PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS EVENT WAS POSTPONED. WE HAD THE CHANCE TO “SIT” VIRTUALLY WITH STEPHEN VIA THE YOUTUBE STREAM. STAY TUNED FOR MORE EVENTS AT THE PENTHOUSE OF NOHO MARCH 18 & 19.
The Penthouse Artist Haven of NoHo Celebrates Spring Equinox with an Indoor Festival & Artist Collaboration
WHEN: March 18th & 19th – 12pm-12am
WHERE: The Basement/Penthouse of NoHo 5259 Lankershim Blvd. Unit C NoHo Arts District, CA 91601
Some call March, March Madness and that madness can be whatever we want. Is it mad to just sit and be? Nope. There’s a movement happening in NoHo called #sitNoHo from Stephen Beitler at The Penthouse. It attempts what many think the impossible.
“What will happen to us if we attempt to be present in this chaotic world of ours? Can we be present, even as we live-stream, have yoga at 10:30am, and talk with students all around the world? Can we be present when a stranger walks in the door? Can we still be present when we have a climactic event; PRISM, on the 19th? Come and BE with me. “ – Stephen Beitler
So what is #sitNoHo?
Twelve hours a day, six days a week, for the entire month of March, join Stephen Beitler and the folks at The Penthouse, in person, or LIVE streaming online, anywhere in the world.
Setting up aerial silks, a meditation cushion, and a yoga mat., the doors will be open, our camera set up, and any who wishes, can join. Hold space for those who are present, to be present. To learn from our past in order to let it go, and the future; fearless. We can sit, we can discuss, we will do yoga, and perhaps we will fly. Maybe you will bring a guitar, your voice, or a dance. Maybe we will teach, meditate, or dance. Who knows? All I know is I am excited to find out. Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm for all of March the invitation will stand. It costs nothing to sit, but taking the time to sit, is priceless. If you can’t make it in person, join us online. If you can’t make it online, take a class with us later. But, take the time. Take the time to just be. And, see. what. happens… #sitNoHo
Here’s how you can join in:
WHEN: Monday – Saturday, 9AM-9PM
WHERE: The Penthouse of NoHo
5259 Lankershim Blvd. Unit C
NoHo Arts District 91601
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Twitter
YouTube
Periscope: StephenBeitler_Yoga
Who is Stephen Beitler?
I don’t know. And, I may never know, and that to me is the fun. I have been called many things. Crazy, eccentric, weird, teacher, guide, healer, muse, guru… (that last one is like nails on a chalkboard to me) But, the only thing I have been called that has ever stuck is; Catalyst. I was spending time with some friends who are chemists, and one an M.D. I asked them “What is your definition of a catalyst?” Here is how they responded:
Something that participates in a reaction and is not consumed or destroyed by it. It does this by lowering the activation energy required of a reaction.
Basically; a catalyst allows for change and moving forward with less consumption of energy by both the catalyst and the chemicals being catalyzed.
How did you get the idea to do #sitNoHo for 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, for the whole month of March?
I was meditating one day and had a sudden flash of inspiration to go down to Venice beach, setup two yoga mats and a sign that read “#sit?” Went to my partner and said “I don’t know why, but I need to go down to Venice and do this crazy thing for a few hours, will you come with me?” Most people just took pictures as they walked by, amused by the sign and my advanced yoga. Then after about 6 hours, when we were about to pack up, a girl came up and said “I need to learn to be zen like you; can you teach me?” “Would you like to sit with me?” I asked. “Yes” she replied “How do I just sit?” “We take a breath.” I replied. She then spills out a whole story that her friend was going to kill herself, but instead called her and she asked to go to the beach… She asks me “How do I convince her not to kill herself, that life is worth living?” I am stunned into silence, and so I reply “We just; take a conscious breath.” I still didn’t know what #sit was, but I knew it was something. And, so, I have done the installation for longer and longer periods of time. Being Present; taking and conscious breath, and then see what happens.
So you’ve been called showstopping. Where do these quotes come from?
“Virtuosically performed by Stephen Beitler.” – The New Yorker
“Showstopping.” – LA Weekly
The New Yorker was from my work on Hopscotch, where I was on a motorcycle outside of a limo going 50mph, having a live scene over radio with a person in the car. We did the 10 minute scene over 240 times in 10 days. My scene partner and I commented on how immediate every scene was. He said “Well, of course we are present and immediate. Your life is literally in danger!” I replied “Well… I would love to be that present all the time, but let’s take out the life being in danger part.” #sitNoHo is an extension of that work. Can we be present in simple times, as well as the dangerous. And, perhaps be present all the time, and not require the drama of our lives ending to help us be present.
The LA Weekly review came from an aerial duet in the middle of a show for Hollywood Fringe. “Showstopping aerial dance performed by… Stephen Beitler.” Both of these reviews only happened after I began applying the work of breathing to be present with my art as a performer.
Want to take a class with Stephen?
You can swing by The Penthouse of NoHo at 10:30AM for the month of March for #sitNoHo. And/or you can start by doing his 30 days of yoga online. He does a new, free, online class every Friday on Youtube.
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Is there anything you would like to let NoHo readers know? Take a conscious breath, try to be present in every moment, and just see what happens.
**** For information on Los Angeles theatre, tickets to theatre in North Hollywood’s NoHo Arts District, theatre reviews, the NoHo Event Calendar, restaurants, news and local businesses in NoHo, or anything and everything about the NoHo Arts Community, bookmark nohoartsdistrict.com. Follow us on Twitter @OfficialNoHo.