A Yoga Class's Path to Serenity Leads Through Times Square
Nancy Hammer, center, was among 800 yoga practitioners who attended classes Thursday in a Times Square Alliance event.
By DALTON WALKER
Published: June 22, 2007
Its fame and its claim to being the crossroads of the world make Times Square a prime spot for a variety of events, from protests to race-car demonstrations. But it would seem a poor setting for something meant to produce serenity.
Still, about 80 men and women, some from as far away as Honduras and California, placed mats on an island they shared with the armed forces recruiting station on 43rd Street between Seventh Avenue and Broadway during the morning rush and quietly demonstrated their yoga skills.
Guardrails surrounded the group of people as they listened to Douglass Stewart, a lead yoga instructor, belt out directions. Taxis honked their horns and fire trucks whizzed by, their sirens blaring. Yet the yoga practitioners remained unfazed.
More than 800 people registered for the six yoga sessions held throughout the day yesterday, starting at 7:30 a.m., said Tim Tompkins, a yoga enthusiast and president of the Times Square Alliance, the sponsor of the event, which was scheduled to coincide with the summer solstice. “What better way to bring in the summer solstice in the most chaotic place in the city?” Mr. Tompkins said.
Attendance at the event, called “Mind Over Madness Yoga,” has grown considerably since the first day of summer in 2003, the first time Mr. Stewart, Mr. Tompkins and another friend practiced yoga in Times Square.
Carol Solimene, 45, who lives in Tiverton, R.I., said she has practiced yoga for 13 years. “It was worth the trip,” Ms. Solimene said. “I found it to be energizing in its own way.”
Jensen Wheeler Wolfe and Christine Zalocha were due at work at 10 a.m., but they decided to start their day on yoga mats in Midtown instead of sleeping a bit later. Ms. Wheeler Wolfe is a yoga instructor in Manhattan. Ms. Zalocha lives in Brooklyn and works a few blocks from Times Square. As Mr. Stewart led the class over the ruckus of pedestrians and vehicles, Ms. Wheeler Wolfe and Ms. Zalocha stretched, twisted and reached “towards the sky,” as Mr. Stewart put it.
“You hear the noise,” Ms. Wheeler Wolfe said. “It’s so chaotic here. At the same time, you have to stay focused.”
Robin Downs, a native New Yorker, had come to New York for Father’s Day but had organized her schedule around the yoga event.
“I came back to experience Times Square in a different way,” said Ms. Downs, who now lives in Los Angeles. “The session was a sense of peace amongst all of the madness. I’m going to make this trip an annual event.”
Good News About Guruji!!!
First from Adarsh (dated May 18 2007):
Most Ashtanga practitioners will be aware that Pattabhi Jois went through a very difficult time with his health in the past few months. Recently reports have been coming in from Mysore of a spectacular recovery.
On Friday morning, we did the led primary series class as usual. In Guruji’s absence, Sharath has been skillfully guiding us through the sequences and counting the breath (slowly) through the most difficult poses. His pace differs slightly from Guruji in that he is a little slower - the class is closer to 1.5 hours. Guruji’s led class (nicknamed “the Pattabhi Express”) is rather brisk, I can recall several occasions finishing the entire primary series (including 100 breaths in Uth Pluthi) in under an hour.
Anyhoo, after the Friday led class, I quickly went into the changing room to get dressed when a friend poked his head in and whispered that Guruji was in the office…
Ah, what a nice feeling to see “the Boss” back behind his desk familiarly receiving his students for darshan. I was overwhelmed with emotion. Everyone was so happy to see him. It is such a lovely sight when we can all become like children at Christmas having a peek at Santa…
Even when I’ve been in Mysore for longer stints, I never took for granted being able to see this living yoga master on a regular basis, but now that his visits to the shala are less frequent I can truly appreciate how lucky I and my fellow students are to see his loving smile.
Pattabhi Jois has often been regarded for his sense of joy and genuine enthusiasm for life. In fact I think that is one of the biggest reasons that people get hooked on visits to Mysore. I’m so pleased to report that Guruji looks great. He is as handsome and joyful as always. I don’t know if his visits to the shala will be a regular thing, we are just pleased to have been treated to his presence one more time.
