Categories
Mother Earth Yoga

May 2015 – Mother’s Day and “Yoga for Runners” Workshop

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful Mother’s Day weekend! We honor our mothers on this day, whether they are with us physically or passed on to spirit. My beautiful mother passed away in 1995 when I was in law school. She was a beautiful support for me and my family, and I am sure she would be, and hopefully is, happy to see how my life has evolved with yoga and my return to dance. I always think of her when I do lion’s face roar in class (and I love to do this pose to stretch the facial muscles and to release tension). I used to watch my mother do this when practicing yoga in her bedroom – and thinking this was so strange! Funny, how we often return to our roots and life comes full circle. Today, we also honor our Earth Mother (Gaia) – the mother that sustains us all.

See my May teaching schedule, that includes “Yoga for Runners” Workshop this Monday night, May 11, at Integral Yoga Institute. http://iyiny.org/workshops-and-events/calendar/yoga-for-runners-6096

Categories
Nature Trees

April 2015 – Love Your NYC Tree Day Events

I hope you are enjoying these beautiful Spring days!  What a delight it is after our very long and chilly Winter. I am having Spring fever, and this is the ideal time for my neighborhood association’s upcoming NYC Tree Care events!  As many of you know, I spend much of my time on community work, and, like teaching, find it very rewarding.  Last year, I got certified as a “Citizen Pruner” by Trees NY, and loved the course.  It opened my eyes to the importance of our city trees and the condition of their tree beds/ soil (sadly, many are neglected or polluted resulting in challenging living conditions for our trees).

If you would like to learn more about my community group – The West 80s Neighborhood Association ( www.west80s.org )– and our work with neighborhood beautification and sidewalk tree care, please attend our first ever “Love Your Tree Day” events:  on April 30th, an educational and fun kick-off event with raffle regarding the proper care of NYC street trees and their community benefits, the issue of rats in tree beds, and the tree census.  Then on May 2, our first W. 80s neighborhood-wide street tree clean-up, beautification and tree adoption outreach day.   This is a historic collaboration of community groups and volunteers, non-profit organizations, local businesses, government agencies, schools, residents, our community board, and co-sponsored by my NYC Council Member.  (See our flyer below and attached for more details and for the full list of organizers and sponsors, thus far).

In addition to attending our kick-off party on Thursday night, April 30, we are also seeking participants for the May 2nd street tree clean-up and beautification.   This link will take you to the sign-up for both events:  www.helenrosenthal.com/love-your-tree-day/   When you come to the May 2nd kick-off at Helen’s office at 11 am, you will get a free tree care goodie bag, with a beautiful curb your dog sign – as long as supplies last.

We have noticed how neglected our street trees were this snowy Winter, and that the sidewalks and tree beds remain strewn with litter, so let’s join together and help beautify our beloved UWS in a fun community event, and help our valuable street trees in the process! We believe these events can easily be replicated in other NYC neighborhoods by other groups, and that is our hope!  Please help us bring awareness to this issue, and see attached flyer for more information.  Thanks!

Kim Johnson-Helen Rosenthal-AD-8.5x11-EMAIL

Categories
Meditation Yoga

March 2015 – Yoga and Meditation Profoundly Improve Aetna CEO’s Health, Influence His Business Decisions, and Enhance Worker Satisfaction

Spring is right around the corner, we “spring forward” with the clocks next weekend, and before we know it the flowers will be in bloom, and cafes returning to the NYC sidewalks.  I think after this doozy of a Winter, we should celebrate together with an outdoor yoga gathering and picnic in Central Park!　 Let’s organize one!　 The Spring Equinox is on Friday, March 20 (that could be a possible date, if not still too chilly, or we could do it in April or May).　If you are interested, please let me know and we can plan a “Spring Yoga Celebration” together!

In case you did not see this fascinating New York Times article about Aetna’s CEO, and his personal and professional transformation due to yoga and mindfulness practices, here’s the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/01/business/at-aetna-a-ceos-management-by-mantra.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

I highly recommend reading this article to learn how yoga and meditation were able to help him recover from a terrible skiing accident, in ways that traditional medicine could not post-surgeries.　 Additionally, the spiritual practices have so profoundly affected him that he began offering yoga and meditation classes to his company’s employees (he runs one of the largest insurance companies in the U.S.), conducted a yoga effects study at Aetna, and increased employees’ wages beyond what was required by minimum wage laws.　 As one who practices yoga would expect, employees reported less stress, less pain, and better sleep, and were found to be more effective at their jobs.　 One might have thought that the company would have suffered financially as a result of the higher wages, but instead the stock was recently at a record high – perhaps in part because Aetna’s health care costs for their employees dropped after the yoga and meditation (and other health-oriented initiatives) were introduced. 　How wonderful would it be if all companies began following this model!　 And why stop there – how about bringing this approach to government agencies and, where it seems especially needed, to Congress!

 

Categories
Yoga

Feb. 2015 – Children’s Yoga

Recently, I received my Children’s Yoga Teacher certificate after a wonderful training with Yogi Beans.  As many of you may recall, I had taught children’s ballet as an assistant ballet teacher at Steps on Broadway for many years and did my kids’ ballet teacher training with American Ballet Theater.  But I had never been trained in children’s yoga before, and something deep within me had been calling me to teach yoga and qigong to children.  I am glad I listened to that inner calling, as I absolutely loved the Yogi Beans training!  It was fascinating to learn how to teach the younger generation all the benefits of yoga (including the physical poses, yoga theory, relaxation, breathing exercises, and concentration skills).  With the use of play, creative movement, storytelling, and games, we learned how to pass on the wisdom and teachings of yoga to children even as young as two- years old.  As a teacher who has specialized in yoga for adults and seniors, this was a very new experience for me – but one that I found fun and expansive.  As we practiced the children’s classes,  we all became more free-spirited, and released any concerns about what we looked or sounded like.  It was never about doing the poses “perfectly” – even though we already know that goal is not realistic anyway.  The children’s training helped to reinforce that very important concept of letting go of perfectionism.  In fact, one of the Yogi Beans’ mantras is “Yoga is a Practice, Not a Perfect” – a mantra that I will definitely use for myself, as well as in both my children’s and adult classes!  The other aspect of the training that I enjoyed was the creativity required to teach yoga to children.  It pushed my creative juices as I learned to use different games (all with a specific teaching purpose) and to create stories and themes around the yoga poses.  One of my sample class themes was finding and connecting to nature (even in NYC), and creating a yoga pose storyline in Central Park!  Taking this training, also reminded me of the fun and importance of non-competitive play – something we serious and driven adults no longer do, and yet it is so liberating.  I now see the value in play for all ages, the importance of reconnecting to one’s inner child’s wide-eyed and wondrous view of the world, and the possibility of taking life less seriously at least some of the time.  

 

Categories
Connection society and culture souls Travelling Universal commonality

January 2015 – Happy New Year and Travels to Colombia

Dear friends,

Happy New Year!  Wishing you all wonderful things for 2015 – peace, happiness, abundance, health, love, joy, and more!

I just returned from a enjoyable trip to Colombia – a beautiful country with lovely people, great sights, and delicious food.  I am so happy that tourism is increasing there, as the country has gotten safer.  I enjoyed our sight-seeing there – from the small Caribbean city Cartagena, the coffee and wax palm tree region of Pereira, to the mountainous capitol of Bogota.  When travelling, whether nationally or abroad, I am fascinated by observing and experiencing both the commonalities and the differences between people from place to place.  The more I travel, the more I realize that basically most humans want the same things – connection, security, good food, love, safety, peace, fun and laughter (in no specific order).  And within these common desires, is often the uniqueness of how one’s culture expresses them.  So travelling for me is a study of the beautiful blending of commonality and diversity on this glorious planet.  It makes me a better person as I open myself to ways that are different from my cultural and societal upbringings, and yet I can still find the universal commonality of humankind.  It may sound corny, but I do truly believe that the more we are exposed to others by direct personal experience (rather than through the lens of the mass media or propaganda), the more we can find connection and engage in less discrimination.  After all, at the end of the day, we are all just finite skeletal structures encapsulating infinite souls.    

 

Categories
Uncategorized

December 2014 – Happy Holidays and DVDs Sale

I hope you are enjoying the holiday season!  It can be a hectic time of the year, so please remember to take time for yourself – whether it is a yoga, dance or qigong/ tai chi class, a walk in the park, quiet time for reading/ contemplation, a massage or acupuncture, or even sleeping in on the weekends!  This is the season for giving to others, but we must also take time for giving to ourselves in a healthy way so that we stay replenished.  There may be feelings of guilt that come up when we give to ourselves (but those feelings are usually a result of societal and/or family conditioning).  We must remember that giving to and taking care of ourselves, and not just others, creates balance in our lives.  That balance will allow us to better approach the holidays with calm, patience, and positivity!    

If you are looking for exercise or dance dvds as gifts, I am offering my Finis Jhung DVDs on sale for $ 30.  If you are interested, just let me know and I can bring some to class.  Here are some excerpts to watch:    “Ballet Barre Stretch and Strength,” http://finisjhung.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=367 “The Ten-Minute Stretch Break”, http://www.finisjhung.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=44&products_id=345

If you are around NYC through the holidays, I highly recommend the new Broadway show “Sideshow” which is unfortunately closing January 4.  It has received uniformly excellent reviews, and my friend and I absolutely loved it.  We were very impressed with the cast’s talent, the show’s score and staging.  The entire audience gave them a standing ovation.  It is not to be missed!  http://sideshowbroadway.com/ 

Categories
Uncategorized

November 2014 – Overview of Integral Yoga “Enlightened Health Forum” at Lenox Hill Hosp.

On the evening of my return from Omega, I attended a fantastic evening event at Lenox Hill Hospital hosted by Integral Yoga Institute — the “Enlightened Health Panel Discussion: The History and Future of Yoga in Medicine” with Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Sandra Amrita McLanahan.  I was very impressed with all the speakers as well as the moderator, Dr. Graham, who is running their Integrative Practice at Lenox Hill – it even includes an edible, herbal rooftop garden, as well as Reiki, yoga, pet therapy, music therapy, meditation, and walking and exercise clubs! How far hospitals have come!

The three speakers (as well as artist Peter Max) spoke about their connections to Integral Yoga and its’ founder Swami Satchidananda, as well as the health benefits of the yogic lifestyle.  Dean Ornish spoke movingly about how when he was a medical student, he was depressed, stressed and suicidal, a fortuitous meeting with the Swami saved and changed his life forever.  The Swami taught him, among many things, that we cannot look for happiness outside our selves (hence, the letdown we may feel after acquiring things and achieving goals.)  Rather, through our yogic practices we quiet ourselves down enough to find the happiness and peace within.  After incorporating walking meditation, yoga and diet changes into his life, Dr. Ornish graduated with high honors, and became one of the most influential doctors linking diet with health and heart disease.  He continues to expand his holistic approach to medicine, calling for a new paradigm of “health care, not sick care”, to create a “Lifestyle Medicine” that includes love and compassion in the medical model (this is also Dr. Bernie Siegel’s model and basis of success with his cancer patients described in his many books, including “Love, Medicine, and Miracles”!)

Dr. McLanahan, who is a very impressive speaker, is based at Yogaville in Virginia.  Among the many things she discussed was the importance of the body-mind-spirit connection, and that intimacy is the route of healing, and that we “need to learn how to relax as a culture” through tools anyone can use, such as laughter, yoga, deep breathing (which also improves lymph flow and reduces inflammation).  She discussed that shame and guilt do not change people, but love, compassion and acceptance heals, and suffering can be used as a catalyst for change.  She and Dr. Ornish actually did yoga at the White House with the Obamas!

Dr. Oz was initially taught yoga by Dr. McLanahan, and that changed how “his mind saw the world” and influenced his opening of a complementary medicine center.  At the Lenox Hill evening, he graciously ceded much of his speaking time to Peter Max who was brought on stage from his seat in the audience.  Peter Max famously was the person who brought Swami Satchidananda to NYC in 1966 after meeting him in Paris.  And the rest is history!  Yoga in America greatly expanded, and the Swami even addressed the crowds at Woodstock.  I feel so fortunate to be teaching at the NYC center founded by Swami Satchidananda, and that Integral Yoga Institute is on the forefront of yoga and medicine by expanding therapeutically-based yoga beyond the yoga studios. 

P1120872See attached photo of the event with current Integral Yoga Swamis Ramananda and Asokananda!

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Categories
Climate Change Mother Earth Spirituality Uncategorized Yoga

October 2014 – Overview of Climate March with Yoga and Spirituality Group

I hope you are P1120802enjoying this beautiful Fall season.  I am headed to Omega for a 5-day retreat, and am looking forward to visually feasting on the vibrant hues of the Hudson Valley’s Fall foliage, and taking long walks in the crisp country air. 

Tonight, as I took a break from packing, I uploaded my photographs from the People’s Climate March this September 21 in NYC.  It is hard to believe that less than a month ago, 400,000 people from all over the world came together to march peacefully in defense of clean energy policies, and a non-toxic, safe, and democratic planet.  Organizers had expected ¼ of the attendance, and the crowds were so large that those of us who were gathering towards the end of the waiting areas along Central Park West did not start actually walking until after 2 pm – over 2.5 hours from the start of the March at Columbus Circle, where UN Secretary Ban Ki-Moon was marching alongside Mayor DeBlasio, Al Gore, Leonardo DeCaprio, and my personal favorite, the anti-fracking activist and lovely actor Mark Ruffalo.  Indigenous people were part of the groups leading the March, a large number of City Council members marched at some point behind them.  Labor unions and inter-faith groups gathered in large numbers, and were involved in the organizing of the March from early in its’ inception.  What struck me as I spent the day walking amidst the colorful crowds was how diverse the March was in all respects.  It was a true melting pot of humanity, and an example of how people from all walks of life can peacefully join together and act towards a common goal – and yet have diversity within those goals too.  There were many anti-fracking signs, divest from fossil fuel banners, flood wall street art, signs promoting socialism, marchers seeking a ban on mountain top removal coal mining, marchers carrying flowers and seeking protection for the bees and butterflies, beautiful artwork depicting the planet, puppets embodying the greed and destructive practices of certain corporations, people seeking climate justice for island nations and victims of hurricanes, protestors seeking bans on oil and gas pipelines and LNG ports, posters demanding clean, renewable energy policies and implementation, and so much more! 

The Yoga & Spirituality Contingent started our March with a powerful meditation at 10 am.  At that early hour, we were a small group of six who sat in a circle on West 83rd Street and Central Park West listening to the Sri Shankar meditation that was being broadcast all over the world simultaneously on cellphones!  It was a very beautiful meditation for peace and unity, as Sept. 21 was also World Peace Day.  After our meditation, the crowds started forming and our group was joined by many of you – yoga practitioners from many studios and ashrams, such as Integral Yoga Institute, Sivananda Yoga, World Yoga, UWS Yoga & Wellness, and others.  Some people had instruments and we created a large circle on the street for a high energy “call and response” kirtan.  In keeping with the democratic theme of the People’s Climate March, we took turns leading chants and even my Omega friend, Izzie, who happened to be walking by joined in to lead a 60s’ song!  We sang, danced and chanted until everyone began lining up preparing to walk.  Then came the 2-minutes of silent contemplation for the victims of climate change.  The energy was intense as hundreds of thousands of people stood still with hands raised over head and joined together in mindfulness.  The stillness was moving and profound;  it felt as if we were all breathing as one.  After our 2-minutes of silence, a wave of sounds started from the front of the march and cascaded to the back in beautiful discordant harmony.  

In Sanskrit, the ancient language of yoga, Yoga means “union” and “to join”.  Yogis recognize the underlying unity of life, the interconnectedness of all, and that we are One.  At this pivotal time in history, spiritual practitioners, joining with political, environmental and social activists, and others, and are being called in many ways to protect Mother Earth.  One such way, was on September 21, 2014, when we left the yoga studios, meditation centers, and ashrams and marched on the streets of NYC, joining our voices with hundreds of thousands of others in seeking government and corporate energy policies harmonious with the planet and all beings.  On that historic day, many of us felt more connected to one another, to the earth, and to our true selves as we joined this vibrant example of the best of humanity. 

It was a March filled with such beautiful and creative art, joyful music, festive colors, and good vibes that it was almost hard to believe we were basically marching for our future and next generations’ futures.  Usually, contemplating the seriousness of what humanity is facing is discouraging.  That people still have to advocate for their rights to clean water, land and air, and now additionally to prevent climate catastrophe is daunting.  Yet, on this very special day, the mood was so positive and elevated, it made one feel that real, positive change is possible.  The People’s Climate March was Day One towards a better future.  It has changed the conversation, and now we will continue with our next “steps” on the long and every day march towards a just and safe future.      

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Categories
Ahimsa - non-violence Climate Change Fracking Mother Earth Nature People's Climate March Spirituality Union Yoga Yogis

Why this yogi is marching in the People’s Climate March

Hi everyone,

I have created a Yoga and Spirituality Hub on the People’s Climate March website for
Yogis and spiritual seekers – let’s join together to create the high vibration “Yoga & Spirituality Contingent” at the planet’s first ever People’s Climate March this September 21 in NYC!   www.peoplesclimate.org/yogaandspirituality

One of the main tenets of yoga is ahimsa – the practice of non-violence and non-harming.  For thousands of years, yogis and spiritual seekers have studied and followed this ethical principle.   As present-day yoga and spiritual practitioners, we continue to study and shape our lives based on ahimsa. Because we understand that the material and spiritual worlds, mind and matter, are connected, we seek non-violence not only in our actions, but also in our words and thoughts. We seek to live in harmonious alignment with one another and Nature.

As such, we cannot ignore the great harms being inflicted upon the Earth and our fellow sentient beings (whether they are personally known to us or not) as a result of man-made climate change. Such harms include the loss of human, animal, and marine lives, as well as damage to property, due to extreme weather patterns, super storms, drought, floods, fires, receding glaciers, and the rising levels and acidification of the oceans.

Climate change is linked to the Industrial Age – present day increase of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, which is linked to industrialization and the burning of fossil fuels. Many extreme methods are currently being used to extract such fossil fuels from the Earth. Such extreme energy extraction practices include explosive mountain-top removal for coal; “fracking” for methane gas by exploding chemicals, sand and our precious fresh-water into shale rock; and tar sands oil mining.  Drilling by-products, such as toxic frack waste water, are injected deep into the earth through injection drilling wells – linked to toxic water contamination and earthquakes.  These methods are acts of violence against the Earth, and clearly not in harmony with the natural world.

Yoga means “union” and “to join” in Sanskrit. Yogis recognize the underlying unity of life on Earth.  When leaking gas and oil wells pollute groundwater, contaminate farms, and poison animals, we are all harmed.  When an oil rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, an oil tanker sinks in Alaska, or a gas well leaks methane and chemicals into a Pennsylvania farmer’s water well, we are all negatively affected – no matter how far we may be living from those communities’ devastation. This is because we see one’s Self in all beings, and we feel compassion for the suffering of others.

And so, at this pivotal time in history, we are called to protect Mother Earth through our karma yoga or seva– compassionate, selfless service to others and the common good.  By volunteering and joining the People’s Climate March, we are joining a movement and a cause greater than ourselves.  With consciousness and compassion for all, we seek to spread the principles of non-violence to the planet.  We seek a sustainable and safe energy policy from our governments, the United Nations, and countries all over the world.  And we seek a life-sustaining society for ourselves and for future generations.

Our current way of life and corporate-influenced government energy policies are no longer life-sustaining. The rapid clear cutting of our forests, and the slashing and burning of our planet’s rainforests are resulting in the rapid loss of our Earth’s “lungs” and the mass extinction of species.  Our planet’s pollinators – bees, Monarch butterflies, birds and bats are currently being threatened and dying off.  Water sources are polluted by man-made toxins and chemicals – many a by-product of the fossil-fuel industry’s extraction practices. There is rapid depletion of our natural resources, leading to population displacement, starvation, and wars. Agricultural areas are reduced. Plastic debris (made from oil and gas) pollutes our oceans. Island nations are at risk due to rising sea levels. Carcinogens, such as benzene, and other volatile organic compounds pollute the air near fracking sites, causing major health issues and emotional trauma.

Because we understand the interconnectedness of life, we cannot accept this devastation to our planet as the status quo. We know this is the time of a global shift in consciousness: the understanding that all is one, and everything is connected. We see that science is beginning to support spirituality in that regard, and vice versa.

So on this historic day, we come from spiritual centers, sanghas, and yoga studios all over the world in defense of Mother Earth and all her inhabitants.  We yogis and spiritual seekers will gather mindfully and peacefully in New York City, focusing our energies together in seeking an enlightened future!

This is the spiritual revolution of our generation. The evolutionary shift has begun. Let’s join together September 21, 2014, and take our spiritual practice off the yoga mats and meditation cushions and bring it to the People’s Climate March!

May the light of all truth overcome all darkness; may the Universe be filled with peace, joy, love, and light – Jai!

Melissa “Mati” Elstein
Good Energy Movement and Wellness
www.goodenergymovementandwellness.com
NYC
Aug. 19, 2014

Categories
Uncategorized

July 2014

I hope you had a fantastic Fourth of July holiday!  I am back in town after a great vacation upstate in the Adirondacks (Lake George area).  We celebrated my husband’s and his friends’ 50th birthday party with hiking to a waterfall gleaming with rainbows, white water rafting (my first time) on the Hudson River with lovely nature guides Link and Lori of www.squareeddy.com(Lori also bakes the MOST amazing gluten-free baked goods), shopping at the local Farmers’ Markets, and sight-seeing around some charming towns, such as Bolton Landing.  It is a very beautiful area of New York State, and I highly recommend a visit.  I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the maple syrup from New York was even better than what I normally buy from VT.  I also discovered a great natural skincare company – check out www.radsoap.comand for an online discount order, use code: shugabub1.  I purchased their natural bug spray that has garlic in it (but, don’t worry, you won’t reak of garlic because the other essential oils smell delicious), some aromatherapy shower soaps, and an evening skin lotion with lavender and melatonin to help this night owl drift to sleep.  Radsoap is now in some Whole Foods, so look for their products there as well.

 

Speaking of the Hudson River, the downstate region of the glorious Hudson is being celebrated with fun “City of Water Day” activities this Saturday on Governor’s Island, the Southstreet Seaport, and Hoboken, NJ.  Check out this local alliance’s website for the link to the day’s events:

 http://www.waterfrontalliance.org/about 

I plan on volunteering on Governor’s Island in the afternoon with the anti-fracking organization United for Action.  If you are there, come look for our UFA table, sign a petition to keep our waters clean and free from fracking toxins, and say hi.  Also, if you are interested in this Sunday’s climate march in Washington, DC (seeking a ban on gas exports and gas ports which creates more demand for fracking in our country), please see www.unitedforaction.org . 

 

Here are some relevant and inspiring quotes!

 

“Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember that you are half water. If you can’t go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.”

– Margaret Atwood 

“In today’s highly interdependent world, individuals and nations can no longer resolve many of their problems by themselves. We need one another. We must therefore develop a sense of universal responsibility . . . It is our collective and individual responsibility to protect and nurture the global family, to support its weaker members, and to preserve and tend to the environment in which we all live.”  THE DALAI LAMA