Flash Fitness
Stage a fitness happening

If you're anywhere in the vicinity of Toronto tomorrow morning, you want to hit the University of Toronto campus, where Woody Harrelson of "Cheers," "Will & Grace," and "Anger Management," and "The People vs. Larry Flynt," fame, will stage a yoga happening.

That's what people my age call it when a whole bunch of people spontaneously get together and do stuff.

Today, it's called flash mobbing, but what's going on tomorrow morning in Toronto will not happen in a flash. It'll happen over 90 minutes. And it's not a secret. It is widely publicised. What Harrelson hopes to stage there is the world's largest yoga class.

It should be a scene. And if you've never taken a yoga class before, wouldn't this be the place to start? The weather should be great. The star flesh in abundance. Bring your binoculars. And then please write and tell me about it.

Nowhere near Toronto? How about thinking about your own community and how activities like yoga, Pilates, tai chi, walking could be organized into large, participative free-for-alls? A good way to get a bunch of neighbors out and moving? A nice way to show your local kids that moving is a good thing?

How could it be done? Flash mobs generally communicate through email lists rather than press releases. The former allows flexibility and spontaneity, the latter requires permits. You need to decide about your own comfort level, consider your community's tolerance for unexpected events, your own penchant for stirring things up, and your own need for control.

And location, location, location. Parks are good. Squares. Pedestrian malls. Highway medians - not so good.

Consider the movement. Tai Chi and yoga work for nearly any body. Bungee jumping may not make a good flash fitness event.

But whether organized in a flash or planned for months ahead of time, events that help people learn new ways to move can only be good.

Why not?

JuJu

Harrelson's Happening
Harried with the Mob
Flash Mobs in San Francisco
Happening, Defined

22 days left to support JuJu’s jog for the Canadian Diabetes Association in the Toronto Waterfront Half-Marathon

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