As you reflect on your last year with hopes of being and doing more this year: Remember there are people All Over the WOrld out there Making a Difference!  FInd a Cause or Join this one.. It will Help make you Feel GREAT!!

2011 has been a year of great accomplishment through the work that is done by and through Africa Yoga Project. They are an organization that uses the transformative power of yoga to empower communities and change lives. I continue to be inspired and humbled by their huge gift of giving from so many hearts to help contribute to a worthwhile cause!

Here are just a few of their accomplishments from 2011:

1. Empowered 42 yoga teachers to teach over 2400 free yoga classes this year, reaching over 4,000 people weekly through our mentorship program.

2. Organized over 10 weekly feeding programs serving over 300 needy boys and girls with nutritious food after yoga class.

3. Provided the funding for two community centers, offering impoverished youth a safe place to come together, learn, and of course, practice yoga through our Seva Safari.

4. Partnered with Baron Baptiste Power Yoga Institute Community to bring AYP to Mexico, Italy and the US by sponsoring 3 Kenyan AYP teachers to continue their training.

5. Created a vibrant, active community with shared values of possibility, non-violence and unity globally that is changing the world.

PLEASE consider this as a gift that continues to provide value for years to come for many people around the world!The sharing and giving of this gift helps many in need.

The Africa Yoga Project recently announced, Portraits of Empowerment and Peace, a  book of inspirational photographic portraits and stories from the Kenyan teachers that live and teach yoga in their communities.

They were inspired by the peace and empowerment generated by yoga in contrast to the chaos, fear, and poverty of the slums of Nairobi. The portraits capture the teachers’ strength of intention and unwavering perseverance to serve their communities. Rather than just a book documenting the teachers’ work, they hope it will serve as an active tool to generate gratitude and remind everyone that we are all empowered to bring change to our communities and the world through selfless service. Be inspired by these photographs and the work of the AYP teachers!

All proceeds from the sale of this book go to help the Africa Yoga Project continue and expand their programs to promote unity, possibility and non-violence in Kenya. In order to maximize the benefit to the community programs, AYP self-published the book and it is available for purchase on their web site africayogaproject.org. Cost is $35 plus S&H.

Check out the February 2012 issue of Yoga Journal Magazine to read their review of the book!

Namaste to All! I wanted to introduce GaiamTV. which is a new website where you can watch a wide variety of yoga, wellness, fitness, inspirational and so much more! The best part is that you can watch these videos anytime, anywhere. You can use your phone, computer, tv, ipad.If you need a dose of mind, body, spirit you can simply log in and get what you need in the moment! They’ve put together an amazing collection of over 2000 high quality videos. Whether they are live, taped or acquired, they were hand selected based on the positive impact on you and your life!

This offering comes to us from Gaiam, a leading lifestyle media company. The site is a representation of the exceptional and expansive catalogue they have worked so hard to provide for us! They are a trusted resource for some of the best: health, fitness, wellness and spiritual development in the industry.

Catch one of the many yoga classes from short practices to long ones. Log in to practice with top yogis, such as: Rodney Yee, Seane Corne, Shiva Ray, Kathryn Budig, Tommy Rosen, Kia Miller and Suzanne Deason. Gaiam TV also features today’s most influential spiritual teachers, such as: Deepak Chopra, the Dalai Lama, Wayne Dyer and Jack Canfield.

In addition, they offer expert health information for many conditions from renowned Mayo Clinic™. Here you can find many wellness videos, http://www.gaiamtv.com/category/wellness-center.Don’t forget to check out a collection of uplifting and inspirational films as well as fitness and science videos.There is so much to choose from! There is definitely something for everyone!

Right now, they are offering a 10-day free subscription. Members pay just $9.95 a month for unlimited access. For more details and to check it out; click over to http://www.gaiamtv.com/?v=b

FREE GIVEAWAY!! 1st person to email me at: https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.churchill1  wins a FREE  3 MONTH MEMBERSHIP to GAiamTV !

Next, I will be taking some of the classes and sharing some reviews. Let me know if you find any classes you like!

An empty lot, rare in the center of Philadelphia’s business district, has suddenly transformed from grass and weeds to 32,000 square feet of produce, flowers, and trees. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS),  Independence Blue Cross (IBC), and Brandywine Realty Trust introduce “PHS Pops Up” at 20th and Market Streets, a showcase for PHS’s community greening program and for IBC’s commitment to the health of our community.

“Independence Blue Cross is excited to partner with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society on this project that combines greening and improving the community’s health in a unique way,” said Daniel J. Hilferty, president and CEO of IBC. “The pop up garden beautifies this Market Street corner and offers an original way for thousands of workers, residents, students, and families to learn more about nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. We hope people take advantage of this fun and engaging garden and incorporate what they learn into their everyday lives.

At the pop-up garden, PHS is growing vegetables, herbs, grains, and uniquely manicured topiaries to garner support and awareness for its City Harvest program, which provides fresh produce for underserved residents.

The garden will be open to the public every Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 2 p.m. throughout the summer and early fall, when free, on-site programming will include horticultural workshops on container gardening, cut flowers, organic pest control and other topics. Tours, special events and family programs are also planned at the garden throughout the summer and early fall. A complete listing of activities is available at PHSonline.org.

Independence Blue Cross (IBC) presents “Yoga and Nutrition in the Garden,” a FREE healthy eating and yoga foundations class for the public that offers a break from the ordinary day – in the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s (PHS) Pops Up Garden at 20th and Market Streets. Sessions will be offered on three consecutive Mondays: August 15, 22, and 29 over lunchtime. The garden will be dismantled in late October, but will bloom again next spring in a new location.

Members of the public are invited to enjoy the peaceful environment of the Pops Up Garden for a brief nutrition presentation and discussion beginning at 12:30 p.m., followed by a half-hour of standing yoga instruction, starting at 1p.m. Together, these healthy education elements, part of the IBX Healthy Steps program, will provide soothing tranquility and wellness for the mind, body, and spirit.

The classes are free and open to participants of all fitness levels. Participants can experience the physical and mental health benefits associated with gentle yoga and learn simple and effective ways to achieve a smart diet with emphasis on fresh vegetables and herbs.

“Standing yoga can safely stretch your muscle groups and relieve stiffness, tension, and overall fatigue,” said Dr. Richard Snyder, chief medical officer at IBC. “Yoga can also lower blood pressure and slow the heart rate, which can favorably impact the health of those with high blood pressure and heart disease. For many people, standing yoga offers anti-stress benefits as well, so it may be a great mid-day opportunity for center city Philadelphia workers, residents, or visitors.”

The Pops Up Garden offers a great location to learn or practice standing yoga. Focusing on effective yoga breathing techniques as well as precise alignment, standing yoga poses can be done in the comfort of a home garden or just about any exercise space. Participants must be at least 18 years old, must sign a waiver upon arrival, and are advised to bring bottled water. Appropriate shoes and clothing must be worn and yoga mats are not required.

Please join Venerable Losang, the Tibetan Association of Philadelphia, and our center, for the first annual Philadelphia Tibetan Festival of the Arts - a celebration of Tibetan art and culture – at Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church [22nd and Spruce St.] on Sunday, July 24th from 4 – 7PM.   Sponsored in part by our friends at the Philadelphia Folklore Project, it’ll be a night of Tibetan inspired entertainment, including traditional chanting and prayer, Tibetan dance (audience participation required!), a crash course in sand mandala painting, local Tibetan artist vendors, light refreshments, raffle for a great variety of gift baskets, musical performances from some of our very own, and more.  We want to make this an annual event, and so we hope as many people as possible will support this cause so close to Losang’s heart.  This will also mark the second in our series of events celebrating the TBC’s 20th anniversary!  So it’s a little bit of a big deal.

Tickets and Beneficiaries

Tickets are $15 (or whatever you can afford, as always) and will be available at the door, in advance at the center, or (preferred method) by credit card or Paypal, below! Proceeds go to the Tibetan School Fund for language studies and the TBC’s Capital Campaign Fund.

A Chance to Welcome and Say Thank You to Losang-la’s Teacher, Venerable Thupten Choepel

We will also be welcoming and hosting one of Venerable Losang’s own spiritual teachers at this event, Venerable Thupten Choepel.  (You can read about him in Losang’s book.)  Bring your parents, children, friends, and your dancing shoes and help our dear teacher, Losang-la, and the TBC celebrate 20 remarkable years in Philadelphia, supporting this important cause so close to his heart.

Gift Baskets

We’ll also be raising money through selling raffle tickets at the door for a nice variety of gift baskets prepared by our wonderful members and friends.  Would you like to offer a basket?  It can be for services, retail items (new, only please), just about (just about) anything! If you’d like to help support our event in this way, please email Eloise Gibby, for more information.

Purchase a Ticket (or just make a donation) Here!

You can purchase your ticket(s) right here via credit card or Paypal!  Just click on the button below, and choose which one.  There should be a prompt to let us know your name, and we’ll have your ticket waiting just for you, at the door.  Tickets are $15 each, and come with one extra raffle ticket for any of the fabulous gift baskets we’ll be auctioning off on the 24th.  Thank you, very much.

Thank You Everyone who participated in 2011 Yoga on the Steps!! We had an Awesome Team out this year! We were able to raise $4,000 dollars for Living Beyond Breast Cancer. We had a special donor that matched the contributions we raised and this generous donation was able to make a significant fundraising effort for the Totally Zen Team! Each person was excited about being a part of this noble cause and committed to raising money to contribute to Living Beyond Breast Cancer, an organization that does such exceptional work!

Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) is dedicated to assisting you, whether you are newly diagnosed, in treatment, recently completed treatment, are years beyond or are living with metastatic breast cancer. They are also here for your family members, caregivers, friends and healthcare providers to provide breast cancer information and support.

As a national education and support organization, our goal is to improve your quality of life and help you take an active role in your ongoing recovery or management of the disease, regardless of educational background, social support or financial means.

Their sincere, diligent and outspoken approach is educating and inspiring more local companies and individuals to get involved, participate and make a difference with them!

I have been a proud part of organizing a team for the event the last two years. I feel it is a perfect time to join with others in our community and try to increase awareness and commitment to helping our grandmothers, mothers, sisters, daughters and friends at a time when their life is confusing and challenging.

Each year, on the day of the event, the resident yoga instructor, Jennifer Shelter always offers such a heartfelt, uplifting practice that includes the mindfulness and appreciation for those we honor. The speakers seemed to be extra open and heart centered this year. Something new and super touching was a short story from ten survivors

They shared words about what happened, what they learned and how they have evolved from their experience surviving breast cancer. Their contributions moved many of us to tears!

If you have not ever participated in Yoga on the Steps, please, mark your calendars and make it a point to come out, raise money and awareness!  See you next year !

Come Out on May 15, 2011, Sunday, at 8:30 – 12:30 to the Art Museum to Practice Yoga on the Steps for the Benefit of those who need your support to manage, heal and overcome Breast Cancer!!!!

YOUR HELP CAN Make a DIFFERENCE!

I know it is early! But, It is a Hair Raising, Overwhelmingly Positive Energy Flowing event from Start to Finish!!! Imagine 600 people: some who have breast cancer, some who are in remission, some who’s family or friends who have been affected by breast cancer or others, like me, who want to show their love and support. It is a great event & lots of fun!!!!!

Totally Zen wants you to Help Show Your Support as a Team! Totally Zen has signed up to organize other people to come together for a Very Worthy Cause!!! PLEASE sign up at the following link to be a part of the Totally Zen Team. We will meet at the Art Museum & practice yoga together as a team and part of a larger WHOLE to HELP OTHERS IN NEED!!!

We  plan to give away TOTALLY ZEN t-shirts to those who join the team. I will contact you once I receive notice from LBBC that you have registered. I will get your size and color preference. I am willing to OFFER 100 PEOPLE a FREE T-SHIRT!!

PS. -It would be GREAT to SEE YOU WEAR the TZ t-shirt the day of the event!

Join and Donate the Team:

http://lbbc.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=454660&lis=1&kntae454660=1A9765A7ABF84D5B9E041665BFCB5FAA&supId=0&team=4128948&cj=Y

If you cannot make it, PLEASE DONATE at this site to help Totally Zen reach their fundraising goal:

http://lbbc.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=454660&lis=1&kntae454660=1A9765A7ABF84D5B9E041665BFCB5FAA&supId=324195377

Please note:

• The event will be held rain or shine

• The Healthy Living Expo will be open throughout the event

• Please bring your own mat and/or towel

Schedule

• 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Registration & Check-In

• 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Program & Yoga Class

• 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Closing & Health Expo

If you do not pre-register online, please come early.

Registration & Fundraising

We need your help! Every participant who raises $75 or more will receive a Yoga on the Steps for LBBC T-shirt.

THANK YOU & NAMASTE!!!

It occurred to me that a Zen experience can be created through appreciating and enjoying a nice bottle of wine. Designing all of the parts that come together (time, environment, wine, company (or not)) to savor wine and fully embody the time and space.

*Zen emphasizes experiential Wisdom in the attainment of enlightenment.*

How to get into the Zen of Tasting Wine… Even if you are not a wine connoisseur; let your intuition lead you in choosing wines. First, choose a bottle: mostly based on the overall vibe, including: label, grape, region, bottle shape, year and price. Then, look at the back & read the summary. I know it is silly; but if you “feel it“ or “get into” there is a better chance you should buy it. Try to envision the wine and its experience before you even taste it! Imagine a wine expert evaluating this statement, no don’t. Also, look to see if it is has Sulfates =not good (headache). Be a little adventuresome and travel to different parts of the world & get to know them through tasting the qualities of their wine.

The terms and knowledge are useful to deepen the experience of drinking it but not a requirement. How would some one find the Zen in Tasting WINE?

It is like anything you savor, recognize and bring your awareness to in the moment. Completely appreciating all it has to offer you.

Once you have the “right” bottle, take it to the “right” place and put it in the “right” glass. Open it in a mindful way. You can straighten your spine, open your chest, put your hand on the base of the glass swirling it around to “open the bouquet”, lift the glass, take a few deep breaths absorbing all the wonderful aromas, then sip enough that you can still swish it around your mouth. Think about what is happening to your taste buds. Finally, swallow and enjoy!! If the bottle is good and to your liking; you are in Heaven and should Repeat Responsibly!

Whatever works for you and your company, menu & atmosphere is the “right” bottle. There are so many different types of wines that you can become overwhelmed. Read, ask or simply go with your educated guess until you have “mastered” buying the “right wine” and it becomes a simple and satisfying process.

*As such, it de-emphasizes theoretical knowledge in favor of direct realization through meditation and dharma practice. *

If you want a little direction on how some of the wine experts base their experience use these four stages to wine tasting:

The appearance of the wine ? How it looks in color. After you swirl a major change means the wine is more complex wine. No changes mean it is a simpler wine.

How does it smell in the glass? Detect hints of familiar smells. You want to note the things you smell for the next step.

What sensations does it produce when held in your mouth? Try to note the full flavor of the wine and see if you pick up the hints of flavor that you smelled!

What finish – or aftertaste – does it have? Was it light, medium, or full-bodied? What is the flavor impression – fruit, butter, oak? How long did the taste last?

These four things combine to establish the properties of a wine, such as the complexity, character and suitability for drinking.

* The more wines you taste, the better you will become with this entire sensory process. The Ahhhhhhh moments are what it’s all about in the end! Not being an expert can add mystery and suspense to the art of buying and tasting wine. Remember it is all an opportunity for growth. If you have any wine wisdom and care to share it would be wickedly intoxicating to hear your take on the Zen of wine tasting!!

*Zen*

“Rumi fell into ecstasy and felt as his own soul began to whirl. He who had never danced before, who had never practiced the Sama, began whirling round and round in the goldsmith’s shop. For the first time he recognised his own soul, which, like the soul of Shamz his master, rose up majestically from his body, lifting him toward the heavens.”-Idris Lahore, “Rumi and the Soul of the Goddess Samadeva”  (from Dervish Yoga for Health and Longevity)

Inspired by the science of movements taught for centuries in secluded Dervish brotherhoods, and also yoga, tai chi, and more recent methods like eurythmy and stretching, Dervish Yoga or Samadeva Gestural Euphony is a new art of movement that stimulates and harmonizes all our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual resources, allowing us to be more at peace, more creative, and more joyful in our daily lives. Consisting of slow, meditative movements that mobilize and strengthen our powers of attention and dynamic, dance-like movements that fill us with a new energy, Dervish Yoga brings deep harmony to every level of our being. It relaxes and invigorates our body, harmonizes our psyche, sharpens our mind, and we learn through our body to listen to ourselves, to our profound inner being.

Effects of practicing Dervish Yoga

Dervish Yoga has beneficial effects on our muscles, eliminating our unnecessary tensions and giving us the energy we need for our active lives, and also on our physical and psychological equilibrium, the quality of our sleep, our concentration and memory, and all the organs of our body. Practicing Dervish Yoga, we’re relaxed physically and psychologically, and this makes it a superb anti-stress method, helping us stay healthy and fit with just a little practice every day.

Health

We’re healthy when all our organs are functioning harmoniously and when we’re in a state of psychological equilibrium, with a clear mind, ready to adapt to whatever situation life presents us. Like all systems in the universe, we have a self-regulating force, or vital energy, that maintains the equilibrium between our different constituent parts, between the organs of our body, our mind, and our emotions. This self-regulating force keeps us healthy, but troubles start to appear when it’s not circulating correctly. Traditional Eastern forms of medicine like acupuncture, Ayurvedic, Tibetan, and Yunani medicine aim to rebalance this energetic circulation, and certain movement techniques like Dervish Yoga also have this effect of rebalancing our body’s energy flow.

Movements

The Seven Major Arkanas are the cornerstone of Dervish Yoga; this specific series of movements (with evocative titles like “The Cascading Fountain,” “Reeds in the Wind,” and “Sparks of Fire”) has a profound action on all our organic systems and our energetic circulation.

Emotions

Every emotion has two sides, physical and psychological, what we feel and how it manifests. This means it’s possible to rebalance our emotional life by having an action on our body. Above and beyond what we usually perceive, our movements and gestures are the expression of our emotions and our deeper inner movements, and the same is true in the other direction; our movements have an influence on our emotions and our inner life. Practicing euphonic movements like Dervish Yoga has a harmonizing action on our emotions and also a positive action on our unconscious.

Attention

The most important thing when we practice Dervish Yoga is our attention – our attention to our movements, our positions, our breathing, our emotions, and our thoughts. Practicing Dervish Yoga is a privileged moment for returning to ourselves and for being present to other people; with time and practice, it helps us bring into our lives an art of moving, feeling, and even thinking that is in total harmony with the reality of the present moment.

Neurobiology

Recent discoveries in neurobiology shed scientific light upon this ancient knowledge. The effects of attention, asymmetrical movements, and music, and the connection between our movements and our emotions have been studied; new connections in our brain are created, permitting more appropriate movements, more harmonious emotions, and an improved capacity of concentration and memory. The science of psychoneuroimmunology has revealed the molecular connections between our psyche, nervous system, and all the systems of our body, substantiating what the most ancient medical traditions tell us.

Who can practice Dervish Yoga?

Anyone interested in or enthusiastic about different forms of body expression, and also anyone who feels alienated from their body and wants to come back into relationship with it. Dervish Yoga is practiced in very diverse settings: yoga centers, fitness studios, schools, businesses, hospitals, centers for the physically and mentally handicapped, and retirement homes, to name a few. Dervish Yoga stimulates our forces of healing and so is also for anyone who wants to regain or maintain their health, as a complement to medical treatments (that it does not substitute).

The model session

Dervish Yoga or Samadeva Gestural Euphony can be discovered during weekend workshops and classes, and also during weekly model sessions lasting between an hour and an hour-and-a-half. The model session, the heart of Dervish Yoga, always begins with a moment of meditation to clear the day’s problems, followed by stretching exercises to prepare our muscles. The dynamic section includes different forms of traditional dance that coordinate our head, arms, and legs, while the central part of the model session is the Arkanas and Meditative Movements, slow movements that mobilize our capacities of attention. The session concludes with a meditation, a relaxation, and a short verbal exchange.

Order Dervish Yoga for Health and Longevity by Idris Lahore, Ennea Tess Griffith and Emma Thyloch

]]> http://www.totallyzen.com/dervish-yoga-the-sufi-secret-of-eternal-youth.html/feed 0 http://www.totallyzen.com/living-a-mindful-life.html http://www.totallyzen.com/living-a-mindful-life.html#comments Mon, 07 Feb 2011 06:50:20 +0000 Stephanie http://www.totallyzen.com/?p=809

In the right state of mind with the right light of day you can sense that you are at peace & harmony within and around you. Clarity and ease in every thing you see, do, speak or touch. This lightness of being is an incredible state of enlightenment that permeates your world and makes it a magical life. This might be the result of living a Mindful Life.

How do we get there, how do we stay there and is there a special formula for this state of being? In reality there is no magic; unfortunately, bringing peace, clarity and simplicity to all parts of your life will take most of us some time. You can start by paying more attention in these places:

Being mindful of the way that you think.

Being Mindful of the way you speak.

Being Mindful of the way you act.

In every aspect of your life you can bring awareness and consciousness to your “habits” or ways of “being” and approach rounding out the edges or repaving the roads that are created through years of being less focused on the brilliance or shining ability of your mind, body and spirit.

How to create a life practice that can help you attain a mindful life?

You might try writing a list of how you would want your life to be in a state of heightened mindfulness. Then, make a list of all the things you think are least mindful or conscious habits or ways of being. By doing this you can see what in your life is holding you back or casting a shadow over your light. You might think of it as adding certain things and subtracting others to create harmony.

Things to consider incorporating into your life:

• Meditation

• Reading Spiritual Books

• Practice Yoga or Eastern Exercise Form

• Eating Whole and Natural Foods

• Refraining from Excess of Everything

• Wearing comfortable, natural clothes

• Having Silence in part of your day

• Observing what kind of music you are listening to and possibly incorporating peaceful sounds/music in your day

• Observing what kind of shows you are viewing and making sure they are not full of violence, obscenities and vulgar behavior. (You can still watch a little reality TV if you need it.)

• Get good quality rest

• Talk with friends about your improved or new outlook and philosophy; trying to enlist them to support you and possibly incorporate these elements in their own life.

• Being able to monitor yourself in your life and correct the places you know you want to improve or change.

Rome wasn’t created in a day so try not to judge or become frustrated if things are not going exactly as you wish. Just as it took a while to become less than mindful it will take a while to be “living a Mindful Life.”

Build upon the small moments of mindfulness. Recognize and appreciate the areas of your life you are mindful and then fill in the gap to become more complete. Acknowledging change and your desire for it is excellent as you continue on your path to becoming more aware, conscious and mindful of all that you are and do in your life.