Happy 12th Birthday, OM yoga!
Saturday night was our birthday party. #12! It was a big affair — as always. Lots of people, a little show, schmoozing and then our raffle which this year went to benefit the people of Haiti. Thank you to all that donated to the raffle, including the OM yoga teachers who offered privates and in-class adjustments and lots of great yoga companies such as Be Present, and a cut and color from Cherie at Aveda and more! We raised over $600!
Dave and his buddy and great guitar player, Jon Scholle, practicing in the OM yoga office.
Beautiful, excellent OM yoga teacher, Christine Sandifer and Sarah Clarke.
We were so thrilled that my mom could come to the party. Here she is with Indrani, who brought her from her home on 80th St. and with her granddog, Leroy!
Here is Kathryn, AKA St. Kathryn with Millie and Indrani. Kathryn is an amazing painter and just the kindest, sweetest person in the world.
Jon, Joe and Nudgie! Party down, dudes.
Janna and her friend.
Then it was time for the show to begin! As the official MC, I welcomed everyone. It is all our birthday since OM yoga is us — it’s people. I especially wanted to welcome and say thank you to three women who were there that night. 1) Alison West, my dear friend, who suggested that she and I rent space together at the Shambhala Center and teach classes back to back. That turned out to be a good idea and was the seed syllable beginning of OM yoga. 2) One of very best and long time friends, Mary Perillo. When OM yoga opened in 1998 we had a big party, like this one, did some chanting and purifying with juniper, a yoga class together and then popped champagne! What a great beginning. It was on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and I felt like I, too, had a dream. The next day was the first official yoga class and there were only two people there — Mary and my other friend, Kathy. Yikes. So, thanks to Mary for having faith in me even back then. I also remember the first OM yoga birthday party and after everyone had left at about 3am in the morning there was Mary pouring the left over ice down the toilet and helping us clean up the joint. 3) The most important, of course, my mom. She has always been supportive and both of my parents were never anything other than kind, supportive, fun, encouraging, loving — I am grateful to them both and grateful for my good fortune in having such loving people for parents. Let the show begin!
The first act was a hilarious spoof on meditation by our own Matt -- OM yoga tt grad, OM yoga front desk guy and member of the Upright Citizen's Brigade. Jonathan, Krista and Hilary were also the inner voices of the meditator.
Jon and Dave have been playing together since they were in college at Columbia. By then, Jon had already been winning guitar playing contests. They played 4 tunes including some great bluegrass and David's songs: On My Heart and On My MInd, and his big hit Midnight At the Oasis.
The show was enjoyed by all ages: Millie who is 84 (with her nurse, Indrani) and Fin who is almost 1 (with his mommy, Margi).
This is Jordan and Amanda Hirsch. I just met Amanda last week and she has only been coming to OM yoga for a month, since they moved to NYC. But as soon as I found out she was a comedy improv performer, I signed her up. They were so funny! They asked the audience to call out a pose and someone said, Downward Dog! They started on dog biscuits and it went from there!
OM yoga teachers, Edward and Maja, did three terrific duets by the Rolling Stones, Maja and the Beatles. Really, George Harrison and they got us to sign along with Jai Guru Deva or at least the last part, OMMMMM.
Richard and Patty liked this!
So did everyone!
There is one more really fun part to the party but I gotta go so stay tuned and check back in soon.
