I attended a Saturday workshop taught by well-known yoga and spiritual teacher Beryl Bender Birch. I was so excited to be meeting a famous yoga “rock star.” Beryl has been teaching ashtanga yoga since the seventies along with conducting teacher trainings. In 2000 Yoga Journal named her one of seven American women who helped shape the yoga culture. Beryl also wrote two best sellers titled Power Yoga and Beyond Power Yoga along with other books, CDs and DVDs.
The workshop was about the topic of Parayama, the art of yoga breathing. By breathing we can learn to control the life force called the prana. These exercise help prepare the mind for meditation to be followed by our yoga practice. We practiced Nadi Sodhana, which is breathing through alternating nostrils. Beryl also walked us through the exercise of Jalandara Bandaha, which is a combination of breathing and nodding. I found that the workshop enhanced both my meditation and yoga practice.
Breathing exercises can be very beneficial in several ways. The mind and body connection is controlled through breathing. It is also very relaxing and a great stress release. Breathing exercises have also been shown to help with concentration, creativity and cognitive brain function.

As an individual with disabilities one the most important skill I learned was how to be an advocate. This means the ability to stand up for your self and others to protect our equal rights. It is an important lesson to learn because we are the guardians of our own rights. I am a huge supporter of self-advocacy something I have done for years from school to adult life it is second nature to me. The first step is to know what the disability issues are and what is needed. The second one is to educate your self on disability laws and protected rights. A good advocate has excellent communication and listening skill. Also keeping good records while becoming a master at negotationing will also help. In order to promote positive change through activism we must work together while respecting one another. There is no better feeling than being able to speak up for your self or others to make a positive impact. My yoga practice helps keep me focus and grounded in my activism work. Yoga activism will always be the center of my life defining my self as a warrior.

George Clooney’s latest movie “The Descendants” caught my eye. Many disability advocates, including myself were disappointed when the word “retarded” was used during a scene where the actor’s character Matt is in a heated discussion with his daughter’s boyfriend, in which he used the word in a derogatory fashion. Many feel the use of this word in media exacerbates the negative stigma and stereotypes faced by people with developmental disabilities. This isn’t the first time a movie has been criticized for using the word. One example is that last summer’s movie “The Change Up” was called out for the use of the R word. Another instance happened three years ago, where a protest of the same issue led to changes in how the comedy show “Tropic Thunder” was being promoted.

The R word originated from the phrase mental retardation that at one time was used to describe a medical condition in earlier times. Today the R word typically means stupid or implies that someone is a loser. It also drives the stereotype that people with developmental disabilities have less value then others. Personally, I find the word degrading and disrespectful to people with disabilities. We are all equal and should be treated that way.

As of this month the website http://www.r-word.org/ has received over 250,000 pledges from individuals vowing not to use the R word. This campaigned is spearheaded by the Special Olympics campaign called Spread the Word to End the Word. It is very important to remember the negative impact this word has on people. As advocates it’s our job to educate and reinforce the importance of this campaign.

One word that I absolutely hate is the word retarded. In the past the words retarded and mental retardation were used to refer to people with developmental disabilities. The word retarded also implies that people’s words and actions do not make sense. It can also mean foolishness and stupidity. Overall, the word retarded reflects negatively on people with developmental disabilities, affecting their identity, self-esteem and self-worth.
The month of March is dedicated to the campaign Spread the Word To End the Word where activities are focused around schools, organizations and communities where they encourage individuals to make a pledge to stop using the word retardation. The campaign has also hit the Internet with its own web page at http://www.r-word.org
In conclusion, many people really don’t realize how some words can be very hurtful to others and add to discrimination and stigmas. When we speak we should take the time to see and understand how our words affect others while making sure we are giving clear messages of respect.

Life is an adventure leading us to new experiences. As always life has a funny way of presenting new obstacles for us to face. I find they keep things interesting and I always look forward to the challenge. I am often reminded of something my mentor Seane Corn said at a workshop “you have to get through the fuck you to get to the bless you” This is so true over the years I have face many barriers due to my disabilities in my personal and professional life. My yoga practice empowers the warrior with in my self to stay strong and to always fight to find solutions. Barriers and obstacles will only make us stronger and push us to move forward through life.

It is that time of year to do one of my favorite activities set new goals with a plan of action. The theme for this years resolution is being in the best shape by time I turn forty in April. The first step was to recommit to my daily yoga practice with the help of two DVDs by two amazing yogini who are role models inspiring me everyday. I will be alternating between my yoga activist mentor Seane Corn Detox Flow yoga DVD and my yoga-writing mentor Kathryn Budig Aim True Yoga DVD. I will also be throwing in the mix my favorite fitness expert Ashley turner Yoga For Weight Loss and Power Yoga DVDs that I love. I have also decided to go vegan as a way to eat healthy. Recently I have discovered two books by Kathy Freston called The veganist and Quantum Wellness which talks about going vegan at slow pace making gradual changes which is important in making any kind health wise changes.
I am also hoping to attend the Off The Mat Into The World Leadership Training: Yoga, Purpose and Action Intensive taught by Seane Corn at Omega in July. I love the idea of sharpening my yoga and activism skills. It would be great to connect with and learn from other yogi activists. Always inspired by my spiritual running buddy Gabrielle Bernstein I will be writing to help, inspire and inform people on disability issues, self help and yoga through my column and blog.
I am so excited about this year’s journeys and cant wait to see where it takes me.

In the past months we have watch the yoga community led by yogi activists such as my mentor Seane Corn coming together to take a stand for truth, justice and unity. We don’t support 99% or 1 % instead we support 100 % because we are all equal in every sense.

As a yogi activist of disability rights a big part of my platform is equality. We all deserve the same opportunities regardless of disability, gender, race and status. We all deserve to live, work and participant independently on our own community.

I love seeing people uniting together to make a positive impact it is very empowering and inspiring. Always remember we all are connected by spirit uniting us as one.

my column printed in the Republican on 11/9/11

Last month there was a news story coming out of Philadelphia, Pennsvila that totally shocked me to my core. Apparently an apartment complex landlord had received complaints of noise and strange going ons in the basement. When the landlord investigated, he found dark rooms with noises coming from the boiler room, where he found four individuals, one of whom was chained to the boiler. The four individuals were found in weakened and malnourished condition. They were three men and one woman ranging from age 29 to 41 years old. All four were developmentally disabled with the mental capacity of a ten year old. They told the police that they had been held for several years in different areas such as Texas and Florida. They also suffered from both physical and emotional abuse.

The police have arrested one woman and two men for a variety of charges from kidnapping, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, false imprisonment to theft. During their investigation they determined the motive was to steal the four victims monthly social security benefits ranging from 600 to 900 hundred dollars. They also discovered that the women gave birth to two children while being held. The police also recovered social security cards, power of attorney forms and other documents bearing fifty different names. The four victims are being cared for at a state run facility where they have been reunited with their families.

We are all equal with the same rights that don’t vary or differctante from gender, sex, race, cultural or disability. Basic needs, rights and values govern our society. We are taught at a young age to love ourselves and our fellow citizen while living peacefully. We are also taught to be responsible in our actions. More importantly we must respect our selves and others regardless of differences. In other words we all unique beautiful individuals with gifts to offer.

One of my favorite yogini writers Kathryn Budig just came out with her first yoga DVD titled Aim True Yoga. She is just as passionate about yoga and writing as I am. The DVD contains two yoga session with the purpose of focusing in on your true self while energizing your body. I love Her teaching style she infuses fun and humor into the practice while giving excellent tips in doing the poses. My favorite part is the dancing warrior because it brings celebration to the warrior soul with in us. I fell honored to have Kathryn as a friend and writer mentor she has taught and inspired me in my own yoga and writing life style. Check out Kathryn at her website http://www.kathrynbudig.com/

My favorite form of yoga to practice is vinyasa yoga I have been practicing it over ten years. Vinyasa yoga is the practice of linking the breath to movements one example is sun salutations my favorite part of the practice. The goal is to cultivate awareness of our breath, mind and body. Personally I love the fluid movements and making that spiritual connection with the mind and body. I also feel it is important to build an awareness with body especially when you have physical limitations like me. Vinyasa also teaches to be more aware of our feelings and what is happening around us. It teaches us to live in the moment while taking one step at a time. In my opion practicing vinyasa yoga and being mindful are perfect companions that I do on a daily bases. After each practice I always feel energized, strong, clean, calm and peaceful ready to face the world.