While researching for A Red Lotus, many activities, web sites, products, etc. are discovered that merit sharing but do not fit clearly within the theme of specific needs yoga resources for NYC. Therefore, this blog was started to share such ideas as well as to spotlight some great community ideas.
Yoga Health Festival Benefit Concert with David Newman and band
It's been a while since I blogged about Yoga Month. NYC's Yoga Health Festival is Sunday, September 7 and some of the workshops and free lectures are included in the workshop and event listings. Proceeds from all Yoga Month events benefit Youth Health Alliance. NYC's festival will end with a benefit concert.
Their description ... "Join us for an inspired evening of ecstatic devotional music with Sacred Songwriter and Kirtan Chant Artist David Newman, aka Durga Das. David’s music is an eclectic and inspiring blend of Spiritual Song and Ancient Indian Mantra Chanting. Whether expressing the warmth of hypnotic reflection, blissfully calling forth the Divine Names, or soaring into the mystic – David’s music both soothes and grooves with every note. David will be joined by vocalist and percussionist MIRA, guitarist Rama Bala and bassist Moto Fukushima."
Here are two classes for a good cause. Note that they are hot yoga classes and not necessarily adaptive, so people with specific needs should make sure the class is appropriate before attending.
Charity Classes Friday, August 22 and Friday, August 29, 8:00 p.m. at The Yoga Room, Astoria with Wesley Collier
These two charity classes will benefit Service by the Water, a weekly soup kitchen which serves only vegetarian food to the community. A cash donation or any kind of non-perishable food product equivalent to a $10 donation will be greatly appreciated. Beans, rice, pasta, iced tea mix, hot chocolate mix, powdered juice, paper plates, forks, and spoons are all great ideas for donations.
Hawaii Winter Solstice Yoga Retreat with Ana Forrest
In case you needed an excuse to go to Hawaii or can't make the The Samarya Center's upcoming Hawaii trip, a portion of the proceeds from this workshop will be donated to YogaHope.
Note that this is not an adaptive-focused workshop, so people with specific needs should make sure that they can be accommodated before signing up.
Each morning begins with an invigorating 3 hour yoga practice. Afternoons are free for excursions and Hawaii adventures. Late afternoons offer 1 ½ hours of Q&A and light yoga. The workshop culminates with a powerful Winter Solstice ceremony.
About Forrest Yoga ... "... Forrest Yoga challenges you to heal, grow and welcome your Spirit home. Forrest Yoga does not require strength or flexibility; it only requires that you bring a willingness to learn how to feel authentically and respond honestly. Learning to work honestly at your edges, you develop effective tools to deal with fear and struggle. This makes it possible for integrity, self awareness and playful curiosity to become part of your daily life."
As promised, here's another (similar) "for a good cause" post.
VolunteerMatch is a leader in helping people find places to volunteer. The organization offers a variety of online services to support organizations and individuals committed to civic engagement. More than 50,000 nonprofit organizations have listed with them.
It's been a while since I posted a "for a good cause" post, so here's one and there will be more soon.
VolunteerNYC is a service offered by The Mayor's Volunteer Center and United Way New York City. NYC nonprofit organizations can post volunteer opportunities and potential volunteers can search by area of interest, location, and keyword.
The Lineage Project teaches at-risk and incarcerated New York City teenagers awareness-based practices, such as yoga and meditation, to help consciously manage stress, increase self-awareness, and cultivate compassion and commitment to nonviolent engagement with their communities. By creating a safe environment where youth can have their own experience of these practices, we encourage them to investigate their emotional, physical and spiritual selves, to develop strong and healthy bodies; increase concentration, focus and attention; and build self-esteem and confidence.
Lineage Project Professional Training Program - Level 1: Working With At Risk Youth October 12 – 17 at Omega Institute
Through lecture and experiential activities, participants will explore the myriad of issues facing youth today with an emphasis on trauma and its residual effects; we will share techniques for making content accessible, planning and structuring exercises/classes including modifications for yoga and meditation and practice basic reflective communication and group facilitation strategies. Each participant will be asked to draw upon their own experiences, particularly the practices that have been most meaningful to their personal growth.
This workshop is appropriate for anyone currently working with or interested in working with youth. Participants should have an established yoga and/or meditation practice and a desire to join a growing community of individuals who believe that all youth can know the great wisdom and compassion that exists within.
Roter Lotus (translated as Red Lotus) is an organization dedicated development of the Gyuto Tantric University Hospital in northern India. The hospital was founded by Dr.s Hedda and Claus Blumenroth with the support of H.H. Karmapa and H.H. Dalai Lama. The hospital serves the poorest of the poor from all backgrounds. The next nearest modern hospital is 250 km away. The Roter Lotus web site is in German (the language of the organization's founders).
Yoga Bear, which offers free yoga classes and yoga class passes to cancer patients and survivors, is setting up a long term yoga class for outpatients at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Manhattan! They need 12-15 new or gently used yoga mats. For more information and/or to donate, contact Michelle Robbins at Michelle.Robbins@yogabear.org or 7186125803.
yogaHOPE is a non-profit outreach organization dedicated to establishing rehabilitative yoga programs in residential facilities for underserved women. They offer yoga instruction to disempowered women in life transition—the incarcerated, those in drug and alcohol treatment, those living on the streets, battered women, and women transitioning from hospital treatment for disordered eating issues. They provide donated yoga clothing and supplies to the students and make the practice accessible to all abilities. They also offer scholarships to attend teacher certification programs and become eligible for employment as a yoga instructor. Currently, they are located in Masachusetts and in Washington.
The practice of yoga has been shown to produce positive motivational change by helping women regain their vital center of energy, satisfaction and stability. It also teaches mindfulness, impulse control, interpersonal relationship skills, discernment in decision-making, patience, and acceptance of self and of the surrounding world. The practice of yoga can help reduce low self-esteem and poor body image, and greatly improves a woman's sense of personal empowerment.
Yoga Ed. offers health and wellness programs, trainings and products for teachers, parents, children and health professionals that improve academic achievement, physical fitness, emotional intelligence and stress management. In short, they offer yoga education for school children and teachers that develops self-awareness, self-management and self-care.
They also have two training workshops this year. These workshops prepare yoga teachers to teach Yoga Ed. to children in schools and Yoga Tools to classroom teachers.
GoodSearchRaise money for your favorite causes (including some yoga-related ones) by using GoodSearch as your search engine. Every time you search, they make a donation to your favorite nonprofit or school. The search is powered by Yahoo! (Shopping through their "mall" also benefits nonprofits.)
The Heart of Yoga Foundation Peace Project brings yoga to people living in active conflict zones and other troubled areas of the world. The Peace Project provides education and resources to current and aspiring yoga teachers so that they may better carry the seeds of positive change to the people and places they love. They teach classes, hold regional dialogues about creating peaceful change, and have a Sister Studio programthat matches yoga studios in peaceful areas with yoga studios in troubled areas to help them to build lasting relationships. They also work with people in peaceful areas, teaching them how to recognize and deal with violence and fear in their own lives.
Another SCOJO Foundation Fundraiser - UPDATED 6/18
Following on the heels of the previously blogged SCOJO Foundation fundraiser, East West Yoga is hosting Discovering Ganesh Thursday, June 26 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. This is a fundraiser for SCOJO Foundation, which not only provides glasses to the poor who need them to thrive, but trains and empowers Indians to become eye care providers to their countrymen and women. Come to the party for free, donate what you can, and make a difference. The event is described as "a night of prizes, music, food, giving, and art ... a reverent party where every dollar you give goes to the cause." There will be great raffle prizes, music by Falu, h'ors d'ouevres by Amma Indian Restaurant, and more. An R.S.V.P. is requested.
Friday, June 13, OM Yoga NYC is offering two workshop classes to fundraise for Scojo Foundation, which provides glasses to people in rural India, often enabling them to continue working so that they can support themselves and their families. The first class is an open level Innersight Yoga class with Emily Conradson. (This is a fluid vinyasa flow class where students are given a cloth to tie over their eyes.) The second class is a special AcroYoga class with Becca Krauss, in which students will focus on the gift of sight through partner eye gazing, practice of non-verbal communication skills, and a yummy session of Thai Yoga Massage (a profession that is commonly practiced by the blind in Thailand).
Note: These are not specific needs yoga classes. Please check to make sure the class is appropriate for you prior to attending.
Indian Kids Postcard ProjectYou might have seen this art on display at The Shala Yoga House ...
The Indian Kids Postcard Project is a grass roots project, started in 2007 by Antoinette Maclachlan after she visited APNE AAP Women's Collective—an organization that works with the women and children in the red light district of Mumbai. Apne App children together with other Indian school children draw postcards on a specific theme, the original "postcard art" is sold as well as limited edition greetings cards and all proceeds go directly to Apne App. This year's theme was "Indian Gods, Goddesses, Heroines and Heros". There are plans for a "Ganesh Calendar" for 2009 and a show of fine art limited edition prints. The current cards are now for sale and can be seen on http://www.chi-sustainability.com.
Yoga MonthSeptember, 2008 is Yoga Month—a global campaign to educate people about the health benefits of yoga and to inspire a healthy lifestyle. It includes the 10 City Yoga Health Festival Tour, involving millions individuals practicing yoga at thousands of yoga studios and homes around the world. Proceeds benefit Youth Health Alliance as well as other organizations. New York City will celebrate September 7. Yoga month campaigns to educate people about yoga's health benefits are ongoing year-round.
Their web site also has articles and links to articles about recent research showing the general health benefits of yoga as well as the benefits of yoga in treating several specific conditions. Click here to read more.
Network for Good makes it incredibly easy to search for and find organizations to donate to and volunteer with. They even keep records of your favorites, automate donating, save your donation records (for tax time), and more. It's also easy to donate in someone's name (and share that with them). It's definitely a good idea for many good causes, so try it.
Bent on Learning offers instruction in yoga and meditation to students in grades K through 12 in New York City public schools and youth centers as a means of reducing stress and improving concentration, self-esteem and overall health. They also train public school teachers and staff in yogic techniques and exercises so they can assist students in focusing their energies.
One BrickOne Brick is a volunteer organization that brings people together to help non-profits and community organizations staff events or work on projects. One Brick volunteering does not require a commitment; attend as few or as many events as you want. Check out the event calendar and RSVP online.
Karma Yoga: the "Food for Yoga" class returns! 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Friday, May 30 Co-taught by Angela and Steph Cost of class? Three cans of food
Even if you can't attend, please consider donating non-perishable food. Food will be donated to the Hanson Place Central United Methodist Church/Campaign Against Hunger, a food bank in Fort Greene.
Note: This class will be taught in the studio's tradition. It is not a specific needs or adaptive class.
The Samarya Center is offering IMT Basics and IMT Level 1 training workshops this summer. Workshops are appropriate for anyone who wants to learn about how to use yoga for healing, including therapists, teachers, parents, and yoga teachers.
Integrated Movement Therapy® is a holistic therapy approach for people of all ages, using yoga’s philosophical, physical and spiritual framework in conjunction with conventional neuro-physiological perspectives to address unique challenges, including: chronic pain, depression, stroke, MS, Autism, Parkinson’s, traumatic brain injury, and anxiety. Click here to learn more about IMT.
IMT Basics is a five-hour introductory course that focuses on:
The evolution of IMT, including its roots in both yoga and traditional clinical field.
The underlying philosophies of IMT.
The ingredients for an optimal learning environment.
A basic understanding of how neural pathways are built in the brain.
The six core principles of IMT and how these provide a framework for therapy.
IMT Basics Friday, May 30 in Portland, Oregon also: Saturday, June 14 in Seattle, Washington also: Friday, July 11 in Seattle, Washington
IMT Level 1 focuses on providing a more in-depth understanding of IMT’s holistic framework and its application during assessment and treatment. The workshop format is discussion with lots of experiential learning, including yoga postures and practical activities.
IMT & Adults Level 1, May 31 - June 1 in Portland IMT & Teens Level 1, July 11 - 13 in Seattle IMT & Adults Level 1, September 5-7 in Seattle
A percentage of the Portland training proceeds will support Street Yoga, an organization that teaches yoga to homeless youth and youth at risk of homelessness.
Sankalpah Yoga holds community classes to benefit a different charity each month! For May, 2008, in an effort to raise money for a local Habitat for Humanity project, they will be holding:
$8 Community Classes 2:00-3:15 p.m. 16, 17, 18. The classes will be taught by all of the teachers of Sankalpah Yoga as an offering of their teaching skills to the community.
A workshop with Jude & Isaac 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Saturday, May 31, minimum donation $25.
Jude, Isaac, and the Sankalpah Yoga Teachers are happy to volunteer their teaching & time to support a worthy cause. If you cannot attend the community classes or workshop, feel free to give a donation to the front desk. Please visit the Sankalpah Yoga web site or contact them for more information.
Note for specific needs students: These classes are in this studio's tradition. If you would like to attend, please visit the site and contact them to make sure you can be accommodated.
Street Yoga offers free yoga, wellness and meditation classes to homeless youth and youth at risk of homelessness in Portland and Seattle. Their mission includes helping homeless youth increase their physical, emotional and spiritual strength, stamina and flexibility so they can better meet their own core needs. They work closely with service providers striving to help homeless youth secure safe housing, nutritious food, accessible health care, employment, clean clothing, educational choices and human dignity. Please watch the video above and visit their site for more information.
This training will focus on homeless youth, and youth at-risk of homelessness. This latter group includes youth who have been involved in the foster care system, youth from homeless families, young people who have been physiclaly, sexually and emotionally abused, youth in detention, and youth who identify as a sexual or gender minority. Youth who are homeless or in transtional living situations spend much of their time and energy devising strategies for survival on the streets. This leaves precious little time for rest or personal reflection. Street Yoga offers these youth accessible, non-threatening environments in which to take off their backpacks and to experience strength and stillness in both body and mind.
Street Yoga highly values direct, compassionate action. In this training, you will receive practical, real world knowledge and techniques that will assist you in teaching at-risk youth. You will also be encouraged to dig into your personal experience in order to draw out your own courage and compassion as a teacher.
Street Yoga does not prescribe a strict methodology for bringing yoga to youth. Instead, we will cover the basic techniques we have found most useful and will present a brief sketch of the challenges faced by these young people. You can expect to learn:
Population characteristics and backgrounds.
Communication techniques, including conflict prevention and de-escalation.
Useful yoga postures and sequences, including ideas for special populations.
Common challenges to creating and maintaining a yoga program for youth.
How to work effectively with organizations and use resources efficiently.
This training is open to individuals of all levels and backgrounds. Whether you have been teaching for years or are just beginnning to share mindfulness practices with others, we simply ask you to begin where you are and share what you know.
Going into the training, we see three goals, for which we set our intention:
That you will develop your confidence and skills to teach homeless youth, and youth at-risk of homelessness.
That you will better understand the connections between youth homelessness, and foster care, a history of childhood abuse, family rejection and poverty.
That you will feel inspired to volunteer to teach yoga to homeless youth in Portland, or to create a program of your own in your part of the world.
Any experience level is welcome to this monthly class, with different theme each time. Learn to use your digital camera to dynamically express your experiences. Discuss your favorite photos in class as you discover how to create art, uniquely from your soul. Learn about a variety of styles and techniques.
At the end of 6 months, whether you've attended once or every class, your best photo will be shown at an auction-soiree, with proceeds going to benefit inner city art programs!
Classes are limited to twenty participants. Your photo mission for the month will be emailed to you when you register by calling 212.243.5995 or online.
This benefit event is co-sponsored by Integral Yoga Institute and Jivamukti Yoga School.
In addition to the movie premiere, the event includes: Kirtan with Krishna Das; a panel discussion with filmmakers Joshua M. Greene and Shiva Kumar, Jivamukti founders David Life and Sharon Gannon, and Integral Yoga president Swami Ramananda; and a special appearance by artist Peter Max.
The birth of the modern Yoga movement and its impact on the world chronicled in this documentary. Click here to view the trailer.
