Saturday: The Sixth Annual Yoga Journal SF Conference

Sixth Annual Yoga Journal San Francisco Conference
January 16-19, 2009
Hyatt Regency
Review and Photos by Sam Prestianni
Better Than: Reading Yoga Journal while scarfing down Krispy Kreme doughnuts in front of a dancing Krishna.

Yoga Journal's sixth annual conference -- an outsized gathering of rockstar teachers, scenesters, and "conscious" vendors -- was a real-world embodiment of the magazine's mission to promote health and well-being through rigorous bodywork and alternative lifestyle choices. At the Saturday event I attended, scores of the faithful flocked to dozens of classes, from advanced technical routines to contemporary philosophy. I opted for "Unraveling the Mysteries of the Neck, Shoulders & Hips" (led by the Bay Area's own Ana Forrest, whose yogic method was universally described as "intense") and "Imprinting Self-Love: Reverse Adi Shakti Meditation" (a kundalini yoga celebration, complete with self-empowerment stories, music, chants, meditation and movement, run by L.A. guru Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa). I tried to see this pair of classes and the entire conference through the lens of the yamas (or ethical restraints), the first series of steps in the Yoga Sutra's eightfold "path to happiness," featured in this month's Yoga Journal.

Ahimsa: nonharming -- One of the central themes here is that negative thoughts are a form of violence. As my muscles began to fatigue a few minutes into the first two-hour class, I felt weak and ridiculous, way out of my element. I didn't think I could go on. But I followed the precept of accepting my own limitations, found peace within myself, and miraculously survived. In the second class, my too-cool urban hipness prevented me from singing along (while bouncing on my ass, no less) to the childish chorus, "I am happy/ I am good." Yet despite my own cynical misgivings, I found myself joyously laughing out loud with no desire to put down those who actually did sing. Imagine that.

Satya: truthfulness -- Among the many healing paths presented at the YJ conference -- yoga, meditation, massage, acupuncture, organic salad in compostable "plastic," cute tie-dyed sweats -- the message was the same: Living well means looking good and feeling great, i.e., unstoppable. You can do what you never thought possible. You can connect to the Divine within. That's when you realize Truth: most everything is not what it seems.

Asteya: nonstealing -- Among staff, faculty, students, and vendors, there was a sense of community building that largely embraced this precept's suggestion of giving more than you take. As one of Forrest's assistants said to me while adjusting my pretzeled limbs: "This just shows how we all need each other. We all need someone to spread our legs sometimes."

Brahmacharya: energy moderation -- Yoga challenges practitioners to relax in every moment, even when your calves are on fire or your arms are about to snap off your shoulders. You deep-breathe, then you breathe again. And in this way you persevere.

Aparigraha: nongrasping -- Nonattachment helps us to be present in the moment, which leads to ultimate freedom: peace of mind. This was the toughest precept to take seriously at the conference, where the "Yoga Marketplace" teemed with unnecessary goods, from fashionable outfits to statues of dancing Krishnas!

Critic's Notebook

Personal Bias: While this experience was invigorating, I'll take zazen meditation over yoga any day of the week.

Random Detail: The girl-boy ratio at the conference was easily 100:1. Not that I'm complaining.