Look out world! Anusara Yoga Daddy John Friend is getting ready to launch the Neverland Ranch of Yoga Compounds – The Center for Anusara Yoga in Encinitas, California, coming Fall 2011! Huzzah!
What does this mean? The eagle has landed! Eager travelers to the 8500 square foot center in the magical mysticalness of Encinitas will be treated to workshops, immersions, special trainings, concerts, pony rides, mimes and time travel! (ok, no confirmation on the last bit). Can’t jet west? A state of the art sound stage will provide the setting for live broadcasting and platform for launching Anusara’s international school of yoga. Yes, indeed, online yoga teachings and streaming classes. Om Namah cha ching.
Many Anusara fans got feisty over the New York Times article depicting Mr. Friend as the next mighty Yoga Mogul, traversing the globe with devotees in every corner of the expanding empire. Though he doesn’t claim to be a magic genie sex machine with megaton balls, Mr. Friend is certainly in the running toward becoming America’s Next Top Yogapreneur, in steady competition with atomic gonads himself, Bikram Choudhury.
While Sir Sweatsalot moves to bring asana competition to the Olympics, we continue to look forward to the increased popularity of yoga in the global village (er kula?) with the integrity of the practice and reverence intact. As a primary sponsor of this year’s Wanderlust Festival, right alongside SmartWater, and now with its own headquarters underway in the yogi lands of Encinitas, CA, Anusara Inc. and its high chieftain John Friend are destined for awe inspiring world domination all right.
Not convinced? Watch this trailer from John Friend about the new Center, which tends more toward an ad from the Encenitas tourism board than Anusara. Oh you enticing little minx, Encinitas! Sounds like samadhi on Earth, no? Opening Fall 2011, after Friend returns from Dancing with the Divine on his world tour we presume. Book your tickets now. We’re going to Anusaraland!
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Earlier…
I love this title.. not sure I’ll be making the trek, but think the video they released was awesome.
I can’t process this!!! Help!!!!! My head just exploaded!!!!!! ARGGGGGGGGGG………….
I just felt the sugar levels in my blood spike — or was that saccharin ?
Thank you. Lay it out.
It seems disconnected to me to have the idea of “yoga on and off the mat” but to have business or organization somehow contrary to yogic life. John Friend practices yoga as his life, including his business, (it seems Bikram does not) and I know the Anusara organization came about only to serve the growing Anusara yoga community. Indeed it has struggled to expand fast enough to meet the needs of its rapid growth. What’s wrong with creating this center as a service to the Anusara yoga students that span the globe, to offer Anusara’s life-affirming message and powerful practice, especially at this time of global crisis and transformation? This is not about generating income. I see a vision here, and living a modern yoga practice that turns towards innovation, creativity, and full engagement of life. I don’t see a lack of integrity, nor do I expect to. To associate John Friend with Bikram is inaccurate, and to see this as a business move misses the point.
I am really looking forward to The Center. My friends who study Iyengar Yoga make the yearly trek to Pune, India to see their teacher and spend 4-6 weeks dedicated to their practice. Other organizations have ashrams and places to visit to spend time devoted to practice. Oh how I have longed for time like this… How amazing will it be to have a place to go and focus on practice for a few weeks. I feel a place like this is needed, especially by those of us who teach and give so much to our students each day. I can’t wait to visit and be nourished by my practice and the beautiful Southern California weather. Encinitas, here we come!
Having The Center will provide more opportunities for people to study with John and the senior Anusara teachers. Right now there are a lot of students with few opportunities to study with the senior teachers; they have to coordinate travel to another location anyone, and the hosting studios are often so small that they the room and means to host a bunch of out-of-town guests.
The Center will provide a retreat for teachers, as Stacey described above.
The Center will also provide a place where the Anusara kula can gather to share the other things we do off the yoga mat.
I’m excited for my kula to have this new place for community.
It makes a lot of sense to me, and it’s nice they gave a shout-out to Tim Miller — Encinitas has been a quiet ashtanga mecca for years.
After doing an recent Anusara Intensive here in Thailand I have to say I’m actually really excited to return home to Southern California a few months in advance of “The Center” opening
i worked for john friend and he was a complete asshole! he is a sell out and its all about the money for that guy.
Didn’t George Harrison renounce his relationship with Yogananda?
I know that’s not the point… but why focus so much on where the center is and who lived there in the past, rather than what they want to do… Unless it is to capitalize on celebrity. hmm…
Oh brother.. more Capitalism masked in Yoga . do we need this?
wow…this website should be called “Yoga Snark”.