Need a new inspiration?

Now who can we get to teach us third series at Cosmic Dog?

AcroYoga

I took Jamie’s Intro to Acro Therapeutics and Thai Massage on Sunday. It felt so good! I knew that it would, but I was so surprised at what happened. I was lucky enough to be partnered with Jamie and Karen and Jamie is so darn stead that I was able to just pop right up in most of the poses. (I learned that it’s a surprising challenge to be the base) About half way through the workshop, I was hanging off of his feet and I heard a pop. Then another one. Then, my shulders started bending in places they haven’t in years. It felt so good. I’ve been draping myself off of the couch, hanging off the swings at the elementary school and working on my drop backs.

AHHH!

I was hanging off of those swings after school with the kids and Drew said, “Oh, this feels relaxable!”

Later this afternoon, Kieran jumped on my feet for a bit of Acro and Drew finally braved it. Now, we’re the fearless flying Gallaghers. I really want to have a workshop at the studio for kids and their yoga moms. Too much fun!

Gorgeous

Thank you Karma Club members and teachers for spending Saturday with me and producing such beauty. You really are amazing models. My job really is too much fun…

something better

What could possibly be better than the OmSwing? (I really should get paid for all of these gratuitious OS posts…) I’ll tell ya what could be better —

Yogi Jamie.

Drew and I worked the front desk at The Dog last night (best job on the planet), and had the joy of flying with Jamie. Jamie teaches the last class of the night. He came out during the closing savasana for a prop and Drew was in the hallway so in she went to do “angel pose” with the class. She came out so happy to be included and I told her “Jamie flies people!” I flew her a bit and then she was too intimidated to fly with Jamie, so I jumped on his feet for a bit of aerial, therapeutic yoga.

OMG. What could be better than the OmSwing? Hanging like a bat while somebody else tractions your body in every direction and gives you thai massage at the same time. Ah, it felt so damn good. I’m afraid I made Jamie late for the airport, but it was definitely worth it.

Stay tune, we’re running a 3-part series on partner, aerial and therapeutic yoga with Jamie in October. Can’t wait!

Here he is in the park with a girl he met 30-seconds before. Jamie used his now-famous pick up line: “Hey, ya wanna fly?” If he uses it on you, trust him and say yes!

I still want one

Lisa thinks it will be hard to develop a WHOLE class based on this thing. Something tells me I’ll never get bored with it.

I want one

Pacific Ashtanga

Yesterday, I thought I would jaunt down the street to Pacific Ashtanga. What could be better than yoga directly across from the bay at Dana Point? Plus, there’s something completely decadent about having a yoga studio within walking distance. Not that I walked.

Surprisingly, I wasn’t in the mood for the predictable Primary Series, so I chose a class called “flow”. Sounded nice and, well, “flowy”. You know – the sort of class one might want to take while on a beach vacation after just completing over 100 chatarunga pushups with Geo the Pokemon Yoga Master the day before. Yea, Flow sounded great.

Well, I”m glad t say I don’t know what the hell I really want after all.  Had I known what I was in for, I never would have gone to class, even though it was exactly what felt delicious, adventurous and was exactly what I needed after all. I went to class and to my surprise, at Pacific Ashtanga, “Flow Class” really is code for: Ashtanga’s Primary, Second and Third series on crack. Mmm Hmm… it was that addictively good.

Class was taught by Diana, the owner and there were only 5 students. We proceeded with the regular deliciousness of the Primary warm up: 5 Surya A, 5 Surya B. I was on auto pilot when I heard: the sequence go: Utkatasana, bakasana, Mukta Hasta Sirsasana (tripod headstand), directly to chatarunga, urdvha mukha, adho mukha, a bunch of warrior variations, vinyasa, then jump from down-dog to bakasana, back to tripod headstand, back to baka, and through the rest of the vinyasa… crazy! We did that 5 times and Diana proceeded to add fun variations, headstands, and such craziness as peacock in lotus (which I got!!!!), and Crow pose in Lotus (which I almost got). We did delicious backbends, drop backs, mukta hasta sirsanasa to eka pada bakasana, and all sorts of variations. We sang the Patanjali invocation and the Ashtanga closing chant.Diana’s practice is insanely advanced and she is a really great teacher.

I reveled in the Indian lineage that permeated the studio. After coming from Yoga Works the day before and enjoying class immensely, wandering into Pacific Astanga was like adding the frosting to a cupcake. The studio is presented with so much devoted attention: the altar with photos of Guruji, the beautiful statues, the candles and lanterns, the chanting, and the sheer dedication of the instructor to her own personal practice, was a cut above anything I could ask for. If you’re ever in the OC… do yourself a favor and check out Pacific Ashtanga. They also offer Ashtanga Prep classes if you’re not craving a little Ashtanga on crack like I am…

Today, reveling in my Ashtanga drug of choice from yesterday, I’m reminded of the words of Lao Tzu: “There are many paths to enlightenment. Be sure to take one with a heart.”

Ahhh

Lisa and I are spending a week at her parents house in Dana Point. This is the view from their kitchen:

So yes, I’m in heaven. We answer e-mails, go to yoga class, and hit the beach, feed the kids and go swimming at the neighborhood pool. Plenty of chocolate in the house, plenty of sand and sunshine. Heaven on earth.

Yesterday I went to Yoga works down the street and took “Power Yoga” with Geo. Lisa sent me off and said, “you’ve got to take class with Geo – he’s crazy!” She then added that she took class with him before she was the yoga master she now is – and she isn’t sure if he really is any good! So off I went. I thought, Geo sounded like a Pokemon character, what could be more fun than taking class from a pokemon-yogi? Geo didn’t disappoint. He’s a bit silly, and has a white afro and a very gentle way about him. He is fun, the Yoga Works studio is charming and the students were friendly. There was a lot of movement versus static poses – and that felt great. We did about 100 chatarunga push-ups, and you know how I love my push-ups.  His music was fun and I really enjoyed it. Nothing like hitting the beach after that kind of a good detox sweat.

I did notice a couple of things though. In comparison, I have to say that the students at Cosmic Dog have rockin’ form. Whenever I travel to other studios, I notice that many of the “advanced” classes include a lot of students who are there for the ego-trip of being advanced, whatever that means. Hence, they never really learn wise form and/or technique because of the pace of the advanced classes, or power label. I’m proud of what the teachers are doing at The Dog – it’s good, safe, effective yoga. We’re blessed. The other thing I noticed about the students there is that they chat during class. Seriously, during savasana, they tell the teacher, “you’re looking very fit!” and he tells them his latest eating regimen. Strange….. fun… but strange!

Guruji

Pattabhi Jois, Guruji – left his body today at 94 years old.

“Yoga is possible for anybody who really wants it. Yoga is universal.
Yoga is not mine. But don’t approach yoga with a business mind -
looking for worldly gain. If you want to be near God, turn your mind
toward God, and practice yoga. As the scriptures say “without yoga
practice, how can knowledge give you moksha [liberation]?”

Sri K. Pattabhi Jois

I’m moved as I think about his life, and his influence on yoga in the west. Clayton was my first teacher, and he studied Astanga with Pattabhi and while I don’t adhere to the strict structure of the Astanga method, I feel as if it is my yoga lineage. Flow yoga, my beloved practice – stems directly from this intelligent sequence of meditative breathwork and asana, focus, and awareness. So I’m sitting here overwhelmed with gratitude for this man many respectfully call “Guruji”

Here is a rare instance of Mr. Jois speaking English:

“If we practice the science of yoga, which is useful to the entire human community and which yields happiness both here and hereafter – if we practice it without fail, we will then attain physical, mental, and spiritual happiness, and our minds will flood towards the Self.”

Sri K. Pattabhi Jois

And here is Clayton, quite the Ashtangi and my first astanga teacher, speaking about this practice….

The Beautiful David Swenson demonstrating the grace of Pattabhi’s beloved Astanga series …

I’m mindful today of Pattabhi’s most famous quote:

“Do your practice and all is coming.”

Slackline Yoga

Should we do a slackline workshop at the Dog? Would anybody else join me as I fall gracefully on my face?