Jerry Givens
- May 20, 2020
Chair Yoga at Work? Yes, Please!
When I started offering Office Chair Yoga (OCY) as a corporate wellness option, I was surprised to see how many people and companies gravitated toward the modified yoga class. Chair Yoga was originally developed for people who have a difficult time accessing a typical yoga class (seniors, people with certain physical limitations, etc). The accessibility of these practices is exactly why companies all over the SF Bay Area have been adding it to their wellness programs. Here ar
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Jerry Givens
- Apr 27, 2020
Corporate Wellness During COVID-19
Since quarantine began during the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve had to adjust my teaching practice to online-only sessions. While at first, it felt a little disconnected, limiting, and inaccessible, the past few weeks have proven that we are all adaptable and intelligent beings. Technology, which once was a barrier for so many individuals, has taken a user-friendly center stage in our lives. Zoom/Skype/FaceTime/Google Hangout calls are the now-normal and people are much more comfor
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Jerry Givens
- Apr 13, 2020
ESSENTIAL PRANAYAMA Out Now!
My new book, Essential Pranayama: Breathing Techniques for Balance, Healing, and Peace, is now available everywhere books are sold! Get your copy today! As I write, the world is facing the COVID-19 pandemic. The world is shutting down, going down to bare bone essential businesses, initiating social distancing and “shelter-in-place” mandates, and we’re all, rather forcibly, turning toward ourselves. The emotional, mental, and political climates change by the hour and we are al
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Jerry Givens
- Jun 23, 2017
The Art of Time Travel (and How to Stop Doing it)
THE ART OF TIME TRAVEL (and How to Stop Doing it) Saturday, September 16th at 2-4pm at Namaste Yoga + Wellness | Grand Lake, Oakland CA Over time, we have perfected the art of time travel. Moment by moment, we recall and relive past memories and we project our wishes and worries into the future. This constant traveling leads us to feelings of unhappiness, unfulfillment, and sometimes ingratitude for what we currently have. It is for this reason that many traditions teach us t
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Jerry Givens
- May 30, 2017
Aspects of Asana - Class Notes
5 Weeks - Aspects of Asana
Updated though 7/2/2017
Asana (or seat) is the third of the eight limbs of yoga as outlined by the sage Patanjali in the Yoga Sutra. Out of all of the 196 aphorisms in the Sutra, only three have to do with actual asana, understood by us to mean any yoga posture. According to the text, we will be successful in meditation by achieving a comfortable and stable meditation seat. Luckily, we have endless yoga postures to help to build the strength and
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Jerry Givens
- May 30, 2017
Observing the Niyamas - Class Notes
Earlier this year, I taught an 5-week course on the second limb of yoga, the Niyamas, during my Yoga & Meditation class at Namaste and I'd like to share with you notes from the sessions as an introduction to the niyamas for curious seekers. Enjoy the journey! --- OBSERVING THE NIYAMAS The five Niyamas, sometimes referred to as the “yoga-dos”, make up the second of eight limbs of Classical Yoga (the Yamas being the first), outlined by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutra (2:40-45). Lik
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Jerry Givens
- Apr 27, 2017
Exploration of the Yamas - Class Notes
Earlier this year, I taught an 5-week course on the first limb of yoga, the Yamas, during my Yoga & Meditation class at Namaste and I'd like to share with you notes from the sessions as an introduction to the yamas for curious seekers. Enjoy the journey! --- EXPLORATION OF THE YAMAS Outlined in Chapter 2 of the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali (2:30-31, 2:35-39), the Yamas are the first of the eight limbs of Classical Yoga (also known as “Ashtanga” or “Raja” yoga [ashtanga meaning 8-l
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Jerry Givens
- Apr 1, 2017
Notes, Nidra, and Kalamazoo! (March/April Newsletter)
Notes, Nidra, and Kalamazoo! Every Monday, in Oakland, CA, I teach a class aptly called Yoga & Meditation. In this class we go through informal series on different concepts of yoga, like 5 weeks on the Prana Vayus (directional movements of energy), 8 weeks on the Chakra system, and the current series, 5 weeks on the Yamas. This class allows practitioners to delve deeper into their experience of yoga every week, discussing philosophy and integrating it into their practice, thu
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Jerry Givens
- Mar 26, 2017
Journey Through the Chakras Class Notes
Earlier this year, I taught an 8-week course on Chakra system during my Monday night Yoga & Meditation class at Namaste Rockridge and I'd like to share with you notes from the sessions as an introduction to the chakras for curious seekers. Enjoy the journey! --- JOURNEY THROUGH THE CHAKRAS “Chakra” literally means “Wheel”. They are spinning vortexes composed of Prana (vital energy), Chitta (the storehouse of past and present impressions) [mind is in the chakra], and Tattwa (e
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Jerry Givens
- Sep 30, 2016
Awaken Your Creativity Workshop | Namaste Rockridge
Awaken Your Creativity Workshop January 14th at 1-4pm at Namaste Rockridge Start your year off right by using your yoga practice to dive into your creative side! Train your mind to be more creative, learn the true source of creative blocks and how to overcome them, and discover the inherent connection between creativity and your yoga practice. Jerry walks you through creative theory through the lens of classical yoga and meditation, drawing real-world examples and practices a
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Jerry Givens
- Jul 25, 2016
Choosing Compassion in Times of Suffering
The last month has been fueled with acts of hate and violence happening all over the world. From deaths close to home, to attacks overseas, to military coups in Turkey, everyday we're faced with new examples of chaos and fear. Not to mention the growing uncertain political climate here in the United States. My gut reaction to the ever-growing bodycount and political unrest is to run and hide; pretending that it isn't real and live in my own limited reality of ignorance. But t
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Jerry Givens
- Apr 29, 2016
New Oakland, CA Class! Starts May 2nd!
I'm so excited to announce that I am now a regular teacher at Namaste Studios in the Bay Area. Starting May 2nd, join me for a weekly Monday night Vinyasa class at 7:30-9pm at the Rockridge, Oakland location. Open to all levels. I also often sub at the other Namaste locations (Berkeley, Grand Lake - Oakland), so keep an eye on their schedule for guest cameos :) See you on the mat! #yoga
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