Liberation Detox day 2
Category: Life

This is really challenging. Second day, headache, hard to focus or even type. I had to have a raw soup, a gaspatcho. My goal is to make it to Wednesday afternoon then eat.

I did well during the day when working etc. I even was able to visit with Amma, the hugging saint. It was great! But I'm not quite sure this is for me. Unfortunately I'm not able to go to the nightly events with Parashakti because of my schedule.

I think that a supported fast is best because you have the group to share experiences with and for encouragement.

When I'm drinking the fresh juices I'm fine, it's just really challenging to have to live your life without food. Especially when I'm cooking for others and around food. It's interesting, I don't eat much generally and eat only when hungry so I don't have challenges with eating all the time.

this fast is great because it's helping me to think about life stuff, career, relationship and the goals I want to acheive. It's also helping me to stay present in the moment and enjoy whatever comes up.

Wow
J9

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The Liberation Detox Day 1
Category: Life

Okay so it's my first day of the detox cleanse and I'm doing okay. I am someone who gets kinda evil when I don't eat regularly. Thank goodness I was not working with people today! I was working on contracts and menu planning and noticed I really had to focus.

Last night, we met at Jiva with Parashakti and had an opening ceremony. It was beautiful! We sealed in our intentions for the detox and we had a lecture about colonics. Now, that's not for me... but it was interesting to listen to. Tonight, I was not able to attend the group meeting because I had a meeting I had to attend.

When I got hungry today, I drank my lemon water juice and felt really good. I mean I drank ALOT of that lemon juice man! And I'm not gonna lie, I added lots of agave. I noticed that I had to just slow down a notch in order to stay grounded and centered.

It was interesting, I was still able to accomplish everything I needed to accomplish , and did it with a huge amount of intention and focus. I had to! Part of my intention for the fast/detox is to show compassion to others and to myself. I started at home today by just laying down at 3:30 to take a little rest and it felt amazing. I did not fall asleep or anything, just rested my body before the evening activities and I got up an hour later feeling really refreshed and renewed. Pretty amazing concept huh? I push myself and sometimes don't give my body the chance to rest.

The colonic expert said that when we fast we give our bodies an opportunity to heal. The thought is that the body is using the energy it takes to digest food to start repairing and healing the ailments that are in the body.

I don't know what the science is, and I do believe that the body takes care of itself. I also look at history and fasting has been around a long time and folks have survived just fine. So I'll keep doing this as long as it feels okay and take it a day at a time.

I'm also going to go and get a hug from Amma the Hugging Saint who is in town this week. Mabye she will transfer some of her compassionate love into me!

J9

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Journeydance With Jeanine In NYC!!!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Location: TheaterLab
137 W 14th St
Bet 6th & 7th Aves
New York, NY

Contact Info Phone:
212 501 3691
Email:
info@melangeinternationale.com

What is JourneyDance? A grooving celebration that will have you loving your body and loving your life! Weaving simple guided movement sequences and free exploration, JourneyDance reconnects you with your innate state of joyous well-being. Your mind becomes clear, free and positive, and your body feels supple, energized and powerful. Practiced barefoot to inspiring world music, your dance is an empowering journey of transformation.

What is the JourneyDance Flow?

JourneyDance begins by dancing the earth: slowing down, letting go, feeling grounded. From that solid, safe place, dance into your sensual, water body: awakening fluidity and loosening the spine.
Then, get funky in community, dance your fiery rhythmic beats, dive into your ocean of emotion, and clear your mind of negative self-talk. Inspire your heart to share it's secrets, as you come into alignment with your true essence and intuition. Finally, rest and rejuvenate, feel radiant, embodied, full of joy and gratitude.

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Wah! Benefit Concert for Amma’s Farmer Relief Project
Category: Music

"I’m going to be volunteering in the kitchen at this wonderful benefit dinner and Concert by WAH! For Amma’s Farm Relief fund

Date
Thursday, April 3, 2008

Time
6:30 pm ET - 11:00 pm ET

Location
Lux Studio
456 West 18th Street
New York , NY 10011

$26.00
buy ticket:
http://www.ammaswahnyc.eventbrite.com/


A little History:

Due to economic pressures leading to irresolvable debt associated with continually failing crops, many farmers have been committing suicide by drinking the very pesticides that no longer work on their crops. Especially in South India, with the growing rise of climate changes and other factors, crop failure has become more and more common causing suicide to spread like an epidemic amongst the suffering farmers. For example, in 2006 in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra alone, there were 1,044 reported suicides - one every eight hours.

WAH! will perform a benefit concert
for Amma’s Farmer Relief Project

Amma’s Farmer Relief Project - providing education for 100,000 children -self reliance and employment for 5000 impoverished farmer families

For more information on Amma’s Farmer Relief Project, please visit the web at
www.amma.org/humanitarian-activities/social/farmer-project2.html

WAH! info

Doors open at 6:30 pm at which time delicious Indian food will be available for purchase as well as a bookstore with many wonderful items. All proceeds from the sale of food and bookstore items will go to benefit Amma’s Farmer Relief Project

Wah! Benefit Concert begins at 8:00 pm

Musician and spiritual seeker Wah! and her band combine reggae, Hindu
chanting and pop to create a unique mix of spiritual world music.
Concerts include chanting, storytelling and songs in English; the
atmosphere is festive and jubilant. Wah! has created extensive music
products for yoga and meditation communities, and has performed at
Omega Institute, Kripalu Center, Yoga Journal Conference and the UK
Yoga Show. After touring with Krishna Das for three years, Wah! took
time off to work with producer Herb Graham, Jr. on OPIUM, a dreamy R&B collection of songs about life. LOKAHA and JAI JAI JAI showcased her unique combination of hip production with mantra; UNPLUGGED captured her heartfelt English songs in a live setting.
The CD - EMBRACE is a collection of songs to Amma ( www.amma.org );
proceeds from CD sales are donated to Amma’s charitable work
worldwide.

click here for more info on WAH!http://www.wahmusic.com/

PLEASE NOTE: If you cannot attend the Benefit but would still like to make a donation to the fund, you can send a tax deductible donation payable to M.A. Center to:

M.A. Center
c/o Aju Daswani
P.O. Box 1097
Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632

Thank you very much!
Jai Amma!

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Tropical Salsa a la Melange
Category: Food and Restaurants

Food is Fun!! Check out this quick and easy recipe
Salsa a la Mélange

2 tablespoons red onion, diced
1 dash cayenne
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon red bell peppers, finely chopped
1 teaspoon yellow bell peppers, finely chopped
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
9 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 Pineapple chopped
4 tablespoons cilantro leaves finely chopped (or half a bunch if you like cilantro)
if you like it hot -add a little (1/2 teaspoon or less) habanero pepper
warning- habanero peppers are extremely hot!!


Rinse all ingredients in cold water before chopping

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

*NOTE:

Some folks find Salsa to be acidic. The sugar in the Pineapple in this recipe will decrease the acidic quality.

For a more savory salsa, don’t use pineapple, and a little avocado or more tomato with 1/2 teaspoon Sucanat (a non-refined cane sugar).

4:03 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

JourneyDance Workshop! NYC Saturday, APRIL 26

JourneyDance™ with Toni Sensual Spring Budding Groove!!

Express your Funky, Divine, Sensual Being! Join the Dynamic creator of JourneyDance, Toni Bergins, in NYC for this special JourneyDance to celebrate and usher in the budding energy of spring:

Dance your firey rhythmic beats. Rise and fall in waves of melodic passionate pulsation. Dive into your ocean of emotion. Create from your deepest prayerful tones. Express your funky weird desires to let go. Inspire your heart to lead you and share its secrets. Feel your sensual aliveness as you cultivate your attitude of gratitude.

The JourneyDance Flow takes you deep, takes you light, takes you where you need to go to feel and embrace how beautiful you are, to accept and approve of you, and to remember to live by loving you.

This grooving celebration and exhilarating movement experience will have you loving your body and loving your life, guided by Toni Bergins’ deep, inspiring, spirited and electrifying teaching.

The evening will be filled with laughter, dance and rockin’ love energy that will open your heart, enliven your body and uplift your spirit. After we dance our new budding selves, indulge in the Mélange AfterGlow lounge and enjoy a scrumptious raw food spread! Jeanine T. Abraham, personal chef and founder of Mélange Intl. will provide her famous raw sensual spring spreads.

This is an alcohol free event.


"JourneyDance is better than 20 years of psychotherapy."

JourneyDance™ is a playful and intuitive method of using movement to discover and celebrate our inner strengths. We are all dancers, emotion in motion. We cleanse our bodies and minds with sweat and breath, laughter and prayer. We discover the anatomy of the soul. We feel our power and aliveness. We learn to love ourselves. We find balance and blessings. We become bright, shining, radiant.

Register Here: http://journeydance.eventbrite.com/

4:45 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Awakening the heart

Awakening the Heart



An Introductory Meditation Workshop
Saturday, April 19
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm ($10)

In this course you will learn meditation and the Buddhist approach to training the mind. Applying these methods in your everyday life will lead to happiness, a sense of purpose and harmony in our relationships. This is a beginner course open to everyone. Dress comfortably. Cushions and chairs are available.

Location:
Chakrasambara Buddhist Center
322 8th Ave. Suite 502
(entrance on 26th Street.)

Clarity of Mind Country Retreat
at the Kadampa Meditation Center

with Kadam Morten
8:00 pm Fri., May 9 to
2:00 pm Sun., May 11

Online Registration, http://www.meditationinnewyork.org/com08-retreat-book.php

Join us for a retreat weekend on the relaxing and peaceful meditation on the mind. This meditation helps us to understand our mind, the basis of our entire experience. Through gaining insight into the clear nature of the mind we will begin to recognize our extraordinary potential for freedom and happiness.

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Check out this event: Eye Gazing Party By Mélange

Hosted By: Mélange Internationale
When: Saturday Mar 29, 2008
at 7:15 PM
Where: Private
Soho
New York, New York|33 10011
United States
Description:
Mélange Internationale

Click Here To View Event

12:23 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Go Raw!
Category: Food and Restaurants

Hey! Here’s a wonderful Tea for aiding digestion and stimulatin circulation

Ginger Brew Tea

1/4 cup grated ginger

4 cups Fresh Filtered Water

Raw honey to taste (optional)

Mix ginger with water in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat. Allow to simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Strain into a teapot or cups. Sweeten with honey to taste if desired.

Enjoy1

8:50 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Awakening Loving-Kindness by Pema Chodron

December 24th here I sit at my family's house watching Star Wars Empire of Dreams. Great holiday huh? I must admit that it is fascinating. Did you know that Han Solo was supposed to die? Harrison Ford was the only actor that did not sign a 3 picture contract and had become a huge star from Raiders of the Lost Ark and Harrison Ford and tons of other folks involved with the film thought the story needed someone to die. George Lucas was of course against it and so Thank god, Han Solo lived to fight another day.

George Lucas is a fighter man. That's the cool thing, The documentary shows how hard it was for Lucas to get those films made...yet he did it. And when during Empire Strikes back, he was totally over budget and searching around for money to get the film done he never gave up his rights for merchandising etc and look how much it paid off!


I'm a dreamer and a fighter. It's been a tough couple of weeks. I went thru an unexpected end of a relationship a few weeks before Thanksgiving, have shifted my business to do more personal chef work, classes and I'm doing a work exchange at this culinary school. Frankly...it's kicking my ass. But, when does life not kick your ass?

Thru all of this, I have re- discovered the teachings of this amazing buddhist nun named Pema Chodron. ( http://pemachodron.org/)

I value her words so much. Her wisdom is so simple yet complex...it's beautiful. I have been really focusing on gratitude and expressing loving kindness to myself. The universe truly does take care of us. Today I read a part from Pema's book of Loving kindness that I'd love to share with you:

"There's a story that you may have read that as to do with what we call heaven & hell, life & death, good & bad. It's a story about how those things don't really exist except as a creation of our own minds.

It goes like this: A big burly samurai comes to the wise man and says, "Tell me the nature of heaven & hell." And the roshi looks hi in the face and says: "Why should I tell a scruffy, disgusting miserable slob like you?" The samurai starts to get purple in the face, his hair starts to stand up, but the oshi won't stop, he keeps saing," A miserable worm like you, do you think I should tell you anything?" Consumed by rage, the samurai draws his sword, and he's just about tho cut off the head of the roshi. Then the roshi says, "That's hell."

The Samurai, who is in fact a sensitive person, instantley gets it, that he just created his own hel; he was deep in hell. It was black and hot, filled with hatred, self-protection, anger and resentment, so much so that he was going to kill this man. Tears fill his eyes and he starts to cry an dhe puts his palms together and the roshi says, "That's Heaven."

There isn't any hell or heaven except for how we relate to our world. Hell is just resistance to life. When ou want to say no to the situation you're in, it's fine to say no, but when you build up a big case to the point where you're so convinced that you would draw your sword and cut off someone's head, that kind of resistance to life is hell.

In the way we practice, we don't say "hell is bad & heaven is good" or "get rid of hell and just seek heaven," but we encourage ourselves to develop an open heart and open mind to heaven, hell, to everything. Why? Because only then can we realize that no matter what comes along, we're always standing at the center of the world in the middle of a sacred space, and everything that comes into that circle and exists with us there has come to teach us what we need to know.

Life's work is to wake up. To let the things that enter into the circle wake you up rather than put you to sleep. The only way to do this is to open, be curious and develop some sense of sympathy for everything that comes along, to get to know it's nature and let it teach you what it will." Pema Chondron Awaking Loving-Kindness.

Wow.

J9

7:40 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment