A message from Claudia:

A Path for Peace Labyrinth Walk
Saturday, April 19, 2008
A community Arts Event

Please join us at this community gathering to build peace and walk our sand labyrinth on the beach. We believe that together, we can heal all levels of our lives – from the personal to the global. And so we invite everyone, to join this meditation and celebration.

Learn about and walk a large heart-shaped mound labyrinth that has been designed for this event by
Labyrinth Designer/Artist Annemarie Rawlinson.

Enjoy the wonderful meditation of a guided walk by the ocean.

For more information contact Annemarie at (310) 832-9767

Hear about the campaign for a U.S. Department of Peace. Special guests will share their commitment to this wonderful idea. For more information on this visit www.ThePeaceAlliance.org

Saturday, April 19, 2008

1:00pm Welcome Ceremony

1:00pm – 3:00pm Labyrinth Walk and Peace Celebration

3:15pm Children’s Labyrinth Walk

Everyone is welcome!

The Event will be held on the beach just north of the Hermosa Beach Pier.

For more information, plese visit http://apathforpeace.blogspot.com

Volunteers Are Needed!

I am happy to volunteer at this event to guide the people through their Labyrinth Walk.

Claudia

Feel The Bliss Yoga

bliss-yoga@hotmail.com

(310) 370-3278

Not too long ago my good friend Sara took me and our 4 kids to
El Dorado Nature Center, located just off of the 405 in the fine city of Long Beach.

It was a gorgeous day during the week, it wasn’t too crowded and we enjoyed a fabulous, couple hours hike through the woods – stopping occasionally for lizard, animal, bird and insect sightings (we saw Blue Heron flying over one of the lakes, an owl high up in the trees, lots of turtles and ducks and the prettiest, most sparkly, jade colored beetles imaginable), vistas of the lake, and unusual and not so unusual plant life. I remember it smelling so good out there, and even though you could hear the freeway, it seemed to melt away with every step you took on the trail, until you were in this glorious place completely surrounded by nature. Not something I take the time to do every day, but I am going to try and make a new habit of that. There is nothing like a good hike to change your outlook on things. Even if you are in a great place in your life, I believe it’s always a good thing to get close to nature on a regular basis to maintain balance between all of the many facets of our lives.

The Nature Center gives you the whole package. You can pick from either a one or two mile dirt trail or a 1/4 mile paved path. There is a museum and visitor center, with some interesting dioramas and interactive exhibits, and of course they have a nice little gift shop that the kids will like. There is a broad expanse of land just beyond the parking lot, outside of the trail area where you can picnic at tables, throw a ball around and find some beautiful trees for shade. They offer many volunteer programs, community classes for kids and adults alike and special events, such as their upcoming Evening Campfire on April 18, or Earth Day Celebrations on Saturday, April 19, and Sunday, April 20.

You can find more information on their website at www.longbeach.gov/naturecenter

7550 East Spring Street
Long Beach, CA 90815
(562) 570-1745

Make sure you check their hours online before you make the trip.
They are closed on Mondays.

As if the charming, picturesque, welcoming village of Ojai wasn’t enough in itself to make it the perfect mini vacation destination…

There is also the Suite 1 Inn.

This enchanting little hideaway, tucked into the trees, off of the beaten path that is East Ojai Avenue, is paradise unto itself, with its many artistic intricacies, harmoniously eclectic furnishings, and its completely mood altering aura.

Located approximately 60 miles north of Los Angeles, and about an hour and a half away from LAX with no traffic, you couldn’t ask for a better get away!

Lovingly created by two kind-hearted, and exceptionally imaginative artists and massage therapists - Iris and Kirk, this sanctuary for one or two, is the quintessential escape when you need a swift repose – and between the magnificent shower that you won’t ever want to get out of, and the lovely garden with private hot tub, you won’t feel like leaving the premises anytime soon. They offer in suite massage, indoors or out; chilled champagne and roses on request; and exceptional gourmet dining on your private patio or in your room. Tell me, what more could one want?

However, when you are ready to venture out, you can enjoy wandering around the center of town with all of its wonderful galleries, intriguing shops and fine restaurants. Don’t miss taking a stroll through Libby Park, either in the day for a bit of tennis or to listen to some live music, or after dark – a great way to end the evening after a really great meal.

There is a terrific bike/horse path that stretches through town, and
Lake Casitas isn’t far away to enjoy a day of fun in the sun while swimming, boating or fishing. The ever popular Ojai Wine Festival is hosted there every June, and a variety of other art and music festivals can be found throughout the city, throughout the year. There is also great golf and spa opportunities if that is more to your liking.

Truly a place to fall in love with…

For fabulous pictures of the suite and additional booking information, go to their site at www.suite1innojai.com

602 East Ojai Avenue, Ojai, CA 93023
(805) 646-7869

And for more information about the magical city of Ojai, visit www.ci.ojai.ca.us

Photograph compliments of Arlene Yakush

Newly opened within the compound of the
Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
is Liu Fang Yuan – California’s first classical Chinese Garden.

Carefully designed with respect to the given environment and all the necessary elements representative of a traditional Chinese Garden, this extraordinary treasure brings beauty and balance to the area, and enriches the minds and souls of all that walk along its paths.

Combining exquisite architecture, wonderful water elements and rock placement, a variety of gloriously fragrant flowers and trees, and “layers of meaning and symbolism”, one will soon realize “that there is much more to this beautiful landscape then meets the eye. ”

You could spend days exploring at the Huntington, it has so much to offer over so many gorgeous acres where the scene changes significantly around every corner, and through lovely buildings that contain galleries, exhibits and a fabulous gift shop. Make reservations for high tea, or take out simpler fare at their tasty cafe, and picnic under the trees.

Certainly an amazing way to spend a day, no matter the path you decide to venture out on.

For more information go to:

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108
(626) 405-2100
www.huntington.org

and to view more beautiful photographs of the garden and other wonderful things by Arlene Yakush, please click here.

Happy Sauntering!

A Message From Claudia:

Hi Lovely Friends,

Spring is in the air and all the flowers and trees are blooming and smelling wonderful. Come and join us for your Yoga Hike in Palos Verdes this Sunday March 30, 2008 from 10 am to 12 pm. Balance your body, mind and spirit with practicing Yoga at the top of the cliffs. It will be fun!

For more details click here.

Namaste,
Claudia

Growing up in Connecticut there was always someplace close by where we could go on the weekends to enjoy long hikes in the woods. Living in Redondo Beach, it is a bit further of a drive to get to the wooded areas to hike. The beach is of course a great place for a stroll, a run, a bike ride (not to mention swimming, sunning, surfing, etc.), and we certainly are fortunate to have miles of that here in the South Bay. But when you want a quick getaway to be with other forms of nature, like trees, flowers and wildlife, the place to go is South Coast Botanic Garden on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Located 10 miles south of Los Angeles Airport, this 87 acre compound offers a variety of different scenes along their trails, such as the exquisite Rose Garden (call and see when roses are out in full bloom), a Cactus Garden, the Garden of the Senses (my personal favorite), an Herb Garden, a ‘Water-Wise’ Garden, a wonderful Children’s Garden that portrays many favorite childhood fairy tales, Fucshia and Dahlia Gardens, a Japanese Garden, a Mediterranean Garden, and a long stretch of palm trees, which happens to be the romantic place where my husband proposed!

You can take pleasure in a meditative walk, go bird watching (there are over 200 species sighted yearly), watch the ducks in the lake, set out a blanket and have a picnic (in designated areas), you can even hold an event there. This is an exceptional place for weddings, as they have plenty of room for guests, two Gazebos, and of course it offers the perfect settings for photographs.

They are opened 364 days a year, 9 to 5 daily, and offer plenty of free parking. Their admission fees are quite reasonable, and they offer discounts to seniors and children.

Visit their website for directions and further information at www.southcoastbotanicgarden.org

Happy Trails!

If you live in the Los Angeles area, you’re not too far from this breathtaking sanctuary located in Pacific Palisades.

As soon as you begin your journey along the path, you’ll not only appreciate its obvious beauty, but a certain lightness and joy will most likely overcome you. One feels deeply reverent when entering this retreat. Its almost as if the many souls who have shared this same path over the years are still present in the breeze amongst the leaves on the trees.

This magnificent 10 acre garden, complete with its own spring-fed lake and all the flora and fauna that go with it, is one of the many Self-Realization Fellowships that offer the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda.The environs also include a small museum with displays of this beautiful Yogi’s work; the Mahatma Gandhi World Peace Memorial; a Court of Religions which honors the 5 major world religions, a gift shop, and a huge, glorious temple on the top of the hill.

For more information about the life and teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, or for directions to this retreat or a Self-Realization Center nearer to you, visit their website at www.yogananda-srf.org