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Nashville, TN (October 31, 2009)

"The Athens of the South."  Who knew?  As many times as I've been to Nashville, I had never once seen the Parthenon.  Inside there is supposedly an enormous statue of Athena, the largest indoor statue in the Western world.  It was closed on this visit, but just standing outside this structure was awe inspiring.  I also took a stroll down Bicentennial Mall State Park, which according to some is a reinterpretation of the mythic Mount Meru.  Observing these references to the mysteries of antiquity could get very Da Vinci Code, but nonetheless it was fun to explore these landmarks of Nashville.  I even got to experience a speakeasy, complete with 1920s garbed bartenders.  Best Bourbon Manhattan in the South!

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Yoga Workshop, Milwaukee (October 24, 2009)

So far on this trip, the Autumn weather had not been very friendly being rainy, cold and quite grey.  But miraculously on the day of our workshop, high atop the Diamond Tower solarium, the sun shone brightly, the sky blue without a cloud in sight!  The energy in class was noticeably fresh and vibrant and included some new students along with our usual suspects.  The focus of the day was combining fundamental aspects of Hatha Yoga and Kundalini Yoga to bring new understanding and perspective to one's practice.  We looked at what is the overall goal of yoga and how to incorporate awareness of the channels, chakras, and locks in reaching that goal.  It was a very enjoyable class thanks to all the participants!

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WiscoJazz @ The Highbury, Milwaukee (October 23, 2009)

You know how the saying goes, "when in Milwaukee, do as the Milwaukeeans do."  So I decided I might as well become reacquainted with those trusty ol' 1200s and try Serato on for size once again.  Alongside fellow DJs Lukewarm, Kris Kleinbeck & Donger, the weekly WiscoJazz night at the Highbury was as packed and fun filled as would be expected in a neighborhood British pub in beer town itself.  I have very fond memories of Milwaukee dating back to the early '90s Drop Bass parties and (especially) Sundays at Matisse.  You get the educated musical ear (being so close to Chicago) along with the close knit community that excels in having a good time.  The 414 loves Miles, and Miles indeed loves the 414 back a hundred fold!

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Zion National Park @ Utah (September 20)

On my road trip back to Cali, I made a stop through Zion National Park (a place I have been meaning to visit for some years now).  Utah overall has some of the most unique and awe-inspiring landscapes of which I have only scratched the surface.  At some point, it will be a necessary adventure to spend a few days/weeks to drive, hike, raft around and really explore all of Arches, Bryce Canyon, Zion and Canyonlands.  Here are a few more pictures from this pit stop…

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AAC @ Millennium Park, Chicago (September 17)

It's been a while since I've worked with the Atmospheric Audio Chair DJ collective, and what a way to get back together!  The original line-up included DJs Tom Pazen, Josh Werner, Miles Maeda (and the occasional Mystic Bill), plus hosted renowned artists like Mixmaster Morris, and provided a regular refuge to many a raver from 1992-1995.  It was an era we were all very fond of, and it's time we breathed some new life into it.  Thanks to our good friends at the City of Chicago (gracias Brian and Jack!) we were able to grace this magnificent stage and sound system on this beautiful summer afternoon as part of the Thursday Afternoon Music Series which began this year.  Now if any kind of music deserves to be heard on this spectacular set up, it is the music that so delicately fills such a grandiose landscaped space – ambient.  This music too often takes a back seat in our music culture.  But not this time!  Our mission is to keep the genre alive and well with all generations of music lovers.  Tracing back to it's origins with Brian Eno + classical/jazz/rock predecessors, the chill-out era of the early 90's, up to todays inspired artists like Sigur Ros and M83, the many shades of ambient were respectfully honored in Chicago this day.  Hallelujah!

Savasana / 1993 – click here to listen…

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21-day Intensive, Chicago (August 15 – September 4)

After taking a few days to settle, we began our Chicago adventure with a 21-day intensive focusing on daily yoga practice, seva, creative work and business planning, plus a cleansing diet suitable for each persons' goals.  When a longer program like this goes on, one has the unique opportunity to build a strong container for the energy that the practices generate.  And doing this work all together helps each person to receive the benefit of the groups' efforts.  Thus it is an amazing way to at the same time accelerate and stabilize one's practice.  The morning practices were Kundalini Yoga, seva supported learning to meditate while doing mundane activity (cleaning), creative work and business development included Napoleon Hill's book Think & Grow Rich, and the cleansing diets ranged from the 40-day 'green diet', the 21-day 'melon diet' and a vegetarian diet of nutrient rich, whole foods and yogic preparation and cooking.  Now that the program has been completed, a 30-day intensive is in the works and will be offered soon!

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Arnold ProFitness…open for business!

We finally made it to Chicago!  And with a car full of Ouvre goodies, we've helped create Arnold's beautiful new practice space.  It's a quaint unit tucked away in Ukrainian Village, but as we've been practicing and organizing the place is already overflowing with energy.  Our stay here will be 6 weeks with a goal to establish a foundation for Ouvre's presence in Chicago.  We're off to a great start providing Kundalini Yoga, Gyrokinesis, Hatha Yoga, as well as Arnold ProFitness led Boot Camp style work-outs in Wicker Park.  Get it while it's hot!

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Arches National Park, Moab UT (August 7)

We began our Travel In Love Show trip with a stop in Moab Utah, visiting Arches National Park.  I've seen pictures and heard much about this other-worldly place.  But nothing can compare to going there and seeing these incredible monuments with your own eyes.  Apparently, the bed of this part of Utah is a thick layer of salt deposited millions of years ago by an ancient sea.  As water would come and go, up to a mile of sediment created a rock surface.  And as the pressure built over time, the salt layer gave way and caused the rock surface to shift and buckle.  Then with sun, wind and water erosion many unique formations began to emerge.  It was a staggering 99 degrees, but worth it to experience the beauty and majesty of nature.  Click here for more photos!

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San Francisco, the Extended Remix (July 16-August 5)

My travel to San Francisco was meant to be a short 5-day trip and turned into an extended 3-week visit.  I did a show at Temple Nightclub, taught Taoist Yoga in Panhandle Park, and got to spend lots of quality time with friends (old and new).  And what was extra special was staying in Mill Valley with my very good friends the Maks and seeing how little baby Xander has grown.  The end result of this extended remix was meeting up with my student Greg and beginning the TLS Fall road trip/tour a little early and driving East.  Chicago, here we come!

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milesmaedamixes.com

I have been getting requests over the past few years, as the digital era's been exploding all over the place, for mp3 copies of my old mixes.  I figured it was about time to breathe new life into these dusty old mixes (all 20 years of it), so here it is!  Spanning early house and techno, through downtempo, ambient and rave, even including new mixes of disco and electropop, one can now visit www.milesmaedamixes.com and experience the wide array of electronic music that makes DJ Miles Maeda's clock tick.  All of the mixes are available to stream online as well as download.  So if you're hankering for some Miles, new or old, pay it a visit!

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