Pilates Week | Odile Zelenak

Odile Zelenak comes to Pilates from a deep love of movement and desire to share this love with others. Her lifelong pursuit of athletics and assisting her father's physical therapy practice inspired her passion for movement's ability to facilitate healing and a sense of wellbeing in herself and others.

Odile has studied several movement modalities. Ten years ago she received her first Pilates Mat Certification through Physical Mind Institute. She has also received her Pilates apparatus certification on all equipment (September 2002), and also has studied Mastery level Pilates, completing her certification through ITT Pilates in March 2006, created and taught by Madeline Black, Debra Schubert, Jean Sullivan, and Jorge Chabowski.

She also has certifications and teaching experience In Vinyasa Yoga and on all Gyrotonic equipment.  Odile has studied with top teachers in her field. She recently completed a year-long program studying Orthopedic Massage – the Hendrickson Method with the creator and founder, Dr. Thomas Hendrickson. She became a certified Orthopedic Massage Therapist in May 2010. Presently, Odile is a trainer at Studio M in Sonoma, California, where she works closely with her mentor and colleague Madeline Black, as well as other highly skilled trainers.

Odile has a keen desire to continually deepen her knowledge and fine-tune her understanding of the human body. She enthusiastically shares the fruits of her new discoveries with her clients and group classes. Inspired by her clients' curiosity and paths of self-discovery, Odile continues to grow and expand her repertoire of teaching skills and movement practices with her clients. Her biggest inspirations in this path are her two children.

Culinary Experiences at La Cocina Que Canta | Visiting Teacher Deborah Schneider

Chef Deborah Schneider is author of five cookbooks that explore her fascination with Mexican food and culture. “The Mexican Slow Cooker” features easy-to make authentic Mexican dishes for the slow cooker and beyond. “Amor y Tacos” is a modern spin on tequila drinks, inspired tacos and exciting antojitos that will forever change your ideas about Mexican food. James Beard Award-nominated “Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta: Recipes from the World Famous Spa” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang) celebrates the organic gardens and cooking school of Rancho La Puerta, where she is a frequent guest teacher. Her first cookbook, “¡Baja! Cooking on the Edge” (Rodale), is an adventurous trip through the foods and wines of Baja California. It was chosen by Food & Wine Magazine as one of the best cookbooks of 2006. This is the book that inspired SOL Cocina, her exciting new restaurant in Newport Beach. Along with several other authorities on Latin cooking, Deborah co-authored and wrote the introduction to “Williams -Sonoma’s Essentials of Latin Cooking,” latest in their award-winning series of colorful, beautiful cookbooks.

Through her restaurant work and writings, Deborah has been influential in the local farm to table movement and in supporting sustainable fisheries in California and Baja. She has mentored many young chefs and supports community groups and culinary fund-raising efforts. She received her CEC ranking (Certified Executive Chef) in 2001 from the American Culinary Federation, recognizing over 20 years of professional cooking and other accomplishments. From 2005- 2008 Deborah was Executive Chef of the exclusive Turf Club at Del Mar Fairgrounds and Race Track. In 2005, Deborah opened the popular Jsix/Jbar and Hotel Solamar, located in San Diego’s chic Gaslamp District. From 1998-2004 she was Executive Chef of the four-star Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines, the first (and so far only) woman to hold an executive chef position with the hotelier. Other stops in her 28-year career include the venerable Grant Grill (where she was first female chef,) Dobson’s Restaurant and La Gran Tapa, all in San Diego.

Deborah offers three hands-on culinary experiences, 3.5 hours each, 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.

Quest for Inspiration | Leslie McGuirk

QUEST FOR INSPIRATION, Part I and II. How can we increase our inspired and creative thoughts? Many of us are so bombarded by the demands of life that we feel as if our creativity has dried up. In this program, LESLIE MCGUIRK will share her story. She went from being an unknown and untrained artist to a marketing phenomenon in Japan and the author and illustrator of over 20 children's books sold around the world. Come find out how her methods of increasing creativity can help you in all aspects of your life.

ASTROLOGY WORKSHOP, Part I and II. Learn the hows and whys of Astrology with LESLIE McGUIRK, professional astrologer, with over 25 years experience. She believes your astrology chart is like the owner's manual in your car. It can tell you the best way to run your vehicle, but you always have free will to do whatever you want. Just as the moon controls the tides of the oceans, the moon has an influence over our lives since our bodies are over 70% water. In this class we will learn what kind of moon we were born with, and understand why some of us get along with some people and not with others.

Leslie McGuirk is the author/illustrator of over a dozen children’s picture books, including the “Tucker Series,” “If Rocks Could Sing,” and “Wiggens Learn his Manners at the Four Seasons” which Martha Stewart calls “a charming introduction to the fine art of good behavior.” She has sold over 2 million books worldwide, but started as an untrained artist selling her T-Shirt designs out of the back of her car. She became a marketing phenomenon in Japan during the 1990’s. Takashimaya, the high end Japanese department store produced over 800 products with her designs. She was also chosen as the designer for the restoration of the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel. Her Quest for Inspiration workshops began at Rancho La Puerta and have since been taught in many places including The Jim Henson Company, Wachovia Bank, Wilmington Trust, and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and many others.

Leslie is also a professional astrologer with over 25 years of experience. Her new astrology Web site: www.luckystarsastrology.com.

Writing What You Don't Know | Irene Borger

The source of all creative work is not knowing what will emerge, in other words: playing, a focused yet open state. No matter what your field, learn how you can you enhance your own experience and output. A longtime, popular Ranch speaker, writer Irene Borger has researched the creative process for more than twenty-five years.

Writing From Your Life: A Three-Day Workshop

Working with a master teacher, come write short pieces that surprise you, and leave with terrific tools for continuing your practice. Whether you are a pro or a beginner, experiencing “beginner's mind,” a state of open awareness that blunts the inner critic will help you enhance your creative life. You are welcome to attend one, two, or all three sessions.

Irene's writing has appeared in many publications including The Los Angeles Times, Vogue, O, Architectural Digest, and on The Wall Street Journal arts page. The founder of the Writing Program at AIDS Project Los Angeles, the country's second-largest AIDS service agency, she served as artist-in-residence there for ten years. She is the editor of From a Burning House: The AIDS Project Los Angeles Writers Workshop Collection, published by Washington Square Press/Pocket Books. The audiotape version was nominated for a Grammy in the Spoken Word category, and the workshop profiled on the MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour.

Irene is also director of the Alpert Award in the Arts, overseeing the giving of five annual $75,000 grants to outstanding artists working nationally in dance, film/video, music, theatre, and the visual arts. Her conversations with 19 of these artists are the subject of the book, The Force of Curiosity. She is the writer and curator for a prize-winning website

http://www.alpertawards.org/thework/index.html

A Bennington College graduate, with an M.A. in dance ethnology from UCLA, Irene is also a former member of the dance history faculty at University of California, Riverside. A longtime meditation student, she is working on a book on listening.

On the Web: http://tinyurl.com/7jou9ys and www.alpertawards.org

Being Healthy Is a Revolutionary Act | Pilar Gerasimo

10 Renegade Tips for Thriving in a Less-Than-Healthy World

Looking at the headlines on most health and fitness magazines today, you’d think that dropping 15 lbs, getting six-pack abs and having a “bikini body” was pretty simple to pull off. Follow this diet, do this workout, and presto — your problems are solved, right? Except that it never seems to work that way.

Most of us would love to be healthier, but in real life, when we try to shift our daily habits and choices, we discover that many of those changes are mighty tough to pull off.

There’s a reason for that: We're living in a society that is wired up to make us sick, overweight, depressed and stressed out. Plus, a lot of the advice we are getting —from the media and from so-called authoritative sources — is confused, misleading, outdated or downright wrong.

The good news is, you can thrive in the face of all these obstacles. You just need to put some renegade wisdom and rebel mojo on your side.

In this lecture, you’ll learn from one of the country’s most forward-thinking health journalists — Experience Life magazine’s editor in chief, Pilar Gerasimo — about what you really need to know and do to be healthy — and how to enjoy your life more in the process.

Drawing on more than a decade of journalistic insight as founding editor of one of the country’s most forward-thinking healthy living magazines, Gerasimo will present 10 revolutionary tips for creating and sustaining healthy change — even in the face of daunting challenges.

Whether you’re struggling to break out of unhealthy patterns, or just looking for ongoing motivation in your quest for optimal wellbeing, you’ll come away from this talk inspired and prepared to take your own empowered next steps.

Bonus: All attendees will receive a “101 Revolutionary Ways to Be Healthy” poster and a copy of Gerasimo’s A Manifesto for Thriving in a Mixed Up World.

Pilar Gerasimo is editor in chief of Experience Life magazine and founder of RevolutionaryAct.com. Her award-winning work reaches more than 2.8 million people, and has earned kudos from many of the country’s leading health experts, including Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Frank Lipman.

Music to Change the World | Richard Scheinin

Lots of people think of classical music as a gated community; there’s no entry unless you have inside knowledge about this allegedly snooty art form. Well, guess what? It’s not true. Classical music is beautiful and exciting, nurturing and accessible – and it can change your life. That’s the message of this series of programs: classical music can transform us, tap us into hidden emotional reservoirs. Just bring an open set of ears if you’ve wanted to learn about this music, but felt excluded -- or if you’re looking for new perspectives on Bach’s perfections or the pop-shimmering entrancements of Steve Reich, one of the great contemporary composers.

What these sessions won’t do: bombard you with a litany of chronological information about the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods. What these sessions will do: allow you to comfortably hear and explore portions of 20 wondrous works by Purcell, Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Mahler, Strauss, Puccini, Ravel, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, John Adams and others.

The presenter will briefly describe each piece, talking personally about the music, suggesting ways to focus and listen, while putting each composition in its historical context. And showing surprising connections: Beethoven “invented” boogie-woogie early in the 19th century; Irving Berlin stole from Mahler in the 20th; Steve Reich is a huge influence on Radiohead and Bjork in the 21st. Using handouts and welcoming reactions from the group, these sessions will open and explore the 20 examples, each a portal to a vast musical world that just might enrich your life. 

Jazz, like classical music, sometimes seems to have vanished from the cultural mainstream. Yet America’s greatest music is still a hotbed of innovation and rich expression. “Click” with it, and your life can change.

How to get a handle on it? This session will explain some basics: what exactly happens when jazz musicians improvise on a song? (Once you understand the process, it gets easy to follow the music.) And it will spotlight some of the greatest individual voices in jazz: from the exultant fireworks of Louis Armstrong to the midnight-blue moods of Miles Davis and the super-charged explorations of John Coltrane. The presenter also will share some secret favorites: saxophonists Jackie McLean and Billy Harper; pianists Don Pullen and Robert Glasper -- a few of the many musicians, whose passionate and totally unique sounds, once you’ve been introduced, can change your world.

Richard Scheinin is an award-winning reporter with more than 30 years experience at daily newspapers across the country. He has written for GQ, Rolling Stone and other national magazines and is the author of “Field of Screams: The Dark Underside of America's National Pastime” (W.W. Norton), a critically acclaimed revisionist history of baseball. During his 20-plus years at the San Jose Mercury News, his work has been submitted for Pulitzer Prizes for religion and ethics reporting and for writing on classical music and jazz. He also shared in the Pulitzer Prize awarded to the Mercury News staff for coverage of the Loma Prieta earthquake. He is the classical music and jazz writer for the Mercury News and the Bay Area News Group, which includes the Oakland Tribune, Contra Costa Times and other publications. Over the years, he has interviewed and profiled hundreds of musicians, from Ike Turner to Michael Tilson Thomas. Rich lives in Santa Cruz, Ca., with his wife, Sara Solovitch, also a journalist. He has three children.

Reinventing Fire | Amory B. Lovins

Reinventing Fire. How to run a 2.6-fold-bigger U.S. economy in 2050 with no oil, coal, or nuclear energy, one-third less natural gas, $5 trillion cheaper, needing no new inventions or Act of Congress, led by business for profit.

Rescue and Restoration: Orangutans and the Bornean Rainforest. How Dr. Willie Smits and his brave band are fighting to save one of the world's most endangered and endearing species—and the habitat, culture, and economy around them, with Amory B. Lovins and Judy Hill Lovins.

Amory B. Lovins, a consultant physicist and innovator in energy and its links with resources, security, development, and environment, has advised the energy and other industries for four decades as well as the U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense. His work in 50+ countries has been recognized by the "Alternative Nobel," Blue Planet, Volvo, Zayed, Onassis, Nissan, Shingo, and Mitchell Prizes, MacArthur and Ashoka Fellowships, the Benjamin Franklin and Happold Medals, 11 honorary doctorates, and the Heinz, Lindbergh, Jean Mayer, Time Hero for the Planet, National Design, and World Technology Awards.

A Harvard and Oxford dropout, former Oxford don, honorary architect, and Swedish engineering academician, he has briefed 21 heads of state and written 31 books and over 450 papers. Cofounder of Rocky Mountain Institute (www.rmi.org), his work as its Chairman and Chief Scientist has lately included leading the superefficient redesigns of numerous buildings, several vehicles, and $30+ billion worth of industrial facilities in 29 sectors. He led the creation of two of RMI's five for-profit spinoffs: E source, www.esource.com, and Fiberforge, www.fiberforge.com, of which he is Chairman Emeritus. His latest books include Natural Capitalism (www.natcap.org, with P. Hawken & L.H. Lovins), Small Is Profitable (www.smallisprofitable.org), Winning the Oil Endgame (move.rmi.org/oilendgame), The Essential Amory Lovins, and Reinventing Fire (www.reinventingfire.com).

The most recent of his visiting posts in ten universities were as 2007 MAP/Ming Professor in Stanford University's School of Engineering (www.rmi.org/stanford) and currently as Professor of Practice at the Naval Postgraduate School. He is a member of the National Petroleum Council. In 2009, Time named him one of the world's 100 most influential people, and Foreign Policy, one of the 100 top global thinkers.