29 Days of Giving

I recently read about a 29-Day gift giving challenge and decided immediately to participate. The premise is very simple and doable and a great way to focus ones attention outward on helping instead of getting trapped in any "whoa is me" winter blues. A gift can be anything from loose change, to clothing, to a smile. What makes it fulfill your daily pledge is your intention. I have only just begun and already I have learned a great deal about my tendencies in giving and receiving. To join me in this incredible endeavor, please sign up at www.29gifts.org. You can start at anytime.

Below is an account of Day One of my 29-Day pledge:

Taking the Long Way Home

Day one of my 29-Day Gift Giving Challenge and I almost didn't make it. I left my house eager and excited to give a packed lunch to a needy New Yorker, but had a hard time finding just the right recipient. Early this morning the homeless I saw were sleeping on subway benches. I asked myself if leaving the package near someone would fulfill my personal pledge and concluded that it would not. So, I trudged through my day with my purse exploding container. Later a man on the train was asking for money in the form of a sort of song. I couldn't stop him chanting long enough to find out if he wanted the food, so on I went. At 2PM I finished teaching my last yoga session and my gift was still in my bag. I had two subway options for heading home. One would let me off directly across from my apartment with little chance of running into anyone in need and the other would let me off way across town. I went with the later, vowing to walk the distance and keep my eyes open for the kind soul who would help me fulfill my obligation. Just a few wet blocks and I found him. It was a great relief and perfect conclusion to my day. He was very polite and happy for the food, but he still wanted some change. I was about to walk away, but changed my mind. I don't know why he also wanted money or what he'll do with it. And I'm not sure it matters. He saw someone willing to stop and give and he asked and I gave. I'd been saving up all my giving for this man and even taken the long way home.

www.adventuresinyogaland.com

It's chocolate time!

I'm just going to say this simply: women need chocolate, crave chocolate. love chocolate. And you guys out there love it too. As some of you know, I have one of the simplest, pared down diets around, and I rarely desire any food, but even I still have that little ache for chocolate. And now I understand why:

The seeds from the Cacao tree used to make pure chocolate have the highest level of antioxidants of any naturally grown product. The problem has always been how to turn the seeds into chocolate that tastes good (not bitter) without altering the antioxidant levels. Now that this has been accomplished through cold pressing you can eat your daily dose (of the right stuff) and feel good about it.

The benefits of raw Cacao are numerous, and I have been experiencing many. The two strongest effects I have noticed are a tremendous boost in a long lasting, non-crashing type of energy and a major curb to my appetite. Since adding this chocolate to my diet I feel an overall upgrade in my wellness on every level. I highly recommend this product and look forward to hearing the positive effects it has on you!

To buy a box of Xocai healthy chocolate visit my web site: http://www.mxi.myvoffice.com/laralauchheimer/

Or to learn more about the health benefits and distributing opportunity you can also visit: www.thefivereasons.com and www.mydrchocolate.com

Contact me directly at LaraLovesChocolate@gmail.com to attend a tasting!

A Yogic New Year

As we look deeply within, we understand our perfect balance. There is no fear of the cycle of birth, life, and death. For when you stand in the present moment, you are timeless. Rodney Yee

Every culture has its way of marking the passing of time. Some see the opportunity for a new start linked with the seasons and some with the introduction of a newborn brought into this world. Each year I am awed by the cameras documenting the transition from one year to the next in countries all over the world. How similarly silly we all look counting backwards the final ten.

Beginnings and endings are certainly a part of daily life. And one's personal New Year could start at any moment. Many say 'today's the day' or more often 'tomorrow's the day' on a daily basis. And for some a rebirth really does come in that instant. However, unmasking, uniting, and restarting are more easily done in the presence of others striving that way during an energetically opportune period. This is the holiness of the month of Elul.

I have designed a unique four part workshop called A Yogic New Year for this special month. All are welcome and invited to sit, move, breath, and learn with me and speaker Howard Katz on Wednesdays September 2, 9, 16, and 23 from 8PM-10PM at Centerpoint/Atmananda Yoga Studio as we ignite the body, mind, and soul in preparation for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. No matter how limited or advanced your Jewish or Yoga background is, you will undoubtedly benefit from this opportunity to detox and reboot. Although best experienced as a four part workshop, you are welcome to come to any of the sessions.

This is a FREE event brought to you by the Birthright Israel Alumni Grant Initiative and Romemu. Your RSVP is encouraged to guarantee your spot and can be sent along with questions to laracorinne@gmail.com. For more on my schedule visit www.adventuresinyogaland.com designed beautifully by Cameron Northey.

Please learn more about the Birthright Israel NEXT Alumni Grant Initiative at http://next.birthrightisrael.com.

Romemu is a holistic center in Manhattan that seeks to integrate body, mind, heart and soul in Jewish practice. Our offerings are designed to inspire an openhearted and intellectually stimulating community, and individual spiritual path, leading to a more connected and compassionate daily life. More information: http://www.romemu.org

May all sentient beings enjoy happiness

and the root of happiness.

May we be free from suffering and the root of suffering.

May we not be separated from the greta

happiness devoid of suffering.

May we dwell in the great equanimity free

from passion, aggression, and prejudice.

"We are the world"

Firstly, I would like to thank you for your patience as I resettled in New York.  I have been blessed with an easy transition thanks to the love and support of so many.  Those of you who know me, have witnessed the ceaseless way I attacked this city from day one of my return. Many recommended rest and a slow shifting into spring, but right now a great flow urges me forward, and I am deeply invigorated.  

Some of the best times I had abroad were working with children, so I accepted immediately when I was invited to teach a Kindergarten class at Bedwell Elementary School in Bernardsville, New Jersey.  You never know what kind of mood a class will be in, especially the day before a school break, so I had a lot planned.  In short, the kids LOVED doing yoga and continue to talk about the experience with their parents and regular teacher.

I am now hoping to get involved with a remarkable non-profit called Bent on Learning.  Bent on Learning brings yoga and meditation to New York City public schools.  They reach kids in grades K-12 and give them a chance to reduce stress, increase concentration, and improve overall health.  This is an organization I strongly believe in.  Yoga teaches naturally how to breath in challenging situations.  Slowing the breath gives time for increased clarity and this provides all of us with an opportunity to make more thoughtful choices.  What a gift for today's youth!

In the next month I will be doing a number of workshops triggered by my experiences abroad. Proceeds from these presentations will go to Bent on Learning.  Contact me if you would like to attend one of these events, or click here to donate directly.

Sunshine is my quest.  ~Winston Churchill

Planning my return

There are under two weeks left until my return to the states and the planning has begun.  What energizes me about going back to New York is all the great opportunity I will have to continue on with the kind of work I have begun abroad.  Only now I have a chance to enrich my home community.  

Here is where you will find me in the coming months:

1) Starting May 2nd I will be assisting Authorized Ashtanga teacher, Zoe Slatoff, every morning except Saturdays and Moondays at Ashtanga Yoga Upper West Side.  You will also find me there on Sunday evenings at 5pm teaching Led Primary Series.  Please check out the site for details.

2) I will be giving a workshop presentation on the Rwanda experience tailored specifically to the unique needs and interests of each audience.  Stay tuned for information on the first event hosted at the Fair Lawn Jewish Center on May 7th.  Please contact me if you are a yoga studio, school, or community center interested in booking this one-of-a-kind seminar.

3) I have been awarded the Birthright NEXT Alumni Grant and will be using it to actualize a long dreamed about project.  In the month leading up to Rosh Hashanah, I will be teaching a class once a week that will demonstrate how yoga can enhance the Jewish experience specifically in relation to the new year.

4) I will be teaching yoga to an HIV positive support group in NYC.

5) I will be teaching a yoga workshop to a kindergarten class in New Jersey and working with the teacher on how she can continue to use yoga in her classroom.

And finally, I will be available for private classes.  

Of course, before all that can happen I have two more weeks in this beautiful country!

More next week.  Lara

A Weekend of Karma Yoga

This weekend was busy with joyous giving.  On Saturday Alia and Bruno, hosted a fundraiser at their home (India Song House) for an organization called Odanadi.  Odanadi rescues and rehabilitates the vulnerable women and children sold into illegal sex trade, bonded slavery and domestic servitude here in India.  Through the practice of semi-classical Indian dance, song, drama, art, karate and yoga, the women and children of Odanadi are gradually able to rebuild their confidence, self-respect, physical and mental strength.  Self-expression is of vital importance to their recovery.  In addition, Odanadi goes into villages and educates in hopes of preventing the continuation of human trafficking. 

There was a huge turnout for this event which was designed not only to raise money, but also to educate about the human trafficking still prevalent today.  We watched the Odanadi members perform and heard some of their stories.  In the end over 60,000 rupees was raised.

On Sunday I revisited the children at the Asha Kirana HIV clinic. Many familiar faces greeted me as I entered.  The smiles widened when they saw the great gift of yoga mats I was able to provide due to so many generous donations.  After a gentle yoga practice the children sat down to make drawings for their sponsors.  They didn't know what to draw at first, but slowly their creativity emerged.  I am still collecting mat donations for the 70 children that pass through this clinic each month.  You can support one HIV positive child's yoga practice by making a $7.00 donation to my Pay Pal account under BebiTaurus@aol.com.

Thanks for all of your contributions!

The Practice

I have avoided writing much about the yoga practice since many of you are yoga practitioners and already have your own experience of the day to day coming to the mat.  This week I will make an exception with the hope of reaching those of you who wonder what it is this yoga thing is all about.  Perhaps some of you are already taking asana practice at home and wonder why come to India year after year when these days it's hard to walk a block without seeing a yoga studio in the states.

Here in Mysore we sit down each Sunday at KPJAYI (Shri. K Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute) for a weekly conference.  When my teacher Sharath takes his cross legged seat on the stage the room grows quiet with anticipation.  What will he speak about?  For one hour we will be blessed with some new knowledge often attained through old stories.  Just one glimmer of understanding can make the yoga practice feel completely new in upcoming week.

This Sunday I was reminded of the opportunity practice presents for delving into ones relationship with G-d.  In hebrew, the word for soul (nephesh) and the word for breath (neshamah) share the same root.  In this tradition we understand words with identical roots to be connected and look for what their relationship can reveal.  The relationship between the breath and the soul is one that can be intellectualized but is much better understood through direct experience.  It is this happening that I delve into each morning in the stillness of the pre-sunrise hours.

Through focus on the breath (neshamah) I come to know my true self (nephesh).  And through knowledge of my true self I come closer to knowing the one truth, the higher power I call G-d, but who is known by many names.  This is one of the reasons breath is a main focal point of the practice.  Concentration on breath is crucial to attaining yoga- a yoking of the individual and universal consciousness.  Too deep?  Don't worry.  Concentration on breath can also help release muscle and mind tension and bring you into the present moment, which of course is all there really is!  It links the spirit, mind and body so that you can live with more awareness and experience less friction.  Great benefits come from this such as being able to make decisions more easily and with less regret.  There is also a decrease in covetousness, anger, and anxiety and an increase in overall health and sense of peace and calm.  All this from paying attention to the breath!

The beautiful thing is that it works the other way too.  If you are a practitioner having trouble connecting with the breath, don't underestimate the power of surrender.  Give the practice up as an offering to a higher entity and watch as the breath spirit fills your body and mind.

So why wait?  Start practicing now.  As my teacher says, only lazy people can't practice yoga. All others can.  You don't have to put your feet behind your head to be a yoga practitioner.  And if you can put your feet behind your head, that doesn't mean you are doing yoga.  So, don't be discouraged.  You can try for yourself and observe what changes in you.  Nothing happening? Don't worry, "all is coming".