MahaMondo

Aspen Meadows : The Big Dipper

I'm back from my Aspen business trip.

The image on the left is of Matthias Goeritz's on-site installation called the Big Dipper at my favorite place to stay in the West End , Aspen Meadows.

This was my second visit to the 40 acre property , this time almost summer like , and it did not disappoint once again.

I emailed the image to Maharaja & expressed my apologies for not being able to make it for his retreat / darshan in Northern California.

In order to make up for this , I would go on japa walks around the property after a long day of meetings. Enjoying the silence , seclusion & beauty of the property. Very sublime to see a couple of fawns staring at me without fear as I hiked along one of the mountain trails.

Hare Krishna : Lululemon Robertson Blvd.

I saw this on the side of the Lululemon store as I was driving down Robertson Blvd. here in LA yesterday.

As we all know , Lulu is a great weathervane for the next " big thing " in the current yoga world. And the quickest to appropriate it in order to maintain its  " cool factor " and spin the resulting heat / hype into company revenue.

Regardless of Lulu's intention or not so hidden agenda , it will definitely make people walking & driving by think of the Lord Hari ; raising his Q quotient in the Westside of Los Angeles where it is most  needed , hehe.

Haribol & Jaya !

* Image via Apparel News.

Kenny Scharf : Art In The Streets

Photographer Gregory Bojorquez was on site for seven weeks at the Geffen Contemporary while Art In The Streets came to life.

While there , he documented the beauty and hard work brought to the show by artists from around the globe.

Gregory took the picture on the left of my classmate at Omkar108 , Kenny Scharf , capturing his creative process.

Thanks to Kenny for bringing his energy to class & reminding me about the show at MOCA. I am looking forward to seeing your work along with those by Basquiat & Os Gemeos.

Kolam Rangoli : Auspicious Art

Kolam and rangoli are the popular floor art of India.

It is an auspicious art of decorating courtyards and prayer halls in India drawn mainly by women & young girls.

The kolam on the right was drawn at the entrance to the LA Temple on Gaura Purnima.

I am posting this image as I am going to be heading East once again , starting with a trip to Toronto next week.

Then back to SoHo NYC for a couple of weeks , which means visits to AYNY / the Broome St. Temple & Saravana Bhavan.

Intel Visual Life : The Sartorialist

This vdo from Intel of The Sartorialist captures the flavor & vibe of the neighborhood I am currently staying in , SoHo & the neighboring NoLita , albeit without all the snow and subsequent slush of the past week. Scott of The Sartorialist talks about the inspiration & relevance of his blog. Fashion can be seen as a very superficial element of one's life ; but in a blog like Scott's , it distills the essence of what is going on at a certain point in time. And it has a very " real " feel to it.

Rio Olympics 2016 Logo : Beleza

Here is a vdo preview of the new 2016 Rio ( you can hear how it is pronounced " hee-o " ) Olympic logo. Quite lovely work and inspiring.Beleza ! Obrigado Rio -

Ugg Boots : Urban Dictionary

Another yogic observation or as witnessed at a Yoga Studio :

For the clueless out there who still think wearing Ugg Boots to practice yoga is a groovy fashion statement         ( purchased from cheesy Kitson , hehe ) , here is the official memo from the always wise & snarky Urban Dictionary :

" The ugg boot b*tch is the girl , mainly from the suburbs , that wears ugg boots and nylons while explaining that they are superb because they have a lot of sex and constantly annoy people minding their own business . "

Yup , even your role models from " The Hills " & Pamela Anderson have ditched them supposedly for their non-PETA friendly sheepskin ; the equivalent of wearing sweat saturated fur around your feet.

Most likely though , the real reason behind this is that they are also now being termed " the new chastity belt ",  or  " the man repulser " .

And wearing them in Santa Monica where the temps are no near to those in Aspen , even more ridic -

Namaste , and here's the foot powder  -

Sports Authority : Gaiam Travel Yoga Mat

Thanks to Kate Parrish and the folks from Sports Authority for the care package containing some of their new yoga merchandise offerings.

The Yoga Kit was intended as a giveaway for the recently concluded YGB benefit event . As they say , better late than never.

On the lower right hand corner of the pic is Gaiam's new Travel Yoga Mat , its clever tag line being " The Journey is This Mat's Destination ." 

One of the challenges for the yogic nomad / traveller is how to pack a regular yoga mat. The overhead bins on planes are already stuffed to the gills as it is ;      ( Yup , do you really have to bring your whole house with you for the weekend ? ) .

This travel mat is " super-thin " , compact & lightweight ; lending itself to be folded in one's carry on. And well made enough to last you this incarnation instead of ending up in and festering another landfill for eternity.

I've been relying on the kindness of teachers or studio mat rentals whenever I drop-in for a class while travelling. With this mat to test drive ( NYC in a week , then Seattle & onwards to Denver & Aspen ) , that won't need to be taken into consideration any longer.

Lululemon Santa Monica : Wave Boardshorts

Much love to Jessica Edwards , Western Community Guru , Lululemon Athletica for connecting ! She had sent me an email while I was in Chicago mentioning she had found this blog and would like to meet up at some point. 

Jessica asked me about my yoga practice , why I started the blog and what inspired me. I got to mention that on one of my trips to Vancouver last year , I had stopped by the original Lululemon store in Kitsilano.

One of the questions she asked me was , " What do you wear when you practice ? " My answer being , boardshorts  , with Osklen & RVCA on the shortlist of current favorites.

With that answer in mind, Jessica gifted me with a pair of Wave Boardshorts ; their claim to fame being the quick wicking stretch fabric compostition & no sew / fused fabrication. I thanked her profusely for the generous gesture and said I would give them a test drive at class.

Wisecracks aside about Lululemon making my rear end look better  , those shorts did deliver at led class this evening. They performed and stretched without binding or getting in the way. And for a guy who sweats buckets like me , they dried immediately after class.

My only input would be , please make them true to size ( why buy one size up ? ) and dispense with the other zip pocket on the side. Otherwise , it is a great product. " Won't weigh you down...."

Wallpaper : Nascida No Brasil

 Wallpaper has released its " Nascida No Brasil / Born in Brazil " issue and it does not disappoint. 

The cover tagline is " A warm welcome from the most exciting country on earth. "

 There is nothing more disappointing for a world traveler than endeavoring to capture the hype of a destination , and   upon arrival , finding  " there is no there , there ." Case in point was my stay in Bali , where aside from the incredible energy of the daily pujas at the temples, I felt the rampant growth and commercialism had eroded at the intrinsic soul of the people. Or arriving in Bangkok for the 1st time and thinking it was more "Asian Bladerunner " that the city of wats.

So influencer publications such as Wallpaper & Monocle are spot on in pegging Brazil as an extraordinary country at an extraordinary moment of transition. President Lula has done an amazing job of steering the country via diplomacy & economic strategy.   A truly inspiring soul man who rose from the favelas to lead by thinking & acting dynamically. And there is hope for another Brazil win in the upcoming 2010 World Cup -

The image on the left is of a limited edition of this month's Wallpaper by noted Carioca artist Vik Muniz. 

Parabens Brasil ! See you next Winter.