nothing special

NEW BLOG

2010-05-14T07:16:00.003+09:00

i started a new blog, please check here

OK G0: this too shall pass

2010-03-03T11:46:00.001+09:00

ladies shirts now available

2010-02-16T21:45:00.001+09:00

SHOP

Men's Shirts....UP!!!!

2010-02-09T20:26:00.000+09:00

SHOP

inoue girls on TV

2010-02-06T17:50:00.000+09:00

りえときよことくぬぎちゃん。。。。

Jitish Kallat: perspectives on modern Indian art

2010-02-06T15:02:00.001+09:00

FUKUOKA WORKSHOP 4/22,23,24,25

2010-01-25T18:42:00.003+09:00

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO RESERVE:
swindlefactory@gmail.com

Buddhism 2010

2010-01-22T04:15:00.011+09:00

Buddhist monks in Japan turn to rapping and booze to lure a new generation to their ancient teachings.

Eddie Sensei on T.V.

2010-01-15T07:57:00.004+09:00

my teacher Eddie Stern was recently on "The Martha Stewart Show" to represent Ashtanga Yoga. He dropped some knowledge about the Indian yoga tradition, the importance of daily practice and demonstrated a few asanas.... As always, cool as a cucumber!
my favorite quote: "some people say it's not good to fart in a yoga class, but ya know....sometimes ya just have to"
WATCH THE FULL EPISODE

coming in at #4

2010-01-11T11:18:00.003+09:00

the New York Times posted its 31 places to go in 2010. guess what city was voted #4 thanks to KPJAYI

its my blog, and i can put whatever i want on it...

2010-01-09T17:57:00.006+09:00

Namarupa DevBhumi Yatra: September 12~28 2010

2010-01-09T09:36:00.002+09:00

for more information go HERE

Rahmens: The Japanese Tradition

2010-01-07T20:35:00.004+09:00

Complaints Choir of Tokyo

2010-01-05T19:25:00.000+09:00

the CONTORTIONIST pool

2010-01-03T16:50:00.001+09:00

flickr: the CONTORTIONIST pool

too sweet

2010-01-02T13:35:00.002+09:00

my mother left a comment today.....

ふけいき

2010-01-02T10:14:00.002+09:00

New York times story on how the bad economy is forcing some people to live in capsule hotels.

SLIDESHOW

FULL STORY

Happy New Decade

2010-01-01T19:33:00.006+09:00

this poem was the inspiration for the masthead design on this page, and has been an inspiration to me for a long time. from Spoon River Anthology.

I HAVE studied many times

The marble which was chiseled for me--

A boat with a furled sail at rest in a harbor.

In truth it pictures not my destination

But my life.

For love was offered me and I shrank from its disillusionment;

Sorrow knocked at my door, but I was afraid;

Ambition called to me, but I dreaded the chances.

Yet all the while I hungered for meaning in my life.

And now I know that we must lift the sail

And catch the winds of destiny

Wherever they drive the boat.

To put meaning in one's life may end in madness,

But life without meaning is the torture

Of restlessness and vague desire--

It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid.

Shibuya Gal-tokei

2009-12-30T20:48:00.004+09:00

just in time for the new year

great song, great movie

2009-12-25T23:00:00.001+09:00

Sita Sings The Blues

2009-12-25T21:45:00.003+09:00

New York based artist and flash genius Nina Paleys painstaking efforts pay off in this modern re-telling of the Ramayana

here is an interview with the creator i made

and edited when i lived in New York

Happy Holidays

2009-12-25T11:17:00.003+09:00

MONEY MARK~hand in your head

2009-12-20T12:53:00.006+09:00

i love this song from money marks album "push the button"

fuji rock 07'

with his mini mark....

Nagasaki 2/12~14

2009-12-16T09:30:00.000+09:00

だんだん。。。たこです

2009-12-12T13:55:00.000+09:00

my brothers new blog

2009-12-07T20:21:00.005+09:00

my brother richard has been traveling around the world and taking great photos for years. lately has been playing around with tilt shift. check out his new BLOG, his WEBSITE and his FLICKR

8 but thriller

2009-12-05T12:31:00.001+09:00

Osaka/Kyoto 11/27~12/2

2009-12-02T20:34:00.002+09:00

ぜんぶしゃしん

it's a BOY

2009-12-02T20:25:00.002+09:00

Yoshiko and Shuichi had a baby boy Sunday, November 29th @11:12 a.m.

Happy Wedding Anniversary Alan & Harriet

2009-11-26T04:27:00.006+09:00

My mom and dad met on the beach in Coney Island in August 1957, they married 3 months later in November. I am happy to report that 52 years later they are still going strong.

i love you

The Muppets: Bohemian Rhapsody

2009-11-25T05:34:00.001+09:00

SUPER FANTASMIGORICAL

catching up

2009-11-24T20:41:00.002+09:00

had a chance to catch up with my old New York City teaching homies this week while they were in Tokyo.

Duncan Sensei

Govinda Sensei

YOKOHAMA WORKSHOP DEC 13

2009-11-24T20:32:00.002+09:00

JOIN

i still can't handle it

2009-11-22T07:20:00.002+09:00

reports find that soy products like nato can prevent cancer, while fake soy products like tofurkey and soy powder can have adverse effects. but i still can't handle the taste.

call the karma police

2009-11-21T06:51:00.002+09:00

fancy purple mats have gone missing at trendy downtown N.Y.C. yoga studio

that's why i only use the cheap ones

ひできのふくおかしゃしんです。。。。

2009-11-14T08:53:00.008+09:00

*LiNK*

とか、まいこちゃん〜みてつくだし

EARTH SONG

2009-11-14T08:44:00.002+09:00

While I was in Fukuoka last week I saw "this is it".

Since then i can not get this song out of my head.

Virtual Tour

2009-11-13T17:40:00.002+09:00

"Resistance is Useless" @ BEAMS Shinjuku 7/9~8/12 2008

PRAY

2009-11-13T17:35:00.001+09:00

CLICK HERE

enough said

2009-11-12T18:00:00.000+09:00

LIFE IS BUT A DREAM....

2009-11-11T20:36:00.000+09:00

FUKUOKA WORKSHOP

2009-11-09T19:36:00.007+09:00

GOOD YOGA

GOOD FOOD

GOOD FRIENDS

GOOD FUN

PHOTO SLIDESHOW

goin to fukuoka

2009-11-04T21:34:00.002+09:00

まんげつ

2009-11-03T14:08:00.003+09:00

teenage influences

2009-11-02T12:01:00.006+09:00

at the not so tender age of 18...

these guys were my major music, political

and fashion influence.

maybe they still are.

namarupa mahayatra slideshow

2009-11-01T15:22:00.002+09:00

october

2009-10-31T05:30:00.010+09:00

i needed new glasses, left eye is a little weak...

nagasaki for workshop and kunugi chans birthday

my birthday on the 16th

yoshiko goes back to kobe to have her baby

azumino for workshop

graduation lunch for japanese class

surprise guests from fukuoka

ちょとつくれた。。。でも、たのしかた！！！

icy dip in the ganga

2009-09-21T20:10:00.001+09:00

icy dip in the ganga, originally uploaded by gbSk.

new samurai inspired cases for iphone

2009-08-20T11:21:00.003+09:00

Get yours NOW....only ¥99,800

that's about $1,000 U.S.

じゅんびい...preparation

2009-08-18T19:36:00.003+09:00

i do not leave for the NAMARUPA MAHAYATRA until saturday, but i wanted to do a test run to see if it all fits. and it does!!....with room to spare.

23 days with 30+ people from 7 different countries (7 of us from japan) on a pilgrimage and trek through north india and the himalayas:

i am so ashamed

2009-08-17T16:18:00.005+09:00

after making fun of every fool i ever saw with crocs, i finally broke down and bought a pair for my upcoming trip to north india and the himalayas. i am just sick and tired of cracked and painful heals. i know you will forgive me, but can i ever forgive myself.

to lessen the pain and shame i got the gnarliest version with the big knobby toe and through a little spray paint to give them a patina thang!

The Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali

2009-08-15T18:07:00.006+09:00

Regular Namarupa contributor Edwin F. Bryants translations and commentaries of the Yoga Sutras is one of my favorites. Now available on amazon.jp

Sorry, english only!!!

Fall Workshop Schedule

2009-08-15T18:00:00.002+09:00

Nagasaki, Azumino & Fukuoka

Carlos Ramos ~~ INDIA

2009-08-15T08:54:00.002+09:00

Some new works by animator/artist Carlos Ramos that will be shown at the Corey Helford Gallery in Culver City, California.

fun in fukuoka

2009-08-12T13:27:00.004+09:00

how two twelve made "LOVE"

2009-07-02T10:58:00.001+09:00

Love from two twelve on Vimeo.

きょとのさいしょえここんびに

2009-06-24T14:18:00.002+09:00

￥５０やすいですね

discover blog tries to explain tadpole rain in japan

2009-06-24T13:26:00.003+09:00

read the article

july 22, 2009. TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN

2009-06-22T11:33:00.005+09:00

how much of the eclipse can you see from your town in Japan?

check HERE

shameless self promotion

2009-06-21T19:53:00.003+09:00

MY COLLAGES

11 spring street

2009-06-18T20:03:00.002+09:00

still one of my favorite art shows ever

Sri K. Pattabhi jois, Vaikunta Samaradhane

2009-06-11T18:35:00.002+09:00

IN LOVING MEMORY

2009-05-22T22:41:00.002+09:00

SRI KRISHNA PATTABHI JOIS 1915~2009

SLIDESHOW

1 minute primary series

2009-05-15T10:49:00.001+09:00

heart shaped watermelons

2009-05-12T04:57:00.002+09:00

when i am in kumamoto i will have to get my hands on one of these...

via (japan probe)

major traffic

2009-05-10T20:08:00.004+09:00

i was wondering why this quiet little blog went from its usual 40 or 50 views a day to 2,441. then i followed the links and saw that GIZMONDO and TOKYOMANGO posted this picture i took a couple of years ago on one of my rare nights at a club in tokyo.

people i don't know

2009-05-07T09:38:00.003+09:00

these are some of my favorite photos of people i don't know around Japan

making of yoga manga

2009-05-05T09:45:00.004+09:00

gets interesting around 3:33

yogamanga.com

A3 size poster for sale ¥2,000+shipping~contact me: gurubanda@gmail.com

for all my readers in the S.W. U.S. of A. both of them!

2009-05-04T10:47:00.005+09:00

Everyones favorite chai wala and web master is now offering daily Mysore classes in Albuquerque, New Mexico

support y'all

Ashtanga Yoga Photos by Matt Criggs

2009-05-03T20:25:00.007+09:00

check out these beautiful photos from good friend,

wicked photographer and Ashtanga Yoga teacher Matt Criggs

toilet designed with yoga principles in mind

2009-05-03T12:09:00.007+09:00

The "go with the flo" toilet designed by students from Arizona State University boasts such features as an electromagnetic ball valve that uses just one-and-a-half gallons of water from the tanks to the bowl and a sink built in above the cistern, allowing you to reuse the water you've washed your hands with when you flush (which japanese toilet makers figured out long ago). But it is the squatting position the user takes that strengthens the back and builds abdominal muscles that the designers say is its most yoga-like feature (which indian toilet makers figured out a ling time ago).

go with the flo toilet

indian squat toilet

japanese hand was toilet

seen on souljerky/twitter

Ashtanga Yoga classes in Kumamoto May, 29~31

2009-05-02T05:43:00.008+09:00

to join class contact: yumikumari220@yahoo.co.jp

new ashtanga yoyogi homepage

2009-05-01T08:58:00.001+09:00

ありがとございます: one digital farm

stylish prevention

2009-04-30T17:20:00.002+09:00

with the W.H.O. on the brink of proclaiming a swine flu pandemic, Japanese artist Yoriko Yoshida designed some super cool masks to keep the germs out.

seen on pink tentacle

jesus of the toilet

2009-04-28T11:05:00.002+09:00

Why does so much of my art end up in bathrooms?

this photo was sent to me by AYSF

because the moon was completely dead!!!

2009-04-25T19:55:00.007+09:00

i try not to do too much on new moon days. especially when they are cold and wet like today is.

my indian astrological advisor (who happens to be a tall white man from texas) told me, "The lord of your rising sign is in the 8th house, which represents death. You were born on the new moon day, which represents death. Because the moon was completely dead."

don't believe me.....i recorded it:

Yoga Instructor Still Going Strong at 83

2009-04-24T14:09:00.003+09:00

"I'm proof that if you keep at it, you'll get there. I can do more

now than I could 50 years ago," Mrs Calman said.

you can stay up, if you want

2009-04-22T16:19:00.003+09:00

i am not saying this style is correct or incorrect. my teacher taught me to come down and do vinayasa between each one of these, but he also said it's OK to stay up and do them all...if you want.

inspired

2009-04-22T15:35:00.003+09:00

some pieces from taishi~kuns new line

he made all these collage designs from discarded paper

DASHING

all 100% organic cotton

skinny ties

two great tastes...

2009-04-21T12:03:00.004+09:00

that taste great together

radiohed & alan watts

my brother goes to agra, delhi, jaipur and nepal

2009-04-16T11:02:00.005+09:00

he takes 1,613 photos....and posts every one of them on flickr

nepal

jaipur

delhi

agra

3D anatomy models

2009-04-15T18:33:00.005+09:00

from ANATOMY PLANET

a wolf loves pork

2009-04-15T18:03:00.005+09:00

mind blowing stop motion video by japanese artist

Takeuchi Taijin using takusan shashin. Great music too!

Okonomiyaki in 17 steps

2009-04-14T17:51:00.005+09:00

click on photo for link...

taishi~kun shows us how to prepare delicious traditional

japanese comfort food while visiting kamakura.

Divine Qualities

2009-04-14T12:00:00.006+09:00

8 or 9 years ago i had the great fortune to meet swami Bramhadev at his forest ashram in B.R. hills in Karanataka, South India. His humble and gentle nature, devotion to his teacher swami nirmalananda and the delicious food he lovingly prepared for us made an impression on me that i will never forget. Over the years our paths have crossed a again, and each time he continues to inspire me.

While I was in Mysore in 2007 he made a rare appearance at the yoga shala and invited a few of us for lunch and gave a brief and informal talk afterwards. i caught some of it on video:

in this first video he talks about divine qualities and how they give us more power, more energy, more peacefulness, more ananda, more independence....then you are like king of kings

there is something different than speech
when you are observing deep silence
more tasty and more sweety
sweeter than ice cream
sweeter than any pudding.......

my first trip to B.R. Hills with yossi and kate

i returned a few years later with Sharath and his family

New York City Yogis Gotta Pay the Bills Too

2009-04-13T11:26:00.006+09:00

my friend sean took this picture of me at yoyogi park last week. i was doing my most "spiritual" pose, the one in which i look up to the cosmos in a contemplative and all knowing gaze. but as always, i look like some wanna be tough guy from brooklyn. no matter where you go....there you are!

New York City Yogis Gotta Pay the Bills Too, originally uploaded by seanmileslotman.

this is sean....

and this is his BLOG

the buddha and the boss

2009-04-12T20:22:00.002+09:00

a former yakuza boss from the yamaguchi clan finds refuge in lord buddha.

or is he just trying to buy his way into nirvana?

Salary Man Man

2009-04-11T12:04:00.004+09:00

My ex~girlfriend warned me not to mess with salaryman man.

more of takashi tanaguchis animated shorts

NAMARUPA MAHA YATRA

2009-04-11T06:49:00.008+09:00

There is still time and a few spaces left for those brave and blessed souls who want to join the good people of namarupa magazine and me on a pilgrimage through some of the holy cities of North India. The trip includes Hindu festivals, music programs, temple visits, vegetarian food, daily yoga practice, hiking and camping in the Himalayas, satsang with local swamis and bathing in the sacred river Ganga.

All the details are "HERE"

awesome artwork for the flyers by namarupa co-publisher Robert Moses

(i helped a little)

MUMBAI

2009-04-10T22:51:00.010+09:00

I was fortunate to spend a weekend

in Mumbai recently, and in a single

jam-packed day participated in the age-

old traditions that have kept India alive

with vibrant spirituality: temple worship,

teachings of the spiritual masters and

holy festivals celebrated in grand style.

the day began with pre-dawn puja for

Lord Shiva at the Babulnath Temple

in the heart of the city overlooking

the Arabian Sea. Most of my time is

spent in South India where direct deity

worship is only done by the pujaris. So

it is always exceptional to visit temples

where flowers, fruit, milk, sandal paste

and other items are available for visitors

to do their own personal puja and

worship.

I then took a short cab ride to visit

the home of Advaita master Ramesh

Balsekar, who, at the age of 91, still

welcomes any and all to his home on

a daily basis for casual satsang and

question-and-answer sessions. He

delivered his straightforward message

on non-dualism with a delightful sense

of humor in the informal atmosphere of

his living room.

That evening, I joined

an overflowing and enthusiastic crowd

of devotees at the Radha Gopinath

Temple, also known as the ISKCON

Hare Krishna Hare Rama Temple, for

Pushya Abhishek to celebrate the first

day of spring. Imagine hour upon hour

of ecstatic chanting, dancing and being

showered with one ton of multicolored

flower petals, some shipped all the way

from Vrindavan. If George Harrison

had thrown a rave, it would have looked

something like this.

In these unsettling

times, ripe with threats of violence,

modernization and materialism, this

single day served as an uplifting and

comforting reminder that the customs

of ancient India are still alive and well

and readily available for all who have a

desire to participate.

CHECK OUT THE FULL PHOTO SET "HERE"

BirdsongRadio.com

2009-04-10T08:26:00.008+09:00

Nagoya 4/17,18,19

2009-04-09T12:46:00.005+09:00

MYSOUL8

銀

2009-04-09T07:37:00.004+09:00

in case you were wondering about the correct method

Toki Doki

2009-04-09T06:45:00.004+09:00

sometimes i do miss n.Y.c.....and the homies

Beauty & Truth

2009-04-08T16:43:00.003+09:00

i went to yoyogi koen today for ohanami and saw the sakura at their peak...

then i caught a glimpse of what goes on the behind the scenes

during cherry blossom season in tokyo.

horitaku does me, tebori style

2009-04-08T16:23:00.003+09:00

horitaku does tebori style.., originally uploaded by gbSk.

Tebori or traditional Japanese tattoo involves using a set of needles attached to the end of a handle made of wood or metal. The tattooist dips the needles in ink and creates a tattoo by pressing the needles rapidly and rhythmically into the skin. ever since i got work done by horitakus ototosan horizakura (shinji) in nYc i prefer this style to electric machines.
for an extra thrill, TURN UP THE VOLUME.

Alan Watts on ZEN

2009-04-07T17:43:00.013+09:00

brilliantly animated by Matt Stone and Trey Parker of South Park fame

originally posted by Souljerky

A GOOD START

2009-04-06T18:58:00.002+09:00

aum gam ganapataye namaha

i took this picture on mahasivaratri at the dakshin kashi temple in nanjangud