{"id":2032,"date":"2009-02-15T14:23:46","date_gmt":"2009-02-15T19:23:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress-367309-1145696.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=2032"},"modified":"2009-02-15T14:23:46","modified_gmt":"2009-02-15T19:23:46","slug":"off-the-beaten-mat-an-interview-with-mark-gerow-of-lunarythms-yoga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/articles\/off-the-beaten-mat-an-interview-with-mark-gerow-of-lunarythms-yoga\/","title":{"rendered":"Off the Beaten Mat: An Interview with Mark Gerow of Lunarythms Yoga"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Mark<\/a>My moon, my man’s a changeable land..<\/a><\/em>.<\/em><\/h2>\n

Former actor and survival instructor, creative writer and a recovering Type A, Mark Gerow is the founder of Lunarythms<\/a>\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/span>Yoga\u2122<\/a>, a combination of polarity-therapy, Ayurveda, Yin and Hatha Yoga that tailors\u00a0asanas<\/em><\/span>\u00a0to complement specific chakras associated with the position of the moon. He likes McDonald’s French Fries, drinks one cup of coffee a day and does not relate to black and white photographs of women in leotards.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When I describe the idea behind Lunarythms<\/strong>, people look at me like I\u2019m a crystal wielding nutcase. But every time I take your class, the pace feels just right. What led you to organize your practice around the lunar cycles?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

My background in the metaphysical began with Polarity Therapy<\/a>\u00a0training.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>My partner at the time had grown up with a mother who was into astrology and I would hear them speak to each other through astrology references– usually about a person\u2019s personality or a general analogy about a situation.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>I began\u00a0to notice the effects and rituals that go along with the new and\u00a0full moons (setting intentions, conserving or putting forth energy), and one day it dawned on me that if most everything in this\u00a0world is changing to include the moon’s cycles and our\u00a0own human cycles, that our yoga practice could reflect these\u00a0ever changing tides of life. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Mark<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0“Life is\u00a0too short for me to worry whether I should or should not eat a\u00a0piece of meat.”<\/h2>\n

I picked up a few books and noticed that each sign the moon passes through also brings a\u00a0quality and sensitivity to specific parts\u00a0of the body.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>For instance,\u00a0if the moon is in the sign of Leo, it is\u00a0an air sign, which relates to the Heart Chakra<\/a> and when the moon is moving through Leo there is greater sensitivity in\u00a0the organ of our heart and our circulatory system. In my classes, I attempt to honor the general energy of the day<\/strong> in order to create a theme that I can loosely hold\u00a0on to or change when I feel another influence pulling me one way or\u00a0the other.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>If we truly listen through stillness and honor what we\u00a0feel, we will receive exactly what we need.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/h3>\n

W<\/strong>hat sort of obstacles lined your path towards yoga? Did you fall in love with the practice immediately or did it take some time?<\/h3>\n

I discovered yoga after becoming very emotionally and physically rigid\u00a0during not only my childhood, but 12 years of military service as a\u00a0survival instructor in the <\/strong>Air Force<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>I left the service and\u00a0basically knew I needed to be creative. I moved to NYC to study acting and\u00a0all of my teachers were in agreement that I needed to get out of my\u00a0head, into my body and that yoga or meditation would be the perfect\u00a0avenue.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>One of my teachers suggested Richard Hittleman’s\u00a0Yoga, 28 Day Exercise Plan<\/a><\/em><\/span>. \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \"Mark<\/a>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

“My body\u00a0was in pain, and my mind didn’t get what I was suppose to be achieving.”<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

The 1st day of the 28 day plan had me attempting to practice the seated forward fold (paschimottanasana<\/em><\/span>), as well as cobra pose (bhujangasana<\/em><\/span>) and so on.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>I was stiff as a board and could barely\u00a0fold forward, or in any direction for that matter<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Plus, this book had\u00a0black and white pictures of a woman in a dance leotard and it all\u00a0seemed very alien and unrealistic for me.\u00a0<\/span>I dropped the idea for\u00a0another year or two.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

After going through a disastrous breakup with a girlfriend I was\u00a0walking the streets of NYC like a lost zombie, which led me to a book\u00a0store where I pulled out a new age book on intentions, meditation and\u00a0other ideas for aligning one’s life.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>I knew meditation was next for\u00a0me, but my first lesson with a Buddhist teacher was another\u00a0disaster<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>After 20 minutes of practice I flat out told him my body\u00a0was in pain, and my mind didn’t get what I was suppose to be achieving\u00a0let alone how<\/em> to achieve it specifically.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>A girlfriend turned me towards the Sivananda Ashram in Manhattan<\/a> for an Orientation Day which included a free vegetarian meal<\/a>, yoga postures and meditation training. I signed up, had\u00a0the most amazing experience of euphoria and truly never stopped from\u00a0that point on 14 years ago. <\/span><\/p>\n

M<\/strong>any yoga students spend a lot of time wondering about the secret life of\u00a0their teachers. Are they saints or sinners? Does being a yogi mean giving up\u00a0“fun”? Any secret vices you might want to share?<\/h3>\n

I have always been shy and fairly introverted, yet get me in front of\u00a0a room of faced down practitioners and I come alive.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>I have tried to\u00a0speak my truth in class usually reflecting off of my personal\u00a0experience and I pose questions that direct a person into their own\u00a0inner knowledge and truth.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>I realize it is very easy to be placed on\u00a0a pedestal, as we\u2019ve witnessed certain Gurus being knocked off them once their human weaknesses and faults show through<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Yes, we all have vices…\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“<\/strong>You would never go on a nice Sunday drive at 75 mph.”<\/h2>\n

I love coffee and refuse to let it go but only have one cup a day on average in the morning when I like\u00a0to practice yoga, meditation or writing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>I was raised on Coca-Cola\u00a0and have a difficult time drinking water.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>I have always loved\u00a0McDonald’s French fries and with kids, we sometimes have to sooth our\u00a0dropping blood sugar on the road by pulling into a fast food\u00a0establishment.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>I like to have a drink of sake<\/a> or other alcohol.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0don’t do yoga to become rigid about the pleasures of life or to push\u00a0everything away that looks awful for us. I want to live\u00a0my life with its many secrets, pleasures and layers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>I do not deny\u00a0myself pleasure, nor do I want to overdo.\u00a0\u00a0M<\/strong><\/span>oderation and\u00a0contentment seem realistic to me, and healthy<\/strong>—\u00a0\u00a0o<\/span>therwise I may become\u00a0resentful, bitter and begin to point fingers at others when really I\u00a0need to back off and create balance in my life.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

“True\u00a0knowledge and essence comes from simmering in the poses.”<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Happiness\u00a0and Joy are fluctuating conditions. I find that contentment and\u00a0moderation are doable and, for our fast-paced espresso lives, a bit\u00a0more realistic. I have traveled much abroad and have found\u00a0myself in strangers\u2019 living rooms, asked to share the local food and hospitality, which might include a coffee or alcoholic beverage, a\u00a0non-vegetarian meal or a late night up reading poetry or dancing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>I realize those choices may bring me out of balance, but\u00a0knowing that I choose them consciously, I can tailor my daily ritual to include practices that draw me back in to\u00a0balance.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>A balanced person is someone who notices when they have gone\u00a0out of balance and has the tools to return to their center<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Life is\u00a0too short for me to worry about whether I should or should not eat a\u00a0piece of meat.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Within reason, I enjoy myself and fully LIVE.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

W<\/strong>hat are some of the most common emotional and physical errors you see made by students on the\u00a0mat?\u00a0<\/h3>\n

Hard to answer, as everyone really comes to yoga from their\u00a0own path, and time line to liberation or self-discover or\u00a0re-discovery. Many folks new to yoga are very outwardly focused, looking around at others, at their pedicures<\/strong>, or distracting themselves with water sipping, and so on.\u00a0People can not slow down nor notice that they are moving way too fast\u00a0in the poses or in life.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>I also find that teachers also fall in to\u00a0the trap of keeping up with the Joneses<\/a> and with the pace of society by\u00a0offering very fast classes that are hot and vigorous.\u00a0<\/span>Why do we need\u00a0more of this?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>After practicing for many years, I find that the true\u00a0knowledge and essence comes from simmering in the poses, slowing down\u00a0to savor the flavor and truly pay attention to what’s going on inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

You would never go on a nice Sunday drive at 75 mph. Life would be just a blur. Slow down and take in life<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mark welcomes questions and comments through his website, <\/em>www.lunarhythmsyoga.com<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Photo Credit: Property of Mark Gerow.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 My moon, my man’s a changeable land… Former actor and survival instructor, creative writer and a recovering Type A, Mark Gerow is the founder of Lunarythms\u00a0Yoga\u2122, a combination of polarity-therapy, Ayurveda, Yin and Hatha Yoga that tailors\u00a0asanas\u00a0to complement specific chakras associated with the position of the moon. He likes McDonald’s French Fries, drinks one […] More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":2033,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[21],"tags":[3395,3396,3397,3398,3399,3400,307,522,3401,2489,3402,2810,9013],"apple_news_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/mark_gerow1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2032"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2032"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2032\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2033"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}