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Welcome to the 
Bright & Beautiful NewsletterSeptemberRules
Rule #1: Make silent time for yourself every single, every single day. Listening to music, reading & watching the boob tube don't count. Silence. Every day. Do it.

Rule #2: Listen to your instinct. Even if your gut tells you something you don't like, listen to it.

Rule #3: Treat yourself the way you'd treat someone you cherish and want the best for. Really, really, really love yourself for who you are and where you are in life. You've accomplished a lot! Thanks for that. The Photo Issue
"Bali Bali Hey"
CLICK ON THESE EXCITING PHOTOS FOR MORE INFO  MiaParkYoga.com
 MiaPark.com

Yoga 
and ParaYoga®


The Photo Issue

"Bali Bali Hey"

(ask your friends that speak Korean what that means)

ALSO CLICK ON THESE EXCITING PHOTOS FOR MORE INFO
  My public yoga classes:
Some 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 ishere.  

My Yoga Workshops
Agni : The Fire of Spirit
 10/23/11, Viroqu, WII


Autumn Fire Practice
11/20/11, Chicago, IL

Acting



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“all journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” 
– martin buber

I've been a bad blogger. I'm so good with helping others with their social media that I am lacking on my blogs, but in my heart, I'm blogging every day! Now, just to translate what's in my heart onto the screen. Right now, I'm at the Yoga Journal Conference in Estes Park, CO with my teacher, Rod Stryker...you know it! More on this great event, soon. Thanks for reading!

I do love studying with Aadil Palkhivala (alivewithaadil.com - link function not working now) Over five years ago, I did a 40 hour training with him before I started teaching yoga and he blew me away. His pure joy of life, his clear explanations, his confidence....his presence. He's inspiring, wise, and filled with joy. I mean, pure joy. 

I've learned things from him that I use in all my classes, like looking at each person in the eyes when greeting them hello or goodbye in every class. Like bringing total enthusiasm to the class and to the students. Like being firm when I need to without apology, but with love.

I'm still processing what I learned with him at http://mokshayoga.comweeblylink_new_window, last weekend. I had the best savasana (resting or corpse pose) EVER - it was 45 minutes long & it completely released the tension in my left arm and shoulder. I learned that so much of our tensions come from not getting enough rest. LET'S GET ENOUGH REST! Few things are more important, truly. And on that note, i'm going to do a yoga nidra (yoga sleep) practice, right now. 

Hail hail to the mighty Aadil Palkhivala! He's as wonderful in person as his name is fun to say. Hail, Aadil!

Asana are what we call the yoga postures. In the West, most of us are introduced to the wonderful universe of yoga through asana and exercising the body is vital to a healthy, balanced life. Especially as a yoga teacher, one would think.

I'll be honest. I broke up with asana last November. 10 months ago. Asana and I dated very seriously since 2002, but last year, I felt us growing apart. So, I took a break from such intense times with asana. I still exercise - I started swimming again and ride my bicycle more than ever. It's just that I fell out of the habit and the desire to practice asana every day.

I went down to practicing poses once or twice a week. Sometimes just once a week and very gently, at that. What's more important to me is the meditation aspect of yoga, anyway. But the postures sure do condition the body to sit and meditate for longer.

I'm glad to announce that asana and I are rebuilding our relationship. I'm more open minded towards asana and we're getting together more often in every form. Restorative, flow, Iyengar...I'm ready. My body is ready. It's been a long 10 months, but I'm committing to practicing asana every day for one month. Not just demonstrating the poses in class, but to my own physical practice.

And, more importantly, my meditation practice must also stay strong. It's gonna be an even better Autumn! (By the way, every time yogis discuss practice, we mention "abyanga" from the yoga sutras, which means "practice". So there, I mentioned it.)

Today, my soul felt like how this hostile part of Uluru looks. Uluru is the largest rock in the world and is in the center of Australia. I took this picture in March, 2010. 

This afternoon, I had road rage at the Lincoln Park moms who felt entitled to walk in front of my car against their red light because they had a baby carriage (ooohhh, entitlement irks me like no other irk). I was also pissy at a sport-o guy in a huge back SUV that decided to almost hit my car so he could dodge in front of a line of backed up traffic (same neighborhood). 

I judged them as upper middle class, white, privileged ignorants who are clueless to the consideration of others in order to serve themselves. 

I let myself get angry instead of repressing it, then calmed down. I took deep breaths and melted into appreciation. Honestly, it's the influence of these entitled white people that brought a big ass Whole Paycheck store to my hood and that's where I was headed when I let the Entitled Moms and Jocko McJocky bum me out. 

All jokes aside, we're each an untapped universe of joy and love. We can each create really good things and act like morons. I'm fine. They're fine. We're all good. (If I were a Buddhist, I'd say "They suffer, too." As a Tantrica, I say what I said.)


For sure, I too easily judge those who act entitled and I'm no different from them. My cockiness and desire to get what I want gets me into trouble. Whenever I get road rage, judge people, or feel hostile, I'm reminded that I'm a work in progress and that more practice today sure won't hurt. 

Here is an article in this week's Chicago Reader that I'm in. Guess what I'm talking about? What else? My yoga teacher's kick ass, life changing book, The Four Desires. I'm a focused kinda gal, what can I say? 

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. 
 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.

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miapark.com
twitter.com/missmiapark
missmiapark.blogspot.com
facebook.com/missmiapark

“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.