I've been teaching my yoga classes with a bhavana, or theme, taken from my teacher Rod Stryker's book, The Four Desires. Here is this week's theme: 

We are each a single cell in the greater body of this world, with a unique role to play in the service of sustaining and advancing the whole of which we are a part. 

I love this idea! I wrote a song years ago with lyrics that reflect this. The last line of the 2nd verse is "In the end, the whole is bigger than its parts" and to me, this line is saying the same thing as Rod's quote...from the other side.

It's nice to think of our whole of everything as bigger than the sum of it's parts. I wrote that song lyric to minimize my contribution to the whole of everything because I felt small and sad. I shared that my unique role wasn't important.

Now, I have the attitude that Rod writes about. My participation in the world and my unique role in it IS important, as is everyone else's. Everything we do counts, even if we don't feel it. Every vibration is felt, every contribution we make counts, every thing we do sustains or advances our whole.

Now that we're clear on that...let's do more than sustain. Let's ADVANCE.

Ah, ginger tea. Soup. Lots and lots of tissue. Crying. There's something in me that loves being sick. Clearly, my body needs to rest. It's a gorgeous day today & I was supposed to go to the beach. But, I'm drinking tea, trying keep my energy inwards. I have enough energy to type this, water the garden, clean the litter box, then take care of myself. A bath? Perhaps. Watching a movie from the bath? Even better. And, of course, I have plenty of energy to sit and meditate. I know no other way to make me feel better...ah, thank you for slowing me down, cold!

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Welcome to the  Bright & Beautiful Newsletter
August
According to my good friends at Wikipedia, August was originally Sextilis because it was the sixth month in the original ten-month Roman calendar, 753 BC. The days are shorter. People are traveling. And I'm so happy to sit by my back porch and write this for you. Happy Rest of Summer! 

Local News

BASIC YOGA for Advanced Misfits
at Collaboraction Theatre: Room 300
1575 N Milwaukee Ave
Flat Iron Building in Chicago, IL
the come-as-you-are basic yoga class.

sundays 11am-noon: i teach
tuesdays 10-11am: i teach
thursdays 10-11am: judson clariborne teaches

this beginner's yoga class is for actors, rockers, artists, thinkers,  and for those who don't feel comfortable trying yoga in a yoga studio. you know who you are! i love this class. $10 cash.


proceeds from sunday, 9/25's class go to Rape Victim Advocates' 3rd Annual "Mind, Body, Spirit & a Good Cause Yogathon".

Family Devotions
by David Henry Hwang
Through September 4, 2011
I play a 70 year old Chinese grandmother in this early play by Tony Award and Pulizter Prize winner,David Henry Hwang. This is really funny and really dark. Do you love God? You'd better. 


CHIC-A-GO-GO ACTION!
I've hosted this kid's TV dance show for 13 years (my lucky numba!). Come dance with me and my puppet co-host, Ratso:

SPECIAL CHIC-A-GO-GO SOUL TRAIN TAPING
FRIDAY, September 2, 6 – 8PM at Expo 72
72 E. Randolph Street.   FREE EVENT!
Everyone can relive the days of Soul Train when Chic-a-Go-Go tapes an episode at Expo 72's Soul Train installation – a recreation of the Soul Train set with hundreds of rare Soul Train photos and artifacts on display! The evening features Miss Mia, Ratso, DJ Bob Abrahamian and your chance to do the Scramble Board and dance down the El Train SOUL TRAIN Line!
 
CHIC-A-GO-GO MILLENNIUM PARK PARTY THIS SUNDAY!
Our last free dance partyin Millennium Park in the Target kids tent on the Chase Promenade is Sunday, 8/21 from 1-2PM. Come down, dance, do art activities, jump rope, read in the library and play with stuff. It’s a ton of corporate sponsored fun.
 Chicago School of Thai Massage begins several 6 month training programs across the Midwest. Click on the photo for info on your career in the healing arts.
 
Everywhere News

I'm so excited to share my yoga teacher's new book with you. This book will change your life. Based on ancient yogic philosophy, this is book is like a spiritualThe Artist's Way. Read more about it here and get ready for positive and real change. 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®

I'm currently inspired to practice and teach expansive poses in order to expand our highest potential out to the world and to create space to receive what we need to become our best selves. This is a serious goal! Let's have fun achieving it.

My yoga website, MiaParkYoga.com and my yoga blog are happening. I want to blog more often, so can you clean the litter box for me so I'll have more time? Seriously, I want to create more time to do what I love, so keep an eye on my yoga blog for more frequent updates. I'll write about my process with The Four Desires book. 

Our TV show pilot, "Yoga Park: Yoga with Mia Park" is now a 3-5 minute demo reel. Woah! More soon...very exciting stuff.

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 me for details. 
My public yoga classes:
Sundays, 11AM-Noon
Basics
@ Flat Iron Building

Tuesdays, 10-11AM
Basics
@ Flat Iron Building

Tuesdays, noon-1PM,
Level 1-2
@ Moksha Yoga

I also teach at LPAC, LVAC, WAC, Akal Yoga and to private clients. My full teaching schedule is here.  Be my guest to any of my gym classes. Email me. Bring a swim suit!

Yoga Workshops
Agni : Our Spiritual Flame
Tapestry Yoga Center
10/23/11, Viroqu, WII

Autumn Fire Practice
Moksha Yoga Center
11/20/11, Chicago, IL

I'm proud to be a certified ParaYoga Level I teacher. This is the culmination of studying with tantric teacher Rod Stryker for six years. 
I assist my teacher next at the Estes Park Yoga Journal Conference. This year, I also assisted Yogarupa Rod Stryker in Minneapolis, Chicago, Mexico, at Wanderlust, and studied with him in NYC.
   
Friend ParaYoga on Facebook.

Acting

BOSS airs on the Starz network starting October 21 and I hope to be in all four of the episodes I shot.

Our play, Family Devotions runs until September 4th.

The Catastrophe
was a great shoot.  This is my 3rd film with director, Michael Smith - what a great cast and crew!

...and I'm so looking forward to a busy commercial Autmumn and to take more acting classes. 
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“all journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” 
– martin buber

The big arrival is here. My teacher's book is released and I'm *so* excited! Rod Stryker is an amazing teacher - he translates ancient yogic theory and application into modern speech. It's through yogarupa (that means "essence of yoga" and is Rod's spiritual name. Also, another name for Ganesha!) that these yogic ideas from the Vedas will change lives.

This sounds like a big claim, but I speak from experience when I say that if you follow the procedures in this book, your life will change. For the better. For the best.

Here, in the form of a hardback book, is a system to become completely joyful, truly happy, and to become 

who
you
were
meant 
to
be.

Do it. Buy this book and the accompanying practice CD's. Challenge yourself to become the best you. YOU CAN BE THE BEST YOU ALL THE TIME! No dream. Reality. Ready for this fulfilling hard work? Let's go.

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...)