AND next Tuesday Paul McCartney is coming to the Hollywood Bowl, and I will be there with my brother and his girlfriend. Amazing!

So- a few days ago I read Mia Farrows' autobiography entitled "What Falls Away." In it she recounts the time when she and her sister Prudence went to Rishikesh for Maharishi's three month transcendental meditation retreat back in 1968. They were encouraged to meditate for 12 hours each day, taking short breaks in between. Prudence, Mia's sister, took these instructions very seriously and dove in. A few weeks into the retreat, suddenly, the Beatles and their wives descended upon the ashram! Can you imagine? 

So it turns out that Prudence was diving way in deep, so much that she was no longer showing up to meals. Each person had a team of two buddies who were supposed to take care of each other and study together. Prudence's buddies where George and John. They proceeded to check on Prudence, to knock on her door, to invite her out. They would sing songs to her and although she thought they were sweet she found them annoying and wished that they "would go away." This of course was the inspiration for the sublime song Dear Prudence: "Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play, Dear Prudence, greet the brand-new day, the sun is up, the sky is blue, it's beautiful, and so are you, Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play..."

I love this so much. I so identify with the Prudence in me. The devoted meditator, yogi, spiritual seeker who loves her teachers and takes her studies seriously. The person who has done 4 different Teacher Trainings, logged in literally thousands of hours of study, trained so much, meditates every day. I have often dreamed of going to an ashram and staying there for a long time. 

And yet there is also the Beatles in me, the part of me that wants to come out to the world, be part of everything, and most importantly share all that I am learning with others.

We can't just do this for ourselves, we have to share it with the world.

I am the sweetest person when I am meditating in my apartment. I am not so sweet when I am being challenged by others in my life.

My therapist always says that "it's very easy to be spiritual; it's very hard to be human."

May we honor the devoted and serious student in us. 

May we also honor the playful artist in us as well.

Theme:  Devoted Play!

Focus: First principle

Started with a restorative pose- it's Kapha season; people are a bit tired and suffering from allergies...

Gentle warm ups

5 Suryas A

Parsvakonasana

Trikonasana

Parsvottanasana

Parivrrta Trikonasana

Warrior 2, Reverse Warrior 2

Pinca Mayurasana

Virasana

Supta Virasana

Supta Padangusthasana variations

Trinangaikapada Paschimottanasana

Krounchasana

Bharadvajasana II

Kasyapasana

Ardha Matsyendrasana

Padmasana

Paschimottanasana

Savasana

May we be like the lotus floating unstained by the water, yet connected to the mud, the muck, the earth and everything.

May we be like Prudence and the Beatles!