It's been a while since we've popped in and said hello. We have so many updates for you, we'll keep it short and sweet.


Many of our friends, acquaintances and loved ones have experienced a perceived loss in finances, sense of security, safety and reality.

We know, though, that change is the only real constant and that the idea of loss is actually beautiful if we turn it on its head.

What is loss?

An emptiness. A space left wide open.

It may hurt, it may be confusing and unnerving. But it's in the empty space that we have the most room for creativity to pour in, refresh our perspective, create new paradigms, to transform.

Spring into fullness with us. Keep in light. Keep it open. Enjoy all the classes we have to offer you.

Without further ado, please welcome our newest teachers!


Anthony Benenati - click here for classes
co-founder of City Yoga studio
www.cityyoga.com
Los Angeles, CA (Hollywood)
Hatha, Anusara


Rebecca Benenati - click here for classes
co-founder of City Yoga studio
http://www.cityyoga.com/
Los Angeles, CA (Hollywood)
Hatha, Anusara


Max Simon - click here for classes
founder of the selfcentered movement
http://www.getselfcentered.com/
Los Angeles, CA (Venice, Hollywood, Downtown LA)
Meditation


Janet Stone - click here for classes
http://yogichocolate.gaia.com/blog/edit/www.janetstoneyoga.com
San Francisco, CA
Vinyasa Flow, 5-Element Teacher Training


Sue Dumais - click here for classes
Owner, Family Passages Mind Body Studio
http://yogichocolate.gaia.com/blog/edit/www.familypassages.ca
Ontario, Canada
Women's Health, Yoga for Fertility


Gabriel Azoulay - click here for classes
Creator of the Edge Body System, Author of Breath: The Yogic Prime
http://www.gabrielazoulay.com/ and http://www.edgebody.com/
Scottsdale, Arizona
Ashtanga, Vipassana Meditation, Yin Yoga, Thai Yoga Massage


Leslie Porter (Guru Siri Kaur) - click here for classes
http://yogichocolate.gaia.com/blog/edit/www.leslieporter.com
Los Angeles, CA (Santa Monica, Culver City)
Hatha, Restorative, Vipassana Meditation, Anusara, Kundalini, Pilates


Annmarie Solo - click here for classes
http://yogichocolate.gaia.com/blog/edit/www.annmariesolo.com
Los Angeles, CA (Topanga Canyon, Santa Monica)
Vinyasa Flow, Restorative, Anusara, Vipassana Meditation, Jivamukti, Singer

Yogi John (Salisbury) - click here for classes
Former Wrestler & Weight-Lifter, Burning Bright Tour
http://www.yogijohn.com/
Phoenix and Scottsdale, AZ
Ashtanga, Vinyasa Flow

Pamela Grier - click here for classes
Stress & Wellness Coach
http://yogichocolate.gaia.com/blog/edit/www.freedomfromillusion.com
Tubac, AZ
Hatha, Sport Yoga, Meditation


Connie Habash , MA, LMFT - click here for classes
Family Counseling, Yoga Educational Seminar (YES) Trainer
http://yogichocolate.gaia.com/blog/edit/www.awakeningself.com
Menlo Park, CA (and Mountain View and Los Altos)
Vinyasa Flow, Restorative, Prenatal


Ed Rumann - click here for classes
Los Angeles, CA (Brentwood, West LA)
Ashtanga, Anusara, Vinyasa Flow

Felice Rhiannon - click here for classes
Yoga Therapist
Los Angeles, CA (Santa Monica)
Yoga for Cancer Survivors, Arthritis, Seniors, Fibromyalgia and Heart Disease, Restorative


Laurie Searle - click here for classes
www.YogaandFitnessToGo.com
Los Angeles, CA (Hollywood)
Yoga for Youth, Dharma Mittra Yoga, Kundalini, Ashtanga, Pilates, Vinyasa 


Jennifer Tipton - click here for classes
Co-creator of Positively Fit, a health and wellness program for HIV+ community
http://www.jenniferltipton.com/
San Diego, CA
Thai Yoga Therapy, Vinyasa Flow

Thanks and love!

www.YogiChocolate.com
Download yoga. Uplift heart.

Hello dear chocolate friends,

That jingle-jingle holiday time is upon us. Wherever you travel this season, relax into knowing that you can take your yoga with you.

Here are the NEWEST CLASSES & TEACHERS to grace YogiChocolate for your yoga'ing and meditating pleasure completely BY DONATION.

PAISLEY's new classes:

--Peace Fire Part 1 (0:48)
--Peace Fire Part 2 (0:23)

Anusara-inspired flow, alignment, pranayama, meditation and love. Based in San Diego, CA.

9 other audio classes available for download.



LAURA DOWNING's new class:

--Radiant Heart (1:13)

Rhymthic vinyasa flow, a moving meditation. Based in San Diego, CA.

6 other audio classes available for download.




LIGHT's new classes:

--Power Yoga (1:13)
--Hip Hop Yoga (1:26)

Fresh, accessible and uplifting strong vinyasa flow with meditation. Based in Santa Monica, CA.

5 other audio classes available for download.


 
New teacher JENNI HARRIS:

--Yoga Basics (1:00)
--Slow Vinyasa (1:00)
--Healthy Back (1:00)

All encompassing approach combining Ashtanga, Iyengar, Kundalini, Vinyasa, Anusara, and Sivananda for a challenging and nurturing class. Based in Woodbourne, NY.


  
New teacher CHARLIE SAMOS :

--Peaceful Vinyasa Flow (1:29)

Ashtanga and Iyengar-based Yogaworks teaching focusing on mindfulness and alignment. Based in Santa Monica, CA.





========= COMING SOON! =========



Team Survivor

Restorative classes for breast cancer survivors.



NEW TEACHERS:

--Anthony Benenati, co-founder of City Yoga (LA)
--Psalm Isadora, founder of Tree of Life Foundation
--Felicia Tomasko, editor of LA Yoga Magazine
--Noah Maze, City Yoga advanced practice teacher


NEW CLASS:

Vinyasa Flow 2 with JOAN HYMAN (video!)

In the meantime, get crackin' with Joan's first downloadable audio class:

Vinyasa Flow with Joan Hyman (1:01)

Challenging and lively vinyasa flow Yogaworks classes.




Thanks and love!

-------------------------

PHOTO CREDIT: "buddha in snow" at top by John Suler

Happy day! We are excited to offer you video downloads. Gurutej, a phenomenal Kundalini yoga teacher and co-founder of Golden Bridge Studio in Hollywood, along with Lululemon Athletica in Beverly Hills were kind enough to kick-start this next phase of YogiChocolate. If you've never tried Kundalini ~ and I must admit I had a few bad experiences with Kundalini prior to finding Gurutej and Sada Simran ~ you've gotta try this class and take a live one too! If you find a good teacher it will knock your yogic socks off (wait, who's wearing socks in yoga anyway?) and deepen any existing hatha/meditation/movement practice you're already rockin.

I recently completed a 40-day Kundalini Qi Gong boot camp with Sada Simran and Brother Bolonatha (they're underground - you won't find them online I'm sorry to say) and it was MIND (and body) blowing. Look out for a class with both of these underground mavens soon on YogiChocolate.com.

Okay, but I digress. Back to video. While you can now rock the yoga on your video iPod or computer at home, we're still working on providing you with video samples prior to your donation and download. Be patient and keep checking in with us. Also keep enjoying your audio yoga classes. Both audio and video have their own unique advantages which I'm sure you will or already have discovered.

Tune out to tune in! Until next time...

Check out MahaMondo's review on YogiChocolate and some fun beach yoga pics:
http://mahamondo.typepad.com/mahamondo/2007/09/yogichocolate-d.html

 

Press Release:

YogiChocolate.com is gearing up to launch on July 9! Marcus & Sara LeVere, the husband and wife team who are behind this online yoga studio, say that they are looking forward to finally seeing the site in action offering audio downloads of yoga classes on donation. They have a pretty close relationship with all the teachers who will be seeding YogiChocolate. Sara spends hours taking yoga classes, talking to teachers, making meetings, sending out emails, and connecting through teacher and student referrals. Marcus & Sara want to provide a wide variety of classes through YogiChocolate so that all voices can be heard. So far they've got some Anusara, Power Yoga, Forrest Yoga and Jivamukti in the mix including a couple of classes in Spanish and a little bit of Kirtan.

Sara has always felt the desire to know more about the many ways hatha yoga can be expressed.

"People naturally gravitate toward a style of yoga that fit their body, their lifestyle, their emotional construct, and what they need to move through or learn next in their life. For me that was and still is Power Yoga. But I enjoy exploring other styles and also find my own practice and teaching shifting into more of a yin approach. It's just what personally feels good to me. And that's what it comes down to--what feels good to an individual. Some days chocolate makes you feel good. Other days it's a hot pot of tea and a book. If a person can tap into what really feels good intuitively for the body and the mind and be guided by that...it's a beautiful thing. It's not about what style a person practices, but honoring that all are valid yoga practices because all thought and human experience is valid."

Upon launch you'll notice that many of the teachers hail from Bryan Kest's Santa Monica Power Yoga (including Bryan himself!). Sara comments, "We want to offer as many kinds of yoga classes in as many languages as possible, but what better place to start than from home?" She has strong roots to Santa Monica and Bryan's teaching. Originally from Fairfield, Iowa she was brought up by parents in the transcendental meditation community so she knew what yoga was from a young age. But the balance came in her early 20s when she moved to Santa Monica and really fell in love with beach life, the city, her husband, and her yoga practice. (You can befriend her here on Zaadz at www.sara.zaadz.com!)

It was Sara who was always talking, thinking, eating, breathing yoga, especially as an assistant manager of Bryan's studio and internet store. But it was actually Marcus who came up with the concept for YogiChocolate. Originally from England & Ghana, but making his home in Santa Monica for several years now, Marcus worked his way to the top of the visual effects industry in a short time. His spirituality is rooted in his delight for technological advancement and his love for playing in the physical through skateboarding, snowboarding, and tai chi. He began learning yoga out of books more than a decade ago in England at a time when it was considered more than a little weird, especially for a young black male. So Marcus, being the more tech savvy of the pair, enjoying a home practice more than going to the studio, and who travels often, was blessed with the idea one sunny day while they were taking a stroll to the beach with a meditation teacher. It started out as one of those "What if you could...?" conversations that never ended.

i can hardly believe it myself, but the launch is officially set for July 9th. Whip out your ipods and laptops, take a stroll to the beach, your backyard, your deck, your friend's house, your hotel room, the airport, bring your mat and your headphones and get ready for some sweet yoga downloads by donation! ooohhh yeahhhh. ~namaste~

more launch party plans to come... ;)