Karma Yogi IV: March is for Women!

February was a celebration of Black History. Now we move from one aspect of who I am to another...Women's History! March is Women's History Month as well as National Women/Girls HIV/AIDS Day on March 10th. So let's do this Karma Yogi session with a little celebration and links for you to get into the spirit of celebrating Womanhood:

Let's not lie to ourselves and act like Michelle Obama is NOT history in the making! The first black First Lady of the United States? Come on now. It will start with her but it surely won't end with her.

If you are in Brooklyn, you can celebrate Women's History Month with First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum. If you are in NYC on Saturday and love Hip Hop, you can celebrate Women's History Month with this jam.

It's so crazy how much history was made in a couple of months! 100 year old Black women got to vote for and elect a black president. This may not seem like much to most but when your family has been slaves for the past 300 years, this is HUGE. Especially for those who have lived through slavery and segregation. Bless them!

Now let's move onto March 10th...

According to the HIV/AIDS Awareness Website:

In 2005, women represented 26 percent of new AIDS diagnoses, compared to only 11 percent of new AIDS cases reported in 1990. Most women are infected with HIV through heterosexual contact and injection drug use.

Women of color are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. AIDS is now the leading cause of death for Black women ages 25 to 34.

You can get involved in your area by clicking here. In NYC, from 3/6 - 3/13, Womens and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day will be celebrated here. If you can participate, please do.

Now, even though we are celebrating Women's History this month, I truly believe that in order to respect the past, we must use the lessons learned then for the future. With this in mind, I'm going to give you links to a couple of websites and blogs that I think are doing a great job in helping women in the present and for the future:

kiva.org --> Micro-lending at its finest. It allows you to loan to the working poor around the world. I don't know why but it works. I'm going to lend to someone in need by the end of the month. You can lend in increments of $25 or more.

International Women's Day is March 8th. You can help out not only by participating with kiva.org but also with seva.org. Seva means "service" in Sanskrit. Karma Yoga is based on seva and goes beyond that in regards to the manner in which you perform your service. According to the website,

Working in nine countries in addition to the United States, Seva Foundation supports projects in the area of health and wellness, community development, environmental protection and cultural preservation.

Working with children and parents in the United States, lend4health is a blog that does micro-lending to benefit those that need help with their health and wellness. Spawned from kiva.org, lend4health is currently helping out children and adults dealing with autism spectrum disorders. For more information, click here.

The last website that I'm going to talk about is called Off the Mat,Into the World. Created by Yogini Seane Corn, Hala Khouri, and Suzanne Sterling, OTM takes Yoga and Seva to new levels with their Humanitarian tours. For more information, please click here.

I think this is it for now...we need to celebrate women everyday - the past, the present, and the future. Women need to celebrate their bodies, their mindset, and what we do for this planet and humanity. No more of this "secondary but necessary" business. Once and for all, let women feel and rise up to the word equality. Respect from others can only come when we start to truly respect ourselves.

Until next time...stay strong, stay healthy, and fight dis-ease!

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Karma Yogi III: A New Way

It's Black History Month. A time when I should be especially proud, because my president is an African-American. Unfortunately, the NY Post (a local and "tabloid" type of newspaper) had other plans. Instead of celebrating Black History Month, they decided to offend countless New Yorkers (white and black) put putting up a racist seeming cartoon.

I'm not going to give the NY Post any shine by putting the cartoon up. They're not worth it. They want the drama and I refuse to give it to them. Google "NY Post" and "Monkey cartoon" to find out what it is.

I listened to both sides of the fence (and the space in between) - those who were outraged and wanted to do something about it, those who are outraged but find it doesn't make sense to do anything about it, and those who didn't see anything wrong with the cartoon. Through all of the opinions, I was searching for something that would not only uplift Black people but motivate them to do what's right - for themselves and the community.

The universe answered my prayers with this site: Black Friday Giving
When you go onto the site, click on the BlackFridayGiving.org link at the top of the page and select your interest (Charities, Organizations, Schools). After each post, there is a link to "Give." Click on that link to donate.

The owner of DryerBuzz.com, Yalanda Lattimore, who started this new way of giving, says that the site is constantly updated with "new graphics and widgets will be added as more organizations join this service."

This service has a lot of potential and I only ask that you support by checking the site out. The rest is up to you.  

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There is a huge movement in America to Go Green. A lot of people think it's a fad and some fear that all of the marketing done for going green would dampen the seriousness of the message. One organization that I think is making a huge impact, especially in NYC, is called Solar One. Their goal is to empower all people with the knowledge, vision, and resources needed to make our environment better and sustainable. They do this through education, "Green" Arts, and other outreach programs.

I love Solar One because they reach out to our future, the children. It's ok that us (adults) know about green and are doing our part now. The issue with going Green is not the now factor but the FUTURE factor. What are our children going to have when they grow up? What kind of earth will be left for them and will they even know how to save the Earth from the problems our ancestors (and ourselves) have caused?

it seems like Solar One is a step in the true Green direction.  

I was going to put up one more organization but I'm going to leave it here.

Until next time, stay strong, stay healthy, and fight dis-ease!

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Movements XI: Quick Updates

1. I'm going to start scheduling my Yoga classes soon. I'm going to teach at the Integral Yoga Institute as a sub (for now) and then I'm going to have classes in Brooklyn and in the Bronx, alternatively. More information to come.
2. I'm also going to update a couple of my old posts with newer information. I'll let you know when that happens and give you the links when they are completed.
3. I'm going to update as much as I can. It will mainly be Random Thoughts, Movements, and Karma Yogi posts until I get my schedule fully in tact. I'm also going to update my website with the latest information. If you would like to take a look at my website now, please click on the "Do Right Website" link at the right side of the header.
   
4. I'm going to setup a page on Facebook. This is going to take time and will not be a top priority at the moment. I'm just putting it out into the universe so that I can get it started (and hopefully, you can keep me to it).

That's it for now. There are times when we all need to be short but sweet. I'm about 5'4" so I think I fulfill the first requirement pretty well.  I'm still working on the other one.

Stay strong, stay healthy, and fight dis-ease!

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Karma Yogi II: Adoption in America

As I was thinking about what to write up for this Karma Yogi post, I started to think about celebrities and their adoption actions (besides, I was reading Perez Hilton at the time ). Brad and Angelina, Meg Ryan and countless other "stars" have opened up their hearts and homes to adopted children.

Unfortunately, these children were not from their native countries.

Please do not misunderstand me. I am all for helping children - regardless of where they come from. I am very aware that there are countries that are far worse off than (what used to be and will be again) "The Greatest Country in the World."

But that doesn't mean that we don't have our own problems and issues.

Another aspect of adoption is who will adopt. There are many same sex couples that are more than willing to adopt children. However, the notion of "mother/father" are ingrained in many a human being. People of the same sex who want to raise children and adopt them are often turned away for a fear that a child might turn out "gay" or may not be able to understand the concept of 'two mommies or two daddies.'

I know a couple of these couples who have told me that they would be more than willing to adopt children in their native country - the good ol' USA.

Children are homeless and abandoned in America. It's not just in the furthest reaches of the world. Just because child prostitution maybe huge in Bankok, that doesn't mean that the United States is free from it. It may just be at a smaller scale but still present here, nonetheless.

Can you tell that I think Adoption in America is not only important but necessary for future generations to thrive and be able to have stability in their lives?

The flip side of this is a phrase that I'm not a fan of. Being a New Yorker, I have rarely seen the success stories of Foster Children. It's rare that they find loving homes and even rarer that they get adopted. Most times, they get thrown back into the system. Once 18, they get kicked out with nowhere to go and no one to love them like a parent should. This kind of growing up will only bring about the type of adult no one wants to see - the criminal, the drug addict, the prostitute, or even worse.

Most adults who are foster parents only do it for the money. There is no caring or love. At times, a foster parent may start off loving and open with their hearts but after a while, the children and their behavior wear them down. Instead of having persistence and patience, their hearts harden and become cold. This leads the child to continue their behavior, further proving that because no adult cares for them, they remain indifferent to others and continue to lead destructive lives.

So what can be done here?

I'm not quite sure at this point but I can provide a point of reference to start from. There are so many children that need love and support. However, most adults want babies. Someone that they can rear to their liking. Too bad it's the toddlers and tweens that need the most help. They may come with some kind of baggage but that usually translates into a difficult child that no one seems to want to deal with. That's one factor.

I'm sure that the adoption process in America is tough, for many reasons. Maybe that's why more people go abroad to adopt. That should not stop you though. If it's time for America to be responsible and accountable for their actions from here on out, we should be responsible for our children - regardless of age, race, or birth defect (another reason people don't want to adopt).

Barack Obama has said in regards to adoption:

We must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation...a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not.

That's nice...but saying and doing things are very different. I personally believe that if a single person is capable of providing a healthy and loving home for a child, they should also be able to adopt but that is also a rare circumstance.

What are you going to do for us, See?

I'm going to provide you with a list of websites to take a look at. You need to know your rights, how to adopt,  and the various organizations that will empower you to adopt a child.

• National Adoption Center - a great resource on how to adopt if you're a LGBT couple or a single parent as well as current laws on adoption.
• Adopt America Network - a website to adopt special needs children
• FosterParenting.com - a website that helps you to understand what foster parenting is, what it entails, and where to start.
• Check Out a Business or Charity - This is from the BBB (Better Business Bureau). I should have put this up in the first Karma Yogi post but better late than never! If you're not sure if a Charity is legit, go to this site, put in the EXACT name (many bogus charities change their names slightly from legitimate ones to fool you) and you will see if it is a legit and accredited charity. Please believe that every charity I put on my site will be accredited by the BBB.

Before I go, I'll give you my stance on adoption and foster care. I believe in it and I would like to do it one day. Of course, I would like to have a child of my own. Regardless of whether that happens (or not), I would definitely go the route of adoption. If I ever become a foster parent, I will do so with the intention of helping a child to become a better adult and be very aware of their previous situation so that I can be a good mentor to that child.

It's time to start making a change. Why Wait? Do it Now!!
Until next time....stay strong, stay healthy, and fight dis-ease!

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Karma Yogi I: The Begin Again

Happy Holidays Everyone!

I'm stuck at work until around 4pm, but that's okay because I get to talk about one of my favorite things to do!

Before I get into Karma Yoga and what that entails, let's take a look at what karma is:

kar·ma

Pronunciation:

\ˈkär-mə also ˈkər-\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Sanskrit karma fate, work

Date:

1827

1often capitalized : the force generated by a person's actions held in Hinduism and Buddhism to perpetuate transmigration and in its ethical consequences to determine the nature of the person's next existence2: vibration 4

— kar·mic \-mik\ adjective

taken from the Miriam-Websters Dictionary online. 

Take a look at what I bolded...the word "karma" comes from Sanskrit. It means fate, work or action. In regards to our general lives, it means "action entailing its consequences." In laymen's terms, that means: actions that affect our present/future.

Many Yogis will use the word "Seva" instead of "Karma Yoga." Seva means "service" in sanskrit. To me, there is really no difference between the two words, save the extended application of "karma."

At Integral Yoga, Karma Yoga means doing everything in service to the greater good. It doesn't matter what you do. As long as you do it with the purpose of the greater good, then you're a Karma Yogi. Bhakti Yoga, which is based on devotion, is along the same lines but differs in that your "service" and "devotion" will be to a figure, object, or concept (I'm referring to Jesus or Buddha). Karma Yoga is done for the greater good, which can be yourself or a group of people in a certain situation (like the elderly).

Well what's so good about Karma Yoga?

Karma Yoga helps to keep the mind focused and calm and selfless. When you do something for others, there is no feeling like that. Accomplishment is bettering your fellow man is most times better than finding $100 on the ground. Being of service to someone in need is priceless. Being selfless is being closer to the Most High (in whatever form you choose).

Let's face it. There is a recession in this country. Everyone - those with jobs and those without - are struggling to make ends meet. People are losing their houses, cars, you name it, they either lost it or are going to lose it. This makes people depressed, angry, lost, and hopeless.

One of the ways to combat it is through Karma Yoga (volunteering). Regardless of your situation, there is always someone worse than you. Focusing the mind on someone else's good will can take your mind off your negative thoughts and make you feel better as a human being.

Besides, what else can you do when you're broke, down and out but help your fellow man who is worse off so that both of you can feel better, accomplished, more than enough.

I have no time to volunteer. Would charity work?

Yes, giving to a charity is considered Karma Yoga. However, if you don't have the money to give, what else can you do? Donate your time. Donate your resources.

I give to charities. However, it's a daunting task to figure out which charities are really out to help people and which ones are out to help their own pockets. Then there is the annoyance of junk mail that these charities send out every other day. Jeez. For me, it's just easier to donate your time.

Let me also point out that time does not mean you're whole life. You can do Karma Yoga once a year for 30 minutes. There are people who do Karma Yoga over the phone or even online. It doesn't have to be everyday at all. It also doesn't have to be something super huge. OK...the Red Cross isn't taking volunteers right now. There is always a YMCA, Homeless Shelter, Church, or Yoga/Fitness Place (other than those commercial gyms) that provide internships and karma yoga type jobs.

OK See...I'm ready to help out my fellow man/woman/child/animal. Where do I start?

Start at home. I don't mean "clean your house." That isn't Karma Yoga (even though I believed it was for a long time). If you have a child, start at their school. If you go to school, start at your school. Go to church? Look there. A member of a Yoga Studio or Wellness Center? There you go. Join a Food Co-op! That's a great start to get healthy AND do some Karma Yoga.

A lot of us want to save people on a grand scale. We want to help domestic violence victims (like I do), or single mothers, or victims of Hurricane Katrina. There's nothing wrong with that at all...but why don't you start with a local chapter of an organization? Think about it.

Seva and Karma Yoga shouldn't be something you just jump into. It's good to do research and make sure it's something that you WANT to be a part of and not out of obligation. Intention is very important in everything you do.

Here are a couple of links to help you get started:

• Idealist.org - a great website to find volunteer/internships (paid and otherwise)
• If you are in the NYC area, then take a look at these sites and contact the persons in charge to find out more:
• Embora Wellness and Movement Studio - they are always looking for interns to help out at the front desk. You can get free classes in return (Brooklyn).
• Integral Yoga Institute - their Work Exchange Program is excellent. I was a Karma Yogi there for 6 months. When I did Karma Yoga again recently, I missed it so much that after Yoga Teacher Training, I'm going to make it a point to do it again, at least once a week (like I don't practically live at this place already!). IYI is located in Manhattan.
• The Mayor's Volunteer Center - a great site for New Yorker's to find volunteer work in different areas, within many areas of interest.

I'm going to leave it here for now. Next time I talk about Karma Yoga, I will only talk about one organization (or link for more information) at a time. I just wanted to give you this overview to get your feet wet.

So until next time...stay strong, stay healthy, and fight dis-ease! (UK and Canada, I see you)

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