It's been almost 3 years now since the Baskauskas brothers, Vytas & Aras , inherited the Saturday & Sunday noon classes @ SMPY from Marc Lewis & Matt Crowder.
Aras went on to win Survivor and to hosting the monthly Yoga Potluck event with Psalm Isadora. Vytas B.has tendered & soldiered on with the burgeoning Saturday & Sunday slots. So it was MAHA to see Aras @ Vytas B.'s class today ; with both brothers rocking full on Grizzly Adams beards. They must be the only Santa Monica born & bred FRATERNAL yoga teacher act on record. I am blessed to have studied with both of them.
TRP Yoga has released Aras' DVD , "Yoga for Health & Wellness", for the benefit of folks who can't make it to his new classes @ Tru Yoga in Santa Monica on Tuesdays & Thursdays , 7:15 to 8:45 PM.
My OG teacher of all time , Marc Lewis, also has a DVD release with TRP. Aras is still the same gentle guy that I met several years back. It is encouraging to know that some things will remain consistent ; that I'll still be able to practice & learn with the Baskauskas bros in the years to come.
Check out the newly relaunched Yogamates site for a vid of Vytas & Aras B.demoing asana -
May 6th… Cyndi Lee Q & A :Om Yoga Mix 2
Here's my Q & A with the amazing Cyndi Lee of OmYoga NYC on the what's & why's of her recent CD realease , OM Yoga Mix 2 :
- What inspired this compilation ?
The music, of course! My husband and his artists just keep making such great music and I love practicing with it and using it when I teach. We also got incredibly positive feedback on our first .... OM
- Known for her offbeat perspective , true?
Hmmmm....I guess I am known for being a fun, but also somewhat forceful or firm teacher. I like to challenge students to be clear in their practice as far as alignment and focus. I am also known for how I connect the yoga asana practice to the dharma practice, imbedding meditation principles of mindfulness and compassion into how I instruct students to work in the practice -- to take a middle path approach of not too tight, not too loose. Because of my years as a professional choreographer, both in modern dance and for many music videos (Girls Just Want Have Fun with Cyndi Lauper, Rick James, Appolonia, Tangerine Dream, Simple Minds....) my sequencing is pretty creative and at the same time always has a logic to it that is meant to teach students, empower them to own their own practice and properly prepare them for big poses to come.
- Favorite cut ? (Aside from David Nichtern's)
OK, aside from The Beyman Bros. which is my husband, David Nichtern, Christopher Guest (yes, that Christopher Guest) and CJ Vanston, I guess that my favorite is Jaadu by Ustad Sultan Khan. When David was making the Rare Elements CD with Sultan Khan I had the thrill of seeing and hearing him perform one night in NYC. He is a rare element, indeed. Known as one of the greatest musicians in India Sultan Khan becomes the music; there is no separation between him, his instruments and the sounds; and whenever I hear his music it becomes elementable for me, too. I l love moving to it! -- which I did on my first DVD, .... OM
- What is your take on those who are of the opinion that contemporary music should not be used as a soundtrack to yoga practice?
Each to his own! I do think that when music is played in a yoga class it should be a support for the practice, as opposed to a DJ situation where the yoga class feels more like a dance-a-thon! But there are many reasons why people take yoga class and often people find that the music helps them to feel comfortable and helps them to open to new things. I don't think that yoga needs to be heavily serious and soberly sacred although it is good to pay attention in order to get the most benefit from the work. I also kind of feel that yoga should not just be another thing that we get all opinionated and rigid about it -- it's bad enough in politics, right? Yoga truly is an absolutely personal thing and each of us can and hopefully will evolve our practice throughout our lifetimes. We might even find that music is good for our practice one day and the next day we want to practice in silence. There are many options and perhaps staying open to all of that could be considered a kind of yogic approach to all of life.
- Tibetan Buddhist influence on CD is most evident on ____ ?
Perhaps you could say it has some influence on the Kiss of Bliss track because of the bansuri flute playing of Steve Gorn. Steve is a long time Tibetan Buddhist practitioner and although he mainly plays Indian music, his whole sensibility of space and sound -- the natural ability to rest in openness with no need to fill space -- is very Buddhist.
- I like the fact that the selected tracks fuse both Eastern traditional music & contemporary engineering. Is this a keynote to OmYoga Mixes?
Yes, it is a hallmark of .... OM
- Complete this sentence : Krishna Das (Kirtan walla KD) is_______ :
The best known kirtan singer in the ........ US
- Lastly, your next trip to LA & perhaps ........ Santa Monica
Not sure yet but stay tuned....! I'm contemplating offering an .... OM
Thanks & much love.
Thanks to you, Peter. It was great to work with you last December and I appreciate you including .... OM
Cyndi
May 3rd…
Ananda Marga :Lorin C. & Cidalia
In the AM tradition, the spiritual aspirant is a SADHAKA ,guided by a teacher ( DADA ) on the practice of SADHANA. My friend , fellow Santa Monica resident & dedicated Margii , Lorin C. has found ANANDA with Cidalia , a Margii from Portugal. They will be tying the knot this summer after , you guessed it , an AMPS retreat. It is the SADHANA & Intention of most dedicated yogis to find completion / ANANDA with a co-seeker / traveller. As Lorin expressed it when I saw him last Sunday '" It just makes things so much easier". Baba Nam Kevalam to you both & Cool T-shirt Lorin - That was one of the insights that resonated with me from a conversation I had this afternoon with Frank Angiuli of Natural High Lifestyle . Natural High has an in-store pop-up as part of HOLLYWOOD TRADING COMPANY Santa Monica's Earth / Heal the Bay weekend event. Ten years back, Alonzo E. of HTC was a buyer @ Ron Herman / Fred Segal Melrose ,and Frank cold called him to pitch his fledgling line of 3 hemp Ts. Turned out that Frank had contacted AE at the right time as "ORGANIC" was on their radar. Flash forward , & ORGANIC lifestyle has become mainstream with big box behemoths touting their eco-awareness. NHL's range is inspired & informed by Santa Monica's ocean, yoga studios,the Venice drum circle & consciousness. The palette of colors (earth tones) and hand of the fabrics (hemp& bamboo fibers) are consistent with the point-of-view of the line; & proudly "Manufactured in Downtown L.A." Frank & initial founder Ira Rosen (Govindas) goal was to create a brand that inspired an aware lifestyle ;easy care garments which were comfortable to move in. Its customer base is drawn to the fabric & palette + amped that retail distribution is kept to the boutique level. NHL has a Japanese fan base as well ( Beams & the legendary Hollywood Ranch Market Daikoyama ) who appreciate its So.Cali flavor. The Main St.flagship store in Santa Monica serves as a showroom for the NHL world of apparel, bedding,meditation pillows ,yoga mat carriers & more. The company has recently partnered with Wired to supply the magazine's "Sustainable & Energy Efficient" showcase house in Chicago. On the horizon are new introductions inspired by a recent trip to Japan plus new eco-fabrics & experimentation for conscious creatives to contemplate in -
Ananda Marga is the "path of bliss". Margiis, as the followers of Ananda Marga Pracharaka Sangha ( AMPS ) are known , believe the path lies in the observance of meditation, yoga , social service & vegetarianism .
" When challenged to hold the breath, that is the time to BREATHE"
