holiday gatherings

here's a list of the goings-on during the month of december. since it's still early in the month, keep checking as more updates become available...

ongoing events:

Friday Night Groove Night
Yoga Groove, North Hollywood
Every Friday 8:00-9:30pm
Cost: By donation

Uniquely themed classes created by the Yoga Groove staff. May include candlelight, live music, dance, meditation, singing, and chocolate.
Please check www.yogagroovestudio.com for details of each week.

Kirtan in the Canyon with Andrew and Michele and Friends
Yoga Desa, Topanga
Saturday, Dec 1st (First Saturday of each month) 7:00pm

Singing these special songs with full enthusiasm is a meditation in itself and can leave you quite happy and high. See for yourself.
Call (818) 340-6088 for information.

Kirtan Chanting with Govindas and Radha
Power Yoga West, Santa Monica
Saturday, Dec 1st (First Saturday of every month) 8:00-10:00pm
Cost: By Donation

The first Saturday of every month, from 8-10pm, Govindas and Radha will hold a candlelit evening of Kirtan Chanting, as always on donation basis.
Come sing from the deepest corner of your heart!
Bring meditation cushions or blanket (no yoga mat). Wear comfy clothes.

Chanting Workshop
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, Marina del Rey
Saturday, Dec 8th 4:00-6:00pm
Cost: FREE

If you love to chant or want to learn, this is your chance! Come for a relaxed afternoon of Kirtan (mantra chanting) and good company. Practice the traditional call-and-response Sivananda daily chants, experiment with rhythm, become confident to lead chants, learn new ones. It's easy, and uplifting.
Mantra chanting is the most joyful when done in a group. The awakening energy develops devotion and selfless love. These are wonderful complements to your hatha yoga practice.

Zen Dancing Ritual Concert with Micheline Berry, Craig Kohland + Shaman's Dream
Exhale Center for Sacred Movement, Venice
Saturday, Dec 8th (Second Saturday of each month) 8:30-10:00pm
Cost: $15 in advance, $20 at the door

Where ecstatic dance and live world music meet, Zen Dancing® induces peak states of ecstatic embodiment and deep union with the pranic "flow" between dancer and drum, breath and beat. The language of dance is universal and since 1996 Micheline Berry, Craig Kohland and their world ensemble Shaman's Dream have been resurrecting and defining the ritual world dance in Los Angeles, CA. Their live concerts are akin to a world ethnotronica odyssey that will sweep you up in a wave of trance dance marked by the evocative indigenous sounds and deep visionary grooves that have become the signature of their music.
No experience necessary...simply come prepared to move and let the music take you where it will.

Breath of Life Tribal Rock Jam
Power Yoga West, Santa Monica
Saturday, Dec 8th (Second Saturday of each month) 8:30pm
Cost: By Donation

An open jam experience for everyone. Bring yourself, your expression, and if you want, bring an instrument!
As a part of the 4dalove Conscious Gatherings series, we are honored to present the Breath of Life Tribal Rock Jam. Come down to Santa Monica for a night of expression, dance, and music. This is an open jam and entry is on a donation basis so bring your Self, your freedom, and whatever else you want. It is designed to be a night with no design, where the openness takes us on a journey of music and expression. The B.O.L.T. will provide the space, and the clearing for you to come and let yourself go. If you have a song to share, that will be the place to do it.

Soul Flow: Creative Dance with Haridass Kaur
The Awareness Center, Pasadena
Friday, Dec 14th 7:30-9:00pm (once a month)
Cost: $20 or 2 for $30

Join Haridass Kaur/Basia for a wholesome and soulful evening! This eclectic event includes creative dancing with a healing journey through the chakras, flowing music, group interaction and playfulness, and a meditative closing circle.

Chanting with Steve Ross
Maha Yoga, Los Angeles
Saturday, Dec 15th 8:00pm (once a month)
Cost: By Donation (for our musicians)

Fill your heart with divine bliss as Steve leads us through beautiful chants. Guaranteed to have you floating out of the studio. Wear comfortable clothing, bring a cushion to sit on and enjoy.

Solstice Kirtan with Daniel, Larry & Friends
Rising Lotus Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Frday, Dec 21st 8:00pm
Cost: $15 Suggested Donation

Come join Daniel and other special guests for a joyful evening of music, meditation, and chanting. No singing experience needed, only a willingness to open your heart to the blissful flow.


other special events:

A Weekend with Krishna Das
Yogaworks Center for Yoga, Larchmont
Friday, Nov 30th - Sunday, Dec 2nd (see schedule below)
Cost: Kirtan - $25 Early; $30 at the door; Workshop - $45 Early; $55 at the door

Krishna Das first traveled to India in 1970 where he met his guru, Neem Karoli Baba (Maharaj-ji). Through Maharaj-ji, he was introduced to the devotional practice of kirtan, an ancient method of heart purification. He has released several CD’s and now leads chanting workshops around the world, helping us to turn within and find our own inner understanding. Krishna Das has also been studying Buddhist meditation for more than 30 years. Sharing his heart through music and chanting is the basis of Krishna Das's own spiritual work; his way of serving the Divine within himself and others.
Krishna Das’s workshops are like mini-retreats of about 3 hours. Along with chanting, Krishna Das shares stories about his experiences on the Path. Workshops with Krishna Das usually include: Chanting (call and response) with musical accompaniment, stories about his Guru, readings from spiritual traditions, teachings, and discussions about life and the spiritual Path. This forum provides the opportunity for Q&A in an intimate setting.
Schedule Information ~
Kirtan: Friday, November 30th, 8:00-10:00pm
Kirtan: Saturday, December 1st, 8:00-10:00pm
Workshop: Sunday, December 2nd, 2:00-5:00pm
Kirtan: Sunday, December 2nd, 8:00-10:00pm

YOGA OPEN HOUSE
Mark Blanchard's Power Yoga, Brentwood and Studio City
Saturday Dec 1st and Sunday Dec 2nd
Cost: FREE

Free Yoga All Weekend in Brentwood and Studio City Yoga Centers. Lots of discounts on yoga series, yoga clothing and gifts in our stores and more.

OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE - BRENTWOOD:
Saturday
8:45-10:15am Garth Hewitt
10:30-12:00pm Mark Blanchard
1:00-2:00pm Mark's Talk - Why Power Yoga
2:00-3:30pm Dearbhla Kelly - Power Yoga Basics
4:00-5:30pm Beau King
7:30pm-Donna De Lory Concert
Sunday
8:45-10:15am Beau King
10:30-12:00pm Shawn Bracha
1:00-2:30pm Elizabeth Blanchard
4:00-5:30pm Albena Teofilova
6:00-7:30pm John Mackow

OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE - STUDIO CITY:
Saturday
9:00-10:30am Megan Hyndman
10:30-12:00pm Elizabeth Folk-Blanchard
3:45-5:15pm Mark Blanchard
5:30-7:00pm Ruthie Zalduondo
Sunday
9:00-10:30am Kiersten Morgan
10:30-12:00pm Ruthie Zalduondo
3:45-5:15pm Beau King
5:30-6:45pm Elizabeth Folk-Blanchard
7:00-8:30pm Stacie Foster

Donna DeLory in Concert
Mark Blanchard's Power Yoga, Brentwood
Saturday, Dec 1st 7:30pm
Cost: $20

Join us at the Brentwood Studio and hear the voice of an angel - Donna DeLory in concert beginning at 7pm. SEATING LIMITED SO ARRIVE EARLY!
Children welcome (Children under 12 years are free).

Larisa Stow & Shakti Tribe
FreeSpirit Yoga, Long Beach
Saturday, Dec 1st 7:30-9:00pm
Cost: $15 advance sale, $20 at the door

Larisa Stow & Shakti Tribe create a dynamic blend of East meets West music that mixes kirtan (devotional call-and-response), mantra and uplifting songs. Their inspiring music fuses the spiritual and sacred with a pop rock groove and sensuality like no other....the result is a magic carpet ride your soul needs to experience. Shakti Tribe celebrates unity, culture and diversity through their music's messages of peace, hope and love. To learn more about the band and their music, please visit www.myspace.com/larisastow.

Sunday Yoga with Steve Hsu
lululemon Pasadena, 110 W Colorado Blvd
Sunday, Dec 2nd 10:00am
Cost: FREE

Yoga with Steve Hsu! A third degree black belt in Kung Fu San Soo, he is also ACE certified in Aerobics and Group Fitness and lifetime certified in Spinning.
Teaching at Yogaworks Huntington Beach, Equinox Fitness Pasadena, and 24 Hour Fitness Rancho Cucamonga demonstrates Steve's passion for fitness. While providing detailed and thorough instructions, Steve is best known for his sarcastic humor and warm, caring presence with his students.

Chocolate and Flowers - Meditation with Treats!
Liberation Yoga, Los Angeles
Sunday, Dec 2nd 1:00-2:30pm
Cost: $15

This Sunday treat yourself to seated meditation with a focus on breath awareness, body awareness and the generation of love, compassion and gratitude. There will be chocolate to taste made from organic, fair trade dark chocolate with herbs and spices as well as learning the special meaning and purpose behind flowers. Choose which you like best and learn what that means about you!
We will learn to use chocolate and flowers as support/ tools to maintain balance of body and mind and also mini-ceremonies you can do at home to enjoy the sacredness of each moment.
Chocolate and Flowers is led by Lisa Reinhardt and Katie Hess, who have a combined experience of about 30 years meditating regularly. Lisa lived in Asia for 11 years, studying and practicing meditation, returning to the U.S., currently owner of Wei of Chocolate. Katie Hess has worked with herbs and flowers for the last 8 years with Lotus Wei, customizing flower essences for more happiness and clarity of mind. As sisters, they join together to encourage and awaken more joy and awareness through chocolate and flowers.

SoundJourney with Dr. Richard Grossman
Golden Bridge Yoga, Hollywood
Sunday, Dec 2nd 1:30-3:30pm
Cost: $20/adv or $25/day of

The soundJourney experience is an experience of shamanic healing. It is healing that occurs on the deepest levels. An emotional-spiritual letting go. A diving deep into the Beauty inside. Reaching back to the first time people put their hands together to make rhythm, soundJourney taps into our basic physiology, connecting body, mind and spirit.
Sound itself is a physical energy, and sound about vibration. The vibration of the instrument travels through the air to the ears, which send neurological energy to the brain. The brain, in its turn, experiences, interprets and responds with different neurochemicals, depending on the sound. A passing siren will set off one kind of chemical response; a lover’s whisper quite another. What our culture recognizes as music is a particular kind of sound, of recognizable pattern, that we can sing or dance to, which imprint us in specific and various ways. Blues have a different imprint than heavy metal, for instance.
And this is where soundJourney differs from ordinary music. The purpose of soundJourney is not to imprint, but to de-imprint. To unwind. To let go. To be totally in the moment with the vibration of sound. To have the brain trigger the deepest chemicals of ease. Of harmony. Of joy and bliss.
The way to experience soundJourney is to deeply let go, deeply surrender, and deeply allow the sound to pass into you, pass through you, pass around you, with no resistance and no interpretation.
The way to understand soundJourney is to experience it for yourself.

Nefeshbliss Grooves with Rebecca Rosen
lululemon Beverly Hills, 334 North Beverly Drive
Sunday, Dec 2nd 6:30pm
Cost: FREE

This NefeshBliss Grooves Class will be an empowering 60 minutes celebrating the light of Hanukkah & rededication. This class includes Kavanah/Focusing exercises, Sweaty Eclectic Dancing & Restorative Hatha Yoga & Meditation. Everything you ever wanted to explore in a safe, fun, supportive environment wrapped into one class. Live drumming, & festive soulful music accompany this entire journey!
Class begins promptly at 6:30pm!

Yoga for Runners
lululemon Pasadena, 110 W Colorado Blvd
Thursday, Dec 6th 6:30pm
Cost: FREE

Join Steve Mackel for an amazing yoga for runners!! Get those stretches and yoga moves that will make you a better athlete with less injuries!!
EVERY THURSDAY at lululemon Pasadena 6:30pm!!!

Michael Dunn and the Chant Band - Holiday Kirtan
Yoga Works Pacific Palisades, Pacific Palisades
Friday, Dec 7th 8:00-10:00pm
Cost: $20 early, $25 at the door

One of L.A.'s most popular kirtan artists returns to Yogaworks Palisades for a heartful holiday concert: the soul is from India, the groove is from L.A., and the chai is the world's best! Come to Yogaworks for this mellow escape from seasonal stress.

Holiday Family Yoga
The Awareness Center, Pasadena
Saturday, Dec 8th 11:00am-1:00pm
Cost: $20/adult or 2 for $30, Children 12 and under FREE

Join Lee Rothman for a special family yoga workshop as we honor this season of light, love and miracles. Create a deep connection with your family and friends through your yoga practice. Lee will lead a playful class that will draw upon the universal themes of this holiday season through music, movement, chanting and a special holiday treat.

Larisa Stow & Shakti Tribe CD Release Party!
The Awareness Center, Pasadena
Saturday, Dec 8th 7:00pm
Cost: $20

Get your tickets soon… because this concert will be sold out.
“An unmatched musical experience that just might change your life!”
Larisa Stow & Shakti Tribe celebrate the release of their new album “The Shakti Sessions.” Fresh off performances for thousands at Earthdance, Larisa & Shakti Tribe are ushering in a new era in music sure to ignite your soul fire with their East meets West mix of chant, mantra and uplifting songs focused on themes of peace, hope & love.
Chant, dance, and groove the night away with Larisa Stow & Shakti Tribe. They create an unprecedented blend of ancient Eastern mantras with the contemporary sounds of the West. Larisa's voice is absolutely mesmerizing, as these empowering messages of peace and love transport your heart and soul on an inspirational journey ... including sacred chants in Sanskrit, Aramaic and English.

IYASC Movie Night: Birth of a Guru
BKS Iyengar Yoga Institute, Los Angeles
Saturday, Dec 8th 7:00pm
Cost: IYASC Members FREE, Non-Members $7

Join the most energetic and social film audience in Southern California (your friends in yoga!) and experience a truly great and exciting film of Iyengar yoga in action!
To honor and celebrate Guruji's 89th birthday we will show a variety of excerpts featuring different historical periods in his and a comparison of Guruji's earlier and later asana practice in an exploration of how a frail, sickly boy became a master of yoga, a guru to thousands, and one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century.
A light meal will be served before the screening with tea and cookies available at intermission.
To help us ensure that there will be sufficient refreshments for everyone, please RSVP by December 7th to Kirk Stricker (irkick26@yahoo.com).

KIRTAN with Daniel, Terra, Daveed & Friends
Santa Monica Yoga, Santa Monica
Saturday, Dec 8th 8:00pm
Cost: By Donation

Dave Stringer in Concert
Golden Bridge Yoga, Hollywood
Saturday, Dec 8th 8:00pm
Cost: $20/adv or $25/day of

"Quite well-known as a kirtan singer in the worlds of yoga and devotional music, California musician Dave Stringer unites his spiritual and secular interests in a surprisingly seamless blend. Dave moves back and forth between original pop songs performed in English and traditional Sanskrit chants, thus gently obliterating any doubt about these two forms belonging on the same record. Continuity is provided by ingenious arrangements that incorporate a fluid mix of Eastern and Western acoustic and electric instruments –a combination of various guitars (including dobro and Hawaiian steel), dulcimer, piano, accordion, harmonium, tabla, sarangi, cello, violin, flute, trumpet, drums and a plethora of ethnic percussion and backing vocals. An accomplished record producer as well (Axiom of Choice, Suzanne Teng), Stringer has organized the diverse sounds into a sequence of elegant aural rainbows, retaining an Eastern cultural resonance even when fleshing out unabashedly pop melodies." ~Yoga Journal

Power Flow Yoga with Cindy Souther
lululemon South Bay, 2008A East Park Place
Sunday, Dec 9th 9:00am
Cost: FREE

Join Cindy Souther in her power flow yoga class, a challenging practice that encourages mindful breathing. It's considered a level 1-2 class suitable for everyone from dedicated beginner to experienced yogi.
Please RSVP to plazaelsegundo-community@lululemon.com.

Donation Class for the Homeless Services Commission
Guerilla Yoga @ Hollywood Dance Center, Hollywood
Sunday, Dec 9th 9:15am
Cost: By donation

From Marc Holzman: On Thanksgiving I spent the morning distributing bags of food to the homeless on the streets of Hollywood ... a grass roots operation initiated by my friend Gary Riotto ... and I was deeply saddened but inspired by what I saw. So on Sunday Dec. 9 all the proceeds from class will be sent to Los Angeles Homeless Services Commission (LAHSC) which also works to fund homeless youths under 18. You can visit their site at LAHSC.ORG

The Secrets Behind "The Secret": Movie Night and Open Discussion
The Awareness Center, Pasadena
Tuesday, Dec 11th 7:00-9:00pm
Cost: FREE

Have you ever heard about "The Secret" and wondered how you can manifest your dreams? Watch the movie and join others interested in manifesting their passionate desires. Includes prosperity meditations and additional information to manifest your best life. Secret Movie Night will be held on an ongoing basis on the 2nd Tuesday of the month.

Live Music with Patty Pierce and AURAH
Black Dog Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Wednesday, Dec 12th 6:30pm
Cost: Regular class price

Originally from Switzerland, both Marc Dold and Judith Martin created Aurah as a musical journal of their quest to experience life’s alchemy. "We love songs and improvisations alike." Emotional guitar sounds and scintilating vocal arrangements are part of the essence of music that is as much pop as transcendental as meditational and electronic.

Yoga Blend Holiday Party
Yoga Blend, Burbank
Friday, Dec 14th 8:00-10:30pm
Cost: FREE

Come join us for a Holiday Celebration at Yoga Blend!
As our gift to you, we will be offering 15% off everything for this one evening only! It is a great chance to stock up on classes, props, books and clothing for yourself and your loved ones!
We will have goodies, tea, music, massage, yoga, dancing and more! There will be a raffle for Yoga Classes, Massage, Pilates, Spirit Guide Meditations and more at 9:30pm with proceeds going to charity.
We are also putting together a care package to send to our troops for Christmas. If you would like to participate, please bring a holiday card for a solider who will be spending the holidays away from their family. We will also have cards on hand for you to fill out just in case you forget.
Come by anytime throughout the night for a celebration of the past year as we look forward to the next! Remember, the raffle for some really, really cool healing stuff will be at 9:30pm!

Holiday Charity Flow Class
Yoga Works Center for Yoga, Larchmont
Saturday, Dec 15th 3:00-5:30pm
Cost: Suggested donation of $20

Take part in a Holiday Charity Flow Class that really will make a difference. All proceeds will go to The Alliance for Children's Rights, LA's only non-profit free legal service to support the needs of children.
Hosted by David Lynch, the class will be team taught by some of YogaWorks finest Flow Teachers, including (subject to change):
Mia Togo
Clay Kyle
Lucy Bivins
Joan Hyman
James Morrisson
Peter Barnett
Malachi Melville
Whitney Allen
Join us for an afternoon of yoga with live music and raffle prizes while helping children in an amazing opportunity to experience an eclectic mix of yoga teachers.
Class will be a level 2 flow. All levels welcome and encouraged to participate.

Exhalesoul presents Balancing the Holidays with Kyra Haglund
Exhale Center for Sacred Movement, Venice
Saturday, Dec 15th 4:00-5:45pm
Cost: $15 Suggested Donation

Winter holidays traditionally symbolize joyful light in a time of darkness. Celebration of this light, however, can be easily eclipsed by materialism, energy exhaustion and over indulgence. To survive the mania that can be the holidays, we need to establish balance. This all levels practice will focus on finding balance through breath awareness and vinyasa flow. We will also recharge our systems through restorative postures and guided relaxation. Come restore, rejuvinate, and refocus your internal balance so that you may more fully be able to experience the Joy of the Season!

Anusara Yoga with Georgina Purple
lululemon Calabasas, 4719 Commons Way
Sunday, Dec 16th 9:30-10:30am
Cost: FREE

Come do some yoga and laugh a little in the playful style of Anusara Yoga®, with Georgina Purple. In this rat race called life, we can lose touch with ourselves and feel a little scattered.
If your brand new to yoga, or a seasoned yogi/yogini, come join her for a yoga class designed to realign your body, get you out of pain, recognize bad habits we all pick up through our life, and come out a whole new person. But be warned, you may laugh a little, and have some fun. In the end, it's all about balance. So come play with her this Sunday.
For more information, you can contact her directly at georginapurple@mac.com.'

Season of Light Meditation with John Sovec
lululemon Pasadena, 110 W Colorado Blvd
Sunday, Dec 16th 6:30pm-7:30pm
Cost: FREE

Celebrate the season with a free evening of guided meditation inspired by the light that surrounds us during the holidays and embrace the light that shines from within. Presented by our ambassador John Sovec!
Please RSVP to pasadena-community@lululemon.com

Holiday Party with the Los Angeles SYVC Staff and Community
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, Marina del Rey
Sunday, Dec 16th 6:30pm
Cost: FREE

Our yearly, festive tradition!
Includes: Satsang, carols, talent show, and a vegetarian pot luck
All are welcome. Make your favorite vegetarian* dish and join us for an evening of joy, peace, and fun!
*Please follow yogic dietary rules: No meat, eggs, onions, garlic, or mushrooms.

Christmas Class for Kids of All Ages with Santokh Claus
The Awareness Center, Pasadena
Saturday Dec 22nd 2:00-3:30 pm
Cost: By Donation

“Santokh Claus” (Dr. Santokh Singh - in a full Santa costume, no less) will lead a holiday yoga set, then bring out his guitar and lead the class in traditional Christmas carols and yoga songs. Bring the whole family for this fun Awareness Center tradition! All proceeds benefit Five Acres Children's Organization.

Yoga Works Sneak Peek #2
lululemon South Bay, 2008A East Park Place
Saturday, Dec 22nd 9:00am
Cost: FREE

Yoga Works 1/2, a signature class that balances precise instruction and alignment with breath, movement and flow in a class carefully themed to deepen the students’ experience of yoga. Yoga Works classes are paced moderately to vigorously depending on the level.
** Yoga Works opening Spring 2008 in Plaza El Segundo!**
Class begins at 9am.
Please RSVP to plazaelsegundo-community@lululemon.com.

Yoga Flow
lululemon South Bay, 2008A East Park Place
Sunday, Dec 23rd 9:00am
Cost: FREE

Taught by Elinore Cohen, this class consists of mindful, vigourous flow guided by the language of the breath to create a playful experience for the body to open. Because when the body is open and free, the mind is open and free!
Class begins at 9am.
Please RSVP to plazaelsegundo-community@lululemon.com.

Equinox Yoga with Kishan Shah
lululemon Beverly Hills, 334 North Beverly Drive
Sunday, Dec 23rd 9:30am
Cost: FREE

Come connect your mind, body and spirit with this uplifting and challenging yoga class.
See you on Sunday, December 23 at 9:30am!!!!

Special Holiday Yoga Class with Hala Khouri and Live Music with Suzanne Sterling and Josh Brill
exhale Center for Sacred Movement, Venice
Monday, Dec 24th 10:30am-noon
Cost: Regular class fee

Please join us for a ritual celebration to kick off the holidays!
*all levels

Christmas Eve Candle Light Ceremony
Ananda Los Angeles, Santa Monica
Monday, Dec 24th 7:30-9:00pm
Cost: FREE, open to all

“The real visitation of Jesus is the communion with Christ Consciousness. If you are in tune with that Christ, your whole life will change.”
—Paramhansa Yogananda
Prepare your heart for the birth of the Christ Consciousness within. Music, devotional singing and a candlelight ceremony bring deep and lasting blessings to all who attend. A truly enchanting evening.

Level 2 Yoga Flow
lululemon South Bay, 2008A East Park Place
Saturday, Dec 29th 9:00am
Cost: FREE

Invigorating and challenging, this class taught by Kelly McAndrews offers a complete journey for the body and mind. You will practice both classical and creatively-adapted sun salutations, standing and seated postures, balance-poses, backbends and more. Movements are fluid and there is a focus of correct alignment, which creates stability and ease within each posture while honoring the wisdom of the body to lead the way.
Class begins at 9 am.
Please RSVP to plazaelsegundo-community@lululemon.com.

Kirtan with Travis Eliot
Power Yoga West, Santa Monica
Saturday, Dec 29th 8:00-10:00pm
Cost: By Donation

Kirtan comes from the yoga path of Bhakti (love and devotion). It is the chanting of traditional Sanskrit mantras synergized with dynamic melodies. It is the calling, the yearning, the crying to connect with the Divine. The beauty is that chanting shows us we are already in this state of "oneness", it's just about dissolving the maya (illusion) of separateness. Chanting ignites every lifetron of our being absorbing us into a state of bliss. Add the power of chanting within a group setting and the ecstasy becomes absolutely boundless! Kirtan is for anyone and everyone regardless of background. It is the universal language of the heart.

Equinox Yoga with Heather Dawn
lululemon Beverly Hills, 334 North Beverly Drive
Sunday, Dec 30th 9:30am
Cost: FREE

Come and set an intention for the new year with a challenging yoga class with Heather Dawn. Let's start 2008 with an impact.
Join the Lulu team and Heather Dawn from Equinox on December 30 at 9:30 am sharp! See you there!!

New Year's Eve Yoga Mala with Heather Camp
Revive Studios, Chatsworth
Monday, Dec 31st 2:00-4:00pm
Cost: $35 per person or 2 for $60

Set Your intention for the whole year!
They say the way you spend the last day of the year sets the precedent for the New one...
Sooo why not spend it detoxifying, nourishing and cleansing the mind and body by challenging yourself to a complete Yoga Mala (108 Sun Salutations.) This ritual is traditionally used to mark transition and spark positive change.
This group effort and unity of the practice has the power to produce feelings of harmony and wholeness. So come join in an afternoon of radiating the very sun we salute into the New Year!

New Years Eve Extravaganza with Gurutej
Blessings Center, Los Angeles
Monday, Dec 31st 5:00pm
Cost: $54 pre-registered, $64 at the door

New Years Eve Extravaganza back by popular demand.
Monday December 31st 5:00 pm on followed by wish and dish.
Enter the New Year Consciously. 2008 is starting a new cycle 10 or 1
Totality and new beginnings. Joyously with chanting, meditations and rituals to release and support going forth.

New Year's Eve Yoga Mala with Shirley and Steve O'Connor
Black Dog Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Monday, Dec 31st 8:00pm - midnight
Cost: $25 per person, $40 for two

Celebrate the New Year by challenging yourself to complete a Yoga Mala (108 Sun Salutations) -- a ritual traditionally used to mark transition, to spark positive change, and to fuel personal evolution.
On the eve of the New Year we will gather together, Shirley will provide some musical inspiration and overall cheer, and Steve will lead us through rounds of Series-A Sun Salutes. Very simply, we will move and breathe as one.
Pizza and champagne -- and possibly kisses at midnight -- to follow.
This group effort -- this unity in our yoga community -- has the power to produce inner and outer feelings of wholeness and harmony and bring peace to our hearts. And like the energy from the very sun we salute, we will radiate this into our world.
Net proceeds will benefit the Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation, a non-profit organization rescuing abandoned and abused animals.
Students of ALL LEVELS of practice are welcome and invited to participate to any degree. Reservations are a must as space is limited. See the desk or call 818-380-0331.

A NEW YEAR’S EVE CHANT: “Kindness, Respect, Gratitude and Love”
Kula Music Studio, 1231 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica
Monday, Dec 31st 8:00pm - just past midnight
Cost: $10 Suggested donation

Performers include Yogic Musicians from various spiritual paths including Michael Mollura, Andrew Behla, Tulasi and James Perry and many others.
Bring a cushion or blanket. Tea & Coffee will be available.
Proceeds will go to the Environmental Defense Fund, as our gift to the planet.
(Enter from the rear door, which opens onto stairs - the front door, which opens into a production studio, will be locked)
Contacts: James & Tulasi Perry (310-740-0493) and Michael Mollura (818-687-0745)

New Years Eve Celebration
Ananda Los Angeles, Santa Monica
Monday, Dec 31st 9:00pm-midnight
Cost: FREE

"In the Temple of the New Year, renew your reverence for the unlimited hidden power of God within you." -Paramhansa Yogananda
Seize the moment. Begin the year at a point of highest inspiration. Celebrate your accomplishments. Burn up and release whatever holds you back. Declare to yourself and to the universe your intention to make the coming year one of ever-deepening joy and fulfillment in Spirit. We'll chant, meditate, do extended affirmations, and burn up old energy with a Vedic fire ceremony. A powerful way in which to start the upcoming year.

ONE Night: Golden Bridge's 10th Annual New Year's Eve Celebration
Golden Bridge Yoga, Hollywood
Monday, Dec 31st 9:00pm-midnight
Cost: $45/adv or $54/day of (kids under 11 are free!)

Golden Bridge doors open for all in celebration, prayer and community on New Year’s Eve night! It will be a night of individual reflection, ecstatic kirtan and dance, yoga, deep meditation, chanting, the gong, and great company! The Nite Moon Café will serve warm delicious Indian cuisine along with assorted sweets and yogi tea chai.
Whoosh! Out goes the physical, mental and emotional debris of 2007, giving space for new opportunities and relationships to be found in the highly charged energy field of 2008.
This is a very exciting and energized year affording us a renewed sense of spirit with which to sail the seas of life’s grand adventure! On New Year’s Eve, let us use the power of group consciousness to draw infinite sums of energy and prana into us.
Join us on this magical evening as we link our prayers with all the seekers of light on the planet and blend the clear light of compassion into every aspect of our lives.
Please note that there is no childcare provided on this night - parents are responsible for their kids all night! Thank you!

Welcome the New Year in Peace
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, Marina del Rey
Monday, Dec 31st 10:00pm
Cost: FREE

Ring in 2008 in peace, setting intentions for your spiritual progress. Join like-minded members of the yoga community for our annual New Year celebration.
The evening will consist of meditation, chanting and a puja at midnight to welcome the new year.

2nd Annual New Year's Eve Practice and Celebration!
Liberation Yoga, Los Angeles
Monday, Dec 31st 10:00pm-midnight
Cost: $40

Are you looking for the perfect way to glide into 2008? Join Christine and Gary for a special practice to bring in this new hope-filled year - Year Of The Brown Earth Rat! Year of the Frog! Year of your own life illuminated! This ALL levels practice will include salutations to the New Year's Eve Moon, meditation, pranayama, champagne and chocolate! No need to find the perfect dress, no worries over the "big moment", no falling asleep on the couch while the ball drops - just some good clean fun and a healthy glow for the first bright and shiny moments of 2008! $5 from each student's contribution will go to a charitable cause to be announced at the celebration. Pre-registration necessary! (323) 964-5222

drumroll, please...

the announcement has finally been made.

the winner of the best yoga studio in LA, according to the myfoxla poll, is:

rising lotus yoga in sherman oaks!

congratulations to daniel stewart and claire hartley on this great achievement! it couldn't have happened to a nicer group of people!

in all fairness, though, i have to say that there are other studios in town with an equally fantastic crew (and i can think of many), but rising lotus must have a more vocal student body, because they definitely spoke up and supported their favorite yoga center!

speaking of being equally fantastic, the runners up were:

2nd place: mark blanchard's power yoga in brentwood and studio city
3rd place: goda yoga in culver city
4th place: yoga at the village in glendale
5th place: yoga blend in burbank

i've been to all of them, too, and even if they're just small mom-and-pop yoga studios, they treat their students just as well as, if not better than, the larger corporate-run places. and the level of yoga experience that the teachers impart to their students, be they beginners or advanced practitioners, is top-notch, too. and no, i'm not saying that just to earn free classes, although it would be nice :)

by the way, speaking of free classes, mark blanchard's having an open house at both of his studios this weekend -- dec 1st and 2nd -- and there'll be FREE yoga classes on BOTH DAYS! not only that, but donna de lory will be performing in concert at the brentwood location on saturday the 1st at 7:30pm. the performance is NOT free (it'll cost you $20), but it's a small price to pay to listen to someone as talented as her.

before i forget, i'd like add in a special "thanks" to christy marsden and the staff at yoga blend for the nice birthday gift they sent me: a free yoga class redeemable any time in december (my birthday month)! my birthday falls on a saturday this year, so maybe i'll cash it in then!

once again, congratulations to all!

boosting my productivity

today's been one of those days... i have a bunch of stuff i need to/want to/have to write about, yet i can't seem to find the motivation to get started. maybe it's burnout from the turkey day holiday. maybe it's writer's block. or maybe it's because i'm just being lazy.

anyway, thanks to amy from bootstrapper who forwarded this to me this morning, here's something i can post to make me feel like i've accomplished something today. at least i've bought myself more time to do nothing... until tomorrow :)

Stretch Your Goals: 10 Yoga Moves for Productivity
Tuesday, November 27, 2007 at 3:55am
By Laura Milligan

Yoga has been around for thousands of years and has enjoyed growing mainstream acceptance in Western society in the past few years, even working its way into the corporate environment. Businesses are increasingly adding free or low cost yoga classes as a productivity booster and perk for employees. While it might seem strange, studies done by the National Institutes of Health have found that yoga and meditation enhance the qualities that are most desired in employees, like an increase in brain waves, enhanced intuition, and better concentration, in addition to the alleviation of common aches and pains. With results like that, it’s hard to find a reason not to add a little yoga into your workday. Here are 10 basic moves to get you started.

Mountain Pose: This pose seems simple, but if done properly it should engage your whole body. Start by standing with feet together, hands at your sides, eyes facing forward. Press your heels into the floor and spread your toes while tilting your pelvis slightly forward. Then, raise your chest up and out, but no so much that you look as though you’re standing at attention for a drill sergeant. Lengthen your neck by stretching the base of your skull towards the ceiling while stretching the pinkies on your hand downward. Push your feet into the floor and raise your legs off of the floor. Hold this posture while you inhale and let go on the exhale. On your next breath, raise your arms over your head and hold for the next several breaths. Repeat this several times. This move should help alleviate some distracting lower back pain by making you more aware of your posture, as well as improving balance and self-awareness.

Boat: Give your abdominal muscles a good stretch with this pose. Start this pose by lying on your stomach with your legs together and arms at your sides. Take a breath and exhale while you press your hipbones and pelvis into the floor, lifting your arms and legs several inches off of the floor. Draw your spine toward the floor and imagine your chest pressing outward. Tuck in your chin slightly and extend your torso and legs away from each other. Hold this pose for a few seconds, then relax. Repeat at your discretion.

Table Balance: Work on your balance and concentration with this pose. Start on all fours with your hands directly beneath your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Look downward and make sure to keep your navel drawn into your spine. Straighten and lift your left leg so that it’s in line with your hips. Get your balance and extend your left arm out so that it’s even with your shoulders. Hold this for 3-10 breaths, then slowly lower your arm and leg. Repeat on the opposite side.

Downward Facing Dog: This posture is great for strengthening wrists, which is helpful for avoiding injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome that can make working painful or even impossible. It can also help reduce lower back pain. You begin this posture by getting on your hands and knees, making sure that your legs are hip width apart and arms are shoulder width apart. Inhale and curl your toes under as you would if you were standing on your toes. Exhale and straighten your legs while pushing up with your arms, lengthening your spine while keeping your feet flat on the floor. If it hurts too much to do this, it’s acceptable to bend your knees a little or allow your heels to lift off the floor. Relax back onto your hands and knees after a few breaths and repeat.

Tree Pose: Get a leg up, literally, on improving your balance and mental concentration with the tree pose. Begin by standing straight and tall with your feet together. Pick up your right foot and balance on your left, placing your right foot on the inside of your left thigh. Once you have your balance, raise your arms above your head so that your palms meet, keeping your shoulders down. Hold this for as long as it’s comfortable, or about 30 seconds. Relax, then repeat on the other side.

Wide Legged Forward Bend: Sitting all day without a break can be hard on the body and can lower energy levels. Help counteract the effects of your desk chair with this pose. Start with your legs twice shoulder width apart with feet forward. Place your hands on your hips and slowly bend at the waist while maintaining a straight back. Place the palms of your hands, or forearms if you’re flexible, on the floor and hold the pose. Slowly unfold out of your pose and return to your original stance.

Bridge Pose: Increase your overall flexibility, strengthen your lower back, and open up your chest with this move. It can also help alleviate those pesky energy sucking tension headaches by helping you relax. You begin this move by lying on the floor with your knees bent and your hands at your side. Your feet should be 6 inches apart and pulled in close to your backside. Begin by slowly raising and lowering your tailbone, then slowly take it up one vertebrae at a time until your entire spine is arched upward. Make sure to push firmly into the floor with your feet as you hold this position and breathe deeply. Hold for a few breaths, release, and repeat.

Warrior Pose: The warrior pose sounds tough, perhaps because it is intended to be a confidence builder. It also can help improve your balance and concentration, making it easier to keep your mind on your work. This pose starts in the mountain pose with your feet together and your hands at your side. Then, step your feet 4-5 feet apart. Begin by turning your right foot 45 degrees to the left and turning your left foot 90 degrees to the left so that it’s pointing straight out to the side. Slowly bend your left knee until your thigh is parallel to the floor while raising your arms over your head. Slowly lower your arms until your left arm is pointing straight ahead and your right arm is pointing straight back. Hold this position while concentrating on a point ahead of you for 5-6 breaths, relax, then reverse the pose.

The Triangle: Improve your balance and concentration by trying out the triangle pose. Begin by spreading your feet 3-4 feet apart and keeping them parallel. Turn your left foot 90 degrees to the left and your right foot 45 degrees inward. Next, take a deep breath while raising your arms straight out from your sides. Then exhale and turn your head to the left so that you’re looking down your arm to your fingers. Reach as far out to the left as you can and once you’ve reached your limit, rotate your arms down so that your left arm rests on your calf and your right arm is pointed straight up. Hold this for a few breaths, straighten up and lower your arms to the side, bringing your feet together. Repeat on the other side.

The Corpse: This pose requires of you just what it sounds like: playing dead. This level of relaxation will helps to refresh your body helping you relieve on the job stress and anxiety. Make sure not to fall asleep while doing this one! Begin by lying on your back with your arms at your side and palms facing upward. Then close your eyes and take several slow, deep breaths, allowing your body to completely relax. If you’re having trouble, start with a specific body part and imagine your muscles and skin in that part relaxing. Do this bit by bit until your whole body is relaxed.

You can start practicing these positions before you leave for work in the morning, or try out these simple moves you can do right from your desk during a break. And remember, just like with any kind of exercise, if you have health problems, recent surgeries, or any injuries consult with your physician before attempting any of these moves.

a celebration of thankful giving

compared to last year, 2007 has been a much better year for me. all my family members are happy and healthy (or happy and healthy enough), i've been surrounded by great friends (even if they think i'm "out there" because of my obsession with all things yoga), i've managed to pull in a steady paycheck (knock on wood!), and my yoga practice has been progressing slowly but surely (despite my assortment of aches and pains).

in short, life has been relatively good to me.

so it seemed appropriate that, in the spirit of thanksgiving, the focus of my yoga practice this weekend was to give back some of the goodness that has been showered upon me.

i suppose you could say that it started tuesday when i helped shanti house prepare food for its thanksgiving feast on wednesday. my small contribution of time helped feed 150 homeless people, making their holiday a little bit brighter. it's true what they say about a little bit going a long way!

on wednesday, i had planned to take a class at your neighborhood studio in culver city, where they were having a yoga fundraiser:

In the spirit of what Thanksgiving is about, this Wednesday the 6:30pm Yoga class will be a donation-only class. The proceeds from this class will go directly to the San Diego Fire Relief Pet Assistance Program.

i was looking forward to taking denise mazan's yoga flow class, especially since it had been a while since i had last seen her. but i made the mistake of trying to squeeze in an acupuncture appointment right before class. after the needles and suction cups were removed from my back, i realized i no longer had any desire to do any bending nor stretching. after all that wonderful systemic stimulation, all i wanted to do was go home and rest. so i did. after all, i needed to honor my body and thank it for putting up with all i had done to it during the past year...

by thursday morning, -- i.e., thanksgiving day -- it was time to rouse my rested body and continue on with my thankful celebration. i headed out to santa monica yoga for their fundraiser:

Thanksgiving Day Class - Thursday November 22
By donation to benefit Westside Food Bank
9:00 am Level 1-2 with Mary Donovan

it seemed like everyone wanted to get their yoga fix in before moving on to their respective thanksgiving feasts... the large classroom was packed! with many students dropping $20 bills into the donation till, it looked like SMY succeeded in raising a good amount of money for the westside food bank.

in exchange for our contributions, not only were our bodies treated to a wonderfully physical yet relaxing flow class taught by mary donovan, but our vocal cords were exercised as well, thanks to andres salcedo and his kirtan-singing and harmonium-playing talents.

the rest of thanksgiving day was a blur. all i remember are visions of turkey, stuffing, cranberries, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, yams, fruit salad, pumpkin pie, chocolate cake... from not just one, but TWO thanksgiving dinners! by the end of the evening, i felt like a beached whale. if it weren't for the waistband of my pants gently reminding me about the food overfilling my belly, i'm sure i would have eventually looked like one :(

needless to say, my choice for friday's class at city yoga was very apropos:

Feeling a little ...full?
Please join Noah Mazè on the Friday after Thanksgiving for an invigorating practice to burn off that bird! 1:00 to 3:30 pm.
Suggested $20 donation - All monies collected will be sent to the Los Angeles Mission to feed the homeless.

i succeeded in driving past all the shopping malls with their black friday sales and arrived at city yoga purchase-free and on time :) when i got there, i noticed that someone had humorously altered the flyer posted on the bulletin board; instead of the original "Burn the Bird", it now read "Burn the Tofurkey" in deference to the vegetarians in the group. regardless, whatever it was that we ate the day before (or even that morning), we were there to burn it off!

and burn it we did, with the two-and-a-half hour session filled with vinyasas, arm balances, backbends, twisting poses, and everything else noah maze threw our way. all that excess fat, sugar, and alcohol that we consumed -- gone! yeah, don't i wish :(

at least i left the class knowing that my small donation helped feed 10 people at the mission. hmmm... maybe next year i'll actually try volunteering at the mission itself...

which brings me to saturday. i couldn't find a fundraiser yoga class, so i opted to volunteer my time at a kirtan benefit at santa monica power yoga west:

Giving Thanks to Shakti: An All Female led Kirtan and Music Celebration in Honor of the Feminine
This event is intended to bring the men and women of our yoga community together during Thanksgiving while partaking in the ancient tradition of honoring the Feminine as the Mysteries of winter approach.
Join us for incredible music led by Wah!, Donna DeLory, Suzanne Sterling, Terra Gold, Daphne Tse, and Jillian Speer who will be joined by many of our friends. We will have an invocation ceremony honoring Shakti that will include Indian Dance by Darshana Thacker. The night will also include Belly Dance with Jacqui Lalita, luscious vegan food from Rawvolution, a female altar of gratitude, yoga stuff by our friends from Natural High Lifestyle...and even more surprises!
All proceeds will go to help support the non-profit organization, Global Fund for Women. Suggested donation for the event is $20.

once andres salcedo's class let out at 6:45pm (yes, the same andres who led the kirtan at SMY on thanksgiving day), our group of performers, organizers, and volunteers rushed in to get the room set up in time for the 7:30pm event. as it turned out, not only was i there to offer seva to the producers of the event, but i was also there to cover the event for LA yoga -- so watch for my article in the upcoming issue :)

from my vantage point right by the entrance to the room, i was able to fulfill both of my responsibilities. i answered questions, gave directions, chatted with performers, listened to the music, and jotted down some notes. i was amazed at how many people showed up for the event. according to terra gold, there were over 200 people in attendance. if you do the math, that equates to a hefty donation to a group that supports women's leadership worldwide!

and just because i couldn't find a fundraiser class, it didn't mean that i didn't take a yoga class at all that day; i drove out to the valley saturday morning to check out lotus kitty yoga, one of the myfoxla nominees for best yoga studio. so in the spirit of giving thanks, i'd like to thank vanessa giorgio (aka kitty) for her first-class-free offer. i'll write more about her studio in a later post... once i get around to writing and finishing my piece on the kirtan fundraiser for LA yoga. my to-do list keeps growing...

while the shakti fundraiser was going on at SMPY west, there was a shanti fundraiser being held down the street at sacred movement:

Ananda Ritam - The Cosmic Dance of Bliss with Saul David Raye
Dancing and singing have long been sacred healing practices to awaken the life force, connect us to spirit and embody an ecstatic connection to the Divine force that sustains all life. Come dance and sing with Saul David Raye and guests and help raise funds for Shanti House. Join us for this transformational evening of breathwork, chanting, live and electronic music and sacred dance to celebrate life and open to the very rhythm, energy and bliss of existence.

so when that event ended at 10pm, some of the people associated with it dropped by SMPY to check out the music. among them were richard wegman -- who was happy to report that the thanksgiving meal at the bread and roses cafe went extremely well -- as well as joey lugassy, who happened to mention that the stage at sacred movement was left as-is because the musicians were going to return the next morning for both micheline berry's and saul david raye's classes.

so guess where i went for sunday's class?

you know me too well :)

yes, it was a double-header for me this morning. first, it was micheline's vinyasa flow class with some zen dancing thrown in to shake things up, followed by saul's class with meditative chanting to bring everything back to center. with live music provided by joey, josh, michael, tony (who, by the way, will be releasing his latest CD, transcendence, this coming thursday at the temple bar) and others, it was a great way to end the thanksgiving weekend!

and the winner is...

... still unknown; unfortunately, we won't find out which business was named the best yoga studio in LA until thursday, nov 29th :(

the polls for myfoxla's best yoga studio contest is now closed and the votes are being tallied (actually, i'm sure they already know who the winner is; the fox folk seem to be trying to drag things out before getting to the "reveal". don't you hate all this unnecessary delayed gratification?)

so once again, here's the final list of nominees; this time i've included links to their websites just in case you want to check them out:

Ashtanga Yoga Shala, Silver Lake
Bikram Yoga Covina, Covina
Bikram Yoga Downtown LA, Los Angeles
Bikram Yoga Manhattan Beach, Manhattan Beach
Bikram Yoga Pasadena, Pasadena
Bikram Yoga Silverlake, Atwater Village
Black Dog Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Bryan Kest's Power Yoga, Santa Monica
City Yoga, West Hollywood
Creative Chakra Spa, Marina del Rey
Earth's Power Yoga, West Hollywood
Exhale Center for Sacred Movement, Venice and Santa Monica
FreeSpirit Yoga, Long Beach
Goda Yoga, Culver City
Golden Bridge Yoga, Hollywood
Greenleaf Yoga, Whittier
Home Simply Yoga, Santa Monica
Inner Harmony Yoga Studio, San Pedro
Karuna Yoga, Los Feliz
Le Studio Yoga, Hollywood
Liberation Yoga, Miracle Mile
Long Beach Yoga Centre, Long Beach
Lotus Kitty Yoga Studio, Valley Village
Maha Yoga, Brentwood
Mark Blanchard's Power Yoga, Brentwood and Studio City
Mission Street Yoga, South Pasadena
Ragazzi Artistic Lounge, Whittier
Rising Lotus Yoga, Sherman Oaks
Rudra Yoga Center, Long Beach
Santa Monica Yoga, Santa Monica
Silver Lake Yoga, Atwater Village
Still Yoga, Atwater Village
Urth Yoga, Silver Lake
Yoga at the Village, Glendale
Yoga Bindu, San Pedro
Yoga Blend, Burbank
Yoga Circle Downtown, Los Angeles
YogaHop, Santa Monica
Yoga House, Pasadena
Yoga Kingdom Sanctuary, Pasadena
Yoga Works, Larchmont, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica (Main, Montana), Westwood, Westlake Village
Yoga World Studio, Long Beach
Yummy Yoga, Los Feliz

myfoxla's list of yoga studios varies, depending on which link you clicked on to get the list. these businesses show up on the yoga studio hot list but don't show up on the final yoga studio nominee list, probably because they're not classified as yoga-only studios (in fact, some don't even teach yoga!):

Cheta Chiropractic Day Spa, Long Beach
Everybody's Pilates, Torrance
J.A.M. Studios, Playa del Rey
Pulse Fitness Studio, Sherman Oaks

so which of these studios has won the distinction (and more importantly, the bragging rights) of being the best yoga studio in LA? we'll just have to keep pacing back and forth on our yoga mats until it's announced next week...

who cut the cheese?

i'm not ashamed to say that i did.

and so did all the others who were gathered at richard wegman's home in venice last night, where it started to get pretty fragrant by the end of the evening...

fragrant with the aroma of onions, garlic, ginger, and all the other ingredients that we were busy chopping up for the hearty indian lunch that was to be served at a homeless shelter the next day :)

our food preparation committee was just one of the many others -- such as decorating, shopping, cooking, and serving -- that were mobilized for shanti house's latest project:

THANKSGIVING COMMUNITY SEVA PROJECT
Wednesday, November 21st
Shanti House will be decorating the the Bread and Roses Café for Thanksgiving week and creating a healthy, organic, vegetarian and yummy meal for our homeless guests on Nov. 21st, with live music to lighten the heart. Run by St. Joseph Center, this amazing café in Venice has been serving up to 150 homeless people, 5 days a week for the past 20 odd years. Here each guest is treated with courtesy and dignity by a volunteer serving staff, with great food and flowers at each table.

there were over half a dozen volunteers, mainly yoga students and teachers, who showed up for duty last night. besides the cheese -- actually, it was paneer, an indian cheese -- there was a long list of items that needed to be prepared. just like santa claus, richard wegman was making a list and checking it twice to make sure that nothing was forgotten when it came time to transport the food to the shelter the next morning.

Shanti House is a non-profit seva organization whose goal is to empower and involve the local healing community to provide food, healing services, wellness education and yoga to the homeless, at-risk youth, and the economically disadvantaged in Los Angeles. Shanti House also aids and supports other local non-profits already in the community.

i had first heard about this organization when i attended saul david raye's ananda ritam fundraiser at sacred movement last september. at the time, i added my name to the shanti house mailing list, hoping that i could somehow be of service to them with the little time i had available in my busy schedule. so when i heard that they needed people to chop up veggies for a few hours, i immediately signed up to help out.

after battling pre-holiday rush-hour traffic on the 405 and the side streets to get there, then having to bail early to catch a late-night yoga class, i only was able to put in half as much time as i'd wanted to; regardless, richard and everyone else busy working knives and cutting boards in his kitchen (and living room, too!) seemed appreciative enough of my short stint.

i can't wait to hear how the luncheon went earlier today. i hope shanti's guests enjoyed the meal that was prepared for them, especially the saag paneer (spinach with cheese) dish that i personally had a hand in preparing :)

... and talking the walk

when you think about it, it makes perfect sense that our community of LA-oriented bloggers were active participants in this past weekend's great LA walk -- not only so we could proudly say that we were actually there (thereby having something new to write about), but also because it was our chance to disprove the popular belief that "nobody walks in LA". so yes, people do walk the streets and boulevards here in LA. especially if there's food involved :)

for starters, not to be missed is the recap from the organizer himself, mike at franklin avenue --

The Second Annual Great Los Angeles Walk took on Pico Boulevard on Saturday. More than 70 people joined me as we hiked nearly 16 miles, from the historic Coca Cola Bottling Plant (at the corner of Pico and Central) straight to the ocean in Santa Monica.

he pretty much leaves the storytelling to all the other bloggers who've posted their experiences (and photos) on their sites.

like the atwater village newbie, who shared his pre-walk training regimen with us:

BY WALKING FROM my cubicle to the office kitchen. And back. What else could prepare me for tomorrow's leisurely stroll, more than 15 miles, along the most culturally diverse boulevard in the most culturally diverse city in the US? From downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Ocean, Pico Blvd., here we come.

as for event day itself, will at metroblogging los angeles summarized his experience thusly:

What's it like to set out at 9:30 a.m. with a whole passel of other pedestrians and transit en masse the 15.76 miles of Pico Boulevard from the historic Coca-Cola building at Central Avenue westward to the surf of Santa Monica beach, arriving just as the sun was about to crawl beneath the offshore marine layer at 4:42 in the afternoon?
Arduous, tiring and ache-making, but otherwise smooooooth sailing.
(he illustrates his point with a photo of a sailboat making its way past the setting sun. looks like he was lucky enough -- and fast enough -- to catch a sight many of us missed, since most of us hit the beach much later!)

don at L.A. stories (yes, he was the one i followed to sky's for lunch, so we have similar stories from that point on) enriched his version with historic trivia:

Pico-Robertson... you enter the heart of Persian-Jewish Los Angeles. One pizza joint here made the poor attempt a year and a half ago to build its business by having the pizza served by bikini-clad waitresses. But between cold weather which made the waitresses wear poofy coats and a sexually conservative populace in the area, the experiment came to a swift ignominious end.

then there was the pioneer who literally ate his way down pico boulevard... and lived to tell about it:

the chili on the chili cheese fries didn't look like dog food, which I later learned from jennifer w. is a bad thing. good chili apparently looks like dog food. the fries were remarkably crunchy and fluffy on the inside. but we got worried when the "cheese" topping the order didn't melt even with all the heat from the fries and the chili radiating in to it. scary.

after reading G12 the outsider's list of the top five highlights of the walk, i'm still scratching my head about #1 and #2... did i miss something somewhere?:

Here are the top five highlights:
1. The dead guy
2. The two heads joke
3. The Bob Hill crane (see here)
4. The naked mannequins
5. The cupcakes

of course, there's nothing like hearing the cliff notes version from a local, N at pico and the man:

We started just past 9am with about 50 fellow adventurers. We walked a few blocks. We stopped for breakfast burritos, Korean-style. We fell behind. We wandered a half-block south of Pico, and found God, Greek-style. We caught up. We stopped for lunch. We fell behind. We caught up. We stopped for cupcakes. We fell behind. We caught up. We kept going. We reached the ocean just past sunset. As Graham points out, we won. We immediately caught a cab home to rest our aching joints.

raul, a fellow runner who blogs at a smudge on the collective consciousness, made the walk sound like one big kumbaya moment. and i don't think anyone disagrees with him:

... what it did do for me was remind me that there are innumerable wonderful people who make up this city who truly and proudly call themselves Angelenos. An event like this attracts the city's cream of the crop. I didn't get an opportuntity to talk to everyone, but I'm grateful for those I got a chance to speak with during the hours spent walking.

and finally, scott at stst blogs spoke on behalf of many when he had this to say:

By the way, despite the long, long walk, neither one of us have any aching muscles and not a single blister. And if you buy that, I’ve got some oceanfront property in Arizona.

ah, life in LA. gotta love it!

walking THE walk

last friday morning, while checking my saturday to-do list, i realized there was a whole slew of things i had planned to do (or at least wanted to try to do) that day:

~ join my running buddies for our usual saturday morning training run in santa monica at 7am.
~ take the thanksgiving donation-based yoga class with bonnie johanson at lululemon el segundo at 8:30am.
~ pick up thanksgiving potluck ingredients at the santa monica farmers market before it closed at 1:00pm.
~ attend the kirtan/live music exhalesoul yoga benefit with bhakti ma and isabelle du soleil at sacred movement in venice at 4:00pm.
~ meet up with some long-lost friends for dinner in marina del rey at 6:30pm.
~ listen to snatam kaur in concert at golden bridge in hollywood at 8:00pm.

obviously, there was no way i could be two places at the same time, so by noon, i had narrowed down my list -- the westside options remained; el segundo and hollywood were out. i called my friends to confirm my run and dinner plans.

later that afternoon, though, i found myself rethinking all my plans, thanks to the thrillist email update that i happened to read right before heading home from work:

Great LA Walk
Begins 9am Sat at Pico and Central, Downtown; ends at 6pmish at Cha-Cha Chicken at Pico and Ocean, Santa Monica
The unfortunate reality of our live-by-car, die-by-car lifestyle means the only thing you know about the streets you drive is that six presidential administrations'll come and go before you can make a U-turn. Shed your metal exoskeleton for Great LA Walk.
Now in its second year, Great LA Walk is the brainchild of a Variety scribe determined to get Angelenos to interact with their city by way of casually deathmarching an entire East-West street. This year covers all 16 miles of Pico, starting at Downtown's retro-cool Coca-Cola Factory and ending with a BYOB party at Santa Monica's tiki-cheesy Cha-Cha Chicken -- a trek that bears witness to both the richness around Hillcrest Country Club and the gettin' richness around MacArthur Park. Thanks to recs by Pulitzer-winning food writer Jonathan Gold, you'll have the option of chowing at El Birrion (Carne Asada Tacos), El Colmao (Fried Pork Leg w/ Onions), or Roscoe's (ill shiz).
Walking the length isn't mandatory; the lazy can join up along the route, while the extremely lazy can just enjoy the bus ride back east -- to the Walk's starting point, or wherever they abandoned their car in frustration waiting to make that U.
For all the info, check out GreatLAWalk.com

ok, call me impulsive, but i just had to do it. after all, when would i ever get the chance to traverse the entire length of pico blvd ON FOOT?

besides, i had planned to run/walk 11 miles anyway that morning, so what was a handful more? the food shopping could wait until later in the week, while the yoga benefit... well, there'll always be a next time. and as for dinner plans with my friends, it had taken us over a year to finally get everyone in the same city at the same time, so there was no way i could bail out of that one. but if the walk were to end as planned at 6pm, i had just enough time to freshen up a bit and still get to the marina before the appetizers were served. perfect!

of course, that would require that my car be parked near the endpoint, so the logistics were a no-brainer; i'd park my car near pico and ocean and take the bus to the start at pico and central. i checked the mta website for the bus route and schedule, printed it out, and set my alarm clock for an early wake-up call.

but i didn't count on my hitting the snooze button a few times too many :(

by the time i got dressed and gathered my belongings (including my camera and some bandaids, just in case), i realized that i didn't have enough time to drive towards the beach, find a parking spot in an unrestricted area, and walk to the closest 720 rapid bus stop. not a problem; the 720 traveled along wilshire boulevard, a mere 4 blocks from where i lived. so i hightailed it to wilshire and kept heading eastbound, looking for the closest express bus stop. after trekking for almost a mile and a half (what's another 1.5 when you have to do 15.5 anyway?), i finally reached the express bus stop. less than five minutes later, i was boarding the same bus i had planned to catch at the other end of town. so far, so good. right on schedule!

after a painless bus transfer at broadway and 6th, i arrived at the historic coca-cola bottling plant with a good half hour to spare. no one else seemed to be there, so i took the time to look around and take some pictures. apparently, that camera must have been a clear sign to everyone else camped out in their cars; within minutes, people were walking towards me from every direction.

we all signed in as mike schneider, the organizer of the walk, handed us sheets with his cell phone number (which i did need at least once during the walk) and a list of eateries worth checking out along the way.

with a good fifty or so of us now gathered on the sidewalk (prompting the security guard to venture outside to see what was going on), mike announced that it was time to start the second edition of the great LA walk; we were off!

westbound on pico we walked, through the deserted warehouse district (after all, it was a saturday morning), through the bustling fashion district with all its clothing deals (and sadly, no time to stop and shop), with a short potty stop at the convention center (where some were tempted to check out the LA auto show). once we crossed under the harbor freeway, we entered the pico-union neighborhood. we started splintering into smaller groups, with some speeding up to see what lay ahead, some slowing down to catch their breath, and some stopping at the taco stands and panaderias to sample the culinary delights.

i was one of those walking at the front of the pack; the handful of us were so busy chatting that we didn't realize that the main group was no longer behind us. thinking that they had stopped to eat, we stood and waited for them to reach us. after it became apparent that they were nowhere to be found, we put in an SOS call to mike. and found out that in their quest to check out the neighborhood, they had veered off onto alvarado terrace for a mini-architectural tour of the houses built at the turn of the century (the 20th century, that is) then cut back onto pico just ahead of us. by then, they were a good half a mile ahead of us! we picked up the pace to catch up.

less than a quarter mile down the road, we spotted a man lying face down on the street, his face in a pool of blood, his wheelchair close beside him. it appeared that he had rolled off the sidewalk, landing face-first on the ground. it seemed like no one had actually witnessed the accident, yet all of us ran to his side to help. a motorist parked her car right in front of him to block oncoming traffic. one of the spanish-speaking men in our group walked up to the victim as he started to stir and told him to remain still until help arrived. by the time i got through to 911, i was told that someone else had already called it in, so we waited until the paramedics got there to make sure that he was in good hands. by the time the first responders arrived, we were back on track, trying to make up even more time.

we eventually caught up with the group at pico and la brea, right outside roscoe's house of chicken and waffles. mike informed us that it was time to break for lunch, and that we were free to explore the options available to us. we had an hour and a half at our disposal, more than enough time to eat and recharge our batteries.

not wanting to do the fried chicken thing -- been there, done that -- i started asking others about their lunch plans. my ears perked up when i heard someone say "soul mexican food"... i knew i had to follow him! when others found out where we were headed, they joined us as we walked four more blocks down the road to sky's tacos to feast on tacos and tortas with an african-american twist. yum! while waiting for our orders to be served, i made a quick stop at la maison du pain across the street to pick up dessert as well as to patronize the bakery owned by two filipinas -- my people! :)

stuffed and anxious to get moving, we gave up waiting for mike and the rest to reach our outdoor eating spot and resumed our journey. continuing on our trek towards the ocean, our team of eight (including two pairs of newlyweds!) quickly bonded as we made our way through the various neighborhoods. past the closed stretch of pico between crescent heights and la cienega where a massive crane lost its balance and fell on top of cool baby, a kids art, music, and yoga place (a place that once offered adult yoga classes but no longer does). through pico-robertson with its synagogues and kosher establishments. up and down the hills of century city with its high-rise buildings and the 20th century fox studios. past the rancho park golf course and the westside pavilion in west la. when we reached the busy intersection of pico and sepulveda, we gathered around to listen to an iphone play a rendition of the bizarre tune which paid homage to the street corner where we were standing. we were having too much fun...

by now, muscles were starting to ache, blisters were starting to form, but we kept on. once we crossed the border into santa monica, we knew it was all downhill -- literally -- from there. with one last stop at the unurban coffee house for a shot of caffeine and a potty break, we made a beeline for the finish. we were quickly surrounded by other participants as we zoomed past santa monica college, the woodlawn cemetery, samo high, and the santa monica civic auditorium. not content with just reaching the scheduled terminus at the corner of pico and ocean, we kept heading west until we actually set foot on the sand on the beach. mission accomplished!

later that evening, as i dined in marina del rey with my old friends, i couldn't help but think about all the merrymaking going on at the cha cha chicken in santa monica. and that i was missing all of it -- the stories, the photos, and all the new friends i had made :(

one thing's for sure... not only will i plan on joining them again next year as they make their way down yet another LA thoroughfare, but i'll be sure to block off the entire day so i don't miss a thing!

all tangled up in seaweed

by now, you've probably heard the big to-do about the lulu seaweed controversy. you know, the scandal supposedly brought to light a couple of days ago by the new york times when lab tests they commissioned concluded that lululemon's vitasea fabric, supposedly made from seaweed fiber, actually contained no seaweed.

strangely enough, the story started sounding even fishier when it was also revealed that the times looked into the matter only after "... an investor who is shorting Lululemon’s stock — betting that its price will fall — provided (the) test results to The Times..."

and sure enough, a day after the article was published, shares of lululemon stock took a dive. surprise, surprise.

i don't know about you, but i've been somewhat skeptical anyway about a fabric's ability to "reduce stress as well as provide anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, hydrating and detoxifying benefits." i think i'll stick to old-fashioned pills and lotions to do that for me :)

on the lighter side of things, here's an interesting article in today's vancouver sun about the scandal's effect on life in kitsilano, the trendy neighborhood in vancouver, british columbia where lululemon was founded by chip wilson back in 1998.

maybe some stress-relieving yoga might help get them through this crisis?

Lululemon seaweed scandal has Kits in a sweat at Capers
Chip, dude, how will we stay chilled out in our beach-side republic of cool?

Miro Cernetig, Vancouver Sun
Published: Friday, November 16, 2007

Here in the Republic of Kitsilano, beach-side epicentre of the West Coast's good life, our haberdashery of the moment is Lululemon. It's become the sartorial version of Starbucks.

In case you haven't had the pleasure, here's a taste of how the Lululemon shopping experience can go.

You: Hello, I'd like to buy a T-shirt.

Lululemon Zen Wardrobe Master: What size?

You: Medium, thanks.

LZWM: Would that be soy? Seaweed? Or cotton?

You: Huh?

LZWM: Well, our cotton T's are nice but there's all that history on your back -- slavery, the cotton gin, the Industrial Revolution, the Klan, you know. But soy -- it's soft, nice, very organic. And our seaweed T's? Well, just read our label: "VitaSea Technology is made from cellulose fibre combined with seaweed containing marine amino acids, minerals and vitamins which release into the skin upon contact with moisture [i.e. sweat]."

And those marine amino acids, the label adds, are "stress reducing" -- and "calming."

Ka-ching. Fifty bucks for the seaweed number. Take every edge you can in these stressful times.

Now, alas, we're facing a crisis in Lululand.

It turns out we may not have been getting all those stress-busting amino acids after all from our seaweed underthings. The New York Times, in a front-page expose, reports that its independent testing laboratory failed to detect any seaweed in a randomly selected Lululemon T-shirt.

Dennis (Chip) Wilson, the Vancouver founder of Lululemon Athletica, admitted it may be true. His company -- which raised $327 million in its initial public offering this year -- didn't really test the claim scientifically. The seaweed fabric was bought from a German manufacturer and Wilson simply put it on and concluded, in that Kits touchy-feely way of doing things, "If you put it on and wear it, it is different from cotton. That's my only test of it."

As a resident of Kitsilano, I can only say this to Chip: Dude, this is a major lifestyle blow.

Thanks to having Lululemon's chairman of the board hail from Vancouver, we in Kits proudly laid claim to Lululemon's very first flagship store. We've taken for granted that we've been at the cutting edge of Chip's testing of seaweed wear, not to mention athletic gear woven from bamboo, coconut and other under-appreciated miracle fibres to improve the world.

I've been banking on Lulu's stress-free wardrobe philosophy to get me through a particularly stressful period in the Republic of Kits. Life has not been just a beach in the last few months.

First, this summer, the Kits universe was shaken when we found out our favourite organic supermarket may be bought out by Americans.

Capers, which was owned by Wild Oat Markets, was acquired by the Austin, Tex.-based Whole Foods. Not just Americans. It's Texans selling us our tofu!

Then our saltwater pool was closed by the civic strike. That made the amino acids from those Lululemon seaweed T's so, so important to us all.

Then we woke up one morning to find our famous bar had burned to a crisp overnight. Bimini's, where more than a few Kits romances and affairs both began and ended, sometimes in the same night, is now a blackened husk. Rumour is it might open for a younger crowd, squeezing out the balding baby boomers for the upstart millennials.

But all the change always seemed a little easier to take with a trip to Lululemon's flagship store. Get a free glass of filtered water. Buy a piece of yoga-wear. Take it home in one of Chip's little plastic bags, emblazoned with those life-affirming pensees: "Dance, sing, floss and travel. Observe a plant before and after watering and relate these benefits to your body and brain . . . . Do one thing a day that scares you."

I do, Chip, I drive in Vancouver's rush hour. And I just bought a place as the U.S.-housing market tanks. But Dude, how can I stay chilled without knowing I have a marine amino acid T-shirt that really works?

practicing thankfulness

i've started compiling the thanksgiving day class schedules for the various yoga studios around town. thanks to all the yoga instructors who will be generously offering up a part of their holiday to teach, there's bound to be a class somewhere that can be squeezed in before, after, or even during (?) our thanksgiving celebrations!

here's what i have so far (and if you don't see your favorite studio on this list, it's possible that it's business as usual for them):

absolute yoga and pilates, woodland hills

STEVE’S ANUSARA-INSPIRED YOGA MIXED CLASS @ 5:45 PM WILL BE CANCELLED ON WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 21ST
WE WILL BE CLOSED ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22ND AND FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23RD
OUR REGULAR SCHEDULE WILL RESUME ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24TH

angel city yoga, studio city

Thanksgiving Day Schedule - Thursday November 22nd
8:30-10:45am w/ Amber Williamson All Levels Yoga
10:00-11:45am w/ Val Shaffer Iyengar All Levels

awareness center, pasadena

CLOSED FOR THANKSGIVING - Thurs. Nov. 22nd and Fri. Nov. 23rd
Open for regular classes over the weekend!

BKS iyengar yoga institute, los angeles

Yes folks! The lovely and ever popular Marla Apt is back from her Asian Tour and will be teaching the Thanksgiving Holiday class. Come together with fellow practitioners from the community and share the joy of yoga with Marla at the helm. You'll be thankful you did!
All other classes cancelled. Regular schedule resumes Friday, Nov. 23

black dog yoga, sherman oaks

Thanksgiving Schedule
Wednesday, November 21: Regular schedule up to and including 6:30p Level I (No 7:30p class)
Thanksgiving Thursday, November 22:
9:00a Level I Lauri Janover
9:30a Level II Peter Barnett
Studio Closes - No PM Classes
Regular Schedule Resumes Friday, November 23

city yoga, west hollywood

Thanksgiving Day Schedule
8:30 am Basics Class with Anthony Benenati
10:30 am Mixed Class with Hillary Rubin
All other classes are canceled.
Friday November 23 is normal except these classes have been canceled: 2:00 and 6:00 pm with Hillary Rubin.
Also -- Feeling a little ...full? Please join Noah Mazè on the Friday after Thanksgiving for an invigorating practice to burn off that bird! 1:00 to 3:30 pm.
Suggested $20 donation - All monies collected will be sent to the Los Angeles Mission to feed the homeless.

exhale center for sacred movement, venice

Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, November 22) we are OPEN! Come celebrate the holiday with us with our special class schedule:
8:30am Shiva Rea – Level 2/3
9:15am Samantha Mehra – Level 1/2
10:00am Saul David Raye – Level 2/3
10:45am Jamie Elmer – Level 1/2

free spirit yoga, long beach

Thanksgiving classes 11/22 8:30am only, the sign up sheet is full.
11/23 9:30 All Levels, (Noon canceled), 4:30 Level 1, and 5:45 All Levels
11/24 & 11/25 regular schedule

garden of yoga, woodland hills

Thanksgiving Holiday Schedule from 11/19/07 thru 11/25/07.
Wednesday, November 21st: 9am Mindful Flow with Amy
Sunday, November 25th: 10am Mindful Flow with Stefan
All other classes will be Cancelled this week only due to the birth of Sol Vega Storace (arrived Friday, November 16th 2007 at 10:06pm).
Thank you for all your love and support over the past 9 months; we are blessed.

glendale yoga, glendale

We will be closed on Thanksgiving.

goda yoga, culver city

THANKSGIVING WEEKEND SCHEDULE--
On THANKSGIVING, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22nd, there will be ONE CLASS ONLY -- 10:30am-12p (all levels) taught by Nathalie C.
On FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23rd, there will be ONE CLASS ONLY -- 10:00am-11:30am (all levels) taught by Cheryl.
Regular class schedule will resume SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24th.

guerilla yoga @ hollywood dance center, hollywood

Thursday November 22
Special 2-hour class Thanksgiving morning: 9:00am-11:00am with Tiffany

inner power yoga, calabasas

Thanksgiving Day Schedule:
9:00am All Levels - Ellen
All other classes cancelled

karuna yoga, los feliz

FREE CLASS THANKSGIVING DAY with MAJA - Thursday 11/22/07 9:30-11am
Thank you for sharing your heart with us.
Regular class schedule during the Thanksgiving week & weekend - except the one free class offered on 11/22/07.

liberation yoga, los angeles

Thanksgiving Day Schedule:
8:30am-10:00am - Arun Deva - All Levels
10:00am-11:30am - Christine Burke - Flow 2 (Garden)
11:00am-12:30pm - Level 1 - Jessie Diaz-Perez

lyfe yoga center, hermosa beach

Thanksgiving Day Schedule - Thursday, November 22, 2007
8:30am Level 1/2 w/Wah!
10:00am All Levels w/Julie

mark blanchard's power yoga

Thanksgiving Schedule
We will have one class in each studio on Thanksgiving Day:
Brentwood 10am w/ Mark Blanchard
Studio City 10am w/ Elizabeth Blanchard
The Yoga Centers will be closed for the rest of the day.

mission street yoga, south pasadena

Thanksgiving Schedule
All classes this Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday will run AS USUAL, except for: Wednesday, the 21st, the KIDS CLASSES and the CORE STRENGTH class are canceled.
On Thanksgiving, join Mark Frankel for a FREE CLASS (Mixed Level) from 10am-12pm. All other classes are canceled.

revive studios, chatsworth

Holiday schedule
Tuesday 11/20 10:00-11:30 am Vinyasa Cancelled
Thursday 11/22 CLOSED
Friday 11/23 resume regular schedule

rising lotus yoga, sherman oaks

9:00-10:30 AM Level 1-2 Ashley Quaine
10:35-12:05 PM Thanksgiving Mixed Flow (by Donation) Daniel Stewart
Come celebrate your thankfulness by donating to the West Valley Food Bank and moving with grace and intention in this special Thanksgiving Day Class. No Raw Beginners Please. Poses are linked with the breath in this Vinyasa flow class. Dynamic and creative sequences are designed to create focus, wake the inner body and still the mind. Advanced poses may be given and modifications for the less experienced student. There may be music, chanting, Pranayama and Meditation.

santa monica yoga, santa monica

Thanksgiving Day Classes - Thursday November 22
By donation to benefit Westside Food Bank
9:00 am Level 1-2 with Mary Donovan
11:00 am Mixed Level Flow with Kyra Haglund
Studio closed Friday November 23, regular schedule resumes Saturday November 24.

space studio, manhattan beach

Thanksgiving Week Schedule:
Regular schedule Monday and Tuesday
Regular schedule Wednesday morning – no evening classes
Closed on Thursday
Light schedule on Friday – 8 and 9am Spin, and 10:30 Power Yoga
Regular schedule on Saturday and Sunday

the core your perfect center, redondo beach

Please note that The Core, YPC will be closed November 22nd.

u studio, los angeles

Thanksgiving Morning Class at 9am is now open to sign up for -- here's how it works:
If you have a series of classes, or are a monthly unlimited person, shoot me your name and we will take it from your series to save your spot.
If you do not, you will need to come to the studio and pay for the class before your spot is considered secure.
Update: i AM adding the 10:30 am Thanksgiving day... if you have signed up for the 9am and prefer the 10:30, just let me know, and i will change your time.

yoga at the village, glendale

THANKSGIVING DAY - Happy Holidays!
Free 9am Class with Elyse - Closed for the rest of the day.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday: Classes as usual.

yoga blend, burbank

Wed, Nov 21st: All classes will be held as scheduled
Thanksgiving Day - Thurs, Nov 22nd:
9:30am-11am - Gentle/Yoga Stretch with Nicole Honnig
10am-11:30am - Level 1-2 with Christy Marsden
We will be closed the rest of Thanksgiving Day.
Fri, Nov 23rd: 6:45am-8am class cancelled
The rest of Friday and all of Saturday and Sunday classes will remain as scheduled.
Both Thanksgiving Day classes are donation only with proceeds going to Project Angel Food whose mission is to nourish the body and spirit of men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes and other serious illnesses.

yoga desa, topanga

Unless otherwise posted, Yoga Desa will be CLOSED on Thanksgiving Day.

yoga groove, north hollywood

THANKSGIVING DAY - THURSDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2007 10AM ONLY
Join Wendy for a fun flow class with live music focusing on a thankful heart.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to The Care Cottage. Women and children's clothing, women's toiletries and any baby items will be collected by Yoga Groove during the Holiday Season for The Care Cottage in addition to the class donation.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2007
There will be NO 6:30am class this day. Regular schedule for the rest of the day.

yogahop, santa monica

Thursday, November 22, 2007
6:15-7:15AM Cancelled
9:15-10:45AM Summit 2/3 - Matthew Reyes (room: East/West)
5:30-7:00PM Cancelled
6:30-8:00PM Cancelled
7:05-8:35PM Cancelled

yoga loft, manhattan beach

Thursday, 11/22: 8:40am Level 1/2 with Gen, 10:15am Level 2/3 with Jo
Friday, 11/23: 8:40am Level 1/2 with Alicia, 5:00pm Level 2/3 with Tanya
Saturday, 11/24 and Sunday 11/25: REGULAR SCHEDULE

yogasofia, hermosa beach

THANKSGIVING SCHEDULE:
Thursday 9:30-11:00AM All-Levels COMBO Team-Taught by JERI & TIM!
Friday 9:30-11:00AM All-Levels COMBO Team-Taught by YELENA & SOFIA!
Saturday 9:30-11:00AM All-Levels COMBO Team-Taught by KARA & DEBORAH!
Sunday 9:30-11:00AM All-Levels COMBO Team-Taught by RENEE & KEIKO!

yoga west, los angeles

November 22nd 2-4:30pm: Thanksgiving Day Pot Luck Vegetarian Celebration
You're Invited to spend this special day with Us! Vegetarian foods with no eggs or dairy are the requested fare! All Welcome!
Yoga West Will Be CLOSED for regular classes.

your neighborhood studio, culver city

In the spirit of what Thanksgiving is about, this Wednesday the 6:30pm Yoga class will be a donation-only class. The proceeds from this class will go directly to the San Diego Fire Relief Pet Assistance Program.
Your Neighborhood Studio will be closed Thanksgiving Day - only... Regular Schedule Friday, Saturday & Sunday.... (except - NO 8AM SCULPT THIS SATURDAY). Sculpt will resume next Saturday! Have a wonderful holiday!