the accidental yogist

giving thanks and sharing the love

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:48:00 +0000

with all the fundraisers and events scheduled for this month of thanksgiving, i knew i needed to pull myself out of hibernation and share them all with you! so here once again is my monthly update for all the goings-on in the LA area.

for all of you who are fans of my facebook page, you know you'll be getting updates about these and many other events as soon as i hear about them. for those who aren't, here's what's going on in november... and if you aren't a fan, it's easy, just click here to join everyone else! :)

as always, keep checking back to see what's new!

~~~ this month's deals ~~~

Ten Days of FREE yoga for new students at The Green Yogi in Manhattan Beach!
Just say FREE10 when you register for your first class. And tell them the accidental yogist sent you :)
Good only through the end of November.

One FREE class with each of November's featured teachers at Black Dog Yoga in Sherman Oaks: Ashley Albrand and Dice Iida-Klein!
Click here for coupons
Ashley's classes:
Monday 7:00p-8:30p Strong Flow - NEW CLASS
Wednesday 7:00p-8:30p Strong Flow - NEW CLASS
Friday 8:45a-10:15a Strong Flow
Dice's classes:
Monday 8:45a-10:15a Strong Flow
Tuesday 7:00p-8:30p Strong Flow
Wednesday 8:45a-10:15a Strong Flow
Thursday 7:00p-8:30p Strong Flow
Sunday 9:30a-11:00a Strong Flow *
*This is a Drop-Off class with Two Hearts Yoga. Come take Dice's class at Black Dog while your child takes one at Two Hearts Yoga (kids class is ages 3 and up).

One FREE class during the month of November for any of the featured classes at Rising Lotus Yoga in Sherman Oaks (coupon required; email me for coupon):
Prenatal - Mondays & Fridays - 1:30 - 3:00pm
Mommy & Me - Wednesdays - 1:30 - 3:00pm
Kids Yoga - Tuesdays - 3:30 - 4:30
Karate - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday

Fall specials at Dancing Shiva Yoga and Ayurveda in Los Angeles:
1. YOGA: Sundays 5:30pm class by donation with Miyuki Fox.(Good through the Fall schedule)
~ All weekday 9am classes are $10
2. AYURVEDA - 10% Shirodhara
3. STORE: 10% off Herbal supplements

Bizarre Sundays: Yoga + Brunch with Evolve Lifewear
Sunday, Nov 8th (every second Sunday of the month)
Yoga at 10:30am 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)

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: Nov 1 - Yoga with Jessa Baxter, Nov 8 - Yoga with Joel Adalpe, Nov 15 - Yoga Flow with Marlize Joubert, Nov 22 - Yoga Tuneup with Patty Wortham, Nov 29 - Root to Rise Workshop with Krista Cahill
lululemon Brentwood, 11920 San Vicente Blvd ~
Yoga on Sundays at 9:30am: Nov 1 - Marlize Joubert, Nov 8 - Briohny Smyth, Nov 15 - Aras Baskauskas, Nov 22 - Alex Crow, Nov 28 - Leigh Golden. Plus: Nov 12 7:15pm - Pure Barre with Marni Rosenthal Chaikin, Nov 19 7:30pm - Zumba with Coach Neda
lululemon Calabasas, at The Commons, 4719 Commons Way ~
Sundays at 9:30am: Nov 1 - Yoga with Sri Hari Moss, Nov 8 - Body Hoops with Diana, Nov 15 - Extreme Bootcamp with Corey, Nov 22 - Yoga with Georgina Purple. Plus: Every Monday 6pm - Running Club, Every Tuesday 6am - Trekking Club
lululemon Glendale, at The Americana, 233 S Brand ~
All at 9:30am: Nov 1 - Pilates with Nadia Ahern, Nov 8 - Yoga with Elyse Briggs, Nov 15 - Yoga with Barry Ennis, Nov 22 - Yoga with Lauri Janover, Nov 29 - Yoga with Christy Marsden. Plus: Every Wednesday 11am - Kids Yoga with Abby Rose
lululemon Pasadena, 110 W Colorado ~
Studio Physique Workout Sundays at 10am: Nov 1, Nov 8, Nov 15, Nov 22, Nov 29. Plus: Every Wednesday 6pm - Fun Run Club, Nov 4 7:30pm - Yoga for School Teachers, Nov 28 10am - Yoga with Shad Cruz
lululemon Santa Monica, 331 Santa Monica Blvd ~
Sundays at 9:30am: Yoga with Yogis Anonymous! Nov 1 - Ally Hamilton, Nov 8 - Charlie Samos, Nov 15 - Angela Kukhan, Nov 22 - Chani Nicholas, Nov 29 - Virginia Weiss
lululemon South Bay, at Plaza El Segundo, 2008A E Park Pl ~
Sundays at 9:30am: Nov 1 - Stretch and Barre, Nov 8 - Stretch and Barre, Nov 15 - Yoga with Peter Sterios, Nov 22 - Run and Yoga with Steve Mackel, Nov 29 - Yoga and Arm Balances with CJ Frogozo. Plus: Every Thursday 6:15pm - Run Club at Manhattan Beach Pier

AcroYoga and Ecstatic Dance with guest DJs!
The Church at Ocean Park, 235 Hill St, Santa Monica
Every Tuesday evening - 6:15pm AcroYoga, 7:30pm Ecstatic Dance
Cost: $15 for Dance, FREE for Yoga

This is all about getting great exercise, freeing your mind and body, and connecting with yourself and with your community in a safe, healthy space. If you want to just DANCE then this is the place for you. The fearlessness with which others leap, roll, strut, and be themselves gives you permission and courage to dance your pain, fear, anger and joy. Come roll, skip, prance, sashay, promenade, sweat and stretch - all without any judgment. AT THE END OF EACH ECSTATIC DANCE SESSION, WE CONVENE IN A COMMUNITY CIRCLE FOR COOLDOWN, SHARING AND CONNECTION.
Click on link to see current DJ lineup: Ecstatic Dance LA

An Evening of Kirtan with Daniel & Friends
Rising Lotus Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Friday, Nov 13th 8:30pm (2nd Friday of 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, Sylvie and Emily on vocals, Jeff Harris on guitar, Abby Scovile on cello, Angela Devita on flute, and Matthew Hufschmidt on drums.
No singing experience needed, only a willingness to open your heart to the joy.

Weekly Kirtan at Bhakti Yoga Shala
Bhakti Yoga Shala, Santa Monica
Cost: Suggested donation $10-$15
Friday, Nov 6th 8:30pm (1st Friday of month) - Andres Salcedo
Saturday, Nov 7th 8:00pm (1st Saturday of month) - Govindas and Radha
Friday, Nov 13th 9:00pm (2nd Friday of month) - Joey Lugassy
Saturday, Nov 14th 8:00pm (2nd Saturday of month) - Michael Thomas
Friday, Nov 20th 9:00pm (3rd Friday of month) - Terra Gold
Saturday, Nov 21st 8:00pm (3rd Saturday of month) - Zat Baraka
Friday, Nov 27th 8:30pm (4th Friday of month) - Kalidas
Saturday, Nov 28th 8:00pm (4th Saturday of month) - Travis Eliot

~~~ this month's highlights ~~~

West Coast Bhakti Bar Kirtan Tour with Andrew Zenoff
Saturday, Oct 24th 8:00pm - Bhakti Yoga Shala, Santa Monica
Saturday, Oct 31st 8:00pm - Bhakti Yoga Shala Halloween Party
Sunday, Nov 1st 7:30pm - The Hub, West Los Angeles
Cost: FREE

Andrew got this crazy idea to cruise the West Coast and share Kirtan during the last two weeks of October to help spread the love, share the names and build The Bhakti Bar community. Please join him, accompanied by Joss Jaffe on Tabla and support vocals with C.C.White.

Learn to Fly With Lara Catone and Sarah Vosen of AcroYoga
lululemon Santa Monica, 331 Santa Monica Blvd
Thursday, Nov 5th 6:30pm
Cost: FREE!

Live Music Flow with Christy Marsden and Josh Brill
Yoga Blend, Burbank
Thursday, Nov 5th 8:15-10:00pm
Cost: $20

Come experience a blend of breath, mantra and slow, gentle asana with Christy Marsden accompanied by live music from Josh Brill with the soft glow of candles lighting the way as you flow into a deep state of relaxation and peace. Josh's music gently supports and accompanies the practice, breath, and movement of the class, achieving a delicate rhythmic balance of the inner and outer states of being. Like an interactive film score for your yoga, Josh channels and creates music for the moment. Poetically called a "sonic womb," the sublime musical accompaniment facilitates a dynamic energetic exchange and dance between the practice and the music, deeply supporting the intimate inward journey of harmonic resonance, asana and breath.

Yogaco Fashion Show
Yogaco, Santa Monica
Friday, Nov 6th 7pm
Cost: $5

Yogaco hosts the first Yoga Fashion show with Global Ghetto Organics , Beyond Yoga and Energy Muse Jewelry! Muse, peruse and kick off the holidays with drinks, food, fashion and yogis modeling the newest trends at our studio!
All drinks, food, and fun included. All clothes 25% off for the evening!
You'll catch some famous yogis doing some yoga party-tricks on the catwalk too!

The Hollywood Movie Premiere of "Happiness Is"
Golden Bridge Yoga, Hollywood
Friday, Nov 6th 7:30pm at Golden Bridge Yoga in Hollywood
Cost: By Donation (All Proceeds of the Event will benefit the Amrit Davaa World Health Organization)

HAPPINESS IS…a cinematic road trip that explores the myths and the truths of the “pursuit of happiness” in America. It is the second film from Andrew Shapter, Director of the critically acclaimed documentary, Before The Music Dies. The film journeys through history–without boundaries or prejudices–in an attempt to understand what Happiness truly is, in the face of what the definition of Happiness has become.

Introduction to AcroYoga with Lara Catone and Sarah Vosen
Yogaglo, Santa Monica
Saturday, Nov 7th 11am-1pm
Cost: $20 before 11/7, $25 at door (cash only)
Click on link to preregister: Introduction to AcroYoga

All levels, all ages, all people are invited to experience a full spectrum AcroYoga practice in a safe, supportive environment. These workshops include partner yoga, basic acrobatics, assisted inversions, basic flying and Thai massage, introducing the building blocks of AcroYoga while emphasizing the sacred experience of community. No yoga experience required. No partner needed. Bring an open mind, an open heart, and a dose of curiosity!

Yoga & Diabetes with Bradley Kapture
The Yoga Loft, Woodland Hills
Saturday, Nov 7th 1:30pm
Cost: FREE

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and as one of the leading causes of death in the United States, being aware could help save your life or a loved one.
95% of diabetics in the United States are living with Type 2 diabetes - the form of the disease brought on by stress, poor nutrition and a lack of exercise.
Join yoga instructor, author and founder of Yoga 4 Diabetes, Bradley Kapture, for a special seminar on living with Type 2 diabetes and using yoga to help deal with diabetes, through breathing and simple postures.

Tantra Yoga Workshop with Zat Baraka
Bhakti Yoga Shala, Santa Monica
Saturday, Nov 7th 1:30-3:45pm
Cost: Suggested donation $21

Zat Baraka will lead a 2 hour workshop in Yogic Buddhist Practice. Create a home practice!Asana, Pranayam, Mantra and Meditation (Tummo and Shamatha). We will learn the basics of how to work with poisonous emotions, learn practices to transform confusion, and awaken sanity. Tummo Practice is a tantric meditation that dissolves and releases tensions. The combination of these practices leaves one feeling clear, balanced and open to life as it is.

Mark Whitwell's Heart of Yoga Peace Project presents: EXPERIENCE Yoga's Expression of Peace in Action
Yogaglo, Santa Monica
Saturday, Nov 7th 7:00pm
Cost: $20 limited pre-sale tickets
Click on link to purchase: Brown Paper Tickets

An intimate evening experiencing many yogic expressions of beauty, peace and harmony.
Benefiting Heart of Yoga's Middle East Peace Project, a not-for-profit 501(c)3, bringing peace to the Middle East through teacher trainings and the practice of yoga.
Celebrate our direct participation with nurturing source through Music, Kirtan, Ecstatic Tantric Poetry, Live Performance Art and more with: Mark Whitwell, Pandit Vikash Maharaj and Prabhashj (Indian Classical masters from Varanasi, India), Suzanne Sterling, Micheline Berry, Joey Lugassy, Steve Gold, Radiance Sutras (featuring Lorin Roche and Camille Maurine), Chris Tompkins, Josh Brill, Maesyn, Psalm Isadora, Masood Ali Khan, Denise Kaufman, and surprise special guests!
Yoga as performance art and ritual by: Acro Yoga (featuring Lara Catone and Sarah Vosen), Kaia Ra, Robin Sol, Chris Filkins

Ecstatic Kirtan with Daniel Stewart & Friends
Yoga Works Main Street, Santa Monica
Saturday, Nov 7th 8:00pm
Cost: $20 before 11/7, $25 at door, $5 discount if you mention facebook!

Join Daniel Stewart and many talented musicians for an evening of call and response chanting. No experience necessary -- just a willingness to open your heart and surrender to the blissful flow.
Featuring: Matthew Hufschmidt, Sarah Bergman, Kelly Bodden, Jeff Harris, Dorian Cheah, David Watts, Abby Scoville, and more to be announced.

Classical Indian Music Concert/Bhajan with Ranjeet Pathak and Ajeet Pathak
Aanand Saagar, Venice
Saturday, Nov 7th 8:00pm
Suggested donation $15

Please join us for an evening of Classical Indian Music. We are honored to be hosting Santoor and Tabla maestros, Ranjeeth Pathak and Ajit Pathak. Their performance will be followed by a kirtan/bhajan, led by Prachi Dixit.

Tantra and Mantra Workshop, The Yoga of Vibration with Chris Tompkins and Joshua Brill
Yogaglo, Santa Monica
Sunday, Nov 8th 2:00-5:00pm
Cost: $35

A workshop exploring Mantra as the highest practice of Tantra. Experienced through techniques from ancient Tantric texts and Nada Yoga; The Yoga of Sound.
This workshop will include:
-Translations, explanations and applications of Tantric texts
-Mantra as a Science of Universal Attunement
-Music and Sound as our direct link to Sacred Vibration
-The link between Breath, Vibration, and Harmony
-Proper Sanskrit pronunciation and physical placement of Mantra
-Tools to increase awareness, attention, and consciousness
-Tantric practices to open the Heart Chakra and to activate the spiral of Kundalini
-Establishing Balance through practices of Toning, Music, and Rhythm

Kirtan with Sheela Bringi
Aanand Saagar, Venice
Sunday, Nov 8th 8:30pm
Cost: Suggested donation $10

Join Indian vocalist & multi-instrumentalist Sheela Bringi in an evening of devotional music and Kirtan joined by Cody Remaklus (percussion).

Lisbeth Scott CD release concerts: Hope Is A Thing
The Edgemar Center for the Arts, 2437 Main St, Santa Monica
Saturday, Nov 7th 8:30pm and Sunday, Nov 8th 7:30pm
Cost: $25 for Saturday, By donation for Sunday

A concert celebrating the release of the new CD Hope Is A Thing featuring Lisbeth Scott, Quinn on drums, Ian Walker on bass, Christopher Bruce on guitars and Tina Guo on cello.....Two evenings! 7th and 8th!
Sunday's concert will be a benefit for the non-profit Education Through Music and all ages are welcome.
http://www.edgemarcenter.org/ or 310-392-7327 for tix

Community Night: Meditation for Parents with Sara Lamm
City Yoga, West Hollywood
Tuesday, Nov 10th 7:30pm
Cost: FREE!

This evening will create space for parents to reconnect with themselves and the sound of silence. We'll practice mindfulness meditation and discuss ways that "just sitting" can enhance both our parenting and well-being.
Leave your "To Do" lists at home--just bring your breath!

Bibliyoga with Marcus J Freed
Mimoda Studio Theatre, 5774 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles
Part I - Tuesday, Nov 10th 8:00pm: "Finding Joy, Peace and Healing”
Part II - Wednesday, Nov 11th 8:00pm: “Becoming Strength, Light and Happiness”
Cost: $15 each class
Click on link to register: JConnectLA

JConnectLA presents 2 back-to-back Bibliyoga workshops with the witty, worldly and wise BibiYogi, educator and performer Marcus J Freed of London. Bibliyoga is soulfood for the body that offers a physical-spiritual uplift through powerful yoga, Jewish wisdom and Kabbalah.
Yoga for Ecstatic Living: Bibliyoga for the Body & Soul workshops are each one hour vinyasa flow sessions for all levels of yoga from beginner to advanced. Both workshops will be followed by a salon discussion at a nearby café moderated by Rabbi Yonah of JConnectLA.
Wear loose clothes and bring a yoga mat or some will be available for purchase.

Partner Thai Yoga with Deon DeWet
Silver Lake Yoga, Silverlake
Friday, Nov 13th 7:00-10:00pm
Cost: $35 (reservations recommended)

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.

Yoga Side of the Moon with Andres Salcedo
Exhale Center for Sacred Movement, Venice
Friday, Nov 13th 7:45-9:45pm
Cost: $20

On this auspicious Friday the 13th and after many successful "Yoga Side 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 achieved 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 a 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.

Karen Shuman's Yoga One Year Anniversary
Karen Shuman's Beyond Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Saturday, Nov 14th 10:00am-5:00pm
Cost: By Donation

OFFERINGS:
~ mini sample yoga classes
~ mini healing session
~ massages (1:00-3:00PM with Suzy & 3:00-5:00PM with Avalon)
~ Tarot Card Readings (11:00-1:00PM)
~ Henna Tattoo Artist
~ donate used business clothing to support Urban Possibilities
SCHEDULE:
10:00 AM~Yoga with Ropes~Karen S.
11:00 AM~Hatha Flow~Dario
12:00 PM~Gentle Therapeutic Yoga~Monique
1:00 PM~Iyengar~Andrea
1:45 PM~Gentle Hatha~Avalon
2:30 PM~Kundalini Yoga~Alana
3:15 PM~Tai Chi~Rapha4:00 PM~ Meditation with the 4 Elements~Anthony
5:00 PM~Group Healing~Mutiam
ALL CLASSES DONATION ONLY! FIRST COME FIRST SERVE!
ENJOY HEALTHY FOOD AND DRINKS FROM OUR SPONSORS LARABAR AND CASCADIAN FARM ORGANICS

YOGA 4 DIABETES with Bradley Kapture
The Hub, Los Angeles
Saturday, Nov 14th 1:30-2:30pm
Cost: FREE

Join Bradley Kapture for a special seminar on living with Type 2 diabetes and using yoga to help deal with the condition through breathing, simple postures and good nutritional choices. November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and as one of the leading causes of death in the United States, being aware could help save your life or the life of a loved one. 95% of diabetics in the United States are living with Type 2 diabetes--the form of the disease brought on by stress, poor nutrition and a lack of exercise.
This was the experience of yoga instructor, author and founder of Yoga 4 Diabetes, Bradley Kapture. Due to life changes, in just three years, he went from a fit and healthy instructor to a life with Type 2 diabetes brought on by stress and poor food choices. But through yoga and a good diet, Bradley has been able to eliminate the use of medication for the treatment of his Type 2 diabetes.
Through his experience, he created 'yoga4diabetes,' a series of simple yoga postures and breathing exercises to help regulate blood sugar levels for diabetics and those with pre-diabetic symptoms.

FIESTA DE MILAGROS - A fundraiser for Casa de Milagros, a home for orphaned children in Cusco, Peru
Yogaglo, Santa Monica
Saturday, Nov 14th 6:00pm
Cost: Suggested donation $50 (no one turned away for lack of funds)

Giving Thanks to One Who Has Given So Much...Raising Awareness + Support for Mama Kia's medical expenses, her 31 adopted children and 2 soup-kitchens
Enjoy a night of healthy food, spirits, silent auction + soulful grooves.
DJ's: KCRW's Jason Bentley Carmen Rizzo Jeremy Sole
Wandering performances by Lucent Dossier Experience
Sponsors: Whole Foods, Samosa House, The Green Truck, Frey Wines, Rosenthal Vineyards, Gekkeikan Sake, POM, Guayaki Organic Yerba Mate, Activate Water, Icelandic Water, Silvermoon Raw Chocolates + more!

ECSTASY OF CHANTING
The Hub, Los Angeles
Saturday, Nov 14th 7:30pm
Cost: Suggested Donation $10 (no one turned away; pay what you can) Part of the proceeds donated to International Save The Children Alliance

Chanting has transformed people's lives for thousands of years. Please join us for an evening filled with music and the singing of devotional chants.
The members of The Ecstasy of Chanting (EOC) have played together for many years. Their deep experience and love brings the joy and subtlety of chanting straight to the heart. Chanting has transformed people's lives for thousands of years. EOC chants with the freedom and love that is the birthright of the unencumbered soul. Please join us for an evening filled with music and the singing of devotional chants.
The Band: Robbie Gillman on Keyboard; Leslie Gillman on Vocals; Andy Agle on Vocals; Peter Factor on Guitar and Percussion, Allen Astin on Mridangam and Percussion; Anna-Pia Hubacher on Harmonium and Vocals; Paul Levine on Vocals; Eddie Young on Cello and Bass.

Survivor: Yogabear Island - A fundraiser for Yogabear, providing yoga to cancer survivors
Yogaco, Santa Monica
Saturday, Nov 14th 8:00pm
Cost: By Donation

Join Jennifer Pastiloff and Lululemon in an evening at Yogaco where we will have a gentle candlelit class with Erica Rhodes on the cello! And... Fawntice McCain offering the healing sounds of Tibetan Singing Bowls.
Afterwards, a sweet party and raffle in order to bring awareness to YOGABEAR. Yogabear provides free yoga to cancer survivors. If you are a survivor, or know any.. Bring em!! This event is open to everyone! The more the merrier. We will have chair massage after the class, live music, wine and chocolate and other "anti oxidants", a raffle, and much more.
**Buy raffle tickets online at http://www.yogabear.org/page/survivor-yoga-bear-island for $10! You do not have to be there to buy tickets or to win! We have so many wonderful prizes!

A MAGICAL KIRTAN LOVE WEEKEND with David Newman (Durga Das) and special guests MIRA and Phillipo Franchini
Bhakti Yoga Shala, Santa Monica
Kirtan: Saturday, Nov 14th 8:30pm
Workshop: Sunday, Nov 15th 1:30-3:45pm
Cost: Suggested donation $20 for Kirtan, $30 for workshop

Join David Newman and special guests Mira and Phillipo Franchini for a bliss-filled, inspirational experience of sacred yoga teachings and practices. This workshop is designed to deepen your spiritual practice of yoga and improve the quality of your experiences through the application of Love as a way of life. For ages yogis have known that Love is the master key to happiness, and therefore created a practice, called Bhakti Yoga, which is centered around the manifestation of that Love. Bhakti yoga simply means the yoga of love and devotion. It encompasses practices that open the heart and lead us to the very essence of Love, our true nature.
This training is a crash course in Bhakti or devotion, both as a practice and a way of life. The weekend will include two significant components of Bhakti Yoga. First, is Kirtan, the use of healing mantras in the form of devotional chanting. Second is Satsang or "wisdom sharing", examining the teachings of the saints and scriptures on the nature of Love as a spiritual path.
Bhakti Yoga teaches that the miracle of Love is inside each one of us and has the power to heal all!

SUNDAY NIGHT YOGA & DINNER with Jennifer Kelly
The Yogi Tree, Toluca Lake
Sunday, Nov 15th 5:00-7:00pm
Cost: $20

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.

Yogasonic
lululemon Santa Monica, 331 Santa Monica Blvd
Thursday, Nov 19th 6:00-7:30pm
Cost: FREE

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/electronica 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.

Yoga with Stephanie Phelan and Live Music by Masood Ali Khan
Maha Yoga, Brentwood
Friday, Nov 20th 7:30pm
Cost: Regular class price

Please join us for an evening that will open your heart and sooth your soul.

Yogasonic at Rising Lotus Yoga
Rising Lotus Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Friday, Nov 20th 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.

Giving Thanks to Shakti: A Benefit Kirtan Led by Women, in Celebration of the Feminine
Bhakti Yoga Shala, Santa Monica
Friday, Nov 20th 9:00pm
Cost: Suggested Donation $15

Join us for a night of kirtan, poetry, ritual and sacred ceremonial dance!
The intention of this celebration is to inspire the men and women of our yoga community to partake in the ancient tradition of honoring the feminine as the Mysteries of winter approach.
Chanting will be led by Terra Gold, C.C. White, Radha Rosen, Ena Vie, Ambika Leigh, Annmarie Solo and Sarah Bergman. Poetic inspirations spoken by Psalm Isadora, sacred dance by Jacqui Lalita and music by Momo Loudiyi (guitar), Meena Makhijani (tablas), Jamie Papish (drums/percussion) and Dahveed Hari Bol Das (percussion/drums).
All proceeds will be donated to help women locally and globally. Local profits go to support the non-profit organization Sojourn Services, aiding women in recovering their strength, support and means when they are homeless or coming out of a domestic violence situation. Global outreach goes to "Healing the Mother," a seva project to open a school for destitute women in Vizag, India.

yoga + hiking + picnic = awesome with Dan Ward
Santa Monica Power Yoga West, Santa Monica
Saturday, Nov 21st 6:00AM
Cost: By donation

here's how it goes:
1) meet at 6am at SMPY WEST to greet the day with a sweet flow
2) carpool up to a local hiking spot (announced at class) where we knock off a challenging hike somewhere between 4 and 6 miles
3) picnic our brains out (vegan feast catered by lesley ward)
4) maybe throw in a hilarious frisbee session. some people are even improving their disc skillz!

Partner Yoga Workshop with Holly Reed and Howard Pollock
Ja Yoga, Long Beach
Saturday, Nov 21st 2:00-4:00pm
Cost: $40 per couple before 11/21, $50 at door

What better way to give your special someone thanks than to spend an afternoon reconnecting to each other?
Imagine the opportunity to share sacred space, opening your hearts, allowing the energy, love, and gratitude to flow between the two of you.

Sneak Preview and Fundraiser: Bonsai – Celebrating the Vision of Muhammad Yunus
Yogaglo, Santa Monica
Saturday, Nov 21st 7:00pm
Cost: Suggested Donation $15

A documentary by Holly Mosher as part of Empowerment Works' Artist in Action series.
What if you could harness the power of the free market to solve the problems of poverty, hunger, and inequality? To some, it sounds impossible.
But Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus is doing exactly that. Bonsai celebrates Yunus’ extraordinary humanitarian work, which started when he simply lent $27 to 42 people out of his own pocket. As the founder of Grameen Bank, Yunus pioneered microcredit, the innovative banking program that provides poor people - mainly women - with small loans they use to launch businesses and lift their families out of poverty. In the past thirty years, microcredit has spread to every continent and benefited over 100 million families. His Grameen Bank currently lends to one out of every 1,000 people on earth and with a 98% rate of return – unheard of in the financial world.
Please join us for a festive night featuring film clips, photographs from the filmmaker, delicious hors doeuvres, drinks, music and dancing.

The Human Comedy with Vanda Mikolowski
Yoga Works Main Street, Santa Monica
Saturday, Nov 21st 7:00pm
Cost: $15 early; $20 at the door

Join Vanda for an irreverent and hysterical comedy inspired by "What the Bleep," "The Secret," Eckhart Tolle, Ram Das, Alan Watts, Byron Katie, Tom Robbins, David Bohm, Werner Erhardt, Socrates, 12-step programs and more.
Vanda: “The show's about having fun and laughing at ourselves in that oh-so-elusive pursuit of enlightenment or happiness … revealing the absurdities & foibles that arise as we pursue everything from the most ancient spiritual practices to the latest and greatest in groups, courses, techniques, books and movies on our road to ‘the answers’.”

Special Screening: WHAT THE BLEEP DO WE KNOW?! with special guided meditation with Jean Merritt
The Yogi Tree, Toluca Lake
Saturday, Nov 21st 7:00pm
Cost: Suggested donation $10

Join The Yogi Tree for this very special screening of What the BLEEP preceded by a warm, illuminating guided meditation from Jean Merritt, whose weekly Sunday class VISUALIZATION FOR MANIFESTATION has fast become a studio favorite.
Light snacks and What the BLEEP discussion to follow the screening.

Kirtan for a Cause with Tamal Dodge
Heaven on Earth Holistic Living Center, 7122 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles
Saturday, Nov 21st 8:00pm
Cost: By Donation

Come sing with us and support Team Survivor, a non-profit organization providing free fitness classes to cancer survivors.

Karma Kirtan with Daniel Stewart and Friends - A fundraiser for OPCC, providing services to the homeless and low-income families
Yogis Anonymous, Santa Monica
Saturday, Nov 21st 8:00pm
Cost: Suggested Donation $15

Rock the bhakti with Daniel Stewart and his many talented musical guests (including electric violinist and Yogis Anonymous co-owner Dorian Cheah) for a night of joyful call and response Kirtan.
No experience necessary, just a willingness to open your heart and dive into the blissful flow.
100% of profits from this event will be donated to OPCC, a network of shelters and services for low-income and homeless youth, adults and families, battered women and their children and people living with mental illness.

Stone Soup Party: A Feast for the Belly and Soul - Making something from nothing…with faith and community
The Awareness Center, Pasadena
Sunday, Nov 22nd 12:00–3:00pm
Cost: FREE

When it seems like there is not enough or there is fear about survival, thinking becomes limited and we lose our connection to gratitude and appreciating the blessings that we have in our lives. The idea for this new event came to Wahe Guru in a vision and she wants to gather everyone together to enjoy the simple gifts of laughter, good food and spiritual community. For when we alone may not have enough, together, with God’s blessing we have a feast for the belly and soul.
Please bring an item to put in the community soup or to contribute to the potluck.
Please contact April at cloudappy@hotmail.com to find out what to bring. If you are not able to bring food, please offer to set up or clean up afterwards.
We will read the inspiring children’s story, “Stone Soup” and do a group meditation as the soup is cooking.
Please bring your kids and other family members. We will provide the stones…

108 Sun Salutations Dedicated to the Children of Uganda
Yogaco, Santa Monica
Saturday, Nov 28th 7:00pm
Cost: By Donation

Be inspired by this season of Thanksgiving and help raise money for the children of Uganda! Get friends and family to sponsor each sun salutation that you practice in this inspirational class led by Rennie Yabiku. All proceeds will go to building schools, providing food and clean water for the Ugandan people. Open to anyone who is up for the challenge!
Food and drinks provided after class!

Wah! and Girish - A Night for Giving Thanks
Kali Klub, 3229 Casitas Ave, Atwater Village
Saturday, Nov 28th 7:00pm
Cost: $15 in advance, $20 day of
Click on link to purchase: It's My Seat

A benefit for Charity:water.org - Raise funds for a well in India
Special sneak preview of the new Kali Klub!
Kali Klub is a place where Los Angeles yogis can meet and share the joy of Bhakti Yoga through ecstatic dance and chant, practice Seva through selfless giving and make connections with like-minded souls. Call it a new conscious and spirit based nightclub.
It's a longed-for spot, just a thought with community in mind.
Remember the environment - car pool. Plenty of seats but you can bring your own pillows and seats.

it's november... already?!?

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:25:00 +0000

all i seem to remember is being caught in the whirlwind of september: yogamonth and the challenge i posed to myself to take a yoga class everyday, each time at a different yoga studio with a different teacher. bhakti fest and the three days of ecstatic kirtan in the searing heat of the desert. the global mala event and the endless cycles of 108 sun salutations that i found myself doing all over town.

and when it was all over, i rested. i allowed myself the luxury of being able to skip my yoga practice when i felt like it. i abstained from kirtans to give the chanting voices in my head a chance to be silent. i decided i was just going to go with the flow and do whatever i felt like doing. including doing absolutely nothing at all.

the next thing i knew, i was dressed in costume at a halloween party on the 31st of october. what?!?! how did an entire month become nothing but a blur? now THAT's scary.

so now i'm flipping through my calendar, trying to recall an entire month that just whizzed by...

the first week:
- the much-anticipated concert featuring the LA philharmonic's new musical director, gustavo dudamel, at the hollywood bowl. it was a free event, and everyone in town was there, from concert hall subscribers, to hollywood bowl regulars, to those who had never been to either venue but were there only because it was FREE. but the fact that close to 17,000 of us were all there enjoying beautiful world and classical music together under an evening summer sky was awesome.
- the grand opening of the eco-friendly the green yogi in manhattan beach and its week of free classes. (it's amazing to me how all these yoga studios continue to pop up all over town; just in the past few months, FOUR new studios opened up in santa monica within blocks of each other: bhakti yoga shala, yogaco, yogis anonymous, and the yoga studio at the preece and toff salon at fred segal -- though even after taking richard rahn's class their first day in business, i have yet to find their website!)
- getting ready for my trip to the philippines to attend my high school reunion. including shopping for gifts to give my family and friends. and waiting in line at the federal building in westwood to expedite my passport renewal when i realized my old one had just expired. you'd think i would've checked when i bought my plane ticket back in august. but nooooo...... :(

the second week:
- my trip to manila to visit my parents and my sisters and to spend time reuniting with my high school classmates. it was also my chance to check out the residual damage to my parents' home after the catastrophic rains of typhoon ondoy caused the floodwaters to reach the five-foot level INSIDE the house (thankfully, they had time to move the more valuable items upstairs to the second floor, although there clearly was damage that was still in the process of being fixed or replaced -- waterlogged walls, furniture, appliances, cars). while there, i was so busy that i barely had time to get to the ONE yoga class that i took at pulse yoga in makati. i was hoping to also get to the bikram yoga studio in greenhills, but because of transportation and timing issues, it just never happened. sigh.

the third week:
- the ojai yoga crib! thanks to kira ryder and the crew at lulu bandha's yoga studio in ojai, i finally got to experience the joy of the crib. three days of yoga in a magical town with fantastic teachers, healthy food, clean air, the nicest people... and my green bike! how could anything be more memorable than that? the entire weekend rightfully deserves a write-up of its own, so i'll do that... soon :) in the meantime, i'm so enamored with ojai that i'm trying to find another reason to go back!

the fourth week:
- getting back into the groove... taking yoga classes with teachers i hadn't seen in a while. chasing tweeting food trucks. catching up on back episodes of "glee". watching michael jackson's new "this is it" documentary at the new multiplex at LA live. and restarting my marathon training in preparation for the upcoming stadium-to-the-sea LA marathon in march.

thirty-one days of just going with the flow. and sure enough, there it went. whoosh!

it's definitely time for me to get back on track, isn't it?

veg-head LA food truck guide, part 2

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:08:00 +0000

last month, i posted my pescetarian guide to the LA food truck scene. and the trucks just keep rolling out, because since then, i've had a chance to try even more of them! here's a slideshow to show you what all 27 of them look like (yes, that's over two dozen of them!): food truck frenzy!

i considered merging my new finds into the old list, but since i haven't posted anything in over three weeks, this is as good an excuse as any to post something new :) so i'll start with the names of the trucks i included in the other list (for details on those trucks, refer to the original list) and i'll add on from there....

asian-latin fusion cuisine trucks:

kogi BBQ (http://www.kogibbq.com/ @kogibbq)
calbi BBQ (http://www.calbibbq.com/ @calbiBBQ)
bool BBQ (http://www.boolbbq.com/ @boolBBQ)
bull kogi (http://www.kimchibulkogi.com/ @bullkogi)
don chow tacos (http://www.donchowtacos.com/ @donchowtacos)
LA fuxion (http://www.lafuxion.com/ @LA_FuXion)

lomo arigato (http://www.lomoarigato.com/ @lomoarigato) - peruvian-japanese; the signature dish is the lomo saltado, a typically peruvian dish that usually features stir-fried beef strips with fries and veggies served with rice. there's also the tallarin saltado (spaghetti) and chaufa (fried rice), both of which are usually meat-based, too. luckily for us vegheads, we have the option of subbing the meat for tofu. i ordered the tofu chaufa and loved it! luckily for me, i found the truck during one of its earlier runs in the south bay and had a chance to chat with eric, the owner. we talked about peruvian food (i vacationed there a year ago and probably ate everything i saw!) and the westside... and how he needed to get his truck there soon so i could have more of his food without having to drive crosstown to get it!

ethnic street food trucks:

marked5 (http://www.marked5.com/ @Marked5)
fishlips sushi (http://www.fishlips-sushi.com/ @fishlips_sushi)
skewers on wheels (http://www.skewersonwheels.com/ @SKEWERSONWHEELS)
india jones chow truck (http://www.indiajoneschowtruck.com/ @indiajonesct)
dosa (http://www.dosatruck.com/ @dosatruck)
nom nom (http://www.nomnomtruck.com/ @nomnomtruck)
border grill (www.bordergrill.com/bg_t/bg_twel.htm @BorderGrill)

panini on wheels (http://www.paninionwheels.com/ @paninionwheels) - italian paninis; this truck is hard to spot, not because you can't see it, but because it has no visible signage on it. at least not yet. so if you see a white truck sitting around where their tweet says they'll be, pull over and walk up to it because that's them. their menu is short and sweet; of the four paninis they offer, three of them are possibles for peskies like me: the catch (tuna salad - filling!), the yogi (mozzarella/tomato -- named after me perhaps?), and the nut (nutella - yum!). while their initial forays had them charging a bit too much for their food, they've thankfully lowered their prices to bring themselves more in line with everyone else. now if they can only expand their menu a bit more and offer eggplant, artichokes, spinach, roasted peppers and the like, they'd place themselves right there at the top of my list...

good-old american grub trucks:

green truck (http://www.greentruckonthego.com/ @Green_Truck)
let's be frank (http://www.letsbefrankdogs.com/ @letsbefrank)
south philly experience (http://www.southphillyexperience.com/ @SouthPhillyExp)
barbie's Q (http://www.barbiesq.com/ @BarbiesQ)
LA BBQ guy (http://www.labbqguy.com/ @labbqguy)
chef on wheels BBQ (http://www.chefonwheelscatering.com/ @chefonwheelsBBQ)

baby's badass burgers (http://www.babysbadassburgers.com/ @babysbbs) - burgers; while the badass babies will tempt you with visions of juicy meat burgers, resist the urge and stick with the veggie option. you will find yourself loving every bite of the two veggie burger sliders oozing with guac and veggie goodness! and as for their sweet potato fries, they're probably some of the best you can find on any food truck today, so get those, too! i've hit this truck at least three times now, and i still get excited every time i pick up my order... and no, it's not from ogling the big-bosomed beauties painted on the side of the truck...

gastrobus (http://www.thegastrobus.com/ @thegastrobus) - sandwiches; they aren't on the westside much, so after a long wait, i finally had a chance to try out their fare at the recent abbot kinney festival in venice. the only sandwich on their menu appropriate for vegheads like me was their cucumber/roasted pepper/hummus sandwich, but for some reason, they didn't carry it that day (and i can't imagine why, because a good majority of the street fair goers were earth-loving tree-hugging vegetarians!). not wanting to pass up a chance to try something from their truck, i called a meat emergency and ordered the pulled pork with some sweet potato fries to go with it. and oooooooh, it was soooo goooood! needless to say, i need to find them again to try out their veggie sandwich. hopefully i won't have to wait that long!

grilled cheese truck (http://www.thegrilledcheesetruck.com/ @grlldcheesetruk) - soups and sandwiches; as the name implies, their specialty is grilled cheese sandwiches. and boy, are they good! you can always settle for the plain and simple grilled cheese variety with your choice of cheese (american, cheddar, mozzarella, or gruyere) and bread (white or wheat), but if i were you, i would definitely go for their gourmet options. there's the caprese melt with mozzarella, tomato, basil, and balsamic syrup. and then there's the harvest melt with gruyere, butternut squash, leeks, and balsamic syrup, with some agave syrup to add a hint of sweetness. and if you ask me, squash rules!! to round off your meal, add on some tomato soup (they also had pumpkin when i was there) and some tater tots. and if you still have room (and i don't see how), try their dessert melt with nutella, banana puree, and marshmallows. i mean, who counts calories, anyway? :(

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

get shaved (http://www.getshavedice.com/ @getshaved)
coolhaus (http://www.eatcoolhaus.com/ @COOLHAUS)
king kone (http://www.kingkone.net/ @kingkonela)

there are still many more that i've heard about and have yet to try, so stay tuned... it won't be long :)

indecision

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:22:00 +0000

my alarm clock went off at 7:30 this morning.

cursing it as i reached for the snooze button, it gently reminded me that i was the one who set it last night. perhaps because i wanted to take a sunday morning yoga class?

argh.

i fired up my laptop and checked my bookmarked emails, websites, and facebook pages.

i had skipped my yoga class yesterday because i was busy stressing out over an expired passport (i'm leaving for the philippines next weekend!) and a sky-high cell phone bill (who's racking up all those minutes anyway?). so i considered sweating it out in a morning class filled with obsessively-driven yogis. steve ross at maha was being subbed by tom morley. vinnie marino at yogaworks main street was being subbed by kia miller. and matt reyes at yogahop was being subbed by... himself.

but just thinking about all that sweat made me want to head back to bed and snooze some more... so i did.

half an hour later, i went back to my laptop and checked the freebie bin.

FREE sunday morning community classes at the lululemons. beverly hills had someone named emilie from a place called jk zen fitness. since i had never heard of either, i googled "jk zen fitness" and found a website for a personal trainer named juliet kaska. and while she mentions that she's hosting lulu BH's fitness in october, she never says who emilie is. hmmm... santa monica had nicole sciacca from YAS (as in yoga for the "no sanskrit no granola" athletes). brentwood had jen pastiloff from yogaco (and i had been promising jen that i'd take her class the first chance i had). and south bay had aimee (donohue, i assume) from the yogaworks down the driveway. all at 9:30am. i still had time to make one of them. any of them.

there was the option of a FREE* kundalini class at the new truekundalini in west LA (* "free" because they had an opening special of $1 for unlimited yoga for 2 weeks, and i had already paid my buck when i took patrick lacho's class the other day). there was a "yoga aquatics" class at 10:30am. cool! and i had even more time to sit around and veg before that class.

there was also the opening special at the green yogi in manhattan beach (another new yoga studio!). all classes FREE from oct 3rd through the 12th. mary fanto (who clued me in about the new studio last week) was teaching an all-levels class at 11:15am. an even later class!

then there was my dilemma about the FREE acroyoga class for teachers with lara catone and sarah vosen at rising lotus in sherman oaks. lara had sent me a note about the class, which i took to be a personal invitation. but then again, because i know so many yoga teachers here in LA, many people automatically assume i'm one, too. but i'm not. and since the class title had "for teachers" in it, was i then excluded from the participant pool? the class would go for three hours starting at 12:30pm. so did i feel gutsy enough to drive all the way over the hill and crash the class? did i feel like waiting for FOUR hours before taking a yoga class? what if i somehow got distracted before then and missed class altogether?

what to do? where to go? or should i just go back to bed?

indecision. argh.

just then, a status update popped up from yonnus becker at studio surya yoga in venice: "Nianna (Bray) is teaching her first class today @ 10:30am. As a gift of gratitude, this class will be free to all of the Studio Surya community. Come out and welcome her."

and right after that, a tweet came in from the baby's badass burgers food truck: "BABY'S ESTIMATED TOA AT ABBOT KINNEY IS NOON TODAY. PLEASE COME SAY HI AND ENJOY OUR DELISH MANEATERS-HALF LB BURGER WITH LETTUCE, TOMATO ..."

at that moment, the skies opened up, the sun shone down on me, and i heard the voice of god (or at least someone pretending to be him) saying: "get thee on your bike, go to nianna's class at surya, then head down to the brig after class for delicious veggie sliders and sweet potato fries!"

so i did.

and god must've known better, because when i got to class, i found out that our class consisted of four male students... and me, the lone female :) it was such a thrill being surrounded by all that testosterone! :)

now that i've gotten my yoga practice in for the day (including some vegan chocolate chip cookies and some hot chai tea that nianna brought to class) AND had an extremely filling and satisfying lunch, i find myself back in front of my laptop, wondering how to spend the rest of my day.

argh. indecision.

yogis and bikes

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:12:00 +0000

slowly but surely, the bicycle commuting population continues to grow here in LA.

there are many reasons why more and more people are jumping on the cycling bandwagon: higher gas prices, worsening traffic problems, inadequate parking facilities. there's also the desire for cleaner air, improved physical fitness, and just being able to have fun and meet other like-minded people.

and it's through my participation in the various events organized by the LACBC, or the los angeles bicycle coalition, that i've had that chance to meet many of my fellow cyclists. or in the case of the recent LA bicycle count, a fellow yogi.

last week, almost two hundred LACBC volunteers were stationed at 50 intersections within the LA city limits. the goal: to count the number of bicyclists and pedestrians who travel through these intersections on three separate days. i was one of those volunteers; when the initial sign-up sheet was posted, i offered to work afternoons at either of the two intersections that were close to where i lived. and when the final assignment spreadsheet was handed out, i was happy to find out that i got the afternoon shifts at the intersection closest to my home -- the corner of bundy and idaho in west LA. and in a strange coincidence, a guy named yogi got the morning shifts at the same intersection.

yogi? as in a practitioner of yoga? or as in the bear? hmmm...

since there was a span of almost six hours between his shift and mine, there was no way we'd ever run into each other. too bad.

at the press conference held at the corner of lincoln and venice the first morning of the count, i thought that i might catch him there. i didn't. (shameless plug: while i was chatting with some of the other cyclists gathered on the sidewalk, a photographer for the argonaut took a picture of us and put it in last week's issue. while the article can be found online here, the photo can only be found in the print issue. my friend michael first spotted the photo, and as he put it, "You're on your bike watching other bikers hold a LA Bicycle Coalition Sign. Page 9. Your legs and hair look great." i have really nice friends, don't i?)

later that afternoon (and again the next day), i sat at my assigned corner, counting all the cyclists and pedestrians who went through the intersection. i had to keep track of the direction they were headed, the number of kids, and whether the cyclists were riding without a helmet, on the sidewalk, and/or riding on the wrong side of the street. there was also a separate count for female cyclists (the theory being that if a neighborhood is perceived to be unsafe, women will tend to avoid it). luckily for me, it was a beautiful almost-fall day and it was a treat just being able to sit outside and watch the cars and the bikes and the pedestrians go by. and remind myself every now and then to mark my tally sheet...

as compared to some of the other intersections covered during the survey, bundy and idaho is relatively quiet. during the two-hour period on each of those days, i counted an average of around a hundred bicycles and easily over twice as many pedestrians. one cyclist, after finding out what i was doing, suggested that i add a hundred more to the count so that we'd get a bike lane on that street. i told him that i would do it only if he biked back and forth through the intersection that many times. he biked away and never came back. he was no fun.

a post-count party was held saturday night at a dive bar in downtown LA. while we stood around ingesting mass quantities of pizza, beer, and red bull (who were sponsors of the soapbox races that were held around the corner earlier that afternoon), i finally ran into the elusive yogi. and when i asked him about the origin of his name, he said that it was his real name, bestowed upon him by parents who were influenced by the cartoon character, the sports legend, and their own personal lifestyle -- they were yoga practitioners.

so does yogi do any yoga? yes he does; in fact, he leads classes at the church on ocean park in santa monica. it was through psalm isadora, a mutual friend of ours, that he found that space. and in a strange coincidence, both of us were invited to her birthday party later that evening. i told him i was going... would he be there, too? he said he'd try.

how cool was it that my bicycle and yoga paths had somehow come to an intersection?

anyway, after finding and friending yogi on facebook, i decided to attend his acroyoga class earlier this evening. and despite it being a small group that showed up -- including one person playing various instruments and another videotaping as much of it as he could -- i had a great time doing some basic flying maneuvers. me definitely want more!

by the way, as of next week, yogi's acroyoga class will be immediately followed by an ecstatic dance session with some really good musicians playing some really good music... or so goes the plan. the details are still being ironed out, but here's a heads-up if you're interested:

acroyoga + ecstatic dance
church in ocean park, 235 hill street, santa monica
tuesdays at 6:15pm, starting oct 6th

6:15-8:00pm - acroyoga with yogi hendlin
8:00-10:30pm - ecstatic dance

website: http://www.ecstaticdancela.org/

parking can be an issue around the venue, especially in the evening, so you might want to join the growing ranks of bicycle commuters and leave your car at home! :)

a pescetarian's guide to the LA food truck scene

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:47:00 +0000

about a year and a half ago, i stopped eating meat.

i had my reasons -- partly to lose weight, partly in the spirit of ahimsa (non-violence to animals), partly to save the environment. but i knew that going from being a full-on carnivore to eating nothing but veggies would be a total shock to my foodie side. and i probably would be doomed to fail. so i came up with my less drastic "nothing with feet" dietary plan -- in other words, no beef, pork, chicken, turkey. everything else was ok: vegetables, dairy, eggs, fish, shrimp, crab, lobster, potato chips, cookies, ice cream, chocolate...

in short, i've turned into what people refer to as a pescetarian; more specifically, a junk-food eating one :)

i still allow myself some leeway for "meat emergencies"... like the times i'm visiting friends for dinner and there's nothing but meat on the table. or when i'm traveling and the must-try dish is mouth-watering ribs. or even the time when my friends convinced me to try guinea pig in peru (luckily, the restaurant ran out of the delicacy by the time we got there. whew!). or when i have an overwhelming need to try something i've heard so much about. like the korean bbq pork taco at the kogi truck...

by now, i'm sure you've heard the buzz about all the twittering food trucks that have been making their rounds around the LA foodie scene. while the green truck has been around for a while now, kogi was the first to post their location updates on twitter. which really makes it so much easier to keep track of them as they move around to evade the parking enforcement gestapo :(

sadly, most of these food trucks feature menus heavy on the meat. beef ribs. pork tacos. chicken curry. so what's a pescetarian like me to do?

fortunately, there are options. and if your dietary restrictions are anything like mine, here's a quick run-down of what's available out there. i've also included their websites and twitter usernames if you want to follow them. and if you want to see what they look like, click here to see my food truck slideshow (with my lime green bike tagging along at times for fun)...

asian-mexican fusion cuisine trucks:

kogi BBQ (http://www.kogibbq.com/ @kogibbq) - korean-mexican; they have kimchee tofu tacos and burritos as well as kimchee quesadillas. i made the mistake of trying the pork tacos just to see what the buzz was all about, and i have to admit that since then, the tofu variety pales in comparison :( be prepared to wait in a long line, though. since this is THE truck that everyone knows about, crowds rush to it as soon as they hear it's going to make an appearance...

calbi BBQ (http://www.calbibbq.com/ @calbiBBQ) - korean-mexican; the menu is similar to kogi's, but besides the usual tofu tacos and kimchi quesadillas (which are tastier than kogi's, imho), calbi also has shrimp tacos. yum! and much shorter lines. yay!

bool BBQ (http://www.boolbbq.com/ @boolBBQ) - korean-mexican; sadly, all their menu items are meat-based, so the only option right now is a kimchi quesadilla, hold the meat. i had the chicken pastel once... yes, i cheated, but it was SO worth it!

bull kogi (http://www.kimchibulkogi.com/ @bullkogi) - korean-mexican; they don't tweet much. in fact, i just happened to find them as i was checking out the miracle mile lunch scene. the tofu taco was excellent -- big chunks of tofu topped with crunchy cabbage kimchi. there's a burrito version available, too.

don chow tacos (http://www.donchowtacos.com/ @donchowtacos) - chinese-mexican; try the soy-ginger tofu tacos and burritos. every now and then they have chow fun on special. when that happens, don't think twice -- order the shrimp chow fun stat! btw, the owners of don chow have regular day jobs, so you can usually find the truck hanging around the late-night bar scene.

LA fuxion (http://www.lafuxion.com/ @LA_FuXion) - asian-latin; i should point out that "X" in spanish is pronounced "sh", so be careful! ;) the first thing you notice is the quirky menu featuring XOGOGI, XOGALBI, XOCY, XEN, XUNA, and XOFU. once you get over all those X's, order the XUNA tostada, which is a sauced-up tuna sashimi on a crispy tortilla. if you don't do raw fish, get the XOFU taco, tostada, or burrito. they're spiced really nicely. gian and nick are really friendly guys who run the truck when they're not running around their respective college campuses.

ethnic street food trucks:

marked5 (http://www.marked5.com/ @Marked5) - japanese; the torakku V is a tofu/egg patty (plus lettuce and tomato) smothered in a tasty torakku sauce sandwiched between two rice "buns" and wrapped in seaweed. the trick is figuring out how to eat it without getting the sauce on your hands... because you'll want to savor all of it! i just heard that tran now has a salmon "burger" on special; i need to try it while i can!

fishlips sushi (http://www.fishlips-sushi.com/ @fishlips_sushi) - japanese; this rolling sushi truck is a delight to the eyes as well as the belly! the sushi chef on board assembles the rolls and temari balls only as they're ordered. the fish is pretty fresh; there was one day when they canceled their scheduled stop because they couldn't find fish they considered good enough to serve. and as far as i know, they serve nothing but seafood, so there are lots of menu options! i've tried the california roll, the spicy tuna roll, the crunchy roll, the yellowtail temari, the...

skewers on wheels (http://www.skewersonwheels.com/ @SKEWERSONWHEELS) - japanese-inspired; gabino serves all kinds of teriyakied meat on sticks (hence the name). and also on rice in bowls. so if you have a hankering for a chicken bowl or a beef bowl, his food will make you plenty happy. and i should know, because i scarfed down an entire chicken bowl and didn't feel the least bit guilty about it... because they had NO veggie options and i was VERY hungry!

india jones chow truck (http://www.indiajoneschowtruck.com/ @indiajonesct) - indian; honestly, i haven't found anything yet on chef sumant's truck that i didn't like. while there are the requisite meat options on the menu to keep the carnivores coming back, there are many choices to keep vegheads like me happy -- paneer frankies, veggie curries, channa masala, potato parathas, and more!

dosa (http://www.dosatruck.com/ @dosatruck) - indian; lena is from the local yoga scene, so she and i had much to talk about when we first met. every now and then, she'll park outside one of the yoga studios on main street in santa monica, hoping to catch yogis as they leave class. there are masala dosas, spinach/mushroom/cheese dosas, sweet potato dosas, samosas and an occasional smattering of veggie specials.

nom nom (http://www.nomnomtruck.com/ @nomnomtruck) - vietnamese; there's pretty much only one veggie option: the lemongrass tofu banh mi sandwich... which i'm addicted to! there's also a taco version, but as far as i'm concerned, the roll wins over the tortilla. and don't forget their iced coffee... it's a great way to fight the need for a post-lunch nap :)

border grill (www.bordergrill.com/bg_t/bg_twel.htm @BorderGrill) - mexican; this is the mobile version of their restaurant right off the 3rd street promenade in santa monica. they have gourmet-quality tacos (fish, avocado, potato), quesadillas (chile, mushroom), tamales (mahi-mahi, corn), and ceviche, with gourmet prices to match. whatever you do decide to order, make sure you add on an order of churro bites. with the cinnamon and whipped cream on top, they're to die for!

good-old american grub trucks:

green truck (http://www.greentruckonthego.com/ @Green_Truck) - organic; i suppose you could say the green truck was one of the pioneers of the "not your usual roach coach" band of food trucks. they'd already been appearing at location shoots and special events for some time before they started to make regular appearances on the street. while they specialize in organic vegetarian food, they also serve items with free-range chicken and niman ranch beef. their signature dish is the mother trucker, a vegan burger that they make themselves. while it's a bit squishier than your usual veggie burger, it tastes wonderful! the falafel wrap is just as good, and if sweet potatoes are in season, make sure you order their sweet potato fries! and like every other place that sells organic stuff, their prices tend to be higher. sigh.

let's be frank (http://www.letsbefrankdogs.com/ @letsbefrank) - hot dogs; while technically not a truck, this trailer is almost as large. while everyone raves about the beef and pork dogs, vegheads will be perfectly content with their veggie dog. top it with grilled onions and organic sauerkraut, squeeze on some spicy mustard, and you'll swear you'll never eat anyone else's dog again.

south philly experience (http://www.southphillyexperience.com/ @SouthPhillyExp) - philadelphia-inspired food; two cousins from south jersey started the truck because they couldn't find decent cheesesteaks here in LA. of course, i had to see for myself if they came anywhere close to the real thing, so i called a "meat emergency" and ordered a cheesesteak wiz wit (with cheese whiz and grilled onions). and honestly, it's about as good as the stuff you get at pat's, geno's, and jim's back in philly. with that finally out of my system, i got the eggplant with broccoli rabe on my next visit and swore that it tasted even better than the cheesesteak! don't forget to pick up a tastykake (the butterscotch krimpet's my favorite) while you're there :)

barbie's Q (http://www.barbiesq.com/ @BarbiesQ) - BBQ; in my mind, there is only one thing to order off john's truck, whether or not you're vegetarian -- the applewood-smoked veggie burger! this is no ordinary VB; he smokes a garden burger, chops it up, smothers it in BBQ sauce, then shovels it into a sub roll. my mouth is watering as i write this...

LA BBQ guy (http://www.labbqguy.com/ @labbqguy) - BBQ; look for the black truck with "Spring Street Smoke House" painted in large flaming letters across the side. once again, i had to call a "meat emergency" and take a few bites from what my friends ordered only because there was absolutely nothing vegetarian on the menu. except for maybe the coleslaw and hush puppies. oh well.

chef on wheels BBQ (http://www.chefonwheelscatering.com/ @chefonwheelsBBQ) - hawaiian-inspired BBQ; this is the kind of food you'd probably find in hawaii -- ribs, tri-tip, pulled pork, loco mocos -- but i usually order either the shrimp or fish taco. the nice thing about this truck is that it parks in almost the same spot every day for lunch... right around the corner from where i live. and if you remember the word of the day (which he tweets), you get a treat for FREE with your order!

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

get shaved (http://www.getshavedice.com/ @getshaved) - hawaiian-style shaved ice; kristin and her husband pat are two of the happiest and friendliest people i've ever met on a food truck. maybe it's because they don't have to stand over a hot fryer. or maybe because they get to spend all their time schmoozing with customers. anyway, the best thing about eating shaved ice is that not only is it refreshingly delicious on a hot summer day, but it is totally vegan! and fat-free! i've tried almost every flavor of syrup they have. as well as every add-on: ice cream, sweet azuki beans, condensed milk, and the sour spray (the ice cream and condensed milk are obviously dairy products, so not vegan). you really can't go wrong with anything you get!

coolhaus (http://www.eatcoolhaus.com/ @COOLHAUS) - gourmet ice cream sandwiches; ok, i've decided that anyone who works on a dessert truck is happy and friendly. natasha and freya always greet me with a big smile whenever i pop by to order one of their massive culinary delights. while they do claim to serve architecturally-themed ice cream sandwiches named after famous architects, the only thing artistic is the way their homemade cookies balance nicely on either side of the large scoop of creamy ice cream. besides the usual vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream choices, they sometimes offer matcha green tea, chai, sea salt caramel, guiness stout, toffee coffee, and other flavors one only fantasizes about. oh, and because freya is one of my people (she's a filipina, like me), she always has at least one tropical flavor that reminds me of my childhood :)

king kone (http://www.kingkone.net/ @kingkonela) - soft serve ice cream; like other ice cream trucks that drive up and down residential streets in search of customers, teddy doesn't stay parked in one spot very long. when you do find him (sometimes after having to scout around a bit), you can help yourself to all kinds of concoctions featuring soft serve ice cream: cones, floats, shakes, and sundaes. lowfat it definitely isn't, but when you want to treat yourself to something decadent, order a rocky mountain cone; it's ice cream on a cone, dipped in thick chocolate (none of that cheap chocolate shell stuff), and rolled in almonds. i had one and thought i'd died and gone to heaven...

there are a few more trucks that i have yet to try and probably many more on the horizon. i'm sure i'll get around to checking them all out sooner or later, and when i do, i'll fill you in on what i find!

update: i've visited even more trucks since i posted this; check out veg-head LA food truck guide, part 2 for more truck love :)

aparigraha and bikram yoga

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:52:00 +0000

aparigraha, or non-possessiveness, is the fifth yama described in patanjali's yoga sutras. it means to take only what is necessary and not to take advantage of a situation or act greedily.

strangely enough, despite the fact that aparigraha is an important precept of yoga, why does bikram choudhury, the founder of bikram yoga, feel the need to acquire even more money than he already has?

here are excerpts from an article i recently found on forbes.com; click on the title to access the article in its entirety:

Bikram Yoga's New Twists
by Maureen Farrell - Forbes Magazine dated September 21, 2009

Bikram Choudhury's sweaty techniques are a hit with yoga studios. Now he wants his cut.

What's a yogi's ride of choice? If you're Bikram Choudhury--the short, chiseled and youthfully radiant 62-year-old inventor of "Bikram Yoga"--it could be one of his several dozen Rolls-Royces or Bentleys, fine complements to his 8,000-square-foot mansion in Beverly Hills. His taste in food is more modest: Choudhury says he subsists on one small high-protein meal after midnight and less than three hours of sleep, though he does have an appetite for diamond-encrusted Rolex watches.

Choudhury's yoga routine involves a 90-minute series of 26 poses and two breathing exercises performed in 105-degree rooms. About 350 U.S. studios market Bikram Yoga classes--under the condition that instructors survive a nine-week training course hosted by Choudhury's company, Bikram's Yoga College of India. The boot camp includes several steamy sessions per day; graduates say vomiting and/or intravenous rehydration are common (Choudhury claims he's never witnessed either). Recent training costs: $10,500 per session, including $3,000 for room and board in Palm Desert, Calif. At two sessions a year, each of which draw about 325 trainees, that's $4.9 million in annual revenue. To that add 15 speaking engagements, generating about $20,000 each in ticket sales, plus another few bucks from books and dvds. "I'm a yogi, not a businessman," Choudhury demurs.

That yogi now wants another revenue stream: franchising fees paid by studios that use his name. His alternative is to have lawyers send threatening letters to all studios who sell Bikram Yoga without paying for training. "I can't afford to pay the lawyer bills anymore," he laments. In August Choudhury mailed out a 150-page franchise disclosure document to all affiliated studios demanding their signatures within 60 days of the mailing date.

Under the terms, existing studios would cough up 1% of their revenue in royalties, while new ones would pay 5% or $1,000 a month, whichever is greater. New studios would also fork over $10,000 in startup costs--not including instructor training--and $400 per month to cover advertising, Web site development and other overhead. Owners that don't sign on must give up the right to use Choudhury's name and techniques. "So many people are stealing Bikram Yoga," he says. "It's like you're practicing medicine, but you're not a doctor."

Choudhury has fought to capture more value for years. Since 1978 he has secured eight copyrights covering a series of poses and instructor scripts, and in 2002 trademarked "Bikram Yoga" (along with variations on the name). That same year Choudhury sued a Costa Mesa, Calif. studio that used the Bikram name but did not employ teachers formally trained by him, for copyright infringement. Following a federal district court ruling that leaned Choudhury's way, the studio paid an undisclosed sum and agreed not to run Bikram-style classes.

Choudhury's threat might not only lack teeth but might also invite lawsuits coming the other way, says Philip Zeidman, a franchise lawyer at dla Piper. That's because the Federal Trade Commission could claim Choudhury has been operating as a franchise for decades by letting others use his name, asking for a degree of control and requiring affiliates to pay for the privilege (via those training sessions). Studio owners could potentially sue Choudhury for operating as a franchise without proper documentation. (Choudhury's lawyer James Ullman, of Greenberg Traurig, says that the yogi's affiliation agreements do not constitute franchise relationships.)

check out the flyer for the fall 2009 teacher training class in las vegas which has bikram clothed in a form-fitting leather top and leaning against what i assume to be one of his rolls-royces. if he manages to convince all the bikram studio owners to cough up the new franchising fees, the flyer for the next teacher training session could find him draped in an even more exotic animal skin and leaning against his own personal jet...

when burning man meets woodstock

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:52:00 +0000

or at least that's my impression of how the bhakti festival held this weekend in joshua tree, from sept 11th thru 13th, is going to turn out.

picture a bunch of yogis blissfully chanting for three days in the desert heat, starting at noon friday, ending around 10:30pm sunday. non-stop. imagine hot sunny days turning into warm starry nights. and the chanting continues. on and on and on. i can see it now -- i'll be surrounded by a throng of sweaty bodies clapping their hands and whirling about ecstatically. and soon, i'll find myself caught up in the group call and response... and call... and response... and call... and response...

i'm already delirious, and i haven't even left LA yet :)

here are the musicians scheduled to perform at this weekend's bhaktifest: chaitanya, annmarie solo, krishna's kirtan, joey lugassy, wynne paris, suzanne sterling, dave stringer, MC yogi, larisa stow & shakti tribe, arjun baba, tony khalife, prema mayi, masood ali khan, montino bourbon, dana-dharma devi, abhiram, saul david raye, jaya lakshmi, govindas & radha, donna de lory, sean johnson & the wild lotus band, wade imre morrisette, wah!, jai uttal, gaura vani & as kindred spirits, MC yogi (again!), shantala, chris morro, zat baraka, andrew zenoff, hanuman chalisas, ullas fowler, amma bhajan band, damian rose prayer bowls, lalita lily diamond, mukti, amritakripa, girish, temple bhajan band, shyamdas, geoffrey gordon, karnamrita das... and the festival will end with an all-star kirtan jam! jai ma!

and of course, what's a yogi event without some yoga? there will be classes held throughout the day, taught by marjan jai ran, kristin olson, saul david raye, mark whitwell, shiva rea, joan white, kasey luber, rainbeau mars, sara ivanhoe, and govindas & radha. and to cap off the event, all those who have signed up for the yoga aid challenge (including yours truly) will be led through a mala of 108 sun salutations on sunday afternoon. yes, after being sleep-deprived the entire weekend. should be interesting, don't you think?

anyway, before i close this off and get ready for bed -- me and my carpool buddy nanci are hoping for an early start tomorrow to beat the rush-hour traffic -- i should probably fill you in on the ongoing saga of my personal yoga month challenge, i.e., yoga at a different studio every day in september...

day 4, friday - i did my first mala of 108 sun salutes for the month (that's right... FIRST for the month) at yogaglo in santa monica. it was a donation class, with proceeds going towards yoga aid and yogamonth, team-taught by LA-based teachers annie carpenter, mark blanchard, kia miller, tamal dodge, joan hyman, tommy rosen, and ally hamilton. while we basically did surya A's the entire time (except for when mark decided that he wanted to lead us through a more challenging power flow instead), everyone had a different teaching style. so it seemed more fun than monotonous. or tedious. in fact, i'm not quite convinced that we actually did all 108. i'll need to watch the rebroadcast on the yogaglo site (click here for a preview) to count and see how many i actually did!

day 5, saturday - my original plan was to attend the yoga+exhibit event at yogaglo, which was robert sturman's Impressions of Yoga: The Radiant Spirits photographic exhibit paired with a yoga class taught by his wife, marlize joubert. but since that would be put me in the same yoga studio two days in a row, i felt compelled to take that class PLUS another one. so after my run saturday morning near the santa monica pier, i headed out to yoga works main street, also in santa monica, and took a level 2 class with birgitte kristen, a highly-regarded YW teacher-trainer. needless to say, after running in the heat, transitioning to a 90-minute yoga class, then taking yet another yoga class (a level 2/3 at that!), all i wanted to do was lay in savasana until the next morning. and if it weren't for the barbecue that was held right outside yogaglo's front door, i probably would have stayed put on my mat overnight because -- guess what -- i was going to take yet another class at yogaglo the next morning!

day 6, sunday - once a month, marc holzman teaches his guerilla yoga classes at yogaglo in santa monica instead of his usual venue at the hollywood dance center. so, of course, the opportunity was a no-brainer for me, only because instead of my having to drive for half an hour all the way out to hollywood, all i ended up doing was bike less than five minutes down the street. and while i knew full well that it would mean yet another class at yogaglo, i love marc and the anusara community so much that i just had to do it. like i said last week, i was going to give myself credit for a guerilla yoga class. besides, there was no way i was going to do another double, especially since i was still tired from the day before :(

day 7, monday - ah, the labor day holiday... there were enough yoga studios open that day that i had a slew of classes to choose from. including dan ward's class at yogaco in santa monica on the third street promenade. dan had sent me a facebook friend request some time ago, and since i don't usually make it a habit to "friend" people i've never met, i thought it was about time i made his acquaintance. luckily, dan didn't have us labor too much through his power yoga flow. or did it just seem that way because i allowed myself the luxury of sleeping in that day and getting some much-needed rest? hmmm...

day 8, tuesday - on my calendar for the day was another must-do class: a donation yin yoga class taught by LA yoga editor felicia tomasko, with live drum and flute music provided by marla leigh. the proceeds were going to benefit marla's rhythms in peace project. there was one catch, though. it was going to be held at yogaglo yet AGAIN. but also on my calendar for the day was a task to drop off global mala flyers at various yoga studios around town. so to kill two birds with one stone, i decided i was going to take a class at one of the studios while i was doing my rounds. as good as my intentions were, though, it was never to be; i got a late start and ended up skipping the extra class altogether. but since i DID stop and park my car at a bunch of studios, i gave myself credit for karuna yoga and yummy yoga in los feliz, earth's power yoga in hollywood, dancing shiva yoga and liberation yoga in los angeles, and u studio yoga in miracle mile. hey, i can make up my own rules, can't i? :)

day 9, wednesday - i was exhausted. i knew it. my body knew it. so i ended up taking a gentle yoga class: leslie kazadi's therapeutics class at truyoga in santa monica. the experience was so gentle that i didn't even have to hop on my bike to get to class; all i had to do was walk a couple of blocks to join leslie and her small band of loyal students. all of us had our own issues that morning, from bad backs to bad knees to bad shoulders. and leslie was able to cater to all our needs. and inject some humor into the process, too. i keep telling myself that i should go to her class more often. and after the craziness of this whole month is over, i probably won't just want to -- i'll need to!

day 10, thursday - and that brings me to today. i was invited to a book-reading session with dave romanelli and his new book, Livin' the Moment at the topo ranch store in venice. and while i'd already been to a similar event when his book was first released earlier this year, i was enticed to go because of dave's promise of FREE wine and chocolate. and maybe even a deal on organic clothing. besides, he asked nicely :) so i ended up stopping by exhale venice to take jo tastula's class on my way to dave's event. it actually felt good to spend some time with the aussie goddess at one of my "home" studios. by the way, jo also teaches at yogaglo... and i swear it's just a coincidence...

anyway, like i said earlier, i'm headed to the 3-day bhaktifest tomorrow. and looking at the clock, i should've been asleep a long time ago. so i'm going to be cutting out here.

have a great weekend, and i'll see you at the other end!

yoga classes in LA, without all the stress

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:16:00 +0000

a few weeks ago, i was asked by the editor of Free L.A.: The Ultimate Free Fun Guide to the City of Angels to write a blog post for its companion website, freefunguides.com. i gladly agreed to send in something, and after finally being able to clear my calendar just long enough for me to write that post, i've come up with an initial draft. so if you have any additions, corrections, and/or comments, i'd appreciate hearing from you. thanks!

here it is:

FREE and Affordable Yoga Classes in LA!

Every day of the week, somewhere in your neck of the woods, there's a FREE yoga class that's perfect for you -- you just need to know where to find it!

You might want to start with a nearby yoga studio; most yoga studios offer a "First Class FREE" deal to new students. Some may restrict the offer to locals, although the definition of "local" can mean anything from a resident of the same city to a resident of the same state! A number of studios also offer FREE introductory classes to newbie yoga students. All these offers are meant to give you a taste of the facilities, the teachers, the classes, and maybe even the other students. The hope is that you'll like the studio so much that you'll want to come back... as a paying student, of course. But not to worry; there usually are discounts available if you belong to a group (like KCRW, students, and seniors) or if you buy a series of classes. Just make sure to ask if your prepaid classes have an expiration date; in most cases, you'll forfeit them if you don't redeem them quickly enough.

(Pardon the shameless plug, but I have a nice list -- and map, too! -- of LA yoga studios on my blogsite, The Accidental Yogist, along with links to their websites.)

FREE yoga classes are also offered on weekends (usually on Sunday mornings) at all lululemon athletica locations around town. Here are their locations in the LA area; click on the store name to access its community events page:

lululemon Beverly Hills - 334 North Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills

lululemon Brentwood - 11920 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles

lululemon Calabasas - 4719 Commons Way, Calabasas (at the Commons)

lululemon Glendale - 233 South Brand Blvd, Glendale (at the Americana)

lululemon Pasadena - 110 West Colorado Blvd, Pasadena

lululemon Santa Monica - 331 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica

lululemon South Bay - 2008A East Park Place, El Segundo (at Plaza El Segundo)

You might also want to consider going to a donation-based yoga studio. Donation-based means you should give what you can comfortably afford to pay for the classes you take. There may be times when you're so broke that a dollar is all you can spare, and there may be times when you can easily pay the suggested amount (usually around $14) or more. What you choose to give is entirely between you and the donation box. Keep in mind that the teachers make their living from what ends up in that box at the end of class, so as long as they can continue to make ends meet from your contributions, they will continue to be there for your yoga class needs.

Bryan Kest's Power Yoga studio in Santa Monica was one of the earliest proponents of donation-based classes. It's because of this that most of the donation-based studios seem to be clustered around Santa Monica, although there are a few places that have opened closer to Downtown. Here are some yoga studios to get you started; click on the studio name to access its website:

Bryan Kest's Power Yoga East - 522 Santa Monica Blvd, 2nd Floor, Santa Monica

Bryan Kest's Power Yoga West - 1410 2nd St, Santa Monica

Bhakti Yoga Shala - 207 Arizona Ave, Santa Monica

YogaCo - 1408 Third Street Promenade, 3rd Floor, Santa Monica

Yogis Anonymous - 1221 2nd St, Santa Monica

Guerilla Yoga - at the Hollywood Dance Center, 817 North Highland Ave, Hollywood

Shakti Box – 4640 Franklin Ave, Los Feliz

Yoga Circle Downtown - 400 South Main St, Lobby Level, Los Angeles

As with all yoga classes, please show up for class dressed in clothing that will allow you to move comfortably. You will also be expected to take your shoes off at the door, so consider wearing footwear that can easily be slipped on and off. Many locations have yoga mats available for a nominal rental fee, although if you bring your own mat, you'll know that you were the only one whose sweat has touched its surface! It's best if you refrain from eating at least two hours before class -- just imagine yourself twisting and bending with a full belly, and you'll understand why. And please don't forget to turn off your cell phone before class starts!

Yoga is a great stress reliever, and knowing that yoga CAN be affordable will help reduce that stress even more!

sure doesn't feel like the last day of summer...

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 00:26:00 +0000

i'm not sure who designated the labor day holiday as the official end of summer; all i know is that with the heat wave we're currently going through, it's going to be a loooong while before summer's really over here in LA!

speaking of the labor day holiday, here's a quick recap of the holiday schedules at yoga studios around town (see sidebar for links to studio websites):

aanand saagar, venice
Yoga Class with Meghan McDonough
Monday, September 7th 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Suggested Donation $10
Intimate Class with lots of individual attention. The most important thing to me in a class is that you walk away feeling inspired, aware and peaceful. The practice is gentle and challenging, specifically geared toward the individuals needs to maintain balance and achieve their own personal goals.
'Remember to laugh, cause you are always on your path'
http://www.aanandsaagar.com/

alive and well, hermosa beach
Closed for Labor Day

angel city yoga, studio city
Monday Sept 7th - Labor Day Schedule
7:15-8:25am Kevin O'Kane - Easy Yoga
8:30-10:00am Shosha Bottoms - Easier Yoga
10:30-11:45am Shosha Bottoms - Special Conditions Rope Wall and PreNatal
12:00-1:15pm Io Bottoms - All Levels Vinyasa

awareness center, pasadena
Labor Day, Monday Sept. 7th
CLOSED for regular classes.

back for yoga, el segundo
WE ARE CLOSED ON LABOR DAY 9/7 AND OPEN FRI, SAT & SUN!

beach yoga with brad keimach, santa monica
Beach Yoga with Brad x 3 this weekend! Labor Day, too!
Yes, indeed! Saturday, Sunday AND Monday (Labor Day!) we will meet on the beach for a deep breathing, heart opening Beach Yoga practice!
Join us this weekend for 3 memorable mornings of yoga and fellowship. Here are the details:
WHEN: Every Saturday and Sunday, 10:30-12, and this Monday!
WHERE: Santa Monica. Walk up Marine Street, all the way to the water's edge, by lifeguard station #29. I'll be there to welcome you!
COST: Donation.
BRING: Large towel, or mat. Sunscreen! Your great spirit! A sense of adventure and beauty!

bhakti yoga shala, santa monica
There will be no changes in our yoga class schedule for Labor Day, Monday September 7

black dog yoga, sherman oaks
Labor Day September 7:
8:45a-10:15a Hatha Flow II Dice Iida-Klein
9:30a-10:55a Hatha Flow I Sigrid Matthews
10:30a-11:55a Anusara-inspired II-III Jenny Brill
11:00a-12:30p Deep Stretch, All Levels Heidi Kaufman

city yoga, west hollywood
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th - MODIFIED SCHEDULE
8:30-10:00am basics with Anthony Benenati
9:00-10:30am mixed with Rebecca Benenati
10:30-noon mixed with Tara Judelle

earth's power yoga, los angeles
Labor Day Monday the 7th just one Class at 10:30 am. All classes this weekend are on going.

echo park yoga, echo park
Early Morning Kundalini is in session for the brave tomorrow! 6:15 AM
Start the day off early and get the most out of your holiday
http://echoparkyoga.com/echo-park-yoga/

exhale center for sacred movement, venice
We will be open for classes on Labor Day with the following class schedule:
9am-10:25am Level 2/3 with Shiva Rea
9:15am-10:40am Level 1 with Kerianne Telford
10:30-12:15pm Level 2/3 with Saul David Raye
10:45-12:10pm Level 1/2 with Matthew Cohen
12:30-2:00pm Level 1/2 with Ashley Turner
12:30-2:00pm Music Yoga Flow with David Romanelli
12:45- 2:10pm Level 2/3 with Brad Keimach

free spirit yoga, long beach
Labor Day Classes with Lonne:
9:10am Free Chant
9:30am Level 1 class
11:00am All Levels

garden of yoga, woodland hills
We will be closed on Labor Day - Monday, September 7th.

glendale yoga, glendale
Laura will teach an All Levels class from 10:00-11:30am.
This will be the only class on this Monday.

goda yoga, culver city
Labor Day Schedule - Monday, September 7
10:30 - 12:00 pm Mixed Level with Jules
4:30 - 6:00 pm Flow with Nathalie

golden bridge yoga, hollywood
Monday, September 7th 10:00am - 12:00pm
Labor Day Class: Expanding into your Excellence with Tej Kaur
Cost: 20.00
We all have a destiny we have been given to grow towards, and we all have an inner calling that reflects a bright and beautiful ray of light of the Infinite.
That inner connection can become so bright & peaceful that you can wake up another person just with your glow. When your own Vastness is awakened in you, your presence will speak.
As the consciousness is elevated, we are given the courage, organization and one pointedness to find our direction. With the help of Kundalini Yoga and Deep Meditation, we can decide how the next chapter of our lives will look, and move towards our own Greatness.
Join us as we awaken the psyche towards the next great adventure of our own unfolding.
PLEASE NOTE THIS WILL BE THE ONLY CLASS HELD ON LABOR DAY.

happy me yoga, redondo beach
WE WILL BE CLOSED FOR LABOR DAY (Monday)
We will have class on Saturday!

heartbeat house, atwater village
We will be closed Monday 9/7 in observance of the Labor Day Holiday.

home simply yoga, santa monica
All classes cancelled on Monday, Sept 7th

the hub, west los angeles
The Hub will be closed for Labor Day, Monday September 7th.

in focus wellness institute, santa monica
Mon September 7 Classes (only yoga classes listed)
8:00 - 9:00 AM Yoga Naga (advanced) Nisha Rodrigo

in the mudra yoga and dance, canoga park
NO CLASSES MONDAY SEPTEMBER 7th

iyengar institute, los angeles
On Monday, September 7th
9:30AM - 11:30am, All Levels Class with Garth McLean
(Regular classes are canceled on that day.)

ja yoga, long beach
Closed Labor Day Weekend - Sat Sun Mon
(Sorry for any Inconvenience)

karen shuman's beyond yoga, sherman oaks
Karen Shuman's Yoga will only be having 1 class on Labor Day:
11:00-12:30 PM Gentle Hatha Flow Karen S.
All other classes will be at their regular scheduled time over the weekend.

liberation yoga, los angeles
We will be open all weekend as usual and have a shortened schedule for Monday as follows:
8-10am - Ashtanga with Joel Bender// 10-11:30am - Iyengar with Pagan// 10-11:30am All levels Vinyasa Flow with Elle Larson// 11:30am-1:00pm - Level 1 with Lynn Taylor
EVERYTHING IN THE BOUTIQUE WILL BE 50% OFF FOR MONDAY ONLY!!! Store hours will be 8am-2:00pm!

maha yoga, brentwood
Monday Sep 07
7:00:00 AM Mysore Ashtanga Jorgen Christiansson
9:15:00 AM All Levels Anne Israel
11:00:00 AM Level 2&3 Steve Ross

mission street yoga, south pasadena
Schedule for 9/7/2009:
09:00AM Level 2 Jennifer Webster
10:30AM Basics Nancy Kyes

rising lotus yoga, sherman oaks
Mon September 7 Classes
9:00 - 10:30 AM Mixed Level Flow Claire Hartley
9:30 - 11:00 AM Easy Does It Karen Rosales
10:35 - 12:05 PM Level 1 Sarah Bergman
12:15 - 1:15 PM Lunch Flow (Mixed Level) Michelle Goldstein

santa monica yoga, santa monica
Closed Monday September 7 for Labor Day

shanti shala, los angeles
This weekend we have a special Schedule:
Sunday: 11AM Mysore Ashtanga (as usual)
Monday - Labor Day: 8AM Intro to Second Series, 10 AM Mysore Class
RSVP for any of our classes at shantishala@gmail.com

silver lake yoga, silverlake
There will only be one class on Monday, Sept. 7: All-Levels Flow taught by Dana from 10-11:30 a.m.
All other classes will be canceled.

still yoga, silverlake
Mon September 7 Classes
9:00 - 10:30 AM all levels anusara-inspired Hagar Harpak
12:30 - 2:00 PM all levels anusara-inspired Tony Giuliano

studio surya yoga, venice
Come do a little holiday yoga with Yonnus Becker! 9am, 11am, 2pm, 6pm and 7:30pm

swerve studio, los angeles
Special Labor Day Schedule (only yoga classes listed)
Saturday 9/5:
10:00am Yoga Booty Ballet with Teigh
2:45pm Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Courtney Munch
Sunday 9/6:
10:00am Yoga Booty Ballet with Lauren Haze
Monday 9/7:
10:00am Yoga Booty Ballet with Lauren Haze
12:30pm Vinyasa Flow Yoga (Community - $9) with Masha Sapron

tenth gate yoga, los angeles
Please join us for two SPECIAL LABOR DAY WEEKEND CLASSES -
SAT 9/5 10-11:30 AM
MON 9/7 9-10:30 AM
Both classes are 90 minutes long, include ROPE YOGA, and cost $20.

truyoga, santa monica
Tru has a Labor Day class with Jen at 1:00 on Monday!!

u studio, miracle mile
Labor Day Weekend at U Studio
Friday 9/4-- 5:30pm Andrea
Saturday 9/5-- 10:30am Nikki
Sunday 9/6-- 10:30am Nikki
Monday 9/7-- 10:30am Renee
(Back to regular schedule Tues 9/8)

urth yoga, silverlake
Mon September 7 Classes
8:30 - 10:00 AM Basics - Anusara Inspired Gabe Hendrie
10:30 - 12:00 PM Mixed Levels - Anusara Inspired Jennifer Gaecke

YAS, silverlake
ALL YAS Locations will be OPEN 1/2 DAY on MONDAY!! (Labor Day)

YAS, venice
YAS Venice is OPEN for 1/2 day on Labor Day with the following schedule:
YOGA for ATHLETES® - 8:30am-1-2 with Denis, 10:00am-All Levels with Kimberly
YAS Class - 11:15am-Julie
We will be closed in the evening.

yoga at the village, glendale
We are open as usual Labor Day Weekend

yoga bindu, san pedro
Our student teachers are graciously offering three classes over Labor Day weekend, donating all proceeds to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital and San Pedro Animal Shelter!
The only classes offered Labor Day weekend are as follows:
Saturday, September 5, 10 AM, All Levels - for St. Jude's
Sunday, September 6, 10 AM, All Levels - for St. Jude's
Monday, September 7, 10 AM, All Levels - for San Pedro Animal Shelter
These classes are offered on a donation basis. Bring a friend and support our excellent new teachers!

yoga blend, burbank
LABOR DAY SCHEDULE
9:30am-11:00am Level 1with Nicole
11:30am-12:45pm Gentlewith Heather
12:00pm-1:30pm Level 1-2 with Keric
All other classes are CANCELLED!
Studio Closes at 1:30pm following Level 1-2 class. Our regular schedule resumes Tuesday, Sept 8th.

yoga circle downtown, los angeles
There will be no 4:30pm class on either Saturday or Sunday.
We will be closed all day on Monday, Labor Day.

yogaco, santa monica
YogaCo will have an almost full schedule and only be cancelling a handful of classes:
Water Room
9:00-10:25am PowerFlow All Levels Kelsey - canceled for Labor Day
10:30-11:45pm Vinyasa All Levels Jay Co - canceled for Labor Day
Earth Room
7:00-8:15pm Power No Level Aras - canceled for Labor Day
8:30-9:45pm Vinyasa All Levels Ryan - canceled for Labor Day
Sky Room
9:30-10:30am Gentle Yoga All April - canceled for Labor Day
11:00-12:15pm Basics All Rachelle - canceled for Labor Day
4:30-5:30pm mini-yogis Ages 5-8 Sara - canceled for Labor Day
6:30- 7:45pm Prenatal All Maggie - canceled for Labor Day
8:00-9:30pm Tao Yin Yoga All Daniel - canceled for Labor Day

yoga darsana, alhambra
Studio closed on Labor Day

yoga desa, topanga
Yoga Desa will be CLOSED on Labor Day

yogaglo, santa monica
Classes canceled due to holiday.

yoga groove, north hollywood
There will be only one class on Labor Day!! Come join us for an all levels 10:00 am class to celebrate this special holiday!

yogahop, santa monica
Sunday, September 06:
8:15AM Summit 2/3+ - Matthew Reyes
4:00PM Summit 2/3 - Kourtney Kaas
Monday, September 07:
9:15AM Level 2/3 - Matthew Reyes
6:15PM Summit 2/3+ - Matthew Reyes

yoga house, pasadena
Yoga House will be open with regularly scheduled classes on Monday, Labor Day.

yoga kingdom sanctuary, pasadena
Remember labor day weekend , Monday: one class only at 9:30 am

yoga loft, manhattan beach
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 THRU SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6~ ALL REGULAR CLASSES WILL BE HELD
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 ~ 2 CLASSES ONLY (both 1 hour long):
8:00-9:00am Level 2/3 with Jaclyn Hinds
9:15-10:15am Level 1/2 with Amy Beausang

yoga loft, woodland hills
The studio will be closed on Monday, September 7, 2009 for Labor day. In Joy the day. Our NEW schedule begins on Tuesday September 8, 2009. The schedule is posted on the website http://www.yogaloftla.com/.

yoga madre, arcadia
Labor Day schedule update: one class only on Monday, Sept 7:
9 am all levels with René

yoga west, los angeles
There will be only one class Monday, September 7th from 9-11 am with Gurudhan Singh. The regular schedule will resume Tuesday, September 8th.

yoga works, all los angeles locations
Click studio below to see special Labor Day schedule:
Center for Yoga
Main Street
Montana Ave
Pacific Palisades
South Bay
Westwood

yoga world, long beach
We will be open for a 10:30 am All Levels class at the Los Altos Studio with Gabriel on Monday, Labor day. We will be closed the rest of the day. We will reopen with our full schedule on Tuesday September 8.

yogis anonymous, santa monica
We're open for every class at yogis anonymous!

yogi tree, toluca lake
In honor of Labor Day, we're closing the door Monday, September 7 -- lights out, "Gone Fishin'" sign on the door, taking a day off to enjoy the kids. Regular classes will go on as scheduled Saturday, September 5 and Sunday, September 6, and will resume Tuesday, September 8.

yummy yoga, los feliz
Sunday, Sept 6
10:00 AM ~ 90 minute All Levels taught by Larry Santiago
5:30 PM ~ 90 minute Level 2/3 taught by Amy Dominguez
7:15 PM ~ Restorative: Cancelled
Labor Day Monday, Sept 7
9:00 AM ~ 90 minute All Levels with Ducky and Caroline
All other classes cancelled. Celebrate safely!!!

three down, twenty seven to go

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 06:32:00 +0000

last tuesday, the first day of september and the start of yoga month 2009, i pondered the various and sundry challenges i could put myself through for the next 30 days. yoga every day? yeah, i could do that. yoga every day at a different studio every day? also doable, given that there are jillions of yoga studios in town (i exaggerate, but it sure seems like it). or how about yoga every day at a different studio every day AND get to class by bike or bus? i suppose i could try that, but i seriously doubt that'll happen...

anyway, now that we're on the third day of the month, here's how things have gone so far:

day 1, tuesday - choosing which class/studio to take was a no-brainer. with it being the opening day of the new donation-based yogis anonymous studio in santa monica, right off the third street promenade, i knew that i had to take ally hamilton's "hurts so good" class. not only did i want to show her my support (since she's the mastermind behind YA), but i also wanted to find out exactly what would hurt and how good it would hurt. apparently, there were many others who had the same thing in mind; despite the late hour (an 8:30pm start on a school night!), the room was packed with students of all shapes and sizes and abilities. as it turned out, the hardest thing for me wasn't getting through the class; rather, it was my not being able to eat dinner until after class was over! luckily, the calbi BBQ truck was parked right around the corner, so i was able to pick up a korean-mexican tofu burrito on my way home and chow down as i watched the "women in cults" WEtv episode that night...

day 2, wednesday - i promised my friend joe matias that i'd drop off some flyers for my marathon training group (the la leggers) at his running store in atwater village (a runner's circle) the first chance i had. and that first chance happened to be on the day he was off (of course, i didn't find that out until after i set foot in his store). it was all good; i actually ended up using the trip as an excuse to visit a yoga studio i hadn't been to in a while: silverlake yoga. i got there just in time for laurie parlapiano's community flow class. there were only three of us in class, so for a mere $8, i ended up in what could be considered a semi-private class. such a deal! we all received lots of hands-on attention from laurie; after i told her about my hypermobile SI joint problem, she kept a watchful eye on me to make sure i didn't do anything to aggravate the joint. learning all those do's and don'ts from her definitely made my long drive worth the time and the gas!

day 3, thursday - i had a late morning massage appointment in brentwood, so i popped by the 12:45pm all-levels class with gabi (who turned out to be a he, not a she) at maha yoga. and the hour-long class cost me only $10. score! gabi had us doing so many strength and balance poses that i was drenched in sweat by the time we were done... and i promptly rehydrated by downing an iced tea from the starbucks store downstairs, followed by an iced coffee from the nomnom bahn mi truck that i had stopped at to get lunch. yes, it's another food truck in LA :)

three down, twenty seven to go...

the month's just started, and already i have a slew of plans lined up for the rest of september:

sept 4th, friday - 108 sun salutations fundraiser class at yogaglo with kia miller, annie carpenter, ally hamilton, julian walker, tommy rosen, mark blanchard, and joan hyman. proceeds go to yoga aid and global mala.

sept 5th, saturday - art exhibit/yoga class/live music/BBQ fundraiser at yogaglo with robert sturman, marlize joubert, and masood ali khan. proceeds go to off the mat, into the world. there's also an intro to acroyoga class at the shiatsu school earlier that morning that i'm considering doing. two classes in a day? we'll see.

sept 6th, sunday - marc holzman is taking guerilla yoga on the road... and his destination: yogaglo! i know, taking three classes back-to-back at the same studio goes totally against my plan to hit a different studio every day. but in this case, i'm going to go ahead and call this third one a guerilla yoga class. which it is. so there :)

then farther out into the month:

sept 11th thru 13th, friday thru sunday - bhakti fest at joshua tree retreat center near palm springs. i'll be volunteering at this 3-day kirtan and yoga festival. and i'll be camping, too. it'll be wild! i'm halfway expecting it to be a cross between woodstock and burning man.... you never know... oh, and it'll end sunday afternoon with a series of 108 sun salutations as a fundraiser for yoga aid. yes, my second 108 in two weeks!

sept 20th, sunday - global mala celebration at the HAX hangar in hawthorne. and the main event is -- you guessed it -- another 108 sun salutes! that'll be three in a row for me in as many weeks. insane! i'm volunteering at this one, too, so if you'll be there, look for me...

it's way past my bedtime; i really should get some sleep, especially since i have those first 108 coming up in less than 14 hours. eek!

it's time to celebrate all things yoga!

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 05:30:00 +0000

after months of preparation for the big event, it's finally here: yoga month 2009!

starting in 2008, the month of september has been designated by the department of health and human services as national yoga month. in fact, the national health information center has included it on its calendar of national health observances. and we're in good company; while we're celebrating the benefits of yoga this month, we can also celebrate the merits of fruits and veggies, whole grains, sports and home eye safety, and healthy aging. after all, one can't live by yoga alone :)

back in may, i posted the details about this year's observance of national yoga month, so as not to repeat myself, here's a link to that post: september is national yoga month!

the annual global mala event that will be the highlight of the local yoga month celebration will be held on sunday, september 20th. here are the details:

Yoga Month Festival Los Angeles
Sunday, September 20th 9:00am - 7:00pm
HAX hangar (near LAX airport)
3203 Jack Northrop Ave., Hawthorne, CA

Join us at the main National Yoga Month event, a Once-A-Year-Celebration of the yoga community Sept. 20 in Los Angeles.

Exceptional yoga teachers representing the variety in yoga and inspirational speakers, empowering musicians, yoga sun salutations, kirtan music and dance performances. Also featuring green exhibitors, healthy food, entertainment, kids and family fun. This is an event you can not miss.

A FREE EVENT open to beginners and advanced yoga students. Benefiting Yoga Health Foundation's educational programs to bring yoga and health education into schools and Autism Speaks.

GLOBAL MALA SCHEDULE - Inside HAX hangar **
9:00am Festival Opening Ceremony
11:00am Global Mala Yoga for Peace Registration
12:00pm Welcome with Johannes R. Fisslinger
~ Yoga Groove Dance Performance
~ Music with Travis Eliot
~ Yoga for Kids and Youth with Leah Kalish
12:30pm Yoga and Wellness with Mariel Hemingway
~ 18 Sun Salutations with Mark Blanchard
~ 18 Sun Salutations with Kia Miller
~ Music with Tony Khalife
1:30pm 18 Sun Salutations with Beth Shaw
~ 18 Sun Salutations with Sara Ivanhoe
~ Kirtan Music with Govindas & Radha
2:30pm 18 Sun Salutations with Hala Khouri
~ 18 Sun Salutations with Saul David Raye
~ Kirtan Music with Zat Baraka
3:00pm Meditation with Saul David Raye
~ Bowls during Meditation with Michael Perricone
3:30pm Ecstatic Dance Celebration with Hemalayaa
4:00pm Closing Ceremony

** - join the yoga gives back team at the global mala as they do the 108 to raise funds for microfinance in india -- all team members will receive a limited edition YGB t-shirt! email yogagivesback@earthlink.net for more information.

LA YOGA and YOGAMATES.COM STAGE - Outdoors
9:00am Festival Opening Ceremony
Yoga classes held throughout the day
7:00pm Festival Closing Ceremony

Silent Auction 11-5pm: Bid on amazing trips, art, products or services. All benefiting charity.
* 7 Day Samasati Nature Retreat Costa Rica - value $ 1,500
* Nutone Artist CD Package - value $ 140
* Adventure Yoga Retreats Mammoth Yoga Ski Vacation - value $ 650
* Beautiful Mandala Painting - value $ 750
* 10 Shakti Mat - value $ 80 each
* and many others

Exhibits: Over 50 Yoga, Health and Wellness Exhibitors, including
LA YOGA, YOGAMATES.COM, LUCY, YOGAFIT, JADE YOGA, SHAKTI MAT, Centered Meditation, TrueBloom, Mani Mantra Mala, Zico Coco Water, EnerChi, Yoga Groove Studio, Autism Speaks, Energetic Solutions, Heaven 2 World / Ki Energy, Positive Thought Brand, Saturn3Lightflyers, Yogaworks, Be Present, Samasati Retreats Costa Rica, Nutone, Manduka, Hawaiian Spring Water, American Laser Centers, Adventure Yoga Retreats, Mandala.com / Paul Heussenstamm, Brahma Kumaris, Uganda Mala Beads, Off The Mat, Into the World, Yogi Ramesh, Omstream, LMU Extension/Yoga Studies, Lululemon, Sean O'Shea Foundation, Exhale Spa, Harmony Yoga Center, Tani Media Factory, Inc.

Kids Area: Kids yoga classes, crafts, magicians and lots of fun activities for the whole family. Special needs classes will be available.
Presented by Jules Hogan and friends from Updog DownDog Yoga

Exclusive Yoga Month Gift Bag: Donate $20 or more to receive the exclusive Yoga Month Gift Bag with books, DVDs, CDs and other yoga, health and beauty products, as well as preferred mat space in front of the stage.

another nationwide observance this month is the yoga aid challenge on the weekend of september 12th-13th. the challenge is to do 108 sun salutations to raise funds for charities such as amma, africa yoga project, foundation for women, india heritage research foundation, and 4 oneworld. here in the los angeles area, the challenge will be held at the bhakti fest in joshua tree on sunday, the 13th. that's 108 sun salutations after three days of yoga and chanting in the desert. talk about commitment!

so now that everyone's had a chance to plan for this big event, here's a quick listing of who's doing what and when this month:

Bhakti Fest, Joshua Tree
YOGA AID CHALLENGE
Sunday, September 13th 5:30pm - 7:30 pm

We are so pleased to be holding the Yoga Aid Challenge at the Bhakti Festival this year. The Yoga Aid Challenge event will be held as the concluding Yoga event at the festival.
The event will last for 2 hours and will be an all-star Bhakti Practice with Mark Whitwell, Saul David Raye, Suzanne Sterling, Sara Ivanhoe, Joan White, Rainbeau Mars, Kia Miller, MC Yogi, Govindas & Radha, Ally Hamilton, Kristin Olson, Marjan Jai Ran, Ishwari Jay and Masood Ali Khan, and many others.
100% of the proceeds benefit the charity of your choice. We ask that you raise $108 minimum before arriving at Bhakti Fest.

Awareness Center, Pasadena
FOR NEW STUDENTS attending their first class between the dates: Sept. 14th – Sept 19th
Wahe Guru will donate the proceeds of her class on Sept. 20th at 9:30am to the Global Mala Project. We are participating for the first time in an LA community project that benefits Yoga Health Foundation and Autism Speaks.

Global Mala Project Kundalini Class with Wahe Guru Kaur
Sun. Sept. 20th, 9:30 - 11:00pm
$15 or Dharma Tribe Pass

Proceeds of the class will go to the Global Mala Project, a world wide service organization. Bring your friends and family to this worthy event!

Inner Harmony Yoga, San Pedro
Mala for a Cause - Point Fermin Park
Sunday, September 20th 9:30am
... a mala is 108 opportunities to express your love...
Participants will obtain sponsors and complete rounds of yoga sun salutations for charity.
Sponsor a participant and/or join us to manifest Good Karma!

Rising Lotus Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Kirtan Mala with Daniel & Sarah for the Global Mala Peace Project
Saturday, September 19th 6:00-10:00pm (Mala begins at 6:00, Kirtan begins at 8:00)
Donation $15 for the mala or the kirtan alone, $25 for both

Join Daniel & Sarah in a Mala of 54 Sun Salutes followed by a joyous Kirtan in support of the Global Mala Project, Yoga Month & the UN International Peace Day. All proceeds go to charities that support Children here and around the world.
The Mala is limited to 35 people, the Kirtan will be open to many more! Join us for the Sun Salutations alone. Join us for the Kirtan alone. Spend the evening with and join us for to BOTH!
Join us to take our yoga off the mat and into the community for change!
This event was a huge success last year and the asana Mala will sell out quickly. Don't wait to reserve your space.

Yoga at the Village, Glendale
108 Malas: SURYA NAMASKAR (Sun Salutation) with Maya Gingery, RYT
Saturday, September 19, 2009 1:00 - 4:00pm
Suggested Donation $10 -$15

Yoga-At-The-Village will host 108 Malas, a special Yoga Month event. The 108 Malas is a guided practice of Surya Namaskar (Sun SalutationS) in 4 periods of 27 complete cycles. With musical accompaniment and an atmosphere of community and commitment, we will offer our practice as a prayer to enhance all aspects of our humanity.
Space is limited! Pre-registration is strongly suggested. Please call the studio to reserve your space: 818-265-9833

Yoga Blend, Burbank
TRIBAL BLEND with Christy Marsden
Friday, September 18th 8:15pm - 10:00pm
$15 suggested donation

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to charities selected by Yoga Month
Inspired by the teachings of Shiva Rea's Yoga Trance Dance, this is a guided blend of yoga, dance, chanting, drumming, hooping and music to open the body, mind and spirit into a free-form, creative expression of your tribal self! For those apprehensive about the free- form part, not to worry, this is a guided experience! Be prepared to sweat...a lot!

FALL EQUINOX with Bekah Finch
Saturday, September 19th 2:00pm - 4:00pm
$15 suggested donation

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to charities selected by Yoga Month
It is time again to honor the changing seasons and bring balance back to our days. Fall is a time of harvest, gratitude, evaluation and celebration. What do you want to honor? What do you want to release? Where have you been doing too much and where have you been doing not enough?Through sacred circle, yoga, meditation and creation we will welcome the Autumn and bring balance to our bodies, minds, emotions and spirit.

Yogaco, Santa Monica
108 Sun Salutations - in celebration of Global Mala and National Yoga Month, hosted by YogaCo and Lululemon
When: Saturday, September 19th, 2009 @ 10am on 3rd St. in Santa Monica
Where: On the Promenade...meet in front of YogaCo - 1408 3rd Street Promenade
Be led through 108 Sun Salutations by
~ Kathryn Budig
~ Jay Co
~ Alexandria Crow
~ Tamal Dodge
~ Athena Engleman
~ Eden Goldman
~ Terra Gold
~ Michelle Goldstein
~ Grant Gottfurcht
~ Rudy Mettia
~ Kelsey Oldershaw
~ Stephanie Phelan
Bring a Mat, Water and your Spirit!!!

Yogaglo, Santa Monica
108 Sun Salutations to benefit Yoga Aid and Global Mala
Friday, September 4th 5:00-7:00pm
Cost to attend at Yogaglo: donation, any amount is acceptable

Join us for 108 Sun Salutations at Yogaglo with a very special group of teachers who will lead us, each with their unique way, on this ancient, purifying journey of offering ourselves for the benefit of others: Kia Miller, Annie Carpenter, Ally Hamilton, Julian Walker, Tommy Rosen, Mark Blanchard, Joan Hyman
The class will then be available on yogaglo.com for $4.99 on September 5th. Download it and keep it, do all 108 Sun Salutations at once or in segments. Profits from the download will go to Yoga Aid and Global Mala.

Yoga Loft, Manhattan Beach
In honor of National Yoga Month, all classes are FREE for NEW STUDENTS ONLY on Sunday, September 20th. Invite a friend!

i'm sure there are others that i'll come across during the course of the month; i'll add them to this list as i find them...

yoga for brain control

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 04:19:00 +0000

a few years back, i picked up a flyer for what looked like a style of yoga that i'd never practiced before: dahn yoga. there supposedly was a studio near my office that offered dahn yoga classes, but since i didn't know much about it, i turned to google to clue me in on what the practice was all about.

on the dahn yoga website, there were testimonials from students who claimed that dahn yoga reduced their stress and healed their physical ailments; in short, it changed their lives for the better. and who wouldn't want that?

there's was one catch, though. i had to sign up for a private one-on-one session. and if i wanted to take more classes, i'd have to sign up for the program and commit to some kind of membership. but since i don't do the yoga membership thing because i like the flexibility of taking classes anywhere, anytime with anyone, i never got around to taking that intro class.

i then started hearing rumors about how dahn yoga was actually a cult. a cult? you mean like one of those groups that'll brainwash me into doing everything they tell me to do, including handing over all my money? that was the last thing i wanted to get involved with, especially since i didn't have much money to hand over to anyone anyway.

fast forward to about a month ago. while riding my bike to a yoga class, i noticed a new sign on a building just up the street from the beach. it read: Yoga and Healing. could it be that there was yet ANOTHER new yoga studio in town? curious as to whom the person was behind this new venture, i pulled over and stuck my head in the door. there were some flyers on a table, so i picked one up, took a quick peek at it, and realized that i was standing in the doorway of a new dahn yoga studio. i was tempted to hang around and wait for someone to show up so i could ask him/her about their program, but at the same time, i was glad that no one was there to sweet-talk me into taking that intro class, because god only knows what would have happened after that...

once i got home, i scanned the flyer:

The quality of your life starts with self awareness

... ok, so far, we were on the same page...

Become a brain artist - Did you know that while you are doing yoga to develop your body, you are also developing your brain?

oh really -- how?

Our style of training called Dahn yoga, aims at developing the full potential of the brain through using the Brain Education System. With greater awareness of the brain-body connection, you will be able to develop a mastership of your thoughts and emotions which support your power to create anything you want with your life.

Brain Wave Vibration is the simplest form of Brain Education, and it focuses on the brain stem. The brain stem is critical to your health because it is the area of your brain that controls breathing, heart rate, stress response and all the other many automatic functions of the body.

By stimulating the brain stem using gentle vibration throughout your body you will release any bodily tension and bring your mind toward a calm meditative state. This will bring feelings of renewed energy and youthful vitality.

this definitely didn't sound like any kind of yoga i'd ever done before. instead of working with the body to improve mental focus and maybe indirectly improve the health of my brain, it sounded like they wanted to work directly with my brain to control the functions of my body.

hmmm... truthfully, if anyone's going to mess with my brain, i'd first want to see his/her medical license. and a bunch of glowing references from people i trust.

needless to say, i never went back.

then just the other day, i received this email from someone at WE tv (formerly the Women's Entertainment channel):

Just wanted to let you know about an interesting discussion of cults on WE tv's upcoming "Secret Lives of Women – Cults” episode on Tuesday, September 1 at 10 PM ET/PT.

This episode profiles four women who have been affected by cults. From a mother who has lost her daughter to a young woman trying to rebuild her life after losing everything to a controlling yoga organization, viewers get taken inside cult life.

This particular clip profiles Amy who’s trying to get back to real life after dedicating her time and passions to the cult of Dahn Yoga -- Cults: Cult Rehab

perfect timing, don't you think?

in fact, this is the same amy who was featured in a recent forbes magazine article, Dahn Yoga: Body, Brain and Wallet:

... Shipley, now 25, is one of 27 former Dahn practitioners who filed suit in Arizona in May claiming the group subjected them to psychological manipulation and fraudulently induced them to spend thousands of dollars on Dahn yoga classes and retreats in Sedona, Ariz. and other places. The punishing techniques, they say, included forced isolation from friends and families, exercises like bowing 3,000 times all night long without breaks, disciplining members by sticking their heads in the toilet and making them lick other members' feet, and having them hold certain poses, like the push-up position, for 20 to 30 minutes at a time. On top of those charges, the suit alleges that Ilchi Lee, the 57-year-old Korean founder of Dahn and its spiritual leader, sexually preyed on young female disciples...

The explosive charges threaten what appears to be a highly lucrative enterprise. The charismatic Ilchi Lee (born Seung Heun Lee) founded the parent company, Dahn World, in 1985 in Seoul. Dahn ("energy" in Korean) is derived from an ancient Korean form of training that aims to maximize the health of body, mind and spirit through a combination of yoga, tai chi and martial arts.

so now that i'm REALLY curious about this whole issue, i'm going to make sure i rush home after yoga class tomorrow so i can catch the entire episode! you might want to do the same; please feel free to post comments here after you watch it...

yes, i'm still here!

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:05:00 +0000

it's been exactly three weeks since i've posted anything. and it's not because i've been sitting idle, twiddling my thumbs, thinking of something to say. on the contrary, i've been so busy that i haven't had time to just sit and write about what i've been so busy doing!

while i've been continuing to update my list of recession-busting yoga classes in town (and if you haven't looked at that recently, click here to see the latest version), all i've managed to crank out are rough drafts of posts i've been meaning to finish. like the second half of my attempt to save money during the month of july while maintaining an almost-daily yoga practice (and since the first half is almost ancient history by now, you can click here to refresh your memory). or how practicing at yogaglo has put a whole new spin on my practice (which you'll read about soon, i hope). or my recounting of the craziness of the hot dog death march last june. or my visit to the new yogi tree yoga studio back last may (which, of course, will no longer be new by the time i get around to posting that story!).

as i look around my room, i see stacks of CDs and books, piles of paper, and gobs of freebies strewn about. just to give you an idea of how busy my life has been just in the past few weeks, i'm going to randomly pick up items and talk about how i ended up with them...

CD - jesca hoop, kismet

i got this from the freebie basket at the recent KCRW pledge drive. one of the perks of being a volunteer at the drive, besides having an endless supply of food to keep us busy during the slow times, is being able to pick a CD from the freebie bin. i never know what i'll find; sometimes it's a CD that i've been dying to have, and sometimes it's a CD from a group i've never heard from before. either way, it's a great way to get my hands on some new music :)

CD - venice, home grown

this came from last thursday's twilight dance series concert on the santa monica pier. luckily for me, i had somehow managed to finagle an invite to the VIP tent. so while i was noshing on a salad near the stage while the bands were swapping out, i caught sight of the bass guitar player. and i realized that he was mark harris, a friend of mine from my running group! what a small world! i gave him a quick hug and confessed that i had totally forgotten that he told me years ago about how he played with this venice-based band (hence the group name). so not only did i hang around long enough to listen to their entire set, but i also made it a point to buy one of their CDs. hoping maybe that it'll keep reminding me of which group he plays with!

CD - the noisettes, never forget you (single)

this was given to me when i checked in at a recent yoga on the pier class with yoga teachers lori rischer and joan hyman. it was on one of those crazy saturday mornings when i went for a quick run in santa monica with the LA leggers, ran down to the pier for the FREE yoga class sponsored by STAR 98.7, biked over to venice to try out the food at the bool BBQ food truck, then barely had enough time to rest and shower before heading out to volunteer at a fundraiser at yogaglo for off the mat, into the world and the new documentary the cove, which talks about the slaughter of dolphins in japan. so now do you have an idea of how busy my days can get?

CD - dave stringer, japa

i know i got this as a freebie from an event i attended; the scary thing is that i can't remember which event it was! all i know is that i have to get dave to autograph this the next time i see him. which will probably be at the 3-day bhaktifest next month on september 11th thru 13th in joshua tree... where not only dave but almost everyone who's anyone in the kirtan world will be performing -- jai uttal, wade imre morissette, shyamdas, wah!, mc yogi, donna de lory, govindas & radha, temple bhajan band, larisa stow & shakti tribe, girish, gaura vani & as kindred spirits, sean johnson & the wild lotus band, and more -- and where i'll be volunteering (but of course!). speaking of bhaktifest, there have been a number of pre-bhaktifest kirtans held around town that have spotlighted various bhaktifest performers (and yes, i think i've been to all of them); the last one will be held at narayan mandir, 1668 rising glen road in the hollywood hills next sunday and will feature gaura vani and the kindred spirits, the temple bhajan band, wah!, and govindas & radha. you know you want to be there...

book - enlightenment for idiots by anne cushman

anne's publisher sent me this book after i agreed to review it. and while i still haven't gotten around to writing that review (sorry, anne!), i have to say that i loved it! unlike eat, pray, love where the author wrote about traveling from country to country in search of herself, enlightenment for idiots has the main character, amanda, traveling around india in search of sources of enlightenment for a book she was hired to write. all i can say is that it's a quick and fun read; if you get your hands on it now, you'll probably finish it before i get around to writing my review :)

book - bhagavad gita, as it is by a.c. bhaktivedanta swami prabhupada

this was given to me at the recent festival of chariots, a joyous procession of the hare krishna community down main street in santa monica, through the venice boardwalk, ending at an all-day food and music festival on the beach. after pulling one of the chariots the entire length of the parade, i had stopped at the book center to see what they had; next thing i knew, some nice guy was handing me this book in exchange for a small donation. i thought it was a great deal, considering that it's been on my must-read list for a long time now. i also stopped at the boutique, where they had all kinds of merchandise on sale, including a couple of scarves that i ended up putting to good use later in the day when i had to protect my head and shoulders from the intense sunshine while listening to a kirtan with jai uttal, gaura vani, and the mayapuris. i just love how all this is so accessible to us yogis here in LA!

book - saltwater buddha, a surfers quest to find zen on the sea by jaimal yogis

i picked up this book just yesterday at a book-signing event in malibu. i had wanted to meet jaimal for a long time now; he had written to me back in february, asking if i'd be willing to review his new book. all he could send me at the time was a .pdf copy, so i glanced through it, liked what i read, and said that i would as soon as i got my hands on an actual copy (only because i like to thumb through the pages rather than scroll down through them). well, not only was i able to get a copy, but i was able to meet jaimal, listen to the tail end of his bookreading session at the diesel book store (i got stuck in traffic on PCH getting there), and was treated to some sweet music by the up-and-coming garage band (and friends of his), nine pound shadow.

gift basket containing health and beauty treats, courtesy of whole foods market

i won this at a raffle at a recent networking event in west hollywood. organized by kris willey, the women of the green generation is a group of professional women who are actively involved in the green movement. at the networking events scheduled once a month, they all get together to share their latest ideas, projects, and business leads. at this particular event, i managed to chat with many interesting women, including kelly layne from whole foods santa monica, val bisharat from clif bar, felicia tomasko from LA yoga magazine, kayoko mitsumatsu from yoga gives back, and khatija dadabhoy from ghalia organic desserts (who provided some of the treats that evening). i was extended an invite when i ran into kris a few days earlier at a yogi lunch at govinda's vegetarian buffet at the hare krishna temple in culver city; i knew kris from her stints as the coconut bliss ice cream scooper at various events around town. in fact, i just saw her again yesterday at the co-opportunity block party yesterday...

goodie bag from the la leggers

the 2009-2010 season of the la legger marathon training group started in late july. when the season started, we weren't quite exactly sure which marathon we were training for, especially since the plans of the LA marathon were still up in the air. no one knew when it would be held (it was historically run on a sunday in march but was moved to memorial day in 2009 for political reasons) or even where it would be run (the organizers were trying to push for a new course that would end in santa monica). anyway, long story short, with the support of all the runners who showed up at numerous city council meetings, we finally have a definite training goal -- a stadium-to-the-sea marathon (that is, dodger stadium to the pacific ocean) that will be held on sunday, march 21st. yay! although i just heard this weekend that the entry fee will be raised to a whopping $125 for the upcoming race, with no early bird discounts. and NO bike tour. boo!

flyer from coolhaus ice cream truck

if you live in LA, you've probably heard about the buzz about the latest craze to hit the streets: food trucks! i suppose you could say they were there all along; many of us fondly remember eating grease-laden breakfast burritos off those lunchtime roach coaches. but ever since the kogi truck came on the scene with its korean tacos and twitter updates, food trucks suddenly replaced four-star restaurants as THE place to eat. and honestly, with everyone scrambling to find their next job (or to keep their current one), it makes perfect sense to spend less on gourmet meals and valet parking and more on reasonably-priced good food to stay within a tight budget. as for me, it's become an obsession of sorts to find and try out each and every one of these trucks. so far, i've had tofu tacos at kogibbq, the mother trucker veggie burger at green truck, all kinds of wonderful ice cream sandwich delights at coolhaus, a ceviche at border grill truck, a torakku tofu patty at marked5, a variety of syrups and toppings on shaved ice at getshaved, temari and sushi rolls at fishlips, grilled shrimp tacos at calbibbq, a chicken pastel at bool bbq, a chocolate-dipped soft serve cone at king kone, a loco moco plate at chef on wheels bbq, a masala dosa at dosa truck, shrimp chow fun at don chow tacos, a beef bbq slider at barbiesq, a paneer frankie at india jones, a chicken teriyaki bowl at skewers on wheels, a chicken bbq sandwich at LA BBQ guy, and a lemongrass tofu bahn mi at nom nom. and i managed to bike to 15 of those 18 food truck visits! did i happen to mention that i was obsessed?

flyers for two upcoming art shows: joyride at the bicycle film festival and without a car in the world at the 18th street arts center

these were just two of the items i received in the goodie bag at last saturday's tour da arts. sponsored by the santa monica museum of art and C.I.C.L.E. (cyclists inciting change through live exchange), this 9-mile bike ride had us stopping at various art venues around town. starting with a flag-making activity at the museum itself, the course brought us to an african drumming and dancing performance with francis awe at the broad stage, a chance to practice our swing dancing skills (or lack thereof) with the big cats swing band at the miles memorial playhouse, and a number of art exhibits at the 18th street arts center. i spent most of the time riding with kelly from whole foods and val from clif bar (also from the green women networking event), who both had generously provided snacks for the riders at every stop. you can clearly tell the kind of people i like to hang around with!

nianna bray's summer yoga schedule

nianna was one of the teachers assisting aaron reed at his summer beach yoga series in venice. there was a big turnout for the last class of the series last wednesday. as usual, we got to frolic in the sand and the water. sadly, the early-setting sun and the cool evening temperature was a reminder that the summer is quickly coming to an end. sigh... regardless, beach yoga will continue in santa monica on the sand at marine street with brad keimach on saturday and sunday mornings at 10:30am. in the meantime, i need to check out nianna bray's yoga in the park classes (also in santa monica at palisades park at alta) on mondays at 2pm and fridays at noon to see if i should add it to the list of affordable yoga classes on my yoga on a budget link.

a class schedule for yogaco in santa monica

there's a slew of donation-based yoga studios that have been popping up recently around the third street promenade in santa monica: bhakti yoga shala, which opened in june, then yogaco in august, and now yogis anonymous, which is scheduled to open in september. while each studio is run by yoga instructors who trace their teaching roots back to bryan kest's donation-based power yoga studio just down the street, they all have their distinct identity. govindas and radha's bhakti yoga shala is a warm and cozy space that provides not only classes in the physical yoga practice known to all, but also holds weekly kirtans to draw in the community to the bhakti practice as well. tamal dodge's yogaco presents itself as the affordable version of the boutique yoga studio, with an inviting reception area, two large yoga classrooms, a small classroom for private lessons, a retail store, and separate his and hers restrooms. and while i haven't been able to check out ally hamilton's still-to-be-opened studio, all i know is that it will feature an eclectic mix of yoga teachers, including annmarie solo, dave romanelli, brock cahill, jorgen christiansson, felicia tomasko, and many more.

poster for the global mala yoga for peace event

in addition to volunteering at the bhaktifest and every other yoga event that comes to LA (or so it seems), i'm volunteering to help publicize the yogamonth event which will be held on september 20th (yes, the week after bhaktifest!) at the HAX hangar in hawthorne off the 105 freeway (not far from LAX). this FREE yoga health festival will feature yoga classes, musical performances, wellness exhibits, and family fun throughout the day, with the highlight being the 108 sun salutations led by mariel hemingway, sara ivanhoe, saul david raye, krishna kaur, beth shaw, hemalayaa, hala khouri, kia miller, and more. proceeds will go towards funding yoga health education in schools. my bike basket is full of flyers that i have to post and hand out as i ride around town; so if you want some, just let me know!

welcome to my busy schedule... all i can say is -- so much done, so much to look forward to!!!

another way to save on yoga classes!

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:24:00 +0000

if you're a true angeleno, you probably know all about our gem of a radio station, KCRW. and if you're a loyal KCRW supporter, you probably have in your possession their fringe benefits card. which means that you probably know that you can use it to save money on yoga classes at studios around town!

if everything i've said so far sounds totally greek to you, i guess i should start from the beginning...

KCRW is our local NPR station, a fantastic source for music and news that can be found at 89.9FM on your radio dial and at www.kcrw.com.

since it's a non-commercial community-supported station, it relies on subscribers like me (and hopefully you, too) who donate money to keep the station afloat. and in exchange for our financial support, KCRW shows their gratitude in the form of their fringe benefits card, a discount card that is honored at many restaurant, stores, and cultural venues around the southland. with the card, you can also avail yourself of some pretty good discounts at many yoga and fitness studios around town. and if you add up the money you could be saving in a year, you might find that it far exceeds the amount you'd be donating just to get the card!

the reason i'm bringing this up now is because the KCRW summer pledge drive will be held from friday, august 7th thru monday, august 17th. and not only will it be your chance to show your support for their programming, but all pledges made during this period are eligible for all kinds of premiums and sweepstakes entries. and getting more free stuff is just another way to save money, isn't it? :)

here's the list of LA and OC yoga studio discounts i pulled from their website -- so subscribe to KCRW, get the card, and start saving!

Angel City Yoga
20% off individual classes & group packages; excludes private lessons, workshops & retail
12408 Ventura Blvd, STUDIO CITY 91604
(818) 788-9642

Beyond Physical Therapy
20% off yoga & Pilates individual sessions & packages; 20% off massage services; excludes acupuncture & physical therapy
2903 W Washington Blvd, MARINA DEL REY 90292
(310) 578-5960

Bikram Yoga Downtown Fullerton
20% off individual classes, excludes series; 10% off yoga clothing & accessories
120 W Wilshire Ave Studio B, FULLERTON 92832
(714) 525-5363

Bikram Yoga Studio City
15% off single classes; excludes series
11239 Ventura Blvd, STUDIO CITY 91604
(818) 752-4325

Black Dog Yoga
20% off individual classes, excludes series
4454 Van Nuys Blvd, SHERMAN OAKS 91403
(818) 380-0331

City Yoga
15% off individual classes, excludes series
1067 N Fairfax Ave, LOS ANGELES 90046
(323) 654-2125

Creative Chakra Spa
15% off oceanside spa services, yoga & Pilates; 10% off aromatherapy, jewelry, Roxy clothing & vitamins; discount also valid online, use code CCSPA
3401 Pacific Ave Ste 2A & 2B, MARINA DEL REY 90292
(310) 823-9378

Dancing Shiva Yoga & Ayurveda
15% off individual classes; 10% off 5, 10 & 15 class series; 10% off Ayurvedic body work
7466 Beverly Blvd, LOS ANGELES 90036
(323) 934-VEDA

Exhale Center for Sacred Movement
15% off individual classes & class series packages
1422 2nd St, SANTA MONICA 90405
(310) 899-6222
245 S Main St, VENICE 90291
(310) 450-7676

Goda Yoga
15% off Hatha Yoga classes & series; excludes intro offer
9711 Washington Blvd, CULVER CITY 90232
(310) 287-1255

Golden Bridge Yoga
15% off individual classes, 5-class passes & workshops; excludes cafe & wellness center & spa
6322 De Longpre Ave, LOS ANGELES 90028
(323) 936-4172

Heartbeat House
20% off dance & workout classes & series
3141 Glendale Blvd, LOS ANGELES 90039
(323) 669-2821

Home Simply Yoga
15% off single classes; 10% off class packages & retail
1547 6th St Ste 102, SANTA MONICA 90401
(310) 899-1930

Hot Yoga Valencia
25% off individual classes, 10% off series
25330 Diamond Pl Ste 110, AGUA DULCE 91350
(661) 257-9955

Hub, The
15% off yoga, breathwork & meditation sessions
2001 S Barrington Ave Ste 150, LOS ANGELES 90025
(310) 575-4200

In Focus Wellness
15% off single classes
717 Broadway Ave, SANTA MONICA 90401
(310) 576-2008

Karuna Yoga
15% off individual classes; 10% off 5-class series; excludes other series
1939 1/2 Hillhurst Ave, LOS ANGELES 90027
(323) 665-6242

Liberation Yoga
20% off individual classes & series
124 S La Brea Ave, LOS ANGELES 90036
(323) 964-5222

LYFE Yoga Center
15% off single class, 5, 10 or 20 class series, clothing, accessories & eco-friendly products
1310 Pacific Coast Hwy, HERMOSA BEACH 90254
(310) 374-5933

Maha Yoga
15% off individual classes; 10% off series of five classes; excludes other series
13050 San Vicente Blvd, BRENTWOOD 90049
(310) 899-0047

Rising Lotus Yoga
15% off single classes; excludes series
13557 Ventura Blvd, SHERMAN OAKS 91423
(818) 990-0282

Santa Monica Yoga
$2 off single class price; 10% off passes for 5, 10, 15 or 20 classes
1640 Ocean Park Blvd, SANTA MONICA 90405
(310) 396-4040

Still Yoga
20% off individual classes; excludes series
2395 Glendale Blvd Unit E, LOS ANGELES 90039
(323) 906-8960

Studio Surya Yoga
20% off individual classes
1501 Main St #106, VENICE 90291
(310) 910-4740

Studio U
20% off individual classes; 10% off class packages; excludes unlimited packages
1027 Abbot Kinney Blvd, VENICE 90291
(310) 452-1717

TruYoga LA
15% off individual classes; 10% off packages & retail
2425 Colorado Ave, Yahoo Ctr, SANTA MONICA 90404
(310) 829-2420

YAS - Costa Mesa
20% off single spinning & yoga classes; 10% off class packages; excludes unlimited packages
291 E 17th St, COSTA MESA 92627
(949) 515-8888

YAS - Silverlake
15% off single spinning & yoga classes; 10% off class packages; excludes unlimited packages
1932 Hyperion Ave, LOS ANGELES 90027
(323) 913-1991

YAS - Venice
20% off single spinning & yoga classes; 10% off class packages; excludes unlimited packages
1101 Abbot Kinney Blvd, VENICE 90291
(310) 396-6993

Yoga Blend
15% off classes & class series packages for all levels
1921 W Magnolia Blvd, BURBANK 91506
(818) 954-9642

Yoga Center, The
20% off individual classes; 15% off series of 3 private sessions
1848 S Elena Ave, REDONDO BEACH 90277
(310) 375-6722

Yoga Shakti
$3 off single classes; 10% off any class series
19142 Beach Blvd Ste FF, HUNTINGTON BEACH 92648
(714) 968-9093
4249 Campus Dr Ste B140, IRVINE 92612
(949) 856-9642

Yoga Works
20% off individual classes; excludes series
15327 Sunset Blvd, PACIFIC PALISADES 90272
(310) 454-7000
230 1/2 Larchmont Blvd, LOS ANGELES 90004
(323) 464-1276
1426 Montana Ave, SANTA MONICA 90403
(310) 393-5150
2215 Main St, SANTA MONICA 90405
(310) 581-2952
1256 Westwood Blvd, WESTWOOD 90024
(310) 234-1200

Yoga World Studios
15% off retail; single classes & class packages; excludes unlimited packages
250 W Ocean Blvd, LONG BEACH 90802
(562) 804-5525

Yummy Yoga
15% off single, 5 & 10 class packages
1717 Hillhurst Ave, LOS ANGELES 90026
(323) 953-8449

keep your teens fit and healthy

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 05:26:00 +0000

the summer seems to be flying by... it's already august, which means your kids are probably trying to have as much fun as they can before their days are filled with homework and tests and science projects...

karen jashinsky and the others behind O2 max, a fitness club for teens located in santa monica, are going to be holding their second annual tour de fitness, a fun (and FREE!) event that will have participants walking, stretching, and even doing some yoga while learning how to incorporate healthier habits into their lives. this year's event will be held on saturday, august 15th starting at 8:30am.

i joined them briefly last year while they were checking out the food aisles of the local whole foods market; this year, i plan to meet them at the start of the tour as they take a brief yoga class with shana meyerson at the lululemon store in santa monica. it should be an interesting experience for me, especially since most of the people in class will be even younger than my own kids!

here's a brief description of the tour de fitness 2009; keep checking the O2 max website for updated route information:

Come join us for the second annual Tour de Fitness (TDF). TDF is a free all day fitness event where youth and their families can learn about the importance of fitness, exercise, and nutrition. TDF was created to raise awareness about the youth obesity crisis. Childhood obesity is a health epidemic that demands action today. One in three American children will develop Type 2 Diabetes in their lifetime. One in three kids today are considered overweight with an estimated $177 billion in annual sales spent trying to reverse this serious health trend.

TDF will take place throughout the scenic city of Santa Monica. Participants will walk, run, and hike through Santa Monica while taking stops to refuel, learning about healthy eating habits, and discovering fun and exciting methods of exercise. Of course, meeting fellow participants in this bonding exercise doesn’t hurt either.

REGISTER NOW and receive FREE GIFTS!

This event is FREE, family friendly and lots of fun. The first 100 people to register will receive free gifts and a 6 month membership to the O2 MAX Family Fitness Program.

a day in the life of a social yogini

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 03:42:00 +0000

well, actually something like TWO days in the life...

i hate to admit it, but it seems like all i do these days is spend the bulk of my time following everyone and everything on facebook and twitter. so much so that i barely have time to do anything else. like write.

so to kill two birds with one stone -- in other words, come up with a blog post without actually having to write anything -- i thought it might interest you to know what exactly it is that i've been putting out there in cyberspace. and if you find any of it useful, maybe you can become a fan of my blogpage on facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/the-accidental-yogist/45445550576
or follow me on twitter: www.twitter.com/ayogist

and that way you won't have to keep wondering what's happening to me between blog posts :)

ok, so what does someone who's obsessed with yoga, kirtan, riding her bicycle, and now chasing food trucks do all day? here's what the past 48 hours of social networking generated...

it all started late wednesday afternoon, after i had insanely helped myself to dessert at two different food trucks which were parked a few blocks from each other:

i couldn't help myself -- stopped at TWO dessert trucks today: @coolhaus and @getshaved! now must hide my stash of chocolate...

soon after, i received a phone call from BDB:

my "heart attack" friend is back in the ER with an irregular heartbeat. on my way to check on him...

once back home from the hospital, i logged on to see what had transpired during my absence. i decided to pass along an event i had received before calling it a night:

as always, i'm passing along the fundraisers :)
Donation Yoga Benefit for the Kids in Nicaragua
2 class options for you to help the kids in Nica
Location: Bay Street and the beach on the grassy area( Sunday) & Yoga Co Studio (Monday)
Time: 6:30PM Sunday, August 2nd

i also posted a photo of my green bike parked by yet another food truck, in this case, the chef on wheels BBQ truck (my photo album shows that my bike's been to eleven trucks so far!):

random bike sightings
there's soy sauce shrimp, ketchup shrimp, hot and spicy shrimp, shrimp scampi...

early thursday morning, i was back online, checking people's tweets:

RT @LAWeeklyFood: It is Nat'l Cheesecake Day. 1/2 off slices at Cheesecake Factory. Whoo-hoo. What's tomorrow? Nat'l Mudpie Day?

i then sorted through my list of event invites to figure out what ones i would go to... and shared the ones i thought were of interest to all my friends:

today's agenda: need to do chores for heart attack friend, who's still in hospital. but will be at yogaco party tonite, as planned!

the fact that this has only ONE confirmed guest makes me think they forgot to send this out... add it to your calendar NOW, because it's for THIS WEEKEND!
Summer of Bhakti
get pranafied!
Location: Exhale Center for Sacred Movement
Time: 6:00PM Friday, July 31st

fundraiser yoga classes @ new yogaco, 1408 3rd st promenade SM: SAT 8/1 8am eden goldman, SUN 8/2 7pm terra gold, MON 8/3 10:15am jay co

i'll be there!
Jai Uttal at Bhakti Yoga Shala
Bhakti Yoga Master Jai Uttal
Location: Bhakti Yoga Shala
Time: 8:00PM Saturday, August 1st

sounds like a great back-to-back event... yoga+music flow w/ toni and michael, followed by kirtan w/ jai!
Bhakti Yoga Flow
Pre Jai Uttal- Yoga Flow with Michael Thomas & Toni Divincenzo
Location: Bhakti Yoga Shala
Time: 6:00PM Saturday, August 1st

joni is attending 2009 LACBC Clothing Now Available!.

one more fundraiser i forgot to post...
Mark Whitwell fundraiser for teaching Yoga in the Middle East at Yogaglo
Advanced Yoga for everyOne with live Sacred Music by Josh Brill
Location: Yogaglo
Time: 7:30PM Sunday, August 2nd

tonight... and saturday/sunday, too!
Yoga Co. Grand Opening Party
Plus Two Charity-Inspired Classes on the Opening Weekend!
Location: 1408 3rd Street on the Promenade
Time: 6:00PM Thursday, July 30th

also tonight! i think i'll be all over the place again... as usual :)
Poses for Paws
Saving Animals One Downdog at a Time!
Location: Lululemon Santa Monica
Time: 7:30PM Thursday, July 30th

then i checked the RSVPs for the yogamonth meeting at yogaglo that i posted the day before. at least i got some takers:

Los Angeles Yoga Month Global Mala Ambassador Meeting
Play a major role in bringing the SoCal yoga community together!
Host: Johannes Fisslinger
Type: Meetings - Club/Group Meeting
Date: Saturday, August 1, 2009
Time: 3:00pm - 5:30pm
Location: Yogaglo
Street: 1800 Berkeley St.
City/Town: Santa Monica, CA
Phone: 3106996051
Email: join@yogamonth.org
Please join us next Saturday Aug. 1 @ 3pm at the Yogaglo Studio in Santa Monica for our Yoga Month and Global Mala Ambassador Meeting.
Support the Sept. 20th Yoga Month and Global Mala Celebration in Los Angeles (near LAX airport) and play a major role in bringing the SoCal yoga community together.
The is once-a-year FREE EVENT will benefit Yoga Health Foundation and Autism Speaks.
We need your help spreading the word and distributing posters and flyers. Please join us next Saturday and help us create a fun, empowering and healing event. We can not do this without you.
~ Introducing the vision of National Yoga Month and Global Mala by Johannes R. Fisslinger
~ Pick up event postcards and posters and distribute them in your community/yoga studio

After the ambassador meeting, stay and explore an Integrative Practice with Felicia Tomasko at 4pm:
Join Ayurvedic practitioner, yoga teacher and LA Yoga Magazine Editor, Felicia Tomasko, for an eclectic practice combining the principles of Ayurveda, philosophy, alignment and anatomy with vigorous and balancing asana sequences and a healthy dose of fun in a class to celebrate summer, stimulate the immune system and leave you energized for your Saturday night.
Suggested donation, $20 to support the following non-profits:
National Yoga Month 2009
Green Yoga Association
Karma Rescue
Shakti Tribe Foundation
Please park in free Yogaglo marked spots on Berkeley St. or metered parking on Nebraska St. Email Johannes Fisslinger to RSVP: join@yogamonth.org

to keep my followers up to date, i posted mirror updates on my blog fan page:

the accidental yogist events you might want to consider going to this weekend: yogaco open house TH 7/30 6pm, poses for paws fundraiser @ lulu SM TH 7/30 7:30pm, tantric reading w/ lorin roche+dave stringer+shiva rea @ exhale F 7/31 6pm, jai uttal kirtan @ bhakti shala SAT 8/1 8pm (if you take bhakti flow class @ 6pm, you're guaranteed a spot in kirtan!), kirtan and movement w/ donna delory+shiva rea @ exhale SAT 8/1 8pm...

the accidental yogist benefit classes at the new yogaco on the promenade: SAT 8/1 8am w/ eden goldman+masood ali khan for happy hearts fund, SUN 8/2 7pm w/ terra gold+marla leigh for rhythms in peace, MON 8/3 10:15am w/ jay co for kids in nicaragua -- and one more at lulu brentwood SUN 8/2 9:30am w/ rennie yabiku for kids in uganda!

the accidental yogist and yet another fundraiser this weekend: SUN 8/2 7:30pm mark whitwell+josh brill for heart of yoga (to teach yoga in middle east) at yogaglo

and when that was all done:

i just spent the past two hours trying to figure out my schedule for the weekend... omg

later in the day, i did a quick facebook check before biking over to the open house party at yogaco:

this is going to be amazing! hope you're planning on being there... and help spread the word :)
Bhakti Fest 2009
Be in the Bhav
Location: Joshua Tree , California
Time: 11:00AM Friday, September 11th

the accidental yogist just got this update from the bhaktifest organizers:
** Advanced Ticket Sales are Extended through August 15th - Only $150
on August 16th Tix go up to $200 **
so buy your ticket now at www.bhaktifest.com!
Welcome!
Source: www.bhaktifest.com
Come to the Bhav, Immerse yourself into the Devotion, leave everything behind and merge into a place of En-Chanting Kirtan and Yoga. This is the time, this is the place, this is the moment for you next evolvement

when i got back home later that night, i posted one last status update before hitting the hay... and got a few shoutouts from my night owl friends:

seems like all the westside yogis were at the grand opening of yogaco at the 3rd st promenade tonight. say "yeah!" if you were there :)

bright and early this morning (friday), i resumed facebook/twitter activity:

NEXT THURSDAY!!!
Afro Funke' Thursdays @ Zanzibar
1301 5th Street @ Arizona, Santa Monica
310.451.2221 / 21+ (EVERYONE must have ID)
9pm - 2am / $7 before 11pm - $10 after
www.zanzibarlive.com
www.myspace.com/afrofunke
www.afrofunke.com
UPCOMING: AUGUST 6 , 2009
SHIVA REA - TRANCE DANCE
featuring DJ DREZ, MC YOGI & special guests
Zanzibar - Santa Monica - California
Source: www.zanzibarlive.com

joni became a fan of Lulu Bandha's.

joni is attending Ojai Yoga Crib 2009.

i'm going this year! so excited!
Ojai Yoga Crib 2009
Take Flight
Location: Lulu Bandha's
Time: 8:00AM Friday, October 23rd

joni is attending Jai Uttal @ Bhakti Yoga Shala, Santa Monica CA.

hope i make it in the room because i can't get there too early...
Jai Uttal @ Bhakti Yoga Shala, Santa Monica CA
LIVE
Location: Bhakti Yoga Shala
Time: 8:00PM Saturday, August 1st

Opening Friday at The Landmark is the real-life thriller THE COVE, in which activist Richard O'Barry works to end the slaughter of dolphins in Japan with the help of an Ocean's Eleven-style team of experts. A provocative mix of investigative journalism, eco-adventure and arresting imagery that adds up to an urgent plea for hope. SPECIAL APPEARANCE: Captain Paul Watson from TV’s “Whale Wars” in person on Friday, 7/31
Films Now Playing & Coming Soon
Source: www.landmarktheatres.com

found in today's yoga loft MB email update: So, the Annual Manhattan Beach 6-Man Volleyball Tourney is this weekend, bringing, as always, joyful chaos to our downtown neighborhood... As the Chinese Proverb goes, "It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness." Or, as we say in downtown Manhattan Beach, "It is better to ride a bike than to curse the street closures." :-) yay gen! bikers rule!!!

RT @elephantjournal: Have u seen the plastic "island" the size of Texas in the middle of Pacific? Vice Magazine has. http://bit.ly/5CN1O

with the morning now gone, i decided it was time to get on with my day:

will be at cedars to visit friend who's still being evaluated... checking for food trucks in the miracle mile area...

and posted some of my favorite tweeters for twitter #FOLLOWFRIDAY:

#FF foodtruck friday! @boolbbq @calbibbq @chefonwheelsbbq @coolhaus @fishlips_sushi @getshaved @green_truck @kingkonela @marked5 + @kogibbq

#FF LA yoga studios: @bhaktiyogashala @blackdogyoga @exhalevenice @goldenbridgeLA @karunayoga @risinglotusyoga @santamonicayoga @stillyoga

#FF more LA studios: @thehubwestLA @Ustudioyoga @YASfitness @yogaglo

i'd been slacking off my running because i didn't have a marathon planned any time soon. but once i read this article, i knew that i just had to run the latest incarnation of the LA marathon scheduled for march 2010:

you know this means i'll have to start training again... soon...
Cities approve 'Stadium to the Sea' route for L.A. Marathon - Los Angeles Times
Source: www.latimes.com
Santa Monica joins L.A., Beverly Hills and West Hollywood in signing off on the new route, which will begin at Dodger Stadium and end at the ocean.

i then retweeted a few things that interested me before heading out:

i've heard the eateries are starting to complain :( - RT @kogibbq: ... where to park it... Must be 200 ft away from a restaurant...

uh-oh! RT @kogibbq: sorry, not aLLowed to park in Burbank, Pasadena, Century City, w/in 500 ft of a schooL, MaLibu, Santa Monica near beach

RT @NutoneMusic: Don't miss Jai Uttal tomorrow night in LA! http://www.bhaktiyogashala.com/

finally, after spending the day retrieving BDB from the hospital and getting him home, this pretty much summarized how my day went:

friend out of hospital. now on his way to LAX to catch plane to norway. yeah, you read that right. anyway, i'll be housesitting. party!!! :)

there's never a dull moment for me, is there?

use the code and save!

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:37:00 +0000

sometime last may, there was an article published in time magazine that looked into the rising sales of expensive yoga mats.

here's an excerpt from that article, "No Stress: Pricey Yoga Mats Sell Briskly in Recession":

... At a time when consumers are in a serious saving mode, why are sales of $100 yoga mats soaring?

That's right — $100 for a stinkin' mat. A company called Manduka, which makes these luxury yoga props, has seen its sales rise 55% in the first four months of 2009. Sales at Amazon.com during this period are up a stunning 87%, and the company just signed a deal with Dick's Sporting Goods, a major retailer with 389 stores across the country. Manduka offers the Black Mat PRO, a thick, cushiony black mat, for between $74 and $130, depending on its length, and the biodegradable eKO for between $42 and $70. "Manduka is the Porsche, the Ferrari of yoga mats," says Phil Swain, CEO of YogaWorks...

i've had a number of conversations with my yogi friends, and the consensus seems to be: once you've practiced on a black mat, nothing else compares. besides, it's very eco-friendly -- it'll never end up in a landfill. no matter what you do to the black mat, you just can't kill it. it keeps going, and going, and going...

however, since i now commute to most of my yoga classes on bicycle, i can't use my black mat as often as i'd like. weighing a full 7 pounds (excluding the weight of the bag i carry it in), it is extremely HEAVY; sadly, i've now relegated it for sole use at classes i get to by car. for all other classes, i've reverted to my older purple mat (which is now called the PROlite and comes in other colors) which is almost as thick and as dense as my black one, but much lighter...

anyway, if you want to jump on the manduka bandwagon and get yourself a pro quality mat (even if your budget is telling you otherwise), this offer from manduka might help:

Summer is halfway over and it’s hard to tell which is more exhausting – the long days of summer you’ve spent entertaining, playing, and bbq-ing, or the thought of the upcoming months of longer work hours, back-to-school, and gloomy weather. During these next few weeks of in-between mentality, Manduka has the perfect proposal for your tired body and anxious mind.

From now until August 1st, Manduka – purveyor of the finest yoga gear on the market – is eager to offer you 20% off of ANY ITEM in their online store. Simply go to www.manduka.com, pick out the item of your choice and enter the code HEALTH20.

by the way, they sell many other items at their online store, including mat bags, props, towels, books, and DVDs. and they're all eligible for the discount :)

happy shopping!

yoga, animal-style

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 05:28:00 +0000

while most of the yoga fundraisers i've attended usually raise money to improve the life of humans, both here in the US and abroad, there are two upcoming fundraisers that hope to help those of the animal persuasion.

the first event is sponsored by off the mat, into the world, a program whose mission is to inspire yogis to get involved in conscious activism and service to the community, and participant media, a group that designs customized social action campaigns to give a voice to issues that resonate in selected films. this particular fundraiser is a tie-in with the upcoming release of "the cove," an award-winning documentary about the dolphin industry in japan that has played to standing ovations at sundance as well as other film festivals.

the second event is brought to you by yogaworks yoginis kathryn budig and jesse schein. this is a follow-up fundraiser to an earlier well-attended event that raised much needed funds for a local animal shelter.

so get ready to share the love with flipper and your furry friends as you practice your dolphin poses and downward-facing dogs on your yoga mat!

YOGIS to SAVE JAPAN'S DOLPHINS with THE COVE
Presented by Off The Mat, Into the World and Participant Media
Saturday, July 25th 7:00-10:00pm
Yogaglo, 1800 Berkeley Street, Santa Monica
Cost: Suggested donation $35

A community evening of yoga, chanting, and ecstatic dance with renowned Los Angeles teachers Kia Miller, Julian Walker, Kaia Van Zandt, and special guest speaker on dolphin consciousness LMU professor Thomas White Ph.D.
Live medicine music by Aykanna
All donations from this event go to Save Japan's Dolphins
Refreshments and snacks provided
Please bring your yoga mat and cushions
Contact Kaia for more details: kaiahvz@yahoo.com

The Cove is a chilling and emotional story that is likely to leave audiences wondering what they can do to help protect the dolphins of Japan, stop the sale of toxic seafood and preserve the environmental health of our spectacular oceans, which sustain the lives of not just dolphins, but also humans. It opens in Los Angeles and New York on July 31st.

Poses for Paws II with Kathryn Budig and Jesse Schein
Thursday, July 30th 7:30-9:00pm
Lululemon Santa Monica, 331 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica
Cost: By Donation

Come flow with your furry friends, Kathryn Budig and Jesse Schein, Three Dog Bakery and all your lu's! We will be raising awareness for a local animal shleter and spreading the 4-legged love with a dog friendly vinyasa flow class. All levels for man and his best friend!

living within my means, part 1

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 03:56:00 +0000

it was sometime in june that i came to the unsettling realization that i had been unemployed for just over six months, with no job prospects in sight. while things had started out quite promisingly back in november -- a slew of interviews, continual dialogue with various headhunters -- the well slowly started to dry up. and despite my best efforts to scan job postings and check in with employment agencies, there really hasn't been anything that has even looked remotely like a possible fit. but i continue to stay positive... after all, you never know...

in the meantime, i decided that i needed to cut back on expenses even more. including all the money i've been spending on yoga classes.

yes, you read that right.

but cutting back on yoga expenses doesn't necessarily mean cutting back on my daily yoga practice. it just means spending smartly. or at least trying to.

so for the month of july, my plan was to take yoga classes at studios where i still had unused series passes and/or work-study class credits. and obviously, at any place that offered FREE classes. the only exceptions would be fundraiser events. and, along the same line, any classes that were taught by teachers who donated to my own fundraising efforts for the city yoga / habitat for humanity yogathon last month. and of course i gave myself full permission to take classes at new studios and/or any places i'd never been to. after all, that's what i do :)

so here's how the first half of my month went:

wednesday, july 1st: it was a doubleheader day of sorts for me. i started with an afternoon class on tantric meditation taught by sally kempton at yogaglo. ok, so it cost me $20 (i broke the rules right from the get-go!), but i'd heard so much about the teacher and the topic that i just had to attend. and it was during sally's guided meditation sessions that i realized that no matter how hard i try, i can't seem to stay awake once i clear my mind of all the chatter :(
that evening, i took a class with athena engleman at truyoga (cost: $0, since i'd won a series of classes at a truyoga event a few months earlier). athena was subbing for someone that day and i was the only one brave enough to take her class -- or so it seemed. but that proved to be a bonus for me -- i ended up getting a delicious private lesson with her! and it was just what i needed; since my lower back had been bothering me, all we did were poses that kept it relatively happy...

thursday, july 2nd: with my back still acting up, i opted for a deep tissue massage instead. i justified the expense as being a necessary medical procedure. it sounded good at the time.

friday, july 3rd: i don't have anything written on my calendar. i think i resorted to doing savasana. in bed. damned back.

saturday, july 4th: i started the independence day festivities on my bike in the santa monica 4th of july parade. i and a few other cyclists rode down main street with the greenpeace group -- including a waving polar bear! -- with the point being that stopping global warming (and riding a bike instead of driving) is patriotic. all i know is that it was fun... and a good way to get me to the doorstep of exhale venice for steven espinosa's level 1 class. i chose the studio not only because of its proximity to the parade route, but also because i thought i still had some unused classes on my series pass. apparently, i thought wrong; right before i walked into class i was told that i had already used up my last class. not wanting to find another place to go, i bit the bullet and bought a 5-pack of classes. argh. but i did use my KCRW fringe benefits card to save myself $17 on the purchase of that series. yay!

sunday, july 5th: i took kyra haglund's flow class at santa monica yoga. and this is where i get to pat myself on the back -- not only did i get through kyra's nicely-challenging class, but i also used up one of my work-study class credits! net cost: zero!

monday, july 6th: chris chavez was scheduled to teach his first level 2/3 anusara class at the hub that evening, so i cashed in a work-study credit and joined the giggling group of lululemon yoginis and die-hard anusara addicts as we pushed ourselves through 90 minutes of strength poses and inversions. the result: lots of sweat, zero expense!

tuesday, july 7th: KTLA dropped by yogaglo to tape a segment for kurt the cyberguy. so our small group of yogis (who managed to take the weekday afternoon off) were led through a quick vinyasa class taught by jo tastula and isabelle du soleil. the segment has yet to air, so as i write this, i'm still wondering if i ended up on screen or on the cutting room floor. hmmm...
as the sun began its descent over the pacific ocean, i headed out for one of aaron reed's summer beach yoga classes on the sand, which ended under the glow of a beautiful full moon. yum...
by the way, both classes were FREE!

wednesday, july 8th: it was the first day santa monica yoga would be offering yoga classes at the newly-opened annenberg community beach house. $10 didn't sound like a whole lot of money in exchange for an ocean-view class in a historic venue. as it turned out, our yoga teacher that day, natalie canessa, is a great-grandaughter of marion davies, the original occupant of the property. and while natalie taught our vinyasa flow class, she kept having flashbacks of her summers spent in the same pool we could see from our classroom. how cool was that?

thursday, july 9th: i spent the morning listening to joshua bell and the LA philharmonic as they rehearsed for their performance later that evening at the hollywood bowl (here's a freebie alert -- it costs nothing to sit in on the rehearsals at the bowl. even the parking is free!). then spent the evening schmoozing at the LA bike coalition table at the joan baez concert at the santa monica pier. while on an all-day music high, i somehow neglected to take a yoga class...

friday, july 10th: it was fitness friday at the lucy store in santa monica! a recent graduate from the yogaworks teacher training program, suzi vishmid taught our hour-long flow class. while the class itself was FREE to all, i walked out of the store $30 poorer, only because i ended up buying an adorable wrap that was on sale. but isn't that considered saving money? :)
later that evening, there was a pre-bhaktifest kirtan and party at lululemon brentwood. it was by donation, with the proceeds going to the bhaktifest charity. and it was well worth the money i dropped in the donation box, with performances by bhaktifest musicians donna delory, govindas and radha, chris morro, and larisa stow. plus i won a piece of ganesha artwork, courtesy of yogini rukmini at yogini designs. score!

saturday, july 11th: naime jezzeny, one of the first anusara-certified instructors to teach in LA and who now calls philadelphia home, was in town for a workshop. to celebrate his homecoming of sorts, he taught a FREE class at yogaglo that morning. and if that weren't enough to get me on a yoga high, i spent the evening chanting with krishna das at the wilshire ebell theatre. ok, so it cost me $30 for the ticket. but we're talking KD here, if you know what i mean...

sunday, july 12th: i'm still wondering if i can say i "did yoga" if i took no classes that day, but instead spent the evening at the hollywood bowl in the company of the editor of LA YOGA magazine and three other yoga instructors... at least i can say i didn't spend a dime that day on yoga classes!

monday, july 13th: tara judelle was back in town from an extended vacation/meditation workshop, so it seemed a good idea to check out her evening anusara class at yogaglo. and because i have an annual pass, i didn't have to pull out my wallet to pay for the class. yay!

tuesday, july 14th: i'm ashamed to admit that i spent the bulk of bastille day chasing down lunch trucks -- and eating their wares. for those of you hip to the LA social scene, the big thing around town these days are the twitter-able food trucks, the best known of which is the @kogibbq truck. but since it wasn't in my neck of the woods that day, i ended up at the @marked5 truck (purveyor of japanese-inspired "burgers"), the @green_truck (known for its gourmet organic food), the @chefonwheelsbbq truck (a new kid on the road which specializes in -- well, duh -- barbecue), and the @coolhaus truck (with its architecturally-inspired ice cream sandwiches, such as the frank behry, the richard meyer lemon ginger, and many more). between that and biking around town posting flyers for the upcoming wanderlust, yogamonth, and yoga gives back events, let's just say i put down "karma yoga" on my calendar and left it at that.

wednesday, july 15th: i originally planned to take julian walker's class at exhale that morning (he was subbing for saul david raye, who was out of town), but as luck would have it, i discovered right before i left home that the back wheel of my bike had gone flat. instead of driving to class, i chose to walk my bike to the nearby helen's cycles to get the flat fixed (i know, i should've done it myself to save money, but i'm not yet that skilled in bike maintenance). with the morning gone, i opted to take ryan brewer's vinyasa flow class at the hub that evening (using up another work-study class credit!). after i had run into him at THREE separate events over the weekend (the party at lululemon, the KD kirtan, and the world music night at the bowl), it seemed appropriate to continue the streak and run into him one more time. after his class ended, i was tempted to do a doubleheader and stay for chris chavez's class (and use up yet another credit), but with my back feeling considerably better, i decided not to push my luck. another pat on the back for me :)

thursday, july 16th: the only thing i had written down on my calendar was "10:15am yoga with valinda cochella and girish at lyfe." i had earned a 5-class pass to lyfe yoga, courtesy of the lululemon south bay challenge i did earlier this year, and it was high time i cashed it in. however, expecting a vinyasa flow class, i was surprised to find out that the class was a kundalini class. not that anything was wrong with that, but i probably should've checked before i showed up for class! oops. since i've done enough yoga to confidently handle any class that's thrown my way, i smiled as i found myself going through rounds of breath of fire instead of sun salutes. besides, how can one complain when one has to chant "ek ong kar sat nam siri wahe guru..." for 11 minutes straight while girish skillfully thumps on the tabla? gotta love it!

so there you have it -- the first half of my cost-cutting month. i'll keep you posted on the second half once the end of the july rolls around...

kirtan in the city!

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 06:48:00 +0000

i just got back home from the bhakti fest preview party held at the lululemon store in brentwood earlier this evening. it was an amazing night of music and love shared among the bhakti community in los angeles!

performing for the friday night kirtan crowd were some of the top-billed artists on the bhaktifest line-up: donna de lory, govindas and radha (who were later joined by chris morro), and larisa stow and the shakti tribe. there were many raffle prizes donated by manduka, yogitoes, new chapter, yogini designs, divine blessings, and other sponsors. refreshments were provided by coconut bliss ice cream, luna bar, transition nutrition, and aquamantra spring water.

this event was the first of many pre-bhaktifest teasers scheduled for the days leading up to the actual bhakti fest weekend in joshua tree this coming september 11-13. other pre-fest gatherings are listed on their website at http://www.westcoastkirtanyogafestival.com/.

in the meantime, while all the love was flowing through the racks of yoga-inspired clothing, there were other kirtans going on around the city:

joey lugassy was holding down the fort at the friday night kirtan at bhakti yoga shala in santa monica with c.c. white on vocals, eddie young on cello and bass, and patrick richey on tabla.

and over on the other side of the sepulveda pass, daniel stewart was keeping the bhakti fire roaring at his monthly kirtan at rising lotus yoga in sherman oaks with sarah bergman, sylvie scoville, and emily kerns on vocals, abby scoville on cello, angela devita on flute, jeff harris on guitar, and matthew hufschmidt on percussion.

if there ever was a night to be able to teleport effortlessly from kirtan to kirtan, tonight was definitely it!

tomorrow, saturday the 11th, is going to be an even bigger day for kirtan in LA, with the headline event being the live kirtan with krishna das at the wilshire ebell theatre in hancock park. if you're a big KD fan, you're in luck; tickets are still available for the large 1270-seat venue!

if you can't make that, there are still many other chances for you to share in the experience known as bhakti yoga; here's a brief recap of this weekend's events:

Yoga + Kirtan with Mas Vidal and Tony Khalife
Dancing Shiva Yoga and Ayurveda, Los Angeles
Saturday, July 11th 10:30am-noon
Cost: Regular class price

This Saturday July 11th the mesmerizng Tony Khalife joins Mas for the 10:30am class. Experience this dynamic class with live music that will take your practice to new levels. Ragas, tablas, soulful singing and the energy at Dancing Shiva will leave you blissful. Please arrive on time as this class usually gets very full. Special donation is suggested for Tony.

Krishna Das Live in Concert hosted by Yogaworks Larchmont
Wilshire Ebell Theatre, 4401 w 8th Street, Los Angeles (at the corner of Wilshire and Lucerne in Hancock Park)
Saturday, July 11th 8:00-11:00pm
Cost: $30 in advance, $35 at the door

Join us for an evening of chant with Krishna Das!
A special night at the historic Wilshire Ebell Theater. This is Krishna Das' first show in LA since 2007~sure to be a night to remember...
Yogaworks Center for Yoga in Larchmont will have paper tickets for purchase at the studio; All tickets sold over the phone or at any other Yogaworks studio besides CFY will be Will Call tickets.
Visit www.yogaworks.com or www.krishnadas.com for more info

Saturday Night Kirtan
Bhakti Yoga Shala, Santa Monica
Every Saturday at 8:00pm
Cost: $10-$15 Suggested Donation

July 11th - Kirtan with Michael Thomas

Transcendental Gong Concert with Andrea Centazzo
Yogi Tree, Toluca Lake
Saturday, July 11th 8:00-10:00pm
Cost: $15 show only, $20 includes a copy of Andrea's limited-edition CD

Join us at The Yogi Tree for an unforgettable evening of live performance with the one-of-a-kind Andrea Centazzo.
In this very special, intimate live performance, world-renowned composer, conductor, and gong master Andrea Centazzo offers his singular percussion style, playing on a set of over 200 instruments, complete with electronics, computer sequencing, and digital sampling, bringing to his audience the emotion of a new sonic adventure in jazz, world, and contemporary avant-garde music.
Expand your consciousness. Lift your soul. Open your mind. Move your body. This is one evening of music you have to feel to believe!
Tickets available in advance at theyogitree.com

Kirtan Workshop with Krishna Das
Yogaworks Center for Yoga, Larchmont
Sunday, July 12th 3:00-6:00pm
Cost: $45 by 6/28; $55 after

Krishna Das’s workshops are like mini-retreats of about 3 hours. Along with chanting, Krishna Das shares stories about his experiences on the Path. Workshops with Krishna Das usually include: Chanting (call and response) with musical accompaniment, stories about his Guru, readings from spiritual traditions, teachings, and discussions about life and the spiritual Path. This forum provides the opportunity for Q&A in an intimate setting. Krishna Das has been recording albums of traditional Indian chants and song since 1996 but has been on a spiritual journey his entire life.
**bring a blanket or something soft to sit on during the workshop

go fourth and yogify!

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:43:00 +0000

(my apologies for the title of this post; due to the late hour, i think i started to get a bit loopy... )

earlier this week, i received the following invite from the santa monica chapter of the LA bike coalition:

What: 3rd Annual Santa Monica Fourth of July Parade
When: Saturday, July 4th, 2009, 9:00 AM Check-in; Parade starts at 9:30 AM
Where: Meet up at Santa Monica Civic Center
Why: Greenpeace LA invites the cycling community to join them as they march under the theme of "Saving the Climate is Patriotic!"
What to bring: Water, sunscreen, your bike and yourself decorated as a patriotic symbol of sustainable transportation.
NOTE: Each rider will need to bring a signed waiver at the parade check-in, under 18 require a parents signature. No waiver, no participation.

my first response was to reply immediately with a YES! after all, why wouldn't i want to participate in a 4th of july parade on my bicycle?

but then i realized that with the shortened holiday schedules at many of the yoga studios, it might mean my missing out on a chance to take a yoga class that day... hmmm...

luckily, after checking the holiday schedules, it looks like i have a few 12:30ish class options located right by the parade route. so not only will i be able to be patriotic on my bike, but i'll also be able to celebrate the day on my yoga mat, too!

so here are the holiday schedules i've found so far. if your favorite yoga studio is missing from this list, please feel free to send their information to me so i can add it in... thanks!

the absolute yoga and pilates studio, woodland hills
We will be closed on Saturday July4th and Sunday July 5th, 2009

alive & well, hermosa beach
Closed for Independence Day

angel city yoga, studio city
Saturday, July 4th Schedule:
All Levels Vinyasa Yoga 8:30-9:55am with Stephanie Hechtman
Easier Yoga 10:00-11:15am with Shosha Bottoms
All Levels Iyengar Yoga 11:30-1:00pm with Marta Jasberg
All Levels Yoga Iyengar Style 1:00-2:30pm with Kelli Fish

awareness center, pasadena
OPEN FOR REGULAR CLASSES July 4th, INDEPENDENCE DAY!

beach yoga with brad keimach, santa monica
We will be there as always, so mark your calendar!
Every Saturday and Sunday, 10:30-12 - Walk up Marine Street, which becomes Barnard Way. Keep walking all the way to the water's edge, by lifeguard station #29. By donation.

black dog yoga, sherman oaks
We will be open on Saturday July 4th, but will be having an abbreviated holiday schedule:
8:30a - 9:25a Core Yoga Flow Tracy Haywood
9:00a - 10:25a Gentle Yoga Georgina O'Farrill
9:30a - 11:00a Hatha Flow II * Peter Barnett
10:30a - 12:00p Complete Breath Yoga Flow John Sahakian
11:15a - 12:45p Hatha Flow I Hanna Gilan

city yoga, west hollywood
Saturday, July 4th:
7:00 am 11th Step w/Abbie B.
8:30 am Basics w/ Anthony Benenati
9:00 am Advanced w/ Rebecca Benenati
10:30am Mixed w/ Camilla Bergstrom *last class of the day

earth's power yoga, los angeles
Open on 4th of July one 10:30 am class. Friday 7:30 pm cancelled.

exhale center for sacred movement, venice
Join us for the following class line up on July 4th:
9am Micheline Berry Level 2/3
9:15am Kerianne Telford Level 1/2
10:30am Jason Frahm Level 2/3
11am Steven Espinosa Level 1
12:30pm Ashley Turner Level 1/2
12:45pm Brad Keimach Level 2/3

free spirit yoga, long beach
JULY 4TH ALL MORNING CLASSES ARE SCHEDULED.... CORE YOGA 4:30PM IS CANCELED

glendale yoga, glendale
Saturday July 4th - There will be one all levels class, 10:00 - 11:30 am, taught by Laura

golden bridge yoga, hollywood
Saturday, July 4th 9:30am - Serpent Energy of Light with Gurmukh, Tej & Gurushabd
This will be the only class offered on this day - all other Saturday classes are cancelled

guerilla yoga, hollywood
Just an important reminder that the *Practice* will be canceled this upcoming Friday July 3 for the holiday.

the hub, west los angeles
Regularly scheduled classes will still be held over the weekend

inner power yoga, calabasas
Saturday July 4th - Only two morning classes scheduled:
9:00-10:30 am with Michael & 10:00-11:30 am with Jonathan

iyengar yoga institute, los angeles
Holiday Schedule: July 4th
All levels from 9:30-11am with Marla Apt.
All other classes are canceled that day, the normal schedule resumes Sunday, July 5.

karen shuman's beyond yoga, sherman oaks
Saturday July 4th - The only class for the day will be:
Dario 11-12:30pm Hatha Flow
**Also, the Sunday Pre-Natal class has been canceled for July 5th. It will resume the following Sunday. All other classes will be open on the 5th!!!

karuna yoga, los feliz
July 4th Classes - Morning classes are scheduled:
8:00am Hatha Flow - Kelly
9:30am Hatha - Patty
11:00am Hatha/Kundalini - Robyn

liberation yoga, los angeles
SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY JULY 4th:
10am-12pm - Flow 2-3 with Claudia Fucigna // 12pm-1:30pm - Level 1 with Lynn Taylor // That's it - then it's time for veggie dogs!
THERE WILL BE NO FAMILY YOGA ON SUNDAY THE 5TH!!!

lyfe yoga center, hermosa beach
July 4th Schedule:
8:00am Power Hour 1/2
9:10am Yoga For Beginners
10:35am Iyengar - All Levels

rising lotus yoga, sherman oaks
Holiday Schedule:
7:30 am - Mixed Level Flow w/ Elinore
9:00 am - 1/2 w/ Claire
9:30am - Easy Does It w/ Karen
10:30am - Mixed Level Flow w/ Claire

santa monica yoga, santa monica
We will be closed Saturday July 4

silver lake yoga, silverlake
THE ONLY CLASSES ON JULY 4 WILL BE:
9:30 am Mixed levels II class taught by Caroline Cardino in studio 1
10 a.m. Prenatal class in studio 2 taught by Danielle
11:30 a.m. Beginners class taught by Jonathan studio 1
All other classes will be canceled.

studio surya yoga, venice
We will be closed on July 4th in observance of the holiday.

swerve, los angeles (only yoga classes listed; other classes available)
Friday July 3rd:
7:30am Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Kate Duyn
12:30 pm Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Kate Duyn
Saturday, July 4th:
10:00 am Yoga Booty Ballet *Team Taught by Teigh & Gillian*

u studio yoga, los angeles
5:30pm Friday, July 3rd --Andrea's back!!!!!!!
10:30am Saturday July 4th -- Andrea
10:30am Sunday July 5th -- Andrea

urth yoga, silverlake
SATURDAY JULY 4th - We will have our regular class schedule:
8:30am Gabe 10:30am Rachel 12:30pm Billy 4:30pm Scott

YAS, venice
WE ARE OPEN ON JULY 4TH
YOGA for ATHLETES®
7:00am-All Levels-Myrna
8:30am-Level 1-2-Denis
10:00am-All Levels-Kimberly Fowler

YRG with diamond dallas page, playa vista
This Saturday, July 4th, is going to be beautiful so come on down for some YRG at the Sports Park! FREE!
10-am at Playa Vista Sports Park, 13212 Bluff Creek Drive

yoga blend, burbank
Saturday, July 4th Schedule
8:15am-9:30am Level 1 with Heather
9:45am-11:00am Yoga Stretch with Susan Q
10:00am-11:30am Level 1-2 with Keric
11:45am-1:00pm Level 1-2 with David
All other classes are CANCELLED!
Studio Closes at 1pm following Level 1-2 class.
Our regular schedule resumes Sunday, July 5th.

yoga circle downtown, los angeles
Fourth of July Weekend:
Closed Saturday July 4
Sunday July 5, 10:30am only

yoga darsana, alhambra
Studio closed on Independence Day

yoga groove, north hollywood
There will be only one class on July 4th!! Come join us for an all levels 10:00 am class to celebrate Independence day!

yogahop, santa monica
Friday, July 03
9:15AM - 10:45AM Level 2/3+ - Jennifer Moore
1:00PM - 2:00PM Cancelled - Cancelled
6:00PM - 7:30PM Cancelled - Cancelled
Saturday, July 04
6:55AM - 7:55AM Level 2/3 - Jennifer Moore
8:15AM - 9:45AM Summit 2/3+ - Matthew Reyes
10:00AM - 11:30AM Summit 2/3 - Matthew Reyes
4:00PM - 5:30PM Cancelled - Cancelled
5:40PM - 7:10PM Cancelled - Cancelled
Sunday, July 05
8:15AM - 9:15AM Summit 2/3+ - Matthew Reyes
9:30AM - 10:30AM Summit 2/3+ - Marko King
4:00PM - 5:30PM Summit 2/3 - Kourtney Kaas
5:40PM - 6:40PM Cancelled - Cancelled

yoga kingdom sanctuary, pasadena
Remember this Saturday July 4th we will have only 2 classes in the morning 8:00 am taught by Naader and 8:45 am taught by Maria, that would be it for this 4th of july.

yoga loft, manhattan beach
Friday, July 3: All Regular Classes will be held
Saturday, July 4:
9:00-10:00am Level 2/3 with Genevieve Fischer
10:15am-11:15am Level 1/2 with Amy Beausang
Sunday, July 5: All Regular Classes will be held

yoga loft, woodland hills
PRACTICE YOGA JULY 4TH @ 8:30 & 10:30 am

yogi tree, toluca lake
WE ARE CLOSED FRIDAY, JULY 3 - SUNDAY, JULY 5 TO CELEBRATE THE FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND!

yoga at the village, glendale
We are open as usual during the 4th of July weekend.

yoga west, los angeles
July 4th class with Gurudhan Singh!
Come for Yoga & Meditation with your Yoga West family in the only class of the day: 8:30 - 10 am
All other classes are cancelled
Regular schedule resumes on July 5th

yoga works, los angeles locations
JULY 4TH HOLIDAY SCHEDULE - Click on the location for class schedule:
Center for Yoga
Main Street
Montana Ave
Pacific Palisades
South Bay
Valencia
Westlake Village
Westwood

yoga world, long beach (downtown and los altos locations)
Both Studios will be closed for the 4th of July Holiday, but we will reopen on July 5 with our full schedule of classes

yummy yoga, los feliz
Wednesday, July 1:
7:45 PM ~ All Levels Ali Laventhol subbing for Ducky Punch
Thursday, July 2:
7:30 AM ~ Power Hour Caroline Cardino subbing for Ducky Punch
4:30 PM ~ Level 1/2 TBD subbing for Ducky Punch
6:00 PM ~ Level 2/3 Ali Laventhol subbing for Ducky Punch
Saturday, July 4:
10:30 AM ~ All Levels with Ali, only! All other classes cancelled
Sunday, July 5:
5:30 PM ~ Level 2/3 Ali Laventhol subbing for Jeff Bass

let the insanity begin!

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:06:00 +0000

i'm sitting on my bed, doing nothing (and thinking practically nothing). i'm taking this time to sit still and energize my batteries for the craziness that will commence in about two hours...

friday, 12:30-1:30pm: vinyasa flow level 2 class with jo tastula at yogaglo, santa monica

after class, i'll spend some time helping the mills clan get the studio all spiffed up for the summer festival later that evening, then go home to get myself all spiffed up :)

friday, 5:00-10:00pm: here comes the sun summer kick-off festival at yogaglo, santa monica

A FREE Summer kick-off festival celebrating the Yoga community, partner business and nonprofits working together for social change.

Enjoy complimentary food and cocktails, raffle prizes and a marketplace featuring local vendors who share a passion for giving back. This is more than a party; it's a chance to gather with other members of a like-minded community for networking to figure out how we can make a difference in the world and celebrate everything we are grateful for in our lives today. Let's spend our Friday night at a social gathering with purpose.

Music by the Hypnotic Gurus and DJ Drez

Friday June 26 5:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Yogaglo Studio
1800 Berkeley St., Santa Monica CA 90404

unfortunately, i'll have to bail early for my next event of the evening...

friday, 8:30pm: aretha franklin in concert at the hollywood bowl

Aretha Franklin returns to the Hollywood Bowl for the first time in 35 years! Join the queen of soul on Friday, June 26th, for an evening under the stars featuring her innumerable classic hits. Don’t miss the sizzling, gospel-charged voice that Rolling Stone declared Number One in its "100 Greatest Singers of All Time."

with luck, i'll get home by midnight so i can get a good night's rest...

saturday, 9:00am thru sunday, 9:00am: yogathon 2009! at city yoga, west hollywood

here's how those next 24 hours are going to go:

YOGATHON SCHEDULE!

9:00 – 11:00am Opening Asana: Rebecca and Anthony Benenati

11:00 – 12:30pm Asana: Noah Maze

12:30 – 2:00pm Lunch
Lunch donated by Tender Greens: Happy Vegan Salad, Chinese Chicken Salad (chicken on the side), Shrimp Ceviche with Chorizo on the side, Crostinis with olive oil, and berries for dessert

2:00 -3:00pm Keynote speaker: Pauley Perrette of CBS’s NCIS; Family Member: recipient of a house through Habitat for Humanity

3:00 – 5:00pm Thai Yoga Massage: Phoebe Diftler

5:00 – 6:30pm Asana: Tony Giuliano

6:30 – 8:30pm Dinner with Kirtan: Govindas and Radha
Dinner donated by Great India Café: Vegetable dish, Lentil Dish, Rice, Naan Bread, Chocolate Chip cookies by Stella

8:30 – 10:30pm Restorative: Sharon Skok

10:30 – 12:00am Drum Circle: Traci Dinwiddi

12:00 – 2:00am Kirtan: Daniel Stewart and friends

2:00 – 2:30am Break

2:30 – 3:00am Yoga Comedy: Carrie Snow

3:00 – 5:00am Meditation and Asana: Kristopher Nelson

5:00 – 5:30am Sunrise Comedy: Beth Lapides

5:30 – 7:30am Sunrise Asana: Anthony Benenati

7:30 – 8:00am Breakfast
Breakfast donated by Beverly Hills Juice and The Bagel Broker: A selection of juices and bagels

8:00 – 9:00am Closing with Habitat for Humanity representative, presentation of ceremonial check

Snacks donated by Whole Foods and Larabar: Energy bars and fruit.
Beverages: Coconut Water by Vita Coco, Reeds Ginger Brew, Arrowhead Water

and when that's all over, i'll have to quickly get myself back home and in bed for some quality snooze time before heading out one last time for the weekend...

sunday, 7:00pm: adele, etta james and the roots band, and janelle monáe in concert at the hollywood bowl

KCRW's World Festival - Jason Bentley, host
Grammy-winner Adele delivers heartbroken soul, blues and jazz with beguiling vocal power. Legendary vocalist Etta James returns to the Bowl, and newcomer Janelle Monáe, dubbed “the female OutKast,” opens.

insane? yes! but then again, would you expect anything less from me? :)

other ways to donate to the yogathon

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:49:00 +0000

i'm passing along some information i've received from the city yoga yogathon organizers. the silent auction items look extremely interesting... hmmmm....

We are only days away from Yogathon '09!
If you can't do the whole thing there are plenty of other ways to get involved.
We have all been called this year to serve, in any way we can.
Service is the backbone of a society and our yoga practice. It's time to step up.

Here's how:

1. Make a donation!
www.firstgiving.com/cityyogathon <<< or better yet, sponsor me at www.firstgiving.com/ayogist :)

2. Attend a class with the yogathoners!
$30 suggested donation for each class; contact Stacey Wiren at yogathon09@gmail.com or stop by the front desk to reserve your spot:

Saturday June 27
11:00am - 12:30pm Noah Maze' (then stay for a yummy lunch from Tender Greens for a $10 donation)
5:00pm - 6:30pm Tony Giuliano
6:30pm-8:30pm Kirtan with Govindas

3. Silent Auction beginning Wed. 24th at 6:30am and ending Friday 26th at noon!
Place your BID in person or call the studio at 323 654-2125

Yoga Bundle: A yoga starter pack from Manduka including: eko mat, strap, large mat bag, e-Qua towel, and cork block ($169 value), 3 piece winter white yoga outfit from Prana, 2 Chakra tank tops by Didi and a Yoga Private with Rebecca Benenati.
Bidding starts at $100

Art Bundle: A Painting by talented artist and City Yoga student Stephanie Bast. Stephanie's most recent shows were a triumphant Fall '08 exhibition at the wonderful GINA Gallery & Café, on the Piazza di Spagna in Rome, The C Gallery in Los Alamos, and is currently showing at The Judith Kaufman Gallery in North Hollywood. She works in acrylic on canvas. You can view her work at: www.stephaniebast.com. (Gallery Price: $1000)
This bundle also includes a beautiful necklace handmade by another talented City Yoga student, Doria Ragland.
Bidding starts at $100

Culinary Basket: Black and Decker mini food processor, cupcake pan, cookie kit from Williams Sonoma, multi colored mixing bowls, $50 gift certificate to Tender Greens & more!
Bidding starts at $75

Pamper Yourself Bundle: A gift box from Lush of Beverly Hills (all natural beauty and skincare products $50 value), $50 gift certificate for any hotel, restaurant, or nightclub in the SBE group including: SLS Hotels, Sahara Las Vegas Hotel, Katsuya, XIV-The New Michael Mina Restaurant, The Abbey, Hyde Lounge, and Area.
Bidding starts at $75

Brunch Bundle: 3 Calphalon Pans, $50 gift certificate to Cheebo, $25 gift certificate for Jinky's Cafe and a private yoga session with Stella Choe.
Bidding starts at $50

Thanks again for all your energy and support!

desperate times call for desperate measures

joni@accidentalyogist.com (joni) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 06:43:00 +0000

i'm desperate.

and in a way, my desperation is self-inflicted. i thought i'd do something crazy to raise money for a charity, and from the looks of it, no one seems impressed by my efforts. maybe it's because they know i'm always doing crazy things, so what's one more? hmph.

you see, back in february, city yoga sent out this challenge:

SAVE THE DATE FOR YOGATHON! June 27-28, 2009
ROLL OUT YOUR YOGA MAT AND OPEN YOUR HEART!

It's 6:00 am on June 28th and the sun is breaking through the arched windows of the upstairs studio. You salute the sunrise, your body buzzing with the effects of 22 hours of yoga. You are part of a community that has just raised enough money to build a house; with Yoga!

Celebrate 10 Years of City Yoga!

Give thanks for the City Yoga roof over your head and help raise a roof for a deserving family. On Saturday June 27 at 8:00 am 60 yogis will gather for 24 hours of:
~ Asana
~ Restorative
~ Meditation
~ Thai Yoga Massage
~ Chanting
~ Live Music
~ FOOD

All the rejuvenating aspects of a yoga retreat right here in town.

We are raising money for Habitat for Humanity. Any money made will go toward building a house but if we reach our goal of $100,000 then the house will be called "The House that City Yoga Built"! You know there are people in your life that would support you taking on this challenge. It's just crazy enough to work and we've proven it. The last 2 Yogathons raised $80,000.

and yes, i was one of the 60 participants at that last yogathon back in 2007. not only did i survive the 24-hour physical challenge, but i was also able to raise a decent enough amount of money for habitat for humanity -- decent enough at least to meet the minimum each of us was expected to raise at that time: $500. a few months later, i was actually able to work on that house that the yogathon helped finance. it required even more physical effort on my part, including my having to overcome my fear of heights to hammer roof studs for a good many hours, but at least i knew that my aching muscles helped build a beautiful home that a happy family now lives in.

so when i heard about this year's yogathon challenge, i jumped at the chance to build yet another home for another needy family. yes, i would push the limits of physical endurance one more time, hoping that my temporary bout of insanity would inspire people to pitch in once again.

when i signed up in april, i was told that the fundraising minimum had been raised to $750. with no job and no co-workers to rely on for support, i knew it wasn't going to be easy for me. i considered dropping out, but i knew -- and hoped -- that there were good-hearted people out there who would see the need and contribute. i also hoped that with all the fundraisers i had helped publicize and had even given money to, maybe some of the people involved would reciprocate and share the love. well, maybe...

i sent out emails to my family and close friends. some money trickled in.

i posted requests for sponsors on my facebook page. some more money trickled in.

i promised blog coverage to the yoga studios and teachers that i knew. a little more money trickled in.

and then the trickling came to a complete standstill. when i checked to see what had come in so far, a deep depression set in. after two months of begging and pleading, all i was able to raise was a measly $333. not even close to the $500 i had raised two years earlier.

so with only two days left before i place down my yoga mat at city yoga to spend 24 hours doing a variety of forms of yoga (including savasana!), it now looks like i have to make one more last-ditch attempt...

thanks to the generosity of derik mills of yogaglo (who, by the way, will be hosting THE block party of the summer in santa monica this friday, june 26th), i'm now able to offer a fabulous prize to one lucky donor:

a FREE one-year membership to yogaglo worth $216!

with this membership, you will be able to access an unlimited number of yoga classes and lectures taught by some of the best teachers in LA. you can either stream them from the yogaglo website in the comfort of your home, or if you live in the LA area, you can attend any of their in-studio classes at any time. and yes, all of this will be FREE to you for one entire year!

here's the deal:

for every $10 that you donate, you will get one entry into the drawing. only donations received on or before sunday, june 28th (the end of the yogathon) are eligible to win. the easiest way to donate is through the use of a credit card at my firstgiving page at www.firstgiving.com/ayogist. if you'd rather pay by check or cash, you can drop it off at city yoga's front desk in an envelope with "joni" written on the front.

the winner will be drawn on monday, or whenever i'm lucid enough to do the drawing :)

considering the tepid response i've received so far, your chances of winning are excellent! so please donate now... and i'm keeping my fingers crossed that you win!