The Bar Method | Sara Giller

Sara Giller brings years of entertainment and fitness experience as well as almost a decade long working relationship with The Bar Method to Rancho La Puerta. She was a Division I Lacrosse player at the University of Vermont but when she moved to Los Angeles and discovered The Bar Method in 2005, she was beyond hooked.  Her obsession with the Los Angeles studios led her to make the permanent move into fitness by becoming part of the studios’ desk staff and eventually a manager while pursuing her comedic acting dreams.

After becoming a teacher of the Bar Method in 2010, Sara decided to make the move back to her roots in New York City.  She began teaching in Westchester, NY at the Rye Brook studio and as of the first of 2012, she is the proud owner of the studio that brought her home. Being able to combine her love of both physical fitness and performing, has driven her to challenge her clients in a high energy way.

Culinary Experiences at La Cocina Que Canta | Visiting Teacher Romney "Nani" Steele

Romney "Nani" Steele is a writer, a cook, a visual artist, and the author of “My Nepenthe: Bohemian Tales of Food, Family and Big Sur” (2009) and “Plum Gorgeous: Recipes and Memories from the Orchard” (Andrews McMeel 2011). As the granddaughter of Bill and Lolly Fassett, creators of Nepenthe Restaurant in Big Sur, she grew up at the family business and opened Café Kevah, located on the grounds of the cliffside property, at age 26. For the past ten years, Romney has worked as a freelance writer, recipe consultant, food stylist and cookbook author. She is currently the executive chef of Grace Street Catering in Oakland, CA where she highlights local, organic and seasonal cooking with a painter's sensibility. As a cooking teacher, she promotes creativity and fearlessness in the kitchen by following your intuition and using all the senses. Romney holds a graduate degree in creative writing from Mills College.

On the Web: www.romneysteele.com

Romney offers three hands-on culinary experiences, 3.5 hours each, on Tuesday at 11 am and 4 pm and Thursday at 4 pm, during which you will enjoy preparing your own meal along with fellow cooks. Classes take place at La Cocina Que Canta, our new culinary center.

For more information and registration, please click here.

Spirit Week: Yoga and Everyday Mindfulness | Phyllis Pilgrim and Elana Rosenbaum

Rancho La Puerta's enriching, memorable SPIRIT WEEKS (three per year) are an expansion of the Ranch’s 22 year Inner Journey Program. The classes are scheduled as follows:

• 4 – 5 pm: Sunday, Monday, Friday ;

• 4 – 5:45 pm Tuesday , Wednesday, Thursday

While they are progressive, each day will be valuable as an experience in itself and stand alone from the others. So feel free to come to any or all of the sessions. However it would be most valuable if you consider the three two-hour sessions Tuesday through Thursday as a commitment to allow us to go deeper into spiritual practices and to create a group ethos and a shared sense of evolution to create your own authentic “Inner Journey”.

All Spirit weeks are coordinated by Ranch yoga instructor Phyllis Pilgrim and this week’s is shared in collaboration with long term meditator and teacher Elana Rosenbaum. All classes are dedicated to inspiring your mind, body and spirit toward a greater understanding and practice of spiritual disciplines and learning how to weave them into your daily life.

Phyllis is the author of “The Hidden Passport” which tells of her young life in Japanese concentrations camps in Java in WW2. She reveals much about her life and philosophy enhanced by her practices in yoga and meditation. www.phyllispilgrim.com

Learning to Draw: A Self Portrait Project | Sigrid Burton

LEARNING TO DRAW: A SELF PORTRAIT PROJECT

Anyone can learn to do it (guaranteed)!

Drawing is observing and translating what you see to paper. This is a mechanical skill which involves learning how to observe and eye hand coordination. Mastery can be achieved by anyone even if you think you cannot draw or have no "talent".

Join Sigrid Burton in a series of drawing workshops and create a realistic self portrait. Learn approaches, techniques and other skills to help you draw what you see and express yourself creatively as an artist.

Please come if you love to draw or if you would like to draw (but think you can’t). The workshop will be conducted over four days. Each day will have a different exercise and focus designed to enhance your skills.

INDIA: LIVING COLOR

An evening slide presentation

Life in India is a feast for the senses and especially our eyes. Everywhere we look there is color and color has meaning in everything from daily life to esoteric ritual. Join Sigrid Burton for a travelogue of India that investigates what color means and how it is used in various aspects of Indian culture.

Sigrid Burton is a painter with special background in South Asian art and culture. She lives and works in New York City. She has a distinguished exhibition record including solo exhibitions in major cities throughout the United States. She was a recipient in 1994-1995 of an Indo-American Fellowship to investigate the meaning and use of color in traditional India art forms and has traveled extensively throughout Asia. Her work is in numerous private, corporate and public collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

T.U.R.N. It Around Now! | Clara Chorley

In this presentation with Clara Chorley, you will learn a 4-step process to help clarify your vision, re-energize and inspire you, and plan focused activity in a new, more self-empowered way. The results are: increased focus with decision-making, improved relationships, better resources, and you coming up with more creative ideas and solutions.

What you’ll take away from this presentation:

• Understand the surprising value of your inner critic.
• Master stillness during chaos, for clearer focus.
• Trust your intuition for insight and direction.
• Create an inspired plan of change.
  

Day 2
The T.U.R.N. Step 1 - TRANSFORM
In this session we'll explore more deeply how out-of-date beliefs can get in the way of us having what we want, and learning and experiencing ways to upgrade these beliefs during the session. You'll choose something you want and are not getting, and leave this session feeling like you can now have it.

Day 3
The T.U.R.N. Step 2 and 3 - UNWIND and RESOLVE
In this session we'll explore surprising ways that relaxation is directly correlated with quality of life. You'll learn fun, specific and inspiring ways to spend time with you and strengthen and trust your intuition more. Plus the secret tool you have inside you for accessing more courage and energy!

Day 4
The T.U.R.N. Step 4 - NEXT steps
You'll leave this session with the tools to create an inspired personalized action plan, and a plan in hand that you're ready to move forwards with; and excited about!

The T.U.R.N.™

4 Ways to Harness Your Intuitive Intelligence and Find Value in your Inner Critic!

In this experiential presentation with Clara Chorley you will learn a 4-step process will help you harness your vision and intuitiveness, make better decisions, and understand the surprising value of your inner critic. All this so that you experience greater clarity, wellbeing and peace-of-mind.

Have you ever found yourself over-thinking a decision and stuck in lack of resolution?
Have you ever trusted your intuition and made a non-rational decision that opened up numerous possibilities to you?
If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions then you are ready to apply these 4 steps and embrace more confidence and ease in your life.

What you’ll takeaway from this presentation:

• A tool to get you unstuck from cyclical thinking, and clear about what you want and where you're going.
• Why life fulfillment is an ‘inside job’ and how to get those competing voices in your head aligned and on board so you can move forwards with ease, focus, and fun!
• How to leverage your intuition and make the best decisions for you and your relationships.
• The 6 blocks to fulfillment - and what to do about them.
• An inspired plan of next steps.

Clara Chorley is the CEO and Founder of Clarity Unlimited. She has an extensive and unique background as an international business consultant and coach, speaker, humanitarian, and explorer. Clara grew up in England, has lived in Germany; India; the Hawaiian islands; Rwanda; and now resides in San Francisco, California. She has traveled and worked across 4 continents and 37 countries, and helped increase the leadership effectiveness of a number of top tier companies.

Clara believes that putting people first is foundational to the successful implementation of any organization's vision. Developed over two decades, Clara's powerful 4-step process: The T.U.R.N.™ has helped thousands of professionals transform counterproductive behaviors into invaluable skills for greater clarity, focus and action.

In addition to being a successful entrepreneur, Clara Chorley has been an avid volunteer for over 15 years. She is author of the book The T.U.R.N.™: 4 Ways to Turn it all Around and has been featured in the documentary film Achieve Your Ultimate Success. She is trained in Voice Dialogue, is a certified facilitator, and member of the National Speakers Association.

STORYSHARDS: Archaeology for Your Life | Lisl Dennis

Inspired by Lisl Dennis’ art video of vibrant imagery and evocative music from a diversity of cultures worldwide, STORYSHARDS is an engaging and creative conversation. An archaeological dig into memory and imagination, STORYSHARDS uncovers fresh perspectives on your personal story and life purpose.  Through narrative sequencing of visual vignettes, the thought-provoking multimedia program creates contexts and establishes atmospheres for reflecting on your own STORYSHARDS: The sacred guiding memories and motivating themes of your life – integral to the whole vessel.

Visual Artist Lisl Dennis is your Story Guide. As a New York City based international photographer, Lisl became well known for her signature color-intensive style in the fields of travel and the decorative arts. A longtime workshop and seminar facilitator, she presented nationwide sponsored by Canon and Kodak. Lisl has produced thirteen books and freelanced for numerous magazines, including: Architectural Digest; Town & Country; Travel & Leisure; and House Beautiful.

STORYSHARDS draws on Lisl’s broad spectrum of global experiences; creative photographic adventures; and insights and memories.  She guides you along a narrative path that illumines how your story reveals your mission in life. The optically stunning STORYSHARDS art video unfolds meaning and metaphor as it stirs your imagination, and evokes personal reflection and group conversation.

Lisl’s illustrated biography: http://storyshards.info/about.html

An introduction to STORYSHARDS from the City of Lights, Lisl's evening session is her romantic, thought- provoking and sophisticated PARIS PARABLES –Les Seductions. Proustian picture-stories with a point of view establish the tempo for the STORYSHARDS narrative arc to unfold in three progressive sessions:

• WHAT'S A STORYSHARD?
• KISMET & KARMA
• RE-FORMING THE VESSEL 

FRONTERAS: THE CHANGING AMERICA DESK – The New Baja | Alisa Barba

Alisa Joyce Barba is the Senior Editor at Fronteras: the Changing America Desk, a collaborative public radio project covering issues along the US-Mexican border. The border region is a unique and fascinating stretch of land, separated by a political boundary but joined by a shared culture and environment. We focus on the stories that make big news, such as drug and human smuggling, violence, illegal immigration, but also – and more importantly - the stories that no others news media covers, such as the creative artists in the region who transcend borders, the music, and the food. Here in Baja California the violence of the drug war has quieted and this Mexican state is experiencing a cultural renaissance that is little recognized north of the border. We’ll talk about some of the artists, the wine production, the sports teams, and especially some of the extraordinary chefs that are bringing Baja California back to life.

Alisa Joyce Barba is an award-winning journalist, producer, writer and editor with 25 years experience in both network and public broadcasting.

She is currently the Senior Editor for Fronteras: the Changing America Desk, a regional news collaboration project involving seven public radio stations across the southwest. Fronteras focuses on border and immigration issues as well as the demographic changes affecting this region. She is also co-editor in chief of Indie-edit.com, an independent editing service for public broadcasting.

From 1999 through 2010, she served as the Western Bureau Chief for National Public Radio. She was responsible for the editorial content and production of member station reporter and staff pieces for air on NPR's All Thing’s Considered and Morning Edition.

She developed multi-platform and web content for NPR's digital news, to complement radio news stories. While monitoring news in the western US, she specialized in covering border and immigration issues and won numerous awards for editing series and stories on issues ranging from failed US policies to fight a "war on drugs" to border corruption, native American health care and state budget issues.

Independent of NPR, she won the coveted Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Award for her work as Executive Producer of the 2001-2002 Documentary "Culture of Hate: Who Are We?".

Based in San Diego, her journalism work has focused heavily on both military affairs, the impact of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on the local community and on veterans’ mental and physical health care concerns. She won the Jerry Schumacher Award for Best Program about Health Care Issues: “Under the Knife: San Diego Medicine Confronts the Bottom Line”.

Prior to her work with NPR, Alisa was a producer for ABC News in Beijing, covering, among other stories, the Tiananmen Square uprising. From 1989-1995 Alisa was a Producer/Reporter for the MacNeil-Lehrer Newshour in New York and Washington DC.

She holds a Masters Degree in Chinese History from UCSD, and a BA from Middlebury College.

Full Moon Dance | Susana Moore

Dance gathering & ceremony facilitated by Susana Moore & offered on the FULL MOON; a time to dance with the magic & energy of the FULL MOON: powerful, vibrant, rich with potential. Today In North America we often call this February full moon the Sap Moon, Lenten Moon or Crow Moon. You're invited to move & be moved; to set your intentions, CELEBRATE YOUR EXISTENCE and dance REFLECTIVE LUMINOSITY by the light of the moon with this beautiful community!

Susana Moore is a Soul Coach, Past Life Regression Therapist, Tarot Reader and is the Contemplative Programs Coordinator at Rancho La Puerta spa, where she teaches Sound Healing, Nia, yoga and meditation. Susana's background includes meditation training with Deepak Chopra and Jon Kabat-Zinn, Soul Coaching certification with Denise Linn, movement with Gabrielle Roth and Vinn Marti (5 Rhythms and Soul Motion) and aquatic bodywork (WATSU®) with its creator, Harold Dull. She is a member of the International Sound Healers Association.