BE THE CHANGE: Meditation & Gentle Yoga Series

Focusing on the intention of creating positive change in lives to cultivate self-compassion in order to foster compassion toward others.

Join in on any date and donate as you can! Youths free!

Register at ncmc-yoga-meditation-change.eventbrite.com

Sundays, February 7 & 14, March 7 & 14, 2021 | 2:00 to 3:00pm EST

Instructor Ella Moncur

This four session practice series on Zoom and taught by Ella Moncur focuses on the intention of creating positive change in our own lives; cultivating self-compassion so that we can effectively show up and foster compassion towards others. Participants will develop useful tools to support self-care practices.

Appropriate for beginners to experienced students and youths aged 13 – 17.

Donation-based Donations appreciated from Adults if you can. Youths 13-17 Free.

Registration Required.

Note: You will receive the access code to Zoom by email. The Zoom Link that you will receive by email is good for use on any date of this series.

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Bio-Note Ella is a Registered Nurse, Health and Fitness Coach, Personal Trainer, Yoga Instructor, and Holistic Practitioner. She is the owner and founder of Just Be Holistic Health & Wellness and is a guest instructor with NCMC.

A donation-based program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture, a New Jersey 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your tax deductible donations make it possible for us to continue delivering life-changing programs to the Greater Newark community and beyond.

Yoga-Meditation Course: 7 Chakras — Meditation, Mantras & Movement

An online yoga-meditation course where we’ll talk about each chakra, meditate on it, and move through it. Beginner to intermediate students.

Taught by ELLA MONCUR

STARTS MONDAY, AUGUST 10TH
OPTIONAL: Attend 4, 5, or 6 Sessions

ENROLL NOW

Dates Mondays, August 10, 17, 24, 31 & September 14, 21

Time 6:00pm to 7:00pm

Platform: NCMC ZOOM

Fee Scale: $45 for 4, $50 for 5, $55 for 6

Supplies Needed Please use a yoga mat. Have water available. No need to wear yoga clothes if you don’t have. Instead wear loose or stretchy pants (not jeans).

Objective Talk about each chakra, meditate on it, and move through it.

Course Each session will open with an overview and discussion of the energy center of focus, followed by an active yoga flow specifically geared to asanas that will help to open these centers, and ending with a healing meditation using vibrational sound music specific to each chakra as well as a mantra used as the centering thought for the meditation.

Curriculum

Week 1 ROOT CHAKRA has a direct correlation to our adrenal glands. This chakra is all about our physical identity, safety and security and ability to ground.

Week 2 SACRAL CHAKRA is associated with orange and has a direct correlation to the gonads, testes and ovaries. It is all about creativity, how we navigate through our personal relationships and intimacy.

Week 3 SOLAR PLEXUS has a direct correlation to digestion, the pancreas and liver. It is about our personal power, will power, self-esteem, mental focus and sense of belonging and purpose.

Week 4 HEART CHAKRA is correlated to our immune system and systemic allergies. It is about our ability to trust, forgive, love, and patience and compassion for all living.

Week 5 THROAT CHAKRA is correlated to our thyroid, ears, sinus, allergies. It relates to self-expression, communication and ability to live and speak our truth.

Week 6 THIRD EYE & CROWN CHAKRA Our Third Eye is about connection to our intuition and guidance to live in alignment with our higher self. The Crown Chakra is the absolute knowing, connection to spirituality, integration of oneness.

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Teacher Bio-Note
Ella Moncur is a Registered Nurse, Health and Fitness Coach, Personal Trainer, Yoga Instructor, and Holistic Practitioner. She is the owner and founder of Just Be Holistic Health & Wellness https://www.justbenlh.com/ and is a Guest Instructor with NCMC.

A fee-based program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture a New Jersey 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Be Still Monday Zoom Sessions Continue: Enroll with Links Below

Mondays, May 18, June 1, and June 8: Enroll in as many FREE Zoom sessions as you like. You must register to access Meeting ID and Password:

10:00 AM Sessions
ENROLL AT: https://bit.ly/3bf8MTp
5/11 Re-Connecting with the Natural World (Cornelia)
5/18 Taking a Pause for Deep Relaxation (Andrea)
6/1 Chair Yoga: You Are Creator of Your Experience 1 (Ella)
6/8 Light Yoga: You Are Creator of Your Experience 2 (Ella)

1:00 PM Sessions
ENROLL AT: https://bit.ly/2WBvmQQ
5/11 Meditative Resurrection of the Daily Constitutional (Kazi)
5/18 Yoga: Relax & Renew — Making the Mind-Body Connection (Fadja)
6/1 Yoga: The Breath — Elevator and Regenerator (Fadja)
6/8 Re-Connecting with Our Inner Wellness (Cornelia)

7:00 PM Sessions
ENROLL AT: https://tinyurl.com/y8dafpmx
5/11 Building a Mindful Community (Kamilah & Andrea)
5/18 Mindfully Managed Stress: Using Your Toolbox (Kamilah)
6/1 Mindful Household Budgeting Workshop (Andrew)
6/8 Plant Spirit Meditation Medicine: Stress Resilience (Kazi)

Contact us at info@newarkmeditation.org with any questions.

Yoga for Creativity & Prosperity: 6 Week Course starts April 20th

Guest Instructor Fadja Robert-Carr (See bio at registration site)
Limited Seating Up to 12 students.
Level Beginning to Intermediate
Dates Mondays, April 20 to June 01 (No class on May 25.)
Time 6:00pm to 7:15pm
Course Fee $60 paid in advance online. (Refunds only until 4/2.)
Location 2 Park Place, Newark, NJ

ENROLL ncmc-yoga-creativity.eventbrite.com

Description This course addresses the sensory human holistically. Foundational exercises give people an experience of clarity, lightness and connectedness. The exercises and asana sequences are interspersed with talks on accessing creative energy and developing an attitude of prosperity. The kriyas and exercises are selected to clear the aura and activate the energy field, with a focus on the pranic body and breathwork. We explore where in our energy systems we manifest creative energy and ways to align and activate those energies in our daily practices. The series draws on asana, breathwork, meditation and select kundalini kriyas.

Objective Yoga Exercises to Increase Physical Vitality, Mental Focus, and Concentration.

Curriculum

Week 1 Self-Awareness and Breath
Week 2 The Sensory Human
Week 3 Focus and Concentration
Week 4 Flexibility and Alignment
Week 5 Foundational Posture
Week 6 Stress-Management

ENROLL ncmc-yoga-creativity.eventbrite.com

A fee-based program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture.

Contact us with questions at info@newarkmeditation.org

REVIEW: A Day of Firsts — The First Retreat in Our First Home

ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23rd we held our first retreat in our first home at 2 Park Place. The topic was Community-Building with Clarity & Compassion. You can see from the faces of the students that it was a wonderful experience! It was fitting that Rebecca Li led the retreat as she has been supporting programs with NCMC since 2012.

We are grateful to her for dharma and meditation teachings as practiced by Dharma Drum, to Leslie of I’m So Yoga for her yoga session, and to Kathryn Davis of Heart of Mind Radio for her qigong session.

And what a great team of volunteers we had! Thank you to Ella and Ivette for their retreat day support, to Tenisha for social media promotions, and to her daughter Ariyan for the fantastic photos. We are grateful for the delicious vegan meal, a kind donation prepared by a veteran caterer, Vijaya Dharmapuri.

A special thanks to Jennifer, General Coordinator; Vijay, Food Coordinator; and Javier, Deputy Coordinator, as well as to Andrea, our Treasurer, for registration coordination.

The students were awesome, engaged, and attentive — comprehending with keen awareness the powerful yet invisible dynamics of community.

See more photos in our Retreat Album on Facebook.

DAY-LONG RETREAT: Community Building with Clarity & Compassion

Led by teacher REBECCA LI with Kathryn Davis & Leslie.

MEDITATION | MINDFULNESS | YOGA | QIGONG | DHARMA TALK | DISCUSSION | VEGGIE LUNCH

Sunday, February 23, 2020
Newark Center for Meditative Culture, 2  Park Place, Newark, NJ

REGISTER NOW! (Link will take you to Eventbrite.)

Choose Full or Half Day Participation:
Full-day: 10:00am-4:30pm
Half-day: 10:00am-2:00pm -or- 12:30pm-4:30pm

A donation-based Program, suggested:
Adults $30 full / $20 half
Students 18+ $20 full / $15 half
Youths 7-17 Free accompanied by adult.

In this day-long retreat, the invisible yet powerful dynamics in community life are discussed, encouraging practitioners to cultivate a keen awareness of them to engage in community life with wisdom and compassion. Dharma and meditation teacher Rebecca Li will lead this retreat that will include guided meditation, mindful movement practice, dharma talk, and discussion. As well, Leslie will lead a gentle yoga session in the morning while Kathryn Davis will lead a flowing qigong session in the afternoon.

Appropriate for beginners and experienced participants. Youths aged 7-17 who can sit quietly are welcome to attend with adults for free. Vegetarian lunch included. Wheelchair access, ground floor.

REGISTER NOW!   (Link will take you to Eventbrite.)

For inquiries contact us at info@newarkmeditation.org.

A donation-based program of Newark Center for Meditative Culture.

Why meditate? … Why tie your shoes?

Like many things we do regularly, as monotonous as they might appear, there is always a purpose. We choose good purposes and bad purposes. To develop mindfulness and meditation can open your eyes to what is truly in front of you and help you to make good choices. It is proven to reduce stress and bring more focus to your mind. Done in community it expands to our ever-evolving culture and can result in a more collective peace of mind. You might even tie your shoes more skillfully, and as if for the first time.

Weekly Meditation & Mindful Movement | Tuesdays, 6:30 to 7:45pm | 2 Park Place, Newark, NJ | Donation-based, Youths free. | Translations in Español and Português available. Family friendly. | There will be no class on Nov. 26th.

SIGN UP • REGISTRATE AHORA

 

REVIEW: Ladies First – From Superwoman to Self-Care

By Andrea Lee

This weekend’s Women’s Retreat was a multi-generational gathering of nearly 50 women of diverse backgrounds and from all different walks of life. The retreat was mindfully and lovingly guided by five women who are leaders in their own fields. We kicked off the retreat with a moving spoken word opening by TaNisha Fordham who brought nine teen-aged students to the retreat. Jillian Faulks-Majuta lead a Kemetic Yoga session that physically grounded guests in the power of self-care. The day continued with passionate workshops about caring for mind, body and spirit.

Kamilah Crawley, who organized and emceed the event, offered sessions about the intersection of mindfulness and women’s self-care and lead discussion groups on the complex and nuanced notions of the modern Superwoman. Michelle Beadle Holder explored mindful eating and the frequent everyday choices we make about how we nourish our bodies and helped us become more mindful of the environments where we break our bread and buy our food. Her presentation was followed by a nutritious and soulful lunch provided by Arelis Hernandez and Rabbit Hole Farm.

Aleah Gathings presented on the power of words and affirmations and guided retreatants in a symbolic ceremony to release unconstructive thought patterns. Mandara Parashakti Akiwumi facilitated a process to help participants “Stop the Story”, release narratives that hold us back and re-narrate our current truth. We ended the retreat by writing self-care letters to our future selves — to be mailed and opened just when we most need the reminder.

Throughout the day retreatants were encouraged to hold a non-judgmental space for everyone’s opinions and experiences and to self-reflect through conversation and journaling. Participants readily shared their own resources and several lists were compiled with books, websites, and places of interest for people to visit to continue the deep work that was initiated at this retreat.

Change of Season — Change of Body, Mind, and Spirit

autumn-leaf-floating-in-water.jpg

To all things there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance…

— Ecclesiastes 3

 

Hippocrates, in teaching the doctors of his day, said, “Consider the seasons of the year and what each of them produces.” When you respect the seasons you will respect your body, mind, and spirit and their needs.

Based on chinese medicine the fall is the season of the element of metal and lung and the lungs are associated with sadness and grief. We move from the external, expansive nature of summer to the internal, contracting nature of fall.

What does this have to do with meditation?

Through specific meditation and mindfulness skills — stationary, movement, eating, sound, and all our sense organs — we can learn season-specific techniques and tools for self-care: stress resilience, immunity boosting, health promotion, and methods to boost your creativity and mental sharpness.

We can also develop insight into the constantly changing, impermanent nature of our bodies and minds and learn to let go. In fact the energy of the lungs is related to “letting go” — first remembering our breath, using our breath, relaxing our breath — then becoming aware and allowing the elements and nourishment to inform us.

The northeast Autumn with it’s cool temperatures and warmly-colored leaves is a good time to:

• eat hot foods
• eat gourd foods
• supplement with mullein
• get to bed early
• sweat in a sauna
• socialize locally.

Learn more on Sunday, November 11, 2018, when we hold a workshop Fall Back into Self-Care: Meditation, Movement, and Medicine for the Season. This 5-hour workshop is kid friendly for those youths who might like to practice with us.