Posted by Megan Bergtholdt on Fri, May 21, 2010
Guest post by Jenny Clevidence:
Using the body's intelligence to help us understand our natural tendencies and how those translate into our way of leading and living.
What do our bodies tell us? Are we listening? Through movement of the body we can begin to listen, to calm our minds a little, and take notice. After years of self-development workshops, assessments, and being told that I need to be more this or less that, I felt lost. I began to not only look at the mind to create change, but to look at the body. When we can tap into the intelligence of the body and mind, we can develop a true awareness and ability to change.
Notice how in difficult situations or at times of happiness, there are certain sensations in the body. Maybe tension, sweaty palms, or a sense of rushing energy, or lightness occurs. This is the start of tapping into the intelligence of the body and something that can be explored in various forms of bodywork.
One way to begin exploring is through Yoga, it is a wonderful way to check in with what happens in our bodies when we are faced with certain situations on our mats. For example, when we begin to practice inversions like handstands, we may have a fear associated with going upside down. For some it is centered on the question, "can I trust my body to support me?" If we take this reflection off the mat and into life, we can see how this fear also comes up in our day to day, as trusting ourselves. How many times have we questioned our abilities, and then stopped before even trying?
On our mats we can begin to cultivate trust in ourselves by playing with inversions in supported ways. As we begin to trust our bodies and ourselves, this same trust is reflected off the mat. Coming in contact with the sensations, and reactions that occur in the body and mind provide us with a path to then cultivate change.
In June at Yoga & Leadership, we will explore this and other concepts as we engage in a challenging yoga practice (because life is challenging!) and conversation.
"Wherever you go, there you are...on and off your mat"
Jenny Clevidence
Integral Coach & Yoga Instructor
ro:ren collective
jenny@rorencollective.com
Posted by Shradha Balakrishnan on Sun, Apr 25, 2010
Most of us spend a *lot* of our time in front of a computer. And it is therefore no surprise that we often complain of persistent neck and back pains. The soreness in my neck became a little worse over the last month, which prompted me to look into easy, discreet exercises that I could do in my office to ease the stress and pain in my neck/shoulders/back.
I have been finding these little tricks so helpful that I thought I would share them with you. Afterall a healty body=a healthy mind!
Stretching exercises for the office
5 minute Yoga stretches
Simple Stretches You Can Do at Your Desk for Increased Energy
How to burn calories at work
You could also do an image search to find nice little charts that you can print out and put on your desk.
I would love to learn about what you do to release the stress off your neck, so please leave your comments below.
Posted by Sonya Banerjee on Fri, Dec 11, 2009
Great Business Week blog posting regarding a study that found that hedge funds run by women delivered nearly double the investment performance of those managed by men (time frame: January 2000 to May 31, 2009). Additionally, the article notes that women may be better at manging risk when it comes to other areas of finance as well. To read more: click here.
Posted by Megan Bergtholdt on Fri, Dec 11, 2009
The FWL officer team got together last weekend for a little holiday shindig at one of our officer's adorable apartments. We sat down for some pizza, wine, and great conversation. It was wonderful to be surrounded by such incredible women - I left the evening feeling inspired and ready to take on a new year. Here's a group picture from the evening:
As part of our holiday party, everyone brought a gently used item of professional clothing to donate to Dress for Success. When you get together with your girlfriends I encourage you to think of ways to give back as a group. It's one of the best ways to celebrate the holidays.
Happy holidays from the FWL officer team!
Posted by Shradha Balakrishnan on Mon, Nov 02, 2009
We just got invited to attend a unique networking event, one that would interest many of you! You may have seen career expert and best selling author, Nicole Williams (check out her website) on The Today Show or MSN. Well, she has just written a book called Girl on Top, where she's taken the classic dating rules and turned them into career strategies... a fun way to think about career.
Girl on Top is touring across the country, and hosting what sounds like a fabulous event in Santa Clara on November 4th. Together with The Limited and Elle Magazine, they are hosting a cocktail event that will include an opportunity to network, shop the latest fall fashion with a 40% discount, get career advice from Nicole, and walk away with a filled-to-the-brim gift bag. (Click here to see photos from previous events!)
They have reserved spots at the event for members and friends of Future Women Leaders! If you'd like to attend the event, please RSVP here: http://girlontopbook.com/tour
Date: November 4, 2009
Location: The Limited at Valley Fair
2855 Steven's Creek Boulevard Santa Clara, CA 95050
Time: 6-9pm
Posted by Sonya Banerjee on Thu, Oct 29, 2009
From the ‘Hood to the House: Thursday, November 12th at the War Memorial Opera House
Join honorary co-chairs Dr. Maya Angelou and United States Senator Dianne Feinstein as Glide celebrates Reverend Cecil Williams' 45th Anniversary at Glide. In collaboration with the San Francisco Opera, "From the ‘Hood to the House" will take place on Thursday, November 12 at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House and feature an evening of music, spoken word and dance from special guests Dr. Maya Angelou, Rita Moreno, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, San Francisco Opera Adler Fellows, members of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, San Francisco Opera General Director David Gockley, the world-renowned Glide Ensemble Choir and Change Band with other luminaries and entertainers. The evening's concert will be followed by a reception with lavish hors d'oeuvres and libations and entertainment from DJ David Harness and The Jaz Sawyer "Youth All-Star Quartet."
The evening's festivities will highlight Glide's Reverend Cecil Williams and his 45 years of service at Glide. When he arrived at Glide in 1963, Williams embraced and embodied the spirit of change that was raging through our country at the time. By the late 1960s, Glide had become home for San Francisco's diverse communities and marginalized populations and was ground zero for the counter-culture's political and spiritual aspirations.
Each year, Glide's Annual Holiday Festival raises funds for Mo's Kitchen and Glide's programs. Glide's Mo's Kitchen serves three meals a day to San Francisco's poorest residents - nearly one million meals each year. Tickets for Glide's Annual Holiday Festival, "From the ‘Hood to the House" range from $75 - $500 and are available through the San Francisco Opera Box Office, located at 301 Van Ness Ave, or by calling (415) 864-3330. Sponsorships start at $5,000.
Please go to www.Glide.org or call (415) 674-6117 or email festival@glide.org for more information.
FWL is volunteering with Glide on November 14th to serve a meal. To learn more or to register please visit: http://bit.ly/FWLGlideEvent (attendance is free and limited - so if you sign up, please commit to attending)
Posted by Shradha Balakrishnan on Fri, Oct 23, 2009
Here's a unique volunteer opportunity - being a Running Buddy with Girls on the Run.
Run a race like you never have before.
Volunteers are paired with 3rd-5th grade girls in one of GOTR's 22 San Francisco Bay Area after-school programs, and meet with her during a practice for a 5K run. Then they run with her, cheer for her, and support her at the Lollipop 5K Run on Dec 5 in Golden Gate Park - the culminating "graduation" event for Girls on the Run's self-esteem building programs. You will recognize your buddy’s limits and support her to achieve her goals; you will be inspired and you will have the time of your life.
Who: Enthusiastic men and women who support the mission of Girls on the Run and are supportive, fun, patient and can run, jog, or power-walk a 5k or 1 mile distance.
Dates: Race day - Saturday, December 5, 2009. Pre-race day - one practice session at your buddy girl's program site.
Times: Running Buddies arrive at 8:30am. Races start at 10:00am.
Program: 10:45 - 11:30am
Location: Golden Gate Park, Music Concourse Bandshell
Cost: A $35 Running Buddy registration fee is your donation to The Girls on the Run of the Bay area.
Availability: Spots fill up quickly and they are first come, first served.
For more information and to register: http://www.gotrbayarea.org/volunteer/buddy.asp
Posted by Sonya Banerjee on Wed, Oct 07, 2009
Female genital mutilation ("FGM") is a right of passage used in many cultures to signify a young girl's coming of age. After girls are cut, they can then be married, which for many rural communities, happens as early as 9 years old. It is estimated that over 3 million girls are at risk of undergoing FGM each year and that there are over 100 - 140 million women living with FGM currently (source: WHO). In Africa, about 92 million girls age 10 years and above are estimated to have undergone FGM. (WHO)
Houses of Hope Yoga-thon will be doing 108 sun salutations to support the Tasaru Ntomonok Initiative, an organization that works to end FGM within Africa. The organization is run by Agnes Pareyio, a Maasai woman, who has been working to end FGM for over a decade through education and the development of an alternative rite of passage for young women.
Agnes has built two safe houses where young women live, are educated and do not face pressure to undergo FGM. She has developed an alternative rite of passage for young women to acknowledge their transformation without the cutting. Just over 10 years ago there was no alternative for girls in this region of Kenya who did not want to be cut. Now, each August and December, young girls come to Narok, the site of the first house, and become women through a four day ceremony and celebration.
Video Link where Agnes explains her work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcIlFQRVdA8
Two years ago Houses of Hope produced Vagina Monologues and raised over $50,000 to build the second safe house ever used to help end FGM. This year Houses of Hope is holding a yoga-thon to raise awareness of this important issue and raise money to operate the second house.
This event is scheduled to take place on October 10, 2009 in Central Park in NY. Even if you aren't able to attend the event, you can make a difference by making a donation (every little bit counts).
Posted by Megan Bergtholdt on Wed, Jun 10, 2009
We are pleased to extend an invite to Future Women Leaders' members and friends to the official launch of reMatch Sports, a new concept consignment sport equipment store - online and with a physical presence. Here are the details:
Date: Thursday, June 18, 2009
Time: 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Location: 1567 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco
RSVP (attendees get a 10% discount at the store)
reMatch Sports is a unique concept for consignment sporting goods. Here's how it works:
- Buyers can browse the equipment selection online or create a wishlist so that reMatch can send you an email when that gear arrives.
- Buyers can visit the store and check out the gear in person.
- Sellers can drop off unused gear at the store and have reMatch sell it for you without any hassle.
Put all of the above together, and you can see reMatch Sports helps you pursue your sports passion at a lower cost. Their equipment spans categories from golf to kite surfing to camping. Pretty cool, if you ask me.
So come to the launch party, check out their new equipment, or bring any you no longer use. Hopefully I'll see you there!
Posted by Megan Bergtholdt on Mon, Jun 08, 2009
Future Women Leaders promotes the development of professional women - whether through mentoring, leadership development, networking, or personal development. We're always working to facilitate more interactions within the community and what better way to do this than to hear from you directly - on our blog!
Just follow these few guidelines, and we'll feature you as a guest blog contributor:
- Topics: Your posts should be about topics relevant to women and leadership, networking, entrepreneurship, professional development, mentoring, business school, or generally interesting stuff that our members would want to read.
- No Selling: It's great to tell us about new products and events, but we don't want a sales pitch.
- Length: Your post should be no less than 200 words and no more than about 800 words.
- Multimedia: We love it! However, any photos or videos you do not own the rights to will need to be credited appropriately in your post.
- About You: Be sure to include a short bio (no more than 1-2 sentences) and include any links to your blog, website, portfolio and/or social media profile. Our readers want to know who's writing!
- Reprints: Since a guest post here will help you gain exposure, but won't pad your wallet, we will consider running a post that has appeared elsewhere - as long as you own the rights.
New to blogging? No problem. If you're curious about blogging, a guest post is a great way to check it out.
Please send your questions and blog submissions to Shradha at outreach@futurewomenleaders.net.