Pilates, Gyrotonic® and Gyrokinesis Week | Diane Daniel

11am Gyrokinesis – Sunday through Friday

Diane Daniel trained as a classical dancer at the Hammond School in the UK. She spent over 15 years as a professional dancer in Israel (The Israel Ballet) and Germany (Ballet Krefeld-Mönchengladbach, Tanztheater Heidelberg, Tanztheater Munster, and Tanztheater Freiburg). She is a certified Pilates, Gyrotonic® and Gyrokinesis® instructor. Diane has worked with Alan Herdman at one of London’s most reputable Pilates studios. She also studied with Juliu Horvath in Germany for her Gyrotonic® certification. She is a pre-trainer in the Gyrotonic® system and continues her education in Seattle with master trainers Karen Mullen and Magali Messac. Diane has her own private studio in Vancouver where she is now based.

Gyrokinesis® is a complete movement system, for all levels and ages, and can be applied to a variety of situations, as one needs very little equipment. It incorporates many key principles from yoga, dance, gymnastics and Tai Chi. The class begins with the practitioner seated on a low stool, utilizing self-massage and simple breathing patterns to awaken the body. He or she mobilizes the spine through a series of arching, curling and spiraling movements. The corresponding breathing patterns in every movement help to stimulate the nervous system and open up energy pathways. The class continues with additional standing and floor exercises.

Culinary Experiences at La Cocina Que Canta | Visiting Teacher Jeffrey Lawton

Chef Jeffrey Lawton is a Private Chef and Nutritionist in San Francisco. From his home base, he travels the globe speaking about health policy and teaching all sorts of culinary students how to transform classic recipes into a more healthful one. After extensive training in Culinary, Pastry and Nutrition, he honed his skills in some of the leading restaurants in the United States. His client list includes celebrities, politicians, and families looking to improve their health through the finest foods without sacrificing taste. You can learn more about him through his website: www.jeffreylawton.com

Jeffrey offers three hands-on culinary experiences, 3.5 hours each, Wednesday at 11 am and 4 pm and Thursday at 4 pm, during which you will enjoy preparing your own meal along with fellow cooks. These activities take place at La Cocina Que Canta. You also will have the opportunity to harvest produce you use from our organic garden, Tres Estrellas. Transportation will be provided.

For more information and registration, please click here.

Writing Your Way Out of a Crisis | Katherine Ellison

Author Katherine Ellison talks about her forthcoming book, "Hotheads: A Mother, A Son, Attention Deficit Disorder & a World of Distractions," from Hyperion Books in 2010, with a pre-publication reading and discussion of how you can use writing to clarify your focus. She also offer an afternoon workshop on: Cardio-writing -- How to punch up your prose, for however you use it -- in e-mails, letters, essays or other non-fiction.

Katherine Ellison is a Pulitzer-prize winning former foreign correspondent and author of three books, most recently "The Mommy Brain, How Motherhood Makes You Smarter." She is currently working on a memoir about raising a child with ADHD, and in the past year has also written speeches for top executives in Silicon Valley.

Life in Transition… What’s Next? | Natalie Caine

Whether you are anticipating the empty nest or already an empty nester or going through a transition such as job change, marriage, divorce, blending families, moving, retiring, health issues, re-entering the work world, death of a loved one, or financial changes, Natalie Caine will help you begin to build your personal roadmap. Learn what's uniquely next for you, how to continue to grow a healthy relationship with your children and others, where to build a new sense of belonging with a community. Natalie offers four sessions to build your personal roadmap during a transition.

Natalie Caine M.A., has spent 27 years developing and facilitating women's groups from "Mommy and Me" to changes brought on by divorce, re-entering the work force, illness, death, financial shifts, retirement, natural disasters, parenting, re-marriage and singlehood. She started a support group for parents anticipating the empty nest and a website to receive information and talk with others, and is founder and creator of Empty Nest Support Services. Natalie can be heard on Lifetime Radio Network for Women, has been featured in Time Magazine, New York Times, Better Homes and Gardens, Associated Press, Voice of America, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and more.

Make Your Own Alebrije | Lauren Sherman

Lauren Sherman is a sociologist and a teacher. In 1992 she decided to travel around the world and settled in London for eight years. She had spent a lot of time in Mexico, so when it came time for her to leave London, she decided to settle in Oaxaca, Mexico. For the past six years she has lived in Oaxaca City. Lauren has always had an interest in handicrafts and textiles from all over the world, and living in Oaxaca has offered her the opportunity to be surrounded by people who produce many superb handicrafts and textiles in traditional ways. In Oaxaca she is on the Board of Directors of a grass roots charity, "Libros para Pueblos," which donates Spanish language books to libraries in pueblo schools, once the parents’ association has built a library. She also is training to be an English language guide at the Rufino Tamayo museum in Oaxaca. She now divides her time between Oaxaca and Mexico City.

Explore the August Night Sky | John Scott Marrone

Enjoy the opportunity to take advantage of the wonderful night sky over Tecate! By using binoculars, a telescope, and simple naked eye observing we will explore the riches of the Milky Way, including star clusters, nebulas, and double/triple/quadruple stars. During the summer, many famous and visually striking constellations are visible. We will look at them through the eyes of several cultures including Egyptian, traditional Western, and Native American. At this time of year we can see to the center of our own galaxy and numerous other galaxies. In addition, the moon's phase will allow for spectacular views of craters and mountain ranges brought so close you will feel as if you can reach out and touch them. An introductory presentation will be followed by several opportunities to observe all the marvelous celestial objects that can be enjoyed on these balmy summer evenings.

John Scott Marrone has over 30 years experience teaching in the New York area. In addition to Astronomy, Scott teaches Forensics, Environmental Studies and Oceanography. He has been recognized by Ciba-Geigy Corporation for work in promoting science literacy and received the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award in 2007 from Manhattan College. In February 1998, Scott was invited by the Aruban Government to substitute for astronomer Jay Pasachoff to lead the observing of the total solar eclipse. Scott's interests include music, scuba diving, martial arts and travel. He has directed theatre, and conducted orchestras and choruses, including the Oratorio Society of New York, Greenwich Choral Society and English Chamber Orchestra throughout Europe.

Himalayan Trekking: the Ultimate Fitness Program | Linnea Christiani

High altitude trekking is great way to get conditioned and lose weight in spectacular surroundings! Best of all, you can do it at most any age as long as you're adventurous, open to new experiences and enjoy hiking. Learn from an experienced trekker who started trekking at 58, where to go, when to go, how to pick an outfitter, what to expect and what to do before you go. A slide show and description of four Himalayan treks will be presented. This series will end with an overview of the training, equipment, clothing and medicines you'll need as well as the political, travel, insurance and health issues you should consider before going.

Program:
• Sun: Chomolhari-Laya-Gasa trek, Bhutan
• Mon: Trek to the base of Mt. Kangchenjunga, Sikkim
• Tues: North Col Expedition on Everest, Tibet
• Wed.: Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
• Thurs.: How to prepare for a Himalayan trek

Although Linnea Christiani spent many years of her life hiking, backpacking and climbing in the Sierra Nevada of California, her first trip to the Himalayas was in 2004. That fall, she trekked 120 miles in Bhutan, crossing over passes as high as 16,000 ft. The next year, she trekked 90 miles in Sikkim, India, up to the 17,000 ft. base of the third highest peak in the world. Then, in 2006, she climbed up to 21,000 ft. to the Advanced Base Camp of Mt. Everest in Tibet. Finally, in 2008, she trekked 200 miles on the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal, crossing a pass that was nearly 18,000 ft. She was 62 that year.

Linnea is currently retired and when she's not trekking, she spends her time in Berkeley, CA writing essays for a creative non-fiction writing workshop and doing volunteer work for the Tibetan Aid Project (TAP). She and her husband are donors of TAP and have seen the results of their work in their travels. They also sit on their advisory board and Linnea helps with their annual fund-raising dinners and auctions -- of which Rancho La Puerta has been a generous sponsor in the past.

Before she retired in 2008, she worked for many years in the information industry, most recently as a licensing consultant to publishers. She also wrote articles for professional journals, including High Technology: Online on Everest which describes the use of online technology on expeditions. It also describes their Everest trek in 2006. See: http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/jan07/Christiani.shtml.

Native Peoples of Baja California: Ancient Cultures, Living Traditions | Michael Wilken

 

For thousands of years, native peoples have made their homes in the rugged landscapes of the Tecate, Baja California region. Over countless generations, they learned to interact with the plants, animals and natural landscapes in ways that have provided them with food, medicine, tools, shelter and ceremonial settings. Who are the ancient peoples of this land and how have they used many of the local plants that grow around the ranch and along the hiking trails? How have they developed a way of life as unique as the landscapes they have long inhabited, from ocean to oak woodlands to mountains? What is happening today with indigenous arts such as basketry and pottery? Join local anthropologist Michael Wilken for an adventure in local lore through photographic images, traditional music and lively narrative.

Michael Wilken is a naturalist and anthropologist specializing in native peoples and the environments of Baja California. He has documented traditional lifeways of the Kumiai and Paipai peoples, including the crafting of basketry, pottery, and agave fiber cordage; the ancient chants and song cycles of the region; myths, legends and folk tales; and ethnobotany—native uses of plants for food, medicine, construction and ceremonial life. He has developed lifelong collaborative relationships with many indigenous artists, helping to promote sustainable livelihoods and cultural revitalization. His writings have been published in both academic journals and popular magazines such as News from Native California. Wilken is a lecturer in American Indian Studies at San Diego State University, and is currently collaborating with local non-profit organizations Fundación La Puerta and Corredor Histórico CAREM to create the Tecate Kumiai Museum, set to open in June of 2010.