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| Upcoming
events for late May & June 2008
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I
thought I knew everything there was to know about
centering: taking a deep breath to calm myself; the
importance of creating space in my hectic schedule to do
things that bring me joy; finding my center in a balance
pose ... all of which I do regularly, so that I can
easily find my center in a crisis. Conceptually I
also knew how to locate my body's energetic center (2
inches below your navel), but recently I had an
experience of connecting with my center that blew me
away (scroll down to At Your Convenience for
details).
The concept of centering is
seeping into the public consciousness. Over a
million people worldwide converged to simultaneously
center themselves during the Oprah-Eckhart Tolle A New Earth series!
And all they did was breathe together. I urge you
to try the exercises in At Your Convenience, because
they will encourage you to ask the question, "How
different could my life be if I connected and lived from
my center? Easier ... more grounded ... more
assured ... overall more centered?" Regardless of
your answer, by simply bringing your awareness to your
energetic center and taking a deep breath, you now have
a powerful way to center your energy, attention,
thoughts, and emotions whenever you are anxious or
unsettled or upset or overwhelmed or angry or
confused. This is body awareness from yoga therapy
and focus from meditation at its best ... simple,
effective, and transformative.
This newsletter brings plenty of opportunities
to learn new ways or to practice tried-and-proven ways
to center yourself. If you can't make it to my
events, come in for a private yoga therapy session ...
they are a steal at $75! Or consider buying a gift
certificate to someone you love as a means to share the
precious gift of centering.
Finding my center
has brought some new possibilities to light for me ...
ones that will benefit you too. As summer
approaches and vacation schedules preclude taking
classes, I will be focusing my energy on private
sessions, one series at the Camarillo Health Care
District, a new discussion group in July and the
on-going Spiritual Meditation Fellowship. This
will allow me time to nurture some seeds that have
recently rooted, and should bear fruit in the
Fall. Stay tuned!
Sincerely,
Meenal
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On-Going Private Yoga Therapy Sessions
|
At My
Place
For more information or to
schedule a session, call me at
805-504-6640.
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Finally
... see Meenal in action!
I've recently had some photos done with me and
my favorite model (aka, my husband, Kris) to give you a
visual for the yoga therapy term "supported
stretches". The photo to the left is a preview of
more to come as I will slowly add them to my site in the
next few weeks.
Now that you have a visual ...
imagine the groan of pleasure as your shoulders and back
elongate and relax ... know that I can easily adapt this
for someone seated in a chair if you have difficulty
kneeling. So what's holding you back? Come
experience for yourself what others are raving
about!
2 hour Thai Yoga
Therapy:
- "[Afterwards] I
felt more comfortable in my body - a sense of
'freedom' of motion."
- "My neck pain was
significantly reduced. ... Even the next day, I felt
relief. I really appreciated how careful and
attentive you were to my
shoulder."
1.5 hour Phoenix Rising Yoga
Therapy:
- "What I got was
the realization that I hold the power to move from a
state of stress to a state of calm."
- "It was a mind-opening
exercise that left me with a physical, as well as
mental well-being."
Curious about the
difference between the two types of Yoga
Therapy? Find out
more at Yoga Therapy Sessions - Frequently Asked
Questions.Special discounts apply while I am
obtaining my intermediate Thai Yoga Therapy
certification. Call now 805-504-6640 for details
or to schedule a session!
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Exclusive Invitation - Garden Meditation at Camarillo
Ranch House
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Camarillo
Ranch House
201
Camarillo Ranch Rd.
Camarillo, CA
93012
Saturday, May
17
8:00-9:00am
Requested Donation: $5
per
person
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Your chance to
stop and smell the roses ...
Nature meditations are about engaging all of your
senses. When you are noticing everything there is to
notice, even that your thoughts are distracting you,
then you are necessarily fully present in the moment.
Gardens provide an abundance of opportunities to simply
stop and notice. The sensation of the breeze or sun ...
the sight of flowers or light filtering through leaves
... the relaxation that effortlessly descends.
Join me in the first-ever
garden meditation at Camarillo Ranch House. This
invitation is being extended exclusively to you, as I am
not allowed to advertise it. Meet me near the fountain
between the parking lot entrance and the house. You will
have the opportunity to meditate on flowers or a
tinkling fountain or to absorb the quiet presence of
trees that are 100 years old. This is an excellent
meditation for both new and experienced meditators.
Requested
Donation: $5 per person contribution as a
donation to the Camarillo Ranch Foundation. Please
RSVP, so that I know how many people to
expect.
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Meditation for Busy Minds - 6 Week
Course
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Camarillo
Health Care
District
3639 Las
Posas Rd,
Bld, E, Ste 117
Camarillo, CA
93010
(805)388-1952 ext 117
6 Tuesdays,
6/3-7/15
(no class
6/10)
5:30-6:30PM
Pre-registration
required.
$72 for series; $60 if
pre-registered by May 28.
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Learn New Ways to Find Your Center
...
In A New
Earth, Eckhart Tolle teaches some basic
centering, a.k.a. meditation, techniques that have
transformed millions. These techniques and more
are introduced on a weekly basis in this course, which
emphasizes that the end result is more important than
the means you use to get there.
Please bring a yoga mat or something
comfortable to lie upon. Basic concepts taught
in the first two meetings will be used throughout the
series, so drop-ins are discouraged.
Price: $72 for course ($60 if you pre-register by May
28). Course repeats every 6 weeks.
Pre-registration is
required. Available options:
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At Your Place: Solo Entrepreneurs
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Hosted
by Welcome Home
Interiors
31139
Via Colinas, 303,
Westlake Village, CA.
91362
Wednesday, May
28
8:30-10:00am
$10 at the door/ $5
pre-registered through website.
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How
To Turn Your Brain Off At
Night
The monthly Solo
Entrepreneurs meetings are gems that should be
shared with every self-employed business owner. It
is an casual networking group with no membership fees
... you simply pay $5 for each meeting that interests
you. More than that, I've found that the group
attracts a supportive, engaging professionals who are
genuinely interested in helping everyone to
succeed.
I will be their featured speaker
in May, sharing my insights by teaching yoga
therapy/meditation techniques that are most effective in
promoting sleep.
Pre-register through Solo
Entrepreneurs.
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Free Spiritual Meditation Fellowship
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Camarillo
United Methodist
Church
Howald
Parlor
291 Anacapa Drive
Camarillo, CA
93010
Sunday, June 1,
2008
5:00-6:00pm
Free
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Meditate with a
group of explorers ...
I
rarely have place in my newsletter to share this
on-going opportunity with you. Word is spreading
and we have people driving from Ventura and Moorpark to
join this unique group.
The Spiritual
Meditation Fellowship, which I founded, meets on the
first Sunday of every month and it is open to anyone who
wants to attend. Those of us who enjoy doing so take
turns leading the meditation - the result of which is
that we've explored styles from all over the
world.
Join us as we experience a Buddhist
sangha
(translates as "community") meditation.
Price:
Free, but please RSVP by clicking
here.
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Discussion Group - Eat, Pray, Love
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Camarillo
United Methodist
Church
Mission
House
291 Anacapa Drive
Camarillo, CA
93010
Monday, June
2
7:00-8:00PM
Free
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In
search of balance ...
Our evenings together always fly by! Even
though this discussion group will conclude on Monday,
June 2 with a celebration of Elizabeth Gilbert in
Indonesia, please know that it is never too late to join
us! We will meet from 7-8pm in the Mission House
at the Camarillo United Methodist Church, 291 Anacapa
Drive, Camarillo, 93010. You can
get directions to Mission House through my
site. Please RSVP.
We came close to a full house for our discussions of
"Italy" and "India". An approximate headcount will
help determine whether we are standing-room only or
comfortably seated. Price:
Free | |
In Case You Are Interested: Jack Kornfield at the
Skirball Center
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Skirball
Center
2701 N
Sepulveda Blvd. Los Angeles, CA
90049
Friday, June 27, 2008
8:30am
sign-in
9:00am start
4:15pm
end
Price: ~$109
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The
Art and Science of
Meditation
For those who have not heard the name,
Jack Kornfield is a famous author and meditation
teacher. I recently saw a videotaped conversation
between him and Pema Chodron, and he was engaging and
personable. He'll be leading this one day seminar right
here at the Skirball Center.
I was particularly
intrigued by the title of the workshop, as the Dalai
Lama challenges us to be scientists of our own
experience. Here is a workshop designed for meditators
and psychologists! This promises to be an
enlightening experience, both from feeding the
inquisitive mind, as well as practicing distancing
ourselves from our thoughts. I have already posted
a "personal break" on my calendar, so that I can
attend. Just wanted to share this possibility with
you.
Click here
to register for the
program.
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Free for You ... At Your Convenience
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Try
these simple exercises.
Just a mouse click away,
when your schedule
permits.
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Experiencing
The Power of Your Center ...
Sensei
Jamie Zimron is an LPGA professional, who also holds
a 5th degree Black Belt in Aikido, a meditative practice
based on peaceful power. She is an engaging,
entertaining, supportive teacher, who truly embodies the
meaning of Sensei. With all of the body-mind
training that I've done, these simple exercises still
blew me away.
- Stand comfortably with your feet parallel to each
other. Now take your right leg and rotate it so
that your right toes are angled to the side.
Close your eyes, take a deep breath and notice what
happens when you relax. Your hips will rotate,
so that your torso is facing in the same direction as
your right leg. Some people also feel as if they
are being gently propelled to move in that direction,
and will actually start walking off in the same
direction as their right leg was facing.
Reposition yourself and experiment with your left leg
... the same thing should happen. Try different
angles with the leg that you are rotating.
- Now try this ... stand comfortably with your feet
parallel to each other. Turn your head to the
side. Close your eyes, take a deep breath and
notice what happens when you relax. Most people do not
feel an urge to move. Consciously move in the
direction that your head is facing. Most people
observe that it takes quite a bit of effort to start
walking.
In the first exercise, you
are simply listening and following the natural movement
of your body, which originates from the lower half of
your body. Notice the dramatic contrast with
following your head, which is how we tend to lead our
lives.
- Stand up comfortably with your feet hip-width
apart. Take a small step forward with one foot, and
balance your weight comfortably between both
feet. Place your thumb on your navel, and move
it down about 2 inches and place your hand
there. This is considered to be your body's
energy center - the place where your body's energy
channels converge. Notice that this was the part
of your body that naturally followed your angled
foot. Now bring your attention to the place
beneath your hand and relax. Stay like this for
few moments and simply notice. What words can
you use to describe the sensation? Stronger,
solid, grounded, rooted ... centered?
- While you are in this stance, enlist a volunteer
to come up behind you, and have them slide their
forearms under your arms. First, redirect your
focus on a spot ahead of you and have your volunteer
try to lift you. Now, re-position yourself in
the stance described in exercise above, focus your
attention on your center and have them try to lift you
again. Most lifters will have noticeable
difficulty in lifting you the second time.
I used to
associate the concept of centering with my frame of mind
or my ability to balance, but this exercise vividly
demonstrates that finding my center affects my
integrated state of
being. Imagine how life could be if you
flowed with the natural movement of your body ...
from your center.
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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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