Yoga with a soundtrack

Creative productions are often said to be made by the blood, sweat and tears of their creators. Such is the case with “Ohmland Live!”

“Ohmland Live!” is an interactive musical for kids that will have its West Coast premiere this weekend at the Geffen Playhouse at the Brentwood Theatre. The lively show features opportunities for audience members of all ages to sing, dance and stomp along with the cast. Energetic songs cover a wide range of musical styles, from hip-hop to salsa. The lyrics aren’t just fun, they’re also instructions on various yoga poses, made easy for kids (and adults) to follow.

The show is a joyful production that in many ways was born out of the painful experiences of its co-creator, Laurie Miller.

Growing up in a creative family in Sarasota, Fla., Miller loved acting, often performing in community theater productions. But a horrible car accident at 16 left her unable to walk for months. The worst of her many injuries were a severely damaged arm and two cracked vertebrae.

Miller had been exposed to yoga a few years earlier by her aunt, and so when lying in the hospital, the girl started listening to yoga tapes. “I knew even at that time that I really needed something that I could do myself to involve myself in my own healing,” Miller says.

At first all she could do was listen to the instructions and visualize the poses, as a way to relax. Eventually she was able to start doing them, little by little, along with her physical therapy program. Now 28, a petite, energetic brunet with an infectious giggle, Miller appears fully recovered, although she will probably need occasional physical therapy for the rest of her life.

Miller considers the accident as a huge turning point in her life. As she recovered, she found she still wanted to be involved in the theatrical arts, but not necessarily as an actor.

As her interest in acting faded, her interest in yoga grew. “It was always in the back of my mind that I would teach yoga to kids,” Miller says, adding that she wanted them to feel as empowered about their health as she did. So after college in New York City, she trained as a yoga instructor. Her first classes were with adults.

One day, while talking with her then-boyfriend (now fiance) Ben Tollefson, she expressed concern that her students weren’t able to remember the series of poses that make up the yoga sequence called the sun salutation. She and Ben thought it might help to associate the movements with music. Going back to the apartment they shared with buddy Mike Weiss, the three of them stayed up all night writing a song to make the yoga easier to learn. From there, the trio continued writing songs about yoga poses. With encouragement from Alan Bushman, who runs 45 Bleecker Theatre in Manhattan, the trio created a participatory musical, “Ohmland Live!” The show debuted at 45 Bleecker Theatre in July 2001.

For all its educational intentions, the musical is first and foremost good fun. The word “yoga” is never used. The story line follows young butterflies who want to pay a surprise visit to the sun. As they go on their journey, they encounter obstacles, such as the Worries, who try to keep them from their goal. They also encounter friends, such as Down Dawg, who guide them. With help from the audience, the butterflies make the Worries go away, and are able to reach the sun.

Miller and Tollefson moved to Los Angeles last year to pursue the “Ohmland” project as an animated series for television and DVD. Weiss joined them more recently to help in preparation for their live production at the Geffen. Tollefson and Weiss have roles in the play, and Miller sings.

The three good friends still enjoy the intense creative process together. “This sounds cheesy, but this is about being of service in a way,” Miller says. “This could be some kid’s very first theatrical experience ever. We want them to leave feeling inspired to create their own show, to participate in being creative.” She counts the audience as integral to the show’s success -- they even help create one of the show’s songs, an “open jam.”

Miller, who also teaches yoga to children at the Pasadena YMCA, sees the benefits of the practice. “I think what’s so great about yoga for kids is that it’s not a competitive physical activity, and so it’s something everybody can do,” she says.

It’s about the individual and their experience, without winners or losers. To Miller, adding the creative aspect dovetails with that naturally. “Our intention is to continue doing positive work like this for children and combining entertainment into that,” she says. “We really believe you can do well while doing good.”

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‘Ohmland Live!’

What: Interactive musical directed and choreographed by Miguel Montalvo

Where: The Geffen Playhouse at the Brentwood Theatre, on the grounds of the Veterans Administration, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Building 211, Westwood

When: 11 a.m. Saturday, and Dec. 11 and Dec. 18

Price: $10 adults; $5 children 12 and younger. Parking $7.

Info: (310) 208-5454

Lisa Rosen can be reached at weekend@latimes.com.