I stumbled upon YogiChocolate because who wouldn't be tempted by the words yoga and chocolate? I also thought it was an ingenious idea and a great resource. Basically, the Santa Monica based company offers a slew of mp3 audio-classes for download on a donation basis, which means you pay what you want.
The selection of teachers is international (Russia and Asia are in the house as are folks from all of the country like Gary Halperin, Desiree Bartlett, Gurutej, Aras Baskauskas and Bryan Kest). The type of practice available is varied (Power, Jivamukti, Kripalu to name a few), and there are even audio files with mediation and kirtan.
For me, YogiChocolate is a great way to augment my home practice and to make any vacation a retreat. Beach yoga, anyone?
I love the Ditty Bops. I love their vaudeville-meets-theater theatrics, their country-western twang thang, their soothing harmonies, their story telling skills and their lyrical fun. I also love that these Los Angeles gals -- Abby DeWald and Amanda Barrett -- have figured out a way to meld their activism into their creative expression.
Last spring, they started an environmental non-profit called You and I Save the World, which helped San Francisco ban the plastic bag. And the year before, they promoted their second album "Moon Over the Freeway" on bike, pedaling rom Los Angeles to New York, while performing concerts along the way.
While I certainly haven't planned a cross country bike trip to promote Samadhi and the City, I have taken the Ditty's lead and pedal around my neighborhood a lot more lately. Soaring gas prices, my cute cruiser and the nice weather have been great incentives to get me out of my car and into the bike lane.
Check out the Ditty Bops new record, "Summer Rains", which they say was inspired by their sustainable L.A. lifestyle (no cars, only bikes, vegetarian and their former driveway has been converted into an edible, organic garden). And if you'd like to see them live, they'll be at McCabes at the beginning of June.
This weekend, I plan to head out to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena to catch the Tales of the Blue Lord show before it closes on May 12th. This intimate exhibit, with paintings, sculpture and religious icons from as early as the 11th century, explores the life and legend of Krishna -- the lotus-eyed Hindu deity who is both mighty (demon slayer), playful (flute player), and always adventurous.
Then next week, I'm looking forward to the opening of The Vision and Art of Shinjo Ito in Westwood. The founder of the Shinnyo-en stream of Buddhism, was one of Japan's most versatile modern religious artists -- a calligrapher, photographer, and his greatest milestone, the Great Parinirvana Image: a 16-foot long statue of Buddha Shakyamuni about to enter nirvana.
Throughout the month of May, there's also a slew of interesting events to accompany the Ito exhibit -- guided meditations, musical performances and on Sunday May 11th, a yoga class set to classical music.
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Now some YogaWorks news. The South Bay location has finally opened. And don't forget to take advantage of a mother's day promotion -- a free class for mom at any studio. Download the free class card from the homepage.
Recently, I was taken to dinner at Akasha by TransFair USA, the folks who give imported products like coffee, sugar and flowers the Fair Trade Certified™ label. This ensures consumers that farmers and workers are paid a fair, above-market price for their goods, while using sustainable practices.
The new Culver City restaurant was the perfect choice because Chef Akasha Richmond sources organic produce locally, purchases from sustainable fisheries and farms, and uses only Fair Trade organic coffees, teas and sugars.
The menu is an amalgam of Indian spices and techniques (from her days at the seminal Los Angeles vegetarian hotspot the Golden Temple) fused with California comfort food. There's the turmeric seared pear salad, cannellini bean hummus, Punjabi mung beans and rice, local greens with shaved fennel and sheep cheese as well as organic mac and cheese and crispy home-made onion rings.
But since I have a sweet tooth, the adjacent bakery is the real treat. Vegan choices like Meyer lemon scones (of course, when Meyer lemons are in season) or salty chocolate pecan tarts are tempting. As are the old-fashioned chocolate peanut butter cupcakes with thick ribbons of frosting (ganache anyone?). And since the pastries change all the time (as does the menu) you'll just have to keep coming back for more.
How psyched were we after learning that Yoga Journal was nominated for a People’s Voice Webby Award for Best Magazine Website? What's so cool about these awards is that you, the online community, chooses the winner. At the risk of shameless self-promotion (and I'm taking the risk), please vote for us.
With that plug out of the way, I thought this would also be a good opportunity to link to my yogi comrades blogging in L.A. Here's my short list so if I've missed anyone, please let me know, pronto.
The Kareem Abdul-Jabbar blog at the Los Angeles Times is authored by the legendary hoops star, who also happens to be a long-time yogi. And believe me, he knows a lot more than just basketball evidenced by his learned musings about politics, African-American history and fitness.
For the girl about town, yoga socialite POV, visit Joni at Accidental Yogist. She seems to be everywhere at once and is happy to share details about her personal life as well as her yogic discoveries. The blog is also a great resource for calendar listings.
Namasteph is Stephanie and this yoga teacher in training posts about everything from Yoga Journal cover models to Christian Yoga. She's someone with strong opinions and as far as I'm concerned, that's a good thing.
Eugene's Digital Asana Project on his Om Shanti blog are sights to behold. Basically the guy is an outstanding acrobatic yogi. Check out the mind-blowing clips as he performs yogic feats like Urdhva Padma Mayurasana.
Last, but not least, Mahamondo has a real knack for discovering original and entertaining music and asana clips. LIke these street yogis:
I'm a bit of a yoga snob. Can't help it. That's mostly because yoga has come to represent much more to me than simply a fitness regimen. But sometimes I want to lift weights, speed walk on the treadmill, and crunch my abs on a fancy machine. So, yes, I have a gym membership at Equinox.
One of the reasons I picked the slick gym, is their yoga program (part of what the company has called their "aggressive yoga strategy"). Subsequently, it is one of the few chains that take yoga seriously with well-trained teachers and separate yoga studios equipped with props and pleasant lighting. In fact, just this week, I took an interesting "Iyengar Flow" class that had all the rigors of alignment, and just the right amount of vinyasa (and sweat) to satisfy fitness nuts.
Yet, I also stumbled upon this very strange Equinox ad campaign. All I'll say is this: it's called Fantasy Yoga and while the guy is ripped in all the right places, someone should really tell him to straighten his arms in Urdhva Dhanurasana. I'll leave any other commentary to you.
This weekend marks the first new moon of spring (April 5th at 2:55 PST). According to yoga teacher and astrologer Guru Jagat Kaur, this is an auspicious time to set intentions for the coming months and an ideal time to do some yogic spring cleaning.
That's exactly what we did in Kaur's Kundalini Women for Women's class Friday morning at Yoga West. The kriya was so powerful (brought up many emotions, yes) and refreshing too -- since it's designed to move out the old making room for the new. I thought I'd share the wealth. It's deceptively simple and really quite challenging, but in a good way, I promise. All that breath of fire is a grand way to feel your prana, too.
1. Sit in Baby Pose. Sitting on heels, forehead is on the ground in front of you, arms are pointing behind you resting at your sides. Lift up your neck and do Breath of Fire. 3 minutes (start with 90 seconds).
2. From Baby Pose, lean back until you are lying on your back (but still with your heels underneath your buttocks) and do Breath of Fire. 3 minutes (start with 90 seconds).
3. Chair Pose - feet flat on the ground, bend over trying to keep the back parallel to the ground and grasp your feet from the outside, reaching inside between your knees to do so. In this position, stick your tongue way out and do Breath of Fire through the mouth. 3 minutes. (start with 45 seconds and work your way up).
4. For the final five minute relaxation, sit in Easy Pose with your arms at shoulder height parallel to the ground, palms down, right arm resting on left while you breath very, very slowly; silently, mentally chanting: "Haree, Haree, Haree" on the inhalation, and silently, mentally changing: "Har, Har, Har" on the exhalation.
"Haree" calls upon the creative energy and "Har" is joining the God within and without.
This series is adapted from Harijot Kaur Khalsa's Kundalini yoga book, "Owner's Manual for the Human Body"
If you give this set a whirl let us know what you think. If you have any questions, Guru Jagat Kaur is standing by ready to answer any queries.
"I love this class," Erich Schiffmann tells about 40 of us who gathered at Exhale in Venice for a class called Free Form Yoga. "Free form means instead of me telling you what to do, you do what you've learned to do after doing what someone else told you to do." Sounds complicated but it's really quite simple; do whatever you feel like doing, just don't bug anyone else.
We start with a meditation and I'm immediately lulled into a calm state by Schiffmann's hypnotic, soothing voice. He's an unsung yoga hero here in Los Angeles with a loyal following among those who don't expect to see him on magazine covers or to release slick DVDs. Instead, he's a proponent of helping students find the teacher within which is exactly what we do while listening to an eclectic soundtrack that includes Bahramji-Sufi Safir, the Beatles, Roberta Flack, Eddie Vedder, Sinead O'Connor and yoga classics by Krishna Das and Jai Uttal.
The goal of all this? I’ll let Schiffmann explain it to you via the You Tubes because I’m not nearly as charming or entertaining.
All this to say, the class is liberating, fun and quite revealing.
Free Form class: last Wednesday of the month at Exhale Venice.
Poke around Schiffmann's website too. There's a swell community board with a wealth of information and lively exchanges.
Next week, Brent Kessel will be in Los Angeles reading from his new book, It’s Not About the Money: Unlocking Your Money Type to Achieve Spiritual and Financial Abundance.
Kessel, a wealth manager, has taken his financial wisdom, his interest in yoga and meditation and written a book to help people improve their relationship with money while offering up solutions to solve personal finance problems.
Money, he writes, is an easy target when we’re looking for the cause of discontent in our lives, and over the years he’s noticed certain behavior patterns – thus the money types – or eight archetypes of how people relate to and spend (or save) their money.
He covers everything from socially responsible investing, pearls of wisdom about money from people like Ram Dass and Thich Nhat Hanh as well exercises to change the way we feel about the old mighty buck.
On Thursday, April 3rd, he’ll be at Barnes and Noble in Santa Monica and on Friday April 4th, he’ll be at YogaWorks in Santa Monica.
Next week, Swedish electronica artist Naid (pronounced Noyd) will host a party to celebrate his new album Varanasi. Named after one of the oldest cities along the Ganges river, the record is an inspiring blend of sacred Sankrit chants with beats Naid perfected working with Pop artists like the Cardigans. The angelic vocals belong to G Ghayathri Devi, S Saindhavi and R Shruti, who also happen to be the female trio heard on the CD Holy Chants on Shiva & Shakti.
If you want to attend the party, get the details off Naid's website. In the meantime, here's a video from the album to give you a taste of what it's all about (love the elephants):
This weekend yoga therapists from all over the country are meeting in Los Angeles for the second annual SYTAR conference. It's a stellar gathering with therapists and researchers like Judith Hanson Lasater, Leslie Kaminoff, Sat Bir Khalsa, Nischala Devi, Gary Kraftsow and many more, all who will share their expertise using yoga in medical and therapeutic settings.
Better late than never because I'm told there are still some spaces available despite an expected 500-plus turnout. The program is broad -- covering everything from the healing power of mudra, to yoga for cardiac health, anxiety and depression. Add to that an exhibition hall and poster sessions that will showcase the latest in yoga therapeutic research.
And of course social events in the evening -- Ayurvedic master Swami Veda Bharati will speak about yoga therapy as spiritual liberation on Thursday night and on Saturday night there's a ho-down where country western caller Mike Bendavid will debut a line dance choreographed to one of Dave Stringer's Kirtan tracks that was commissioned exclusively for SYTAR 2008.
I'm not a vegan but I'm always happy to try new restaurants (and flavors). And Native Foods is the kind of ethnic, vegan diner that should sate a variety of palettes.
I went this week for lunch at the suggestion of power yoga teacher Vytas Baskauskas, who met me there so I could interview him for a Yoga Journal article I'm writing about addiction. We shared Moby burgers (think filet-o-fish sandwich) and because it's not on the menu, you'll have to ask for it.
For those seeking something a little more "healthy", there are hot bowls filled with steamed brown rice, veggies as well as tofu or tempeh toppings. Fans of veggie burgers won't be disappointed (with a side of chili cheese fries please) and there are a whole slew of snacks and apps -- fried treats like nachos, "save the chicken" wings and Indonesian Tempeh chips.
There are four Native Foods locations in So Cal (we went to the one in Westwood) and I'm hankering for a road trip to the desert where I can check-out Chef Tanya's original locale in Palm Springs.
"I hope this center becomes a Buddha Factory," said Noah Levine during the inaugural sitting at the new Against The Stream Buddhist Meditation Society. In his inimitable straight-talk manner he also told the 100-plus who had gathered, "Let's all wake the Fuck-up, clean the dust out of our eyes and see the world clearly...Let's respond to suffering engaged, with lovingkindness and compassion."
Best known for his recovery memoir Dharma Punx, Levine moved to Los Angeles a couple years ago (via New York and San Francisco) and has definitely impacted our sangha with his personal blend of 12-step wisdom, psychotherapy and, of course, Buddhism. Now with his own space in a classic Hollywood landmark building, he's sure to continue to spread his message of personal empowerment, not devotional worship.
I'm pleased to report that Levine's group will meet every Wednesday at 7:30. But please keep checking the website because I've also been told the programming will expand to include other meditation sittings, a cafe/bookstore and maybe even Yoga and Tai Chi. There are opportunities for anyone who wants to get involved. "This is our center, not my center," Levine said. "If you want something done, come and do it." Buddha.
Southern California is certainly the land of the nip and the tuck, so it's not that surprising to see this local newscast about a group of Laguna Beach women who are trying to stave off the signs of aging with Facelift Yoga.
Doesn't seem like the most relaxing way to pass an hour, with repetitive instructions like "blink, blink, blink, blink, blink" or "hold it, hold it, hold it...oh that lactic acid burn is just murder here." Facial aerobics anyone?
The classes are based on a technique that aesthetician Marie Veronique Nadeau outlined in her book, The Yoga Facelift but I do wonder about the efficacy of exercising facial muscles to keep the face firm and youthful. From what I understand about facial aging, it's mostly due to loss of volume (fat) and diminishing skin elasticity -- not sagging muscles. That said, ladies and gentlemen, if it makes you feel good, go for it. Because if you feel better, you're bound to look better too.
“Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants,” is how Michael Pollan opens his latest book “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto”. It’s a simple message but a poignant one especially for those of us who are interested in eating well and eating mindfully.
Lucky for us in Los Angeles, Pollan, a New York Times journalist who lives in Berkeley and authored the best-selling “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”, is speaking Monday night, February 11th, at the Central Library.
I profiled Pollan for the Los Angeles Times and he’s an engaging, funny guy who won’t fail to entertain and educate. I just read the preface of the new book and already I’m hooked by his musing about what he calls the “nutritional industrial complex” – i.e.: our willingness to abide by whatever nutrition trend is boosted by science and food marketers – and the resulting affliction of “orthorexia”. The latter a condition marked by an unhealthy obsession with eating healthy.
It’s fascinating stuff and as always a good read. And as he points out, when it comes to eating, making food selections based on ethics and the environment tend to be the healthiest choices after all.
According to VH1's new reality show "Celebrity Rehab", celebrities love to party but they just don't know when to stop. Enter Dr. Drew Pinsky who thinks the solution is to plunk a group of b-list stars into a Pasadena, California facility and give them all the support, therapy and yoga they need to stay sober.
It's the typical watch-a-train-wreck form of entertainment but Pinsky seems like a decent guy. And who can resist seeing a couple of porn stars thrown together with Brigitte Nielson, Daniel Baldwin and Jeff Conaway as they share group therapy, reveal their sad childhood tales and deal with the struggles of addiction?
Here's a clip from this week's episode featuring Los Angeles-yoga teacher Sara Ivanhoe as she helps Grease and Taxi star Jeff Conaway get relief from the debilitating back pain that has put him in a wheel chair.
For her part, Ivanhoe told me she's passionate about working with addicts and originally found her path to yoga while dealing with the substance abuse of her ex-fiance. A big part of her yoga and addiction plan involves breathing and working with apana vayu because she says, "coming off of any substance is not just a matter of will power. Drugs and alcohol are in your body....(and yoga) is an effective tool to cleanse and detoxify the body of addictive substances."
If you miss the show, no worries, it runs all time. Or set your digital recorder and see the first four episodes back to back.
Today’s Wall Street Journal has an enlightening article about southern California-native and NFL star Tony Gonzalez called The 247 Pound Vegan. Yet, the Wall Street Journal’s idea of vegan is a little strange. Halfway through the piece, it’s revealed that Gonzalez eats fish and chicken a few times a week. I ask: since when is salmon vegan?
The piece is well-reported and it discusses the challenges faced by pro athletes who want to say no to a training table piled high with steaks, eggs, sausage, chicken, and just about any other type of animal protein you can imagine. It even has video of Gonzalez making his favorite breakfast smoothie with spinach, carrots, berries and Brazilian Acai and a Q&A with a nutritionist about how to train on a vegan diet.
I’m not interested in dissing Gonzalez because, according to the article, he really wanted to do something healthy for himself and the planet. But apparently those 100-pound dumbbells he used to wield with ease became a scary challenge after being on a plant-based diet for a couple weeks. Nutritionists he consulted said just a little bit of animal protein would give him the amino acids, creatine and iron he needed to keep his career on track.
The bigger point to be made here is that those of us who are uber-athletes (and I don’t put myself in that category) have to be really mindful of what we eat in order to get the power we need to perform at our peak. Check out this Yoga Journal article that demonstrates how vegan athletes and Ashtanga yogis are making a plant-powered diet work for them.
Last weekend I attended Sara Ivanhoe’s Detox weekend workshop at Yoga Works. It was an intense sweaty affair that she characterized as “not for the meek.” The goal: to create heat and rid the body and the mind of impurities.
But her nurturing spirit and thoughtful sequencing enabled me to survive (and thrive) during two consecutive days of a grueling three hour practice that incorporated purging poses like squats, twists, pranayama (breath of fire) and lots and lots of vinyasa – all designed to work with a form of downward moving, eliminating, root chakra-based prana called Apana Vayu.
With an emphasis on exhales, the workshop was also about letting go and resolving to move forward into the new year with a sense of what serves us and what holds us back. She helped us clarify those resolutions with a mantra (om lam muladevatayae namah) that invoked the spirit of the root charka or the true self. She also threw in a detox mudra.
While I wished she would have varied the sequences from day to day, it was a relief and quite freeing to hear Ivanhoe say, ‘We’re not here to obsess on alignment, we’re here to tap into something deeper.”
Next weekend my friend Sarah Tomlinson will be in town from New York to lead an Ayurvedic yoga workshop at Liberation Yoga. Sarah is an inspiring teacher and a yantra artist who works with a series of 21 poses in the most extraordinary way. I promise you’ll leave feeling refreshed. She’s also leading a Yantra painting workshop on Sunday. Yet another way to practice sankalpa as this year starts to speed by.
Instead the writer went to Bikram Yoga College of India World Headquarters in Los Angeles and reported that during the class a gray-haired “lady” collapsed and an ambulance soon arrived on the scene.
I do have some friends who swear that when they regularly practice Bikram’s 26 poses in the 110 degree heated rooms of his studio, they get in incredible shape but for me, the heat just aggravates my pitta-leaning dosha. ( See this article I wrote for Yoga Journal about Ayurvedic doshas and yoga.)
Years ago, I interviewed Bikram and he told me celebrities like him because he yells at them and tells them the truth when everyone else tells them what they want to hear. That may be true, but this blustery style is probably also why he felt comfortable telling the L.A. Times repoter that the woman’s collapse wasn’t a big deal: “People get dehydrated. People feel dizzy. I warn them in advance,” he reportedly said.
This raises an obvious question: Collapsing in yoga class, is that the point?
While I’m not one to make New Year’s resolutions, this year I am going to try and check out yoga studios, classes and teachers that are new to me. After so many years of struggling to develop a home practice (and the effort has certainly paid off), I also find it inspiring to learn from different teachers in unfamiliar settings.
For those of you who also want to break out of your yoga habits and try something fresh, here are a few studios offering new student discounts or New Year’s specials.
Where: Dancing Shiva The Deal: Unlimited Monthly for $95 includes unlimited classes, store discount, bottled water & towels for each class. Two Weeks Unlimited Yoga for $33. Offers for first time students only through January 21st. Why: Dancing Shiva founder Mas Vidal is an ayurvedic yoga teacher and counselor (a disciple of David Frawley). Anyone interested in the union between Yoga and Ayurveda should try these unusual classes.
Where:City Yoga The Deal: 40 days of consecutive yoga for $140 dollars through the end of January. Why: City Yoga is a welcoming community with a beautiful space to practice Anusara Yoga. A good place for beginners and advanced students.
Where: Liberation Yoga The Deal: 10 classes for $95 for new students only. Why: Founded by Christine Burke and Gary McCleery – both veterans of the world of yoga and theatre arts, Liberation is an authentic studio offering a variety of classes – Iyengar, Ashtanga, Flow, Restorative, etc.
Where:Santa Monica Yoga The Deal: 3 classes for $30 or 30 days unlimited for $50 for new students only. Why: A genuine neighborhood studio offering diverse classes from popular teachers like Julian Walker, as well as mother and child “play date” classes, gentle therapeutic yoga, kundalini, Yin yoga and kids yoga.
'Tis the week to imbibe and for easy (and organic) entertaining, try Modmix -- handcrafted, luxurious cocktail mixers created right here in Los Angeles. You can savor varieties like the french martini (pineapple, rasberry with a hint of lemon), a pomegranate cosmopolitan and my personal favorite, lavender lemon drop.
Just add the alcohol of your choice (and the Modmix website has all kinds of fun recipes) or for a great virgin alternative, use sparkling water for a refreshing and delicious soda concoction. But the real recipe: good friends and lots of laughter.
When it comes to New Year’s Eve, you may consider ringing it in at Liberation Yoga as they present their second annual New Year’s Eve Practice and Celebration.
The all-levels class is from 10 p.m. to midnight and it will include salutations to the New Year’s Eve
Moon, meditation, pranayama, champagne and chocolate.
As the flyer says: “No need to find the perfect dress, no worries over the “big moment” no falling asleep on the couch while the ball drops – just some good clean fun and a healthy glow for the first bright and shiny moments of 2008!”
When the world takes the day off for the holiday, the streets are empty, parking is aplenty and the calm after the holiday preparation storm is an ideal time to unwind and refresh with yoga.
Even though most studios are closed for Christmas, a few are offering holiday classes. Here’s a quick list to make sure your Christmas day yoga class shopping is completely stress-free:
Conscious consumerism is a bit of an oxymoron, especially during the holidays. This time of year I find it hard to reconcile my desire to buy and possess with my desire to be mindful and leave a smaller footprint. But it also can be fun (or stressful) to find gifts for friends and family.
Next weekend the first ever Eco Gift Expo at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium will be an alternative to mall madness as 150 eco-friendly companies present their wares all in one place. It also sounds like a fun afternoon. I’m told there will be organic chocolate, an organic food court, musicians, minstrels, and a gift-wrapping booth offered by the Los Angeles Times (recycled newspapers for gift paper, of course). The details: Saturday and Sunday December 15 and 16 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. $10 tickets on-line, $15 at the door, kids under 12, free.
And for those interested in taking mindfulness beyond shopping, this Sunday Sylvia Boorstein will lead a workshop at Loyola Marymount University sponsored by Insight L.A. The afternoon of teachings will be from Sylvia’s new book “Happiness is an Inside Job: Practicing for a Joyful Life.”
I just got a copy of the book and it’s easy-to-read and offers useful ideas like equanimity is sometimes just a reminder away and bad feelings just aren’t good for you. It’s also refreshingly candid as Boorstein admits that even after 30 years of meditating, she still gets mired in the trappings of unskillful thoughts. Good things to know as the holidays heat up.
This morning I met Jim Walsh for a cup of coffee and as he began to tell me about his Los Angeles-based company Intentional Chocolate, it made me wonder why it is that food cooked with care and love tastes so good. After all, there’s nothing more delicious than chicken soup made especially for someone with a cold, or home-baked chocolate chip cookies received as a gift.
I think we all know intuitively that intentions can make or break an experience. With that in mind, Walsh set out to infuse his new chocolate line with a very specific intention: “Whomever consumes this chocolate will manifest optimal health and function at physical, emotional and mental levels, and in particular will enjoy an increased sense of energy, vigor and well being.”
But Walsh, a successful businessman who has launched several products and companies (including Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate, which was the first to grow cacao domestically), took this idea one step further. He literally enlisted monks from the Deer Park Buddhist Center in Wisconsin (including the venerable Geshe Sopa), and had them use their powers of meditation to “imprint” this intention into his products.
Then, with the help of Dean Radin, a scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, he conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled experiment that proved the mood elevating properties of chocolate were enhanced by this intention and published the findings in the peer-reviewed publication Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing.
This afternoon I drank a cup of Intentional Dark Hot Chocolate and enjoyed the hint of vanilla and cinnamon in the warm elixir. I felt good knowing 10 percent of net proceeds from sales of International Chocolate will go to the Deer Park Buddhist Center and it was fun to think that eating Intentional truffles or baking with Intentional pistoles would not only make me feel good, it might just spread a little joy.
The holiday season has officially arrived and in the coming weeks there are so many great activities to choose from that I thought I’d keep you up to date and let you choose from this embarrassment of riches.
Krishna Das is coming to town, gracing Yogaworks on Larchmont with his awesome voice and Kirtan leadership from Friday Nov. 30th through Sunday Dec. 2nd. The weekend program also includes a three-hour workshop on Sunday, complete with musical accompaniment, stories about his Guru (Neem Karoli Baba), readings, teachings and intimate discussions.
Dave Stringer, with his more modern Kirtan arrangements/inspirations (sometimes even with a pop music twist), will be at the Goldenbridge on December 8th -- sure to be a fun way to spend a Saturday night.
And for those interested in meditation, don’t miss Sylvia Boorstein’s December 9th workshop at Loyola Marymount University sponsored by Insight L.A. The afternoon of mindfulness practice and teachings will be from Sylvia’s new book “Happiness is an Inside Job: Practicing for a Joyful Life.”
Finally, on Saturday December 8th you can help celebrate B.K.S. Iyengar’s 89th birthday at the Iyengar Institute with a “movie night”. The evening will feature excerpts from different historical periods in Guruji’s life, commentary and, of course the master performing asana.
It’s underground. It’s rough. It’s roving. That’s how Marc Holzman characterizes his Guerilla Yoga – donation only mixed-level Anusara classes that take place wherever he can find a space big enough to accommodate his loyal students.
It started as a solution for wayward yoga orphans abandoned when two local studios ceased to be. (First Ross Rayburn’s Yoga Inside Out merged with Bala Yoga and then the latter closed too). “I thought just because the studios no longer existed didn’t mean the community had to disband,’ says Holzman, who is the kind of guy you want to hang out with, like a hip, gay Uncle.
So he borrowed the donation-only model of Bryan Kest, his first yoga teacher, who has been teaching such classes in Santa Monica for years. He got a couple of friends to join him – Tiffany Fraser and Acro Yogi Huck Hirsch – and created a teacher collective without the hassles that come with running a yoga studio. Students need only to log-on to the website to find out where and when.
Right now, there are at least three weekly classes and they take place either at the Hollywood Dance Center (an old-fashioned dance studio replete with well worn wood floors and hip hop classes in the next room) or at the Woman’s Club of Hollywood (the building is a historic landmark and has been home to this group of ladies since the late 1940s). Both have ample parking and offer-up an inspired spaces for no frills classes.
One recent Sunday morning at the Hollywood Dance Center, about 40 people showed up for Holzman’s 9:15 a.m. class including a few moms with kids, a photographer from one of the local yoga magazines and everyone was happy to give urdhva kukktuasana a whirl. Those in town for the holiday shouldn’t miss Fraser’s two hour Thanksgiving day class and be sure to check the website for future updates.
