marathon endeavors

i received an email from denise mazan at your neighborhood studio earlier this afternoon. she sent out information about an upcoming dance event at the music center later this month (i know, it has nothing to do with yoga, but it sounds like fun anyway):

A TASTE OF DANCE-A-THON
MUSIC CENTER, LOS ANGELES
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20th 10AM TO 4PM
REGISTRATION: Plan to register early to guarantee your spot.
Take advantage of reduced fee and register on or before October 10: $25 flat fee for 6 hours of dancing.
Registration fee after October 10: $35.

Join Active Arts at the Music Center for our first annual A Taste of Dance-A-Thon!
Boogie, shake, and shimmy the day away on the Music Center Plaza while raising money for the arts. Share your love of dance, and your love of the arts, with friends and family who can sponsor your dancing feet as you "taste" diverse dance forms throughout the day.
Come dance in a sociable, mistakes-allowed, joyful environment.
This fundraising event is designed for everyone, from the first-timer to the experienced dance enthusiast. Dance for as much or as little as you want (6 minutes or 6 hours!)

No prior dance experience necessary. Instruction provided. Marathon format is as follows: at the beginning of every hour is a 50-minute dance lesson, followed by a 10-minute break.
Line Dance and Texas Two-Step • Afro-Peruvian Dance • 60's Funky-Fun • Hip Hop • Salsa, Cha Cha, Merengue, and Samba • Bhangra

All proceeds support Active Arts programs. Registration closes when maximum capacity is reached. Children under the age of 3 will not be permitted on the dance floor.


and if this whole "move until you drop" concept intrigues you, here's another marathon event that you might want to consider (by the way, it's next week):

YOGA EXTRAVAGANZA: A 26 HOUR YOGATHON FUNDRAISER!
GOLDEN BRIDGE YOGA, HOLLYWOOD
SATURDAY, OCT. 13th 4:30PM to SUNDAY, OCT. 14th 8:00PM
REGISTRATION: Come For Some, Come For All:
Single class (not regular GB classes): $27 in advance; $40 at door
Saturday night only (4:30 pm -6:00 am): $54 advance; $64 at door
Sunday day only (6:00 am - 8:00 pm): $54 advance; $64 at door
Entire 26 hours: $108 advance; $118 at door

This extraordinary night features:
Harijiwan’s Gong and Meditation Extraordinaire, talk to the Angels with Sandra Bossier and Sylvia Kalicinski’s Earth and Sky meditation and Angel Dance, Kundalini Yoga and Music blended in the Delicious & Divine Chocolate Chakra Shakedown, sleep with angels to overnight mantra mix and gong, wake to celestial sadhana, sweat with Yogaworks Viniyasa instructor Natasha Rizopoulos, open your heart with Vanessa’s Tibetan Heart Yoga, Elevate your soul with Gurmukh and the Golden Bridge Choir, Open your Intuition with Tej, Face the Future of Humankind with Gahl, grab a partner and practice to Live Music with Gurmukh and Girish, and after a delicious dinner, Let your spirit soar chanting kirtan with Girish and his all-star band.

All proceeds to benefit Amrit Davaa World Health’s humanitarian and medical expedition leaving on Nov. 17 bringing doctors and medical supplies to the Manjushree Orphanage in India (9,500 feet in the Himalayan Mountains), one of the most remote and impoverished regions in the World.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Saturday, October 13
4:00 pm: Registration and Sign In
4:30 – 4:45 pm: Tej, Dr. Nevins, and Padmini (Debra Bergman)
4:45 pm – 7:00 pm: Kundalini Yoga and Meditation with Tej
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Gong Meditation with Harijiwan
9:00 pm – 11:00 pm: Earth and Sky Meditation & Angel Dance with Sandra & Sylvia
11:00 pm - 1:00 am: Dj Sharu & The Chocolate Chakra Shakedown Kundalini Yoga & Mantra Mix
Sunday, October 14
1:00 am – 4:00 am: Gong Extravaganza & Mantra Mix with Patrick Lacho & Sat Puran
4:00 am - 6:30 am: Sadhana
6:30 am - 8:00 am: Tibetan Heart Yoga with Vanessa Hopkins
8:00 am - 9:30 am: Vinyasa Flow with Yogaworks Natasha Rizopoulos
9:30 am - 11:30 am: Kundalini Yoga and Meditation with Gurmukh, accompanied by Maggie Wheeler
11:30 am – 1:30 pm: Sat Nam Rasayan with Hargopal
1:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Kundalini Yoga and Meditation: Open Your Intuition with Tej
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Face The Future Of Humankind: Science Fiction To Spirituality with Gahl
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm: Kundalini Partner Yoga and Meditation with Gurmukh Live Music by Girish
6:30 pm: Dinner served!
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Kirtan with Girish
Dinner, light snacks, water and beverages provided


on the other hand, if the thought of any kind of prolonged effort just isn't your thing, how about making a donation on behalf of someone who has volunteered to do all the work for you? check this out:

YOG-A-THON WEST
BKS IYENGAR YOGA, WEST HOLLYWOOD
SUNDAY, NOV. 4th 1:00-4:00PM
MAKE A PLEDGE - Yog-a-thon West participants are now accepting pledges from sponsors for their yogic endeavors.

The BKS Iyengar Yoga Institute of Los Angeles faces the loss of its home as early as the end of this year after nearly 23 years in its current location. In an effort to help out, local Iyengar Yoga teachers are joining together to do some Yoga to benefit the Capital Campaign Fund. The Capital Campaign Fund has been established to raise enough money to find, lease, and renovate an appropriate space to continue and hopefully expand the current programs being offered at the Institute. For more information about the campaign, check out the FAQ page.

Inspired by and loosely based on the NY Institute’s annual Yoga-thon events, we’ve opted to name our event Yog-a-thon West! Yog-a-thon West, is an opportunity for the LA Yoga community to come together, have some fun and raise some money to support the continued presence of an Iyengar Yoga Institute in Los Angeles. Be sure to come out and cheer on the participants!!

Participants:
Julie Adler - 108 Repetitions of the Invocation to Patanjali
Aida Amirkanian - 60 minute Salamba Sarvangasana and/or sequence from Light on Yoga
Marla Apt - in absentia
Jim Benvenuto - 60 minute Sirsasana
Sophie Boller - The 4 seasons of Upavistha Konasana (60 minutes)
Saraswati Browne - 108 Surya Namaskar
Lani Daniels - Chant the first two padas of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (off book)
Christina ("Dela") de la Fuente & Brad Smith - Stand & Deliver: 108 minutes of standing poses
Anna Delury - First 108 Poses from Light on Yoga
Mark Harelik - 60 minute Sirsasana
Efrat Lavie - Gang Supta Padangusthasana I and II (unlimited)
Now That's Twisted!: Andrea Isco, Gisele Terry
Pushkala Mahdevan - Chanting 108 names of Patanjali
Garth McLean - 108 Armbalances
Koren Paalman - 108 minutes of various inversions
Val Shaffer - 60 minute Adho Mukha Svanasana (in ropes)
Lisa Walford - 108 Dropbacks (Tadasana to Urdhva Dhanurasana and Up)
Amanda White - 108 Handstands
Yoga Magic Urdhva Dhanurasana Tag Team: Kate Arterber, Jennifer Edwards, Judith Lutz, Toby Sternlieb
Master of Ceremonies: Eric Small

i considered volunteering to do 108 minutes of savasana as my "yogic endeavor", but since i think i'll be out of town that day to run an actual marathon, i'll have to pass :)