Happy Thanksgiving Yogis

This is the time of year many families and friends across North America get together and eat till they sleep.  This is one of the busiest times at American Airports.  Many yogis engage in Pot-lucks at their yoga studios.  Some studios who embrace the practice of yoga with Ahimsa, encourage students to eat vegan/vegetarian Thanksgiving.

For many years I used to volunteer at the Missionaries of Charity in NYC, and the past few years I invited yoga students to join me for serving food on Thanksgiving at the shelter, as it was a bigger event and required more volunteers than weekly meals.

Volunteering at Missionaries of Charity, BX, NYC with some Amazing Yoga Students.

While many people view thanksgiving as a chance to consume ridiculously large amounts of foods that leave us in a food coma, or nothing more than a mass slaughtering of turkeys, or a celebration of the genocide that took place years ago, it still is a HUGE north American Holiday.  Regardless of what we eat, it is important to take the time to reflect & give thanks.  Truly, giving thanks and celebrating our loved ones should be done on a regular basis for an abundant life and not just annually.   Some folks may say I cannot think of things to be thankful for, so perhaps you should start with a list of 5 things.  Sadly our consumer driven society leaves many people in a feeling of "lack" or "dissatisfaction" when we truly have more than most people in other parts of the world.  If only we take a moment to reflect with gratitude, only then will more blessings out pour.

List for ways to make thanksgiving more than just a annual event of eating.

1.  Give thanks at every meal, acknowledging mother nature/God, the hands that made the food, and the people you share the meal with.
2. Adopt a turkey from Farm Sanctuary's Adopt a Turkey Project.
3. Volunteer at a local shelter to give food to people who otherwise would have nothing or donate canned goods.
4. Volunteer at a local hospital or animal shelter.
5. Make your yoga practice, every breath an inhalation of gratitude, every asana an offering of thanks.
6. Keep a daily meditation practice of gratitude
7. Keep a daily journal and list all the blessings in your life.
8. Be Thankful for the people in your life always, and make sure they feel your gratitude and love.
9. Add some detoxification yoga asana and foods to your life, so that you can be kind to your digestive system.
10. Smile and Say Thank at every chance you get!

Wishing you all a wonderful day filled with love, peace, joy and thanksgiving! ~ Namaste

Top 10 things to do in Calcutta

The Top 10 things to do in Kolkata/Calcutta India. For me the main reason why I made the trip was to volunteer with Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity. The Missionaries of Charity is an organization I have been involved with for many years. The sisters are dedicated and kind. Aside from that there are many other things to explore and enjoy in Kolkatta.

10. Visit the Victoria Museum: The architecture of the building itself is a sight to see. The well preserved paintings and art work is also enjoyable. The surrounding garden is also a lovely place to sit and relax for sometime

9. Eating Bhel Puri at a friendly Veg Walla/street vendor.....This is like Indian Chips and Guacamole.....only better and without the chips or guacamole.....

8. Sipping Indian Chai (from a Chai Walla) Normally I sip herbal tea, but in India I enjoy a tasty cup of chai....with wonderful flavors, served in a shot glass, it is always a treat.

7. Enjoying Live Indian Music Concerts: I was fortunate to hear amazingly talented banusri playing friend, Eric Fraser have a morning concert at an awesome Bookstore with the brilliant Steve Gorn. I also enjoyed a bit of the 60th annual Hindustani Music Concert, and for music lovers, musicians or anyone for that matter, it is fun to go to a music concert.

6. Eating Masala Dosa at a friendly Veg Walla....my favorite Indian breakfast.....it is like a giant rice crepe filled with potatoes etc. While this is normally considered a Kerala food, the folks in Calcutta come to a close second place for their version.

5. Exploring New Market and Sudder Street Shopping area: you will find beautiful Indian clothing, handicrafts, jewels and crystals.....Vendors are eager to make a sale, so they will pull out half the clothing items from the walls to show you.

4. Visiting the Kali Temple: This is the largest Temple for Goddess Kali in all of India. On fridays many will come to make Puja. When I went with two fellow volunteers we saw the tail end of a beautiful Hindu Wedding. There are many temples, churches, a brilliant mosque, jain Temple, and the Hoogley....all places where one can witness the depth and variety of spirituality in India.

3. Sri Aurobindo Ashram: come here to experience peace and tranquility. There are nightly meditation classes and also Indian Classical Dance lessons in the adjacent building.

2.Bengali Sweets: the most delicious bite sized sweets that taste amazing! Shops are nearly on every street.

And the number 1 thing to do in Calcutta.....

1. Volunteering: Personally I did my volunteering with The Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity. I spent time in Daya Dan with the orphan children who have mental and physical disabilities. In Calcutta there are a wide variety of Volunteer opportunities with where you can do short term or long term service. This is Karma Yoga at its finest. You will meet amazing people from all over the world, your life will be changed by the experience and you will leave with a deeper sense of connection with humanity and gratitude for your own life. While I took some wonderful pictures with the lovely children I worked with, I will not be posting the pictures on the blog, out of respect for the Mission.

Happy Thanksgiving with the Missionaries of Charity

Once again, thanksgiving is celebrated with my favorite nuns of the Missionaries of Charity. This is a group of amazing nuns whose order was started by Mother Teresa. This was Mother Teresa's 100th anniversary. Every year, the nuns provide a venue for a wonderful meal, a great show by some talented dancers and singers, and the homeless people who come to the shelter usually put on a Thanksgiving play too. It really is something beautiful to behold. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to get involved in giving back to the community and helping people who are less fortunate than us. Thanksgiving is also a busy time of year, and sometimes understandably hard to get away from other obligations. Last year, I announced it at Bamboomoves and Hank joined me. This year Hank was back again with wife Maria, and 8 other Bamboomoves members came along too! WOW! So thankful to be part of this amazing family/yoga studio at Bamboomoves in the Bronx. Thank you to Armando & Denise, Jody, Michelle, Hank & Maria, Stefanie & Matt, Mary and BF, YOU ALL ROCK! We arrived there at 8:30 and did the jobs that the sisters assigned either preparing the meals, carrying the meals to the hall, peeling potatoes, preparing cutlery, setting the tables, sweeping, and most of us were in the massive traditional chain of people that puts the food on the table. It is a lot of fun every year! Upon leaving a small group of us ran into a familiar Sister I knew from the Mission, and she was so happy to see the group of new faces I recruited. We stood for a quick picture. If you or someone you know are interested in volunteering with the Missionaries of Charity, they also have daily meals every day, except for Fridays in their Bronx location. Hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving! Thank you to all who participated, and thank you to the Sisters who dedicate their lives tirelessly to help the poor.

Happy Easter 2010 - Missionaries of Charity

Easter has arrived! The Day that Christians all around the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. It is also a day that I was fortunate to find coverage for my yoga classes, and share with the lovely Sisters at the Missionaries of Charity in the BX. The Missionaries of Charity was founded by the beloved Mother Teresa and is now run by Sr. Nirmala. The mission is to help feed the poor around the world. All the sisters take an incredible vow of poverty with two saris, one pair of sandals and that is it....a vow most women would find difficult to take. The part I have always been touched by is the true joy that all the sisters bring to the homeless worldwide. From childhood, my mother had introduced me to the work of Mother Teresa and I have had a strong love for the group ever since. Right here in the Bronx, NY the sisters have a soup kitchen, shelter, house for shut ins, and weekly meals. Any chance I get, I love to help out....so this year I headed down there. While normally I visit family on Easter, the sisters were pleasantly surprised to see me. They quickly assigned me tasks of transporting food to the hall, and the part of Mary Magdalen for the impromptu performance. I have come to realize they get a kick out of putting me in the play each time, and I truly enjoy it. This year, I was fine with letting a new volunteer take the part, as she was super excited.

Ironically, the sisters had me cut the meat (ribs). They know I am vegetarian, and I was fine with the assigned job. My personal choice and nearly lifetime commitment to be Vegetarian is because of my love for animals and the limb of yoga (yamas) which is ahimsa, meaning non harm to all living things. In a perfect world maybe we would have vegetarian food for the shelter, but I knew that the sisters are serving whatever is donated to the shelter for the local homeless people. I also knew that I didn't personally harm the meat on the table. Ironically, I found myself praying as I was cutting, giving thanks that these hungry people at least had something. Often times, we get caught up in our dietary choices, and in a volunteer situation it is better to take the "do it for God" approach. The actual act of cutting the meat made me recognize my preference as a vegetarian, I have to admit, I found it a bit yucky.

All in all, it was a wonderful morning. The people enjoyed the food and the talented performances. When we take time to volunteer for those less fortunate, we understand what gratitude really is. The sisters are always looking for volunteer help, and especially drivers. If you or someone you know would be interested in volunteering your time and love with the Missionaries of Charity, BX contact them (718) 292 0019. Happy Easter. Bunny Hugs to All,

~ Ambria

The Missionaries of Charity- BX, NY

While having a lovely dinner with a friend in the glorious center of the world, Manhattan, I was enchanted by the discussion of charity and philanthropy.  While the two go hand in hand, I was reminded of one of my favorite charities the Missionaries of Charity.  The Missionaries of Charity was founded by the late Mother Teresa (now succeeded by Sister Nirmala) to offer love and compassion to the poorest of the world.  Originally starting in India, Mother Teresa took her mission all over the world.  Here in New York the mission offers Shelter for Shut Ins, Daily Meals for the less fortunate, and an Aids Hospice.  The sisters and brothers of this charity take an incredible vow of poverty, and dedicate their lives to helping those less fortunate.  They bring joy to people and always appreciate the love, and help of volunteers.  I like to volunteer in the Bronx, where they offer meals to the less fortunate.  

When I volunteered last Thanksgiving, the sisters made me the Star of their "Play".  The sisters have a tendency for offering a variety of entertainment to the people who come for meals on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and they pull volunteers out from the food line to the stage to participate in an almost 100% improvised play.  Since I am a familiar face, they pulled me! It was a lot of fun, and the crowd enjoyed it while they had a beautiful hot meal.  For more information about donating or volunteering with the Missionaries of Charity visit: http://www.motherteresa.org/layout.html