“Ring the bells that still can ring.  Forget your perfect offering.  There is a crack in everything.  That’s how the light gets in.”

Join Anahata for the month of May as we find our way back into the sun.

Saturday, May 7th is our monthly volunteer potluck.  This month’s potluck is back in Malcolm X park!  Anahata’s Program Director and lovely teacher,  Shawn Parell, will be teaching the community class open to all from 11am to noon.  A volunteer meeting will follow from 12 to 12:30pm.  Guest speaker, Jill Hall will be joining at 12:30pm to speak about the new ear acupuncture resource created by Nicole Mires and provided to the women at the wellness room.  Please join and bring friends! 

Volunteer opportunities: if you’d like to learn more about the opportunities below, please email us.

~ Are you or somebody you know interested in an Anahata summer internship?  May 15th is the deadline to apply for this year’s DC Global Mala internship.  We are currently accepting applications – more details here.

~ Want to assist or teach yoga to DC elementary school kids in low-income neighborhoods?  We are looking for a lead teacher and an assistant to commit to a weekly class for six weeks over the summer with our partner KidPower.

~ Do you provide wellness services beyond yoga (acupuncture, massage, accupressure, nutrition classes) and would like to work with domestic violence survivors?  Please send us an email with details about your current wellness offerings.

~ Do you have a background in psychotherapy, psychiatry or social work and would like to help us in creating resources for others interested in yoga/wellness service?  Please let us know your area of expertise and we will let you know the resources we are developing.

~ Would you like to put on a workshop to support Anahata?  We have studio contacts and plenty of ideas for workshop curricula; we’re looking for motivated, dedicated teachers.  If you have an idea for a workshop you’d like to offer, let us know!

Upcoming Donation Opportunities: 

~ This Sunday (May 1st), stop by Flow Yoga Center for the 3rd anual Vegan Bake Sale.  Proceeds from the sale of these delicious treats will support our work.

~ Monday, May 30th, join Megan Davis for a Memorial Day Workshop: The Art of Remembrance.  In this workshop we will do 60 minutes of active vinyasa and pranayama and 30 minutes of restorative poses followed by a 30 minute yoga nidra practice.  In honor of Memorial Day, we will explore the art of remembrance as it relates to the practice of yoga.

~ Saturday, June 4th, join Caitlin for a Nourishing Flow at Past Tense.  This extended class will start with rhythmic vinyasa flow and movement meditation – keeping you connected to the earth while tapping in to the currents of breath though movement – and close with nurturing yin postures (passive postures held over time). The combination will gently unlock contracted muscles, joints, and the hard-to-reach connective tissue – all while tapping into the subtle wisdom of our bodies and releasing emotional and physical holding from the past. 

~ Every Saturday, join Caitlin for a 45 minute community meditation class at 9:30am at Flow Yoga Center.  This class is a great way to start your weekend with grounded balance cultivated through a little yin yoga, restorative poses and seated meditation.  *If you are an active volunteer, please drop in as our guest – no donation required.

Upcoming Trainings Sponsored by Anahata:

~ Teaching Yoga to Beginners - On May 7th and 8th, Megan Davis will be leading a weekend workshop on teaching yoga to new yogis.  Active Anahata volunteers will receive a 15% discount.  If you are interested in attending, please send an email to findinggraceyoga@gmail.com.

~ Yoga Therapy Immersion – with Megan Davis, Angela Cerkevich and Sierra Weaver for three weekends in May and June.  Sign up before May 1 to receive early bird discount!  This training is an incredible series of weekends focused on physical and mental therapeutics of yoga.  Weekends can be purchased a la carte or as a complete 35 hour CEU for current teachers.  All active Anahata teachers will recieve a 15% discount.  Email findinggraceyoga@gmail.com if interested in the discount.

Upcoming Trainings We Have Our Eye On:

~ May 20th and 22nd, Street Yoga TT in DC!  The Street Yoga Training workshop is for those interested in learning how to teach yoga to individuals facing huge life struggles.  Participants will learn how to weave yoga and mindfulness practices into youth activities and therapy work, about the trauma-healing effects of yoga, appropriate boundaries for touch and much more.

As always, thank you for your ongoing support! 

om shanti,
Caitlin Uzzell

“At this time of the turning point between the dark and light, what is churnning, shedding and breaking through for you?” - Shiva Rea’s Meditation on the Spring Equinox.

Join Anahata for the month of April as we come out of winter caves and face into the blossoming energy of Spring.

• Saturday, April 2nd is our monthly volunteer potluck.  In light of the tragedy that occurred at the Lululemon in Bethesda a few weeks ago, we will be joining Faith Hunter’s class on the mall to honor Jayna T. Murray at 10:30 to 11:30am @ the Sylvan Theater (15th and Constitution – details here).  Post-class we will all meet at noon @ Penn Quarter Teaism (map) to discuss Anahata and join Dr. Lauren Rubenstein, a clinical psychologist and yoga teacher, as she discusses her new Anahata trauma resource and answers questions you have regarding this topic.  Please join and bring friends.

Do you have a topic that you’d like more info on regarding wellness therapeutic services?  Please post suggested topics on our facebook page or send us an email.

• Wednesday, April 27th, a group of Anahata staff and volunteers will be attending the premiere of the Academy award winning documentary, Poster Girl – a film exploring the impact of PTSD as a young female veteran returns home after serving in Iraq.  More details about the event can be found here – please email us if you would like to join as part of Team Grace.

Volunteer opportunities: if you’d like to learn more about one of the opportunities below, please email us.

• Are you or somebody you know interested in an Anahata summer internship?  We are looking for a motivated individual to coordinate with the larger DC yoga community and help plan this year’s Global Mala. We are currently accepting applications – more details here.

• Want to assist or teach yoga to DC elementary school kids in low-income neighborhoods? We are looking for a lead teacher and an assistant to commit to a weekly class for six weeks over the summer with our partner KidPower.

• Do you have a background in communications, grant writing, website development or photography and would like to lend your skills to support Anahata? We would love to put you to work.

• Do you have a background in psychotherapy, psychiatry or social work and would like to help us in creating resources for others interested in yoga/wellness service? Please let us know your area of expertise and we will let you know the resources we are developing.

• Would you like to put on a workshop to support Anahata? We have studio contacts and plenty of ideas for workshop curricula; we’re looking for motivated, dedicated teachers.  If you have an idea for a workshop you’d like to offer, let us know!

Upcoming trainings sponsored by Anahata:

• Teaching Yoga to Beginners – On May 7th and 8th, Megan Davis will be leading a weekend workshop on teaching yoga to new yogis.  Active Anahata volunteers will receive a 15% discount.  If you are interested in attending, please send an email to findinggraceyoga@gmail.com.

• Yoga Therapy Immersion – with Megan Davis, Angela Cerkevich and Sierra Weaver for three weekends in May and June  This training is an incredible series of weekends focused on physical and mental therapeutics of yoga.  Weekends can be purchased a la carte or as a complete 35 hour CEU for current teachers.  All active Anahata teachers will recieve a 15% discount.  Email findinggraceyoga@gmail.com if interested in the discount.

Want your yoga practice to support Anahata? Saturday donation classes at Flow have been revamped; we are now teaching a 45 minute community meditation class at 9:30am every Saturday.  This class is a great way to start your weekend with grounded balance cultivated through a little yin yoga, restorative poses and seated meditation.  If you are an active volunteer, please drop in as our guest – no donation required.

Are you interested in volunteering but are unable to attend our monthly meetings?  Please join me (Caitlin) for one of our Saturday classes – we can sip tea and discuss volunteer opportunities.

As always, thank you for your ongoing support!

om shanti,
Caitlin Uzzell

Vipassana meditation is an offering made to those inhabiting this end of the line prison as an alternative to the daily grind of a life sentence.  Vipassana simply means “seeing things as they are,” an offer that some would rather forget.  This particular correctional facility, named after an officer killed at the prison, is reserved for the worst of the worst who have committed the ultimate egregious crimes.  Some have chosen to try and regain some sort of balance back in their lives as an attempt to reconcile the horrible things they have done.

A 10 day silent meditation can seem daunting enough to those of us who yearn for a small reprieve from our daily dose of stress or for those who simply desire a stronger connection with the self.  Imagine such internal observation for one who is haunted by actions that can never be mended.  Vipassana, seeing things as they are, facing crimes that have been committed, minds that have made wrong choices – what comes up?  Is it worth learning too late in life the significance of mistakes made? Does it help to be tortured with the self awareness of what you have done and who you truly are?  For convicted murderer Johnny Mack Young this meditation allows him to have the highest quality life that he can, and has forever changed him.  Meditation has chipped away at denial and any blame put on others for your own faults – it has given these inmates the ultimate responsibility of taking ownership of the self.

The result has been significant behavioral changes, an almost peaceful calm to certain inmates, as well as a sort of compassion for others through service as volunteers in the prison hospice and offerings of self-help guidance in the prison chapel.  Currently, there’s a waiting list to be a part of this 10 day Vipassana meditation and next up is organizing the same service for female inmates.

To learn more about this program, please visit the NPR segment “At End-Of-The Line Prison, An Unlikely Escape”.

“Everything that we see is a shadow cast by what we don’t see.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Join Anahata for the month of February and beyond as we examine what we don’t see through somatic connections.

• Saturday, February 5th is our monthly volunteer potluck!  The topic for this month is Trauma and Yoga.  With this nip in the air, we have found a winter home for our meetings (1113 Rhode Island Ave NW 20005).  The yoga class (11am to noon) is open to anyone who would like to start their day with some flowing yoga, then stay for an Anahata meeting (noon to 1pm).  This month, join Dr. Lauren Rubenstein, a clinical psychologist and yoga teacher, as she discusses her new Anahata trauma resource and answers questions you have regarding this topic.  Please join and bring friends – more details can be found here.

Do you have a topic that you’d like more info on regarding wellness therapeutic services?  Please post suggested topics on our facebook page or send us an email at findinggraceyoga@gmail.com.

Volunteer opportunities: if you’d like to learn more about one of the opportunities below, please email findinggraceyoga@gmail.com.

• Want to assist or teach yoga to DC elementary school kids in low-income neighborhoods? We are looking for an assistant to commit to a weekly class for six weeks with our partner KidPower.

• Do you have a background in communications, grant writing, website development or photography and would like to lend your skills to support Anahata? We would love to put you to work.

• Do you have a background in psychotherapy, psychiatry or social work and would like to help us in creating resources for others interested in yoga/wellness service? Please let us know your area of expertise and we will let you know the resources we are developing.

• Would you like to put on a workshop to support Anahata? We have studio contacts and plenty of ideas for workshop curricula; we’re looking for motivated, dedicated teachers.  If you have an idea for a workshop you’d like to offer, let us know!

Upcoming trainings sponsored by Anahata:

• 30 hour Thai Yoga Therapy Training – Anahata’s Founder, Angela Cerkevich, and Vanessa King are offering a 30 hour Thai Yoga Massage Training during March 2011.  Active Anahata volunteers will receive a 15% discount.  If you are interested in attending, please send an email to findinggraceyoga@gmail.com.

• Teaching Yoga to Beginners – On May 7th and 8th, Megan Davis will be leading a weekend workshop on how to teach yoga to new yogis.  Active Anahata volunteers will receive a 15% discount.  If you are interested in attending, please send an email to findinggraceyoga@gmail.com.

• Off the Mat and Into the World’s Leadership Training will be in DC this March and is filling up quickly!  This training is an incredible 5 day intensive to help find your inner leader/dharma through yoga and group exercises with the powerful Seane Corne, Hala Khouri, and Suzanne Sterling.  Tickets can be purchased here.

Want your yoga practice to support Anahata? Saturday donation classes at Flow have been revamped; we are now teaching a 45 minute community meditation class at 9:30am every Saturday.  This class is a great way to start your weekend with grounded balance cultivated through a little yin yoga, restorative poses and seated meditation.  If you are an active volunteer, please drop in as our guest – no donation required.

Are you interested in volunteering but are unable to attend our monthly meetings?  Please join me (Caitlin) for one of our Saturday classes – we can sip tea and discuss volunteer opportunities.

Other trainings we have our eye on:

• Trauma Sensitive Yoga Teaching Certificate Program with Dave Emerson – The Trauma Centre of Boston is hosting this incredible four day training; Anahata is putting together a group of our volunteers to attend.  If you are interested, please send us an email at findinggraceyoga@gmail.com.

As always, thank you for your ongoing support!

om shanti,
Caitlin Uzzell

• Saturday, December 4th (tomorrow) is our monthly volunteer potluck!  This month, I (Caitlin) will be teaching the yoga class starting at 11am.  With this nip in the air, we have found a winter home for our meetings (1113 Rhode Island Ave NW 20005).  The class is open to anyone who would like to start their day with some flowing yoga, then stay for an Anahata meeting about our upcoming volunteer opportunities and an informal time to meet and support like-minded compassionate activists.  Please join and bring friends – more details can be found here.

Volunteer opportunities: if you’d like to learn more about one of the opportunities below, please email findinggraceyoga@gmail.com.

• Want to teach yoga at a homeless women’s shelter?  We are looking for volunteer/certified yoga teachers for a weekly class on Mondays at 10am at N Street Village.

• Want to assist or teach yoga to kids in elementary schools in low-income neighborhoods in DC?  After the holiday school break, we will have new 6 week classes starting with our partner KidPower.

• Are you certified as a holistic healer and would like to be a part of a 3 day retreat for service providers? In the next few months, we will be providing a 3 day rejuvenation retreat for case managers at a domestic violence shelter and are looking for talented volunteers to provide the rejuvenation.

• Would you like to put on a workshop to support Anahata?  We have the studio contacts and plenty of ideas for workshops but need the teachers.

Want your yoga practice to support Anahata? Below are the upcoming donation classes and workshops for November.  If  you are an active volunteer, please feel free to drop in to any of the classes without donating dollars.

• Sunday, December 5th, Megan Davis will be teaching a Yin Yoga donation workshop at Yoga Chai to support Anahata.

• Saturday donation classes at Flow have been revamped.  We are now teaching a 45 minute community meditation class at 9:30am every Saturday.  This class is a great way to start your weekend with grounded balance cultivated through a little yin yoga, restorative poses and seated meditation.

Upcoming trainings:

• Anahata is excited to announce that Off the Mat and Into the World’s Leadership Training is coming to DC!  It will be brought to you by Flow Yoga Center and Anahata Grace.  It is an incredible 5 day intensive to help find your inner leader/dharma through yoga and group exercises with the powerful Seane Corne, Hala Khouri, and Suzanne Sterling.  Tickets can be purchased here.

As always, thank you for your ongoing support and happy holidays!

om shanti,
Caitlin Uzzell

We hope to see you tomorrow at Megan Davis’ Thanksgiving Day workshop where as a community we can take pause to give thanks.

Warm oms,

Team Grace ]]> http://www.anahatainternational.org/index.php/updates/practicing-gratitude/feed/ 0 http://www.anahatainternational.org/index.php/updates/mindfully-easing-into-fall/ http://www.anahatainternational.org/index.php/updates/mindfully-easing-into-fall/#comments Thu, 11 Nov 2010 02:16:30 +0000 alexis mitchell http://www.anahatainternational.org/?p=1754 Please join Anahata Grace guest teacher Sierra Weaver for this Saturday’s Flow Yoga Center community meditation class.  Let this Fall begin with restoration and self-nurturing through a mindful connection with our bodies – it all starts November 13th at 9:30 am.

Saturday, November 6th is our monthly potluck in the park!  This month, the lovely Shawn Parell will be teaching the yoga class starting at 11am on the upper level of Meridian Hill Park.  The class is open to anyone who would like to start their day with some flowing yoga under the trees, then stay for a special meeting lead by Michell Stanley focused on Anahata’s Wellness Room in a domestic violence shelter in NE DC.  She will have details about the schedule, volunteer opportunities and answer questions you may have.  Please join and bring friends – more details can be found here.Volunteer opportunities: if you’d like to learn more about one of the opportunities below, please email findinggraceyoga@gmail.com.

• Want to teach yoga at a homeless women’s shelter?  We are looking for volunteer/certified yoga teachers for a weekly class on Mondays at 10am at N Street Village.
• Want to assist or teach yoga to kids in elementary schools in low-income neighborhoods in DC?  After the holiday school break, we will have new 6 week classes starting with our partner KidPower.
• Would you like to assist a monthly yoga class for young moms living in affordable housing?  This class is once a month on Thursdays in Arlington Virginia.Want your yoga practice to support Anahata?  Below are the upcoming donation classes and workshops for November.  If  you are an active volunteer, please feel free to drop in to any of the classes without donating dollars.

Wednesday, November 3rd, Ricky Tran will be hosting a workshop at the Georgetown Lululemon to support Anahata. 

Saturday donation classes at Flow have been revamped.  We are now teaching a 45 minute community meditation class at 9:30am every Saturday.  This class is a great way to start your weekend with grounded balance cultivated through a little yin yoga, restorative poses and seated meditation.  For the month of November, we will have guest teachers that bring a high level of expertise to this class.  Angela Cerkevich is teaching this Saturday, Manisha Tare on Nov 6th and Sierra Weaver on Nov 13th. 

Upcoming trainings:

Anahata is excited to announce that Off the Mat and Into the World’s Leadership Training is coming to DC!  It will be brought to you by Flow Yoga Center and Anahata Grace.  It is an incredible 5 day intensive to help find your inner leader/dharma through yoga and group exercises with the powerful Seane Corne, Hala Khouri, and Suzanne Sterling.  Tickets can be purchased here.

We are also working with the Trauma Center in Boston to bring to DC a 3 day training on how to use yoga for those that have survived trauma.  This training will be at the beginning of April and more details will be released soon.  As active volunteers, you will receive a discounted rate on the tickets.

As always, thank you for your ongoing support. 

om shanti,

team grace

This weekly donation class benefits our non-profit which allows us to continue to provide yoga and wellness services to vulnerable populations in DC and abroad in post-conflict countries.  We couldn’t do it without your support, so please join Joline McGoldrick this Saturday, October 22nd at 9:30 a.m. in honor of your personal yogic travels and those whom we aim to serve.

To kick off the change in season and the unexpected that’s left in 2010, yoga lover, activist, andnew DC residen

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.

Using the power of insight and discernment to stay fully present is exactly what meditation and yoga practice reveals. Its very simple: we have no idea what the future will bring. There is nothing more compelling and authoritative than the phenomena of the unknown to surrender to our present experience. Buddhist monk and renowned author, Bikkhu Bodhi said that the most present we can ever become is through awareness of breath, because “when we become aware of breathing, really aware of it, we can be aware of it only in the present, never in the past or future.” The most beautiful thing about yoga is that we use our breath to free us from external happenings and fall deeper into the grace of the moment, which is infinite and boundless.  When we let go of what we don’t know we find that the nature of our present bounty is so immense that we couldn’t possibly need anything more. We have the gift of our hearts, which beat collectively as one, the fall season breeze flowing through each of us, and the strength of our community to lend us a helping hand. By simply embracing the unknown and renouncing the false illusion that we can somehow control it, we reside in the true refuge of our inner spirit and feel an incredible sense of liberation.

There may be many things I don’t know, but what I do know is that genuine fulfillment is right here, right now, living inside each of us.