To kick off the change in season and the unexpected that’s left in 2010, yoga lover, activist, andnew DC resident Laura Randeles speaks to the beauty of being present within the unknown.
Lately, I have been inspired by the unknown. Making best friends with the unknown has been a wonderful blessing in my life since moving to DC last year. There are many days when I’m unsure of where my next job assignment will be, how long it will last, whether it will have a stable salary, or if there will even be another assignment. My wonderful meditation teacher, who survives off donation-based classes and workshops, calls this living by the “wisdom of uncertainty.” I think in the beginning of being confronted by Mr. Unknown there was less wisdom and more, um…freaking out, but over the last 6 months a welcoming shift of acceptance and peace has occurred and I couldn’t be more grateful.
Continue reading 'Loving the Unknown'»
This week, yoga teacher, musician and writer Holly Meyers blogs about living yoga in everyday life, and the impact of taking your practice off the mat and into the world around you.
“Trauma is a fact of life. So is resilience.” – Hala Khouri, Off The Mat Into The World Co-Creator
In 1993, I was emotionally, physically and spiritually bottoming out – again. In my 28 years of life, I’d experienced enough unaddressed trauma to leave me without possibility for healing or growth. I’d “lost my way,” my life was a mess and I felt empty inside.
A friend suggested yoga, and I’ve been “on the mat” ever since.
At first, my practice was selfish. Yoga’s initial “ahhh” brought immense relief and I started to feel better. Then came the intense transformation from being guided by teachers who embraced and passed on yoga’s comprehensive design for living. Self-examination and change are not always gentle processes. Surrendering, I fell back into the arms of supportive yogis and others devoted to healing. Years down the line, teachers started to suggest carrying the benefits of yoga into the world. Having gained so much from this precious practice, I knew I wanted to give back however possible. The seeds of Seva (selfless service) were planted.
Today, I try to take yoga off the mat and into my everyday world, every day of my life.
Continue reading 'Yoga in Action: Off the Mat Into the World'»
DC Local Projects, Teacher Guest Blog
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Chakra Asana, Claire Williams, Facebook, Hala Khouri, Healing, Holly Meyers, Kerri Kelly, Off The Mat Into The World, Om Shanti, OMT, Seane Corn, Suzanne Sterling, The Urban Yoga Den, Wordpress, yoga, Yoga In Action
As the DC Global Mala swiftly approaches, spiritual pioneer Jonathan Foust speaks to the meaning of the Dharma talks he offers our community and a bit about what we can expect during our time with him on Sunday, September 26th.
As a long term yogi and at one time President of
Kripalu Center, the largest yoga center in North America, I get asked interesting questions. Two in particular stand out – One was from a fashion magazine looking for a reaction to the fact that a famous designer had just come out with a $300 bag to carry a yoga mat. I knew what kind of response the writer was looking for, but just didn’t have it in me. “I think it’s great!,” I responded. “If a $300 yoga bag helps inspires someone to engage into and deepen their practice I’m all for it. Anyone who begins a transformational practice like yoga will benefit in ways that can’t be measured.” The second question I’m often asked is, “This yoga and meditation thing. Don’t you think that’s awfully self-indulgent?” This question always leads to an amazing paradox. Perhaps we are indulging the self, but all practices lead to a deep inquiry into what that ‘self’ actually is. Inevitably, those who engage into the practice of yoga and meditation become more aware of how inter-connected they are with others. They become more sensitive to the 10,000 joys and the 10,000 sorrows we collectively share on this human journey.
Fall is proving to be a busy time for Anahata. Below is a list of upcoming events and opportunities for our Anahata Friends to add some more seva to your day.
- September 4th, please join us in the upper level of Meridian Hill park for a yoga class open to all (and taught by the lovely Emilia) followed by a potluck/picnic for Anahata volunteers and those that are interested in becoming volunteers. It’s a great way to spend some time getting to know like-minded wellness activists + have some time outside doing what we love – moving with breath. More details about our monthly potlucks can be found here: http://www.anahatainternational.org/index.php/news/volunteer-potluck/
- September 12th, Flow will have a table up at this year’s Adams Morgan Day Festival – a crazy time on 18th street with lots of people and opportunity to spread the word about the yoga studio + Flow’s outreach which includes Anahata! I will be there but need a number of volunteers to take 2 hour shifts to help chat with folks as they stop by the table. All help is appreciated :).
Continue reading 'Lending a Hand'»
Events, Fundraising & Outreach, General
| Acupuncture, Adams Morgan Day Festival, Afro-Brazilian dance, afterschool program, Alexis Mitchell, Ana Abram, Angela Cerkevich, Angela Ingram, Borromeo Housing, Dawn Hennessey, DC Global Mala, Elementary School, Emilia Retta, Fall, flow yoga center, Global Mala, homeless women's shelter, International Fellowship Program, Jamie Larson, Layne Morrison, low-income neighborhoods, mental health, Meridian Hill Park, Michell Stanley, N Street Village, Nicole Mires, nutrition, October, Outreach, PTSD, reiki yoga, Riana Ackley, Sarah Walter, Scott Carson, September, seva, summer program, therapy, Troop Retreat, Veterans, Volunteer Opportunities, Wellness Committee, Yoga Nidra
Below is a brief update on our current programs that we simply could not do without the help of our Anahata supporters:
- We just completed a 6 week summer program with elementary school aged kids in low-income neighborhoods in DC and are about to restart the afterschool yoga classes through the same program for this Fall!
- We are creating a wellness room at a domestic violence shelter that will open it’s doors in October and will provide holistic services including acupuncture, reiki, yoga, yoga nidra, nutrition classes and lots more!
- We are working with a community center that provides therapy to people suffering from severe mental health disabilities to create a 6 week yoga for trauma survivors program.
- We are increasing the number of homeless teen moms that we teach yoga to at Borromeo Housing.
- We are now running the yoga program along with providing Afro-Brazilian dance classes at N Street Village – a homeless women’s shelter.
- The Troop Retreat for veterans suffering from PTSD will be the weekend of September 10th.
- We are continuing to explore partnership options for this year’s International Fellowship program!
peace & gratitude,
Team Grace
As September 26th approaches, Anahata Grace just wanted to remind folks about the purpose of the
Global Mala. All across the globe people unite, joining yoga communities from every continent, school and approach to form a “mala around the earth” through collective practices based upon the
sacred cycle of 108. Along with yoga practitioners in more than 50 countries around the world, DC will once again come together for a day of dharma speakers, meditation, music, and a dedicated practice of 108
surya namaskar. This year, Anahata Grace is honored to be the DC Global Mala’s chosen non-profit recipient of proceeds earned and to be considered a valued organization committed to healing the planet and its inhabitants.
Please continue to check our
DC Global Mala page for up-to-date information and details as the come to fruition. We look forward to once again creating a worldwide garland of the human heart and affirm the power of unifying consciousness through sacred movement, breath, and intention.
Warm oms,
Team Grace
This week, Anahata Grace social media wizard Jeffrey Platts schools us on the importance of the viral world to the world of non-profits.
There are currently three big tools in social media. Blogging, Twitter and Facebook. All three are ways for you to expand and fine tune your brand, which I heard best defined as “what people feel when they think about your name.” Think Apple, Greenpeace, Southwest, Habitat for Humanity, Richard Branson. Each creates a certain feeling when you think of them. This post will hopefully serve as a strong nudge to get you and your organization on the social media bus so you don’t have to chase it down later.
Blog
Website are just billboards. They just sit there. What you need today is a WEB PRESENCE. Every organization and businesses has a website. It’s a necessity. It’s a starting point for people to get basic info on what you’re about. It’s got your mission, contact info, staff profiles. But it’s not enough. It doesn’t give people a reason to KEEP COMING BACK to your site. A blog, however DOES give them a reason. A blog no longer means just a diary of random thoughts or a collection of political rants. A blog is a way to easily publish new content to your site on a regular basis.
Continue reading 'Why Non-Profits Need to Get on The Social Media Bus'»
General, Teacher Guest Blog
| Billboards, Blogging, Charity, Connection, Customer, Donor, Expand Your Brand, Facebook, Facebook Fan Page, Family, Greenpeace, Habitat for Humanity, Information, Inspiration, Invisible Children, Non-Profits, Online, Online Tool, Pet, Profile, Reader, Resources, Retweet, Richard Branson, Shelters, Social Media, Southwest, Starbucks, Think Apple, Twitter, Viral, Web Presence
This week, Anahta Grace volunteer and psychotherapist Michell Stanley announces the creation of our very first wellness center, to provide healing for those inhabiting the District Alliance for Safe Housing, Inc. (DASH).
The mission of the District Alliance for Safe Housing, Inc. (DASH) is to ensure access to safe and sustainable refuge for victims of domestic violence through the development and management of safe housing and related services, while increasing the capacity of other community-based organizations to expand housing for victims throughout the District of Columbia. As part of fulfilling this mission, DASH has honored Anahata Grace with the responsibility of facilitating wellness programming for the organization’s newest program, Cornerstone, which is scheduled to open this fall. The Wellness room will offer a full schedule of yoga classes including acupuncture, reiki, yoga therapy, and meditation, all geared towards providing residents with wellness services from a holistic perspective.
Continue reading 'DASH Wellness Center'»
DC Local Projects, General, Teacher Guest Blog
| anahata grace, at-risk populations, community-based, Cornerstone, District Alliance for Safe Housing, Domestic Violence, holistic, Inc. (DASH), Meditation, Michell Stanley, promote health, reiki, Social Change, Wellness, Wellness Committee, yoga therapy
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To kick off the change in season and the unexpected that’s left in 2010, yoga lover, activist, andnew DC resident Laura Randeles speaks to the beauty of being present within the unknown.
Themocracy