Preview: THE YOGA GURUS Trailer

Craigslist: Volunteer in Hampi

While volunteer programs with a fee make me slightly uncomfortable, this looks interesting…

As seen on craigslist:

August 17 – August 30, 2009
September 14 – September 27, 2009
October 12 – October 25, 2009

Located in the central part of the state of Karnataka, in the southern part of India, Hampi is definitely one of the most interesting travel destinations on the map of India. It is famous for its ruins belonging to the erstwhile medieval Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar, now declared a World Heritage site. The temples of Hampi, its monolithic sculptures and monuments are breathtaking. The Hindu style of architecture found at Hampi speaks of the splendor of the Vijayanagar Empire.

The volunteer projects in Hampi will concentrate on the protection of the cultural heritage site and on creating awareness among the locals and the tourists. The volunteers will be involved in planting trees and plants, thereby converting dry areas into beautiful spots for an eye to rest on. The project activities will include physical work and will require a lot of creativity and motivation from the volunteers to convey the message through drama, plays, etc.

Volunteers should be 18 years old and over

For more details and to see other projects in India please visit: www.cadip.org/volunteer-in-india.htm

For volunteer opportunities in other countries: www.cadip.org, t. 604-628-7400

Daily Mail: Yoga Granny

The yoga supergran who can still assume the lotus position… at the age of 83
By Mail Foreign Service at Daily Mail
Last updated at 8:17 AM on 24th April 2009

Yoga instructor Bette Calman may be 83, but she’s still bending over backwards to spread the benefits of the ancient Indian discipline.

The nimble grandmother can really pull some shapes and with her set hair and pearl earrings she looks as glamorous as Greta Garbo in a pink jumpsuit.

With 40 years of teaching under her belt, the Australian wonder is living proof that a lifetime’s dedication to yoga will keep you flexible as a rubber band.  read more

NY Times: How Green Is My Bottle?

How Green Is My Bottle?
April 19, 2009 By DANIEL GOLEMAN and GREGORY NORRIS

Earth Day is this Wednesday, and all things “green” will be celebrated. But it’s worth asking: how environmentally friendly are “green” products, really? Consider, for example, this paragon of eco-virtue: the stainless steel water bottle that lets us hydrate without discarding endless plastic bottles. Using a method called life cycle assessment, we have evaluated the environmental and health impact of a stainless steel thermos — from the extraction and processing of its ingredients, to its manufacture, distribution, use and final disposal. There were some surprises. What we think of as “green” turns out to be less so (and, yes, sometimes more so) than we assume. read more

Time: Psychotherapy Goes from Couch to Yoga Mat

Psychotherapy Goes from Couch to Yoga Mat
By ALANA B. ELIAS KORNFELD Alana B. Elias Kornfeld – Wed Apr 15, 2:30 am ET

Talk. Share. Cry. Stretch? Psychotherapy has historically been an exercise of the mind, but in the offices of more and more modern-day mental-health providers, emotional healing is taking place not just on the couch but on the yoga mat.

The burgeoning field is called yoga therapy, and its practitioners include psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers who incorporate yoga poses and meditative breathing into their sessions, as well as yoga teachers who want to learn how to address the emotions that bubble up in students during class or in private sessions. The idea, say yoga therapists, is to allow yoga to empower people while priming them to access their deepest emotions. read more

Mysore café staffed by Dalit girls challenges caste taboos

Although the Indian constitution banned untouchability sixty years ago, even today dalits are forbidden, in interior villages and small towns, from doing anything other than low menial jobs.
(…)
“The new fad in Indian coffee shops is staff dressed in the worst of the west, badly made uniforms with baseball caps! Our waitresses, dressed traditionally are making a deliberate statement.” Read the whole article on The Guardian

Natural beauty tips from around the world

From “How To” with Madeline Merced

Beauty tips from France, China, Puerto Rico, Spain, Norway, India, Brazil…

Vinyasa Ashtanga Yoga with BNS Iyengar

BNS Iyengar can usually be found teaching daily 6am – 8am & 4 pm – 6 pm (moon days excepted… yes, ONLY moondays off you lazy people!) at the Patanjala Yogashala – Parakala Mutt, Jaganmohan Palace Circle, Mysore.

Here is a clip of BNS Iyengar teaching advanced series. There are small differences with the way it’s taught at KPJAYI, notice for example there’s no vinyasa between each side.

Mean Beans & Other Brooklyn Flea Finds

Saturday was a magical spring day in NYC and the inaugural Brooklyn Flea of the season (in Fort Greene). The booths were a variety of hippie to hip, with the usual vintage clothing and ‘found’ treasures, but also  fresh new finds from newborn businesses – including beans!

Rick’s Picks – offering samples and special prices for the flea flockers, give all of their pickled picks a try – and be sure to take at least one home. My pick was a jar of mean beans (only $8 at the flea, $10.99 online) – a spicy addition to my brunch bloody mary – the leftover brine can also be reused to pickle thinly sliced carrots.

Crop To Cup – a Brooklyn based biz that works with farmers in Uganda to provide a selection of brew-able beans while supporting the livelihood of the Bagisu tribe. I imbibed a cup of their french pressed coffee for $2 for a java jumpstart to my day.

Kumquat Cupcakery – although not a bean, these petite cakes are completely adorable and oh-so-tasty; they really look as though they should be in a dollhouse for afternoon tea. Their small stature enables one to rationalize eating a cupcake morning, noon, and night – as well as snacking on a few between…. Keavy and the cupcakery offer over 17 flavors and honor custom orders, but bring just a few flavors to showcase at the Flea (I gobbled up a blueberry one) and at just a dollar for a mini-delight, my sugar craving was satiated and my wallet saved.

Visit the Brooklyn Flea each Saturday, with a unique selection of Indie vendors to visit up each time. Check out the website for new additions.

Offering Notes of Love & Gratitude To Guruji

An opportunity to offer a short, simple, sweet note of Love & Gratitude To Guruji.

Greetings Students,

A new student recently asked me if I would read a note if she wrote one to Guruji expressing her love and gratitude for his life work. I of course said yes. She did write the note and when I read it to Guruji he was most engaged and moved.
It occurred to me that there are probably many, many students who would like to communicate their love and appreciation for his life work before the inevitable does occur, whether they have met/know him or not.

I visit Guruji every day and most of our time is spent silently with little verbal communication. Simple notes/cards would be a brilliant gift to him as it would give him some stimulation and heartfelt purpose beyond what is basically an existence. Guruji does respond very well to the most basic expressions of love (don’t we all).

I can tell you that the family is taking excellent care. Guruji is home, he is secure and in no physical pain. He is bed-bound but does sit up most of the time when he is awake. He cannot receive visitors that he is not very familiar with as this does cause some anxiety.

Please pass this message on.

Cards may be dropped off at Alia’s.

Namaste,

Joseph

P.S: Please keep the cards short, simple & sweet, thank you.

“NYC Remembers Guruji”