Amala Foundation

Atma Imports, Amala and Nectar: A beautiful partnership benefiting the youth of the world.

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 02:08:54 +0000

The Amala Foundation and Nectar Thrift Boutique are honored and grateful to announce a partnership with Austin’s very own Atma Imports. The following is a letter from Alyson Simms, the founder of Atma Imports and a beloved member of the Amala community:

Atma Imports was created to bring tools for yogis, healers, artists, and all people seeking to deepen their path. Through our passion for yoga, we have carefully-selected malas, handmade journals and one of a kind sacred jewelry. Our intention is to bring these devotional items to yogis and others who desire to live their best life yet.

Every Atma Imports mala is picked for the energetic quality and beauty it holds. We use only the highest quality semi-precious stones and sacred seeds. We hold the highest intentions for our products, therefore each mala is hand inspected to insure that they are in line with our quality standards.   All the malas contain 108 beads, 1 guru bead and 1 “lotus petal” tassel. The number 108 is a very auspicious number in many traditions. Each mala assists in attraction of the energetic properties you desire to have in your life. Traditionally malas are used as a counting tool for mantra repetition or affirmations. They can also be beneficial when worn on the body or kept on an altar, setting intentions with them is also a great way to utilize their unique energy.

Not sure what mala to try? Lori Satter, our Jeweler/Gemologist/Vedic Astrologer, is available to assist you. Set up a consultation and she will be able to help you decide what mala is best for you! You will need your birth date, place, and time for this reading.

Atma Imports also brings to you beautiful handmade journals. Each one is unique, some printed, some hand-sewn with recycled sari material, all brilliantly colored and vibrant. Each journal is made with 100% recycled hand-pressed paper. This allows for the writing experience to be fluid and full of ease. Some papers have flowers embedded, some confetti….every page is a treat.

Lastly, Atma Imports carries one-of-a-kind sacred deity necklaces. Each design has been delicately hand-painted. They are backed with sterling silver and covered in glass. Anywhere from an OM symbol, Lakshmi, and even butterflies…each necklace is sure to bring delight as it sits over the heart center….a nice reminder to let the energy of the painting nourish the soul.

10% of all proceeds from Atma Imports benefits an organization that is dear to our hearts, The Amala Foundation, based out of Austin, Texas. This Summer and Fall, we will be teaming up with Amala to hit some of the best yoga festivals happening. Come see us at Hanuman Festival in Boulder, Colorado; 3HO Summer Solstice Festival in Espanola, New Mexico; Moksha Festival in Santa Moncia, California: and Bhatki Fest in Joshua Tree, California. We’ll be vending our imports and sharing information on the Amala Foundation and their projects happening throughout the year.

The Amala Foundation provides opportunities for personal growth through humanitarian service projects that benefit youth, including local, immigrant, refugee, and international children. It is through this transformative, holistic approach to service that communities are united and youth are inspired to lead with a heart-centered, global perspective.

Every year, the Amala Foundation hosts the a variety of service projects, including the Global Youth Peace Summit, the Bhatti Mines School in India, San Quentin Peace Walk, and One Village Project, to name just a few.

In conclusion, I’d love to express how grateful I am that Atma Imports is able to share 10% of their profits with Amala Foundation and partner up in our local and global community. We are all truly blessed.

~Alyson Simms, owner Atma Imports

alyson@atmaimports.com

512-497-1072

Amrita Moor Honored as Volunteer of the Year in Austin

admin — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 20:06:35 +0000

We are so proud and grateful to announce that our beloved Amrita was recently named as a Volunteer of the Year Honoree by the Austin Ballet Guild. Amrita’s tireless and inspiring devotion to the work of the Amala Foundation will be honored at the Austin Ballet Guild’s 8th Annual Women On Their Toes Spring Luncheon Event on Tuesday, April 10th. Austin Woman Magazine featured the honorees, including Amrita, in a recent issue.

Amrita and her family have lived in Austin for over 20 years. For a decade, they have been involved with the Amala Foundation. In addition to her many years of service as key volunteer at local youth programs like Camp Indigo and the Global Youth Peace Summit, Amrita has also traveled to India several times to serve the children of the Bhatti Mines School.

After being inspired by Amala’s various youth programs and its work with adults, Amrita wanted to create a way for Amala to be more financially sustainable. Combining her passion for beautiful spaces, her joy at finding thrift shop treasures, and her love of connecting with people, she created Nectar, a boutique that contributes 100% of its profits to the Amala Foundation and its local and global programs. Amrita invites you to visit Nectar to find something beautiful and in turn do something beautiful for the world.

Amrita has a huge, tender heart, that has given more selflessly and boldly than most people will ever dare or be willing to give. Yet within it all, she remains, humble, leading with presence, potently modeling creative volunteerism with her every action and interaction. The impact of Amrita’s leadership on our community is too great to encompass here. The essence of it is that everyone she touches feels more love, connection and aliveness. In the concept of “teaching how to fish”, rather than “feeding for a day”, Amrita’s leadership sows the seeds of love and service. She lives, inspires and leads in such a way that both youth and adults are activated and empowered to grow and rise as leaders of peace and humanitarian service in their families, lives and communities.

Amrita, thank you for all that you have done for our community and the youth we serve. We are grateful that are paths have crossed.

Mother’s Day at Austin’s Nectar Thrift Boutique

admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 21:13:39 +0000

Over the past several years, Nectar Thrift Boutique has created a unique and beautiful relationship with mothers, both locally in Austin as well as globally across the world. Please consider honoring the mothers in your life by purchasing a gift or gift certificate at Nectar this Mother’s Day

You will be delighting your recipient with a one of a kind fairly-traded item, and benefiting mothers of the world whose children receive support through the Amala Foundation. This week in honor of Mother’s Day ( Sunday, May 13 ) we are featuring lovely beadwork jewelry created by women of the Masai tribe in Kenya. Because of these committed women’s industrious craft, they have been able to build a school and forever change their children’s lives through education.

We also have soy candles, journals from India, chocolate, handmade bags, and a beautiful selection of clothing. Nectar is open Wednesday through Saturday from 12-6 pm (at the Amala Foundation – 1006 S. 8th Street). We look forward to helping you create a lovely Mother’s Day for you and your loved ones! For more information on Nectar Thrift Boutique, please visit www.nectaraustin.com.

One Child Project: Sponsor A Refugee Youth

admin — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:36:39 +0000

Sponsor a refugee youth who has recently resettled in this country to attend the 6th Annual Global Youth Peace Summit. Each year, the Global Youth Peace Summit unites 70 youth from 25+ different countries for an eight-day youth summit devoted to heart-centered dialogue, compassionate service, conflict resolution and cultural exchange.

With only $775, you, your business, congregation and/or community can help make this transformational experience possible for those youth who need it most, including youth from The Congo, Iran, Iraq, Burma, Yemen Bhutan, Uganda and dozens of other countries. All donations, no matter the size, are greatly appreciate and are an integral piece in making this transformational experience possible. Please take a look at the flyer to the left to see the reciprocal nature of our sponsorship program. If you know of any organizations, businesses, congregations or individuals that might want to help sponsor a refugee youth, please feel free to pass along this information.

All donations are tax-deductible as the Amala Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Please help sponsor a refugee youth today by clicking here; your donation will change a life. Thank you.

Spring Renewal Weekend Retreat with Vanessa

admin — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 17:20:18 +0000

What: Spring Renewal Weekend Retreat with Vanessa
When: Friday, May 18th (6:00pm) through Sunday, May 20th (3:00pm).
Where: Private home in San Marcos

We are delighted to offer a weekend long Spring Renewal Retreat in the Texas Hill Country with Vanessa Stone, founder of the Amala Foundation. We will explore the nature of living awake throughout this regenerative and enriching retreat which will include contemplative arts, inquiry, silence, and sangha.

Located conveniently just 35 miles outside of Austin, we will gather in a lovely Mediterranean Style Villa on ten acres of woods and lush rolling hills. We will share organic vegetarian meals, music and community. Both indoor accommodations and camping options are available. TO REGISTER for the Spring Retreat, please click here: https://amala.wufoo.com/forms/spring-renewal-weekend-retreat-with-vanessa/

Contact: Events@amalafoundation.org for more information on this retreat. For more information on Vanessa’s other offerings, including retreats in Austin and around the world, please visit www.authenticpeace.org.

Amala Named Beneficiary of Austin Yoga Expo & Conference

admin — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 03:01:13 +0000

The Amala Foundation is honored to be a beneficiary of this year’s Austin Yoga Expo & Conference at Palmer Events Center, May 19-20th. We invite you to participate in this transformational event; several familiar faces from Amala will be teaching classes and hosting workshops. You can get your tickets online at www.austinyogaexpo.com.

The Austin Yoga Expo & Conference is a gathering of Austin yoga teachers, along with health and wellness providers, alternative medicine practitioners, together offering a breadth of yoga classes, workshops and lectures. The Expo is produced locally by the Austin Yoga Community, teachers, and businesses, who seek to bring awareness to the health and wellness benefits of yoga.

Everyone is welcome, and yoga open classes are going all day, for all levels of practice, whether you have never been to a yoga class and are just curious, or you have been practicing for years. Yoga truly is for anyone, from children to seniors, from recovery to athletes, and those wanting to feel more alive and well to those wanting to slow down and relax.

Thank you to everyone involved in making this beautiful event happen.

Last Week For An Early Registration Discount

admin — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 02:52:11 +0000

This is the last week to receive an early registration discount for the 12th Annual Camp Indigo; the early registration price of $275 ends April 27th. Compared to other Summer camps in Austin, Camp Indigo is quite affordable. Our goal is to make Camp Indigo accessible to every child that wishes to attend this magical Summer camp, which is why we are one of the few Summer camps in Austin to offer scholarships as well as early registration and sibling discounts.

For more information or to register your child for this transformation Austin Summer camp, please visit our Camp Indigo page. If you have any questions, please call us at 512.476.8884 or email us at info@amalafoundation.org.

One Village Harvest Day at Urban Roots Farm

admin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:06:12 +0000

When: Saturday, April 28th, 9am – 12:30pm
Where: Urban Roots Farm – 7651 Delwau Ln, Austin, TX 78725
What: As a village, we will gather to learn about sustainable agriculture as well as work on the farm and help harvest vegetables that will go to feed those in Austin who are in need of food.

Urban Roots is a youth development program that uses sustainable agriculture to transform the lives of young people and increase the access to healthy food in Austin. Urban Roots provides paid internships to Austin youth, age 14-17, to work on their 3.5 acre urban farm in East Austin. Each Fall, they hire 24 youth Farm Interns, three youth Assistant Crew Leaders, and three youth Agriculture interns to work with them for the upcoming program year.

During the 25 week spring and summer program, youth get essential life and job skills while growing food for the community. Urban Roots donates 40% of their produce to local soup kitchens and food pantries and sell the rest at farmers’ markets and farm stands in Austin. Additionally, they provide their youth with a variety of workshops in order to ensure a well rounded education on food, agriculture, and serving their community.

Over the years, the Amala Foundation and Urban Roots have had a beautiful partnership, impacting many youth in Austin. Each year, Urban Roots sends several youth that the work with to the Global Youth Peace Summit. Peace Leaders from the Summit have also joined the Urban Roots program after hearing about their amazing work at the Summit.

The Urban Roots farm is located in East Austin near the intersection of Bolm Road and 183. We recommend following the driving directions below as Mapquest and Google Maps often have trouble with the location of the farm and the fact that 183 is a split highway. (The land where the farm is currently located has been called Oasis Gardens and Hands of the Earth in previous years)

Address: 7651 Delwau Ln, Austin, TX 78725

For a map to the farm, please click HERE.

For Driving Directions to the Farm, please click HERE.

Nany Zepeda Featured as Ahead of Their Time Artist

admin — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 20:05:34 +0000

Our dear community member, Nany Zepeda, entered the contest, “Ahead of Their Time” which is an art exhibition where high school students in Austin are given their opportunity to have their work featured at the AMoA Art House off Congress. The beautiful photo that Nany entered was selected and awarded a place on the AMoA Art House gallery wall. The opening reception was held Saturday March 31st at The Jones Center, 700 Congress Avenue in Austin; many Amala community members were on hand to witness the opening of the exhibition. Nany’s photo and all contestant entries will be on display there through April 22nd. Be sure to stop by and check them out; Austin and Amala are blessed to have such an impressive group of young artists like Nany in our community.

Nany is overjoyed with her inclusion in the project and says, “This contest gives the opportunity to young artists around Austin to be part of an official art exhibition in one of the most influential places that any artist living in Austin dreams to be a part of…the Universe chose me and one of the photographs of India to be one of the blessed artists featured in this exhibition.”

Nany is very active in the Amala community: Participating in Young Artists in Service, Bhatti Mines School, Global Youth Peace Summit and One Village Projects. Nany traveled to India on a service retreat with the Amala Foundation in support of the Bhatti Mines School Program. There, she worked with the community and the children of the Bhatti Mines School. Each Fall, the India service retreat creates a beautiful and transformational exchange between the school children, families and retreat participants. There is much work and play and deep learning that occurs on these retreats. Here is what Nany had to say about her experience:

“In November of last year, I travel to India for two weeks and a half. One of the most amazing and powerful experiences that I have ever had in my life. All the mysteries of India hold space for me to experience myself even deeper; in many way I never thought possible. The trip impact me so deeply that the repercussions still here, in my everyday life. One of the great impacts that I had from this was reflected on one of my biggest passions. ART!

While in India, I got to take photographs of many of our family member of India. In their faces the reflection of love and gratitude was alive and vibrant. However, every time I took a picture I wasn’t thinking about a “Masterpiece” or an “Art Compassion.” Every shoot was just a human to human connection that a simple camera give to me and the side effect was that I was creating a masterpiece with every shoot.

And on the past few months these photographs have given me what India did…..the opportunity to experience myself even more deeply. The photographs had won many contests and recognized by so many people, But most importantly they met India through my art.”

Nany is an amazing young woman who is usually found smiling, hugging and laughing. She’s a beautiful human being that is wise beyond her years. She has a grasp of humanity that she shares through her art and her words. Thank you for sharing your gift with us, Nany.

ABOUT “AHEAD OF THEIR TIME” ART EXHIBITION

Each year, the museum organizes Ahead of Their Time, an annual exhibition of art made by high school students enrolled in advanced art courses. This exhibition offers an opportunity for the public to enjoy the accomplishments of young Austin-area artists. Participating students are selected from a pool of applicants by a different Austin-area arts professional each year. We believe that many of these young artists truly are “Ahead of Their Time,” and beginning to show levels of talent and creativity expected from more experienced artists.

Another Donation From Generous Art

admin — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 19:59:47 +0000

We just received another donation from Generous Art! Thank you Michael and Erika Propst for choosing the Amala Foundation as your non-profit of choice; your support means a lot. Big gratitude to Renee Nunez for your beautiful art and Generous Art for being a place where artists can shine and communities can be supported. Thanks, Jennifer!

If you are interested in purchasing beautiful pieces of art while supporting the Amala Foundation, please visit Generous Art.