Feldenkrais® Week | Ilana Nachoum

Are you flexible, strong and balanced? Do you experience little or no muscular or skeletal pain? Feldenkrais is an exhilarating method of optimizing performance through intelligent and gentle, yet challenging movements. Ilana helps us recognize the hidden potential in each of us, and discover new approaches to physical rehabilitation. Once disabled with severe sciatica and lower back pain, Ilana overcame her limitations and gained insight into the mechanisms of the body and the healing process. Private one-on-one sessions also are available with Donna Wood, a Feldenkrais practitioner from San Diego.

Culinary Experiences at La Cocina Que Canta | Visiting Teacher Meredith Deeds

Meredith Deeds culinary career started at a young age in her mother’s restaurant in San Diego where she was put to work in every department from dishwashing to cooking. That experience cemented a life long love of good cooking, as well as a lingering dislike for dishwashing. Meredith has spent the last 15 years writing and teaching about food all over the country. She has co-authored four cookbooks with Carla Snyder, among them are the James Beard Award finalist “The Big Book of Appetizers” (Chronicle Books), “The Mixer Bible” (Robert Rose, Inc.), “The Take-Out Menu Cookbook: How to Cook In the Foods You Love to Order Out” (Running Press), “300 Sensational Soups” (October 2008, Robert Rose, Inc.), which was chosen by Good Morning America as one of the top 10 cookbooks of 2008, along with the upcoming “Little Black Dress Cookbook: Stylish Versatile Recipes Every Cook Should Have in Their Culinary Closet,” (Robert Rose, Inc.).

Her work has appeared in various magazines and newspapers such as Bon Appetit, Family Fun Magazine, Cooking Light, Prevention, Chile Pepper, Better Homes and Gardens, The Cleveland Plain Dealer and The Dallas Morning News. She also has a bi-monthly column in Better Health and Living magazine.

Meredith 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.

The Art of Happiness Meditations | Danielle Levi Alvares

Danielle Levi Alvares has worked over the years with Jon Kabat-Zinn, first as his director of the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Inner City Clinic at the University Of Massachusetts Medical Center and later in Europe, as they brought MBSR teachings to France to both professionals and the general public. She founded and directed the Yoga Experience in Cambridge where she initiated hundreds of students to yoga and meditation. Senior student of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, she was instrumental in having him published in France after she translated one of his books. In 2003, her spiritual memoir "La Reparation" was published in Paris to critical acclaim. She has studied and practiced yoga and meditation for over 25 years with teachers such as Patricia Walden, Joseph Goldstein, and Pema Chodron.

She lives with her husband, Hugh Byers, in Santa Barbara, California and has taught at Rancho La Puerta for 20 years. She is a mother and grandmother.

West End Duo | Eveline Kuhn, flute, Arash Amini, cello

The husband and wife duo of flutist Eveline Kuhn and cellist Arash Amini have performed together as the West End Duo since 1999, shortly after they first met. The West End Duo has performed throughout New York City- where they make their home, as well as in Pennsylvania, New York State, San Diego, and throughout Switzerland. Since 2008, each August, the Duo has performed a special house concert for their friends Judea and Ruth Pearl- the slain Wall Street Journal journalist Daniel Pearl's parents, in Los Angeles. At the 2012 house concert, the Duo performed the world premiere of Spirituals (Book II) for Flute and Cello, written for them by Steven R. Gerber. The West End Duo were the first classical musicians featured on an episode of rock guitarist, composer, and songwriter Peter Himmelman's weekly online show called Furious World. Eveline Kuhn and Arash Amini are the co-founders of the New York-based chamber music society, America's Dream Chamber Artists.

On the Web: www.fluteandcello.com

Swiss-American flutist Eveline Kuhn has performed as soloist and chamber musician throughout the U.S., Switzerland, Germany, and Lithuania. She performed her New York debut recital in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and her Concerto debut with The Symphony Orchestra of New York University. She was the recipient of a prestigious Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship to the Eastman School of Music, where she studied with Bonita Boyd, and received her Bachelor of Music, magna cum laude, and her Master of Arts from New York University, where she studied with Keith Underwood. Eveline Kuhn has been the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships from Swiss foundations. Eveline Kuhn has performed as a guest of the Houston Chamber Music Society and performed the New York Premiere of violinist and composer Mark O'Connor's The Fallen for Solo Flute and Strings at Symphony Space. She is a co-founder, the Managing Director, and an Artist Member of the New York-based chamber music society, America's Dream Chamber Artists, with whom she performs throughout the U.S., and a member of composer Huang Ruo's Ensemble FIRE. Eveline Kuhn has performed in The Curtis Symphony Orchestra at the Verbier Festival and Academy in Switzerland, under the direction of James Levine and Kent Nagano. She has been heard on NPR, WQXR's McGraw-Hill Young Artists Showcase, and WNYC; has appeared in The New York Sun, Houston Chronicle, and The News-Times (Danbury, CT); and has been featured in Schweizer Familie magazine, Tages Anzeiger (Switzerland), and Zürichsee Zeitung (Switzerland). Eveline Kuhn is a Teaching Artist for The Little Orchestra Society and the Brooklyn Philharmonic.

On the Web:www.evelinekuhn.com

Cellist Arash Amini has performed as soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician throughout the U.S.,Canada, Switzerland, France, Germany, Japan, and Botswana. His many performances include his New York debut recital in Alice Tully Hall, Beethoven's "Triple Concerto" with the Oakland East Bay Symphony, at two Isaac Stern Chamber Music Workshops in Carnegie Hall, the Ravinia Festival, Bargemusic, Smithsonian Institution, Verbier Festival and Academy in Switzerland, Bard Music Festival, Rencontres Musicales d'Evian; on Great Performers at Lincoln Center and the Curtis Alumni Recital series; and for The Creative Coalition and Americans for the Arts. He has also performed chamber music with André Watts, Barbara Hendricks, Nigel Kennedy, Cho-Liang Lin, Mischa Maisky, Julian Lloyd Webber, and Sharon Isbin. A graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with David Soyer, and The Juilliard School, where he studied with Aldo Parisot, Arash Amini is a co-founder, the Artistic Director, and an Artist Member of America's Dream Chamber Artists, with whom he performs throughout the U.S. Arash Amini has performed with Christina Perri, as the cellist of Mark O'Connor's piano trio- including with Rosanne Cash, as Principal Cellist of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. He has performed countless world and U.S. premieres of solo and chamber music works; his performances have been heard on NPR, WQXR, and WNYC; he has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, and Tages Anzeiger (Switzerland); Chamber Music,The Strad, Symphony, and Muso magazines; on Voice of America broadcasts; and has recorded for the EMI, Naxos, New World, Albany, and Bridge Records labels. Arash Amini is a Daniel Pearl World Music Days Artist; the Artistic Director and Concert Coordinator, an Artistic Advisor, and an Artist of Musicians Emergency Fund; and he has served on the faculty of the Mark O'Connor Strings Conference in San Diego.

Herbs for Body and Soul | Luna Rose 

Traditional herbal wisdom has been practiced by various cultures around the world for thousands of years. Today herbal medicine is making a comeback, offering gentle non-toxic, non-invasive ways of healing our bodies. Discover nature’s pharmacy and join Luna this week for a look at what herbal medicine has to offer to heal body mind and spirit.

Discovering the Fountain of Youth: Herbal Tonics for Longevity and Rejuvenation

Imagine coming upon the fabled Fountain of Youth…. What would it feel like if your biological clock could reverse itself? This is not just wishful thinking! It has been clinically proven that it is possible to slow down and even reverse the aging process. Join Luna for a fascinating, eye-opening lecture and explore the exciting possibilities of longevity and rejuvenation through the use of herbal tonics. Discover what these special groups of herbs can do to help tone and strengthen the body, and restore vigor and vitality. Find out what concrete steps you can take to look and feel younger longer than you ever dreamed possible.

Herbal Allies for Women’s Health: Traditional Wisdom for Modern Women

The use of plants for healing by women is ancient and universal. For thousands of years, women all over the world have relied on the power of medicinal plants to ease their ills, and maintain overall health. Join Luna as she addresses women’s health concerns using herbs. Discover natural ways to relieve symptoms of PMS and menopause. Other topics included: natural hormones, cardiovascular health, and osteoporosis.

Ten Steps to Better Immunity

Power up your natural defenses! One of the major keys to safeguarding your health and well-being is having a strong immune system. The fact that we survive at all is determined by the state of our immunity.Our immune system not only protects us from contagious diseases but also keeps us cancer free. The demands of modern life—environmental pollution, chronic stress, lack of sleep and too many antibiotics—can play havoc with your immune system, depleting it and compromising it. Join Luna and empower yourself by learning what steps you can take to boost and strengthen your inate immunity. Polish your protective shield by supporting your immune system. Included will be herbs, foods and essential oils that boost immunity

Kitchen Medicine: Ten Super Foods that Can Save Your Life

Let your kitchen be your medicine chest. Modern research has found certain foods to be rich in phytochemicals and anti-oxidants that have been shown to contain powerful properties to heal and promote health. These foods are so strong in their healing powers that they cross the barrier from being food to being medicine. Join Luna and meet the super stars of the food world. Discover which foods boost immunity, help prevent cancer and promote cardiovascular health. Learn how to turn your food into potent medicine and eat your way to health!

The Healing Spirit of Plants: Native Herb Walk

The rains this year have brought an abundance of plant life to Mt. Kuchumaa and surrounding countryside. Join Luna for a native herb walk and learn to identify the wild plants gracing our many trails. Included will be the native medicinal and edible uses of the plants, native legend and more….

Luna Rose is a highly acclaimed herbal lecturer and practicing herbalist. A graduate of the California School of Herbal Studies, Luna has over 20 years of teaching experience. She conducts workshops on a wide range of herbal topics, including the culinary and medicinal uses of herbs. Luna has taught at Mira Costa College, Palomar College, Copper Mountain College, College of the Desert, The International Herb Symposium, The Southern California Women's Herbal Symposium, The San Diego Natural History Museum, Quail Botanical Gardens and The Golden Door. She is also a presenter at The New England Women’s Herbal Conference. Luna's love of the herbal world has led to her passion of sharing it with others. Her special gift is her ability to weave ancient and time-honored traditional uses of herbs with the latest scientific research. Join Luna this week for a fresh look on how to use herbs for healing body and soul.

Writing From Our Lives | Lynne Kaufman

We all have important stories to tell. Too often, though, we don’t know how to shape them, how to bring those moments vividly to the page. In this workshop, prompted by simple awareness exercises focusing on sight, sound, touch, and taste, we rekindle the world of our creative imagination.  Drawing upon that experiential inspiration we choose compelling moments from our lives, capture them in writing, and learn how to transform them into moving and universal narratives. We read our writing aloud and receive constructive responses from the instructor and fellow class members.

This workshop is for writers at all levels of experience who want to hone their writing skills and to understand and communicate the stories of their lives.

Lynne Kaufman is an award winning playwright who has had 20 plays premiered in theatres in N.Y.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington D.C. She has published three novels and dozens of short stories. She teaches writing at OLLI UC Berkeley and at OLLI San Francisco State University. Previously she taught writing at Esalen Institute, was director of Travel/Study for U.C. Berkeley Continuing Education, served as a consultant for California Institute of Integral Studies, and was Director of Special Events for the Joseph Campbell Foundation.

Bridge Table Wisdom: Fun and Simple Strategies to Enhance Your Bridge Game | Betty Ann Kennedy

Whether you’re a social or die-hard bridge player, brush up on your basics and get valuable tips for outplaying your opponents from one of the world’s top-ranked bridge players. World champion Betty Ann Kennedy returns to Rancho La Puerta to present her Bridge Table Wisdom, a common-sense approach to help you raise the level of your game. Whether you’re a new or seasoned player, you’ll be inspired by Kennedy’s simple, straightforward approach to bidding, declarer play and defense of hands. You’ll discover how to make your bridge game more fun, relaxed and winning. In two bridge-playing sessions, you’ll have the opportunity to practice what you’ve learned with pre-arranged hands and helpful coaching by Kennedy.

Betty Ann Kennedy has earned the rank of World Grandmaster — the highest rank in the world. She received the prestigious Sportsman of the Year Award in Toronto at the North American Summer 2011 Championships. She has won world championships in Venice, Italy; Biarritz, France; Seattle, WA, and twice in Monte Carlo. She also won silver medals in three other world championships and has won 19 major North American titles. A 2005 inductee of the ACBL Hall of Fame, Kennedy lectured on bridge extensively around the world, including 38 international cruises and special programs in China, Austria and throughout the U.S. She also has served as a member of the World Bridge Federation’s Appeals Committee.

Develop Your Personal Power | Diann Newman

Motivational counselor Diann Newman will help you build and learn confidence, cooperation, teamwork, creativity, trust, decision-making and conflict resolution -- all the problem-solving skills necessary for personal and professional success in life. In addition to identifying your strengths and weaknesses, you'll better learn how to effectively communicate with others and identify self-defeating attitudes. Diann also will discuss forgiveness, self-acceptance and mindfulness.

Diann Newman, Ed.D has been an educator/administrator at Florida International University since 1975. She has had administrative responsibilities ranging from the Director of Admissions to Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies to her current role as Assistant Dean for Student Services for Hospitality Management. Professor Newman also teaches Leadership Training for Teambuilding. Dr. Newman is a professional speaker and workshop facilitator. She conducts seminars on topics such as self-esteem, and communication skill and has recently presented for Royal Caribbean Cruiselines, Rancho La Puerta and New Age Health Spa. Dr. Newman is licensed in Florida as a Mental Health Counselor. She has co-authored the book, “Human Resource Management: A Customer-Oriented Approach” (Prentice-Hall, 1998). She has received recognition in the University for her excellence in advising and in teaching and for her work in promoting appreciation of diversity.