LOVE ANGELES PROJECT®

David Elliott: Reasons For Breathing

Source: LA Yoga - The Kyoto Hotel in downtown Los Angeles is a portal today. Braced against the streets of chaos, the Little Toyko-5 star is pressed tightly against the homeless vortex of Skid Row. In a few hours, Reluctant Healer, David Elliott will incite another kind vortex here. A whirling mass of self inflicted healing in a pranayamic workshop. Neatly dressed in a sweater and jeans, he’s breathing easy in the pristine sanctuary of the rooftop garden. Elliott listens with the detached indifference of a spiritual clinician. He speaks with the calm reserve of a Southerner.

A practiced wordsmith, he has just released his second book, Healing. His first work, The Reluctant Healer, was decidedly well received and remains a valuable resource for anyone considering the path of healer.

“I teach people how to heal themselves by getting in touch with their energy, and teaching them how energy can melt through any block or illness, and ultimately the energy I'm talking about is love…self-love."

Pranayama is a healing modality. From the Sanskrit; prana or breath is the life-force; yama, means to suspend or restrain. The breathwork is an aspect of what David Elliott does in totality. It’s one element in a larger toolbox that makes up his practice.

“It’s a tool to help people to get out of their heads… to help people to open up. Open their heart up and stop thinking or being focused outside themselves. So with the breathing meditation we’re teaching people to focus inside. To still themselves and ultimately to open up and let the universe come through as love…as self-love,” he says.

Tracing our collective trajectory to this place in time when we are vastly more complicated than our predecessors, Elliott articulates the challenges his work confronts and the people it serves.

“We are complex by the nature of technology and information. We’re totally occupied. The modality of breathwork brings you to a still place where you get into the moment. Ultimately I’m creating an experience for people to feel their spirit. To feel their spirit coming into their body as a vibration. When people feel that they heal. They unblock. They let go of the past…of the stuff that they’re holding onto to that’s keeping them stuck and out of the moment.

Who is Dean Karnazes?

Last year, I had the pleasure of attending the premier of Ultramarathon Man, a truly inspiring documentary featuring the LA native, Dean Karnazes. On November 5th, 2006, Dean successfully completed one of his greatest tests of endurance, 50 Marathons in 50 Consecutive Days in 50 States. Ironically, it just so happens that his family comes from the same Greek village of the legedary hero Pheidippides, who ran 150 miles to announce the Greek victory over Persia in 490 BC. Dean is a modern day hero who bursts with love and encouragement wherever he goes.

Prior to the film's screening, Dean spoke of the importance of loving what you do as well as the need for kids to get more active. He also dedicated the premier to another hero, my dear friend and soul brother David Ames, who peacefully passed on July 16th 2008, after corageously living with ALS aka Lou Gherig's disease over the last 5 years. David and Dean were friends and running buddies here in the SF Bay Area prior to David's diagnosis. You can see David in this preview clip of Ultramarathon Man being pushed across the Golden Gate Bridge in marathon #17 and you can read the beautiful story in a chapter of Dean's most recent book, 50/50.

Before leaving the premier, I thanked Dean for inspiring so many people and (half-joking) asked him where he planned on running the next morning. He mentioned that he would be running in the city (most likely in preparation for the SF marathon which took place that weekend.)

I admit that after watching the film, I became extremely fired up to take a run, but I decided to wait until the next day as it was 11pm by the time I got home. By chance, at about 7:15 the next morning, I was driving north on the 101 from Sausalito and spotted Dean pacing along on a Marin county trail. By the time I picked up my am coffee a mile down the road, he caught up and crossed my path. After I called his name, he ran up to my car and popped his head in. I smiled and said, I beat you!

Since that morning over a year ago, I have kept up running (almost daily) and it's become impossible not to think about Dean every single time I head out. By observing Dean, I truly learned the value of slowing down and pacing myself not only with respect to running, but throughout every part of life.   

Malibu Marathon 2009

This Year's Malibu Marathon is brought to you by FOREVER RUNNERS, an organization run by local Malibu residences that have a passion for running and other athletic endeavors. Our mission is to promote health and fitness through our website and fun athletic events. We strive to bring athletes from around the world together to achieve their athletic goals, build new relationships, and raise money for charities.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Inaugural Event
Destination Marathon; Excellent to bring family and friends
Flat and scenic course
Cool running weather
Environmental Friendly Marathon
Health and Fitness Expo
Pasta Dinner

REGISTRATION INCLUDES
Goodie Bag
BIB
Inaugural Finisher Medal
Medical Care - First Aid Stations
Fluid and Fuel Stations
Finish line Organic food and beverages
Athlete Transportation to the Start
Entrance into Health and Fitness EXPO

PRIZES/AWARDS/PURSE
All finishing runners will receive a medal of accomplishment.

Parking for the Full Marathon

Full Marathons will park at Zuma Beach. Zuma Beach is located at 30500 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu 90265. The buses will be located at the north end of Zuma Beach near Trancas Canyon Rd. Transportation will be provided to the Start Line of the Marathon. The buses will run from 4:45 to 5:30 am. The last bus will be leaving at 5:30 am. Do not be late!

Free Kirtan Concert and Share the Love Tour with Andrew Zenoff

Free West Coast Kirtan Tour!!! - October 23, 24, 28, 29 & November 1

We are extremely excited that the tour will indeed be stopping through to bless our beloved city of angels this coming Saturday night, Oct. 24, 8 PM at Bhakti Yoga Shala in Santa Monica!

Andrew Zenoff is the founder of The Bhakti Bar and an up-and-coming force within the growing Kirtan community. What many people don't know is just why Nadine Kijner was able to write a beautiful article on Andrew entitled From Mr. Mom to Kirtan, a must read!

Last week, Andrew let us know that he got a crazy idea to cruise the West Coast and share Kirtan during these last two weeks of October to help spread the love, share the names and build The Bhakti Bar community.

He will be accompanied by Joss Jaffe on Tabla and support vocals sometimes with C.C.White and Kari Marble throughout this free and love-inspiring West Coast Kirtan Tour.

Join me in supporting my soul-brother Andrew Zenoff during my very first Kirtan!!!

And guess what, if you can't make it Saturday night, catch the tour in San Diego tomorrow night and/or at any of the later dates and places found below.

Spread the Peace and Bhakti around and I hope to see you there.

* Oct. 23, 8 PM - World Beat Center, San Diego - www.worldbeatcenter.org

* Oct. 28, 8 PM - Smiling Dog, San Luis Obispo - www.smilingdogyogaslo.com

* Oct. 29, 8 PM - Still Point Body Lounge, Encinitas - www.stillpointbodylounge.com

* Nov. 1, 8 PM - The Hub, Los Angeles - www.thehub-la.com

OMG

I'm pretty sure I'll be cathing this one when it hits theatres on November 13. It's true that there aren't enough words to describe the notion of GOD. For the time being, I am very satisfied with the simple description that GOD IS LOVE!!!

Lewis Gordon Pugh

After meeting with Paul Lundgren following his moonlight swim across the Catalina channel last Thursday night, I became inspired to research some other meaningful swims...and I think you will enjoy meeting Lewis Gordon Pugh.

Lewis Pugh talks about his record-breaking swim across the North Pole. He braved the icy waters (in a Speedo) to highlight the melting icecap. Watch for astonishing footage -- and some blunt commentary on the realities of supercold-water swims.

Lewis Gordon Pugh loves to pioneer new swimming routes around or between landmarks once thought unswimmable. In 2006, he swam the drought-stricken Thames; also that year he became the first swimmer to do a long-distance swim in all five oceans of the world. The following year, he made the first long-distance swim across the North Pole -- where climate change made the ice temporarily disappear. Heading into the second decade of his swimming career, he's regarded as the greatest cold-water swimmer in history.

His swims have given him a sea-level view of our planet, and inspired him to do his bit to help preserve it. He left a career in maritime law to become a public speaker on environmental issues with his group, Polar Defence Project -- and of course to plan more astonishing swims and treks. In September 2008, Pugh and Robbie Hedgus kayaked across the Arctic Ocean into the polar ice pack, to raise awareness of the thinning sea ice and the dangers of climate change in the Arctic and across the world.

"Lewis has displayed remarkable determination, professionalism and single-mindedness in pursuit of his goals. ~ Tony Blair

A Perfect time to stop and smell the roses

An old message worth being reminded of, the following is an actual event that took place in a Washington, DC Subway Station on a cold January morning in 2007 during rush hour, read the original article entitled Pearls Before Breakfast:

A young violinist wearing a baseball cap and street clothes played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. In that time more than a thousand pedestrians walked passed him, most on their way to work.

It took three minutes before one person, out of 63, even bothered to looked his way - a middle-aged man who glanced over at the musician for a split second while walking.

A half-minute later, the violinist received his first donation - a dollar.  Without stopping, a woman threw the money in the violin case laid out in front of the musician and continued on her way.

It took six minutes before someone actually stopped briefly enough to listen: a young man leaned against the wall for a few seconds, then looked at his watch and left.

After 10 minutes, a 3 year-old boy stopped while his mother tugged him along.  The kid kept stopping, and finally his mother pushed hard and they left, but the child kept turning his head to look back. This action was repeated by several other children, and every parent - without exception - forced their child to move on.

After about half an hour of playing, only 6 people out of hundreds had stayed for a while, and about 20 tossed the violinist various amounts of pocket change.

Fifteen minutes later the performance was over and silence took over.  No one noticed.  No one applauded, nor was there any recognition whatsoever.  The violinist never drew a crowd, and after forty-five minutes of playing he made $32.17.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most acclaimed musicians in the world.   That morning, he was playing one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.

Three days before, Joshua Bell, who usually earns $1,000 a minute, played before a sold-out crowd in a Boston's Symphony Hall where "pretty good" seats averaged $100.

Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. One of the questions raised from this experiment was: in a common place environment, at an inappropriate hour, can we perceive "beauty", and if so, will we stop to appreciate it?

As an advocate for meditation, the more compelling question, I thought, was posed by the Washington Post journalist at the end of the article:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the most talented musicians in the world playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever crafted....

How many other things are we missing?

 

Mindful Breathing - We can let go of Anger by taking care of it

In this clip, Ram Dass interviews Thicht Nhat Hanh at the State of the World forum, September 1995. These are peaceful dudes, man!