where everyone knows your (one) name

Golden Bridge Yoga
633 De Longpre Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 936-4172
website: www.goldenbridgeyoga.com

Becoming aware of your body through yoga and meditation is the first step to accepting your body.

cher. sade. eminem. sting. bono.

there are musicians who go by a single name. everyone knows who they are, although many are unaware of their actual given names (if you really want to know, they're cherilyn sarkisian, helen folasade adu, marshall mathers, gordon sumner, and paul hewson).

likewise, there are yoga instructors in LA who go by a single name. they may not be as famous, but they have their own followers:

anaswara. govindas. light. (again, for the curious, they're lindsay wasserman, ira rosen, and derry watkins)

and now i've just taken a class with another single-named yoga instructor: mother.

this morning's hatha yoga class with mother was at golden bridge yoga, adjacent to the arclight cinemas (formerly the cinerama dome) in hollywood. golden bridge is the home of kundalini yoga, with specialized classes such as women's yoga & meditation, prenatal yoga, mommy & me yoga, children's yoga, and family yoga.

however, contrary to what you may think, mother ISN'T someone who reminds you of the woman who used to cook for you, help you with your homework, and remind you to clean your room when you were a kid.

mother is a he. and a young one at that (at least someone who looks like he isn't old enough to be YOUR mother. or father). so why "mother"? according to his bio, he chose the name because "MOTHER is the symbol of both the force of creation and the nurturing of that creation into its fullest enlightenment."

and i suppose that, in his way, his method of teaching yoga is very motherly. he was very attentive to the TWO students who showed up for his class today -- myself and a yoga newbie (to think my last post was about needing to attend smaller classes!).

my fellow student was unfamiliar with some of the asanas, but since her background was that of a dancer, she had no problem getting into the poses once mother showed her what she needed to do. she was willing to learn and he was more than willing to teach.

he did keep an eye on me and frequently came around to help me get deeper into my twists and bends. and considering that i've been nursing a cold and have been trying to twist out all those nasty germs from my body, it was much appreciated.

so what's mother's real name, you ask? it's eddie marashian. so do his friends refer to him as "eddie" or "mother"? i need to find out the next time i see him.

and yes, i've added him to my is this what you're looking for? post of yoga teachers...