MahaMondo

The Shortlist : Santa Monica / Venice Cali & Darlene D' Arezzo's Family Yoga Retreat

New York yogini & blogger Minka emailed saying she enjoyed the shortlist I had generated previously for the L.E.S , NYC. As she commented, " Are you sure you don't live here?"  Nope , I just get around , heh heh . So Minka requested a similar list for SaMo / Venice. Keep in mind that a visitor will need to rent a vehicle or bicycle to move around . That's how we roll :

LODGING : The best thing to do would be to crash with friends in order to capture the whole flavah of the hood. In lieu of that, there's the newly renovated Oceana on Ocean Ave. or if you can swing a room on an upper floor @ the Viceroy to escape the disco inferno by the pool in the evenings, go for it.

MIND, BODY & SPIRIT : My other home on the Westside, SMPY East & West , or YogaWorks & Exhale Venice .

Check out the sunset @ Palisades Park , climb the Adelaide Steps or rent a board & wipe out @ Sunset Beach or Topanga (watch out for the locals).

EAT & MEET: Now that I am on a vegetarian regime & don't imbibe alcohol, Real Food Daily, Rosti ( arugula & parmiggiano salad), Pradeeps ( dal & curries ), Rock & Roll Toi on Wilshire ( vegetarian Thai siu mai, Tofu Pad  Thai ) & Fred Segal Comfort Cafe' are my new best amigos.

In another incarnation, you could catch me @ Border Grill ( el mejor Mexican & still hot after all these years) , Musha ( Izakaya & Social Club) , The Other Room Venice ( I'll have a mineral water now, please ) & the Sunset Sessions @ Casa del Mar  .

The Farmers Markets on the Promenade & Main St. in the early hours to avoid the hordes.

RETAIL THERAPY : Fred Segal  will always be THE place for both locals & tourists. A one stop shop ; their once a year sale happens end of Sept. Horizons on Main St. for surfboards & boardies, UNDFTD & WARAKU for kicks & Japanese denim. While on Abbott Kinney, stop by Strohs Gourmet & load up on paninis, chips & more.Props to Jason Stroh for endeavoring to keep the street REAL & leading the anti-Pinkberry campaign.

Hennessey & Ingalls for browsing & inspiration.You are sure to peep one of the more intelligent members of the Hollywood A List actually paying for books here.

*I am looking forward to Minka's post on Manorama's upcoming seminar. Manorama is a Sanskrit scholar & conducts workshops @ Jivamukti .

** It was great bumping into fellow yogi & friend Lorin on the way home from Jerome's class this morning. Welcome back from Portugal & perhaps I'll see you Sunday AM -

*** And here are the details on Darlene D' Arrezo's upcoming Family Yoga Retreat :

Joshua Tree National Park September 28-30, 2007

What's included:
Family Yoga, Rock Climbing with World Class Guides (all gear included),
Healthy Gourmet Meals & Treats, Camp Fires, S'mores, Drum Circles, Outdoor
Games & More for the Whole Family!

Yoga and/or Rock Climbing Experience Not Necessary!

Space is Limited - Early Registration Recommended.  Families need to bring
camping gear (tent, sleeping bags, etc).

Adults $325; Kids $225; Sibling Discount $200
Non-climbing Kids $150; Kids 3 & under: Free
Registration Deadline September 18. Contact : darlene@kidsyogacircle.com

Here's to a MAHA Labor Day Weekend -

Image  of 1935 Vintage Samo postcard via www.legendsofamerica.com

John Sahakian : A Breathing Practice

" Breath awareness is the primary foundation for meditation, yoga & connecting with the Divine , our deepest Self ."

John Sahakian is a certified breathing therapist & has trained in stress management. He had his epiphany on breath therapy while listening to a breathing specialist on local SaMo station KCRW . John was originally on track with an acting career , but he started practicing yoga @ Sacred Movement Venice and eventually undertook teacher training with and moved on to assisting SHIVA  REA & SAUL DAVID RAYE. With these MENTOR influences,the RASA of his 6 PM Saturday class @ Exhale Venice is characterized by a vinyasa flow with an emphasis on the movement of the breath via UJJAYI.

John monitors & adjusts the shape of the ASANA and encourages students to breathe into the shape. As mentioned in a previous post , he is my "go to guy" for PRANAYAM , and he has definitely made me conscious of generating the same duration & texture of IN BREATH vs. OUT BREATH. I am starting to visualize the flow of the breath. And like some of my favorite teachers who reference a classical style, he is well versed in Sanskrit terminology.

A lot has been put forward by US yoga instructors & bloggers on the notion that one should not subscribe to a specific ASANA SHAPE. "Just feel the ASANA." The traditional philosophy behind ASANA & Vinyasa is to open the NADHIS & let that PRANA flow, not to "look a certain way", a typical Western mindset. How can a newcomer " feel the ASANA" if they don't know the BASICS of the  asana ? So, teachers like John who are hands-on , i.e. demo  vinyasas & perform ADJUSTMENTS are MAHA resources.

If you want to let go of that work week stress, learn & BREATHE, check out John's schedule @ Exhale Venice or Black Dog Yoga.

* It was a HOMECOMING of sorts @ Ashley Turner's class this evening.She is currently on retreat in Costa Rica , so Marc Lewis was ably subbing for her. Marc was my OG  teacher / first yoga class @ SMPY. He was stoked to see me practicing tonight. When I went to give him "Big Ups" & PRANAM after class , I reminded him that it has been over 5 years since I almost passed out , heh heh, at that 1 PM class.

" Has it been that long ? "

Jerome Mercier : Dawn Patrol

Dawn patrol  is surfer code for paddling out @ the break before sunrise. I still have great memories of Zeros in Malibu and Canggu Bali in the mist (and cold ). As has been riffed on this blog several times , yoga & surfing are soulmates. Peep out  Shiva Rea longboarding on Sunset Beach, Eoin Finn in Vancouver and Quiksilver's ongoing collab series with YogaWorks.

Jerome Mercier can mos def shred it , but he's a MAHA yogi   first & foremost. His new 6 AM class on Sundays @ the East Studio is the best opportunity to quite literally " SURYA NAMASKAR A & B ".

He counts Sri Pattabhi Jois & Jorgen Christiansson as teachers, so there is a marked Ashtanga influence in his classes.Jerome takes ALIGNMENT seriously and is hands on with ADJUSTMENTS ;all to get the PRANA flowing through the nadhis and reap the benefits of the asana. He emphasizes moving to the rythmn of the breath via UJJAYI. I most appreciate his calling the asanas in SANSKRIT . By doing so, that motivates a student like myself to do more research on the specific asana ( via Light on Yoga,heh heh ) and the philosophy behind it.

And there must be a subliminal "NON-COMPETE CLAUSE" undercurrent among his students . A couple of my primary teachers' classes have grown, bless them, but the newcomers seem to be have brought their COMPETITIVE baggage along with them. At Jerome's class, regular practitioners know that he will call a random and advanced asana, EKA PADA GALAVASANA , mais oui?

The cool part is that he will break the asana down , so it eventually becomes accessible & achievable.

I used to look forward to invites by my teacher to attend one of Jerome's weekday 7 AM classes with trepidation. Just thinking about the sheer physical  challenge and early hour would get me sweating. Now that I have "gotten serious" , it has become something I look forward to.

The pic of Cyndra & Jerome above was taken after last Sunday's class. You can check out his schedule @ www.poweryoga.com.

Arthur Klein : Yogic Test

There are times that we look forward to something with so much anticipation,and it is precisely @ that moment that the Universe plays a COSMIC JOKE on us.. 

That is what happened to Arthur Klein & his saga of what can now be termed a  " 4 DAY TEACHER TRAINING". As I had mentioned earlier in the course of this blog, Arthur , was  excited to finally participate in Bryan Kest's Training in Maya Tulum. However, due to a force of nature called Hurricane Dean, all good intentions were called off & logistically in shambles. Cancun was devastated by Hurricane Wilma in 2005, so Bryan did not want to put anyone at risk.

Long story short, Arthur was stranded in Mexico for a total of 4 days. Since it was a touch & go crisis situation involving the airlines, lodging, luggage, film equipment , etc. , he termed the ordeal " 4 Days of Meditation in Motion". The BLESSING that did manifest itself was that mobile phones were working and he was able to keep in constant communication with Bryan.

Back in Santa Monica, as Arthur was narrating the story, he mentioned that there were a couple of lessons to be gleaned from all this . It was all about SURRENDER, of yourself & your possessions . And that everyone was a STUDENT during this experience.

However, you won't see his name popping up as a teacher in any of the local studios as of yet. That will have to wait until he completes Teacher Training with Bryan same time in 2008. I photographed Arthur K. by the flyer board of the East Studio where his journey began in 2001,in CHIN MUDRA, just to seal the deal.

I did mention to Arthur in passing that I was thinking of enrolling in Jivamukti's 2008 Training . Have not inserted the word "Teacher" here as I don't feel that is my role or direction. Am more into the experience in order to imbibe in the light of Sharon, David & Manorama + learn from them. Ever the student , Arthur's retort to me was, " Do you want a roommate ? When is it? "

Jai Ma !

Ashley Turner : Om Mani Padme Hum

I've been practicing & learning with Ashley Turner for over 5 1/2 years now. When I first started yoga , her 1 PM time slot was perfect for folks like myself who had too much fun the night before. Her classes have always been informed by a cereberal quality , not to say that they are not physically challenging either. With teachers like Baba Hari Das, Shiva Rea, Bryan Kest & influences from Jivamukti Yoga, she inspires with tradition, spirituality & bhakti. And I can attest that she hardly repeats herself -

Monday evening's TAPAS were hotter than usual as the crew & lights from Monthly Yoga DVD were on hand to record a LIVE CLASS . To use Ashley's intro.,  straight from the vortex , Santa Monica , to the rest of the world.  I am one of those who sweat buckets, so I felt like I was swimming in my boardies halfway through. An insight that Ashley brought up during the course of the evening's journey was the concept of purification , one which I can relate to @ present. Physical & spiritual practice will peel through the outer layers or KOSHAS and reveal the " Jewel Within the Lotus "  ( Om Mani Padme Hum , which was being chanted in the background via CD ). Not unlike eating an artichoke ...

And I am stoked to know that my friend Marisa Y. has completed her stint @ rehab and is working on improving her karma by studying under Gurmukh Kalsa Khaur @ Golden Bridge . Stay focused & SAT NAM -

* Muchas gracias to Joyce G. for sending the link from today's NY Times : Between Poses, a Barrage of Pick-up Lines aka Picking Up in a Yoga Class.

“If you’re going to a yoga studio to pick up girls, or boys for that matter, you’re not doing yoga,” said Lama Sumati Marut, 54, president of the Yoga Studies Institute in Tucson.

Yoga, done seriously, is a discipline designed to achieve enlightenment in this lifetime, he said.

Needless to say, not everyone who drops into a yoga class is on a spiritual path. Consider the women at Yoga Works in Midtown Manhattan who can’t help flirting with Steve Eisenberg, much to his delight. “It’s a very social environment,” said Mr. Eisenberg, 38, a consultant who helps companies create digital media.

“They’ll say, ‘I’ve seen you around,’ and start chatting,” added Mr. Eisenberg, who is single and said he enjoys the attention.

Spot on Lama Sumati, is nothing sacred ? Let's save it for Pinkberry in NoLita or Whole Foods Bowery heh, heh

Agatha Glowacki : Jivamukti Teacher Training

Jivamukti Yoga's emphasis on BHAKTI as one of the quickest channels to SAMADHI has always resonated with me. So with this in mind, it was serendipity to stumble upon Agatha Glowacki's blog chronicles on her recent teacher training & graduation.

As I have been posting  recently regarding teachers, here's an excerpt from Agatha's blog on the subject :

It doesn't matter what type of teacher you have in your life, but what matters and will determine whether you achieve LIBERATION is your DEVOTION to that teacher. It is actually your job as the student to make the teacher enlightened by seeing them as already enlightened. Likewise, it is the duty of the teacher to see the students as holy beings, thus making them so.

However, according to Yogi Sri Krishnamacharya (the grandfather of most of the styles of yoga in the West), three things will make a good yoga teacher:

• connection to lineage: the teacher should aways acknowledge their own teachers, have studied with their teachers personally and been blessed by them to teach
• practice: the teacher should have a consistent, daily SADHANA practice which informs their own teachings and keeps them fresh and grounded
• sincere love of others: the teacher must really care about other people and want them to be happy; the student-teacher relationship must be founded on pure, unconditional love

David and Sharon are great examples of all three of these qualities. Their tireless attention to their students is always infused with great love and joy, their perfection of yoga comes from their continued experimentation and study, and they always acknowlege and bless their holy gurus. Who are the Jivamukti holy gurus? These are Jivamukti's three holy teachers:

1. Swami Nirmalananda
2. Shri K. Pattabhi Jois
3. Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati

* Another key component of Jivamukti's Teacher Training Program is the assignment of a MENTOR for each trainee.

** I've been asked via email as to the reason for my using SANSKRIT  liberally in these posts. It's a personal belief that just like in NADA YOGA, Sanskrit is imbued with incredible energy. Using an analogy from a time when I could eat anything, it would be akin to asking a top sushi chef for OMAKASE , and getting respect & perhaps the freshest fish flown in from Tsukiji Market vs. a California Roll.

Jivamukti Yoga : A Harmonic Convergence in Union Square

Via the New York Times article on the conscious scene in Union Square NYC aka "The Wheatpacking District": “It’s the yoga haven of New York City,” he said, ticking off a few of the dozen major studios and schools located there, like Om Yoga, Prana Power, Bikram and Jivamukti. “The energy field around Union Square is one of the best places around New York City,” Mr. Tanner said. “There’s a lot of happiness here.”

Ally Hamilton : Mommy & Me Class ( y Papa Tambien )

Ally Hamilton's classes have always been marked by a "for reals" point-of-view. I've had the opportunity to experience her RASA a couple of times she subbed for Ashley Turner .

As the saying goes, necessity is the MOTHER of all invention ,  and being a new Mom , Ally  has synthesized her passions for teaching and motherhood.

"After I had my son nine months ago, I went all over town searching for a Mommy and Me class where I could bring my baby, and also actually practice and sweat. What I found were many beautiful classes where I pretty much sat on my mat the whole time and sang to my baby, which I do at home for free without the hassle of driving somewhere, parking and paying $15 to take class.

Anyway, I turned my regular morning class into a Mommy and Me, so Mon/Wed/Fri at 11am : SMPY WEST ( www.poweryoga.com ), there's a regular donation power yoga class going on with lots of babies crawling all over the room. It's chaos, but there's also such a beautiful, nurturing energy in the room, and all these people dedicated to finding some peace in the midst of all that chaos."

"And, there are a handful of people who come without babies and practice with us regularly, which I think is extemely cool. We also have Daddies, so I don't think you'd be the only guy in the room, although it could happen."

These are progressive times & LA is a center for creative, work-at-home Dads; so this is definitely a window to get out of the house , practice & instill good vibes & karma from the get go -

I'd also like to thank one of my favorite relatives Toby T. ( Nom de Guerre " El Nino " on MySpace ) for mentioning me as one of his HEROES. It's a MAHA honor considering I was more a nightlife mentor to you in a previous incarnation. Will endeavor to live up to it and perhaps move on up to MIRACLE WORKER . And yes, we will run with the bulls ( Vamos ya ! ) in Pamplona soon.

Vytas Baskauskas : 12 Hr. Guided Meditation

As a teacher, Vytas Baskauskas , has been responsible for not only tuning up my relationship with the  HATHA aspect of yoga but  also emphasizing the importance of MEDITATION as an integral component of regular practice.

He recently took a Saturday off from teaching in order to participate in a 12 hr. guided meditation session with Chi Gong Master George Falcon. George Falcon is considered one of the "ENLIGHTENED" and a retreat such as this  conducted by him is a rare event. Taken as a group activity, guided meditation generates a tremendous amount of energy & focus.

The session was universal in the sense that it involved principles of Buddhism, Taoism, Chi Gong and the chakras. It was broken down into 11 1 hr. meditation sessions with an hour's break for lunch. Every hour started with a chant : " I, I am, I am like spirit , I am not  _____ " , which was repeated 20 times. The chant was all about reinforcing the energy ( prana or chi ) behind the body, the self. After the chant, there was 15 min. of anapana seated meditation , then awareness & alignment of the chakras and 45-50 minutes of visualization, which was different for every segment , eg. love, health,success-

At the close of each hour, the group would stand in a circle, left hand receiving from the person to the left, right hand giving to the neighbor on the right.

And as an exercise , Vytas thought that one of the most important concepts was "There is no self." Additionally, coming from the perspective of a yoga teacher, is the realization that when one experiences discomfort or even pain, the physical  body "is not me". This would correspond to what are traditionally termed the higher "koshas" or sheaths.

Powerful indeed to step away for a day to experience & learn , and pass on the insight & knowledge to his students.

Sting : Pre-Show Yoga Turkey 1993

Rare footage of Sting practicing in 1993 . Check out the very audible UJAYII in the background. Jerome made us do the same variation of EKAPADASANA this morning.