meet bhakti...

*bhakti is the yoga path of devotion- to meet each moment with full acceptance and to continue from there with passion and no attachment to the results- this is the lesson bhakti teaches by example at the beach every day :-)

burning man as modern spirituality

this is the first of a new section i am starting, inspired by one of the greatest adventures of my life: the burning man festival. i've known about it since 1998, when my brother cosmos shared stories of his one trip there. 2011 was the first year i made it there. it's been held every year since 1986, now in black rock city, nevada. it's going on right now and even though it wasn't the right year for me to go, i wish i could be there at the same time...one of the traditions at the festival is to decorate your bike as elaborately as you wish:::

i found this on what seems like a really cool blog, the adventurous introvert-
 i can't make out the name of the photographer...

(the playa, which the whole space itself is called, is HUGE and having a bike or other creative vehicle is definitely useful). yesterday, i was running my dog on my bike before going into work and i saw a guy loading up what was without a doubt a bike that was on its way to burning man- some kind of animal print fur around the frame is all i could make out, but there was no mistaking where it was headed-  i was so excited to see it and confirmed that he was going. he said he felt like he was a little late and in ensured him that it didn't matter at all- i went last year for the first time and learned that if you know what the spirit of burning man is, it doesn't matter if you've even been there at all- you KNOW why it's so special and that you'll journey there one day. and, even if you don't make it, to me- and also as an aspect of the burning man culture- the aim is to live burning man every day. that is the focus of this series of writings.

to start off- and by the way, it's a blue moon tonight- the second full moon of the month of August.

Even though I have a beautiful lunar phase calendar I look at every day, I actually learned this information from an advertisement i got for a "blue moon" coupon for something....

anyway, to start off- i'm posting an blog i wrote for elephant journal in february...

scott london

Burning Man & Anusara tribes in Parallel Conflict: No Coincidence:

Within one week, thousands of Burners found out they didn’t win tickets in the main lottery and thousands of Anusara yogis found out some information about their teacher that left them questioning. Some long-time Burners who helped establish the roots of the culture are considering not attending and many of Anusara’s senior teachers have chosen to resign. Others are feeling disillusioned, disappointed and confused.

Is it coincidence that these tribes are being threatened at the same time? Not at all. I don’t think it’s random chance, but poignantly highlights how our world is evolving. All structures will be tested. Either they’ll dissolve and the energy will be dispersed to create new forms or they’ll need to be rebuilt from the ground up. Those without a strong foundation will crumble. There’s so much access to knowledge, it’s becoming harder to hide things. Transparency won’t only be a value, but inevitable. If there are base values in contradiction with each other, they will come to light and won’t be able to thrive. If individuals aren’t allowed voice and freedom within their communities, the communities will crack from the inside.

These tests will come in many forms. With Burning Man, the culture struck people at an exponential rate. People are waking up— realizing there is the chance to live in full expression and be celebrated for it.  They want to be a part of it, even if they don’t quite know what it is. This unpredicted, overwhelming interest led to the development a ticketing system that couldn’t handle the new demand. With Anusara, the complexities of teaching an Eastern philosophy to Westerners and merging business with the purity of yoga grew too great and now needs to be re-evaluated.

Whether a structure remains or dissolves and is reborn, growth will happen by embracing the truth that we’re all connected, not by maintaining dualism. The popularity of the two cultures themselves shows how dualism is no longer satisfying or productive and are only a couple of current examples of this shift.

jetter green

• Prana Flow Yoga, like Anusara, has roots in the non-dualistic Tantric philosophy. Shakti, the creative manifestation of consciousness is seen as the mirror that reflects and allows us to experience Shiva, pure consciousness. Put simply, there can be no light without darkness.

• Kundalini Yoga teaches that we’re moving into the age of Aquarius. Duality won’t work for much longer. Feminine energy is moving in to balance out the patriarchal energy that has been driving our society for so long. The first sutra for the Aquarian age offered by Yogi Bhajan: Recognize the other person is you.

•  The concept is being introduced into mainstream culture by films like “I AM”, where Tom Shadyac shares compelling scientific evidence that we’re all more connected than separate. 

• Homeschooling numbers are growing greatly, signaling deep issues with the traditional schooling structure... 

So, why is this truth so difficult to embrace?  Why do so many people feel personally betrayed and disconnected from their tribes? Even though the universe keeps showing us that separation won’t work and both Anusara and Burning Man essentially espouse the value of non-dualism, we all still have the conditioning of Westerners. We have the pressure to keep what Rumi calls the ‘open secret’. On the surface we are to appear flawless, always happy. No one is supposed to share their fears or sorrows. It follows then, if I’m to appear good, I can’t possess any bad and therefore must disassociate from anything bad or the cover will be blown. And then there’s the whole guru debate. Whether the guru tradition is imposed by yoga teachers or not, we practice yoga in a country that’s conditioned by schooling, by Hollywood. We’re directly and indirectly taught from a very young age to worship those who embody something we wish to have. We’re taught that teachers have some greater knowledge and once we obtain it, we’ll succeed. We learn that we don’t have all the answers inside and we must search outside for them.

Now what? Now it’s the responsibility of the individuals within the communities to rise up. Each individual chose to participate in those tribes because of a deeper connection to truth, beyond all else. And now, each person must decide how to maintain those values, either by staying within or choosing a new path. Whether one chooses to stay or move on, new roots won’t be built through separation. It won’t be built through elevating oneself above something that had maybe been put on a pedestal, whether that’s a person or Burning Man as an entity.  Otherwise, a similar crime will be perpetrated against the values one feels have been threatened.

Eckhart Tolle’s writings have helped me understand this clearly. He explains that the moment you get angry that others aren’t conscious, you’re identifying with the ego. It’s the ego that says it can’t be at peace because of someone else’s actions. To create an identity for itself the ego likes to separate itself, to achieve victory by elevating itself, by comparing, judging, blaming. This doesn’t mean not to acknowledge dysfunction or stay within it. “It means being the knowing rather than the reaction.” 

Burning man is intended to be a year-round culture, with the festival as a celebration of the way the community aims to live and share with the world throughout the year. No ticket debacle or as devastating as it may be, not attending, should threaten the devotion to bring the values into everyday life. Anusara is bigger than John Friend, and yoga is bigger than Anusara. To those who practice, they know the path of yoga is true and undying.

At Burning Man, the man and temple are built with unwavering devotion and love, by a community of people working together all year long. Then, they are burned to ashes only to begin all over again—  a symbol of the endless cycle of creation, connection and dissolution. This is yoga. This is spirituality [added 8/31]. This is our practice. 

michael holden

"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field.  I’ll meet you there."

"People are going back and forth across the doorsill where the two worlds touch. The door is round and open. Don’t go back to sleep" ~ Rumi

lavender moon two

favorite texts:

tao te ching- stephen mitchell version

bhagavad gita- easwaran translation

the heart of yoga- desikachar

be here now, paths to god & be love now- ram dass

8 human talents- gurmukh

the prophet- kahlil gibran

the gift- poems by hafiz

poems by rumi- so many, coleman barks translations

a new earth & practicing the power of now- eckhart tolle

shantaram- gregory david roberts

the journeys of socrates- dan milman

broken open- elizabeth lesser

lavender moon one

lavender moon is a blog i started last year. there was one entry and then life flowed in many other directions and even though i had lots of intentions to write more entries and wrote a bunch of them in my mind, i never managed to publish more than the entry below. i'm rebirthing it here and perhaps it will grow more fruitfully...

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

written March 20, 2011

i was inspired to start this blog by all of the amazing people who continue to ask me where and when i will be teaching yoga again- so, the answer to that question is: for now, here and now!...

in these entries, i'll be exploring themes like i do in my classes- only if you are interested in doing the hatha part of yoga, the physical practice, that will be up to you- which is perfect, because it's always up to you!...to establish right now, i am not a fan of capital letters, so they will be rarely used...i also won't be editing this- just as in class, i will begin with an intention and follow the flow of consciousness from there-

this is an important practice for me- one of my teachers-  since i am so used to writing research papers and needing to edit and reference everything, i can find myself even editing my personal journals sometimes- talk about judgment!

to explain the title of this blog- lavender moon: i was brainstorming (or soulstorming as my friend beth and i say- feel free to use it and share :-)) titles and looked down to the altar on my nightstand- right next to me was the card, lavender moon, from one of my oracle decks.  perfect!...when i reminded myself of the meaning of the card, i was surprised at how clearly it spoke to my intentions for this blog-

"by nature, seekers search for answers and truth.  we seek a closer relationship with the divine.  we are always looking for something.  there does come a point though...that we have to turn away from more knowledge and sift through what we've gathered...and measure it against our own soul...we all have our unique path.  it is up to us to find it...the lavender moon fairy is prepared for spiritual work...she desires illumination.  she wants her path to be revealed...she calmly and reverently asks for guidance as she begins her inward journey" *


one of the reasons i am not teaching as much right now is that i'm feeling called to immerse myself in svadyaya- self-study, a deeply important aspect of yoga- and one that has been highlighted in all of the trainings i have been to this year...in shiva rea's thesis, she describes svadyaya as:

'the basic foundation for embodiment...provides the method for becoming aware of interconnectedness of thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, feelings, images and insights that arise through the practice...objective witnessing of what's happening internally while doing asanas...notice habits of mind that draw awareness away from being present in the body'


in all of the trainings i have been blessed to attend this year, the message was similar- the need to connect with the deeper and holistic meaning of yoga, and that the real teacher is within and is what is reflected to you about yourself through the poses, not the poses themselves.

looking at this from the perspective of my role as a yoga teacher, it is helping me learn that the best way to teach is to embody the teachings myself; it doesn't really matter what order i do the poses or the music-  which has its own importance as artistic expression and creating an environment that helps people connect- but it's not the real teacher.

... it is my intention for this blog to offer you inspiration in developing your personal practice...i have talked to so many people about how difficult this is and i completely understand.  it took me a long time to evolve my personal practice to a point where i feel i can get as much or more out of it than going to a class, and there are still so many times that i will stare at my mat on my floor, knowing how good it will feel to practice and i just won't do it...thank you for inspiring me to continue to learn!...if there are any themes you'd like me to explore, or things you'd like to see on here that would help you- (questions, sequence ideas, mantras, etc.), please comment or write me privately...

i'll end this with a quote that tias little read in his workshop yesterday:

"not knowing how near the truth is, we seek it far away" - hakuin, the song of zazen


whether or not you are ready to start incorporating a personal practice into your life doesn't matter- don't let be one more thing you judge yourself for!- when you go to class and in every moment off the mat, you have a chance to practice listening to your inner teacher.  we seem to think that when we decide we want to make a change that we must transform our entire existence all at once, to become something different than we are- sound familiar?  something i always remember from gurmukh's book that helps me with this is that all we need to do is commit to changing in the next moment or day.  and then we can make the same commitment again the next day...'om namah shivaya' is a good mantra to help with this too- it calls upon your inner shiva, your highest truth.

namaste
  (i bow to and honor the place in you in which the entire universe dwells, which is of peace, love, truth, light and beauty- and when you are in that place in you and when i am in that place in me, we are in the same place)

- in honor of yoga swami and all of the beautiful people i met there who inspired me to share this- and anyone who may be reading this who doesn't know about yoga swami, here is a link to the video cyrus sutton's during our community activism: save the yogic yurt

*if you are interested in oracle decks, lavender moon is from destiny's portal ...if you liked the ones i used to bring to class, they are: goddess oracle and spirit of the wheel...i would recommend one of these as a first deck more than destiny's portal, because i think the themes are more accessible...

random fun stuff

Geocaching- Geocaching is so cool! I learned about it last year from a 6th grade boy who likes to search for caches and also hides many around his community.  Geocaching is a real-life treasure hunting game where you use a GPS system.  The caches are hidden all over the world and can be anything from small boxes with a log book or large containers with different kinds of objects or special coins.  Check out geocaching.com for more info.

Minecraft- I don't know much about this game, but I know a bunch of 5-8th grade boys who absolutely love it.  It's an online video game that offers a free downloadable version.  You can construct your own world out of cubes and then try to survive what the game throws at you.  Check it out if it sounds like something you'd be into.  Minecraft.net

Public Speaking Game- The goal is simple: discuss a topic for 1 minute without using "like", "um" or "uh".  You may choose one of the topics below, make one up, or for a challenge, have a family member write a topic for you that you only look at right before you start speaking.

- Some topic ideas: What would you do if you were home alone for the weekend?; What would be in your dream room?; If you could throw the best party you could imagine, what would it be like?; Describe the craziest dream you ever had; What would you do if you were stranded on an island? 

- If you want to practice your skills of speaking fluidly in front of a group, this may help.  You can time yourself and practice alone, in front of your family or with friends.  I always have fun playing and watching this game.  It's a lot harder than it seems-  I've failed in front of a class of people a couple of times before :-)  Practicing definitely helps, because you will start naturally coming up with strategies for achieving the goal.  If you make it past a minute, see how far you can go!

creative thinking

Mandala's Bookmarks & Beads- learn more

- Check out the list of bookmark project ideas as do as many of them as you like.

- Use the pictures of the bookmark to challenge your creativity and come up with as many ideas as you can that are somehow inspired by the bookmark.

- Would you like your own bookmark & bead? With parent permission, if you email me your address, I'll send you a bookmark and a bead based on your preferences

- Organize a bookmarks & beads party with your friends, family or at your school or community program.  Discuss your ideas with your parents and then email me for details

• Creative Thinking Projects- these 2 projects were co-created with students in past creative thinking classes I taught. They brainstormed the ideas for their project and came up with all of the questions:
- Design a hover car: Why and how does it hover?, How is it powered?, Speed capabilities?, Number of passengers it fits?, How high can it travel?, Interior and exterior design, Any special features?; experiment with any form you'd like as a visual representation of your hover car- a 3-D model, sculpture, painting, drawing, computer animation, etc.

- Create an underwater society: How will living underwater happen?, Are you on the ocean floor? Some other type of water?, Floating in something?, etc., How will people breathe, eat, get water, create fire?..., What is the society like? People, housing, education, jobs, transportation, recreation, food, clothing, climate?; Come up with a name for your society; Create some visual representation of the society (a map, model of a typical house, clothing design, oxygen system, etc.)

• Design a board game- Create a board game using your one of your favorite books or movies as the inspiration for the theme.  You get to design the board, the game pieces and make up the rules! As an extra challenge, try using all recycled materials to make your game.

• Make a Rube Goldberg Machine- Rube Goldberg was a cartoonist who drew elaborate machines that accomplished simple tasks and included all kinds of household objects as parts.  People of all ages, all over the world have been inspired to create machines like the ones in his cartoons.  Watch video examples of some Rube Goldberg machines on Mandala's youtube channel and visit the Rube Goldberg site for more information.

creative writing

Writing Prompts- Do you like creative writing, but sometimes have trouble coming up with ideas?  Choose one of these writing prompts to get your ideas flowing and help you think about writing from all different perspectives...

- Draw, imagine or gather objects that remind you of your 3 favorite memories.  Choose one or all of them as inspiration for a story.  A few examples: you can retell the events as an autobiography, change some of the details and turn it into a fiction piece, choose one part of the memory and create something completely new from it...

- Imagine you've received a mystery package in the mail.  You go up to your room to open it in private and...

- You've just learned that there's a society of people (or creatures...) living underneath your house.  Write the story describing how they live, who they are, how you found out...

- Write a letter to someone younger than you with some advice about important things you've learned about life

- Describe your favorite food and an experience of you eating it in as much detail as you can.  Try to use all of your senses as well as describing emotions

- Bring one of your favorite possessions to life: Imagine that it can think and talk.  What would it say?  What is its perspective of the world it shares with you?

- Imagine you're a film critic.  Write your opinion of the last movie you saw, whether you recommend it to others and why or why not.

- Re-write a scene from your life so it turns out a new way: an argument you could have avoided, something you missed because you were sick, a choice you would have made differently...

- Cross out the words in newspaper comic strips, comic books or children's picture books and write your own dialogue. Gocomics has a lot of free comic strips online that you can use.  I suggest experimenting with the difference in how your writing comes out if you read the original dialogue before crossing it out or not.  

- The next 3 exercises are adapted from a book I really like called, The Write-Brain Workbook by Bonnie Neubauer.  (If you decide to get the book- Some of the prompts are targeted towards older people, but it's possible to change around some of the details so you can relate to them better.)

-- Get 2 pencils or pens and practice writing with both hands at the same time.  To make it a little easier, you can start with the same phrase and write the same words with both hands. You can write about anything you like, or try something that starts with, "When I heard them call my name, I..."

-- Write a story or other piece of writing that starts with, "Like a fish, I spent my summer..."    without using any of these words: water, waves, pool, pond, ocean, liquid, wet, swim, lake, stream, drink, float

-- Weird Words: Use the words kalon, widdershins and schoenbatist WITHOUT looking up what they mean first, in a fantasy story where at least one of the characters has magic powers. (After you finish your story, check out the definitions of the words and lots of other cool, obscure words at luciferous logolepsy)

- Do you ever have trouble writing what you really want to write and how you want to write it? If you've ever gone to school or have had to write something for someone else, sometimes it can be hard to access writing using your true voice (the voice that's exactly how you want it to be).  Whenever I notice this happening to me or with students I work with, I use an exercise that often really helps:

Close your eyes, take a couple of breaths to clear your mind and then answer the question, Who in you life do you feel like you can most be yourself with? Whoever first popped into your mind, write to them.  Write him/her a letter describing a story you want to write, your day, or anything at all.  Chances are, the voice you use to write to this person will reflect an example of writing in your 'true voice'.  Remember this voice and write from there!           

things to do

Throughout my blog you'll find activities I've gathered along my journey as a teacher and student- some have been saved on crumpled notebook paper for years and in my memory, some are from books or the internet...some I've taught many times with all kinds of groups of people, some I've seen kids super passionate about and don't know much about myself, some I've made up or are inspired by my family...

Inspiration is everywhere- especially inside you!  Do you have a favorite activity that you think other kids may like too?  Send me your ideas and I'll post it to the site

I invite you to share stories of activities you do, pictures or videos of projects, writing examples, and whatever else you want to share that may inspire others to learn, create and have fun...

ENJOY!!

circles

• I chose this theme as a way of honoring the launch of my website- Mandala means circle in the ancient language of Sanskrit
• Across cultures, circles represent unity, wholeness, equality and completion
• Circles can be found everywhere in nature and inspire endless possibilities for learning

Activity ideas organized by Multiple Intelligences:

Spatial- make a collage or photo essay of pictures of circles around  your house and in nature; draw a page of blank circles and use your imagination to create a different picture out of each circle

Musical- write and sing songs inspired by circles; explore circular sound, such as the circular breathing needed for playing a didgeridoo; investigate- is there a reason why drums are usually circular?

Kinesthetic- explore circular movement in your body- rotate your joints, neck, torso, etc.; create a dance inspired by moving in circles; try hula hooping

Logical-Mathematical- research the geometry of circles- what is unique about the geometry of a circle that is different than other shapes?; explore circles and astronomy- the planets, sun, moon, their orbits; find out- what number does a circle represent? why?

Interpersonal- early learning- play group games that allow children to connect in a circle; explore differences in how people interact if they sit in a circle or rows; plan an event or fundraiser that is somehow inspired by circles

Intrapersonal- choose one of these journal prompts and spend some quiet time reflecting: write about your circle of friends or family- what do you love about them? what would you like to change?; write about a time when things came “full circle” for you- when you start out feeling one way, change a lot and then go back to how you felt in the first place- why do you think this happened?

Naturalistic- observe circles in nature- in flower petals, the rings inside a tree, the shape of the sun, moon and planets…; how do patterns of circles and spirals appear in nature?; create a log or picture book of what you see

Linguistic- investigate the history of the word ‘circle’, the word for circle in different languages, phrases and idioms with the word; write a creative story with a circle as the main character

Existential- research the symbolism of circles in different cultures and religious traditions; explore quotes on circles, mandalas, wholeness and unity- use them as inspiration for conversation, journaling or daydreaming about the deeper meaning behind circles

Taking time to connect: Reading this list to your children and creating conversation is a simple way to begin to understand more about their preferences and show them that you are interested in who they are as learners. Which ideas interest them the most? The least? Are there things you thought they’d like, but they don’t? Things they’re good at, but they don’t prefer?... 

learning about yoga

The philosophies of yoga promote: self-learning, self-expression, self-acceptance, positive relationships, compassion, commitment to service, leadership, honest communication, use of intuition to guide decisions and attention to the present moment The practice of yoga supports and enhances all aspects of learning. It allows people to experience knowledge through their bodies and incorporate learning through movement, breath and intuition, rather than solely from their mind and outer world.

Using Multiple Intelligences to introduce yoga to your children & teens:

• Approaching a topic from entry points of MI categories your children gravitate towards can help them become more engaged and to understand ideas in greater depth.
• Do you know which of the Multiple Intelligences your child is: strongest in, prefers, struggles with? 
• If not, you can use Mandala's Multiple Intelligences inventory to find out. 
• Mandala's Multiple Intelligences Inventory- pdf
• For more information about Multiple Intelligences, click here

Kinesthetic- All kinds of Hatha Yoga (the physical practice of yoga); learning through movement; make connections between the alignment of each pose and how they can help strengthen, balance and support different aspects of your life

Spatial- Explore Hatha Yoga through in-person or online classes so there is the opportunity to see the movements in action; learn about principles of yoga through documentaries, video clips, text that incorporates pictures 

Logical-Mathematical- Hatha styles of Iyengar and Ashtanga are more structured, alignment-focused forms that may appeal to learners who think sequentially; explore the different meanings behind the number 108 and why it is considered a powerful, spiritual number to some groups of yogis

Musical- Create a playlist or make your own music for a yoga/movement class for yourself or to enjoy with family & friends; discover new styles of music, for example-- Kirtan singing in Sanskrit, MC Yogi shares yoga philosophy through hip-hop and rap-inspired music;  Instruments-- the sitar, harmonium, hang drum; find a local class that offers live music

Interpersonal- Explore yoga through a group class experience; try partner poses- here's a cool video from Jodi Komotor of Next Generation Yoga: click here; attend a yoga festival or conference that has kid's and teen's offerings

Intrapersonal- Learn about and practice meditation; start a journal to help explore feelings, emotions, relationships and to gather your dreams, fears, doubts, hope...

Existential- Explore the different philosophies and principles of yoga through discussion, journaling, research-- you can start here by visiting the mandala teens blog; watch the documentary 'I AM' and Titans of Yoga-- for more info and notes, read the blogs carly's notess #1 & #2

Naturalistic- Practice yoga outside!; discover patterns in nature that are reflected in the yoga poses you learn and movement you make in your own body; participate in the Yoga Energy Activist movement; check out the Green Yoga Association and find out how you can get involved

Linguistic- Learn about the ancient language of Sanskrit-- the roots, symbolism, history; explore yoga concepts through different writings-- stories, poetry, interviews with yoga teachers  

More Resources:

• Mandala Teens Blog-  A place for teens to learn about yoga, find video practices, meditations, journal ideas, crafts, group forums, blogs...

• The documentary Titans of Yoga provides an excellent introduction to the deeper meanings of yoga in an accessible way. Check out the carly's notes blog for more information and a learning guide to use with your teen as you watch the film. 

service learning

• Acts of service can facilitate the realization of how one's talents and gifts can be used to help others and create change in the community and in one's self
• Service learning is connected to Mandala's Leadership domain and supports many areas of learning: leading through example, sharing your voice, taking peaceful action for what you believe in, using individual strengths to support group needs and contribute to a common goal and acting with others in mind
• Service includes: volunteer work, acts of kindness towards everyone you come in contact with, attention to improving personal relationships, your relationship with yourself and following your dreams...
• It also can be especially helpful for individuals who could benefit from a new perspective and whose personal struggles are obstacles towards actively engaging with others and the environment- it gets you out of your own mind!

• For inspiration, visit the service & leadership playlist on Mandala's YouTube channel

Ideas by Learning Style:

Kinesthetic- Have a dance marathon, a sports event, a walk-a-thon or obstacle course fundraiser; dance together in a park and invite others to join in the fun- getting people to smile and release their cares through movement is a quick and easy way to spread kindness

Visual/Spatial- Watch some of the videos in the service & leadership playlist for inspiration to get started; create artwork to sell to family and friends and donate the proceeds to charity.

Auditory/Musical- Use music as an entry point into helping spark the spirit of service. Check out the website: forthesender for some beginning inspiration. The songwriters and musicians create songs from people's letters of hope, tragedy and triumph and donate a portion of the proceeds to a charity of the sender's choice. The concept and the letters themselves provide many ideas for acts of service.

Interpersonal- Invite a group of friends over to collaborate on an awareness or fundraiser event; Do secret favors for family, friends and neighbors; Visit children who are in the hospital or people in nursing homes; Plan a flash activism event- It doesn't take a lot of time or resources to help others.  All it takes is creativity, passion and action.  Come up with an idea for a quick and easy way that you can raise money or awareness for a cause you care about.  Put your idea into action and Mandala will donate a percentage of what you make to your chosen cause. Read my blog about the Flash Activism Project to learn more. 

Intrapersonal- Gather your thoughts and ideas in a journal entry and use them to discover the best ways to serve others; use your sensitivity to others' feelings to come up with a way to help others learn the same, such as helping reduce bullying in school.

Linguistic/Read-Write- Write letters to children who have life-threatening illnesses- check out sendkidstheworld for information; write letters to your town council about ideas for improvement in your community; start a blog to share your ideas and acts of service to inspire others to start their own

Logical-Math/Sequential- Conduct a survey of people in your school or community to research opinions about what changes people would like to see, what causes are important to people, or what kinds of things make them happy. Translate your findings into an idea for a service project.

Consider how you can help these deserving organizations...

Stand Up for Kids- mission: ending the cycle of youth homelessness

Jenna Drunk Center- main programs are teen girls' leadership and helping bereaving families

Dream Street Foundation- camp experiences for children with life-threatening illnesses

Brittany's Hope- helping children worldwide through a variety of different projects

Create Now- helps at-risk youth in Southern California through arts mentoring

Kids' Turn- provides support services to children and parents going through divorce and separations

*If there's a non-profit that inspires you and you'd like me to add it, please email me!: carly@mandalalearning.com *

Quotes:

- The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others 

- Be the change you wish to see in the world
~ Gandhi

- Strive constantly to serve the welfare of the world

- What one outstanding person does, others will try to do. The standards such people create will be followed by the whole world

- They live in wisdom who see themselves in all and all in them
~ Bhagavad Gita (Easwaran translation)

- Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity

- Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care, for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill 
~ Buddha

- Life's most urgent question is: What are you doing for others? ~ MLK jr.

bookmarks & beads

The Mandala Bookmarks & Beads Project is a celebration of creativity and imagination!

Bookmarks:

The challenge- 500 activities inspired by this bookmark

The idea started when I was looking for a fun way to introduce my new learning approach to the community. When I found these bookmarks that also included herbs you could plant and grow, I started to imagine all of the potential that existed inside a seemingly little piece of paper. I collaborated with my friend Jett Green and he created the design of the bookmark to provide you with even more creative inspiration. One of the definitions of creativity is being able to imagine new possibilities from something familiar. I’m confident that if we all work together, we can come up with at least 500 activities that use this bookmark as it’s beginning inspiration. What do you think?

I started our list with 25 ideas: Try one or more of these activities, use them as inspiration to create your own and challenge yourself to come up with (and do) as many ideas as you can!

Check out the list so far!

          

Beads:

This part of the project began when I was visiting my mom and discovered containers filled with glass beads hiding in her art supply closet.  Since she’s moved onto another form of jewelry-making, she no longer had a use for the hundreds of beautiful, lampwork beads she had made.  I was determined to find something to do with her creations and I brought them back home with me.  I started by using them in crafts and giving them out as gifts, choosing beads for friends that reminded me of their style and spirit.  What inspired me most to bring this project into the community was watching the excitement and creativity that emerged when children had the chance to choose their own bead.  It’s fun to see how people are drawn to different colors, shapes and textures of the beads. Each bead is so different and inspires a variety of ideas for how to use it.  Beads have already been used by Mandala students as: hair decoration, good luck charms, and scavenger hunt treasure. What will you do with your bead?

The Challenge: Do something creative with your bead, by using it in an unexpected, innovative way.  Then, send a picture, a video clip, write the story of your bead’s life since you’ve had it...share your experience in any way you’d like.  With your permission, I’ll post your idea on Mandala’s website, so your creativity can help inspire others!

Ways to join the Bookmarks & Beads Project:

1. Participate in an event during the Bookmarks & Beads Tour- Mandala will be visiting school classes, clubs and groups around the community.  Along with the bookmarks and beads, I bring mini clay pots for kids to decorate and plant their herbs. Contact me if you’d like Mandala to visit you.
2. Attend a class or workshop
3. Email me and let me know your favorite colors and a little bit about yourself and I will send you a bead- you won’t be able to choose your own this way, but you will receive a fun surprise.
4. Sign up for the newsletter to receive updates on dates and times Mandala will be out in the community giving out beads to happy children (& adults)!

flash activism

The concept is simple: 

• Passion- What do you care about enough to drive you to take action to help create change & bring awareness? 
• Creativity- How can you use your gifts to create a fun event to share with others? An idea that comes from your heart won't take a lot of time to plan!  Challenge yourself to use available & local resources to develop your idea. 
• 1 day or less to Act- The event can be 15 minutes, a few hours, up to 1 day. Publicize your event within 24 hours of its taking place. 
• Share your story- Send a video clip or pictures and the story of your event to be posted to the YouTube channel and post on Flash Activism Facebook page. Spread your passion and motivate others to start a flash activism project..pages coming soon- contact me for more information
• Inspire Change

• Beginning inspiration: My cat Bhakti hangs out at Beacon's Beach every day and has become very popular. I've heard many stories from his admirers about him greeting them on the path or letting them pick him up.  I noticed how much joy he brought to everyone, so I thought to make postcards of him to give out. Taking the idea a little further, I decided this would be a good opportunity for a simple fundraiser- I could sell the postcards and donate the money to a local animal shelter.  I was activated by how possible it is to make a difference with little time and resources and the flash activism idea grew from there...many other things inspired the rest of the idea to unfold- blog coming soon...
• Become a flash activist!! 
  How will you put your passion into action? Email your story, a video, pictures to add to the site and inspire others

* After developing this concept and thinking I came up with a brilliant name, I learned that the term flash activists is already being used to describe people who use social media tools to organize groups of people to gather at events and express their views, fight for a cause, raise funds...so, to whoever coined it, great idea!

                             

1st Flash Activism Event: Bhakti the Beach Cat Fundraiser @ Beacon's Beach, Leucadia, CA

• We sold postcards of my cat Bhakti hanging out at the beach, at Beacon's Beach in Leucadia. 100% of the profits will be donated to the Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe.  We didn't reach our goal at the event, but it was a success!  We'll find more creative ways to sell the rest of the cards at future flash activism events- join us next time!...