Sage Butterfly Studio opened on Saturday, August 9 in the Worldmark building at 4880 Beachcomber Drive.A new yoga studio recently opened in Birch Bay.

For more information about current class and workshop schedules and descriptions, visit www.yogawww.com or contact Kelly at (360) 920-1125.

Along with yoga and other group classes, Kelly will hold various workshops, including heart rhythm meditation and Myers-Briggs seminars. Individual consults in yoga when you want to buy Cheap Yoga Mats , heart meditation and personality assessments also are available.

Owner Maureen Kelly, known to many simply as Kelly, will be offering a number of classes each week, ranging from beginner to dynamic yoga as well as QiGong. She will also be attending a Zumba teacher certification class in August and the aerobic Latin dance classes will be offered starting in September.

Don Allan of Revolver Films, famous for directing music videos for the likes of Triumph, Glass Tiger and Leonard Cohen, says there are tricks to make people look better and younger. “Does Madonna need it? No,” he says. “Some artists need electronic cleanups, but would Madonna? She would need absolutely nothing major. You see her on MTV, you see her run around on stage and sing, and that’s how she looks.”

Kieran Doherty/ReutersU.S. pop star Madonna attends the premiere of the film “Arthur and the Invisibles” in Leicester Square, London January 25, 2007.

From her music to her body - it’s uncertain which of those she’s now more famous for - the experts I consulted recently agree on one thing: The Material Girl can’t be copied. But, oh, what fun to gab and bandy about what yoga would take with yoga mats.

Just imagine: What if we worked out, as she reportedly does, up to 14 hours a day? What if we all had a Japanese chef who travelled with us everywhere? What if we all lived by her strict mantra: “There are no tricks. Tricks don’t work. Discipline does.”

Today is Madonna’s 50th birthday. And to honour the demi-centenarian, let’s celebrate by pretending that it is indeed possible to be like The Queen of Pop.

In the words of that Big Purple Dinosaur Barney, “Let’s use our imagination!”

First, let’s imagine we didn’t have to worry about whether we could fit in a workout between our working lives and picking the kids up.

“Madonna is never short of anywhere to work out in, which allows her to be consistent with her workouts and maintain her peak,” says Los Angeles-based Rob Riches, a fitness specialist, coach and Pro Fitness Model (robriches.com). “[She] bought her neighbouring house for a reported $12-million and converted it into her own personal fitness centre for super-easy access. However, due to permits, Madonna was not able to combine the two houses and so has to endure the 20-yard walk from her home to her converted gym.”

Life can be so hard.

Riches also observes that not much changes when she travels. “She only stays in hotels that have excellent gyms,” he says. “In fact, it was reported that the Ritz Carlton in Miami spent tens of thousands of dollars to customize one of their suites so she could work out without leaving her room.”

And like my mother, who cleans the house before the cleaning lady arrives, it seems that Madonna works out before she actually works out. “For most of us, working out once a day is about as much as we can manage, but Madonna keeps working out during the day,” Riches says. “For breakfast she will have a vegetable soup along with either fresh vegetables or fruits or their juices, all of which are recommended within the macrobiotic diet she is known to embrace. Before lunch, she will go for a session of Pilates before eating more macrobiotic foods, which include lots of vegetables and protein-rich dishes made from tofu, seeds, bean sprouts.”

And then her actual workout begins, for two or three more hours, Riches says, including swimming, biking and martial arts.

Now let’s imagine we can turn back the clock 30 years. Eric Alstrup, a former Mr. Canada Bodybuilding champion and now personal trainer, told me the key to looking as great as Madonna is consistency. “She started young and it’s a priority for her. It doesn’t happen on it’s own. People are like, ‘I’d love to look like Madonna,’ but it doesn’t happen by accident. She has a very well-planned out regimen. Her workout regimens are healthy for her because she’s had thousands of hours of training. If you were 48, I wouldn’t suggest doing what she does, because her body is so resilient.”

Included in her workout is Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga (I’d argue she’s solely responsible for Western civilization getting on the yoga bandwagon.)

According to Scott Petrie, a yoga instructor and director of the upcoming yogafestivaltoronto.org, the irony is that true yogis don’t actually care how they look. That said, “There are yogis who are 80 but look 40. I think a lot of how you look is how you feel mentally. Yoga does help you work your mind and give you an inner glow.”

Working out aside, now imagine you have dedicated yourself to a healthy diet and love brown rice and seeds.

“Her body is truly a temple,” says Natalie Bean Soul, founder of Nutrition Forever. “She has a body of art that she has worked at from the ground up. This ain’t genetics, this is hard work, commitment, dedication to a healthy body and lifestyle. This is a woman who follows what I call the 80% rule - 80% of what you look like is based on what you eat. There are key ingredients to success, like eating every two to three hours, drinking a ton of water, adequate rest. Each meal should consist of a lean protein, veggies and a low-glycemic complex carb, like half a yam or brown rice.”

Now let’s imagine we had all the power and money to shop wherever we wanted and that among our best friends were world-class designers.

“First, to be Madonna, you need Lagerfeld and Gaultier on speed dial,” says Leesa Butler, creator of the F-List, a Web site dedicated to Canadian fashion. “She’s the only woman I know who can pose in boy shorts and fishnets in a video and dress like the Queen Mother in full-on tweed and pull off both looks.”

But even if we had unlimited money and friendships with couturiers, we still couldn’t make it because she is a born contrarian. Says Butler: “If everyone else is doing something, Madonna won’t. Madonna will do the exact opposite and carry it off.”

In fact, Ceri Marsh, editor of Fashion magazine, figures we shouldn’t even try. “Great style comes from knowing yourself, what works for you and for your body,” she says. “What I do find worth emulating about Madonna is her openness to what’s new. She never gets stuck in a rut and never buys into traditional notions of what’s age appropriate.”

Now let’s imagine that we are completely non-judgmental about surgical intervention.

“I’m not against plastic surgery,” Madonna has said. “I’m just against talking about it.”

In recent years, she has been spotted leaving medical centres with black eyes under dark sunglasses, dogged by rumours of mini-facelifts, nose jobs, Botox and breast augmentation.

“I could never prove if she has or hasn’t,” says one of Canada’s most renowned plastic surgeons, Dr. Trevor Born. “She does everything 199%. She looks great, she’s on top of the charts and she still has the same energy she has always had.”

And now we must imagine we can make music like Madonna.

According to Jeff Wolpert, a Juno Award-winning producer and sound engineer, Madonna doesn’t even need help in the studio. “Remember, back when she started there wasn’t the technology there is today to make you sound good,” says Wolpert. “Yeah, now we can make a lot of people sound decent and produce something cool, but we still react to the vocals. And Madonna is Madonna. She’s unmistakable, and you recognize her immediately. To have that kind of attitude, well, she’s the real thing.”

He says that anyone who has lasted as long as she has doesn’t let anyone else tell her what to do when she buy the cheap yoga mats.

“She’s one smart cookie. She is who she is. Everyone wants to be like her and she doesn’t want to be like anyone else.”

The cliché appears to be true. The whole cast of characters – well, minus The Hoff – is passing before my very eyes on Santa Monica’s boardwalk. Bronzed, toned, pearlescent-toothed, they’re living the good life, California-style, with yoga mats.

But along the sands on Venice Beach, there’s a crowd gathering that doesn’t look quite so healthy. They’re here for a meeting of Cocaine Anonymous (it’s Sunday, so these must be the devout – their number is threefold when I pass by on Monday morning).

At least, that’s what my yoga teacher, Vanda Mikoloski, tells me. She’s waiting to start her class just out of earshot: the recovering addicts are uninhibited enough about their predicament to use a megaphone for their testimonials.

When Vanda isn’t teaching yoga (including to the Dixie Chicks), she’s performing stand-up comedy. Today, she’s going to try something new on us – yoga and comedy. Her friend, Erik Passoja, will be joining us to try out a few jokes, too. My toes curl in anticipation.

But they’re funny, and the yoga is good. “Yoga is all made up,” she says. “People get so damned significant about it. Basically, it’s bending.” This is “Spiritually Incorrect Comedy” and Vanda’s motto is “Enlighten Up!”. It would take the P out of California if there were one. I’m soon in hysterics, as is fellow student Marsha – a septuagenarian originally from the UK, now long-time resident of California. But the couple at the back from New York haven’t cracked a smile yet. Vanda’s yoga isn’t for everyone.

After class, I walk barefoot back across the city limits into Santa Monica (a lifeguard tower marks the fragile boundary) and call by Perry’s beach café for refreshment. They don’t just do ice cream here, there’s a very virtuous menu featuring fresh fruit and smoothies, all served to a soundtrack of classical music.

Perry’s is an institution in Santa Monica and Venice, yet even it is trying out new tricks. This shoreside mini empire, stationed at convenient intervals along the boardwalk, has just added a Beach Butler service to its skate and bike hire.

And while the “butlers” dress in T-shirts, they’re still at your command and will set up a beach chair, table and umbrella where and when you want, supply you with beach toys and other essential paraphernalia, and keep the suntan lotion, snacks and drinks coming. You’ll only need to leave your towel to take a dip in the ocean.

But it’s not all about topping up your tan on LA’s beaches. Over at the original Muscle Beach in the shadow of Santa Monica’s Pacific Wheel (now solar powered), they’re more concerned about pumping iron. The original place to show off your biceps, it opened in the 1930s, though in recent years it has been eclipsed by the outdoor gym on Venice Beach. But it has been refurbished and is enjoying a renaissance.

And in Malibu, the buzz is all about the reopening of the pier. The 103-year-old structure welcomed back visitors on to its weathered boards this June. The winter storms shut it down in 1995 then legal wrangles between the state and private interests kept it closed for 13 years. Now it has new restaurants (Alice’s, made famous by the Woody Guthrie song, has become The Beachcomber), a surf museum and a fishing tackle shop.

Fishing has been popular with Malibu’s superstar residents since Buster Crabbe’s time. But today you’re more likely to meet the stars in the surf. Don’t be too nosey. The weekend I visit, a fight breaks out on Little Dume between the paparazzi and surfers trying to protect the film star Matthew McConaughey from over-attentive snappers.

It all sounds a bit fraught, so I head back to my hotel, Shutters on the Beach, for a pedicure.

Shutters and its neighbouring sister property, Casa Del Mar, claim to be the only hotels truly on the beach in LA who want to buy cheap yoga mats. We may be talking about a yard or so here though, because I spy a few more along the strip not so far from the sands.

If you want to buy a cheap yoga mat,and just starting to dabble in yoga, then you may not want to spend any more money than you have to. So you can go to the yogawww.com to buy the cheapest and the high quality yoga mats .Since a yoga mat may be the most expensive thing you ever have to purchase to practice yoga, buying a cheap yoga mat will save you the most money.

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Cheap yoga mats can be found at exclusive yoga stores. The best source for finding a good, cheap yoga mat is the internet. There are websites that host the best deals on Yoga Mats, which can be compared as well as ordered online. Some suppliers also give discounts on yoga mats, like 50% off or 30% off. Such deals can be seen on the internet.

The main features of a good yoga mat are: durability, strength, softness, and ability to stay firm without crumpling. It should also grip the floor effectively and not allow the user to slide across the floor on the mat. Yoga mats are very easy to maintain. They just need once-in-a-while washing with a mild detergent, either in a machine or by hand.

A yoga mat is the only investment required for yoga. A good-quality mat can range from $20 to $45 or $50. However, there are cheaper mats available for as low as $10. These are made of regular cotton, without too many frills.

Just know that cheap yoga mats generally won’t allow you to get the most out of your yoga. So if you’re serious about practicing yoga long term, then you should buy a decent mat.

Good grip and cushioning at a superb price. Ideal for those on a budget or trying out yoga. Recommended for yoga, stretch exercises and Pilates. Machine washable.

The colour choices offer excellent grip and cushioning. All choices are the same grade of good value mats, which unlike cheap ’supermarket mats’ will wear in to develop good safe grip.

Size: 185 x 60cm, 4.5mm thick / 6′ x 2′, approx 3/16″

Mats that are light, easy to roll up and carry, non-slip mats are excellent. Find mats that are washable, maintain good grip and are popular and acknowledged by teachers as a superb foundation to work on. They offer durability, style and comfort.

Your yoga mat is an important investment both towards your practice and your health. It needs to offer an excellent base - literally - for you to work on as well make you feel comfortable, supported and safe.

Rob Stewart, born in Toronto, Canada, is an award-winning wildlife photographer and the director of Sharkwater.

His work underwater and on land has appeared in nearly every media form worldwide, from BBC Wildlife, Asian Diver, Outpost and GEO magazines to the Discovery Channels, ABC, BBC, night clubs and feature films.

My name is Rob Stewart. I’ve recently completed a feature film entitled Sharkwater, a documentary about man’s relationship with sharks that was filmed in 15 countries over a period of 4 years. It is a conservation film that details the plight of the oceans, revealing sharks to be vitally important for life on earth.

Please have a look at the trailer, and website, www.sharkwater.com. You can buy the cheap yoga mats and yoga clothing.

We’re living at a crossroads, where human’s survival on the planet is in jeopardy. Fortunately, we have the ability to change, and support a new relationship with the natural world. This film has the power to start the movement, so please join us in seeing the film opening weekend, and increase the chances that the message will be heard, and that sharks, the oceans, and humans, can survive on the planet. I am incredibly grateful for your support.

Stay tuned to Everything Yoga in the coming months for a podcast interview where I will discuss some of my effective yoga positions that have help me dive with sharks.

Sharkwater began as a beautiful underwater movie that aimed to portray sharks in a more positive light, but through the epic journey the film evolved into, we faced corrupt governments, espionage, arrests, attempted murder charges, pirate battles, and hospitalizations, all in an attempt to bring people to a greater understanding of our connection and dependence upon the natural world.

Since childhood I’ve used my yoga and pranayama practice to freedive (breath hold diving ) so that I could lower my heart rate and metabolism so that I could film sharks. As a biologist and photographer, I witnessed the destruction of the oceans first hand, driving the creation of Sharkwater.

Sharkwater started out as a grass roots project, in conjunction with conservation groups such as Wildaid and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and has gained momentum. Sharkwater launched at the Toronto International Film Festival, winning one of the top ten films in Canada this year, and has gone on to win 10 prestigious awards, including numerous “people’s choice” awards at some of the biggest festivals in the world. Audiences are really responding well to the film. It’s the most award winning documentary release this year. Sharkwater hits theatres across Canada March 23th, 2007.