In fact Carri has walked the entire Appalachian Trail, walked 37 miles in Toronto for breast and ovarian cancer research, has run the Philadelphia Marathon, and walked the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure, a 60-mile endeavor. Now, she is proposing to the Oprah Winfrey Network to walk in all 14 Susan G. Komen 3-Days as a representative of OWN for a total of 840 miles!

Check out her video and let’s support Carri in her quest!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Within the next couple of years Carri will climb Kilimanjaro and walk the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage: a 485-mile journey through Northern Spain. See what she’s up to next at www.vicarriousadventures.com

In this Yoga Alliance certified 200-hr program, you will not only learn the fundamentals of teaching yoga, you will also travel to Nepal as part of your service project. The program will run from March 23rd – October 21st, and will be led by Brittany Policastro and Maura Manzo. Learn more about the service project in Nepal below from the training website:

Beyond Asana: Service Project

Raise $5,000 and Travel to Nepal to help Build a School!

At Beyond Asana we believe that the experience of engaging in a project of service can be life changing. Both Maura and Brittany have extensive experience in fundraising and humanitarian travel. These experiences have transformed their lives and offered insight into their purpose on this planet. Every student that participates in this 200 hour training will automatically be involved in this service project with buildOn.

About buildOn

buildOn’s Global School Construction Program provides rural communities in developing nations across the globe with access to education. They break ground on a new school every six days with the help of U.S. afterschool program members, donors and parents who have provided over 700,000 volunteer work days to build schools for their children. Through a methodology that puts gender equality at the forefront and villagers in control, they provide not only schools, but the knowledge and the power to change entire communities.

About your Project

For the 2012 teacher training, students will be raising funds to build a school in Nepal. With the support and guidance of Brittany and Maura, each participant will raise $5,000 for the project and will have the duration of the teacher training to do so. Upon completion of the training our group will travel to Nepal to help break ground on the school we raised the funds for.

Each weekend time will be spent on your fundraising efforts, discussing your progress, answering any questions and supporting you in this process. We will create a steady foundation within the training to help keep your efforts sustainable and focused in order to achieve the goal of raising the $5,000. Support will also be provided by the experienced staff at buildOn.

The money you raise goes ENTIRELY to this project. Approximately $3,000 will go directly to the help build the school and the other $2,000 will pay for your flight and accommodations while in Nepal. Participants will be paired up and living with a host family for the duration of your 10 day stay. Every day there will be time to practice yoga, work in the village and process the experience.  All meals and activities are included. The purpose of this trip is to allow you to connect with the product of your fundraising efforts, to experience life in a poverty stricken area and to be a part of creating sustainable education for the inhabitants of this land. As a result you will strengthen your interpersonal and communication skills, become engaged in a project that connects local and global communities and embark on a once and a lifetime travel experience.

Click here to Learn more about the project and to register for the teacher training today!

From her Every Mother Counts website she says, “I hope that by bringing people together through the universal experience of birth, we can help create a mainstream maternal health movement that ensures the lives and well-being of mothers worldwide, for generations to come.”

I surround myself with people who live a life I admire and who lead by example. Enter Christy Turlington.

She is a divine source of inspiration and love for me and I hope that you will perhaps get to know her in a new light as well as learning about Every Mother Counts.

Check out our interview below:

Jennifer Pastiloff: What are you the most proud to have Manifested in your life?

Christy Turlington: My family.

Jennifer Pastiloff: What was the most challenging aspect of making your inspiring short film ” No Woman, No Cry?” The most inspiring? Where can we see the film?

Christy Turlington: “No Woman, No Cry” is a feature length film. I decided to make this film after visiting an inspiring maternal health partnership in Peru in 2007 where they brought down maternal death in half in five years using really low cost solutions in low resource settings. Oce I saw how they were able to do this, I knew it was possible to make a bigger impact in other parts of the world. My film is the result of a personal journey which started after I delivered my daughter Grace and experienced a childbirth related complication that often leads to death. The movie premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2010 and made its television debut on the Oprah Winfrey Network last Mother’s Day. It is now available on dvd too, as of last week, on everymothercounts.org.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jennifer Pastiloff: I am fascinated by your commitment to maternal health. How was Every Mother Counts manifested into being? What was it that said to you ” This is what I must do. This is my calling.” How was EMC born?

Christy Turlington: As we were finalizing the documentary it became clear that we needed a place to direct audiences who felt inspired to want to engage on this issue. Every Mother Counts is a global advocacy and mobilization campaign to educate and support maternal mortality reduction. We wanted to build a community and provide resources to people who wanted to take action on behalf of moms around the world.

Jennifer Pastiloff: What is the greatest lesson you have learned from your children?

Christy Turlington: My children are my greatest teachers. I learn from them daily. My daughter often reminds me that I only HAVE to do something when I really WANT to.

Jennifer Pastiloff: We all know that you are a yogi. What I love most about you is that you are not simply ‘doing’ yoga on the mat but you are a LIVING example of what yoga is. Of seva, of giving back. You are Being yoga rather than doing yoga. I know that you truly live your yoga daily, but do you still practice yoga regularly on the mat?

Christy Turlington: I practice asanas a few times a week these days. But I practice seva every day.

Jennifer Pastiloff: My father died when I was 8 and he was 38. He smoked 4 packs of cigarettes a day. It devastated me. I was very moved by your passion to hep the cessation of smoking after your father’s death and by your obvious closeness to him. If he was sitting here with us now, what would say to him?

Christy Turlington: I lost my dad almost 15 years ago now. He never met my husband or my children so I’d probably start with an introduction. There is so much I’d want to share with my dad, though I do share everything with him always.

Jennifer Pastiloff: My nephew has a rare genetic disorder called Prader Willi Syndrome, which I am doing my very best to raise awareness and funds for research for. I know the more successful I get, the easier it will be for me to spread my message and to give back. I was able to get a sound bite aboutPrader Willi Syndrome in The Good Morning America segment I just filmed which thrilled me to no end (airing 12/26). It seems that you use your celebrity in such a profoundly positive way. You get messages out there that wouldn’t normally get out there. If there was one message you could convey to the world right now, what would it be?

Christy Turlington: The trouble is there are just so many issues and messages. The world is a very crowded place, figuratively AND literally. I wish there was a way for every cause to get equal attention but that doesn’t seem likely. All I know is that sharing an experience can be a powerful way to connect with other human beings and by practicing mindfulness and compassion we can make this world a place we’d choose to live in again.

Jennifer Pastiloff: I have a list of rules. A few of them are ” you must sing. out loud. even if badly.” ” do yoga.” ” have a sense of humor especially when it comes to yourself.” ” Forgive yourself for not being perfect, no such thing.” ” find things to be in awe of” What would one of Christy’s “rules” be?

Christy Turlington:

Sleep deeply

Laugh deeply

Love deeply

Feel deeply

Give deeply

Jennifer Pastiloff: Who are you most inspired by?

Christy Turlington: I am endlessly inspired by all of the women I meet when I travel around the world for my advocacy work.

Off the Mat NYC is partnering up with The Somaly Mam Foundation (www.somaly.org) to create a global yoga month in January 2012 to raise awareness and funding to help bring an end to sex trafficking.

Yoga Freedom Project

Tuesday, January 31st | Tweleve21: 12 West 21st St. New York, NY | 6:30pm – 9:30pm

Somaly Mam is a survivor of sex slavery who has dedicated her life to saving victims and empowering survivors of sex trafficking. Money raised during this month will go back to the Somaly Mam Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the eradication of sex trafficking and modern-day slavery and the empowerment of its survivors. SMF supports victim services, empowerment programs such as job skills and education, and advocacy and awareness campaigns.

This global initiative will culminate in an inspirational Yoga for Freedom practice led by NYC’s leading yoga teachers; Elena Brower, Dana Flynn, Alan Finger, Sri Dharma Mittra, Cyndi Lee, Tricia Donegan, Sierra Bender, Jodie Rufty, and Suzanne Sterling.  The evening will be a celebration of the yoga community’s commitment to the eradication of sex trafficking. Don’t miss this opportunity to unite for freedom with the NYC yoga community!

Click here to purchase your tickets today!

A couple of bucks for the bell ringers, some cans of food for the office drive, a new toy for a child in need, and that end-of-the-year thank you gift for teachers, your letter carrier and the UPS man. All of the giving almost makes up for the mass commercialization that tells us all to spend gobs and ask for a lot of “stuff.” What if we redirected our attention always from the “material stuff” that we want but don’t need and focused our giving efforts year round?

You’ve likely heard the quote by Mahatma Gandhi “We must be the change we want to see in the world.” You might even have the t-shirt. He was a true karma yogi. Karma loosely means action, or duty. Karma Yoga is a spiritual discipline based upon unselfish performance of duty without seeking anything in return or being attached to any outcome. This was Mr. Gandhi’s yoga. He gave-and-gave-and-gave without a thought of what he’d get in return. He did this for most of his life. If he were alive today, he’d give year round. Perhaps we should all take a page from the Mahatma’s giving book.

The average person wastes huge amounts of energy on useless petty arguments, heated discussions about nothing and defending their point of view. That can zap your mental and physical energy and make you feel like you don’t have time for giving. Even if you desire to get behind a good cause, you have no energy left for that work for the greater good to be done. Asana (the physical postures) and meditation can help you find greater clarity, but maybe there’s more.

Gandhi, through the tireless practice of karma yoga, along with other forms of yoga including bhakti and kriya yoga, was able to clear his mind. His mind was on the task at hand, (in a nutshell) bringing fair treatment to the people of India. Gandhi was a perfect example of a man who accomplished great things peacefully and sought no reward. Gandhi saw everything he took on as part of the divine process of the universe.

So to all who practice and teach yoga this is a CALL TO ACTION to move past just the physical discipline and get out there and change some lives. Gandhi was an example of a human being who accomplished great things. If we all follow his lead who knows what we can do for the good of human kind. We just have to get out of our own way and get to work. The possibilities for positive change in our world are infinite.

In the Talmud it says “Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire.” So, if you don’t know where to begin, here are some suggestions for you to get started volunteering:

-Amnesty International

-ASPCA

-Big Brothers Big Sisterster

-Habitat for Humanity

How would you like to get 4 yoga classes/month for only $12.95 while helping to raise money for animals in need? Sounds pretty good, huh? Here’s the deal – every single penny that Alanna earns by new subscriptions to her podcasts in the month of December will go directly to the ASPCA – her goal is to get 300 new subscribers, and donate $3,000!

Check out all the details below from Alanna’s website:

A Message from Alanna…

One of the many ways we can continue to cultivate gratitude is by giving things away – our practice, kindness to strangers and spare change to those in need.

Recently, I read How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie and in it he talks about the one being on the planet that doesn’t have to work for a living – the dog. The dog creates happiness in others and that’s why we endlessly support these fantastic four legged friends. If you’ve ever come home to a smiling, panting face and a wagging tail, you understand the magic of how unconditional love paves the way for all things. My own little furry friend, Roxy, has taught me endless lessons about the power of love over the last two years, and she’s inspired the Podcast for Puppies drive.

Last year was the inaugural year for Podcasts for Puppies. We raised $750 for the ASPCA, but I think we can do better. Our original goal of $3000 still stands, and it can only be reached with your help! Every penny earned through my podcasts for the month of December will go to the ASPCA. If you’re a regular subscriber, your subscription will already go to the cause. But, in order to reach $3000, we need 300 subscribers!

Commit to your practice. Commit to giving it away, too. This is a win-win opportunity. When you subscribe to the Podcast in December, it goes to 2 good causes – your yoga practice and the puppies (and kitties, too!). Tell your friends and fellow yogis and lets create common cause together to support the furry friends who endlessly, without question or judgement, always support us.

Stay tuned for a count on how we’re progressing toward our goal. Remember – every subscription helps… you and the puppies!

Click here to learn more and to sign up today!

I AM. is currently running a Kickstarter Campaign which ends on November 22nd. It only takes a minute to help out a great cause. More info below:

About I AM

I AM. is a yoga-inspired company that develops commercial solutions to social problems.

I AM. is a yoga-inspired venture in creative capitalism. Drawing guidance from what the co- founders most value about yoga: interconnectedness, I AM. develops commercial solutions to social problems. It’s inaugural endeavor, Soulwears, is a line of yoga bags & straps that will help Mayan weavers earn a self-determined living wage and fund local infrastructure projects. I AM. is running a 6 week Kickstarter campaign from October 11 through November 22, 2011, to raise the funds necessary to begin production for their Soulwears line of product and make I AM. a reality.

The I AM Story

I AM. co-founders Will Baxter, a financial advisor from Australia, and Nadja Vormann, a fashion designer from Germany, met at a yoga-teacher training-course in Lago de Atitlán, Guatemala. Af- ter Will read Muhammad Yunus’s book about social business and the future of capitalism, “Creat- ing a World Without Poverty,” he and Nadja discussed creating a business that would alleviate poverty by channeling consumer choice.

With his background in finance and Nadja’s background in design, the two saw an opportunity in their immediate environment: creating a sustainable economy for the area’s impoverished weav- ers. Hence was born I AM., a yoga-inspired business model that uses its supply chain to provide employment opportunities in unemployable areas.

The first project in the I AM. Artisan model is Soulwears, a business endeavor to help Mayan weavers earn a self-determined living wage and fund infrastructure projects in their municipali- ties. Specifically, Soulwears engages the women at a higher-than-average wage to handcraft tex- tiles for yoga bags and straps that Soulwears will design, manufacture and sell. Half of the profits from sales will then be funneled back into community projects in the weavers’ villages.

Both I AM. and Soulwears have received widespread praise and endorsement from the yoga community and even caught the eye of spiritual leader and New York Times bestselling author Eckhart Tolle, who participated in the company’s promotional campaign with a photo of himself holding up the word ‘stillness,’ one of I AM.’s seven founding values.

Check out the video below to learn more:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to donate to the I AM Idea’s Kickstarter Campaign!

Click here to visit the I AM Idea website today!

We couldn’t agree more, check out the full article below:

Click here for more from LA Yoga Magazine

In cities nationwide, large, free yoga classes are being held to celebrate the fundraising efforts of individuals who have raised money for the Yoga Aid charity of their choice!

After an incredible turnout, lots of hard work, love and support, last year’s Yoga Aid Challenge in the US raised over $100,000! This year, we’re at it again and hoping to surpass last year’s numbers!  Flagship events are being taught by some of the world’s most renowned teachers, including Seane Corn, Baron Baptiste and Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, in addition to the many more local and community driven events across the country.  The Yoga Aid Challenge has the dual focus of bringing the yoga community together and raising funds for charity. In the past five years, the Yoga Aid Challenge has raised over one million dollars for more than twenty-five worldwide charity partners in 12 countries.

Yoga Aid, an Australian based company, has gotten the attention and involvement of some of the most respected and influential yogis who are joining the call to action, combining yoga with making a difference.  American events are the latest in a wave of hundreds of Yoga Aid Challenges across the world, where global yoga communities join together to give to others. Each event is lead by a series of local teachers, allowing participants to experience a range of different styles in a celebratory atmosphere. As Mayumi Staley, Yoga Aid’s Charity Director put it, “The Yoga Aid Challenge builds upon the essence of yoga; allowing the practitioner to exercise yogic philosophies by putting them into action through giving.”

This year’s fundraising efforts support: Africa Yoga Project, Headstand, The Art of Yoga Project, 4OneWorld and 305 Spiritual Gangsters; local and international non-profits, dedicated to changing the lives of those in need.

You can get in on the fun right away by downloading MC Yogi’s Good Karma, a song composed and recorded exclusively for the 2011 Yoga Aid Challenge, free at YogaAid.com.

For information on how to sponsor an event in your town, donate, fundraise or attend an existing event, visit www.yogaaid.com/usa or email Yoga Aid’s American Ambassador, Kasey Luber, at kasey@yogaaid.com

Join Kay Kay Clivio and Amanda Murdock at Pure Yoga NYC for Pose for Pink: A Breast Cancer Awareness Class benefitting the Libby Ross Breast Cancer Foundation Pose for Pink Yoga Program. The class is sponsored by Zobha, and each participant will receive a fabulous Zobha top!

Pose for Pink

Sunday, October 23rd | 1:30pm – 3pm | Pure East

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Pure Yoga and Zobha invite you to a special open level class to benefit the Libby Ross Breast Cancer Foundation Pose for Pink Yoga Program. All attendees will receive a limited edition Zobha Breast Cancer tank. Led by Pure instructor and Zobha Circle of Grace member, Kay Kay Clivio The suggested donation is $40. (checks can be made payable to “The Libby Ross Foundation”). All proceeds will benefit the expansion of the Libby Ross Pose for Pink Yoga program.

About the Libby Ross Foundation Pose for Pink Yoga Program

From the website:

The Foundation offers free weekly yoga classes, free quarterly extended weekend classes and three-day yoga retreats. The yoga program gives participants an opportunity to take gentle, restorative Hatha yoga classes and participate in workshops and retreats to connect with other women who have had or are going through cancer and treatment.

For women after surgery, the entire upper body needs to be strengthened and stretched. Yoga postures help to break down scar tissue, build strength, and increase flexibility. Research studies have been done on breast cancer patients, and there are many specific yoga exercises designed to meet the needs of a postoperative or recovering breast cancer survivor.

These postures, as well as deep breathing exercises, are emphasized in the Foundation’s yoga program. Deep breathing is another key element in the healing process. Breathing helps to oxygenate the cells and assists the body-mind connection by serving as the link between the two. Studies show that regular practice of breathing exercises increases energy levels creates a more positive attitude and helps to open the body from the inside out.

The restorative and healing power of yoga is well known. Through movement and breathing techniques, the yoga program empowers women to get back in touch with their bodies after radiation, chemotherapy, or surgery. In addition, experts in Ayurvedic skin care and nutrition share their knowledge to help in the healing of women experiencing the side effects of cancer treatments. The retreats provide a unique venue for sharing, learning and bonding among the women who have all experienced the effects of cancer.

Click here to register today!

Click here to learn more about the Libby Ross Foundation, and how you can help!

See the flyer below for more information:

Click here to visit Yoga Vida NYC’s website today!

Hey Seane, thanks for taking the time to talk to today. I know it’s Yogis for Haiti Day, which is very cool. How are you spending the day?
Well its funny actually just when you called I was about to post some more information online about it to encourage as many people to get involved as possible and continue to raise awareness. This is going to be the launch of Off The Mat, Into The World’seffort to support the continuing efforts in Haiti with our Seva challenge for this year so we are really excited just to get the message out and to encourage people to want to continue getting involved because unfortunately when there are crisis they become the “effort du jour”, people rally around it and get really excited but what happens next year and the year after that? There are still millions of displaced people as a result and we want to continue supporting the organizations.

What is OTM’s New Year’s resolution for 2011? Or what’s yours?
At the end of every year we get together, the six of us, and we talk about what worked and what didn’t. We discuss things that we need to work on on an individual personal level and within the organization to reinforce some of our ideals, check in on areas that we feel like we compromised or that were not in alignment with ideals, and make new commitments to ourselves and to each other to be even more in integrity. This year, we want to focus on placing trust in this process and the work that we are doing. Off The Mat, Into The World is bigger than the six of us, and it’s our job to stay in integrity, be organized around this, and be completely on board as we do this important work. At the same time, we have to allow this (OTM) to grow beyond what our vision is. To have faith and trust in that process and be organized in our work, without burning ourselves out. To continue to find more sustainable ways to be involved in our communities, without forgetting to nourish ourselves.

What yoga pose or position most inspires your seva?
There isn’t a pose or yogic action that inspires me, but I have three non-negotiables every day and those are yoga, a healthy diet, and prayer.

You’ve done incredible things in Uganda working with children and families, and making strides in the movement to spread awareness of the HIV/AIDS crisis and provide care for patients. With all that the people of Uganda, particularly children and particularly in the bush, have to fear socially and politically, did you find it challenging to focus their community attention on health?
We do teach yoga, but that’s not what we’re there for. Mostly we use it as a tool for relationship and community and to break down any division between us and them. When you go into these environments, they need food and shelter… those priorities must come before learning how to meditate or do a great trikonasana. It’s all about what the needs of the community are, but if there is a cultural gap, then yoga, like dance or music, help to bridge that gap. We go in there and play, and that’s how we offer yoga. First they need to eat, survive, and eventually get to meditation.

With all the hard work you did, did you get a chance to connect with the people you worked with spiritually?
Yes, definitely. In Cambodia and especially in Uganda, I don’t know what it is, something about the spirit of the culture or the individuals… but we would go in and in such a short amount of time, there would be such a welcoming from the community. We’d be getting kisses from the moms, and playing with the kids, swinging their babies. And nothing helped us connect like music and dancing. There’s always a little cautiousness from both sides, you know, they aren’t sure what we’re going to do there, but Suzanne would whip out her drum and music would bring everybody together. Music is such a way of uplifting spirits and souls and telling stories, and it brought us all together.

Speaking of your connection to music…Michael Franti is booked to play Wanderlust Festival in VT and in Tahoe. I know you guys have performed together before. What is it about Michael’s music that you connect to and how does it expand your yoga practice?
Michael’s music is steeped in relationship and consciousness. It spreads a message about unification and peace, and he’s not afraid to put a melody onto words that are politically provocative or spiritually motivated, and he doesn’t separate the two. His music is thought-provoking and fun, and he as a human being is very committed to wanting to engage in a conversation, to rally the troupes and get people excited about creating social and political change. Michael wants to use his gift as a way to express change and encourage people to want to be leaders in their own communities. He’s a stellar musician but also a first rate humanitarian who isn’t afraid to connect peace, love, and truth with harmony and to make it something that is accessible.

You have studied with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, Barbara Soloman and Mona Miller… incredible spiritual leaders. With such a list of teachers to follow, how did you carve out your own path to become the leader you are today?
I have been really fortunate to work with teachers who have inspired individuality and self-responsibility. The people that I work with have encouraged me, if not forced me, to look at my own shadow and learn to embrace all the different aspects of what it is to be a human being in the world today, both light and dark. They taught me that the more I can do the work on myself and on my life, the better I will be able to help either guide or support someone through their own process. The leaders I have worked with have taught me that I cannot have the arrogance to wait for someone else to make a difference and stand back idly. It is my job to be committed every single day of my life to help uplift, guide or support, my family, my community or my nation, and to use my platform to do so. They have let me know that my platform, my authority, is a privilege, and I cannot take it for granted. I have an opportunity to shift the attention off of me and put it on things that are vitally important. That would allow me to truly stand in my own power, support other people in developing theirs, without it becoming something that will create division. It’s about a shared experience.

Thank you very much for your time Seane!

Off The Mat, Into The World SF Bay Area Leader and Global Activist Lisa Rueff discusses her Haiti initiatives in this interview below.

Hey Lisa, thanks so much for making some time to connect with us and our community today. To get started, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hey Dan. My pleasure. I am a big fan of Wanderlust, and am honored and excited to be sharing with you. I’ve been teaching yoga for about 10 years now, and love to infuse my classes with inspiration, gratitude, and groovy tunes. I love international travel, and my yoga company offers world travel in magical places with an emphasis on philanthropy and giving back to the communities we visit. Currently, my focus has been on Haiti. In the past year, I have ventured down to Haiti on 4 different trips to volunteer and work with children in tented cities, orphanages and schools.   I am heading back down to Jacmel Haiti this June, in about 3 weeks, to begin construction of the Jacmel Children Center.  I will be bringing down 20 of my yoga students to help excavate and break ground. We are building a 3,200 square foot permanent children’s home and community center for children who are still living in tents, orphaned after the earthquake.  In the past year, I have poured my heart, soul and energy into making this dream of building the center a reality.  You can learn more about our fundraising efforts at www.collectiveheartsyoga.com and www.jacmelchildren.org.

Wow Lisa, that sounds amazing. You are really taking your yoga off the mat and putting it to good use. Speaking of which, can you tell us a little bit about your involvement and experiences with official Wanderlust Festival non-profit partner Off the Mat, Into The World?
Absolutely. I’ve been active in the Off The Mat community for over a year now. I attended two of their leadership trainings, and am whole-heartedly inspired by their organization.  I have deep respect and admiration for Seane, Hala and Suzanne, the Founders of Off The Mat.  Through these leadership trainings I attended, as well as wonderful yoga events like Wanderlust, I have gotten to spend quality time with the Off The Mat community. Last year at Wanderlust, we had an Off The Mat house that we shared, and they make sure to include everyone in their community. Kerri Kelly, Global Catalyst for Off The Mat, has been instrumental in submitting our proposal to Off The Mat, after learning about our initiative to build the Jacmel Children Center. About a month ago, I had the pleasure of joining Suzanne in Haiti, as she ventured there on a scouting trip for the Haiti Seva Challenge in 2012. Since I have been spending so much time in Jacmel in the past year, I was excited to show her the property where we are building the Children Center and introduce her to Bonite Affriany, the inspiration behind our cause. Bonite is a Haitian woman and a true community leader. She has a daily feeding program, in which she provides a hearty, healthy meal for over 275 children. She does this feeding program everyday.  Some of the children walk over an hour to receive this meal. Many of the children are still living in tents nearby, in challenging situations. Bonite also provides medical care, education and clothing to both the children and adults in her community and neighboring tented cities. After spending time with Bonite and witnessing the feeding program, and seeing our fundraising platform, Off The Mat has taken on our project as part of the Seva Challenge. We are thrilled, honored and excited to be part of the Seva Challenge for 2012.

As you know, we are offering the Wanderlust Yoga Aid Challenge, a special vinyasa class with Seane Corn and Michael Franti to raise money for OTM at both Wanderlust VT and CA.   With your project being one of OTM’s global seva projects, is anything you would like to say to motivate people to participate in the challenge and raise for OTM via The Wanderlust Festival?
I am so excited about the special vinyasa class with Seane and Michael. They are both so inspiring, and this will surely be a highlight of Wanderlust.  They held a yoga class together last year at the Fillmore, and it was one of the most meaningful and uplifting experiences. Between Seane’s empowering words, and Michael’s soulful music and storytelling, it was simply magical.   Michael just went down to Haiti last week, and I have a feeling he will weave in some personal stories of his Haiti experiences that will make the class even more heartfelt.   Besides being an incredibly fun and uplifting yoga session, all of the proceeds raised will benefit people all around the world.  The more I combine yoga with service-work, I understand the authenticity and power of practicing yoga “off the mat”.   Yoga helps us to strengthen, create more balance and flexibility within, so that we can lead a more fulfilling and purposeful life off of our mats.  Both Michael and Seane are spiritual activists and leaders that are waking people up every day with their words and their actions to what is truly important in life.  Living our life with integrity, compassion, and love.  I have spent a significant amount of time in Haiti this past year. I have seen first-hand the challenges, heartaches and pain that the Haitians have encountered, and still continue to do so.  Despite their challenges, the Haitians that I have worked with and will be building the Jacmel Children Center for exude faith, dedication, dignity and love.  To know that we will be on our yoga mats making a difference for the people in Haiti is all the more reason to attend the Seane-Michael yoga extravaganza.

Totally, thank you so much for your inspiring work and heartfelt dedication Lisa, we look forward to seeing you at Wanderlust in Vermont and California. Is their anything you’d like to say to our audience to close?
Yes – I went to Haiti to “help” the Haitian people. Little did I know that by bearing witness to their hardships, and to their resilience with open hearts, I would be the one to change.  My heart was cracked open to the strength of their faith and love of living.   The Haitian people exemplify gratitude, strength, and perseverance. Even after the heart-wrenching tragedies that wreaked havoc on their country, they continue to sing, dance, pray, and embody faith. Amidst so much heartache, the Haitians that I met were choosing to celebrate life, hope, and love.
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Lisa Rueff is a Bay Area yoga teacher popular for her ability to bring community together for fun and flowing yoga classes, as well as for fundraising events to benefit causes close to her heart. She started Yoga Ventures in order to take her life’s mission of community service to the next level. Through Yoga Ventures’ events she raises awareness and funds for local and international communities in need. As a vibrant and energetic teacher and community leader, she is passionate about inspiring, enriching, and nurturing others. Leading international yoga and service trips abroad, she encourages her students to discover the joys of philanthropy and volunteer work. She combines her love of international travel and yoga with short-term humanitarian trips, having a profound and sustainable impact on the global community.www.yogaventures.org

OTM Bay Area Leader and Global Activist, Lisa Rueff (participant in the Global Seva Challenge). Her project Jacmel Children’s Center is also being included in our on the ground Haiti efforts and will receive support (donation) from the Global Seva Challenge initaitive.

Hey Kerri! Tell us about Off The Mat, Into The World’s plans in 2011; we know you have some great stuff boiling.
Off the Mat, Into the World is a non-profit program committed to bridging yoga and activism. We believe in the power of yoga to transform individuals, communities and the world. The most exciting part for me has been in witnessing what happens when this yoga community comes together for change. We tested this theory in 2009 with the Global Seva Challenge Cambodia by challenging yogis to become leaders in mobilizing their communities around important humanitarian issues. Well they did. In our first year, our collective efforts raised over $500,000!!! Since then, we’ve raised almost 2 million for local and global initiatives through collaboration and action. This year, we’re rallying the community around Haiti to provide support and sustainable solutions for the people of Haiti.

You’re an athlete turned yogi…what inspired you to make that shift?
I’ve been a runner and athlete all my life. I turned to yoga in the 90s to put my body back together. What I didn’t expect is that it would take my life apart…in all the right ways. At first, I discovered a new way of being in my body, one that was more balanced and receptive. But as I got deeper into my practice, the yoga became something more – a resource, an outlet, a friend. After 9/11, it was my greatest healer. To this day, my practice and my life continues to grow and shift…and I just keep breathing and going with it.

You’re known as the Director of Possibility at OTM…what does that mean?
My personal purpose is to invest in the greatness of all beings…to support them in discovering their greatest potential. My role at Off the Mat, Into the World is similar – to support and elevate the impact the community and organization has on the world. I do everything from business development to community building to leadership coaching. I get really inspired by the intersection between yoga, innovation and service and the ways in which we are getting more effective, more impactful in our work as a community. I feel privileged to be a part of this organization and can’t wait to embrace the possibilities ahead.

Read more here at the Wanderlust Festival Blog.

Our friends and teachers, Brock and Krista Cahill, recently helped to launch this new Non-Profit Organization that just might change the way we live! More Info From Pluckfastic.org

What is Pluckfastic? A Definition

pluck.fas.tic [pluhk-fas-tik]

adjective

1. alternative to plastic conceived or appearing as if conceived by an unrestrained imagination; fun and creative alternatives to the single use plastics that pollute our ocean, beaches & bodies (e.g. a pluckfastic bag, bottle, fork, shampoo bar, straight razor).

2. extraordinarily good quality, made to get the job done then biodegrade, in reference to an alternative to disposable, toxic plastic.

3. an exclamation in response to someone using a reusable or biodegradable alternative to disposable, single-use plastic as in: “wow, that’s a pluckfastic refillable glass water bottle (or coffee mug or shopping bag or take-out container) with the pluckfastic.org sticker on it!” or “r u pluckfastic?”

Examples

Here are some things that are totally Pluckfastic:

Live Blue: Natura Refillable Glass Water Bottles

‘I’m not a plastic bag’ bag

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And Here are some things that are not:

Trash Hounds

Turtle Swallowing Trash

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Click here to visit the Pluckfastic Website and Learn More about How YOU Can Help!