Yogamentary Profiles

Thanks to Facebook and my friend Alison Van Pelt (an accomplished painter and yogini), I stumbled upon this new You Tube series called Posers which profiles yogis like Van Pelt, Mariel Hemingway, Skinny Bitch co-author Rory Freedman, Jennifer Aniston's yoga teacher Mandy Ingber, Vinnie Marino and many more. Enjoy.

LACMA's Cast-offs Become Artistic Inspiration

Robert Fontenot is taking LACMA's cast-offs and transforming them into a series of works he's calling Recycle LACMA. For example, a colorful Korean robe has become some kites, a long James Galanos coat is now pair of car seat covers.


I first read about Fontenot in the Wall Street Journal where I learned that he bought some textiles and costumes at auction when LACMA "deaccessioned" them from the museum's permanent collection. Deaccessioning is controversial and Fontenot's project is partly designed to bring attention to the practice.

While it's disheartening that these pieces no longer have a home at LACMA (and that the James Galanos coat is no longer available to wear), it's still encouraging that someone like Fotenot is taking the initiative to re-imagine these items into something innovative and hand-made. As they say: reduce, reuse and recycle.

images courtesy Robert Fontenot

Youth Knows No Pain

Don't miss the August 31st HBO premiere of Mitch McCabe's documentary Youth Knows No Pain. I interviewed McCabe recently for an anti-aging piece I did for the Los Angeles Times and while I knew I liked her then, I saw the film a couple nights ago and was mesmerized by her reporting style. Her ultra-casual manner joined with an intense curiosity, and subtle wit created the perfect venue for her characters to emerge during this personality-driven documentary about how we're obsessed with preventing the inevitable -- the fine lines, the wrinkles, the grey hair, the spread -- you get the picture.

I have to admit after writing my Los Angeles Times story and seeing the movie, I've been thinking more and more about these issues and getting pissed. Annie Tomlin, the ever-inspiring editor of Bella Sugar, convinced me yes! there are others out there who are angry about the social pressure women feel to look younger. But it's hard to remember when one considers the phenomenal sales of annoying books like Charla Krupp's How Not to Look Old.

While McCade does profile both men and women who get cosmetic surgery, I suspect the motivation differs between the genders, a point she fails to address. Certainly statistics prove women are getting more cosmetic interventions than men. According to the American Soceity for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, in 2008 alone, over 355,000 women had breast augmentation whereas only 18,000 men had hair transplants. Boobs or hair? I guess the mammaries win. Besides, how much time and money do we women spend removing hair? (That's another story.)

Ultimately, the film pointed out the contradiction that is my life -- I'm vain and I also succumb to the pressure. I knew this was sadly so when I couldn't stop thinking how absolutely fabulous Allure's legendary beauty writer Joan Kron, 81, looked during her cameo and then my next thought: I'm due for some botox. Crows feet begone! So complicated....

Yoga and the Mind of Mom

My colleague and friend Elizabeth Kadetsky published an absolutely stunning piece in the New York Times this week that made me cry and warmed my heart. Tackling the reality of her mother's Alzheimer's disease, she beautifully weaves the reality of this recent diagnosis into an essay about living in the moment -- yoga style. That's all I'll say. Just read it, please. Here's a teaser:

My sister and I had inklings of a slow atrophying of my mother’s mind, perhaps of her very self, before she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in April, 2008. And yet, strangely, I’d also noticed around that time she’d seemed to be more “herself.” So I felt oddly reassured at the news. The diagnosis seemed to explain something about who my mother was, perhaps who she’d been most of my life. Due to its seeming genetic component, we believed the type to be early-onset. It could have started when I was still a kid.

Yoga citta vritti nirodha — yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of consciousness. This, from Patañjali’s “Yoga Sutras,” was the first piece of a classical text I memorized when I trained to become a yoga teacher. Perhaps paradoxically, this also seemed to describe what had been happening to my mother.

Thanks Elizabeth.

Photo courtesy Elizabeth Kadetsky

Dahn Yoga's Distrubing Lawsuit Cites Sex and Toilet Water

In this month's L.A. Yoga, Sam Slovick interviews Dahn Yoga founder Ilchi Lee and oddly there's nary a mention of the disturbing lawsuit that was filed against Dahn Yoga and its Health Centers (there are 130 schools around the world). I've heard and read about allegations of weirdness from the Dahn camp for years so I was surprised to see L.A. Yoga gave Dahn any play.

Now, courtesy of Yoga Dork, I was able to read the complaint filed by 26 former students. The allegations aren't pretty -- very expensive workshops, isolation from friends and family all to "tap into the infinite potential of your brain through brain wave vibration" -- whatever that means. And not very clean either. It appears the Sedona Arizona center forgot all about saucha:

At Dahn’s Sedona, Arizona Center....retreats there also included “competitive events where losers were punished by sticking their heads in the toilet, drinking toilet water, licking and kissing the other members’ feet on the floor of the men’s bathroom."

Ewww. One Dahn recruit alleged she was forced to have sex with Lee (juicy details on p. 33-34 of the complaint). So much for Lee's claims of "boosting brain power" by performing "spiritual surgery."

Anyone have first-hand experience with the Dahn school?

Manduka ProLite Mat: Loving It

Last week I took a yoga class from Rainbeau Mars at Sonya Dakar in Beverly Hills. The highlight: a pretty red Manduka PROlite mat that I got as a gift (goody bag perk).

Okay Yoga Geeks, we know we're all VERY particular about our mats. My purple Hugger Mugger jobber is over 10 years old and it was my mat of choice until...the Manduka eKO Mat came into my life. But that sucker weighs-in at 7 pounds so schlepping it to class is not an option. Subseqently, it's my home practice lover mat -- it's faithful, it's strong, it cushions me when I'm down and provides support when I need it the most. But the whole, I can't take it out in public thing is kind of a drag...

...until I hooked up with the PROlite. It's a real looker -- a take you out and show you off mat that only weighs four pounds. It has a lifetime guarantee, it's sleek, social and gives good grip.

Thanks Manduka.

The Trial of Laura Ling and Euna Lee

I've been following the story of Laura Ling and Euna Lee -- two journalists imprisoned in North Korea who, whether they like it or not, are now at the center of the United States diplomatic efforts to curtail North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

Their trial starts tomorrow, and as I was poking around the web getting the scoop, I found this excerpt from a letter Ling sent her family.

When I first got here, I cried so much. Now, I cry less. I try very hard to think about positive things, but sometimes it is hard too. Some days I get to go outside and get some fresh air. In the early evening, I do some stretching. I also sit and meditate. I breathe deeply and think about positive things that have happened in the day. For example, I think “I’m lucky I made it through another day.” I’m lucky my family is working so hard to get me released. I’m thinking about you all constantly and how fortunate I am to have an amazing family. Stay strong and please take care of yourselves. That is my request. Know that I’m thinking of you and dreaming about being reunited with you all again.

All my love,
Laura

I was struck by the power of a stretch and a moment of quiet had on her attitude and how gratitude was helping her cope. I hope we can bring and Laura and Euna home soon.