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Namaste and welcome to the February edition of Conference Connection. This month we're featuring an interview with David Swenson, one of the world's foremost practitioners and instructors of Ashtanga Yoga along with exclusive alumni content.
If you're an elementry school teacher, or know someone who is, check out Yoga Ed. at the upcoming Grand Geneva Conference.
Yoga Ed. is a program for children (K-8) that combines yoga with imaginative play, art, reflection, and journaling. In addition to an all day intensive, we're also offering a free (and open to the public) lunchtime workshop with simple yoga-based activities
that support well-being, accelerate learning, and nurture responsible behavior. For more information visit Yoga Ed online at www.yogaed.org.
More information regarding the all day intensive and free workshop is available at www.yjevents.com.
Namaste,
The Yoga Journal Conference Team
Renee LaRose
Jenny Bangert
Elana Maggal
Jenny Andrews
(pictured left to right)
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Grand Geneva Conference registration is now open. The conference will be held May 13—16, 2005,
in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin at the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa. Click here for more information and a complete faculty list.
Early bird discount for the Grand Geneva conference ends March 15, 2005.
Due to the overwhelming popularity at our recent San Francisco conference, we're offering a Beginners' Conference at our Grand Geneva Conference.
The Grand Geneva message board already has several posts with attendees looking to roomshare.
Yoga Journal is honored to announce that Sri BKS Iyengar, one of the most influential yoga teachers of our time, will direct a 3-1/2 day Intensive taught by senior Iyengar teachers at our 10th Annual Estes Park Colorado Conference, September 26 - October 2, 2005.
Click here if you would like to be notified when registration opens, or have a brochure sent to you.
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Special Offer
YJ Conference Alumni Save $150 at Pura Vida Retreat and Spa in Costa Rico
Enjoy daily yoga, guided meditations, Eco-adventure tours and more in beautiful Costa Rica.
Visit Puravida online at www.puravidaspa.com or click here for more information. Be sure to mention the YJ Conference Alumni discount when making your reservations.
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Save the Dates
Lake Geneva Conference
Grand Geneva Resort & Spa
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
May 13 - 16, 2005
Registration now open
10th Annual YJ Conference
Colorado Conference
Estes Park, Colorado
Sept. 26 - Oct. 2, 2005
Registration opens 3/28/05
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Why do we send flowers, candy, wine, yoga mats. and other gifts to our loved ones every February in the name of St. Valentine? According to Christian church tradition and Roman history,
St. Valentine was a priest near Rome in about the year 270 A.D. At that time the Roman Emperor Claudius-II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, so he banned marriage for young men. Valentine, a bishop, realizing the injustice of the announcement,
defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
According to legend, while Valentine was in prison awaiting his fate, he miraculously restored the sight of the jailer's blind daughter. Then just before his execution, he sent a farewell message to the now sighted daughter and signed it, "From Your Valentine," a phrase that lived ever after.
David Swenson began practicing yoga in 1969 at the early age of 13. That in and of itself is quite extraordinary, but the fact that he was living in Houston, Texas at the time makes it that much more amazing. His older brother Doug was his first teacher.
Doug had gotten into yoga while visiting Southern California to surf one summer. When he came back to Texas,
David was so in awe of Doug's new lifestyle that he jumped right into the same path. They practiced yoga from whatever books they could find which were limited at that time.
They worked with writings such as Yoga,
Youth and Reincarnation by Jess Stern, books by Dr. Ernest Wood and Swami Satchitananda. This period of time was not exactly the spiritual golden age for yoga in Texas.
There were times when neighbors actually called the police on David and Doug for practicing yoga. They loved to practice in the park and were approached by a police officer one day.
"I will never forget. We were in Savasana after a particularly pleasant session of yoga when we were suddenly brought out of our deep relaxation by the sound of a car idling next to us under a tree. The next sound was that of the officer's voices bellowing.
'What are you boys doing out here!' With a tentative turn of our attention in his direction we said: 'Ah, Yoga. We are breathing and stretching officer.'
He replied that a neighbor had seen us out here doing some kind of Devil worship and so he responded to check it out. He decided not to arrest us but gave us a warning to avoid such strange behavior in full view of the public."
At that point I realized that Houston was not so conducive to my yoga practice and I moved to Encinitas, California. That is when I met David Williams and Nancy Gilgoff.
 They became my first Ashtanga teachers. I loved the practice from the moment I saw it. I couldn't wait to practice each morning. It was as though I had come home.
I practiced with David and Nancy regularly for a couple of years and then they brought K. Pattabhi Jois to the US for his first visit. It was at that point that I initiated my studies directly with him.
In 1977 I made my first venture to Mysore, India to dive deeper into my practice with Pattabhi Jois. At that point I was guided through the full system of asanas and pranayama. Yoga has been the greatest tool for my life.
I have found untold benefits from my first encounter and continue to relish it today after 35 years."
Today David Swenson is recognized as on of the worlds foremost practitioners and instructors of Ashtanga Yoga. David has produced 5 DVDs, 3 CDs, a series of Laminated Practice Cards and written the highly acclaimed book: Ashtanga Yoga "The Practice Manual".
He resides with his wife Shelley and their 16 children (of the Koi fish variety) in Austin, Texas.
His teaching keeps him on the road nearly 10 months a year and has carried him to every continent. He is known not only for the depth of his personal practice but his ability to transmit the knowledge of Ashtanga Yoga in down-to-earth manner filled with joy, humor and sincerity.
Click here for details of his workshops at the upcoming Grand Geneva conference.
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