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Health and Wellness

Color Us Well Supports Sick Children

May 7th, 2010
by DJacoby.
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According to Miami’s Community Newspapers, a project titled Color Us Well has been initiated to both raise money to fight Leukemia and Lymphoma, and at the same time give sick children a chance to draw.

color us wellThe project, which Elyssa Renert formed in Landmark’s Self-Expression and Leadership Program and expanded by her friend Jill Ruddy, created 200 coloring books from the artwork from celebrated artists from the Miami area, which were distributed to the Miami and Joe Dimaggio Children’s hospitals.

‘Color us Well days’ were held in the hospitals in December, where the books were distributed, and the artists actually gave art lessons for the children at the hospital.

On May 13 an event is being held from 6:30-9:30 to both raise money to fight diseases and to highlight the contribution of artists to the project. The event, which is taking place at the Viceroy Hotel’s Club 50, will feature an art auction, appearances by the artists, and an interactive painting by John DeFaro.

Money raised from ticket sales and the art auction will benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. There will also be a raffle for attendees – the grand prize is a four-day Bahamas cruise donated by Norwegian Cruise Lines. Tickets will cost $10. For more information, visit Color us Well.

Adopt-a-Bed Project Aids Recovering Indigents

Jan 13th, 2010
by macaniff.
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first step houseRich Jochum harnessed the power of the internet to make his “Adopt-a-bed” project a reality, raising over $8,000 from friends, family and concerned strangers for First Step House of Orange County, a non-profit which helps local homeless men with severe drinking problems.

Specifically, much of the money went for badly needed supplies for the Charle Street short term residential facility, which starts homeless men on the road to sobriety free of charge by having them stay there and take part in a twelve-step program. The facility is volunteer run, all of whom are sober but many of whom were former residents.

Money raised also goes towards the Hamiltom House medium-term facility for 12 newly recovered alcoholics. All of the money for the organization comes from private citizens.

Jochum, who took on the project in his Landmark Education self-expression and leadership program, accomplished much of the fundraising simply through Facebook and other simple means. His latest post indicates $8200 has been raised.

Hustle up Hancock Team Reaches 44 Members

Jan 4th, 2010
by DJacoby.
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talanBob Talan’s “Life is Good” team of climbers for Chicago’s acclaimed “Hustle up the Hancock” charity event, taking place February 28, 2010, has reached 44 members, according to the latest reports. This is the fourth year for that Talan has arranged a large team of climbers to take part in the event, which raises money for the Respiratory Health Association of Chicago (RHAC). Talan’s teams have raised tens of thousands of dollars towards for treatment and research of lung diseases and disorders.

Talan has a personal stake in defeating lung diseases, as his mother died of lung cancer 25 years ago, a week after he got married. Talan starting creating large climbing teams for the “Hustle up the Hancock” climbing event as a project in Landmark Education’s self-expression and leadership program. This year’s team has raised over $7,000 thus far. For more information or to contribute, take a look at The Hustle up the Hancock website, the “Life is Good” team fundraising page, or Talan’s personal fundraising web page.

See also a story about Talan’s original project at the Landmark Education News site.

Wellness Fair Aids Community

Jun 12th, 2009
by DJacoby.
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Brett Adams co-created the Wasatch Wellness Fair as his project in the self expression and leadership program offered by Landmark Education. Held May 30, the fair promoted fun, fitness and community, with events introducing residents to specialists in healthy living. The Park Record of Park City, Utah wrote an article discussing the event.

Park City wellness fair today at City Park

by Andrew Kirk

Brett Adams said he was sitting on his couch one day noticing he’d gained a little weight. He realized there were dozens of options in Park City for addressing that problem, but didn’t really know where to start.

The two separately reserved time at City Park on May 30 for events designed to introduce the community to specialists in healthy living. Once they realized it, they joined efforts to create the Wasatch Wellness Fair.

From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the park will be filled with physical trainers, yoga practitioners, dieticians, chiropractors, masseuses, physicians, aromatherapy and even acupuncture experts. Every half hour vendors will give presentations on their areas of expertise.

“Our purpose is to network with other professionals and businesses in this community. We want to bolster each other’s businesses and meet other owners to be able to refer tourists, visiting friends and relatives to different businesses offering what people are specifically looking for,” Roberts explained.

Adams said he wants to promote fun, fitness and community.

“I say that and people here say, ‘How can I be involved? How can I participate?’” he said.

Adams is an airline pilot and because he’s gone for work so often, he said he often feels disconnected from the community. He envisions this event as a fun and interactive way for people to mingle and learn more about one of this community’s greatest passions: living an active lifestyle.Roberts couldn’t agree more.

“Everyone here has made the same life choice. Their goals might not be the same, but attitudes are all healthy,” she said.

Vendors paid a fee to have booth space. That money will be donated to a health-related non-profit group the organizers will vote on, Roberts explained.

The fair today features live music, food and dozens of people talking about yoga, bicycle maintenance, fly fishing, rock climbing, Pilates and more. Because building community is the goal of the event, the fair features “something for everyone,” Roberts said. In her own practice she’s helping a cyclist prepare for a major mountain bike championship. She’s also helping a woman in her 80′s get the most from her walking routine.

“We want to attract the whole community and entice them to partake of everything we have to offer here. It’ll be a great way to kick off the summer season,” she said.

Eileen Dunn, owner of Done To Your Taste Catering, will be a vendor at the park promoting a branch of her business called Done To Your Health offering a wide variety of services promoting healthy living.

Because food is her specialty, she’ll be at the fair talking about raw food diets as well as other super-foods that are organic, sustainably-produced and nutrient-rich, she said.

“There’s such a great source of knowledge in town that locals don’t know about. There are some fabulous talented people,” she said.

People who ride bicycles to the event will be entered into a raffle for prizes. Adams and Roberts hope to make the event annual and to include  health care professionals in the future.



Swish AIDS Walk Team Raises $5,000

May 21st, 2009
by macaniff.
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swishIn her Landmark Self-Expression and Leadership Program earlier this year, New Yorker Sue Sena put on a volunteer expo event  through SWiSH – a gay rights group that she had founded – the acronym stands for Straight Women in Support of Homos.

SWiSH’s latest success took place at the New York AIDS walk held May 17 – the SWiSH team raised $5,000 for the Gay Men’s Health Crisis and other HIV/AIDS organizations. For more information about SWiSH and Sena, visit the swishpride website.

Yoga for All

Apr 20th, 2009
by DJacoby.
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Joanna Faso’s project in Landmark’s SELP program was to bringing yoga to underprivileged citizens of Chicago. Nancy Gerstein wrote a story about the project and the issue Faso is addressing.

Taking Yoga to the People

Chicago’s affluent areas are rife with yoga studios that offer exquisite bodies and stress- free, enlightened spirits. Just the thought of yoga practitioners brings to mind young, flexible women and men dressed in the latest athletic attire sitting in lotus position at these modern, minimalist, glossy wood-floored studios.

While these Zen-like cultures work well for many, yoga teacher Joanna Faso’s mission is to teach the forgotten yogis: the people in underserved communities— shelters, transitional houses, retirement homes, and prisons.

Faso recognizes that people who are ill or in low-income urban areas may have never witnessed yoga’s healing modalities. As a result, people who need yoga the most are the ones who have the least access to it.

“Yoga is another means of healing, both physically and emotionally, and everyone could benefit by it,” says Faso.

Faso’s first stop—Deborah’s Place on Jackson. Her weekly one hour classes began March 11 and will alternate volunteer teachers from week to week.

Juanita Brown, educational services program coordinator at Deborah’s Place, expects the residents will learn how to relax and become centered in their bodies. “We’re creating opportunities for residents who wouldn’t normally get the chance to enjoy the benefits of yoga,” she says.

The classes revolve around basic yoga postures and meditation with students concentrating on becoming more “mindful” of the moment. Faso asks her students to keep their eyes closed and to feel their breath.

Retirement home and Cancer Wellness Center yoga teacher Jayne Alenier agrees. “It gives these groups a sense of community and helps with loneliness. The movement itself helps their lift their moods.”

Aliener finds many of the retirement home students are open to the spiritual part of the classes. “They’re getting close to the end of their life and the practice calms them.”

She adds that yoga students undergoing cancer treatment enjoy yoga practice because it gives them a sense of empowerment. “They may not have control over their disease but they do have control over how they’re doing the posture. And by staying in the present they can let go of their fear of the future.”

With yoga and meditation, visualization is fundamental to healing. Students use the feeling and focus of the breath to create confidence, practice acceptance, and sense their own energy. From a physiological standpoint, meditation practice can improve respiration, blood pressure and heart rate.

Faso is asking other yoga teachers to donate their time to these communities and has 8 other volunteer teachers on board so far. If you’re a yoga teacher and would like to volunteer , contact Joanna Faso at joannafaso@hotmail.com

Ultimately what does Faso want to her students to learn? “I’d simply want them to get a sense of peacefulness, self-awareness and the knowledge that we all have sacred space within ourselves.”

Sounds likes something that could benefit everyone.

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