What a better way to ring in the new week, than to host a sunday slumber party!
First we motivate... Then we take a break a'top Berkeley's finest

Back on the stoop, we recruit peeps for our bicycle club

And eat pizza and drink (too much) expensive wine in my museum of a home.

Alison's decided that after many years as a professional dancer, and pilates instructor, she wants to become a pro bike racer. Fair enough...
Lindsey didn't ride w/us yesterday b/c she needed to de-funkify by riding solo & joined us after.
Jeff, gay & energetic as ever, got to flirt w/my (gay) roommate and drool over college boys.

So, we played, played, played, and when the alarm woke us for MONDAY, we groaned and grumbled, stomped and banged our fists- repeating "do I have to..." & "I wanna do yoga and ride my bicycle"
Yep, twas fun, and now we're starting a ritual ride in Berkeley on Sundays and SF/Marin on Wednesdays. SWEET to have silly friends who like to sweat in more ways than one!

In the last 48 hours:
*Someone dropped a glass jar of raw eggs from the 3rd floor, which landed on the sidewalk, in between Alio & I, at some random street corner.
*I lost a pedal amidst crossing an intersection, and crotched the bar.
*Lindsey's porch caught on fire (and melted Kyle's bike), from BBQ'ing?

We got the heebie-jeebies wiped clean, now that Spring Break is ending and we're safe. It's amazing the jar didn't land on either of our heads. My body is bruised from the dog bite, a balance accident and the bicycle. We saved Lindsey's house w/o having to call the fire dept.

Phew.

Now, we're going for a ride in my parts. Yipppeeeeee. You know how sweet it is when your best friend decides she wants to b'come a "bicycle racer"? Well, it's pretty darn cool. So, us nutty kids are rolling...Here's to discipline & progress, may we benefit from the next 5 wks o' school.

The sun is shining, and college kids are shmoozing SB '08.
Yep, there's a whole lotta love in them collegiate kids, it simply takes time and space to get the party started. This is increasingly evident since NY, whence we left the post grad/post doc scene, and I was welcomed home by Sector 9 friends, also "in need of Yogic services".

Side note: Those of you who brand skaters as "less than worthy of recognition", I claim otherwise, as these downhill lads are some of the most humble, smart and healthy dudes I've met. For real, of all the "athletes" (except climbers?), I've done yoga/acro amongst, these beings have the most "open" hamstrings, hips and know how to get down, literally, w/gravity. Plus their balance is off the hook, they're educamated, and living their dream.

I came home to Rizzo hosting 4 teammates & its been a party since.
We start each a.m. w/Yoga- hot and focused, the way Ana wants it.
And then cruise hills behind Berk and Oakland, in pursuit of bouldering (for me), never-ending stretching, and more hills to bomb!

Side note #2: Have you ever seen a mob of guys carve, slide and fucking race hills at 60mph? Holding warrior poses and smiling as they weave in and out of traffic? It's nuts. and rad. -duh.

After yesterday's movement, I left the team to hear "Justice" do the "D.A.N.C.E.", b/c it's always a good idea to jam w/girlfriends, especially after a long day amongst guys...

Today the cats are bombing SF hills, and I'll be there to stretch 'em. More laughter, video footage, as well as SF's critical mass this evening, should be Fun Fun.

A shout out to Rizzo, Noah and JM for introducing me to Sector 9. I appreciate working w/ such disciplined and attentive beings. Also, to the visitors from Portland and Olympia- you're all so dynamic, keep fluid!

Ange, you should be here. Joga with gayful boys is hawt-hot-hawt. Let alone delicious.

Passionate people.
Indoor boccie ball.
Rich's dog bit my ass & tore my red hot pants.
Plenty of delicious dinners spent in fine company.
Beautiful city parks.
People on chic bikes.
Lotsa good music w/ +bpm.
indulgence-indulgence, oh it's worth it.
Where Brooklyn at?

Visiting NY in the manner Alison makes happen was uber smart. Phat pads, w/genius people of social change and political charge: musician, poet, lawyer, teacher, chef, entrepreneur, athlete, brilliant acts of art!
Clarifies my purpose in the world- as an embodied being, sharing movement and release, fueled by the courageous, and inspired to reciprocate feeling.
We slept very little, did quite a lot.
I'll be back to visit you NY. I'll be back real soon.

Easter eggs in the park. Rock stars and art-
Here is NY.

Smiley happy people, with ambition and such...
Inspire me to wonder, what is our Burning Man project?
C'mon! lets meld our heads for a melody of fun in the hot desert sun.

More on this later.

Sure is hard to pack for "blizzard" like weather when it's sunny-n-70 here in Berktown.

I'll be back in a flash- Celebratin' Easter in NY & the rest o'Spring break ici, right?

Come join Angellia & I, we like to play.
As for that guy, check out "Patrick Rizzo skateboard" & "bombing claremont" on YouTube.
Life Rocks! We Laugh.

I love my sis, however her system differs from my own. You see, I am rather organized when it comes to cleanliness and well she has more of what I'd call chaotic order. How about this for example; she arrived Thursday and brought a bunch of goodies. No biggie there, however one of the treats was a roasted chicken from the grocer- Again, fine by me, although she put the chicken at the end of my bed, scattered clothes all over the floor, and left it for me to find today. TODAY! Tuesday evening, this little chicken's been basking amongst its own juices, going on 6 days now.
Best part is that we're both too shot to throw it away, and since it doesn't smell, its no hair off our backs, plus we don't have hair on our backs, so we're double safe.

Oh my Oh my, I am stoked I get a break from early azz yoga and that I get to mingle amongst other enticing things. Spring break '008.

Whats with me doing all the talking?
Lets hear from yogi partners/familiar beings, Angela and Brian:

Just when I think I know what I am doing, I change.

Looks like I am moving to WA for May and July, and spending June in Hawai'i. This will be training time, and Angela's on board to boot!
It was a genius idea to move out of my bitchen pad, and not pay rent for the rest of the year, since, from August - December I'll be elsewhere than Berkeley. So, schools out May 5th and I am heading to our new place in Seattle, with my sista! YEOW. We're scheduling workshops and such, and have people asking for "the sisters" to visit. BTW when we're together, there's this unstoppable feeling that overcomes us, and well, I like it.
So we're joining forces for the rest of '008 and as Spring sets in, my cobwebs, loose ends, and break up logistics are coming to a close.
I'll be back in SF come January '009, and hopefully Angela will accompany. But for now, I am realizing I'll have to let go of the master pad I live in, my clients too, and hit the road.

It seems that Forrest Yoga is lucrative enough to support my movement, and asks that I "keep pushing my edge". Ummmmm Okay Ana- I am in.
Now I gotta make sure my lil sis doesn't back out...if it was up to me, she would be more willing for change, and allowing the cosmos to keep clearing paths, which lead to more bountiful ways of evaluating "success", beyond the usual earned income bracket concern. Both of our physical practices have intensified in just mere days worth of focus, and that's how it is when we're together. I am holding handstands for at least a minute in the middle of the room, and we're working on poses that surf gravity like no other.
Maybe the photo shoot we're doing in May will catapult us into the media, any who, we need a story...got ideas?

Back at the home studio...
my bed. music. friends.
And it only gets better- Ana arrives tomorrow.
Angela and Brian on Thursday.

The beat goes on.
Rock Steady.
I Roll.
Rad.

3.5 is the magic number!
Yet again, Ange and I got exactly that last night- We could'a gotten more sleep, but giggling over our love for yoga, making out and enemas won us over, let alone that art of springing forward. Oh Joy, I am not tired anymore. In fact, bike strolls and long walks on the beach fill my time as available. It's amazing what I can get used to, so long as my system is clean.
We're heading to the Russian spa, and perhaps that'll sleepify our bods, which btw, aren't sore anymore either.
Yabbba Dabba Do

Zwell. The plot thickens as I've been invited to assist the whole TT in Sept. instead of my original 7 day plan. Yowza! There'a not much difference between a week and a month, however in the prime time of climbing season, t'is. And thats my internal dialogue right now; I LOVE to climb, but I am not making time for it- Oooooh baby, just thinking about ascending walls brings me pleasure. Then there's assisting my teacher, alongside a bad ass team, which also gets me hot-n-sweaty.
I am gonna do it. 80% sure...just waiting for a good nights rest. As histories proven, the glaciated carved palace known as Yosemite, (including god's country Tuolumne), will preserve. Plus, my body responds to Yoga in such a loving way, whereas, I tend to break bones, tweak and injure, when I climb. As Ana says, it's inevitable "Evolve or Die". S'pose this means I am evolving. I am broadening in the; Yoga world, dating scene, realms of knowledge, and economic status. As my silly friend Brian said at some dark hour this morning, "Love will continue to find you Jill, just stay with Ana for now". Agree.

I slept on the floor last night, but still got very little sleep thanks to Angela's food poisoning (damn her). And when this morning's alarm woke me from sweet-sweet dreams (which I'll keep to myself) I said in Eeyore's voice "this is only day 2?". Yoga rocked, although my knees are sore, maybe just tired- at this point, I dunno. But I know I need sleep, b/c 3hrs/night takes its toll, even w/an elated body high.
Break's over, I've got spinach, beets, eggs-n-avo in ze belly, and I am off to support the cause.

khkhkhkhkkkkkkhhhhmmm. Let me clear my throat.
Today started yesterday, if thats possible. Yes, for me it is, b/c as soon as I arrived in sun-blessed, collagen filled Santa Monica, I was put to work by no other than Ana Forrest herself. A few errands were ran, a lucky lounge at the pool for a wee bit o' catching up and then our 3.5 hour practice ensued. Food finally filled our bellies & the other two assistants and I were back at the "grind". Mic checks, logistics, you know Yogic set up shit...that lasted until midnight.
Then the anticipation was killing me, (or was it the twin bed Angela and I shared?), and I couldn't sleep. So when the alarm went off at 2:30am, I was a little less than stoked to rise, buuuut, happily dressed from the night before, headed out the door with a smile.
Practice starts at 3am. And what I am ultimately getting at here is:
Can Yoga be an endurance activity? You see, we sweat in an 85° room until the trainees arrive at 6am, whence then, we change our clothing, chug water (I scarf another cliff shot b-fast), and we teach until 9am (mind you we're participating while we "teach"). Then I had to teach another yoga class from 9:30-11am.
So, 7.5 hours of yoga are already under my imaginary belt, by noon. I feel high, and duh, I am. Many a'backbends, handstands, and moments with your feet behind your head will do this to you. Which is why everyone should quit their life-limiting variable and choose Yoga for drug of choice. I feel great. In fact, now that I've had back to back meals for NOURISHMENT (cereal and tuna fish/avocado), I am hopping on the bicycle and heading shirtless to the promenade. Heh, thats how they roll here in Venice.
Bedtime's a hopeful 6pm, if we can quit giggling- or get the heart to settle, and then its the same ol game tomorrow, and the next day...
Tootles.

Well, this social/political movement class has Alison and I wondering what we'll project ourselves into. How does Somatics play a part in conflict resolution; uniting oppositional beings, so that tensions of difference are present w/a deepening sense of breath, bone & gesture...Embodied language. Art. Movement. "Consensual Matrix".

Hmmm. I don't want to be a therapist. I don't want to be an emotional mediator. I want to be a movement educator. Not to be mistaken for a P.E. teacher. Rather an educator on the physiological effects of exercise and disease. Lucky for me, there's institutions, centers and such right here in SF- Then there's programs a plenty beyond (Ed.D. Program of Movement Sciences and Education @ Columbia).

But for now, I am playing on Team Forrest Yoga, and gaining a MA in Somatic Counseling Psychology and that pays.

'008:
3/6-10: Forrest Yoga @ Exhale, Santa Monica, CA
3/13-17: Forrest Yoga @ Yoga Tree, San Francisco, CA
3/19-21: "Ligamentous System" Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, Berkeley, CA
3/21-25: visit NY
3/25-30: Rest o'spring break...Yosemite?

April 2oth B-Day!
4/24-28: Coachella Music Festival @ Palm Springs...we got a house/pool, you joining?

5/8-22: WA
5/22-6/1: Adv. Forrest Yoga TT @ Raffa Yoga, North Kingstown, RI

June: EU or Hawai'i

July: WA

8/1-17: Acro Yoga TT @ Laurel Springs Retreat, Santa Barbara, CA
8/25-9/1: Burning Man!

9/5-28: Forrest Yoga @ Yoga Tree, San Francisco, CA

10/10-11/15: Forrest Yoga @ Spirit Yoga, Berlin, Germany

Before/after Berlin, Angela and I will be teaching Forrest & Acro Yoga workshops in Budapest, Paris and Barcelona. That info will be announced April 1st.

It's a deep year o' Yoga and I hope to see, share, smell you along the way!
www.forrestyoga.com
www.acroyoga.org
www.donhanlonjohnson.com
www.bodymindcentering.com/Bonnie/
www.movingoncenter.org