The Schtick (Danger Danger)

For some, danger is a thrill that beats even the biggest buzz. For others, danger causes angst, fear, and an excessive need to pee. Danger is powerful if used effectively. Said Nietzsche, "The secret of reaping the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment from life is to live dangerously." How does danger affect you? I'd like to offer you the opportunity to find out. I'm excited to announce a yoga retreat I'll be leading in early 2009. Following on the success of Yoga + Chocolate, Yoga + Wine, and Yoga + Snow comes the next chapter in the journey: YOGA + DANGER. We'll be headed to none other than the danger capital of the world: North Korea. Yes! I've secured 10 visas thru a Canandian Travel Company to enter the forbidden land also known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

We will begin on a 4 stop plane ride starting in Los Angeles, connecting in Tokyo, connecting in Seoul, arriving in Pyongyang. If you haven't yet bonded in the 37 hour plane ride, hold your horses because we'll just be getting started. Upon arrival, we will check in to the Moonstar Plaza Hotel which has a stunning view of the demilitarized zone. You'll enjoy evening rations of water while staring out your window at gorgeous moonlit silhouettes of soldiers staring down their barrels. That is just an appetizer of the danger yet to come. We will awaken the following morning for a yoga class in a real live bomb shelter in the hotel basement. After yoga, we will enjoy a morning breakfast of raisins and low-grade Russian vodka. Soon thereafter, our "handler" will lead us on a tour of downtown Pyongyang where we will have a chance to view monuments to the fallen leader Kim Il Sung.

You might be asking, "Why would I want to spend my vacation in a bomb shelter eating raisens and low-grade Russian Vodka when I can be chilling on Vinnie Marino's yoga trip to the beach in Tulum?"

Just wait. My daily yoga classes will feature themes on communism, pain, and heartbreak all of which will blend in perfectly to the stark surroundings. Other featured events will include an evening of deep stretch yoga set in the foothills overlooking the border to China. As people attempt to escape over the border, we will watch from the cobbler's pose and root them on using our thoughts and pure Shakti power. Danger will be everywhere and I will teach skills and breathing techniques to stay calm amidst the force of North Korea's 1.1 million person army. If you feel something poking your back, that won't be a private part of your favorite male yoga teacher; it'll be a North Korean soldier poking the cold barrel of a Russian manufactured AK-47 into your shoulder. But if this still is not danger enough for your thick skin; there's more!

The climactic moment will be our arranged meeting with current North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il. We have been warned to dress in a certain way and greet the leader as "if we were greeting God Himself." Get this. My friend dressed up his young son as Kim Jong-Il for this past Halloween(see above photo). I thought it was such a brilliant idea. So everyone on the retreat will also dress up as Kim Jong-Il to greet the leader. It will be a great surprise. And hey, what's the worst thing that can happen to us? It's dangerous and danger is the name the game for our 4 death-defying nights in this dark corner of the world.

If this trip sounds like a bit much for you, I'd at least like you to consider your relationship with danger. Don't be scared. As Winston Churchill said, "Danger; if you meet it promptly and without flinching; you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything. Never!"

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Play it Safe in Style

If you haven't yet figured it out, the above retreat to North Korea was a joke. I was just kidding in order to set the tone for the real trips I'll be leading in the months and days to come. In my upcoming yoga retreat to the Red Mountain Spa in the desert canyon region of Southern Utah, you will be in the lap of luxury. In a hidden bluff surrounded by Grand Canyonesque red rocks, you will practice outdoor yoga after which you'll be showered with chocolate and wine. If you're not already feeling the ultimate pleasure, you will venture into the sandy dunes for an afternoon hike followed by an evening massage in the world-class spa. This will be a dream weekend that's just long enough to rejuvenate and just short enough not to annoy the loved ones you've left at home. Join us!

This workshop will focus on mastering the peak experience so that next time something amazing happens in your life, you have the skills and tools to fully appreciate it. If you feel like life is getting away from you and it's harder to enjoy rich and deeply present moments, this retreat will not only be a great party but also an inspirational 3 day journey. LET'S LIVE IT UP April 17-20.

Click here for more info.

Please email me with questions or to register: yeahdave@yeahdaveyoga.com

Yoga + Wine in Sicily

The adventure of adventures takes place August 31-September 5 as wine connoisseur Angela Gargano and I lead a yoga retreat to the exotic Mediterranean paradise of Sicily. This trip is for the person with the following characteristics:

-Love of pasta
-Love of wine
-Passion for exotic adventures
-A belief that life is short and you need to live NOW (not next year)
-Interest in how to live longer AND live better (Mediterranean style)

This retreat will feature beautiful accommodations, expert tours from Angela (who is Sicilian), my morning yoga journeys through your mind and body, the island's greatest gnocchi and fresh seafood, and last but not least, a lifetime of newfound knowledge and passion for wine.

Capped off with a tour of Sicilian winery Feudo Arancio, you will feel like you died and went to Sicily.

The retreat takes place August 31-September 5.

Click here for more info: Yoga + Wine in Sicily with me and Angela Gargano

If you have questions or to sign up, contact Angela at: blissflowyoga@yahoo.com

This weekend in Santa Monica

The next era of Yoga + Wine begins on Saturday, March 1 from 1:30-3:30pm at Exhale Santa Monica. Angela Gargano and I will present Epicurean Enlightenment or one might say: YOGA AND FEAST. Here's some more info:

This 2 hour experience will focus on how to best pair food with wine, and spirit with passion to achieve enhanced sensation and higher vibration. You will begin with my 90 minute flowing vinyasa yoga class that will focus on making important decisions from your most natural state. When we act hastily from a stressed state, we make bad decisions that sour the soul. Such decisions are like pairing dessert wine with steak..yuck. After class when you are refreshed and relaxed, sommelier Angela Gargano will lead you thru a tasting of wines from the Feudo Arancio vineyards in Sicily. She will teach you how to pair wine and food so that you can reach peak states of epicurean ecstasy. For instance, opposites attract. Angela will show you things such as how a rich, salty blue cheese like a Stilton can be complimented by a rich, honey like Sauternes; or spicy thai noodles bring out the best in a sweet gewurztraminer. You will leave with newfound knowledge of food and wine, body and spirit. YES THIS WORKSHOP WILL INCLUDE AN AMAZING FOOD AND WINE TASTING AFTER THE YOGA EXPERIENCE.

For more exciting details:
http://exhalespa.com/locations/santa-monica/

Or contact me with questions or to say hey:
yeahdave@yeahdaveyoga.com

Livin' the Moment

I finished my book and now it needs to bake in the oven before it's published in the near future by Broadway Books/Random House. In the meantime, check out what will be AWESOME upcoming weekends in Chicago, New Jersey, and Cleveland. These weekends feature accessible gateways by which to find a more deeply present moment and take time away from the bump and grind of everyday living. Such accessible gateways include flowing yoga, great music, exotic chocolate and fine wine

Join me:

March 7-9 at Total Body Yoga in the greater Chicago area

March 14-16 at the Yoga and Healing Center in Scotch Plains, NJ

March 28-30 at Evolution Yoga in Cleveland, OH

Each weekend will feature not just one experience but a complete journey starting Friday with 45 minutes of audio-visual inspiration that will illustrate the power of a deeply present moment; continuing with a new evolution of chocolate powered yoga and wine-inducing ecstasy; and finishing with a slam bang of great music and a shift in perspective that will leave you fired up for the best Spring ever!

All weekends feature equally fun and boredom-proof info that is totally different from what I've presented in previous trips!

Yoga + Chocolate Training with Katrina Markoff and David Romanelli

Yoga + Chocolate Training is FINALIZED AND CONFIRMED. It will take place May 30-June 1 at Exhale in Santa Monica, CA.

In 1993, David Romanelli met Katrina Markoff for the first time in their college munchy mart. He randomly asked if she thought the bologna cracker sandwiches were a good call for a snack. She told him it was a disgusting call and at that instant they became the best of friends. Katrina went on to found Vosges Haut-Chocolat and David went on to co-found yoga studios in Arizona. In 2003, Katrina and David fused their passions for the first time and Yoga + Chocolate was born. They have since traveled extensively around the United States sharing this musically inspired, chocolate-induced, sensory exploration of mind, body, spirit, and palette.

Now...David and Katrina are excited to present the latest evolution in their creation: THE YOGA + CHOCOLATE TRAINING.

If you are a passionate student, a chocolate lover, or a yoga instructor wanting more, the Yoga + Chocolate Training will inspire even greater love for the symbol of deliciousness as experienced in a deeply and richly present moment. This 3 day weekend intensive will focus on the tastes, sounds and message that have made Yoga + Chocolate such a sweet experience. The training will feature:

-History of chocolate

-Cooking inspiration with Vosges founder Katrina Markoff

-In-depth on the chakras and how to accentuate thru exotic chocolate

-How to create and/or teach a Yoga + Chocolate experience using truffles, music, stories, and fun sequencing

-Entrepreneurial wisdom from Entrepreneur Magazine's 2007 Woman of the Year, Katrina Markoff

-Aromatherapy 101

-David's quirky themes and irreverent brand of spirituality

The Yoga + Chocolate Training will take place at Exhale Santa Monica:

Friday, May 30        6:30-9:30pm

Saturday May 31        1:30-5:30pm

Sunday June 1          2:30-6:30pm

THIS TRAINING WILL SELL OUT SO PLEASE SIGN UP SOONER THAN LATER IF YOU WISH TO HAVE A SPOT

We will start taking signups next week at Exhale Santa Monica:   310.899.6222

Please email me with any questions: yeahdave@yeahdaveyoga.com

The Speech

If your working environment could benefit from some fresh perspective and exotic chocolate, check out my Livin the Moment speech. I will show how your everyday passions can unlock the power of a deeply present moment. Modern research proves that one who is more present finds more success in every aspect of life from work to marriage to parenting. Having been presented to Veuve Clicquot and American Express to name a few, the Livin' the Moment speech is fresh, well-researched, and sexy (if I don't say so myself).

Click here for more info

Yeah Dave Yoga (around the world)

Santa Monica, CA March 1
YOGA + WINE WITH ANGELA GARGANO
(www.exhalespa.com)

Wilmette, IL March 7
(www.genyoga.com)

Chicago, IL March 7-9
(totalbodyyoga.com)

NY/NJ March 14-16
(yogaandhealingcenter.com)

Cleveland, OH March 28-30
(www.evoyoga.com) (LVM)

Phoenix, AZ April 11-13
(atoneyoga.com)

Wilimington, NC TBA
(portersneckyogaspa.com)

Charlotte, NC TBA
(yoga-south.com)

Yoga Retreat in Red Mountain, Utah April 17-20
(redmountainspa.com)

Stockton, CA May 16
(www.mindbody-zone.com)

Los Gatos, CA May 17, 18
(www.yogasource.com)

YOGA + CHOCOLATE TRAINING May 30-June 1
Santa Monica, CA

Charleston, WV August 1-3
(www.koyogawv.com)

Yoga + Wine in Sicily with Angela Gargano
August 31-September 5

New York City September 25-28
(www.exhalespa.com)

Honolulu, HI October 19
(www.halekalani.com)

Sacamento, CA November 7-9
(zudayoga.com)

Dallas, TX November 14-16
(livingyogadallas.com)

My Daily Yoga Schedule

I teach daily yoga classes at Exhale in Santa Monica and Venice, California.

Monday and Wednesday, 2:30pm, Exhale Venice (these classes are only $8)

Tuesday and Thursday, 6:30pm, Exhale Santa Monica
(Tuesday's class is only $10)

For more info check out:

Exhale in Santa Monica and Venice, CA

Sincerely,

David Romanelli
Yeah Dave Yoga

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