About this blog

Welcome to Speak Your Art Blog Hub. This blog combines posts from seven of my other blogs: In the Flow Studios Arts, In the Flow Studios Body, I Love Shelter Dogs, Mana Keepers, PaaMano Eskrima & Performing Arts, Self-Actualization thru Women's Empowerment and Speak Your Art Poetry. It brings my organizations together and offers my readers an easier way to follow new posts in one convenient location.

I hope you will find something that inspires you, empowers you or reminds you of the limitless possibilities that dwell within you. Thank you for visiting. I wish you Peace today and everyday.

Friday, December 9, 2016

The California Condor; A Story of Tragedy, Survival and Redemption

Friends of the California Condors

The plight for the survival of the California Condor, the largest flying bird in North America has been a perilous one. These majestic, birds with a 10 foot wing span, once reined freely over the skies of North and Central America but by 1982 were reduced to a population of 22. In 1987 conservationists and biologists surmised that the only way to save the species from extinction was to capture the remaining California Condors and start a captive breeding program designed to raise their numbers and eventually release them back into the wild. It was called the California Condor Recovery Project. To date the project can boast to over 400 live California Condors and over 200 of them have been released and are living in California, Arizona, Utah and Baja California. 
I had the privilege of watching a screening of "The Condor's Shadow" at the Placerita Canyon Nature Center hosted by Friends of the California Condors Wild and Free. I found it a moving, nostalgic, informative and inspiring film. The footage of the condors' in their natural habitat is awe-inspiring and the dedication of the humans entrusted with their care brings hope for a better tomorrow. 

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When I was a girl I remember the debate over the correct action for humans to take over the fate of these birds. Some said that the condor had had its day and should be allowed to become extinct, others felt that humans had directly contributed to its potential extinction and that humans had a responsibility to preserve the species. I agreed with the latter. I remember going to the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park and seeing their enclosures in the late 80's and early 90's. I visited the Los Angeles Zoo and learned about the captive breeding programs and the plans to reintroduce them into the wild. The film brought me back to my journey with the California Condor, at times it was sad, at times it was incredulous and then the miraculous happened, condors we reintroduced into the wild and hope sprang eternal.

"The Condor's Shadow" encompasses much more than the conservation history of the condor. It takes the viewer behind the scenes and shares the world not only of the condor but of the biologists and conservationist that work tirelessly to protect them. One of the most poignant parts of the film for me was when, Jane Hamber - condor biologist and activist, read her journal entry on the day the last free condor was captured. Her entry eloquently illustrated the depth and breadth of what so many must have felt that day. It brought me to tears and gave me a new understanding of the tremendous weight of responsibility these biologists and conservationists must have felt. 

The Condor's Shadow is a bittersweet story told beautifully and authentically. It captures the plight of the California Condor's survival and the work of diverse groups of people coming together to ensure its success. Below is the trailer from the film. Please visit the links provided to the film's website for more information about the film and for screening opportunities.  
The Condor's Shadow - Trailer - YouTube


I had the opportunity to meet Joseph Brandt, one of the featured condor biologists in "The Condor's Shadow", at the screening. Spending over a decade in the field and interacting intimately with the magnificent California Condor, he brought firsthand knowledge of the birds and their struggles. While he clearly conveyed the challenges that face this bird he also brought stories of hope for a brighter future. People like Joseph Brandt are the unsung heroes of our planet. They quietly and consistently endanger life and limb to protect the wild for the rest of us and for future generations. Without the vision, commitment and compassion of those lovers and protectors of nature our own future as a species is in jeopardy. A heart felt thank you to Joseph for taking time away from the field to meet with us and to inspire us out of our doldrums.

He was sporting this beautiful shirt designed by a group of grade school students, reminding us that we each, regardless of age or ability, have talents to contribute to the conservation effort. Whether we are painters, poets, photographers, musicians, biologists, hunters, geneticist or third graders, we all have unique and needed gifts to share. 




In his TEDx Talk, "How we brought the condor back from the brink", Michael Mace shares the amazing story of the California Condor, the challenges it still faces and how far the population has come from the beginning of the California Condor Recovery Project in the 1980's to the present.
How we brought the condor back from the brink | Michael Mace | TEDxDeExtinction

There are three major challenges faced by California Condor to its successful survival in its natural habitats. 

One of these challenges is something called micro trash. While many people wouldn't give littler of this small size a second thought it is lethally dangerous to young condors. Parents bring the micro trash into the nest and the babies feed on it. It is impossible to digest and can cause fatal impaction of the gut. We can all make a difference in the accumulation of micro trash. We can make sure that we don't litter even small plastic bottle caps. We can make sure to pick up after ourselves even bits of broken glass or wires. We can carry a bag to fill with trash when we go on walks or hikes. We can also volunteer our time and labor for Micro Trash clean ups. 

Another potentially lethal challenge is lead poisoning. Studies have shown that condors ingest lead by eating the remains of animals that have been hunted with lead bullets. While in our modern society, responsible hunters provide an important food source for the California Condor and help ensure its survival, hunters that use lead ammunition are directly poisoning the condors. At least half of the wild condor population must be treated for lead poisoning on a regular basis. If a bird with high levels goes untreated for too long it is fatal, as we see happens in the film A Flight Plan for the California Condor. If you are a hunter and are interested in learning more about how you can help save the condor by changing your ammunition please visit Hunting with Non-lead Ammunition's website.

Challenge number three directly relates to the previous challenges. Our human behaviors such as littering and hunting with lead ammunition are directly responsible for almost every condor fatality in the wild. Therefor we need humans dedicated to the welfare and health of the condors to intervene on behalf of the rest of us. It is currently the only way to counter act our ignorance and potentially fatalistic behaviors towards the condor in particular and the natural world in general.  

You can learn how you can help support these efforts by visiting Friends of the California Condors Wild and Free , Hopper Mountain National Refuge or The California Department of Fish and Game.


A Flight Plan for the California Condor

In the film A Flight Plan for the California Condor we hear from field biologists, geneticists and condor activists. The film shares the important roles key zoos have played in the breeding program and the challenges they face in keeping a healthy population in the wild. There is also information about the California Condor live streaming program. It gives people from around the world an opportunity to get to know these amazing birds in their natural habitat.


Education and knowledge are key if we are to ensure the California Condors' survival for future generations. Teacher and educators can play an important part in educating our future generations about condors with Condor Kids, a curriculum designed to help students fall in love with the California Condor. 
About The Program:

Condor Kids has received the 2016 Superintendents Award in Excellence in Education. 

The curriculum is designed with active learning in mind. All 27 lessons are teacher friendly and standards aligned – correlated to NGSS & CC standards & organized with the EQuIP rubric. This curriculum is part of a much broader conservation partnership between U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Santa Barbara Zoo. Designed with Fillmore Unified School District students in mind, our project includes the development of this curriculum, nest monitoring strategies (and live streaming cameras), as well as student field trips to Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge, and the Santa Barbara Zoo. This link, Condor Kids, will take you to their website.



The California Department of Fish and Game is a great resource for all things related to the California Condor. They even have live streaming cam links directly on their site. 


Hopper Mountain National Refuge is another incredible source of information with live Condor cams and links to references and resources to protect, educate and inspire. They have a "get involved section" on the website offering several opportunities to make your own contribution towards the survival of the California Condor. 

If you are a Facebook user The Condor Cave is a page you'll love to visit. About The Condor Cave page in their own words. Flights, camera, action! The stage is set to watch a wild condor nest develop from hatch to fledge thanks to the first wild condor nest camera. Follow the highlights on our page!


In closing, I hope you will enjoy this song by Roland H. Ferrer of Sound of Zero inspired by the majestic California Condor. It is also a thank you to Joseph Brandt and all of the people that have dedicated their lives to protect the condor.


California Condor - Harp Free Flow - YouTube

Placerita Canyon Nature Center
A special thank you to Placerita Canyon Nature Center and to Friends of the California Condors Wild and Free for hosting "The Condor's Shadow" and for all that they do to protect and preserve nature and all of the creatures that live in it (including humans).






Thank you for visiting. Wishing you Peace today and everyday.




Aurora's "Speak Your Art Blog Hub" combines posts from seven of her other blogs: In the Flow Studios ArtsIn the Flow Studios BodyI Love Shelter DogsMana KeepersPaaMano Eskrima & Performing ArtsSelf-Actualization thru Women's Empowerment and Speak Your Art Poetry. It brings her organizations together and offers her readers an easier way to follow new posts in one convenient location. 


POI


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Sunday, April 10, 2016

Quotes about Health in the Body, Mind and Spirit

This is a collection of quotes and images about health. These are not your typical quotes about diet and exercise. They are a compilation of ideas that encompass the totality of our construct. They address the body, the mind, the emotions and the spirit. Some are timeless and many are irreverent but all have a place in the balance of being. 

Health is dynamic, flowing and ever changing to accommodate us from omens to moment. Our physical form is interconnected with all that is us and with all that is seen and unseen. Emotions, thoughts, beliefs are at least as powerful as diet and exercise in shaping our health. I hope you enjoy these tidbits of wisdom and may they become food for thought. 

"With every pill we have prescribed for us we should also be given a creative prayer, a suggested way to correct our destructive patterns of thought." 
Ernest Holmes, "Health Is Normal"



"It has often been remarked, that persons destitute of ambition and avarice are peculiarly likely to enjoy long life. They feel no regret for the past, nor anxiety about the future. Enjoying that tranquility of soul, on which the happiness of our early years so much depends, they are strangers to those torments of the mind, which usually accompany more advanced years, and by which the body is wasted and consumed. Hence a calm, contented, and cheerful disposition, may be justly considered the great source of health, in regard both of body and mind; and ought to be accounted the most important of all our possessions." 
John Sinclair, The Code of Health and Longevity, 1807


"The great majority of us are required to live a life of constant duplicity. Your health is bound to be affected if, day after day, you say the opposite of what you feel, if you grovel before what you dislike, and rejoice at what brings you nothing but misfortune. Our nervous system isn't just a fiction, it's a part of our physical body, and our soul exists in space, and is inside us, like the teeth in our mouth. It can't be forever violated with impunity." Boris Pasternak


"Everyone who is born holds dual citizenship, in the kingdom of the well and in the kingdom of the sick.  Although we all prefer to use only the good passport, sooner or later each of us is obliged, at least for a spell, to identify ourselves as citizens of that other place."  
Susan Sontag, Illness as Metaphor, 1977



"Men that look no further than their outsides, think health an appurtenance unto life, and quarrel with their constitutions for being sick; but I that have examined the parts of man, and know upon what tender filaments that fabric hangs, do wonder that we are not always so; and considering the thousand doors that lead to death, do thank my God that we can die but once." Thomas Browne



"Despise no new accident in your body, but ask opinion of it.... There is a wisdom in this beyond the rules of physic. A man's observation, what he finds good and of what he finds hurt of, is the best physic to preserve health." Francis Bacon



Live in rooms full of light
Avoid heavy food
Be moderate in the drinking of wine
Take massage, baths, exercise, and gymnastics
Fight insomnia with gentle rocking or the sound of running water
Change surroundings and take long journeys
Strictly avoid frightening ideas
Indulge in cheerful conversation and amusements
Listen to music.

A. Cornelius Celsus


"To be always considering "what we should eat, and what we should drink, and wherewithal we should be clothed," in order to avoid the approach of disease, is the most likely means of provoking its attack. A man who is continually feeling his pulse, is never likely to have a good one. If he swallow his food from the same motive as he does his physic, it will neither be enjoyed nor digested so well as if he ate in obedience to the dictates of an uncalculating appetite. The hypochondriac who is in the habit of weighing his meals, will generally find that they lay heavy on his stomach. If he take a walk or ride, with no other view than to pick up health, he will seldom meet it on the road." 
John Reid, M.D., "Occupation," c.1818



"Every symptom has a story to tell about your life. A fascinating story, that can reveal the complex links between your body, mind, emotions and spirit." 
Kristina Turner, The Self-Healing Cookbook, 2002, originally published 1987


"It is very strange, this domination of our intellect by our digestive organs. We cannot work, we cannot think, unless our stomach wills so. It dictates to us our emotions, our passions.... We are but the veriest, sorriest slaves of our stomach. Reach not after morality and righteousness, my friends; watch vigilantly your stomach, and diet it with care and judgment. Then virtue and contentment will come and reign within your heart, unsought by any effort of your own; and you will be a good citizen, a loving husband, and a tender father—a noble, pious man." 
Jerome K. Jerome, Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), 1889



"In the pause between dying to self, and awakening to Self, there is a "limbic" state, a borderland neither here nor there. The body is laid in the tomb, and the resurrection only an inconceivable promise. Letting go of our bodies is no small thing for creatures so deeply identified with them as ourselves. Yet if I have learned anything over these years of study, it is this: I am not my body. Our bodies are but passing iterations, reflections of an inconceivably bright and steady truth, and the parts we play, we also drop as the curtain falls. Let the curtain fall, along with tears, and cast off the role. You will live well beyond the leaving."



"Every day we touch what is wrong, and, as a result, we are becoming less and less healthy. That is why we have to learn to practice touching what is not wrong—inside us and around us. When we get in touch with our eyes, our heart, our liver, our breathing, and our non-toothache and really enjoy them, we see that the conditions for peace and happiness are already present." Thich Nhat Hanh



"My definition of fitness is to be able to carry out all of the activities in life that you desire, plus have a physical reserve at the end of the day to do something besides lie down and flip the remote. If you can do all that, if you're functional, then you're fit. It doesn't matter if you have great abs or can bench-press your body weight. Those things have nothing to do with real life." James Glinn, physical therapist, in an interview with Joe Kita for his 1999 book Wisdom of Our Fathers


"Everyone should be his own physician. We ought to assist and not force nature. Eat with moderation what agrees with your constitution. Nothing is good for the body but what we can digest. What medicine can produce digestion? Exercise. What will recruit strength? Sleep. What will alleviate incurable ills? Patience." Voltaire


"The deviation of man from the state in which he was originally placed by nature seems to have proved to him a prolific source of disease." Edward Jenner



"The cause is within us. The cure is within us. When we know this our concept of disease is no longer that of something fixed upon the body cells which must be purged, cut or burned away. It is not something coming in from the outside which we cannot prevent. Rather it is a change from within, and we must find the reason why the body changes its perfect pattern to vibrate to discord rather than to harmony." Rebecca Beard, 1951



"Illnesses which occur because of physical causes should be treated by doctors with medical remedies; those which are due to spiritual causes disappear through spiritual means. Thus an illness caused by affliction, fear, nervous impressions, will be healed more effectively by spiritual rather than physical treatment. Hence, both kinds of treatment should be followed; they are not contradictory." 'Abdu'l-Bahá



"The root of all health is in the brain. The trunk of it is in emotion. The branches and leaves are the body. The flower of health blooms when all parts work together." Kurdish Saying



"From the bitterness of disease man learns the sweetness of health."  Catalan Proverb



"Health is a large word.  It embraces not the body only, but the mind and spirit as well;... and not today's pain or pleasure alone, but the whole being and outlook of a man."  James H. West



"In later times wise men were never wanting who endeavoured to restore among their contemporaries primitive habits and ways of living, to bring mankind back to the observance of those simple and rational rules of life to which the ancients owed their health and strength." Sebastian Kneipp, 1889, translated from German, introduction to Thus Shalt Thou Live  [Kneipp (1821–1897) was a pioneer in naturopathic medicine and was known for his strong beliefs in "water cures" a.k.a. hydrotherapy. —tεᖇᖇ¡·g]



"What some call health, if purchased by perpetual anxiety about diet, isn't much better than tedious disease". George Dennison Prentice, Prenticeana, 1860



"In minds crammed with thoughts, organs clogged with toxins, and bodies stiffened with neglect, there is just no space for anything else."  Alison Rose Levy, "An Ancient Cure for Modern Life," Yoga Journal, Jan/Feb 2002



Wishing you health, balance and harmony today and everyday. Thank you for visiting.

For more information about In the Flow Studios ~ Body 
goto the website at http://intheflowstudios.com
or to follow us on fb goto In the Flow Studios ~ Body 
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Aurora's "Speak Your Art Blog Hub" combines posts from seven of her other blogs: In the Flow Studios ArtsIn the Flow Studios BodyI Love Shelter DogsMana KeepersPaaMano Eskrima & Performing ArtsSelf-Actualization thru Women's Empowerment and Speak Your Art Poetry. It brings her organizations together and offers her readers an easier way to follow new posts in one convenient location. 



POI

Playing For Change Artist Highlight

2009 was the first time I saw the Playing For Change - Stand By Me video on youtube. I was moved to tears as the song progressed and took me from country to country. I saw, heard and felt the magic and connection happening from artist to artist to audience. I was inspired by their work and by the positivity and unity that shown through each artist. For a brief moment in time troubles and tribulations were suspended and hope rekindled for humankind. 

Playing For Change has grown over the past few years from a grassroots project to a global movement. They offer live concerts featuring many of their video musicians as well as sell merchandize and founded the Playing For Change Movement. They are truly living up to their mission statement of "Connecting the World Through Music". 

Joseph Campbell wrote, "There is no humanity in the state. What runs the world is economics and politics, and they have nothing to do with the spiritual life. So we are left with this void. It's the job of the artist to create these new myths. Myths come from the artist." Playing For Change embodies Joseph Campbell's quote by bring the world a new myth...peace and unity through music.

I hope you'll enjoy these video clips by Playing For Change as well as be inspired to share your unique artistic talents for the betterment of our world. It only takes one person to make a life changing difference in the life of another. Positivity and hope are contagious...let's go out and infect the world.

One of the most beautiful tributes I've ever seen to one of my all-time favorite artists...Robert Nesta Marley also known as...Bob Marley. Here artists from around the world unite in music and exude the message of this legendary song. One Love...One People...One Song 

One Love | Playing For Change | Song Around the World




Stand By Me | Playing For Change | Song Around the World



What We Do | Playing For Change Foundation Video



Playing for Change Foundation: CREATING POSITIVE CHANGE THROUGH MUSIC & ARTS EDUCATION. In response to the enthusiasm of those inspired by 'Songs Around the World' and the mission of the Playing For Change FoundationPFC Day was created in 2011 to unite the global community through the power of music. Every September, musicians and music lovers all over the world come together to perform on stages and sidewalks, schools and cafes -- all with the goal of bringing creating positive social change and bringing music into the lives of young people. 


Playing For Change Day was originally established to coincide with the UN’s International Day of Peace, which takes place each year on September 21st (occurring on a Wednesday in 2016). Playing For Change Day is held on the nearest Saturday each year so that participants can devote more time on the weekend to putting on or attending stellar events. Along with thousands of other organizations worldwide, we are participating in the Culture of Peace Initiative, in cooperation with Pathways To Peace, to raise awareness of the International Day of Peace and the year-round effort to transform society from a culture of competition and violence to a culture of cooperation and peace. To this end, Playing For Change Day concerts will be held in hundreds of cities and towns across our planet to celebrate humanity's unity and also to raise funds for music education.




For more information about Playing For Change visit:


Thank you for visiting. May inspiration overflow throughout all of your creative processes.



Contact Info for In the Flow Studios Arts

Instagram: http://instagram.com/speakyourart or @SpeakYourArt 
"In the Flow Studios is a grassroots organization dedicated to empowering the arts, the artist and worthy causes."

Aurora's "Speak Your Art Blog Hub" combines posts from seven of her other blogs: In the Flow Studios ArtsIn the Flow Studios BodyI Love Shelter DogsMana KeepersPaaMano Eskrima & Performing ArtsSelf-Actualization thru Women's Empowerment and Speak Your Art Poetry. It brings her organizations together and offers her readers an easier way to follow new posts in one convenient location. 


POI