Michael Franti, Jolene Rust, Polly, Gina Caputo from Kansas Siddhi Yoga
Me, J Bowman
File this under: LIFE IS TOOTHACHE SWEET!
The last 36 hours have been surreal. If I didn’t have the sore feet, the permagrin, the pictures, and the lack of voice, I would think it was all a dream. It really did happen, though, and I cannot stop reliving it.
Michael Franti and Spearhead are on The Sound of Sunshine Tour. We have known for some time that they would be coming to Columbia, MO, for a concert and, of course, we all rushed to get tickets. If you don’t know Michael Franti, you are missing out. If you’re my student, you have heard him. Michael Franti is walking love, light, wisdom, peace, hope, unity. Michael Franti is inspiration in bare feet.
Moving on…
We know that Michael is a devout yogi. We also know that he likes to take a class in almost each city he tours. Knowing this, Polly called his agent and mentioned him coming to Yoga Sol. It looked promising, but we didn’t hear anything back for some time, so we kind of figured it was a wash and just looked forward to going to the show.
Fast forward to Sunday night….
I was just getting ready to go to bed when I decided to check my Facebook one more time. What I saw was Michael Franti and Spearhead had started a new page for fans who love yoga to discuss yoga with him. One of his first posts was asking for yoga studios in Columbia. My heart skipped a beat and as I was getting ready to respond, I saw that my friend, Nancy, who lives in Connecticut, had already mentioned me and Yoga Sol! ONE WORLD! So I commented back and next thing I know, we’re chatting back and forth.
HOLY GRANOLA!
I barely slept. I spent a long time excitedly texting back and forth with Rebekka Mars and Lisa Bradley, two of the new Yoga Sol teachers. Was this really going to happen?
Monday morning, Polly called and we screamed like schoolgirls again because she was just called in to The Blue Note to meet Michael’s manager and talk yoga. We barely breathed for several hours. Then Polly asked me to meet her at 2:30 to meet Michael! WHAT THE WHAT? Holy granola, indeed. We found him outside of Teller’s, eating lunch on the sidewalk. I met Michael, J, and Jolene and immediately felt enveloped with love and light and hope and peace and joy joy joy joy joy! These people are unbelievable! Hugs and kisses passed left and right and it was agreed that Polly would pick them up at 5:30 for class at Yoga Sol! WOOOOHOOOOO!!
Polly taught such an amazing class. The most amazing thing about it, honestly, is that it was just like every other amazing class she teaches. It was full of love and light and peace and laughter and joy and .. it was organic, pure, natural. The room was packed. Michael, J, and Jolene had mats in the front row and, let me tell you, those folks are BEAUTIFUL on the mat. Handstands and arm balances and flying like winged creatures. The energy was magical. WHAT A BLESSING! ONE LOVE!
After class, we dressed in the t-shirts Rebekka and Bea Wallace (another Yoga Sol teacher) had designed for us to wear (they even had one made for Michael himself) and headed to the show.
I don’t know what to say about the show other than it was the best show I have ever seen in my life. The energy, the music, the beauty … indescribable. I danced and danced and danced and danced and danced.. oh how I danced!
I don’t remember the last time I had this much fun! Michael has joined forces with Soles4Souls. I was so moved that I took my favorite shoes, my signature shoes, my red Converse off my own feet and put them on the stage. I left in barefeet. ❤
Fueled with adrenaline and love, I came home and found the following:
WHAT THE WHAT?!?!?!?!?
And then this …
Too much to wrap my brain around.
Pictures don’t capture it. They try, they are my best representations, but let me tell you, I am INSPIRED! I am awake, aware, present, ALIVE. I am blessed beyond measure. I am that.
Power to the Peaceful, indeed.
Thank you, Michael, Jolene, and J. Thank you for spreading The Sound of Sunshine to us all.
Namaste
Sarahsana: 
Rock on! That is SO awesome. Sounds like an amazing time! 🙂