Happy New Year Metta-heads!  There’s something so epic-sounding about “2010″, isn’t there?  Perhaps it’s an Arthur C. Clarke thing.

We’ve been celebrating the holidays by bringing some old traditions back [Nanaimo bars and football] and welcoming some new traditions [family Rockband tours].  At first it seemed weird to be all hanging out in the living room getting ready to play Skynyrd, but in another way, it was so very right.  It helped me get fired up for the one-time only return of BRF:  The Revenge, and here’s what we grooved to:

“For Those About To Rock [We Salute You]“, AC/DC

“Eye Of The Tiger”, Survivor

“Jump”, Van Halen

THANK YOU ST. LOUIS! OR WHEREVER I AM!

“Don’t Stop Believing”, Journey

“Somebody”, Bryan Adams

“Always On The Run”, Lenny Kravitz and Slash

“Consolers of the Lonely”, The Raconteurs [Jack White came up several times in various conversations on New Years' Eve, which in my flaky way I considered a sign of a synchronicity vortex.  Also, the song is made of win.  It sounds sort of pointy and gristly which made it a perfect choice for binds and Tittbhasana.  Also we think that Jack White and Jack Black should TOTALLY get together and do some sort of arcane project.]

“Have You Ever Been [To Electric Ladyland]“, Hendrix

“All The Young Dudes”, Mott the Hooples

“Simple Man”, Lynyrd Skynyrd

“Thank You”, Led Zeppelin

“Wanted Dead Or Alive”, Bon Jovi

“Easy”, Faith No More [by way of the Commodores]

“More Than Words”, Extreme

“Across the Universe”, Beatles

An ominous call from the government reminded me that Big Rock Fridays have not been adhering to their CanCon requirements.   Just kidding.  This week’s BRF is brought to you by student requests, and assisted by Resident Canuckistani Rock Expert M, late into the evening last night.

“Heart of Gold”, Neil Young

I wish this was a real guitar. It would probably be super uncomfortable.

“Rock N Roll Duty”, Kim Mitchell

“Lovin’ Every Minute Of It”, Loverboy [HELLZ YEAH]

“You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet”, BTO

“Fly By Night”, Rush

“We’re Here For A Good Time (Not A Long Time)”, Trooper

“Closer To The Heart”, Rush

“Cordelia”, Tragically Hip [If you ever wanted to hear the sound of the Sjanz' high school career, this is how far down it really was]

“You May Be Right”, The Grapes Of Wrath

“Wheat Kings”, Tragically Hip [So many band camp slow dances]

“Angel Eyes”, Jeff Healey [shout out to my brother and sister]

“Lost Together”, Blue Rodeo

“Fiddlers Green”, Tragically Hip

“Helpless”, Neil Young

The weather’s not really cooperating with my vision for this week’s BRF but I know from experience we will find a way to be impossibly sweaty in spite of the clouds.  This one has an old-school 70s feel and includes riffs that make me reflexively smile and air-guitar whenever I hear them.  And Foghat.  Srsly.  So great.  Always makes me think of Wiley Wiggins with his big headphones on.

“Summer Of ‘69″, Bryan Adams

M in Parksville

“Raise A Little Hell”, Trooper

“I Believe In A Thing Called Love”, The Darkness

“Crosstown Traffic”, Jimi Hendrix

“Slow Ride”, Foghat [for as long as we can put up with that ridiculous outro]

“Listen To The Music”, The Doobie Brothers

“Rocky Mountain Way”, Joe Walsh

“Hot Fun In The Summertime”, Sly and the Family Stone

“Rough Boy”, ZZ Top

“Summer Breeze”, Seals and Crofts

“Voodoo Chile Blues”, Jimi Hendrix

“Dream Weaver”, Gary Wright

“Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”, Bob Dylan

“I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow [Instrumental]“, John Hartford

The news is serving up fresh steaming hot cups of crazy…I’ve had 4.5 hours sleep, and Big Rock Friday VIII returns at 4 pm, with [I think] some slight modifications as I tinker around with it on this cloudy June morning.

As Yuri says, WWWWWWOOOOOOWWWWW

I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited in my whole life:  my application for Anusara Certification has been accepted.  Please note this doesn’t mean I’m certified, merely that the formal process of certification can begin in earnest, but man:  does it ever feel good to be moving forward, and to be welcomed by the community and my teacher in this way.  My eyes shuttered open at 5:15 am, which is not the Sjanz’s style in any way, and that was it;  whatever weird combination of adrenalin and jacked-up brain waves makes kids not go to sleep on Christmas Eve is coursing through my veins, and this Summer Solstice is turning out to be running on all six cylinders.

I feel like jumping around in my pyjamas, so I’m gonna go do that for a while.  Hope to see you at 4!

And some interblog miscellany.  Btw, M really is watching American Idol.  I’m keeping a safe distance.

Stupid blackberry pictures; it looks like leftovers. IT'S FRESH.

I wanted you guys to know that I made the quinoa salad up with barley ’cause I ran out of quinoa and it was actually great, maybe even better in terms of consistency, cause barley is such a toothy grain that it soaked up the dressing and extra liquid in the veggies in a most marvellous way.  Here’s a variation that includes black beans, some heirloom tomatoes, a bit of crumbled feta, wilted [on purpose!] kale, and half a shallot that I rescued from the fridge.

Also, some of you have expressed interest in a mala, and I’m happy to make one for you to your specifications [or just freestyle one], but I gotta be honest:  these stones weren’t cheap:  depending on what you want I’d love to hook you up but be prepared to set aside some coin for materials.  If you’re STILL interested in spite of my baleful fiscal caveat, please let me know in comments or email me at my first name backwards at gmail dot com.

OH AND!  I think for Mayday this year it’s time to bring back Big Rock Fridays.  And by “bring back” I mean going all the way back:  Big Rock Friday I, the jam that started it all, back when we only had 35 people in there instead of 229 [Note to building inspectors:  /sarcasm/].  My original intention was to create a set of wicked awesome playlists that we could play with every Friday and I think we have enough wicked awesomeness to proceed, don’t you?

This was far FAR too amazing not to link to.  This guy is…well, just watch the thing, would you?

Okay, now M’s watching Notorious, a bit better, although it’s worth noting that just in time for the return of BRF Classic, Slash will be the guest on American Idol next week.  COINCIDENCE??!?!?!?/1?!??!slashslash??one?!  I gave up believing in coincidences a long time ago, actually.

Happy longish weekend!  I love the vibe of scheduled holidays.  Even though I’m working today it was appallingly easy to sleep in, and the whole day has this pleasant glow to it.  A perfect time to come and try out Big Friday, especially if you usually work at this time…spring is in the air, a young yogi’s fancy turns to love, under the boardwalk, some enchanted evening &c. &c.  Also will help you work off your ham or ham-analogue Easter dinner.

I’m also teaching Freestyle Friday this evening, a class with very little instruction where we groove to somewhat more subtle music and you can pretty much do whatever you please, so if you can’t make the 4 pm and you have a self practice, come up and see us at Yaletown at 6:30.

“Call My Name”, Prince

It was around this year that they perfected the jacket/vest synthesis

“The Way You Do The Things You Do”, The Temptations

“I Want You Back”, Jackson 5

“Do I Do”, Stevie Wonder

“Here I Am [Come And Take Me]“, Al Green

“I Second That Emotion”, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles

“In The Midnight Hour”, Wilson Pickett

“What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted”, Jimmy Ruffin

‘You Really Got A Hold On Me”, Percy Sledge

“Baby, Baby, Baby”, Sam Cooke

“Until You Come Back To Me [That's What I'm Gonna Do]“, Aretha Franklin

“Let’s Stay Together”. Al Green

“[You Make Me Feel Like] A Natural Woman”, Aretha Franklin

“I’ll Be There”, Jackson 5

“Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”, The Platters [This is such a great song, even though it's a bit outside of the vintage/style of the other songs...I couldn't resist.  The big timpani smash at the end?  Deadly]

“Beautiful Wonderful”, Anthony Hamilton

“My Funny Valentine”, Etta James

“Blame It On My Youth”, Brad Mehldau.  Everybody enjoys the Brad at the end of class these days.

Apparently after his concerts they would have to mop the floor down before the next act, from all his sweat. Sounds like us on Friday.

*SO* many great requests for this week.  It’s like this genre just brought out the music maniac in everyone.  It was super sweaty last week so wear your skivvies and don’t forget to bring a towel.

“Try A Little Tenderness”, Otis Redding

“Superstition”, Stevie Wonder

“ABC”, Jackson 5

“Ain’t Too Proud To Beg”, The Temptations

“This Old Heart Of Mine [Is Weak For You]“, The Isley Brothers

“Share Your Love With Me”, Aretha Franklin

“The Tracks Of My Tears”, Smokey Robinson

“[Sittin' On] The Dock Of The Bay”, Otis Redding

“Hey Love”, Stevie Wonder

“Sweet Thing”, Chaka Khan & Rufus

“When A Man Loves A Woman”, Percy Sledge

“These Arms Of Mine”, Otis Redding

“Do You Feel Me”, Anthony Hamilton

“Take Your Time”, Al Green feat. Corinne Bailey Rae

“How Long Has This Been Going On”, Brad Mehldau

Dig.  I’ve just been so darn mellow since I got back from CR that I can’t stop listening to “Ain’t No Woman Like The One I Got” and lack any desire to scream at people to engage their back leg in Ardha Chandrasana while listening to Dokken, or something.  I’m going with my gut and my groove on this one, and proposing a delightful spring of Motown and R&B classics, both old and new.

I'm a Ringo girl, personally

A tip for surviving Big Motown Fridays is to remember that even when the sweat is falling into your eyes from below while you attempt your fourth preparation for full Kapotasana dropbacks:  Marvin Gaye ALWAYS has the right idea, and if you’re p.o’d at Marvin for sounding so mellow and joyous while you are about to blow up or swallow your tongue it’s time to chill out and laugh and watch the floor show until sanity prevails.  I know you know what I’m talking about.  See you on Friday at 4.

“Set The Mood Right/Until The End Of Time Prelude”, Justin Timberlake [I have ALWAYS wanted to start a class with this silly song.  Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa]

“Let’s Get It On”, Marvin Gaye

“My Girl”, Temptations

“Little Bit Of Feel Good”, Jamie Lidell

“When You Gonna Learn (Didgeridoo)”, Jamiroquai

“Golden Lady”, Stevie Wonder [This right here has been my jam for like 12 years now.  I wake up to this song on the Sony Dream Machine every morning.  It gives one a decent shot at a great day.]

“What’s Going On”, Marvin Gaye

“Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing”, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

“Ain’t No Woman Like The One I Got”, The Four Tops [See above]

“Stay With Me (By The Sea)”, Al Green feat. John Legend

“Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)”, Temptations [What's up with Motown artists (and parenthetical song titles?)]

“Live It Up”, John Legend

“Eddie You Should Know Better”, Curtis Mayfield

“Rope Of Sand”, Jamie Lidell

“Wild And Peaceful”, Kool and the Gang

“All I Wanna Do”, Jamie Lidell

“If It’s Magic”, Stevie Wonder

Stay tuned for more Big Motown/R&B Friday offerings.  Can’t wait for Aretha, Sam and Dave, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding…

BOSS.  It’s been so long!  Some oldies, some, uh, newies, and some requests.  Come and sweat out 1/5 of your body weight with us this afternoon at 4.

“November Rain”, Guns’n'Roses

Reminds me of the guys that used to hang out beside the woodworking shop

“Any Way You Want It”, Journey

“Run To The Hills“, Iron Maiden

“Shout It Out Loud”, KISS

“Highway to Hell”, AC/DC

“Doo doo doo doo doo &c.”, Rolling Stones

“Let It Bleed”, Rolling Stones

“The Chain”, Fleetwood Mac [This song came on Heroes the other night when Syler was in the diner and M and I looked at each other at pretty much the same time and said "I REALLY like this song.  Who is it, again?".  I've noticed the older I get the more I forgive Fleetwood Mac.]

“Love Rein O’er Me”, The Who

“Long As I Can See The Light”, Creedence [This song keeps showing up on BRF because I have concluded it accesses the parasympathetic nervous system directly.  As soon as the intro starts the temperature of the room drops 3 degrees and peoples' heart-rates slow down]

“Born Under A Bad Sign”, Jimi Hendrix

“Nothin’”, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss [check out this album if you haven't already; it contains much goodness, esp. for a household based almost entirely on Zeppelin anthologies and Coen Bros. movies like ours is]

The “Solitude/Orchid/Fluff” trifecta, Sabbath

“Julia”, Beatles

Dude, wait, what? I emerged blinking into the wan oatmealy light of North Burnaby after a rockin’ start to the workshop there and M is waiting in our trusty Kia to take me home. I’m burdened by an entire blueberry cheesecake from Pappagallo Cafe and

All the tyeyeyeyyeyeyeyyeme.

I’m so IN IT: I’ve been watching femurs and molding fascia and distilling rudimentary Tantra all week. The first thing I hear is Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” and I remember there’s a whole other world out there that ISN’T yoga and it’s quite shocking really, like somebody pouring a tankard of icy Gatorade down your back.

All this really means is that I can’t wait for Big Rock Fridays to return for an exclusive one-day blowout this Friday, March 6 at 4 pm. I’m off to Costa Rica on retreat for the next two Fridays so if you want to be a part of the myth and the legend, please come out and rock with me this Friday, in accordance with the prophecy. Requests in comments if you’ve got any.