Artful Practice

NY YOGA + LIFE magazine and the Rubin join forces to create a full day of workshops and classes pairing the art of the Himalayas with the magazine’s community of teachers, artists, and leaders in the yoga community. Sessions, which will take place in the Museum’s galleries, theater, and classrooms, will focus on asana and lectures from prominent teachers, including Colleen and Rodney Yee, Sarah and Alan Finger, and yoga photographer Robert Sturman, as well as in-depth and intimate workshops led by Ali Cramer and Satya Scainetti of Satya Jewelry.

This day-long event has been divided into two tracks: Shakti and Sankalpah. Read the descriptions below to determine the experience that is best for you.

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SHAKTI SESSIONS

The Shakti sessions will focus on energy and harnessing creative power. You will have access to classes offered in the Rubin Museum galleries and theater. Classes will include open-level asana and lectures from prominent teachers in the yoga and art communities. Participants in the Shakti sessions may choose any four events from the Shakti schedule. Museum admission and a box lunch from Cafe Serai are included in the ticket price.

SCHEDULE

Session 1 | 11:30 AM”“12:40 PM Shakti Flow with Colleen and Rodney Yee or Sound Bath Meditation with Sara Auster

Session 2 | 1:00″“2:15 PM Meditation and ISHTA flow with Alan and Sarah Finger or Myths and Mudras with Kelly Kamm

Lunch

Session 3 | 3:00″“4:30 PM Mala Workshop with Satya or Poses, Postures, and Photography with Robert Sturman

Session 4 | 4:50″“6:00 PM Through the Lens: Art and Yoga Flow with Robert Sturman and Ali CramerorHealing Crystals and Chakras with Paula Pavlova– SESSION FULL

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SANKALPAH SESSIONS

The Sankalpah sessions have been designed to inspire intention and resolve. These will be more intimate, more in-depth, and workshop-based learning experiences, taking place in a classroom setting. All of these class offerings will take place in the Rubin Museum Education Center and class size will not exceed thirty people. Participants in the Sankalpah sessions may choose any four classes from the Sankalpah schedule. Museum admission and a box lunch from Cafe Serai are included in the ticket price.

SCHEDULE

Session 1 | 11:30 AM”“1:00 PM Mala Workshop with Satya or Poses, Postures, and Photography with Robert Sturman

Lunch

Session 2 | 2:00″“3:15 PM The Path to Meditation with Dina Kaplan or

Introduction to Crystal Singing Bowls with Sara Auster

 

Session 3 | 3:30″“4:45 PM Myths and Mudras with Kelly Kamm or Principles of Ayurveda with Ali Cramer

Session 4 | 5:00″“6:00 PM Chakras and Healing with Sarah Finger or

Soul Collage with Aileen Gural

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SESSION INFORMATION

SHAKTI SESSION 1 | 11:30 AM”“12:40 PM

Shakti Flow with Colleen and Rodney Yee

Kick off our NY YOGA + LIFE take over with Colleen and Rodney Yee as they take you through a class that epitomizes the vibrant energy of the goddess Shakti and is the perfect combination of alignment, flow, and inquiry. Open level

Sound Bath Meditation with Sara Auster

Settle in among the beautiful art in the Rubin Museum’s Shrine Room for an improvised, meditative concert that supports states of deep relaxation where stress release and healing can occur. Sound baths are a gentle yet powerful experience for the mind and body. Sound can bring balance, relaxation, and a sense of wholeness to the body. The sound of harmonic vibrations created by singing bowls, gongs, and other highly resonant instruments can also stimulate the alpha and theta brain waves.

SHAKTI SESSION 2 | 1:00″“2:15 PM

Meditation and ISHTA Flow with Alan and Sarah Finger

Join Sarah Platt-Finger in her signature ISHTA breath-based flow. The class will combine intelligent sequencing and ancient kriya techniques to purify the consciousness. This session will lead you back to your source of unbound potential and help you to recognize your own divine nature as embodied by the primordial buddha, who represents the potential for all beings to become enlightened. The class will begin with a meditation led by Alan Finger.

Myths and Mudras with Kelly Kamm

Myths reflect back to us our deepest longings, our universal struggles, and our hidden strengths. Come join us under the beautiful works in the gallery and learn about the Hindu deities and myths that have inspired many of your favorite yoga poses. Tales of love and awakening will be weaved together with mudra, hand gestures that inspire elevated states of consciousness within us.

SHAKTI SESSION 3 | 3:00″“4:30 PM

Mala Workshop with Satya

The mala is a traditional garland of prayer beads. Every bead represents a truth, and meditating on them with an affirmation, or mantra, is used to bring peace of mind. The mala can also be seen as a metaphor for life: a small knot between each of the beads represents a challenge between the smoother, more beautiful aspects of life. In this fun, inspiring workshop led by Satya Scainetti, co-founder of Satya Jewelry, participants will learn the sacred art of mala making and how mala are used in daily practice. Each participant will leave the workshop with a one-of-a-kind mala bead bracelet. Materials are included in the price of the workshop.

Poses, Postures, and Photography with Robert Sturman

Discover the secrets of how to make powerful, poetic images celebrating the beautiful art of yoga. Aspiring models and yogis: learn what it takes to get great pictures. Photography enthusiasts: learn about composition, balance, integration of the pose with the environment, connecting with the model, and much more. Come be the photographer, model, artist, muse, or all of the above. Bring your camera, phone, questions, and curiosity. The first half of the workshop will take place in the Rubin Museum’s galleries and the second half will be outside in the daylight.

SHAKTI SESSION 4 | 4:50″“6:00 PM

Through the Lens: Art and Yoga Flow with Robert Sturman and Ali Cramer

This class will begin with a photographic exploration of the world-renowned artist/photographer Robert Sturman, whose work highlights the power of the visual image to inspire and of yoga to unite people across cultural and physical divides. He’ll be joined in conversation with Ali Cramer, who will lead a complementary, energetic vinyasa class designed to help free your body and mind in a divine dance linking movement and breath.

Healing Crystals and Chakras with Paula Pavlova

The use of precious stones and crystals in Himalayan art is prolific, often signifying protection and guidance. Crystals vibrate at specific frequencies, which correlate with the seven energetic centers, or chakras, of our bodies. We will match the stones with the energy centers on the body, and focus on the healing powers each stone has with each energetic center from root to crown. The session will begin with participants handling and understanding the crystals and their meanings.Then they will be guided in a seated meditation and taught a chant that includesthe seed sounds for each chakra. The workshop will end with a long meditative savasana, during which participants will lie down with crystals resting on each of their corresponding chakras.

SANKALPAH SESSION 1 | 11:30 AM”“1:00 PM

Mala Workshop with Satya

The mala is a traditional garland of prayer beads. Every bead represents a truth, and meditating on them with an affirmation, or mantra, is used to bring peace of mind. In this fun, inspiring workshop led by Satya Scainetti, co-founder of Satya Jewelry, participants will learn the sacred art of mala making and how mala are used in daily practice. Each participant will leave the workshop with a beautiful mala bracelet infused with an intention to take on their journey. Materials are included in the price of the workshop.

Poses, Postures, and Photography with Robert Sturman

Discover the secrets of how to make powerful, poetic images celebrating the beautiful art of yoga. Aspiring models and yogis: learn what it takes to get great pictures. Photography enthusiasts: learn about composition, balance, integration of the pose with the environment, connecting with the model, and much more. Come be the photographer, model, artist, muse, or all of the above. Bring your camera, phone, questions, and curiosity. The first half of the workshop will take place indoors and the second half will be outside in the daylight.

 

SANKALPAH SESSION 2 | 2:00″“3:15 PM

The Path to Meditation with Dina Kaplan

New to meditation? Join us as Dina Kaplan, founder of The Path, takes us through a journey through four types of meditation. This workshop can also serve as an introduction to meditation or an explanation of different techniques, each of which affects the mind in a different, and powerful, way.

Introduction to Crystal Singing Bowls with Sara Auster

In this workshop discover the optimal use of the crystal singing bowl. Learn the benefits of working with the instrument and how it can be integrated into your personal or professional practice.

SANKALPAH SESSION 3 | 3:30″“4:45 PM

Myths and Mudras with Kelly Kamm

Myths reflect our deepest longings, our universal struggles, and our hidden strengths. Tales of love and awakening will be weaved together with mudras, hand gestures that inspire elevated states of consciousness within us. Meet parts of yourself in every story.

Principles of Ayurveda with Ali Cramer

Join us for an introduction to the basic theories of Ayurveda, known as yoga’s sister science. This workshop will provide an overview of the principals of Ayurveda: asana, pranayama, diet, cleansing practices, and lifestyle choice.

SANKALPAH SESSION 4 | 5:00″“6:00 PM

Chakras and Healing with Sarah Finger

The chakras are the headquarters of each of the major elements that exist in our body: earth, water, fire, air, and space. They play a profound role in our lives physically, emotionally, and energetically. In this lecture Sarah will share with you the emotional aspects of each of these chakras and how to create balance and harmony using the ancient tools of asana, mantra (sound), and yantra (visualization).

Soul Collage with Aileen Gural

Be inspired by the art and history at the Rubin Museum in our SoulCollage® workshop. Create your own personal collage card which represents an aspect of your personality. Deepen your understanding of the relationships among you, your personality, your family/community/world, and your dreams, symbols, and spirit. Discover what you can create when you allow space for the voice that speaks from your soul.

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About the Instructors

Sarah Finger is the co-founder of ISHTA Yoga and the private yoga teacher of Deepak Chopra. She teaches trainings, workshops, and retreats internationally with her husband, yoga master Alan Finger, and is a featured teacher on Yoga U Online as well as Jiyo, a revolutionary new digital platform that brings health and wellness to online communities all over the world. She is on the board of directors for Exhale to Inhale, a non-profit organization that teaches yoga to survivors of domestic violence.

Satya Scainetti is the founder and designer of Satya Jewelry. A philanthropist, yoga teacher, and Reiki healer, Scainetti lives a lifestyle dedicated to giving back to the world community. The name Satya, meaning “truth” in Sanskrit, inspires each wearer to find their individual truth.

Robert Sturman is a dedicated yoga practitioner and photographer and has increasingly focused on capturing the timeless grace and embodied mindfulness of asanas in his work. His portraits, whether set in the lively streets of Manhattan, the expansive beaches and canyons of Malibu, the timeless elegance of Walden’s New England, the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, the bustling streets of Cuba, or the bleakness of Marin County’s San Quentin Prison, remind us that there is beauty everywhere. See his work at robertsturmanstudio.com.

Ali Cramer is the director of the Ayurveda program at Laughing Lotus and a senior teacher in their two-hundred-hour teacher training program. She also teaches at Yoga Shanti and leads retreats, workshops, and master classes both nationally and internationally. Cramer is honored to have led the first yoga teacher training program in the Sudan and to be a guest teacher on the faculty of Columbia University’s master’s program in psychology and spirituality. Check alicramer.com for upcoming events and weekly schedules.

Kelly Kamm is known for her storytelling and her ability to make the philosophy of yoga relatable, bringing big subjects into everyday perspective. She combines the power of movement, music, and myth to help others move through life transitions with grace and ease. She teaches at Happy Buddha Yoga in Goshen, New York, and leads trainings and retreats all over the world. Find her at kellykammyoga.com.

Sara Auster is a certified sound therapy practitioner and meditation teacher based in New York City. She has been a driving force in bringing sound meditation and sound therapy to contemporary culture. Auster offers sound meditation in different formats, including workshops, retreats, trainings, private sessions, and large-scale events all over the world.

Paula Pavlova is a certified yoga instructor and meditation leader committed to creating a space where her students feel safe and comfortable to embark on a journey through their vast souls. Pavlova teaches meditation in a way that offers a path to centered ease and personal inspiration through visualization, pranayama (breathing techniques), and gentle movement. She is the co-founder of GAIA Collective, an organization focused on connecting to Mother Earth and the universe beyond through crystals, essential oils, and alchemical creations tied together with moon rituals and meditations.

Dina Kaplan is the founder of The Path, which teaches ancient meditation techniques in a modern way. Head to thepath.com to request invitations to meditations and events.

Aileen Gural is an artist, mystic, and facilitator for others to make art. She lives in New York and is passionate about helping others create and share life’s illuminating experiences.

Colleen Saidman is a graduate of Jivamukti’s 1998 teacher-training program and opened her own studio, Yoga Shanti, in Sag Harbor, New York, in 1999. She has taught several teacher trainings at Yoga Shanti, some with her husband, Rodney Yee. Colleenand Rodney are authors of the Gaiam Yoga Studio as well as several popular yoga DVDs. colleensaidmanyee.com

Rodney Yee teaches at Yoga Shanti and leads teacher trainings, workshops, and retreats nationally and internationally with his wife, Colleen Saidman. He has also been featured in over thirty yoga DVD titles and numerous audio recordings with Gaiam. He has written two books, Yoga: the Poetry of the Body and Moving toward Balance: Eight Weeks of Yoga with Rodney Yee, both in collaboration with Nina Zolotow. yeeyoga.com