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 From Philip Hellmich, Director of Peace
Yoga is practiced by people around the world and is helping catalyze a global shift in consciousness. Yoga is one of our most ancient spiritual practices (estimated between 5,000 and 10,000 years old), which is part of why the United Nations has designated June 21 as the UN International Day of Yoga.
Yoga’s introduction to the West came through many avenues, starting with Emerson and Theoreu’s interest in the Bhagavad Gita; Swami Vivikananda’s presentation at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893; Paramahansa Yogananda’s arrival in the U.S. in 1920; The Beatles going to Rishikesh, India in 1968 take part in an advanced Transcendental Meditation™ training course; and, many other avenues and great teachers over the years.
In the classic Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda, it is written that great Himalayan yogis intentionally planned, years in advance, to send Yogananda to the United States to help spread yoga around the world. (The same is probably true for Swami Vivikananda and other great masters.) They believed humanity was headed into an age where technological advances, including the advent of the atomic bomb, would create potential hardships for humanity. They saw that the ancient science of yoga was needed to help people awaken to their innate divinity and to help harmonize humanity.
The spread of yoga around the world truly gives us hope that there is a global shift in consciousness taking place — one person, one breath, one posture and one meditation at a time. And, that this raising of consciousness is being supported by great beings of different lineages. All we have to do is commit ourselves to daily practices and allow the ancient science of yoga to transform ourselves so we can better attune and align with divine inspiration and serve as instruments of peace.
We’d love to hear your answer to the question, What’s been the biggest difference in your life from practicing yoga? To share your thoughts in our Facebook Page community, click here.
True yoga is not about the shape of your body, but the shape of your life. Yoga is not to be performed; yoga is to be lived. Yoga doesn’t care about what you have been; yoga cares about the person you are becoming.
— Aadil Palkhivala
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Changing the World Spiritually and Economically is Easier Than You Think — World Tai Chi & Qigong Day
By Bill Douglas
 The issues the world faces seem so complex and intractable, but what if they weren’t? What if fixing the world was simple and elegant? Would you want to be a part of that fix? On the last Saturday of April, we held the 20th annual World Tai Chi & Qigong Day, a global health and healing event observed in 80 countries around the world. If you look at the data, this event may literally be a catalyst for global health and healing on many levels.
To read more, click here.
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 Would you like to join The Shift Network team?
We are seeking unique and talented individuals for two important positions at The Shift Network: Human Resources Manager and Summits Marketing Manager.
If you are inspired and passionate about joining our team, please click here for more information about these positions. The Shift Network is committed to creating a diverse environment and is an equal opportunity employer.
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“Awakening Your Kundalini Advanced Program” Facebook Live Q&A with Raja Choudhury
 Would you like to open your heart and Third Eye, align your inner energy with the energy of the universe, and become more intuitive, fearless, courageous, and peaceful? Spiritual teacher, filmmaker, and speaker Raja Choudhury will be leading a special Facebook Live Q&A call on Wednesday, May 29, at 10:00am Pacific to share how you can safely activate the Kundalini energy at the base of your spine to access bliss consciousness and evolve into a more beautiful, radiant soul. Click here to get a Facebook Messenger reminder when the event goes live.
“Psyche & Cosmos” Facebook Live Q&A with Stanislav Grof and Richard Tarnas
 Would you like to access the wisdom of archetypal astrology to deepen your self-understanding and saturate your life with greater beauty, meaning, and purpose? Transpersonal psychologist Stanislav Grof, MD, and philosopher Richard Tarnas, PhD, will be leading a special Facebook Live Q&A call on Thursday, May 23, at Noon Pacific to share how you can open to the hidden, sacred forces within your own psyche and strengthen your sense of belonging in a loving, ensouled universe. Click here to get a Facebook Messenger reminder when the event goes live.
“Living The Queen's Code” Facebook Live Q&A with Alison Armstrong
 Would you like to unlock the secret code for truly honoring yourself — and bring more joy and understanding to your relationships with romantic partners, colleagues, and family members? Alison Armstrong, a relationship expert and author of The Queen’s Code, will be leading a special Facebook Live Q&A call on Tuesday, May 28, at Noon Pacific to share how the “Language of Heroes” can help you call forth the best in ALL men in your life. Click here to get a Facebook Messenger reminder when the event goes live.
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We want to know: What’s been the biggest difference in your life from practicing yoga? To share your thoughts in our Facebook Page community, click here.
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Breathe, Stretch, Realize... YOGA TIME
by Sister Jenna, a featured speaker in the upcoming Yoga of Healing & Awakening Summit
 By practicing Raja Yoga through the Brahma Kumaris, I have discovered that it is not simply for sitting down to meditate. I can also practice while I am walking, eating, speaking, and moving around, and find great benefit from raising my level of consciousness during these daily activities. In addition, by having union with God the Supreme Being, the love that is experienced becomes a means of absolving negative experiences from the past.
Imagine being able to realize yourself as you truly are: a good, beautiful, powerful, clean, and clear soul. A living energy of love and peace, whereby you are able to bring that intent in work, play, family, and the world.
To read more, click here.
Yoga and the Sustainable Development Goals
By Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji, a featured speaker in the upcoming Yoga of Healing & Awakening Summit
 The Indian sage Patanjali gave us the eight limbs of yoga, or what are called “ashtanga” yoga. They include, of course, all of that which we currently identify as yoga: the physical postures or asanas, the breath exercises or pranayama, meditation or dhyana.
To read more, click here.
How to Prevent Yoga Injuries After 50
Larry Payne, PhD, a featured speaker in the upcoming Yoga of Healing & Awakening Summit
Published in Yoga Injury Prevention (yip.guru)
 The recent explosion of Yoga in America has also brought a burst of people getting injured in Yoga classes. A ten-year study showed that 29,000 people went to emergency rooms simply because they went to the wrong kind of Yoga class. When you survey the majority of public Yoga classes in America, including health clubs, Yoga centers, libraries and other public institutions where Yoga is taught, you will see some form of “Flow Yoga” that goes by many names such as Power Vinyasa Flow, Slow Flow Yoga, Flow and Stretch, Gentle Flow Yoga, and Deep Stretch Flow, to name just a few. Then it drops off to Chair Yoga and Restorative Yoga — with nothing in between.
To read more, click here.
Brazilian Couple Created 1,502-Acre Forest In 20 Years
By Sayantani Nath
Originally published on EffortsForGood.org
 The afforestation project, which is undoubtedly one of the greatest environmental initiatives in the world, has also helped to control soil erosion and revived the natural springs in the area. Eight water springs which once dried up, flow at around 20 litres per minute at present, relieving the drought-prone region of its woes. Salgado’s forest also happens to solve the much-debated notion about climate change, proving that the trend can be reversed if tried. His forest has resulted in causing more rainfall to the area and cooler weather, bringing a drastic and desirable change in the climate.
To read more, click here.
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Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji’s Address on Yoga for the Earth at the 2019 International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh
 Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji, from Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh, India, and a featured speaker in The Shift Network’s upcoming Yoga of Healing & Awakening Summit, spoke during the 2019 International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh on the topic of "Yoga for Our Planet.” Click here to watch and listen to this video.
HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji’s Address on Yoga for the Earth at the 2019 International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh
 HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, the president and spiritual head of the Parmarth Niketan Ashram, a spiritual institution based in Rishikesh, spoke during the 2019 International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh on the topic of "Yoga for Our Planet.” Click here to watch and listen to this video.
Love by Jose Calarco and Ana Forrest
 Jose Calarco and Ana Forrest, featured speakers in The Shift Network’s upcoming Yoga of Healing & Awakening Summit, just completed this meditative, musical poem celebrating Love, the whisper of the Divine, the evidence of God’s presence within you, and the remedy for all afflictions. Click here to watch and listen to this 3-minute video.
Weaving Threads of Deep Relaxation
Web of Light Subtle Activism Series
Join Subtle Activists and life partners David T. Nicol and Kate Naga the first Saturday of each month for their Web of Light Subtle Activism Series, in which they tap into a different quality of our shared essential presence as a strand of light in the global Web. May’s presentation, “Weaving Strands of Deep Relaxation,” is designed to transmute stress and tension in the collective psychosphere. Click here to listen.
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Mama Nuiyuan: The Original Living Wisdom
California Talks and Workshops in May and June
 Please join us in a series of events on sacred reciprocity and stewardship. Mama Nuiyuan, a gifted Native Andean maestro from Colombia, is on his way for another cycle of balancing work in different parts of California. A master in bringing ancestral wisdom, he acts like an acupuncture artist placing precise needles to recover energetic balance in a system. Mama Nuiyuan will make himself available to share some "Original Living Wisdom" of Mother Nature and the way she intended humans to function as part of a living system on Earth. He will answer your questions and worries about how we can start to be a beneficial impact for all of life on Earth. His keen perception has made him an incredible accurate vibrational reader and seer.
Mama Nuiyuan will offer a workshop to souls in Shasta on May 19–20 with talks later that week... in San Francisco May 25–27 and talks on May 24 and 30 in the evening... and Ojai for all of June with a workshop June 13–16. Workshops provide ancestral skills in stewardship of the sacred systems of life, energy management, balancing sacred spaces, and working with your sacred space of birth. This is the wisdom for balancing climate distress we are clearly experiencing. To participate, contact Stephanie Hilborn at shilborn@gmail.com for exact dates and locations. Click here for more information. Click here for information about the San Francisco events.
Build Your Audience in the Digital Age
Omega Conference, June 21–23, Rhinebeck, NY
 Discover how to manifest your vision as an online teacher or healer with visionary leaders in the field of online holistic education, including Stephen Dinan, co-founder and president of The Shift Network.
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Have you ever desired to write a spiritual blog followed by millions? Or put your most powerful knowledge and teachings into an app or online presence? Join visionary minds in the fields of mobile and online holistic education as they share their wisdom, inspiration, and experience on creating blogs, video courses, and mobile apps touching the lives of millions of people around the world.
In this workshop, you’ll take a deep dive into the business of online education and how to manifest your vision as an online teacher or healer. You’ll gain insights into how to reach a wide audience and offer convenient tools to teach people around the globe through growth hacking and online marketing. For more information and to register, click here.
For several years, The Shift Network has hosted Indigenous leaders from around the world and invited them to share their sacred knowledge, rituals, and practices to guide us in a way of living that is sustainable, healthy, and just. We’re thus delighted that the Global Indigenous Wisdom Library makes this “virtual council” of leaders and their wisdom available for everyone, everywhere for free. The Global Indigenous Wisdom Library is a collection of audio and video interviews featuring Indigenous leaders from around the world sharing prayers, sacred songs, prophecies, spiritual teachings, and pathways to healing, as well as concrete examples for birthing a new era — one in which all members of the human family are treated with respect, understanding, compassion, and justice. This sacred wisdom is important medicine for us all.
The production of The Global Indigenous Wisdom Library is a gift from The Shift Network, designed to inspire, inform, and involve you by highlighting the voices and important messages of Indigenous leaders from around the world. We want to give a heartfelt thanks to Hereditary Chief Phil Lane Jr. (“Brother Phil”) for his partnership in helping create this Indigenous Wisdom collection. And we thank all the speakers who have contributed to this body of knowledge. To discover more, click here.
 World Peace Library. Designed for the layperson and professional peacebuilder alike, the World Peace Library has over 425 audio and video interviews with some of the most remarkable, inspiring peacebuilders in the world available to you at NO COST. You’ll find hundreds of hours of inspirational, peacebuilding, compassion-spreading talks and trainings at your fingertips with this FREE global resource. There’s no way you can’t come away from the World Peace Library deeply inspired, transformed — and part of the solution. Click here to find out how to take peace to the next level — and help co-create a global culture of peace that leaves a legacy of good for our children, our children’s children and all of humanity and life on earth.
BOOK BY STEPHEN DINAN: Sacred America, Sacred World. Infused with visionary power, Sacred America, Sacred World is a manifesto for our country’s evolution that is both political and deeply spiritual. It offers profound hope that America can grow beyond our current challenges and manifest our noblest destiny, which the book shows is rooted in sacred principles that transcend left or right political views. To order your copy, click here.
 Through God’s Eyes: Finding Peace and Purpose in a Troubled World by Phil Bolsta of The Shift Network. Through God’s Eyes is a road map for living a more peaceful, beautiful life. It’s the only book that shows you how dozens of spiritual principles interact, how to weave them together into a cohesive worldview, and how to practically apply this spiritual wisdom to bring joy and vitality to your daily life. One reviewer called it “the owner’s manual God should give you when you’re born.” For more information, click here. To request a free sample chapter from the author, email Phil at GodsEyes@me.com.
If you would like to submit something to The Catalyst, please see the submission guidelines: click here.
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If you don’t already do yoga, take a few classes and see if you notice a difference in your physical flexibility and sense of inner peace. If you are already a yoga enthusiast, reflect on what you can do to take your practice to another level.
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 Unlock the Secrets of the Sutras — A Free Video Event With Leading Authority on Energy Medicine and New York Times Bestselling Author Deborah King. Discover how the ancient sutras can help you clear blocked energy, emotions, and limiting beliefs — and reveal your greatest gifts. Wednesday, May 22, at 5:30pm Pacific
 Discover the Radiant Lotus Qigong Practice for Women — A Free Video Event With Renowned Qigong Teacher and Author Daisy Lee. Experience deep self-care and renewal with simple Qigong movements to dissolve stress, clear energy blocks, and enhance your wellbeing. Wednesday, May 29, at 5:30pm Pacific
 Discover Your Akashic Records — A Free Video Event With Akashic Record Teacher, Consultant, Healer, and Author Lisa Barnett. Enter into your Akashic Records to begin to make contact with the 'record keepers' of your Highest Self and deepest intuition. Saturday, June 1, at 10:00am Pacific
 Spirits of Nature Global Community Program — With Shamanism Teacher Sandra Ingerman. Participate in LIVE healing ceremonies for the Earth and yourself — within a supportive, thriving global community.
New 6-Month Live Program Starts Tuesday, May 21
 Your Electric Body — With Researcher, Biofield Tuning Founder, Sound Therapy Practitioner, and Author Eileen McKusick. Receive whole-body “tunings” — from feet to crown — to slow down your brain waves and shift every cell in your body from dis-ease to ease.
New 7-Week Live Video Training Starts Tuesday, May 21
Psyche & Cosmos — With Transpersonal Psychologist Stanislav Grof, MD, and Philosopher Richard Tarnas, PhD. Access the wisdom of archetypal astrology to deepen your self-understanding and saturate your life with greater beauty, meaning, and purpose.
New 8-Week Video Training Starts Thursday, May 30
Upcoming Events (all subject to change:)
June
• Alison Armstrong 8-week course
• Raja Choudhury 7-month course
• Deborah King 7-week course
• Daisy Lee 7-week course
• Lisa Barnett 7-week course
• Sonia Choquette 7-week course
• Chloe Goodchild 14-week course
• Enneagram Global Summit
• Anita Moorjani 7-week course
July
• David Crow course
• Sarah McCrum 7-week course
• Shamanism Global Summit
• Wendy De Rosa 12-week course
• Jessica Dibb 7-week course
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Liberation Prison Yoga
A message from founder Anneke Lucas: Female victims of sex trafficking often end up in jail, too scared or attached to give up their pimp. This time of incarceration, away from the life, away from their pimp, can offer a unique opportunity for healing. I’m excited to share with you the new project we are taking on, TESSA (Transformation and Empowerment for Survivors: From Shame to Awareness), which has two aspects:
• Bring our TESSA peer survivor mindfulness group to Rikers Island as a Pilot and provide measurable results to expand the project.
• Provide paid training for 20 survivors of sex trafficking across the city to start/lead the peer mindfulness groups in their communities.
Survivors holding space for each other, and supporting each other in the healing process has profound impact. When I ran this group at Rikers Island from 2015-2016, women were able to identify themselves as victims, leave their pimps, enter protective programs, and stop using and be present for the pain behind the urge.
Liberation Prison Yoga teacher Bre Skullark and I are ready to bring this group back to Rikers Island. We will also train survivors to lead the group, paying them a fee to support them in their leadership roles. While the groups are for peers (survivors only) and have a script, the group leaders need training to acquire the skill to guide meditations.
We ask for your generous support to raise a total of $5,300 to roll out the Pilot ($1,800), organize and conduct trainings ($1,500) by July 2019, and pay survivor participants ($2,000). This project is certain to provide long-overdue support and mindfulness tools to survivors of sex trafficking across the city and beyond. Click here to make a donation via PayPal.
Give Back Yoga Foundation
The Give Back Yoga Foundation believes in making yoga available to all those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience the transformational benefits of this powerful practice. As a national nonprofit yoga organization, they support and fund certified teachers in all traditions to offer the teachings of yoga to underserved and under-resourced socio-economic segments of the community. Through this work, they aim to inspire grassroots social change and community cooperation.
Click here to find out more and donate.
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Parmarth Niketan Ashram
Parmarth Niketan is a true spiritual haven, lying on the holy banks of Mother Ganga in the lap of the lush Himalayas. It is the largest ashram in Rishikesh, providing its thousands of pilgrims who come from all corners of the Earth with a clean, pure and sacred atmosphere as well as abundant, beautiful gardens. With over 1,000 rooms, the facilities are a perfect blend of modern amenities and traditional, spiritual simplicity.Parmarth Niketan is located in Swargashram, on the main road, just on the banks of the sacred Ganges River. Parmarth Niketan literally means “An Abode Dedicated to the Welfare of All.” Click here for more information.
Hanuman Academy
The Hanuman Academy believes that within each of us lives a superhero and that we can awaken this vast potential to live in alignment with our passion and purpose. By practicing yoga, both on and off the mat, we can create a balanced, healthy and vibrant life for ourselves and our communities. By raising our own vibration we affect the world in immeasurable ways. To learn more about how to dive deep into the transformative practice of yoga, click here.
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Jane Siberry
Jane Siberry is a pure, prolific Canadian singer-songwriter, composer, musician, record producer, and poet, renowned for her hauntingly beautiful music, a signature sound that is uniquely her own, and for her unfailing artistic integrity and creative innovations.
Jane’s work has spanned over three and a half decades. Her discography now totals 20 critically acclaimed CDs, including the hits “Calling All Angels,” “Love Is Everything,” and “Mimi On The Beach.”
Born in Toronto, Jane began playing piano at the age of four, developing her own concepts of notation and structure. In school, she learned conventional music theory and taught herself to play guitar by working through a Leonard Cohen songbook. She began composing at a young age and completed her first collection of songs at age 17 (later recorded on her album, Teenager (1996).
She began her professional music career as a guitar and piano-based folk artist, performing in the clubs and coffee houses of Toronto, where she also worked as a waitress. Her first album, Jane Siberry, was self-financed with tips and bartered studio time, and was released independently in 1981.
She founded her own record label, Sheeba Records, in 1996. She has also collaborated on records with artists such as Peter Gabriel, Nigel Kennedy, Indigo Girls, and Joe Jackson, and participated on noteworthy projects such as Time & Love: The Music Of Laura Nyro. Jane continues to write, record, and tour, reinforcing her role as one of contemporary music’s most original creative voices, surprising and delighting.
Click here to purchase Jane’s music. Click here to watch her videos.
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