This, my friends, is the mighty Gabrielle Halpern. I did some great workshops with him in July on pranayama, breathing techniques. He quoted Blake, who wrote about letting ourselves drink from the cup of sorrow, only to find pieces of angels on the floor we fall onto. I love Blake. And I love Gabrielle. He's AMAZING. Regardless of what kind of yoga you practice, do meet this man. I love him dearly, as do so many other people. He's just the coolest! (I'm so behind with my yoga blog! More soon. Promise. I miss yoga blogging...)
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His holiness the Dalai Lama visited Chicago a few days ago and I was excited to see him! I bought tickets before they went on general sale via a pre-sale email I was lucky to receive. I've been planning to see His Holiness for months, maybe my whole life.
My good friend Abby Factor and I attended, waiting in the bright sun with other neat people. At the front of the line, there were protesters from China carrying signs that said, "Practice Violence Through Meditation" and, as you see above, "Dalai Liar!". When I asked why they were protested, they preferred not to answer in depth, or at all. The protesters were college aged looking Chinese nationalists who finally offered that the reason they were protesting the Dalai Lama was because "...there is no Tibet. Tibet is part of China. The Dalai Lama can't lead Tibet because Tibet is China." English was clearly a 2nd language for this group, who were actually protesting half assed. They lamely carried a few signs over head for a few minutes and chain smoked before they were forced to move across the street, where they continued to smoke and hold just a few signs overhead. Hmmm. It's great living in a country where people are welcome to protest and speak their minds. I'm not sure they'd be able to protest like that in China...! Ah, the irony. When His Holiness walked on stage, the first thing he did was look straight down into a tall floor lamp next to his chair to see what it was. Charming! So in the moment. His Holiness spoke for a long time. He was charming, witty, and full of joy. The kindness of his face radiated through the digital media of the jumbotron screen. It was unfortunate how bad the audio was. We literally could not hear what he said. People left early, many people complained to the UIC Pavilion staff, and we snuck downstairs from our 2nd floor balcony seats where it was impossible to make out anything he said. We did manage to catch a joke or two sitting on the steps of the first floor balcony, though. In the end, it didn't matter that we couldn't hear him. The protesters and the terrible audio quality were transcendental elements to the reality of His Holiness. We were in the presence of a great spiritual leader. I, and others open to receiving his prana (energy), felt his vibrations from far across the pavilion, even though we couldn't hear him. The challenges of disappointment and frustration from the bad quality of this event are all lessons about choosing how to react to a situation. I chose to relax, roll with the punches and enjoy His Holiness' smile and laughter. I'm still excited about haven been around him, still tingling, and still choosing not to be frustrated. Thank you, sir! You're not a liar. At all. Today is a very auspicious day, Guru Purnima. It's the full moon in July and a day where we honor our spiritual teachers, including our internal teachers.
Thank you, Rod Stryker, for your practical and spiritual guidance. You have the right amount of oomph to inspire me to continue my studies and enough understanding and compassion to make me feel comforted and not judged. Through your guidance and inspiration, I am becoming the person I should be. A person who honors and respects the divine spark of life inside of me, who is filled with gratitude and joy, and who wants to help others become the persons they should be. Gush, gush, gush...so much to be grateful for. I could write for so long. Words really can't express the love and thanks in my heart for my all my teachers, from my family to my cat to my guru to you. Deepest, deepest thanks. Sundays 11am-noon Tuesdays & Thursdays 10-11am This beginner's yoga class is for rockers, artists, thinkers, funky people, and for those who don't feel comfortable trying yoga in a yoga studio. You know who you are! Rally your non-traditional self around the ancient tradition of yoga to do the most radical thing possible: become the best person you can be and truly get to know yourself. While you're at it, get some exercise, reduce stress and detox. Quiet the mental chatter to let the best misfit you are shine through. Experience not necessary. Open mind mandatory. Flat Iron Building 1565 N Milwaukee Avenue Room 300 $10 cash Some props there, but bring your mat Arrive at least 5 minutes early ..this is FINALLY happening! i've been excited to start this class for so long, and it begins next week, i'm thrilled. hang in there with me, summer loving radical yoga people. let's start this class strongly! thanks! I visited Toronto for July 4th weekend and wanted to take a picture of where I practiced yoga every day. I forgot the snap the shot, but picture this: My friend, Trey, lives in a 400 square foot apartment with the loveliest little back porch. Cozy, and just big enough to fit my travel yoga mat, his two chairs and a tiny table. I swept the cement ground, moved his furniture, laid out my mat and was able to practice this way. Some practices were shorter than others, but it was so important to keep consistent with my practice, that I either woke up early or slipped out to the porch during the afternoon to get a practice in.
The practical part of this was that I traveled by train and bus from Chicago to Toronto, and keeping limber really helped with cramped "sleeping" arrangements. The energetic part was to keep my head even keeled while I was in a new environment. Geesh, can I be a bear to travel with, sometimes. I control, I get hot headed, I want to do the things that I want to do, darnit. Yoga yoga yoga sure does take the edge off of traveling for me and my travel mates. Believe me, we all benefit when I'm doing yoga regularly! The fun part of my practice was trying to figure out which direction North was. I was turned around a bit and don't think I did too much "damage" not facing North while I meditated (South is not a good direction to face while practicing, sources say). At any rate, I justified packing my yoga mat with me in order to keep regular. By the way, there's a popular yoga studio in Toronto called, "Down Dog" and even though many people told me to practice there, I didn't connect to any teacher's bios that I read. My practice is to the point that it's better if I practice alone over practicing for 60 minutes or more in a class that will whack out my energy. So not worth it! I'm sure I would have found a teacher/class that I'd gel with but upon initial research, there was too much vinyasa/power yoga action for me. All the more reason to have the discipline to practice alone on a teeny back porch in downtown Toronto. (Lovely town, by the way. Highly recommended!) my first year growing bush pickles, better known as cucumbers. can you see it on the right, all prickly next to the flower? so cute! Wow, June flew by like that horny cardinal that's been screaming for a mate by my back porch. As much as I try to stay in the moment and, so ironically, the more I do (& do I do a lot), the faster time whizzes by. Whoosh, there went the glorious month of June. We handled lots of elements in June: super storms, hot humidity, chilly chills. The elements in June remind me of the 7 chakras we each have (some schools say we have 5). The chakras are made of elements (tattwa), mind fluctuation (chitta) and energy (prana). There are different combinations of elements with prana and chitta that create the different chakra and each chakra has it's own element. Traditionally, laya yoga is the yoga of dissolving that which doesn't serve us. Our goal is supposed to be to dissolve the chakras, not build them up or focus on just one to make that element stronger. We gots to get rid of 'em! When the elements of earth, water, fire, air and space fluctuate outdoors, I think about how these elements are a part of me and how they fluctuate in me, as well. And then I wonder why I stopped dissolving these elements in my chakras when I discontinued doing the "bhutta shuddhi" meditation, which is all about dissolving the elements. And now I contemplate the commitment to start this kriya meditation again. I did it for 30 days years ago. And will start it again, tomorrow. I will!...and blog about it. Get ready to rumble, elements! Thanks for the inspiration, dear June. Here's the June issue of the BRIGHT & BEAUTIFUL e-newsletter. I've had this newsletter since 1997 (or was it 1998?). It used to be called, "Kick Ass", but I now want to be bright & beautiful (my Korean name means this) more than I want to kick ass. Ha!
To see all the fancy pictures, view it in your browser. Welcome to the Bright & Beautiful Newsletter June is treating us well with warm, sunny weather in Chicago. The thrill of summer is in the air and with this excitement comes the desire for change. We want to change into short pants, change from hot soup to gazpacho (good gawd, do I love gazpacho), change from being a hot head to a cool head. I do especially suggest that last part. Hot heads do not prevail when it comes to sustainable action. Cool heads, arise! Be cool. Local News Goodman Theatre presents the world premiere of Chinglish by Tony Award winner David Henry Hwang SAVE 50% ON THE FOLLOWING PREVIEW PERFORMANCES*: June 26 @ 2pm June 22 & 23 @ 7:30pm June 24 & 25 @ 8pm Use promo code HWANG when purchasing tickets to receive the discount! *Not valid on previously purchased tickets or in combination with other offers. Expires 6/26/2011. Nowadays, everyone wants to do business with China—especially Daniel, a Midwestern American businessman who’s desperately looking to score a lucrative contract for his family’s sign-making firm. With high hopes, he travels to the provincial capital of Guiyang only to learn how much he doesn’t understand: his translators are unreliable, his consultant may be a fraud, and he is captivated by Xu, the beautiful, seemingly supportive government official who talks the talk—but what is she saying, anyway? See it now before it heads to New York! For tickets or more information go toGoodmanTheatre.org or call 312.443.3800 Chic-A-Go-Go Taping! Saturday, June 25. 3-6PM Chic-A-Go-Go, Chicago’s favorite dance show for kids of all ages, is extremely excited to invite you to our next taping. I co-host this show with puppet Ratso and we're looking forward to dancing with you! The taping takes place at the Chicago Access Network Studios, located at 322 S. Green St. (one block west of Halsted, half block north of Van Buren). There is free and metered street parking and some low cost lots in the neighborhood, but we are also very accessible by public transportation, as the Halsted bus stops near us and the Blue Line’s UIC-Halsted stop is only a block and half from the studio. Dress casual or wear a costume, it's up to you! No invitations or reservations needed, everyone is welcome, bring your friends! Bring kids! Bring your friends’ kids! ASCII 2 Open Call
Chicago School of Thai Massage FREE event: Taste of Thai. FREE Thai massages and FREE Thai food. Your payment is to attend this with an open mind. 7/6/11. Everywhere News: FILM EDITION Here are wonderful film projects that you should check out. There are many, many talented film makers out there. Probe on and support. Thanks. Art of Love: trailer! An indie film my friend, Masahiro Sugano, made. Here is that website & here is his film that I acted in. DONATE! EVEN FIVE BUCKS HELPS! Support the arts, friends. Even a few bucks will make a difference and make you feel gooder: The Catastrophe The Catastrophe is a dark comedy about a cigar salesman who stumbles on what may or may not be a murder plot. I'm acting in this GREAT short film by the great film maker, Michael Smith. Help out an independent artist help us actors and crew. PARALLAX SOUNDS documentary I'm supposed to be interviewed for this *gorgeous* documentary about Chicago music and architecture. And, as always... I frikkin' dig Groupons. Lookie here. Half price theater and spa tickets for everywhere found here. Micro-lend to hard working folks here. MiaParkYoga.com MiaPark.com Yoga and ParaYoga® Photos by Jim Newberry Featured Teacher Creature That's me! I'm currently the Featured Teacher at Moksha Yoga Center in Chicago for June. Your first class with me this month is free. Dearest Michael at Heartbeest made the nicest promo video of me. I was also just featured atTejas Studio and on theParaYoga Facebook page,where I answered some specific yoga questions, like how to sequence a tamasic sattwic yoga practice. I love it! Check out my yoga website, MiaParkYoga.com and my yoga blog. I just wrote about different types of fear and how I handle them. It ain't pretty, but it's real. The "Basic Yoga for Advanced Misfits" class is still in the works. I'm really looking forward to these on-going classes. This will be a class for folks who don't want to practice around physically fancy people in expensive clothes. Nothing wrong with that, but that flavor ain't for everyone. Stay tuned, misfits. Next, I'll shoot a yoga variety TV show this August called, "Yoga Park: Yoga with Mia Park". The director and camera guy are currently scouting places to shoot. The show will explain that there are many different types of yoga besides doing the poses we're familiar with. I'm really EXCITED. I teach private yoga classes!Go deeper with your personal yoga practice physically, energetically, and mentally. I offer mindful private yoga instruction to individuals and groups. You'll receive a custom catered practice that will benefit you greatly. Group discounts and gift certificates available. Email Mia@MiaPark.com for details. I have new props to assist in bringing your practice to deeper levels for the body and mind. Intrigued? Email me. My public yoga classes: Tuesdays, noon-1PM, Level 1-2 @ Moksha Yoga Tuesdays, 8-9:30PM, Intro @ Tejas Yoga I currently teach only two public classes. What to do? Be my guest to any of my gym classes. Just email me. I also teach at LPAC, LVAC, WAC, Act One Studios, Akal Yoga and to private clients. My full teaching schedule is here. PARAYOGA CERTIFICATION: YUP! I'm proud to be a certified ParaYoga Level I teacher.This certification is the culmination of studying with Rod Stryker for over five years, having taken ten 40 hour ParaYoga Master Trainings and several workshops. I'm thankful to be certified in this lineage that is so powerful and genuine. ParaYoga changes lives for the best. Through these techniques, you can be the person you want to be. It's work. Hard work, but ultimately rewarding in the best way possible. Big promises? Yes. All that and a stick of butter. Ok, a jar of ghee. This year, I assisted Yogarupa Rod Stryker in Minneapolis, Chicago and Mexico. I studied with him in New York City and, ohmygoodness, I'm going to the Wanderlust Festival in CA to support him. Eeek, Wanderlust kinda freaks me out because it seems like a pot-smoky, hippy dippy party and that ain't my bag. I'll go with an open mind and heart. Adventure time. Hook me up with your balanced friends who are going. Friend ParaYoga on Facebook. PRODUCT AMBASSADOR PARK Eggs! Three minutes of them! I'm a product ambassador for the Three Minute Egg, a terribly clever yoga prop. This year, I worked with Three Minute Egg creator, Jason, in New York and Illinois. Order your eggs online and use code 3MEAMP to receive 10% off on retail sales and 5% on wholesale/studio sales. Egg on! I do love me some Manduka and am aproduct ambassador for Manduka mats. They are a great company with great intentions. Check them out. Acting Here I am shooting a grocery store commercial with some good friends. Acting is going great this season! I play a 70 year old Chinese grandmom in David Henry Hwang's play, Family Devotions, withHalcyon Theatre. We run in August and September. I actually quit the union, Actor's Equity, to do this show & to act on stage when I want to. I'd rather have this kind of control over my acting carer rather then be limited to union politics. I made the right decision! I'm grateful to act in three episodes of the TV series, BOSS, which is filming right now in Chicago. I play a volunteer at Kelsey Grammer's daughter's clinic. This show is scheduled to air on the Starz cable channel in October . What a great experience. Very , very nice crew and cast. I'll act in the short film The Catastophe and be featured in the documentary in Parrallax Soundsthis summer. Check out more about these films to your left. you're receiving this because you opted in on my website, didn't unsubscribe from an introductory newsletter &/or because you love reading about and sharing important news. Unsubscribe mia@miapark.com from this list. Forward this email to a friend Update your profile miapark.com twitter.com/missmiapark missmiapark.blogspot.com facebook.com/missmiapark “all journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – martin buber I'm studying this weekend with yoga master, Gary Kratsow, at Moksha Yoga Center in Chicago. Gary's been on the yoga scene for almost 40 years. He's a living yoga teacher...like breathing and walking this ancient science. He spoke this morning about how he was a yogi from previous lives. I believe him. His depth of knowledge of ancient yoga is academic. His modern take on using yoga for therapeutics is amazing. I'm excited to study with him this weekend and in the future. He's next on my list after I finish Rod's ParaYoga training course (although studying with Rod is never done). This weekend I'm learning Yoga for Anxiety, Yoga for Depression and Emotion Healing. I hope to be able to teach some of this great stuff after this weekend, although this is sensitive material that I want to get right. I think I'll best use these new tools teaching my yoga private clients, where I can really take my time working with each client and treat them. As Gary says, we treat the patient not the disease. I hope to also treat myself with Gary's teaching, as well. Cuz the anxiety I have to be a great yoga teacher may not be serving me or my students! Yoga Therapy to the rescue. That...& practice practice practice. Here is Eastern State Penitentiary, in my hometown, Philly. Every cell in this prison was a solitary confinement. Each prisoner had their own teeny backyard and a little slit to allow a sliver of sunlight, but never saw or touched another person their entire sentence. Yikes! Talk about fear. This kind of solitary confinement frightens me because I am such such such a social creature. The thought of solitary confinement and not speaking to another person for years scares me, but if I were confined, I might be able to fall into the grace of silence and embrace its gifts through meditation. My cat has massive oral action right now, two teeth removed and an abscessed lip. I was scared to take him to the vet because I didn't want him to be sicker than he actually is. I feared loosing this 13 year old chubby kitty of mine after so much time together. The night I had to leave him at the vet, I almost wept, feeling guilty about letting him get so sick and imaging my home with out him. I mediated that night and the fear and guilt slipped into acceptance and appreciation for knowing this furball. (Kitty's fine, still fat, now on antibiotics.) I also fear the raw power of true spirit. You know how freaky it is to glimpse of your absolute true potential? If you've seen this part of you, you may have been frightened to the bone. I am. To *really* grow into my fullest shining is frikking scary. Today, I thought about turning the fear into anticipation...anticipation for the greatest transformation and change. I gotta turn that fear around180 degrees in order to allow myself to truly follow my dharma and fulfill my highest goals. My fear comes partially from conditioning, partially from low self confidence and feeling like I don't deserve to be my fullest. These are *deeeep* seated fears. I'm gonna killit with a skillet and turn that frown unpaid down. Fear can be a great, protective energy. Right now, it's not serving me and the best way to combat this tamasic (lethargic) fear, is to do the most radical thing I can think of: sit on my meditation cushion and embrace it. See ya on the flip side, glowing and growing. it's show time! i'm shooting a yoga TV show pilot episode. here are the details: show name: Yoga Park: Yoga with Mia Park shoot date: august, 2011 location: TBD length: 22 minutes distribution: online - youtube, vimeo, FB, etc. will be shopped to producers to acquire funding to produce more episodes in order to get sponsors. premise: Yoga is a popular form of exercise in the Western world, with about 15,000,000 practicing in America, alone. The most popular form of yoga is Hatha Yoga, which includes physical postures, yoga sticky mats and yoga props. There are actually many different types of yoga that aren't physical exercise and Yoga Park will focus on the different types of yoga in each episode. Yoga Park is part education, part entertainment. "Edutainment" at it's best, this TV show features perky Chicago yoga teacher, Mia Park, teaching hatha yoga postures, interviewing yoga personalities, and showcasing yoga talent such as musicians, dancers, and painters. For more information on the different kinds of yoga, see here: http://www.yogamiracles.com/yoga-articles/types-of-yoga.htm i'm EXCITED! wish me luck. got any good suggestions for the show? thanks! |
AuthorMia Park is a ParaYoga teacher in Chicago, IL, specializing in teaching Basic Yoga for Advanced Misfits, as well as teaching people how to cut through the junk to shine on. Archives
February 2012
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