::: YOGItimes :::

Featured in such publications as the LA Times, Women’s Sports Illustrated, and Entertainment Weekly, Yoga Works teacher Vinnie Marino has a fun New York, Italian, Jewish vibe. His life experience is the basis for his class, a well-rounded flow, which offers something challenging for most everyone who loves yoga.

Vinnie got turned on to yoga as a teenager in New York in the 1970’s, "I took yoga as my gym requirement at an alternative high school and used to go to Integral Yoga in the West Village." This was the beginning of a journey to the center of his mind.

From age 20, he moved back and forth from NYC to Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco, looking for quick enlightenment through psychedelics. In that search, he read Ram Das, Aldous Huxley and Alan Watts. He also tried many meditation techniques. "I’m like a Gemini who has tried them all: TM, Vipassana, chanting, observance of breath and more. Meditation is a harder aspect of my practice than the asanas."

Music was one of his first connections with spirituality. Jefferson Airplane, The Moody Blues, The Doors, and The Rolling Stones all had a strong impact. "Crosby, Stills and Nash opened so many doors in my mind about the possibility of feeling hopeful and alive and young and interested in life." He now plays that music in his classes.

Vinnie rediscovered yoga in Los Angeles about 14 years ago. "I got into classes I probably wasn’t ever ready for, but the challenge got me excited about the practice." Conversely, he advises new yoga students: "Learn poses from the foundation and then add intensity. It is the best way to keep the body safe."

He completed a teacher training at White Lotus, two basic trainings and the advanced teacher-training programs at Yoga Works. His major influences include: Lisa Walford, Bryan Kest, Saul David Raye, Shiva Rea, and Sean Corn. He has also assisted Erich Schiffmann, Saul, and Sean.

"Please modify poses," he says at the beginning of class, "take breaks, do what you need to do to take care of yourself." He tries to get to know students’ names so he can offer them verbal assistance across his usually crowded classroom. He elucidates, "I know when I’ve had injuries, I’ve backed off. When I’ve had a wrist or a shoulder problem, I’ve modified my practice to mirror what’s going on in my body."

"I feel like what I’m teaching is safe yoga. Sometimes, when you’re using the body, stuff happens. There’s no guarantee. If I’m going to use my body everyday in all these different shapes, I have to be aware that it’s possible to get hurt, but I have had more injuries rolling over in bed to turn off the alarm or picking up something heavy than I have ever had in a yoga class."

Vinnie says, "Hey, this is potent stuff. It’s not like getting on a treadmill and getting off when you’ve got to go to work. It’s a cycle, a circle, from the beginning until you lie down in Savasana." He insists, "Give yourself time to rest." and adds, "I think it clears up areas of your life. It’s like a little searchlight for whatever’s not working in your life."

He integrates his personal practice into his teaching. "I just feel like I’m unfolding, I’m learning more and more. As I continue to study with senior teachers, I learn and share with my students. The teacher is important, but on another level, it’s really your own journey. Simplest is best; the practice itself reveals the benefits." He insists, "It’s not about me. I set the tone of the room with the music and the sequencing, but it’s the yoga that’s making people feel really good!"

Vinnie usually has students do a few sun salutations on their own while he plays a song that brings a lot of joy, energy, movement and fun. During the rest of his strong class, he gives a lot of points on alignment and breathing. Finally, he might play a mellow song, Joni Mitchell or Carole King, something heart opening, or choose to use no music at all.

Vinnie clearly enjoys teaching six days a week at Yoga Works. "I’m having the best time that I’ve ever had in a work situation." In closing, he says, "The yoga fits with my personality, the physicality of it, the spirituality of it all combines into something that has been a really fulfilling experience for me. I’m grateful that this is my life. I’m thankful this is what I do for a living." His gratitude is his


			Kristin Olson’s Urban Yoga Center Healing Arts Community 750 N. Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, Ca. 92262 760.320.7702 urbanyoga.org
	Located in the Uptown Heritage District of Palm Springs, the Urban Yoga Center is framed by gorgeous mountain views that both humble and inspire newcomers and seasoned sages alike. One can find Kristin Olson or one of her talented staff of teachers leading both gentle and more active styles of yoga.The center is often host to talented traveling educators from around the world for special workshops and parties as a compliment to their regular line up. Ambient music is gently piped through the studio leading one’s senses into the main hall. The primary studio is draped in antique saris and eclectic spiritual art. Large jungle like plants adorn the edges of the practice space inviting students to put down their roots and become part of the only dedicated yoga studio in Palm Springs. The unique space also features a small but well-appointed shop, library of references and a smaller studio for more intimate classes. A few words with Kristin Olson reveal a humanitarian side to her mission. She was the recipient of the Karma Yoga Foundation Award in 2002 for her HIV/AIDS Restorative Urban Yoga with the Desert Aids Project. Her schedule also features special classes for the teachers of the Palm Springs Unified School District, the National MS Society, and high school students who attend Urban Yoga for P.E. credit. Urban Yoga is a space that is seductive to the spirit. It tempts the student to blossom like a rare desert flower. Whether you are visiting or local to the Palm Springs area, stop by the Urban Yoga Center just for the health of it.

			VINNIE MARINO By Matt Crowder
	Featured in such publications as the LA Times, Women’s Sports Illustrated, and Entertainment Weekly, Yoga Works teacher Vinnie Marino has a fun New York, Italian, Jewish vibe. His life experience is the basis for his class, a well-rounded flow, which offers something challenging for most everyone who loves yoga. Vinnie got turned on to yoga as a teenager in New York in the 1970’s, "I took yoga as my gym requirement at an alternative high school and used to go to Integral Yoga in the West Village." This was the beginning of a journey to the center of his mind. From age 20, he moved back and forth from NYC to Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco, looking for quick enlightenment through psychedelics. In that search, he read Ram Das, Aldous Huxley and Alan Watts. He also tried many meditation techniques. "I’m like a Gemini who has tried them all: TM, Vipassana, chanting, observance of breath and more. Meditation is a harder aspect of my practice than the asanas." Music was one of his first connections with spirituality. Jefferson Airplane, The Moody Blues, The Doors, and The Rolling Stones all had a strong impact. "Crosby, Stills and Nash opened so many doors in my mind about the possibility of feeling hopeful and alive and young and interested in life." He now plays that music in his classes. Vinnie rediscovered yoga in Los Angeles about 14 years ago. "I got into classes I probably wasn’t ever ready for, but the challenge got me excited about the practice." Conversely, he advises new yoga students: "Learn poses from the foundation and then add intensity. It is the best way to keep the body safe." He completed a teacher training at White Lotus, two basic trainings and the advanced teacher-training programs at Yoga Works. His major influences include: Lisa Walford, Bryan Kest, Saul David Raye, Shiva Rea, and Sean Corn. He has also assisted Erich Schiffmann, Saul, and Sean. "Please modify poses," he says at the beginning of class, "take breaks, do what you need to do to take care of yourself." He tries to get to know students’ names so he can offer them verbal assistance across his usually crowded classroom. He elucidates, "I know when I’ve had injuries, I’ve backed off. When I’ve had a wrist or a shoulder problem, I’ve modified my practice to mirror what’s going on in my body." "I feel like what I’m teaching is safe yoga. Sometimes, when you’re using the body, stuff happens. There’s no guarantee. If I’m going to use my body everyday in all these different shapes, I have to be aware that it’s possible to get hurt, but I have had more injuries rolling over in bed to turn off the alarm or picking up something heavy than I have ever had in a yoga class." Vinnie says, "Hey, this is potent stuff. It’s not like getting on a treadmill and getting off when you’ve got to go to work. It’s a cycle, a circle, from the beginning until you lie down in Savasana." He insists, "Give yourself time to rest." and adds, "I think it clears up areas of your life. It’s like a little searchlight for whatever’s not working in your life." He integrates his personal practice into his teaching. "I just feel like I’m unfolding, I’m learning more and more. As I continue to study with senior teachers, I learn and share with my students. The teacher is important, but on another level, it’s really your own journey. Simplest is best; the practice itself reveals the benefits." He insists, "It’s not about me. I set the tone of the room with the music and the sequencing, but it’s the yoga that’s making people feel really good!" Vinnie usually has students do a few sun salutations on their own while he plays a song that brings a lot of joy, energy, movement and fun. During the rest of his strong class, he gives a lot of points on alignment and breathing. Finally, he might play a mellow song, Joni Mitchell or Carole King, something heart opening, or choose to use no music at all. Vinnie clearly enjoys teaching six days a week at Yoga Works. "I’m having the best time that I’ve ever had in a work situation." In closing, he says, "The yoga fits with my personality, the physicality of it, the spirituality of it all combines into something that has been a really fulfilling experience for me. I’m grateful that this is my life. I’m thankful this is what I do for a living." His gratitude is his


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