Michael Franti was not initially on the bill at the YJ Conference, but I'm glad that was changed about two weeks ago when his friends, yoga power couple Nicki Doane and Eddie Modestini, proposed that the three of them helm a class together on opening night. Even with only two weeks notice, the line for the event tonight was out the door and around the ground floor of the building.

Nicki and Eddie taught while Michael played his unique blend of happy yoga soul music. The ballroom was filled to capacity, and Nicki and Eddie walked the classroom moving us through an alignment-based flow class, while Michael and his awesome sidekick, guitarist Jay Bowen, played background tunes on stage.

I would say the room was about 80 percent women (not sure if that's the general makeup of the conference, or if it had more to do with dreamy Mr. Franti being the main act ...). At the end of the practice Michael and Jay gave a short show, jamming out crowd favorites like "I Love You" and "One Step Closer". Oh, and I almost forgot, MC Yogi made a surprise appearance. (Ganesh is fresh, yo!)

Best part (apart from Jay's insane guitar solo, wow) was this: The girl practicing next to me bought the ticket for the event because her regular Friday night class had been canceled. She didn't know who Michael Franti was. Boy, was she in for a treat!

Posted by Karen Macklin on January 16, 2009 10:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you've ever seen Michael Franti perform, you know that the event at the YJ conference on Friday night is going to be great. Franti will be giving musical accompaniment to a class led by Nikki Doane and Eddie Modestini. Last year, at the YJ Conference, was the first time I saw him perform live and I loved it: soulful and get-up-and-dance all at once. I'm curious to see what it will be like doing yoga to his tunes. If you are interested in going, check out this link. I'll be writing about the event, too, on Friday night. Hope to see you there!

Posted by Karen Macklin on January 13, 2009 08:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Eddie Modestini has been teaching yoga since 1983. He is certified in Iyengar Yoga, and has received Pattabhi Jois' blessing to teach Ashtanga Yoga. He is well versed in both systems, with an eye for detail and a profound ability in reading students' bodies. Eddie lives in Sebastopol, CA with his wife and teaching partner, Nicki Doane. They codirect Maya Yoga Studios in both CA and Maui, HI.

View Eddie's Classes
http://www.yjevents.com/yjevents/sf09/teacher_modestini.php

Posted by Alan Zucker on January 12, 2009 11:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)