Yoga & Wellness Tribe Newsletter September 2018

Greetings! This newsletter will encompass a variety of wellness topics — from peace walks and intercultural talks, to yoga workshops and a happiness class. I hear about so many free events and learning opportunities through my various tribes (UC Berkeley, Yoga, Camino) and I want others to be able to benefit from them. Bottom line: I love to share a good thing. And because I like to add healthy dose of fun to everyday life, I feature events that might just make you feel like a kid again! I have a personal experience with the people and events highlighted below, so I can wholeheartedly recommend them. Why Wellness? Ever since I became a Wellness Ambassador at UC Berkeley, I have tried to encourage my family, friends and colleagues to take a more active role in their own wellbeing. I truly believe that wellness is not a learned luxury. It is your birthright, and it’s just up to you to claim it. It’s about the choices you make. There are so many free resources and valuable practices that can support your own wellness journey. I am so grateful for the lessons I learned in recent years by walking the Camino de Santiago, training as a yoga teacher, and discovering my passions. Now, I want to share some of the goodness with you all through this newsletter and my new wellness website. First name basis. You might have signed up through my Camino blog’s yoga page, or through a list at one of my yoga classes. If your first name isn’t correct in the greeting, no worries! Just update your preferences via the link in the footer, or email me at laurie@thecaminoprovides.com and I’ll fix it. Let’s do this!

First Freebie: A Happiness Calendar

Let these science-backed tips and tools be your guide this month. You’ll want to bookmark this calendar and refer to it often because there are links to articles and resources embedded in the PDF. Download your happiness calendar for September. Courtesy of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center

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Free Online Course: The Science of Happiness

This free self-paced online course explores the roots of a happy, meaningful life. Since the Greater Good Science Center’s  Science of Happiness online course first launched in September of 2014, more than 450,000 students have experienced it. Register now! Courtesy of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center

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Free 10-Day Fitness Challenge

Who’s up for the latest Wanderlust challenge? Wellness is more than workouts and green juice—it’s igniting your best self. It’s showing kindness to your body while simultaneously challenging your limits. Wanderlust created The Wellest Challenge. Led by HIIT instructor Jacy Cunningham and yoga teacher Mary Beth LaRue, this free 10-day program combines fast-paced cardio with slow-flow restorative yoga to help you find flexibility, strength, and softness both on and off the mat.It starts Monday, Sept. 10. Enjoy free, unlimited access to each day’s video for 3 days—please note that the Day 1 video will only be available from September 10 to September 12. Sign up and start with Day 1 – Find Your Energy

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Featured Events

Journey to Peace 11: Hiking Meditation Relaxation at Shoreline Lake, Mountain View, CA Saturday, September 8, 3 – 6 PM

Journey to Inner Peace is an outdoor program to help you reduce stress and add more happiness to your life. Participants will be hiking on a serene and peaceful trail (very short distance, just to feel the fresh air), learning simple yoga poses to relax the body, and learn some tips to maintain positivity in life. You will get to practice an ancient meditation technique, guided by a Buddhist monk. I taught yoga at the last two events in this series and had so much fun that I’ll be leading yoga at this event as well. I will get you relaxed and ready for the seated meditation with the monks. Bring your own yoga mat or towel, a block or cushion for meditation, or a foldable chair if you cannot sit comfortably on the ground. Check the weather and bring enough layers or blankets to stay warm. Free Admission: Sign up on Eventbrite Hosted by: Dhammakaya Meditation Center Silicon Valley

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Noah Mazé at YogaKula: All Levels Yoga Workshops Sunday, September 9, 10:30 AM – 5:30 PM Yoga Kula, Berkeley, CA

One of my favorite yoga studios in the Bay Area is hosting Noah Mazé for two workshops designed for yogis of all levels. I have taken one of his workshops before, and look forward to this one. Noah’s fierce and compassionate dedication to yoga inspires and holds space for students to journey deeper into body, heart, mind, and spirit than they ever could have imagined. Learn more about Noah at yogamaze.net. 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM: Full Spectrum Life Yoga This workshop will feature step-by-step sequencing, clear instructions, attention to alignment and stages appropriate for all yogis of all levels. 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM: Demystifying Alignment  This workshop will expand your understanding of yoga asana, functional anatomy and kinesiology and sequencing with a dynamic mix of theory and experiential practice. Register online Hosted by: Yoga Kula

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New Moon Circle with the Luminous Awakening Sunday, September 9, 2 – 4:00 PM Crab Cove Visitor Center, Alameda, CA

This series is co-led by one of my favorite yoga teachers, Nicolette Tura. I attended one of these events and highly recommend it, because you get a nice asana flow, yoga nidra meditation, and a discussion about the current astrological charts. Plus, yoga by the beach just can’t be beat! Why you need this: The New Moon marks the beginning of a new cycle and is a time to restart or reset. We’ll harness the energy of the moon to shed the old and plant or renew intentions for your dreams, goals and wishes. Reflect on what feeds your soul, open your heart and focus on your truth to create a clear vision forward! Click here for details Location: Crab Cove Visitor Center, 1231 McKay Ave, Alameda, CA 94501, USA Donation based: Sign up on We Travel Co-hosted by: The Illuminated Body

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Active @ Work: Yoga for UC Berkeley Staff

During the fall 2018 semester, I will be teaching yoga again at UC Berkeley’s Hearst Gym on three Fridays during lunch. September 14, October 12 and November 9. These classes are free, but you must be UC Berkeley staff or faculty. Register by clicking the date links above and logging into CalNet. I am also adding bonus yoga/meditation sessions with friends from Heartfulness Organization on October 19th and November 16th at an outdoor space on campus. Email me for location. Class description: Practicing yoga can release tension in your joints, give you greater range of movement, soothe your back, and grant you increased comfort in all aspects of your life. Learn how pranayama breathing can enhance your practice and help liberate your mind in surprising ways. Bring your own yoga mat. Comfortable clothing and bare feet recommended.  Read Instructor bio.

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108 Sun Salutations for Fall Equinox September 22, 2018

In some yoga circles, it is a ritual to celebrate the changes of seasons—the autumnal and vernal equinox, and the summer and winter solstice—by doing 108 Sun Salutations. This practice is most often done in large groups and often as an offering of peace or unity. However, you can do these in the comfort of your own home with videos I created to guide you. But first, what exactly are Sun Salutations, and why would anyone want to do 108 of them?  Learn about it at: https://lferris.com/2018/09/22/108-sun-salutations-for-fall-equinox/

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Free Intercultural Workshop: No Peace Without Understanding

Sat, Sep 22, 2018, 5:00 PM – Sun, Sep 23, 2018, 5:00 PM PDT Location: HI USA Fisherman’s Wharf – 240 Fort Mason San Francisco, CA 94123 Join HI USA for a FREE peace promoting workshop in conjunction with the United Nation’s International Day of Peace. Engage with members of the Bay Area community for a workshop facilitated by Joe Lurie, Executive Director Emeritus of the University of California Berkeley’s International House and author of Perception and Deception: A Mind Opening Journey Across Cultures. Participants will actively participate in discussions, workshops, and activities focused on globalization and its impacts on miscommunication and polarization across cultures. The Valued Voices program includes a FREE Saturday overnight at HI Fisherman’s Wharf and FREE meals Saturday and Sunday as well as resources and remedies for miscommunications and misperceptions across cultures. More details: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/valued-voices-hostelling-international-usa-tickets-49142198639 Participants MUST register at https://www.tfaforms.com/4664165 and click on HI San Francisco – Fisherman’s Wharf location. Facilitated by : Joe Lurie, Interculturalist Why you need this: Joe Lurie is an expert in international relations and cross-cultural communications. He is an engaging story teller and an all-around great guy. I honestly cannot believe this is free, so sign up before space fills up! If you cannot attend this event, I highly recommend buying his Perception and Deception book and sharing it with everyone you know. The world needs more cross-cultural understanding now more than ever.

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Oakland Peace Lantern Ceremony

6th Annual Drawn Together at FairyLand Friday, September 28, 6 – 9 PM 699 Bellevue Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610

Join us for a magical evening of live art-making, fixed-price art sale, music, food, and magical fun at Children’s Fairyland. More than 50 exciting artists from Oakland and the Bay Area will team up to create over 100 pieces of original Fairyland-inspired art. There will also be fairy hair extensions from Very Fairy Events, tarot reading brought to you by The Hanged Man, and complimentary beer and wine; food available for purchase. You’ll have the opportunity to purchase original works of art for a fixed price of $40 per piece, and proceeds will help Fairyland keep admissions affordable for all and free for those most in need, as well as funding much-needed park restoration. $22 – Register online Space is limited so get your tickets early and support a great cause! This is one of the rare opportunities to experience our magical park after dark. Why you need this: Because it’s FUN!!! And you will be supporting a good cause. Fairyland is a very special place in Oakland and it relies on volunteers and donors. This is the event that will make you feel like a kid again! Wear a costume or a colorful wig if you’d like. I’ll be there with wings on! 😉

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Multicultural Wellness Walk Saturday, September 29 at 9 AM – 12 PM Redwood Regional Park

Please join Samuel Merritt University’s Ethnic Health Institute and East Bay Regional Park District for a Community Multicultural Wellness walk along a hidden redwood forest off Redwood Road just a few miles over the ridge from downtown Oakland. Our intention is for the walk to serve as motivation to continue the promotion of cardiovascular health, physical activity and overall wellness throughout the year. It is our hope that the walk will encourage people of all ages, and representative of our diverse communities, to exercise and connect with nature– generating physical and mental health benefits for individuals, families and entire communities. Park entry fee WAIVED for participants. Proceed through entry kiosk, continue straight to parking area at the end of the road. Our walk will begin from the OWL picnic area. We hope you are able to join us in our effort to walk for health! Healthy snacks, community resources, and a 90 minute guided walk will be provided. What to Bring: Comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, hat, and plenty of water. Register and Directions: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/multicultural-wellness

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That’s a wrap for September! Let me know what you think in the comments below. If you dig this newsletter, subscribe now and invite friends to join the tribe. The more the merrier! I will be adding more events as I hear about them, so check monthly newsletters archived on my wellness website at lferris.com for new additions. Be well, my friends. Laurie