Do it Yourself!

We received a great new update from the beautiful and amazing Brie Schwartz today, founder of BE, a company promoting better living through the power of meditative motion. BE regularly develops new interactive initiatives, such as YOGA INSTRUCTOR, described in detail here. Brie also recently came out with her own iPhone application, YOGA INSTRUCTOR, the link to which can be found in 'TCO Required Reading'. The second paragraph of the following description below includes a bit more too on what Brie has been dedicating her creative self to for the past 7+ years, on top of traveling around the world. Check it out!

YOGA INSTRUCTOR. BE your own guru.

The true definition of yoga is to yoke, to create union, to bring the mind, body, and spirit into one. No one knows how to unify this triad better than yourself, and YOGA INSTRUCTOR supports you in this practice.

These postures are a way of living; a science stemming from a several thousand year-old practice. The physical benefits of yoga increases cardiovascular, respiratory efficiency and body tone; decreases blood pressure; normalizes weight and endocrine function; improves immunity, sleep, strength, posture, balance, flexibility, and more. The psychological benefits aid your overall well-being.

You are the guru. No one can tell you better than yourself what your body needs. Yoga is a practice that helps you be more consciously aware of this unique union of your mind, body, and spirit. Through YOGA INSTRUCTOR, Brie Anne Schwartz, RYT, TTM, founder of BE, LLC a company dedicated to conscious living, will empower your personal yogic journey. Brie’s background encompasses yoga instruction of styles from around the world, international directorship and choreography of dance methods, qigong, martial arts, and other healing methodologies as breath, meditation, energy, and thai message. She has taught in North America, Central America, and Europe.

YOGA INSTRUCTOR is a safe and diversified yogic practice that you can take anywhere, anytime, and customize your practice. YOGA INSTRUCTOR reminds you that you’re the master of your health and provides the opportunity to practice at your convenience.

YOGA INSTRUCTOR details:

YOGA INSTUCTOR includes the three (3) most well-known salutations:

Sun Salutation A: Is a full practice in itself as it is a yoga salutation. It lengthens, strengthens, and tones ALLthe main muscles of the body while restoring the lungs and blood with healing oxygen.

Sun Salutation B: Is a full practice in itself, however it is more complicated than Sun Salutation A as it involves a high lunge which streches and strengthens your legs, tones the major hip muscle known as psoas, as well as brings flexibility and support to the lower back.

Moon Salutation: Is a full practice in itself as it is a yoga salutation. It also brings further focus on chest opening, balance, lower body toning, and flexibility of the entire back.

Overall Salutation Benefits: a full practice in itself, warms body, tones digestive system, strengthens abdominals, cleans respiratory system, normalizes endocrine glands, reduces fat, refreshes skin, increases flexibility, stimulates spine, and more. (Bodily Care: consult a doctor before practicing any yoga salutations; in all poses remember to breathe deeply, lengthen the spine, keep the chest open and shoulders rolled back, align joints when possible: wrists under shoulders, ankles under knees when knee is bent at 90-degrees)

PLUS…

YOGA INSTRUCTOR includes three (3) more sequences:

Grounding Root (a hip opening sequence)

Benefits: Although hip openers can be the most intense postures physically and emotionally, they are vital to our health, especially if you work at a desk: normalizes nervous system, eliminates stress, reduces back pain, supports knees, strengthens hip area from injury, and more. (hip care: if you had hip or knee injuries consult a doctor before practicing deep hip stretches, relax muscles and breathe deeply, never force yourself into a hip stretch)

Spiral Flight (a spinal twist sequence)

Benefits: maintains overall health by bringing oxygen and fresh blood to internal organs, keeps the spine flexible and strong, supports the musculoskeletal system and digestion, lengthens the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia around the spine, abdomen, rib cage, and hips, and more. (spinal care: if you had disk injuries consult a doctor before practicing deep spinal stretches, never force your spine into a posture, start and extend the stretch from the hip joint/sacrum, always lengthen the spine)

Tri-Warrior (a warrior and triangle fusion sequence)

Benefits: eliminates stress, protects back, increases respiration and circulation, strengthens abdominals, legs, leg joints, and shoulders, opens hips, and more. (knee care: if you had hip or knee injuries consult a doctor before practicing this sequence, ankles under knees when knee is bent at 90-degress; slightly bend knee if you have hyper-extension)

Extra! Extra!

On March 26, 2009, the New York Review of Books ran the following ad:



This particular project was the brain-child of Harper Collins Editor, Peter Hubbard, another one of our near and dear friends here in New York City. He casually fanned the ad in front of us over dinner one evening last week, simply saying, "Look." We of course did look, and then freaked out over such a great accomplishment. Originally, Peter's idea was to take an old classic of philosophical thought, and re-issue it, complete with a snappy new cover design, as a work equally as applicable today as when it originated. The result? Eight complete re-issued works, and a new Harper Perennial campaign, Modern Thought. Not to mention that in the process, Peter was formally promoted to full fledged Editor. You can find a link to one of his current side-works-in-progress, The Serialist, under 'TCO Required Reading'. Maybe Peter can help us with our forever inconsistent use of the old, crazy comma. Great work, Peter!

The Man, The Actor.

Back in August we received a surprise email from a great friend of many years, Will Godfrey, sharing his new acting reel. We knew that he had been living in California and that he was pursuing acting, but we were especially pleased to see just what a great actor he is. In 'TCO Required Reading' you will find a link to his IMDB page. Note, however, that he is known professionally as Wilton Godfrey. For your viewing pleasure, we now pass on his reel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG9K30xDxns

"The Very Secret Order..."

This came to us today from Lauren Hardage. Some of you may know her better as Lauren Moore, her name prior to getting married to Zach Hardage in the desert of Arizona in July many a moon ago. She currently resides in Corpus Christi, TX, while Zach is serving in the military. She is a freelance graphic designer and a very good one at that! See her link under 'TCO Required Reading'. Lauren writes:

I just ran across this online via a great design
magazine (Veer) + wanted to send it.
It's kind of neat; a downloadable "drill book"
for creatives.
Peek at it if you have a chance.

http://www.veer.com/download/pdf/veer200812_memberdrillbook.pdf

We would say do more than peek at this link. These are great exercises to keep that artistic right brain movin' and shakin', no matter your particular artistic talents. Not to mention, all of it is quite humorous (our favorite!). It may take a second to load, but it's worth it!
Thanks, Lauren!

The Comical Observatory welcomes you! We provide up-to-date information on a small but powerful nucleus of creatives and their ever-expanding work. Occasionally, of course, we will also offer our own timely critiques and post our own projects. Check back in again soon for our next official posting!