When we’re jugging multiple responsibilities, caring for ourselves and our families, negotiating work, trying to fit our yoga practice in, and any number of other obligations, we need our food to have enough power to fuel us effectively. Fortunately, even fun and easy food can be nourishing and support our wellbeing. As a new mom who is passionate about healthy eating, I’m always looking for dishes that are easy to eat and to share. Salads and finger foods can be a centerpiece for a meal, snacks for a busy day, or packed for a picnic in local parks or the backyard on a sunny day.

These days, I find that nourishing myself with the best whole foods, prepared in simple ways to fit into my busy life, is an important part of maintaining my own vitality. Simple is often best! In addition to my staple Glowing Green Smoothie?, I find ways to include vitamin-rich greens throughout the day such as Brussels sprouts, asparagus, and green peas. I like to begin with seasonal fare and mix flavors and textures to keep it interesting. When developing family friendly dishes, I look for combinations that are easy to assemble, colorful, and packed with flavor that kids and adults both enjoy. If we start with amazing food, we end with an amazing day.

Kimberly Snyder prepares one of her signature salads

Here are a few recipes I’ve created that are family-friendly, packed with nutrients, and ready to eat on the go. These recipes, like all Beauty Detox recipes, are vegan/plant-based, gluten-free, soy free, and are properly food combined to support digestion.  

Spring Bounty Gluten-free Pasta Salad

Spring Bounty Gluten-free Pasta Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

8 ounces gluten-free pasta, your choice of shape
(spaghetti, spirals, wagon wheels, small shells, etc.)

1 Tbsp first cold pressed olive oil

1 cup green peas (in season in spring so you can readily find them fresh now)

1 ½ cups baby spinach leaves or chopped regular spinach leaves

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk

½ cup raw sliced asparagus

1 Tbs. thinly sliced spring onions

¼ cup diced raw carrots

¼ cup chopped Kalamata olives

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Cook the pasta in boiling water according to package directions, being sure not to overcook and keep more on the al dente side (especially important with gluten free pasta, which can turn mushy quickly). Drain and set to the side.

Cook the peas and spinach in a saucepan in some water, until softened. Be sure not to overcook, and keep the green color.

Combine peas and spinach with the nutritional yeast and coconut milk in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Pour over cooked pasta and mix well. Add in asparagus, spring onions, carrots and olives. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Raw Brussels Sprout and Walnut salad

Raw Brussels Sprout & Walnut Salad

Serves 4

Because Brussels sprouts are so high in Vitamin C, I like to eat them raw, which most people rarely do. Roasting will denature much of that precious vitamin C , although they will still be beneficial for their mineral content,. This is a great pre-dinner salad, an accompaniment to something heavier, or made more substantial by adding in more walnuts per serving.

This salad is best left in the refrigerator for at least three hours before serving, so that the raw Brussels sprouts leaves can marinate and be somewhat softened by the raw apple cider vinegar. Try to make it in the morning sometime, so it will be perfect for your picnic!

Ingredients

1 pound Brussels sprouts

¼ cup very thinly sliced spring onions

1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

1 tsp. finely grated ginger

1 ½ Tbs. parsley, coarsely chopped

2 Tbs. raw apple cider vinegar

Splash of olive oil

High quality sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Trim the ends from each Brussels sprout deeply, about half an inch each. Peel the leaves off individually and add to a large mixing bowl, until only the inner, compactly grown leaves are left. Discard this inner part.

Add spring onions, walnuts, ginger and parsley, and the raw apple cider vinegar. Add a splash of olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper and adjust seasonings, to taste.

Jicama, Avocado & Blueberry Lime-Herb Salad

Jicama, Avocado & Blueberry Lime-Herb Salad

4-6 servings

Ingredients

3 cups peeled and cubed jicama

1 cup blueberries

1 medium firm avocado, cut into two-inch squares

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp coconut nectar or maple syrup

1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped finely

1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped finely

1/4 tsp lime zest, freshly grated

Directions

Mix jicama and blueberries in a large bowl. Place avocado in a smaller bowl, pour lime juice on top and mix gently to saturate the avocados completely. This will ensure the avocados don’t brown if stored for a bit.

Add the avocados to the jicama and blueberries, leaving the extra lime juice at the bottom of that bowl. Whisk in the cayenne pepper, coconut nectar or maple syrup. Add to the fruit bowl and mix gently with the basil and lime zest.

Cilantro Lime Cauliflower “Couscous”

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 medium head cauliflower

1 Tbs. coconut oil

2 small garlic cloves

1/3 cup spring onions, thinly sliced

¼ cup chopped cilantro

¼ cup chopped watercress or microgreens

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

¼ cup fresh lime juice

Directions

Wash and let the cauliflower dry completely (this is very important!). Chop into florets, removing the stalk. Place half into the food processor and pulse until the cauliflower has the texture of couscous, being very careful not to over-process. Repeat with the rest of the cauliflower.

Heat the coconut oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat, and add garlic and spring onions and sauté for about three to four minutes or until soft.

Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the cauliflower “couscous” to the sauté pan. Cover and cook approximately five to six minutes, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower is slightly crispy on the outside but tender on the inside.

Add to a mixing bowl, and mix in the cilantro, watercress and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Glowing Green Smoothie®

Yield: About 60 ounces (3-4 servings) 

Greens nourish your entire body and have so many life enhancing qualities and nutrients. I generally recommend starting out by consuming around 16 ounces of the Glowing Green Smoothie daily and then working up to 24 ounces or more (depending on your size, appetite, metabolism and activity levels). I personally drink around 24 to 32 ounces throughout the morning, along with eating some fruit. Use the best blender you can to ensure that your GGS is nice and smooth.

Making a full blender of GGS, as in this recipe, means you can share it with your family or roommates, or you store it in the fridge and drink some in the afternoon or over the course of the next day or two. It can be stored, covered, for up to three days. Just be sure to give it a stir, shake, or reblend before serving as it may settle. You can also freeze individual portions and thaw them out the night before.

Note: I encourage you to rotate your greens and fruit regularly, based on what looks good at the market. Vary this recipe by using kale, chard or arugula or other greens in place of the spinach and romaine, and pineapple or mangoes or other fruits in place of the apple, pear and banana. Just avoid melons, as they digests better on their own.

Ingredients

7 cups chopped spinach (about a medium bunch)

6 cups chopped romaine lettuce (about one small head)

2 cups cold filtered water

1 1/2 cups chopped celery (about two medium stalks)

1 medium apple, cored and coarsely chopped

1 medium pear, cored and coarsely chopped one medium banana, peeled and cut in thirds

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Optional Ingredients

1?2 cup minced fresh cilantro (stems are okay)

1?2 cup minced fresh parsley (stems are okay)

Directions

1. Combine the spinach, romaine, and water in a blender and begin processing on low. Gradually move to higher speeds and blend until smooth.
2. Next, add the celery, apple, and pear, and the cilantro and parsley (if using). Lastly, add the banana, lemon juice and ice (if using), and blend until smooth. Serve at once or refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 1/2- 3 days. 

Glowing Green Smoothie® (single serving) 

Yield: About 24 ounces 

 If you don’t want to make a whole pitcher of the Glowing Green Smoothie and just want to make enough for yourself, try this recipe! Sip this throughout the morning, or have a second serving in the afternoon. 

I always encourage you to mix and match your veggies and fruit.

Ingredients

2 cups chopped spinach or kale

1 cup chopped romaine lettuce

1 cup cold filtered water

1 small pear (or 1?2 large pear), cored and coarsely chopped

1?2 medium banana, peeled and cut in thirds

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

1.Combine the spinach, lettuce, and water in a blender and begin processing on low. Gradually move to higher speeds and blend until smooth.

2. Next, add the pear, banana and lemon juice and blend until smooth. Serve at once or refrigerate for up to 2 1/2- 3 days.

Vegan Purple Potato Salad

Serves 4-6

1 pound small purple potatoes
1 ripe avocado
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons diced red onion
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup cucumber, diced

Directions

Cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Steam them in a steamer for about 10 minutes, or until tender (but not overly soft).

Meanwhile, combine the avocado, Dijon mustard, red onion, cucumber, dill, lemon juice and salt in a medium bowl, and mash well with a fork.

Add in the potatoes and cucumber, and mix again carefully. Adjust seasonings as desired.

Poppy Seed and Date Energy Squares  

10 small squares

These little squares are packed with protein, essential omega fats, minerals, vitamins and more…but are delish and easy to pick up so that your kids will also love them!

Ingredients

7 large Medjool dates, pitted

2 Tbs. poppy seeds

2 Tbs. raisins

1 Tbs. raw pumpkin seeds

1 Tbs. hemp seeds

¼ tsp. cinnamon

Directions

Process all ingredients in a food processor into a chunky mixture.

Line a small square glass dish with clear wrap, pressing the mixture down evenly into the dish with enough wrap hanging over the sides. Use the hanging wrap as a “handle” to lift the plastic out of the dish and invert the square mixture onto a cutting board. Cut into 10 even squares, and pack into a container for your picnic.

Chocolate Chip and Coconut Chia Pudding

Serves 4

This delicious kid-friendly pudding is packed with antioxidants, brain-nourishing omega-3 fatty acids, complete protein and minerals. Easy to make and pack for a picnic, this extra yummy but healthy treat will make no one miss the “regular” pudding!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond or hemp milk

3 pitted dates

2 1/2 tsp raw cacao powder

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp coconut nectar or maple syrup

1/4 cup chia seeds
3 Tbsp. unsweetened shredded coconut
2 Tbsp. mini non-dairy chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

Blend together almond milk, dates, raw cacao, vanilla and coconut nectar. Add to a container and stir in chia seeds. Cover and move into the fridge, allowing to set for a few hours (this can be made the morning or night before your picnic). Stir again after a few hours to mix evenly, then move into a BPA-free container to pack for your picnic. Top with shredded coconut and chocolate chips.

Raw Zucchini Hummus

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 organic zucchini

½ cup tahini (preferably raw if you can source it)

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 garlic clove

¾ tsp. sea salt, or to taste

Raw cut up spring veggies, for dipping

Directions

Blend together the zucchini, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and sea salt until smooth. Place into a secure container and pack for your picnic, along with some freshly cut veggies for dipping.

Middle Eastern Gluten-Free Wraps with Sun-Dried Tomato Pâté

4 wraps, or about 1 cup of pâté

Cumin and astringent greens like arugula and parsley and great cleansing foods for spring to help purge out any leftover stagnation from winter.

Wrap

½ cup arugula

½ cup julienned cucumbers

½ cup julienned carrots

¼ cup diced spring onions

2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 medium clove garlic, peeled and minced

½ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp sea salt (or to taste)

4 gluten-free tortillas (I prefer brown rice or teff, a gluten-free grain that is grown in Africa)

1 medium ripe Hass avocado, peeled, pit removed and cut into slices

Sun-Dried Tomato Pâté

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (use dried, rehydrating them in warm water for 30 minutes; avoid those packed in oil)

½ cup filtered water (or a bit more)

¼ cup diced Kalamata olives

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tsp olive oil

½ tsp smoked paprika

Directions

Prepare the veggie mixture for the wraps. Toss together the tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, onions, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and sea salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Prepare the pâté. Combine all the pâté ingredients in a food processor and blend well. Adding a bit more water during the process to keep the mixture going, if necessary. Set aside.

Assemble the wraps. Arrange a tortilla on an individual plate and spread ¼ cup of the reserved pâté on it, leaving at least two inches uncovered at the edges. Top with a quarter of the reserved veggie mixture and three avocado slices. Roll the tortilla up carefully burrito-style. Repeat this process until all the tortillas are filled and rolled.

Kimberly Snyder

Kimberly Snyder is a multi-time New York Times bestselling author, spiritual and meditation teacher, nutritionist and holistic wellness expert. She has authored 6 books, including Radical Beauty, which she co-authored with Deepak Chopra. Her highly anticipated 6th book, You Are More Than You Think You Are: Practical Enlightenment for Everyday Life, (Hay House) published on January 25th, 2022.

She is also the founder of Solluna®, a holistic lifestyle brand, Practical Enlightenment Meditation,™ Solluna Circle and the host of her top-rated Feel Good Podcast.  She has worked with dozens of top celebrities to feel their best, including Drew Barrymore, Reese Witherspoon and Channing Tatum, and has been featured by numerous national media outlets, including Good Morning America, The Today Show, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Kimberly resides in Los Angeles and Hawaii with her husband and her sons.

Kimberly Snyder Author Photo by Kevin Estrada

www.mysolluna.com

The post Family Friendly Power Food appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Self-care may sound indulgent, but the fact is that it’s never been more important than it is today. So much of our physical state is a result of the stress and tension we carry around on a day-to-day basis. When we’re stressed, we store up toxins and our energy (or chi, an Eastern concept that translates to life force) gets blocked. Obtaining true well-being involves working with the body as a whole, three-dimensionally, from top to bottom and from the inside out. The foam roller is good for so much more than aiding in physical therapy or working out knots and tightness. When used regularly and correctly, it can be utterly transformative and unbelievably healing. The roller is the best tool that allows you to independently remove the stored-up density and toxins in the tissues—and specifically the fascia—while simultaneously hydrating the tissue with oxygenated blood and fluid. The end result is healthy, malleable tissue.

Snow Angels

1 Lie on the roller with your spine supported from head to tailbone.

2 Begin with your arms extended down by your sides, with the palms of your hands facing up to open and expand the chest.

3 Inhale deeply as you reach your arms up overhead slowly and with control, keeping them as close to the mat as possible and parallel to the floor.

4 Exhale completely as you draw your arms back down to your sides.

5 Repeat eight times.

Slinky Spine

1 Inhale as you reach your arms up.

2 Exhale as you round your spine down to roll into a forward fold position that looks like an upside down letter U. Be sure to soften your knees to help gently open the lower back. 

3 Inhale as you ground down through your feet, spread your toes, soften your knees, and use your core and strong legs to roll up, reaching your arms upward to stand. 

4 Repeat four times.

Toe Tendon Joint Mobilization

1 Come down to a deep squat position, checking to see how low your heels can go to the ground. Shift the roller under your mid-upper shins and keep your toes curled forward so your feet are really stretched out. Bend your elbows and place your hands shoulder-width apart on the mat. Keep your shoulders drawn down for the duration of the exercise.

2 Use your feet to roll forward and back, stretching you feet and rolling your shins.

3 Repeat eight times.

Calf Roll with Ankles Crossed

1 Sit on the mat with the roller placed under your calves, right below the knee (but take care to stay off the back of the knee). 

2 Cross your left calf over your right calf on the roller. 

3 Place your hands on the ground a few inches out on either side of your hips, fingers pointing outward. 

4 Press down into your hands to lift your bottom off the mat, keeping your calves balanced on the roller. 

5 Continue pressing your hands down behind you and engage your core to drive your body weight forward and back, moving the roller slowly up and down the calf, from right below the knee to that area right above the ankle. 

6 Repeat movement eight to ten times, then switch calves, put your left calf down on the roller and cross your right over top. Repeat movement eight to ten times on this side.

Back of thigh roll

1 Sit on your mat with the roller under your hamstrings. Place your hands on the mat behind you, with fingertips pointing in toward your body.

2 Press your hands on to the mat to lift your bottom off the floor. 

3 Continue pressing your hands on to the mat and engage your core to rock yourself forward, exhaling as you move the roller from the sitz bones to just above the knees. 

4 Inhale as you draw the roller back, pushing it to your sitz bones. 

5 Repeat eight to 10 times. 

Inverted Tush Roll

1 Lay down on the mat with your knees bent and feet hip-width distance apart.

2 Lift your hips up off the mat and slide the roller under your hips/sacrum (the triangular bone at the base of your spine), just above the tailbone. Lift your knees up so they are hovering directly over your hips. 

3 Inhale as your release your knees over to the right. 

4 Exhale as you release your knees to the left.

5 Repeat eight times on each side. 

Diaphragm Release

1 Place the roller underneath the bottom of your shoulder blades (at the bra line, for the ladies). Gently interlace your fingers and bring your hands behind your head to support your neck. Place your feet on the ground, parallel and hip-width distance apart. 

2 Inhale as you arch your thoracic (or mid- to upper-back) over the roller. 

3 Exhale as you curl back up as if you were doing a crunch, squeezing all the air out of your stomach. 

4 Repeat eight to ten times.

Front of the Thigh Roll

1 Lie down with your belly facing the mat, elbows placed directly under your shoulders, palms facedown. Keeping your legs straight, place the roller just above the front of your knees.

2 Engage your core to prop yourself up and protect your low back. Ground down through your forearms and bend your knees to lengthen the thigh muscles, thus breaking down the thickness and density around the thighs and increasing circulation.

3 Using your arms and core, exhale as you roll the roller up the front of your thighs to your hipbones.

4 Inhale as you press the roller down to just above the front of your knees. 

5 Repeat eight to 10 times.

Lauren Roxburgh is wearing clothing by Under Armour: underarmour.com

LoRox Aligned Roller: laurenroxburgh.com

Yoga mat by Yoga Rat: yogarat.com

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post Restorative Rolling appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

by Andrew Sealy

Imagine a practice where students literally and figuratively elevate one another. A practice where creativity and self-expression are encouraged, and working together to shape effortless union is the goal. A practice that draws hundreds of yogis to a 40 x 40 foot square lawn, notably called “The Green” in Santa Monica, every Sunday to move, connect, and play. A communication-based practice built on trust and connection that has been shared worldwide and continues to grow rapidly with thriving communities in over 83 countries. This is AcroYoga.

While AcroYoga has its base in the philosophy of Yoga, it is more than a dramatic and eye-catching partner yoga form. This practice teaches us something valuable about relationships—with ourselves as well as our tribe since the ability to connect is integral to relevant relationships. Connection is the core of AcroYoga.

My first experience of the power of connection through AcroYoga was at one of the community’s AcroYoga Jams more than three years ago. We had just finished the final module of our 200-hour training and our teacher Rocky, brought us to an AcroYoga Jam in a San Luis Obispo park. When Rocky first mentioned AcroYoga, I thought it would be an advanced technique beyond my reach. Little did I know that this accessible practice would transform the way I communicate and draw me closer to a network of yogis who are positively influencing the world through divine play and healing touch.

There was a sense of magic at play when we first stepped onto the grass field, where I immediately saw a group of yogis supporting each other. Some were standing with their feet on their partner’s knees, balanced only by the connection of their hands, while others watched closely to learn the moves. We joined in and I found myself on the grass with my friends trying to balance one another’s hips to feet, and hands to hands.

I discovered that with the support of our friends, my teacher-training partner Molly and I were able to execute beautiful asana with only a few minutes of practice. In these poses, I felt a deeper sense of our underlying connection. Adjusting to Molly’s movements while finding my foundation on my back was a surprisingly grounded feeling. I had never experienced anything like it, it was a little like legs up the wall holding a 100 pound sand bag with a mind of its own. Little by little, we found the sweet spot where everything was stacked, stable, and easy. We locked in, eye to eye and hand to hand. The uncomfortable vulnerability began to dissolve as time stood still. The connection of our hands, eyes, and feet to hips was intimate and healing. It’s not often that you hold someone in your hands and balance them from falling. At first it was confronting; we had to communicate and assess our alignment to make sure everything was placed correctly.  

We both felt that practicing with a partner in this way increased the engagement and fun factors compared to a solo yoga practice. Once we moved through the first few seconds of uncomfortable vulnerability, we entered the flow state in which we explored support, created shapes, and enjoyed intuitive yoga creativity. It was like a mix of salsa dancing and Twister. “This foot goes here, that hand goes there, and voila, we got it: BIRD!” My first AcroYoga pose! It felt exhilarating to balance another full-grown yogi on my feet.

In those first 10 minutes, I realized that I loved AcroYoga. I spent the next two years expanding my understanding of the practice. Almost every Wednesday, I returned to that park to lean on the support from my peers. I realized how the partnership and human interaction that AcroYoga provided filled a deep need in me. I felt nourished and welcomed into a community that challenged me to step outside my comfort zone and celebrated collective achievement. The practice even brought me closer to people I thought I once knew.

Most importantly, I was captivated by the personal transformation I witnessed taking place within my own heart. I went from guarding my heart from being hurt to allowing myself to be vulnerable for the most authentic aspects of myself to shine through. When I practiced AcroYoga with Molly, I could move intuitively and we laughed when things when awry.  It was fun to fall and even more fun to support each other through mutual accomplishment. When we accomplished a new flow or pose, it was a mutually shared celebration.

Through these experiences, I realized AcroYoga is more than just a style of partner yoga, it is a community of creative thinkers and active problem solvers. I witnessed how the AcroYogis took care of the park, looked out for one another, and brought wonder and imagination to the other communities they were involved in. I observed how AcroYoga breaks down fear and builds up genuine trust. On many occasions I have witnessed AcroYogis trying a new move with a spotter to make sure everything was safe. AcroYoga became a team practice where the smallest community equals three, and it made new things fun trying to switch roles and collaborate on fresh perspectives.

Soon after my first AcroYoga experience, I moved from San Luis Obispo to Seattle; later I moved from Seattle to Orange County. In all of these places I found thriving and unique AcroYoga communities. After two years of flying in these cities, I arrived in Santa Monica, in the midst of the SoCal hubs for yoga, conscious movements, and creative community. I was welcomed with open arms to a community that was ready to help me take my practice to the next level.

AcroYoga: An Introduction

AcroYoga comes from the Greek root Akros, meaning High and the Sanskrit word Yoga meaning Union. Together they form AcroYoga: High Union. AcroYoga is a community-based practice that encourages personal transformation through partner poses and genuine human connection. AcroYoga invites you to experience the full spectrum of your being through opportunities to give and receive, support and be supported, experience strength and sensitivity. It is a systematic approach to health and healing, designed to be accessible for everybody no matter shape or size. The best part about it is that it is fun to watch and even more fun to do. It brings people together the old fashioned way, through human interaction, touch, and play.

AcroYoga: Roots in Modern Yoga

One of fathers of modern yoga, Krishnamacharya, was a pioneer in the blending of acrobatics with yoga. There is footage online from 1938 of Krishnamacharya flying his children and students in postures similar to modern AcroYoga.

The modern AcroYoga practice, community, and organization first came together through play. Co-founder Jason Nemer met AcroYoga’s other co-founder, Jenny Sauer-Klein, in 2003 when they were introduced in San Francisco by mutual yoga friends. Jason had trained and competed at the Olympic level in gymnastics and was also a skilled acrobat. Jenny had both taught and studied Contact Yoga and partner flying massage. Their initial meeting turned into the first AcroYoga Jam — a spontaneous exploration of poses that lasted for hours. It was Jenny’s first time playing with the high-level hand balancing and Jason’s first time receiving therapeutic flying. Now both of those are foundational to AcroYoga.

Creative brainstorming led to the development of a partner practice that would blend their passions and talents. In January 2004, they taught a life-changing partner doubles acrobatics class. AcroYoga as a system was born. Twelve years later, AcroYoga is practiced in 83 countries with more than 650 teachers who share the practice with enthusiastic yogis willing to move, connect, and play in a new way.

AcroYoga around the World

In the Los Angeles area, there are over 20 AcroYoga Jams in any given week, where practitioners learn from each other and play freely facilitated by community leaders called JAMbassadors. In addition to Jams there are organized classes taught everywhere from yoga studios to community centers. The AcroYoga organization hosts Divine Play annually in Portland, the largest convergence of AcroYogis worldwide.

You can even go on an educational vacation with the community; at AcroYogaFest Jamaica teachers share their skills in more than 30 classes over seven days. The 2016 retreat will be April 18-25 at Jake’s Hotel on Treasure Beach. The people of Jamaica are excited for both the event and community-building that AcroYoga has done to bring positive touch awareness to the schools and children of Jamaica.

At AcroYoga.org there is a functional map that lists all the active JAMbassadors and teachers who host Jams, classes, and immersions worldwide. If your area doesn’t have a teacher, anyone can apply to be a JAMbassador and will be given the tools to build their own community by the AcroYoga organization. The website also hosts a list of structured classes that support the prominent philosophies in AcroYoga to “Know Thy Self, Support Others, and Enjoy Community.”

Andrew Sealy is a connection catalyst, yoga artist, and movement creator. His days are spent traveling to find adventure, practicing to cultivate growth, and constantly absorbing wisdom to creating new experiences that he shares with love, to friends around the world. Andrew’s teachings aim to answer the question: How can we adapt to create and evolve to sustain? yogarevealed.com

Jake Falzone is a photographer who finds that capturing life through yoga has brought him more human connection than he could have imagined. He’s learned that sunrises are nature’s cure for life’s little hangovers, while sunsets are the dessert we’re treated to at the end of each day. activexfocus.com

Andrew Sealy

The post AcroYoga appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

There is a shift beginning to emerge in disparate corners of the world: the rise of the feminine archetype. We see it in politics, business, and pop culture. Like Katniss Everdeen, a modern-day Artemis in The Hunger Games, women are fighting to preserve the world from its warped trajectory. German Chancellor Angela Merkle makes the cover of TIME as “Person of the Year” for her compassionate embrace of Syrian refugees; teenage Malala Yousafzai wins the Nobel Peace Prize, advocating girls’ rights to education; Taiwan elects Tsai Ing-wen its first female president. Yet, there still is not a country on earth where women are economically and politically equal to men. I believe this is in part a spiritual crisis—not just a social one.

To take up this issue, ten thousand men and women convened in October 2015 at the Parliament of World Religions, which hosted the gathering’s first-ever Women’s Assembly. As a filmmaker who is exploring the role of women in a new planetary leadership movement, I packed my camera and joined them in Salt Lake City. I discovered men and women locking arms against a failing culture of unsustainable consumerism, which has left humanity numb, exhausted, and spiritually bereft.  The thousands in attendance at the Women’s Assembly were passionate about reclaiming our connectedness to Mother Earth and to one another.

Providing tools for spiritual growth used to be the purview of religion. “Religio” means to “bind back,” to bring us to the core of who we are, and to help define our purpose as human beings. “The institutionalization of religion is a critical part of what went wrong,” says Phillis Currott, a Wiccan Priestess and Board member of The Parliament of World Religions. “Institutions become hierarchical, defensive, and greedy. They become the vessels of the worst aspects of our nature instead of the shepherds and protectors.” It is predominantly men who control religious institutions. And the Women’s Assembly declared gender balance within those structures, as an intrinsic conduit for restoring religious authenticity.

“The great deep spiritual teachings are immediate and present,” continues Currott, “all you have to do is breathe. They give an opportunity through practice for the veils to drop, the blindfold to come off and [for us] to see things as they actually are, which is sacred.”

Seeing the world as sacred is what we do when we practice yoga; we align with what Vedic tradition calls Dharma, the universal law of nature. If Dharmic law is violated, it can cause serious imbalances––examples of which we see today with increasing anxiety and stress in modern life as a whole.

The practice of yoga––which includes the balancing of masculine and feminine energies within us––has become a global phenomenon primarily dominated by women.  While many practitioners focus on the physical benefits of asana, millions today are incorporating meditation as well as the other limbs of yoga including the ethical precepts into their practice.

According to the Kriya Yoga tradition, taught by Paramahansa Yogananda and other masters, raising the Shakti (feminine life force) in the human body as a means of uniting us with our highest selves is the purpose of yoga. “Yoga views Shakti as the primal active, creative force in the universe” explains Brother Chidananda, a yogi and senior monastic at Self Realization Fellowship. “It is also known as ‘Divine Mother’ or ‘Mother Nature,’ and is the cosmic force that descends through the chakras in the spine and guides the growth of the human embryo in gestation. When its creative work is completed and the baby is born, it rests in the lowest chakra, in a coiled passageway called the seat of the kundalini power.” It is from this place, the ancient Rishis tell us, that we access genius, or universal intelligence, which goes beyond the intellect and can help solve our most pressing life challenges.

The concept of reclaiming our “Shakti” resonated throughout the Women’s Assembly at the Parliament of World Religion . This sacred concept is called by many names throughout different faiths.   “The dominant system has been about accumulation, annihilation, extermination and intolerance – a forced religion of our times,” exclaimed physicist and ecofeminist, Vandana Shiva.  “As a scientist, I can tell you…we produce more food by caring for the earth. We produce more wealth by sharing and we create more peace through cooperation. Competition has been made into a religion and it simply must go.”
Vedic philosophy explains that spirit is neither female nor male. The Absolute is the perfect balance of both those energies. Brother Chidananda explains that the goal of spirituality is to increasingly identify one’s self with the soul, and thus be able to express a healthy and spiritualized balance. “This happens quickly and most dramatically,” he says, “with the awakening and ascent of the kundalini.”

I believe the time has come to usher in the sacred feminine to achieve this balance.  And women are uniquely positioned to be the vanguards of this profound energetic shift.  Former president Jimmy Carter spoke out against the world’s religions in his book A Call to Action, pointing out that “the most serious and unaddressed worldwide challenge is the deprivation and abuse of women and girls.” President Carter makes the case that misinterpretation of religious texts and increasing violence and warfare are to blame for this. The resounding message at the Women’s Assembly was one of healing the heart of civilization, which can come about when we heal the heart of women.

At the gathering, I bore witness to a form of subtle activism. Dr. David Nicol describes this as spiritual work for collective transformation rather than personal development alone. I believe that this is a foundational piece in the shift we need to make on the planet collectively. “We no longer need one emissary like Gandhi,” said Maya Tiwari. “Each one of us is an emissary. We are all vessels for consciousness, and we are that peace which we seek.”  

What seems clear is that our task in the 21st century is one of awakening to the fundamental reality that we are not separate from one another. Men and women must work in tandem as stewards on this planet to create a positive change.  There was a clear sense at the Women’s Assembly that it is partnership that is being sought. The spirit we all seek is the yogic principle of the masculine and feminine in perfect balance.

“If we ever reach the time when women are standing on the various platforms in equal numbers, equal strength and with equal recognition as men, then I think we might see a more balanced society,” remarked Dr. Jane Goodall, primatologist and UN messenger of Peace, who gave a keynote speech at the Parliament. And perhaps Dr, Goodall summed it up best, “There is a Native American saying that the tribe is like an eagle and one wing is male and the other is female. And only when the two wings are equal will the tribe fly high and true. I left the Parliament with the image of that mythic bird burned in my mind’s eye and saw it take flight.

Paola Di Florio is an Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker and founder of Counterpoint Films, whose latest feature, AWAKE: The Life of Yogananda, is about the Hindu swami Paramahansa Yogananda, who brought yoga and meditation to the west. She is developing a new project about the sacred feminine in the world today. thisiscounterpointfilms.com

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post The Rise of Shakti appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

E-News from LA YOGA Ayurveda and Health Magazine December 2015 | ISSUE 294

December 2015 On the cover: Matt Hodges Photogrpahed by: Amy Goalen From the Editor As we continue to celebrate the holiday season we prepare for the changing of a calendar year. This is a meaningful time to evaluate and reevaluate our views on life (Zoe Kors suggests three tools for creating more power in our perspective). This is also a meaningful time to ring in the new year with practice. A number of centers and studios are offering opportunities to pose, chant, play, meditate, immerse yourself, and more in the old year and the new. If you are taking the time in silence or solitude, try asking yourself what brings you joy, what allows you to move through the day with grace, what supports your resilience. Repeat these often. Take them with you from 2015 into 2016. And nourish yourself. Mee Tracy McCormick shares herblack eyed pea croquettes—if you grew up in the South, you may be familiar with the tradition of eating a few of these legumes to invite in luck and abundance for the New Year. Be creative and serve them to family and friends. Speaking of friends—the furry kind—we’re collecting photos of you and your cats (meditating, practicing, or just chilling) for our annual gallery of yogis and their companion animals to appear in our March 2016 issue. Please email your pics to: news@layoga.com May you find a way to celebrate even amidst the daily challenges we face. Happy New Year, With Joy, Felicia Marie Tomasko, RN LA Yoga Magazine, Editor in Chief

Upcoming Events THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31 7:00 P.M. – 10:00 P.M. New Year’s Eve Kundalini Yoga Bash with Gurmukh and Wah! Join our soul family for a special way of bringing in the New Year! In sacredness, community and love, we will move into new beginnings together. Feeling connected to the possibilities and energy of 2016. With clear hearts and minds anything will be possible! Come raise the roof off! Golden Bridge Yoga. 719 Broadway. Santa Monica. 8:00 P.M. – 10:00 P.M. Intention and Sound Activation Workshop with Tracee Stanley & Gabriel Logan Braun. Join Tracee Stanley and Gabriel Logan Braun and end the year by retuning yourself with the healing frequencies of sound and intention activation. $35. Unplug Meditation. 12401 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. 8:30 P.M. NEW YEARS EVE CELEBRATION WITH HARIJIWAN, TEJ, AND WHITE SUN.  $40 advance / $45 day of. Yoga, Bazaar, Gong, Dinner, Dancing. SANTA MONICA BAY WOMAN’S CLUB. 1210 4th St., Santa Monica. 9:00 A.M. -10:30 A.M. at The Rose Room, 6 Rose Avenue, Venice CA 90291. $15 min donation at the door (cash or cc). Please bring your yoga mat and towel. 10:30 P.M. – 12:00 A.M. New Year’s Eve class with Yancy Schwartz. Our “”Ring to 2016″” class will offer our traditional Power format with an extra NYE flare. Start your coming year off right with health and wellness! Suggested Donation $10. Hot 8 Yoga Beverly Hills. 8383 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. 10:30 P.M. – 12:00 A.M. New Year’s Eve class with Marja Lankinen. Our “”Ring to 2016″” class will offer our traditional Power format with an extra NYE flare. Start your coming year off right with health and wellness! Suggested Donation $10. Hot 8 Yoga Beverly Hills. 8383 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. 9:30 P.M. – 1:00 A.M. SPIRITUAL NEW YEAR & NAAMATHON. Make your New Year a new beginning with Naam! Join a special New Year’s Eve Celebration with Dr. Levry and Naamathon all night meditation which continues 1am-6am free and open to the community.Join us as we usher in 2016 with the blessing and unlimited power of Naam! The NAAMATHON is continuous 5 hour guided meditation and chanting with sacred music, mudras and mantras. When many people come together in this way the concentrated positive energy increases exponentially. Naam Yoga.1231 4th St., Santa Monica. 10:45 P.M. – 12:05 P.M. NYE Yoga Class. Brent Laffoon and Angela Taylor for a very special NYE class at yogaraj. Lots of yin, a little yang too. $10 at the door. Yoga Raj. 2001 S. Barrington Ave. Santa Monica. FRIDAY, JANUARY 1 11:00 A.M. – 12:30 P.M. New Year’s Day Mala Practice with Jennifer Winther. We’ll open with a gratitude and intention-setting meditation before we start to flow. Please note that all levels are welcome and not all 108 sun salutations need be completed to enjoy this practice of community and celebration! $10. Yoga Raj. 2001 S. Barrington Ave. Santa Monica. 1:00 A.M. – 6:00 A.M. SPIRITUAL NEW YEAR & NAAMATHON. Make your New Year a new beginning with Naam! Join a special New Year’s Eve Celebration with Dr. Levry and Naamathon all night meditation which continues 1am-6am free and open to the community.Join us as we usher in 2016 with the blessing and unlimited power of Naam! The NAAMATHON is continuous 5 hour guided meditation and chanting with sacred music, mudras and mantras. When many people come together in this way the concentrated positive energy increases exponentially. Naam Yoga.1231 4th St., Santa Monica. 1:00 P.M. – 2:30 P.M. Intention Setting, Manifesting Meditation, & Ecstatic Breathwork with Scott Schwenk. In this very special New Year’s Day class, Unplug teacher Scott Schwenk is guiding us into a super-charged meditation and Ecstatic Breathwork experience for manifesting the experience of completely fulfilled intentions right out of the gate on this auspicious first day of the New Year. $30. Unplug Meditation. 12401 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. SATURDAY, JANUARY 2 10:00 A.M. Dance of Liberation. Dance with Parashakti – people tie on blindfolds (all the better with which to see the inner world) and then dance accompanied by music with trained facilitators holding the space and making sure everyone is safe. The dance is not about outer performance but expression of the inner heart. Wanderlust Hollywood. 1357 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles 1:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M. Therapeutic Aspects of Meditation with Richard Miller PhD. Showcases Direct Path teachings that help you realise “this” that is already whole, healthy, healed and perfect. With this realization in place, Progressive Path teachings will reveal aspects within the body, mind, emotions and beliefs that underlie whatever needs healing. $280. Loyola Marymount University through Samata and YTRx. Los Angeles. SUNDAY, JANUARY 3 The Yoga Expo. It’s the first expo of its kind attracting the Who’s Who of Yoga! With already 7,200 tickets sold, thousands of teachers and students gather in an exchange of mind, body, and spirit in a one-day fun-filled, family-friendly event on Sunday, January 3, 2016 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. A ticket price of just $10 grants access to unlimited classes and workshops. $10. Los Angeles Convention Center. 1201 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles. 10:00 A.M. – 11:30 A.M. Manifesting Your 2016 with Keith Mitchell. How are you planning to show up in 2016?  Many times we begin strong yet we lose track of the path. How can we reconnect?  How can I disconnect from the performing and reconnect to reforming. How can I take this self reflective practice and apply it to life? This is what we will dive into in this workshop.  Let’s ask the genuine questions and through this authentic reflection we will work towards achieving my new way of being. $30. Wanderlust Hollywood. 1357 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood. 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. Pop Up Yoga Venice. Cristi Christensen, Micheline Berry, DJ Sol Rising and Joey Lugassy Grand Opening New Year’s Celebration. $20-25 Presale event only! Only 25 tickets remain! 11:30 A.M. – 1:30 A.M. FREE Pranayama & Restoratives Class. Jeff Perlman will lead a FREE Restorative & Pranayama class. Goorus Yoga. 15327 W Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades. TUESDAY, JANUARY 5 7:30 P.M. – 9:30 P.M. New Year’s Workshop. Christine will be teaching a transformational goal-setting process that will make manifesting your dreams A LOT easier. She will also be leading a guided meditation to support you in completing 2015 and creating a clear vision for 2016. $40. 716 Taft Way. Santa Monica. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6 9:30 A.M. Prenatal Yoga. “Prenatal Yoga”” will make you feel fit and relaxed throughout your pregnancy and will help to build up stamina and endurance preparing you for labor, delivery, and the new baby. $54 for 6 meetings. South Bay Adults School. 1600 Pacific Ave., Manhattan Beach. 5:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. AromaTouch Certification. Get certified in AromaTouch! Just $149 and includes the Essential Oils, DVD and Student Manual. The AromaTouch Technique incorporates the power of essential oils to create a powerful whole body wellness experience. It seeks to address four systemic constants that are present in daily life and which may serve as limiting factors in health: stress, immunity, the inflammatory response, and the autonomic imbalance. Sybaris Rejuvenation Lounge. 1301 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica. FRIDAY, JANUARY 8 7:00 P.M. – 7:45 P.M. Overcome Insomnia- Meditation for Deep Sleep with Sara Ivanhoe. Please join special guest Sara Ivanhoe for a special “Sleep Session”. Learn the tools to sleep deep and overcome Insomnia with meditation. We have had so many people come to unplug to overcome sleep issues – This is the class! Please pre- sign as it will fill up! Unplug Meditation. 12401 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. SATURDAY, JANUARY 9 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. Special New Year’s Yoga + Sound Bath @ Hotel Bel Air. Set your new year’s intention with invigorating yoga and sound bath at the beautiful Hotel Bel Air! Pre-register online to be entered for Manduka prizes! Plus, enjoy fresh juices and small healthy bites. Class lead by Sarah Helt and Helane Anderson. $25 pre-register / $30 at the door. Hotel Bel Air. 701 Stone Canyon Rd., Los Angeles. 11:00 P.M. – 12:30 P.M. Bring Your Family Yoga. Yoga is not only for kids! In this workshop you”ll learn to get the entire family on board. Determine a night or two during each week where you can practice yoga together as part of a physical fitness routine. $25/family. Goorus Yoga Studio. 15327 W Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades. 1:30 P.M. – 3:30 P.M. Hot 8 Yoga Foundations with Rebekah Rivera. Hot 8 Foundations is designed for those who are new to yoga or have practiced for some time and are looking for a deeper understanding. Come learn about the 8 Limbs of Yoga and take your practice to the next level! Registration $75 for 4 week series. Hot 8 Yoga. 1422 2nd St., Santa Monica. 2:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Clutter Healing Workshop with Lili Pettit. Clear your clutter and set your home up for success with organizing and energy clearing techniques. House blessing ceremony, visualizations and setting up your home to prosper in love, health, money and career from pro clutter healer, Lili Pettit. Unplug Meditation. 12401 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. SUNDAY, JANUARY 10 10:30 A.M. Yoga Barre Teacher Training Open House with Nancy Norby. Please join Hot 8 Yoga for our upcoming Yoga Barre Teacher Training Open House in Beverly Hills. Meet the trainer Nancy Norby assisted by Briana DeFalco, who will guide you through a sample of what we do in a training with Q&A. Hot 8 Yoga. 8383 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. 2:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Fine Tuning Workshop.  Join us this month to focus on releasing the glutes, outer hips, and hamstrings! JQ Williams (Veda Yoga Instructor) will use a variety of self massage techniques along with active and passive stretching to loosen connective tissues and tight muscles. Veda Yoga. 9349 Venice Blvd., Culver City.We’re honored to be the sponsor of Yoga Chat with the Accidental Yogist on killradio.org every Tuesday from 5-7pm Pacific. Yoga Chat features world music plus interviews with an eclectic group of guests: teachers, musicians, authors, filmmakers, chefs, health professionals, and many more. Archived podcasts are available on iTunes and at yogachatshow.com Black-Eyed Pea Croquettes to Begin your Year Chef and healthy food advocate Mee Tracy McCormick loves these flavorful beans and evokes their use to start the year with luck. Try this vegan version to start your year with compassion on the plate, “In the deep South where I live, black-eyed peas are symbolic of luck and money when eaten on New Year’s day. Traditionally, they are made with ham bones. When I ran my first community kitchen, I used the familiarity folks have with black-eye peas to create a heart-healthy recipe.” Read her recipe here:https://layoga.com/food-home/recipes/black-eyed-pea-croquettes/Call for Yogi Cat Pics! Whether or not we mean to do so, we often share our yoga and meditation practices with our animal companions—and we love to share the pics of our furry four-legged friends! In LA YOGA’s March 2016 issue, we’ll be sharing a gallery of photos of you and your cat friends on and off the mat. Please send us high resolution images and tell us the story behind the pic. By sending them to us, you’re giving us permission to share the portraits in the print magazines, on our website, and in social media campaigns. We will credit and hastag you and and you’ll see your animal love shared with the community! Write us at: news@layoga.com by January 21 for consideration. Pictures here: Erika Burkhalter with Emerson. Perspective as Power Tool It’s part of the human condition that we come upon challenging moments when it feels as though the people in our lives, or even life itself, is beating us down. Or perhaps there is a specific aspect of a situation or relationship that is showing up as a persistent source of discomfort. At these times, we lose objectivity and become immersed in our own myopic experiencing of the circumstances. So how do we change the way we perceive things? Try Zoe Kors’ three suggestions: https://layoga.com/life-and-style/health-wellness/perspective-power-tool/Join the Dance of Liberation January 2 During a Dance of Liberation session, people tie on blindfolds (all the better with which to see the inner world) and then dance accompanied by music with trained facilitators holding the space and making sure everyone is safe. The dance is not about outer performance but expression of the inner heart. Read more about Dance of Liberation creator Parashakti and her approach to the practice here.https://layoga.com/community/teacher-profiles/teacher-profile-parashakti-sigalit-bat-haim/ Dance with Parashakti on January 2 at Wanderlust Hollywood. Find out more information here. RENEW U. at Wanderlust Hollywood Jan. 1-3 Join this 3-day intensive to ignite your practice, enrich your soul, and inspire your creativity. This immersion gathers experts and leaders in yoga, meditation, food, nutrition and the arts to help you welcome the new year renewed. FEATURING: Gurmukh | Schuyler Grant | Sianna Sherman | Keith Mitchell Cristi Christensen | Tommy + Kia | Hemalayaa + More For more information, click here. Quinoa Johnny Cakes Need a brunch recipe for the holiday weekend? Try these quinoa johnny cakes for a protein-rich version of comfort food that will please a variety of palates. True Food Kitchen Executive Chef Michael Stebner shares Yoga for Men Calendar LA YOGA’s December cover teacher, Matt Hodges, is one of the yogis featured in photographer Amy Goalen’s Yoga for Men 2016 calendar. A selection of inspirational images of men practicing decorate the year. Order your calendar here. Read Matt Hodges’ teacher profile on www.layoga.com here. https://layoga.com/community/teacher-profiles/teacher-profile-matt-hodges/ Jasper Johal’s “The Body as Temple” 2016 Calendar Jasper Johal’s “The Body as Temple” 2016 Calendar, filled with classic black and white nudes of yogis, dancers and athletes, is available for sale at Amazon Jasper Johal’s photography is well known in the yoga community. His simple yet striking images of yogis have graced the ads for Hard Tail, Toesox, and Yogitoes. Each year Jasper produces a limited run of his “The Body as Temple” calendar, featuring beautiful nudes of yogis, dancers and athletes. This is a calendar designed to be framed. Twelve classic black and white photographs. Reproduced with rich duotone printing on a sheet-fed press for exceptional depth and nuance in the images. For more information, click here. This is What a Yogi Looks Like! Calendar Sarit Z Rogers of Sarit Photography contributed 15 months of images in this gallery of photographs showing a variety of people showcasing “This is What a Yogi Looks Like.” Rogers collaborated with the Yoga and Body Image Coalition in an effort to broaden the real-world images we see of people practicing. Sales of the calendar benefit the nonprofits Love More Movement and the Yoga and Body Image Coalition. Order here. Vedic Astrology with Sam Geppi January 5 – January 25 Mercury will be retrograde in Capricorn and Sagittarius at this time. You will be reflecting on your long-term commitments and measuring them against your deeply held convictions. Are you on track with an inspired life? Are you in service to something bigger yourself and larger than just day-to-day survival? These are the big questions at play now. Read the rest of Sam Geppi’s forecast here:https://layoga.com/life-and-style/astrology/vedic-astrology-december-2015-january-2016/ Read LA YOGA via APP on your Mobile Device We are excited to announce the LA Yoga app is now available for Apple and Android devices. The app is a free download, and each issue is only $.99 or the entire year for $9.99. Read the entire yoga teacher training guide through our interactive app platform with enhanced social media sharing and live links to programs and websites. Read stories on your mobile device or tablet and take LA YOGA with you anywhere for your research and inspiration. Get your LA Yoga app now. Our Sponsors

Karen Henry

Karen Henry is an Associate Editor at LA YOGA who volunteers in a variety of capacities for nonprofit organizations and artists around Los Angeles. She practices yoga as a counterbalance to her daily impact sports and is a mother of four grown children who also practice yoga . Now, she’s working on teaching yoga and joy of life to the grandkids!

The post Newsletter December 30, 2015 “Try Lucky Peas for New Year Prosperity” appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

E-News from LA YOGA Ayurveda and Health Magazine December 2015 | ISSUE 293

December 2015 On the cover: Matt Hodges Photogrpahed by: Amy Goalen From the Editor Once we pivot on the timestamp of the Winter Solstice, the days start becoming longer. It happens in such an incremental manner that we may not even notice the shift. Yet the shift takes place. It may be part of why we come together in such powerful celebrations this time of year—in the midst of the cold and dark we can remember that the light really does return. Every year. And every year the incremental power of our practice helps us to stay both centered and grounded amidst the cycles of the year and of our life. Elisabeth Röhm chooses a nutritious morning smoothie, musicians Maetar, Donna De Lory, and Lili Haydn revel in the healing power of sound, and we all find that the ritual of our morning routine can be an antidote for chaos. Many of us find joy in our companion animals. In the March 2015 issue of LA YOGA, we shared portraits of people and their pups. (check out the digital edition here) We’re planning to share a gallery in our March 2016 issue—this time of yogis and their purring feline friends. OC based teacher and LMU Masters degree graduate Erika Burkhalter shares one of her pics this week. Please submit to: news@layoga.com and share the love. As we wind down the year, may your inner light continue to shine. With Joy, Felicia Marie Tomasko, RN LA Yoga Magazine, Editor in Chief

Upcoming Events TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22 8:00 P.M. – 11:00 P.M. Celebrate Winter Solstice. Renowned Singer Donna DeLory, celebrated violinist/singer Lili Haydn, and mystical musicians Maetar will treat you to sacred song and improvisation on the Winter Solstice, December 22, 2015 in the cozy and serene Rose Temple (Full Circle). With a special guided meditation with channeler Jeff Fasano. $25. Full Circle. 305 Rose Ave., Venice. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31 8:30 P.M. NEW YEARS EVE CELEBRATION WITH HARIJIWAN, TEJ, AND WHITE SUN.  $40 advance / $45 day of. Yoga, Bazaar, Gong, Dinner, Dancing. SANTA MONICA BAY WOMAN’S CLUB. 1210 4th St., Santa Monica. 10:30 P.M. – 12:00 A.M. New Year’s Eve class with Yancy Schwartz. Our “”Ring to 2016″” class will offer our traditional Power format with an extra NYE flare. Start your coming year off right with health and wellness! Suggested Donation $10. Hot 8 Yoga Beverly Hills. 8383 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. 10:30 P.M. – 12:00 A.M. New Year’s Eve class with Marja Lankinen. Our “”Ring to 2016″” class will offer our traditional Power format with an extra NYE flare. Start your coming year off right with health and wellness! Suggested Donation $10. Hot 8 Yoga Beverly Hills. 8383 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. 12:00 A.M. – 1:00 A.M. SPIRITUAL NEW YEAR & NAAMATHON. Make your New Year a new beginning with Naam! Join a special New Year’s Eve Celebration with Dr. Levry and Naamathon all night meditation which continues 1am-6am free and open to the community.Join us as we usher in 2016 with the blessing and unlimited power of Naam! The NAAMATHON is continuous 5 hour guided meditation and chanting with sacred music, mudras and mantras. When many people come together in this way the concentrated positive energy increases exponentially. Naam Yoga.1231 4th St., Santa Monica. FRIDAY, JANUARY 1 1:00 A.M. – 6:00 A.M. SPIRITUAL NEW YEAR & NAAMATHON. Make your New Year a new beginning with Naam! Join a special New Year’s Eve Celebration with Dr. Levry and Naamathon all night meditation which continues 1am-6am free and open to the community.Join us as we usher in 2016 with the blessing and unlimited power of Naam! The NAAMATHON is continuous 5 hour guided meditation and chanting with sacred music, mudras and mantras. When many people come together in this way the concentrated positive energy increases exponentially. Naam Yoga.1231 4th St., Santa Monica. SATURDAY, JANUARY 2 1:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M. Therapeutic Aspects of Meditation with Richard Miller PhD. Showcases Direct Path teachings that help you realise “this” that is already whole, healthy, healed and perfect. With this realization in place, Progressive Path teachings will reveal aspects within the body, mind, emotions and beliefs that underlie whatever needs healing. $280. Loyola Marymount University through Samata and YTRx. Los Angeles. SUNDAY, JANUARY 3 The Yoga Expo. It’s the first expo of its kind attracting the Who’s Who of Yoga! With already 7,200 tickets sold, thousands of teachers and students gather in an exchange of mind, body, and spirit in a one-day fun-filled, family-friendly event on Sunday, January 3, 2016 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. A ticket price of just $10 grants access to unlimited classes and workshops. $10. Los Angeles Convention Center. 1201 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles. 10:00 A.M. – 11:30 A.M. Manifesting Your 2016 with Keith Mitchell. How are you planning to show up in 2016?  Many times we begin strong yet we lose track of the path. How can we reconnect?  How can I disconnect from the performing and reconnect to reforming. How can I take this self reflective practice and apply it to life? This is what we will dive into in this workshop.  Let’s ask the genuine questions and through this authentic reflection we will work towards achieving my new way of being. $30. Wanderlust Hollywood. 1357 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood. 11:30 A.M. – 1:30 A.M. FREE Pranayama & Restoratives Class. Jeff Perlman will lead a FREE Restorative & Pranayama class. Goorus Yoga. 15327 W Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades. We’re honored to be the sponsor of Yoga Chat with the Accidental Yogist on killradio.org every Tuesday from 5-7pm Pacific. More Holiday Gift Ideas Interviews with Cooper Madison and Madhu, musicians at The Gandharvas and author Kamla Kapur. Featured Music: “Om Gam Ganeshaya,” by The Gandharvas; “Satigur Prasad,” by Peter Kater and Snatam Kaur, and “Ganapataye,” by Luna Ray Listen Here: http://ayogist.podomatic.com/entry/2015-12-15T23_28_59-08_00 Yoga Chat features world music plus interviews with an eclectic group of guests: teachers, musicians, authors, filmmakers, chefs, health professionals, and many more. Archived podcasts are available on iTunes and at yogachatshow.com Winter Solstice w/Lili Haydn, Donna De Lory, and Maetar Dec 22 Renowned Singer Donna DeLory, celebrated violinist/singer Lili Haydn, and mystical musicians Maetar will treat you to sacred song and improvisation on the Winter Solstice, December 22, 2015 in the cozy and serene Rose Temple (Full Circle). With a special guided meditation with channeler Jeff Fasano. Event details: 8:00 P.M. – 11:00 P.M. Full Circle 305 Rose Ave Venice http://www.fullcirclevenice.org/events/month/ Tickets: $25 with a food or toy donation to LA Mission. Find Solace amidst Holiday Stress The holidays are known to exacerbate anxiety, stress, and an overall imbalance in one’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Seasonal changes, financial stress, family pressure, holiday shopping, unrealistic expectations, and not being close in proximity to family and friends are some of the triggers that can cause imbalance. The solution can be found through cultivating consistency in daily routine of ancient Ayurvedic rituals performed each morning. Set aside time for you this holiday season. Even a few minutes a day can create the shifts needed to maintain balance. Read Vasavi Kumar’s go-to practices here: https://layoga.com/life-and-style/ayurveda/morning-ayurveda-balance-ancient-rituals/ Call for Yogi Cat Pics! Whether or not we mean to do so, we often share our yoga and meditation practices with our animal companions—and we love to share the pics of our furry four-legged friends! In LA YOGA’s March 2016 issue, we’ll be sharing a gallery of photos of you and your cat friends on and off the mat. Please send us high resolution images and tell us the story behind the pic. By sending them to us, you’re giving us permission to share the portraits in the print magazines, on our website, and in social media campaigns. We will credit and hastag you and and you’ll see your animal love shared with the community! Write us at: news@layoga.com by January 21 for consideration. Pictures here: Erika Burkhalter with Emerson. Elisabeth Röhm’s Morning Smoothie Elisabeth Röhm appears in Joy, the highly anticipated holiday movie starring Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, and Bradley Cooper. An actor, entrepreneur, and mom, she knows that it takes nutrition to stay healthy. Elisabeth says, “My favorite way to start the morning with my daughter is with a healthy and hydrating smoothie. It’s a great way to infuse us both with electrolytes, potassium, beta-carotene, and antioxidants.” Read her recipe here: https://layoga.com/food-home/recipes/morning-family-smoothie-by-elisabeth-rohm/ RENEW U. at Wanderlust Hollywood Jan. 1-3 Join this 3-day intensive to ignite your practice, enrich your soul, and inspire your creativity. This immersion gathers experts and leaders in yoga, meditation, food, nutrition and the arts to help you welcome the new year renewed. FEATURING: Gurmukh | Schuyler Grant | Sianna Sherman | Keith Mitchell Cristi Christensen | Tommy + Kia | Hemalayaa + More For more information, click here. Vedic Astrology with Sam Geppi This Full Moon in Gemini harmonizes the mind and intellect with our beliefs, so that we are able to understand what we believe to be true. If we cannot explain what we believe, then it is just dogma, dogma which fails to help us in time of need and denys us tolerance for those with different beliefs. You may find yourself unsure of your path and looking for alternative answers, so be watchful of ready-made tidbits of New Age pablum masquerading as wisdom. True insight comes only after serious study and inquiry. Read the rest of Sam Geppi’s forecast here:https://layoga.com/life-and-style/astrology/vedic-astrology-december-2015-january-2016/ Jasper Johal’s “The Body as Temple” 2016 Calendar Jasper Johal’s “The Body as Temple” 2016 Calendar, filled with classic black and white nudes of yogis, dancers and athletes, is available for sale at Amazon Jasper Johal’s photography is well known in the yoga community. His simple yet striking images of yogis have graced the ads for Hard Tail, Toesox, and Yogitoes. Each year Jasper produces a limited run of his “The Body as Temple” calendar, featuring beautiful nudes of yogis, dancers and athletes. This is a calendar designed to be framed. Twelve classic black and white photographs. Reproduced with rich duotone printing on a sheet-fed press for exceptional depth and nuance in the images. For more information, click here. Read LA YOGA via APP on your Mobile Device We are excited to announce the LA Yoga app is now available for Apple and Android devices. The app is a free download, and each issue is only $.99 or the entire year for $9.99. Read the entire yoga teacher training guide through our interactive app platform with enhanced social media sharing and live links to programs and websites. Read stories on your mobile device or tablet and take LA YOGA with you anywhere for your research and inspiration. Get your LA Yoga app now. Our Sponsors

Karen Henry

Karen Henry is an Associate Editor at LA YOGA who volunteers in a variety of capacities for nonprofit organizations and artists around Los Angeles. She practices yoga as a counterbalance to her daily impact sports and is a mother of four grown children who also practice yoga . Now, she’s working on teaching yoga and joy of life to the grandkids!

The post Newsletter December 22, 2015 “Celebrate the Winter Solstice with Music and Meditation” appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

E-News from LA YOGA Ayurveda and Health Magazine December 2015 | ISSUE 292

December 2015 On the cover: Matt Hodges Photogrpahed by: Amy Goalen From the Editor The Holiday (or Holy Days) season can be times of great joy and reflection. We may take time for ourselves in solitude and darkness or we may take time with family and friends in celebration and community. Our travels may be as close as our living room or as far away as the other side of the world. In whatever way we travel, we can access the teachings of Yoga and Ayurveda to help us maintain a sense of balance and ease as well as our own personal health and wellness throughout the season. This newsletter includes a variety of suggestions from a number of contributors to enjoy the holiday season. My own daily practice includes an emphasis on simple practices that support the ability to take a deep breath, even in the midst of both chaos and calm. Wherever and however you travel, pack your practice. Happy Holidays, Felicia Marie Tomasko, RN LA Yoga Magazine, Editor in Chief

Upcoming Events THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17 7:00 P.M. Medicine Cabinet MakeOver with Essential OIls. Learn how to use Essential Oils for everyday health challenges. Sybaris Rejuvenation Lounge. 1301 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica. 7:00 P.M. – 9:30 P.M. Winter Solstice. Celebrate the magic of Winter Solstice with a Naam Meditation celebration of Love, Peace and Light led by Dr. Joseph Michael Levry, founder of Naam Yoga Thursday. Light refreshments to follow, please bring your mat and a cushion. Naam Yoga.1231 4th St., Santa Monica. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Don Jose Ruiz Agreement of Love and Book Signing. Come and learn the tools you need to change what you need to change to let go of the bad habits that no longer serve you. Toltec means artist and we are all artists of life. We all have something in our lives that takes away our creativity and inspiration. Come make an agreement of love to let go of whatever is taking your inspiration away and transform your life into a masterpiece of art. $35 pre-reg and $45 day of. Golden Bridge Yoga. 719 Broadway St., Santa Monica. SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20 108 Sun Salutations Celebrating the Solstice. Join instructor Sandy DeJohn as she leads you through 108 Sun Salutations as practiced by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. It is a dynamic flow of specific poses synchronized with breathing techniques used to generate internal heat which helps to eliminate toxins. Note: This workshop is not for beginners. Donation-based. Lotus 7 Yoga & Pilates. 2521 Avenica Empressa., Rancho Santa Margarita. 2:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. http://www.reyogatherapy.comrePLENISH Dull Winter Skin. In this workshop we will explore some Ayurveda and Yoga techniques to feed your skin from the inside and out. We will practice Abhyanga; self oil massage, create a home made facemask and learn about teas/foods that will replenish the moisture and tone of your face and skin. Join us for fun hands on activities to replenish your skin! Class space is limited, reserve your spot by RSVP’ing toinfo@reyogatherapy.com! re:YOGA Therapy. 10001 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles. 11:00 A.M. YOGASMOGA Holiday Party. Join Editor in Chief Felicia Tomasko at 6:30 PM to Renew, Restore & Relax. Felicia’s complimentary Hatha class will help you release tension and settle into a restorative space for full-body balance during the busy holiday season. Yogasmoga. 9458 Dayton Way., Beverly Hills. We’re honored to be the sponsor of Yoga Chat with the Accidental Yogist on killradio.org every Tuesday from 5-7pm Pacific. More Holiday Gift Ideas Interviews with Cooper Madison and Madhu, musicians at The Gandharvas and author Kamla Kapur. Featured Music: “Om Gam Ganeshaya,” by The Gandharvas; “Satigur Prasad,” by Peter Kater and Snatam Kaur, and “Ganapataye,” by Luna Ray Listen Here: http://ayogist.podomatic.com/entry/2015-12-15T23_28_59-08_00 Yoga Chat features world music plus interviews with an eclectic group of guests: teachers, musicians, authors, filmmakers, chefs, health professionals, and many more. Archived podcasts are available on iTunes and at yogachatshow.com YOGASMOGA Get in the holiday spirit at YOGASMOGA Beverly Hills on Monday, December 21st. The party starts at 11AM with raffles and sweet treats throughout the day! Join Editor in Chief Felicia Tomasko at 6:30 PM to Renew, Restore & Relax. Felicia’s complimentary Hatha class will help you release tension and settle into a restorative space for full-body balance during the busy holiday season. 9458 Dayton Way, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Please RSVP to BeverlyHills@yogasmoga.com www.yogasmoga.com Mala Collective Give the gift of intention with Mala Collective’s I Am Enough collection of necklaces for mindful living! These pieces focus on confidence, love, adventure, strength, and inner peace. Each comes with a guided audio-meditation to inspire beginning, re-starting, or deepening meditation practice. And each is designed, handmade and blessed in Bali. The I Am Enough malas help support a strong meditation practice and help wearers manifest their dreams. Become a Yoga Teacher: 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training OR Deepen Your Yoga: 50 Hour Immersion with Christy Marsden, Nicole Honnig Eber & Bekah Turner Starts January 2016 True to the philosophy of Yoga Blend, the teacher training is in a non-dogmatic style of yoga utilizing the basic fundamental teachings of yogic philosophy. This training will prepare you to teach beginners right away and it will also take you on a personal journey to deepen your own practice of yoga. These programs include: ~Asana ~Meditation ~Pranayama ~Chanting ~Ritual ~Deities of Yoga ~How to Teach Asanas ~Practice Teaching ~Introduction to Anatomy & Physiology ~Energetic Anatomy ~Class Sequencing & Theming ~Business of Yoga ~Creating a Home Practice ~Sacred Texts & Yoga Philosophy ~Special Programs such as Pre/Post Natal, Restorative, Kids Yoga, Chair Visit www.yogablend.com for more information! NAAM Yoga Solstice Celebration WINTER SOLSTICE with Dr. Levry – December 17 Celebrate the magic of Winter Solstice with a Naam Meditation celebration of Love, Peace and Light led by Dr. Joseph Michael Levry, founder of Naam Yoga Thursday, December 17th, 7-9:30pm, light refreshments to follow, please bring your mat and a cushion. For more information, click here. RENEW U. at Wanderlust Hollywood Jan. 1-3 Join this 3-day intensive to ignite your practice, enrich your soul, and inspire your creativity. This immersion gathers experts and leaders in yoga, meditation, food, nutrition and the arts to help you welcome the new year renewed. FEATURING: Gurmukh | Schuyler Grant | Sianna Sherman | Keith Mitchell Cristi Christensen | Tommy + Kia | Hemalayaa + More For more information, click here. Manage your Stress on a Tight Travel Schedule Give Yourself Plenty of Time to Avoid Stress: The best way to keep your adrenals healthy is by avoiding high-stress situations. When traveling, a lot can be out of your control, especially when it comes to your schedule. Either give yourself plenty of time to get somewhere, or allow your timetable to be loose. You can’t let yourself get frazzled by the unexpected. Read more of Gigi Yogini’s suggestions for traveling with ease here: https://layoga.com/life-and-style/travel/yoga-on-the-road/Pack your Practice on the Road Real yoga to me is uniting our body, mind, breath, and senses with our natural environment — from the fertile soil to the stars of infinite space — and understanding and reflecting on the great elements of ether, air, fire, water, and earth that make up our bodies and our living earth. I like to stand in mountain pose beneath great peaks such as Mount Shasta or Mount Rainier, taking in long full three-part breaths while emulating their strength and connection between earth and heaven. They beckon me to reach my own soul upward like them towards divinity and recognition of my sacred self. Read more of Guy Gabriel’s suggestions here: https://layoga.com/life-and-style/travel/yoga-on-the-road/ Ayurveda on the Road Pack yourself a travel remedy kit with dried ginger, nutmeg, am2alaki, coriander, cumin, and fennel seeds, a small bottle of aloe juice and gel, a small box of raisins, prunes, or figs, some herbal tea, as well as a small bottle of massage oil and nasal drops. Remember your water bottle. Your kit need not be elaborate; make it convenient for yourself. Also practice mindful actions that will help you feel grounded and comfortable. Incorporate yoga, meditation, and regular breathing exercises daily. Read more of Dr Ram Tamang’s suggestions here:https://layoga.com/life-and-style/ayurveda/guidelines-for-stress-free-travel/Time for Tea Instead of soda or alcohol, give yourself a treat by packing your favorite travel mug with some nerve-soothing herbal tea bags such as chamomile, mint, clove, lemongrass, tulsi, rooibos, lavender or orange peel. Ask the flight attendant to fill the mug with hot water, and then put your seat back and enjoy your warm, steamy vacation in a cup, even if you are on a business trip. Read more of Michael Curran’s tips for Ayurvedic travel here: https://layoga.com/life-and-style/ayurveda/travel-with-ease-2/ Recipe: Skinny Eggnog Yield: 2 servings Ingredients 2½ cups Chomp Almond Mylk 4 ounces bourbon 2 eggs 1 egg white ? cup sugar 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1 teaspoon vanilla Cinnamon, to taste Nutmeg, to taste Instructions – Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add Chomp’s Almond Mylk and vanilla and heat until it almost simmers; do not bring to a boil. – In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg white, sugar and cornstarch until frothy. – Temper the eggs into the heated Almond Mylk and add the bourbon. To do this, add about ¼ cup of the Almond Mylk and bourbon to the egg mixture, whisking quickly. Add another ¼ cup and whisk again. Tempering allows all liquids to come to the same temperature before combining them, so the eggs do not curdle. – Add the cooled down egg mixture to the Almond Mylk, and whisk them to combine. Stir frequently until it begins to thicken, about 6-8 minutes – Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. – Serve warm or chilled Vedic Astrology with Sam Geppi December 25 This Full Moon in Gemini harmonizes the mind and intellect with our beliefs, so that we are able to understand what we believe to be true. If we cannot explain what we believe, then it is just dogma, dogma which fails to help us in time of need and denys us tolerance for those with different beliefs. You may find yourself unsure of your path and looking for alternative answers, so be watchful of ready-made tidbits of New Age pablum masquerading as wisdom. True insight comes only after serious study and inquiry. Read the rest of Sam Geppi’s forecast here: https://layoga.com/life-and-style/astrology/vedic-astrology-december-2015-january-2016/ Read LA YOGA via APP on your Mobile Device We are excited to announce the LA Yoga app is now available for Apple and Android devices. The app is a free download, and each issue is only $.99 or the entire year for $9.99. Read the entire yoga teacher training guide through our interactive app platform with enhanced social media sharing and live links to programs and websites. Read stories on your mobile device or tablet and take LA YOGA with you anywhere for your research and inspiration. Get your LA Yoga app now. Our Sponsors

Karen Henry

Karen Henry is an Associate Editor at LA YOGA who volunteers in a variety of capacities for nonprofit organizations and artists around Los Angeles. She practices yoga as a counterbalance to her daily impact sports and is a mother of four grown children who also practice yoga . Now, she’s working on teaching yoga and joy of life to the grandkids!

The post Newsletter December 17, 2015 “Healthy Holiday Travel Tips” appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

by Jenelle Robertson

Hold it right there – Slowly put down the car keys…

Santa Monican’s are rolling towards the future of urban wellness with the launch of an innovative bike share program on November 12. Sponsored by local entertainment powerhouse Hulu, Breeze Bike Share has shifted the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and sustainability into high gear for our beachside sanctuary.

Breezers can watch their calories burn with every pedal in the easy to use SoBi app dashboard that displays all personal trip data. Along with monitoring personal health goals, members can track their Carbon offset and gas money saved while Breezing the streets of Santa Monica.

The long awaited reality of a seamless bike share commute system in LA is catching speed as cities Beverly Hills and West Hollywood prepare for launch in 2016. Roll up your yoga mat, toss it in a Breeze Bike basket and join the bike share revolution. For more information visit: breezebikeshare.com

Staff Writer Lakshmi

The post Breeze Bike Share Launches in Santa Monica appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

by Clytie Lane

Some people pray, others sing, some meditate quietly, others offer food. Blessing and giving thanks for the fare on our table has long been an integral part of our celebrations and traditions and there are so many diverse ways to offer this reverence for Nature’s abundance. The simple practice of gratitude is an act of higher consciousness that can have a profound effect on our spiritual and physical well-being.

This, year, high in the mountains of Malibu, on the Sacred Chumash land of the Wright Ranch, a group of us came together with Ladamira, a Siberian shaman named for an ancient Slavic goddess whose meaning is Mirror of Love. In this gathering, I had the opportunity to experience my first authentic shamanic food blessing ritual; it has has a powerful and lasting effect on me.

Our table contained a mouth-watering spread of steaming oatmeal, honey, raisins, grapes, succulent raspberries and blueberries, yogurt, granola, nuts, fresh medjool dates, banana bread, and hot herbal tea. We joined hands standing around this bounty. We closed our eyes while Ladamira spoke a prayer softly but earnestly, thanking God and Goddess for these blessed gifts and asking that all energy be transmuted to the highest vibration, so that in turn the energy we receive upon eating be only Divine energy to support our spiritual growth and development.

The prayer closed with everyone chanting ‘Om.” Ladamira asked us to remain in reverent silence for the breakfast to guide us through a meditative shamanic ritual with the intention of heightening our consciousness and connecting us with our spirit. Rather than diving unconsciously into our meal, Ladamira invited us to take a small amount of food onto our plates and simply look at it with eyes of love and appreciation. Then she invited us to pick up a piece a fruit from our plate and hold it. I placed a raspberry on the tip of my finger as I had done so many times as a young child.

Ladamira’s hypnotic voice guided us in our sensory journey. I observed the color of the raspberry and noticed the pockets of berries making up the whole as well as the juice just beneath the surface. I inhaled its subtle fragrance. I felt its texture on my lips. The tiny fruit began to take on a far greater dimension than simply being food; somehow the idea of simply popping it into my mouth was fading.

She wove for us a magical tale of the fruit’s imagined life journey, from the farmer’s intention to plant the seed, to the tiny seed in the earth, the first sprout of growth, the time required to grow, how the environment affected its life, and finally  the image of the fruit blossoming to ripeness—and then the moment of surrender when it may have been gently hand picked to end its journey here as part of our feast. I appreciated the raspberry as a living being; and in all of us,  a sense of reverence for all of life awakened. Food sustains us on every level; the reciprocal arrangement is an energy exchange of love and gratitude.

Ladamira encouraged us to express our gratitude to the fruit as we began now to taste it and to enjoy the rest of our breakfast with a similar spirit. We ate slowly and silently together, yet engrossed in our deeply personal experience in relationship with our food. The energy was tangible; the presence of love filled and united us. I ate much less and much slower than usual and the lone raspberry bathed in loving appreciation could alone have filled me up. Its energy had radically transformed.

When the ritual was complete, Ladamira rang a small bell and we joined hands in circle with a closing prayer. The ritual had become more than giving thanks; it was a journey into ourselves, our awareness, our patterns and habits. The meal became a portal through which we could enter into our higher consciousness. It was a silent meditation during which we could consciously choose to perform the habitual action of eating as a new experience and with a new awareness.

 What surprised me the most were the after effects of the food blessing ritual and the ripple effect they created in my every day life. I was able to control my impulses and reactions in life and in relationships. I was able to experience the feeling quality of pleasure and enjoyment in my being.

 I can no longer grab a snack here or a smoothie there without some sense of connection with Mother Earth, a reverence for the divine, an appreciation for my own spirit, and a tangible feeling of gratitude for all of life.

With this prayer, you can invoke a shamanic blessing of your food:

“Dear God, Thank you for this food you are giving me/us. Please, help me to think of this meal as a spiritual ceremony and to transmute the energy of simple food and all heavier vibrations into the higher and finer vibrations and the delicate, subtle energy of love, gratitude, wisdom and light of consciousness, so that I may move closer to you and realize myself more fully. Please guide me to spend this divine energy in the fulfillment of my destiny and only in positive, bright emotions. So be it, so it is, may it be so, in the Name of God! Amen! Om Hare Hara Hari Om.”

Three Steps to an Everyday Shamanic Ritual

Collect food and produce from your own organic garden (if possible) or visit a farmers market or community garden for the freshest, organic fare straight from Mother Earth. Cultivate a relationship with the people who grow your food. Smell the produce, touch it, feel its prana (life force); if your taste buds are tickled, you know it has prana.

When you prepare food be sure that your thoughts and emotions are clear and focused when preparing your food since your energy affects the meal. Relish and be grateful for the food and handle it with love. Take pleasure in the process as  this is the energy that you will offer to God, yourself and others.

Before eating sit quietly and connect to gratitude. If you are with others hold hands in circle and pray together to bless your food.

For more information about shamanic ritual, visit Ladamira’s website: ladamira.com.

Clytie Lane

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World peace. It can seem like a cliche, the mysterious Holy Grail, what we answer when asked our deepest desire, the expected quote from a beauty pageant contestant. The documentary Rooted in Peace asks this question: What will it take for people to create a world rooted in peace rather than one rooted in war and conflict. Award-winning filmmaker and activist Greg Reitman’s IMDB resume includes producing such titles as Fuel and Fields of Fuel; in his latest film, Rooted in Peace, he takes on numerous roles including director.

Reitman’s worthy pursuit of peace took him on an unexpected turn: inward. His own transformational journey is simultaneously personal and universal. He explores how an individual can learn to make the necessary changes to enjoy a better life — and in so doing inspire others to want to improve their own lives. This process has a powerful ripple effect on society as a whole.

In the film, he captures interviews with such inspirational personalities as Deepak Chopra, David Lynch, Pete Seeger, and Mike Love of the Beach Boys, each speaking of their own passions. Adhering to their recommendations fosters big changes in Reitman’s life.

Reitman’s journey leads to personal gains in love, health, and consciousness. Yet, he still wonders how such improvements connect to global peace. His exploration of the issues concludes that individual transformation leads to global transformation. As Deepak Chopra explains, “We are one ecosystem, we are one humanity. If you want to change the world, start with yourself. Be a good example.”

The film was screened during Sundance using PublicVine, the social video marketplace, followed by a live question and answer session and afterparty with Reitman, PublicVine’s Founder/CEO Nam Mokwunye, and producer/writer Scott Zarakin.

The Los Angeles premiere of Rooted in Peace takes place on Sunday, September 20 as the closing night film for the Awareness Festival at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. Michael and Jahna Perricone will be leading a Tibetan Bowl meditation at the screening. Tickets are available at awarenessfilmfestival2015.sched.org.

rootedinpeacefilm.com
awarenessfestival.org

Karen Henry

Karen Henry is an Associate Editor at LA YOGA who volunteers in a variety of capacities for nonprofit organizations and artists around Los Angeles. She practices yoga as a counterbalance to her daily impact sports and is a mother of four grown children who also practice yoga . Now, she’s working on teaching yoga and joy of life to the grandkids!

The post Rooted In Peace Closes the Awareness Film Festival appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Ayahuasca, traditionally administered in special healing ceremonies by highly trained shamans known as ayahuasceros, is sometimes referred to as a hallucinogen. But it is no such thing. For while a hallucinogen produces visual phenomena rooted in the individual psyche, ayahuasca opens up channels to the spirit world, and the drinker/participant bears witness to that landscape. It is best to name ayahuasca a sacred plant medicine. For among those with whom the ceremonial healing use of ayahuasca is a way of life, the brew is referred to as “La Medicina,” the medicine.

In nature a number of plants and fungi are known for their vision-inducing effects. Peyote, San Pedro cactus, Iboga and the Psilocybin mushrooms are all used in traditional ceremonies to gain access to the spirit world, and to effect healing. But unlike all of these single-species agents, ayahuasca is combinatory- made up of two plants- and there the mystery is greatly compounded.

In the Amazon rainforest, approximately 80,000 higher plants grow in that lush, verdant environment. Perhaps as many as 10,000 plants are vines. Virtually all of the plants in the Amazon have leaves. And yet, somehow, somebody figured out to use one particular species of vine (Banisteriopsis caapi), and one species of leaf (Psychotria viridis), to make a ceremonial psychoactive brew. Here the so-called trial-and-error theory dissolves like sugar in water. Neither the vine nor the leaf is especially distinguished in appearance. There is simply nothing morphological to suggest that either one, or the two together, would in any way be more suitable for the making of a psychoactive healing brew than any other plants. The odds of selecting these two plants from all the others is a multi-billion to one long shot. So how did this take place? The shamans will soberly tell you that the plants originally told people.

Chris Kilham with Palo Santo. Photo by Jeff Skeirik

Visionary plants including ayahuasca, psilocybin mushrooms, iboga, peyote, cannabis, San Pedro cactus, and other sacred medicines will enjoy center stage at Visionary Convergence in Los Angeles in September, where visionaries, doctors, researchers, spiritual teachers, healers, therapists, filmmakers, and artists will set a brisk pace for the brilliant currents of mind that will freely flow for three days. It’s a go-big-or-go-home proposition, with the full force of dozens of talented presenters unfettered and free in a place without cognitive borders. The mission of Visionary Convergence 2015 is to cultivate Entheogenic Awareness. Like an EpiPen to the third eye, Visionary Convergence is guaranteed to stimulate the brilliance for which psychedelics, or entheogens if you prefer, are so well known, loved and revered.

For more information on Visionary Convergence in LA September 25 – 27, visit: plantteachers.com With ten million people in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan region and interest in psychedelics at an all-time high, the remaining tickets will not collect moss. This is a significant tribal gathering. See you there.

Chris Kilham is the author of The Ayahuasca Test Pilots Handbook, The Essential Guide To Ayahuasca Journeying. He is speaking at the PlantTeachers Visionary Convergence (plantteachers.com) in Los Angeles, September 25-27. medicinehunter.com

Chris Kilham

Chris Kilham is a yogi, medicine hunter, teacher and author of fifteen books. Chris explores natural remedies and mystic traditions in remote regions of the world and has worked and studied with yogis, lamas, shamans, and healers for five decades.

www.medicinehunter.com

The post Ayahuasca appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Spinning Innovator Johnny G Launches a New Fitness Paradigm with In-Trinity Photo by Tai Kerbs

Trying out In-Trinity, a new fitness paradigm with innovator Johnny G

Zen Chi is the name for the seated pose that is the position taken at both the beginning and the end of an In-Trinity session, as developed by fitness innovator Johnny G.

In Zen Chi, the practitioner is seated, in a comfortable cross-legged position (or near approximation) on the slanted In-Trinity board, with straps slung over the shoulders to provide a sense of the body being anchored and grounded. In Zen Chi, you can sit for a long time, without stress on the hips because of the incline and without stress on the shoulders or spine, because of the support of the straps.

In-Trinity photos by Stephanie Waisler

When Johnny describes this pose, he ascribes weight to it. “Everything else in between is just stuff; this pose is the essence of everything,” he said in his lilting South African accent. He’s extolling the importance of simply sitting as part of a fitness regimen. At first glance, Johnny is a person who may seem to be an unlikely candidate to have developed a program that begins in stillness. Johnny is a former ultra-distance rider who competed in the coast to coast Race Across America, cited as the world’s toughest endurance bicycle race. When you hear more of his story, which we’ll get to in a moment, stillness makes sense.

As far as In-Trinity, it is a regimen that is more than simply a workout, but something the affable fitness pioneer describes as a new paradigm.

This won’t be the first time Johnny G’s (full name Johnny Goldberg) enthusiasm and expertise combine to help create a new fitness paradigm. Whether they know it or not, everyone who clips on a pair of cycling shoes to pedal with a group in an indoor cycling studio, with specialized bikes, music, coaching, and affirmational encouragement, is sweating in the direct or indirect lineage of Johnny G’s groundbreaking Spinning program. The practice of merging technology (stationary bikes that could provide the training feel of challenging terrain-variable road rides) with experience (instructors trained in the ethos of riding as a metaphysical endeavor) continues to be a game-changer in the fitness industry.

In-Trinity, Johnny G asserts, has that same potential.

“We’ve all been training on a flat surface our entire lives,” he says. While some people may rock climb, run stairs, or use the three-dimensional world in creative ways, our training environment is largely flat. As Johnny puts it, In-Trinity “redefines the training environment.” How? He says that the slanted surface allows some movements to become more accessible, while other movements can become more challenging, allowing the practitioner to experience a greater depth with the unique potential of a new relationship with solid ground.

In-Trinity photos by Stephanie Waisler

The inspiration for the development of this training platform began with a nap. As Johnny tells the story, it was 2004 and he was enjoying a siesta on a riverbed in Brazil. When he woke up, feeling the need to stretch and twist, he made use of the variation of the sandy riverbed to use the shape of the earth to access the body differently than a flat surface. Then the actual innovations started, beginning with a bench and then playing around with modifications for shape, form, incline, and props in order to access the energy and capacity of the body in different configurations. From 2004 through 2006, Johnny played around with six different variations before settling on the final version now being produced by Matrix Fitness. Since then, he’s continued to finesse the equipment and the accompanying training program.

In-Trinity photos by Stephanie Waisler

Johnny’s side yard is a kind of fresh-air dojo, where he has arranged a series of the prototypes he’s been developing over the more than a decade that has passed since waking up from that nap. Using the laboratory of the body, he’s adjusted the width of what began as a bench, to come up with a gently curved shape, with the hint of a waistline—a feminine shape suitable for an inherently restorative practice. This shape allows for ease of using the board in different poses as well as getting on and off the equipment for people with all levels of mobility.

When asked if part of his passion for innovation comes from a life lived around the world, training across cultures, his answer takes a contemplative turn. It relates to a journey not around the world, but within the self. The year 2003 brought Johnny what he refers to as a significant teacher. A viral infection in his heart led to cardiac myopathy and a close call for an appointment to receive for a heart transplant (which turned out not to be his fate). Then, another teacher: merely two years ago, a brain bleed resulted in the need for an emergency craniotomy. This gave him a far different perspective than the one he was living – the life of a tireless competitor up until the age of 46, “I gained the sensibility that the body is vulnerable,” he said. “Life is vulnerable.” It changed how he saw himself within his own life and within the fitness industry. “I needed to recognize the vulnerability in someone else.”

These teachers have given him an appreciation of the dynamic between rest and activity and the need to work the body without over-stressing or hastening its deterioration. There is a dynamic balance between work and restoration. This understanding and this sensitivity to vulnerability are part of the heart of In-Trinity.

It is part of what Johnny G feels makes this a new paradigm for approaching fitness beyond simply movement. When he describes an activity like Spinning, he says it involves a constant energy output. In-Trinity, on the other hand, allows the practitioner to circulate energy and to cultivate the movement of energy in to the body. This begins with the first pose, Zen Chi, and continues throughout all of the different types of deliberate movement, whether the movement is static or fluid. While this is not in and of itself Yoga, Tai Chi, or Pilates, it is a blend of all movements that are available. Anything can be done on a sloped surface.

While the sloped, curved, stable board is the base of everything, In-Trinity’s props include a ledge below the board for the hands to grip beneath the surface, straps that attach to the board to use in motion and in stillness, and even a set of sticks that extend the body’s lever arms and create a new focal point and intentionality—extending energy into the sky—in many sequences. There is a historical context to their use that crosses cultures and modalities.

In-Trinity photos by Stephanie Waisler

The use of the slope and the props have the advantage of making movement more challenging when a lifelong yogi wants a fresh relationship with gravity, or more accessible when a person wants to access a shape or movement that has not yet been available to them. In all cases, Johnny emphasized the deliberate nature of the movements done in In-Trinity, movements that restore and revitalize the body, quiet and condition the mind. It’s the central value of moving energy in, rather than our habitual pattern of moving energy out. The emphasis is on balance, flexibility, agility, and coordination. Johnny has bigger plans than first meet the eye. He’s been studying brainwave entrainment and his vision is for the soundtrack for a session to contain biurnal beats, to support the brain’s ability to enter the theta waves of the meditative space while in the workout.

The possibilities are endless—it’s like an uphill climb.

Just looking at one of the pieces of In-Trinity equipment is a bit like looking at a stationary bike for the first time, or a yoga mat, when all you see is a piece of rubber on the floor. Everything is in the experience. And here, the world has gone from flat to a simultaneous uphill and downhill training ground.

Johnny is the first one to say that this methodology isn’t necessarily for everyone. But he’s projecting that enough people will find it meaningful and will enjoy the playground of gravity and negative space to either enhance their current practice or allow them to access something they’ve never before thought possible. Whatever will happen, there is a redefinition of the training experience on the slope.

In-Trinity will be launching to the public at the IDEA Health and Fitness Show in Los Angeles, July 15-19: www.ideafit.com/fitness-conferences.

For more information about In-Trinity, visit: johnnygmethod.com

Felicia M. Tomasko

Felicia Tomasko has spent more of her life practicing Yoga and Ayurveda than not. She first became introduced to the teachings through the writings of the Transcendentalists, through meditation, and using asana to cross-train for her practice of cross-country running. Between beginning her commitment to Yoga and Ayurveda and today, she earned degrees in environmental biology and anthropology and nursing, and certifications in the practice and teaching of yoga, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda while working in fields including cognitive neuroscience and plant biochemistry. Her commitment to writing is at least as long as her commitment to yoga. Working on everything related to the written word from newspapers to magazines to websites to books, Felicia has been writing and editing professionally since college. In order to feel like a teenager again, Felicia has pulled out her running shoes for regular interval sessions throughout Southern California. Since the very first issue of LA YOGA, Felicia has been part of the team and the growth and development of the Bliss Network.

www.blissnetwork.com

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Mother’s Day Specials at Exhale Spa

Sunday May 3 – Sunday, May 10

One way to nurture yourself, your mother, grandmother, daughter or anyone in your life is through a spa day. The Exhale Mind Body Spa locations in Los Angeles are offering spa treatment specials if you spa or take class with your mother, grandmother, Aunt June, motherly mentor, or someone else who qualifies. Both locations offer luxurious treatment rooms, nurturing steam and sauna, lounge areas, and more for the ultimate inner escape in the city.  Try one of the following options for a treat for two:

Bring your mom to class for free when you two take class together.

Take 25% off spa treatments when you two receive 60-minute spa therapies on the same day.

The Mother’s Day specials are in effect in all of the Exhale Mind Body Spa locations: spa treatments at the Loews in Hollywood and the Fairmont in Santa Monica and classes in Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Venice. For more info, visit: exhalespa.com.

Chakra Crystal Mists by I Am

For the mother may not have time for the spa but that has everything except for an instantaneous reset button, I Am Enlightened Creations offers a set of Chakra Mists that combine the spiritual and the sensual in a portable spray bottle. There’s one for each of the seven chakras and with names like I Am Peace (for grounding the root chakra), I Am Powerful (it’s time to feel the fire of the solar plexus), I Am Intuitive (to open the third eye), and I Am Enlightened (to connect us to the crown), you can gift someone a set to suit every day of the week.

Produced in the powerful vortices of Sedona, combining essential oils, gem essences, and gold ormus, these alchemical mists can instantly transform a moment from harried to happy. For more information, visit: thinkiam.com

The Neshama Project

For those who want to lend a hand and keep it close to their hearts, Rachelle Tratt has created The Neshama Project, combining mission and message through the  Hamsa necklace series (and other meaningful jewelry items). The Hamsa is a symbol representing the Hand of God, or Universal Spirit, a way we can literally keep a hand always close to the heart. A portion of the proceeds benefit a variety of nonprofits worldwide. theneshamaproject.com

Gorgeous for Good 

In her latest book, Gorgeous for Good, New York Times best-selling author Sophie Uliano offers a 30-day program to support transformation from skin to soul. For those who need an extra nudge to nurture, Sophie offers motherly advice that spans a wide range of topics, including meditation techniques, recipes for food and beauty (we love her DIY coffee cellulite scrub), tips for healthy eyelashes, and more. We want to gift this to every women in our lives, especially after hearing Sophie’s five characteristics that make women beautiful:

1. Sense of purpose.

2. Passion for something.

3.  Sense of humor.

4. Generosity.

5. Authenticity.

For Mother’s Day and beyond, remind everyone you know that they are gorgeous for good. sophieuliano.com

Felicia M. Tomasko

Felicia Tomasko has spent more of her life practicing Yoga and Ayurveda than not. She first became introduced to the teachings through the writings of the Transcendentalists, through meditation, and using asana to cross-train for her practice of cross-country running. Between beginning her commitment to Yoga and Ayurveda and today, she earned degrees in environmental biology and anthropology and nursing, and certifications in the practice and teaching of yoga, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda while working in fields including cognitive neuroscience and plant biochemistry. Her commitment to writing is at least as long as her commitment to yoga. Working on everything related to the written word from newspapers to magazines to websites to books, Felicia has been writing and editing professionally since college. In order to feel like a teenager again, Felicia has pulled out her running shoes for regular interval sessions throughout Southern California. Since the very first issue of LA YOGA, Felicia has been part of the team and the growth and development of the Bliss Network.

www.blissnetwork.com

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What does it mean to be embodied? And doesn’t yoga already take care of that? When we take a closer look, the answer might surprise us.

Think of embodiment on a continuum. On one end we have exteroception, in the middle proprioception, and on the far end interoception. Each of these points says something about where we place our attention: outside us, part of the way in, or deeply inward.

Exteroception deals with the question, “What’s happening around me?” When we’re engrossed in the latest Hunger Games film, scanning a crowd for a friend, working out and hear our favorite song, or note the tears pooling in a friend’s eyes—these are examples of exteroception.

Proprioception deals with the inquiry “Where is my body in space?” When we sense where other people or objects are, and know the relative size and movement patterns of our own body, that’s proprioception. It helps us navigate our world without knocking into things or, as often happens, other people. If you’re a weekend warrior, athlete, or yoga practitioner, you need well-developed proprioception; it’s an integral part of good movement.

Interoception addresses the matter of what’s happening inside our body. In the interoceptive space, attention turns inward. Awareness matures and becomes subtler. Interoception can be seen as mindfulness expressed in the body. And in the words of renowned researcher Stephen Porges, it can be thought of as our “sixth sense.”

Interoception has a few requirements. It asks us to:

• Let go of any predictions of what we’ll encounter.

• Resist becoming “fixed” on a particular sensation.

• Turn down our mental chatter or narrative.

When we’re truly practicing interoceptive awareness, we enter the body without expectations. We attend to momentary sensations in the body as they fluctuate from one point in time to the next. And we can move awareness after a few moments and not become immersed in one sensation too long.

What’s the relevance of interoceptive awareness to our health and well-being? It turns out that many illnesses—anxiety, depression, gut disorders, eating disorders, and more—are diseases of disembodiment. In these illnesses, awareness becomes skewed. In chronic pain syndromes, for example, we tend to predict what we’ll encounter, but to remain there ruminating about it. “I think that shoulder pain’s about to start up,” we might say. “Yep, there it is. In five minutes it’s gonna feel sharp, like it always does, and then I’ll get that stabbing pain that lasts for hours.” Then we stay in that same area of the shoulder, refusing to move our attention. Should the pain actually let up, it creates a cognitive dissonance. We feel a disparity between the identity of pain and freedom from pain. The freedom is actually harder to integrate; it’s at odds with our pain-centered self-concept. Our mind cancels out the comfort, and wires the pain response in further.

The Continuum of Embodiment is a framework for understanding several things: First, the extent to which we inhabit our interior. Second, where we place our attentional spotlight, as it’s called in MBSR and mindfulness: outside us, on the outer layer of the body, or deeply inward. Third, the continuum of embodiment refers to the degree to which our awareness is gross or subtle.

Interoception evokes the quality of the relationship between our mind and body. Can the mind move out of its comfort zone? Can it learn to tolerate and even seek out the gentle surrender, the humility required to enter the wilderness of the body? Can it cultivate a sense of neutrality, a kindness toward the pain and suffering it finds inside?

In the end, it’s not all interoception, all the time. It’s the dynamic interchange between the three kinds of attention that benefits us. And we might ask ourselves: as yoga practitioners, teachers, or therapists, are we engaged more with proprioception as beautiful movement or interoception as deep awareness?

Our response is significant. Neuroscientists are beginning to study the effects of interoceptive awareness on our brain, in our immune system, and in our emotional lives. The results are astonishing: Embodiment, as it turns out, is vital to our health and well-being. It may also be a doorway into higher consciousness.

Bo Forbes is a psychologist, integrative yoga therapist, and author of Yoga for Emotional Balance. She specializes in the integration of yoga, mindfulness, neuroscience, psychology, and movement therapies. She is presenting a plenary session at the upcoming International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) Symposium on Yoga Therapy and Research June 4-7. iayt.org.  Find Bo Forbes on Facebook at BoForbesYoga, Twitter @boforbes and Instagram @boforbesyoga.

Bo Forbes

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Compiled by Tiffany Palazzini

Casa Verde Raw Yoga Hiking Retreat, Ecuador

CASA VERDE RAW YOGA HIKING RETREAT

CASA VERDE, ECUADOR. ONGOING RETREATS

WENDYGREENYOGA.COM

Travel to a personalized seven-night retreat to heal with Ashtanga Yoga, delicious daily raw vegan cuisines, and fresh herbal teas. Casa Verde Raw Yoga Hiking Retreat is an exclusive forest lodge retreat where people of all levels of practice are welcome. Receive one-on-one yoga instructions for six mornings during your stay. Be introduced to spectacular daily hiking, enchanting waterfalls and charming accommodations in the Andes of Ecuador. Intertwine river tubing, canopy zip-line and butterfly and orchid farms into your day. Wind down with evening discussions on a variety of topics ranging from yoga, to nutrition and green living.

Chakana, Peru, May 8-17, 2015

CHAKANA

10 DAY SHAMANIC RETREAT IN PERU

PISAC, PERU. MAY 8-17 AND ONGOING

RETREATGURU.COM

Follow a path of inner transformation, self-love, and compassion to the majestic mountains of Pisac, Peru. Spend 10 days at the Paz y Luz doing yoga, painting, meditating, horseback riding, dancing, and enjoying art therapy. Attend Huachuma ceremonies and cacao sessions and experience deep exploration of internal and external processes of letting go of the past and realigning with self-love. Explore the powerful and sacred Inca sites including Sacsayhuaman, Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Moon and Tipon. Be part of the group evening hikes to a pristine lake surrounded by the breathtaking, magical mountains.

Mahasukha’s 5th Annual Resting Retreat: Liberating Wisdom, Montecito, May 29-31, 2015

MAHASUKHA’S 5TH ANNUAL RESTING RETREAT: LIBERATING WISDOM.

LA CASA DE MARIA, MONTECITO. MAY 29–31.

MAHASUKHA.ORG

Explore an inner journey during a peaceful weekend retreat at a location gently nestled between mountain and sea, just south of Santa Barbara. The 5th Annual Resting Retreat: Liberating Wisdom, will be led by Mira Kingsley, Lauren Benjamin, and Claire Thompson from the Mahasukha Center. They have created a compassionate atmosphere to support the freedom to discover inner wisdom and happiness. Silent reflection and mindful discussions will help participants develop pathways to reveal our true nature. Enjoy daily yoga, meditation, philosophy, freshly prepared vegetarian meals, and the beautiful surroundings of La Casa de Maria. Be sure to breathe in the view from the gorgeous outdoor gardens. Return home rested, renewed, connected to your soul and living your daily life with a deeper purpose.

SATYA RETREATS

YOSEMITE. OCTOBER 8-11.

SATYARETREATS.COM

Reset during a long weekend of yoga and nature in one of the most breathtaking National Parks in the world, Yosemite. This fall retreat is the perfect time to wring out toxins and reground after a long summer. Settle in, relax and restore at a beautiful lodge just outside the park that includes a heated outdoor swimming pool, jacuzzi and game room, or find a quiet place for reading and meditating. Laurie Eagle will lead yoga twice daily to help you quickly recharge and center. Be sure to travel up the road to take advantage of the tranquil surroundings of Camp Mather Meadow.

Tiffany Palazzini

Tiffany Palazzini is on the Surfrider Executive Committee team as an earth lover & tree hugger recycling one butt at a time.

The post 2015 Spring Retreats appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Images by Jeff Skeirik/Rawtographer

It was 2006 when we first heard something really bad was happening to bees, yet no one could agree on what was causing their populations to decline so rapidly. By fortunate chance one thing did work in their favor: The concept of urban beekeeping had begun to take off. Suddenly, honeybees became part of the urban landscape.  New York City legalized beekeeping, followed by other cities across the nation. In 2014, LA legislators voted to conduct a study on legalizing urban beekeeping in the city and they are currently making their way towards a vote to legalize the practice.

In Los Angeles, a beekeeper named Kirk Anderson had been rescuing wild hives and taking care of them without chemicals. He had been successful in harvesting all the honey he could use and then some. Word spread and soon Los Angeles had a new beekeeper club, The Backwards Beekeepers (of which Anderson is “Yoda-in-Chief”). They were backwards first because they did not use the chemicals modern commercial beekeepers use in the hives and second they tried to keep their hives as close to the natural environment bees would choose for themselves. Anderson had no formal training in beekeeping, but he did have a passion for bees along with an excellent and patient eye for observation. Backwards Beekeeping spread via an enthusiastic corps of new-bee beekeepers.

The really bad thing happening to bees was the sudden and mysterious arrival of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Hives would appear to be industrious and thriving in the morning but would be vacated by early afternoon—all the adult bees vanished, no workers, no drones, no queen, only larvae, which cannot fly, left to die in the hive with supplies of untouched honey. Losses as high as 60% in many beekeeping operations were seen in professional and amateur hives alike. Beekeepers made new hives which ameliorated the losses, but from 2006, the losses have continued to range from 30 to 60% annually across the nation. A May, 2014, USDA survey reports that losses at this rate in the bee populations will eventually result in the demise of the honeybee.

What was causing Colony Collapse Disorder? Theories were rampant. Cell phones. Cell phone towers. Insecticides. Round Up. Beekeeping, following in the industrial agricultural model had adopted the use of miticides and fungicides to help the bees cope with some of their natural enemies. Scientific studies came to opposite conclusions. Yet, urban beekeepers had some losses but demonstrably fewer than rural operations.

The actual causes finally seem to be coming into focus. Scientists have learned that the pesticides we used on the bees to help them fight their natural predators might be a large part of the problem, justifying Kirk Anderson’s natural beekeeping methods. Furthermore, a new class of pesticide, with the practically unpronounceable name of neonicotinoids (we call them neonics), probably has a lot more to do with the bee’s demise than any one other thing. Italy recently banned the use of neionics in their country. This is only the second year of the ban, so results are not in yet, but a lot of bee enthusiasts are watching how this will play out.

It may be the urban beekeepers that save the honeybee from total collapse. Certainly many urban beekeepers will cite this as one of the top 10 reasons to become a beekeeper, along with comments about the relaxing nature of the work: A beekeeper doesn’t want to fight with the bees and so needs to adopt a calm and purposeful attitude with the open hive. Causing as little disruption as possible while working requires an attention to the hive and the thousands of bees there. This work is often described as a meditation.

Considering all of this, Kirk Anderson comes off as a genius. He was teaching nascent beekeepers to find a feral hive, adopt it, put it in a box, skip the chemicals, and just work with the bees the way the bees would to do it on their own. Bees in the city are not subjected to the mass spraying of pesticides like the ones in rural sites, and many of the agricultural chemicals sprayed are known to kill bees. Even if a homeowner in the city sprays his lot, the lot next door is not sprayed—it’s a matter of square feet, not square miles—and many homeowners will not spray at all (especially in Los Angeles where the malathion spraying in the 1990s made such headlines).

Natural beekeeping practices are essential to our ecosystem since honeybees are essential to our modern food production. Not native to America, the honeybee was brought to the continent by the Europeans. Native American bees are numerous, but do not produce honey and do not live in colonies like those species that make honey. It is the honeybee’s way of working, however, that connects her (because all the worker bees are female) most closely to our way of farming.

The honeybee worker daily gathers pollen and nectar for the hive’s food, staying on whatever flower variety she visits first until she can find no more, so if her day starts with a plum flower, she will continue to visit plum flowers until she runs out of those flowers to visit. This makes them pollination powerhouses. Compared to the American bees who do not produce honey, the honeybee is miraculous. In contrast, a native American orchard bee will gather from everything without regard to species. The orchard bee will start with a mustard flower and go to a sage, hang out with the plum tree and go off a rose. This is not the efficiency that is loved by orchard owners. Furthermore, because the honeybee lives in a hive, when bees return to the hive in the evening, they can be sealed inside, and the entire colony (or many colonies) can be sent from orchard to orchard depending on the flower’s bloom time.

In Los Angeles, beekeeping is a gray area. There are no laws against it, but no laws for it. While Santa Monica has legalized beekeeping and regulated it, LA has moved much more slowly. HoneyLove, the honey-loving efforts of Rob and Chelsea McFarland, has greatly advanced the call to legalize beekeeping in Los Angeles. The couple has become one the leading proponents for Kirk Anderson’s type of beekeeping. Rob has taught a number of workshops and continues to teach the science and art of beekeeping. Most of their hives are in more rural areas of the county, which provide space for students and bees to congregate together and learn.

Between Kirk Anderson, his many students, and advocates Rob and Chelsea McFarland, many more Angelenos are keeping bees. A kept bee, versus a feral bee, has a much smaller chance of running afoul of humans. Bees in boxes maintained by a beekeeper will be provided a safe home and a supply of water since water, of all the things bees need, tends to be in the shortest supply. Bees end up trying to get a drink from a swimming pool—often losing their lives in the attempt. A beekeeper makes certain their hives have their own access to clean, fresh water, which is important since water is the place where most negative interactions between humans and bees occur.

Honeybees are fascinating. They’re not really kept as pets—they lack the cuddliness of a puppy or kitten—but as a part of our ecology, they teach and fascinate. They make our fruit and nut trees more productive. When we abdicated control over how what we eat is grown, we did not have a clue that we were going to treat that food with a saturation of chemical goo and create questionable foods that nature did not make, just to profit on our need to eat. Now, we have begun to wake up, shorten the length of the journey from creation to table, becoming much more intimately involved with what eat and the nature that flows through our food and our city.
Like a meditation, our interactions with the plants and creatures that live around us push us gently toward an understanding of what we eat. People decry the city for the lack of nature and while it may not be a truly natural environment nature is resourceful and you can see nature somewhere today (wherever you are) by finding a honeybee on a rosemary flower ignoring you and doing the work she knows to do.

Plus, you get honey.

David King draws upon 50 years of gardening experience and his love of plants and food for all he does. He is the Gardenmaster of the Learning Garden on the grounds of Venice High School, he teaches growing food for UCLA and UC Extension and is the founding chair of the Seed Library of Los Angeles. His first book, Growing Food in Southern California (and other Mediterranean Climates) is expected out some time before our grandchildren leave college. thelearninggarden.org; slola.org; lagardenblog.com

David King

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The filmmakers and subjects of the documentary Moving From Emptiness: The Life and Art of a Zen Dude were in attendance from Arizona for this LA premiere. The main character, Alok, is a unique, vibrant 75-year-old Chinese American artist who channels traditional Chinese arts and psychic energy into a type of physical calligraphy art. The surprise breakout from the film, though, is his new wife, Raylene Abbott, who creates serene art/dance/gardening performance art.

Legendary filmmakers David Lynch is becoming as well known for his interest in meditation as he is for his films. He is a vocal and enthusiastic proponent of Transcendental Mediation, and created the David Lynch Foundation in 2005 to teach underserved communities how to meditate. His film Meditation, Creativity, Peace follows him on an international tour promoting his concept for an enlightened, peace-promoting university. The large audiences, drawn in by his fame as the director of such films as Mulholland Drive and Eraserhead, were engaged by Lynch’s unique descriptions of consciousness and his belief in the need to transcend consciousness. The film was followed by a presentation from a representative of the David Lynch Foundation.

This Sunday night, September 14, at 6:30pm, the Awareness Film Festival will feature a special free presentation of the movie Pump, which is about to open in theaters in LA and NY. Pump is the latest fuel expose from noteworthy directors Joshua and Rebecca Tickell, telling from the story of America’s addiction to oil and explains clearly and simple how we can end it.

Karen Henry

Karen Henry is an Associate Editor at LA YOGA who volunteers in a variety of capacities for nonprofit organizations and artists around Los Angeles. She practices yoga as a counterbalance to her daily impact sports and is a mother of four grown children who also practice yoga . Now, she’s working on teaching yoga and joy of life to the grandkids!

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