The Ogres of Progress
...
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| Upcoming
events for Autumn 2008 |
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"Ch-ch-ch-changes". The prevalent
theme of the moment. Change the economy, change the
government, change the system that allows CEO's of
bankrupt companies to earn millions of dollars, change
the healthcare system. So, I was intrigued by an
article titled, "Facing the Ogres of Progress", which
rightly observed that "Progress" contains the word "Ogres" and
proceeded to identify the ogres that are obstacles to
progress ... apathy, fear, cynicism, paralysis by
analysis ... sound familiar? How about doubt and
mindlessness,
which are my familiar companions? I am grateful that
they are not a persistent presence as they used to
be.
When I start to hear that familiar little
voice, rolling its eyes, saying "I've heard that before!
Why should this time be different?", it helps me to seek
out examples of people who just do it. These
real-life stories help me realize that the "ifs" and
"buts" that could sideline me have
that power when I don't pay attention to them. As soon
as I mindfully tune
into them, I have a choice and more and more I find
myself ... just doing it
too. Ironic, isn't it? That I can be more
powerful by observing and accepting those nagging
voices, rather than ignoring them? In recent weeks, a
set of new clients and students have gifted me with the
acceptance that my yoga therapy sessions and meditation
courses provide them the opportunity to observe their
doubtful "can I?" voice, while tuning into their
appreciative, powerful "I can" voice,
just as these tools have done for me.
This
newsletter celebrates people who just do it. On
September 21, we observed the International Day of
Peace. Did you know that the entire month was set aside
in 1982 by the United Nations to celebrate
peace-building? And September 2008 is the World Festival
of Sacred Music, an event celebrated every three years
where musicians of all faiths and styles come together
to make music.
What a concept ... to have
opportunities to come together, beyond the barriers that
we often perceive as dividers, to celebrate and
experience the way we want the world to be! So I
dedicate this newsletter to the reality that you can
overcome the ogres of progress and just do it by including
some upcoming opportunities to hear, view/read, learn and celebrate with other people who
just do it. In response to your survey suggestions, plan
for my newest event ... my personal just do it ... a
labyrinth walk in November, focusing on
the theme of gratitude. I hope these events will
help you to overcome your ogres to bring progress into
your life.
Sincerely,
Meenal
PS. Please note that while my
group programs wind down in early November in
consideration of busy holiday schedules, my private
sessions will continue to be available.
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Lunchtime Meditation for Both Busy and Business
People:
6 Week Course in Westlake
Village
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True
Yoga
3625 E. TO Blvd, #322
Westlake Village, CA 91362
6 Fridays,
10/17-11/21
noon-1:00PM
Pre-registration required. Call
Meenal at 805-504-6640 for more
information.
Price: $75 for the series
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"My fifteen years in corporate
America, and my experience as a small business owner,
have taught me that time and clarity of thought are
invaluable commodities. I help you create a meditation
tool kit, filled with different tools that can be used
in different situations and for different reasons. It is
simply a matter of knowing your schedule and needs for
any given day to then pick the tool that would best
support you." - Meenal
Kelkar, Owner of Integrative InSight
What did you learn that you've
been able to incorporate into your
life?
"1st - change the mindset;
2nd - breathing; and finally, to meditate everywhere ...
that a special time or place is not necessary." - recent
client feedback
This class blends
questions, instruction, and practice with opportunities
to share creative and practical twists on what's been
learned. This class is intended for those who are new to
the practice of meditation, but those with experience
are welcome as well.
Wear comfortable clothes. You
can use the yoga mats at the studio or bring your
own.
You must preregister by
prepaying through my website to attend this course.
Minimum 8 people required. Price: $75
Please
note: to accommodate more students, this course will
meet at True Yoga (suite 322),
not at Meenal's office (suite 251).
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Experience the Zone: Private Yoga Therapy Sessions
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At My Place
- by appointment only
Camarillo: Monday -
Thursday
Location is a private
residence. Details will be provided upon
confirmation of your session.
Westlake Village:
Fridays only
3625 E Thousand Oaks
Boulevard, B251
Westlake Village, CA
91362
For more information or to schedule a
session, call me at
805-504-6640.
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My Unique
Service = "I help everyday people experience the
Zone"
What does the Zone mean to you? Flowing
movement, clarity, hyperfocused attention ... a state
where you are firing on all cylinders ... effortlessly.
Top athletes experience the Zone quite often, but this
state of being is available to each one of
us. We just don't know how to access
it. Yoga Therapy is a gentle, highly effective
way for everyday people to experience the Zone ... as long as you give yourself
permission to let go. The dynamic session is
focused on relaxing past life imposed tensions of worry,
doubt, anxiety, stress and constriction. Beneath this
thick layer, what remains is our natural state of being
... a fluid, limber, interplay of fascia, muscles, and
ligaments and a clear, hyperfocused state of
mind. The Zone is like love ... you can only know it when it
happens. It is something that has to be
experienced to be believed, and both yoga therapy
sessions allow you to experience it for
yourself. Feedback:
- "I got to go
inward, feel my entire system responding to the work.
... I felt balanced and more whole."
- "It was a
mind-opening exercise that left me with a physical, as
well as mental well-being."
- "What I got was
the realization that I hold the power to move from a
state of stress to a state of
calm."
New! I have developed a
1.5 hour version of the Thai Yoga Therapy session.
So now you can choose in advance to book a 1.5 hour
session or a 2 hour session of either yoga therapy
modality. Curious about the difference between Thai Yoga
Therapy and Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy? Find out
more at Yoga Therapy Sessions - Frequently Asked
Questions.Sessions are booked by appointment
only by calling me at
805-504-6640. | |
| Private Sessions: Personal Meditation
Coaching |
At
My Place - by appointment
only
Camarillo: Monday
- Thursday
Location is a private
residence. Details will be provided upon
confirmation of your session.
Westlake Village:
Fridays only
3625 E Thousand Oaks Boulevard,
B251
Westlake Village, CA 91362
For more
information or to schedule a session, call me at
805-504-6640.
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Let's
work together to transcend your
obstacles
Though
this new program is being marketed to busy executives,
who want to tune into their intuition, create space in
their busy day for insights, and to listen more fully to
their customers' needs, it can be customized for people
of any age.
"By
simply taking 5 - 10 minutes a day to use Meenal's
meditation techniques have saved me hours of frustration
and back tracking allowing me to focus and get more
done." - Katrina Garcia, President of KV@ Virtually
Everywhere
The
program consists of:
- 1 private 2-hour initial meeting consisting
of:
- 1/2 hour consultation to review your goals
- 1 private 1.5-hour Yoga Therapy session
- 4 private 1-hour coaching sessions
- customized meditation techniques tailored to you
and your lifestyle
- support in navigating your unique obstacles
to reaching your meditation goals.
Obvious
question ... why that many sessions? Consider that
daily life provides plenty of practice at a stressed,
anxious, overwhelmed, constricted way of being. We
all know that practice makes perfect. This program
is your personal investment in experiencing, learning
and practicing a relaxed, open, flexible, centered way
of being. The unique combination of yoga therapy and
coaching sessions maximizes your success in
incorporating meditation into your daily
life.
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 Special
Event - Gratitude Meditation - Labyrinth Walk
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St.
Maximillian Kolbe Catholic
Church
5801 Kanan
Road, Westlake Village, CA 91362
Saturday,
Nov 8, 2008
8:00am-9:00am
Price: Free
will donation for Casa
Pacifica.
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An
opportunity for all of us to just
do it.
I must admit to experiencing some
trepidation as I drove to St. Maximillian Kolbe Catholic
Church to inquire about using their labyrinth for a
community meditation. The warm connection I made with
Deacon Vince, who described the interfaith origins of
this particular church (Father Kolbe was canonized for
volunteering his life, in place of a stranger's, in
Auschwitz), quickly resolved my hesitations. And yet
there was still that nagging internal voice, "What will
people think? Meenal, meditation, Catholic Church?
It just doesn't add up." Recognizing the voice as
one of my ogres to progress inspired me to honor my
personal commitment to create opportunities to meditate
in community on themes that transcend societal
barriers. This my effort to just do it.
The theme of this labyrinth walk is gratitude.
Buddhist teachers would assign loving-kindness,
gratitude and appreciation meditations with the specific
intent to counter-balance the negative thoughts that we
often experience. I have seen for myself how making a
21-day commitment to living "complaint-free" and having
a regular appreciation practice changes my perspective
on life. This labyrinth walk is my offering to you
... to show my gratitude for your support. Bring
your friends and loved ones to participate the power of
meditating on a shared intention in the presence of
community.
Price:
Free-will contribution that will be given to Casa
Pacifica. Please register
for this event so
that I can notify you if something
changes.
Note: the photo above is of a
different labyrinth, but the one at St. Max's is no less
striking ... with red tinged hills and blue skies as the
backdrop.
Just for you ... click to read more about
the effects of group meditation in reducing violent
crime in Washington DC.
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Other
Opportunties ... to Learn
Non-Violent Communication (NVC)
Weekend Workshops
|
Santa
Barbara City College
- Selmer O. Wake Center
300 N.
Turnpike Rd,
Santa Barbara, 93111
Introduction
Saturday,
Sept 27
9:30am-4:30pm
Advanced
Intensive
Sunday, Sept 28,
2008
1:00pm-5:00pm
No Admission Fee for
Either
Workshop
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Changing the world
... through communication
Marshall Rosenberg, the founder of NVC,
believes that physical and verbal expression of violence
are the culmination of misunderstandings. He observed
that by changing how we express our emotions, thoughts
and needs, the clarity of communication will lead to
richer, deeper and more satisfying relationships. NVC is
being taught in regions of historical conflict with
powerful results.
NVC has been one of the most
powerful, transformative, deceptively simple and yet
incredibly "hard to do because I forget" tools that I
have encountered, but I strive to use it daily.
Recently, my husband arranged to bring NVC to his
business partnership, and the new depth of connection
these 6 bright, business-minded engineering-types have
experienced is remarkable.
Much to my
surprise, this is Marshall's second visit in 2008 to
Santa Barbara City College's Wake Center.
"Compassionate Communication: A Language of the Heart"
consists of two separate workshops. Saturday is a full-day
workshop for those new to NVC. Sunday is an half-day
intensive for people already practicing NVC.
Believe it or not, all you have to do is
show up. Pre-registration is not required, but the
hall gets packed, so plan to get there early. We
have attended three times because we are always
inspired: 1) by Marshall's example of how effortless
this really can be; and 2) by the crowd of people who
attend because they believe in the power of peaceful
change.
Price: No Charge for
Admission
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Other
Opportunities ... to View/Read
Complimentary for You ... At
Your Convenience |
At
your convenience ...
Just a mouse click away,
when your schedule permits.
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From the seeds of
Gandhi's non-violent movement ...
- Frank, a friend of mine who sells avocados at the
Camarillo Farmer's Market, loaned me a DVD titled "How to Save
the World: One Man, One Cow, One Planet", a
documentary about Peter Proctor. Did you know that
farmers in India have been committing suicide because
crops yields are so low that they cannot feed their
families, let alone invest in seed for the following
year? Through Peter Proctors' biodynamic farming
principles, in 6 short growing seasons, farmers are
now able to feed their families, feed their workers,
and
have produce to sell, with
less water, fertilizer, pesticide and seed.
This is a film about the effects of globalization that
are rarely covered by our media, food sovereignty,
fair trade versus free trade and a non-violent
revolution.
- I just discovered The Peace
Alliance, an organization that is devoted to the
creation of a Department of Peace in the federal
government. While I am not advocating a larger federal
government, what inspired me about this site is that
how it is bringing people together to walk for peace
... in other words, to take a stand for non-violent
change. I've already made a note on my calendar to
figure out how to organize a local walk next
year.
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Other
Opportunities ... to Hear
For You ... Right here in
Camarillo
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Various
Locations in
Camarillo
For
more information, contact the hosting
locations.
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Camarillo?
Who would have thought?
I often think of Camarillo as a sleepy
little town, where I have to drive over the grade or up
the coast to find events. Surprise! It has
evolved behind our back and I am thrilled to be able to
share these special opportunities with you. Much
to my dismay, I have family functions on these nights,
so I look forward to hearing from you about your
experience.
September 27,
6:30 pm Camarillo Yoga Center - Lama Tulku Rinpoche,
a venerated senior Tibetan Buddhist Teacher, will lead a
discussion on Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism. The
evening will include a guided compassion meditation.
This evening will be a fundraiser for the Tibetan Orphan
Monastery School. $15 donation is requested.
October 12,
7:00 pm St. Mary Magdalene's - Rev. John Dear, a
Jesuit priest, has been nominated by Archbishop Desmond
Tutu for the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent
activism. Rev. Dear will be discussing his book,
"A Persistent Peace: One Man's Struggle For A Nonviolent
World".
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Other
Opportunities ... to Celebrate
World Festival of Sacred
Music Closing Ceremony
|
Santa Monica
Beach
At the end of Ocean Park
Boulevard
Sunday, Sept 28,
2008
3:00pm-sundown
No admission
charge
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Transcending
boundaries through music ...
My husband and I discovered the World Festival
of Sacred Music in 2005, and were eagerly awaiting
its return this year (it is held every 3 years). It was
organized in 1999 in response to a letter from the Dalai
Lama suggesting that the world mark the millennium with
a commitment to peace through music.
In writing
this just now, I truly focused on the term "Sacred
Music". This is music that people hold dear as
expressions of their spirituality and faith. And
rather than holding it as "mine", it is being offered to
all of us through this festival as "ours". WOW!
This weekend, we attended a workshop of a spiritual
tradition of dance and song that was brought by the
slaves from Africa to Brazil, and was kept secret for
centuries, for fear of repression by the Catholic
Church. In the mid-1970s it was recognized by the church
as its own religion and the practices are flourishing
today.
While it may be
too late to get tickets for the remaining events, there
is a free
celebration at Santa Monica beach that will mark the
closing of this year's festival. Join
me!
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Integrative
InSight
PO Box
3064
Camarillo, California
93011-3064
805-504-6640 | |
Integrative
InSight facilitates appreciation and personal growth
through opportunities
to focus, contemplate, and grow
(meditations).
http:www.integrative-insight.com
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