One of the places I enjoyed my time away from the computer the most was in the south island of New Zealand in Golden Bay where I stayed at an intentional community/ eco village called Tui.

The Tui Community and Land Trust began in 1984 when a group of like-minded individuals decided to buy over 100 acres of land to start an intentional community. In the last 30 odd years Tui has gone through various incarnations and approaches towards a vision of intentional community and has quite successfully blossomed into a village in which 30-40 adults and children live gently upon some of the most gorgeous land I’ve ever seen. Many of the Tui Community residents are independently employed outside of the community in neighboring towns, a fair amount are employed by the community’s cottage industry, Tui Balmes and Waxes and a few more are kept busy running young men’s and women’s rites of passage programs, respectively, Tracks and Tides.

I traveled to NZ as the guest and assistant for my dear friend and mentor Melissa Michaels who was invited to Tui (with myself, another assistant and her two daughters in tow) to share her work with the New Zealand Community. Melissa runs a rites of passage program called “Surfing The Creative” which utilizes movement, dance, music, art-making, performance, council, and a whole lot of other things to facilitate dynamic leadership and community building. Learn more about her Colorado-based workshops and classes and her international program.

In Tui we were welcomed into the fabulously imaginative home of Suzi and Jim, two long-standing residents of the village. Suzi is a leader and founder of Tides, a rites of passage program for young women, and Jim is the leader and found of Tracks, the young men’s rites of passage program. Two of my friends and other collaborators of Melissa have traveled to Tui to take part in the leadership of these programs. Are you skilled or do you want to learn more about youth leadership and rites of passage? This would be a place to come and learn about it!

Another opportunity to travel to Tui is to go and WWOOF. Willing Workers On Organic Farms is a worldwide network of willing and able people who exchange labor for room and board on organic farms. The terms are negotiated personally, there is generally no monetary exchange, and traveling and working is one of the best ways to get to know a community and land.

On the drive from Nelson to Golden Bay- overlooking the valley.

From the vantage of Suzi and Jim’s balcony

Tui community garden

Tui community dinner

Meagan Chandler, singer, artist, and sister traveler relaxing in the evening warmth

The view of Suzi and Jim’s house from the driveway

Suzi and Jim in their kitchen with grandson Koa

Koa and his dad Jay, preparing for our last supper together

Meagan on the rocks by the estuary

Suzi and Jim’s chimney stack!

More pictures from the rest of the trip (Berkeley, L.A., Sydney) coming soon!

Sunday was the first full day of spring. Spring is a time of birth and renewal. In order for things to be born or renewed, other things need to change, die or give way.

I’ve spent the last few days in Berkeley learning from a living master of movement and somatic studies, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen. Interweaving through all the teachings here, and coincidentally most of my conversations and interactions with people in my life, are themes of change, discomfort and endings. Change, ending, and death are frightening things for most of us. These situations naturally make us uncomfortable. But without discomfort we would never grow, without death there can’t be life, without change there is only stagnancy.

Perhaps it seems out of place while flowers are blooming everywhere and nature is bursting with LIFE, but an interesting experiment to invite LIFE into your own life, might be to explore ideas of what can die. Not really in the literal sense, but in the energetic sense. What is stagnant? Where is dis-ease? What is bitter and hardened? Make room for the new growth by planning a funeral for things you don’t need anymore. Journal about them, make some pictures or collages, do your spring cleaning, talk with friends, and when you’re ready, with great respect, find a good burial place or cremation site and let all that baggage go. As the light is getting greater in the day, you can lighten your load as well.

Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe shares some wisdom and reflection on dying and grief, including a writing by the Dalai Lama.

The recently released Death: A magazine for Enthusiasts and Non-Enthusiasts Alike is an lovely resource with all kinds of literary, artistic and informative inspiration. Including this excellent video with Vito Acconci’s prose, “At least you can worry”.

Click here to view the embedded video.

You might also be considering what the best music to play at a funeral would be…

Or if you would like to customize a casket…

Anyway. Don’t take it too seriously. As the folks at Upaya are urging us to do, grieve when there is loss, let grief open your heart, and then enjoy the astounding colors of the world around you and live as if you’re actually living!

It’s been a long while since my last post on this blog. I’ve been back “home” in Boulder, CO enjoying the sun and snow and ooooooh… the yoga! It’s always the best feeling to go back to my favorite studio, The Yoga Workshop, which has just changed its schedule to include less led classes and two long, luxurious Mysore-style practices most days as well as more workshops and progression classes. If you’ll be traveling through Colorado anytime soon, I do recommend a visit!

While I was back I had the good fortune to discover yet another in my growing list of excellent yoga-photographers. I love it when a photograph can actually recontextualize my understanding of a posture and shift my perspective in a new way. Boulder photographer Jim Campbell works with a gorgeous aesthetic that evokes a movement’s sensuality and explores playful and quirky approaches to his subjects.

Jim happens to share studio space with my friend Daniel Schmidt the physicist-photagrayogi who has also been hard at work expanding his collection of large-format palladium prints.

So the next time you travel through the Rocky Mountains, after you’ve been warmed at the Yoga Workshop, had your cup of Bhakti Chai and soaked up some high-altitude sun, be sure to pay these two a visit and maybe even pose for a photo session or two.

Check out Jim’s website Omlight Photography.

Another explanation of Matsyendrasana

“Slow Food was founded in 1989 to promote the pleasures of the table and regional food cultures and to protect them from the homogenization of industrial food production. With gastronomy bound inextricably to agriculture, the environment and the health of communities, Slow Food has naturally broadened its focus over the years to actively support producers who demonstrate a small-scale, sustainable and local food production model.

In 1999, Slow Food launched the Presidia project which has since involved thousands of small producers across the world, strengthening local economies and saving cheeses, breads, vegetable varieties and breeds from extinction. The worldwide Terra Madre network was launched in 2004 to give a voice and visibility to these farmers, breeders, fishers and artisan producers, and to bring them together with cooks, academics, youth and consumers to discuss how to improve the food system and strengthen local economies. Today the Terra Made network is made up of more than 2,000 food communities.

Slow Food has chosen to celebrate its first 20 years with Terra Madre Day in recognition of these communities’ remarkable achievements and their crucial role. Terra Madre Day will be celebrated by food communities and Slow Food’s network of more than 100,000 members across 150 countries, grouped in 1,300 convivia – local chapters – who are working to defend their local culinary culture. The convivia have always formed the backbone of Slow Food, spreading the philosophy far and wide by organizing events and activities.

Slow Food develops countless activities, projects and events all around the world, at the local, national and international levels. Most of these actions revolve around four key themes: food biodiversity, food and taste education, connecting producers and co-producers (shortening the food supply chain)and developing networks.”

Whatever its historical basis, Shambhala gradually came to be seen as a Buddhist Pure Land, a fabulous kingdom whose reality is visionary or spiritual as much as physical or geographic. It was in this form that the Shambhala myth reached the West, where it influenced non-Buddhist as well as Buddhist spiritual seekers — and, to some extent, popular culture in general.” (Excerpt from this wiki article)

Wow. This show definitely takes precedence over Dancing With The Stars.

Are your grocery shopping experiences mundane, boring, and a chore to be finished as quickly as possible? My guess is, that unless you’re shopping at a fun-filled farmer’s market, your grocery list probably doesn’t elicit cries of “Whoopee, it’s time for food shopping!” Unless, that is, you’re part of Improv Everywhere…

I know I’ve posted about them before, but I had to share this Grocery Store Musical

Improv Everywhere is based out of NYC. If you don’t live there but you want to get your improv on, hook up with Urban Prankster for flash mob fun!

Just in time for Halloween season I came across this video from CBS news about yoga classes in a Hollywood Cemetery. The class itself seems a little bit embarrassing (with the mood music and all), but I bet a nice grassy cemetery is actually a very peaceful place to practice!

Wow, I’m slow on the uptake for this one. This site started in 2004 and I just now found it, just now! But wow am I glad that I did! Guerrilla Gardeners are the superheros I’ve been waiting for, and a total superhero kind of club that I can join (for once). The author of this site is in the UK, but the movement is spreading at the speed of light (that’s how quickly plants grow… did ya know?). The site offers all kinds of tips and ideas for inspired urban (or suburban) growing projects. For those who prefer fly-by-plantings you might consider crafting a seed bomb arsenal, and for those who harbor secret (or not so secret) 007 gadget-envy,  check out the GG secret gardener his and hers attaché cases featured now on the blog. They even have their own TV show! Sheesh, get your costume already. Let’s get planting!!!!!!

The Waterpod is a project conceived and founded by artist, photographer Mary Mattingly. The 3,000-square-foot commercial barge turned intentional community has been floating around New York City (currently docked at Staten Island) since June. The Waterpod was envisioned as a self-sustaining living space that might be recreated in the future to address issues of land and resource scarcity. Its systems run on solar power, it has deck-top gardens to grow its own veggies, houses hens for eggs, collects rainwater to recycle and has a dry-composting toilet.

The pod was originally intended as more of an artist’s residence, or a residence for people to stay in while making art… Turns out that self-sufficiency is a lot of work, “There’s a never-ending list of things to do: It’s a ship. It’s a farm. It’s an art residence. It’s an installation,” says Mattingly who along with Alison Ward is one of the only two permanent residents of the Waterpod, (both gave up their apartments in June to move in) but there is a constantly rotating crew of artists, gardeners, handy-people, explorers and activists who come and go for briefer stays.

The Waterpod quotes a passage from Ulysses as its manifesto, an epic has surely begun.

Ok, I know this post isn’t food or yoga… But it’s Where The Wild Things Are!!! Which is now a movie!!! Opening in October! This is very exciting for me. Growing up as an only child who moved around a lot (and was too shy to make many new friends,) the story of mischief-making Max and all his heroics (conquering those fearsome monsters by staring into their yellow eyes without blinking once) was my favorite story growing up, so obviously I had to post about it. Usually I am not overly thrilled about movie remakes of my favorite books, but since Spike Jonze is directing and Dave Eggers did the screenplay, I’m pretty sure that it will be fairly spectacular. Yay! Can’t wait until October 15th!!

To get yourself in the mood, read Dave Egger’s Max At Sea from this week’s New Yorker.

Let the wild rumpus begin!

I’ve had the window for The Chez Panisse Foundation open on my browser for over two weeks now. I keep meaning to post about their projects, but I keep getting sidetracked reading Alice Waters’ cookbook The Art Of Simple Food (and I’m totally distracted by the sunny summer days outside the window and the simple food galore that’s coming out of our garden). Finally today, enough is enough. The Chez Panisse Foundation is a non-profit organization created in 1996 in Berkeley, California in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Chez Panisse Restaurant.

The founder of both the restaurant and the foundation, chef and author Alice Waters, has been a pioneer in the Slow Food movement, and has always maintained a commitment to using local and sustainably farmed food and supporting independent, organic and fair farming practices. In many ways Alice Waters has effectively shaped the food and farming community from her base in Berkley outwards to what is now an international movement that is gaining momentum daily. Her perseverance to her craft (“gourmet” cuisine) and dedication to her community’s health and well-being through food has led the way for countless community gardens, farm-to-table initiatives, Slow Foods chapters, and CSA’s to form and flourish nation-wide.

The Edible Schoolyard (ESY), established in 1995, (a program of the Chez Panisse Foundation) is a one-acre garden and kitchen classroom at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, California.

“The garden started as a cover crop in a vacant lot with once-monthly student participation. More than a decade later, it is a thriving acre of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers. Now, each student at King Middle School attends 12 to 30 sessions in ESY kitchen and garden classrooms, depending on grade level. ESY reaches each of the nearly 1,000 students at King Middle School.

The visibility of ESY has also increased. The program hosts over 1,000 visitors each year—from educators, to health professionals, to international delegates—and has inspired countless kitchen and garden programs. In 2005, ESY launched the first affiliate program in New Orleans, Louisiana. Today, there is a small network of Edible Schoolyard affiliate programs in cities across the country.” -excerpt

Awareness of food, nutrition and ecosystems can be learned at any point in life, but developing sensitivity and understanding of one’s own body as relates to the body of the earth and learning that to take care of one is to take care of the other is best learned at a young age. ESY provides an opportunity to cultivate this awareness at an early age for youngsters who may not otherwise have a strong connection to nature, and in doing so these kids will grow up with the seeds of mindfulness already planted and hopefully continue this good work (and good eating) for the rest of their lives.

Thanks to Alex M. who keeps me updated with rad music videos on a regular basis!

Sugarcubes Eat The Menu features an overwhelming abundance of food choices, the accompanying anxiety and some uh-mazing 80′s hats and shoes. Wicked!!

In Fitton’s clinical practice, she treated many adolescent girls with anxiety, depression, eating disorders and unhealthy habits, such as drug abuse, self-mutilation, and unsafe sex. Determined to find solutions, Fitton created The Art of Yoga Project to help at-risk girls prepare for a positive future. The focus of the Project is on early intervention with girls in most need–those in the juvenile justice system.

The Art of Yoga Project’s Yoga and Creative Arts Curriculum for at-risk teen women offers a multi-dimensional approach to build the self-awareness, self-esteem and self-respect necessary for young women to make healthy lifestyle choices. When offered to teenaged girls referred from the juvenile justice system, goals are geared to producing pro-social behavior, empathy, positive relationships, self-control and accountability to self, others and community. (Excerpt from Site)

“I usually see things black and white. Do you know what I mean? Good or bad. Yes or no. But after I do yoga I feel like a new person and I look at things in new ways. My mind opens up. I see there is more than just yes or no, more than one choice, more than one path. I like this idea because so far the path I’ve chosen hasn’t been great. I’m ready for a new one.”
- AOYP Participant

Thanks to Binky Holleran for the heads up on this one ; )

Watch Here

A short film by Christine Rabette. Pass it on.

Merci!

Gerhard Joren‘s photos deal with life, culture and politics in Asia addressing some fairly “sensitive” themes without romanticizing or becoming didactic. The bio link on his site doesn’t seem to be working right now but I’ll keep checking back for more info on this very interesting photographer. Check out his Urban Yoga album and refer back to the the “flash gatherings” post and get some ideas in your head ; )

My junior year in university I enrolled in a course with Erin Manning. That course might have been the most informative class I took during my 4.5 years in the IMCA program and opened my brain to the possibility of actually combining my interests in the body (movement) with my interests in philosophy and new media. While I am still thinking about the ways that I want to approach those ideas in some kind of holistic manner, Erin is creating some pretty amazing projects and events exploring the dynamics and politics of movement, touch, and sense(ability). Erin Manning Research.

As a dance and yoga person, I have become somewhat of a connoisieur of movement photographers. It’s not an easy thing to capture the essence, fluidity and prose of the body in motion. I posted earlier about Dan Schmidt in Boulder, who does wonderful work with yoga asana. I’m happy to have found another photographer here in Portland taking amazing pictures! With an extensive gallery of dance, yoga and portrait-style photography, Brian McDonnell is bringing the art of movement photography into the realm of fantasy, romance and nostalgia. What beautiful visions! I’m inspired to move more gracefully just looking at these images!

http://bmacstudio.com/

Ok. This post isn’t about food or yoga… per se. But it could be! In case you don’t already know about the flash mob phenomenon, there are all sorts of “happenings” that are springing up everywhere. Mostly they are funny/ arty/ surreal, sometimes they are political, and sometimes they are for marketing. But here’s what most of them have in common, they are fun! And not only are they fun, they are free, and also fairly easy to organize. And… (this is where FTY comes in) they could also be about food and yoga.

Imagine this: You are taking a nice stroll through the park one day, there are lots of people out and it’s the middle of summer. You look around and notice how many people are carrying grocery bags. “That’s odd”, you think to yourself, “there must be lots of picnics.” Suddenly all the people around you (there are many) all open up their grocery bags and pull out all different kinds of food and then start giving it away, all the while singing “Rub-a-dub-dub! Thanks for the grub! YAYYYYY GOD!!” “How weird.” You think to yourself, “These people are nuts.” Just then a man walks by and gives you a packet of peanuts.

The next day you wake up early to get a bagel before work. As you are getting on your bicycle and heading to the café something in the corner of your eye catches your attention. Look just over there on the street corner there’s a few people doing sun salutations. You scratch your head, “This has been a strange week.” As you continue towards the café you notice that on every corner there are two or three people, all facing east, saluting the sun. Now your reaction of ‘weirdness’, turn to one of happiness. “How lovely it is to see all these people moving together. What a peaceful start to my day”

Oh… I know. My ideas are cheesy and hippy-ish. So make your own!! Let me know what you’re up to and I’ll post on FTY. People can participate all over the world, make a facebook event, start an email invite campaign for world hopscotch day. Whatever. Make it fun, make it free, and make some smiles ; ) Here’s some inspiration:

Improv Everywhere: MP3 Experiment

Improv Everywhere: Frozen Grand Central

Spontaneous Dance Combustion on Facebook is in Montreal. SDC also occurs elsewhere, though I am not sure how linked the ideas are… Whatever! Make you own spontaneous dance party- share the joy!

The beauty of all these projects is how accessible they are. You can organize them anytime, anywhere, for fun, activism etc. Now get out there!

There is a rather well known book called the Bhagavad Gita that is a rather well known story about a warrior prince named Arjuna who was also trying to sort out this particular moral quandary… 

But I digress. Rather than inaction or careless action or action that is taken when one has resigned to the fact that harm will be done… One can choose to create positive action. Not that this is new news, folks have been following the path of positivity forever; Jesus, Gandhi, Mother Theresa, M.L.K., Nelson Mandela, and many more big names you probably know… But also the unknowns, the girl that smiles at you on the bus, the old man that offers his wisdom, your friend who chooses to listen… We all have the choice every day and in every instant to create happiness in ourselves and those around us and in some way to “offer” our actions to a greater good. Whether you call that greater good “God”, “Love”, “Krishna”, or “Peace”, it’s our choice to make actions that serve something greater and to support our own happiness with those choices. After all, a big part of non-harm doing is the counter side, which is actively creating peace and well being.

It’s amazing how many people are now initiating such positive action and using the internet to disseminate these “happiness projects”. There are some great ideas out there and it can be good fun to take one idea per day and make it your goal to spread a smile ; )

Check them out:

http://www.helpothers.org/ideas.php

http://www.actsofkindness.org/

Thanks to Brenda Feuerstein, co-author and creator of Green Yoga, who keeps me updated on facebook about all these cool projects!