MahaMondo

Agustin Aguerreberry : Partner Yoga

I am just back from a long day in the OC ( Orange County ) , and since the AcroYoga vids were such a hit, here is Agustin A. via our friends @ www.fordmodels.tv demoing Partner Yoga . Yoga means union!

YYoga Movie / Now Available & MahaMondo Ts

" After 9-11, upset,not knowing what to do, I left my office in the middle of the day and wandered into a yoga class. This initiated a journey which has forever changed my life."

Film maker Arthur Klein's YYoga, an American Yogic Journey, pre-release LTD. Edition is now available. Please email : Arthur@yyogamovie.com for details.

Thanks for the screener copy Arthur, MAHA bumping into you before Bryan Kest's class last Sunday. Just like Arthur, 9-11 was the catalyst for my personal voyage with yoga. We also share the amazing Ashley Turner, as one of our OG teachers, from 6years back.

My teachers have been the key to maintaining focused & balanced on this path. There was a sense of fulfillment in being able to gift ASHLEY TURNER , VYTAS BASKAUSKAS & JEROME MERCIER with the 1st production runs of the MahaMondo T by I LOVE YOGA. Big ups pranam -

What would you do to show appreciation to your teachers?

Acro Yoga with I Love Yoga Part 2

Here is Tamara from ILY with a Crash Test Dummy @ their booth in Century City. The dynamics of Acro Yoga is akin to a relationship with a principal teacher. It involves TRUST & SURRENDER. ( And a good dose of HUMOR) With roots in Thai Yoga, Acrobatics & more, AY gives one the sensation of carving through air. Would you relinquish control in order to be weightless?

Acro Yoga with I Love Yoga Part 1

Moses & Tamara , 2/3rds of the I Love Yoga Team fly on the floor of the LA Yoga Evolution Conference. Partner Suzanne was watching from the sidelines. Mosi, thanks for coming through with the Mahamondo Ts. They are absolutely excellent.

Equinox : Happily Ever

Big ups pranam to www.souljerky.com for the head's up on this viral video. Equinox poses the question : " What's Your Happily Ever " or" Happy Ending via Urdhva Danurasana ", heh heh.

Yoga Etiquette c/o Danurasana : Uno Mas

As that cliche' goes , "because common sense is not that common ", or "why do you have to act so common? " . This  is expressly for those who need to  be reminded of RESPECT . This was first  posted  back in 2006 :

"The world is really getting smaller what with all the cross cultural pollination by electronic media and devices. And some issues that necessitate yoga etiquette are apparently  as prevalent in Asia as they are here in Santa Monica.

Danurasana Brunei has this funny  but to the point reminder for all newbies:

• Come to class with an open mind and heart. And if you are just starting out, and am thinking, why am i here? Read this. Come with good intention.
• Do come in time for classes. If you are late, check to make sure you do not disturb the class during tuning in sessions where noise will be a distraction and oft times to most students, an annoyance. Do sit outside awhile and settle in the class once the warm ups have started.
• Mobile phones on silent. Its really just plain rude to others.
• Silence in observed in class, giggles are allowed but not at the expense of others. Laughing at yourself through those almost impossible poses are encouraged.
• Make sure you do not obstruct the view of other students in the class and position your mats in considerate manner. Obstruction of view with the intention of showing off your almost perfect behind to that cute guy you want to ask out is permissible.
• Plumber's bum and excessive cleavage , however, is illegal.
• Do not chew gum, distract others and slouch in class. We do not expect you to be perfect. But please be present. Goofing off is not cool.
• Yoga teachers can smell what you had for lunch or dinner. Coming to class with B.O is human cruelty. Teachers will NOT come near you to adjust.
• Comments and questions are made AFTER the class.
• Please fold your own mats and wipe after your own sweat. They cannot move by themselves.
• While waiting for the class to start, please speak softly as there will be others who come and relax to prepare for their practice. Treat yoga studios as it is. Not a market.

All in all, rules are not meant to stifle but should be observed for everyone's comfort. We are not tight asses, really. Courtesy is cool and it is IN!"

&  Chatasana is not a pose -

Temple Bhajan Band / Jerome Mercier 6 AM

* Arvind, an emigre' from India, was SHOCKED when he first came to the US of A and saw how yoga was treated here as something just done on a mat. He created www.yogimilan.com as a platform wherein yogis can increase their knowledge & awareness of the TOTAL yogic path. As he mentioned, the higher one goes in consciousness, the more difficult it becomes to find companionship in the same realm. Hari Om , that's the truth. Bhakti Yoga, among all the yogas is termed the easiest path as it involves opening one's heart through bhajans and surrendering to the Divine. Surya Das of the Temple Bhajan Band regaled us with tales of his visits to the holy city of Vrindavan. Tamaso Ma Jyoti Gamayah : Out of the Darkness & Into the Light - ** Jerome Mercier's 6 AM class this morning was lit by a single candle ; this from a teacher who never repeats a format. The QUALITY of his EXPERIENCE has always consistently been marked by attention to detail & education. He used a word today to describe this morning's session : CAMARADERIE , which was most appropriate , as he has a following of the best , advanced students with the right attitudes. I bring this up as my practice yesterday afternoon was marred by having to listen to the disrespectful chatter of newbies before class; a couple of them didn't even bother to can their stage whispering once my teacher had commenced. Have people become so CALLOUS because of mobile phones ? What has happened to the concept of yoga as an oasis of tranquility? I've been reading this book which describes QUALITY & EXPERIENCE using the analogy of the restaurant business. There are the CLASSICS that have withstood the initial surge of heat ( any of the Chaya restos come to mind) and have kept on due to their attention to loyal customers & quality of food, ambience , service,etc. On the other hand, there are the "flash-in-the-pans" who built their rep with the initial buzz, but once they commenced to pander to the LCD (lowest common denominator) and got sloppy , the initial base of customers then decided to move on. And the restaurants , once hot , are history. So Jerome M. , muito obrigado for expressing your gratitude for my being present . I really felt it. You are a CLASSIC.

YogiMilan Kirtan : Kula Santa Monica

Big thanks to Psalm Isadora , who is currently in MOTHER INDIA , for linking me up with Arvind & Meghan of the soon to launch on line yoga community ,YogiMilan.

The launch is via kirtan this Saturday , January 19th , 7-9:30 PM @ Kula Santa Monica , 1231 Lincoln Blvd.

You will have to RSVP via meghan@yogimilan.com to attend as space is limited. The amazing Suryadas & the Temple Bhajan Band will lead the kirtan wallas.

Maha pranam likewise to Hege Hansen @ Essence Barcelona : "We have just discovered you web site and we like it a lot! The information and articles are very interesting and we would like to ask if it's
possible to get a link to our studio, posted on your site?"

No hay problema Hege. Barcelona & Pamplona  are on my shortlist after Rio & India ( specifically the Sivanand Ashram in Rishikesh) of places to visit -

Free Yoga :New York Magazine

This week's issue of New York Magazine's theme is peace & tranquility. So I'm not the only traditionalist who regards practicing as a NON-SPORT , NON-COMPETE vehicle for physical, mental & spiritual transcendence. Hari Om!

" First-timers pay nothing at Yoga Sutra (501 Fifth Ave., nr. 42nd St.; 212-490-1443), which caters to Bryant Park office workers grabbing some sun salutations on their lunch breaks. Depending on which style of class you choose, you could be sore tomorrow. The Vinyasa course, with its flowing series of chest arches and leg lunges, is especially challenging. Less strenuous: the Iyengar class, filled with slow-moving spine twists and prop-aided stretches.

Newcomers also get a free tryout at Atmananda Yoga Sequence (324 Lafayette St., nr. Bleecker St.; 212-625-1511), where the crowd’s exactly what you’d expect at a Noho wellness loft: fashionable vegans, limber models, and late-rising artists. Classes flow rapidly through 69 movements, focusing on proper alignment and breathing techniques. Occasionally instructors burn incense or massage students’ temples with jasmine oil.

At Integral Yoga Institute (227 W. 13th St., nr. Seventh Ave.; 212-929-0586), free Saturday-morning intro classes (beginning at 10:15) draw a mix of health-conscious hippies, trendy moms, and other West Villagers seeking some slower-paced exercise. Newbies are encouraged to ask questions while learning to sit properly, relieve lower-back tension with gentle torso bends, and experiment with shoulder stands.

It’s mostly experienced yogis at Chelsea’s Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center (243 W. 24th St., nr. Seventh Ave.; 212-255-4560), with only one class open to beginners. The first class—usually filled with classic inversions and standing postures—is free. Workouts are strenuous, but there’s ample time for meditation between poses.

And though not technically gratis, classes at Yoga to the People (12 St. Marks Pl., nr. Third Ave.; 917-573-9642) are open to the public for a suggested donation of $10. Expect St. Marks–style serenity: Teachers might pop in some John Lennon during stretching and read inspirational quotes for the after-class warmdown, and classes are often packed toes to fingertips with NYU students."

Speaking of beginners, please reign in your AHAMKARA (ego) when you attempt to impress only yourself by rocking an asana. Flailing around indicates that you need to PRACTICE, PRACTICE , PRACTICE -

Sting's Macrobiotic Yoga - Heavy Life on the Road

Riffing on my previous post regarding balance while "on the road" is this bit via the Huffington Post :

"Yes, indeed, things have changed. Sting, you see -- not a regular vegetarian -- is on a strict macrobiotic diet. His personal chef makes him mock tuna wraps and "crunchy" soup.

Since The Police's wildly successful reunion tour began on May 28 in Vancouver, he's eschewed liquor and just about everything else that rockers of a certain era might have embraced or delighted in as a reward for having 20,000 fans stand through an entire concert cheering, screaming, applauding and singing along to nearly all his lyrics by heart.

At almost 56, Sting's most decadent pleasures are being turned into a pretzel by his yoga instructor  ( DANNY PARADISE) an hour before show time and taking post-show pictures with four of his six kids (the youngest two are in school".