Planet Yoga

Bring On The Spring

2010-03-19T14:32:29+00:00

My Yoga Online has posted a new article by Melina Meza : Bring On The Spring. Melina gives you tips and ideas on how to prepare your mind and body for this upcoming season and how to embrace spring with lightening your load.

Enjoy tips and ideas on how to adapt your yoga asana practice and diet to accommodate the beauty unfolding in spring. Although the weather can really be hit or miss these days, there is enough proof in nature to confirm that spring is just around the corner, close enough to consider shifting your diet and yoga practice to complement the season.

Lighten your load
It makes sense that many of us are drawn to the idea of cleansing and purging this time of year—it’s time to lighten our load. Spring is really a time to THRIVE and it’s difficult to thrive if you feel weighted down by your inner or outer world. In order to feel your best, perhaps a little cleanse is in order to get rid of any extra winter weight, household clutter, or material possessions that keep you in the past or limit your freedom in the moment.

Here are a few diet adaptations that will help prepare your body and mind for spring:
• Decrease heavy, oily, cold, fatty foods.
• Increase spicy, bitter, and astringent foods (arugula, mustard greens, kale, strawberries, blueberries, and sprouts).
• Increase your vitamin, nutrient and chlorophyll intake with early dark green vegetables and sprouts.
• In general, eat light and eat local.

Click here to read the full article: Bring On The Spring

About Melina Meza:Melina Meza, BS Nutrition, 500-RYT, has been exploring the art and science of yoga and nutrition for over 16 years. She combines her knowledge of Hatha Yoga, Ayurveda, whole foods nutrition and healthy living into a unique style called Seasonal Vinyasa Yoga. Seasonal Vinyasa Yoga emphasizes the healing teachings of the ancient yogis and inspires students to adapt their asana practice, diet and lifestyle routines to better harmonize with the seasonal changes occurring in nature. Melina is the lead teacher at Seattle’s 8 Limbs Yoga Centers and is also the author of Art of Sequencing an innovative book that includes 34 unique yoga sequences and over 1,500 photos offering creative inspiration for experienced yoga teachers as well as fresh instructional ideas to jump start a home practice. More information about Melina and her offerings can be found at www.melinameza.com.

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Yoga and the Neck: Smart Yoga Tip Sample

2010-03-12T17:00:00+00:00

My Yoga Online has posted a new yoga tip video featuring Jesse Enright: Yoga and the Neck Smart Yoga Tip. Enjoy this new Yoga Anatomy workshop in which Jesse explores the nuances of the neck and how it relates to your Yoga practice.

Click here to watch: Yoga and the Neck Smart Yoga Tip

About Jesse Enright: Jesse Enright has been a student of Yoga for eleven years and an instructor for the past nine. He began his studies with Sivananda Yoga before exploring the more dynamic Ashtanga Vinyasa, the detailed alignment of Iyengar and the comprehensive intelligence of Vijnana Yoga.

…Learn more about Jesse Enright

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studio space needed

2010-03-12T07:18:00+00:00

when the subject line of an email update from a yoga studio says "Important Karuna Yoga Update ", you know it can't be happy news...

kelly wood from karuna yoga in los feliz sent this note out a couple of days ago. i wanted to get more information before passing it along to you, and earlier tonight, i did. from what i understand, the rent on the space karuna leases has become so prohibitive that kelly has been forced to close the studio at the end of this month. she's still hoping to find a new space nearby, but in the meantime, the days at the location on hillhurst avenue are numbered :(

here's her message:

Dear Karuna Family,

As you know, I have been searching for new (and hopefully improved) studio space for Karuna Yoga. Unfortunately, the new space that I initially found now appears not to be appropriate for our community.

We will continue our regular schedule in our current facilities at least until March 31st, 2010.

I strongly suggest that you come in for class as much as possible this month and make the most of the special space we have created together on Hillhurst. There may be an interval between the availability of our current space and our new space. Or it may be that we transition into a temporary space.

I will keep you informed in the weeks ahead.

I continue to look diligently for our new Karuna Yoga studio location. I am very grateful for your willingness to stand with me at this trying time. We can help each other move into the new phases of yoga, Karuna and life with mindfulness and hopefully an open heart of appreciation for our time together.

Sincerely,

Kelly

just received an update:

subject: Good News from Karuna Yoga

We remain in our current location through the end of April!

Our Karuna community continues to provide support, care and patience during this time of change and I thank you with my whole heart. ~ Kelly

Utkatasana (Chair Pose) Yoga Pose

2010-03-11T13:42:52+00:00

My Yoga Online has posted an informative new pose presented by Dr. Robin Armstrong: Utkatasana Yoga Pose. Learn more about the benefits, contraindications, modifications, and cautions in doing this yoga posture safely.

Benefits of Utkatasana (Chair Pose)
*Strengthens the hip flexor muscles: rectus femoris, psoas
*Strengthens the quadriceps in the front of the thighs, hamstrings in the back of the thighs, adductor muscles of the inner thighs, gluteus muscles of the hip
*Strengthens and stretches calf muscles
*Opens chest and shoulders
*Improves range of motion in ankles
*Increases proprioception (sense of position in space) in the feet
*Traditionally thought to stimulate the abdominal organs and heart

Read more about Utkatasana Yoga Pose

About Dr. Robin Armstrong
Dr. Robin Armstrong is a Vancouver chiropractor and yoga instructor. Robin blends her western knowledge gained from her experience as a chiropractor, with the ancient eastern knowledge passed through generations of yoga teachers. Robin’s classes emphasize safety, breath, alignment, and movement, while teaching students ways to strengthen and lengthen their bodies to handle the stresses of our modern lifestyle. If you are coming to her as a patient, expect to be prescribed yoga! Learn more about Dr. Armstrong at www.stayactive.ca

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New Online Chakra Balancing Yoga Video

2010-03-10T15:35:03+00:00

My Yoga Online has posted a new yoga workout video featuring Sharon Gannon: New Chakra Balancing Yoga Video with Jivamukti. In this unique and inspiring program, Jivamukti Yoga founder Sharon Gannon guides you through poses, affirmations, and mantras that open and balance the chakras. Focus on one chakra at a time or balance them all in one practice.

Click to watch: Chakra Balancing Yoga video.

About Sharon Gannon:

In 1984 Sharon Gannon and David Life created the Jivamukti Yoga Method, which is a path to enlightenment through compassion for all beings. The JY Method emphasizes vinyasa, scriptural study, devotion, prayer, music, chanting and meditation as well as animal rights, veganism, environmentalism and political activism.

…Learn more about David Life and Sharon Gannon

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burp!

2010-03-10T03:40:00+00:00

oh. my. god.

back in december, i posted my third installment about the booming food truck scene here in LA. in it, i listed a whopping 34 trucks of all shapes, sizes, and food varieties.

and now, barely three months later, the number of food trucks i've been to has practically doubled. and i'm not exaggerating; i just stopped at my 65th truck today!! talk about a food truck explosion... as well as my need to invest in some pepto-bismol!... ok, not really. at least not yet.

these are the food truck guides i've posted so far. note that they all have a pescetarian slant (because, after all, that's what i am, or purport to be):

~ a pescetarian's guide to the LA food truck scene, part 1
~ veg-head LA food truck guide, part 2
~ a pesky eater's guide to LA food trucks, part 3

so here are all 65 of those food trucks i've been able to check out so far. and just so i don't have to repeat myself, i've included the links to the posts that have my comments on the previously-mentioned trucks. and if you want to know what the trucks look like, click here for my food truck frenzy! photo album to check out the photos i've taken of each truck.

please note that if you're pescetarian or ovo-lacto vegetarian, you have a good chance of finding something to eat on these trucks. but if you're vegan and have sworn off all eggs and dairy, the pickings will be slim, though not impossible. with that in mind, bon appetit!

fusion cuisine trucks:

kogi (kogibbq.com @kogibbq) - korean-mexican (part 1)
calbi (calbibbq.com @calbiBBQ) - korean-mexican (part 1)
bool (boolbbq.com @boolBBQ) - korean-mexican (part 1)
bull kogi (kimchibulkogi.com @bullkogi) - korean-mexican (part 1)
don chow tacos (donchowtacos.com @donchowtacos) - chinese-mexican (part 1)
LA fuxion (lafuxion.com @LA_FuXion) - asian-latin (part 1)
lomo arigato (lomoarigato.com @lomoarigato) - japanese-peruvian (part 2)

ikimchi 21 (ikimchi21.com will supposedly be online by april) - korean-mexican; similar to calbi in that it offers tofu and shrimp in their tacos and burritos, but with the added option of having it in a bowl over rice.

seoul bulgogi (no website @seoulbbqtruck) - korean-mexican; the only item without meat on the menu is the plain quesadilla -- just a tortilla with kimchi and "mozallera cheese" :)

komodo (komodofood.com @komodofood) - asian-mexican; the fusion menu was created by a chef trained at a prestigious culinary school, so the food is a blend of french/asian/mexican cuisine. i've had both the blazin' shrimp and fish n' grapes tacos; both were very intriguing to my taste buds. their truffle fries and guac rolls are on my list of things to try the next time i drop by the truck.

kabob express (no website @KabobTruck) - mediterreanean-mexican; i had the hummus with pita bread when i stopped by at the t-lofts haiti fundraiser back in january. since the truck is supposedly parked by the DWP building in downtown LA on weekday evenings, i'll have to remember to show up early and get dinner from it the next time i attend a performance at the disney concert hall.

asian soul kitchen (asiansoulkitchen.com @ItsBentoBaby) - japanese-soul food; the first time i stopped at the truck was when it was parked by FIDM in downtown LA. i had just come from a nearby yoga class that had run late, so by the time i reached them, richard and akiko had just closed their doors and were getting ready to drive off. luckily, they saw me madly pedalling my bike in their direction, so they were nice enough to stop and take my order. "i'll take whatever you have without meat that's easy to make" was basically what i said. so they handed me a steaming container of veggie yakisoba, which i later ate with great relish at the nearby starbucks. since then, i've tried the tonkatsu-drizzled salmon korokke and the lettuce-wrapped shrimp "taco". warning: when they say something's spicy, they mean it!

ethnic street food trucks:

fishlips sushi (fishlips-sushi.com @fishlips_sushi) - japanese sushi (part 1)
india jones chow truck (indiajoneschowtruck.com @indiajonesct) - indian frankies and curries (part 1)
dosa truck (dosatruck.com @dosatruck) - indian dosas (part 1)
nom nom truck (nomnomtruck.com @nomnomtruck) - vietnamese banh mi (part 1)
border grill taco (bordergrill.com/bg_t/bg_twel.htm @BorderGrill) - gourmet mexican (part 1)
flying pig truck (flyingpigtruck.com @FlyingPigTruck) - asian and pacific rim (part 3)

salmon house (no website) - japanese; it's a good thing i'm pescetarian and eat seafood because everything on the menu contains either salmon or eel -- handrolls, rice bowls, tacos, burritos. i ordered a salmon handroll on a day when i was grazing my way through a row of trucks on the miracle mile; i'm still waiting for them to come up with a website and/or a twitter account so i can track them down and try some of the other items they have to offer.

dim sum truck (thedimsumtruck.com @dimsumtruck) - chinese dim sum; i always look forward to the times when i travel out to san gabriel with friends for dim sum, those times when we pick out our favorite dumplings from the neverending array of steamer baskets that are pushed around in carts. unfortunately, san gabriel is almost an hour away from the westside (and definitely over an hour with traffic), so it's nice to know that there'll now be times when the dim sum might actually come to me! the offerings on the truck aren't as varied, but as long as alex keeps supplying me with some tasty shrimp har gow, egg tarts, and sesame balls, i'm happy...

yum yum bowls (yumyumbowls.com @yumyumbowls) - thai curries; the great thing about this truck is that almost anything on the menu can be made vegetarian. you can have tofu spring rolls, tofu satay, fried tofu, tofu tom yum soup, and tofu curry -- red, green, or yellow. tommy's food is just as good as what would get at your favorite thai cafe, and it's all nicely priced.

phamish (eatphamish.com @eatphamish) - vietnamese bahn mi, spring rolls, and pho; the first time i stopped at the truck, i asked for a tofu bahn mi; unfortunately, they didn't have any tofu at the time, so i ended up getting a veggie spring roll. i later found out that "mom" was very particular about the tofu she wanted to use, and until she found what she considered to be the perfect tofu, she wouldn't serve any. thankfully, her search has come to an end; i can now get my fill of tofu bahn mi and tofu spring rolls. and it's clear to me that the wait was definitely worth it.

mandoline grill (mandolinegrill.com @MandolineGrill) - vietnamese banh mi and bun; i've only been to this truck once, and it was to its launch party last month at a bar all the way out in eagle rock. my friend and i split the vegan-friendly tofu banh mi and the tofu spring rolls. i wasn't particularly impressed with the speed of service nor the quality of the food (especially since i'm already a die-hard fan of the other two vietnamese trucks), but then again, i figured they were still working out the kinks. i'm waiting for them to come closer to me this time
so i can give it another shot.

kabob n' roll (kabobnroll.com @KabobNRoll) - mediterreanean kabobs; walking up to this truck is like walking into a middle eastern bazaar! wael and chrissy have all kinds of kabobs served on rice pilaf, including veggie and shrimp. there's even a fruit kabob drizzled with chocolate! they also have falafel wraps, stuffed grape leaves, baba ganoush, hummus, and fried cheese rolls. there's also baklava and a variety of cookies and sweets. it seems like each time i stop by the truck, there's something new on the menu. so if you can't find anything on the truck that interests you, i'm sorry; you definitely have a problem!

the tastymeat (tastymeat.org @tastymeat) - turkish-inspired meats; despite the name, there IS something on the menu that doesn't contain meat: their falafel wrap, complete with special sauce. and true to their name, it WAS pretty tasty! and if you want feta fries to go with your food, max can set you up with that, too.

louks (loukstogo.com @LouksToGo) - greek gyros; they'll be the first to admit that they cater to carnivores. so the veghead options are the veggie gyros (where you sub lettuce, cucumbers, and feta cheese for the meat), the greek salad, the fries, and the louks (or loukomades, mini greek donut balls). i've had the gyros, the feta fries, and the louks. they were all good, but the nutella-topped louks alone will keep me coming back :)

vesuvio (vesuviola.com @VesuvioLA) - italian sandwiches; when i first stopped at this food truck at the haiti fundraiser at the t-lofts complex in west LA, the only thing they served that was somewhat vegetarian was their arancini, or rice balls. while there were slivers of salami in them, i chose to order them anyway just to see how they tasted. and they did taste pretty good. since then, i've had their eggplant parmesan sandwich and their new vegetarian arancini (with sundried tomatoes and pesto replacing the salami)... and i can't wait for my next visit so i can have more of the food inspired by what their mother used to make...

piaggio (piaggioonwheels.com @piaggioonwheels) - argentinian empanadas and sandwiches; as luck would have it, there was a very short line at this OC-based truck when i walked past it at the LA food festival (what a surprise!). since my belly was pretty much full with everything else i'd eaten at the event, i ordered their churros con dulce de leche. oh my. if the rest of their veggie items -- tofu bravo taco/quesadilla, caprese empanada, and alfajores -- are just as good, i might actually find myself driving to the other side of the orange curtain on a regular basis...

reggae chicken (no website @REGGAEJERKCHICK) - jamaican jerk chicken and pork; since the focus is on the jerk chicken and the jerk pork, the only veggie item of interest to me was the side of fried plantains. and i loved their plaintains... as well as the bottle of ting, a jamaican grapefruit soda. thumbs-up to regine and her husband from me!!

good-old american grub trucks:

green truck (greentruckonthego.com @Green_Truck) - organic dishes (part 1)
let's be frank (letsbefrankdogs.com @letsbefrank) - hotdogs (part 1)
south philly experience (southphillyexperience.com @SouthPhillyExp) - philly cheesesteaks (part 1)
barbie's Q (barbiesq.com @BarbiesQ) - BBQ (part 1)
spring street smoke house (labbqguy.com @labbqguy) - BBQ (part 1)
chef on wheels BBQ (chefonwheelscatering.com @chefonwheelsBBQ) - hawaiian-influenced (part 1)
baby's badass burgers (babysbadassburgers.com @babysbbs) - burgers (part 2)
the gastrobus (thegastrobus.com @thegastrobus) - soups and sandwiches (part 2)
the grilled cheese truck (thegrilledcheesetruck.com @grlldcheesetruk) - grilled cheese sandwiches (part 2)
dogtown dogs (dogtowndog.com @dogtowndog) - hotdogs (part 3)
mattie's southern kitchen (mattiessouthernkitchen.blogspot.com @mattieskitchen - southern cooking (part 3)
frysmith (eatfrysmith.com @frysmith) - french fries (part 3)

buttermilk (buttermilktruck.com @ButtermilkTruck) - breakfast; almost everything on this truck is made from a buttermilk batter -- pancakes, waffles, and biscuits. they also serve oatmeal, yogurt, and veggie omelets if you prefer something less carb-heavy. by the way, gigi, who owns the truck, is filipino, so don't be surprised if you find some "exotic" items featured in the daily special :)

grill 'em all (grillemalltruck.com @GrillEmAllTruck) - burgers; matt and ryan, the guys who run this gourmet burger truck, intend to shock you with what they put on their burgers: beer-soaked onions, marinated green chiles, cranberry gastrique, crushed potato chips. luckily for vegheads, they have a veggie burger with guac, salsa, and frizzled onions (it's called the carcass, which is supposedly a heavy metal band with vegetarian musicians. um, yeah). or you can sub a veggie patty on the other hamburger options for a couple of bucks more.

patty wagon burgers (pattywagonburgers.com @pattywagonLA) - burgers; the slider-sized burgers are from grain-fed cows and the veggies -- lettuce, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and mushrooms -- are from organic farms. yes, it's healthy, but no, it's not really veghead-friendly. the only non-meat option is a grilled cheese/pepper/onion concoction on a ciabatta roll. but they're new; given some time, matt and stef will probably come up with something more substantial. their fries are hand-cut, fried, then sprinkled with either sea salt or rosemary-garlic. yum.

qzilla BBQ (qzillabbq.com @Qzillabbq) - BBQ; i came across this pasadena-based truck at the LA food festival last month. since it specializes in ribs and brisket, the only options for vegetarians are the potato salad and the mac and cheese. i ordered the potato salad because it was the only thing they had left; i somehow kept thinking that i would've done better if i'd had the mac and cheese instead.

slice truck (slicetruck.com @SliceTruck) - pizza; if you want pizza that's affordable and tasty, too, hunt down this truck. i spent $3 on a large slice of cheese pizza that was sprinkled with parmesan cheese and fresh basil. and i would've had more if i could because it was that good.

willoughby road (willoughbyroad.com @WilloughbyRoad) - southern cooking; again, another of my stops during the t-lofts haiti fundraiser event. i ended up getting the shrimp with grits. it was pretty filling and very satisfying. hmmm... makes me want to hunt them down and try something else on their menu...

uncle lau's island BBQ (unclelausbbq.com @unclelausbbq) - hawaiian-inspired; this is actually chef on wheels' new and improved look. the truck has been re-wrapped and the food has been tweaked to emphasize the hawaiian dishes. but since i can't eat the loco moco nor the 808 burger (beef patty topped with pineapple/teriyaki sauce), i'll have to stick to eating chef stephen's shrimp scampi tacos and bowls instead.

fresser's hot pastrami (fressers.com @Fressers) - pastrami; i know, i don't eat meat, but after finding myself irresistibly-drawn to the aroma of hot pastrami wafting from scott and jessica's truck vents, i broke down and ordered a pastrami sandwich. yes, i broke my dietary rule but at least it was worth it! i got the caprese sandwich the next time i stopped by and fell equally in love with its mozzarella/basil goodness. yay for a good veggie option!

lee's philly (no website @LeesPhilly) - philly cheesesteaks; don't ask me why anyone would order a tuna sandwich from a philly cheesesteak truck, but when that's the only veggie option besides an egg sandwich (or at least i think that was my other option), it's what i ended up getting. i should've had them go easy on the mayo (having it in the tuna salad and again on the bread was a bit much). i'm going to have to track down john's truck once more to find out what that other option was, won't i?

and lastly, my personal favorite, the dessert trucks (which are totally vegetarian!):

get shaved (getshavedice.com @getshaved) - shaved ice (part 1)
coolhaus (eatcoolhaus.com @COOLHAUS) - ice cream sandwiches (part 1)
king kone (kingkone.net @kingkonela) - soft serve cones, sundaes, floats, and shakes (part 1)
sprinkles (sprinkles.com @sprinklesmobile) - cupcakes (part 3)
dainty cakes (daintycakesla.com @daintycakesla) - cupcakes (part 3)
sweets truck (thesweetstruck.com @thesweetstruck) - pastries and coffee (part 3)

del's (DelsLA.com @DelsLA) - frozen lemonade; they serve the famous frozen lemonade from del's out in rhode island. it comes in different flavors: original, peach/mango, cherry, and more. the flavors available on the truck vary from day to day, so be willing to be somewhat adventurous when you stop by!

nana queen's pudding and wings (nanaqueens.com @NanaQueens) - banana pudding, chicken wings; who knew you could do so many things with banana pudding and nilla wafers? janel will top your pudding order with crushed oreos, nutter butters, chessmen, and ginger snaps. or caramel or butterscotch. or... you get the idea. i asked for the fresh strawberry topping because it sounded healthier. i mean, how can it not be? :)

no longer on the road:

marked5 (marked5.com @Marked5) - japanese burgers (part 1)
skewers on wheels (skewersonwheels.com @SKEWERSONWHEELS) - skewered meat (part 1)
panini on wheels (paninionwheels.com @paninionwheels) - italian paninis (part 2)

jobels (no website @30sphillycheese) - philly cheesesteaks; bella, the guy who ran the truck, claimed that he made his cheesesteaks just like they do at tony luke's in philly, which, by the way, beat bobby flay's version at a throwdown on the food network. he and his wife were really sweet; i'd stopped by a few times to try different items. and each time i'd give them my opinion, they'd listen intently and thank me for my suggestions.

derbs gourmet treats (derbsla.com @derbsgourmet) - pacific rim; late last year, they had a launch event outside a bar in culver city. i fell in love with the veggie derb-a-dilla, which was tamale-sized deep-fried masa dough oozing with cheese and veggies. their last tweet dated january 1st said "A truly gourmet truck about to hit the streets of L.A. Follow us – we’ll keep you posted on launch date." unfortunately, i never heard from nor about them again after that.

little spoon desserts (littlespoondesserts.com @weliketospoon) - pastries; i managed to find them by accident at the brig while i was noshing on a harvest melt sandwich from the grilled cheese truck. i ordered one of their decadent chocolate concoctions (when in doubt, you can't go wrong with chocolate!). before i found them again to try something else, melissa tweeted that she was retiring the truck and was going to provide desserts to various food trucks instead. all of that's still in the works, so i'll have to wait to see how that goes.

umami burger (umamiburger.com @umamiburger) - burgers; if you're a burger lover in LA, you've probably already been to their restaurant on either la brea or hollywood (or both) to have your fill of its much-blogged about wondrousness. for some reason, though, i'd never had one, not even the veggie version, so when i found out they had a truck parked outside their soon-to-be location at the fred segal in santa monica, i made a beeline for it. however, on the day i showed up, the veggie wasn't available. oh darn. so that meant i had to try their famous beef version... and yes, it was everything they said it would be :)

believe it or not, there are many more food trucks scheduled to open within the next few months. so in the meantime, i'll keep eating... and keep you posted!

My Yoga Online Supports Yoga in Motion

2010-03-08T20:57:31+00:00

Shake your booty and rock your asana–all for a good cause.

At 10 am on April 25, 2010, Toronto’s Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex will host hundreds of men and women uniting to raise funds for breast cancer research. Participants join in on four Zumba® cardio dance sessions and four yoga sessions, all taught by Toronto’s top instructors. There are great gift bags, lots of prizes, product vendors, food samples and more. Information on living a healthy lifestyle will also be readily available. And all participants can attend the opening and closing ceremonies.

Everything comes together for a $25 registration fee and a minimum $250 fundraising goal. Register as an individual or form a team to fundraise together. For more information, visit www.yogainmotion.ca.

My Yoga Online is proud to be a media sponsor of this event. “Breast cancer research is something I’m passionate about,” says My Yoga Online co-founder Michelle Trantina, “so I’m excited we can share our resources for this important event.”

Check out the latest videos from My Yoga Online: yoga, pilates, meditation, health experts, nutrition, and more.

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The Hip - Yoga Anatomy Video

2010-03-04T15:10:46+00:00

My Yoga Online has posted a new Yoga Anatomy video featuring David Keil: The Hip Yoga Anatomy yoga video. Learn the important aspects of the hips including major muscles surrounding the hip joint. Discover why the hip has the amount of tension it has around it. Learn how the hamstrings and quadriceps function as “two joint muscles”. Demonstration of where and how tight hips play a role in knee dysfunction. Demonstration to show where movement does or doesn’t happen at the hip joint.

Click to watch this The Hip Yoga Anatomy video class

About David Keil: David Keil was introduced to yoga in 1989 by his Tai Chi Chuan teacher. Both the Tai Chi and Yoga practice at the ripe age of 17 began his research into his own mind-body connections. As an instructor of Kinesiology (the study of movement and musculoskelatal anatomy) at Miami’s Educating Hands School of Massage, David had developed a fun, informal and informative style of teaching. Because of his passion and desire to share the human body with everyone, he delivers this complex and sometimes frustrating topic in a way that is very accessible and understandable to yoga practitioners.

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because everyone loves a contest!

2010-03-04T03:20:00+00:00

to celebrate the fact that i now have a new map on my site AND that i'm about to hit 1000 fans* on my facebook page, i've decided to give something away to one lucky follower! and that follower could be YOU!!

* i know, a thousand fans is a piddly number compared to such power houses such as yoga journal with almost 24,000 facebook fans and elephant journal with just over 11,000 fans, but hey, it makes me feel wanted :)

of course, you might have to do a bit of research to win, but here's something that should get your brain in gear... i'm giving away the new eQua hot yoga towel from manduka, with a retail value of $55!!

here's more information about this cool prize -- which should help keep you cool and dry during your hot yoga practice:

For those that prefer their yoga hot, the eQua Hot Yoga Towel is the ultimate solution to sweat management—allowing the user to perfect their poses instead of dealing with a perspiring distraction from their practice.

Developed in response to the common problem of excessive puddling during a sweaty yoga session, the Hot Yoga Towel is created with ultra soft, double knit microfiber—that remains super gentle on the skin but tough against toxins. Outperforming ordinary cotton or polyester towels, when spread over the yoga mat the Hot Yoga Towel forms a plush, sweat-trapping barrier and slip-resistant, hygienic foundation—absorbing the maximum amount of moisture while keeping yogi’s mat clean and dry.

"We know how distracting perspiration can be during a high intensity yoga session," said Manduka CEO, Sky Meltzer. “So to assist the yogis that are heating up their practice, we wanted to offer a high quality product that allows the user to enjoy their practice without the diversion of slipping and sliding on their mat. The eQua Hot Yoga Towel is the perfect solution—not only is it super absorbent, but it also provides a hygienic barrier—keeping bacteria away from the user and off their mat."

Made to fit most yoga mats and user styles, the Manduka eQua Hot Yoga Towel is 72" x 26.5" and is available in Candy (pink), Olive (green) and Scuba (blue). Able to withstand countless washings, the eQua Hot Yoga Towel is both machine washable and dryable — sweat it out, toss it in the wash and start your practice all over again. Whether you glow, perspire, sweat or seep—Manduka’s eQua Hot Yoga towel has your mat and your mind covered.

Like all of the towels in the Manduka eQua Towel collection, the Hot Yoga Towel is created according to fair labor production standards. For more information, please visit: http://www.manduka.com/ or become a facebook fan at: www.facebook.com/manduka.

so here are the contest rules:

1. after taking a close look at my LA yoga studio map (click here to get the larger version), post a comment below, giving me the name of ONE yoga studio that is NOT on the map (and i know there's a bunch of them, so this isn't a trick question) as well as its address, phone number, and website address. oh, and the color of the manduka eQua towel you'd like (pink, green, or blue), if you win!

2. the yoga studio has to be within the LA county limits and must offer group yoga classes on a regularly-scheduled basis.

3. even if a location offers a slew of yoga classes, as long as it requires membership to take a class -- as in a gym, health club, or fitness center -- i'm going to have to exclude it. community centers and function halls are also excluded. for the most part, i'm going to have to exclude private homes, unless they have websites and drop-in yoga class schedules posted on those websites.

4. and here's the kicker: the location has to be a studio that hasn't been mentioned by anyone else (in other words, only the first person to mention it gets entered in the contest).

5. only ONE entry is allowed per person. so if you know of more than one studio, you'll have to get a friend to send in an entry for you... and both of you will have to work out who gets the prize if your friend wins :)

6. lastly, you must be a fan of the accidental yogist on facebook in order to win!

one thing i should point out is that all you'll need to do is TELL me about the place; please DO NOT update the map!

by the way, if you come up with a studio that i've been to but have forgotten to put on the map, you will definitely earn yourself a shout-out :)

i'll give all of you until next friday, march 12th, to come up with a whole bunch of nice places for me to check out and add to the map. i'll randomly draw the winner from the eligible comments that come in, so if you're the only one who responds correctly, guess what -- you automatically win!

good luck!

testing... 1, 2, 3...

2010-03-03T06:30:00+00:00

as you've probably read from my previous post, the map i used to have at the top of my blog page ceased to exist once the company that hosted it, platial.com, closed shop. here's a blog post by portland-based silicon florist that talks about the promising beginnings of platial, then how it finally was forced to close down: End of the road: Platial draws its social mapping pursuits to a close

thankfully, the nice people at platial made sure that all of their customers, including myself, had the proper tools at our disposal to export our mapped data into another mapping tool -- in my case, google maps.

the conversion itself was actually pretty painless; the only reason why it took me so long to come up with a replacement was because i needed time to grieve over the loss of something that i'd become attached to. and in a way, had been identified with.

once i was ready to move on, it was time to update my map... and its look. so i changed the place markers to push pins (the jury's still out about whether i'll keep these or switch them out for something else), added missing studios, marked as "closed" all the studios that are no longer in business, and basically just fixed anything that needed fixing.

i also implemented a slightly different color-coding scheme:
~ blue pins are yoga studios that are currently open
~ red pins are studios that have closed (including those that have moved; the red pin marks the old location while a blue pin marks the new)
~ green pins are donation-based yoga studios (and i'm hoping this proves to be useful to those experiencing financial difficulties)

i'll probably keep tweaking the map so make it more user-friendly... like i just realized that there's a big "platial the people's atlas" graphic right in the middle of each description bubble... more grunt work for me to do...

in the meantime, what do you think? comments are most welcome :)

Ahimsa: An Ancient Vow for Healing and Peace

2010-03-02T19:52:50+00:00

The yoga path shows us how to charge neutral when we feel disagreements with our fellow human beings. The greatest yoga teachers know that we will not always get along, so they teach us that we do not need to make war based on our divergent points of view. We will not always feel joyful or loving, but we do not need to take out our unhappiness on others. We will not always be able to live totally without fear, but we do not need to let desperation for control determine our actions. This is the essence of ahimsa, non-violence, in action.

One of the most basic commitments on the spiritual path is ahimsa, the resolution not to do harm to other beings. Ahimsa is a noble proclamation that aims to align our actions with our intentions to be a force of healing in the world. However, a heartfelt commitment to refrain from harming others does not mean that we will never feel a negative thought again. Nor does it truthfully mean that we will never perpetrate another violent act. Instead the vow of non-violence undertaken by spiritual seekers throughout all time stems from a basic recognition that we have a choice in how we live our lives. While I practice yoga almost every day and live a spiritual life to the best of my ability, I am not always a peaceful person. Sometimes my past ways of waging small interpersonal wars tie me into a sticky knot of anger, fear, sadness and resentment. When I find myself in that hot, uncomfortable space I often feel trapped with no way out. Sometimes I am present enough to remember my desire to live in alignment with ahimsa, and sometimes not.

In moments when anger is too large, practiced and habituated the commitment not to do harm can feel like another burden to bear instead of the release it actually is. Anger breeds illogical states of mind and the nervous system needs time to cool down before any positive action can take place. We will never solve something in the midst of an angry wrath that we cannot solve when we are even tempered and clam. In fact sometimes the mere presence of anger and the urge to fight is itself the problem. Like fiery goggles that paint the world in bright hues of red, anger prevents us from seeing reality clearly. The most peaceful thing you can do when you find yourself caught in a conflagration of emotions is to walk away and regain the balance of your mind. Only once you train the mind to return to a clear state is it possible to reconnect to the path of peace through ahimsa.

All human beings want to live in peace and feel love. What gets in the way is not the desire to do good, nor the desire not to harm, but instead our past patterns of warfare and disagreement. Whenever we react in a callous, confrontational way with people close to us it is more often based in an assumption made in the past than in an actual grievance in the present. Sometimes drama is all we know because that is all we have experienced in the past so we keep recreating it in the present. It could even be said that some people have an addiction to pain and drama that prevents them from living a peaceful life. But when a dramatic interlude is a substitute for a way of living, it is a deep samskara, or habit pattern, that is a detrimental force of pain and suffering in life. Yoga helps build the bridge from past addiction to pain into a more peaceful life in the present.

The only benefit that waging war with those around actually has is that a state of combat is perhaps the greatest motivator for a desire for peace. You never want peace more than when you feel yourself surrounded by war. War does not have to involve dropping bombs, gunfire and fighter jets. It can be waged with an arsenal of words and actions that are almost as traumatic to the heart as weapons of destruction are to the body. When partners live in war zones, erect mine fields around our hearts and cast out others whose culture or appearance is different than ours, peace and ahimsa are simply not possible. As the people of nations sometimes at way we have a responsibility to live more peaceful lives on a direct and personal level. It is an ironic double stand when we expect entire nations to sign peace treaties and when we are not able to make peace with our neighbors. In some sense world peace is a personal ethic choice as well as an global governmental action. The yogic path pledges its allegiance to peace through the ancient vow of ahimsa.

The battle in yoga, if there is one, is actually fought on the inner terrain. The great paradox that many longterm practitioners find out is that the only one they are really fighting with is themselves. Yoga asks you to make peace with the deepest, most secretive, terrifying and even shameful parts of yourself. In doing you you find the only way possible to make that peace with the external world too. It is not that you will never feel irritated, frustrated, angry, sad or fearful again, but that you will learn how to manage these difficult emotions when they do arise. In actively choosing your course of action you will transform the old habituated patterns of war and fighting into peace and friendship. By doing so on the internal level you will naturally change your outer world as well. Yoga means to unify, to yoke, to bring together and one of the most omnipresent things that yoga brings together is the unity of the inner and outer worlds. For was is possible only when we believe we are separate from others and we focus on that separation. Like battle-tired soldiers we must learn to lay down our weapons and surrender to the true power of peace.

Navigating the inner world is not easy and sometimes when we truly realize the harm of being at war with one another we take a inner vow of ahimsa. This vow sometimes creates non-confrontational people who are actually unresolved on the inner plane. While the intention is good, the path to peace sometimes involves a bit of confrontation and inner searching. The non-confrontational person who feels anger and avoids confronting it or other difficult emotions ends up in a kind of cold war with themselves and the people in their lives. This type of peace is not really peace, but instead is a kind of passive aggressive boiling pot that usually bursts at some point. Yoga practitioners cannot dig their heads in the sand like ostriches in the name of peace when conflict arises. Instead we must learn to negotiate a peaceful solution with presence, consideration, compassion and compromise. Just like we learn to practice through an injury into healing we must approach difficult emotions and situation with the same consciousness and awareness if we are to experience true healing.

While it could be said that holding the unhappiness in is at least better than lashing out at others, the danger in being so outwardly peaceful in the midst of inner turmoil is the falsity of peace. The pretense of a desired state is not replacement for the actual experience of it. The substitute for the real goal does not produce a sense of accomplishment. The Yoga Sutras state that the deepest benefits of Ahimsa are not gained when we go about the world in a state of non-harming, but instead when a state of absolute non-violence lives within us to the degree that violence is no longer possible on any level in our very presence. Friend and colleague Govinda Kai introduced the notion of ahimsa as being more than merely non-violent. He stated that ahimsa must mean the radical and spontaneously occurring opposite of violence. As such non-violence cannot be the true antithesis of violence. Perhaps peace is the true opposite of violence, but perhaps healing is as well. For only if we heal the root cause of the violent action can we truly experience peace and resolution. It is healing on all levels that allows our souls to rest in the peaceful acceptance of a situation. Until that healing has transpired the risk of recidivism into a state of warfare will always be there.

In a karmic sense healing could be understood as removing the root of a negative habit pattern. Unless the samskara is healed at the deepest level so that there is no trace of it remaining then there is always a chance that it will resurface and re-ignite the fire again. Yoga is the process of burning away old karmic seeds of destruction and planting in their place the vow of ahimsa. Whenever you practice yoga and align your actions with the spiritual path you nurture these new seeds of change in your life. Peace is a moment to moment choice just like healing. It is a fragile balance that is easily lost in a hateful argument. Peace is an active choice made each time we maintain our balanced mind amidst difficult circumstances. The peace of ahimsa is not boring, just as the meditator’s mind is not dull. Instead this peace, like love, is a dynamic balance where life happens.

About Kino MacGregor
Kino MacGregor is a small business owner (www.miamilifecenter.com), yoga teacher and freelance journalist who has produced two yoga DVDs and is currently working on her first book, Inner Peace, Irresistible Beauty to be released late April 2009. For complete details please see www.ashtanga-awareness.com.

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New Online Pilates Video Workout

2010-03-01T17:55:20+00:00

My Yoga Online has posted a new Pilates video featuring Rachel Wainwright: Pilates Workout video. Is fun yet effective way to reshape your backside. This class provides exercises to tone & tighten your glutes for all fitness levels. These Pilates exercises will heighten your body awareness and improve your self-image. Be prepared to fall in love with your booty.

Click to watch this Pilates Workout video class

About Rachel Wainwright: Rachel is the creator and owner of Exhale Studio. Her goal is to create a very special comfortable environment so her clients get a great workout, relieve stress, gain fulfillment, feel stimulated and have fun while doing it. Her hope is to inspire people to better themselves, to enhance their self-image and self-confidence.

A highly qualified teacher, Rachel is a Yoga Alliance Certified Yoga Instructor, BCRPA Registered Pilates Instructor, BCRPA Registered Group Fitness Instructor, and BCRPA Registered Personal Trainer. She also, did her Advanced Pilates Mat & Reformer Certificate at The Pilates Den to PMA standards.

Rachel is a professional dancer, and has performed in a variety of stage shows, TV and film work. An avid practitioner of Yoga and Pilates, her other main interests include snowboarding, wakeboarding, scuba diving, surfing, soccer, and traveling.

Rachel combines all of her diverse background, experience, and knowledge to create a well-rounded and effective class. She uses her energy and motivational skills to get you inspired and moving.

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Mar 1, The Yoga News - Our March 2010 Issue is here ...

2010-03-01T08:37:44+00:00

The March 2010 issue of The Yoga News has just been sent out. If you subscribed to receive this monthly yoga e-zine, check your email now. If you don't see it there, be sure to look in your 'junk mail' or 'bulk mail' folders. Also be sure to add our email address to your "safe list" so that you'll receive all future editions of The Yoga News. If you are not already signed up to receive The Yoga News, you can subscribe for Free. Just go to: http://www.discover-yoga-online.com/yoga-news.html

don't panic

2010-02-26T17:04:00+00:00

if you're currently looking at my blog page and are looking at the message:

To make a long story short, Platial is unsustainable and cannot support itself any longer.

just know that it refers to the company that was hosting my yoga studio map, not me.

i've been using platial to keep track of all the yoga studios that i've visited for many years now, and the resulting interactive map is what i've been using as my website header for many, many years now. unfortunately, like many other businesses affected by these hard times, they found it impossible to stay afloat with the limited amount of income they were pulling in. thankfully, they've developed tools i can use to save and export all my map data into another format, so until i figure out what i'd like to do, please bear with the funky warning message until i put something else in its place.

at times, it seemed like both platial and i cross-promoted each other. my platial map would greet all my blog visitors as they visited my site, and platial would use my site as an example of how a blogger could implement a map. here's an excerpt i found in directions magazine, dated november 1, 2006:

PORTLAND, Ore.-Bloggers and Web site owners can start building maps with their community members in seconds by using a new MapKit from Platial.com. Users can sign up at http://www.platial.com/mapkit, cut and paste a snippet of code into the site, and in seconds they’re able to easily create and share places of interest directly with their readers. Because there’s no new programming to learn, the interface is simple, easy-to-use, and can be customized to complement any Web site. This new community-building map tool – once available exclusively at Platial.com – can be used on any Web site and most blogs.

More than 4,000 sites are already publishing Platial user-created maps, building community and generating content. The blogger behind the “The Accidental Yogist” Web site was one of the first Platial users to publish her map. Her community of yoga enthusiasts has created a map of 67 yoga studios in the Los Angeles area, and more are added every week. The map is also available on Platial, so visitors to Platial.com can benefit from this community’s work.

(you can tell how long ago that article was written; the last time i updated my map, i had over a hundred studios on it, with many more that i still had to add on!)

i'd like to thank the wonderful people at platial for going over and beyond in showing me how to get my map up and running, in resolving any issues that were caused by their feature enhancements or my "user error", and now, in helping me transition to another mapping application. it's hard to say goodbye to people who've always been there for me, at all hours of the day and night (or so it seemed)... tracy, jason, and everyone else on the team, i'll miss you all.

postscript -- i tried to update my blog template with a temporary fix, but even the blogger software is having issues today. ugh. must. remember. to. breathe...

just when you thought you had nothing planned for this weekend...

2010-02-25T23:57:00+00:00

on monday, i started posted the few events that i'd heard about on the accidental yogist's facebook page. and before i knew it, i was still finding things to post as recently as last night. who knew there was so much to do in LA on what initially seemed to be a slow weekend?

here are the items that merited a post. i'm including my original facebook comment plus the contents of the links that went with them. if you know of anything else, please feel free to share them with me...

FREE yoga with seane corn at Yogaglo in santa monica -- 7 almost-daily classes starting this THURSDAY 2/25.

On the following dates:
February:
25th 6-7pm
26th 4:30-5:30pm
27th 6-7:30pm
28th 9:30-10:30am
March:
1st 11-12
5th 11-12
6th 10-11:30am
In this class, we will explore the multifaceted dynamics of Vinyasa Flow yoga, focusing on both the physical- (body alignment, pranayama, bandhas) and the spiritual – (meditation, reflection, prayer), initiating strength and flexibility in your body/mind. Through the integration of asana, specialized breathing techniques and conscious intention, learn how to experience the creative and powerful practice of Vinyasa Flow as a devotional expression of life -beyond the body. Leave feeling inspired and centered. Experience with Sun Salutes A and B is recommended.

This FRIDAY 2/26 7:30pm - an evening of kirtan with Tony Khalife and special guests: Matthew Hufschmidt, Dan Licht, and Cooper Madison Ladnier at Rose Temple in Venice. Tickets $15 in advance, $20 at door http://www.dpacla.com/

Kirtan w/ Tony Khalife & Friends
Date: Friday, February 26, 2010
Time: 7:30pm - 9:30pm
Location: The The Rose Temple, 305 Rose Ave. Venice, Ca. 310-266-2123
~ An Evening of Kirtan Friday Feb 26 at 7:30-9:30pm
w/ special guests: Matthew Hufschmidt - Percussion, Dan Licht - Harmonium & flutes and Cooper Madison Ladnier - Tabla
~ Kirtan Workshop Saturday Feb 27 9am-1pm
w/ special guests Matthew Hufschmidt - Percussion and Cooper Madison on Tabla
An in depth Kirtan workshop exploring Vedic Mantras, the throat Chakra, the breath, Music, and daily affirmations for achieving kinship with the Divine. Elements of Mantra (origin, seed syllables, meaning, sound, proper pronunciation and form). Kirtan (Chant repetition, Bhakti Bhava and stories of Saints)

just because i've never heard of anything like this (at least in LA), i'm passing this along: Tropical Blend Hawaiian Yoga Party with David Adams & Hilary Kimblin at Yoga Blend this FRIDAY 2/26 8:15-10:15pm. Laughter yoga, Pranayama, Mantras, Chakras, Mudras, Heart, Hip and Pelvic Opening Asanas, Hula Hooping AND an expert instructor to show you how to dance a traditional Hawaiian Hula! Plus tasty samples of tropical delights, selected according to your Ayurvedic dosha. $20 by Feb 24th/$25 after

Hawaiian Yoga Party
Date: Friday, February 26, 2010
Time: 8:15pm - 10:15pm
Location: YogaBlend
Street: 1921 W. Magnolia Blvd.
A sumptuous mix of delights for all your senses!
A mix of traditional and contemporary Hawaiian and Polynesian tunes will greet the lucky group who gathers to drink in Tropical Blend Yoga: Heart, Hip & Pelvic Opening Asanas, Laughter yoga, Pranayama, Mantras, Chakras, Mudras, AND an Expert Instructor to show you how to dance traditional Hawaiian Hula!
Before Western contact and the introduction of a written language, Hawaiian culture was kept alive through dance, mele (song or poetry), and chant. Hula seeks to express everything its dancers hear, see, smell, taste, and touch.
If your mouth isn’t watering yet, it will be for sure as Hilary treats us to tasty samples of tropical delights, selected according to your Ayurvedic dosha. (Not sure what that is? No worries wahinis, she’ll help you figure it out!)
With even more exciting surprises planned for the evening, you’ll be having more fun than you can throw a coconut at!
$25 per guest

this FRIDAY 2/26 8:30pm - kirtan with kalidas at Bhakti Yoga Shala

Kalidas Chants to the Mother
Date: Friday, February 26, 2010
Time: 8:30pm - 10:30pm
Location: Bhakti Yoga Shala
Come chant with Kalidas, Manohar and Greg Klimuck

This SAT 2/27 9am-1pm -- BWell Fit will hold a FREE day of fitness and nutrition at the Pan Pacific Park in LA. Participants can take part in fitness demonstrations, receive nutrition and fitness advice, and register for BWell’s “Fit to BWell” Weight Loss Challenge Competition. Also FREE yoga with My-rah Penaloza!! Bring a yoga mat, towel, and water/snacks.

Host: Linda Okwor & Toneka Pires
Location: Pan Pacific Park
7600 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036 US
When: Saturday, February 27, 9:00AM to 1:00PM
Phone: (877) 319-1133
Join us for a day of fitness, motivation, nurtition, information and fun! This is our way of showing you love and giving you a real feel of BWell Fit and all we have to offer. Get there early for the boot camp!
Activities include:
* Fitness and Nutrition Consultation with Celebrity Personal Trainers and Champion Fitness Competitors Linda Okwor and Toneka Pires
* Weight Loss Expert Dr. Andrea Pennington will share her 5 tips for weight loss success
* Boot Camp Session with LA's #1 Boot Camp featuring Dulcie Hellings
* Body Assessments
* Pole Dancing Demo by Sharon Polsky
* Yoga with My-rah Penaloza
* Fit to BWell Challenge sign-up; winner gets up to $1000! (12-weeks, only 25 participants taken, $40/person/month)
* Event Cost: Free!
* Please bring water, towel, notepad, snacks, yoga mat and small weights Limited space, please RSVP!
We will be hosting the event rain or shine!
*After the event we will be casting families for a new total wellness show called "Diabetes Proof My Family" from 2pm to 4pm. For more information and general inquiries please contact: info@andreapennington.com

this SATURDAY 2/27 10am - a yoga fundraiser for Canine Cancer Detection Project LA at Yogis Anonymous taught by Annie Carpenter, Ally Hamilton, Brock Cahill, Jerome Mercier, John Sahakian, Jesse Schein and Krista Cahill. $20 suggested donation

"Cancer Dog" Benefit Class: Supporting Early Cancer Detection Research
Date: Saturday, February 27, 2010
Time: 10:00am - 12:30pm
Location: Yogis Anonymous
Join Annie Carpenter, Ally Hamilton, Brock Cahill, Jerome Mercier, John Sahakian, Jesse Schein and Krista Cahill for a morning of awakening and community!
This 2 1/2 hour yoga class will be followed by refreshments and a raffle of local products and services. One ticket per student will be given and additional tickets can be purchased for a $2.00 donation to the cause.
ABOUT THE CAUSE:
The Canine Cancer Detection Project LA is embarking on a very important project researching the early identification of cancer using canine scent detection. Dina Zaphiris (professional dog trainer and yogi) participated in one of the pilot studies in the field of canine cancer detection. It was in these studies that some interesting findings were made. Studies have suggested that dogs have the ability to detect cancer earlier than other forms of testing such as MRI, CT Scan, Radiology, blood work, etc. We are committed to studying the efficacy of this amazing new discovery. The early detection of cancer is paramount for successful treatment and saving lives. We are trying to do research specifically on early detection to enable early treatment.
A minimum $20.00 suggested cash donation will be used to bring this incredible non-invasive medicine to our future medical practices. To reserve your space for this event, please donate at: http://www.dogsdetectcancer.com
Use the "donate" button to make a secure payment via Paypal, print a copy of your receipt and bring it to class for guaranteed entry.
GREAT RAFFLE PRIZES FROM OUR SPONSORS:
Yogis Anonymous, Hard Tail, YogiToes, OM Girl, Om My Dog, Rock & Republic, Sujen B. Art & Design Blue-Owl.com, Woof Worx, Robert Green Fitness Training, Geralynn Cada cccouture.com, Ashley Bordon Fitness ashleyborden.com, Olga Tot, Grant Cramer
Melodia Medley melodiadesigns@gmail.com, Marla Johnson marlajohnsonjewelry@mac.com, Gerald Minniti, MD drminniti.com, Gabi Jewelry, evolm.com, Mr. Bilardi Hair, Krista Cahill Yoga, Brock Cahill Yoga, Debbie Kim Acupuncture/Herbalist, Dina Zaphiris Dog Behavior, Dr. Magdy Guirguis, Dr. Tamara Trebilcock, Dr. Michael Campbell, Dr. Katie, Gabriel Moreno Hair

Urban Lily Yoga will be celebrating their grand opening in sherman oaks this SATURDAY 2/27 7pm with a lululemon trunk show and decadent DESSERTS! need i say more? :)

Urban Lily Yoga’s GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION!!!
Date: Saturday, February 27, 2010
Time: 7:00pm - 11:00pm
Location: Urban Lily Yoga
Street: 14843 Burbank Blvd.
City/Town: Sherman Oaks, CA
Urban Lily Yoga’s GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION… Put your Dress UP clothes on and ROCK the night away with amazing musical guests, sweet treats & plenty of SURPRISES!!!!!!!!!
*We'll feature a LULULEMON Trunk Show
*Surprise Show
*Dreamy & Decadent Desserts

also at Yogis Anonymous this SATURDAY 2/27 7:30pm - Dani Shapiro and Ally Hamilton are going to talk about "Finding Your Teachers", whether they be yoga teachers, meditation teachers, or just people in your life who are able to impart something of value to you at the right moment in time. Dani will read from the book and do a book signing after...

Finding Your Teachers
A Reading, Q&A, and Book Signing with "Devotion" Author Dani Shapiro
Date: Saturday, February 27, 2010
Time: 7:30pm - 9:30pm
Location: Yogis Anonymous
Street: 1221 2nd Street
City/Town: Santa Monica, CA
I'd like to invite you to come and meet a very good friend of mine, Dani Shapiro. Dani is a well-known author whose newest work is a memoir called "Devotion". Receiving high praise from People Magazine, The Today Show, Publishers Weekly, and many other reputable reviewers, it is a deeply personal, moving, and relevant account of her search for peace. I could say so many beautiful things about this book...it genuinely gripped me and moved me to tears, and I feel so grateful that she was able to chronicle her experience this way.
Dani and I are going to talk about "Finding Your Teachers", whether they be yoga teachers, meditation teachers, or just people in your life who are able to impart something of value to you at the right moment in time. Dani will read from the book and do a book signing after. I already feel so much emotion about this night and I hope you'll join us.
- Ally

at Exhale Center for Sacred Movement in venice this SATURDAY 2/27 7:30-10:00pm - temple of rasa full moon celebration with shiva rea and donna de lory

Temple of Rasa: A Full Moon Celebration for Bhakti Rasika Love Rebels with Shiva Rea, Donna DeLory and special guests
Date: Saturday, February 27, 2010
Time: 7:30pm - 10:00pm
Location: Exhale, Venice, CA
To Benefit the PULSE Project! Rhythm Activism and Save the Tiger Fund
7:30PM - Opening Aarti and Invocation
7:30PM - Kirtan with Donna De Lory and Band
9:00 - 10:00PM Yoga Trance Dance with DJ Sahaja, DJ Nagaraja and Live Drumming

live in concert at Golden Bridge Yoga in hollywood this SATURDAY 2/27 8pm: simrit kaur, $25 in advance, $30 at the door

Simrit Kaur Kirtan at Golden Bridge With Musical Virtuosos Todd Boston and Kristopher Rein
Date: Saturday, February 27, 2010
Time: 8:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: Golden Bridge Yoga Hollywood
Street: 6322 De Longpre Ave
“For Simrit Kaur, singing is not a performance, it is a sacred worship of the Divine. Her voice, her music, and her teaching, reflect this devotion which seems to come from her so effortlessly. This devotion is a gift, a talent beyond any, that will lead thousands into the lightness of being and awareness that is so vital to humanity in this day and age.” -Snatam Kaur
$25 Advance $30 Door
Tickets at www.goldenbridgeyoga.com

this SATURDAY 2/27 8:00pm - kirtan with cooper madison at Aanand Saagar in venice

Kirtan with Cooper Madison and Friends
Date: Saturday, February 27, 2010
Time: 8:00pm - 9:50pm
Location: Aanand Saagar - Venice
Street: 606 Venice Blvd. #H
City/Town: Venice, CA
Please join me for an evening of Kirtan and Chanting as we celebrate the divinity within each of us through music. We'll sing some authentic Indian bhajans as well as some western devotional songs.
Joining me will be the wonderful singer Grace Shanti, Ben Marciano on Flute/Guitar, Christo Pellani on Drums and others to be announced.

FREE yoga classes at lululemon stores this SUNDAY 2/28 9:30am: lululemon athletica Beverly Hills - heather foster (city yoga), lululemon athletica Brentwood - sarah ezrin (the hub and kest's power yoga), lululemon athletica Santa Monica - lauri ashworth (the hub)

at Yoga West Los Angeles this SUNDAY 2/28 10:00-11:30am - Relief for Haiti: Join Gurudhan for a Kundalini workout. All funds raised will go to Doctors Without Borders

Yoga West
1535 S. Robertson Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90035
website: http://www.yogawestla.com/

you've probably heard about this on elephantjournal.com, so if you're here in LA, come join us at YOGAco this SUNDAY 2/28 12:45pm to wish jen and robert a happy future together... and raise money for haiti earthquake relief!

My Wedding Celebration
All donations going to RED CROSS for Haiti relief
Date: Sunday, February 28, 2010
Time: 12:45pm - 3:00pm
Location: Yogaco
Street: 1408 3rd st Promenade
City/Town: Santa Monica, CA
Hey all,
If you are coming to my wedding celebration on Sun Feb 28 @ Yogaco, there has been a change of plans. It was going to be a gentle yoga class but there is not enough time or room (too many people). Please feel free to bring something to drink (wine or champagne or something you like, or a snack) and also if you are so inclined... Bring a blessing, a poem, a song etc to share. Erica Rhodes will play cello and Samadhi is singing but we have a stage and I think it will make a lovely ceremony. So, only if you would like to bring something to share....
I am so honored that you all are coming. Please get there by 1245 pm so we can start on time. I cannot wait to make a toast to all of you.
Remember, I am also taking donations that day in the box and giving them to the Red Cross (for Haiti).
I look forward to hugging all of you. Yoga is at 1408 3rd st Promenade (next to Anthropologie)
love
jennifer

this sounds like an amazing afternoon of world music - PremaSoul and Classical Arabic Takht at the Pasadena Central Library auditorium this SUNDAY 2/28 2-5pm

PCM presents: TJ Troy Solo Tabla, PremaSoul, and Classical Arabic Takht
Date: Sunday, February 28, 2010
Time: 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Location: Donald R. Wright Auditorium Pasadena Central Library
Street: 285 E. Walnut St.
Pasadena Creative Music presents an afternoon of diverse world music and fusion. www.pasadenacreativemusic.com
PremaSoul fuses ancient Indian melody with the soul of American music, transcending musical & cultural boundaries with an intoxicating mix of pop harmonies, world rhythms, & original and traditional songs in many languages. (www.premasoul.com)
T.J. Troy presents solo repertoire of the North IndianTabla, in the style of the Lucknowgharana. This performance will feature traditional compositions, created distinctly for tabla solo, including peshkar, palta theka, kaida, kaida-rela, rela, gat, tukra, and chakradhar.
Classical Arabic Takht: Fahd Shaabad, T.J. Troy, Yvette Holzwarth, and Chris Votek have formed an exciting new oud, riqq, violin, and cello quartet especially to play this concert. The repertoire is classical Arabic music, and includes sama'i, longa, taqasim, and many instrumental songs.
After the concert abundant food and drink will be served at Chris's house on 246 N. El Molino Ave. As February 28th is the the date of Chris's birth it will be a combined concert reception/birthday party!

i'm sure you've heard about the blue avatars in that animated flick, but there's also a GOLDEN avatar: sri chaitanya mahaprabhu, "the divine manifestation of the Supreme Goddess, Radha and the Supreme God, Krishna." it was he who popularized the call-and-response form of chanting known as kirtan. this SUNDAY 2/28 4-8pm... at Rose Temple in venice, there will be a kirtan led by the kirtaniyas in his honor

The Day of The Golden Avatar
Date: Sunday, February 28, 2010
Time: 4:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: The Rose Temple
Street: 305 rose avenue
City/Town: Venice, CA
At The Rose Temple this Sunday there will be a celebration for the Golden Avatar: Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Join us for AT 4 PM through 9 PM for: KIRTAN, BHAKTI YOGA, CHANTING, DISCUSSION, VEGETARIAN LOVE FEAST, DANCING AND MORE KIRTAN!
The Kirtaniyas, BV Bhagavat Swami and other guests...
"Sri Chaitanya is the divine manifestation of the Supreme Goddess, Radha and the Supreme God, Krishna.
Krishna being the reservoir of pleasure once desired to understand the love that his greatest lover (Radha) had for him. He wanted to have first hand experience of this love. So they (Radha and Krishna) combined in one form and came to play in this material world as The Golden Avatar.
While experiencing the depths of Sri Radha's love for him in this combined form Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu distributed this love to ONE and ALL through the process of KIRTAN.
KIRTAN is a gathering of hearts expressing feelings of love. LOVE being GOD and GOD being love this expression is called BHAKTI... the gift of Sri Chaitanya."

This SUNDAY 2/28, come for KIRTAN with PREM JYOTI of Encinitas and celebrate the Book Release of "WHERE SOULS DREAM GOD" written by Sundaram La Pierre at Bhakti Yoga Shala in Santa Monica

KIRTAN AND BOOK RELEASE with PREMA JYOTI
Date: Sunday, February 28, 2010
Time: 8:00pm - 10:30pm
Location: Bhakti Yoga Shala
Street: 207 ARIZONA AVE
Come for KIRTAN with PREM JYOTI of Encinitas
and celebrate the Book Release of
"WHERE SOULS DREAM GOD" written by Sundaram La Pierre.
The book is a unique glimpse into the ancient culture of India as seen by Westerners who have adopted that culture as their own. Anyone who is fascinated by the magic and the mystery of that holy land will find this book intoxicating. If you have ever thought about going there, after reading "WHERE SOULS DREAM GOD", you may just have to put your life on hold and leave tomorrow!
The book includes the full-length CD, recorded exclusively for the book: I Love You, India, by Swami Nirvanananda, the “Singing Monk.
Sundaram and Hilary are the owners and hosts of Jyoti Mandir. JYOTI MANDIR is a temple at a private home in Encinitas. We host many Kirtan events both here & at other venues in Encinitas. We believe that the true purpose of music is to uplift the consciousness, leading to actual communion with God. Visit their website www.jyotimandir.com and their facebook page Jyoti Mandir to learn more.

if you're in the OC, this is for you: the new YogaShala in Costa Mesa will be holding their first Introduction to AyurYoga class this SUNDAY 2/28 2-4pm. They offer customized yoga classes based on individual body constitutions according to the ancient science of Ayurveda.The classes provide a holistic healing experience for the physical and spiritual self through not only specific yoga postures but guided meditation and live music.

The Healing Gardens of Ayurveda, LLC
234 E. 17th Street, Suite No. 102
Costa Mesa CA, 92627
website: www.thehealingardens.com/yoga_meditation.htm

Enter to Win a 1 Year Membership with MyYogaOnline.com

2010-02-25T18:31:19+00:00

THE PRIZE:
We are giving away 3 x 1 Year Memberships to MyYogaOnline.com

CONTEST TIMELINE:
Contest begins at 12: 01 am Pacific Standard Time (“PST”) on February 25, 2010 and ends at 11: 59 PST on February 28, 2010.

HOW TO WIN:
You could be one of 3 lucky winners by following these three steps:

Step 1: Become a fan of MyYogaOnline.com Fan Page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/myyogaonline

Step 2: Post the following message on the wall of your Facebook account for a chance to win:

“I entered MyYogaOnline’s contest to win a 1 Year Membership. Become a fan & post gets you entered too! http://www.myyogaonline.com/blog/“

Step 3: Stay tuned for the results! The winners will be contacted on their Facebook account on March 1, 2010.

Terms and conditions apply:
*To participate you will need to have a Facebook account. If you do not have a facebook account, sign-up here: http://www.facebook.com.
*Become a fan of MyYogaOnline.com’s Fan Page on facebook and write on your wall (using your own Facebook account) announcing the contest and you will receive one (1) contest entry.
*Membership prize is non-transferable and can not be redeemed for cash value.
*By submitting an entry, participants consent to MyYogaOnline using their personal information from their Facebook public profile for the sole purpose of this Contest.

If you have any questions, suggestions or requests please Contact Us.

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Guide For Transitioning To A Healthier Diet

2010-02-23T17:39:33+00:00

My Yoga Online has posted a new nutrition article by guest author Brendan Brazier: Guide For Transitioning To A Healthier Diet. Brendan offers simple, but effective advice in how to start adding healthier foods into your diet in order to avoid physical shock to your systems. Enjoy these great nutrition tips as part of your overall yoga and wellness program.

At this point, most of us know what foods are healthy. The challenge is no longer in finding the best health-promoting foods, but rather conveniently incorporating them into the diet on a daily basis without overextending our time budget. What then is the best route to take when aiming to integrate more healthy foods into the diet by replacing the less-healthy options?

A common approach when transitioning to a new way of eating is to eliminate certain non-health promoting foods. However, the most effective way to seamlessly adopt a new eating plan is to include more health-promoting foods as opposed to eliminating the less healthy. This is a practical solution that works on a physiological level as well as a psychological one.

Enjoy reading more Guide For Transitioning To A Healthier Diet

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venturing off the boulevard

2010-02-19T16:56:00+00:00

Urban Lily Yoga
14843 Burbank Boulevard
Sherman Oaks, CA 91401
(818) 782-6144
website: www.urbanlilyyoga.com

Urban Lily Yoga "Blossom where you’re grounded", the yoga wellness center of the valley, is open to the public offering its powerful blend of traditional and progressive yogic practices, with a philosophy that is both contemporary and timeless. Our center offers yoga as it is meant to be, a practice that uncovers your true nature.

Yoga is the possibility of growth. A practice, a seed if you will, which contains within it a miraculous blueprint of an astonishing life that can emerge and come into being through the everyday mindfulness of yoga leading to an intuitive illumination of consciousness which blossoms forth in the form of health, vitality and happiness.

if you live or work in the valley, you know that most everything you need is located on ventura boulevard -- the hip boutiques, the trendy cafes, the major chain stores. even the yoga studios are in the midst of all that activity, right where you can easily find them.

but a new yoga studio has sprouted in a strip mall off the beaten path, about a mile and a half north of the boulevard. hmmm... why out there?

but then again, why not? i mean, if you're going to bring yoga to the people, you might as well bring it closer to them, right?

and i must say that as far as this westsider was concerned, it definitely was closer. or at least much easier to get to.

all i had to do was drive north up the 405, exit at burbank blvd, and after crossing a few traffic lights, there i was, at urban lily yoga. it was so unlike my typical commute to most places in the valley, where i usually find myself crawling along the 101 and the surrounding surface streets, past the soccer moms driving carpool in their SUVs, the writer/producer/actor types chatting on their cell phones, and the senior citizens driving way too slowly under the speed limit.

urban lily yoga was like a little burst of sunshine in their quiet neighborhood. there were no hip and trendy people in this neck of the woods, just moms attending to their washloads at the laundromat and people picking up groceries at the corner market. a banner above the front door marked their spot among the small businesses in the building.

once inside, you could feel the sweet energy of the place, from the retail items stored in wicker baskets in the armoire to the photographs of the teaching staff on the bulletin board. all of it was clearly a work of love by elinore cohen, owner of urban lily. you could definitely feel the female touch in the decor, although that obviously didn't deter the man who walked in off the street to check out the class schedule.

i was there to take elinore's class; while we waited for the earlier class to let out, we chatted as i filled out the requisite paperwork. and since my first class was free, i didn't have to pull out my wallet. nice!

the classroom was small and welcoming. all the props were arranged neatly towards the back of the room. even the blankets were folded so perfectly that any iyengar student would feel right at home here :)

elinore led our little class of three through a mellow, yet challenging, flow class. i especially enjoyed it because after we went through the customary sun salute sequences, we moved on to prep work for harder arm balances and inversion poses. we didn't do anything crazy nor overly backbendy, so my lower back emerged unscathed and happy.

most of the classes at urban lily are vinyasa flow and hatha blend, with some gentle therapeutic classes and restorative classes for those who just want to de-stress. there are also prenatal yoga classes for the neighborhood moms so they can come meet and bond with their future PTA pals.

urban lily will be holding their grand opening celebration next week, on saturday, february 27th at 7pm. everyone's invited to come by to share in the music and the treats; i've heard about all the little details that elinore's been working on to make sure her guests have a great time, so you know i'm not missing this party!

parking: free parking available behind the building
bike racks: none
closest intersection: burbank blvd and kester ave

Nutritional Benefits of Steel-Cut Oats

2010-02-15T19:00:49+00:00

My Yoga Online has posted a wonderful new nutrition article by guest author Carol DiPirro: Why choose Steel-Cut Oats. As we all know, whole grains are vital to a healthy lifestyle. Steel-cut oats offer a nuttier alternative to the rolled oats most people know.

Steel-cut oats are essential grains which are full of nutritional value, rich in B-vitamins, calcium, protein and fiber while low in sodium and unsaturated fat. In fact, just one cup of steel-cut oats contains 8g of fiber. Steel-cut oats are whole grain groats, the inner portion of the oat kernel, which have been cut into two or three pieces rather than flattened. Because of this it takes longer to digest, making us feel fuller for a longer period of time. They are a golden hue and look like chopped nuts or tiny grains of rice. Rolled oats are flake oats that have been steamed, rolled, re-steamed and toasted. Due to all of this additional processing they lose some of their fiber, nutritional value, natural taste, and texture.

Read the full article including a great Over-Night Oatmeal recipe.

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heal me

2010-02-15T10:07:00+00:00

Heal and Soul
16545 Ventura Boulvard
Encino, CA 91436
(818) 501-8228
website: www.healandsoul.com

Heal and Soul was born out of a vision to create a community center where people can explore and practice alternative approaches to healing and wellness. Sharing this ideal, Dr. Joseph Kim and Donna Stillo have designed a distinctive institute of harmonious balance. Their goal is to inspire, empower and enlighten with their wide range of healing modalities. Combining ancient mind-body techniques such as Yoga, Tai Chi and Qigong with Eastern healing arts such as acupuncture and herbal medicine, Heal and Soul aims to help people achieve their highest level of well-being.

i have issues. lots of them.

my left sacroiliac joint is hypermobile while the matching right side is hypomobile. the L4 and L5 segments in my spine are stuck. my coccyx is out of alignment. and all the muscles surrounding all those bony structures are busy trying to figure out what the hell is going on. needless to say, they're not happy; every twinge of lower back pain i experience is their way of screaming their displeasure at me.

there's also this funky shoulder pain i've been feeling for the past 6 months or so. is it caused by tension or overuse? from yoga or from lifting my bike? all i know is that certain arm movements and/or shoulder stretches can get somewhat uncomfortable. ouch.

and i'm not even going to go into the left hamstring i tore from careless yoga and the right ACL i tore from careless skiing. thankfully, both of those have healed.

isn't it ironic how trying to live a healthy life can be the cause of so much pain? :(

so it was during one of my spasmatic back episodes that i decided to check out the new heal and soul studio in encino. their yoga classes sounded nice and gentle -- therapeutic yoga, beginning yoga, iyengar yoga, among others -- so i found myself at their doorstep one lunchtime for marie besso's hatha yoga for everybody class. by the time i'd finished filling out the standard waiver form at the receptionist's desk and walked over to the classroom next door, marie was already helping set up the handful of students who were lying quietly on their mats.

we progressed through a series of slow, deliberate poses and it always seemed like marie was right there with a helpful block or blanket. by the time class ended, i felt like i had pushed myself sufficiently without causing a revolt in my lower back. and that made for a very good class, at least in my book :)

i walked up to marie after class ended to thank her. she commented that i looked familiar; i smiled and told her that it was only during the course of the class that i'd realized i'd taken her class years ago at the recently-closed angel city yoga in studio city (you'd think i'd remember things like that BEFORE going to class... could this mean that in addition to my aches and pains, i'm losing my memory, too?? argh).

after class, i returned to the reception area and chatted with co-owner donna stillo as she showed me the second classroom and the gift items in the retail area. she later introduced me to her partner, dr. joseph kim, the resident acupuncturist and practitioner of oriental medicine. we talked briefly about my back pain. while i was very tempted to see if he could help me, i realized my problem was chronic and would require a number of visits... with a 25-mile roundtrip commute each time. i decided to pass.

that doesn't mean, of course, that i won't return to check out the other classes and other teachers, because i know i will.

unlike most of the other valley-based yoga studios that are located east of the 405 in sherman oaks and studio city, heal and soul is located west of the 405, in encino. it's in the shopping plaza near the NW corner of ventura and hayvenhurst; most runners like myself have probably already been there to shop at the phidippides running shoe store also located in the complex.

note: from now on, every time i post a visit to a studio, i'll be including handy information for getting there by car, bike, and/or bus. like this:

parking: free parking in lot
bike racks: none
closest intersection: ventura blvd and hayvenhurst ave

Power of Movement Yoga Challenge

2010-02-13T16:37:02+00:00

My Yoga Online is proud and excited to be supporting the 2010 Power of Movement Yoga Challenge March 7, 2010 - the world’s largest yoga challenge in support of arthritis and autoimmune research.

“Nothing happens until something moves.” -Albert Einstein

It all started in 2005 when Dorna Chee made a phone call to the Arthritis and Autoimmunity Research Centre (AARC) Foundation in Toronto with an idea. A yoga teacher, Dorna had turned to her yoga breathing exercises to help her get through a long stay in hospital after being diagnosed with lupus, and she wanted to share her experience with other people who might benefit from yoga to manage an autoimmune illness.

She found a supportive listener in Erin Moraghan, who had recently started working at the AARC Foundation and was an active yoga practitioner. Erin took Dorna’s story to Moksha yoga studio owner Tracey Dos Anjos, and together they developed the concept of Power of Movement - a way to bring yoga into the lives of people like Dorna, who live with arthritis and autoimmune conditions, and to raise money for critical arthritis research in Canada.

In its first year, the team behind Power of Movement aimed to bring 100 people in Toronto together to practice yoga at the same time and place, with the goal of raising $10,000 for research. The event shattered their expectations, with 250 people participating to raise $50,000. Today Power of Movement has raised nearly $400,000 with hopes to raise an additional $500,000 through the 2010 campaign!

On March 7th, do it for a good cause. REGISTER NOW to join Canada’s yoga challenge! Major events happening in a city near you, or join the virtual challenge.

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public displays of affection

2010-02-12T07:08:00+00:00

as you're probably well aware by now, this sunday, february 14th, is valentine's day.

while many will be giving their loved ones FTD flowers, godiva chocolates, hallmark cards and possibly even making dinner reservations at fancy-schmancy restaurants to show how much they care, i and two of my unattached girlfriends will be heading to thai town on V-day to treat ourselves to relaxing thai massages and delicious thai food... all because we care enough to enjoy the very best!

valentine's day is also the time when there'll a lot of public displays of affection going on -- people holding hands, cuddling, kissing, and in some cases, climbing on top of each other in the presence of people they may or may not know... otherwise known as partner yoga :)

so if that sounds like an adventurous and novel way for you to spend quality time with your significant other, even if that other is a family member or friend, here's a list of partner yoga workshops going on this weekend:

Start your love affair with yoga - Partner up and practice!
TruYoga, Santa Monica
Saturday, Feb 13th 11:00am - 2:00pm
Cost: $40

Alyson Khan will guide you through this special lighthearted and relaxing practice of partner yoga, combining the fundamental elements of ancient yoga philosophy and posture to experience a joyful and safe practice for a healthy living.
Yoga with a partner allows you to provide compassionate physical and mental support. Utilizing therapeutic postures, along with slow gentle stretching, you aid each other to feel connected, safe and relaxed.
A perfect way to understand your partners needs in a loving or plain friendly feel good way. All are welcome from beginners to advance yogis. No previous yoga experience necessary.
Mats are are available, Free Parking!

Partner Yoga with Matthew Cohen
Exhale Center for Sacred Movement, Venice
Saturday, Feb 13th 2:00-4:00pm (also Feb 14th)
Cost: $50 for both days; $30 per session

In this 2 day workshop we will extend our solo experience and share it with another. Consciously working with another person translates into useful life skills. Partner Yoga deepens our sensitivity, awareness and compassion. The mutual support and connection to others strengthens the sense of community. We will focus on breath, postural alignment and placement. Ultimately, working with partners allows us to learn more about ourselves. This is a potent, enlightening and joyful workshop. Partner Yoga is a creative way to revisit your practice using touch as communication while enjoying the benefits of moving deeper into one's practice with a little help from a friend! Class will include backbends, forward bends, balance, twists and more...Bring a partner or one will be provided for you!
Matthew incorporates practices from dance, yoga, chi kung (qi gong) and martial arts.
All levels are welcome.

Partner Yoga SATURDAY with Larry and Amy
Yummy Yoga, Los Feliz
Saturday, Feb 13th 2:00-4:00pm
Cost: $30 in advance, $35 at the door. Call or email Yummy to register! Payment due upon registration

Join Larry and Amy this weekend for this Valentine's Day-inspired Partner Yoga Workshop.
Shine a new light on your practice and learn to share poses with the support and encouragement of a yogi partner! Come with OR without a friend and enjoy this fun, playful, partner yoga workshop, taking your yogic experience to a new level!

Partner Yoga Workshop with Melannie
Free Spirit Yoga, Long Beach
Saturday, Feb 13th 3:00-5:00pm
Cost: $40 per couple, limited to 10 couples

When you practice with a partner you share an intimacy, support and energy that does not exist in your normal practice. This workshop will include partner postures, Thai Yoga massage and restorative postures all meant to build a shared loving energy between you and your partner. Bring a friend or loved one to this unique yoga experience.

AcroYoga: Sublime Connection - A Valentine's Yoga Workshop for Couples with Sarah Vosen and Laura Catone
The Hub, West Los Angeles
Saturday, Feb 13th 5:00-7:30pm
Cost: $55 per couple

Tantra Tantric philosophy invites us to embrace all of our senses and experiences to connect deeply to our inner truth in a blissful reality. In this workshop our sensual indulgences will include partner yoga, Thai massage, chocolate, music, candlelight and the spaciousness of our own breath. Explore a deeper connection and intimacy with your partner while learning tools to relax and let go. All levels welcome, come with the one you love.
To learn more about AcroYoga, Sarah or Laura, please visit www.acroyoga.org.

Partner Yoga Workshop with Scott Lewicki and Andrea Call
Urth Yoga, Silverlake
Saturday, Feb 13th 6:30-8:30pm
Cost: $40 per couple in advance. $50 per couple the day of the event

In this workshop we will move through playful sequences of partner-assisted poses where one helps the other, and double yoga poses where each reflects the other in dynamic and balanced symmetries. This workshop is for all levels. You can come with a friend, sibling, romantic partner, etc. The only prerequisite is the ability to giggle and have fun.
In the texts of yoga philosophy there is a concept called Vimarsha which translates as Divine Reflection. Sometimes to see our full potential more clearly, it helps to have it reflected through the eyes of another. This can be profoundly true in yoga where working with a partner can afford us the opportunity to deepen our practice in new ways.

FLYING YOGA ~ JUST ABOUT THE MOST YOGA FUN YOU CAN HAVE ON VALENTINES!
Studio Surya Yoga, Venice
Sunday, Feb 14th 12:30-2:30pm
Cost: Suggested $20 donation

Whaka and Sara have generously offered this exciting and fun workshop on Valentine’s Day. Flying yoga is the blend of yoga, with the added benefit of a partner, who might be a friend, life-mate, or a new person you meet in class. It combines massage techniques for a therapeutic experience and can be combined with a dynamic interactive balancing or acrobatic experience. These aspects of flying allow the spine of the flyer to open and stretch while the base (the person holding the flyer) receives a strengthening exercise. It is a practice in trust, in your partner but more importantly within yourself. This practice allows you to grow and expand and open up to new opportunities, and creates possibilities that you could not achieve on your own.Wear comfortable yoga clothes. Come with a mat and a friend, a partner or just on your own. You will definitely meet a great bunch of people.
For more information go to www.kohayoga.org and email Sara or Whaka.

Valentine's Day Partner Yoga Workshop with Lara Catone and Sarah Vosen
Rising Lotus Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Sunday, Feb 14th 1:00-3:00pm
Cost: $40 for you and your partner

Partner yoga invites us to be receptive, playful and sensitive. As we cultivate trust and surrender with the support of another you will melt into deep, relaxing stretches and discover meaningful connection to both the inner and outer world. Come with a partner!
No prior yoga experience needed.

Valentine's Day Partner Yoga Flow
Dharma Mittra Yoga, Los Angeles
Sunday, Feb 14th 1:00-2:30pm
Cost: By Donation

Partner Yoga is based on performing classic yoga asanas (poses) with another person, using one another’s body weight to amplify the stretch. Come to this class alone, with a partner or with the whole family! Great for practitioners at any level and a lot of fun.

Valentines Day Bhakti Workshop with Govindas and Radha
Bhakti Yoga Shala, Santa Monica
Sunday February 14th, 1:45-3:45pm
Cost: By Donation

Come join Govindas and Radha on February 14th to celebrate this "Day of Love," Valentines Day 2010. In this joyful workshop we will sing kirtan, practice partner yoga and tantric meditation, dance, stretch, pray and play together all in the spirit of LOVE... Come by yourself or bring a partner.
We look forward to sharing this magical day together!

Partner Yoga with Matthew Cohen
Exhale Center for Sacred Movement, Venice
Saturday, Feb 13th 2:00-4:00pm (also Feb 13th)
Cost: $50 for both days; $30 per session

In this 2 day workshop we will extend our solo experience and share it with another. Consciously working with another person translates into useful life skills. Partner Yoga deepens our sensitivity, awareness and compassion. The mutual support and connection to others strengthens the sense of community. We will focus on breath, postural alignment and placement. Ultimately, working with partners allows us to learn more about ourselves. This is a potent, enlightening and joyful workshop. Partner Yoga is a creative way to revisit your practice using touch as communication while enjoying the benefits of moving deeper into one's practice with a little help from a friend! Class will include backbends, forward bends, balance, twists and more...Bring a partner or one will be provided for you!
Matthew incorporates practices from dance, yoga, chi kung (qi gong) and martial arts.
All levels are welcome.

Partner Yoga with Wine and Chocolate
Yoga Loft, Manhattan Beach
Sunday, Feb 14th 2:00-4:00pm
Cost: $35 each or $50 per couple

Join Leeann Carey for a Valentine's Day Partner Yoga Class designed to deepen your relationship to self, while you give and receive support in yoga postures. Experiencing the poses with another creates a unique process of discovery in giving and receiving, and letting in and letting go on and off the mat. Bring your own partner or come alone. This is a wonderful opportunity to introduce yoga to a friend. You don't have to be good! And it's a really fun and light-hearted workshop.

Partner Yoga Workshop with Dana Marcoux and Shannon Baker
Santa Monica Yoga, Santa Monica
Sunday, Feb 14th 2:30-5:00pm
Cost: $25 per person by Feb 8, $30 per person day-of

All levels are welcome to join and participate in this playful partner yoga workshop. We will practice the art of yoga together, deepening the practice through partner assisted adjustments, poses, and basic feel-good bodywork techniques.

Valentine Partner Workshop With Christine and Gary!
Liberation Yoga, Los Angeles
Sunday, Feb 14th 2:30-4:30pm
Cost: $45 per duo

Awaken your senses through this heart expanding practice devoted to letting the love flow! Spend quality time with someone you care about and nurture yourself at the same time. This all levels class will focus on deepening your connection to yourself and any significant other, a partner, a spouse, a friend, a parent or child! We will explore all levels of partner poses as well as breath and meditation that stimulate our ability to communicate through the body and mind and help one another access our greatest potential for flexibility, strength, peace and joy. It's about celebrating the love!
This is a Liberation yoga tradition that is filled with laughter and love and space is limited. AS A MATTER FACT WE HAVE ONLY 5 SPOTS LEFT!! THAT'S 5 DUOS!

Asana for Couples and the Yoga of Intimacy with Geoffrey Earendil and Jaqueline Marie
Aanand Saagar, Santa Monica
Sunday, Feb 14th 3:00-5:00pm
Cost: By Donation, $25 per couple suggested. RSVP by Friday February 12th; call (760) 220-4877 or (805) 453-5878

This Heart Centered workshop is appropriate for ALL levels. You and your partner will be guided through a sequence of sweet stretches and strengthening poses with gentle touch and mutual encouragement. Incorporating guided imagery, simple meditations and focused intention we will introduce you to practical techniques to improve communication, build trust, deepen sensitivity and strengthen your heart connection to begin sharing the journey of Spiritual Self-Discovery.
No prior yoga experience is necessary. Dress comfortably. Please refrain from wearing jewelery and perfume. As with all physical activity, we encourage you to not eat an hour before participation.

Partner Yoga: A Valentines Celebration with Anthony and Rebecca Benenati
City Yoga, West Hollywood
Sunday, Feb 14th 4:00-6:00pm
Cost: $50 per couple, or $45 if you register before February 7th

Yogi Bhajan once said, "relationships are the highest form of yoga".
Love and relationships come in many forms- romance, family and friendships. This Valentine's do something different! Come do yoga with your partner and really connect. Celebrate your relationship by bending, balancing and breathing with them. Isn't that what we do anyway? Rebecca and Anthony will lead this very fun, loving, and playful practice that includes asana, restorative poses, massage techniques, meditation and Valentine's treats to eat!
All levels are welcome to attend.

New Online Yoga Video by Clara Roberts-Oss

2010-02-11T00:44:08+00:00

My Yoga Online has posted a new yoga video featuring Clara Roberts-Oss: Twist It Out Yoga video. This yoga sequence balances twisting with heart opening. The flow moves through a standing series of twists and leg balances coupled with a cycle of back bends. Enjoy practicing to the beautiful outdoor setting of North Vancouver, Canada.

Watch our latest video: Twist It Out Yoga

About Clara:
Clara originates her practice and teachings from New York at the Jivamukti Yoga Center. She received her certification at Sonic Yoga NYC with Lauren Hanna and Jonathan Fields in 2003. Her unique sense of sequencing is influenced by teachers Shiva Rea, Lauren Hanna, Stacey Brass (Laughing Lotus), David Life (Jivamukti) and from her background in dance.

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triyoga center in malibu to move

2010-02-11T00:37:00+00:00

this just came in from kali ray, founder of the triyoga center in malibu (please note that this is NOT the similarly-named truyoga in santa monica). since the change in the center's situation sounds a bit sudden, i thought it best to post it as soon as i could:

Dear TriYoga Friends,

After nearly twelve years in Malibu, TriYoga Center is moving from this beautiful ashrama overlooking the sea. The landlord decided to move back into his home.

In preparation for moving, daily classes came to an end after the 30th anniversary program at the end of January. A TriYogathon is tentatively planned for February 12 - 14 in celebration of Shivaratri. If you are interested in attending, please register and confirm in advance.

You are an integral part of the local TriYoga community and your presence is greatly appreciated. We will inform you soon of future programs in the Malibu area.

~ in the Flow ~
Kaliji

Wellness Products We Like

2010-02-07T22:31:55+00:00

We have had the opportunity to try some great products by good people. Enjoy our review of yoga and wellness products we like.

Passport to Prana
Enjoy trying out a large number of yoga classes at a fraction of the price of regular drop-in rates. Great way to source out a new studio or to practice with new yoga teachers. Available in San Francisco, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and Ottawa (and they are expanding).

Desert Essence Organics
A really line of organic body care products. We just tried the organic lavender hand soap - great fragrance and did not dry out the hands. All of the products are 100% vegan, biodegradable, manufactured using windpower, cruelty and
wheat/gluten free. And contains no parabens, sodium laurly/laureth sulfates, phthalates, artificial fragrances or colors, silicones, EDTA, glycol or petroleum based ingredients.

The Great Indian Yoga Masters by Birad Rajaram Yajnik
This book traces some of the prominent yoga masters through history with a beautiful selection of photographs. The book has been photographed and documented across nine countries and consists of over 200 visuals that outline the spread and practice across the world of this ancient art form.

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spending the night with shiva

2010-02-06T04:16:00+00:00

the evening of friday, february 12th is the start of shivaratri, or "the night of shiva"

here's some information i picked up from a fairly informative website:

Maha Shivratri falls every year on the 13th night/14th day in the Krishna Paksha (waning moon) of the month of Maagha or Phalguna in the Hindu Calendar and falls on the night before the day of the new moon. Most of the ceremonies take place during the night.

On this day, fasting and night vigil (jaagaran) are observed. Some Hindus observe a strict fast on the day by even avoiding water (nirjala vrat). The Shiva Lingam is worshipped throughout the night. Mantras and Hymns to please Lord Shiva are chanted, including the shiva panchakshari mantra "Om Namah Shivaya".

It is believed that who utters the names of Shiva during Shivratri with utmost devotion is freed from all sins and liberated from the wheel of births and deaths. The Symbol of Lord Shiva, is the Shiva Lingam, is a form to represent the formless and it is worshiped with great splendour during Maha Shivaratri. On this day three horizontal stripes of holy ash applied to the forehead by worshippers of Lord Shiva representing the three eyes of shiva symbolizing spiritual knowledge, purity and penance. This day is also considered an auspicious day for wearing Rudraksha Beads, Lord Shiva's holy bead and gift to the mankind.

There is a legend associated with the Maha Shivarathri. Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma once argued over who was the strongest and supreme of all. Lord Shiva challenged both of them and appeared as a flaming Linga and challenged them to measure the gigantic Linga. Neither Lord Vishnu nor Brahma could measure the Shivalinga. Then Lord Shiva came out of the Linga and declared himself the most powerful.

It is also believed that it is on the day of Maha Shivrathri that the Shiva-Parvati marriage took place and when Lord Shiva danced the 'Tandav', the dance of primordial creation, preservation and destruction.

i don't know if you're thinking what i'm thinking, but it sure sounds like the man with the biggest lingam got the goddess. here's proof that size matters! :)

anyway, shivaratri is an auspicious event in the hindu religion, and since many yoga devotees are also devotees of shiva, there will be many shivaratri celebrations going on around town. here are some of the ones i've found so far:

SHIVA RATRI FESTIVAL with Puja and Shivalingam Abhishek (Bathing Ceremony)
Rose Temple, Venice
Friday, Feb 12th 5:30-9:00pm

For thousands of years, yogis, bhaktas, and spiritual aspirants have observed this universal festival of joy and wisdom. Join us for an unforgettable evening of kirtan, dance, meditation, puja, sacred narrative and congregational abhishek (bathing ceremony) in honor of Mahadeva Shiva followed by delicious karma-free snacks.
Bring your Shivalingams and take part in the congregational puja!
With Sacred Narrative by: Prem Prayojan
Kirtan with: The Kirtaniyas, Alita Rose, Momo Loudiyi and Kalidas.
Siva Stuti (prayers to Lord Shiva) with Kalias.

Yoga Party To Benefit Haiti on Shivaratri
Still Yoga, Silverlake
Friday, Feb 12th 8:00pm until 6:00am the next day
Cost: $30 Suggested Donation

Join Hagar Harpak, Tony Giuliano, Gina Zimmerman, and other yogi friends at Still Yoga on Maha Shivaratri – the great night of the auspicious - for a celebration of love and devotion to life! We will practice yoga, meditate, chant, breathe, and invoke the sacred and the love in our lives! There will be live music, tea and coffee (to help us stay up), snacks (even though originally this is a fasting holiday), and great company to spend this powerful, auspicious night with! There will be time to socialize too! Come early, come late, and/or stay up all night and bring up the sun with us!
In the Hindu tradition Shivaratri is a very important holiday that celebrates the ecstatic, blissful dance of the divine. The myth tells that the same sacred night on which Shiva danced his famous dance, is also the night he married his beloved Parvati. How auspicious it is that this year it falls on Valentines Day Weekend!
Traditionally, devotees stay up all night, make fruit and flower offerings to Shiva, observe fast and chant Om Namah Shivaya around the fire! We will play with some of the traditional aspects, and use it as a time to reflect upon the sacred, make offerings to this universal consciousness of which we are all a part, set intentions, and stoke the fire of our hearts with the spark of inspiration, celebration, revelation, salutation, and meditation!
We wish to reach out to the people in Haiti, and donate all the profit to Partners In Health (www.pih.org), a non-profit organization that has been working in Haiti for over 20 years.
We suggest a $30 donation or whatever you can give, for your participation in this event! If inspired, you can tell your friends and ask if they would like to donate some money even if they can’t actually make it to the party!

Shivaratri Celebration featuring Tony Khalife
Dancing Shiva Yoga and Ayurveda, Los Angeles
Friday, Feb 12th 8:00pm

We will celebrate Shivaratri (Night of Shiva), Mas's birthday (he's going to be 80 - see, do your practice, and you'll look & feel as young as him!) and Valentines day!!!
There'll be a Puja and Kirtan led by Tony Khalife, plus Dance and Food. Yay!
Please bring offerings for the Puja in the form of; flowers, sweets (fruit, desserts, bilva leaves...etc), your intentions for destroying any bad habits you want to get rid of (Shiva can help you with this.)
We look forward to celebrating this evening with you. Bring your friends and family to join us also.

Shivaratri Kirtan Celebration with Daniel and Friends
Rising Lotus Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Friday, Feb 12th 8:20-10:30pm
Cost: By Donation

Come join Daniel Stewart and his many musical friends at Rising Lotus Yoga for a joyful, rocking Kirtan on Friday, February 12 to celebrate the month of lovers and Shivaratri, the festival of Shiva.
Cooper Madison will be returning on Tabla, Arielle Silver and Emily Kern on vocal, Darby Orr on Bass, Jeff Harris on guitar and Greg Klimuck on Cajon. This is a soulful group indeed.

Shivaratri Celebration
Bhakti Yoga Shala, Santa Monica
Friday, Feb 12th 9:00pm until late into the night
Cost: Suggested Donation $15

Join JOEY LUGASSY, DAVE STRINGER, SHIVA REA, DAPHNE TSE for a night of chanting, praying and dancing as we celebrate Shiva's favorite night of the year
Om Namah Shivaya! When we say or sing these words we recognize and pay homage to the grand play or dance between Cause and effect, Consciousness and its phenomena. We also identify with our True Nature as the Stillness from which all movement and image come from and give love and worship to the great One that has Triumphed!
Let's welcome Daphne back from Bali for an all too short visit!
** Opening chant led by GOVINDAS & RADHA
** SHIVA LINGAM CEREMONY led by NARAYAN ZALBEN
** Closing prayer led by ZAT BARAKA
** Closing music and meditation by MYSTIC PETE (cello/vocal) and ALMA CIELO (violin)
We are so graced to have some of the finest sacred music musicians in Los Angeles -
JOSH BRILL - Guitar
DEEPAK RAMAPRIYAN (The Other Deepak) - Violin, Vocals
EDDIE YOUNG - Cello, Bass
PATRICK RICHEY - Tabla, Cajon
VIJAY KRSNA - Mridangam
C.C. WHITE - Vocals
AMBIKA LEIGH - Vocals, Kartals
Bring a pillow!

Mahasivaratri Festival
Sivananda Vedanta Yoga Center, Marina del Rey
Friday, Feb 12th 9:00pm
Cost: FREE

All are invited to celebrate Sivaratri, the Night of Siva, one of the most auspicious events of the year in the Hindu calendar.
It is said that Lord Siva protects the world throughout the year but this is his one night to rest. It is our duty to watch over the world for him. This all night vigil with continuous chanting of the names of Siva, Lord of Yogis, will tune your mind to the highest spiritual vibrations.
Festivities and Chanting starts at 9:00pm. Stay for the first puja (devotional worship), which begins at 10:00pm, or all through the night.
Offerings of fruits, sweets and flowers are welcome. The festival of Sivaratri will end with a feast at dawn.
Sivaratri is a free event and all are welcome.

Kirtan with Sheela Bringi - Celebrating Shivaratri
Aanand Saagar, Venice
Saturday, Feb 13th 8:00-10:00pm
Cost: $15 suggested donation (no one turned away for lack of funds)

Shiva/shakti KIRTAN in Venice: meditative, groovy, soulful Sanskirt chants for Shivarathri.
with...
Sheela Bringi - voice + harp + harmonium + bansuri
Clinton Patterson - trumpet + rhodes
Jon Armstrong - bass
and special guests:
Masood Ali Khan - hang
Pranidhi Varshney, Ullas Matthew Fowler - voice
Cody Remaklus - world percussion

diary of a 31-day challenged yogini

2010-02-01T06:08:00+00:00

another new year, another month-long challenge.

last year, it was the lululemon store in el segundo that posed the challenge. and not only did i meet it, but exceeded even my own expectations. but then again, with my obsessive-compulsive personality, i'm not surprised :)

click on these links to see what i posted back then --
~ rising to the challenge, part one
~ challenge survivor!

this year, i was enticed to do it once again, this time by yogaworks, who posted this on their facebook page:

Class A Day in January Challenge

Join us and take on a personal challenge with all your YogaWorks Facebook Friends here to support and encourage you!
There are no real rules – just take a class a day and write about it on this facebook page.
Classes can be taken at YogaWorks, another yoga studio, self-practice in your bedroom or with a DVD in your living room.
Take classes and – then write about it.
* Where did you take the class, who was the teacher, how’d you feel?
Grand Prize is SATISFACTION for anyone who completes the class a day challenge in January.
At the end of the month some randomly selected people who posted frequently will win prize package of “Stuff”.

with visions of "a prize package of stuff" as the dangling carrot before me, i bit and took the challenge.

here's what i ended up posting (btw, the only reason why i didn't take all the classes at YW was because the cost would have been prohibitive; i ended up cashing in a couple of one-week passes that i had stashed away for occasions such as this):

jan 1st, first class of 2010! - 2 hour anusara class with marc holzman and tiffany fraser guerillayogala.com. it's always fun to practice with friends!!

jan 2nd, day 2 - a 6-mile run, followed by power yoga with rudy mettia at power yoga west in santa monica. a good way to sweat out all of the toxins from 2009 :)

jan 3rd, day 3 - couldn't make it to a yoga studio today, so did an online restoratives/meditation at home with noah maze at yogaglo.com

jan 4th, day 4 - vinyasa flow with annie carpenter at YW main st. living up to her name, she will help build up your alignment and strength to make your practice more "easeful" :)

jan 5th, day 5 - managed to get the last open spot in vinnie marino's class today at YW main street -- his first class back from vacation. 80 students in a tuesday 9am class!?!?! don't people have 9-to-5 jobs around here anymore?

jan 6th, day 6 - since i seem to be coming down with a cold, i opted for chris stein's 1/2 iyengar at YW montana. besides, it's always good to work on the fundamentals every now and then :)

jan 7th, day 7 - vinyasa flow 2/3 with sara ivanhoe at YW main street. such a beautiful, yet sweaty, practice. found myself chanting along with KD and the others on her ipod playlist while doing the surya namaskar sequence :)

jan 8th, day 8 - relaxed deeply with aaron reed at exhale venice. this evening's vibe was even more chill than usual, only because the power supply to half the studio was inadvertently cut off by nearby construction work. so we practiced in the dark with no heat and nothing but the sound of cars whooshing by on main street...

jan 9th, day 9 - vinyasa flow with mia togo at YW montana. was so drenched in sweat by the time class ended that i wondered why i bothered to shower before class... because i was just going to hop right back in when i got home!

jan 10th, day 10 - after running a half marathon this morning, then being unable to find a nice restorative class with a time/place that would work for me, i ended up practicing bhakti yoga instead. i attended a puja, followed by a kirtan, at the new aanand saagar studio near the third street promenade.

jan 11th, day 11 - vinyasa flow with seane corn at yogaglo, a fundraiser for Y.O.G.A for youth, a non-profit whose mission is to bring yoga and meditation to at-risk youth in LA (btw, kia miller will be teaching a fundraiser for the same charity this coming saturday on main street)

jan 12th, day 12 - a much-needed yin yoga class at yogaglo with felicia tomasko, editor of LA yoga magazine, accompanied by peter sterling on harp, flute, and tibetan bowl!! harpmagic.com

jan 13th, day 13 - still recovering from the after-effects of a bad cold and sunday's half-marathon, i listened to my body and took a level 1 class at yogaglo with steven espinosa, who focused on the basics of proper alignment. stepping away from the usual vinyasa flow to revisit the basics is a great way to keep from getting sloppy in one's practice (and prevent injury!)

jan 14th, day 14 - celebrated the new moon AND solar eclipse with a powerful kundalini class at kundalini katie's home on the westside. there was some meditation, some yoga, some goal-setting, and i had lots of fun making new friends!

jan 15th, day 15 - took an intermediate/advanced anusara class with naime jezzeny and noah maze at yogaglo. you know you've picked THE class to go to when the LA anusara kula shows up in force :)

jan 16th, day 16 - took a mellow vinyasa flow class with chani nicolas at yogis anonymous, with live music provided by dorian cheah, david watts, momo loudiyi, masood ali khan, and dahveed haribol. all proceeds from the donation-based class will go to the red cross for haitian earthquake relief!

jan 17th, day 17 - another therapeutics and alignment class with naime jezzeny and noah maze at yogaglo. today's focus: hips, pelvis, sacrum and lumbar spine. we learned the finer points of aligning the spine and the legs to protect the back. now i just have to put into practice what i've learned!

jan 18th, day 18 - welcomed marc holzman to his new slot at yogaglo, where he now teaches a level 2 anusara class. today's theme was inspired by martin luther king, who said: "Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."

jan 19th, day 19 - found myself doing some errands in the south bay, so i took an all-levels power yoga class with mary strong at the green yogi in manhattan beach... then had a wonderful deep tissue massage immediately afterwards at the massage spot next door! :)

jan 20th, day 20 - old navy is sponsoring FREE yoga at yogaco today and tomorrow, so i took tommy rosen's kundalini/vinyasa flow class to get my shakti fired up. sat nam!!

jan 20th, day 20 - after returning home from a yoga class this morning, i decided to go to yogaglo for more yoga and ended up taking not just one more class, but TWO!! the first was felicia tomasko's yoga for immunity class, where we stimulated our lymph nodes to get them activated, and the second was noah maze's level 2 anusara class. so one am class + two pm classes = three today! crazy...

jan 21st, day 21 - vinyasa flow class with sarah ezrin at lululemon brentwood, with all donations going to the red cross for its relief efforts in haiti. there was an amazingly good turnout, considering the wicked weather outside!

jan 22nd, day 22 - was so busy watching the hope for haiti telethon on TV that i lost track of time and was almost late for alyson khan's class -- which, by the way, was a fundraiser for an orphanage in haiti -- at bhakti yoga shala. live music was provided by moose ali khan and friends. don't know what felt better, going through the yoga poses or knowing that the money was going to a good cause!

jan 23rd, day 23 - was so inspired by the close to 80 yogis who packed the classroom at the YW main street fundraiser!! many thanks to david kim, david lynch, kathryn budig, kia miller, malachi melville, mia togo, and sara ivanhoe for the wonderful flow class... and to shayn almeida and becky kessler for providing the sweet sounds that we practiced to!

jan 24th, day 24 - the downside of having an unstable sacroiliac joint (and i haven't quite yet found an upside) is that it goes out every now and then and causes great pain. so i chose to skip my practice today to avoid tweaking it even more. but i did attend a party at u studio yoga this evening... so if chatting with a group of yogis while standing in a yoga studio counts as yoga, i'm good for today. don't buy it? ok, fine. i'll sit here and meditate on the yama of ahimsa, or non-injury :)

jan 25th, day 25 - trying to remain mindful of my SI issue, i remembered -- and hoped -- that since this was the 4th week of the month, an iyengar class would be a restorative one. not being able to find an iyengar class at YW that fit into my schedule, i headed out to the iyengar institute and took leslie peters' level 2 class, and sure enough, with the exception of handstands and headstands, the rest of our practice was restorative. nice!

jan 26th, day 26 - paid a visit to my physical therapist to see how whacked my back was. let's just say i wasn't imagining things :( so after some mobilization, some stim, and some ice, he made me promise that i would stay away from any and all yoga classes today. he didn't say anything about tomorrow, though :) so my mantra for today was: knit 1, purl 1, repeat until end of row...

jan 27th, day 27 - continuing to practice ahimsa to my spasmatic back, i showed up at truyoga in santa monica for the gentle yoga with therapeutics class. because the regular teacher couldn't make it, none of her regulars showed up -- so i ended up getting a one-on-one private with her sub, nykki hardin. their loss, my gain!

jan 28th, day 28 - one never really thinks of iyengar classes as fun, unless you happen to have the always-entertaining paul cabanis as your teacher! we had a trilingual english-spanish-french class today at YW westwood, where "periodicos" DIDN'T refer to the stuff you read :)

jan 29th, day 29 - slow start for me this morning; arrived late for marla's iyengar class, so i took birgitte kristen's yogaworks 1/2 class instead. good core sequence to help strengthen all my lazy ab muscles!

jan 30th, day 30 - another day, another fundraiser class! this time it was for yoga gives back at yogis anonymous and was taught by ally hamilton, chani nicholas, charlie samos, john sahakian, and meredith hines. we were serenaded by daniel stewart and friends during class, then treated with cookies, fruit, and acai juice after!

jan 31st, day 31 - started the day in a loopy way, so to speak, learning about the anusara energy loops with elena brower at yogaglo. then ended the day -- and the month -- with a much-deserved restorative iyengar practice with marla apt at YW montana. tomorrow's a new month... bring it on!

Feb 1, The Yoga News - Our February 2010 Issue is here ...

2010-02-01T04:06:16+00:00

The February 2010 issue of The Yoga News has just been sent out. If you subscribed to receive this monthly yoga e-zine, check your email now. If you don't see it there, be sure to look in your 'junk mail' or 'bulk mail' folders. Also be sure to add our email address to your "safe list" so that you'll receive all future editions of The Yoga News. If you are not already signed up to receive The Yoga News, you can subscribe for Free. Just go to: http://www.discover-yoga-online.com/yoga-news.html

shopping for yoga on the promenade

2010-01-29T23:50:00+00:00

call me a cheapskate, but i really don't like paying for parking. and if i go anywhere near the 3rd street promenade in santa monica, i'd almost always have to.

which is why i usually bike to yoga class when i'm headed that way. not only do i NOT have to pay to park my bike, but i don't have to go round and round in the structures in search of an elusive parking space (the sign outside might say there are 9 spaces available, but good luck trying to find those 9 empty spots!!).

last week, though, during our epic week of rain -- and who says it never rains in southern california? -- i found myself having to kiss my bike goodbye as i hopped in my car to get to class. it seemed the wise thing to do; not only didn't i want to get drenched (either from the rain itself or from trucks splashing through puddles on the street), but i definitely didn't want to get sideswiped by inattentive LA drivers who couldn't see clearly out their windows because of the rain while they were attempting to update their facebook statuses on their iphones :(

as i drove into the parking structure, i noticed the people walking to and from their cars. and strangely enough, EVERYONE was carrying a yoga mat!!

you think i'm exaggerating? consider this: within a three-block stretch of 2nd street in santa monica, there are FOUR yoga studios... and within a short jog from there, there are FOUR more! and that doesn't even include the other sources of yoga classes -- the four or more gyms that are also in the area: equinox, 24 hour fitness, burn fitness, and easton gym, plus the lululemon athletica santa monica with its FREE community classes on sunday mornings!

and did i mention that there's a hot yoga studio that's scheduled to open in another month or so in the former exhale santa monica location??

so as far as yoga in LA goes, welcome to ground zero :)

the area around 3rd street is also the place where you're going to find the greatest concentration of donation-based** yoga studios; of the eight i counted earlier, all but two of them have donation boxes stationed by the front door.

** for those of you unfamiliar with the concept of donation-based yoga, here's a brief recap:

instead of charging a set fee for each class, these yoga studios allow you to name your own price. in other words, you give what you can afford to pay at the moment and/or what you think the class was worth to you. most of the studios suggest a $14 donation per class, which is still less than the going rate at non-donation based studios.

now please indulge me for a moment as i step on my soapbox... as far as i'm concerned, everyone should drop something in the donation box. if you're really broke, pull a dollar bill out of your pocket and drop it in. if you're feeling a little more generous, put in $5 or $10. on the other hand, if you felt like you just took the best class in your entire life and want to make sure that teacher continues to be there for you, by all means put in even more! btw, if you're driving a late-model hybrid car and are planning to do some major shopping at anthropologie or some other high-end store on the promenade after class, there is absolutely NO reason why you should donate less than $15. i mean, where are your priorities???... ok, hopping off soapbox...

when making a donation, don't worry if all you have are large bills; it's OK to make change from what's in the box. just make sure you don't take out more than you put in :(

with that said, here are the yoga studios located in the vicinity of the third street promenade and what their classes are like. i'll start with the farthest one out and work my way in:

home simply yoga - 1547 6th st (thru the courtyard); some classes by donation

this is the only studio on the westside focused on mysore-style ashtanga yoga. but since they're fully aware that not everyone is a hardcore ashtangi, they offer beginner and led ashtanga classes, by donation, for those who want to learn the basics. their class schedule also includes vinyasa flow classes and other specialized classes, also by donation.

home simply was one of the first green yoga studios here in LA. their beautiful hardwood asana floor was once the sales floor of the plush armani exchange store down on main street; in fact, most of the materials used in the studio are recycled discards from a number of remodel projects around town. in the spirit of going green, you might want to consider walking, biking, or taking the bus to get here. street parking is metered and at a premium; the nearest city parking structures are three blocks away.

santa monica power yoga east - 522 santa monica blvd, 2nd floor; by donation

this is the home that every teacher's teacher, bryan kest, built. it's located in the dance home studio, right above the radio shack store near the goodwill thrift shop. there's usually a line snaking down the stairs, along the sidewalk, and around the corner. it's been said that ginger rogers and fred astaire used to rehearse on the same floor thousands of power yoga-hungry students now practice on. classes are usually packed, so get there early (which explains the line).

bryan and the other instructors teach power yoga classes of varying levels of difficulty. note: for bryan's level 3-4 classes, you must be an advanced student. it used to be that you had to attend his level 1-2 class a number of times and get his approval before you could show up at his 3-4. i'm not sure if he still enforces that rule, but all i know is that if you're a first-timer, don't even think of taking his advanced class!

fred segal yoga - 420 broadway; $10 per class

this is also known as the yoga studio at the preece and toff salon at the fred segal store. the fred segal santa monica has two buildings on broadway, one on the east side of 5th street and one on the west; the yoga studio is in the west building. the management hasn't done a particularly great job of promoting the studio, so most people don't even know that it's there. when it first opened, there were about three classes a day. i just checked the class schedule and it looks like it's down to just three classes a week :( but then again, each class will set you back only ten bucks...

unlike all the other surrounding yoga studios, there's a parking lot for all fred segal customers, so you get to park there for free while you're taking a class. and, of course, while you're getting your hair done at the salon or while ogling all the celebrities who shop there.

yogaco - 1408 3rd st promenade, 3rd floor; by donation

if you've ever strolled up and down the promenade, chances are, you've probably walked right past this yoga studio without knowing that it was there. the entrance is between the lush and anthropologie stores; look for the glass door, enter the hallway, and either take the elevator or walk up the flight of stairs to get to the third floor. once you get there, you'll swear you just walked into an exclusive yoga studio with prices to match. au contraire! the owners, grant and kelsey gottfurcht, along with tamal dodge, spared no expense in turning this into a luxe location. the lobby, all three classrooms, even the bathrooms are well-appointed. but the entire place is run on donations. if you feel guilty about putting just a couple of bucks in the donation box after class, maybe your conscience has a point... so put in more! :)

yogaco offers classes in a variety of styles -- power, vinyasa flow, ashtanga, iyengar, prenatal, mommy and me -- so there's bound to be something that speaks to you.

santa monica power yoga west - 1410 2nd st; by donation

this is the more stylish sibling of kest's power yoga studio less than a mile up the street. there's a retail store in front that has a good selection of affordably-priced yoga stuff: mats, props, clothing, books, jewelry, figurines, and more. so if you're in from out of town and left all your yoga gear back home, you should be able to buy everything you need right here. out back is a large classroom with shelves to stash your stuff (unlike at dance home where you pretty much leave your belongings by your mat or along the wall).

like the other location, almost all the classes are power yoga. and yes, they're just as packed, too.

aanand saagar santa monica - 1318 2nd st, 2nd floor; by donation

this is the santa monica branch of arvind chittumalla's studio with the same name over in venice. the classes here are more traditional, with the focus on wellness and healing. according to the website: We take an integral approach to yoga, incorporating all the eight limbs of Raja Yoga in our practice, as prescribed by Patanjali. Yoga is said to be the science of self liberation and practicing asanas is perhaps just the first step in a yogi's journey of self discovery. Our goal is to help people incorporate other aspects of yoga into their practice and also remind them to take yoga off the mat and incorporate it in every aspect of their life.

the studio just opened last month, so the schedule is still being filled in. most of the classes are vinyasa flow, with a couple of meditation classes thrown in to balance things out.

bhakti yoga shala - 207 arizona ave @ 2nd st; by donation

ever wonder what happened to all the kirtan that used to be held at the power yoga west studio on saturday nights? many of those kirtan wallahs, who also happen to be power yoga teachers, moved over when govindas and radha opened up their own yoga studio down the street. all the classes are all-level "bhakti vinyasa flow", a seamless blend of hatha (physical) yoga and bhakti (devotional) yoga. it seems like every teacher here plays the harmonium (or pulls in a close friend who does), so there's lots of chanting that goes along with the asanas. if you're one of those who prefers the "no chanting, no granola, no sanskrit" kind of yoga advocated by the spinning crowd over in venice, this place isn't for you. on the other hand, give it a shot; not only will it cost you less money, but you might actually like it!

the bhakti shala holds kirtans every friday and saturday evening with a revolving list of musicians. these loud and lusty chantfests usually turn into ecstatic sessions that last late into the night (which seems to discourage the homeless from camping out on their doorstep). special events, usually maha kirtans featuring visiting musicians accompanied by the house "band", are also held on a fairly regular basis.

yogis anonymous - 1221 2nd st; by donation

just like the bhakti yoga shala a block away, yogis anonymous was started by a former power yoga alum, ally hamilton, and her husband dorian cheah. taking a class here is like walking into the cheah living room and finding the place filled with their best friends... who soon become your good friends, too. every now and then, their next door neighbor (not really, but play along with me here) josh nelson pops by with gluten-free vegan cookies and brownies... yum! and don't be surprised if you find their litttle kids hanging around from time to time; if you're there often enough, you'll eventually find yourself taking your turn as babysitter or entertainer :)

to give you an idea of how much fun this place is, check out some of the classes offered. the names speak for themselves -- order your breakfast, east meets west, classic yoga made in india, hurts so good, yoga for ninjas, friday night yoga party, sunday sadhana, and the class that always elicits a "huh?", good cop/bad cop. there's never a dull moment here.

so now that you know where you might want to go for your next yoga class, click here for information on the parking structures in and around the 3rd street promenade. and good luck finding that parking spot!! :)

New Nutrition Articles-Learn about Leeks and Kale

2010-01-28T23:03:41+00:00

My Yoga Online has added 2 new great nutrition article by Carol DiPirro: The Nutritious World of Leeks and Kale-Veggie Superstar

Leeks, a member of the onion and garlic family, have long been grown and cooked in Europe and the Mediterranean. Historians claim Nero ate leeks in soup regularly, thinking they were good for his singing voice. He may have gotten the notion from Aristotle who claimed the clear cry of the partridge was due to its diet of leeks. Only recently have they become popular in the United States.

An average size leek contains approximately 40 calories and 305 mg of salt which is 13% of the daily requirement. They also contain significant levels of manganese (15%) and iron (8%). Leeks are believed to fight cancer, especially colon and prostate cancer. They contain quercetin and other compounds which inhibit carcinogenic development and also restrict the spread of cancer. Leeks also contain kaempferol, a substance which has been shown to reduce ovarian cancer in women. The green parts of leeks are especially nutritious, containing B vitamins and loaded with protective antioxidants such as carotenoids and lutein.

Read more about the health benefits and a recipe with leeks:The Nutritious World of Leeks

Kale, a descendent of the wild cabbage, is thought to have originated in Asia Minor and to have been brought to Europe around 600 B.C. by groups of Celtic wanderers. Curly kale played an important role in early Europe, having been a significant crop during ancient Roman times and a popular vegetable eaten by peasants in the Middle Ages. English settlers brought kale to the United States in the 17th century. Both ornamental and dinosaur kale are much more recent varieties. Dinosaur kale was discovered in Italy in the late 19th century. Ornamental kale, originally a decorative garden plant, was first cultivated commercially in the 1980s in California. Ornamental kale is now better known by the name Savoy.

Read more about the health benefits of Kale and a great Kale Chip recipe:Kale - Veggie Superstar

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enlightenment for foodies

2010-01-28T03:42:00+00:00

hi, i'm joni. and i'm addicted to food.

at one point, i was so addicted that it didn't matter if it walked or swam or flew or just grew in place. if someone cooked something well enough to make it look appetizing, i ate it. or at least attempted to. and i got great satisfaction from filling my belly with food that tasted good. it made me happy. and who wouldn't want a happy joni? :)

and yes, i was aware of those around me who had different eating habits than my own. like those who avoided eating red meat. or those who were sworn vegetarians -- including those who ate eggs but not dairy, or dairy but not eggs. and if they abstained from both eggs AND dairy, they earned the right to call themselves vegan. if they were really hardcore, they went raw. which meant no cooking, no heating. and as far as i was concerned, no fun.

in fact, in my earlier years of volunteering at the KCRW pledge drive (which, by the way, starts up again this week), it used to upset me when the choices laid out on the food table were predominantly vegetarian. pasta with veggies. veggie sandwiches. pizza with veggie toppings. where's the beef?, i used to whine. but since it was good -- and better yet, it was free -- i ate it anyway. (of course, now that i've stopped eating meat, i find myself whining that there aren't enough veggie entrees to choose from. as they say, the grass is always greener...)

maybe it's my continued exposure to vegetarians in the yoga community. or a better awareness of the meat industry and its role in global warming and animal abuse. or all that plus my attempt to limit my food choices to force myself to eat less to retain my i-wish-it-were-girlish figure. either way, i've gradually found myself becoming less of a carnivore and more of an herbivore (although i continue to eat fish and other seafood). but i do have my weak moments -- the times when i crave the taste and the mouthfeel of something meat-based. and if the dish in front of me is worthy of a transgression, i will eat it.

so when the new york times featured this article about yoga and food in today's dining section, i found myself being drawn to it, not only because i personally know and love dave romanelli, the yoga teacher featured in the story, but because it delves into the ongoing battle between two factions: those who are adamantly against eating meat of any kind vs. those who believe that as long as it tastes good, why not?

and you know exactly where i stand on that issue :)

here are some excerpts from that article. click here to read it in its entirety.

When Chocolate and Chakras Collide
By Julia Moskin
Published: January 26, 2010

“I DON’T condemn/I don’t convert.”

The words of Ziggy Marley’s “Love Is My Religion” floated over 30 people lying on yoga mats in a steamy, dim loft above Madison Avenue on Friday. All had signed up for a strange new hybrid of physical activity: first an hour of vigorous, sweaty yoga, then a multicourse dinner of pasta, red wine and chocolate. As soon as the lights went up, dinner was served on the floor: an (almost) seamless transition designed to allow the yogis to taste, smell and digest in a heightened state of awareness.

“It’s a little weird to sit on a sweaty yoga mat and eat soup,” said one woman, not pausing as she spooned up a smooth, cinnamon-spiked butternut squash purée from a bamboo bowl. “But people are used to doing some weird things in yoga class.”

Friday’s event at Exhale Spa was the first of a series of “Yoga for Foodies” sessions, devised by a young, adventurous yoga teacher, David Romanelli, and coming soon to restaurants in Chicago, Cleveland and Dallas.

Calling his mission “yoga for the Everyman,” Mr. Romanelli, 36, plays Grateful Dead songs during class, wears sweat pants rather than spandex, and has already experimented with offering chocolate truffles after chaturanga instruction. “It’s a way of getting people in the door,” he said in an interview. “The world is a better place if people do yoga. And if they come because chocolate or wine is involved, I’m fine with it.”

The past decade has produced thousands of new foodies and new yogis, all interested in healthier bodies, clearer consciences and a greener planet. Inevitably, the overlap between the people who love to eat and the people who love to do eagle pose has grown. In 2007, a combination yoga studio and fine dining restaurant, Ubuntu, opened in Napa, Calif.

But not everyone agrees that the lusty enjoyment of food and wine is compatible with yogic enlightenment. Yoga purists say that many foods — like wine and meat — are still off limits. Others, like Mr. Romanelli, say that anything goes, as long as it tastes good. The debate is exposing rich ores of resentment in the yoga world.

“The culture of judgment in the yoga community — I call it “yogier than thou” — is rampant, and nowhere more than around food,” said Sadie Nardini, a yoga teacher in New York.

“Nowhere is it written that only vegetarians can do yoga,” she said in an interview. “We do not live in the time of the founding fathers of yoga, and we don’t know what they wanted us to eat.”

There are many ways to “do” yoga: the term embraces meditation, worship, study and action, as well as the physical pretzeling that Americans primarily associate with the term. Just as the Judeo-Christian tradition has produced many offshoots, yoga has many schools, like Ashtanga, Iyengar and Tantra. But over the 5,000 years of its evolution, and across Hindu and Buddhist religious traditions, yoga has always been broadly understood as a route to enlightenment and purification.

Which is where eating bacon and pouring wine in yoga class, as Mr. Romanelli has done, becomes complicated. “People are starting to push back against the traditional, quiet, serious approach,” said Mr. Romanelli, who has a scrubbed, cheerful, regular-guy aura. After graduating from Vanderbilt University, he moved to California to work as an assistant to Shaquille O’Neal’s agent. In Santa Monica, he said, there were lines down the block for yoga classes. and, noticing a business opportunity before a spiritual one, he began attending classes, where he was quickly hooked.

India has become to American yoga what France is to American cuisine: an ancient source of wisdom to be reinterpreted, democratized and repackaged by its acolytes here. The “yoga industry” now represents about $6 billion in annual spending by American consumers on classes, videos, mats and apparel like the $158 Apres Yoga jacket at the upscale chain Lululemon, according to Yoga Journal magazine.

And in yoga and foodie circles alike, contemplating the awesome significance of every bite taken — its flavors, its implications, its history — often seems to lead to moral judgments about others.

“It’s been one of my struggles,” said Rick Bayless, the Chicago chef, who has been practicing yoga for 15 years, is not a vegetarian and loves pork. “I think that sometimes the yoga community is a little too austere, and it’s hard to talk about what I do with people who believe in eating just what you need to stay alive.”

Mary Taylor, a yoga teacher in Boulder, Colo., who studied with Julia Child in Paris, said that it was once difficult to reconcile her commitment to yoga with her love of good food. But in the Upanishads, the sacred Hindu texts, she said, she found an aesthetic philosophy in which the appreciation of worldly things is not only acceptable, but necessary to achieve true understanding. “Until you appreciate the fullest taste of a vegetable, you don’t know the truth of it,” she said. “And you bring out that truth by cooking it, making it beautiful and delicious and appealing to the senses.”

“The very first teaching of yoga forbids us to eat meat,” said Eva Grubler, director of training at Dharma Yoga in New York, one of the most venerated yoga centers in the country. Ahimsa, the first yama (things to not do), is a prescription not to harm others. But the definition of “others” — whether it includes all animals, or only people, or should perhaps extend to the plant kingdom — is in debate.

“This is the hottest of all hot-button issues in yoga,” said Dayna Macy, a managing editor of Yoga Journal, who recently attended the slaughter of five steer at Prather Ranch, an organic, certified-humane cattle ranch in Northern California, in an attempt to resolve her inner turmoil about eating beef.

Several prominent American yoga teachers like Ana Forrest and Bryan Kest have recently acknowledged eating meat. In an example of how yogis have adopted the language and ideology of foodies, Mr. Kest calls himself a “selectarian,” one who chooses everything he eats.

Many American yogis are so particular about what they put in their bodies that they make Alice Waters look like Paula Deen. Sometimes, even an all-vegan, organic, low-carbon-footprint diet is not pure enough: each vegetable must be grown in an atmosphere of positive energy. Steve Ross, an influential teacher in Los Angeles, says in his book “Happy Yoga; 7 Reasons Why There’s Nothing to Worry About” that yogis must ask themselves this question in the produce section: “Are the farmers full of gratitude and love, and do they enjoy growing food, or are they angry and filled with hate for their job and all vegetables?”

Ms. Taylor says she seeks a “middle path”; she follows a vegan diet but refrains from judging those who don’t. “If we become aggressive and intolerant towards those who do eat meat, is that an act of kindness?” she said. “If your grandmother is making a wonderful meat dish that you have loved since you were a child, is it yoga to push it away?”

Mr. Romanelli believes that any profound pleasure of the senses — a live Bruce Springsteen track, an In-N-Out burger, the scent of lavender gathered in the French Alps — can bring on the “yoga high” that is a gateway to divine bliss.

“What yoga teachers do and what chefs do is not so different,” he said. “We take everyday actions like moving and eating, and slow you down so you can appreciate them.” Achieving stillness and peace amid the distractions of life, he said, has always been the higher goal of yoga.

Jan 24, No Pain No Gain

2010-01-24T04:47:31+00:00

Is No Pain NO Gain really a yoga saying? A great article on how to deal with yoga pain and what it really takes to grow in health and in spirit.

New Belly Dance Power video on My Yoga Online

2010-01-21T17:26:53+00:00

My Yoga Online has added a new 30 minute Belly Dance Power video with Gillian Cofsky. Experience a well-rounded belly dance class which includes a brief warm-up/stretch, muscular conditioning for the legs and core, and the break down and drilling of some basic bellydance moves which are strung together at the end to create a short choreography. Great for core conditioning while still maintaining the focus on femininity, sensuality, and encouraging your body to move in ways it may never have before. Note: Bellydance is very safe for most body types, however pregnant women should avoid doing any fast shimmying in the hips, because of the downward pressure on the uterus that occurs during this move.

Click to enjoy our latest video: Belly Dance Power

About Gillian Cofsky:
Gillian began her bellydance journey on Vancouver Island in 2002 at the age of 15. Since then she has become well known in the dance community through teaching, performing, and eternally learning. Gillian is a BCRPA Group Fitness Leader, and certified ‘Bellyfit’ instructor, and currently teaches several Bellyfit classes around Vancouver.

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Jan 19, Don't miss this yoga investment in yourself ...

2010-01-19T11:06:03+00:00

International Yogalayam has released 5 more student placements in their life-transforming Yoga Correspondence Program. Dont miss out on this opportunity! It won't last more than just a few hours ...

The Yoga Path: The Silver Lining of Soul

2010-01-19T04:24:31+00:00

The very heart of the spiritual path is a search for inner peace and when you practice your daily discipline you help translate your individual realization to the larger whole. Society is comprised of its members just as your body is composed of its cells. When you take responsibility for your actions, words and deeds you build a gateway towards the slow, steady realization of true peace one breathe at a time. If a united global consciousness is to succeed each person on Earth must live, act, feel and think with the highest level of awareness possible at each moment. That means you and me too. If you cannot live for one full week without letting your anger get the best of you, then how can you expect whole nations to remain peaceful for any length of time? Simply put, your state of mind matters to everyone.

It seems that there have always been wars between nations, lover’s spats and family feuds as long as humanity has been on Earth. Where humans go, drama is soon to follow. Yet underneath the soap opera emotional rollercoaster is the enduring dream of final and lasting peace. Sometimes it is those who are the most deeply entrenched within the drama of their own lives that most desperately search for salvation. For centuries humanity has turned to organized religion to answer the deeper questions, yearnings and aspirations of life. Now the search for spirituality takes prominence in the public domain and your participation in activities like yoga and meditation heralds a major spiritual revitalization of society.

Living life on the spiritual path allows you to tap into the magical underlayer of existence and it is in this space that the dream of unity and peace exists. The real fabric that hope is made of comes not in careless absent-mindedness but in patient, heartfelt dedication day after day, week after week and year after year. Practicing yoga is not some panacea for all your personal problems and certainly not the ills of the world, however, if you practice yoga you may just find a way to live a more peaceful and meaningful life before your time here is over. What unique and valuable contribution you make to the world is not always measured in terms of grandness, but sometimes in terms of how many smiles you share each day.

In the stormy clouds of life’s inevitable series of setbacks you will find the silver lining of your soul. It isn’t when everything in your life clicks along in an upbeat winning streak that you ask the toughest questions of your life. The search for meaning walks hand in hand with the reality of struggle. When it’s cheap, free and easy, it’s can also be meaningless, light and unbearable. Sometimes people fundamentally reevaluate their life’s purpose, direction and drive after a life-threatening illness. Others do so after a momentous or inspirational meeting with a person, mentor or role model. Many have also voluntarily chosen to face the deluge of bad news that arrives at their doorstep through the power of yoga.

Eckhart Tolle says that every single person interested in spirituality today has suffered and it is the suffering that created their interest in the deeper dimension of life. So it is that yoga as a spiritual path offers a unique kind of salvation, one that promises not to remove you from your suffering but one that teaches you how to love, live with and accept the reality of life as it really is, good and bad days just the same. You see, the bad news comes knocking at your door and threatens to pull you under a permanent shadow of depression, anger or defeat completely uninvited. If you run from it, fight it or try to escape, you’re doomed to fail someday. Every person on Earth has a day that’s better off spent in bed no matter how cheerful, sunny and bright their disposition might be. The glitteratti, celebrity and royalty all have bad hair days. Yogis, priests and saints get angry. And there’s nothing with that. Inner peace is more a discipline of the mind than mere good luck. With the power of yoga you see the truth of life, that is, that there is nowhere to run, no place to hide, and no one to save you. All that’s left to do is begin walking along the slow, steady spiritual path, the path of freedom, truth and lasting peace.

It is when life tests you by offering the challenge of hardship that you know exactly what you’re made of. Strength and steadiness of character are defined not in moments of ease, but in moments of great duress. In the context of yoga, it is not what comes naturally and effortlessly to you that holds the greatest power of transformation. That which is far from your sense of normal has the ability to make you a new person for it is in these moments that you will have a mirror with which to see yourself clearly. Much of my personal journey in yoga has been about developing strength and steadiness both of the body and mind. At moments of great challenge, my first inclination is to quit, give up and grow melancholic and self-pitying. One of yoga’s greatest gifts to me is the awareness that exactly when I want to throw in the towel is exactly when I need to push through, not harshly with unnecessary crass force, but from the core of my being, gently, powerfully and with exactly the right amount of strength and grace.

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The Knee Yoga Anatomy Video

2010-01-17T16:58:11+00:00

My Yoga Online has added a new Yoga Anatomy Video Workshop by yoga expert David Keil: The Knee Yoga Anatomy. Enjoy this new addition to our yoga anatomy workshop series. Understanding the proper function of the knee and the application of yoga poses will prevent injuries and support a life-long practice. Learn how the knee joint is put together including its major ligaments. Discover how the knee functions and dysfunctions (common injuries). Also practical application of the concepts and movements to do and modify lotus posture.

Click to watch The Knee Yoga Anatomy Video.

About David Keil:
David Keil was introduced to yoga in 1989 by his Tai Chi Chuan teacher. Both the Tai Chi and Yoga practice at the ripe age of 17 began his research into his own mind-body connections. As an instructor of Kinesiology (the study of movement and musculoskelatal anatomy) at Miami’s Educating Hands School of Massage, David had developed a fun, informal and informative style of teaching. Because of his passion and desire to share the human body with everyone, he delivers this complex and sometimes frustrating topic in a way that is very accessible and understandable to yoga practitioners.

A Licensed Massage Therapist and Certified Neuromuscular Therapist, David has taught seminars in Body Mechanics for Massage Therapists and has also worked with other local and national audiences. David’s current personal yoga practice is Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. Since 2002 he has had the honor of studying with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois as well as with John Scott.

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Restorative Yoga Video For Deep Calm

2010-01-10T17:19:34+00:00

My Yoga Online has posted a new 98 minute yoga class by Rick Coe: Restorative Yoga For Deep Calm. This Restorative Yoga Class goes through poses intended to create a deep calm in your body and leave you feeling grounded and clear. The postures gently open and release tension from the body. The accompanying sounds of crystal bowls will focus and re balance the mind.

Click to watch Restorative Yoga Video For Deep Calm. Also available as a download for your computer or ipod.

About Rick Coe:
Rick Coe has an MA Transpersonal Counselling Psychology from Naropa University. He lives in Vancouver and teaches yoga at Exhale Studio, practices counselling at Jericho Counselling, and is currently training with Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy.

In addition he is developing community workshops combining yoga with with movement and dance modalities, as well as with nature reconnection.

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be part of the dream

2010-01-08T04:46:00+00:00

i posted this event on my facebook page a few days ago, and it just dawned on me that while a good number of you are fans of my facebook page, there are many, many more that rely on the good old-fashioned internet to find out what's going on -- i mean, isn't it amazing how getting updates via an internet search was considered leading-edge not that long ago?

anyway, since all of this is fairly time-sensitive, i'm going to post it in its entirety here...

this coming friday, january 15th, would have been dr. martin luther king's 81st birthday. to commemorate the occasion, there will be a gala fundraiser event at the marrakesh house in culver city that will benefit krishna kaur's Y.O.G.A. for youth organization:

Founded in 1993 by Krishna Kaur, Y.O.G.A. for Youth is a non-profit organization that brings yoga, meditation, breathing techniques, chanting, deep relaxation and stimulating discussions on the philosophy of yoga to urban youth. The program aims to give youth practical tools to enrich their lives and assist them in effectively meeting life’s challenges now and in the future. It's curriculum is being taught in juvenile detention facilities, prisons and after school programs and to pregnant and parenting teens throughout Southern California with satellite programs in New York, Minneapolis, Seattle, Chicago and Mexico.

here's the invite to that gala event:

You are cordially invited to join Krishna Kaur at the YOGA For Youth fundraiser on January 15th from 5:00pm to midnight at the extraordinary Marrakesh House, 6310 Tomkins Way in Culver City.

There will be organic food, elixirs, community and live music performances by Tom Freund, Annmarie Solo, Aykanna and J Brave and Amore One of Luminaries. Most importantly, we will be raising funds to support the life-changing work of YOGA For Youth.

Here is a short clip that shows how Yoga for Youth changes lives:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMSz8yhkpM8

The Gala is the culmination of a week long campaign in which LA's top Yoga studios and teachers are offering donation based yoga classes with all proceeds going to YOGA for Youth.

Suggested Donation for the event is $108, but ALL ARE WELCOME!!!

as mentioned in the invite, there will also be a number of yoga studios and teachers who will be holding special classes by donation to raise even more money for this worthy cause. check out the list below; there's bound to be at least one teacher, location, or even a style of yoga that is calling out to you:

Saturday, January 9, 2010
9:00am - Karen Shuman at Karen Shuman's Yoga
Hatha/Kundalini Mix
4521 Van Nuys Blvd, Ste A, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
818-788-5960
http://www.ksbeyondyoga.com/

6:30-8:00pm - Jules Hogan at Goda Yoga
Vinyasa Flow
9711 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
310-287-1255
http://www.godayoga.com/

6:30-8:30pm - Jessica Anderson at YogaWorks Westlake Village
Vinyasa Flow
2475 Townsgate Road, Westlake Village, CA 91361
805-371-3030
http://www.yogaworks.com/

7:30-9:30pm - David Lynch at YogaWorks Larchmont
Vinyasa Flow
230 N Larchmont Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90004
323-464-1276
http://www.yogaworks.com/

Sunday, January 10, 2010
10:00-11:45am - Govindas at Bhakti Yoga Shala
Bhakti Flow
207 Arizona Avenue, Santa Monica 90405
310-804-9290
http://www.bhaktiyogashala.com/

4:30-6:30pm - Krishna Kaur at Crenshaw Yoga and Dance
Kundalini
5426 Crenshaw Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90043
323-938-8397
http://www.crenshawyogaanddance.org/

Monday, January 11, 2010
6:00pm - Seane Corn at YogaGLO
Vinyasa Flow
1800 Berkeley Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404
310-800-4601
http://www.yogaglo.com/

Tuesday, January 12, 2010
6:00-7:30pm - Tamal Dodge at YogaCO
Power Yoga
1408 Third Street Promenade, 3rd floor, Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-395-0600
http://www.yogaco.com/

Wednesday, January 13, 2010
6:00pm - Gurmukh Kaur at Golden Bridge
Kundalini
6322 De Longpre Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90028
323-936-4172
http://www.goldenbridgeyoga.com/

8:00pm - Ally Hamilton at Yogis Anonymous
Power Yoga
1221 2nd Street, Santa Monica, California 90401
310-451-YOGI
http://www.yogisanonymous.com/

Thursday, January 14, 2010
9:00-10:30am - Hala Khouri at Exhale Center for Sacred Movement
Vinyasa Flow
245 Main Street, Venice, CA 90291
310-450-7676
http://www.exhalespa.com/

6:15-7:30pm - Sussy Castilla at The Yogi Tree
Candlelight Kundalini
4475 Vineland Ave, Toluca Lake, CA 91602
818-760-0112
http://www.theyogitree.com/

7:00-8:30pm - Guru Singh at Yoga West
Kundalini
1535 S. Robertson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035
http://www.yogawestla.com/

Friday, January 15, 2010
5:00pm-midnight - Gala Fundraiser Event at Marrakesh House (see above)
Live music, food, drink!
6310 Tomkins Way, Culver City, CA 90232
http://www.yogaforyouth.org/

Saturday, January 16, 2010
9:00-10:30am - Stuart Hanna at Mission Street Yoga
Anusara
1017 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030
626-441-1144
http://www.missionstreetyoga.com/

6:30-8:30pm - Kia Miller at YogaWorks Main Street
Kundalini-inspired Vinyasa Flow
2215 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405
310-664-6470
http://www.yogaworks.com/

Sunday, January 17, 2010
1:00-2:00pm - Shanti Walling at Yoga Shakti
Shakti Flow
4249 Campus Drive, Suite B140, Irvine, CA 92612
949-856-9642
http://www.yogashaktistudio.com/

7:00-8:30pm - Jewel Love at Community Yoga
Wellness Yoga
1642 South Orange Drive, Apt #3, Los Angeles, CA 90019
323.674.5380
http://www.coyoga.com/

Monday, January 18, 2010
6:30-8:00pm - Frank "Paviter" Magana at Greenleaf Yoga
Vinyasa Flow
7654 Greenleaf Ave, Whittier, CA 90602
323.674.5380
http://www.greenleafyoga.com/

The Inner Voice of Yoga

2010-01-04T21:55:50+00:00

Yoga teaches you to listen to your own inner voice. It is a process of awakening and attunement that defines personal integrity by the depth of each students’ connection with themselves. Through pain, pleasure, injury, ecstasy and bliss yoga invites practitioners to travel down the rabbit hole of personal discovery so that they may find their wonderland within.

Feeling the inner body deeply allows yoga practitioners a daily window into their own soul. By regularly tuning into this internal level yogis can actually feel the alignment or misalignment of their actions. The body’s wisdom lies in its pervasive truthfulness
and the yogi’s wisdom lies in the ability to listen to the body’s sometimes superior sense of self. The body is perhaps the most physical form of the mind and the spirit and in fact outwardly and inwardly tells its story with clarity and precision. Practitioners learn to delineate messages from their inner world from whims of fancy and desire through years of dedicated practice. It is a delicate tightrope to walk the line between healthy guidance and destructive old habits that die hard.

Yoga postures or asanas give practitioners a chance to access the spiritual through the physical. This long, arduous task of internal awakening makes it possible for dedicated practitioners to excavate layers of themselves. Yogis cross the bridge between the physical and the spiritual through a path interlaced with the fire of pain, the release of trust and the freeflow of love. Each physical posture presents a series of tests and challenges that heal the body and train the mind. In the small moments where practitioners make contact with the eternal part of themselves they gain access to a more deeply tuned-in way of living, being and acting. It is in this undulating state where the flow of life actually begins.

Yoga is a sanctuary where you learn to listen to your body. Like a holiday from the limiting, negative thoughts that run on auto-pilot at the back of the mind yoga helps amplify the true nature of your mind and soul within. This heightened faculty of
listening allows you to actually hear not only the body but also the mind. When your capacity to listen is at its greatest and most refined you have the ability to listen directly to your soul and seek its constant guidance. At the depths of your being lies a place where you already know all the answers to your deepest questions, a state of being so serene it remains calm even amidst the most terrifying traumas of your life and a mind so vast it encompasses the entire universe both good and bad in a field of love.

While on a daily basis it is often hard to hear the musings of the subtle language of soul, with regular yoga practice it is possible to attune your vibrational sensory perception to follow the messages surface from the deep. All the greatest ideas are in some sense channeled from this soft space within, not generated by a mechanistic world without. The miracle of yoga is that it provides regular people like you and me a way to literally gain access to the sacred inner world of spirit. Without this check-in I would sometimes quite literally be lost. While I do not get it right every time and certainly there are moments when I think I am receiving a deep message only to find that I am just feeding an old negative behavior, yoga helps me get better at listening to, trusting and having faith in the soft, but persistent voice within.

While the tradition of yoga is intensely bound to the sanctity of the teacher-student relationship, the words and guidance of the greatest teachers are meant as sign-posts that lead students to the discovery of their own true voice within. The presence of every yoga master raises the bar for the possibility of a better life for each student and is a starting point where we can begin. The ending point of this age-old tradition, the ultimate goal of eternal peace, must be an individual experience gained through the hard work and good fortune of each practitioner. Years under a teacher’s divine guidance can best give you the gift of finding your highest teacher within. No sacred teacher wants you to do what they say just because they said so or because you read in an ancient scripture. At its best yoga is a non-dogmatic, non-religious path towards self-realization. All yoga is experiential by definition because no one can live your awakening for you. No matter how many times you read it in scriptures or hear it from your teacher nothing is real for you along the path of yoga until you actually feel it in your own body, mind and soul as a call to action. There is no one who can know your own journey better than yourself and no one who can answer the hardest questions of your life but yourself. Teachers and tradition illuminate the path ahead for you, but you have to take each step with your own two feet. Once you dig deep enough and touch the eternal nature within you hold the key to lead yourself out of darkness into your own salvation.

Yoga seeks to unify the practitioner with the deepest level of themselves through a harmonization of body, mind and soul. When the mind is quiet, the body is healthy and the soul is free every living being can experience what is their birth right, that is, a state of boundless happiness, limitless joy and compassionate power. The entire process of yoga is one of remembering who you really are. In the glory of our true nature we trust the innate goodness of our being and learn to listen to the quiet voice of belief that comes from our deepest sense of self. Against a mountain of evidence to the contrary and doubt that cripples generations you have one thing to hold onto, a soft, subtle, but courageous voice that dares to say I think I can.

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New Online Yoga Video with Shiva Rea

2009-12-30T19:57:00+00:00

My Yoga Online has added a new video by Yoga expert Shiva Rea: Creative Core Abs. Shiva Rea shows you unique, graceful ways to build a strong core in this 37 minute yoga program. A strong core improves posture and makes you look and feel great! Enjoy yourself as you perform this fun, easy-to-follow program.

Click to watch Shiva’s online yoga video: Creative Core Abs

About Shiva Rea:
Shiva Rea, M.A., began exploring yoga at the age of 14. Since then, the practice of yoga has transformed her life and become the essence of who she is. A leading teacher of Prana Flow Yoga and Yoga Trance Dance, Shiva travels the globe leading retreats, holding workshops and hosting conferences for her legions of fans.

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peace, love, and yoga to all for the holidays!

2009-12-24T05:09:00+00:00

2009 has just whooshed by, hasn't it? so before i get sucked into the whirlwind of the holiday season (actually, i already seem to be spinning in it!), here are the holiday schedules for the yoga studios in town. btw, santa monica power yoga is the only yoga studio offering classes on christmas day AFTER lunch... and even past dinner! so you can still get your yoga fix even if you've slept in because you were busy ho-ho-ho'ing late into the wee hours of the morning :)

here's wishing a very happy hanukkah, festivus, christmas, kwanzaa, new year's, and whatever-it-is-that-you're-celebrating to everyone!

~~ westside ~~

Back for Yoga, El Segundo
In celebration of the holiday season, the studio will be closed on Thursday, December 24th (Christmas Eve) and Friday, December 25th (Christmas Day), 2009. The regular class schedule will resume on Saturday. Andy will bring you back into the swing of things with a his Saturday, December 26th, 2009, 9:30 AM class.
The studio with be closed again on Thursday, December 31st (New Year's Eve) and Friday, January 1st, 2010 (New Year's Day). Andy will again bring your yoga into the New Year on January 02, 2010 with his Saturday, 9:30 AM class. Regularly scheduled classes will continue on Sunday, January 03, 2010.

Bhakti Yoga Shala, Santa Monica
Thursday Dec 24th:
ALL CLASSES will be on their regular schedule, except 8:30pm Yin Yoga with Govindas will be CANCELLED
Friday Dec 25th:
SPECIAL CHRISTMAS DAY YOGA SCHEDULE
10am Kirtan Yoga Flow with Govindas & Radha
12pm Holiday Yoga Flow with Sidnie Charnaw
These will be the only classes for the day
Saturday Dec 26th:
ALL YOGA CLASSES will be at their REGULAR TIME
8PM SPECIAL KIRTAN EVENT with Kalidas

Exhale Center for Sacred Movement, Venice
Thursday, Dec 24th: Last class is at 12:45pm; All afternoon classes cancelled
Friday, Dec 25th: Closed
Saturday, Dec 26th: Closed
Thursday, Dec 31st: Last class is at 12:30pm; All afternoon classes cancelled
Friday, Jan 1st: 7am, 9am, 9:15am classes cancelled, special Life Bliss Meditation class with Saul David Raye at 9:30am; last class is at 2:30pm.

Goda Yoga, Culver City
Thursday, Dec. 24: One Class 10:30a -12 p - All Levels - Jules
Thursday, Dec. 31: One Class 10:30a -12p - All Levels - Jules
Closed Dec. 25 and Jan 1...regular schedule otherwise

The Hub, West Los Angeles
Christmas Eve Day:
9-10:30 a.m. Mixed Vinyasa Flow with Lauri Ashworth
Christmas Day:
The studio will be closed the day of Christmas
Sunday December 27:
FREE yoga and breathwork class at Lululemon/Brentwood lead by Lauri Ashworth and Mike Baker from 9:30am-10:30am
New Year's Eve Day:
9-10:30 a.m. Mixed Vinyasa Flow with Sarah Ezrin
New Year's Day 2010:
All classes are canceled, but please join the Hub for a very special breathwork circle lead by Mike Baker from 8-9:30 p.m.

Iyengar Yoga Institute, Los Angeles
***Please note that all classes are 1 1/2 hours in length, except for the two-hour classes on the mornings of Dec. 25th and Jan. 1st***
Wed, Dec 23:
10:00 am – All Levels with Aida
4:00 pm – All Levels with Koren
8:00 pm – All Levels with Chris
Thurs, Dec 24:
10:00 am – All Levels with Vladimir
5:00 pm – All Levels with Vladimir
Fri, Dec 25:
9:00 - 11:00 am – All Levels with Marla
Sat, Dec 26:
8:30 am – Level 2-3 with Marla
10:30 am – Level 1-2 with Chris
2:30 pm – Level 1 with Vladimir
4:30 pm – Level 2 with Paul
Sun, Dec 27:
8:30 am – Level 3 with Paul
8:30 pm – Scoliosis with Alice
10:30 am – Level 1 with Marla
6:00 pm – Restorative with Garth
Mon, Dec 28:
10:00 am – All Levels with Marla
6:00 pm – All Levels with Kirk
Tues, Dec 29:
10:00 am– All Levels with Effie
6:00 pm – All Levels with Kirk
Wed, Dec 30:
10:00 am – All Levels with Aida
Dec 23 8:00 pm – All Levels with Chris
Thurs, Dec 31:
10:00 am – All Levels with Amanda
5:00 pm – All Levels with Chris
Fri, Jan 1:
10:00 - 12:00 pm – All Levels with Aida
6:00 pm – Restorative with Robyn
Sat, Jan 2 Regular class schedule resumes

Maha Yoga, Brentwood
Thursday Dec 24:
7:00-9:00AM Mysore Ashtanga Jorgen Christiansson
9:15-10:45AM All Levels Gabi
11:00-12:30PM Level 2&3 Tom Morley
All other classes canceled
Friday Dec 25:
7:00-9:00AM Mysore Ashtanga - Jorgen Christiansson
10:30-12:00PM Donation Fundraiser Class, All Welcome - Gabi
All other classes canceled
Thursday Dec 31:
7:00-9:00AM MOON DAY - No Ashtanga Class Today - Jorgen Christiansson
9:15-10:45AM All Levels - Stephen Weigand
11:00-12:30PM Level 2&3 - Tom Morley
All other classes canceled
Friday Jan 01:
7:00-9:00AM Mysore Ashtanga - Jorgen Christiansson
11:00-12:30PM Level 2&3 - Steve Ross
All other classes canceled

Power Yoga East, Santa Monica
The following classes will be cancelled:
Thurs 12.24: 1:30pm, 6:30pm & 8:30pm
Fri 12.25: All classes
Thurs 12.31: 1:30pm, 6:30pm & 8:30pm
Fri 01.01: 7:00am, 1:30pm, 4:30pm, 6:30pm & 8:30pm

Power Yoga West, Santa Monica
The following classes will be cancelled:
Thurs 12.24: 7:00am, 8:30pm & 10:30pm
Fri 12.25: 5:30am, 7:00am & 11:00am
Thurs 12.31: 8:30pm, 10:30pm
Fri 01.01: 5:30am, 7:00am & 10:30pm

Santa Monica Yoga, Santa Monica
Closed December 24 & 25, December 31 & January 1.
Limited schedule in between. Click here for holiday schedule.
Friday January 1, 11:30 am - FREE New Year’s Day Yoga with Kyra Haglund
Join Kyra for an all levels flow class. What better way to start the New Year?

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, Marina del Rey
We'll have a Reduced Schedule for New Years:
New Years Eve (Dec 31) - 10:30am Class only
New Years Day (Jan 1) - 5:30pm Class only
Normal Schedule returns on Saturday January 2

Studio Surya Yoga, Venice
Closed for Christmas
Click here for Holiday Schedule

Tenth Gate Yoga and Dance, Los Angeles
SUNDAY 12/20:
9-10AM - YOGA ON THE SAND
MONDAY 12/21:
9:3o-10:30AM - YOGA FOR ALL LEVELS
6:30-7:15PM - KURUNTA (ROPE) YOGA
7:15-8PM - BELLY DANCE WITH AMY
TUESDAY 12/22:
8:30-9:3oPM - YOGA FOR SENIORS
THURSDAY 12/24:
9:30-10:30AM - YOGA FOR ALL LEVELS
1-2PM - YOGA FOR ALL LEVELS
SATURDAY 12/26:
10:30AM-12PM - YOGA FOR ALL LEVELS
12-1PM - XMAS BELLY DANCE WITH AMY
SUNDAY 12/27:
9-10AM - YOGA ON THE SAND
MONDAY 12/29:
9:30-10:30AM - YOGA FOR ALL LEVELS
6:30-7:15PM - KURUNTA (ROPE) YOGA
7:15–8:30PM - BELLY DANCE WITH AMY
TUESDAY 12/29:
8:30-9:30PM - YOGA FOR SENIORS
THURSDAY 12/31:
9:30-10:30AM - YOGA FOR ALL LEVELS
FRIDAY 1/1/10:
9:30-10:15AM - YOGA FOR ALL LEVELS
10:15-11AM - NEW YEAR BELLY DANCE WITH AMY
SATURDAY 1/2/10:
10:30AM-12PM - YOGA FOR ALL LEVELS
12-1PM - NEW YEAR BELLY DANCE WITH AMY
Please note that YOGA ON THE SAND will be going on hiatus until March.

Truyoga, Santa Monica
Thursday, December 24:
Pilates with Suk Gin Alberty - 1:00 p.m.
All other day classes and evening classes are canceled.
Closed Christmas Day, Friday, December 25.
Thursday, December 31:
Ring in the New Year Yoga Flow Class with Chani Nicholas - 12:00 p.m.
All other day classes and evening classes are canceled.
Happy Holidays from TruYoga!!!

YAS, Venice
Click here for holiday schedule

Yogaco, Santa Monica
X-MAS EVE DEC 24th:
WATER ROOM --
7:30am VINYASA FLOW DAN
9:15am VINYASA FLOW JENNIFER
11am POWER YOGA TAMAL
EARTH ROOM --
6:30am-8:30am ASHTANGA MARIA
SKY ROOM -- CANCELED
X-MAS DAY: YOGACO WILL BE CLOSED
New Year's Yoga with Kelsey on Dec. 31st at 4:15pm!
Ring in the new Year with a great candlelit yoga class and special live musical guest, and wine toasting afterward!!

Yogaglo, Santa Monica
Wednesday, Dec 23rd thru Tuesday, Dec 29th - Classes canceled for the holidays

Yoga Hop, Santa Monica
Thursday, December 24:
9:15-10:45AM Summit 2/3 - Matthew Reyes
All other classes canceled
Friday, December 25: CLOSED
Thursday, December 31:
9:15-10:45AM Summit 2/3 - Matthew Reyes
11:00AM-12:30PM Level 2/3+ - Jennifer Moore
1:00-2:00PM Level 2/3+ - Kourtney Kaas
All other classes canceled
Friday, January 01:
10:00-11:30AM Level 2/3+ - Matthew Reyes
All other classes canceled

Yoga West, Los Angeles
Yoga West will be closed:
12.24 for all evening classes (open for all morning classes)
12.25 for all classes
1.1 for all classes

Yoga Works Main Street, Santa Monica
CHRISTMAS EVE CLASSES:
7:30-8:55 Yoga Blend 2 Bahni Turpin
9:15-10:45 Vinyasa Flow 2/3 Vinnie Marino
11:00-12:30 Yoga Blend 1 Jasmine Lieb
12:45-2:15 Restoratives/Pranayama Chris Stein
ALL OTHER CLASSES CANCELLED
CLOSED ON CHRISTMAS DAY
NEW YEAR’S EVE CLASSES:
7:30-8:55 Yoga Blend 2/3 Malachi Melville
9:00-10:30 Vinyasa Flow 2 Gigi Snyder
10:45-12:15 Kundalini (all levels) Kia Miller
w/live music
12:30-2:00 Restoratives Chris Stein
ALL OTHER CLASSES CANCELLED
NEW YEAR’S DAY CLASSES:
9:00-10:30 Yoga Blend 2/3 Chad Hamrin
10:45-12:15 Yoga Blend 1/2 Kia Miller
12:30-2:30 Vinyasa Flow 2 Annie Carpenter
w/ Chanting and Pranayama
ALL OTHER CLASSES CANCELLED

Yoga Works Montana Avenue, Santa Monica
CHRISTMAS EVE CLASSES:
7:30-8:55 YogaWorks 1 Al Tavera
9:00-10:30 Iyengar 1/2 Scott Hobbs
9:15-10:40 Vinyasa Flow 2 Carolina Goldberg
10:45-12:15 Vinyasa Flow 2/3 Jesse Schein
10:45-12:15 Yoga Blend Nicola Dunne
ALL OTHER CLASSES CANCELLED
CLOSED ON CHRISTMAS DAY
NEW YEAR’S EVE CLASSES:
9:00-10:25 YogaWorks 2 Annie Carpenter
10:00-11:30 Iyengar 1-2 Marla Apt
10:45-12:15 Vinyasa Flow 2/3 Jesse Schein
12:30-2:00 Yoga Blend 1 Nicola Dunne
ALL OTHER CLASSES CANCELLED
NEW YEAR’S DAY CLASSES:
9:00-10:30 YogaWorks 1 Al Tavera
9:15-10:40 Yoga Blend 2 Malachi Melville
10:45-12:15 Yoga Blend 1/2 Nicola Dunne
11:00-12:45 Iyengar 1/2 Marla Apt
12:30-2:30 Ashtanga/Mysore Sonya Cottle
12:45-2:00 Vinyasa Flow 2/3 Greville Henwood
ALL OTHER CLASSES CANCELLED

Yoga Works Pacific Palisades, Pacific Palisades
CHRISTMAS EVE: ALL CLASSES CANCELLED
CLOSED ON CHRISTMAS DAY
NEW YEAR’S EVE: ALL CLASSES CANCELLED
CLOSED ON NEW YEAR’S DAY

Yoga Works Westwood, Los Angeles
CHRISTMAS EVE CLASSES:
9:00-10:30 YogaWorks 2 Thomas Taubman
9:00-10:30 Iyengar 1/2 Paul Cabanis
10:45-12:15 Vinyasa 2/3 David Lynch
10:45-12:15 Yoga Blend Anita Manglani
ALL OTHER CLASSES CANCELLED
CLOSED ON CHRISTMAS DAY
NEW YEAR’S EVE CLASSES:
9:00-10:30 YogaWorks 1/2 Thomas Taubman
9:30-10:55 Iyengar 1 Herb Sandoval
10:45-12:15 Vinyasa 2/3 David Lynch
11:00-12:30 Yoga Blend 2 Eka Ekong
ALL OTHER CLASSES CANCELLED
CLOSED NEW YEAR’S DAY

Yogis Anonymous, Santa Monica
HOLIDAY SUB SCHEDULE --
Tuesday 12/22:
9am: Brian Aganad (for Angela)
2:30pm: Ashley Turner (for Krista)
4:15pm: Brian Aganad (for Angela)
6:30pm: Brian Aganad (for Brock)
Wednesday 12/23:
7am: Chani (for Felicia)
9am: Kristin Olson (for Krista)
Thursday 12/24:
9am: Good Cop/Bad Cop with MB LaRue and Tommy Holmes
11am: Yoga for the Whole Village with Ally Hamilton and Dorian Cheah (live on electric violin with loops and effects)...holiday party after!
Friday 12/25:
closed
Saturday 12/26:
8am: Tommy Holmes (for Dale)
2pm: Kristin Olson (for Chani)
4pm: Mary Beth LaRue (for Meredith)
Sunday 12/27:
12pm: Mary Beth LaRue (for Meredith)
4pm: Ashley Turner (for Chani)
Monday 12/28:
9am: Ashley Turner (for Krista)
11am: Ashley Turner (for Briohny)
Tuesday 12/29:
9am: Ashley Turner (for Angela)
1pm: Mary Beth LaRue
2:30pm: Ashley Turner (for Krista)
4:15pm: TBA (for Angela)
6:30pm: David Boyle (for Brock)
*if there isn't a sub listed, you can assume your regular teacher will be there :)
New Year's Eve (Thursday December 31st):
7am: CHANI NICHOLAS
9am: CHRIS ARMAS
11am: GOOD COP/BAD COP with TOMMY HOLMES and MARY BETH LaRUE
1pm: MARY BETH LaRUE
2:30pm: KRISTA CAHILL
4:15pm: LEELU MORRIS
6:30pm: BROCK'S CLASS IS CANCELED
8:30pm: ALLY HAMILTON
New Year's Day (Friday the 1st)
7am: CHANI'S CLASS IS CANCELED
9am: KRISTA CAHILL(for Angela)
11am: ALLY HAMILTON with live music by DORIAN CHEAH
1pm: VIRGINIA WEISS' CLASS IS CANCELED
2:30pm: CHARLIE SAMOS
4:15pm: ANGELA KUKHAHN AND BRIAN AGANAD
6:30pm: JORGEN CHRISTIANSSON
8:30pm: KOURTNEY KAAS
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Your Neighborhood Studio, Culver City
We will be CLOSED Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Regular schedule for all other days.

~~ mid-city / downtown ~~

Bikram Yoga Downtown, Los Angeles
Click here for schedule

Bikram Yoga Silverlake, Atwater Village
We will be on a special schedule for the holidays from December 23rd, 2009 to January 1st, 2010. Please click here for the holiday schedule.

City Yoga, West Hollywood
Refer to our modified HOLIDAY SCHEDULE online, effective 12/21/2009 to 1/3/2010
We will go back to our regular schedule on Monday 1/4
** Christmas Day Transformational Class with Hillary Rubin 10:30-12:00 mixed level
Give yourself the gift, Be the gift, Open the gift & Share the gift. Amazing surprise never taught before that will provide great fun - guaranteed!!!

Golden Bridge, Hollywood
Monday, December 21st: Tej's 5:30pm & Gurmukh's 7:00pm class will be cancelled!
Thursday, December 24th: Golden Bridge will be open from 8:30am - 1:00pm.
Friday, December 25th: Golden Bridge will be closed all day, no classes or workshops!
Thursday, December 31st: Golden Bridge will be closed all day except for a Special New Year's Workshop starting at 9:00pm
Friday, January 1st: Golden Bridge will be closed all day

Guerilla Yoga, Hollywood
There are no classes scheduled from 12/24 - 12/31
SPECIAL NEW YEARS DAY CLASS CO-TAUGHT BY MARC & TIFFANY
Oh this is going to be fun. And the first class of the first day of the year should be just that ... fun.
Friday January 1, 2010
10:30 - 12:30
Hollywood Dance Center
Suggested Donation: $20
Since we have already received lots of interest in this class and space is limited, we kindly ask that you RSVP either by e-mailing me directly OR on the Facebook Events page that has been set up. This will also give us ample time to book the larger room at the Dance Center if need be.
Please RSVP at guerillayoga@mac.com

Liberation Yoga, Los Angeles
Christmas Eve Day:
8:00am-10:00am - Ashtanga with Joel
10:00am-11:30am - Flow with Steven
11:30am-1:00pm - Level 1 with Jessie
1:00pm-2:30pm - All Levels with Sarah
WE ARE OPEN FOR LAST MINUTE SHOPPING UNTIL 6pm!!!
Christmas Day:
Though we did stay open during the 8 beautiful days of Hannukah we will be closed Christmas Day.
New Year's Eve Day:
8:00am-10:00am - Ashtanga with Joel
10:00am-11:30am - Flow with Steven
11:30am-1:00pm - Level 1 with Jessie
1:00pm-2:30pm - All Levels with TBA
9:45pm-midnight - New Year's Eve Celebration with Christine
New Year's Day 2010:
1:00pm-2:30pm - Level 1-2 With Lynn
2:30pm-4:00pm - Flow 2/3 with Ashley

Silver Lake Yoga, Silverlake
Dec 21st, Monday - No 10am Parent and Me
Dec 23rd, Wednewday - No 7am, no 10am Toddler and Me, No 12:30pm Just Stretch, No 7:30pm Mixed Levels
Dec 24th, Thursday - There will be the 9:15pm class with Jonathan, 10:45am Pilates with Lynne, 11am Prenatal with Juliette. All other classes cancelled
Dec 25th, Friday - No classes!
Dec 26th, Saturday - No 9:30am Mixed Levels
Dec 28th, Monday - No 10am Parent and Me
Dec 30th, Wednesday - No 7am, no 10am Toddler and Me
Dec 31st, Thursday - There will be the 9:15am with Barry, 10:45 Pilates with Lynne, 11am Prenatal with Juliette, 12:30pm Beginner's II with Jonathan. All other classes cancelled
Jan 1st, Friday - New Year's Day! One class with Dana at 11am, All levels

Still Yoga, Silverlake
Thu December 24:
9:00 - 10:30 AM all levels anusara-inspired - Allison Linamen
10:45 - 12:15 PM all levels anusara-inspired - Jenny Brill
12:30 - 2:15 PM the practice - Tara Judelle
All other classes Cancelled
Fri December 25:
10:00 - 12:00 PM Christmas 2 hour class - Tara Judelle
All other classes Cancelled
Thu December 31:
9:00 - 10:30 AM all levels anusara-inspired - Maria Cristina Jimenez
10:45 - 12:15 PM all levels anusara-inspired - Jenny Brill
All other classes Cancelled
Fri January 1:
11:00 - 1:00 PM New Year's Day 2 Hour class - Gina Zimmerman
All other classes Cancelled

Swerve Studio, Los Angeles
SWERVE offers a special Class Schedule from December 19th - January 1st, 2010. Please click here to link to our detailed special schedule.

U Studio, Miracle Mile
Monday Dec 21st:
5:30 pm -- Andrea
Tuesday Dec 22nd:
10:15 am -- Andrea
5:30 pm -- Calysta
Wednesday Dec 23rd:
5:30pm -- Calysta
Thursday Dec 24th:
CLOSED
Friday Dec 25th:
CLOSED
Saturday Dec 26th:
10:30 am -- Masha
Sunday Dec 27th:
10:30 am -- Masha
Andrea returns to her regular schedule Monday Dec 28th. Stay tuned for New Year's Class schedule.
Mary's Wednesday/Friday 10:15 community flow will return Wed Jan 6th!!

Urth Yoga, Silverlake
Wednesday, December 23rd:
6:55a $5 Yoga Hour w/Sarika
9:00a Mixed Levels w/Sachie
12:30p $5 Yoga Hour w/Nicole
4:30p Basics w/Patricia
6:15p Mixed Levels w/Jeff
8:00p Mixed Levels w/Huck
Thursday December 24th:
9:00a Basics w/Eden
10:45a Mixed Levels w/Sachie
Friday December 25th:
10:00a Mixed Levels w/Jeff
Saturday December 26th:
8:30a Basics w/Huck
10:30a Mixed Levels w/Nicole
Sunday December 27th:
9:00a Mixed Levels w/Keric
10:45a Basics w/Keric
5:00p Mixed Levels w/Jeff
7:00p Relax & Restore w/Kathy
Monday December 28th:
9:00a Basics w/Nicole
12:30p $5 Yoga Hour w/Sarika
6:15p Mixed Levels w/Jeff
Tuesday December 29th:
9:00a Basics w/Nicole
10:45a Mixed Levels w/Sachie
12:30p $5 Yoga Hour w/Peter Wolff
6:15p Basics w/Patricia
Wednesday December 30th:
9:00a Mixed Levels w/Sachie
10:45a Mixed Levels w/Peter Wolff
12:30p $5 Yoga Hour w/Eden
7:30p Relax & Restore w/Gabe
Thursday December 31st:
9:00a Basics w/Rachel
10:45a Mixed Levels w/Sachie
4:30p Mixed Levels w/Patricia
Friday January 1st:
11:00a Mixed Levels w/Huck
We return to our regular schedule on Saturday, January 2nd

Yoga Works Center for Yoga, Larchmont
CHRISTMAS EVE CLASSES:
8:00-9:25 Iyengar 1/2 Nancy Sandercock
9:30-10:45 Yoga Blend 1 Susan Swan
10:00-11:30 Yoga Blend 2 Eka Ekong
11:00-1:00 Ashtanga Jodi Blumstein
11:45-1:15 Vinyasa Flow 2/3 Joan Hyman
ALL OTHER CLASSES CANCELLED
CLOSED ON CHRISTMAS DAY
NEW YEAR’S EVE CLASSES:
8:00-9:25 Iyengar 1/2 Scott Hobbs
8:30-9:55 Yoga Blend 1 Susan Swan
9:30-10:55 YogaWorks 2 Carmen Fitzgibbon
10:00-11:25 Vinyasa Flow 2/3 Joan Hyman
ALL OTHER CLASSES CANCELLED
NEW YEAR’S DAY CLASSES:
9:30-10:55 Yoga Blend 1 Fred Miller
10:30-12:00 Yoga Blend 2 Steve Freedman
11:00-1:00 Ashtanga Jodi Blumstein
12:15-1:45 Vinyasa Flow 2/3 Eka Ekong
1:15-2:45 Iyengar 1/2 Paul Cabanis
ALL OTHER CLASSES CANCELLED

Yummy Yoga, Los Feliz
Tuesday, Dec 22:
7:30 AM ~ Power Hour with Sasha
4:30 PM ~ All Levels with Clio
6:00 PM ~ Level 2/3 with Amy
7:45 PM ~ Candlelight Flow with Jeff
Wednesday, Dec 23:
7:30 AM ~ Power Hour with Rabia
4:30 PM ~ Level 1/2 with Sasha
6:00 PM ~ Core Class with Caroline
7:45 PM ~ All Levels with Larry
Thursday, Dec 24:
7:30 AM ~ Power Hour with Sasha
4:30 PM ~ All Levels with Clio
All other classes cancelled
Friday, Dec 25:
All classes cancelled
Saturday, Dec 26:
10:30 AM ~ All Levels with Larry
All other classes cancelled
Sunday, Dec 27:
10:00 AM ~ All Levels with Larry
5:30 PM ~ Level 2/3 with Amy
7:15 PM ~ Restorative with Ali
Monday, Dec 28:
7:30 AM ~ Power Hour with Sasha
4:30 PM ~ Level 1/2 with Ali
6:00 PM ~ Core Class with Sasha
7:45 PM ~ All Levels with Larry
Tuesday, Dec 29:
7:30 AM ~ Power Hour with Sasha
4:30 PM ~ All Levels with Clio
6:00 PM ~ Level 2/3 with LeTania
7:45 PM ~ Candlelight Flow with LeTania
Wednesday, Dec 30:
7:30 AM ~ Power Hour with Sasha
4:30 PM ~ Level 1/2 with Sasha
6:00 PM ~ Core Class with Caroline
7:45 PM ~ All Levels with LeTania
Thursday, Dec 31:
7:30 AM ~ Power Hour with Sasha
4:30 PM ~ All Levels with Clio
All other classes cancelled
Friday, Jan 1 ~ NEW YEAR'S DAY!
10:00 AM ~ Two-Hour New Year's Class with Ducky
All other classes cancelled

~~ san fernando and san gabriel valleys ~~

Awareness Center, Pasadena
We will be CLOSED for regular classes on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
We will be OPEN for a New Year’s event and Sadhana on New Year's Day 4:15 - 6:30am.

Black Dog Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Thursday, December 24th (Christmas Eve):
We will be closing at 1:30pm. We will have our regular Thursday morning schedule and our last class will be at 12:00 noon. (Please see our website for more information)
Friday, December 25th (Christmas Day):
Hanna Gilan Strong Flow 9:00a
Lauri Janover Basic Flow 9:30a
Jenny Brill Strong Anusara 10:30a
Melissa Morgan Gentle Yoga 11:00a
Thursday, December 31st (New Year's Eve):
We will be closing at 1:30pm. We will have our regular Thursday morning schedule and our last class will be at 12:00 noon. (Please see website for more information)
Friday, January 1st (New Year's Day):
Ashley Albrand Strong Flow 10:00a
Sigrid Matthews Basic Flow 10:30a
Jenny Brill Strong Anusara 11:30a
Lauri Janover Gentle Yoga 12:00a

Garden of Yoga, Woodland Hills
Christmas:
Garden of Yoga will be CLOSED on Thursday, December 24th (Xmas Eve)
Garden of Yoga will be CLOSED on Friday, December 25th (Xmas Day)
Diana will be teaching Mindful Flow on Saturday, December 26th at 10am
New Year's 2010:
Garden of Yoga will be CLOSED on Thursday, December 31st (New Years Eve)
Garden of Yoga will be CLOSED on Friday, January 1st (New Year's Day)
Come set your New Year's intentions with a Mindful Flow class with Diana
on Saturday, January 2nd from 10am - 11:30am
We will all be back to teach our regular classes on Monday, January 4th

Karen Shuman's Beyond Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Thursday Dec 24th:
11:00-12:30pm Gentle Hatha Karen S.
Friday Dec 25th: CLOSED
The rest of the weekend is the normal schedule.
Thursday Dec 31st:
10:30-12ish Kundalini Yoga and Meditation Tina Marie Daly
**A special class to release all old patterns and limitations. Help call in what you would like to manifest in the New Year!!***
Friday Jan. 1st 2010!!: CLOSED
Saturday Jan. 2nd:
11:00-12:30pm Hatha Flow Dario
**only class for the day**
Normal schedule for the rest of the weekend!!

Rising Lotus Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Thursday, December 24th:
7:30 - 8:45am Mixed Level Flow with Vickie Howie
9:00 - 10:30am Level 1 with Ruth Zalduondo
10:35 - 12:05pm Mixed Level Flow with Daniel Stewart
12:15 - 1:45pm Gentle & Therapeutics with Ann Braden
12:15 - 1:15pm Lunch Flow (Mixed Flow) with Holli Rabishaw
Friday, December 25th:
10:30 - 12:00pm Mixed Level Flow with Michelle Goldstein
12:15 - 1:45pm Easy Does It with Karen Rosales
Thursday, December 31st:
7:30 - 8:45am Mixed Level Flow with Vicki Howie
9:00 - 10:30am Level 1 with Sarah Court
10:35 - 12:05pm Mixed Level Flow with Daniel Stewart
12:15 - 1:45pm Gentle & Therapeutics with Ann Braden
12:15 - 1:15pm peapLunch Flow (Mixed Level) with Holli Rabishaw
Friday, January 1st:
10:30 - 12:00pm Level 1 with Sarah Court
12:15 - 1:45pm Mixed Level Flow with Daniel Stewart

Yoga at the Village, Glendale
Thursdays, 12/24/09 and 12/31/10:
No 6:00pm and 7:30pm Classes on Christmas Eve and New Years' Eve Days
Fridays, 12/25/09 and 1/1/10:
Closed All Day Christmas and New Years Days

Yoga Blend, Burbank
Thursday, December 24:
Studio Closes at 2pm
Friday, December 25:
Studio Closed - All Classes Cancelled
Thursday, December 31:
Studio Closes at 2pm
Friday, January 1:
Studio Closed - All Classes Cancelled*
*Special New Years Day Restorative Workshop with Bekah Finch

Yoga Groove Studio, Burbank
December 24, 2009 (x1) 10:00am class mixed level
December 25, 2009 - Closed
December 26, 2009- (x1) 10:00am class mixed level
December 27, 2009 - (x1) 10:30am class mixed level
December 28,2009 - (x1) 10:00am class and (x1) 6:00pm classs
December 29, 2009- (x1) 10:00am class and (x1) 6:00pm class
December 30, 2009- (x1) 10:00am class and (x1) 6:00pm class
December 31, 2009- (x1) 10:00am class
January 1, 2010- Closed
January 2, 2010- (x1) 10:00am class
January 3, 2010- (x1) 10:30 class
January 4, 2010 Back to Regular Schedule

The Yoga Loft, Woodland Hills
THE STUDIO WILL BE CLOSED DECEMBER 24 & 25 AND DECEMBER 31 AND JANUARY 1, 2010. THERE WILL BE A FEW OTHER MINOR CHANGES TO THE SCHEDULE DURING THE HOLIDAYS. GOOD IDEA TO CALL 818.710.9057 FOR UPDATES BEFORE YOU ATTEND A CLASS.

Yoga Madre, Arcadia
Dec. 24 - 1 class only 9-11 with René - FREE
Dec. 25 - CLOSED
Dec 31st 1 class only 9-11 with René - FREE
Jan. 1st - CLOSED

The Yogi Tree, Toluca Lake
Closed for the holidays, reopening Monday, December 28
We will be closed Thursday, December 31, 2009 and Friday, January 1, 2010. Regular classes resume Saturday, January 2, 2010.

~~ south bay / long beach ~~

Bikram Yoga, Manhattan Beach
Thu December 24:
7:00 - 8:30 AM Nicolle
9:15 - 10:45 AM Jenni
12:00 - 1:30 PM Nicolle
4:45 - 6:15 PM Alana
All other classes Cancelled
Fri December 25:
9:15 - 10:45 AM Ziggy
All other classes Cancelled
Thu December 31:
5:30 - 7:00 AM Alana
7:00 - 8:30 AM Nicolle
9:15 - 10:45 AM Allyson
12:00 - 1:30 PM Nicolle
4:45 - 6:15 PM Allyson
All other classes Cancelled
Fri January 1:
9:15 - 10:45 AM Polly
12:00 - 1:30 PM Nicolle
4:45 - 6:15 PM Allyson
All other classes Cancelled

Free Spirit Yoga, Long Beach
Christmas Eve 12/24: 9:30am with Andrea T, 3:00pm with Lonne
Christmas Day 12/25 : 11:00am with Lonne
New Year's Eve 12/31: 9:30am with Andrea T, 3:00pm with Dharma
New Year's Day 1/1/10 9:30am with Andrea T
The new schedule for 2010 is live online at freespirityoga.com and click on class schedule.

Green Yogi, Manhattan Beach
Special Holiday Classes
December 24th:
9:30am - 10:45am Power Vinyasa with Anne Israel
11:00am - 12:15pm Gentle Christmas Flow with Mary Strong
December 25th: Closed
December 31st:
9:30am - 10:45am Power Vinyasa with Anne Israel
11:00am - 12:15pm Full Moon Flow with Heather Archer
January 1st: Closed

Happy Me Yoga, Redondo Beach
- STUDIO CLOSED: 12/24 - 12/27
- Only morning classes: 12/28 - 12/31
- 2010: see website for schedule changes! happymeyoga.com

Yoga Loft, Manhattan Beach
We will have a special reduced class schedule between Christmas and New Years'. Please visit http://www.yogaloftmb.com/

Yoga Works South Bay, El Segundo
CHRISTMAS EVE CLASSES:
8:00-9:25 Iyengar 1/2 Saraswati Browne
8:00-9:25 Led Ashtanga Maria Zavala
9:30-10:55 Vinyasa Flow 2/3 Garth Hewitt
9:30-10:55 YogaWorks 1 Amy Drucker
11:00-12:30 Vinyasa Flow 2 Julie Rader
ALL OTHER CLASSES CANCELLED
CLOSED ON CHRISTMAS DAY
NEW YEAR’S EVE CLASSES:
8:15-9:45 Vinyasa Flow 2/3 Garth Hewitt
8:00-9:25 Yoga Blend 1 Doug Binzak
9:30-10:55 Vinyasa Flow 2 Shelley Williams
9:45-11:15 Iyengar 1/2 Jennifer Edwards
11:00-12:30 Vinyasa Flow 2/3 Rachel Simmons
ALL OTHER CLASSES CANCELLED
NEW YEAR’S DAY CLASSES:
9:00-10:30 Vinyasa Flow 2 Shelley Williams
9:15-10:45 Yoga Blend 1 Zhi Myers
10:45-12:15 Vinyasa Flow 2/3 David Lynch
12:30-2:00 Yoga Blend 1/2 Doug Binzak
ALL OTHER CLASSES CANCELLED

Boosting Metabolism with Muscle

2009-12-21T21:17:06+00:00

Gaining muscle (fat free mass) is a highly promoted concept for improving your metabolism and efficiency for losing body fat. Understanding this concept and some of the myths are important when working towards adding an exercise routine that builds fat free mass. First off, all tissues in the body require a constant flow of energy contributing to resting metabolic rate. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the energy that body consumes when the body is physically inactive - all basic processes used to maintain bodily functions (not including digestion). The higher our daily RMR is, the more overall calories we more effectively consume without the aid of exercise - basically, when we increase RMR, this is a bonus consumption of calories when we are trying to manage body composition.

Muscle consumes approximately 6-10 calories a day per pound with daily RMR. In comparison, the brain consumes 109 calories pound, the heart and kidneys each consume 200 calories per pound. Since organs can not be increased in size, our best option for increasing caloric consumption with RMR is by increasing muscle mass.

One popular myth is that muscle burns 50-100 calories a day per pound. Studies have indicated that increases in muscle mass add increased calorie burning with numbers ranging from 20-90 calories per pound per day. But questions have risen asking if the increase in calorie expenditure was because of the extra muscle alone or if other factors were involved. Experts then concluded that 10 calories per pound per day is a more reasonable estimate versus the 50-100 calories per pound.

By gaining even a small amount of extra muscle mass like 5 pounds can increase your daily calorie consumption automatically by about 50 calories. By the experts figures, this works out to 1500 calories extra a month. To lose a pound of fat requires a net loss of 3500 calories, therefore, this extra 1500 calories via muscle gain can be a very helpful method to reaching the 3500 calorie goal for fat loss.

Morale of the story: if you are working to improve your ability to manage your body composition or to loss weight, it is important to add some exercise activities that will increase your muscle mass. Dieting alone often results in an undesirable decrease in muscle mass and with little fat mass loss - when you exit a diet, your caloric burning capacity is diminished and you will likely gain even more body fat.

Will Yoga add muscle? Yoga can add muscle for those who have been sedentary and beginning a fitness program. Yoga will help maintain fat-free mass for those who are already well conditioned with fitness. Progressive and muscle loading postures will engage large muscle groups and contribute to improving muscular strength, endurance and toning. Here are some ideal Yoga poses that work large muscle groups:
*Warrior Poses (Virabhadrasana)
*Chair Pose (Utkatasana)
*Plank Pose / Push up transitions (Chaturanga Dandasana)
*Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
*Bridge Pose and Spinal Lift Pose (Setu Bandhasana)

Another key myth especially for women is the fear of looking bulky and masculine with increased muscle mass. An addition of 5-10 pounds of lean muscle mass distributed over the entire body would be quite insignificant in terms of showing as bulk and for woman, this would be more represented as a more ‘toned’ image. Consider that 5 pounds of fat has a much greater volume than 5 pounds of muscle. By replacing 10 pounds of fat with 10 pounds of muscle, you would effectively decrease your body size and enjoy a more toned physique.

Putting physical attributes aside, the gain in muscle mass will also be beneficial in generating more supportive tissue around joints thus balancing the increase in flexibility you gain from Yoga. Again, challenging another myth, increasing muscle will NOT decrease your range of motion and flexibility as long as you remain consistent in your Yoga practices and train without producing injuries or deep muscle soreness. Finally, increasing muscle mass likely involves generating weight bearing stress on the bones. This loading effect on the bones contributes to improved bone health and reduced development of osteoporosis.

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Quinoa-The Mother of Grains

2009-12-16T18:02:18+00:00

My Yoga Online has posted a new healthy nutrition article by guest author Carol DiPirro, Quinoa-The Mother of Grains. Learn about the health benefits of this nutritious grain including a great recipe. An ancient food that is not yet well known in North America, Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) has been cultivated in the South American Andes since at least 3,000 B.C. and has been a staple food of millions of native inhabitants.

The quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium and iron, a good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans. The protein in quinoa is a ‘complete’ protein due to the presence of all 8 essential amino acids. Quinoa is 12% to 18% protein and four ounces a day, about 1/2-cup, will provide a childs protein needs for one day. The 6-7% fat of quinoa is relatively high when compared to other grains, but it boasts a low sodium content and also provides valuable starch and easily digestible fiber. The seeds are also gluten-free which makes this a nutritious and flavorful alternative grain for those with gluten sensitivity. Quinoa would be a worthy addition to anyone’s diet, supplying variety as well as good nutrition.

Click to read full article and recipe: Artichoke, Asparagus & Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

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Tree Pose-More Than Just Balancing

2009-12-05T19:14:04+00:00

My Yoga Online has added a new yoga anatomy article by Kreg Weiss, Tree Pose-More Than Just Balancing. Kreg offers anatomical tips often neglected in this seemingly simple yoga pose.

Tree Pose (Vrksasana) is one of the most recognizable classic yoga postures demonstrating the beauty of balance, focus, and serenity. Often considered an introductory asana for teaching basic balance techniques, subtle alignment applications can be readily overlooked when participants view this pose as ‘easy’. Starting from the ground up, here are some important anatomical adjustments and tips to improve the integrity of your Tree Pose. Click Here to read all the tips.

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Top 10 Tips for Staying Green Through the Holidays

2009-12-05T00:36:25+00:00

When we move into the holiday season, most people enjoy embracing what is perceived as the positive aspects of giving and sharing. However, most people neglect to see the heavy environmental impact this season of mass consumption generates. Here are some easy tips from My Yoga Online to help you stay mindful during your holiday season.

1) Carry your own shopping bags: Dramatically reduce your consumption of unnecessary plastic waste by taking your own recycled bags on all of your shopping trips.

2) Use paper wisely: Opt in for wrapping paper and gift cards made from post consumer product and that contain 100% recyclable material. Avoid paper products with plastic coatings (any thing waxy, shiny, or with sprinkles) as these can not be recycled.

3) Make your lighting more efficient: If upgrading your lighting decor, choose high efficiency lighting and get those lights on timers. Avoid leaving lights on overnight and during periods when no one will be seeing them.

4) Support organic and local merchants: Consider giving organic and locally produced products as gifts to help support these struggling industries and reduce your carbon footprint.

5) Recycle and reuse as much as possible: Look for community programs that offer the recycling of Christmas trees and other tree trimmings. Save holiday cards to make name tags and other holiday craft projects next year. Get creative with reusing old wrapping paper - even giving the kids a project to cut the old wrapping paper into scrap paper for writing notes.

6) Serve locally produced products at parties: Take a little extra time to search out local options for food and drink items. From local wines, cheese, chocolates and more, you can reduce a significant amount of carbon emissions by buying ‘local’.

7) Ban packaging abuse: Avoid buying gifts that are blatantly over-packaged in plastic and other non-recyclable materials. Many producers increase the visual size of items with packaging to give the sense of ‘getting more for your money’.

8 ) Be open to used: Consider jumping on sites like craigslist to find great gift items that are pre-owned. Enjoy potentially great savings, reduced packaging waste, and a little adventure in finding savings.

9) Cash and gift cards: Giving cash is sometimes considered to be lacking in thought and effort, but actually, giving cash and gift cards is the most green and practical way to share. So many people return gifts resulting in a waste of time for everyone. Cash and gift cards produce far less carbon footprints and allows the recipient to use the gift for their preferred needs and interests.

10) Consider sharing through charity: The best gift you and your family can give is supporting a charity. Donate money, items, or your time this season. This karmic energy fosters the true intentions of the season, supports the social well-being of communities, and can be done so in a manner that nurtures the environment.

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keeping busy this holiday season

2009-12-04T06:45:00+00:00

for some reason, i seem to have earned the reputation of being the busiest non-teaching yogini in town. it's probably because i've been compiling these lists of must-do yoga events... and find myself wanting to do all of them :)

so here's what i've found so far for the month of december. besides the growing number of kirtans now held on a regular basis, there seem to be a slew of partner yoga classes, winter solstice observances, and of course, new year's eve celebrations. it's looking like i'm going to be even busier than usual this month!

keep checking back; i'll continue to add events as i find them...

~~~ this month's deals ~~~

One FREE class with each of December's featured teachers at Black Dog Yoga in Sherman Oaks: Tiffany Fraser and Heidi Kaufman!
Tiffany's classes are:
Tuesday 11:00a-12:30p - Intermediate Anusara
Thursday 11:00a-12:30p - Intermediate Anusara
Thursday 3:30p-5:00p - Anusara Yoga for Beginners
Saturday 10:30a-12:00p - Intermediate Anusara
Heidi's classes are:
Monday 11:00a-12:30p - Deep Stretch, All levels
Wednesday 11:00a-12:30p - Deep Stretch, All levels
Friday 6:00p-7:30p - Deep Stretch, All levels
Click here for coupons

One FREE class during the month of December for any of the featured classes at Rising Lotus Yoga in Sherman Oaks (coupon required; email me for coupon):
~ Candle Lit Flow: 8:00-9:30pm - Tues, Thurs
~ Relax Deeply: 5:30-7:00pm - Sundays
~ Mixed Level: 6:45-8:00am - Mon, Wed, Fri

Come to yoga at Truyoga in Santa Monica and get a FREE appetizer at the Daily Grill:
Beginning Monday, December 14th, TruYoga will be running a lunch and dinner promotion with the Daily Grill Santa Monica (located in the same building).
Attend the following classes and receive a voucher for a free appetizer from the Daily Grill.
*M/W - Gentle Yoga with Therapeutics at 10:30 a.m.
*M/W - Vinyasa Flow at 5:45 p.m.
*M/W - Vinyasa Flow at 5:45 p.m.

Dinner & a Stretch: Maha Yoga + Kreation = Harmony
Just $30 for any yoga class and dinner (BYOB)!
Purchase vouchers at either location:
Maha Yoga, 13050 San Vicente Blvd, Brentwood
Kreation Kafe, 1023B Montana Ave, Santa Monica
Expires Dec 15th.

~~~ ongoing events ~~~

Community classes, courtesy of lululemon athletica
Cost: FREE
lululemon Beverly Hills, 334 N Beverly Dr ~
Sundays at 9:30am: AcroYoga! Dec 6 - Yogi Hendlin and Huck Hirsch, Dec 13 - Lara Catone and Yogi Hendlin, Dec 20 - Huck Hirsch and Sarah Vosen, Dec 27 - Lara Catone and Sarah Vosen. Plus: Every Monday 6:15pm Run Club and Runner's Yoga, Dec 10 7:30pm - Hip Hop Dance DVD Release Party with Sarita Lou
lululemon Brentwood, 11920 San Vicente Blvd ~
Sundays at 9:30am, Yoga with The Hub: Dec 6 - Sarah Ezrin, Dec 13 - Barbie Baylis, Dec 20 - James MacDonald, Dec 27 - Lauri Ashworth. Plus: Every Monday 6:15pm Jingle Jog (thru Dec 17 only; resumes in January on Thursdays!)
lululemon Calabasas, at The Commons, 4719 Commons Way ~
Sundays at 9:30am: Dec 6 - Pilates with Leah, Dec 13 - Anti-Gravity Yoga with Lori Robbins, Dec 20 - Yoga with Sri Hari Moss. Plus: Every Monday 6pm - Running Club
lululemon Glendale, at The Americana, 233 S Brand ~
Sundays at 9:30am: Yoga with Shakti Box: Dec 6 - Heather Funston, Dec 13 - Tiffany Russo and Clio Manuelian, Dec 20 - Nicole Ghastin and Beau King, Dec 27 - Kasey Luber and Trinity Stuart. Plus: Every Wednesday 11am - Kids Yoga with Abbie Rose, Dec 10 9pm - Kundalicious Yoga with Masha Sapron and Amber Rothwell
lululemon Pasadena, 110 W Colorado ~
Sundays at 10am, CATZ Fitness Workout: Dec 6, Dec 13, Dec 20, Dec 27. Plus: Every Wednesday 6pm - Fun Run Club, Dec 10 7:30pm - Meditation with John Sovec, Dec 13 5:30pm - AcroYoga Demo with Mod Amaya and Alex Plank, Dec 16 7:30pm - Kickboxing with Mauricio and David
lululemon Santa Monica, 331 Santa Monica Blvd ~
Sundays at 9:30am: Yoga! Dec 6 - Laurie Searle, Dec 13 - Marlize Joubert with YogaEarth special event, Dec 20 - Leslie Kazadi, Dec 27 - Michelle Goldstein. Plus Dec 12 9:30am - Hip Hop Cardio with Sarita Lou
lululemon South Bay, at Plaza El Segundo, 2008A E Park Pl ~
Sundays at 9:30am: Yoga with The Green Yogi! Dec 6 - Yin/Yang Yoga Flow with Mary Fanto and Matt Rothert, Dec 13 - Power Vinyasa with Mary Strong, Dec 20 - Power Vinyasa with Anne Spinner, Dec 27 - Power Vinyasa with Heather Archer. Plus: Every Thursday 6:15pm - Run Club at Manhattan Beach Pier

Yogi Lunch with Atma Ananda Das
Govinda's Vegetarian Restaurant, 3764 Watseka Ave, Los Angeles
Fridays, Dec 4th, 11th, 18th 1:00-2:15pm (Every Friday)
Cost: BYOL (Buy your own lunch)

I do this because the yoga teachers, the healers and the guides for others need to get together in person. Yoga is all about relationships... so we meet up and love, that's yoga!

Friday Night Movies and Potluck
Inner Harmony Yoga, San Pedro
Friday, Dec 4th 6:30-9:00pm (1st Friday of month)
Cost: A vegetarian (ovo-lacto OK) dish to share. Please bring a serving utensil. Donations of paper/plastic plates and utensils would be most welcome!

We'll break bread together and enjoy an uplifting movie, all in the comfort of your local yoga studio.

Palisades Outdoor Yoga Hike with Hilary Kimblin
Michael Lane and Trailer Canyon Fire Road, Pacific Palisades
Saturday, Dec 5th 9:00-11:30am (Once a month)
Cost: $15 in advance, $20 day of hike. Please click here to reserve your spot

A Saturday morning hike and an outdoor yoga class for those seeking solace from the week.
Please bring a yoga mat and/or a towel, dress in layers and wear good hiking shoes/boots. Sun block, sunglasses and a hat also recommended. Water is required!
Be prepared to hike for some 45 minutes uphill, to our outdoor outdoor walls-free "classroom". The yoga class will last around an hour (no previous experience necessary), then we will pack up and hike downhill for around 30 minutes. We will be out by 11:30am. This is a lot of fun and a great way to meet new people!

Kirtan with BhaktiMa
Lyfe Yoga Center, Hermosa Beach
Saturday, Dec 5th 7:00pm (1st Saturday of the month)
Cost: $10 Suggested Donation

In the spirit of building community, join BhaktiMa for a wonderful evening of music.

ART OF LIVING KIRTAN
Yoga Desa, Topanga
Saturday, Dec 5th 7:00pm (1st Saturday of the month)
Cost: By Donation

Ecstatic chanting in Topanga Canyon hosted by Art of Living Foundation teachers Andrew Behla & Michèle Krolik at Yoga Desa. Singing traditional sanskrit mantras have a profound effect on the environment and consciousness, helping to quiet the mind and open the heart. No experience is necessary, just a willingness to participate with a beginner's mind.
OPEN TO ALL!
For more information visit artoflivingla.org

Yogi Brunch with Zat Baraka and Atma Ananda Das
Euphoria Loves Rawvolution Cafe, 2301 Main Street, Santa Monica
Sunday, Dec 6th 10:00am-noon (Once a month)
Cost: BYOB (Buy your own brunch)

Yoga is about relationships.
This includes our relationships with the body/mind, the earth, other souls, and the source... Yogi brunch is a space for instigating, preserving, and celebrating all these relationships. In other words, members of the yoga and healing communities will come together to eat, laugh, and love.
Come enjoy a special raw vegan earth friendly meal for your delight.
Euphoria Loves Rawvolution Cafe is a central meeting point for the progressive conscious community of Los Angeles.

Yoga Potluck with Psalm Isadora
Aanand Saagar, Venice
Sunday, Dec 6th 6:00pm (Once a month, location varies)
Cost: Bring a potluck dish to share

Please bring your favorite dish to share as a community offering, remember, all we ask is for your participation, grub and love! Yoga Potluck is a community event to share and celebrate the simplest things, good food, good company and good yoga.
If you have a mat, please bring it, otherwise I have a few extras.
All are welcome, it is an all levels class. Invite your friends and family, celebration loves company.

FREE COMMUNITY NIGHT: HUMILITY with Chutney Berry
City Yoga, West Hollywood
Tuesday, Dec 8th 7:30pm (2nd Tuesday of the month)
Cost: FREE

Yoga riddle:
It's bigger than us and yet small enough to see.
It's attractive in others and what we strive to be.
It's the antidote for arrogance, low self esteem, and competitiveness
Perfectionism, know it all "ism", pride and close mindedness.
We could all use more of it
What is it?
Humility
On and Off our mats. In our practice and our lives. Come tap into the power that transforms.
No Yoga Experience necessary.

Kirtan at Randall's
Private residence, 2235 Linnington Ave, Los Angeles
Wednesdays, Dec 9th and 23rd 7:30pm (Every other Wednesday)
Cost: By Donation

Dec 9th - Joey Lugassy, Govindas, Cooper Madison, and others
With excellent ayurvedic Indian food by Kailas and Mike Baker.
Dec 23rd - TBA

An Evening of Kirtan with Daniel & Friends
Rising Lotus Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Friday, Dec 11th 8:30pm (2nd Friday of the month)
Cost: By Donation

Daniel's kirtan is a unique blend of western soul and jazz style improvisation with authentic Sanskrit mantras. The joy he feels singing is evident in the energy that grows in the room and the heart opening often experienced by participants.
Musicians: Sarah, Arielle Silver and Emily Kern on vocals, Jeff Harris on guitar, Angela Devita on flute, and Cooper Madison and Greg Klimuck on drums.
No singing experience needed, only a willingness to open your heart to the joy.

Bizarre Sundays: Yoga + Brunch with Evolve Lifewear
Sunday, Dec 13th (2nd Sunday of the month)
Yoga at 10:30am with Jesse Lombardi at Be Love Yoga followed by Brunch at Royal Claytons English Pub
1855 Industrial Ave, Los Angeles
Cost: $10 yoga, $10 brunch (alcohol not included)

SUNDAY NIGHT YOGA & DINNER with Jennifer Kelly
The Yogi Tree, Toluca Lake
Sunday, Dec 13th 5:00-7:00pm (2nd Sunday of the month)
Cost: $20, children 12 and under are FREE!

From its very inception, The Yogi Tree set the clear intention: this studio belongs to everyone. You, me, him, her, all of us - a unified body of individuals. To honor that intention, that "circle of love" of which Rumi writes, The Yogi Tree is very proud to offer an all-ages, community-oriented Kundalini Yoga class, followed by a yogi-style dinner. Join Yogi Tree owner Jennifer Kelly for an uplifting, deeply connective yoga class - one that will offer physical and spiritual alignment for you, while also activating a dynamic group energy. A homemade, yogi-style dinner, enjoyed casually in a warm group setting, will follow.
Come on your own. Bring a friend. Bring a child. Bring everyone you know.

Kirtan with BhaktiMa
Harmony Yoga, Redondo Beach
Saturday, Dec 19th 7:00pm (3rd Saturday of the month)
Cost: $10 Suggested Donation

Please come listen, chant and enjoy!
"Our goal is create a journey of sound, where the line between performer and audience melts into a single current."

Ecstatic Chanting with Steve Ross
Maha Yoga, Brentwood
Saturday, Dec 19th 8:00pm
Cost: By donation

We invite you to join us for a blissful evening of chanting.
The evening will open your heart, still your mind and lead you to a state of profound euphoria.
Wear comfortable clothing, bring a cushion to sit on and enjoy.

Weekly Kirtan at Bhakti Yoga Shala
Bhakti Yoga Shala, Santa Monica
Cost: Suggested donation $10-$15
Friday, Dec 4th 8:30pm (1st Friday of month) - Andres Salcedo
Saturday, Dec 5th 8:00pm (1st Saturday of month) - Govindas and Radha
Friday, Dec 11th 9:00pm (2nd Friday of month) - Joey Lugassy
Saturday, Dec 12th 8:00pm (2nd Saturday of month) - Michael Thomas
Friday, Dec 18th 9:00pm (3rd Friday of month) - Terra Gold
Saturday, Dec 19th 8:00pm (3rd Saturday of month) - Zat Baraka
Friday, Dec 25th 8:30pm (4th Friday of month) - Kalidas
Saturday, Dec 26th 8:00pm (4th Saturday of month) - Travis Eliot

~~~ this month's highlights ~~~

A MantRa TaNtra EaSt wEst FuSion ExpErieNce with Jai Uttal, Larisa Stow and the Shakti Tribe, and Naked Rhythm
A BENEFIT FOR CHARITY:WATER.ORG - HELP BUILD A WELL IN INDIA
Kali Klub, 3229 Casitas Avenue, Atwater Village
Friday, Dec 4th 7:00pm-midnight
Cost: $25 in advance, $30 at door

Jai Uttal, Larisa Stow and Shakti Tribe, Naked Rhythm, DJ Avi in a totally new and innovative environment for Kirtan and world music - KALI KLUB - A conscious nightclub and total sensory environment with Massive Projections, Lasers, Light Shows, Huge Sound, Visionary Art and Artists, Astrology, Tarot, Amazing Raw food from Sahadev of the Rose Temple, fun vendors, Coffe, Tea, Juice Bar... AND YOU!!!
TONS OF FREE PARKING AND PLENTY OF ROOM TO DANCE!!!

108 Sun Salutations with Psalm Isadora - A Fundraiser for Women's Empowerment School in India
With Live Kirtan with Zat Baraka, Ena Vie, Cryrus Pirasteh and Momo Loudiyi
Modern Om, 13452 Washington Blvd (just east of Lincoln), Venice
Saturday, Dec 5th 10:00am-1:00pm
Cost: By Donation

This is the 2nd annual Yoga Mala for the Tree of Life Yoga School. Last year, we raised $2,000. This year my goal is to raise $3,000. Please come and join us, if you want to participate in the mala or just to come show your support and give your energy. Our good friends Cyrus, Zat and Momo will be doing kirtan to keep the energy up. So even if you just come to support, you can join in the chanting.
Proceeds go towards "Healing the Mother". A women's education project. Helping the women in the city of Vizag to achieve their dreams through education, yoga and job skills, allowing them to create a foundation for self fulfillment and self reliance and to become empowered members of their community. By helping empower the women, we empower the children and families they help support. Tree of Life Yoga School and Community is a 501(c)3 corp.

Passion + Grace ~ Kirtan with Jai Uttal + Daniel Paul
Exhale Center for Sacred Movement, Venice
Saturday, Dec 5th 7:30-10:00pm
Cost: $25; $32 day of

"Kirtan is food for the spirit, a life raft of song...."
Embark on a journey into the multi-colored, many roomed mansions of the heart through the practice of Kirtan; or chanting the ecstatic songs of ancient India. Using call-and-response singing and storytelling, recording artist Jai Uttal will invoke a space of prayer and heartfelt expression, joined by his good friend, tabla maestro and vocalist Daniel Paul.
No previous experience is needed. This is an exploration of the heart, independent of vocal or musical technique.

Kirtan with Sheela Bringi
Aanand Saagar, Venice
Saturday, Dec 5th 8:00pm
Cost: $15 Suggested Donation

Kirtan is collective call-and-response chanting that opens the heart and leads the mind to stillness. Sheela Bringi skillfully weaves the ancient chants of India with world rhythms and creative instrumentation. She sings kirtan and plays the harp, harmonium and bansuri (bamboo) flute, and has been trained in Indian classical, devotional and jazz music. Sheela's music has been greatly influenced by her Indian family heritage, her teachers, and Amma, the "hugging saint" from South India.

Passion and Grace - The art of devotional singing with Jai Uttal
Exhale Center for Sacred Movement, Venice
Sunday, Dec 6th 1:00-4:00pm
Cost: $40

In the practice of Kirtan we are able to come into contact with the wide palette of feelings inside of us and to begin to freely express them and share them with others. Rather than being obstacles in our path, these emotions become the fuel to connect us to the Spirit, to our eternal beloved. This deep river of passionate surrender and prayer is known as Bhakti Yoga, the Yoga of devotion or personal relationship with the divine.
In this workshop Jai will explore how we can approach the path of Bhakti Yoga in our own lives, with our own personalities and identities. We will begin to understand a new meaning of aesthetics, an internal aesthetics, wherein we create our most beautiful prayers to spirit without the slightest concern for other's opinions or criticisms. We will touch on the vast beauty of the Indian Raga and Tala systems and direct participants to further study in those areas. Jai will open the floor to all kinds of questions, and, with a very flexible and lighthearted approach, will answer from his personal experiences and ideas and the stories of ancient India.
No previous experience is needed for these workshops. This is an exploration of the heart, independent of vocal or musical technique.

Mother-Daughter Partner Yoga Workshop
Lyfe Yoga Center, Hermosa Beach
Sunday, Dec 6th 3:30-5:30pm
Cost: $40

Looking for another way to connect with your daughter and feel closer in one of the strongest relationships you will experience in your life? Honor your bond through this Mother Daughter Partner Yoga Class. Proceeds will go towards the Hermosa Beach Education Foundation.

The Kundalini Yoga Experience with Krishna Kaur
Yogaglo, Santa Monica
Thursday, Dec 10th 6:00-7:30pm
Cost: FREE

Come join internationally renowned teacher, Krishna Kaur, for a 90-minute Kundalini Yoga Experience that will leave you transformed. A true master, Krishna has been teaching Kundalini Yoga for over 35 years. Her classes are high-energy, uplifting and very powerful. For those who are interested in profound personal transformation, this is the class for you.

Yoga Side of the Moon with Andres Salcedo
Exhale Center for Sacred Movement, Venice
Friday, Dec 11th 8:00-10:00pm
Cost: $20

After many successful "Yoga Sides of the Moon" workshops around the planet, Andres is excited to bring this event back to Exhale. Creating a dynamic flow based on simple asanas, you will embark into a yogic exploration through the sound of Pink Floyd's album "Dark side of the Moon" surrounded by atmospheric soundscapes and carefully placed sound effects that will help you achieved a natural psychedelic emotional state.
The workshop will start with a simple warm up series, follow by a flow inspired on the sound of the album and created on the spot based on the energy of the group, ultimately leading to tranquil and peaceful relaxation of the body, mind and spirit. Bring your yoga mat, open heart and be prepare to sweat, flow and fly high.

A Special Holiday Charity Class for Yoga Gives Back
Yogaworks Center for Yoga, Larchmont
Saturday, Dec 12th 2:00-5:00pm
Cost: $20 Suggested donation

Come join us in a universal spirit of union to help women in India break out of the chains of poverty. An amazing team of Yoga Works teachers will gather at Center For Yoga to teach this special class; Clay Kyle, David Lynch, James Morrison, Joan Hyman, Whitney Allen, Kia Miller, Mia Togo, Malachi Melville and Jeanne Heileman. Live soulful music by Rich Ferguson, Kalani and Friends. Special Carols by Andrew Abaria and his singers, and James Morrison's live song! Lots of amazing raffle items to support YGB!! Thank you everyone and see you all there.

Yoga 4 Creativity with Brenda Strong, a Fundraiser for Yo San University
Yogaglo, Santa Monica
Saturday, Dec 12th 4:00-6:00pm
Cost: $20 in advance, $25 at the door. To purchase tickets please visit: healthcarecomedy.blogspot.com

Intention+Attention=Transformation; Come explore the 2nd Chakra and learn how to receive all you dreamed of with this Yoga Practice with Brenda Strong. Laughter is an expression of Joy and Joy is the by-product of being aligned with Divine Source. Learn to release all the patterns of emotional and physical blocks to your creative power and awaken the Divine Feminine art of receiving. We will open the hips, unlocking the energy center buried there and explore our potential for aligning our intention with our attention through the breath. Healing from the Inside-Out and awakening the source of unending creativity and joy.
All proceeds from this special event will benefit Yo San University’s Outreach Programs, providing acupuncture and Chinese Medicine to Children’s Hospital, Premiere Oncology Foundation, low income families and people living with HIV and AIDS.

Laughter is the Best Medicine - A Party and Health Care Comedy Fundraiser for Yo San University
Yogaglo, Santa Monica
Saturday, Dec 12th 7:00-11:00pm
Cost: $20 in advance, $25 at the door. To purchase tickets please visit healthcarecomedy.blogspot.com

A Party and Comedy Program benefiting Yo San University with Eddie Pepitone, Andrea Shreeman, Masood Ali Khan, Joe McGovern, Sebastien Gendry, Shani Tennyson and more.
Doors open at 7pm, Comedy begins at 8pm.
Complimentary organic food and wine, plus a raffle with amazing health conscious gifts from high vibration companies like: Parducci Wines, Earthbar, Coconut Bliss, Transition Nutrition, Guayaki, Beyond O2, Innerwear Clothing, Leaf Organics, Robert Sturman Studio, Steam Salon, Vital Hemptations, RawVolution, Amazon Herb Co., Lucy Activewear, Yogitoes, Yogaglo, Buddha Nose, African Cowboy, New Chapter, Lilla Bello Studio and Arbonne International.
Through its outreach programs, Yo San University provides acupuncture and pain management to Children's Hospital, Premiere Oncology Foundation, Venice Family Clinic and WeHo's Being Alive program for people living with HIV and AIDS.

Zen Dancing End of the Year Partay with Micheline Berry
Exhale Center for Sacred Movement, Venice
Saturday, Dec 12th 8:00-10:00pm
Cost: $20

DJ Drez spinning funky world beats
Te'Amir on percussion
Domonic Dean Breaux, winds and
Micheline Berry, dance
Come unwind and celebrate the approaching Winter Solstice with a spontaneous feast of Funky World Beats sure to get your holiday groove on...
Come prepared to dance your heart out!

yoga + hiking + picnic = awesome with Dan Ward
Yogaco, Santa Monica
Sunday, Dec 13th 10:15am-3:15pm
Cost: By donation

Starting with a 10:15am yoga class taught by Dan Ward at YOGAco. The yoga class features a special treat: Samadhi singing and Vyas on guitar!
Then we carpool up to a top secret nearby hiking location where we'll roam theez hillz for a 3-6 mile hike.
After the hike, there'll be a vegan picnic catered by The Homecooked Vegan, Lesley Ward.
There will also be a wonderful Christmas ornament craft table and probably a sick frisbee session, too!
Families welcome! the entire event is by donation only!

Meditate and Celebrate the True Birth of a New Year: Winter Solstice at Yoga West
Yoga West, Los Angeles
Sunday, Dec 13th 1:00-4:00pm
Cost: $50

Invigorate your life for the Advantage of 2010 with a course taught by Guru Singh
The power of appreciation (Gratitude)
Leads to mental clarity (Aptitude)
Providing a vital projection (Attitude)
Bring a piece of fruit, paper and pen.

Partner Thai Yoga Workshop with Deon DeWet
Urth Yoga, Silverlake
Sunday, Dec 13th 1:00-4:00pm
Cost: $30 in advance, $40 at the door

Experience the joys of giving and receiving a unique method of Interactive Yogic Bodywork, within the peace and safety of Urth Yoga Studio.
Learn how to combine assisted Yoga stretches and Traditional Thai Massage - harmonizing the flows of energy throughout the body. Enjoy a profound sense of release and contentment as you and your partner help each other to deeply integrate body, mind and soul. This class is recommended for all people – as long as they can maintain a kneeling or lunging position for a few minutes at a time.
No prior Yoga or massage experience is required. We will work on a comfortable combination of mats and blankets on the floor. Bring a friend or let us know to pair you up with a compatible partner.

Guided Partner Massage Workshop with Christi Anne Franck and Katrina Webster
Yoga Blend, Burbank
Sunday, Dec 13th 1:30-4:00pm
Cost: $60 per couple before December 6th, $70 after

Touch is so important to our being. Partner Massage and Yoga are beneficial ways to incorporate a different kind of touch and healing energy into your life.
During the course of the workshop, you and your partner will be guided through a basic sequence that includes many of the essentials of Partner Yoga poses weaved in with Relaxing Massage Techniques. It's a class that builds trust, opens energy and allows both parties to go deeper in their practice. These techniques are easy to do and will have you and your partner feeling great.
This workshop is open to all partners, come with a friends, parent, husband, wife, neighbor, etc.
No experience in yoga or massage is needed.

PARTNER YOGA WORKSHOP with SARAH COLEMAN and SHAUN GRANATO
Bhakti Yoga Shala, Santa Monica
Sunday, Dec 13th 1:45-3:45pm
Cost: Suggested Donation $20

Join Sarah Coleman and Shaun Granato for an exploration of Partner Yoga. In Partner Yoga you will learn to breath and flow together as well as assist each other through traditional yoga asana This will not only deepen the body's experience but enhance communication and connection on a more subtle level. Yoga means to join- body, mind and spirit. The intention of the partner yoga practice is to explore your yoga with another embracing joined expression and trust as well as find new depths in your physical practice. This workshop is taught with a sense of curiosity, joy and even some laughter!

To honor the 91st birthday of B.K.S. Iyengar
Iyengar Yoga Institute, Los Angeles
Sunday, Dec 13th 2:00-4:00pm
Cost: Suggested donation $20

We hope you will join us on December 13 to honor the man who has touched millions around the world. Reflect in the beauty of others in our community as we reflect in the beauty of the Self.Garth McLean will teach an all-levels asana class in honor of this auspicious occasion.
Refreshments will follow.
Proceeds to benefit IYILA and Bellur Trust (Guruji’s charity).

Kirtan Cookie Party with The Temple Bhajan Band
Yoga Bindu, San Pedro
Sunday, Dec 13th 6:00pm
Cost: $5 and cookies!

Bring 2 dozen cookies (to exchange) and $5 for the band. Enjoy an evening of dinner and kirtan, and take home an assortment of holiday cookies and good cheer.

Anusara®: Inner Symmetry with Elena Brower
Yogaglo, Santa Monica
Thursday, Dec 17th 6:30-8:00pm
Cost: FREE

You are invited to experience your inner symmetry through asymmetrical poses; this practice intends to be an exploration of your capacity for balance and ease in any interaction in your life.
Elena Brower, Certified Anusara® Yoga Teacher, is the founder and co-owner of Virayoga in New York City. Teaching 12+ years, she is a faculty member at Kripalu, and in collaboration with Flavorpill, Elena teaches large-scale yoga classes, most recently at the Museum of Modern Art, YouTube video and Times Square, with plans to reach cultural institutions in cities nationwide and worldwide in the next 2 years.

OmDance and Chant
Inner Power Yoga, Woodland Hills
Thursday, Dec 17th 7:45-9:45pm
Cost: Love Donation

Dance wild, sing free and celebrate the essence of your true nature in a safe and sacred space with and Chant. Supported by awesome world music and live chanting we will flow from movement to meditation, sound to stillness, honoring the bliss of being... Led by Narthana Nithyananda and Stella Davies.

Winter Solstice 108 Sun Salutations to Live Music with Lonne Dickerson
Free Spirit Yoga, Long Beach
Friday, Dec 18th 7:15-9:00pm
Cost: $25 pre-registration, $30 at the door

Joel Long will play the Sitar and Drums to guide you on your transformative journey while Lonne will lead you through various forms of sun salutations. By doing 108, you are sparking each one of your 108 nadis (energy centers, chakras) in your body, cleansing and purifying for the new season. Begin to think of an intention you'd like to set for this class and time of year. You will need a small towel, yoga mat & some water. Space is limited. Following class will be light refreshments.

Yogasonic at Rising Lotus Yoga
Rising Lotus Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Friday, Dec 18th 7:30pm
Cost: Suggested Donation $15

YogaSonic is an exciting and new approach to the practice of Vinyasa Flow Yoga, it melds freestyle Vinyasa Flow Yoga and real time live ambient music to bring a fresh, vibe filled experience to group yoga practice. Incredible live ambient tunes created and mixed in the studio by John Tague offers a deep and unique experience to the practice. Freestyle yoga offers yogis the opportunity to practice on their own in a spontaneous, energetic group setting; embodying yoga in their own authentic way.
Group warm up, cool down and meditation guided by yoga instructor Michelle Goldstein.

Off The Mat, Into the World 2010 Launch and Kirtan Dance Party
Yogaglo, Santa Monica
Friday, Dec 18th 7:30-11:00pm
Cost: $15

Join Suzanne Sterling, Seane Corn, and Hala Khouri for a Solstice celebration and Kirtronica dance party to launch our Off The Mat, Into The Word 2010 Initiatives.
Celebrate with us as we sing, dance and chant for change! This evening, co-hosted by YogaGlo and OTM, will include Kirtan and dancing with Suzanne and her rockin' kirtronica band, Solstice ritual and prayer with Suzanne, Seane and Hala, and guest performances from local street youth; raffle, yummy vendors and Yoga Play Lounge (fun yoga toys) and more! We will be launching our 2010 Seva Challenge South Africa and Seva Challenge Los Angeles Initiatives, our Seva Challenge documentary film, and celebrating the release of Suzanne's new album called "Blue Fire Soul."

Winter Solstice Celebration with Sara Ivanhoe
Yogaworks Main Street, Santa Monica
Friday, Dec 18th 7:45-9:45pm
Cost: $25

Now is the time to clear out the past and get ready for the year to come. Celebrating the solstice is a powerful way to plant seeds for the future and taking some time for yourself to nurture and prepare for the winter months is equivalent to animals preparing for hibernation. The winter solstice is the longest night of the year, the time to go inward and honor the power of darkness--it is by honoring the darkness that we are brought back to the Light. Come join us for the Ritusamhara or "Garland of the Seasons", our seasonal ritual which will include asana pranayama mantra, arati and live music by Travis Eliot.

108 Sun Salutes Celebrating the Winter Solstice
Yummy Yoga, Los Feliz
Saturday, Dec 19th 1:00-3:00pm
Cost: Canned soup donations!

Skip the crowded shopping malls and come breathe, move, and sweat, and celebrate the season while you GIVE to families in need!
Join Larry and Amy for this donation-based traditional yogic offering in honor of the first day of Winter. Please bring donations of canned soup to help keep bellies warm for local families in need this winter!

Winter Solstice Sacred Groove Yoga/Dance Party
Be Love Yoga, Downtown Los Angeles
Saturday, Dec 19th 2:00-8:00pm
Cost: $10

Calling in the Light ~ Ritual of Renewal with Yoga + Kirtan With Shiva Rea, Dave Stringer and Steve Gold
Exhale Center for Sacred Movement, Venice
Saturday and Sunday, Dec 19th and 20th; see below for times and individual pricing
Cost: $108 Early Bird by Dec 7th, $145 after ~ includes Three Yoga Sadhanas and Evening Kirtan Celebration

Inside the fertile darkness the light emerges...
The Winter Solstice is one of the oldest and most potent rituals of renewal. As the northern hemisphere of the earth reaches its darkest point of the year, the Winter Solstice is the turning point of increasing light from December 21st onward.
For many world cultures, the Solstice is the true new year as the ritual marker to truly let go, honor and bring closure to the past year and ignite our deepest visions and intentions for the coming year as the light is emerging. Our bodies as nature are intimately connected with this macro solar rhythm giving us a powerful opportunity to align and be in harmony with the greater flow.
While the outer world moves in a holiday flurry, this ritual yoga, kirtan, meditation and vision intensive will dive into the deeper rhythm of inner renewal.
- Saturday, Dec 19th 3:00-6:00pm
Calling in the Light: Deep Listening, Cleansing and Renewal with Shiva Rea and Steve Gold
Cost: $60
Experience a chakra-based yoga sadhana as a ritual invocation and intention process that provides a full-spectrum map for cleansing and activating one’s life flow from the root chakra to our vision of the coming year. Through deep listening and surrender, we will create offerings for ritual containers for dissolving, completion and activating to be offered into the fire at the moment of the solstice to transform the peak of darkness into the light of transformation.
- Saturday, Dec 19th 8:00-10:00pm
Calling in the Light: Kirtan with Shiva Rea and Dave Stringer
Cost: $25 in advance; $35 day of
- Sunday, Dec 20th 10:30am-12:15pm
Embodying the Light: Meditative Prana Flow with Steve Gold
Cost: $20
- Sunday, Dec 20th 2:00-5:30pm
Embodying the Light: Winter Solstice Yoga Mala, Mantra and Sunset Ocean Puja with Shiva, Dave Stringer and Steve Gold
Cost: $60
Forming a mandala of light, we will ground our intentions through a yoga mala of 108 Namaskars to the mantra and kirtan of Dave Stringer and then head in a procession to the ocean (weather permitting) to complete the Solstice ritual at sunset.
**Bring warm clothes and your heartfire. Family and friends are welcome to join the procession at 4:15 in front of Exhale.

Solstice OM Chant with Allison McCready
Santa Monica Yoga, Santa Monica
Saturday, Dec 19th 6:00-7:15pm
Cost: $10 suggested donation

OM has been described as the primordial sound; a sacred mantra representing the absolute oneness of the Universe. By chanting OM we use this sacred mantra to enter into a dialogue with the divine. Chanting helps us clear illusion from our mind and tune our inner being to the frequency of Love. The sweetness of chanting stills the mind, dissolves worries, and opens the heart. In addition to profoundly affecting the individual, chanting OM reverberates through the body of mankind, helping to heal a violent world. In this class we will set intentions for the new season, chant OM and immerse ourselves in the loving vibration of this simple and powerful prayer.
Helpful notes:
**No yoga experience is required – all are welcome.
**Arrive a few minutes early.
**Avoid eating at least 1 hour before chanting.
**Leave your cell phone in your car.

108 Sun Salutes
Santa Monica Yoga, Santa Monica
Sunday, Dec 20th 7:00am
Cost: FREE!

Join teachers Nancy Goodstein, Kyra Haglund, Luke Ketterhagen, and Allison McCready in this celebration of the solstice. It is traditionally auspicious to repeat a prayer or mantra 108 times. Repeating 108 sun salutes is a unique and fun way to welcome the returning sun at the solstice.

Winter Solstice Workshop with Bekah Finch
Yoga Blend, Burbank
Sunday, Dec 20th 2:00-4:00pm
Cost: $15

"Winter solstice - the longest night of the year - profoundly challenges our psychological tolerance for darkness. It is a visionary time. Like the dark of the moon each month, Winter Solstice represents not only the pitch black of night, but also a seed of something that will unfold in the coming year. We pray for a future we can only imagine."
Join Bekah for a blend of yoga, meditation and creation to honor the winter, celebrate the darkness and to plant powerful seed intentions for the coming year.

Christmas Yoga with Santokh Claus
Awareness Center Yoga, Pasadena
Sunday, Dec 20th 2:00-3:30pm
Cost: By donation

A class for children of all ages!
An Awareness Center tradition!
A Christmas treat for the entire family!
Santa (aka Dr. Santokh Singh Khalsa) will share a special yoga class, followed by guitar music and caroling!
This class is by donation which will benefit Five Acres Children's Foundation.

Kirtan with Ryan Brewer
Bhakti Yoga Shala, Santa Monica
Sunday, Dec 20th 8:00pm
Cost: By Donation

Solstice Celebration with Gurmukh, Tej & Gurushabd
Golden Bridge Yoga, Hollywood
Monday, Dec 21st 6:00-8:30pm
Cost: $25

We are entering a new era where intellectual knowledge is not what will sustain us in life. We are entering an era where our own blessings will bring us the most power. Your blessing power can make you pure, elevated and believe it or not, more efficient! When you develop the habit to bless – your environments, the people in your life, and even those you think don’t deserve it -- you surround yourself in blessings. Join us as we develop the mind set to bless, to uplift, and heal the world at the time of the Winter Solstice, when the sun energy is smallest and our depth is most accessible. We will end with a fruit meditation where we’ll “Inject Healing Sounds into Fruit.” Please bring an orange and one to share with a friend!

Becoming like Angels: A Christmas Eve Celebration with Tej
Golden Bridge Yoga, Hollywood
Thursday, Dec 24th 9:00am
Cost: $16 or Keytags

Out of the Mind Comes the Lotus – Experiencing the Kindness in You
Life is both plus & minus, but for some 2 + 2 = 5. They add smiles, warmth, love and kindness which equals the most powerful healing on the planet. We become like angels by celebrating our inner strength, allowing us to be secure, to give to all, and to live in the service of our Destiny.
This class will challenge your ego and give you the health and inner energy to live from your angelic nature. Come for powerful Kundalini Yoga & Meditation and great company.

Christmas Eve with Ananda Los Angeles
Heaven on Earth Holistic Center, 7122 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles (Second Floor, above Starbucks and Susina Bakery. Entrance on Detroit St)
Thursday, Dec 24th 7:30-9:00pm
Cost: Free

Join us for this all-ages Christmas Eve program that includes a special version of the Festival of Light, an inspiring Christmas Eve talk, a Christmas Message from Paramhansa Yogananda, music, sacred stories, a candle ceremony...and more. Children of all ages are welcome.
Plenty of FREE PARKING is available. To see the location of the parking structure, as well as directions and more information about this location, CLICK HERE.

Kirtan with Kalidas
Aanand Saagar, Venice
Saturday, Dec 26th 8:00pm
Cost: $15 Suggested Donation

Celebrate New Year's Eve with Guru Singh
Yoga West, Los Angeles
Thursday, Dec 31st 6:30-8:30pm (Doors open at 5:30pm for light refreshments and mingling)
Cost: $30 until 12/30. Space is limited and will sell out; no tickets will be sold the day of event. No keytags.

Also, Guru Singh would like to extend the following invitation:
Please join us across the street at the Guru Ram Das Ashram for more New Year's Eve festivities
9:30pm - 31 min. "Meditation for 1,000 Days"
10:00pm - 31 min. Prosperity Meditation
10:30pm - Kirtan Program Begins
Midnight - Hukam for 2010
Yogi tea and tasty snacks will be served. All are welcome. Please bring a headcovering.

Blue Moon Meditation and New Year's Eve Party with Yoga Bindu
Angel's Gate Cultural Center, 3601 South Gaffey St, Bldg "H", San Pedro
Thursday, Dec 31st 7:00pm-past midnight
Cost: $25 plus potluck. Payment must be made by December 10 for us to secure Angel's Gate "H"

The second full moon in one month is called a "blue moon" and is considered an auspicious occasion. This December 31, 2009 is a Full Long Night Moon, the night when this midwinter moon is above the horizon for the longest time of the year, making this night the longest and darkest.
When the moon is full, our emotional nature and deep intuition are much more active. This particular moon is related to growth and stability, supporting the emotional tides within us as we celebrate a new month, a new year, and a new decade!
We will release the old while setting new intentions for a healthy, stable, prosperous 2010!
Join us for a night of outside moon meditation, intention and celebration.

New Year's Eve Meditation Circle
Studio Surya Studio, Venice
Thursday, Dec 31st 7:00-10:00pm
Cost: $55

Join Jasmine Dickens in Sacred Ceremony New Year's Eve 2009. 2010 is the year of the Tiger. "When tiger appears get ready for adventure, challenge and change. The power, passion and vitality of tiger will activate the same components within yourself."
In this Sacred Circle we will focus our collective energies on emptying ourselves of all that is the past and then we will CHOOSE what we wish to create in 2010. Once the choice is made we are engulfed and completely surrounded by our chosen creation. We will invoke the sacred medicine of the tiger to assist us. Embrace the newness of 2010 with grace, courage and trust!

Rumi and Sacred Music for the New Year
Rising Lotus Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Thursday, Dec 31st 7:00pm
Cost: $15 in advance, $18 at the door

An intimate evening of Rumi's poetry read by Claire Hartley and devotional Sufi music by Yuval Ron.
Please join us for meditative and introspective sacred music from the Sufi Turkish Mevlave tradition as performed on the Oud (Middle eastern Lute) and the Ney flute weaved with mystical wisdom of Rumi’s poetry. Uplifting, enchanting and inspiring experience as the New Year is about to begin!

New Year's Eve Kirtan Celebration and Meditation
Bhakti Yoga Shala, Santa Monica
Thursday, Dec 31st 8:00pm - 1:00am
Cost: Suggested Donation $20

Bring in the New Year Bliss with Govindas & Radha, Travis Eliot, Andres Salcedo, Ryan Brewer, Sidnie Charnaw, Masood Ali Khan, Chris Morro, The Kirtaniyas, Momo Loudiyi, Kalidas, MC Shiva Baum and many more...

Rocking Intentional New Years Eve Flow Class with Sarah Bergman and Daniel Stewart
Rising Lotus Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Thursday, Dec 31st 8:30pm
Cost: Regular class price

Come set the tone for your New Year with sweat, yogi tears and Rock n' Roll. We will bid 2009 adieu with a bang of community practice lead by Sarah to live music by Daniel and friends. We'll align ourselves as one in joyous flow and welcome 2010 in with grounding rituals that cultivate clarity for envisioning the path ahead, collectively and individually. This New Years celebration class will close with a short kirtan and an opportunity to sit and melt into meditation. Jai 2010!

New Year's Eve with Ananda Los Angeles
Heaven on Earth Holistic Center, 7122 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles (Second Floor, above Starbucks and Susina Bakery. Entrance on Detroit St)
Thursday, Dec 31st 9:00pm-Midnight
Cost: Donation Basis

Join us for this spiritual approach to bringing in the New Year the right way--with a fun and uplifting focus to helping 2010 be the best year of your life!
This evening will include chanting, writing exercises, a brief inspiring talk, affirmations, a centering meditation, a fire ceremony to sweep out the old and bring in the new, healing prayers, a New Year's message from Paramhansa Yogananda, and more.
For Everyone -- All Ages Welcome
Plenty of FREE PARKING is available. To see the location of the parking structure, as well as directions and more information about this location, CLICK HERE.

ONE Night: 12th Annual Golden Bridge New Year's Celebration with Gurmukh Khalsa
Golden Bridge Yoga, Hollywood
Thursday, Dec 31st 9:00pm-1:00am
Cost: Cost: $60 in advance, $68 day of

Full Blue Moon Night
Golden Bridge doors open for all in celebration, prayer and community on New Year’s Eve night! It will be a night of individual reflection, ecstatic kirtan and dance, yoga, deep meditation, chanting, the gong, and great company! The Nite Moon Café will serve warm delicious Indian cuisine along with assorted sweets and yogi tea chai.
Whoosh! Out goes the physical, mental and emotional debris of 2009, giving space for new opportunities and relationships to be found in the highly charged energy field of 2010.
This is a very exciting and energized year affording us a renewed sense of spirit with which to sail the seas of life’s grand adventure! On New Year’s Eve, let us use the power of group consciousness to draw infinite sums of energy and prana into us.
Join us on this magical evening as we link our prayers with all the seekers of light on the planet and blend the clear light of compassion into every aspect of our lives.
Please note also that there is NO CHILDCARE at this event. Parents are responsible for their kids at all times!

New Year's Eve Awakening: A Tantra Puja with Charu Morgan
The Hub, West Los Angeles
Thursday, Dec 31st 9:00pm-1:00am
Cost: $75 per person, $50 early registration. Preregistration is required to hold your space: eveningofawakening.blogspot.com

Where have you held back this year? What were the greatest moments of experiencing the depths of your loving, the agony of your hate? What are you longing for as you enter into this new year? Allow yourself to awaken your body, fully embrace and lovingly release the experiences of the year gone by, be blessed and nourished in your visions for the year to come and celebrate by discovering yourself alive on a whole new level as you ring in the new year.
This Evening of Awakening is inspired by the Tantric Puja ritual. A Puja is a prayer. In Tantra, our prayer is recognizing the divine in every human being, our temple is the body. In a Puja ritual each man will have the opportunity to partner with each woman for a simple exercise or meditation. The Tantric meditations use breath, movement, sound, and guided meditation to enrich each meeting throughout the ceremony. Attending Couples may choose to work solely with each other. There is no nudity or sexual contact in the class.

New Year's Eve Ecstatic Experience with Mesmera
Awareness Center Yoga, Pasadena
Thursday, Dec 31st 9:30pm-midnight
Cost: $25 by 12/28, $30 thereafter

Connecting to the Infinite through movement!
Ecstatic Dance!
Elixir Bar!
Annointing Oils!
Sole Rubs!
Release 2009! Connect to the Divine! Create new intentions for 2010! Adventure into the unknown!
This evening will be a mystical union of the physical and spiritual. Through movement, you will reach a meditative state and connect to the Infinite; transcending the personal and igniting the Divine. The first part of the evening will be a guided experience through the chakras. Then we will dance to heal and go into free-form movement. This ecstatic journey will provide you with keys to your individual joy, wisdom and artistic freedom.

New Year's Eve Practice and CELEBRATION with Christine Burke
Liberation Yoga, Los Angeles
Thursday, Dec 31st 9:45pm-Midnight
Cost: $45

Ring in the new year with that yoga glow! This practice is an all levels vinyasa class with chanting, meditation and new year's treats. Start 2010 with a healthy smile on your face and a peaceful heart. This event sells out so don't wait until the last minute! Call (323)964-5222 to reserve your spot. We must receive payment for your spot to be confirmed.

Welcome the New Year in Peace
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, Marina del Rey
Thursday, Dec 31st 10:00pm
Cost: FREE

Ring in 2010 in peace, setting intentions for your spiritual progress. Join like-minded members of the yoga community for our annual New Year celebration.
The evening will consist of meditation, chanting and a puja at midnight to welcome the new year.

New Years Kirtan Celebration with Daniel Stewart, Sarah Bergman & Friends
Rising Lotus Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Thursday, Dec 31st 10:30pm
Cost: $15 Suggested Donation

Rocking Intentional New Years Eve Kirtan with Daniel and Friends. Sing and Dance into 2010!
Join Sarah & Daniel and Friends for a joyous Kirtan to celebrate the dawning new year. We'll sing and dance as we set our intentions and welcome the new year. By donation. Chant and be happy!

Beach Yoga on New Year's Day with Brad Keimach
Santa Monica Beach ~ at the water's edge by lifeguard station #29 (end of Marine Street)
Friday, Jan 1st 10:30am-12pm (also every Saturday and Sunday, same time and place)
Cost: By Donation

Bring a large towel or mat, sunscreen, your great spirit and a sense of adventure and beauty! If it's cool out, have layers that you can take off easily as we warm up, and then put back on as we cool down. Hats and scarves can also come in handy. It's surprisingly fun to practice in cool weather, as long as you're dressed for it.
There is free parking on Hampton (2nd St.) and 3rd and 4th. Leave time to circle around to find free parking. See you there!

Balanced & Zen into 2010 ~ 2 hour Restorative class with Bekah Finch
Yoga Blend, Burbank
Friday, Jan 1st 10:30am-12:30pm
Cost: $20 by Dec 25th / $25 after

A special 2 hour restorative class
A huge number of people spend the first day of the new year hungover, exhausted and just feeling bad. Start your new year in a new way!
Join Bekah for 2 hours of healing restorative yoga to bring your body into balance and your mind into zen.
It is an easy, yet powerful way to get 2010 off to a great start!

FREE New Year’s Day Yoga with Kyra Haglund
Santa Monica Yoga, Santa Monica
Friday, Jan 1st 11:30am
Cost: FREE

Join Kyra for an all levels flow class. What better way to start the New Year?

Chanting at Narayan Mandir with Wah! and Joey Lugassy
Narayan Mandir, 1668 Rising Glen Blvd, Hollywood
Friday, Jan 1st 3:30-8:30pm
Cost: By Donation

Start the New Year chanting and seal your intentions of peace for the planet, peace in your own heart! Be the love, come and share in the community vibe and exquisite beauty of Narayan Mandir, located in Hollywood Hills.
Bring a cushion. Adults only, please.
Note: this event starts in the afternoon.

Sarva Aishwarya Puja + Kirtan with Saul David Raye and special guests
Exhale Center for Sacred Movement, Venice
Friday Jan 1st 6:00-8:00pm
Cost: $25 in advance; $30 day of

Join Saul for this very special New Year's Celebration filled with sacred ceremony, chanting, dancing, prayer all aligning with the power and invocation of the New Year! Evening includes New Years Puja by vedic priest Shiva Kumar, live music, ecstatic chanting, dancing and more! Don’t miss this wonderful celebration and affirmation of life! It will open your heart, lift your spirit and nourish the inner channels of strength, abundance and wisdom in you! What better way to invoke the New Year!

Kirtan with Lalita Lily Diamond
Aanand Saagar, Venice
Saturday, Jan 2nd 8:00pm
Cost: By Donation

JOIN LALITA FOR KIRTAN TO OPEN THE NEW YEAR
Honoring GANESHA, the Lord of New Beginnings and the Dispeller of Obstacles
Invoking the blessings of Ganesh for success is tradition at any new beginning. Please join us as we celebrate the power to overcome obstacles through chanting mantras, singing songs, offering flame, water, flowers and prayers. You may bring your Ganesha images.

I AM THE DREAM: Y.O.G.A. FOR YOUTH FUNDRAISER
The Yogi Tree, Toluca Lake
Sunday, Jan 3rd 5:00pm
Cost: By Donation

This January, Y.O.G.A. FOR YOUTH launches its annual fundraising drive, I AM THE DREAM, with the intention of raising $108,000 to sponsor yoga classes and programs for children in need.
The Yogi Tree is very proud to offer an all-ages, community-oriented Kundalini Yoga class, followed by a yogi-style dinner. Join Yogi Tree owner Jennifer Kelly for an uplifting, deeply connective yoga class - one that will offer physical and spiritual alignment for you, while also activating a dynamic group energy. A homemade, yogi-style dinner, enjoyed casually in a warm group setting, will follow.
Come on your own. Bring a friend. Bring a child. Bring everyone you know.
We are donating 100% of the door for this class to Y.O.G.A. FOR YOUTH. Additionally, you can visit the Y.O.G.A. FOR YOUTH website to make a donation: http://www.yogaforyouth.org/index.php
"I am a part of all that I have met," says Lord Alfred Tennyson. So it is. You are a beautiful part of The Yogi Tree, as The Yogi Tree, hopefully, is - or will be - a beautiful part of you.

a pesky eater's guide to LA food trucks, part 3

2009-12-03T00:17:00+00:00

i was never a picky eater. i'd eat almost anything served to me, whether it be comfort food cooked at home, fried mystery meat served at fast food joints, aromatic concoctions doled out by street vendors, or gourmet meals presented at 5-star restaurants. as long as it tasted good to someone, i was willing to give it a shot.

but that was before i decided to give up eating meat altogether. now all i can do is reminisce about the taste and feel of the food i no longer eat -- well-aged steaks, perfectly-sauced chicken, tender juicy pork chops. thank god i still eat fish and seafood, otherwise i'd go nuts!

because the items listed at the top of most menus feature meat from animals who used to roam the earth -- or their cages, in some cases -- most vegetarians and pescetarians will usually walk right past the brightly-painted trucks parked curbside during the lunch break... and head straight for nearby salad bars where they can load up on the familiar (read: ho-hum) assortment of veggies and dressings.

if they only knew what they were missing!

i've been checking out the food truck scene for many months now and have already posted two guides covering the pescetarian options on the trucks i'd visited -- all 27 of them:

~ a pescetarian's guide to the LA food truck scene, part 1
~ veg-head LA food truck guide, part 2

since then, i've stopped at seven more trucks. so once again, i'm going to merge the list of truck names included in those two earlier entries with these new ones so that you have all of them in one convenient place, with a link to the appropriate review. i've also included their websites as well as the names they tweet under (because that's the only way you'll ever find out where they're parked!)

asian-latin fusion cuisine trucks:

kogi BBQ (kogibbq.com @kogibbq) - korean-mexican (part 1)
calbi BBQ (calbibbq.com @calbiBBQ) - korean-mexican (part 1)
bool BBQ (boolbbq.com @boolBBQ) - korean-mexican (part 1)
bull kogi (kimchibulkogi.com @bullkogi) - korean-mexican (part 1)
don chow tacos (donchowtacos.com @donchowtacos) - chinese-mexican (part 1)
LA fuxion (lafuxion.com @LA_FuXion) - asian-latin (part 1)
lomo arigato (lomoarigato.com @lomoarigato) - japanese-peruvian (part 2)

ethnic street food trucks:

marked5 (marked5.com @Marked5) - japanese burgers (part 1)
fishlips sushi (fishlips-sushi.com @fishlips_sushi) - sushi (part 1)
skewers on wheels (skewersonwheels.com @SKEWERSONWHEELS) - ** no longer around **
india jones chow truck (indiajoneschowtruck.com @indiajonesct) - indian frankies and curries (part 1)
dosa truck (dosatruck.com @dosatruck) - indian dosas (part 1)
nom nom (nomnomtruck.com @nomnomtruck) - vietnamese banh mi sandwiches (part 1)
border grill (bordergrill.com/bg_t/bg_twel.htm @BorderGrill) - gourmet mexican (part 1)
panini on wheels (paninionwheels.com @paninionwheels) - italian paninis (part 2)

flying pig truck (flyingpigtruck.com @FlyingPigTruck) - asian and pacific rim; i liked the tofu buns with crushed honey-roasted peanuts and the crab balls with cilantro-lime chimichurri, but what grabbed my attention were the plantain fries, which reminded me of the saging na saba of my childhood in the philippines :) i have to confess that i also tried the tamarind duck taco that people have been raving about (yup, i'm not perfect) and i can see why they love it... it was fabulous!

good-old american grub trucks:

green truck (greentruckonthego.com @Green_Truck) - organic dishes (part 1)
let's be frank (letsbefrankdogs.com @letsbefrank) - hotdogs (part 1)
south philly experience (southphillyexperience.com @SouthPhillyExp) - philly cheesesteak sandwiches (part 1)
barbie's Q (barbiesq.com @BarbiesQ) - BBQ (part 1)
LA BBQ guy (labbqguy.com @labbqguy) - BBQ (part 1)
chef on wheels BBQ (chefonwheelscatering.com @chefonwheelsBBQ) - hawaiian-influenced food (part 1)
baby's badass burgers (babysbadassburgers.com @babysbbs) - burgers (part 2)
gastrobus (thegastrobus.com @thegastrobus) - soups and sandwiches (part 2)
grilled cheese truck (thegrilledcheesetruck.com @grlldcheesetruk) - grilled cheese sandwiches (part 2)

dogtown dogs (dogtowndog.com @dogtowndog) - hotdogs; for a dollar more, you can sub a soy dog instead of the all-beef dog in their signature dog (topped with fennel slaw, dijon mustard, and roasted red peppers) or in the california dog (loaded with avocado, arugula, fried onions, and more). or you can order the portobello mushroom, roasted pepper, grilled onion, and melted cheese "dog". all that veggie goodness will fill your belly quite nicely; it did mine :)

mattie's kitchen (mattiessouthernkitchen.blogspot.com @mattieskitchen - southern cooking; if you're looking for chicken fried steak and smothered pork chops, you won't find it here. but then again, as pescetarians, we really don't eat that stuff anyway (at least i keep telling myself that). i've wolfed down the vegetable gumbo, shrimp and grits, even the hoppin' john (black-eyed peas and rice)... and i can't wait to track down chris and this truck again (and again) so i can try the shrimp and catfish po boys, mac and cheese, red beans and rice... there's so much to choose from!

frysmith (eatfrysmith.com @frysmith) - french fries; while i love french fries as much as the next person, i'm really not into the chili cheese fries scene. if you are, ask for the soy chorizo with beans alternative that can be put on top of either regular or sweet potato fries. shredded cheese is optional. as for me, i'll just have to wait until they come up with something that keeps the fries crisp until i eat them. like with a simple dipping sauce. or two.

and lastly, my personal favorite, the dessert trucks (which are totally vegetarian!):

get shaved (getshavedice.com @getshaved) - shaved ice (part 1)
coolhaus (eatcoolhaus.com @COOLHAUS) - ice cream sandwiches (part 1)
king kone (kingkone.net @kingkonela) - soft serve cones, sundaes, floats, and shakes (part 1)

sprinkles (sprinkles.com @sprinklesmobile) - cupcakes; this is a roving branch of their popular brick-and-mortar store. while the selection of cupcake flavors offered on the truck is limited and the cost per cupcake is higher ($4 on the truck vs. $3.25 at the store), you might be willing to pay the "convenience charge" just so you don't have to drive all the way to beverly hills for a cupcake or two. AND find a nearby place to park :(

dainty cakes (daintycakesla.com @daintycakesla) - cupcakes; talk about fresh -- the cupcakes are actually baked on the truck! besides the usual sugar-laden variety, they have vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free options, too. they have a slew of cake/frosting combinations in the display case to drool over while you decide what to get. that one time i found them, i passed on the red velvet and the chocolate cupcakes (i know, it was hard) and picked the banana with strawberry frosting. after i ate it all up, i felt like goldilocks, thinking that it wasn't too sweet nor too big; it was just right.

sweets truck (thesweetstruck.com @thesweetstruck) - pastries and coffee; unlike the other two cupcake trucks, molly does NOT bake her own stuff. instead, she sources her treats from various bakeries and candy shops around the city. the one thing she DOES make on the truck is steaming hot coffee and espresso (yes, there's an espresso machine on the truck!). the truck is equipped to make anything from lattes to cappuccinos, so there's no need for a starbucks run if the sweets truck is anywhere nearby!

there are a few more twittering food trucks that are slated to start rolling this month; i'll keep you posted on what's on them as soon as i find them. in the meantime, here's a little slideshow on what these trucks actually look like: food truck frenzy!

Dec 1, The Yoga News - Our December 2009 Issue is here ...

2009-12-01T03:45:49+00:00

The December 2009 issue of The Yoga News has just been sent out. If you subscribed to receive this monthly yoga e-zine, check your email now. If you don't see it there, be sure to look in your 'junk mail' or 'bulk mail' folders. Also be sure to add our email address to your "safe list" so that you'll receive all future editions of The Yoga News. If you are not already signed up to receive The Yoga News, you can subscribe for Free. Just go to: http://www.discover-yoga-online.com/yoga-news.html

getting down, yogi-style

2009-11-29T21:40:00+00:00

most people outside of the yoga community think that a yogi's idea of fun means spending the entire day chanting the single syllable om, hoping to achieve enlightenment. or trying to learn how to stand on one's head. or even levitate.

maybe that's true for some, but for most of us, we're pretty much regular folk. we like to sing and dance, although our form of singing and dancing probably won't land us on american idol. or SYTYCD (so you think you can dance, for the non-followers).

what we do is called kirtan, a form of bhakti, or devotional, yoga. it involves a leader, or wallah, who is usually accompanied by other singers as well as one or more percussion, string, and wind musicians. the leader chants out a mantra and everyone else chants it right back. back and forth. over and over again. faster and faster. until the room goes ecstatic and the room is filled with writhing, swaying bodies. it's almost like being on a natural high!

LA has a fairly large population of kirtan aficionados. we are such an appreciative audience that our fair city has become a regular stop for most musicians on the kirtan circuit -- krishna das, jai uttal, dave stringer, wah!, david newman, girish, deva premal, snatam kaur... the list goes on and on.

in fact, on any given weekend, there's bound to be a kirtan packing the classrooms at exhale venice or bhakti yoga shala, two yoga studios on the westside. and that's the problem; eastsiders either have to schlep all the way to the beach to get their kirtan fix, or go without.

and this is where the hip new kali klub comes in. located in a warehouse just north of downtown LA in atwater village, the klub strives to be a popular nightspot on the east side of town, not just for kirtan, but also for music, dance, and art.

its inaugural fundraiser event last night featured wah! and girish, both of whom got their start locally, eventually becoming global sensations. it was hosted by DJ avi of naked rhythm, a world music group whose album, frequency, is guaranteed to get everyone on their feet and dancing to its infectious beat. proceeds from the evening were to benefit charitywater.org, an organization that helps bring clean drinking water to developing nations.

unlike his usual kirtans where he chants from his seat on a classroom floor, girish performed rockstar-style, standing while alternately playing his harmonium and guitar. he was accompanied by marti walker on vocals, dave allen on percussion, abby scoville on cello, and a bass player whose name escapes me (shame on me!).

wah! then took the stage with a handful of lovely yoginis going through sequences of poses on the stage while she and her musicians belted out a compilation of soulful chants from her recently-released albums.

while the musicians performed on stage, videos and light shows were projected throughout the room to provide additional visual stimulation. a vegetarian food stand and a drink bar were located by the entrance to satisfy the late-night munchies. there were massages, tarot readings, and art exhibits to entertain the guests. tables, couches and throw pillows were strategically placed around the central dancefloor, allowing everyone to do whatever it was that they wanted to do, whether it was to eat, dance, or just lounge around to take it all in.

spotted chanting and schmoozing last night were some of the who's-who of the local yoga community, including the producer of bhakti fest, the editor of LA yoga magazine, the director of yogamates.com, other musicians, a good number of yoga instructors, as well as yours truly :)

the official grand opening concert at the kali klub will be held this coming FRIDAY, dec 4th at 7pm. it will feature kirtan superstars jai uttal, larisa stow & the shakti tribe, and naked rhythm, with DJ avi once again hosting the evening. tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door and can be purchased through the kali klub website: http://kaliklub.com/eventstickets.html.

get your tickets now; you won't want to miss this big event!

Yoga Beyond Bending by Kino MacGregor

2009-11-29T20:31:49+00:00

Yoga at first glance seems only like a really cool way to bend and twist your body while washing and folding your joints. Sometimes the hot bodies of yoga teachers and longterm students entice many to practice in the hopes of getting that almost famous toned, slim yoga body. Yet even though some students find their way into yoga because of the external form of the postures, the heart of yoga is a sincere spiritual investigation of the inner self. The highest potential of yoga practice is a constant connection with the highest source of divinity we can know and experience. If practiced with diligence over many years yoga connects us with an imperturbable, eternally calm place within. But yoga done without the intention of true inner peace uses the body’s outward appearance as a goal in itself and has more in common with sports and fitness than traditional yoga.

While I love sports and fitness and feel that most highly accomplished athletes are deeply spiritual and connected people, I am careful to distinguish yoga from sport. Yoga is not athletics though it asks the body to perform very athletic feats. It is tempting to create an exercise routine based on the techniques of yoga to stretch and strength the body. But the deeper benefits of yoga cannot be distilled and separated from the true intention behind it–the goal of inner peace. The body or the level of physical performance in yoga is never an end in and of itself. In fact yoga actually teaches you how to release attachment and identification with the body, the mind and the emotions. Instead yoga teaches practitioners learn how to identify with the seat of the soul within themselves. It is by challenging and moving past the known limits of the body that practitioners ultimately learn that they are not bound by their physical form. Through facing and transcending mental and emotional boundaries yoga students get first hand experience of their limitless potential for greatness. Yoga is a path of liberation from the material world of mind and matter. It is a door into the inner world and a life devoted to inner peace.

Physical form and posture, although extremely useful along the way, are not the end goal of yoga. It simply does not matter whether your hamstrings are long or your body is toned if you are not able to be a nice person. Alternatively a person practicing the most basic and beginner level of yoga while maintaining a heartfelt devotion to living a more peaceful life is perhaps a very accomplished yogi. Yoga without a foundation in the philosophy of liberation is just stretching. Whenever excited students would bring in photos of contortionists and other extremely bendy people for my teacher, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, to see in Mysore, he would take time to look deeply at the image. Then after a moment of reflection he would raise his furrowed brow say, “That not yoga. That only bending. Yoga means self-knowledge”.

When students are enamored with the appearance of a posture it is often actually a deeper inner longing that is expressed. Whereas certain cultural systems deem it unacceptable to pursue spiritual studies under an alternative religious system, it is often acceptable under these same systems to try to exercise, get healthy and feel better. Yoga is a non-denominational, non-religious study of the inner self through daily direct experience. The stated goal for all dedicated practitioners is to know the divinity within on a daily basis. The physical postures and daily practices aim an establishing a basic level of health in the body, peace in the mind and equanimity in the emotions. The body itself is not the stated goal. Instead the body and the mind are two sides of the embodiment of each human spirit on Earth. Yoga practitioners maintain a healthy body in the same way monks sweep the temple grounds–to provide a clean, clear space for spirit to live. It is a mistake to think that the goal of yoga is only to get strong and flexible. Yes, you will get a strong, flexible body if you practice yoga. But if focus exclusively on the lithe form you will miss the real gift of yoga, that is, inner peace. The physical transformation in yoga is not the result of targeted toning techniques but instead occurs when deep psychological and emotional patterns are surpassed. Your body changes as your mind evolves. The yoga body is actually just a by-product of the exponential growth that happens when searching for your true, authentic self. The body only changes when you literally stretch your mind.

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New Online Yoga Class with Hemalayaa

2009-11-25T18:17:00+00:00

My Yoga Online has added a new Hatha Yoga video by Hemalayaa: Yoga for Everyone Part 2. In this second part of Yoga For Everyone, Hemalayaa uses this various postures and flows to relieve stress, strengthen your core, and to help you enjoy an easy-to-follow yoga workout.

Click to enjoy a yoga video preview of Yoga for Everyone Part 2 with Hemalayaa

About Hemalayaa:
Hemalayaa teaches yoga and Indian dance in Los Angeles and workshops across the country. A life devoted to yoga and dance animates Hemalayaa’s playful spirit. Hema loves turning her students on to the vibrant styles of Indian dance, from the classical to the latest moves from Bollywood, bhangra, and Indian MTV.

“A healthy mind, a healthy body, a joyous life, flow from an open heart.”

This is the outlook that makes the journey of yoga with Hemalayaa so joyous and playful. A hallmark of Hema’s classes is the sound of laughter; her own and that of her students.

On one level, her class resembles any asana room where students stretch, sweat, breathe hard and elongate muscles and tendons. It’s that, and much more. Hema’s special gift is a teaching style that invites students to embark on a journey to their own inner joy. Hema’s yoga classes are about fitness in the fullest possible sense.

She teaches in Los Angeles and also offers frequent workshops in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto as well as retreats in some of the world’s most stunning settings. The daughter of Indian parents, Hema’s yoga training began at home at an early age. Her first teacher was her father. She then went on to study yoga philosophy and meditation as well as asana. Hema is also a student of India’s other great movement traditions. Her in-depth study and practice of classical Indian dance informs how she teaches yoga.

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before you pop the tofurkey into the oven...

2009-11-24T07:11:00+00:00

here's a compilation of the thanksgiving day schedules around town. while many of them will cost you the price of a regular class, some of them are by donation, with proceeds going to a local food bank or other charity. and if you look closely, you'll notice that a few of them are FREE! so check out the list; one of these classes is bound to fit in with your schedule and/or budget.

i'll keep adding on to the list as i find them:

~~ westside ~~

Beach Yoga with Brad Keimach, Santa Monica
There will be a special Thanksgiving morning Beach Yoga session, as well as Friday morning, since so many of you will be off of work. Saturday and Sunday will make 4 days in a row!
WHEN: 10:30am-12pm
WHERE: Santa Monica. Walk up Marine Street (which becomes Barnard Way), all the way to the water's edge, by lifeguard station #29. I'll be there to welcome you!
COST: By Donation.
BRING: Large towel, or mat. Sunscreen! Your great spirit! A sense of adventure and beauty!
PARKING: Free street parking on Hampton, Second St., Third St. Allow a few minutes to circle.

Bhakti Yoga Shala, Santa Monica
Thanksgiving Day yoga schedule as follows:
9am Zat Baraka (digestion prep)
11am Sidnie Charnaw
1:30pm Michael Thomas
7pm Kirtan with Michael Thomas, Masood, Sidnie and Honeybee
All classes by donation

Creative Chakra Spa, Marina del Rey
Nov 24th - Nov 28th Happy Thanksgiving - resume next week
Nov 28th 4.30pm Call to confirm FREE Special Holiday Thanksgiving Yoga

Exhale Center for Sacred Movement, Venice
Wed November 25:
7:00 - 8:30AM Level 2/3 Chani Nicholas
9:00 - 10:25AM Level 2/3 Micheline Berry
9:15 - 10:40AM Level 1 Keri-Anne Telford
10:30 - 12:10PM Level 2/3 Saul David Raye
10:45 - 12:15PM Level 1/2 Brian Campbell
12:45 - 2:15PM Level 2/3 - Community Brad Keimach
2:30 - 3:55PM Music Yoga Flow - Community Garth Hewitt
4:00 - 5:25PM Level 2/3 Tracy Krosnoff
5:30 - 6:55PM Level 1/2 Keri-Anne Telford
6:00 - 7:30PM Level 2/3 Erich Schiffmann
All other classes are cancelled
Thu November 26:
9:00 - 10:25AM Level 1/2 Hala Khouri
9:00 - 10:25AM Level 2/3 Shiva Rea
10:30 - 12:15PM Level 2/3 Saul David Raye
10:45 - 12:10PM Level 1/2 Keri-Anne Telford
Fri November 27, 2009:
9:00 - 10:25AM Level 2/3 Micheline Berry
9:15 - 10:40AM Level 1 Keri-Anne Telford
10:30 - 12:10PM Level 2/3 Kyra Haglund
10:45 - 12:15PM Level 1/2 Brian Campbell
12:30 - 2:00PM Level 2/3 Tracy Krosnoff
12:45 - 2:15PM Level 2/3 - Community Brad Keimach
2:30 - 3:55PM Level 1/2 - Community Desiree Bartlett
All other classes are cancelled

Goda Yoga, Culver City
Thursday, November 26: 9:30-11:00am All Levels with Nathalie
Friday, November 27: 10:00-11:30am All Levels with Cheryl

Home Simply Yoga, Santa Monica
All classes cancelled - Thursday Nov 26, Friday Nov 27, Saturday Nov 28

Iyengar Yoga Institute, Los Angeles
THANKSGIVING DAY:
9:30–11:00am Holiday Class - All Levels with Amanda White

Maha Yoga, Brentwood
Thursday Nov 26:
7:00am Mysore Ashtanga - Jorgen Christiansson
9:15am All Levels - Amy Loftus
11:00am Level 2&3 - Steve Ross

Point Dume Yoga, Malibu
Our special Holiday schedule for this week;
Mon: 9am - Ted - level 2/3 / 11am - Ted - all levels / 5:30pm - Jill - all levels
Tues: 9am - Ryan - all levels / 10:45am - Chaz - mixed levels / 12:30pm - Romy - pre-natal /
7pm - Stephen - all levels
Wed: 9am - Ted - level 2/3 / 11am - Ted - all levels / 5:30pm - Jill - all levels
Thanksgiving: 9am - Ted - all levels / All other classes canceled
Fri: 9am - Ted - level 2/3 / 11am - Helen - all levels
Sat: 9am - Ted - all levels / 10:45am - Ted - all levels
Sun: 9am - Jyoti - all levels / 10:45am - Chaz - mixed level flow

Santa Monica Power Yoga - East, Santa Monica
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY CANCELLATIONS:
Thursday 11.26: All classes
Friday 11.27: 7:00am
All classes by donation

Santa Monica Power Yoga - West, Santa Monica
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY CANCELLATIONS:
Thursday 11.26: 1:30pm, 4:30pm, 8:30pm & 10:30pm
Friday 11.27: 5:30am
All classes by donation

Santa Monica Yoga, Santa Monica
THANKSGIVING DAY YOGA Thursday November 26:
These classes are a fundraiser for Westside Food Bank. Please donate by cash or check made out to the Westside Food Bank.
9:00am - All Levels Flow with Kyra Haglund
11:00am - Slow Deep Stretch with Cindy Fraser
Closed Friday November 27 - regular schedule resumes Saturday November 28

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, Marina del Rey
Please note we will have a reduced schedule for the Thanksgiving Holiday:
Thursday, November 26 - 10:30a Open Class Only
Friday, November 27 - 5:30p Open Class Only
Saturday, November 28 -Normal Schedule Resumes

Studio Surya Yoga, Venice
Thanksgiving Schedule: 8am Budokon, 10am and 12pm Vinyasa classes.
We also would like to say, "Thank You" to our incredible students for all of your support with a FREE... you heard right! .... post-Thanksgiving yoga class. This Friday, come sweat off your holiday feast with a special 1.5 hour Power Flow class taught by Mary Beth La Rue. This is a rare and wonderful opportunity to meet our newest teacher, detox your body and try our new Power Flow classes. As space is limited in our little boutique studio, we will be taking reservations for this class.
When: Friday 11/26, 11am
Reservation #: 310.910.4740

Tenth Gate Yoga, West Los Angeles
Thurs 11/26
9:30-10:30am - Yoga For All Levels
Fri 11/27
9:30-10:30am - Yoga For All Levels
10:30-11:30 Am - Turkey Belly Buster Belly Dance
3:30-4:30pm - Yoga For All Levels
6:30-7:45pm - Yoga For All Levels
Sat 11/28
10:30am-12pm - Yoga For All Levels
12-1pm - Turkey Belly Buster Belly Dance
Sun 11/29
9-10am - Yoga On The Sand

True Kundalini, West Los Angeles
Closed Nov. 26th - 29th (open Monday Nov 30th)

Truyoga, Santa Monica
Wednesday, November 25th
Gentle Yoga with Leslie at 10:30am
Yoga Flow with Claudia at 1:00pm
Thursday, November 26th
Closed ~ Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday, November 27th
Gratitude Yoga with Chani at 1:00pm

YAS, Venice
Thanksgiving Day Schedule:
Yoga for Athletes®
8:30am Level 1-2-Denis
10:00am All Levels-Nicole
YAS class
11:15am-Julie
Call YAS Venice to reserve a spot (310) 396-6993.
We will be closed in the evening and reopen on Friday with our complete schedule.

Yoga Desa, Topanga
Unless otherwise posted, Yoga Desa will be CLOSED on Thanksgiving Day.

Yoga Hop, Santa Monica
Thursday, November 26:
9:15-10:45am - Summit 2/3 - Matthew Reyes
All other classes cancelled

Yoga West, West Los Angeles
Thanksgiving Day Class with Guru Singh: Thursday, November 26th 9-11 am
*keytag class (only class of the day)
A great way to start this day is to open ourselves with Yoga, then receive the Infinite through our Meditation. With that experience, we can live with grace in gratitude for all the Infinite has given us. Of course, a great meal with family and friends will also help with generous servings of dessert!

Yoga Works Main Street, Santa Monica
Thanksgiving Classes:
7:30-8:55am Yoga Blend 1/2 Nicola Dunne
9:00-10:30amVinyasa Flow 2/3_ Vinnie Marino
10:45-12:15pm Vinyasa Flow 2/3_ Sara Ivanhoe
All Other Classes Cancelled

Yoga Works Montana, Santa Monica
Thanksgiving Classes:
7:00-9:00am Ashtanga/Mysore - Sonya Cottle
7:30-8:55am Yogaworks 1 - Al Tavera
9:00-10:30am Vinyasa Flow 2/3 - Garth Hewitt
9:15-10:40am Iyengar 1/2 - Chris Stein
10:45-12:15pm Vinyasa Flow 2/3 - Jesse Schein
10:45-12:15pm Yoga Blend 2 - Birgitte Kristen
All Other Classes Cancelled

Yoga Works Pacific Palisades, Pacific Palisades
In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, our studio will be closed for the day.

Yoga Works Westwood, Westwood
Thanksgiving Classes:
7:30-9:00am Yoga Blend 1/2 - Romy Phillips
8:30-10:00am Yogaworks 1 - Anita Manglani
9:15-10:45am Iyengar 1/2 - Paul Cabanis
11:00-12:30pm Yoga Blend 2/3 - John Neidlinger
All Other Classes Cancelled

Yogis Anonymous, Santa Monica
7:00 am - 8:30 am: Chani Nicholas
(Fill your tank with Gratitude and spread it all day!)
9:00 am - 10:30 am: Brock Cahill
(He will cook your turkey upside down and left and right)
11:00 am - 12:30 pm: Good Cop/Bad Cop with MaryBeth LaRue and Tommy Holmes
(after that, you can seriously eat whatever
All classes by donation

Your Neighborhood Studio, Culver City
Closed Thanksgiving Day

~~ mid-city / downtown ~~

Bikram Yoga, Downtown LA
Thanksgiving Day, 11/26: 9:30am Emily
Friday, 11/27: 9:30am Emily, 4:30pm Jill

Bikram Yoga, Silverlake
Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 26th, we will have 8:00 am and 10:00 am class only. Friday, November 27th we will have 9:30 am and 4:30 pm class only. The rest of the weekend will be the regular schedule.

City Yoga, West Hollywood
THANKSGIVING DAY 11/26:
7:30-9am mixed with Anthony
9:30-11am mixed with Rebecca
All other classes are canceled
FRIDAY 11/27:
8:30-10am basics with Anthony
10:30am-12:30pm Special 2 hour Practice style class with Noah Maze ($20 donation - all proceeds to St. Jude's Children's Hospital)
All other classes are canceled
SATURDAY 11/28:
7-8:30am 11th Step
8:30-10 basics Anthony
9-10:30am advanced Rebecca
10:30am-12pm mixed Camilla
Studio closes at noon, All other classes are canceled
SUNDAY 11/29:
back to our regular schedule

Dancing Shiva Yoga and Ayurveda, Los Angeles
~ Wed, 25th:
~ Thurs, 26th: 9am level 2 with Mas "Happy Thanksgiving"
~ Fri, 27th: Closed

Dharma Mittra Yoga, Los Angeles
Thanksgiving Holiday Schedule (Each class may include a few optional partner yoga poses):
Thanksgiving Day 11/26 - One class only, 10:00-11:30am All Levels
Friday 11/27 - Two classes, 11:00am-12:30pm All Levels /7:30-9:30pm Recover Yoga Dharma One
Saturday and Sunday schedules are the same.

Earth's Power Yoga, Los Angeles
Closed Thanksgiving day.
Friday the 27th: Just two classes - 10:30am and 5:45pm.
Weekend schedule: Sat - 10:30am and 12:15pm, Sun - 10:30am and 5:45pm.

Golden Bridge Yoga, Hollywood
Thanksgiving Celebration with Gurmukh
Thursday, November 26th 9:30am - 11:30am
Cost: $20
Let the day of thanksgiving begin with playful, prayerful and powerful Kundalini Yoga, meditation, double gong and a bit of Thanksgiving dance!
Feast on our famous sourdough waffle breakfast and all the trimmings along with delicious yogi tea! Give thanks and blessings for the gift of your life.

Guerilla Yoga, Hollywood
TWO HOUR TURKEY DAY PRACTICE AT THE HOLLYWOOD DANCE CENTER
The sweet folks at the Dance Center have opened their space exclusively for Guerilla Yoga on Thanksgiving Day. That means a strong two-hour practice as we go through all the arm balances that have bird names. And we'll make a few up.
Now this is the way to start a feast.
Time: 9:30 - 11:30am
Date: Thanksgiving morning, November 26
Place: The Hollywood Dance Center.
Cost: $15 Suggested Donation
Tiffany's Wednesday practice on 11/25 and Marc's Friday practice on 11/27 will be canceled.

Karuna Yoga
Thanksgiving Day Yoga: November 26th 9:30-11am FREE
Please join Kelly for our annual holiday class. Let's be together!

Liberation Yoga, Los Angeles
Three ways to be grateful and joyous on Thanksgiving!
Thursday is a shortened schedule and the rest of the weekend is yoga as usual!
10:00am-11:30am - Mixed Level Flow - Steven Espinosa
11:30am-1:00pm Level 1- Jessie Diaz-Perez
1:00pm- 2:30pm - Flow Level 2-3 - Claudia Fucigna

Runyon Canyon Yoga, Hollywood
Thursday: 10:30 am Kamala / 2:00 pm Steve
No Evening class at Berkeley Clinic location on Thanksgiving Day Thursday 11/26
All classes by donation

Silver Lake Yoga, Silverlake
Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26: Sam Graham will be teaching an all-levels class from 10:00am-11:30am
Friday, Nov. 27: The 7:00-8:00am class will be canceled. All other classes remain the same!

Still Yoga, Silverlake
Thu November 26:
9:00-11:00am Thanksgiving 2-hr class Tara Judelle
All other classes cancelled

U Studio Yoga, Los Angeles
Andrea is Back and Ready to Help U get Through Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!
9am Thursday...Be There!!!
PLUS Friday at 5:30...Back to the Usual schedule for U!!!

Urth Yoga, Silverlake
Thursday 26th November:
8:00am- 9:00am $5 One hour with Rachel Jackson
9:30am-11:00am Mixed Levels with Huck Hirsch
Friday 27th November:
9:00am-10:30am Mixed Levels with Martha Ellen Sensensay
12:30pm- 1:30pm $5 One hour with Rachel Jackson
4:30pm- 6:00pm Basics with Nicole Ulrick
Saturday 28th November:
8:30am-10:00am Basics with Gabe Hendrie
10:30am-12:00pm Mixed Levels with Nicole Ulrick

Yoga Circle Downtown, Los Angeles
Thanksgiving Holiday Schedule:
Wed Nov 25: 8:30am, 12noon and 6:05pm
Thu Nov 26: Closed Thanksgiving Day
Friday Nov 27: 12noon and 6:05pm
Sat Nov 28: Regular Schedule
Sunday Nov 29: 10:30am only
All classes by donation

Yoga Works Center for Yoga, Larchmont
Thanksgiving Classes:
8:30-9:55am Yoga Blend 2/3 - James Morrison
9:00-10:30am Yogaworks 2 - Carmen Fitzgibbon
10:00-11:30am Yogaworks 1 - Nona Chiang
11:00-12:25pm Iyengar 1/2 - Marla Apt
All Other Classes Cancelled

Yummy Yoga, Los Feliz
Wednesday, Nov 25:
7:30 AM, Power Hour ~ Laura Bouza
4:30pm, Level 1/2 ~ Ducky Punch
6:30pm, All Levels ~ Larry Santiago
All other Wednesday classes are cancelled
Thursday, Nov 26:
***Special Thanksgiving Donation Class***
9:00 to 10:30 AM ~ All Levels Donation class with Larry Santiago and Amy Dominguez
Come breathe, move, sweat, and celebrate joy this Thanksgiving! Before you stuff yourself with turkey and pie...join us for a sweet, juicy flow class.
**This class is by cash DONATION only - class series do not apply. All contributions will go to a local food bank!
All other Thursday classes are cancelled
Friday, Nov 27:
5:00pm, All Levels ~ Caroline Cardino
All other Friday classes are cancelled

~~ san fernando and san gabriel valleys ~~

The Awareness Center, Pasadena
CLOSED FOR Thanksgiving, Thurs. Nov. 26th
Open for regular classes Friday through the weekend… come burn off the Thanksgiving feast!

Black Dog Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Our shortened holiday schedule for Thursday, November 26, 2009:
9:00a - 10:25am Intermediate Flow - Sigrid Matthews
9:30a - 11:00am Strong Flow - Shawn Bracha
10:00a - 11:30am Basic Flow - Mischa Allen
10:30a - 12:00pm Mixed Level Anusara - Jenny Brill

Garden of Yoga, Woodland Hills
We will be closed on Thursday, November 26th for the Thanksgiving Holiday. All other classes will be as scheduled.

Karen Shuman's Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Before you enjoy a delicious meal with family and friends come enjoy a Gentle Hatha yoga session where you will be able to stretch your body and feel a sense of relaxation to accompany your festive day ahead!
The class will take place from 11:00am-12:30pm

Mark Blanchard's Power Yoga, Studio City
Thanksgiving Day: 9:30am - Elizabeth Folk-Blanchard
Studio closed the rest of the day
Friday: Regular schedule

Mission Street Yoga, South Pasadena
This year we give SPECIAL THANKS to all of YOU as we celebrate the completion of our 7th year @ MSY !!!
To show our appreciation, we are offering a FREE 2-hour Thanksgiving day practice led by Mark Frankel. 10am to Noon.

Rising Lotus Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Please join us Thanksgiving to give thanks. Our 10:35 Mixed Level with Daniel is a DONATION only class. All proceeds will go to the West Valley Food Bank. Please bring cash or check only to make your donations. Please NO FOOD donations.
9:00 am - Level 1 with Shannon Baker
10:35 am - Mixed Level Flow with Daniel

Yoga at the Village, Glendale
FREE 9am Thanksgiving Class - Closed for the rest of the day on Thursday, November 26th.
Open as usual Fri, Sat and Sun. Happy Thanksgiving!

Yoga Blend, Burbank
Thursday, November 26th:
9:30am-11:00am Level 1-2 with Nicole
10:00am-11:30am Gentle with Christy
The studio will be closed for the remainder of the day.
Friday, November 27th:
6:45am Level 1-2 and 8:00am Gentle Backcare classes will be canceled.
The rest of the schedule throughout the weekend will remain the same.

Yoga Groove Studio, North Hollywood
We will be having our traditional 10a.m. class on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday November 26, 2009. Please come and enjoy this special class with Karen Byers before heading off to celebrate with family and friends.

Yoga Kingdom Sanctuary, Pasadena
Nov. 26th - Thanksgiving Day:
9:30 - 11:00 AM Classical Hatha All Level Rachel
Nov. 27th - Day after Thanksgiving Day:
9:30 - 11:00 AM Classical Hatha All Level Naader

The Yoga Loft, Woodland Hills
Wednesday 11/25/09 10:00am taught by Susie. 5:30pm and 7:00pm are canceled.
Thursday 10:00am Kundalini Yoga with Tamera* Afternoon and evening classes canceled.
Friday 10:00am mixed level with Barbara* There is a 5:30pm class.
*Attendance at Thursday or Friday class is our gift to you and our way of thanking you for your support. All we ask is that you bring a non-perishable food item or a pair of new socks, these items will be distributed to a local food bank.

The Yogi Tree, Toluca Lake
WE ARE CLOSED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY IN CELEBRATION OF THANKSGIVING
WE WILL REOPEN SATURDAY MORNING FOR OUR REGULAR WEEKEND SCHEDULE

~~ south bay / long beach ~~

Back for Yoga, El Segundo
We will be closed on Thanksgiving Day (11/26) and the Friday after (11/27). Regular scheduled classes will be held on Saturday and Sunday.

Free Spirit Yoga, Long Beach
On Thanksgiving Day we will have only one Yoga class at 9:00am with Lonne. There is a sign up sheet at the front desk, space is limited. Regular schedule the rest of Thanksgiving weekend.

The Green Yogi, Manhattan Beach
8:00- 9:15am Power Vinyasa with Anne Israel
9:30-10:45am Power Vinyasa with Jamie Horgan
11:00-12:00am Power Hour with Mary Strong

Happy Me Yoga, Redondo Beach
CLOSED FOR THANKSGIVING: Closed 11/26 - 12/01
Will re-open Wednesday 12/02!

Ja Yoga, Long Beach
OPEN THANKSGIVING MORNING - 9:30am and 11am
Closed in Evening

Lyfe Yoga Center, Hermosa Beach
Nov 26 9:00am - Join us Thanksgiving Day morning for an All Levels class taught by Michael.

Yoga Bindu, San Pedro
FREE Yoga Class offered by ASHTANGA YOGA SAN PEDRO
$10 suggested donation
Proceeds go to San Pedro’s Homeless
Thurs Nov 26th 6a-7:30am / 7:30-8a special Yoga Nidra Rest Period

Yoga Loft, Manhattan Beach
Special holiday class schedule is as follows:
Wednesday, 11/25: All regular classes will be held
Thursday, 11/26:
8:00-9:15am Level 2/3 with Jamie Horgan
9:30-10:45am Level 1/2 with Wendy Rhodes
Friday, 11/27:
10:15am Level 1/2 with Julie Rader
5:00pm Level 2/3 with Jamie Horgan
Sat & Sun 11/28 and 11/29: All regular classes will be held

Yoga Works South Bay, El Segundo
Click here for holiday schedule

Yoga World Studio Downtown, Long Beach
We will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and we will reopen on Friday with our full schedule of classes. Happy Thanksgiving!

Yoga World Studio Los Altos, Long Beach
We will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and we will reopen on Friday with our full schedule of classes. Happy Thanksgiving!

just another busy weekend in LA

2009-11-19T16:24:00+00:00

it seems like i'm still recovering from all the activity from LAST weekend, and here i am, trying to figure out what to do THIS weekend!

after a slow start friday (doing exactly what, i can't remember), i ended up taking a yoga class that evening with jorgen christiansson at yogis anonymous called "classic yoga made in india". given that jorgen teaches the daily ashtanga class at maha yoga, it made total sense that it would turn out to be a led ashtanga class of sorts (and since i can never remember the exact sequence of the primary series, i can't tell you if we went in order or just did selected poses). after class, i grabbed a quick dinner bite at the calbi food truck parked on arizona, then moseyed over to bhakti yoga shala for joey lugassy's kirtan with ena vie, ambika leigh, josh brill, matthew hufschmidt, eddie young, ben marciano, and deepak ramapriyan. knowing that i had an early start the next morning, i left before the chantfest ended.

compared to the relative sanity of friday, i was all over the place on saturday. a 9-mile run with my marathon training group at 7am, followed by our usual post-run bonding at the coffee bean. from there, i hopped on my bike and headed over to the t-loft complex in west LA, partly for the ARTRA art exhibit, partly to check out the open house, but mainly to shmooze with the owners of the food trucks that were parked there for the event -- john at barbie's BBQ, eric at lomo arigato, and natasha at coolhaus. after downing an entire order of lomo saltado (with tofu!) for lunch from eric's truck, and being so stuffed that i had to pass on ice cream from natasha's truck (something i've NEVER done before), i got back on my bike and pedaled my heavier self back home to recharge my batteries.

at 7pm, i was back on my bike, this time headed for yogaco on the 3rd street promenade for the yogabear fundraiser class with jen pastiloff. since i was one of the early arrivals, not only was i able to chat with other friends who were already there and buy a couple of raffle tickets, but i also received a gift bag full of all kinds of goodies, including a libre tea glass which i can't wait to use! as with many events here in LA, the attendees got there late, the class started late, so in order for me to get my next stop, i had to leave before savasana (tsk tsk!). from what i heard (and saw on facebook), the event went well into the evening, with everyone having a great time with the food, the wine, the silent auction, and the raffle. and best of all, it turns out that one of my raffle tickets scored me another gift bag!

back on my bike, i swung by home just long enough to peel off my yoga clothes, freshen up, throw on a cocktail dress and heels, then hop back on my bike for the casa de milagros fundraiser at yogaglo. by the time i got there at 9pm, the party had been in full swing for almost three hours... and it was still swinging! many of the partygoers were outside, checking out the silent auction tables, drinking pomegranate saketinis, and noshing on the food from the various vendors -- the green truck, samosa house, coconut bliss, karma chow, and more. after going around hugging all the friends i could find, inhaling a samosa, then downing a saketini, i rushed into the studio to check out the dancefloor. and by then, jason bentley from KCRW was on stage, spinning his mesmerizing music while artists from lucent dossier experience were moving through the crowd. pulled into the magical spell that was cast over the room, i found myself dancing with friends late into the evening...

early sunday morning, my bike and i boarded the 8:50am big blue #10 bus bound for union station in downtown LA. our destination: the monthly flying pigeon dim sum ride led by adam bray-ali of the flying pigeon bike store in highland park. it always ends up being a fun ride through the streets of LA to a nearby restaurant for some food and camaraderie. this time we biked to the empress pavilion in chinatown, where we gorged on all kinds of dim sum delights. and luckily for me, there were a number of veggie/peskies at my table, so it was easy to just pick out the greens and seafood dishes from the carts that were going around the dining hall.

after lunch, most of the group followed adam back to the bike store while a number of us ventured towards little tokyo to check out the festivities for the newly-opened metro gold line extension. after checking to see what the different booths had to offer and deciding to pass on fighting the crowds for the ride to the eastern end, i lined up with my bike to get on the westbound train -- which we were barely able to squeeze into -- for the ride back to union station to catch the bus back home. once home, all the activity of the weekend came to a screeching stop... at that point, all i wanted to do was sit and do absolutely nothing. and that's exactly what i did!

looking at my calendar, this weekend's looking to be just as busy as the last, with the upcoming 14-mile great LA walk taking up most of saturday. i think a power nap -- or two -- is in order right about now...

New My Yoga Online video Belly Dance Express

2009-11-17T18:55:45+00:00

My Yoga Online has posted a new video with Gillian Cofsky: Belly Dance Express. Take a brief glimpse into the world of belly dance, with this quick class that breaks down and teaches some basic bellydance moves, then strings them together into a fun combination. A quick taste of belly dance to spice up your day, to enhance your femininity, and embrace your sensuality.

Belly dancing embraces organic movement that develops body awareness, tones muscles, and enhances coordination. Enjoy an online video sample of Belly Dance Express.

No Tags

Yoga Pose of the Month: Pigeon Pose/Kapotasana

2009-11-14T19:31:50+00:00

My Yoga Online is happy to feature our Yoga Pose of the Month: Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Pigeon Pose).

This classic back-arching yoga posture offers tremendous benefits throughout the body. The positioning of the forward knee, however, requires special attention to avoid knee strain and injury. Learn special tips offered by Dr. Robin Armstrong in doing Pigeon pose safely and effectively.

Benefits of Pigeon pose / Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
*Opens hip flexor muscles (psoas, rectus femoris), groins
*Opens hip rotator muscles (gluteus medius & minimus)
*May relieves sciatic nerve tension and ease chronic low back pain
*Advanced version opens chest and shoulders
*Traditionally thought to control sexual desire, increase circulation to urinary, digestive, and reproductive systems

Click to read all the safety and alignment tips for Eka Pada Rajakapotasana / Pigeon pose.

No Tags

where do i go? what do i do??

2009-11-13T07:42:00+00:00

when everyone you know seems to want to schedule their events on the last few weekends before the holidays, this is what you get: scheduling chaos!!

and you know you live in the yoga capital of the world when your facebook event list looks something like mine. mind you, this is just for THIS FRIDAY and SATURDAY!:

Yogi Lunch Friday 1:00pm
Partner Thai Yoga Friday 7:00pm
Yoga Side Of the Moon Friday 7:45pm
Summoning Shakti Friday 8:15pm
Kirtan Bliss at Rising Lotus with Daniel Stewart & Friends Friday 8:20pm
Friday Night Kirtan with Joey Lugassy Friday 9:00pm
Beach Yoga for the Kids of Nicaragua w/Jay CO Saturday 10:00am **
Karen Shuman's Yoga One Year Anniversary Saturday 10:00am
Intro to Yoga Tantra FlowTM Workshop: Exploring the Chakras Saturday 1:00pm
Pacquiao vs. Cotto Saturday 6:00pm
Casa de Milagros Fundraiser Saturday 6:00pm
Survivor: Yogabear Island Saturday 7:00pm
Deva Premal and Miten Saturday 7:30pm
David Newman Durga Das Saturday 8:30pm

** popped up on my facebook page after my original post!

i mean, i want to go to all of them, but how can i be in five places at the same time? argh!

maybe if both you and i split the list, you can tell me all about the ones i DIDN'T get to! hmmm... that might work...

here's friday's list:

1. Yogi Lunch Friday 1:00pm - every friday, atma and taruni invite everyone from the yoga community to meet them and their friends for lunch at govinda's vegetarian buffet in culver city (at the hare krishna temple). not only have i met some really interesting people each time i've shown up, but the lunch itself is healthy and inexpensive. it's always a win-win situation.

2. Partner Thai Yoga Friday 7:00pm - deon dewet will be teaching this workshop at silver lake yoga in silverlake. the thought of partner yoga AND thai massage sounds delicious. and the fact that it could be with some random stranger makes it an adventure :) however, getting to silverlake from the westside during the friday evening rush sounds painful... but then again, the thai massage would help relieve the stress, wouldn't it?

3. Yoga Side Of the Moon Friday 7:45pm - this is a 2-hour vinyasa flow class taught by andres salcedo at exhale venice. according to the flyer i picked up, it'll go something like this:
"... Creating a dynamic flow based on simple asanas, you will embark into a yogic exploration through the sound of Pink Floyd's album "Dark Side of the Moon" surrounded by atmospheric soundscapes and carefully placed sound effects that will help you achieved (sic) a natural psychedelic emotional state. The workshop will start with a simple warm up series, followed by a flow inspired by the sound of the album and created on the spot based on the energy of the group, ultimately leading to tranquil and peaceful relaxation of the body, mind and spirit..."
i've taken daniel overberger's class with dark side as the soundtrack; it might be interesting to experience how andres spins his class to the same music...

4. Summoning Shakti Friday 8:15pm - this is a late-night women's bonding event with bekah finch and susannah weaver at yoga blend in burbank. here's how the website describes the evening:
"Do you feel disconnected from your body?
Would you like to feel more sexy, more grounded, more radiant and just more WOMAN?
Through sacred circle, yoga, breath, meditation, sound, massage, self study and more we will learn to not only understand and honor our bodies and their cycles, but learn to love and celebrate them! From this harmony of wholeness we are able to experience more satisfying relationships, expanded awareness, and a deeper connection to nature, self-love and to our authentic purpose as empowered women."
i am woman, hear me om! :)

5. Kirtan Bliss at Rising Lotus with Daniel Stewart & Friends Friday 8:20pm - daniel and his posse have been traveling far and wide around town, sharing the love with all who attend their kirtans. but their kirtans at rising lotus in sherman oaks, daniel's home studio, always seem to draw the largest crowds and generate the most bhakti. so if you've never chanted with them before, this is THE place to catch them! by the way, this might be an opportune time to listen to the friends daniel will have with him this time: "Joining us for the first time Arielle Silver on Vocals and Cooper Madison on Tablas! also Jeff Harris on guitar, Angela on flute and Darby Orr on Bass!"

6. Friday Night Kirtan with Joey Lugassy Friday 9:00pm - this is joey's usual second-friday-of-the-month time slot at bhakti yoga shala in santa monica. according to his facebook invite, the following musicians will be joining him: Josh Brill - Guitar, Ena Vie - Vocals, Ambika Leigh - Vocals, Eddie Young - Cello and Bass, Deepak Ramapriyan - Violin, Ben Marciano - Flute, Matthew Hufschmidt - Drums. OMG, such an amazing group!

as for saturday, here's what i have to choose from:

0. Beach Yoga for the Kids of Nicaragua w/Jay CO Saturday 10:00am - jay's going to be teaching a yoga class on the beach in santa monica to raise funds to provide disease-free drinking water to kids and their families through the nicaragua surf yoga volunteer adventure project. meet jay and the class at the end of bay st (just south of pico) "on the grassy knoll under the trellises next to the beach." and yes, it's ok to be jealous of the fact that we can still practice yoga on the beach in november here in southern california :)

1. Karen Shuman's Yoga One Year Anniversary Saturday 10:00am - karen took over annie's yoga studio in sherman oaks a year ago, and to celebrate the occasion, she's holding a party at her studio -- renamed karen shuman's beyond yoga -- complete with a full-day schedule of classes and vendors. here's what she posted recently:
10:00-10:30am Yoga with Ropes Karen S.
11:00-11:30am Hatha Flow Dario
12:00-12:30pm Gentle Therapeutic Yoga Monique
1:00-1:30pm Iyengar Andrea
1:45-2:15pm Gentle Hatha Avalon
2:30-3:00pm Kundalini Yoga Alana
3:15-3:45pm Tai Chi Rapha
4:00-4:45pm Meditation w/ 4 elements Anthony
5:00-5:30pm Group Healing Mutiam
~ Mini Healing Sessions (no pre-registration, come early to sign up for a session)
ROOM A - 11-1pm Tarot Card Readings w/ Vee / 1-3pm EFT w/ Brian Guzman / 3-5pm Hypnotherapy w/ Shauna Krikorian
ROOM B - 1-3pm Massage with Suzy Harbulak / 3-5pm Massage with Avalon Solange
~ Enjoy healthy food and beverages!!
~ Don't forget to bring your gently used Business Clothing for our clothing drive in support of Urban Possibilities!!
ENTIRE DAY IS DONATION!!!

2. Intro to Yoga Tantra FlowTM Workshop: Exploring the Chakras Saturday 1:00pm - isabelle du soleil will be teaching this balancing flow class at yogaglo in santa monica. according to the yogaglo blog:
"Join us for an amazing Energetic Vinyasa flow & Meditation Workshop to awaken, ignite and balance your 7 chakras or energy centers. The chakras are the keys to a greater physical, mental, psychological and spiritual balance..."
i know i could always use some balance to smooth out my crazy day!

3. Pacquiao vs. Cotto Saturday 6:00pm - so far, i've missed every other televised fight of the pinoy boxing wonder, manny "pacman" pacquiao. and it looks like i'll have to miss this one, too. which is really too bad, because i've been invited to watch the pay-for-view HBO telecast at a friend's house... who'll also be providing filipino food to go with the experience! darn :( i'm sure i'll see the highlights on the news the next morning... and see if the vegas oddsmakers correctly predicted that he'll win it handily. (and yes, i know the fight has nothing do to with yoga -- and, in fact, is totally non-ahimsic -- but it's a plug for one of my people. yay!)

4. Casa de Milagros Fundraiser Saturday 6:00pm - ashley turner and ted mcdonald have put together a fundraiser at yogaglo in santa monica for casa de milagros, an orphanage started by mama kia near machu picchu in peru. not only will the money raised help pay for mama kia's medical expenses (she was recently diagnosed with bone cancer), as well as support the orphanage and the two soup kitchens she runs, but the highlight of the event is that KCRW DJs jason bentley and jeremy sole, plus uber-DJ carmen rizzo, will be spinning music the entire evening! to get a feel for what the music will be like, you can check out jason and jeremy's archived shows at KCRW.com as well as carmen's music at carmenrizzo.com.

5. Survivor: Yogabear Island Saturday 7:00pm - yogabear is a nationwide non-profit organization that provides free yoga to cancer survivors. jennifer pastiloff, director of the southern cal chapter of yogabear, has been devoting all her time to promoting this fundraiser that will be held at yogaco in santa monica. the evening will start with a yoga class taught by jennifer, with live music provided by erica rhodes on cello. after the class with be an amazing raffle with prizes provided by lululemon, exhale, whole foods, robert sturman, local restaurants, and many more!

6. Deva Premal and Miten Saturday 7:30pm - the last time deva premal and miten were in LA back in 2007, i attended their magical performance outdoors on the lawn at LMU. this time, they'll be chanting with bansuri artist manose at the historic barnum hall theater on the santa monica high school campus to promote their new CD, in concert. you can check the event flyer at the yogaworks website for ticket purchase information. if listening to them live doesn't bring you instant bliss, i'm afraid nothing else will.

7. David Newman Durga Das Saturday 8:30pm - i've been fortunate enough to have been to a few of david newman's kirtans -- in washington DC while i was visiting my sister, in philadelphia (david's home base) while i was visiting my daughter, and at least twice here in LA, my own home base. and every performance has been better than the last! this time, he's going to be chanting at bhakti yoga shala in santa monica, which is quickly becoming a tour stop for every major kirtan artist, including jai uttal, gaura vani, and now david newman.

so which one(s) will i go to? i'll let you know after i figure out how to be in more than one place at the same time!

Your Yoga Practice: Beyond the Game of Life

2009-11-10T19:06:07+00:00

My Yoga Online has posted a new yoga article by guest author Kino MacGregor, Beyond the Game of Life. Kino brings wonderful insight to the concept of complete yoga practice and complete yoga lifestyle.

When we begin practicing yoga the deepest part of our consciousness asks for clarity, awakening and truth. What is sometimes the first step in taking positive steps towards the peace that we all yearn for is a recognition of exactly how deeply we are entrenched within our harmful patterns of the past. Yoga can sometimes be riddled with fierce competition in an effort to help practitioners confront their competitive nature. You might find yourself competing with a new yoga practitioner in your daily class who is naturally very flexible. Or you might find yourself competing with yourself and comparing your body in a negative light with the way it was last year, last week or yesterday. Yet still you might be competing with your friends and peers. All of this is totally normal because it is totally and completely part of being human. The yoga process is not a denial of humanity, but instead presents you with a clear mirror through which to view your character. And in the safe space of yoga get the chance to move through the competition of the ego into the open, non-judgmental realm of peace.

Physical hatha yoga even sometimes creates a fertile ground for the competitor’s mind because the postures are taught sequentially based on proficiency. It is even tempting to judge a person’s spiritual development by the amount of postures they are doing. Yet the real yoga happens within and is a process where dedicated practitioners heal the body and train the mind. It really does not matter how good your lotus position is, how many handstands you can do or how deep your backbends are if you are unconscious about the way you treat other people, beings and yourself. Similarly it is often the insurmountable challenge of the most demanding postures that teaches the fiercest competitive practitioners a very deep and hard lesson-humility. There will always be someone stronger, more flexible, younger and more knowledgeable than you. There will always be someone doing more yoga postures than you. You will never get it done and you will never be the best forever if at all. And that is a good thing because it teaches you to learn
that although you bring great gifts to the yoga practice and to life, you are not entitled to set yourself on a pedestal high above, away and apart from your fellow human beings. Paradoxically we are all both absolutely unique and totally equal on some level.

The learning that happens within the field of yoga asks you to embrace both the part of yourself that has a vital contribution to the flow of life and the part of you that is connected to all sentient beings. If you think you are going to beat one of your fellow teammate at the game of life, think again because life is not an Olympic sport with gold, silver and bronze metals. There is no judge waiting at the finish line to rate your performance, except maybe yourself. The reason why there can be no competition in the deepest sense of life is because the parameters by which life is truly measured are infinite.

The questions most often asked by people who survive a near death experience at the moment of their passing is whether they had loved enough, whether they had been truly happy, whether they had been able to forgive, whether they shared their true beauty with others and whether they had known real peace. While career, politics, success, money, shopping, drama, fame and fortune are aspects of life that cannot be avoided and can even be fun and entertaining, they are not the parameter for measuring the deepest experience of life. Instead forgiveness, acceptance, peace, beauty, freedom, joy, happiness and love are the highest truths of life. Yoga teaches you to ask whether each and every one of your actions answers to highest truths of life. There can be no real competition because time has no real meaning in the field of learning in which yoga takes place. Yoga itself is eternal and universal.

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How Important Are Fats In Your Healthy Diet?

2009-11-09T18:42:26+00:00

My Yoga Online has posted a new healthy living article by guest author Brendan Brazier, How Important are Fats in Your Healthy Diet?

How important are fats, what forms should you be consuming and in what quantities? It wasn’t long ago when then medical community was advocating the avoidance of all fat, even in the form of nuts or an avocado. Long gone are the days of neglect and dismissal when it comes to fat. We have made great progress drawing more clear lines between raw plant based sources that are good for you, even anti-aging, and those that are harmful such as cooked, animal based, and processed saturated and trans fats.

A deficiency of healthy fat runs prevalent throughout the modern day North American diet with the majority of people consuming too many of the detrimental bad fats including saturated fats in meat and dairy, and processed polyunsaturated fats or hydrogenated trans-fat from cooking oil and margarine used in processed foods. Consuming too many of these and not enough of the good fats contribute to stroke, heart attack, chronic inflammation, cognitive impairment, allergy, auto immune diseases and ultimately premature death.

Many of the oils we think are doing our bodies good are in fact causing further damage. The processing of oil can be the difference between good and bad. Some extraction methods for cheaper oils involve high heat, which can actually cause the oil to convert to trans fat. Other extraction methods use chemical solvents to separate the oil, usually done with low-grade oils.

Learn about selecting the GOOD fats from the BAD fats and proper ratios to incorporate into your diet. Read the full article: How Important are Fats in Your Healthy Diet?

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