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The San Diego Monitor
Divine Living Jessamyn’s Way
Jessamyn Stanley, who lives in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, and posts to Instagram under the handle @mynameisjessamyn, has attracted more than 42,000 followers in the last two years sharing images of challenging forearm stands and intense back bends.
But after committing to a regular practice, Stanley eventually moved and didn’t immediately have the disposable income to attend studio classes in her new neighborhood. It was then that she began doing yoga at home and documenting the experience online.
The difference between Stanley and the seemingly myriad talented yogis posting online? She is a self-described “fat femme” with ample curves where others are stick straight.
“When you practice, it’s important to note your alignment and progress,” she said. “And it’s a great way to get positive feedback from people. In the studios, there is a lot of judgment. And where I live, it was predominately white, well-educated, upper class people who attended and it tints the student’s perspective. I would feel like, ‘oh, my body will never look like that.’ So, [sharing on] social media has become a great way of feeling normal about being different.”
"People need to see diversity, to feel included,” Stanley told ABC News. “It’s really not that I look different, it’s that I look the same as everyone else.” A lifelong North Carolinian, Stanley was first introduced to Bikram yoga as a teenager by an enthusiastic aunt. But at the time, she was put off by the high-temperature rooms and studio experience. Years later, in college, when a friend mentioned a Groupon discount for Bikram classes, Stanley decided to give the practice a second try and this time something clicked. “I was going through a lot of transitions and personal changes at the time, I was depressed,” she said. “And being forced to stare at yourself in the mirror and challenge your body was very useful for self-reflection. It turned out to be the saving grace of my entire life.”
The attention she’s since received does at times detract from the original intent of recording her postures. But, Stanley reasoned, it’s not a bad thing. “Sometimes I do wish I would get more feedback that was along the lines of ‘let’s talk about how we can all strengthen our practices,’” she acknowledged. “But if people are more focused on my physique, and connecting with someone they can look to as a peer in this life struggle… if you feel like there’s someone who really gets where you’re coming from, that’s way more powerful.”
What do they Want you to KNOW? What Everyone Needs to Know About 2020 Census Questions By law, the U.S. government is required to count the number of people living in the United States every 10 years. Getting an accurate count is important because census numbers impact daily life in the United States in many ways. For example, census data are often used to determine how much federal funding is allocated for important projects and services that benefit local communities. The census also plays a vital role in our nation’s system of government by determining how many representatives will be sent to Congress from each state.
Because getting an accurate count is so important, the process is designed to be fast, easy, and safe. On average, it takes no more than 10 minutes to answer the questions on the census. How Are Census Data Collected? During the first census in 1790, census takers visited nearly every U.S. home to gather data. In 2020, households will have the option of responding online, by mail, or by phone. The Census Bureau expects many households to complete the questionnaire online, using instructions received in the mail. These instructions will also include information about how to respond by phone. Some households will receive a printed questionnaire which they can mail, postage-free, back to the
Be Counted! SDMNEWS’S Motivation Information
Census Bureau. A small percentage of households, primarily located in remote areas of the country, will be visited by a census taker who will help collect the necessary information to complete the form. Who Receives the Census Questionnaire and How Is It Filled Out? Most housing units in the United States that receive mail at their physical location will receive a letter by mail with instructions on how to complete the census questionnaire. Housing units include houses, apartments, cabins, mobile homes—pretty much any place where people live in the United States. In areas where the majority of housing units do not have mail delivered to their physical location, census workers will leave questionnaire packages at every identified housing unit. The census process also includes special provisions to count people who are homeless and those in other types of living quarters, such as college dorms, military barracks, ships, prisons, nursing homes, and homeless shelters. The person in the housing unit who fills out the census questionnaire or talks to the census taker is known as Person 1. Typically, Person 1 is the owner/co-owner or renter/corenter of the housing unit. READ MORE sdmonitornews.com
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The San Diego Monitor
The Case for Meditation for Kids
Every parent has experienced the bewildering moment when a disciplinary action backfires. Isn't time-out supposed to calm a child? Why, then, does the measure often provoke an even bigger tantrum? Or, for older kids, why does it seem that correctional treatment like detention only produces more troubling behavior? One school in Baltimore may have discovered the solution: meditation for kids who act out. In an inspiring story reported by CNN, Robert W. Coleman Elementary has discovered effective time-out alternatives that focus on self-reflection and encourage positive behavior, as opposed to the traditional methods that discourage negative behavior. According to a 2017 study from the European Journal of Education Studies, after-school detention is still the most frequently implemented behavioral correction measure used by teachers. The study goes on to say that since detention is often a delayed punishment, its efficacy is diminished.
The concept of detention and time-out to make kids reflect on their actions is, in theory, solid. It's only in reality that the practice breaks down. The treatment's original purpose is to remove a child from the external stimulation and triggers that upset them in the first place, and this initial move can be very helpful for children. But when adults leave it at that, a mental and emotional void is created. Kids, when left to their own creative devices, use that time to fill the void in their own mischievous ways. So often, instead of de-escalating, this form of punishment intensifies the child's already "big feelings." Thankfully, simple, age-appropriate techniques are a great way to fill that void.
meditation
You don't need to be a certified yoga instructor to implement simple meditation for kids who need help managing their moods. In fact, you don't even need to be a school administrator or counselor. These basic applications can get you started. Continued on pg.7
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The San Diego Monitor
SDMNEWS Must Read 2020 CA Census Guide Table of Contents Section 1: General Information (PDF) •
Initiative and Referendum Qualification Requirements
•
Candidate Qualifications and Information
Section 2: Nomination Requirements (PDF) •
Presidential Candidates
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United States Representative in Congress, and Member of the State Legislature Candidates
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Nomination Documents – Nomination Papers and Declaration of Candidacy
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Signatures In Lieu of Filing Fee
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Signatures In Lieu of Filing Fee and/or Nomination Papers
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Ballot Designations
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In General
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Campaign Filings and Responsibilities
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Candidate Intention Statement
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Campaign Contribution Account
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Exceptions
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Additional Filing Information
Section 3: Candidate Filing Information (PDF) •
Required Filing Fees, Nomination Signatures
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Write-In Candidates for the Office of President
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Write-In Candidates for Voter-Nominated Offices
In-Lieu
Signatures,
Section 4: Candidate Checklist (PDF) •
President of the United States
•
United States Representative in Congress
For download please go to www.sdmonitornews.com
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The San Diego Monitor
BLACK DIVINITY MAR 22. 2020
Black Divinity Meditation Day is a global holiday we first celebrated in Chicago on April 6, 2019. The vision I had for this celebration was spawned from the Soul Healing Yoga program. I guide our yogis weekly to meditate before every practice and also encourage them to view meditation as a complete practice on its own. These emphases aligned well when I brought the vision to Julie that we would participate in Black Divinity Meditation Day by inviting Black meditators to fill the entire first floor of the Stony Island Arts Bank on Chicago’s Southside in solidarity for an hour on a Saturday morning. It was a huge success, with over one hundred multigenerational meditators in attendance and many first time meditators that challenged themselves to just do it. The written feedback I received was filled with overwhelming gratitude that this opportunity was provided for free in our community, our neighborhoods. Meditators recounted their experiences as ranging from simple realization of the necessity of silence at the start of a busy day, taking the time to release anxieties of perfections and unworthiness and feel the truth and power of their divinity, to reports of a deeper awareness of another dimension of reality in which the external voices that bombard the meditator were silenced long enough for them to discover that everything was, in fact, alright in their existence.
This was a truly honorable and historic activation for me. My main takeaway is that it’s important to take the time to #healyoursoul and that all the ways in which my work is shared as a community-centric healing art are worthy and valid in the eyes of my people. I am grateful for the help and support of Rebuild Foundation to help mobilize these visions and look forward to BDMD 2020!
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Conscious breathing. According to the experts at Nemours, breathing slowly and deeply helps kids and teens relax, manage stress, and quash anxiety. Mindful reflection. As you guide a child through deep, calm breathing, have them close their eyes and intentionally think about every muscle as it relaxes, starting from the tummy outward. Ask them to consider what they hear, smell, and feel, if anything. The result of this simple exercise can be more flexible, adaptive behavior, as noted by a study in Frontiers in Psychology. Giggly gratitude: Some active, squirmy kids may not enjoy sitting and focusing on mindfulness. Grab a paper and pencil and have your child list six things they're grateful for. Then, have them imagine silly combinations of those things. For example, if a kid is thankful for family members and pets, have them describe or draw what it would look like for family members to be dogs or cats instead of humans. Junior Yoga: The only thing better than helping a kid stay calm, relaxed, focused, and balanced is teaching them to do it themselves! Yoga is one of the best ways
The San Diego Monitor a kid can take control of their own body and mood. The simple poses from Nemours are more than ideas. They're a series of ten exercises a kid can memorize and customize for a personal mind and body regimen. Don't react to another episode with more controlling or coercing. Equip your youngster with a safe place, a little guidance, and the tools to calm down naturally. Why It’s Good Time-out, detention, and grounding can sometimes be surprisingly ineffective. Instead of trying to control the situation, consider using meditation for kids, a creative way to impart the tools kids need to self-regulate their own big feelings. Not only will your youngster feel better, so will you, having given the gift of mindfulness.
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The San Diego Monitor
10 Black Yogis Who Are Proving Yoga Is for Everybody Jessamyn is a badass, no-nonsense, body positive yogi based in North Carolina. She encourages her students to break through their physical and mental barriers with high energy vinyasa flow classes. Follow her on Instagram: @mynameisjessamyn
Brandon is a Washington, D.C. based yoga instructor who founded Khephera Wellness Group. He started his yoga journey while he was in college as a way to decrease stress, and noticed a lack of black and brown faces. His response to this observation is his specialized Trap Yoga class that blends trap music with Vinyasa Yoga. Follow him on Instagram: @brandoflows
Atlanta-based Dr. Chelsea Jackson Roberts has a Ph.D. from the Division of Educational Studies at Emory University. She researches the experiences of black teen yogis and works primarily with marginalized communities. In 2013, she created a Yoga, Literature, and Art camp for teen girls. Follow her on Instagram: @chelsealovesyoga
Mario started his yoga journey on a search for more flexibility, but stuck around and became an Ashtanga style instructor. He aims to inspire everyone on their yoga journey with fun and challenging led to unexpected playlists. Follow him on Instagram: @mrmarioaustin
Debra Brooks is a native San Diegan, graduate of Abraham Lincoln High School and a graduate San Diego State University School of Social Work with her Masters in 1975. Debra recently retired from a 30 year career as a Medical/Psychiatric/Administrative Social Worker. She has a wide variety of experience helping others who are suffering and/or need assistance in accessing and navigating health care services. To take care of herself, Debra has been practicing yoga since 1990. Follow her on Instagram: @debrabrooks5140
Faith is based in New York City, but she teaches yoga and meditation internationally. She teaches to all levels, and aims to inspire others to commit to the transformative healing potential of mindfulness practices. Her self-proclaimed freespirited teaching style is influenced by Vinyasa, Kundalini, Ashtanga, and meditation. Follow her on Instagram: @spirituallyfly
Tyrone founded the non-profit organization Im’Unique in 2013 to promote healthy living and community. Through his organization he teaches free classes twice a week in Denver, Colorado, in unusual spots (think: The Denver Zoo), where he attracts hundreds of attendees from all walks of life. Follow Im’Unique on Instagram: @imuniqueunited
Koya wears many hats: she’s a celebrity yoga instructor, personal trainer, holistic health and wellness coach, author, motivational speaker, and professional fitness model. She has 500 hours of teacher training under her belt, and is dedicated to having a positive impact on the world. Follow her on Instagram: @koyawebb
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The San Diego Monitor
There's No Water Under the Bridge in the Feud That Won't End a long-running legal battle against the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Instead, the board appears ready to double down. Mayor Kevin Faulconer became the first mayor since Jerry Sanders in 2012 to appear before the 36-member board of the San Diego County Water Authority. The city is the largest member agency of the Water Authority with 10 board members. Faulconer was there to dip a toe into the decade-long courtroom fight between the Water Authority and Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. “We are really at an important juncture in our regional water history, in terms of the path that we choose to go forward,” he told Water Authority directors that day. The mayor noted their responsibility to “that $231 billion regional economy” and the “quality of life” for more than 3 million residents. “This morning, I think we have a real opportunity to begin a new chapter between the San Diego County Water Authority and the Metropolitan Water District, an important new chapter,” Faulconer said, emphasizing that “fresh start” had to be “in person,” not via “telephone calls, letters back and forth.” But the board’s actions beginning just moments after Faulconer’s plea to leave the dispute behind – and in subsequent weeks highlighted by sharp words from Chairman Jim Madaffer – suggest the agency is instead doubling down on the feud. Sitting in the wings listening to Faulconer that day was another special guest, Metropolitan General Manager Jeff Kightlinger. Metropolitan owns and operates the 242mile Colorado River Aqueduct, Southern California’s primary drinking-water resource, and also controls water imports from Northern California via the 444-mile California Aqueduct. The Water Authority, Metropolitan’s biggest customer, is working to dial down that relationship while bolstering its own local water-supply “portfolio.”
As with any long-time, evolving marriage facing an uncertain future (in this case, climate change, earthquakes, and, as Faulconer noted, the prospects of a growing city), attorneys sometimes get involved. For the Water Authority and Metropolitan, it’s been a 10-year court battle over the rates Metropolitan charges to deliver water. The arguments are as complex and head-scratching as the accompanying public-relations campaigns are entrenched and fierce between the two agencies. Legal and PR costs over the years have surged into the tens of millions. Unsurprisingly, few folks wanted to delve publicly into the legally mired relationship. But some – emboldened by a Metropolitan offer in November to settle the long-running spat, followed by a December Water Authority counteroffer – seemed ready to toss more fuel on the fire. Asked about reaching a settlement prior to a scheduled midJune trial in San Francisco, Kightlinger said in a recent interview, “I don’t see it happening, frankly.” Article from VOSD
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