A PERMANENT STATE OF WANDERLUST!

Wanderlust,
What can I say...
a fantastic weekend
away from LA.


A long road trip
brought us to Squaw
for music and mountains
and mostly yoga.


We took great pleasure
to document this
a video diary
of yogitoes bliss...

part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwZqiGHY1PM

 part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6Meh55Q7j0

BIG Om Love to you...

Greenpeace Tips to Reduce Personal Oil Consumption

In the wake of the ongoing catastrophe of the GULF OIL SPILL, lots of people have been asking how they can reduce their oil consumption in their daily lives.

We took a look at what GREENPEACE had to say and decided to post their list of
the top ten personal habits we can change:

1. Carpool, cycle or use public transport to go to work.
2. Choose when possible products packaged without plastic and recycle or re-use containers.
3. Buy organic fruits and vegetables (fertilizers and pesticides are based on oil more often than not).
4. Buy beauty products (shampoo, soap, make-up) based on natural ingredients, not oil.
5. Choose when possible locally produced products (less transport involved).
6. Buy clothes made out of organic cotton or hemp - not from oil derivatives.
7. Use non-disposable items in picnics and summer festivals.
8. Quit bottled water.
9. Fly less.
10. Demand that your government encourage renewable energy instead of subsidizing oil.

Want to know more ways you can help the planet? Sign up here for the Greenpeace newsletter.

(Click here to see original Greenpeace post.)

Shot Out Of The Bottle - Full Speed Into Summer!

I am just back from Lightning In A Bottle, at it’s new home in Oak Canyon Ranch, CA... and feel like I have been shot out of a cannon (or should I say bottle) into summer! 

What a weekend put on by The Do Lab - a radical art collective that has made a name for themselves over the past few years at events like Burning Man, Coachella and their collaboration with The Lucent Dossier Experience.  This was the ninth and biggest year of this festival that brings together artists, musicians, yogis and conscious-minded individuals in celebration of creativity and consciousness.

Sensory impact was at a high as we enjoyed the sights and sounds... my favs had to be... dancing under the sun to an awesome house music set while the crowd was happily sprayed with water by a seven year old boy, watching the aerial silks duet at The Lucent Dossier Experience, and meeting my number one favorite person Grandma Bluefeather - an eighty-something year-old woman wearing red stockings over her Victoria Secrets and sporting a new tatoo on her right shoulder... her vitality and free spirit was incredibly inspiring!

What was also exciting is that Lightning In a Bottle is inspiring and bringing consciousness-in-action to the masses, in the form of incorporating sustainable resources, implementing sorted recycling and composting, donating proceeds of festival initiatives to charities and non-profit organizations, and leaving a positive impact on and even improving the land used and it's surrounding community.  This was even a vegetarian event with top of the line food vendors (that didn't take advantage of their captive customers by overpricing their food).

Other festival highlights included… on the conscious-tip; speaker Rev. Michael Beckwith of the Agape International Spiritual Center, author Daniel Pinchbeck and yoginis Shiva Rea and Ashley Turner… and on the FUN side; The Lucent Dossier Experience, Beats Antique, March Fourth Marching Band, Booka Shade and so much more!

November 21st at YOGIS ANONYMOUS

KARMA KIRTAN
with
DANIEL STEWART
and FRIENDS

100% of proceeds to benefit
local services and shelters for those in need.
Please click on the flyer to enlarge.

FEELIN' GROOVY!

featuring the GROOVIEST yogis...

ASHLEY ALBRAND

DICE IIDA-KLEINand
KATHRYN BUDIG

check out the youtube video featuring more shots of these three yogi rockstars on their GROOVY SKIDLESS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOMW62pRtYg

WANDERLUST in pictures...

The backdrop to our Wanderlust weekend at Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe...

2000 feet up at the top of this mountain was High Camp, an outdoor venue where teachers like John Friend and Duncan Wong held class.

Looking (way) back at The Alpine Village and beautiful Squaw Valley...

Susan Nichols, founder of yogitoes and New Hippie which hosted the discussion Human Evolution: From Duality to Unity Consciousness facilitated by Leanne Whitney (at the Alpenglow Room).

Q & A afterwards with Leanne Whitney.

Lululemon sporting their SKIDLESS... a big seller as the temps were HIGH!

...And here being put to good use!

Susan, Jai Uttal and Daniel Paul.

Sianna Sherman/MC Yogi yoga class finale! The energy was as high as the altitude!

'DANCEFLOOR' - a new use for SKIDLESS!

MC Yogi, DJ Drez, vocalist Nikko and the amazing AcroYogis (as John Friend looks on)!

The one and only Annie Carpenter!

The Yo Yo Yogis - Alex and Terri Cole

(check out their 100 Studios in 100 days adventure http://yoyoyogi.com/wordpress/)

High Camp meadow off season is GLORIOUS!

Gold Coast stage at High Camp with Andrew Bird performing... breathtaking!

Michael Franti came down with appendicitis... a few of us sent him a little get well card...

The first year of Wanderlust was beautiful, melodic, inspirational and just plain fun!
I can't wait to see what creators Jeff Krasno and Schuyler Grant have planned for next year...
Om Shanti!

Back

YOGIS TO SAVE DOPHINS!!

HELP SPREAD THE AWARENESS!

Please join Yogis to Save Dolphins at YogaGlo... a VERY IMPORTANT EVENT!
Saturday, July 25th @ 7pm
$35 suggested donation... no one will be turned away!

"passionate, exciting, and frightening ... the footage is staggering."

Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine

"I'd be surprised if it doesn't wind up being nominated in next year's best documentary feature Oscar race"

Martin Grove, Hollywood Reporter

“Incredibly moving, scary, riveting. a terrific film. one of the best documentaries I’ve seen in years.”

Chris Columbus, Director of Harry Potter

“One of the most talked-about documentaries at this year’s Sundance Film Festival”

Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine

“This film is going to make headlines.”

Laurie David, Huffington Post

" documentaries don't get much more compelling than The Cove”

Justin Chang, Variety

Sally Kempton... The Art of Tantric Meditation

I was privileged to recently attend a meditation workshop, “Art of Tantric Meditation” led by Sally Kempton at Yogaglo. I wasn’t quite sure what Tantric Meditation was but I have been reading articles of Sally’s for years and have always been impressed with her ability to clearly and insightfully integrate yogic philosophy into everyday life… this was enough to get me there!

Sally described Tantra as a tapestry of divine energy and Tantric meditation as a “highly functional approach to meditation” by which we learn to harness this energy. I could follow that, but it seemed like it was something one must experience to really 'get'.

I gained more insight when she interpreted the expression “that by which we fall is that by which we rise”, providing the visual of the Universe portrayed as a pulsating ocean consisting of waves and whirlpools and the like. These force-filled elements can either drown us or uplift us; they can toss us around or we can learn to surf them. We can learn to ride the Universal Ocean’s natural energy to an awakened state through finding the still point within chaos, and… here within lies the entry point to the divine. This chaos takes the various forms in our lives: a fight with our beloved, the loss of a job, the many things that make up what we call 'having a bad day', but each can be used to go deeper as we practice through meditation.

Of the several meditations we experimented with, the “Armpit” meditation was my favorite. Breaking from the routine of using breath to go within, (something the restless mind may be bored with), I found the unusual focal point of the “void of the armpit” surprisingly effective. I was quickly drawn into a space deep within – quite a feat as I was definitely struggling with ‘monkey-mind’ that day. Maybe the nearness to the heart chakra had something to do with it, as I felt content and without want in my meditation. I was in a place beyond thought, a place of dark, safe warmth beyond the realm of the worldly concerns. It was a tough one to come out of as I felt like I was too quickly drawn out of a deep sleep.

Maybe this is Tantra's tradition of radical interiority that she spoke of.

Sally teaches meditation as part of a process of inner exploration, in which one learns to integrate heart, mind and body in order to experience our natural state of wisdom and love. Her classes create an atmosphere of support and joy that allows deep exploration. It is appropriately summed up by a student of hers… "She can take a whole room into a state of oneness. When you meditate with her, meditation seems natural and easy."

Here Comes The Sun...

...and it's alright!

The summer kick off festival was a grand success!

yogitoes joined the many other conscious vendors for this fun filled evening of art, food, music and exploration.

There were many familiar faces there be it from yoga class, kirtan or other events in our yoga community... many stopped to say hello. It was great connecting (or reconnecting) with you all!

Many thanks to Derik at YogaGlo for putting this event together!

Amma...

For quite a few years now I have heard stories about the one known simply as Amma. I had heard that Amma is the hugging saint and that receiving a hug from her can send one into a semi-ecstatic state of love bliss. I have also heard that in order to receive this love infusion, one must endure a day or nightlong wait amongst a thousand devotees in the tight quarters of a cramped hotel floor.

I always thought that when the Universe wanted me to receive ‘my hug’ the opportunity would clearly present itself, the traffic would part and I would be transported over to a hotel near LAX to await my turn amongst the devotees. Well, it turns out this was my time as I got an early morning email from my boss suggesting that instead of coming in to the office I should go and visit Amma. (I know that at this news the yogitoes email inbox will be overflowing with resumes by the end of the day).

Traffic didn’t exactly part for my workmate Zan and I as we made our way south, but we knew we were getting closer as we began to recognize Amma devotees, not your usual LAX-area pedestrians, as they stood out in their flowing garments and mala beads with essential oils wafting after them in the breeze.

Upon arriving at the second level of the Radison Hotel, the event was obviously in full swing. There was a lovely energy swirling through the event with people mingling about, pausing at vendor stands that offered all things Amma, eating vegetarian fare or just sitting and watching Amma on the large video screens. Though the room was large, the atmosphere was intimate and it wasn’t at all the picture I had in my mind of long lines of attendees weary from the countless hours of waiting.

Once meditation was over in the main room, we received our tokens indicating when it would be our turn to receive darshan. So, for clarity, what does it mean to receive darshan…the Sanskrit translation is “auspicious viewing”; it is the beholding of a deity or a revered person such as a spiritual teacher where the experience is reciprocal and results in the beholder receiving a blessing in return (Encyclopedia Britannica). The blessing here is in the form of Amma’s hugs in which she is said to transfer the essence of unconditional love to the receiver.

Our four hours flew by and when it was our turn we were ushered up towards the stage. My advance toward Amma was surreal as the kirtan ensemble sang out in angelic chorus behind her, live video of the hugging played on either side of us while the volunteers continuously urged us forward. I was swiftly prepped; relieved of my carried belongings, given a tissue to wipe off any facial oil then instructed to quickly kneel, as I would be next. The previous person was barely released as I was pushed in, Amma reached out and I was drawn in to her embrace.

She smelled wonderfully of roses! I instinctively put my arm around her but attendants immediately removed my hand as I guess Amma was the only one to be doing any hugging. She whispered loving words in my ear as she hugged then she released me only to pull me back in for a second embrace. The hug seemed to last forever and was the only thing still in the chaotic shuffling going on around me. Once released, Amma handed me prasad (an appropriate hersey’s kiss) and as quickly as I was ushered in, I was ushered out.

Spinning in a rose scented fog, I tried to orient myself and waited for Zan. She soon emerged in what appeared to be an equally dazed state. She described feeling a pulsating energy that radiated out from Amma and moved through her on its way out into the room yet… the Universe. I listened as she described a powerful pulsation, a stirring experience of pure unadulterated Love that jolted her consciousness. Her words echoed those of others that have told of similar moments of transcendence and awakening. As for myself, I was still trying to figure out my experience. Where Zan had an immediate hit, I believe I walked away with something akin to a force field of subtle energy working on me.

What was clear that there was a strong sense of Love radiating throughout the rooms, permeating the air, woven through all shared words, opening hearts wider than before. Maybe that is what it is all about; Amma reminds us of the unconditional, all-encompasing Love we are born with, and through this reminder, we can re-embody it and share it with all those we cross paths. Whether it hits you head-on or swirls in a vortex around you, is there a more powerful message than Love?

OPERATION SHANTI SUMMER SOLSTICE CHARITY EVENT!

This is your chance to check out Equinox's BEAUTIFUL yoga studios...
you don't have to be a member to attend!

This weekend... June 19, 20 & 21

Flow yoga with Garth Hewitt, an art exhibition and auction,
raffles with REALLY GREAT PRIZES all worth over $100 each
(including an awesome yogitoes package at the Santa Monica event)
and of course refreshments!

All proceeds benefit Operation Shanti!

(Click on flyer below for details)

BHAKTI YOGA SHALA IS BORN!

Congratulations to our friends Govindas and Radha, long time Santa Monica Power Yoga teachers, who just opened their new donation-based studio… BHAKTI YOGA SHALA in the heart of downtown Santa Monica!

The grand opening celebration was Sunday, May 31st in form of a 12-hour Maha Kirtan Ritual where kirtan wallahs from all over Los Angeles came to invoke divine shakti, blessing the space with bhajans devoted to the great Ones. As yogis and yoginis danced in and out of the beautiful womb-like space, the energy of love, devotion and community flowed freely.

The celebratory evening culminated as Govindas and Radha took the stage and raised their voices to Lakshmi - the goddess of abundance, light and wisdom, and the embodiment of love – from which Bhakti flows. The room quickly burst into ecstatic dance and all voices sang in high celebration blessing the evening, the beautiful new sanctuary and our dear hosts.

Bhakti Yoga Shala is dedicated to the path of “Bhakti Yoga”, the path of love, devotion, service, truth and gratitude and offers donation-based yoga classes as well as kirtan festivals and other special bhakti flavored events. If you have never experienced the energy of either Govindas or Radha’s classes, it truly is a heart opening experience and I urge you to go feel it for yourself.

Bhakti Yoga Shala is located in the courtyard at the corner of Arizona and 2nd Street in Santa Monica. For a full schedule of classes given by the Shala’s heart-centered guides visit: www.bhaktiyogashala.com

The Earth's Best Defense: Touring the NRDC's Green Building

On a recent gorgeous sunny Santa Monica day the yogitoes crew took a field trip to one of the greenest buildings in the country…the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Robert Redford Building. Just a couple of blocks from the Santa Monica Pier, the NRDC’s Southern California headquarters houses The David Family Environmental Action Center (named for supporter Larry David of Curb Your Enthusiasm) and The Leonardo DiCaprio e-Activism Zone. This walk-in exhibit space and shop exists to raise the awareness of critical environmental issues and to empower citizens to protect our natural resources. The rest of the three-story building is where the action happens… it is where NRDC’s team of lawyers and scientists work, the people who I have invested in to fight for better laws, safe and preserved environments, and a better world for all living creatures.

The NRDC gives free tours of their building, upon which was bestowed a LEED® platinum level recognition in green function and design. Every aspect was considered in planning and construction; from the source and type of materials, water and energy used, to the energy expenditure in transporting to the building site. As a result, the building uses 60 – 70% less energy and 60% water than a conventional office of the same size. It features more local resources so fewer emissions are generated and less energy is used.

We were shown every corner of the building from the rooftop to the bowels of the basement. The building’s rooftop is white to counteract the heat island effect present in cities, where dark roofs cause temperatures to rise 5 –7%. Solar panels are also present providing 20% of the building’s energy. Rooftop vents release hot air that has risen inside the building while skylights and an open floor plan below allow natural light to move down two levels reducing the use for most artificial light.

The wood used throughout the building is sourced from fast growing and replenishable and sustainably managed forests (for example poplar and bamboo forests cut in sections so that wildlife can still exist).

Groutless rooftop tiles allow rainwater to seep down into a collection system. Once processed, it is used for toilets, sinks, and showers (provided to the employees as biking to work is encouraged) and though the water IS drinkable the city currently doesn’t allow it (an example of old rules and regulations not quite keeping up with new technology).

Other fabulous ways the building maintains green status are…
- Motion sensored lighting in offices that turn off when you leave.
- Each office has it’s own air-conditioning thermostat to help conserve energy.
- Sensored windows that, when opened, automatically signal the air-conditioning to turn off.
- The use of transom windows over doors allow air to move through the building.
- No-water urinals are used.
- Marlomeum flooring, made from linseed resin, is used in place of linoleum and is better for the environment.
- Furniture and floor covering come from companies that use recycled materials without sacrificing aesthetics (see Knoll, Bentley Prince St.).
- Drought resistant plants are planted on the property.
- The exterior of the building is constructed with ‘hardiplank’, a mixture of sawdust and concrete which by nature is fire and termite resistant.
- This location was chosen because it is in a busy pedestrian center and the mass transit system can easily be taken advantage of.

"Using advanced but off-the-shelf technology, this building shows it's possible to protect our natural environment, achieve greater energy independence, and also save money."

The NRDC was founded in 1970 by lawyers who saw an imminent need to defend the environment. Its mission today states: The mission of the Natural Resources Defense Council is to safeguard the earth: its people, its plants and animals, ad the natural systems on which all life depends. Now it is the most effective environmental organization in the nation, supported by over 1 million members. You can find out more about his incredible organization at www.nrdc.org and www.savebiogems.org.

Fifteen Yogic Reasons to Join a Beach Clean-up

While participating in a beach clean-up this past weekend sponsored by Aveda and DEEP, benefiting the Surfrider Foundation, I realized that THIS was yet another way of practicing yoga… while reaping some added benefits!

Here are fifteen yogic reasons to join a beach clean-up:

1. It creates a safer beach for adults and kids.
2. It creates a safer environment for other living beings – land, sky and water.
3. You get to breathe all those negative ions in that ocean air.
4. Your body absorbs it’s daily dose of vitamin D from the sun (but don’t forget your sunscreen).
5. It’s a real eye-opener to what is happening to the environment in our own backyard (you wouldn’t believe what you come across AND the sheer amount of it).
6. It is great exercise for the feet and legs.
7. You get a FREE foot exfoliation!
8. You get to practice ahimsa – non-violence, towards mother earth.
9. You get to practice satya – honesty, and svadyaya – self study, as you ask yourself “what part of this mess did I play”?
10. You get to practice asteya – non-stealing, as you help to give back a healthy home to the ocean dwellers.
11. You get to practice saucha – cleanliness, extending this concept beyond what you label “me” and “mine”.
12. It is a wonderful walking meditation to the soundtrack of gently crashing waves and singing gulls.
13. Your heart feels warm as passers by smile, thanking you for your efforts.
14. You feel sense a unity consciousness.
15. Lunch afterwards tastes so much better!

Stay tuned for a yogitoes sponsored beach clean-up in the future…

The Organic Pharmacy of Beverly Hills

The Organic Pharmacy of Beverly Hills

The Organic Pharmacy is the first and only pharmacy in the world dedicated to health and beauty using organic products and treatments.

Their promise:
No artificial preservatives
No artificial colorants
No artificial fragrances
No petrochemicals
No harsh detergents
No DEA, TEA
No toxic ingredients
No animal testing

From their herbal and homeopathic dispensary they custom blend remedies to suit your needs. Expert advice from their qualified professional team means you are able to fulfill all your health and beauty needs.

Our friends at the Organic Pharmacy Beverly Hills are offering all yogis and yoginis
special introductory prices:

Rose Crystal Lymphatic Drainage Facial (90 min) for $100 (usually $160)
or
Signature Health Assessment for $120 (usually $170)

For a limited time only… from now until the end of June.

453 North Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.272.7275
http://www.theorganicpharmacy.com/

EnlightenUp! the Film

Filmmaker and yoga enthusiast Kate Churchill is determined to prove that yoga can transform anyone. In her documentary, EnlightenUp!, she invites Nick Rosen, a journalist new to yoga, to be her guinea pig. For the next six months she follows him as he samples various yoga studios, styles and methods around the world. As Rosen begins to uncover the many dimensions of the practice of yoga, his tendency is to have an analytical and skeptical take on his experiences. This seems to frustrate Churchill whose questions directed at Rosen begin to become more emotionally charged in turn seeming to increase the pressure for enlightened results. The dominant theme that seems to emerge for Rosen is the apparent conflict between the physical and spiritual aspects of yoga. It is possible that Rosen may not recognize the depth of his resistance as he doesn’t seem to make a connection between his yogic exploration and the deep feelings about his mother that keep rising up in his consciousness. The film inadvertently conveys that one cannot force transformation on someone else’s schedule. Yoga enthusiasts will have an easier time identifying the essence of modern yoga as presented in EnlightenUp! whereas others may walk away with the idea that the current phenomenon of yoga is less than what it purports to be.

Featuring: B.K.S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, Norman Allen, Sharon Gannon, David Life, Gurmukh, Dharma Mitra, Cyndi Lee, Alan Finger, Rodney Yee, Beryl Bender Birch, Shyamdas, Diamond Dallas Page and many more!

Currently playing in New York, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Irvine and coming to many more cities soon:
http://enlightenupthefilm.com/in-theaters/

YOGAGLO, Nonviolence, and Ecology...a modern dialogue

‘A’ – negating
‘han’ – to strike with the intent of doing harm
‘imsa’ – indicates desire

From ‘negating the desire to do harm’ we have thus come to the modern definition of ahimsa as ‘nonviolence’.

So how does this quality resonate in our own lives? How does it move from within you, out into the Universe? And how is it cultivated? These were some of the questions addressed in “Yoga, Nonviolence (Ahimsa), and Ecology”, a recent talk given at Yogaglo by renowned theologian Dr. Chris Chapple, Navin and Pratima Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology at Loyola Marymount University. The talk explored how the principle of nonviolence and the practice of Yoga meditation can be combined to heighten our awareness of nature and the need for environmental activism. Yoga, defined as union is not only the union of the mind and the body through our breath, but also our union with the Divine, which not only lies within but also without in the form of our fellow creatures, the earth and even beyond into the cosmos. Through honoring this world around us, ahimsa is cultivated. Through our yoga practice we have the opportunity to become attuned to the various forms ahimsa takes. How does it play out in our yoga practice; do we listen to our bodies above our egos? How does it play out in our personal life; do we recognize and accept our uniqueness and our rightness in the present moment? The energy of what we choose to (or not to) practice carries out into our daily lives and radiates outward into the world like ripples moving toward the outer edges of a pond. Thus, no small act or thought goes without affecting the greater consciousness.

According to the Green Yoga Association, another organization Dr. Chapple is involved with, we must learn to live in balance with nature. Some of the ways to do this are:
- Educate ourselves about the needs of the biosphere as a whole and our local ecosystems in particular.
- Cultivate an appreciation for and conscious connection with the natural environments in which we live, including animals, plants, soil, water, and air.
- Include care for the environment in our discussion of Yogic ethical practices.
- Commit ourselves to policies, products, and actions that minimize environmental harm and maximize environmental benefit.
- And if we are Yoga teachers or centers, we will incorporate these commitments into our work with students.

Chapple also suggests:
- Reading or re-reading the Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita citing that each verse is “one to live by”.
- Becoming aware of and guarding against harmful tendencies.
- Practice pratipaksha bhavanam, doing or thinking the opposite when negative thoughts or impulses arise (see The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 11.33).

As yoga (and the current economical conditions) advocates a radical individuality in the approach to life, we are given license to be as creative as possible in our efforts. Yogaglo is a studio that has grabbed that creative license and ‘flowed’ with it by charging a monthly fee of $18 a month…yes folks, I said EIGHTEEN DOLLARS A MONTH for unlimited classes in studio and online (all in-studio classes are recorded and immediately posted on their website free of advertisements). Through yoga and conscious events, Yogaglo’s intention is to encourage people around the world to invest in the quality of the human condition and to serve as a vehicle for social change. Five percent of their profits go to an organization of your choosing from a list of non-profit partners.

Yoga and meditation are virtually tool kits for eco-sustainability through its principles…all it takes is to pick a tool and get to work…


Chris Chapple also holds Yoga Sutra Sadhana (Study and Practice) Sunday mornings 8:30 - 10:00am at the Hill St. Center in Santa Monica.

An Evening of Posing for Paws...

Mahatma Gandhi said, “the greatness of a nation and its moral progress is best judged by how we treat our animals”. Opportunities to illustrate this greatness, to expand our capacity for compassion, are available all around us ready to be taken advantage of especially now, in this time of emerging consciousness. Last Friday one of these opportunities presented itself to me so I headed over to the Poses for Paws evening at Lululemon Santa Monica where I found a store full of yogis and dogs… my idea of heaven! I rolled out my yogitoes’ SKIDLESS towel in Vishnu (apropos as Vishnu embodies the qualities of generosity and compassion and is the sustainer of life) and thoroughly enjoyed the energy of canine chaos, as their excitement was contagious.

Poses for Paws is the way yoginis Kathryn Budig and Jesse Schein are expanding compassion and consciousness by raising money through yoga. They contribute 100% of donations from their events to New Hope, a networking program created to eliminate obstacles that might prevent the adoption of shelter animals that are most at risk of euthanasia.

As we settled onto our mats, we met Kenga and China, highly adoptable lifelong pals that were dropped off at the West LA Animal Shelter last August. Their handlers shared that animal intakes are up 7% in February (from 3,010 to 3,225), an eight year high and a disturbing trend continuing from 2008. As I glanced through the booklet of adoptees available I noticed that most of the animals found their way to the shelter because their “owner lost home”… forsaken casualties of our economic meltdown. Amazingly enough, February adoptions were up nearly 18% however, there are so many more long-term boarders in need of rescue. For those of us already at our full canine capacity, another act of seva, (the yogic term for being of service), is helping out with the shelter’s on-going wish list that includes items such as blankets, newspaper, food and cleaning supplies.

We were mat to mat as Kathryn and Jesse took turns leading us through a challenging class full of animal inspired poses encouraging the partnering of our furry companions… Navasana (boat pose) with Fido captaining our ship, salabasana (locust pose) with Fluffy sitting triumphantly on our locust’s back and of course a savasana covered in wet kisses.


As I blissfully rised from my final resting pose, I gazed at my Vishnu drishti and pondered the yogic concept of ahimsa, the avoidance of violence, and the intention behind the evening. Through practicing yoga, awareness - the seed that compassion sprouts from, is cultivated and the unity of all living beings can be more deeply realized. Through actualizing this interconnectedness, we naturally find ourselves wanting to care for and protect other living things. This is the moral progress that Gandhi spoke of.
The evening culminated, as most great social gatherings do, gathered around the dessert table as dogs and their furless family members enjoyed Three Dog Bakery’s oven baked pupcakes and cookies, laughing and barking into to night…

FUEL the film...a MUST see!

I recently went to see the documentary FUEL. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I was in the mood to see a documentary as they are often serious and depressing. Though FUEL is about a serious subject; America's troubled relationship with oil, it moves beyond the history and spends a good amount of time showcasing alternative and sustainable resources. Director Josh Tickell takes us along on his 11 year journey across America and beyond, interviewing environmentalists, policy makers and entertainment activists creating insightful dialogues along the way. The brilliantly innovative technology Tickell highlights includes vertical farms that occupy skyscrapers in New York City to wind fields that could potentially create a large amount of new jobs (maybe replacing auto industry layoffs and hazardous coal mining positions) to algae facilities that turn waste water into tasty fuel. This potential illuminates a "hopeful, achievable future where decentralized, sustainable living is not only possible, it's imperative"! THIS is what allowed me to walk, no BOUNCE out of the theater motivated and inspired, ready to jump at my first opportunity to support these efforts! Jai Ma!
Don't sleep on this one as it a privately produced and distributed film and needs viewers to stay in theaters!
To find out more go to http://thefuelfilm.com

yogitoes enthusiasts

to view our yogitoes enthusiast archive, please visit
www.yogitoes-enthusiast.blogspot.com