It has been said "If you want to learn something, teach it."

If you are passionate about yoga and all of the health and well-being benefits it has to offer you, it is time to learn it from top to bottom.

Come to Puerto Vallarta May 30-June 23rd to take our RYT-200 Yoga Alliance Certified Teacher Training Course in the Vinyasa Style. In the course we offer not only Vinyasa, but you'll receive training in the following areas for understanding the whole approach to yoga: pranayama; mantra; mudra; meditation; teaching methodology; Thai yoga massage; children's yoga; pre-natal yoga; basic hatha yoga; restorative yoga; dynamic yoga; teacher ethics; anatomy and physiology; and yoga history and philosophy. This will allow you to teach to any level at any time, with your own flair!

"Vinyasa means 'art form'. You are given training in traditional yogic methods and you will put it all together in a way that will serve your unique needs and the needs of your students. The way you will teach will be different from the way I teach. That's what makes if artful!"
Anna Laurita, director teacher training davannayoga

Next Teacher Training Program is May 30th - June 23rd. That’s 25 intensive days to learn a whole approach to yoga including pranayama, asana, mantra, mudra and meditation to all levels.

COST: 2000 USD$ or 26000 pesos

TO RESERVE: Contact Anna Laurita at: anna@davannayoga.com
For More Information See the Complete Curriculum, pricing and details

1. If you are late to your yoga practice.
First of all, please know that yoga is about discipline and you should not be late. Many teachers will not let you in if you are late. You are disrupting the other students, the flow of the class and the energy of the practice. BUT if your teacher will allow you to enter after the class has begun, wait until AFTER chanting and request permission to enter from teacher by bowing to him/her - awaiting his/her response. If they say no - go away, if they nod their head yes, humbly sit making a mental note to be on time next time.

2. Bowing to teachers is different than bowing to students.
Bowing to students is a short bow even bowing the head only, but if you’re bowing to a teacher, take you’re time, bow deeply if standing and bow all the way to the floor if seated. This shows humility and this is not for the teacher that you are bowing, this is for YOU - a way that you can advance on your spiritual path, by showing humility to the teacher. You are acknowledging all teachers in your past.

3. NEVER instruct a student in another teacher’s class
Say your practicing yoga in a public class and the yoga student on the next mat says “what did the teacher say”? Or “how did you get your foot over there, can you help me?” In both cases deny help. You are not the leader of this practice. So what do you do?
Option I. Don’t respond, emphasizing your concentration and discipline.
Option II. Say, “Ask the teacher please.”
You should be present, listening to the leader of the class and doing what you can at that present time. If you miss a cue or need help in a posture, you should ask the leader of the class to help you. Not the yogi/yogini on the next mat.
Why?: 1.The yogi/yogini next door may not be qualified to help you; 2.You are disrupting the other yogi/yogini’s practice; 3.You are showing disrespect to the leader of the practice.
Also not cool to give other yogis unsolicited advice or adjusts or assists. You should be focusing on your practice only. Being Present.

4. Never walk into a yoga shala with shoes
Why?
1. Hygienically speaking our shoes are dirty. That’s why you don’t walk outside barefoot as it is dirty. Inside the shala you are barefoot, so keeping dirt out of the shala is appreciated.
2. The energy outside the yoga shala is different than inside the yoga shala. The owner of the shala has worked hard keeping the inside area clean with uplifting, sacred energy through chanting mantras, practicing yoga there and speaking positively and holding Kirtan in this sacred space.
Is summary, do your part to keep the energy and the floor clean of your yoga shala. You may have to practice balasana in the same place that your dirty shoe stepped.

5. Never point your feet at your teacher – unless practicing a posture that the teacher has requested which necesitates pointing your feet at the teacher.

6. Don’t begin chants before the teacher
The teacher is there to lead the chants. Wait until the teacher starts in Ommmmmm and then follow suit.

7. Don’t step on anybody’s mat or roll onto it in a posture
Yuck! You get the picture. Also it is a sign of disrespect to your fellow yogi.

8. Know the Yamas and Niyamas
Have a consciousness of the Yamas and Niyamas while practicing yoga in the shala. This will help enhance not only your experience, but the experience of other yogis and, um... you’ll be invited back warmly:
Yamas: kindness; truthfulness; nonstealing; moderation; non-hoarding
Niyamas: cleanliness; gratitude; self-discipline;study of texts; surrender

9. If you have to leave a class wait till AMS or child’s pose and never obstruct the view of the teacher
While it is not optimal, if you have to leave a class early - let the teacher know in advance so they can give you savasana in advance and plan accordingly like unlocking the door, or unlocking the bag cabinet for you in ahead of time instead of getting up and creeping out.
If you have to get up to leave the shala during the practice (like to use the bathroom), try to wait until a posture like adho mukha svanasana or balasana to leave and walk behind people instead of in between them and the teacher.

10. Don’t make variations on yoga postures unless your teacher says it’s OK
Deciding you really want to work on your adho mukha vrkshasana (handstand) while the teacher is leading supta baddha konasana (reclined bound angle pose) is distracting and disrespectful. Some teachers will say “vary the posture where needed” what they’re talking about is taking a lighter version of parsvakonasana (forearm to thigh instead of hand to floor for example) or adding on to the posture where you feel capable (like taking a bind in a posture or taking the posture suggested to the next level) but a completely different posture other than balasana “child’s pose” (given you’re not pregnant or completely incapable of the suggested posture due to a structural or medical issue) is not appreciated.
 

This mantra session is part of the davannayoga teacher training. Karli Pierce recorded this session during a yoga teacher training session.

Listen first to the meaning and the first mantra and then join in. Hari Om!

We have yoga teacher training in Puerto Vallarta three times per year at davannayoga. We have been certified since 2009 and have graduated many yoga teachers already.

To date davannayoga is the only yoga school in Puerto Vallarta that is a Registered Yoga Alliance school. What does this mean? This means that our curriculum has been reviewed and approved by a qualified board at the Yoga Alliance in the USA. The Yoga Alliance is the single most recognized certification in the world. Once you graduate from the davannayoga program you qualify instantly for Yoga Alliance Certification. You simply send in your copy of your certificate of graduation from davannayoga and a small fee to the Yoga Alliance and you will be on their directory of teachers and receive a card with your registration number.

Why is it important to be Certified?
These days yoga studios, community centers, schools and other places offering yoga classes will hire only certified yoga instructors. What a certification gives the teacher is a well rounded education. Many “teachers” may be great in teaching asana but have no idea about Yoga History and Philosophy or what Mantras mean or how to teach people to breathe correctly. In an approved curriculum (by the Yoga Alliance) all of the most important areas of yoga study are there. The teachings include: The Art of teaching, Teaching Methodology, Anatomy and Physiology, and History and Philosophy, Ethical guidelines for teachers and Teacher Apprenticeship time. In the davannayoga teacher training program there is also Thai Yoga Massage training, Mudra training, Bandha work, extensive Pranayama (breathing) training, and many more useful areas to those teaching in the davannayoga style of Vinyasa Flow. This curriculum is well rounded giving the teacher many tools for teaching students of all walks of life and of all physical abilities. We even teach special applications such as teaching to children, pre-natal students, overweight students and senior citizens.

Davannayoga is a small yoga shala and the teacher trainees get many hours of hands-on training, working with the students, teaching in classes and managing the studio door for classes daily. This is important work and can’t always be done in larger schools.

How to know if the school you’re looking at is a Yoga Alliance Registered school – look
for the “goodhousekeeping seal” of yoga schools:

This will tell you that your training will be world-standard yoga teacher training.

If you want to learn more about davannayoga’s teacher training program, visit our site at www.davannayoga.com and click on teacher training.

Davannayoga hosts Monthly Kirtans with Raoul Diaz

Dates: Friday, Sept. 24th, 2010; Friday October 29th, 2010; Friday November 19th (note – not last Friday as last Friday of Nov. is American Thanksgiving); Friday December 17, 2010; Friday, January 28th, 2011; Friday, February 25th, 2011; Friday, March 25th, 2011; Friday, April 29, 2011; Friday May 27, 2011

Location: davannayoga - Calle Matamoros #542, Colonia Centro, Puerto Vallarta

Children welcome!

Time: 7:30-8:30 P.M.

Cost: Donation requested: 50-100 pesos ($5-10)

What is Kirtan?
The Sanskrit word "Kirtana" means Telling, Repeating, Mentioning, Celebrating, Praising.

In Yoga, the practice of Kirtan is a call-and-response chanting of ancient vibrational Sanskrit mantras to empty out unnecessary thoughts and bring in sacred energy.

Deeply rooted in Vedic traditions and going back more than 500 years, the devotional song/chants called kirtans are still used today as a path to spiritual enlightenment. Kirtan offers a means to connect to the heart, to the divinity that lies within and is seen as a "singing to the Divine."

And while this practice can be performed alone, most choose instead to participate in group Kirtan, which contributes greatly to the divine calm it can bring to the mind and the spirit. The group dynamic and energy, along with the mantras, facilitates a communal spiritual shift.

It is the combination of the ancient mantras, the classical Indian musical instruments playing music from long ago, the length of the chanting (each chant or song can last for about 20 minutes) and the group environment that elevate the individual mind to a place of spiritual enlightenment.

Not to be missed!

On Sunday, February 14th from 9:00 A.M. until 12:00 P.M., some streets will be closed for a public bike ride, an event that's being called "En Bici Por Vallarta."  The meeting point will be the corner of Av. Jesus Rodriguez Barba and Fluvial Vallarta.  This is a community-building event, and there will be music and activities for children.

Anna will be giving free yoga classes onsite before and during the ride. Yoga will be offered for adults and children. There will be other giveaways and activities all ages. It's sure to be a nice Sunday morning.  Join us - if you don't have a bicycle, then you can rent one there!

It might be easier than you think to find your Guru...

 “If you know how to listen, everyone is a guru.”
~ Ram Das, from Be Here Now

The title “Guru” is ubiquitious these days. There are marketing gurus, cooking gurus and guru mechanics.  But look closely and you will find real gurus, much too humble to accept this title,  such as the taxi driver who drives very slow but because he does, he avoided a head-on collision,  the child who screams for something he wants and reminds you to have patience, or the cashier who gave you too much change back and made you a more honest person that day.   

Guru can be described as one who brings light where there was darkness. In Sanskrit Gu- means darkness and -Ru means to take away.  So calling someone a "Guru" is a nice way to think of that person as someone who offers enlightened ideas and shows perspectives that help you live more fully.  This guru may light your way for only a short while and move on.

Finding a teacher/guru

Finding a guru can be as easy as finding a teacher  (of any discipline - yoga, art, karate, your boss, or mentor) that you resonate with, who is not only skilled but also humble. If, time after time, you have come to the conclusion that your teacher is imparting truths that make sense to you, there is an established relationship of trust. You may relate to them as your guru.  Can this guru help you answer the questions you have or even better, spark your own creative juices and help you understand the practice or an idea much more completely? That’s a good guru.

For those people who don’t feel they have found their teacher, it is encouraging to know that the guru doesn’t have to be one person, but can be many sources. And when you can see the beauty and teachings everywhere (as in the screaming child, the cashier or taxi driver), then the essence of the teacher is honored.

The Best Guru

The one you are with is often your best guru. Few relationships are as intense as partnerships and if you are open to it you are offered daily lessons in growth and enlightenment. Honoring your partner as your teacher and guru gives the proper perspective to the relationship and creates all kinds of possibilities for new understandings and insights into how your mind works or doesn’t work, as is often my case.

Relationships are the highest spiritual practice. The way we conduct ourselves in relationship to all others, including the earth and nature, is a constant practice. The partner you choose is often your most intimate teacher.  So the guru may be next to you right now. Listen and look for the guru in everything and everyone and you may just be surprised.

Q and A on being a Vegetarian in Puerto Vallarta

Many of my yoga students ask me about being a vegetarian in Mexico. "Is it hard?" "Do you find anything to eat?" Next  they want to know WHY I am a vegetarian.

So here it is.  First WHY I am a vegetarian and then HOW I am a vegetarian in Puerto Vallarta, with great tips on the best veggie restaurants and where to buy Organic Tofu in Puerto Vallarta!

Q. Why am I a vegetarian?

A. I am a vegetarian for yogic and environmental reasons. 

In the Yoga Sutras (the Foundational Text of Yoga), the author, Patanjali gives us 8 limbs of yoga which are recommended Life Principles. He gives us Ahimsa, or nonharming, as a “practice,” which implies that it can never be perfected. You practice doing your best to cause the least amount of harm. He also recommends Aparigraha, which is the practice of not being greedy, or taking too much. The animals whom we eat consume large quantities of vegetables, so when you eat those animals you are consuming not only the animals but also all the vegetables that those animals have been eating.

Also, animals raised for human consumption require a lot of food and land. *It takes eight or nine cows a year to feed one average meat eater. Each cow eats one acre of green plants, soybeans, and corn. So it takes nine acres of plants a year to feed one meat eater, compared with half an acre to feed one vegetarian. Most of the plants grown to be fed to farm animals are heavily saturated with pesticides and herbicides and have been genetically modified, all of which contributes to the pollution and death of our environment. In terms of causing the least amount of harm, a vegetarian diet is superior, because a vegetarian eats the plants directly instead of eating the animals who were fed plants.  (*source: Yoga and Vegetarianism by Sharon Gannon. This book is available at amazon.com and also available for sale at davannayoga.)

Q. Where do I shop for vegetarian food in Puerto Vallarta?

A.  The options for vegetarians are increasing daily in Puerto Vallarta.  When I go to the markets (I call it "sourcing" instead of grocery shopping) I find new organic products all the time and new options for vegetarians. The staples I shop for are:

Soy Amigo brand (dehydrated) soy available at  X-Performance on Calle Mexico and it is also available at the Semillas store on Calle Mexico (in Old Town - 2 blocks past Ley supermarket). I make soy-based albondigas (meatballs) from the hamburger seasoned soy and I make flautas from the Picadillo flavored soy. My kids also love these two dishes. You can make a "meatloaf" and tacos from these products as well. I cook the soya with lots of veggies. The flavor and texture is great. There is a nice recipe book in each package as well.

Organic Tofu  and Organic Soy Milk I buy from Costco.

Seeds, nuts, protein powder, flax seed, other powders and ground seeds I buy from the Semillas store on Calle Mexico or from the fresh fruit market in Emiliano Zapata.

Organic Rice Milk, Ginseng milk, Almond Milk and Soy Milk I have delivered to my home in tall bottles (and cheap too) from Leche Vegetal. You can call in your order at: 044-322-152-0903 or order it through davannayoga.

Organic Fruits and Vegetables and Much More! - Locally owned "Organic Select" has homemade vegetarian products and organic fruits and vegetables and they deliver. Their website is great: www.organic-select.com

davannayoga makes vegan and traditional tea breads and muffins on a by-order basis as well. We make banana bread, every kind of muffin, coffee cake, and apple pie. Inquire at davannayoga.

Q. Can I recommend any good Vegetarian Restaurants in Puerto Vallarta?

A. Absolutely!

You will find me often at Vegetarian Planet on Calle Iturbide - one block below Calle Matamoros (on the steps) - in Old Town. The food is served buffet style and is fresh daily. They have breakfast, lunch and dinner and it only costs 75 pesos for lunch and dinner and 50 pesos for breakfast.

Also Vegetarian Mary's has a great vegetarian buffet. Her restaurant is on Calle Honduras in Old Town - about 6 blocks from the ocean in a small hotel on a corner.

El Patio de mi Casa - the cutest cafe ever, on Calle Miramar (almost at the corner of Iturbide) has GREAT coffee and tea, vegetarian soups and grilled vegie and tofu sandwiches. This is a tiny restaurant tucked away one block behind davannayoga. Great for an after-yoga class treat.

Finally 100% Natural in the Hotel Zone - on Calle Francisco Medina across from the Sheraton Bouganvilia Hotel has a vast menu of all kinds of healthy foods and has vegetarian and vegan options.

The two Spanish Tapas restaurants in Old Town  have great vegetarian options: Barcelona on Calle Matamoros  has great gazpacho, vegetarian paella and spinach with apples and pine nuts.  Also La Esquina de los Caprichos on the corner of Calle Miramar and Calle Iturbide offers  a tapas dish of garbanzos and another of papas bravas - both are delicious.

Yoga with a View in Puerto Vallarta

I keep reminding myself, "drishti is important," that yoga gaze toward my hand or toe or tip of my nose. But WOW, look at the ocean, look at those Mexican tile rooftops, look at the mountain behind me through my legs as I am in downward facing dog. I feel as though I can reach out and touch the dome of the cathedral from here. Oh ya... drishti is important....

Yoga on the rooftop in Old Town Puerto Vallarta is a one-of-a kind experience. davannayoga offers private rooftop yoga classes all day long on its 360 degree rooftop yoga space.  November through May there are public Sunset Yoga classes set one hour before the sun sets (that time changes slightly each month, check the website for the exact time: www.davannayoga.com) . These classes include gentle breathing exercises (pranayama), mantras, gentle yoga asanas, and meditation. You will open your eyes a few minutes before the sun goes down and enjoy watching the sunset from this unsurpassed rooftop yoga space.

Welcome to Yoga in Puerto Vallarta.

A fantastic place to practice yoga! 

Yoga, as we know, requires some flexibility and lucky for us in Vallarta, we have warm weather and humidity so our muscles naturally lengthen in our warm up practices of Surya Namaskar A & B. Our ligaments loosen and joints feel free. This is an awesome place to get into yoga if you have never practiced before or to deepen your practice if you already have a practice. 

In Puerto Vallarta your muscles lengthen so much that you may actually be able to put your leg behind your head... ok ...or reach your toes.

Someone asked me once if we offer "hot yoga" at davannayoga and I said "yep, everyday we have a hot yoga class."  In the summer months we turn the fan on to circulate this warm air. From November - April there is no fan and we enjoy the warm therapeutic weather. Try yoga practice here and I bet you'll be amazed at your new-found flexibility.