DAS MODELL*




The first weekend of teacher training was amazing. Who doesn't like seeing her guru(s) and doing as many as three yoga classes a day, talking about yoga and the Bhagavad Gita and the Sutras and anatomy and Pranayama and Mantra and Asana and spending five hours five feet away from Krishna Das and meeting a fellow student who goes by the name "Cell Phone?"

But all good things must end (for a few weeks anyway).

Last night my flight home was delayed two hours; I got into Chicago around Midnight.

The windchill was -30.

I greeted the cat, stowed my stuff, took a bath, and went to sleep.

This morning I got up at 5AM and dumped out my suitcase. Then I filled it with clothes for a photo shoot, and downloaded directions to it. I ate and dressed for my 6:30 class.

Despite thw windchill, the car started. It's a Honda.

I taught Dharma's Level I class as usual. But could only remember one of the new changes and made sure to add it; an "easy" varation on Parvritta Parsvakonasana that's a lot harder than it looks (both the Level I and Level II sequences have changed a little bit from last year - in a good way).

Afterwards I headed to the three-hour shoot at Essanay**on Goose Island.

My mother was a model, and this was my chance to feel like it was to be her for a moment.

I liked the shoot more than I wanted to - although I suspect that being a runway / print / TV model for Marshall Field's, et al in the 1950's was a lot of hard work + very little glamour. She used to take the train in from McHenry, and would read science fiction novels to while away the time. When she told the other models that we'd one day be walking on the moon, they thought she was loca.

Funny - the stylist didn't choose any of the outfits I'd brought. It probably didn't help that I don't know what "business casual" means or own a suit with pants. Plus while putting my things away I realized that all of my yoga teaching togs are pilled and frayed.

(Bonus Flashback scene from my Audition:

PERSON WITH CLIPBOARD: Who is your agent?
ME: What?
PC: Your agent. Who is your agent?
ME: There's no agent. There's just me.
PC: ?
ME: I'm an actual yoga person.

Every beatifully-shaped, perfectly coiffed head in the room whips around and stares at the woman with the wild grey hair.

VERY PRETTY MODEL; Ooo-ooh, look out for her)

I really enjoyed being fed and fussed over; it made me re-parented again.

Plus everyone was so nice.

I don't think I've ever worn that much make up at one time.

Or made that much money.

Anyway, I may be appearing in an Aleve advert soon in a magazine near you. As the letter Z or E or B or I - or even Y.

And the photog may be appearing in a yoga class near you.












***

*Watch the video: Does it not look like these guys are contestants on a game show?

**Chicago's original Essanay Studio is where Charlie Chaplan got his start.