Alphabet twist

Kabbalah Yoga instructor says stretching
in the shape of Hebrew letters
unlocks the secrets of life

by CHRIS BARRY

Name: Audi Gozlan

Age: 40

Occupation: Lawyer/inventor of Kabbalah Yoga

Bio: When not practising commercial and intellectual property law, this Hasidic Hampstead hunk is busy showing people how to do Kabbalah Yoga, something Audi claims to have invented himself based on the Hebrew alphabet. A talented painter who’s been into “Hindu meditation for at least 20 years,” Audi says “from my Bar Mitzvah on, I have always been intrigued by the secrets of Kabbalah,” and is expecting to release a 90-minute DVD of his yoga postures sometime in the fall. In the meantime, however, you can hook up with him for private sessions, or at the Kabbalah yoga classes he teaches at both the Snowdon YMCA and McGill University. Go to his Web site at www.kabalahyoga.com for all the details.

What the hey is Kabbalah anyway? “In Hebrew, Kabbalah means to receive, and it refers to the hidden secrets of the creation of the world and how the world is constantly being created, rejuvenated, renewed, each moment, each and every second. This wisdom is based on the Hebrew letters. According to Kabbalah, the world was created through these Hebrew letters. Kabbalah is a theory, a wisdom, and one who knows the secrets behind the letters is said to know the secrets of life, of creation, because these were the tools that God used to create the world.”

How he stumbled upon Kabbalah Yoga: “One day I was doing the Warrior 2 [yoga position] with my teacher and suddenly I had a revelation that I was shaping my body into the Hebrew letter alef, and when I saw that I just stood there. That was the moment when the seed was planted that I could actually do this, Kabbalah Yoga. And from there, I started developing it for all the Hebrew letters. By shaping your body into these divine forces that are images of Hebrew letters, you are allowing your body to become the container of the power of these letters of creation. You are tapping into the energy of these divine forces. And by doing this, it affects everything in your life, your way of thinking, your way of being. When you come out of my Kabbalah Yoga class, you’re spiritual, you’re high, you’re physically challenged, you get the whole thing.”

Is it kind of better to be Jewish to do it?“No, it’s not a religious message, it’s a spiritual message. This isn’t a religious activity, I can’t stress that enough.”

So secularists are encouraged to do the Kabbalah Yoga thing too? “Sure, I’m not teaching a religion, I’m sharing a universal message that comes from Judaism called Kabbalah—but in the form of yoga. And it’s a peaceful message.”

Does he think there’re a lot of Palestinians going, “Whoa, Kabbalah Yoga, that’s really something we should be doing!” “I’m sure they would.”

Somebody he recently instructed: Jeremy Piven.

Last book read: A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle.

Musical preferences: Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Bob Marley.

Words of wisdom: “Your existence is for a divine purpose to be revealed through you. Each moment is an opportunity for you to allow this purpose to be realized. Now is the time to make this happen!”

Comments: dimwit@hdot.net