By Molly Oleson

David Hockney once said that the sources of inspiration for his work were wide. “I am sure my own sources are classic, or even epic themes,” he said. “Landscapes of foreign lands, beautiful people, love, propaganda, and major incidents (of my own life).”

If planted in Marin with an easel, the English painter might never feel the need to leave the rolling emerald hills of Mount Tamalpais, the forested trails of China Camp State Park and the long, sandy stretches of Stinson Beach. And if he were searching for subjects for his swimming pool series, he wouldn’t have to wander beyond Bay Club Marin or the Mt. Tam Racquet Club to find athletes underwater—or quietly pondering a splash.

Work it

“Whatever you need to live life to the happiest, it’s all at the Bay Club.” So when running those trails just isn’t enough, 60,000 square feet of luxurious facilities await at Bay Club Marin, Marin’s Best Health Club. Group exercise, squash, Pilates, swimming, yoga, cycling, basketball and more are all at your fingertips, and the world-class Sanctuary Spa—offering everything from therapeutic work to massage treatments to skin and nail care—lets you zen out after intense workouts. Bay Club Marin has a cafe, a registered dietician for nutrition needs and fitness, and summer and childcare programs for kids. For those looking to unwind, a Vintage Seventy-Seven Wine Club boasts handpicked vino, exclusive tastings and winery excursions.

220 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera; 415/945-3000.

Give it a whirl

According to Pelo Fitness, to have the life that you want, all you have to do is set the pedals of a bike in motion—the rest just follows. Marin’s Best Gym, which says it’s less of a gym and more of a “perfect formula,” offers top-of-the-line cycling equipment and “the best teachers on earth” to give visitors their “best ride ever.” Designed to burn fat and build lean, strong muscles, Pelo’s programs will have you giving yourself a high-five in the mirror in no time. Here, you can do it all: Build endurance and cardiovascular health through cycling, build full-body strength through a TRX suspension system and learn how to make the best food choices through a nutrition program. If you find yourself lost in the whirlwind of an epic workout, all you have to do is remember Pelo’s motto: Spin. Grin. Repeat.

171 Third Street, San Rafael; 415/459-7356.

Actions and reactions

“Body Kinetics changed my life forever!” So gushes a happy customer about Marin’s Best Pilates Studio. What’s to love? For starters, the neighborhood health club has been in business since 1990, and is family-owned by brothers Michael, John and Joey Hoeber. The environment is inviting and friendly, and in addition to caring about customers’ muscle strength, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance, these guys go the extra mile when it comes to nutrition, mindfulness, rest and recovery. In addition to Pilates, Body Kinetics offers yoga, Zumba, group cycling, personal training and massage. Three locations—in Mill Valley, San Rafael and Novato—make it easy to drop in to sweat whether you happen to be in Southern, middle or Northern Marin. If life gets in the way one day, not to fear: A blog on the club’s website offers inspiring ideas for your health and well-being.

1800 Second St., San Rafael; 415/457-2639; 1530 Center Road, Novato; 415/895-5965; 639 E. Blithedale Ave., Mill Valley; 415/380-8787.

Strike a pose

You and your co-workers work hard all week, and by the time Friday rolls around, a drink at the local dive sounds pretty darn good. But then someone in the group mentions a class at Red Dragon Yoga. There’s an angel on your left shoulder whispering, “Yoga,” and a devil on your right whispering, “Beer.” What’s a gal to do? Yoga trumps that cold one, and you thank your friends—and yourself—for choosing Marin’s Best Yoga Studio. Multiple Bikram and Power Yoga classes are offered throughout the day at two different locations, so yogis can choose to practice 26 postures in a 105-degree room, or a flowing series of movements linked together with breath. Red Dragon promises that you will sweat—and man, does it feel good to rid yourself of the toxins and stress that have been building up. It’s the perfect way to begin or end the day feeling revitalized and ready for anything.

438 Miller Ave., Mill Valley; 415/381-3724; 1701 Fourth St., San Rafael; 415/306-7904.

Rich traditions

Mental growth and physical health are at the core of San Rafael Martial Arts’ commitment to excellence. Teaching Kung Fu, Tai Chi and Self Defense to children and adults, this studio passes on not only discipline, but also confidence and respect. Classes like Lion Dancing, rich in Kung Fu history, keep tradition alive. All levels are welcome at Marin’s Best Martial Arts Studio, so no need to have years of experience under your belt. One of the best parts about venturing into new territory? Your first class is free.

861 Fourth St., San Rafael; 415/459-5425.

Time to play

At Mt. Tam Racquet Club, it’s all about a healthy lifestyle—and a robust social life. Joining Marin’s Best Tennis Club means access to tennis courts, a basketball court, cardio equipment, a pool, steam room and a Jacuzzi. But it also means becoming part of a community established in 1974. So you can challenge your best friends to a friendly game of tennis, and then clink glasses courtside and laugh about those crazy serves that had you scrambling, hustling and diving. Life is short. Work hard; play hard.

One Larkspur Plaza Drive, Larkspur; 415/924-6226.

How they roll

Bikes are life at Mike’s Bikes, Marin’s Best Bike Shop. Founded in 1964 as one of the county’s very first Schwinn shops, this institution has always been committed to finding new and creative ways to get more people on two wheels. Walk in with a flat tire after loving your bike a little too much, and someone always greets you with a smile and a quick fix. Overheard conversations about Marin’s best trails create a buzz of excitement, and make you antsy to get back out there and explore. Cyclists can “learn to spin wrenches like a pro” at free tech clinics, and group rides—ranging in difficulty level from beginner to advanced—help build the cycling community. There’s even a ride to a North Bay brewery. Need we say more?

836 Fourth St., San Rafael; 415/454-3747; 1 Gate 6 Road, Sausalito; 415/332-3200.

Flying high

Proof Lab, the place to be when it comes to surf and skate gear, is nestled in Tam Junction, right before the turnoff to Mt. Tam and beaches galore. Supporting small businesses is part of the mission here, and places like Shredders Skate Camp, Big Dog Surf Camp, Magic West Music School and Studio 4 Art are all in it together, creating a colorful community with much to offer. Equator Coffees & Teas is located inside Proof Lab—Marin’s Best Skate Shop and Best Surf Shop—so you can load up on caffeine before hitting the surf. And there’s even a small, indoor skate park. A new and inviting location in downtown San Rafael gives these guys central visibility on a bustling street—soon to be full of people from all walks of life enjoying the weekly farmers’ market.

244/254 Shoreline Hwy., Mill Valley; 415/380-8900; 415/888-2553; 907 Fourth St., San Rafael; 415/457-1625.

The full list of Best of Marin 2016 Fitness & Recreation winners:

Best Health Club

Bay Club Marin

220 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera.

415.945.3000.

Best Gym

Pelo Fitness

171 Third St., San Rafael.

415.459.7356.

Best Pilates Studio

Body Kinetics

1800 Second St., San Rafael.

415.454.2639.

1530 Center Road, Novato.

415.895.5965.

639 E. Blithedale Ave., Mill Valley.

415.380.8787.

Best Yoga Studio

Red Dragon Yoga

438 Miller Ave., Mill Valley.

415.381.3724.

1701 Fourth St., San Rafael.

415.306.7904.

Best Martial Arts Studio

San Rafael Martial Arts

861 Fourth St., San Rafael.

415.459.5425.

Best Tennis Club

Mt. Tam Racquet Club

1 Larkspur Plaza Drive, Larkspur.

415.924.6226.

Best Bike Shop

Mike’s Bikes

836 Fourth St., San Rafael.

415.454.3747.

1 Gate 6 Rd., Sausalito. 415.332.3200.

Best Skate Shop

Proof Lab

244/254 Shoreline Hwy., Mill Valley.

415.380.8900; 415.457.1625.

907 Fourth St., San Rafael.

415.457.1625.

Best Surf Shop

Proof Lab

244/254 Shoreline Hwy., Mill Valley.

415.380.8900; 415.457.1625.

907 Fourth St., San Rafael.

415.457.1625.

Best Beach

Stinson Beach

Stinsonbeachonline.com.

Best Park/Open Space

China Camp State Park

Parks.ca.gov.

Best Hiking Trail

Dipsea

Nps.gov.

Best Bike Route/Trail

Mount Tamalpais State Park

Park.ca.gov.

By Rob Brezsny

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “The writer should never be ashamed of staring,” said Aries writer Flannery O’Connor. “There is nothing that does not require his attention.” This is also true for all of you Aries folks, not just the writers among you. And the coming weeks will be an especially important time for you to cultivate a piercing gaze that sees deeply and shrewdly. You will thrive to the degree that you notice details you might normally miss or regard as unimportant. What you believe and what you think won’t be as important as what you perceive. Trust your eyes.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The ancient Greek geographer Pausanias told a story about how the famous poet Pindar got his start. One summer day, young Pindar decided to walk from his home in Thebes to a city 20 miles away. During his trek, he got tired and lay down to take a nap by the side of the road. As he slept, bees swarmed around him and coated his lips with wax. He didn’t wake up until one of the bees stung him. For anyone else, this might have been a bother. But Pindar took it as an omen that he should become a lyric poet, a composer of honeyed verses. And that’s exactly what he did in the ensuing years. I foresee you having an experience comparable to Pindar’s sometime soon, Taurus. How you interpret it will be crucial.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “I measure the strength of a spirit by how much truth it can take,” said philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Measured by that standard, your strength of spirit has been growing—and may be poised to reach an all-time high. In my estimation, you now have an unusually expansive capacity to hold surprising, effervescent, catalytic truths. Do you dare invite all these insights and revelations to come pouring toward you? I hope so. I’ll be cheering you on, praying for you to be brave enough to ask for as much as you can possibly accommodate.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Göbekli Tepe was a monumental religious sanctuary built 11,600 years ago in the place we now call Turkey. Modern archaeologists are confounded by the skill and artistry with which its massive stone pillars were arranged and carved. According to conventional wisdom, humans of that era were primitive nomads who hunted animals and foraged for plants. So it’s hard to understand how they could have constructed such an impressive structure 7,000 years before the Great Pyramid of Giza. Writing in National Geographic, science journalist Charles C. Mann said, “Discovering that hunter-gatherers had constructed Göbekli Tepe was like finding that someone had built a 747 in a basement with an X-Acto knife.” In that spirit, Cancerian, I make the following prediction: In the coming months, you can accomplish a marvel that may have seemed beyond your capacity.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In myths and folklore, the ember is a symbol of coiled-up power. The fire within it is controlled. It provides warmth and glow even as its raw force is contained. There are no unruly flames. How much energy is stored within? It’s a reservoir of untapped light, a promise of verve and radiance. Now please ruminate further about the ember, Leo. According to my reading of the astrological omens, it’s your core motif right now.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Uh-oh. Or maybe I should instead say, “Hooray!” You are slipping into the Raw Hearty Vivid Untamed Phase of your astrological cycle. The universe is nudging you in the direction of high adventure, sweet intensity, and rigorous stimulation. If you choose to resist the nudges, odds are that you’ll have more of an “Uh-oh” experience. If you decide to play along, “Hooray!” is the likely outcome. To help you get in the proper mood, make the following declaration: “I like to think that my bones are made from oak, my blood from a waterfall, and my heart from wild daisies.” (That’s a quote from the poet McKenzie Stauffer.)

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In many cultures, the butterfly is a symbol of transformation and rebirth. In its original state as a caterpillar, it is homely and slow-moving. After its resurrection time in the chrysalis, it becomes a lithe and lovely creature capable of flight. The mythic meaning of the moth is quite different, however. Enchanted by the flame, it’s driven so strongly toward the light that it risks burning its wings. So it’s a symbol of intense longing that may go too far. In the coming weeks, Libra, your life could turn either way. You may even vacillate between being moth-like and butterfly-like. For best results, set an intention. What exactly do you want?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “I gladly abandon dreary tasks, rational scruples, reactive undertakings imposed by the world,” wrote Scorpio philosopher Roland Barthes. Why did he do this? For the sake of love, he said—even though he knew it might cause him to act like a lunatic as it freed up tremendous energy. Would you consider pursuing a course like that in the coming weeks, Scorpio? In my astrological opinion, you have earned some time off from the grind. You need a break from the numbing procession of the usual daily rhythms. Is there any captivating person, animal, adventure, or idea that might so thoroughly incite your imagination that you’d be open to acting like a lunatic lover with boundless vigor?

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “Difficulties illuminate existence,” says novelist Tom Robbins, “but they must be fresh and of high quality.” Your assignment, Sagittarius, is to go out in search of the freshest and highest-quality difficulties you can track down. You’re slipping into a magical phase of your astrological cycle when you will have exceptional skill at rounding up useful dilemmas and exciting riddles. Please take full advantage! Welcome this rich opportunity to outgrow and escape boring old problems.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “When I grow up, I want to be a little boy,” wrote novelist Joseph Heller in his book Something Happened. You have cosmic permission to make a comparable declaration in the coming days. In fact, you have a poetic license and a spiritual mandate to utter battle cries like that as often as the mood strikes. Feel free to embellish and improvise, as well: “When I grow up, I want to be a riot girl with a big brash attitude,” for example, or “When I grow up, I want to be a beautiful playful monster with lots of toys and fascinating friends who constantly amaze me.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In one of his diaries, author Franz Kafka made this declaration: “Life’s splendor forever lies in wait about each one of us in all of its fullness—but veiled from view, deep down, invisible, far off. It is there, though, not hostile, not reluctant, not deaf. If you summon it by the right word, by its right name, it will come.” I’m bringing this promise to your attention, Aquarius, because you have more power than usual to call forth a command performance of life’s hidden splendor. You can coax it to the surface and bid it to spill over into your daily rhythm. For best results, be magnificent as you invoke the magnificence.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I’ve got a controversial message for you, Pisces. If you’re addicted to your problems or if you’re convinced that cynicism is a supreme mark of intelligence, what I’ll say may be offensive. Nevertheless, it’s my duty as your oracle to inform you of the cosmic tendencies, and so I will proceed. For the sake of your mental health and the future of your relationship with love, consider the possibility that the following counsel from French author André Gide is just what you need to hear right now: “Know that joy is rarer, more difficult, and more beautiful than sadness. Once you make this all-important discovery, you must embrace joy as a moral obligation.”

Homework: If you had to choose one wild animal to follow, observe and learn from for three weeks, which would it be? FreeWillAstrology.com.

By Amy Alkon

Q: My girlfriend and I are both struggling artists in our early 20s. We have a lot of fun, and being poor together seems oddly bonding. But I read an article about a study that said that couples with lower credit scores and less money are less likely to stay together than those with money and good credit. Should we be worried?—Underfunded

A: Lack of money is the root of many arguments. So, sure, the same couple is likely to be happier if the island they can afford to “winter” on is one in the middle of the South Pacific, as opposed to one in the middle of a four-lane highway.

Still, it’s a little premature to gear up for a bitter battle to divide the Top Ramen and takeout “silverware” packets. Before I explain why, in case any readers pay bills out of a coffee can buried in the backyard, your credit score is a numerical ranking (up to 800) that uses your credit repayment history to predict your credit repayment future (like whether you’re more likely to pay what you owe or, say, fake your own death).

In the study you’re referring to, economist Jane Dokko and her colleagues looked at nearly 16 years’ worth of credit scores of 12 million randomly selected U.S. consumers. They found that two people who come into a relationship with high credit scores—and scores that are relatively similar—are more likely to stay together.

People who have high credit scores tend to be conscientious sorts with a habit of meeting their obligations. But there are also sociopaths with high credit scores—perhaps because they have lucrative jobs and plenty of dough to pay the electric bill (and recognize that it’s easier to scam people if they don’t have to do their plotting by candlelight). Conversely, somebody with a lower score may have been through something catastrophic (a medical bankruptcy as opposed to a moral one).

You might also keep in mind that a study isn’t a crystal ball airing the TV show of your future; it’s merely a guess of what could happen to you based on how things went for a lot of people. Also, the key thing to note about this particular study is that credit scores are being used as a measure of trustworthiness. And, not surprisingly, a mismatch in a couple’s ethical makeup—specifically, in how trustworthy each partner is—can prove problematic for the happily-ever-after-ness of their relationship.

However, even if your most recent rejection letter from a credit card company starts, “Nice try, butthead” (a refreshing change from their usual, “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding”), all is not bleak. Though research finds that money actually can “buy happiness,” social psychologist Elizabeth Dunn explains in a 2011 paper that “it buys less than most people think.” In fact, she deems “the correlation between income and happiness” “modest” and “surprisingly weak.”

Dunn notes that where we go wrong is in what we think will make us happy—versus what actually does. One thing we don’t anticipate is “adaptation”—how we quickly get acclimated to things we buy or are given, which means they soon stop giving us the buzz they did at first. And because our big happiness burst is right when we get something (or take the first sip or bite), Dunn writes that “frequent, small pleasures—double lattes … and high thread-count socks”—make us happier than occasional big ones (like new floors, a new car, or a new chin).

And in even better news for you two, Dunn explains that experiences seem to make us happier than things. Because experiences live on in our heads as stories, they don’t succumb to adaptation the way objects do. We get renewed enjoyment remembering and talking about them—in a way we don’t by verbally bludgeoning people with the fabulousness of our $5,000 espresso machine-slash-massage chair.

And—fascinatingly—bad experiences may lead to more long-term happiness than good ones. By bad experiences, Dunn doesn’t mean screaming matches in the middle of the framing store. She’s talking about the kind you look back on and laugh about, like breaking down in some terrifying part of town, thanks to how your car is held together by duct tape, tree sap and hope.

This brings us to what Dunn reports is “our greatest source of happiness”—other people. And it’s here that you’ve got something over the more moneyed couples. They rarely experience the cooperative creativity and loving dedication that go into even the most mundane activities when you’re poor—like holding the antenna of your Salvation Army TV at a 47.8-degree angle for your boo: “OK, honey—there! Don’t move! Only 18 more minutes till this episode is over!”

By Richard von Busack

Fairfax’s Christopher Dienstag calls his film The Moneytree “30 years in the making.” It played at the Mill Valley Film Festival in October of 1991, after some six years of work. Back for a one-day screening on April 23 at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center, the film depicts the art of cultivating marijuana on the slopes of Mount Tamalpais.

Now that his film has awakened from its long sleep, Dienstag, actor and producer, is launching a crowdfunding campaign to remaster and re-record the soundtrack into Dolby and add new tunes. He’s going to add narration to contextualize what he describes as “the Wild West days” of pot growing. The plan is to share profits with the Cannabis Prisoners Project.

The audience will see the 35mm print Dienstag owns; he didn’t even have a VHS of the film that he made with his father, now 86.

“My father and I agreed that a film like this had not been done before. If you make a film about a bank robber, you usually don’t actually rob a bank. We broke the law before your very eyes.”

In the 25 years since the first screening of The Moneytree, we have seen a national change in opinion on marijuana. In 1991, distributors such as Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema worried about the legal ramifications of a film in which we watch the “grass” grow. The Moneytree was apparently jinxed in its cradle; Dienstag “four walled” (i.e., rented) a theater in Los Angeles to show the movie and lined up interviews with Peter Travers and Howard Stern. But the movie was pre-empted and the theater shuttered during the Rodney King riots.

Dienstag, who hasn’t smoked weed for 23 years, now works as a drug and alcohol counselor. “I was moving through these two worlds, the world of cannabis and the world of recovery,” he says.

Watching the film now, audiences will enjoy the rebellious nature of it, Dienstag says. “We learned to make the film as we went along, and it has a very endearing quality. I feel like the audience for this film was born after it was made, and now they’ve grown up. Now it’s time.”

‘The Moneytree’ plays on April 23 at 12:30pm at the Christopher B. Smith Film Center, 1118 Fourth St., San Rafael; 415/454-1222.