November 29, 2005
GUMPTION and The City Of Angels...
Come, Oh Noble DL Readers, enjoy a few shots from our LA trip...
Our first Priority was to Serve. And Serve we did! We packed the Cave at Marks Power Yoga in Studio City and after the 20 minute Ab Detonating Opening Vinyasa, i was off to the HP Yogic Races with my ol' LA Sangha and plenty of new students that i or Ananda had never met before...i had a GREAT time sweating with my Sangha again! THANK YOU! 
After class, a few of us that could still stand posed for a picture, taken by Ananda outside of Teacher Blanchard's studio...let's see here...Left To Right, okay?...Brandon, Dana, her sister Amber, Noble WF Devotee Steve Mackel with the head of his beautiful wife, Michelle, poking in, my sister Connie, Teacher Blanchard, your's truly snarling as i foot wrassle with my sister, the amazing Teacher Q, Amma, WF Tribal artist and DL favorite Karen Carmona, and...oh shit...uh...he is new, never met him before and now i have forgotten his name yet his CHI was GREAT! 
Morning and Evening view off our balcony at our North Hollywood pad. Yep, that's a Starbucks right across the street. We've never been though...;-)
Our second priority was to clean and prepare our NoHo pad for doing future yoga, personal training, and bodywork in LA as well as working on Media Projects. Our "NoHo Pad" , as we lightheartedly call it, is our Come Down Off The Sacred Peak Pad (aka; REALLY TEST YOUR PRACTICE PAD). It's just a tiny lil' thang located in a great big condo complex loaded with great vibes and amenities in the middle of North Hollywood's theatre district. It's fun. It's about 180 degrees different than our 'real' home in the Ponderosa at 7,000'. The apartment complex - oh hell...let's be honest, ALL OF LA - reminds me of a macrocosmic Athletes Dormitory, except instead of athletes it is made up of actors, models, personal trainers, and musicians. 
I love LA. Always have since i first taught Pilates with Stephan Frease in Beverly Hills in the late eighties on Rodeo Drive. There is no place like LA; great cycling within sight of ocean and snow. How Mother Earth just keeps giving like She Does in that crazy city is a miracle. Besides, I like celebrities and those who want to be celebrities. At least they
1) Got Gumption
and
2)Are LIVING Their Dreams.
Buddha said that the worst sin was Indifference.
Much better, He said, to be passionate with hate or love...but NEVER be indifferent. Indifference, laziness, afraid to live your life outloud will not produce positive spiritual training chi for later in life. Gumption will. Living your Gumption definitely will. Celebrities and Celebrity wannabe's remind me of athletes. They are just out in LA suffering like a dog, going to casting calls, humping out the legwork just to maybe, just maybe make it to the podium of performing. 
This is a shot of us after Thanksgiving Day dinner at the Charthouse Restaurant before going clubbin' in Santa Monica. Oh, oh...look out; Coach in leather!
Both myself and Ananda (Joy) had the gumption to solo move ourselves, without a dime in our pocket, to LA in order to do our best to Perform and Serve. Ananda made it to the Big Screen, along with lots of TV and Stage appearances. Me? Well, if you think it is hard being a Yoga Teacher and Personal Trainer where YOU live...try making it big in LA..chances are, the City of Broken Dreams will break yours as well.
But hey, at least, if you are living in LA,
at least once in your life,
as you were WILLING TO LIVE YOUR DREAM
IN THE BIGGEST DREAM MAKING CITY
IN THE WORLD...then,
i bow to you.
Yeah, Hell Yeah, LA is crazy different!
So too, will be your Dying Moment...
sometimes,
being able to Adapt to Craziness
is very,
very
important
Spiritual
training.
Thus,
i bow...low and deep,
to all struggling actors, performers, and musicians living and dying in LA; i've been there and i will
be there again and again...i know what you are going through...and i bow to you!
You will do just fine in the Bardo because you are being Brave and Living your Truth.