January Yosemite Community Yoga Schedule

All classes are from 6-7:15pm at the El Portal School. Appropriate for all levels of yoga experience. Donation-based classes benefit the Balanced Rock scholarship fund and training for our yoga teachers.

Monday, January 2: Holiday Break, no class
Wednesday, January 4: CANCELLED

Monday, January 9: Liesa Scholze
Wednesday, January 11: Jon-Paul Salonen

Monday, January 16: Martin Luther King Jr Day, no class
Wednesday, January 18: Arin Trook

Monday, January 23: Eliza Kerr
Wednesday, January 25: Schuyler Greenleaf

Monday, January 30: Heather Sullivan

December Yosemite Community Yoga Schedule

All classes are from 6-7:15pm at the El Portal School. Appropriate for all levels of yoga experience. Donation-based classes benefit the Balanced Rock scholarship fund and training for our yoga teachers.

Monday, December 5 6:00-7:15 pm Jennie Wheeler
Wednesday, December 7 6:00-7:15 pm Paula Wild

Monday, December 12 6:00-7:15 pm Cancelled
Wednesday, December 14 6:00-7:15 pm Eliza Kerr

Monday, December 19 6:00-7:15 pm Arin Trook
Wednesday, December 21 6:00-7:15 pm Jennie Wheeler

Monday, December 26 Holiday Break, no class
Wednesday, December 28 Holiday Break, no class

November Yosemite Community Yoga Schedule

All classes are from 6-7:15pm at the El Portal School. Appropriate for all levels of yoga experience. Donation-based classes benefit the Balanced Rock scholarship fund and training for our yoga teachers.

Wednesday, November 2: Heather Sullivan
Saturday, November 5 | 7:30am-7:00pm | Yoga Jambalaya at the Bug! | $15/class, $65 Full-Day

Monday, November 7: Jennie Wheeler
Wednesday, November 9: Jon-Paul Salonen

Monday, November 14: Cintia Ramaciotti
Wednesday, November 16: Paula Wild (subbing for Schuyler Greenleaf)

Monday, November 21: Schuyler Greenleaf (subbing for Paula Wild)
Wednesday, November 23: No Class, Thanksgiving Holiday

Monday, November 28: Arin Trook
Wednesday, November 30: Eliza Kerr

Yoga Jambalaya: November 5, 2011!

Sat. November 5, 2011 | 7:30am - 7:00pm
Yosemite Bug Resort in Midpines, California
6979 Highway 140, Midpines, CA
$15/class or $65/full day

Join us for a medley of unique classes and fabulous instructors while rejuvenating in the Bug's full spa including hot tub and sauna. Lodging, fresh lunch buffet, and $5 (half price!) sauna passes available for purchase through the Yosemite Bug Resort. Classes are appropriate for all levels of yoga practice.

The Day's Schedule:
7:30-8:30am: Anusara in the a.m. with Paula Wild
9:00-10:00am: Yoga Basics with Pilates Infusion with Carol Hart
10:15-11:30am: Asana & The Moon: Astrological Insight with Asana Celebration with Erik Sloan
11:45am-12:45pm: Pranayama & Inversions with Liesa Scholze
12:45 - 2:00pm: Whole-food Lunch Buffet ($8/person) and Spa Time
2:00-2:45pm: Hanuman, Songs & Stories with Arin Trook
3:00-4:00pm: Gentle Backbends & Shoulder Openers with Anna Landauer
4:15-5:15pm: Harmonizing Body & Mind with Demian McKinley
5:30-6:30pm: Yin Yoga with Linda Long
6:30-7:00pm: Savasana with Heather Sullivan

Space is limited and classes tend to fill. Pay at the door (first-come, first-served) or advanced reservations are available by phone at (209)379-wild or online.

Balanced Rock seeks Part-Time Business Director

Balanced Rock Foundation is a Yosemite-based nonprofit seeking a part-time Business
Director to work in collaboration with the Program Director. The mission of Balanced
Rock is to inspire balance and wellbeing through deep connection to nature and spirit.

Balanced Rock has been an established Yosemite-area non-profit since 2007.
Balanced Rock typically provides wilderness, camping, & lodge-based programs
promoting healthy wellbeing. BR also offers bi-weekly community yoga classes in El
Portal and the first Yosemite-area 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training. The administrative
office is located in El Portal, CA, and the preference is for the successful candidate to live close to this area to facilitate communication with employees, volunteers, the National Park Service, community members and community organizations.

The Business Director is responsible for the organization’s day-to-day administration; budget oversight and strategy; bookkeeping and billing; Board of Directors meetings; fundraising; supporting marketing and program needs; and human resource oversight. The Business Director will work under the leadership of the Program Director, Heather Sullivan, and will also work closely with the Board of Directors.

Qualifications for the Co-Director include: passion for the mission; detail-oriented; selfdirected yet able to work well in a collaborative team; organized; computer literate with strong Word and Excel skills; and excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Quickbooks and Filemaker Pro software knowledge, bookkeeping experience, and familiarity with non-profit management will also be considered. Successful candidates will have experience in managing budgets and multi-tasking. We are looking for a high-energy individual that has flexibility, experience working within a small staff, and is willing to commit for a minimum of one year. Start date in January 2012.

Compensation: Part-time @ $21/hour.
Approximately 16 hours/week from Oct-May and 24 hours/week from June-September.

By October 18th, 2011, please send a resume and cover letter describing the impact you made from your most significant work-related accomplishment to:
Balanced Rock Foundation
PO Box 102
El Portal, CA 95318(
209) 379‐wild
info@balancedrock.org
www.balancedrock.org

Due to the expected volume of responses, only those under consideration for the position will be contacted.

October Yosemite Community Yoga Schedule

All classes are from 6-7:15pm at the El Portal School. Appropriate for all levels of yoga experience. Donation-based classes benefit the Balanced Rock scholarship fund and training for our yoga teachers.

Monday, October 3: Heather Sullivan
Wednesday, October 5: Jon-Paul Salonen

Monday, October 10: No Class; Columbus Day holiday
Wednesday, October 12: Eliza Kerr

Monday, October 17: Arin Trook
Wednesday, October 19: Eryn Bordes

Monday, October 24: Jennie Wheeler
Wednesday, October 26: Cynthia Ramaciotti

Monday, October 31: Heather Sullivan

September Yosemite Community Yoga Schedule

All classes are from 6-7:15pm at the El Portal School. Appropriate for all levels of yoga experience. Donation-based classes benefit the Balanced Rock scholarship fund and training for our yoga teachers.

Monday, September 5: Labor day holiday. No class.
Wednesday, September 7: Eliza Kerr

Monday, September 12: Paula Wild
Wednesday, September 14: Jon-Paul Salonen

Monday, September 19: Eliza Kerr
Wednesday, September 21: Arin Trook

Monday, September 26: Heather Sullivan
Wednesday, September 28: Eryn Bordes

August Yosemite Community Yoga Schedule

All classes are from 6-7:15pm at the El Portal School. Appropriate for all levels of yoga experience. Donation-based classes benefit the Balanced Rock scholarship fund and training for our yoga teachers.

Monday, August 1: Heather Sullivan
Wednesday, August 3: Schuyler Greenleaf

Monday, August 8: Heather Sullivan
Wednesday, August 10: Paula Wild

Monday, August 15: Paula Wild
Wednesday, August 17: Jon-Paul Salonen

Monday, August 22: Jennie Wheeler
Wednesday, August 24: Jon-Paul Salonen

Monday, August 29: Paula Wild
Wednesday, August 31: Jennie Wheeler

Hope to see you there!

Hands On Heath: The Maya Way

We're passing along a unique healing opportunity in the Yosemite area. Thanks Liz for sharing!

Saturday, October 22, 2011
Saturday 9:30 – 5:30
El Portal Community Center
5512 Foresta Road
El Portal, CA 95318

A Time for Self Care and Empowerment…

Hands on Health the Maya Way is a workshop designed for anyone seeking to improve personal health and wellness. It is a nurturing time to focus on your own digestive and reproductive health concerns such as painful or irregular periods, PMS, fibroids, fertility, difficult menopause, postpartum, postcesarean or hysterectomy scarring, constipation, IBS, indigestion, bladder infections, incontinence, or swollen prostate. This course is designed to educate and empower you to use your own two hands to help yourself! You will learn self care techniques that are founded on the ancient Maya method of abdominal massage.

Hands on Health the Maya Way will introduce you to Maya traditional healing, abdominal/pelvic anatomy and physiology, signs and symptoms of displaced organs (female and male), benefits of abdominal massage, contraindications, demonstration of the technique and group practice of self care massage, herbs and other Maya healing modalities.

This is an introductory class and no prior training is required. You will learn how to perform the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy on yourself. It is not intended to prepare an individual to apply this technique professionally. Massage therapists can earn 7 CEU hours under NCBTMB. Note that the massage cannot be done with an IUD or during the first trimester of pregnancy.

*Please wear elastic waist pants and bring a yoga mat / blanket and 2 pillows

To register: www.arvigotherapy.com

Tuition: $125 includes workshop and tea/snacks. Early bird price $100 if registered by 9/22

This class is taught by Abigail Reagan LM, CPM, CAT, Licensed Midwife and Certified Arvigo Therapist.

She was trained by Dr. Rosita Arvigo and is passionate about this work to support health. For questions, contact Abigail at ar@rebirthmidwifery.com.

July Yosemite Community Yoga at the El Portal School

All classes are from 6-7:15pm at the El Portal School. Appropriate for all levels of yoga experience. Donation-based classes benefit the Balanced Rock scholarship fund and training for our yoga teachers.

Monday, July 4: 6:00-7:15 pm | Holiday, no class
Wednesday, July 6: 6:00-7:15 pm | Yoga Holiday, no class

Monday, July 11: 6:00-7:15 pm | Heather Sullivan
Wednesday, July 13: 6:00-7:15 pm | Heather Sullivan

Monday, July 18: 6:00-7:15 pm | Jennie Wheeler
Wednesday, July 20: 6:00-7:15 pm | Paula Wild

Monday, July 25: 6:00-7:15 pm | Heather Sullivan
Wednesday, July 27: 6:00-7:15 pm | Paula Wild

Hope you can join us!

Mountain Bliss

My most blissful experiences and "ah ha" moments have been in nature. About 10 years ago, I dramatically changed the whole direction of my career after a transcendent "mountain top experience" on my first real backpacking expedition. After 5 weeks of backpacking and hiking in New Zealand, I had a dramatic sense of intense gratitude and utter wellbeing that left me in a state of bliss for the next six months. Upon my return home, I left my office-based corporate job for training as a hiking guide, the Peace Corps, the National Park Service, and ultimately here, to Balanced Rock.

The natural world has become so sacred to me that two weeks ago, I made my entire family hike into the wilderness for my wedding. Watching my mother-in-law-to-be scale huge downed logs, large boulders, and trail wash-outs gave me pause, but the shared adventure created an atmosphere of heart-pumping excitement that might otherwise not have been there.

I deeply believe that very few experiences are as transformative as being in nature. Being in the outdoors refreshes, awakens, and rejuvenates us. We are biologically programmed to need sunshine, earth, and fresh air to feel most alive in the present moment. As usual, John Muir says it best:

"Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is necessity; that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life."

Go home to the mountains. Wash your spirit clean.

Warm summer wishes,
Pam (Meierding) Kuhn
Balanced Rock Executive Director

The Full Yoga Experience

"Yoga is just a form of exercise, right? I'm not that flexible and I've got a wrist injury so I can't do yoga."

Questions like this are often asked of us here at Balanced Rock. And we'd like to set the record straight. Because for us, rather than being a competitive sport, yoga is about creating a holistic lifestyle that embraces wellness, balance, compassion, and awareness––and anyone can do it. We pair yoga, meditation, and art with the natural world to awaken ourselves to the present moment and our own sense of empowerment.

Yoga has its roots as a 5,000-year-old tradition that seeks to create union between the mind and body. In India, monks went into seclusion with the goal of creating a disease-free body. The original intention of the exercise practice of yoga was to be able to sit in meditation without an achy body. By aligning the body, we are better able to align the mind. Rather than "push" ourselves into positions that we see others achieving, yoga is practice that is meant to mindfully place ourselves into positions that reflect our own individual edges. Besides the physical practice, the full yoga experience includes the cultivation of compassion for all living things, non-attachment, and breath awareness among many other practices.

As Balanced Rock Program Director and instructor Arin Trook M.A. puts it, "I do yoga to accept myself as I am, each day, in all my glorious and absurd imperfections. I do yoga to smooth the rough edges of my breath and body. I do yoga because it is the opposite of sugar and caffeine, and I need a little balance in my life." Read more of his blog "Why Do Yoga"

Join us this summer for the experience of yoga as a full expression of your life.

June 2011 El Portal Community Yoga Schedule

Wednesday, June 1st 6:00-7:15 pm School Play, no class

Monday, June 6th 6:00-7:15 pm Heather Sullivan
Wednesday, June 8th 6:00-7:15 pm Karma Yoga with Cynthia Ramaciotti

Monday, June 13th 6:00-7:15 pm Jennie Wheeler
Wednesday, June 15th 6:00-7:15 pm Liesa Scholze

Monday, June 20th 6:00-7:15 pm Cynthia Ramaciotti
Wednesday, June 22nd 6:00-7:15 pm Yoga Holiday, no class

Monday, June 27th 6:00-7:15 pm Arin Trook
Wednesday, June 29th 6:00-7:15 pm Liesa Scholze

Noah Mazé to Lead Local Memorial Day Fundraiser

Join donation-based yoga session with Noah Mazé in El Portal, California!

Noah Mazé is one of the most sought-after, advanced, and proficient practitioners and teachers of Anusara® Yoga, a style popularized by celebrity yogi John Friend. In Noah's classes, yoga philosophy, myths, and stories weave together with yoga postures, breathing practices, and meditation to create a powerful and transformative experience.

On Memorial Day weekend, Noah is teaming up with Balanced Rock for a weekend of yoga and hiking that will culminate in a donation-based fundraiser yoga session. The fundraiser will be held on Monday, May 30 from 9:00am – 11:00am at the El Portal Community Hall. The yoga session is open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Email info@balancedrock.org for an advanced reservation. The community hall can accommodate approximately 50-60 yoga mats. There will also be a silent auction including Giants tickets and a weekend stay for two at a beautiful cottage in Point Reyes. Food will be available for purchase after the yoga session.

There are also a few individual fee-based yoga classes with Noah available on Friday, May 27, Saturday, May 28, and Sunday, May 29. Only a few spots left, so reserve now!

Funds generated during Noah’s Memorial Day yoga session will be used for Balanced Rock’s scholarships and empowerment programs for low-income and underserved populations. Balanced Rock is a Yosemite-based non-profit whose mission is to inspire people to live more meaningful, healthy, and sustainable lives through deep connection to nature, community and themselves. Their programs for mind, body, and spirit wellness focus on journeys in the Yosemite Wilderness. Special programs have included free community yoga, Women of Color expeditions, and self-care courses designed for social workers.

One local program that will benefit from the fundraiser is the Yosemite Youth Expedition for Mariposa youth, a partnership project with Mountain Crisis Services, Ethos Youth Center, Mariposa Safe Families, and the Mariposa County Unified School District. This program brings local high-school-aged youth into Yosemite National Park on dayhikes leading up to a 4-day Wilderness Expedition. The next Wilderness Expedition is scheduled for June 16-19 in Yosemite National Park.

For more information, visit www.balancedrock.org, email info@balancedrock.org or call (209)379-9453.

Balanced Rock Gets a Shout Out in the June Yoga Journal!

We're pretty excited to be included in the article Call of the Wild: Climb, Paddle or Surf Your Way to Bliss on a Yoga Adventure.

The text reads: "Hiking and Backpacking: Explore hiking trails and hone your backcountry skills along with your yoga and meditation practice while surrounded by rocky bluffs, cliffs and waterfalls of Yosemite.

Thanks Yoga Journal!

Forest Inspiration with Andie Thrams

Andie Thrams is a visual artist, educator and occasional publisher as Larkspur Graphics. She will be leading an art and hiking retreat called "A Sense of Place" with Balanced Rock from June 10-12.





Text quoted from:
IN FORESTS, Volume XVI: Great and Graceful
By Andie Thrams; all images © Andie Thrams
This book is part of an ongoing series of artist’s books documenting my experiences in wild forests. This volume holds original journal pages made in August 2008, during an eleven-day backpack with my husband, Dennis Eagan, in Sequoia National Park. We spent much of our trip exploring Redwood Meadow, a complex of several wilderness Sequoia groups in the upper Middle Fork of the Kaweah River watershed.

Page 9:
In the stringer grove, above Redwood Meadow, midday. A creek meanders steeply down, appearing in pools and little cascades, then disappearing under ground or logs or boulders. The Giant Sequoias here grow along this unnamed creek, nearly in it, in places. It is steep terrain & quite shady. This grove follows the creek down to Cliff Creek where we slept last night beneath two Sequoias. A few Sequoias continue downstream from there, eventually linking up with the main Redwood Meadow trees.

Nearly always these trees grow in groups. It is hard to put words to the sense of connection amongst them and the other giant trees like Sugar Pine, Jeffery Pine and White Fir that grow with them. But the term, forest community, seems perfect. A wild ancient forest like this feels unlike any other. It is all pattern & chaos, ordered & unkempt. It feels deeply complicated, interwoven beyond comprehension. And, best of all, it feels like a place thriving, and of grace.

After a bit of time in forests like this, I also start to feel like a thriving being & filled with a sense of grace. I hear flickers, jays, nuthatches, chickadees, chickarees, woodpeckers, moving water, wind up high, juncos, winter wrens, and more I don’t know. Bracken & lady fern, California hazelnut, alum root, pyrola, gallium, a beautiful tall grass in the creek bed, pinedrops, & dried up still crimson snow plant, grey squirrels, bees, funnel-web spiders, and ants, no end to ants. (A person has to accept small creatures crawling on skin around these trees.) Also: snowberry, gooseberry, thimbleberry, currant and kit-kit-dizzee, dogbane, white-stemmed raspberry. I’ll never know them all! It is hot in the sun, but cool & breezy in the shade of these trees. Chickarees cut down cones, which sometimes crash through the branches to the ground. Wind blows down twigs & sometimes limbs, rarely a tree—we thought we may have heard a tree fall last night... so very good to be back here.

May Yosemite Community Yoga at the El Portal School

All classes are from 6-7:15pm at the El Portal School. Appropriate for all levels of yoga experience. Donation-based classes benefit the Balanced Rock scholarship fund and training for our yoga teachers.

Monday, May 2: Eryn Bordes, 6-7:15pm

Wednesday, May 4: Schuyler Greenleaf, 6-7:15pm

Monday, May 9: Cynthia Ramaciotti, 6-7:15pm

Wednesday, May 11: Liesa Scholze, 6-7:15pm

Monday, May 16: Jennie Wheeler, 6-7:15pm

Wednesday, May 18: Eliza Kerr, 6-7:15pm

Monday, May 23: Heather Sullivan, 6-7:15pm

Wednesday, May 25: Arin Trook, 6-7:15pm

Monday, May 30: Memorial Day Teaching Holiday; Noah Mazé Special Event!
Join us for a special Noah Mazé Donation-based fundraiser from 9-11am at the El Portal Community Hall. This event will raise money for Balanced Rock's social service programs like our Women of Color backpacking trip and Yosemite Youth Expedition for youth at risk of chemical dependency. This event offers the chance to practice yoga with one of the most sought-after yoga teachers in the country.

April El Portal Yosemite Community Yoga

Theme: Just Breathe

Monday, April 4th 6:00-7:15 pm Arin Trook
Wednesday, April 6th 6:00-7:15 pm Schuyler Greenleaf

Monday, April 11th 6:00-7:15 pm Jennie Wheeler
Wednesday, April 13th 6:00-7:15 pm Liesa Scholze

Monday, April 18th 6:00-7:15 pm Arin Trook
Wednesday, April 20th 6:00-7:15 pm Schuyler Greenleaf

Monday, April 25th 6:00-7:15 pm Heather Sullivan
Wednesday, April 27th 6:00-7:15 pm Cynthia Ramaciotti

Women of Color Going Backpacking? Oh Yeah!

Click here to read Oakland Local blog from CB Smith-Dahl as she shares her personal connection to natural spaces, and why it’s important to support Balanced Rock in providing the unique chance for women of color to connect with the outdoors on their own terms. Thanks also to Outdoor Afro for sharing the blog with their community!

CB Smith-Dahl (aka Ms. Smitty B) is an award-winning filmmaker, photographer, and educator who has always put the community at the center of her work. In 1997, she founded Community Bridge Video. As Oakland Local’s Community Media Manager, she creates new media content for the site. Her work with Oakland Local Academy teaches and engages youth and community members and organizations in useful media skills.

The Refuge

Yoga is a practice of refuge. Slow the breath, turn the gaze inward, find a place of stillness. These are both aspects of the path, as well as the destination, for yoga practice. Yoga, in its literal translation, is union. Union of breath and body, union of spirit and mind, and union of self and other, the coming together of community in yoga, in union.

All wonderful and inspiring (if a bit uber-groovy) words. And yet the afternoon of the Storm, the first day of Spring, we were reminded of these truths in a very real way.

The First Day of Spring Storm had hit Mariposa and Yosemite hard. Heavy rain and thick snow had toppled hundreds of trees, washed literally tons of stone and mud across highways, covered the high roads with thick drifts of snow. Much of the area had lost power, and every road in and around Yosemite National Park was closed. My family and I had just missed the last window to return home, arriving at the Highway 140 closure just minutes after the last car was allowed through. We waited out the night, and the next day, with the road still closed, began to bide our time in Mariposa, anxiously wondering if we would be able to get home any time this week, wondering about work, about pets, about friends and family and homes. There were rumors of tree branches fallen through rooftops, power lines laying across most of El Portal’s roads.

Unable to really rest, we poked our head into the Downtown Yoga studio. And we were not alone. One by one, more El Portal refugees began to arrive, everyone trapped away from home, simply waiting. Jen Meno, as always the most gracious of hosts, had hot tea ready for us all, and soon began nudging us out onto yoga mats. Gentle music was soon on the new sound system, and one by one, individual yoga practices began.

For me, the time we spent in the Downtown Yoga studio as refugees was one of the most beautiful expressions of yoga I have experienced. The stress each of us felt being away from home and family melted away in a collective yoga practice. Our world was chaotic, the future uncertain, we were in a real crisis. And yet, we were in this together. And this made all the difference. We stretched our way into peace, into a gentle acceptance of the moment as is was, in all its chaos and uncertainty. This was yoga, as it was meant to be.

And then, sometime in the early afternoon, Josh arrived with the news. There was a convoy from Highway 120 heading into the Yosemite and El Portal at 3 pm. If we hurried, we just might make it through the hairpin turns of Highway 49 over the Merced River in time to join the convoy and head home. The moment was broken, and we jumped into our cars to head across the county and back home.

Of course, several hours later, huddling in an unlit, unheated apartment under three sleeping bags, we all had to wonder why we ever left the warmth of the Downtown Yoga refuge, what was so compelling about getting home again?

No one looks forward to crisis. And yet, I was reminded again at our recent emergency town meeting in El Portal that crisis and disaster can actually be an opportunity to build stronger community. It is at times like this, when things seems incredibly dark, that we are closest to each other. And this is yoga, the practice of union, the refuge.

Miho Aida: Special Guest Speaker at Women of Color Fundraiser

The Balanced Rock Women of Color All-You-Can-Eat-And-Drink Fundraiser is this Saturday, March 26 from 3-7:00pm at Sol's (Sustaining Ourselves Locally) in Oakland (1236 23rd Avenue).

Besides all-you-can-eat korean BBQ tacos, beer and other beverages, music, a silent auction, backpacking treats for sale, guides Chelsea Griffie and Elizabeth Sy have ALSO coordinated a special guest speaker. We're honored to announce that Miho Aida will join us to talk at 5:00pm about her project "Empowering Women Through Outdoor Role Models."

Miho was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. In 1999, she left Japan to study environmental education and natural sciences at the Teton Science School in Wyoming. Since then, she has dedicated to educating young people, especially urban youth and those with limited access to nature, about the natural world at the Headlands Institute in Marin Headlands. Simultaneously, she gained
opportunities to learn climbing, surfing and many other outdoor sports that have empowered her and helped her connect with the natural world. In 2003, she joined the staff of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) as a backpacking and rock climbing instructor to give others the same opportunity she had.

Along this journey, she has become aware of the lack of support for women, especially women of color, to pursue environmental work and outdoor adventure. To change that, she founded two awards winning project called "If She Can Do It, You Can Too: Empowering Women Through Outdoor Role Models." Since 2008, Miho has traveled to four continents and documented images and stories of diverse and remarkable outdoor women from around the world. Her project shares these images and stories so that women, especially women of color can see what's possible. Today Miho will share her experience in the outdoors and these diverse women she met along her journey.

The Balanced Rock annual Women of Color Backpack retreat began in 2004 and remains the only program of its kind in the country. All monies raised from this event will go towards scholarships for this year's trip which runs from August 10-14, 2011.

Event is $15-25 suggested donation at the door.
RSVP required by March 21—Email elizsy@gmail.com or info@balancedrock.org to RSVP.
Warm thanks to our event sponsors for this event: Lagunitas Brewing Company, Sol's, Trumer Brauerei, Black Orchid Bakery, and New Belgium Brewing.

Can't make the event but still want to donate? Click here.

The Power of Hanuman

The stories and myths of the monkey god Hanuman stretch across the centuries. Hanuman is the son of the wind, the divine incarnation of service in his role as the faithful servant of Ram. We inhale, a small wind, and invite the playful and powerful spirit of Hanuman in with each breath.

The lessons of Hanuman are vast, and here I will focus on just a pair of key insights Hanuman has offered me in my own monkey-wanderings through the years. As a child, Hanuman, like all monkey children, was playful, bordering on mischievous. His constant pranks ands meddling finally upset the forest sages so severely, they beset upon him a life-long curse. Although Hanuman was able to keep his almost limitless power, the sages’ curse erased his memory of this power. Only when reminded of his power by someone else is he able to unleash this hidden potential.

Later in his adventures, Hanuman found himself stuck at the end of the Indian sub-continent, looking across the vast sea to the island of Lanka, a demon-ridden land where the wife of Ram lay captured. Alone, Hanuman was at a loss for solution. And yet he is reminded by Jambavantha of his powers, and with this recall, leaps into the air, crossing the sea in one jump.

Is this not a wonderful description of human nature? Here we are, “playful monkeys” moving through our worlds, meddling and creating unintentional trouble, usually oblivious of our actual hidden potential. As Nelson Mandela said in his inaugural speech, quoting Marianne Williamson, “our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure”. As human beings, we have an incredible wealth of untapped potential, and yet usually it is only through someone else’s eyes, someone else’s encouragement, through service to a greater good, that we can realize this. Isn’t your yoga practice usually more refined when in class, encouraged by a teacher, constantly reminding you of your full potential? Is there not always just a little more energy you find deep inside when taking care of your children, when giving back to your community of friends and family?

”Hanuman faces many intense challenges along his path, and each time he is able to rise above the obstacle, finding new strength, new abilities and skills he had forgotten. When we see life through the eyes of Hanuman, we realize the challenges of life—the lost love, the passing of a parent, even the inconvenient flat tire—all these are actually opportunities to find our own wealth of power. Obstacles, in this Hanuman perspective, become opportunities. This is true service work for the world, because as Mandela and Williamson conclude, “as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same….

Sustainable Speaker: Brad Lancaster Sunday, April 10

Rainwater Harvesting and Water Security
On Sunday, April 10, 2011, from 1:30-3:30pm Brad Lancaster, noted author of a series of books titled Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, will speak in Mariposa about rainwater harvesting and reuse of greywater. This donation-based event will be held at the Board of Supervisors’ Chambers at 5100 Bullion Street, Mariposa, starting at 1:30 pm. Lancaster, whose wisdom and know-how is sought internationally, has taught, designed, and consulted on the sustainable system of permaculture and integrated rainwater harvesting systems since 1993. He lives on the thriving 1/8th-acre urban permaculture site he created in downtown Tucson, Arizona.

Lancaster's presentation is for everyone who uses water. He will present an overview of how to safely harvest and store quality water from your roof for household and landscape use, as well as redirect greywater to your landscape.

An alliance of Sierra Foothills groups, such as the Upper Merced River Watershed Council, Mariposa County Master Gardeners, Yosemite Area Audubon Society and California Native Plant Society, along with area residents, have cooperated together, to bring this award-winning author to the community. Balanced Rock is one of the event sponsors. For further information call 966-1206 or email to desertbounty@hotmail.com

March Monday Yosemite Yoga Series with Heather Sullivan

Cultivating a Healing Yoga Practice, Respecting Our Bodies’ Limits

March 7: Salamba Sarvangasana "Whole Body Supported Pose"
Our practice tonight will focus on the queen of poses, shoulder stand and ways we can support our entire being toward health and peace.

March 14: The Back Body: Yoga and Lower Back Pain/Injury and Tight Hamstrings
Explore the connection of hamstrings, hip rotators, iliopsoas muscles, & sacroiliac joint. Practice poses that strengthen and support these systems while identifying poses and practices that could aggravate or injure the lower back or hamstrings.

March 21: Deep Restorative Practice
A relaxing evening of deep self care and nourishment. Sample poses include supta baddha konasana, matsyasana over chair, salamba sarvangasana over chair

All classes take place at the El Portal School Multi-Purpose room, Mondays, 5:45-7pm
All level classes. Hand-outs and take home practices will be available. These classes will emphasize restorative and healing poses and practices. Focus on proper alignment, breath, body awareness.
Please bring: Journal and pen, warm clothes, extra blankets, pillows and bolsters if you have them.

March 2011 El Portal and Yosemite Community Yoga

March Teaching Schedule

Wednesday, March 2nd 6:00-7:15 pm Cynthia Ramaciotti

Monday, March 7th 5:45-7:00 pm Series with Heather
Wednesday, March 9th 6:00-7:15 pm Schuyler Greenleaf

Monday, March 14th 5:45-7:00 pm Series with Heather
Wednesday, March 16th 6:00-7:15 pm Jennie Wheeler

Monday, March 21st 5:45-7:00 pm Series with Heather
Wednesday, March 23rd 6:00-7:15 pm Schuyler Greenleaf

Monday, March 28th 5:45-7:00 pm Liesa Scholze
Wednesday, March 30th 6:00-7:15 pm Arin Trook

Why Do Yoga? (part 2)

Standing there, early morning, tired eyes, wobbling balance, wondering why on Earth would someone think this is a good idea, I ask the question again....

I do yoga to accept myself as I am, each day, in all my glorious and absurd imperfections. I do yoga to smooth the rough edges of my breath and body. I do yoga because it is the opposite of sugar and caffeine, and I need a little balanced in my life. I do yoga to sculpt my breath into beautiful forms. I do yoga to watch the sunrise in cool and outrageous places. I do yoga to “nirdoah” those pesky “chitta vrittis.” I do yoga because is just feels so fucking good. I do yoga to dance with the elements, earth, air, water and wind. I do yoga to explore the wild landscapes of my interior ecology. I do yoga because my mom watched “Lilias, Yoga, and You” on PBS in 1976. I do yoga because I hate jogging, and sometimes I still need to release energy. I do yoga because it is cheaper than psycho-therapy. I do yoga to fully complete my long-haired, groovy, goofy, snag-y persona. I do yoga to share my breath with other people. I do yoga to be in community. I do yoga to expand the potential of who I am. I do yoga as an act on non-violent revolution. I do yoga to unite body and breath. I do yoga to be able to surf when I am 90. I do yoga to set myself in the kiln of tapas. I do yoga because it is cheaper and more socially acceptable (maybe) than Ritalin. I do yoga to push further into the realm of the impossible. I do yoga to wade into waters of traditions 4000 years old. I do yoga to refill, refuel, replenish. I do yoga to channel my addictive-compulsive tendencies away from beer and towards something healthier. I do yoga to fly.

Yosemite Youth Expedition

In 2010, Balanced Rock ran the first Yosemite Youth Expedition program, geared towards bringing local Mariposa county young adults up into Yosemite, specifically targeting youth in the foster care system, as well as other populations under-represented in Yosemite National Park.

The program was a wonderful success, with many local students coming up to Yosemite for the first time, backpacking for the first time, and exploring holistic wellness skills such as yoga, reflective writing, healthy food, and outdoor adventure.

This video shares some of the experiences and insights into the program.

We are already looking for volunteers for our 2011 Yosemite Youth Expedition, as well as funding to keep this important local youth opportunity alive in future years. Let us know if you are interested in helping out in any capacity!

What It Is (Was es ist)

A beautiful Valentine's Day poem, from the German poet, Erich Fried, dedicated to all those who have learned about the ups and downs of relationship, and are still bravely loving, with all their hearts...

It is nonsense
says reason
It is what it is
says love

It is misfortune
says calculation
It is nothing but pain
says fear
It is hopeless
says insight
It is what it is
says love

It is ridiculous
says pride
It is careless
says caution
It is impossible
says experience
It is what it is
says love.

Yosemite's Balanced Rock at the 2011 Yoga Journal Conference

We had a wonderful experience at the 2011 San Francisco Yoga Journal Conference. Part trade show, part Burning Man, part yoga-party, it was a great weekend all the way around. We were thrilled at how well-received our Balanced Rock booth was. Everyone seems to have a deep connection to Yosemite, as we stories of childhood memories, family vacations, and weddings that happened here in the magical Valley.

This video is a glimpse into the spectacle, everything from the deep philosophy of Dharma Mittra to the wild performance of the Shamanic Cheerleaders. Enjoy, and hope to see you there next year!

Feb 26-Inspired Yoga with Arin and Liesa: Movement, Breath and Music

Join us on Saturday, February 26 from 9:00am - 11:30am at Downtown Yoga in Mariposa!

Instructors: Liesa Scholze and Arin Trook. Explore asana, pranayama breathing, sacred song, yoga philosophy and meditation in this inspiring workshop! All levels. Percentage of proceeds to support Ethos Youth Center in Mariposa. $20/person

Visit www.yogainyosemite.com or call 209-379-9453

5027-A, Hwy 140

Mariposa, CA

Wild Yoga in Yosemite

Yoga is inherently wild. The practices and philosophies of yoga were born hundreds, if not thousands of years ago, with dreadlocked sadhus journeying into the jungles and forests of India, exploring the wilderness of both the inner and outer world. It was through communing with the energies of nature that yoga was born, a weaving of individual consciousness with the larger body of the wild world.

Even today, as yoga slips into the mainstream consciousness of America with $100 lululemon pants and designer yoga mats, yoga exists on the wild fringe of culture. We move our bodies in wild ways, explore the wilderness of our untamed mind through the practices.

Our Balanced Rock retreats, workshops and backcountry expeditions work to return to the roots of yoga. Wandering the wild beauty of Yosemite, we find inspiration in our yoga practice here. And while practicing yoga in such a beautiful place is powerful, Yosemite as a “yoga studio” is a bit limiting. Returning to the roots of yoga, we are not just practicing yoga in the Yosemite wilderness—we are really trying to practice with the energy and power of the wild world. Taking Tadasana, the mountain pose, under the spires of the Cathedral Range, we take on the power of these high peaks. Practicing pranayama breathing, we literally become part of the wild world, taking the fresh mountain air into our bodies.

But really, you don't need to trek all the way up to Yosemite to experience wild yoga. Your local city park, the roof of your apartment building--just about anywhere you can draw on the energies of nature to inspire your yoga practice. Yoga, after all, in its literal translation is "union", uniting breath and movement, mind and body, self and nature.

Get outside!

El Portal and Yosemite Community Yoga

February Teaching Schedule

Wednesday, February 2nd 6:00-7:15 Schuyler Greenleaf

Monday, February 7th 5:45-7:00 Liesa Scholze
Wednesday, February 9th 6:00-7:15 Arin Trook

Monday, February 14th 5:45-7:00 Jennie Wheeler
Wednesday, February 16th 6:00-7:15 Arin Trook

Monday, February 21st 5:45-7:00 Heather Sullivan
Wednesday, February 23rd, 6:00-7:15 Karma Yoga with Schuyler

Monday, February 28th 5:45-7:00 Jennie Wheeler

John Muir Was a Yogi

John Muir was a yogi. No doubt about it—wandering solo through the wild sierras, mystical contemplation of the light and life of Yosemite Valley, sinking deeply into the prana of place. Just like the wandering sadhus of India, the dreadlocked forest mystics of India that have given up family and social ties to focus on a deeper yoga practice, John Muir was a spiritual seeker of the forest as well. “The clearest way into the Universe,” says Muir, “is through a forest wilderness.”

OK, so I can’t say as I have ever seen photos of John Muir sitting it the lotus seat of padmasana. I do, however, believe Mr. Muir’s quest for mindful living practices, for deep connection with the wild world, his dedication to social and environmental work for the benefit of all living beings—these are all manifestations of enlightened spiritual practice.

Looking again to Muir’s writing, we find his yogi philosophy strong in the oft quoted reflection, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything in the universe.” The original root word yoga is most easily translated from Sanskrit as “union”. And is this core concept of union, of yoga, not at the core of what Muir is saying ? He was on a life-long path to unite with this magical place, Yosemite Valley and the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Muir described Yosemite Valley many times as a “temple” and the backcountry of the Sierras his “church”. Again I am reminded of the very essence of contemplative practice in Muir’s famous words, "I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in."

It is with this in mind that we continue our work here at Balanced Rock. Whether leading a backcountry climb of Mount Hoffman or tapping away at the keys of this computer, we strive towards the cultivation of mindfulness in all of our daily practices. We work to reawaken the deep union (or yoga) of all living beings, to use creative expression, like Muir’s words here, to share insights and inspire connection. Although they are big shoes to fill, we do see ourselves walking the same path as Muir, working in the next generation of Muir’s lineage.

We joke at times about our mission here at Balanced Rock being “world peace”. Although this may seem an overly grand vision for a group of backcountry yogis and yoginis, there is some truth in this joke. We live in a world that is in need of support and healing. The first step in our process of restoration and reconciliation begins inside us—learning to reconnect with our own selves, lost often in the buzz and busy-ness of modern life. Only from a calm and complete space can we venture forth to sculpt the world we wish to with, in peace and health and harmony.

At the core of what we are doing here at Balanced Rock is our mission to reawaken and foster deep connection with the wild world. We believe that the combination of immersion in the wild world with the exploration of contemplative practices is a key developing this connection. If we are to address some of the deep-seeded social and environmental issues of our age, we must go at this with our whole selves. It is not enough to be educated in the facts and scientific foundations of global climate change (although this is important). The cultural and social evolution (or revolution) that is needed, must engage us not just in the mind, but in the body, emotion, and spirit of each individual. At Balanced Rock we are working to open our hearts to the great growing world.

Yoga and Ecology by Dennis Eagan

This excellent article comes by way of Balanced Rock instructor and WildYoga founder Dennis Eagan. For more information on Dennis, visit his website at www.wildyoga.com or see Dennis' Balanced Rock trip, "Energies of Nature."

Yoga and ecology both stem from the same seed: the awareness that all things are entwined in a single sacred web. The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word, yug, meaning to join together. It refers to the integration of the body-mind and its union with the divine, but yoga also speaks to our connection to the energy field that sustains us. Every being inhabiting this planet represents a sutra or thread in the vast, complex tapestry we call the biosphere.

Both yoga and ecology are by their very nature sustainable practices. Sustainability is the conscious management of an ecosystem to insure that system’s productivity and resilience to disturbance are both maintained. In other words, how much can be harvested (think energy here) from that environment without upsetting its ability to bounce back from the physical challenges imposed upon it.

Many schools of yoga expound on the merits of blood, sweat, and tears as a means to ascend the mountain of enlightenment, but the emphasis on one’s dedication to practice or tapasya should not be confused with burning calories or profuse sweating. Too much effort leads to an unbalanced practice. An excess of heat and perspiration can leave us dehydrated and low on electrolytes, compromising our energy reserves or productivity, and leaving us more susceptible to colds and flu, less resilient.

Balance has always been the keystone of yoga. In a balanced practice, surrender equals effort, or as we say in yoga, Isvara pranidana merges with tapas. Then the physical body feels restored and rejuvenated after a yoga practice, and the mind is cool and calm; both productivity and resilience are maintained.

Life throws many stressors at us that can weaken the body-mind connection and disrupt the flow of the life force. A well-balanced yoga practice helps us face the challenges of aging, fighting off a virus, maintaining a family and career, and living in a world often dominated by fear.

The most productive and resilient ecosystems are also the ones with the most diversity. Though much of the focus on yoga in America is on asana practice, yoga provides a diverse curriculum with seven other limbs to ground and stabilize our practice. Living the precepts of the yamas and niyamas, pranayama, and the meditative aspects of yoga are all necessary for a well-integrated practice.

Ecology is the study of the energy flow between organisms and their environment. Yoga is an energy practice that promotes conservation of energy (the true yoga master is aware of each and every breath) and pratyahara or self- study. Look deep enough inside and we see that all things are indeed connected. In the words of Laura Cornell, founder of the Green Yoga Association, “Yoga is Ecology.”

Dennis Eagan
Wild Yoga
PO Box 304
Coloma, CA 95613
(530) 626-6353
www.wildyoga.com

Yosemite Wilderness Wellness Expeditions for Low-income Californians

Help support Balanced Rock's wilderness wellness program initiative! Balanced Rock is in the running to receive a $50,000 grant from Pepsi to support a series of 10 trips this summer focused on supporting wellness for low-income Californians. These programs include our established Women of Color Backpack, our local Mariposa County Yosemite Youth Expedition, as well as open up the opportunity to provide programs for survivors of domestic violence, Central Valley youth outreach programs, and other new program initiatives.

What you can do to help:

1. Vote! Go to this website: http://www.refresheverything.com/yosemite and vote. You can vote up to 10 times each day--the projects with the top 10 vote counts win. We are in the $50,000 category under "Heath".

2. Send an email to family and friends and encourage them to vote as well.

3. If you are on Facebook or Twitter, post this information and encourage friends to vote.

This could be a wonderful opportunity for the Balanced Rock community to support a wide range of people who would otherwise not have an opportunity to experience the beauty, magic, and healing powers of Yosemite.