On The DL

Vinyasa Yoga Benefit

by Felicia D'Ambrosio

Sun., Nov. 18, 1-4 p.m., $50 suggested donation, Dhyana Yoga Old City, 68 N. Second St., 215-496-0770

Yoga is usually a personal pursuit, intended to clear the mind by uniting body and breath through movement. But Philadelphia native and yoga instructor Shiya Mangel is putting a global spin on her class by teaching "practice as service." Her Vinyasa workshop will benefit YouthAIDS, a nonprofit dedicated to halting the spread of AIDS among 600 million young people in more than 60 countries.

Vinyasa, which is Sanskrit for "breath-synchronized movement," is a type of yoga that flows seamlessly from one position to the next, with each motion matched to an inhalation or exhalation. The first half of the class will be an all-levels Vinyasa, as well as talks on the work of YouthAIDS and the reality of the disease in all communities. The second part of the class will focus on restorative poses (with bolsters, blankets and longer holds to rejuvenate the body) and using your practice as a moving meditation, directing positive energy to those living with AIDS and HIV.

For Mangel, personal practice and empathy for others is a natural connection. "It is through yoga, through meditation, through prayer and all the work that we do that we can begin to develop the compassion necessary so that we can serve others," she says.