Yoga at OHM Newsletter Vicyasa™ 8/3 - 8/9/2026: HOT CLASSES LIC MONDAYS; Do you meditate, bro?7/31/2026 “Let go of the battle. Breathe quietly and let it be. Let your body relax and your heart soften. Open to whatever you experience without fighting.” -- Jack Kornfield  As we bask in the warmth of Summer's sunlight abundance, there’s no better time to reflect on the luminosity within us. When we are aligned with our deepest self, we radiate that truthful inward light in everything we do. Each of us holds the potential to nurture and cultivate the spirit and soul within us. When we do, our lives are naturally more joyful, and we move ever higher on the upward spiral of self-realization and fulfillment.
During the summer months, when on vacation, finding activities for the kids, cooking out, and going to the beach or pool, we can find moments to tap into a meditative mood. As these activities fill life with fun and active moments, plus great memories, why not implement something less hectic, less strenuous, less busy? What if I told you summer meditation is an activity that will benefit your life and your health in big ways? Yes... even if only for a brief 5-to-10 minutes daily. Having a regular morning routine keeps us on track. Just like building muscles by going to class or the gym, a morning practice helps us build our inner strength and inner light. As author Marianne Williamson states, we are “building our attitudinal muscles.” Beginning the day with 5 minutes of sitting in silence, meditating on the light within your heart, sets you up to carry it through the rest of your day - a meditation of gratefulness, another day, another awakening, another opportunity to align can be your mantras. Instead of starting your day by immediately reaching for your phone or turning on the TV or laptop, begin by prioritizing your peace and well-being. Starting the day in silence is a gentle transition. It’s also the simplest and easiest way to replenish ourselves by reconnecting to our inner light. A meditation at the end of the day can put an exclamation point on it and help you reroute regardless of what your day was like. Sitting in silence, listening to yourself breathe and being grateful for what did happen, how it served your well-being, and the interactions or relationships you had that day... we can find plenty to go to sleep with joyously. Research shows meditation will:
Learning to meditate has so many benefits for your mind and body. Think of all the ways your Summer can be truly relaxing by developing a routine for Summer meditation. Which type of meditation have you tried or been curious about trying? HOT VINYASA IN L.I.C. QUEENS "Something new is taking shape in Long Island City. Quietly, intentionally, and with purpose. It’s not a gym, not a clinic, and not a spa, but something that lives in between. A space designed for real healing, where modern science meets deeper, timeless practices. Thoughtfully built for how we actually live, move, and recover. We’re not saying much yet, but it’s coming soon." -- From Healspace's website. THE SCHEDULE? Every Monday night: 5:00 pm hot dynamic flow and 6:30 pm hot dynamic flow. Location? 5-21 47th road. Long Island City's new sanctuary for goodness, wellness and community. See you soon, friends! Please follow them on Instagram here! NAMASTE, Victor Cotto www.YogaWithVictor.com Instagram: CottoVic Facebook: Yoga With Victor - Vicyasa™
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"The wound is the place where the light enters you." -- Rumi  Sometimes, all it takes is a moment of stillness—close your eyes, take a deep breath, and recognize that it’s time to release what weighs on your heart. Whatever troubles you, it’s an opportunity to let it go and embrace a lighter spirit! I totally understand that this can be tough. Instead of facing our pain, we often tend to avoid it and pretend we've moved on, but have we really?
Letting go often means more than just forgetting. It can be about learning to trust again or finding the strength to forgive those who've hurt us. While this is undoubtedly a journey, it’s a wonderful chance for growth and positivity. So how do we move past our previous hurts? We embrace the process of letting go, one step at a time. Yoga significantly contributed to my ability to forgive. You can’t escape your history, especially when engaging in yoga. Commit to your practice—do plenty of yoga. It’s recognized for its ability to release tension in the body, which also helps to clear the chakras. Grasping onto past pain can create obstructions in these energy centers, and as you engage in yoga, those blockages may eventually burst, bringing forth buried emotions. In my case, it was the heart chakra that was obstructed. This chakra is fundamental for fostering love and self-forgiveness. Although releasing is challenging for me, my yoga practice continually helps me dismantle those protective barriers. Whenever we penetrate these blockages, it’s common to feel exposed and vulnerable. Being vulnerable is a show of strength. Allow the agony to overwhelm you. Cry. Scream. Be alright for a bit, then start crying and yelling once more. Take whatever action is necessary, but let the suffering overwhelm you. Feel how vulnerable you are in this situation. You will learn to deal with your agony, but I will tell you that it probably will not go away. You will get stronger and more mature as a result, and eventually you might be able to look back on your previous suffering with a smile because you have overcome it and realized that it no longer has any influence over your life. Only then will you be able to let go of that suffering and move on. You have finally come to terms with the truth of what transpired. And here you are, learning to cope with it. So, have you extended forgiveness? Ask yourself, "Does it affect my life in any way?" before drawing any conclusions. It is likely that you have forgiven if your response was negative. You no longer have to deal with those feelings and suffering in your daily life. One of the most effective ways to accept and honor oneself is to forgive people who have wronged you. It is a potent method to let the universe know that you understand how deserving you are of happiness. That freedom is something you deserve. I genuinely believe that yoga has helped me learn how to forgive. I sat with the pain instead of running away from it and erecting barriers to keep myself safe, as I had been doing for years. I had to pay attention in every yoga pose. I had no choice but to feel. I had to be open and honest with myself. With only the sound of my breath and the sensation of vulnerability, I was present in every stance. The actual work started at that point. When you are filled with hurt and suffering, how can you hope to fill your being with love? You extend forgiveness. You have to let go of everything else in order to make room for love. Thank you to all the yoga poses that helped me learn forgiveness. I am free. HOT VINYASA IN L.I.C. QUEENS "Something new is taking shape in Long Island City. Quietly, intentionally, and with purpose. It’s not a gym, not a clinic, and not a spa, but something that lives in between. A space designed for real healing, where modern science meets deeper, timeless practices. Thoughtfully built for how we actually live, move, and recover. We’re not saying much yet, but it’s coming soon." -- From Healspace's website. THE SCHEDULE? Every Monday night: 5:00 pm hot dynamic flow and 6:30 pm hot dynamic flow. Location? 5-21 47th road. Long Island City's new sanctuary for goodness, wellness and community. See you soon, friends! Please follow them on Instagram here! HEAL YOUSELF... Join my friends at KURA for a chill in-person event at 208 W 13th St on July 30, 2026 at 6:45 PM (Eastern Daylight Time). It’s all about exploring the amazing connection between the technology of the plants ( ayahuasca & masterplants) and their sacred, remarkable healing ability. Come hang out, learn, and soak in the incredible information. Learn all about the technology of the sacred plants and the hospital you go into to heal. Get tickets at Eventbrite HERE! NAMASTE, Victor Cotto www.YogaWithVictor.com Instagram: CottoVic Facebook: Yoga With Victor - Vicyasa™ "Yoga is a dance between control and surrender—between pushing and letting go." — Joel Kramer  Vinyasa is an active, dynamic "yang" practice that builds strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular health through moving breath-to-movement sequences. In contrast, Yin Yoga is a passive, meditative practice that targets deep connective tissues (like fascia and ligaments) through long, 3- to 5-minute floor holds to increase joint mobility and release tension.
Choosing between the two depends entirely on your immediate physical and mental goals, as the styles serve distinct, complementary purposes: Practice Vinyasa If You Want To: Build Heat & Strength: The flowing nature acts as a cardiovascular workout, toning muscles, burning calories, and building core stability. Energize Your Body: It is excellent for waking up a sluggish system or moving stagnant energy. Sync Breath with Movement: It trains you to maintain a steady, controlled breath while under physical exertion, which helps develop stress resilience. Practice Yin Yoga If You Want To: Increase Flexibility: While vinyasa actively engages muscles, yin allows muscles to relax so you can safely stress and lengthen deep, rigid connective tissues. Recover and Heal: It is highly therapeutic for runners, weightlifters, or frequent vinyasa practitioners needing to improve joint mobility and prevent injury. De-stress & Find Stillness: Yin activates the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering cortisol levels and forcing the mind to sit in calm, uncomfortable stillness. Because they sit at opposite ends of the yoga spectrum, many practitioners combine them—using vinyasa to build strength and yin to recover. Consider these specific times to roll out your mat for some YIN YOGA:
I'll be in Yin Training this month and hopefully adding more public Yin classes to my schedule. Stay tuned! HOT VINYASA IN L.I.C. QUEENS "Something new is taking shape in Long Island City. Quietly, intentionally, and with purpose. It’s not a gym, not a clinic, and not a spa, but something that lives in between. A space designed for real healing, where modern science meets deeper, timeless practices. Thoughtfully built for how we actually live, move, and recover. We’re not saying much yet, but it’s coming soon." -- From Healspace's website. THE SCHEDULE? Every Monday night: 5:00 pm hot dynamic flow and 6:30 pm hot dynamic flow. Location? 5-21 47th road. Long Island City's new sanctuary for goodness, wellness and community. See you soon, friends! Please follow them on Instagram here! NAMASTE, Victor Cotto www.YogaWithVictor.com Instagram: CottoVic Facebook: Yoga With Victor - Vicyasa™ Sweet days of summer, the jasmine's in bloom  Yes, practicing yoga in heated conditions (hot yoga, hot vinyasa, etc..) is an excellent way to beat the Summer's rising temperatures. Exposing your body to intense heat trains your cardiovascular system to regulate temperature more efficiently, making the sweltering outdoor heat much more manageable and less draining.
KEY BENEFITS FOR SUMMER Heat Acclimatization: Think of the studio as your "training ground"... Regular heated practice gets your body to sweat and cooling itself down with yogic techniques, arming you with resilience for the dog days of summer. Increased Flexibility: The combination of warm muscles and a naturally limber summer body makes it easier to stretch deeper and improve mobility without higher probability risk of injury. Enhanced Circulation: Heat widens your blood vessels, improving the delivery of oxygen and nutrients and aiding muscle recovery. With a regular hot yoga practice, you’ll be more mindful about hydrating regularly. This is extra important in the summertime when it’s hotter outside, as we constantly use our muscles differently than in the winter monthsand the demands of the season are vastly different. As always, practice mindfulness and understanding. Listen to your intuition and know when you risk pushing too far and causing injury. No one wants a torn hamstring in the summertime and being heated doesn't always mean you are ready for deep stretching and profound physical practice. HOT VINYASA IN L.I.C. QUEENS "Something new is taking shape in Long Island City. Quietly, intentionally, and with purpose. It’s not a gym, not a clinic, and not a spa, but something that lives in between. A space designed for real healing, where modern science meets deeper, timeless practices. Thoughtfully built for how we actually live, move, and recover. We’re not saying much yet, but it’s coming soon." -- From Healspace's website. THE SCHEDULE? Every Monday night: 5:00 pm hot dynamic flow and 6:30 pm hot dynamic flow. Location? 5-21 47th road. Long Island City's new sanctuary for goodness, wellness and community. See you soon, friends! Please follow them on Instagram here! NAMASTE, Victor Cotto www.YogaWithVictor.com Instagram: CottoVic Facebook: Yoga With Victor - Vicyasa™ Yoga at OHM Newsletter Vicyasa™ 7/6 - 7/12/2026: SIGN UP Healpace LIC HOT CLASSES; Yoga High7/2/2026 "High isn’t a destination. It’s a perspective." — Unknown  That post-class "yoga high" is a real thing -- it's a biochemical cocktail! After class, your body balances an adrenaline spike with a flood of endorphins, dopamine, and oxytocin. This combination of chemicals acts as your body's natural pain reliever and mood booster, leaving you feeling energized, centered, and incredibly euphoric. The science behind this natural high and stress-relief involves a few key processes: Adrenaline/Cortisol Shift: Intense movement initially triggers your fight-or-flight response, but yoga's mindful breathing quickly signals your parasympathetic nervous system to bring those levels down. Endorphin Release: As you push your physical limits, your brain releases these neurotransmitters, which mask physical discomfort and promote a sense of well-being. Deep Breathing (Pranayama): Controlled breathing alters oxygen and CO₂ levels in the blood, which can induce a lightheaded, floaty, or highly focused state. Parasympathetic Shift: Deep, restorative poses (especially final resting poses like Savasana) pull you out of "fight or flight" mode and activate your parasympathetic nervous system. While yoga cannot change our external stressors, it allows us to respond rather than react to stress. Yoga can counteract the harmful physical effects of stress and lead to changes in the body, brain, and mind that increase resilience and adaptability. Along with any "high", make sure after class to take a timeout, stay longer in Savasana, or reroute mindfully before you forget your home/car keys, take on communication that might be overly stimulating, forget which shoes you wore/take someone else's, or move haphazardly to another activity. HOT VINYASA IN L.I.C. QUEENS "Something new is taking shape in Long Island City. Quietly, intentionally, and with purpose. It’s not a gym, not a clinic, and not a spa, but something that lives in between. A space designed for real healing, where modern science meets deeper, timeless practices. Thoughtfully built for how we actually live, move, and recover. We’re not saying much yet, but it’s coming soon." -- From Healspace's website. THE SCHEDULE? Every Monday night: 5:00 pm hot dynamic flow and 6:30 pm hot dynamic flow. Location? 5-21 47th road.Let's lock in and make their first week launch one to remember! Long Island City's new sanctuary for goodness, wellness and community. See you soon, friends! Please follow them on Instagram here! NAMASTE, Victor Cotto www.YogaWithVictor.com Instagram: CottoVic Facebook: Yoga With Victor - Vicyasa™ |
AuthorVicyasa™, your full-time dopamine dealer ... don't allow my confidence to offend your insecurity. Archives
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