Fire Groove's Youngest Performer Rock's His First Show!
by Kamala

Fire dancing is magical and mesmerizing… It is also ageless and inspires all people to connect with their inner self, their inner power and emotions. When you dance with fire you are transformed into raw energy in its purest form whatever you are feeling will be shown to your audience. In the beginning sometimes you will portray a little fear…that's OK, we all do. Eventually, you will find your flow. It will be yours alone, completely unique, unlike any other fire dancer. You will dance and move like watercolors, panting beautiful pictures with fire across the sky. Or in some cases, electric patterns of light across a dimly lit, packed dance floor. Below is the story of our youngest Fire Groove dancer and his first performance. Enjoy… and be inspired.

When Leslie and her son DJ walked into the Poi Groove Basics class we knew immediately that these two were going to be amazing. They were both extremely fit, coordinated, balanced, did I also mention extremely beautiful inside and out. But more exciting… they had this way of pushing each other in a very sweet way to do the best they could at all times. We knew from experience that this kind of healthy competition would keep these two excelling very quickly. We then found out that Leslie ran a boot camp called Backyard BootCamp. These two jumped right into learning poi and before we knew it they had finished our advanced poi workshops and taken from many of our visiting instructors.

We got a call from Leslie saying that she would like to do a very special performance for DJ's Bar Mitzvah including DJ himself and asked if we had any ideas? We set up a practice rehearsal with DJ to talk about what he would like to do and what would be the most comfortable and less stressful for him on this exciting day.

We decided to keep DJ a secret until the end of the show where he would then emerge front and center for the grand finale spinning a rockin' poi set with Lester and I highlighting him. We rehearse… and we're ready to go!

The party was hopping and packed with all of DJ's friends and family. Laughter and good vibes everywhere. We arrived and immediately were ushered out the doors to get ready to start the show. Funny I think Les and I were more nervous than DJ… Kids can be the hardest of critics sometimes. DJ was looking great and feeling extremely cool and confident. OK, time to start the show! The lights went down and the MC announced Fire Groove. I walked out with my glow hoop held high and started dancing up a storm. The kids loved it and I smiled feeling the first signs of the deep appreciation I have for this art. I then opened the floor to Les who came out swinging his double staves like the Tasmanian devil, the crowd was cheering and screaming! "And now, the moment you have all been waiting for the most amazing fire dancer of the night… take your eyes to the double doors" At that moment DJ walks through the parted crowd and hands Les and I our Poi. Following DJ we start rocking out making amazing patterns of light for the crowd. They were going wild no one could believe what an unbelievable and talented poi spinner DJ had become! I could barley keep up with him, he was ON it! One with the music, the crowd and his inner power! Everyone could feel it and see it, it was an experience that everyone at that party will always remember and cherish. When it ended the crowd circled DJ in the biggest group hug I have ever seen. The crowd cleared and DJ's beautiful mom Leslie took the floor and rocked the poi in a full length fitted skirt… HOT! What an amazing afternoon. Thank you so much DJ! We feel so blessed to have been a part of this event. Les and I rode home on a high that felt, invigorating and inspiring. To see family and friends be so encouraging to a person to do what he or she loves is needed and essential to life at all stages and ages! Our family has blessed us with that encouragement and freedom. Let's all make it a point to keep it going in the world.

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams"
- Eleanor Roosevelt

The Buzz... Recent Press

The Allure of Poi - listen to a podcast by Chantal Allan
People rave that yoga creates a sense of calm, but what about poi? Poi - which means “ball” - is a centuries-old Maori practice from New Zealand that involves spinning a weight attached to the end of a rope. The art form is emerging as the next trend in America. As Chantal Allan reports, poi combines physical fitness and spirituality - with fire or without it. “

Yoga Oasis in the City
by Hannah

There has never been a more important time to give selflessly, to connect with friends and neighbors, to sink your toes into the earth, to give yourself a moment in your day to just breath deeply and stretch. Our free yoga class at Runyon Canyon encourages all of this and so much more.

Kamala and I are often asked in a skeptical tone, "Why do you teach yoga for free? What are you getting out of it?" Why would anyone just give something away and not expect anything in return? Why? Because it feels good. So good that it's almost addicting! When was the last time you helped someone out for no apparent reason? When you see an elderly person struggling with a grocery cart, do you give them a hand? When someone slips and falls, do you stop and help them up? If a friend is having a rough day, do you give them a hug and offer to make them dinner? These are small things that can make the biggest difference in all of our lives. We encourage you to reach out and help someone in need and then notice how good you feel afterwards. This is why we teach free yoga, it makes our soul smile.

Yoga at Runyon Canyon is also a wonderful place to connect with friends and neighbors. We've seen many people come and go and then come again. We've made some truly amazing friends... we've met actors, musicians, and artists. We've met people going through struggles in their lives and people who are amazingly successful. We've laughed with these people and also cried. This class has become part of our lives and our students have become our extended family. This class provides a place where we can support one another in a healthy and positive way.

Living in Los Angeles, we spend so much time in our cars and offices, that there has never been a more important time to connect with nature. I have found that this outdoor yoga class provides me with the perfect daily dose of just that. Yes,there are those days when people walk by the class talking loudly on their cell phones, or belligerent bums pass by rambling, helicopters and leaf blowers also occasionally pass by but overall, I have found that the calming energy from nature overpowers everything else. Just imagine yourself standing with your feet sinking deep into the soft green grass. Imagine the sun shining down on your body and a soft breeze sweeping the scent of flowers over the hill. The busy sounds of the city disappear to the sweet songs of birds overhead. You take a deep inhale and sweep your arms into the blue sky and can't help but smile as you gaze up at the palm trees kissing the sun. That anticipated sense of peace and calm has already started to vibrate through your body.

Yoga has the power to change the world! It gives people a moment in their day where they can let go of stress and focus on bringing strength, balance and positivity into their lives and bodies. Yoga creates a sense of peace and calm in mind and body and therefore creates a more peaceful world.

We invite you to join us for an all level yoga class. Kamala and I teach Monday - Thursday 10:30 - 11:45, Stress teaches Friday and Steve teaches on the weekend so there is free yoga 7 days / week. Bring a blanket or mat if you have one, we've usually got extra's if you don't. We are also releasing a beautiful Instructional Yoga DVD that will be available for purchase early this summer.

Sizzling Hot Hip Bags

Fire Groove's fashion designer Jen is releasing a brand new line of sexy leather hip bags and accessories. You may have seen them in Fire Groove's latest demo and the award winning Circles of Light video. Most recently they were worn during Fire Groove's tribal performance at the Fuente Eterno festival in Mexico. All of these products are hand-crafted using organic pieces of recycled leather, and are made to fit hips of all sizes. They range in price from $65 to $200. Each bag is it's own unique piece of art so no duplicates are available. Contact Jen for more pictures and price quotes.