Neal Pollack

'You are old, Father William', the young man said,
'And your hair has become very white;
And yet you incessantly stand on your head --
Do you think, at your age, it is right?'

Originally published in The Faster Times. Since then, I've taught another yoga class, and six people attended, seven if you count the beautiful woman who stopped in for a while because she thought it was her feminist issues discussion group. She did yoga on a mat for 15 minutes before she thought to ask what was actually happening. In any case, here's an account from February:

One Thursday night last month, I taught a yoga class. It was the first in a series I’ve scheduled in L.A. leading up the monumental cultural event that will be the August publication of my yoga memoir Stretch. I figured the class, like most things yoga-related, could serve more than one function. Maybe I’d build a little audience for the book while also honing my yoga-talking and yoga-teaching skills. Essentially, it would be the yoga equivalent of an out-of-town opening.

I’d been preparing for weeks. First, I reserved the Shakti Box, a pleasant, warm, well-appointed space above the Video Hut near the corner of Vermont and Franklin. Some friends of mine had taught there. I liked the fact that it offered few frills, and also that it was very clean. Until the spring of 2009, it had been the private practice space of a nice woman named Edie, and then she decided to share the love. In addition to yoga, Edie books regular improv classes and a “Women’s Circle” at the Box, so clearly she’s open to different stuff. When I approached her with my idea for a “yoga comedy night,” she didn’t hang up on me immediately. She didn’t even hang up when I told her I was going to call the class “Club Sutra.” She offered a really reasonable rental price. Club Sutra was go.

Remember this thing I did with my son? Was it really 2007 when it came together? Anyway, it just reached 300,000 YouTube views, so I thought I'd celebrate with a fresh showing.

Thanks to Tom DeMarchi for the pic.

Imagine, just imagine, how different the world would be if all entertainment were like this. Thanks to Chris Noxon for opening the door for me.