Santa Monica Business License Marathon

Being of service to our communities sometimes proves to be complicated . Webs of permits, licenses, insurance, referrals, and certifications are now needed to ensure organization, verification, and qualification. This is fine and dandy, but, I believe loads of paperwork deters people who have something to teach from doing so. Much loved and needed community classes on health, meditation, fitness, self-defense, or even cooking are shrinking.

Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Ebba, Santa Monica's head honcho of community and cultural services. She's cool.
Together we worked to complete all my necessary paperwork, ensuring my entry into the Santa Monica community class instructor program:

1. Sole-proprietor Santa Monica City business license
2. City insurance,
3. General liability, fingerprints,
4. W9 taxpayer ID
5. Americans With Disabilities adherence
6. Fee schedule
7. Proposed compensation
8. Class specialty
9. Conviction information
10. References
11. Proforma
12. Customer service plan

WHEW! All to teach donation based community classes in the parks and recreational areas. Turns out donation based classes have become a take-away from the city's teachers so now teaching community classes in a no no if not in the city pay role .

I see how the system is meant to serve the community but... man, oh man.

Luckily, my determination to have fun with my community outdoors has carried me through the process and soon I will be teaching workshops and classes where ever I please.

Outdoors, stuffy studio personalities and the business of yoga do not apply. It's a fun gathering of new buddies, calm thinking, and cool pacific breeziness!

My schedule is soon to come so keep checking in!!

City Yoga

West Hollywood's City Yoga is LA's former Anusara kula.  Anthony Benenati, founder, made a decision to re-establish the studio as a multi-faceted Yoga center.  Many of City Yoga's teachers have moved elsewhere, begun individual kulas, or only teach privately now.    However,  Noah Maze, Tara Judelle, and Linda Eifer - amongst the most respected teachers - remain at least part-time at City Yoga.  

I've been jumping at the opportunity to practice, "The Practice" with Noah, Tuesdays 1:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M.  Intensity, bliss, laughter, and community all make this a very special 2 hours.  I've met many of the teachers at the studio and we've swapped Anusara stories like baseball cards.     

Noah begins The Practice rarely with a discussion rather a beautiful invocation and longer meditation.  Then it's on like Donkey Kong.  Somedays he's filled with Ashtanga-like inspiration demanding agility and speed-fast.  Somedays he prefers Iyengar-esque restorative practice.  Then there is his practice involving innately intuitive poses and just-for-the-occasion outbursts of laughter and story.  Always though are extraordinarily advanced pose-   Vashistasana to Hanumanasana to pada-to-your-sirsa-Hanumanasana ;)

Tara Judelle teaching style is inspired through voice.  The way she explains, delivers, and comprehends creates an incredible channel for further exploration of poses.  She's a storyteller and I dig it.

Check out City Yoga because there is a lot of Anusara history in those walls!

Exhale Spa, Venice Beach, CA

Exhale Spa in Venice, CA is yogi home to techers Shiva Rea, Seane Corn, Erich Shiffman and many more.  The studio is touted as the one of the best in the nation and with those teachers, rightfully so.  

My first class was Samantha Mehra's.  Filled to the brim with contagious giddiness, her beloved voice guided the class through a vinyasa flow with compliments of shakti dance poses.  I enjoyed the creativity balanced with the traditional sequencing.  Non-dogmatic yet firm, this vinyasa 2/3 class I recommend.

Matthew Cohen was my second Exhale class.  Unorganized and spacey, Matthew's class didn't gel with me.  His background is rounded by indonesian martial arts, taoist and hatha Yoga, practices derive deep enjoyment from,  yet his demeanor was tainted with aggression rather than instruction and there he offered little to no allowed self-modification of poses.  After class he reprimanded all for one person not signing in coining it "stealing."  Maybe I caught him on an off day.

The studio is beautiful and  is located on Main St, Venice, CA.  The guys who work at the front desk are incredibly accommodating and funny.  The sign in sheet is located on a small table past the front desk and lines form quickly- especially for Seane Corn's class I hear.  She was just in Cambodia for Off the Mat Into The World and I have yet to take her class but will do so soon and write about my experience!  Many workshops are offered at Exhale from well known teachers worth checking out if in the area.  LA- gotta' love it.

Jason Handler’s Got It Goin’ On

Craving a deeper understanding of Yoga? Jason Handler is your man. Founder of Summerland Healing Arts, a healing center overlooking the blue pacific, Jason also offers acupuncture, nutritional consultation, yoga, and massage at this beautiful private practice.

Valedictorian of the elite Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Medicine, Jason’s lovable personality and respected knowledge of Hatha Yoga, Qi Gong, and Internal Martial Arts create a beautiful opportunity to practice with a great teacher. Unifying Indian and Chinese energetic anatomy systems, his classes begin by offering beautiful explanations of the energetic body which slowly move into focused stances and circular movements.

Breath by breath, the practice soon blossoms into an energetic dance, slow and rhythmic. New students hold the stances and ask, “Why is my body shaking like this Jason?” surprised by their own body’s capability to feel and move energy. Long time yogis dig his blend of ancient practices many times sticking around after class to talk the talk.

Yoga can also practice with him Sunday and Wednesdays (Hatha Yoga) at Santa Barbara’s, Yoga Soup.

2448 Lillie Ave
Summerland, CA 93067
(805) 969-5917