: Module 3, Advanced
Training Series
This module will introduce and reinforce the fundamentals
of this important topic. Ancient models will be examined
and explored to reveal the essential functions of asanas. In
addition, course sequencing guidelines will be taught and
illustrated with practical examples. Contact: 520.323.0203,
providenceinstitute.com or Providence Institute, 3400 E.
Speedway Blvd. Suite 114, Tucson AZ 85716, $350
April 24, 6-8 pm; April 25, 9 am-noon and 2-4 pm;
April 26, 9 am-noon
Spring Workshop with Dean Lerner
Certified Advanced Iyengar instructor. Lerner blends keen
perception and insight with a delightful sense of humor.
Contact: Katherine Maltz, 520-743-7142, B.K.S. Iyengar
Yoga Studio of Tucson, 3400 E. Speedway, Ste. 200, Rancho
Center, Tucson, AZ, 85716, www.iyengartucson.com, $195,
Space limited to 25 students. Per-class fees from $45-$65;
$10 more at the door.
April 28, 2-6pm, April 29 10-5pm
Safety in Movement: Flowing from a Fluid Spine CEUS
Awareness of our body and its boundaries protects us in yoga.
This interactive workshop will help make your yoga practice
safer while allowing you to deepen your practice. Taught
by Sue Ferguson RN, RYT-500 Contact: Ashley Leal , Yoga
Connection/520-323-1222, 4893 E Speedway, Tucson 85712,
www.yogaconnection.org, $25, AYA 10% off
May 14 -17
Bhavana, Relationship & Addictive Behaviors: Module 4,
Advanced Training Series
In this unique, informative workshop, we will learn to
use bhavana as one of many powerful tools for finding
freedom from enslaving habits and addictions, freeing us to
experience more sustained joy in all our relationships, the
intimacy and independance which is, according to Yoga, our
birthright. Contact: 520.323.0203, providenceinstitute.com
or Providence Institute, 3400 E. Speedway Blvd. Suite 114,
Tucson AZ 85716, $350
July 16
250-hour Yoga Teacher Training Program
This 4-month program prepares you to teach beginning hatha
yoga and will enrich and deepen your practice. Areas of study
include the history, theory and practice of yoga, pranayama,
meditation, professional skills, subtle body anatomy and
Ayurvedic principles as they apply to yoga practices. Contact:
520.323.0203, providenceinstitute.com or Providence
Institute, 3400 E. Speedway Blvd. Suite 114, Tucson AZ 85716,
$2875, financing is available.
- Printed with soy ink - Spring 2009 • ARIZONA YOGA 17

Los Angeles, New York, Orange County, San Francisco, Boston, Bozeman, Seattle, Edmonton, Miami,
Gainesville, Vancouver, Richmond, Phoenix, Indianapolis, Memphis, Oslo,
Since 1990, YogaWorks has trained thousands of new
teachers, including some of the most celebrated modernday
Yogis. Our graduates are CHANGING THE WORLD
each day through their deep connection to Yoga.
200 HOUR TEACHER TRAINING
P H O E N I X—Extended Format
April 17, 2009—October 18, 2009
For more information
or to apply:
(623) 977 YOGA
blissfulyoga@cox.net
www.blissfulyoga.net
www.yogaworks.com
learn to teach,
teach to learn
Blissful Yoga Studio = 8279 W Lake Pleasant Pkwy 105 = Peoria = AZ = 85383
AYA Wish List
Small Things that make a
Big Difference!
• Used mats and props
• Raffle Add2009 Items:
page 1
Books, Cd’s, Gift Cerificates, Art, etc.
• Studio space for Workshops
• Workshop Instructors:
We are open to any ideas for a workshop!
• Write an Article for Arizona Yoga
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• Create your own Yoga Comic/Poetry
• Help With Registration at our Workshops
• Donate your studio for a monthly coupon
Monday, February 02, 2009 09:48
Composite
Washington DC, Bali, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Sydney, Paris, Palma-de-Mallorca, Athens
AYA Studio coupons
April March
May
AYA Featured Studio
The Yoga Connection
4893 E. Speedway
Tucson, AZ 85712
520-323-1222
www.yogaconnection.org
Present this coupon with your AYA membership card for 1 free class in March,
2009. Have back of membership card signed by the studio.
AYA Featured Studio
Inner Vison Yoga
1949 W. Ray Rd.
Chandler, AZ 85224
480.632.7899
www.Innervisionyoga.com
Present this coupon with your AYA membership card for 1 free class in March,
2009. Have back of membership card signed by the studio.
AYA Featured Studio
Yoga Phoenix
2302 N. 9th St.
Phoenix, AZ 85006
602-271-4480
www.YogaPhoenix.com
Present this coupon with your AYA membership card for 1 free class in May,
2009. Have back of membership card signed by the studio.
- Printed with soy ink - Spring 2009 • ARIZONA YOGA 19

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