Conscious Dancer Magazine Quarterly

Have you heard of  Conscious Dancer Magazine?
Neither had we until about  a month ago! A brand new national publication with a colorful and dynamic layout, Conscious Dancer is a treasure trove of festival culture and holistic dance in all points west. Run by Mark Metz and his wife Aspen, it is a must source guide for movement, yoga, dance, events, clothing and more! Printed quarterly, the 45 page magazine produces 30,000 copies per month with an estimated readership of 75,000.
The online version changes with the seasons. Read the NEW review about Yoga on the Dance Floor and flip through this gorgeous magazine by clicking on this URL: http://issuu.com/consciousdancer/docs/issue_9/42

Theatre Opens with Independent Beat in Mystic

By Elizabeth Yerkes of Mystic River Press

December 2009

Press writer

STONINGTON – When one door closes another opens. And at the Quiambaug Cove Professional building, that’s both a literal and metaphorical statement about its basement movie theater.

At the building on the corner of Wilcox Road and Route 1, Mystic Independent Theater opened the doors to the movie theater again this fall after they’d been locked for several years.

Casey Cyr-Gash and husband Bill own the building at 107 Wilcox Road in which the movie theater and small businesses such as a yoga studio call home.

“After the film society ended a few years ago, the theater started to fall into disrepair a bit, and we thought it’s such a shame to let this happen – let’s see if we can make good useof this space,” said Cyr-Gash.

The husband and wife team took over the theater operation from Michael Blair, a local real estate agent and developer who started the Stonington Film Society in 2006. Blair continues to be active in reviving a film presence at the Wilcox Road location and in facilitating film screenings at Stonington Borough’s La Grua Center.

Cyr-Gash said the theater was built out specifically for the Stonington Film Society and she praised its seating and sound system. As a membership organization, however, the film society was not long lived.

In contrast to that business model, the Mystic Independent Theater has already welcomed all comers to its selection of entertainment, and that entertainment isn’t limited to big screen shows.

“Anybody can come in. We plan to have more and different things than film. We’ll have live music – it’s a great little stage for it, a really good sound system and acoustics,” she said.

On Jan. 16, for example, local flutist Skip Mc Kinley and friends will perform Irish music and Cyr-Gash said she hopes to give voice to many unsung musical styles on the stage in coming months.

Cyr-Gash takes seriously all suggestions for how the theater could be used.

“We’re not going to survive doing just one thing,” she said. Small business presentations, said Cyr-Gash, as well as summer film classes are two other ideas she has considered for the theater’s use. And on the theater’s Web site at www.mysticindietheater. com, amateur independent filmmakers can submit their work for consideration in the theater’s 2010 film festival.

Through the end of January, Mystic Independent Theater will screen two films, “The Silence Before Bach” and “Warsaw Bridge,” by Catalan surrealist filmmaker Pere Portabella. “The Silence Before Bach” and “Warsaw Bridge” both premiered at a retrospective of Portabella’s life’s work at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. A student discount applies for movies not rated R. Regular tickets cost $10 and an area for limited concessions will be open during shows.

Later in the Spring, Ekayani and the Tom Glide Space bring “Yoga on the Dance Floor Tour 2010” to M y s t i c I n d e p e n d e n t Theater. It’s a unique act that combines world-class electronic dance music and live vocals inspired by the spiritual tradition of India. A new genre of dance music, it “combines house music with yogic transcendence,” according to the theater’s Web site.

“We will show independent films, maybe different than you’d see in other Indie film venues that take only the cream of the crop from the Sundance festival. Our theater offers an intimate alternative, we have only 46 seats so it’s a whole different market,” added Cyr-Gash.

For more information, visit www.mysticindietheater.com

Yoga transported to club world LA Yoga Magazine December Issue

Yoga on the Dance Floor

Ekayani and the Tom Glide Space (Glide Recordings)

“Ekayani and Tom Glide Space’s Yoga on the Dance Floor transports Yoga to the club world through ancient Sanskrit and Bengali mantras set to the mystical and funky goddess of house music. The album begins with dreamy tones, upon which Ekayani relates the story of Krishna. As Krishna opens his mouth, his mother sees the entire world and all of creation. Upon seeing the past, present and future, Krishas mother doesn’t know if she is dreaming or seeing an extraordinary vision: the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

This allusion to the world as both fantastic and illusory leads into Money to Burn, a song whose loud, fast, tribal rhythms parallel the greed and unconscious spending that brought us into this economic mess. Parama Karuna’s ancient Bengali bhajan lyrics and rave-y, deep house beats follow, leading into the dreamier dub- reggae flavored Pophelia; breaks the progressive push, with a hazy, 4 A.M. backbeat and musings on inner strength. By the time Dehino Smin rolls out, we are entranced by Ekayani’s soft voice and Spaces top-notch production.
The catchiest and most sonically complex of the songs, (Dehino) Smin emphasizes haunting, ancient chants over dub rhythms reminiscent of mid-90s trip-hop giants Massive Attack. The wicked, dirty-disco house vibe of “Eye Chant’ follows. The sweet mantras of “Gaura Pahu” ,set against a timbre of percussion and space- agey electronica, complete our journey.
This album is a lovely musical and mystical creation. Layers of deep, prog, minimal and tech house are seasoned with dub-reggae and phat basslines guaranteed to help you shake your groove.
Yoga on the Dance Floor’s live LA debut is at Bhakti Yoga Shala, Sunday, January 24, 1:45 – 3:45 P.M.
They’ll also be at Kristin Olson’s Urban Yoga Center in Palm Springs, Friday, January 29, 8:00 – 10:00 P.M.

http://www.EkayaniandtheTomGlideSpace.com

Reviewed by Aria Mayland, a Yoga teacher and writer shaking her own groove all across Los Angeles.
http://www.yogawitharia.com

Men and Yoga: Black Friday’s Super Deal at VayuWear

“Yoga on the Dance Floor will uplift and inspire your practice. The grooves will electrify your body and energize your vinyasa flow. Movement becomes a natural expression of their music”

~Fredric Schwartz, VayuWear  founder

Those are the words of the founder of  VayuWear , a hemp and cotton organic yoga inspired sports line who has  created a small series of togs just for men.  What were Mr. Schwartzs reasons for founding  his company? Perhaps Fredric’s motivations were selfish born out of the frustration of not being able to find clothes that he actually wanted to wear himself. Perhaps it was a deep concern for the environment born out of years of Native American study.  Whatever his impetus, Mr. Schwartz has come out with two pants –  the Varuna knicker which is nipped at the knee envisioned as  being used for cycling and downward dog and the best selling longer legged Mitra pant that can be worn as casual wear. All selections are  available in small to extra large sizes in Natural and Black.  There is also a great looking image of the Lord of Dance Natyaraja, popularly known as Shiva, in a kind of  comic book style depiction on a sustainable edition tee using water based inks.

The company is offering a special promotional deal until December 31 making Black Friday a day to remember for men and yoga. The generous 20% discount on all three of these men’s items can be had  with the coupon code EkayaniTomGlide.  15% of the proceeds are going to support the Southwestern leg of  Ekayani and the Tom Glide Space a yoga themed musical act whose  tour is promoting their  new album Yoga on the Dance Floor and Sanskrit Mantras. Mr. Schwartz has commented that the music is as conducive to meditation as it may be to working up a sweat on the dance floor.

In existence for a year , VayuWear  based in Philaldelphia is looking ahead to create a woman’s line. Until then you can also get eKo yoga mats and  mat sack bags during online checkout. Visit http://www.VayuWear.com

The Lord of Dance loves Yoga on the Dance Floor

Yoga Parties are replacing discos

Who the heck goes to a disco anymore on a Friday? The real action is at “yoga parties” that are springing up all over town. You meet the most interesting people, see Bohemian performances, witness new art, listen to cool sounds, munch on good food, and for as little as $2.00 can enjoy a glass of wine without the nuisance of smoke or bouncers.
Friday  night (10/23)  we attended a mixer at Reflections Yoga at 250 West 49 Street in NYC’s Theatre district.  The spacious studio has lovely parquet floors, a healing room and extra large windows overlooking forty ninth street. We felt like were in a very cool apartment. In tow were Ekayani, the vocalist for Yoga on the Dance Floor and Sanskrit Mantras (Glide recordings), Josefa Vincent, the Executive Coordinator of Yoga on the Dance Floor Tour 2010,  Sterling Painton of Sterling Yoga Pittsburgh, yoga students,  yoga teachers, an audio engineer,a painter, folks from Brazil,  varied locals and a couple of photographers with a evening that was catered by Nia Lee. The dance floor was animated by a dj playing disco with a strong dash of  Michael J. The company  was friendly and easy to speak with.  Reflections Yoga is under new management with Paula Tursi at the helm who, in addition to holding regular classes, teacher trainings and retreats in exotic locations, is also becoming known for hosting these types of events where yoga, art and nightlife meet in a lively  yet warm and relaxed setting. Much fun. To find out more about Yoga on the Dance Floor Tour 2010 please contact Josefa Vincent, Executive Coordinator of the tour at (646) 283 – 1831 or email jsfvnct@gmail.com

A Brooklyn based dj and singer set out to conquer the Southwest one yoga studio and boutique hotel at a time

 

PRESS RELEASE October/19/2009

For Immediate Release Contact: Josefa Vincent, Executive Coordinator (646) 283 – 1831 jsfvnct@gmail.com Yoga on the Dance Floor Tour 2010 Brooklyn, NY – October 19, 2009

For those who kissed their nightclubbing days goodbye and traded in cosmopolitans for green tea smoothies, music to meditate by has come of age with a concert and dance party that brings the disco to the yogis.

Have you seen that ad with baseball coach Joe Torre trying to balance on a yoga mat? Yoga estimated to be 15 million practitioners strong and growing in the U.S. has everyone jumping on the bandwagon these days.  Usually associated with a serene looking woman sitting in lotus pose, Ekayani and the Tom Glide Space, a New York City singer and European dj and house music producer have created a top selling album that caters to this ever growing market. Yoga on the Dance Floor and Sanskrit Mantras combines world class electronic dance music with mantras in Bengali and Sanskrit. Rated four stars in the Club section of Time Out New York (11/15/08)  after being released at the Amsterdam Dance Event, the duo have put together a touring act part concert, part dance party. They are in the unusual position of bridging the gap between ancient Asian culture and hip nightlife in a danceable fusion. Having performed in the Meatpacking district at Cielo, APT with presentations at JivaMukti Yoga and East West Living, they are poised to go West launching the tour beginning January 24,  2010.  The Bhakti Yoga Shala in Santa Monica, Urban Yoga Center in Palm Springs, The Chocolatree  Sedona,  Shree Yoga Taos, the Mothership Yoga Lounge Truth or Consequences, Body of  Santa Fe, Omni Hotel Southpark Austin, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Oakland, Bend, Portland Oregon with a mid-winter break at The Standard Miami’s H2Om Yoga are fixed.  Forty cities are slated for a dose of nirvana.

Tom Glide’s masterful beats heavily inspired by Reggae Dub on the brilliant “Here’s The Light” and Brazilian flavored “Jaya” also manages to embody the green movements concerns about conservation with a pumping bass line on “Money to Burn”. This track which may best display the albums boundary bending appeared on a top German dance label (Clubstar 4/10/09) in a country mad for house music.  The event starts with a mesmerizing guided meditation conducted by the singer that gradually picks up tempo leading towards a high energy dj set with plenty of chants and East Indian vibes in the mix. Partnered with Vayu Wear, Christopher Drummond Beauty, YogaJason, and Lux World Travel, Yoga on the Dance Floor Tour with Ekayani and the Tom Glide Space has it’s finger on the heartbeat of the green movement that prizes sustainability and attainability.

Update! New Life Expo at The New Yorker Hotel

New Life Expo October 16 - 18

Rudra Sakti Booth # 106 Mezzanine!

Join Yoga on the Dance Floor Tour at the New Life Expo at Booth # 106 aka “Rudra Sakti” on the Mezzanine.
Contact Josefa Vincent our Executive Tour Coordinator by calling (646) 283 – 1831
* Tickets Available Online ONLY!
START  TIME for Exhibitors: The EXHIBITORS area will be open to the public at 2:30 pm Friday, October 16.
Want FREE entry into the NewLife Expo? Volunteer! Call New Life Expo DIRECT at (516) 897 – 0900

The New Life Expo is America’s Largest Mind, Body and Spirit Expo. For three days 150  Exhibitors and 150 Speakers are united under one roof offering different perspectives and products on Natural Health and Fitness. It all begins this Friday, October 16  continuing through Sunday, October 18th at The New Yorker Hotel. Conveniently located at 841 Eighth Avenue at 34 street it is easily accessible. Subway lines to Penn Station are the 1, 2,3,Q,N,R, A and the LIRR.

Yoga on the Dance Floor Tour 2010 with Ekayani and the Tom Glide Space will be represented by Josefa Vincent at this years expo.  This is the perfect time to involve yourself in our affiliate and sponsorship opportunities. The latest tour schedule and a listening station will be on hand.

Could a Yoga album win a Grammy?

Hip – Hop, Rock, Soul, R + B, Country and…Yoga? 

In the past nine months since the release of Yoga on the Dance Floor and Sanskrit Mantras at the Amsterdam Dance Event,we have experienced many firsts: The first time that a YOGA themed album has received a four star review in the CLUB listing section of a widely read and respected magazine (Time Out), the first time that a YOGA  album has crossed over to a dance audience (APT, Cielo, DJ plays), and the first time that a YOGA  album has won so many categories in an online voting competition (New Century) that we thought we’d just keep going!  15 million Americans now practice yoga and it has become part of mainstream culture cutting across all boundaries of gender, race and socio – economics. We think there is a groundswell.

With the invaluable support of Josefa Vincent @ East West Living NYC and the mother daughter team at Calabar Imports located on 820 Washington Avenue  in Brooklyn, we met the requirements to be in consideration for the Best Electronica/ Dance Album for the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards coming up in January 2010.With so much negativity in the world and on the airwaves we felt compelled to get a transcendent and thoroughly positive message out to a wider audience. And why not? It’s time to change the messages on a global scale. Wish us luck! We hope that this will open the door for many more positive messages to come.

Guided Meditation in Sound

 

Ekayani and the Tom Glide Space at Jiva Mukti Yoga School March 2009

 

 

Yoga on the Dance Floor with Ekayani and the Tom Glide Space is both a journey of introspection and a rocking dance party! A perfect blend of Western form and Eastern content, it is renown for bringing the “disco to the yogis”. This very special presentation touches on all aspects of conscious and mindful living set to an irresistible beat! Each and every song was selected with a specific topic of meditation in mind. It is the perfect addition to a retreat, spa program, special event calendar at a yoga studio, outdoor festival, fundraising event, green conference, private party, Indian style wedding and traditional nightclub. Two to three hours in length (or shorter if need be). It’s fun! It’s now! It’s different! 

The Concert

@ Jiva Mukti Yoga School March, 28, 2009

The Concert begins with a guided meditation. The audience is invited to clear their minds and focus on their breathe while contemplating the nature of the Universe and their place in it. This quiet and relaxing time leads into a narrative called “Space “ an excerpt from the Bhagavata Purana that recounts Mother Yasoda’s intimate encounter with the Divine. This guided meditation in sound focuses on the power of sacred song and ancient Sanskrit texts of the bhakti tradition known to purify the mind and heart of the hearer. A seamless transition to “Gaura Pahu” follows. A beautiful down tempo song written by Narottam das Thakur a 15th century Vaisnava saint, scholar and poet from Bengal about spiritual regret the author asks himself a series of questions: Why didn’t he use his life more wisely? Why is he unhappy? “Gaura Pahu” is beautifully reinterpreted by Ekayani and the Tom Glide Space with a swirling composition reminiscent of water and the passage of time. Songs from the great teachers Bhaktivinode Thakur. Locana das Thakur all renowned saints and scholars of their day have found there way into this presentation along with the more well known Bhagavad Gita.

The Dance Party

Gradually the set becomes more up-tempo and energetic until the atmosphere becomes decidedly joyous! Audience members are encouraged to dance to “Third Eye” and “rejoice and relish in the self” to a beat that was voted Best Urban Track! “Parama Karuna” offers an easy method of self discovery through singing and dancing. The Dance Party offer the best of both worlds; a fun night out at the disco without any of the side effects. Pure fun in pure goodness!
Yoga on the Dance Floor Concert & Dance Party Highlights
1. Space – The opening narrative in English from the Bhagavata Purana.
2. Money to Burn – Mantra one in Sanskrit from the Sri Isopansishad brings a Voice of wisdom to the modern problem of the financial credit crisis with the mantra “isavasayam idam sarvam” Voted Best Urban Track & Record of the Year 2008.
3. Parama Karuna: Experience yoga or union though dancing and singing! “Pahu Dui Jana” the Divine brothers Chaitanya and Nityananda encourage everyone to sing and dance there way to bliss. By Bhaktivinoda Thakur in Bengali.
4. Jaya – is a marriage of two songs- Jaya Radha Madhava and Radha Krsna Bol. They paint a picture of a loving spiritual atmosphere with a Brazilian flavor. By Bhaktivinoda Thakur in Bengali.
5. Third Eye: a fun upbeat song on meditation adapted from Bhagavad Gita. Voted Best Urban Track 2007 on the New Century Peoples Choice Award. In English.
6. Here’s the Light: A new twist on soul, this dub drenched tune in English with an introduction in Sanskrit gives thanks to the Source. Video bonus track included on the album shot entirely in the East Village of New York City by R. Serrini!
7. Pophelia; A remix of Ophelia Drowns by Tom Glide written by Ekayani, learn to see past deception and trust yourself. In English.
8. Dehino Smin (Sanskrit Rap): Nine key verses from the Bhagavad Gita in a reggae dub style how do we address ever changing circumstances?
9. Eye Chant; Don’t know what to do? Life got you down? Eye Chant suggests mantra meditation.
10. Gaura Pahu the beautiful and heart wrenching song of spiritual regret by Narotama das Thakur. In Bengali.

 

Ekayani and the Tom Glide Space @ Jiva Mukti Yoga School

Meditation is a practice with the goal in mind to bring the individual in touch with their innermost being. Creative visualization, breathe control and sound or mantra meditation set to house music with the flavors of Dub and Brazil are used to bring the individual to a heightend state of awareness, a sense of inner peace and joy.

Third Eye

As Tom and I were talking about  the remixes project we were working on out of the blue he asked me to write a poem about the third eye. “Okay ” I replied and off I went to my bookshelf and picked up the Bhagavad Gita As It Is  with a translation by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami  that has a chapter on Dhyana Yoga or meditation. There I found several verses about going inward but in the editing process Tom selected “See the self by the pure mind and enjoy and relish in the self.” Simple and powerful, it was set to a killer beat and wah- la  a hit was born!  People just went crazy over  that track and soon we were fielding inquiries from yoga teachers on where they could get the album. Since there was no album at the time, we quickly set to work to create one which was an adventure in itself.  Since Tom and I live in different cities we created the album using the internet sending files back and forth through skype and other file sharing tools.  Tom would receive my vocals and them mix them in his studio. The album took shape relatively quickly but not without trials. Equipment broke down as our deadline loomed for the October  release of  Yoga on the Dance Floor and Sanskrit Mantras at the 2008 Amsterdam Dance Event. Nothing worthwhile comes easy, right?  In the Bhagavad Gita there is discussion that any austerity or offering performed should be done in remembrance of God and in that way we become liberated. It is the opposite of the performance  of  ”fruitive” activities strictly for material gain that merely entangle the soul more and more in a cycle of forgetfulness and push us farther away from our loving relation with the Supreme.

I would be untruthful if I said it’s been all sweat and no joy. We both felt immense satisfaction and gratitude that the album received a four star review in Time Out New York  in the club section which is amazing for a yoga album!!! We look forward to meeting many of you along the way in our travels.
 

how our third eye led to yoga on the dance floor