365 Yogini

Thursday
I arrived at JFK airport at 4pm and stopped in Brooklyn briefly for a fresh juice with a friend before heading to the SoHo Yogaworks for the 7:30pm level 2/3 Vinyasa class taught by Aarona Pichinson who was subbing for Sadie Nardini. After class I was lucky to receive a Thai Yoga massage. Good start to the trip.

Friday
I was planning on going to a yoga class at Jivamukti but overslept. Ended up visiting the studio anyway to meet up with my friend and felt a little disappointed by the bad attitude at the front desk. I had to laugh when I saw the poster sized photo of the featured teacher of the month in her booty shorts and stripper heels.

Saturday
I went to Connecticut to celebrate my friend Corti Cooper's Birthday and took her Bikram Inspired Hot Yoga class at Yoga Synergy in Fairfield. It was fun. I haven't done a class like that in a while and it felt very detoxifying. Plus Corti is an incredible teacher.

Sunday
Although it was Valentines day and there were numerous couple's classes and workshops available, I ended up going to a level 2 Vinyasa class taught by Laurel Beversdorf at the SoHo Yogaworks by myself. My honey had gone to an earlier class while my friends and I were chowing down at the all you could eat buffet at Ulysses. The class was difficult on a full tummy and I wasn't enjoying all the twists. But we did a lot of new and interesting things, so I'm glad I went. After class I met up with my Valentine for hot cocoa and jazz.

Monday
I enjoyed a 2pm power flow class at Laughing Lotus taught by Joy. This studio had a ton of Shakti energy (Shakti is the concept, or personification, of divine feminine creative power)and was very arts and crafty. It was small and cozy. It felt very homey. Plus Joy's class was only an hour so she packed in A LOT of poses and philosophy in a short amount of time. My friend, Ashley, mentioned it felt like we did 50 poses in under an hour. Perhaps even more. Afterward we had coffee with Joy and a bunch of girl friends. Let the Shakti flow.

Tuesday
The day of my departure I went to a Women's Class at Yogasana studio in Park Slope in Brooklyn. I could have used a heat generating flow but it was much more of a restorative class, which ended up being nice considering it was snowing outside. Unfortunately, it was a strange studio with floating walls and doors where a cold draft would rush in and torture me. I fantasized about my sun filled Santa Monica studios and was excited to return home.

Yesterday was the completion of my second week, and my third weekend, of my 6 month 300 hour teacher training program with YogaWorks. I feel so blessed, and could not be more grateful, for my mentor, Kia Miller, and the wonderful group of yogis and yoginis I'm training with. It's been so nice to allow myself to dive deeply into this practice, philosophy, and pranayama; although I've had to let go of other activities and income generators in my life.

Yet, as you may know, sometimes you must say "no" to certain things in order to say "yes" to important opportunities. Right now I am saying "Yes! I am available to more good than previously thought, imagined, expressed, or manifested in my life." And in order to receive the goodness, you must be in the right place at the right time. So I am here, now...and loving it.

Often times I fill up my schedule with so much work and volunteering that I have no time to take care of myself, but now, I am my priority, and I like it. By putting myself before others, I can be of more service. Things are changing, but everything is moving in the right direction.

With that said, in the past two weeks I've taken classes with the following teachers at the corresponding studios:

Kia Miller (YogaWorks)
Lisa Walford (YogaWorks)
Jennifer Pastiloff (YogaCo)
Travis Eliot (SM Power Yoga)
Mia Togo (YogaWorks)
Andres (SM Power Yoga)
Govindas (Bhakti Yoga Shala)
Jeanne Heileman (YogaWorks)
Jasmine Lieb (YogaWorks)

Govindas...rock my world why don't ya. My Friday afternoon class at the Bhakti Yoga Shala was a truly awe inspiring experience that left me in a supreme physical and spiritual state. Together, we chanted phrases, including: "I am available to more good than previously thought, imagined, expressed or manifested in my life."

And then we visualized what "more good" would look like in our lives. My visualization was a fast forward through my world and included me walking home from the beach and into my home which was filled with my beloved friends. I was greeted with a kiss from my man and we picked fresh veggies from our garden to juice and cook together. People continued to come in and out of our Yoga Cottage as I hopped on and off planes in foreign lands dancing and laughing with unfamiliar faces filled with love. I practiced yoga and swam in unfamiliar waters. I was surrounded by circles of smiling children, hugging, laughing and doing yoga games with them and watching them grow...and ZOOM...back into the very spot I was sitting in; knowing that yoga and meditation are GOOD for me and that Life is FUNDAMENTALLY Good.

MORE...
dancing, singing, chanting, laughing, loving, juicing, biking, walking, running, hiking, swimming, stretching, listening, learning, reading, writing, painting, organizing, hugging, snuggling, meditating, smiling, shining, cooking, chewing, living and inspiring.

At 4pm on Friday December 18th, we at www.theStream.tv embarked on a 24 hour cycling fundraiser for the Pablove Foundation, a nonprofit fighting childhood cancer with love. The organization was named after a boy named Pablo Castelaz who lost his battle with cancer in June, just 6 days after his 6th birthday. His family's story is an inspiration to us all.

In October, Jeff Castelaz, Pablo's father, rode his bike 3,100 miles across the U.S. to mourn his son's death and to raise funds/awareness about pediatric cancer. We, at theStream.tv, rode a stationary bikes for 24 hours to support Pablove, and I rode for at least 6 of those hours...probably more.

Luckily, I was able to ride side by side with Jeff Castelaz and we had the chance to talk about life after Pablo's death, the importance of art in treatment, the Children's Hospital Los Angeles, and the potential band name, "Phone Tree."

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Saturday
YogaWorks Montana - Sonya
Fun flow. Lots of old men. She likes to sing her instructions.

YogaWorks Westwood - Thomas
Super cool guy. Interesting beginners class. Lots of strange balancing.

Sunday
YogaWorks Montana - Heather
Best YW class I've ever taken in L.A. Loved her energy and her sequence.

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Saturday
7:30 am Montana - Sonya
5:30 pm Westwood - Thomas

Sunday
4 pm Montana - Heather
5:30 pm Montana - Kia

Monday
7am Main - Malachi
2:30 or 7:30 pm Montana - John
5:30 pm - Chris

Tuesday
9am Montana - Annie
1pm (or Thurs) Montana - Jasmine

I had been considering doing a 300 hour teacher training that starts in January but I didn't learn until last night that in order to pick my mentor, I should take classes with each of these teachers before Thursday, December 4th.

Considering the Thanksgiving holiday and my schedule, this isn't going to be easy, but I'm going to do my best!
Wish me luck...
(*) = Taken
Annie Carpenter *
Carmen Fitzgibbon
Kia MIller *
Heather Seinger *
Jasmine Lieb
Sonya Cottle *
Chris Stein *
John Gaydos *
Malachi Melville *
Thomas Taubman *

When I saw Andres at the front of the studio at the beginning of Travis' class, my jaw dropped. I meant no offense, but I was really excited for Travis' class and was surprised to see a sub. But I had taken Andres' class before, so I wasn't worried. I knew it would be good.

I few things that struck me:

-The extended Kirtan chanting at the beginning of class. Delicious.

-Chanting OM with different movements including the transition from Utthita Hastasana to Uttasana.

-Lastly, something he said along these lines:

"We are clearing the dust from the mirrors of our hearts to reflect as much light as possible."

In the end, I didn't love the sequence but I loved the spirit behind it.

Tara's Birthday was coming up and she was considering sky diving. I was willing to go with her but when she started to change her mind, I suggested that we climb to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite, CA.

Luckily, she agreed to tackle Half Dome with me and this is what our experience looked like: