Balifinds.com

Really my friends...
if you're in Bali or going to Bali, go to Balifinds.com, online classifieds for Bali Indonesia. You can find housing, volunteering, jobs, yoga or list your non-profit, used goods or find a friend to have coffee with!
Some ads are $10 to post, most are free! For pain ads, all credit cards are excepted and it's totally secured by Paypal. Otherwise, enjoy using the FREE ads on Balifinds.com!

Emily

What To Do In Chiang Mai, Thailand

The following is an e-mail I wrote about what to do in Chiang Mai, Thailand:


"I'm sure your will love Chiang Mai! You definitely need a bike to see the city if you stay at Imm Eco Hostel, Chiang Mai. I chose Imm Eco because it's closer to the music scene, it's incredibly clean, they have an olympic sized pool, and a free buffet breakfast. it is however across the river which is only about a 6 min drive into the city center.

The other place I love is
Gap's House on
Rajadamnern Road, Soi 4 Chiang Mai 3, Chiang Mai, 50100, Thailand‎ - 053-278140

‎

It's inside the city moat (walls) and right off the road where the AWESOME Sunday night market takes place. The rooms are beautiful for the price— antiques, Thai art, big comfy beds, and sweet owners. The price is 400 baht/night I think. They don't have a pool.

Khun Churn restaurant: This veggie buffet is so good. I know you're not veggie but you must go. It's in the hip and happening area of Chiang Mai, Nimminhemin area, and the food is so fresh. They have tons of options with an incredible salad bar and North Thai dishes. Go for the buffet 11-2pm everyday.

Khun Churn:

serves a vegetarian buffet (60 baht) every lunch which is popular with Thai and ex-pats alike in the Nimminhemin area. 4 Nimanhemin Rd., Soi 17, Chiang Mai, Tel: (053) 224124, open: 8am to 10pm. $

In the same area is Drunken Flower which "has long been the queen of Nimmenhaemen’s bohemian bar scene and enjoys a devout following of expats and well-off Thais. It’s tucked into a side alley and offers mixed indoor and garden seating. Thai folk bands play on the weekends." Warm Up "is one Chiang Mai’s most popular clubs, especially with students from Chiang Mai University. It’s another asset of Nimmenhaemen Road and regularly hosts bands covering the latest, most popular Thai music."

Closer to the Imm Eco Hostel and along the river are the following music bars/clubs:

One of the best-known (and longest-running) establishments on the Ping River is Riverside Bar and Restaurant. Music starts after sunset, and by 21:00 house bands have taken the stage at both ends of the building. It’s worth getting a table and ordering from the menu.

To really explore Chiang Mai’s jazz scene, look no further than North Gate Jazz co-op. This funky three-walled venue is inside the northern flank of the moat next to Chang Puak Gate. Local bands rotate in and out on a nightly basis, with an open-mic night on Tuesdays. The emphasis is on improvisational (often experimental) jazz.

There is a Saturday market in Chiang Mai which has Northern food, art, and textiles... similar to the Sunday Market but a little more relaxed. AWESOME FOOD at this market.

Take your bike and head towards the Mae Rim area (45 min) for Orchid farms, beautiful temples, and an elephant hospital if you're into it.

Closer is a drive up the mountain, Doi Inthanon, South of Chiang Mai (to reach the summit is like 30 min bike ride) for a breezy and refreshing view as well as a walk through some slightly touristy hill tribe villages. This is an awesome solo trip and you'll feel great being out of the city heat.

Massage—go get a real one! Try a teacher from Sunshine Massage school (Ohm is great).

Sunshine Massage School 159/2 Kaew Nawarat Soi 4
Chiang Mai 50000 Thailand
here is the map

Email: click here
Phone: 053 262 574 (international +66.53 262 574)

• Watpo Thai Traditional Medicine School

and

• ITM - International Thai Massage School

• Another school, super cheap and really great is I think called Baan Saab or You Saab ... I forget. But, at Tha Pae Gate if inside the gates (walls) and looking toards the inner moat turn right, walk 200 meters and your left will be a sign with You Saab or whatever. It's down a little road and if you can get 'ya' (her name sounds just like I wrote it) she's great.

Each time I visit Chinag Mai I head to my friend Krit's farm and cooking school in Mae Teang province— You Sabai. it doesn't get any better than this place. You will stay in earthen homes and cook food so good, you may just cry. You will leave Krit's place with life long friends and a greater appreciation for living with the earth.

I hope this helps...maybe I should write a guide book.

I'll try to connect you with some buddies. Give me a day. "

Jivamukti in Whistler

(Tina on left)

After living in Bali for a year and a half I very much missed 3 things: tall trees, mountains, and yoga. I rented a car and embarked on a week long solo camping trip through British Columbia visiting a friend first in Vancouver then hitting the road on the Sea to Sky Highway towards Whistler.

Once in Whistler I was incredibly fortunate to drop in on Jivamukti yoga teacher Tina James' class. Oh, how dry I was for passionate discussions and beautifully led asana. She is full on—wild about preservation of land, animals and community.

Tina relocated to Whistler from NYC, her heart calling her to native American lands and people. Five years and she is still in Whistler, bringing vedic insight to locals and tourists who may have no clue what they're dropping in on. Her stories of living in India delighted me and I was filled with the feeling I love most— being part of the global tribal community.

Check her out!




JIVAMUKTI YOGA CENTER WHISTLER
Tina James
9213 Lakeshore drive.
, Whistler B.C. Von 1b9
Phone: 604 9381533
Website: www.worldyogawithin.com
E-mail: tinajames.1@virgin.net

Current Shananigans and Seva Yoga

I've been teaching at Seva Yoga, a cool Austin, TX donation only yoga studio which has been receiving lots of juicy attention. Tons of classes every day of the week and well trainer teachers in exchange for whatever the student can afford to toss in the Seva money jar. I like this.

Change the equation. Trade, barter, donate ... when I read these words I know I'm about to meet some groovy people.

Yoga gifts us with hidden joys, one being community. Before yoga I felt icky. I didn't understand why. I had never been in a supportive community, open and strong, which collectively pondered the spirit of life and laughed about it. I had no idea I had family worldwide, hundreds of friends waiting to be met, who love just because of the simple common factor: life should be lived, experienced, and enjoyed. Only through yoga did my eyes open to a world of enticing beings who challenge the norms of even the super abnormal. Wild, free, and insightful yogis, seekers, and artists. I could say it changed me but what yoga did was open me. Expand me. I began to fly.

These feelings and experiences do not allow for one to turn back to the old life. I could call doing so impossible. What happens is a washing, a bathing of all which does not serve health, happiness, and freedom. It is a wild ride and a feeling of mind blowing insight. The most revered washing in my life was with people. Old relationships which hurt and held me down dissolved into nothing. I was no longer attached to family, friends, and love. I surrounded myself with greatness; singers, yogis, writers, the wise. I realize what it means to consciously be surrounded by interesting and inspiring beings.

These experiences draw me to places like Seva Yoga.

Free Yoga in Austin, TX

Thanks to AustinYogaTeachers.com I came across many free yoga classes in Austin I hadn't heard about!
Some free classes I didn't find in the list:
Yoga Vida 707 : Friday @ 7pm
Yoga Vida 3620 Bee Cave Rd. : Friday @ 6:30pm
Empower Yoga offers $5 classes Fridays— ALL classes are $5!!!

Free and Donation Yoga Classes
There are free & donation yoga classes offered in the Austin area! Here are a few:
Amala Foundation Sanctuary Sundays 7-8:15pm The 36th Chamber of Yoga (donation)
AOMA (email) Meditation, Sundays at 5pm, 512-492-3034
Austin Kula Yoga - Open Teacher Practice, Sundays 3-5pm; Shanti for the Heart, last Sunday each month 6:30-7:30pm
Black Swan Yoga, all classes are donation based
Blanton Museum of Art , Third Thursdays at 6:30pm (free)
Burly House
Barton Springs, Robert E. Lee side, Kriya Hatha Yoga w/Athuai, 512.928.2281, Saturdays, 10:30-11:30am, donation
East Side Yoga Free:Saturdays 8:15am Intro; donation: Sundays 9:30am Meditation, 10:30am Hatha, 2pm New Teacher Class
Esquina Tango (donation), Sundays 11am Hatha Flow, Wednesdays 6pm Vinyasa Flow,
Fridays 5:30-6:30 Happy Hour
Charles MacInerney leads a Free outdoor Yoga class each month on the Full Moon
Kundalini Yoga at Tara House (donation) email for details
Power Yoga Flow (donation)
Outdoor Yoga (donation)
Ruta Maya
South Austin Cancer Center - Tuesdays 2-3pm
Saturday mornings at the lululemon store
Seva Yoga Daily donation classes
Soma Vida Saturdays through August 9am
Sanctuary at Amala Foundation Mondays 7:15pm-8:15pm (donation)
Sundara Yoga Therapy Thursdays 7-8:15pm The Art of Self-Healing (donation)
The Vortex, Mon/Wed noon-1pm (suggested donation $7)
Yoga in the Park, Shipe Park, Wednesdays 6:30pm (donation)

Lululemon Salutation Nation

Lululemon hosted Salutation Nation at Austin, TX's Festival Beach on August 6, 2010. The way it works: all around the US yogis gather and practice at the same time.

As we all practiced with Christina Sell, a spunky and hilarious certified Anusara yoga instructor, under the trees, protected from the scorching Texas sun, I thought, 'Groovy...this is yoga. Out of the studio and into the grass—let's practice in nature more often!'

Gioconda, another Austin favorite yoga teacher, practiced with a pink cast on her left arm (broken wrist) and smiled the entire time. Rock on sister! Kids, men, women, puppies... there was so much vibrant energy in the park that day!

After class local businesses including Snap Kitchen fed us freebie dishes such as Tofu & Sambal, Ginger Salmon, and Veggie Lasagna. Well fed and feeling bright, my boyfriend and I left the park with a feeling of community in our hearts.

Much gratitude to all ya'll who pulled this off!

Ruta Maya Free Yoga With Pam

New to Austin, TX, I'm doing what I usually do new in town— attending every pseudo–hippie event or class, beginning to find my groove in my new surroundings. Ruta Maya coffee house is an Austin, TX favorite for community classes, music, and local art.

I woke at 7:40am, remembered Ruta Maya's Monday 8:00-9:00am yoga class, hopped in the car and headed South on Congress. About 25 yoga students, from beginners to advanced, sat on their unraveled mats which covered the entire floor! This coffee house is large and even has a stage for the bands who come and play.

Pam, a sweet, straight forward and clearly spoken yoga instructor, guided the class through a sequence of salutations, twists, and hip openers. The class was planned very well and Pam offered everyone pose variations depending on flexibility and experience.

I hope you can attend a free class at Ruta Maya! It's a kind gesture to tip your teacher and Ruta Maya asks that you purchase a coffee or tea after class to supliment the cost of their awesome space. No biggie for a well thought out class! Here is their schedule:

Yoga Is Always FREE at Ruta Maya with Coffee House Purchase

Yoga Class Schedule at a Glance

Class	Day	Time
Hatha Flow Yoga	Monday	8 to 9 AM
Happy Hour Yoga	Monday	5:30 to 6:30 PM
Vinyasa Yoga	Tuesday	9 to 10 AM
Hatha Flow Yoga	Wednesday	8 to 9 AM
Happy Hour Yoga	Wednesday	5:30 to 6:30 PM
Hatha Flow Yoga	Thursday	9 to 10 AM
Hatha Flow Yoga	Friday	8 to 9 AM
Family Yoga for Kids	Saturday	10 to 11 AM
Hatha Flow Yoga	Saturday	12 Noon to 1 PM

How Yoga Works at Ruta Maya

1. Show up for class and set up your mat.
2. Return to the counter to make your purchase.
3. You may get your purchase at this time OR bring your receipt back to the counter after class to collect your purchase.

Amala Foundation, Austin, TX

Years of un–layering and introspect bring most to this important fact: like attracts like. Black Swan Yoga of Austin, TX offered their studio to the Amala Foundation to host Keep Austin Peaceful, a party to celebrate the upcoming Wimberley, TX camp for 45 of Austin's 65,000 refugee children— 4th Annual Global Youth Peace Summit.
Volunteers and councelors, yogis, and new friends were all celebrated as Vanessa, founder of Amala Foundation, voiced her insight and experience after 10 years with the foundation.

She touched on our willingness to gather and how gathering can be done anywhere but must be done now with intent. The war within us and around our neighborhoods is more difficult to dissolve than the war of countries. It starts within.

I was invited to a volunteer meeting at the Amala Foundation sanctuary in South Austin. Tibetan flags, and large chimes, Cedar trees, and sweet smiles, burning Nag Champa, and safe breezes surround this enticing sanctuary, inviting all to enjoy peace— the peace that is felt through the simplicity and spirit of a home like the Amala Foundation.

Many arms opened to me as i walked in the door. Chai tea was passed from hand to hand and pillows lined the floor. We shared our talents and jobs and skills were partitioned off to the necessary places. All donations needed to complete preparations for The Summit; Verizon phones to use as walkey talkies, children's clothes, trailers, trucks, etc. were found within the glowing group of 40 volunteers. The power of community was reaffirmed within me as this collective of goodwill took place.

The 4th Annual Global Youth Peace Summit is an 8-day conference uniting 70 international, refugee, immigrant and local youth ages 12-18 as peace leaders of a global community. This year's Summit brings Austin’s youth together with refugee and immigrant youth from Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba, Somalia, Bhutan, Iran, Burma, Colombia, Congo, Guatemala, Tibet, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Burundi, El Salvador, South Africa, Mexico, India, Nepal, and Thailand. About 80% of the youth who come to the Summit live in the Austin area.


The goal of the Summit is to challenge and inspire youth to extend beyond their cultural differences to create One Village united by values of peace, healing, respect, and service to others. Through activities, discussions, art, music-making, and special events, the youth will learn to communicate, to think and act with compassion, and serve others with love. The Amala Foundation partners with other peace-centered social change organizations to offer a truly inspirational event, including Urban Roots, the Indigenous People Institute, local artists, musicians, educators, and peace leaders.


The Summit is a place for healing. Many of the youth come from homes challenged by poverty, violence, and deprivation; some have witnessed the atrocities of war and have literally run for their lives; many have been uprooted from their native cultures and struggle to integrate into an entirely foreign world. Everyone in the Village is invited to speak about their experiences, to share their perspectives, and to find within themselves new inspiration to live as leaders for peace. The Amala Foundation offers scholarships to underserved and refugee youth in order to ensure that this powerful experience is available to all youth who are inspired to take part.

The 4th Annual Global Youth Peace Summit begins Friday, Aug 7th and ends the 14th.

Turkish absurdities

My father, twin sisters and Turkish step mother live in Istanbul, Turkey. This ensures my visiting the 'largest city in Europe' once a year to kiss my family, practice yoga at Ciyangir, and sip Turkish wines at the top of one of thousands of secret roof-top apartment-bars. However, this last trip was different.

Not only was I able to attent the Turkish president's party for Istanbul being named the Capital of Culture 2010, I was invited on a snowboarding extravaganza in Kartalkaya, Bolu 3 hours East of Istanbul where I found myself being pampered at the ever-so-shi-shi Golden Key Hotel. After living in Bali for over a year, I was deep in powder soft snow—observing individual snowflakes as they graced my mittens.

After a long day of training on a board with the Turkish champion of kite and snow boarding and too many lovely glasses of red wine, my crew headed to the hotel room for much needed sleep. Someone in our room opened the window in the beautiful living-room to smoke a joint and then, forgot to close it. In the morning, the rooms were like icicles. We dressed and made our way downstairs to the lodge. Empty. Restaurant—empty. What the heck?

This may be the only time I'll give weed credit for saving the day because 16 people went to the intensive care unit at the far away hospital. The cause: Carbon Monoxide poisoning.
Our open weed window allowed the winter night air to circulate the rooms, saving us from a fatal woe.

Just another day in the life of Emily.

Balifinds.com

A year of training my noggin as a computer, striving to create a web site which would allow people to communicate about housing, volunteering, jobs, and more in Bali, resulted in Balifinds.com!

The community's response has put a huge smile on my face!

Basically, Balifinds.com is cool online classifieds for Bali, Indonesia.

Post & Search everything in Bali and let us know of your favorite Balinese artisans, non-profits, and eateries! We will post a classified for them-bringing more people to their Bali goodness!

***Check it out! If you're coming to Bali Spirit festival and need a house, a friend, or want to volunteer post or search for free on Balifinds.com and someone out there will see your ad and help you! Many people are listing, many people are talking and making new friends!

Also, if you're teaching yoga, music, dance or want to learn any of these in Bali please post!

Help us make Balifinds.com a wonderful community resource!

With gratitude,
Emily

Kiddy Yoga In Ubud

The kids wait for me. Maybe it's more like they play until I arrive. Regardless, every Sunday I walk through the temple doors at Arma Museum & Resort and past the garden gargoyles feeling quite serendipitous knowing how many smiles await me.

YOGA time ya'll.

This weird concept of YOGA and the many unique gifts the practice brings to the table unties people, kids, adults, colors, and sizes in a manner nothing else possibly could.

We gather in a circle, hold hands and raise them to the matahari (sun) then exhale forward bowing to the awesomeness in ourselves and to the people we love. Breath.

Making our way into down dog, Wellie, the local mut pup decides to sit in the middle of our circle. We walk on hands and feet towards her, half barking, half giggling. There's maybe 30 of us.

Moving on - cat, cow, cat, cow. Meow, moo, meow.

Inhale. Exhale. (Tarik napas. Buang napas.)

We move together and when one kid tumbles the others lend a hand.

The girls donning their ceremonial sarongs try tree pose, yanking the sarong above the knee with subtle determination and fearless lack of ambivolence.

Behind us the river flows. In front, incense burn from temple stones.

We sit. A circle of smiles.

Breathe.

Mmmm. Sundays.

Ubud Yoga

UPDATE!!! YOGA LESSONS HAVE BEEN MOVED TO PENESTANAN KELOD IN UBUD.

When in ubud
practice Yoga at Arma Museum @ Resort.
Indonesians and visitors welcome! We teach in both Bahasa and English. All levels welcome!
Much love,
Emily

+62 0812346483434
emilykuser@gmail.com

Sing a Song For Me

Music, my elixir.

Aside from my current submersion into guitar lessons with a french master of strings, Antoine, I've begun teaching English through song to Balinese children at Ubud, Bali's Arma Museum & Resort. We rock out to everything from Jason Mraz (quite the popular choice around these parts) to tunes from The Sound Of Music - Raindrops On Roses anyone?

With two cranky speakers, some friends on drums and guitar, and my voice, English Through Song is manifesting into a wicked opportunity to jam and blend the divide between two cultures - one Hindu, one... not.

My eager craving to speak Bahasa Indonesia in a non-robotic way is soothed by the help of my older Balinese students who have English down more than I have Bahasa. With super smiles, they help me translate a song's poetic or symbolic message so the young ones may better understand the emotions within the music.

Try explaining a song about 'virtue' to kids...

Philosophical loops of thought are ingrained into the Bali upbringing so even my meager english/bahasa obstacle is magically overcome through intuitive understanding.

I've finally seen 'cool'. Sharing music in this way is my true defonition of 'cool'.

Much love.

Turkish Absurdities

My father, twin sisters and Turkish step mother live in Istanbul, Turkey. This ensures my visiting the 'largest city in Europe' once a year to kiss my family, practice yoga at Ciyangir, and sip Turkish wines at the top of one of thousands of secret roof-top apartment-bars. However, this last trip was different.

Not only was I able to attent the Turkish president's party for Istanbul being named the Capital of Culture 2010, I was invited on a snowboarding extravaganza in Kartalkaya, Bolu 3 hours East of Istanbul where I found myself being pampered at the ever-so-shi-shi Golden Key Hotel. After living in Bali for over a year, I was deep in powder soft snow—observing individual snowflakes as they graced my mittens.

After a long day of training on a board with the Turkish champion of kite and snow boarding and too many lovely glasses of red wine, my crew headed to the hotel room for much needed sleep. Someone in our room opened the window in the beautiful living-room to smoke a joint and then, forgot to close it. In the morning, the rooms were like icicles. We dressed and made our way downstairs to the lodge. Empty. Restaurant—empty. What the heck?

This may be the only time I'll give weed credit for saving the day because 16 people went to the intensive care unit at the far away hospital. The cause: Carbon Monoxide poisoning.
Our open weed window allowed the winter night air to circulate the rooms, saving us from a fatal woe.

Just another day in the life of Emily.

Holy Donation Batman!

Feeling oh, so inclined to help further my writing and see me do things no one else will? Check out my donate button to the left of my blog. Any donations go towards my non-profit work in Bali such as teaching English at the Starfish School for less fortunate kids, snapping photos for sustainability projects and helping the local orphanage voice their voices (the little ones are hilarious!).

Much love everyone! Great stories await you!

Bali Spirit Festival 2009

Bali Spirit Festival 2009

Yogis, artists and musicians traveled from the corners of our globe to celebrate Yoga, music and dance at the 2009 Bali Spirit Festival held on the predominantly Hindu island of Bali, Indonesia, minutes outside the culturally rich and healing town of Ubud.
The heart of the festival beats with the universal vision of I Made Gunarta, Meghan Pappenheim, and Dan Robert Weber, three very original and vibrant personalities. Kicking off an event of this magnitude in Bali, a culture notorious for abiding by ‘rubber time' is a challenging goal but with passion, perseverance and playfulness this event has manifested into a global peace production.

As the village of Ubud throbbed with fresh energy, festival attendees tightened their helmets and prepared for the motor bike journey to the town of Batuan. Rainbows of Yoga mats bobbed on the backs of festival goers as they navigated through sky filled rice fields, smiling at the curious faces of Balinese children while making their way to the Purnati Centre for the Arts , the venue for this 6 day extravaganza.

Volunteers greeted guests as they walked up Puranati’s steep stone steps and into a haven of five different pavilions; a tropical outdoor amphitheater, a two-story floating bale, stunning swimming-pool, and vast gardens overlooking expansive views of Bali beauty. Bamboo huts offered local goodies such as delectable veggie dishes from Ubud’s Yogi hangout KAFE and plump coconuts ready to be hacked open and sipped with a banana leaf straw.

Attendees strolled barefoot through the grass from one workshop to the next-16 were offered each day! With 29 talented teachers such as Swami Shankardev Saraswati, Uma Inder, David Moreno, Eoin Finn, Joseph Lee, Katy Appleton Apple Yoga), Rebecca Pflaume (Kundalini), and Partrick Creelman (Anusara), this was a difficult task.

Mark Whitwell led students through a gentle asana sequence asking students to "promise to practice Yoga 7 minutes a day" reminding them they were always "loved and cared for in this ordinary world."

A medley of colorful instrumentals echoed from each workshop and a harmony was naturally created. These harmonies danced into the many sivasana occurring simultaneously bringing an unexpected flavor to the festival. New York’s Akim Funk Buddha taught afro-centric rhythm, body popping and a funky twist on classical asanas and the lovable Kadek Suambara (Bali) offered Laughter Yoga beneath breezy white tarps creating a lawn of laughter so contagious even the camera crew shook with giggles. “Life is body, mind, and spirit," says Kadek. “Laughter is our key to all three.”

Bali breathes musical talent and intuitive harmonic creation is woven into the culture attracting incredible performers from many countries. Mosquito bites were forgotten as attendees watched in awe as Rocky Dewuni (Ghana), Africa’s ‘next Bob Marley’ whose performances are often coined ‘legendary,’ ended the 6 day festival performing his song, In Ghana. By mid-song, the lyrics transformed to ‘in Bali’ as performers such as Yeshe, Ganga Giri ,Tom Freund from Venice Beach, InRhythm, Daphne Tse, Khalife, Geoffrey Gordon, Akim Funk Buddha spontaneously jumped on stage blending worldly instruments, voices, and dance as the crown went wild, intoxicated by the infectious Bali spirit.


The 2010 Bali Spirit Festival will be held on March 31st-April 4th.

Check it out! If you're coming to Bali Spirit festival and need a house, a friend, or want to volunteer post or search for free on Balifinds.com and someone out there will see your ad and help you! Many people are listing, many people are talking and making new friends!

Also, if you're teaching yoga, music, dance, language or want to learn any of these in Bali please post!

Help us make Balifinds.com a wonderful community resource!

With Gratitude,
Emily

Now in Bali

When in Bali an elusive time warp occurs, especially in Ubud. Love, laughter, song - takes place of the tick tack on the keyboard. Each day I try to hop on the blog to jot down my experiences and the unfolding of events BUT the words don't fit, my mind draws circles, and I loose the feeling I want so badly to hold onto. So I wait, I wait for the writing to come and sift through delicious life happenings so I can tell a story and induce giggles and smiles from others. More to come but until then here are some photos that will tell half my story.

Swimmers

Tonight I swam. First I dipped into a warm jacuzzi, with heat bubbling against the unusual Los Angeles April chill. We were on the marina, my friend and I, belly laughing under the stars and observing the docked boats twinkle. A bottle of wine illegaly sitting poolside, this was fun.

We cranked the sauna prior to dipping- always a brilliant idea. With one swim race won by me and numerous masterful dives by both, we kicked it. Conversation to laughter back to conversation to dares. Nothing compares to fun girlfriends. First off, friends are found in many corners yet the ones who win the prize must have something sparkly inside- something lively- right? Or is it the common readiness to be guardless, frontless, hilarious?

Days, hours, moments- all have become driven and twisted in daily life. To release the pressure feels like cotton candy on my tongue. I like it but I dont- the grittyness of time, plans and responsibility taste odd yet the sweetness of freedom, fun, and embracing the inner dork creates subtle bliss.

All this becase I swam? ;)
G'nite

The Learning Garden

Venice beach embodies creativity and cries individualism. Drum, circles, skateboards, vegetarian street shops, and bicycles galore! Here in lies the draw for many: Venice is a hippy haven. Anything, everything, nothing- do whatever you like here yet do it with a smile.

A small group did do what they like and created The Learning Garden- 60,000 ft of deep colored veggies and bright happy flowers grown in a land lot that used to contain tires, trash, drug dealing, and waste. Lo and behold this school Venice High School garden has become the one of the largest school gardens in the world. A project such as this never seizes to catch my fleeting attention.

Digging deeper into The Learning Garden, I discovered the founders partnerered with Venice High School in 2001 seeing an opportunity for community empowerment. City students partake in horticulture programs offering them a chance to dirty their hands and taste the sweetness of their labor.

Yo San University students work intimately with the garden studying natural herb remedies and UCLA runs their extension program here too! Volunteering is encouraged!
(310) 722-3656

More to come soon after I interview the founders...

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!!