MahaMondo

Saul David Raye : Ananda Ritam Kirtan

Ananda is bliss in Sanskrit & ritam is the cosmic rythm , the basis of yoga and all flows of energy. Exhale Venice's kirtans are  MAHA events. I've attended previous ones with Bhagavan Das & Dave Stringer , and the river of BHAKTI always flows freely in the Surya room.

Last night, Saul David Raye, along with members of Shaman's Dream had an inaugural event to benefit Shanti House LA. It is a non-profit Seva organization whose goal is to empower and involve the local healing community to provide food, healing services, education & yoga to the homeless, at-risk youth and those in need in our community.

Saul has incredible energy & depth as a teacher, kirtan wala & healer; and @ the kirtan he got everyone to open their hearts & minds. The MAHA MANTRA never fails to unlock the anahata chakra.Haribol ! It is appropriate that Shiva Nataraj lords it over the Exhale Studio space as teachers like Shiva Rea & Saul affirm the cosmic dance.

To sign up, you can email your contact info. to seva@shantihousela.org .

Jerome Mercier : Bon Anniversaire & Juice Fast : Day 2

Jerome Mercier, like most of my teachers, has excellent taste in music & surfs. However, being a classicist, you will only catch a preview of his play list @ the beginning & end of his classes ala Radio Nova Paris.

Today being his 37th Bday, he marked it by calling out 37 ( 38 counting the  final left side ) Virabhadrasana I vinyasa "en Francaise".

As I am on the 2nd day of a juice fast (TAPAS), I was feeling LIGHT, both mentally, spiritually & physically. So light, I woke up @ 5 AM; yup , was able to put in some meditation quality time.Had to take it easy during class though as the sweat was pouring more profusely (  AMA , toxins, etc ) than usual. And a sign that the 21st CE is def the Kali Yuga, several of Jerome's devoted students had set their mobile phones to go off during class with random ring tone variations of Happy Bday; which was funny the 1st couple of times but a yogic challenge after that esp. during balancing asanas.

Props to Virginia for organizing the packed house to celebrate & have chai, bagels & muffins after class. As I mentioned to her on the way out the door,

" Sorry, I'm fasting". Thanks for understanding -

Which brings me to when I was in JogJakarta several years back hanging out @ my friend Evin O's factory during the tail end of RAMADAN, and having to "sympathy fast" with all of them until sundown.

Via modern communication technology, my mentor, Vytas B.,blackberry'd the parameters of the 3 day juice fast  & I have been able to provide progress reports via CrackBerry as well.

Sante' & merci millefois Jeromeji. I'll toast you with a Kombucha instead of a Kir Royale -

Image via www.imagined-community.net .

David Byck : Kathmandu

Our friend,David Byck, is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He recently sent this update in :

David here from Malaysia. I just returned from a yoga retreat in
Kathmandu, Nepal. What a beautiful city. So full of wonderful temples
that vibrate with its history. One could spend a lifetime there
without regret.

We also had the opportunity to take a small plane and fly around Mount Everest. That in itself was a moment I did not expect. If you ever have the opportunity to visit …

Additionally, an update for this region, www.yogainasia.com is organising the YOGA CONFERENCE, MALAYSIA 2007 which takes place from 8th – 11th November. Dharma Mittra, John Scott, Max Strom and Kali Ray are some of the teachers/speakers who will be in attendance. It is a unique opportunity which I would highly recommend.

Asia is undergoing a "Yoga Boom" as the residents endeavor to balance the stressful effects of globalization & market capitalism. Yoga, with its heritage of teachers as resources , speaks to the traditional & filial references of Asians. This unlike what  I have observed here in the US , where some take the saying " The teacher is within " too literally without any proper training -

Global Mala LA 2007 Video : Cheb I Sabbah

Via cyr12330: Cheb I Sabbah & Shiva Rea got everyone trance dancing, shakti baby.... & Big ups PRANAM to Gina Robins of the Global Mala Volunteer Crew for the MAHA Gratitude email today -

Global Mala Los Angeles 2007 Video : Lorincha AKA Lokanath

Here's Lorin's vid ; Lokanath is his Ananda Marga gifted name. Shiva Rea & Dona Delory had everyone up on their feetand rocking . Chris, the stage manager , was holding on to one of the lighting towers as more peeps kept on jumping onstage. ANANDA !

Global Mala Project 2007 Los Angeles

Om Namah  Shivaya, Jai Ma & much gratitude x 108 to Shiva Rea,Saul David Raye , Michael Bernard Beckwith of Agape, Seane Corn, Donna Delory, Emmy award winner Jeremy "Journey of a Lifetime" Piven, Daphne Tse, Dhyana, Volunteer Crew leaders  Gina Robins, Paul ( Hala Khouri's better half ) , Stephanie & Catherine , my posse : Marisa, Luis "El Babalau" & Damian , Anthony, Kasey & Chris from YogaMates (apologies for not making the after party), Carmena & James from Yoga Tribe & Culture.

MAHA shout out & namaskar to the contingent from SMPY :Govindas & Radha, Rudy Mettia, Vytas Baskauskas, Andres, Sara & Marcus of YogiChocolate, Dermot and Lorin AKA Lokanath, thanks for sharing your pics & video -

Skipped out on DJ Cheb I Sabbah as we were famished & headed over to Bloom Cafe on Pico for dinner . Had an impromptu reunion with owner & DJ Jean Louis Bartoli, a good friend from back in the day , when his bar / bistro Louis XIV on La Brea was the epicenter of cool along with the after hours club La Vie En Rose. Jean Louis is now a proponent of organic & delicious food +  yoga. Salut & merci , we'll see you again soon.

Costa Yoga : John Sahakian

Here's John Sahakian practicing Surya Namaskar A prior to shredding with his shortboard in Costa Rica. You can also catch him @ Exhale Venice or Black Dog Yoga Sherman Oaks .

Reveillon 2008 : Ipanema

Muchas gracias to MK & GK , AKA my parents, who have generously sponsored another family reunion in Santa Monica then onwards to IPANEMA. I am stoked to usher in Reveillon ( New Year 2008 ) on the beach & ask for blessings from IEMANJA.

Fiesta de Gracias : Denise Kaufman & Dave Stringer / Lisa Walford Iyengar

Denise Kaufman & Dave Stringer are hosting " Fiesta de Gracias " , a 4 day Thanksgiving retreat @ the Haramara Retreat in Mexico.

Expect to enjoy days full of surfing , yoga and chanting in Haramara, 40 miles north of Puerto Vallarta.

I've met both Denise & Dave ; their energy , insights and SADHANA will definitely rock your world.

* Aloha and anandaste , thanks for the great email Denise -

And this morning was another special day as my MENTOR invited me to practice @ Lisa Walford's Iyengar class .

Lisa is an amazing resource , and as I commented to my teacher after the class , Iyengar appeals to folks like myself who have a streak of OCD.  As a senior Iyengar instructor, she knows of what she teaches . I thought she had calibration calipers on her eyeballs as she could detect everyone's alignment in the crowded studio. Am now inspired to use a strap in order to take Pincha Mayurasana, Bakasana, Urdhva Danurasana and company to the next level.

Having read BKSIyengar's Light on Yoga several times, it was definitely an enhancement to learn from a teacher who has studied with him for a while. Being a bit of a "classicist" in practice now, I appreciate the fact that she leads the class through the Sanskrit invocations and talks about the asanas and the body as shrines  ( the architecture of the asana ) that are akin to visits on a pilgrimage. Awesome analogy.

YogiChocolate : Download Sweetness & Light

If you are abstaining from  sugar as part of TAPAS like I am or have been comforted ( I had a bad sprain & it was throbbing like crazy) by listening to Gurmukh's Aquarian Sutras inflight, then downloading SWEETNESS & LIGHT via YogiChocolate will be another avenue to access these experiences.

Here's what Sara & Marcus LeVere, founders of YC, have to say:

www.YogiChocolate.com is the latest way to "get your yoga on." This donation-based website allows you to download audio yoga classes, guided meditation, and kirtan chanting from teachers around the world. The kicker here is that you pay what you wish. It doesn't matter if you donate $1 or
$20, you keep the downloaded audio file for life knowing that your donation
is directly benefiting the teachers.

There are currently 21 YogiChocolate teachers featured and growing every
week. The majority of Bryan Kest's Santa Monica Power Yoga roster is
available including Bryan himself, Ally Hamilton, Govindas, and more,
sprinkled with an eclectic mix of other world-renowned teachers and studio
owners from the East Coast, Asia, Mexico, and South America. Desiree
Bartlett, Darlene D'Arezzo, Daniel Stewart, David Romanelli, Yeye, Leah Kim, Carly Cummings, Jay Co, the list
goes on. Whether you want to sweat like crazy or just feel a nice stretch
and clear your mind, it's all there, including classes in Spanish and for
kids. It's clear that the marriage of yoga and technology has arrived.

You can register in less than one minute and download a class in just a few
clicks.

To all you teachers, this is time-location freedom. A class can be recorded
and posted to the site from anywhere, whether on a retreat in Thailand or in
a regularly scheduled class. You own full rights to your recordings and have the option
to post and remove your classes whenever you want to. YogiChocolate is a
simple and effective way for you to get your voice heard and spread the JOY
OF YOGA. Contact info@yogichocolate.com for more details.

JAI MA , Sara & Marcus. Let me know when you  guys are ready for the MahaMondo picks -

( Pics are of Sara & Marcus, Esther Galbraith, Sophie Holt, Preeta Carlson, Kalimba Bennett & Rocky Heron " Ujayiing to their  IPods" )