Come join us for this movement based workshop designed to get you acquainted with your body, mind and spirit through yoga, mindfulness  meditation and dance. This combined practice will help you identify ways to support your unique body and the way that it ultimately needs to move, stretch and simply BE in this world so that you can experience optimum health, wellness and joy. How you choose to live your life shows up in the cells of your body and ultimately becomes the outer expression of your true inner self. Do you tend to be relaxed and calm or are you tense and anxious, for example. Your body doesn’t lie. During our practice together, you will be asked to identify a specific body part and/or thought pattern that has been particularly challenging for you right now. Through experiential practice and self inquiry, we will explore our inner terrain and play with how this part of us informs the external expression of who we are and how we show up in the world. You do not need to know how to dance to benefit from this workshop. The only requirement is that you truly have a desire to want to improve your life and you want to be a part of a fun, supportive, intentional community of yogi dancers. Complimentary tea will be served, feel free to bring snacks.Yoga attire recommended. Workshop will start promptly at 7pm.

Saturday May 12, 2012

7:00 pm-9:30 pm

Suggested Donation $25-$40.

Sliding scale based on financial ability. Two scholarships available upon inquiry.

Sayrah Garrison holds a Masters Degree in Social Work and recently completed a Practicum in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Sayrah is interested in exploring body based practices, such as yoga, MBSR and dance as a way to assist others in living a life that serves their highest good. Sayrah teaches a mindfulness based vinyasa class with a strong emphasis on using the breath to help students remain present in their practice moment by moment. Each month she focuses on a different theme to support the current needs of her students. Come regularly to Sayrah’s classes and begin to feel more confident and connected to yourself and the world around you.Sayrah Garrison has been practicing yoga for over 15 years and teaching for 3. In 2008, she completed her 200 hour teacher training in Hawaii with Julie Radar of Mukti Yoga. Since then, she has attended numerous intensive trainings to further her path as a skilled, informed and dedicated instructor of yoga.

This article is a must read for everyone. It covers some of the reasons for America’s obesity epidemic including evidence by Dr Mark Hyman which shows  that our foods are depleted of vitamins and minerals because of poor soil and over-processing. The lack of nutrients in our foods causes our bodies to be starving for nutrients even if we overeat. Empty calories and high density foods enriched with processed vitamins are clearly not the answer to satisfying our body’s needs. The article doesn’t go into detail of WHY the soil is depleted which is an alarming Pandora’s Box to open.

The culprits to blame in short are Mono Culture, petrochemical agriculture, and GMO's. Some great documentary films on the subject are Food Inc, The Future of Food, Forks Over Knives, Food Matters, The World According to Monsanto and Fault Lines: Fast food, fat profits: Obesity in America. (These can be found for free on YouTube, Topdocumentaryfilms.com, Netflix, and Hulu) In the end we can’t place all the blame on the corporations supplying these dead foods and ruining our environment. The consumers are partly at fault as well. We have the ability to vote with our dollars every time we go to the store. Our demand is what directs the supply. We need to reach a critical mass turning point becoming aware of our health by following these simple rules. Buy Local, Buy organic, and eat live foods. Let thy food be thy medicine or as the old chinese proverb goes “He that takes medicine and neglects diet waste the time of his doctor”

Read the attached article: “How Malnutrition Causes Obesity by Dr Mark Hyman”
http://drhyman.com/blog/2012/02/29/how-malnutrition-causes-obesity/?utm_source=WhatCounts+Publicaster+Edition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=drhyman+newsletter+issue+%2360&utm_content=Get+the+story

Disharmony Between Yoga Teachers and Students: Why Students Must Eventually Leave the Teacher

What do you do when it’s time to leave your teacher?
At some point, every student must leave their teacher. It’s a built-in principle of yoga. Parents raise children to be able to survive on their own at some point; its the same concept between teachers and students of yoga. Lately, there have been several exoduses of notable teachers from notable lineages. From the outside, and maybe with some of the rawness, it seems like a tragic occurrence, but really, it’s a natural evolution of this process. It took me many years to understand this.

Sometimes we get caught up in the system of yoga and the glory of the teachings that we forget what we’re actually here to do: liberate ourselves. This cannot be done if we see someone else as above us or more accomplished than us — as someone who holds the power that we would do anything to possess. This creates a hierarchy and the potential for heartache as expectations are sorely let down and what we once saw as perfect suddenly changes into something, well, other.

Yes, I’m speaking in metaphor and broad strokes for a reason. It’s not helpful to name names or speak in specifics when really the point I’m trying to get across is so important and valuable that we can use the current hubbub to understand the wisdom of yoga through this very, very important lens:
The guru should be no more than a friend and no less than a friend. This simple statement was first told to me by a lovely man named Mark Whitwell. It came to me at a time in my own life when I was trying to understand this very concept. These simple words created such an illumination that I have been compelled to share them with students ever since. It’s a critical lesson. If learned early on, it can potentially save us from heartache and facilitate our own spiritual journey.
It’s simple. If we see preferential treatment from a teacher to a student: warning. If we see a teacher treating a student in a harmful way: warning. If a teacher treats us just the way a friend would treat us, then we’re treading in safe waters. Another way to eloquently put this would be “We travel as equals or not at all.” This simple line from a Joseph Arthur song clears the idea of hierarchical structures — which is extremely appropriate in yoga. As soon as there is a hierarchy in the system — as soon as someone seems better than us, or less than us — we’ve immediately strayed from the fundamental concept of yoga, which is to be without separation, delineation or hierarchy.
With this in mind, we can be free to follow the teachings, not the teacher. A specific teacher may convey the teachings in a particular way that we resonate with and love… and so we should sit with that teacher for as long as they nourish us and guide us toward spiritual maturity. But, no matter how good that teacher is, at some point, we will have to believe ourselves fully nourished and walk away from the well-spring. Because what good are the teachings if we can’t stand on our own two feet?

For those who have recently (or ever) decided to walk away, after having learnt and absorbed the wellspring of teachings offered to them by any teacher, I say, “congratulations.” Now, the real teachings can begin. This is what someone said to me as I walked away:
It was a confusing time. I understand that it can feel unsteady. But, remember the words of Krishnamacharya: “If you have learnt something really well, then the way you express it, will not be the same way you learned it.” At some point, after years of listening, and years of diligent practice, and years of rerouting the teachings through our own internal lens, one becomes more adept at refocusing and transmitting the teachings. It’s a subtle process that happens as a result of the unshakable confidence that begins to develop not in what we’ve been taught, but in what we now know. This is how the teachings continue. And they will. And all teachings, when given from a place of compassion, are valuable. So, let us go as equals or not at all.
By Alanna Kaivalya

Kale the New Super Beef!

Like the saying goes, the only constant is change. We may resist it all we want, but Time and its inevitable evolution of everything in its path is unaffected by our attempts to stop it. The resulting trajectory of humanity’s nascent ascent appears to be positioning itself to sweep us into progressive new times, especially where our food choices are concerned, as nearly 7 billion people are now standing on the little scraps of land that we share with some 55 billion rather large animals raised for food each year. (As another famous saying goes: This town ain’t big enough for the both of us.) So, beef (and all factory-farmed meat) may be going from rib-eye to relic as we transition to a greener world… literally—as in leafy, green vegetables.

Read More: 7 reasons Kale is the New Beef…….

Article by: Organic Authority

A note from Oregon! Picture of our new home on the range in Stayton, Oregon a town of 8,000. (for more pic’s send me a friend on facebook (Lori Maravilla) and check out El Rancho.  Our first project was the a shed to get the tools out of the rain. That is Chuy’s there on the roof. The weather has been cool, it will take some getting used to, today Tuesday we are at 36 degrees, and it chills to the bone.

But once you start working the cooled does not seem that bad. The land is breath taking in all directions. I have never slept so good and woke to such peace.

Our friend Tom having fun racking the leaves into his name,  and our newest addition to the family Carolina, the german shepard.

This is the first 5 acres. We plans to  raise chickens in this part of the farm. That house in the background is the neighbor Ralph’s house, and a man of few words. Behind his plot of land is the Santiam River and is a tributary of the Willamette River. I here that the salmon run through it every year.

This natural beauty is a flock of geese in flight over our little house heading for Canada. What a sight, we have seen about a dozen or more of these flocks pass over head in the past week. Happy Holidays everyone, more to come as the days go on. Namaste, Lori

Half day of volunteer help is traded for food and accommodation, with no money exchanged.  This is not paid work on farms, it is an exchange of education and culture.  The WWOOF-USA® Host Farm Directory lists more than thirteen hundred organic farms (not necessarily USDA certified organic) and gardens across the country.  The Host Farm Profile contains information about the location, general responsibilities,  and lifestyle of the host.  Any farm, community, or garden project in the US that is willing to host and accommodate volunteers can participate in our program.  We encourage all types of volunteers and hosts who can cooperate to strengthen sustainable agriculture worldwide to be a part of WWOOF-USA®.  The program is open to anyone 18 years of age or older, regardless of experience.

WWOOF farms offer a variety of educational opportunities, including growing vegetables, keeping bees, building straw bale houses, working with animals, making wine, and much more. With over a thousand farms in all 50 states, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, there is something for everyone.  You can preview the Directory of Farms before becoming a member on this website.

A WWOOF member contacts the Host Farms to discuss hopes and expectations to form an agreeable arrangement.  WWOOFing is a way to learn practical farming skills, be part of the organic agriculture movement, and experience the heart of American agrarian culture.

Once you become a WWOOFer by joining the organization, you will receive online access to the Directory of Host Farms.  You can choose to also receive a printed and bound Directory of Host Farms mailed to you.  There are many advanced options available to you once you are registered:  FORUMS online for communicating with our WWOOF community, advanced search options such as ability to find hosts willing to accept WWOOFers traveling with children, and viewing and making comments and ratings about your experiences.  Next, contact the farms you are interested in visiting to check availability and arrange a stay.  WWOOFers generally volunteer for half a day in exchange for meals, accommodation, and education.  Our Hosts do not offer any monetary payment for WWOOFers.  The length of a farm stay is determined by you and the host, and can vary from a few days to a season.  The key to a mutually beneficial experience is lots of clear and open discussion about hopes and expectations before arriving at the farm- we recommend using the telephone to have a conversation.

WWOOF offers a rare opportunity for people to share their knowledge and efforts with others from a variety of backgrounds. It relies on trust, respect, and hard work. Read below to determine if WWOOF is right for you.
Hosts welcome willing WWOOFers onto their property to help get work done with the intention of sharing knowledge and meeting new people while growing food for local communities.

Being a WWOOF host may be right if you:

• will provide a safe, comfortable, and welcoming environment for a volunteer
• are participating in organic or sustainable activities
• have projects and tasks that you could use help with
• are interested in sharing your knowledge and daily life with volunteers
• recognize that WWOOFers are not laborers, and can not receive any monetary compensation for work

One-half day’s work on a farm by a WWOOFer is exchanged for food and accommodation from the Host. Your trade agreement can be defined any number of ways: Work hours, days, length of stay, meal arrangements and accommodations vary greatly, and it is each host’s and volunteer’s joint responsibility to form a clear agreement.

Being a WWOOFer may be appropriate if you:

• are a respectful and courteous guest in the homes and on the lands of others
• are interested in learning about sustainable and organic farming methods
• are willing to work hard on projects and tasks presented to you

If you are thinking about a special gift this holidays you might want to look at the The Omega 8006 Nutrition Center Commercial Masticating Juicer It is equipped with a powerful commercial motor, this masticating juice extractor thoroughly chews up plant fibers to fully extract vitamins, enzymes, and minerals from fruits and vegetables. The unit’s dual-stage juicing system ensures maximum efficiency, while its low rotation speed of 80 RPMs means no foaming, no clogging, and no heat build-up. Other highlights include a high juice yield with very dry pulp, an automatic pulp-ejection function for continuous juicing, heavy-duty construction, four stabilizing feet, and quiet operation. Easy to assemble, operate, and clean, the UL- and cUL-approved masticating juice extractor measures 14-1/2 by 6-1/2 by 15-1/2 inches and carries a 15-year warranty (unlike the Breville juicer with only a 1year warranty.)

Each of these whole foods is given a score based on the equation H=N/C, which is that the health of a food is equal to the nutrients it delivers per calorie. Each ANDI score is based on a possible score of 1,000-0, with 1,000 being the most nutrient dense and 0 being the least nutrient dense. Kale, Mustard greens, Collard Greens, and Watercress all receive a score of 1,000 using the H=N/C equation, while foods like meat, seafood, and dairy products receive scores below 50 and are not considered by Dr. Fuhrman to be healthy. Fuhrman argues in his book that a nutrient dense diet can prevent or even reverse diseases and also might reverse obesity.

Information from Wikipedia