The Great Namaste

Dubbed "The Great Namaste," this year the World Domination Summit's Guinness world record attempt included 808 people doing 5 different simple yoga poses (that became not so simple when held for 15 minutes each in 100 degree weather), done in a yoga chain... meaning we could not break pose and we needed to employ a domino effect when switching poses.

Tapes need to be watched, information by lawyers needs to be verified, but it WAS the world's longest yoga chain to date. For a $15 fee we received the fun of being involved, a free special edition yoga mat, free samples of coffee, juice, coconut water, granola bars etc. while waiting in line.

I'm not a yogi. And I definitely don't look like one.

But I felt like one for a few hours. I was able to fight through my body and mind being woefully uncomfortable. I use the word "fight" because I was not the calm person I can be while sitting on a comfortable yoga cushion in an air conditioned meditation class. This is not the person my ego believes can "handle" meditation. I had to fight. My sweaty, frustrated, annoyed, uncomfortable introverted self spent hours waiting, moving, holding and following, in order to be a part of something new. I knew I would be out of my comfort zone but I did it anyway.

I wasn't the only one struggling with the heat however, not everyone was struggling physically. Some were struggling with other issues. I heard scoffs when the poses were announced by those who can do difficult poses. I'm hopeful that by the end, most of those people realized the mental challenge of yoga is an extraordinary journey.  There were plenty of photos taken of amazing yoga poses and beautiful people. They had their moment. I took a few myself! I also saw some people you wouldn't expect to see there... killin' it. I felt hundreds of people with smiles on their faces because they were IN it. IN the moment and thinking of nothing else except how simultaneously uncomfortable and exciting this event felt.

Isn't that all we can ever want from an experience? And isn't that a basic tenet of meditation and yoga?

Photo Copyright 2014 Armosa Studios

#thegreatnamaste #wds2014

3 things I learned volunteering at the LA Film Festival

#1 Be a noob. Nothing happens without others in the entertainment industry. It is the most truly collaborative art there is. So there it is: Be new. Don't try to tell people what you know. Exercise your beginner's mind and actively listen. When people tell you things you already know or instructions that are obvious, just listen, with new ears, and see what comes your way. I'm not new but I didn't initiate any conversation about it. I employed a speak when spoken to mentality. No one asked me why I was there so I was able to simply be there... taking tickets, directing people, walking people to unfamiliar places and answering questions. Be new. Be of service. It is liberating.

#2 The general public still yells indiscriminately when they feel betrayed. 20 years ago I worked with the general public a lot. If people complained they wanted to speak with me. As a manager, I had the power to help when they were yelling. If I could solve their problem easily, then I did. I'm no saint, but my intention was to help them so they could change from crappy to grateful.

If you have a complaint,  venting... at what you can plainly see is a volunteer (blasted across our t-shirts), is not effective. Helps release your tension? Yes. Yelling at an audience that you sense can't yell back? Super sadistic. Solve your problem? No. Not even a little. Volunteers aren't in charge of anything that can help you beyond directions and info and a smile. Trying to Help You. Shut up and buy some popcorn to calm yourself down.

#3 The Films... were quality cinema. AND indies are alive. AND they are still character and emotion driven. Hip hip hooray. Norway's 1,000 Times Good Night with Juliette Binoche and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was inspiring and heart-breakingly true to character. Ireland's Frank, which already has distribution, was a funny and poignant take on mental illness, music and chosen family. Denmark's Someone You Love was quiet, subtle and full of appropriate pathos. You have to search out these kinds of movies but I believe it is worth it. The best part of the adventure to LAFF was I remembered that I took those acting classes when I was 12 years old and I won those poetry prizes around the same time and THAT's where my creative soul is rooted. Back when I was a noob. Remind yourself. Repeatedly. There is still innocence, character and emotion within you, no matter your age or experience.


***Below are a couple pictures from a food truck I'd like to recommend. Fantastic burger made by beautiful women working the grill. They have healthy choices too but damn if that burger wasn't delicious.

Baby's Badass Burgers 

http://bit.ly/1qLHWbI

Photo Copyright 2014 Shannon Calder