Orange Crush? That’s so 80s. This is the 00’s, baby…barely…and we got a whole new set of concerns. Chief among them is climate change, and energy independence, and the loss of spiritual tradition in everyday modern life. So my first few Green Crushes…ecofashion designer Lauren Bush at #8, yoga teacher (and cover model) Malachi Melville at #9, green race car driver Leilani Munter at #10…are all subject to my idolatry not just because they’re gorgeous—there’s thousands of gorgeous men and women everywhere, but because they’re dedicating their daily efforts to ‘being of benefit to themselves, others and our planet’—the Buddhist troika.

Coming in at number seven…Tara Stiles.

A former dancer and still-model, she’s bringing yoga to the masses. Click here to subscribe. She’s charming, open, fun, and working her (yoga) butt off—writing for Huffington Post, doing frequent, oft-topical videos on everything from Yoga for Beginners, Yoga for Sex, Yoga for Waking Up, Yoga for Waking Up with a Hangover, Yoga for Sarah Palin (she often uses news of the day to inspire her routines). 

But beyond being beautiful, and working to make yoga accessible to non-spiritual types who might just want to help their back relax, she’s clearly driven. And that’s where I fall for her—anyone who sees themselves 1) getting famous, fast and 2) using said fame for good is 3) gonna make my list.

And stay tuned for the elephant journal dot com ladies’ series of Green Guy Crushes, they’ve already done one on Adrian Grenier of Entourage and Alter Eco, and another on one of the hobbits from Lord of the Rings. And yes, folks, if anyone out there has some gay or lesbian crushes, write ‘em up and send ‘em in, we’ll be honored to post it. Just remember—we here in ‘the mindful life’ circles aim to redefine love not merely based on attraction, but because your favorite hottie is also earning their oxygen.

I’ve known the Corepower folks since I started up with elephant, way back in 2002 when half my staff was still in high school. They were just starting up, too, back in the Golden Days or Wild West of the fast-moving yoga craze. Now, six-point-five years later, we made be a little older and more mature, Brandon may be in CA, we may have our fancy web sites and talk shows and podcasts and videos and whatnot…but the bottomline is, for them, still the same.

Teach. Yoga. And that’s just what these videos do. So limber up, step away from the computer or desk, and work on a couple easy poses. Your body—and mind, and co-workers—will thank you. 

Videos:

Youtube is full of Hooters-esque models (barely) in bikinis doing yoga. But unless you’re a 12 year old boy, it’s best to scratch the surface…and when you do you’ll find thousands of years of knowledge at the tip of your clickety click mousepad.

Did I forget any wonderful yoga videos? If so, email me the youtube link and I’ll put ‘em in if they’re better than something in here.

1. Daft Yoga. It’s cute, it’s fun, it’s…a kinda embarrassing imitation of the originals. Whatever.

2. Anusara with Bridget Woods Kramer…mmmm…nice voice…

3. The master, Richard Freeman himself, in this oldy goody classic:

4. Another old Freeman, stand back ladies:

5. More Freeman, too good not to include:

6. Patricia Walden, in a onesie, looking verrry early 90s.

7. Call me biased, but Elena Brower of Vira Yoga with our video man Alex’s cut…is pure perfection.

8. Our interview with Seane Corn, the one the only the amazing the charming the real:

9. More Seane:

10. a million viewers can’t be wrong:

11: new elephriend Tara Stiles has a practical, bite-size series of yoga for everything…yoga for beginners, yoga for the office, yoga for sex, yoga for stress, yoga for waking up…subscribe!

12. Rodney Yee, of course:

13. Cyndi Lee, my first favorite lady, Ms. Om Yoga herself:

14. Everyone loves John Friend, Mr. Anusara:

15. Finally, lovely-inside-and-out yoga diva Shiva Rea:

16. We’ve covered this before, but here’s Krishnamacharya, granddaddy of modern yoga, in 1938:

17. Pattabhi Jois, venerable founder of Ashtanga yoga:

18. A youthful BKS Iyengar:

19. We’ve covered this before, love it: Enlighten Up! with elephriend Nick Rosen.

20. For dessert, Mr. Inappropriate Yoga Guy, leading the pack with 2 mill views:

The Big Island of Hawaii is a land of abundance and exquisite beauty. From beaches, rain-forests, and waterfalls to deserts, 13-thousand foot peaks, and an active volcano, it is the most diverse ecosystem in the world. The town of Hilo is on the east side of the island, the side that gets the most rain and therefore is the most green! It’s a small town just big enough for a Walmart, but the oceanside downtown district only allows locally-owned businesses and it shows in the people. Hilo locals are humble, down-to-earth and extremely mindful. They all have a strong connection to mother earth and a warm, giving spirit. Hawaiian-time runs very slowly and you certainly won’t find any Hawaiians in a hurry! You will also find that this area has a strong creative life-force and powerful energy. Be ready for your thoughts to manifest themselves into reality very quickly.

Eat! Your first stop should be the Farmers Market for local organic produce. A breakfast of two papayas and three apple-bananas costs about 50 cents. Or you can splurge a few dollars on a white pineapple, a mango, or some rombatons. Don’t forget to pick up extra fruit to share with people you meet on your journey! Just a few steps away is Abundant Life Natural Foods, Hilo’s health food store that’s been open over 30 years. And to help slow you into Hawaiian-time, down a few glasses of kava at the Bayfront Kava and Tea Company. Kava is a relaxing, body-numbing sacred drink made from the local ‘awa root.

Move! Be! If you are into the yoga scene, there’s a few studios in Hilo. Yoga Centered is very accessible in the downtown district, but the local yogi’s vibe the authenticity found at Balancing Monkey (a 15 minute walk off the main drag). And if you like yoga, you’ll certainly like surfing. Go rent a board from the Hilo Surfboard Company and get some beginner advice from owner Scott Murray. Surfing is a very meditative experience involving direct communion with nature in a psychedelic, constantly moving, watery playing field. If there’s some swell, the waves will be breaking right in Hilo bay.

Stay! The Hilo Bay Hostel is right in the action and reasonably priced. They’ve got a kitchen, washing machines, internet-access, dorm-rooms and private rooms.

Shop! Every wednesday and saturday, the farmer’s market goes off with local vendors selling all kinds of hand-made goods from around the island. There’s also the Used Book Store full of beat novels, spiritual texts, and travel guides. The Kathmandu Trading Company specializes in highest-quality Tibetan rugs, Thangkas, and furniture from the Himalayas. Please say hello to owner Tim Lippold for me. He’s a true spiritual hippie with a lifetime full of adventure and wisdom to share.

See! If you encounter some rainy weather, head into the Kress Cinemas to catch a flick for a dollar, or check out the local history at the Pacific Tsunami Museum. Hilo is also home to the Liliuokalani Gardens, the largest Japanese Zen gardens this side of Tokyo. It’s a peaceful place to go zone out and watch the ocean.

Go! Hilo is great, but make sure you get out of town and explore! The whole east side of the island is amazing. Head north up the lush Hamakua coastline to Waipio Valley where you’ll find an epic black-sand beach and a large waterfall. For the strong, get some camping permits and make the ten-mile trek back into Waimanu Valley, which has an even more-epic beach and bigger waterfalls. Or you can head south of Hilo to Pahoa and Puna. Pahoa is the perfect little hippie town with not much more than a health food store, yoga studio, two Thai restaurants, and a farmer’s market. Puna is the jungle with plenty of off-the-grid farming communes and Kahena Beach, a nude beach that holds a drum jam every sunday afternoon. Just imagine the party: drum beats, dreadlocks and bouncing private parts! Also check out the Kalani Resort which hosts an ecstatic dance jam every sunday morning and Yoga Oasis, a world-class yoga-retreat center. If these things sound boring, there’s always 13,796 ft. Mauna Kea and the live-volcano Mauna Loa to explore.

A word of caution: An island can be a very small place. Essentially, everybody knows everybody and everybody is family. You can’t hide from your problems on an island and you can’t hide from yourself. Treat the land with the utmost respect and treat everyone you meet as if they are your family or you may be asked to leave. And there is a superstition about the lava rocks! Don’t take them or even move them. If you do, the volcano goddess Pele will haunt you until you put them back to their rightful place! With this in mind, please enjoy all the beauty and abundance that this diverse island has to offer. Aloha!

Have fun and celebrate this life in paradise!

Locations:

Eat!
Hilo Farmers Market - http://www.hilofarmersmarket.com/
Abundant Life Natural Foods - http://www.abundantlifenaturalfoods.com/
Bayfront Kava and Tea Company - 116 Kamehameha Ave. 808-935-1155

Move! Be!
Yoga Centered - http://www.yogacentered.com
Balancing Monkey - http://www.balancingmonkey.com
Hilo Surfboard Company - 84 Ponahawai St. 808-895-1489

Stay!
Hilo Bay Hostel - http://www.hawaiihostel.net/

Shop!
Hilo Farmers Market - http://www.hilofarmersmarket.com/
Used Book Store - Near the Farmers Market. Usually open on wednesdays.
Kathmandu Trading Company - 35 Waianuenue Ave. 808-935-4000

See!
Kress Cinamas - 174 Kamehameha Ave. 808-961-0066
Pacific Tsunami Museum - http://www.tsunami.org/
Liliuokalani Gardens - Ask somebody!

Go!
Kalani Resort - http://www.kalani.com
Yoga Oasis - http://www.yogaoasis.org

Technorati Tags: beauty, culture, farmers, fruit, hawaii, hilo, jnana, market, Naked, papaya, people, puna, sustainable, waipio, yoga

Tags: beauty, culture, farmers, fruit, hawaii, hilo, jnana, market, Naked, papaya, people, puna, sustainable, waipio, yoga

Very powerful 88 min movie made by filmmaker Arthur Klein. From young children to men and women in the US Army doing yoga, this new film is something else. Even pro-wrestler Diamond Dallas Page is in the movie–not just doing yoga, but teaching yoga! In fact, Page has been to Iraq three times to teach yoga to soldiers there!

Just the trailer will tug at your heart strings and if you do yoga might just make you think more about your own practice and it’s impact. How can yoga help change the world?

“After becoming a devotee in the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks, Klein traveled the world to explore how yoga has affected others. From a charter school in South Central Los Angeles to wrestler Diamond Dallas Page’s yoga class for American soldiers in Iraq, Klein reveals how this ancient practice continues to bring harmony to the world.”

How did I find out about this thoughtful movie?

This is how cool facebook is. I found this guy in a group called “The Hurricane of Gratitude.” I just emailed him and had a good vibe from the guy. He then sends me a long email about our connection and his movie. Right then and there I watched the trailer with my wife and was hooked. 

Klein’s other websites are here.

To order film and get other juicy stuff:  click here or here. 

You can also watch a helpful TV interview with the filmmaker Arthur Klein:

See the trailer here:

Karrrereeeeem!

I’m a lifelong bball fan, and player (though, because I Doogie Howsered my way through school, graduating when I was 16 and still a little twirp, I never did much better than the end of the bench). Along with climbing, yoga, a few visits to the gym and the occasional hike with my dog, basketball remains one of the few forms of physical activity that I consistently find worth my time. 

I know yoga helps my climbing—core strength, flexibility, stamina, smooth breathing under pressure—but basketball? Here’s a few links about yoga…and basketball…and what happens when you pair ‘em up.

Click here for Yoga Journal’s ‘Yoga for Baskeball.’ Excerpt:

Kout, director of White Iris Yoga in Evanston, Illinois, enclosed an article about NBA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s yoga practice with a note to Jackson, who is renowned for alternative coaching methods like devoting entire practices to meditation and requiring players to read books he individually selects for them. Two years later, in 1997, her phone rang. It was Jackson asking her to educate his Bulls in the ways of Downward-Facing Dog. “He wanted to add some yin to his yang,” says Kout.

Jackson, a Zen Buddhist, personally knew the physical benefits of regular practice; he began practicing yoga while with the New York Knicks in the 1970s after he damaged some discs in his back. It was clear he knew yoga’s mental benefits, too; in his 1995 book, Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior (Hyperion, 1996), the second chapter is entitled “A Journey of a Thousand Miles Starts with One Breath.”

Bull Session

Kout taught 12 sessions during the Bulls’ 1997-98 preseason training camp, which were scheduled every day after practice. “The idea was to lay a foundation and inspire them to practice while they were on the road,” says Kout. She admits that probably few players struck a pose in their hotel rooms, despite the basic, instructional tapes she made for them (though Michael Jordan’s wife apparently loved the tapes). Kout led them through six more sessions during the season, but when March approached, “all they could do was think about the playoffs,” she says.

Fortunately, their lack of regular yoga practice didn’t interfere with capturing their third-straight NBA Championship in 1998, and perhaps the occasional sessions even contributed to their victories. Case in point: After losing the first game of the championship series to the Utah Jazz, Jordan was seemingly unconcerned. When asked about his demeanor by a reporter, he replied, “I just decided to use a little bit of Zen Buddhism and relax; instead of being frustrated, I just smiled, channeled my thoughts, and let [the game] flow.”

Says Kout: “Just to turn them on to peaceful experiences in the middle of their gladiator mind-set was powerful.”

Basketball is a total body and mind sport that requires you to be both…

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on yoga and sports longevity. Excerpt:

Abdul-Jabbar isn’t quite so sure. Athletes spend so much time building up layers of rigid muscle, he believes, it can be difficult for them to learn how to use yoga to break that muscle down and recondition it into a more sinewy, flexible form. “You have to be very humble to start from scratch,” he says.

But once the initial resistance is overcome, an athlete often sees the real benefits that he can’t get through other forms of training. Clyde Lee, a 6-foot-10, 240 pound former power forward with the Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers, turned to yoga about a year ago to alleviate severe back pain brought on by “years of pounding on the court.”

Now free of pain, he asserts, “The back troubles I was experiencing certainly helped end my basketball career. I’m sure yoga would have given me greater longevity.”

Video:

Technorati Tags: Basketball, kareem, yoga

Tags: Basketball, kareem, yoga

Broncos Linebacker Winborn does some intense yoga in this video. Too bad it didn’t help him last night.

Michael Hamilton is a staple character in Honolulu’s art scene. He is a true saint, offering his teachings without regard for the dollar. His Community Acupuncture program works on a sliding scale from $10-30 based off the patients’ discretion and his Qi Gong classes in the park are on a donation basis. His priority is to give the knowledge and practices to the people so that they can heal themselves. If they have money to donate, he appreciates. If not, he is just as happy.

Here’s how he describes Community Acupuncture: “In Asia, acupuncture traditionally consisted of a quick intake, pulse & tongue diagnosis, and several people lying with needles in one communal room. This model can work in the West as well. By treating people all together, it is much more affordable for everyone, allowing for more frequent treatments, and faster results. Experience the collective healing energy of our community as we receive acupuncture together.”

Michael healing at the Community Acupuncture clinic.

If you don’t know about Qi Gong, it’s basically Chinese Yoga. The movements are very flowing, connecting the body and mind through breath. The essence of the practice is complete relaxation while moving “chi” (energy) throughout the body.

In Michael’s classes, the students form a circle and share their energy and inspiration. A typical class begins with warm-up exercises and light stretching followed by medical Qi Gong to build energy and dispel toxins. Then there is self-massage and a 30-minute meditation. Lastly, Michael usually leads the students through a Tai Chi routine and teaches some hard-style martial arts like Thai kick boxing, Kung Fu or Hawaiian Kempo.

More or less, Michael is on a quest to break people out of their paradigm. Through the use of theatre and videos, he introduces meditation and spontaneity into peoples’ lives while telling tales of mysticism and esoteric traditions. He produces Qi Gong Theatre, an eclectic blend of acting, music, and madness. During the last performance of “Pan: Half Goat, Half Man”, the forest was brought indoors and grapes of immortality were fed to the audience.

Cast of Pangaea’s Lounge performance of “Pan: Half Goat Half Man”.

He also produces videos on the links between esoteric traditions. Here’s a link to his video Jade Gourd on immortality. Currently, he is working on his Earth Acupuncture project, in which he envisions groups of alchemists performing rituals at specific vortex sites at specific times to heal the Earth, heal it’s inhabitants, and raise the spiritual vibration.

Michael’s work, community, and contact information can be found at his website, Lotus Space (lotusspace.com).

Hometown: Honolulu, HI

Studio: Kapiolani Park and Ong King Art Center

Class Times: Wednesdays Qi Gong 5-7pm in Kapiolani Park and Mondays Community Acupunture 3-7pm at Ong King. Visit Lotus Space for details.

Style: Silken Qi Gong (sitting and standing), Bone Marrow Washing of Zhou Ren Li, and Taiji Quan Yang Style, Tibetian Five Yoga.

Age: “A moment in time can be an eternity. She put a grape in my wine, broke me out of my paradigm.” 39 years old.

How long have you practiced the Taoist Arts? 13 years of Qi Gong and Tai Chi. 25 years of Martial Arts.

Why do you practice the Taoist Arts? To feel good and exercise. I can practice everyday safely. It’s fun to do; it’s like a dance. I like to exercise outside. I like to go to vortex sites and just practice.

Favorite Taoist philosophy? Tao of Pooh…he didn’t care if he got his head stuck in the honey pot as long as he got the honey.

What do you focus on in your classes? Benefit for all participants: human, earthly, and heavenly.

What is your training background? Longhushan lineage from Changyixiang. Travels through China, India, Japan, and Taiwan. I completed a 4-year program in acupuncture and taoist arts at the World Medicine Institute here in Hawaii.

Taoist diet? Lucky Charms, Dominos pizzas…just kidding. I like to work bitter melon into the equation because it cures the dampness.

Any religious affiliations? Hare Krishna devotee. I’m not a very strict devotee, but I’m an initiate. My Hindu name is Malaya Krishna Das. It means the “Great wind through Krishna’s flute”. Initiate of Islam. Born-again Christian of the Presbyterian faith. Taoist disciple. Road scholar of Hinduism and Buddhism and all that other stuff.

What else are you into? Healing arts…the consequence of the martial arts. Traditional Chinese Medicine (acupuncture, herbs, nutritional therapy, Qi Gong). And then you have the divination arts of the Taoists (astrology, geomancy, I Ching, ect.). Ayurveda medicine. Playing music, organizing multimedia divination Qi Gong theatre.

Last thing you did to help the world become a better place? This interview.

What does Qi Gong do for the ego? Takes it away. It makes it zero!

Technorati Tags: acupuncture, chi kung, community, daoism, daoist, hamilton, qi gong, tai chi, taiji, taoism, taoist, taoist arts

Tags: acupuncture, chi kung, community, daoism, daoist, hamilton, qi gong, tai chi, taiji, taoism, taoist, taoist arts

Attention All (University of Colorado and other) Students: here are a few tips to take your mind off all the exams and papers…

1.  Probably the most obvious way to de-stress your mind is Meditation.  Concentrate on breathing rather than those math equations you need to memorize. Thinking about your inhaling and exhaling will calm down your entire body. Along the same lines as Meditation, take an hour break to get some exercise and also calm your mind.  Yoga is a great workout that also allows your whole mind and body to take a little break from all the Finals anxiety.

2.  Organize your desk or clean your room.  If you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed out, it is best to settle the environment you’re working in.  Take a 15 minute break to clean up all the clutter.  By organizing everything around you, your mind will feel more at ease and less overwhelmed.

3.  If you are more of the hyper type—not much into the calming, relaxation exercises, hit up the CU Rec Center for a long, hard run on the treadmill or cool down with a swim.  With a hard, sweaty workshop, your body pumps out endorphins and may actually help you study after the workout.  With high energy and an uplifted mindset, you will feel good about your body and in the mood to crunch out that term paper.  Don’t have time to get to the gym?  Just do a couple jumping jacks or jump rope for a couple minutes.  If your mind is sleeping this will kick it back up to speed.

4.  Can’t study without a snack?  Me either!  Plan ahead. Go to your local Whole Foods and pick up some healthy snacks.  For the sweet tooth: dried mango slices, pineapple rings, or your favorite dried fruit.  For savory:  Roasted and salted nuts, pretzels, rice crackers.  If you are one to feel the continuous need to be putting food in your mouth the entire time you’re studying, grab a bundle of grapes or blueberries.   You can occupy your mouth with healthy foods that won’t make you feel weighed down.

5.  Last but not least, SEX! Who could forget this one.  I can’t imagine anything else that can get your mind off finals more.  Although it may not be the calming activity your mind needs, it will definitely take you away from the reality of tests and papers.

Enjoy and good luck on the finals!

Got better de-stressing or studying tips? Comment below.

This newest offering from Sarah Powers seems to be a follow up/book companion to her 2005 video of the same name. Read the rest

Technorati Tags: buddhism, Chinese medicine, meditation, mindfulness, pranayama, Sarah Powers, Taosim, yoga

Tags: buddhism, Chinese medicine, meditation, mindfulness, pranayama, Sarah Powers, Taosim, yoga

Let’s be clear.  Money is an invention of the human mind.

Read the rest

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Tags: America, animal species, bank, change, Democracy, Economy Crisis, exchange, faith, freedom, Green Generation, history, love, money, Mortgage, peace, politics, positive change, quantum physics, social evolution, transforamtion, trust, wikipedia, work, Yeye, yeye organic pop

This video contains three short vinyasas designed to help you sleep, give you greater energy, and help clear your mind Read the rest

Technorati Tags: Jason Crandell, yoga, yoga journal

Tags: Jason Crandell, yoga, yoga journal

Has anyone else noticed how alcohol and yoga have become so casually intertwined? I can recall a great number of recent events where I encountered yoga and alcohol mixing. From yoga studio openings, to yoga clothing store events, to the beverages served after big name yoga workshops—the bevies are present. There are even specific yoga workshops that include wine tasting. What is it about our society that thinks these two things were meant to mingle?

It is something that has always bothered me. I mean, really, which ancient text is it that condones drinking alcohol after one’s yoga asana practice? Is there a benefit that I’m not aware of?

I am of course assuming that those practicing yoga are doing it for health reasons or possibly even for spiritual purposes. If so, how does alcohol fit into this equation?

The Western practice of yoga is clearly a far cry from original strains of the first yogic organism. There are so many “styles” to pick from today that it makes one dizzy—then offshoots of those as well. Some require a sweltering 108 degrees plus in order to have a “good practice.” Others hold you in standing poses until your thighs quake. Yoga is a fabulous fitness craze—and people love it.

People are doing these wild, modern yoga asana practices and then going out for drinks! Only in America.

From a strictly Ayurvedic perspective, alcohol is pure poison. At times, as the Charak Samhita points out, “even Ayurveda uses poison sometimes.” After a cleansing practice that includes a series of asanas designed to eliminate unwanted toxins from the physiology would most certainly not be one of those times. Expert Ayurvedic physician, Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra, takes it a step further and has said that “alcohol disrupts the vibrational channels that allow spiritual development—mainly the heart lotus.” This is clearly counterproductive to the practice of yoga (union).

As a third generation meditator, I am aware of how my yogic lineage has given me the curse of rigidity. And as a yoga instructor, I often contemplate the intention of one’s practice. Does it still count if you don’t know the real meaning behind what you are doing? I suppose this is like saying, “does karma yoga exist if you don’t understand the meaning of karma?”

I remember on my Jivamukti teacher training course, it was made clear to us that without setting the right intention prior to practice and offering your efforts to something beyond the Small Self, you would only be enhancing ego- a clear obstacle to full realization.

Idealism has its place. Holding ourselves accountable and setting high standards of achievement gives us something to strive for. I may not be that open to the new, modern interpretations of yoga, but I also realize the importance of letting each Being experience their path—whatever that may be.

I think about the Western yoga community 20 to 30 years from now. What new awareness and expansion of consciousness will have occurred at that point?

I hope to see a committed group of yogis who care less about fitness and intoxicants and more about dedicating their energies towards higher states of consciousness and being their enlightenment. Perhaps, then, yoga and alcohol will no longer mingle so casually.

Is there such a thing as affordable yoga in Boulder, Colorado? Weigh in, in the comments section, below—and help point aspiring yogis to a mat they can afford in these tough economic times.

Question via Jan.
Message    Hi. I’m trying to find a budget drop-in yoga class in Boulder. To me budget means $5 to Read the rest

If you’re a regular reader of Elephant Journal, then by now you’ve gotten a sense that I’m a pretty voracious reader.  Read the rest

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