Wednesday's Woman: Being of Service

Honoring Seane Corn, yoga instructor and founder of Off the Mat Into the World

Today's guest blogger, Anna Mahler, is a regular contributor to Wednesday's Woman and I also consider her a regular inspiration.  Meaning, her kindness is prevailing--always present, empathetic and aware.

Anna has a passion for self-care and deep self-awareness. She believes staying on the quest of loving oneself makes us capable of loving our children and each other.  I believe she is right.  She has a great ability to shine light on women who are reaching out to help us in the quest for a full, love-filled life, and today is no exception.

Be sure to visit Anna at her space, The Mommy Padawan.  I guarantee you'll be inspired.

Wednesday's Woman: What Being Of Service Truly Means

by Anna Mahler

Off the Mat Into the World

Seane Corn is a well known yoga instructor but also a passionate activist on a mission to bring the principals of yoga – love, compassion and mindfulness, into every part of our lives and the world around us.

At 19, Seane started exploring yoga and discovered that it's benefits go far beyond our physical selves.

“I liked yoga at first because of how it made my body feel, but within a few short years, yoga infiltrated every part of my existence. Because of the practice, I quit smoking, drinking, doing drugs and eating animal products. Because of the practice, I meditate, breathe, pray and serve. Yoga created the foundation that allows me to feel connected to spirit, the world and all her inhabitants.”
Source: http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Seane-Corns-First-Lesson-in-Yoga/3#ixzz28RH9oYgu

Seane went on to become a yoga teacher but also began exploring ways she could be of service to Off The Mat, Into The World. In 2007,  she co-founded the non-profit organization with the same name along with Hala Khouri and Suzanne Sterling. 

Off the Mat Into the World

others that aligned with her principals and personal beliefs. Inspired after working with YouthAIDS, an organization that provides services and products to children worldwide who are affected by the HIV/AIDS crisis, Seane came up with the slogan -

Off The Mat’s mission is to use the power of yoga to inspire conscious, sustainable activism and ignite grassroots social change.

From the very start, OTM has been active and successful in bringing the values and benefits of yoga to exactly what they state – off the mat and into the world around us today. 

Four years ago, a private client asked Seane to create a lounge at the Democratic National Convention. This became a place for people to relax in between sessions; offering yoga, massages, healthy food and meditation. After receiving a positive response as well as requests for more involvement,  OTM created their recent initiative, YogaVotes. It is an initiative to get people involved but to also bring love, compassion and connection in to politics and political discussions.

Off The Mat also partners with organizations all over the world to help create and provide safe medical and birthing centers, housing, education and training programs and raise awareness of global issues for change. One way they accomplish this is through a yearly challenge they call the Global Seva Challenge.

“Each year, Off the Mat (OTM) sponsors an international service project called the Global Seva Challenge. The Seva Challenge is a transformational journey that builds community, provokes awareness and action around global issues, and raises significant funds to support communities in crisis. Since 2007, the Seva Challenge has raised over two million dollars for projects in Cambodia, Uganda, South Africa and Haiti. In 2012 the Seva Challenge will be focused on the issue of sex trafficking in India and worldwide. “
(Source - http://www.offthematintotheworld.org/global-seva-challenge.html)

Raising awareness, providing refuge, sharing knowledge and encouraging compassion, mindfulness and love. To me, this is what “being of service to others” truly means and an awesome example of walking the walk and living the principals of what you believe. 

You can learn more about Off The Matt at http://www.offthematintotheworld.org/

And more about Seane Corn at http://www.seanecorn.com/



Wednesday's Woman is a weekly feature dedicated to spotlighting women who are role models for our daughters. . . and the world.

What Do Your Kids Know about Election 2012?

After school, I noticed the sticker on my daughter’s sweatshirt and said, “You voted today?”

She explained that other than the presidential candidates, she wasn't familiar with anything else on the ballot in the 7th grade mock presidential election, so she simply voted along party lines and guessed on the issues.  Then she asked me if the president will be chosen by “. . . who has the most votes. . .”?

Although I was pleased that her humanities teacher used the upcoming election as an opportunity for students to experience the process of voting, I thought there were missed opportunities.  I wonder how many Americans know the answer to my daughter's question about the electoral process?  One of our country's biggest problems is an uninformed and/or misinformed electorate.  If we merely show up to the polls and vote based on the information we obtain through campaign ads, we are doing ourselves a disservice.  If we show up and vote party loyal, this is also a disservice. We should not pass this behavior to our children and with information right at our fingertips, we can do better.

My daughter and I spent about an hour talking about the Electoral College, the campaign ads we were being inundated with on the popular radio station she had streaming on her iPod, and how to find out about the rest of the candidates and issues on the ballot.  We didn't get to everything, but she has a better understanding of how things will happen on Tuesday.  (Now, if I could just convince her to join me at Nationwide Arena to see President Obama with Bruce Springsteen on Monday.  She’s more interested in accompanying me to our polling place on Tuesday which will be less crowded.  Smart kid.)

Here are two great sites that will help with talking to your kids about the election.    

Helping Kids Understand the Election

Helping Kids Understand the Election

A special section at PBS Parents provides the basics and can be used for younger through school aged children.  If gives easy to understand answers to questions your children may be asking (Are political parties like birthday parties?) and includes activities like printing your own campaign poster.  This site is appealing to younger children and the information is great for school age children who are just starting to learn about the election.

Election 2012 at Scholastic

Election 2012 - Scholastic

Like the PBS Parents site, Election 2012 from Scholastic has easy to understand explanations and activities.  It also has an interactive map of the Electoral College and On the Road to the White House which tests your knowledge of the political system is one of many great games.  You'll find many articles including information on the Swing States, meeting the candidates, and understanding election vocabulary.  What I enjoy about the Scholastic site is that there are articles written by kids--The Scholastic Kids Press Corps. There is even an interview with the president conducted by student reporters.  This site will keep the attention of school age children and with just a little coaxing to get past the "kid" look of the site, will keep the interest of and be challenging for your young teen.

If  after you've spent time doing all the fun activities on the above sites your older child or teen is still interested in the election, look over sites that are specific to party interests helping him/her identify statements and images that are used to sway voters' opinions.  Then, look up the facts!  In fact, this may be the way to start a discussion with your teen.  It uses media they have already been exposed to on television and online.

How do you talk to your kids about the election?

photo credit: willc2 via photopin cc

Wednesday's Woman: Alicia Reece

2012 Democratic National Convention 

With the Democratic National Convention in full swing, today’s Wednesday’s Woman spotlights a charismatic state representative at the forefront of the controversial voting rights movement.

Alicia Reece is a state representative in the 33^rd Ohio House District who is attending her third Democratic National Convention.  This is her first as an elected delegate.

Reece's interest in voting rights began during college and included organizing a voter registration movement that registered thousands of young people.  Her ambition and drive to be a public servant comes from her family, especially her father, who worked as chief of staff under the first African American mayor of Cincinnati, Theodore M. Berry.  She is also taking on unemployment and "plans to take the Obama message to the streets." 

Today, RuetersTV spotlights Reece in this video which captures her vibrancy, enthusiasm and courage as a political leader and public servant:

Alicia Reece, a Democratic National Convention delegate and Ohio state representative,watched her father get involved in politics and then got her start in collegewhen she organized a registration campaign. Now she's working in Ohio to rollback what she believes are efforts to make it more difficult to vote. 
For her inspiring work as a true public servant, Alicia Reece is today's Wednesday's Woman.




photo credit: stevebott via photo pin cc

Ready to Go O-H-I-O

Source: new.livestream.com via Sperk* on Pinterest

After the 2010 Ohio Gubernatorial Election results were in, I was physically ill.

Shocked. 

Even though the polls indicated a close race between Democratic incumbent Governor Ted Strickland and his opponent John Kasich, I thought the possibility of the people of Ohio allowing a former managing director of Lehman Brothers to reside in the Governor’s mansion was akin to me gaining the super-power-ability to afford my property taxes without selling the silver.

Impossible.

As I tried to fathom how this could happen, I remembered the young man wearing ripped jeans and a Pearl Jam t-shirt who came to my door earlier that summer.  He asked for my support for Governor Strickland, which he received.  However, to the question, “Could you afford a little time to help the campaign?”  I answered, “No.”

When Kasich won the election--when I was ill, shocked and selling my silver--I vowed to say "Yes," to the next person who asked me to help in campaigning for a candidate I support. 

Today in Columbus, President Barack Obama officially launched his campaign for reelection at The Ohio State University.  He opened the Ready to Go Rally by saying:

“Hello, Ohio! It is good to be back in Ohio. . . We’re going to win this thing the old fashioned way, door by door, block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood.”

You are in my blogosphere neighborhood. I’m on your block and knocking at your door.

Source: new.livestream.com via Sperk* on Pinterest

I'm asking friends if they can make a $5 donation to my grassroots fundraising page for President Obama. 

My goal is to raise $200.  By making a donation, you ensure America moves "Forward."  Click the badge below or in the sidebar to donate:

Why?

Unlike during the 2010 Ohio Gubernatorial campaign, to the 2012 Presidential campaign, I say, "Yes."

Why am I supporting the reelection of President Barack Obama?  

He answered better than I could today when he said:

“If people ask you what this campaign is about, you tell them it’s still about hope. It’s still about change. It’s about ordinary people who believe that in the face of the greatest odds, we can make a difference in this country.”