Give yourself the gift of one day of yoga. Press pause and enjoy uninterrupted time with yourself and these incredible teachers to guide you on your journey. Mer Hogan, Katie Silcox and Karen Johns will lead yoga rituals, music, dance and shakti [power], plus a regular yoga practice including meditation, breath, mantra, movement, asana, and connection to self. This is a workshop that celebrates consciousness, support and what is possible . . . → Read More: Give Yourself the Day! | A Day Sangha Yoga Retreat]]>

Give yourself the gift of one day of yoga. Press pause and enjoy uninterrupted time with yourself and these incredible teachers to guide you on your journey. Mer Hogan, Katie Silcox and Karen Johns will lead yoga rituals, music, dance and shakti [power], plus a regular yoga practice including meditation, breath, mantra, movement, asana, and connection to self. This is a workshop that celebrates consciousness, support and what is possible for us as human beings.

Bring, water, yoga supplies and walking shoes. Dress for the what the weather may bring by wear layers.

We will meet April 1, at 8:30am at the Oratory building at the Loveland Grailville.
932 O’Bannonville Road
Loveland, Ohio 45140
513-683 2340
grailvillecc@fuse.net

Activities are scheduled for 9am-5pm, with a wholesome organic lunch provided— yum!

Cost for the day: $69

Register here.

About your instructors

About Mer Hogan
Meredith Hogan fell in love with movement as a child. She grew up dancing and stumbled onto her yogic path while trying to heal hip & ankle injuries. She was battling depression as a 16 year old and noticed that yoga had the power to heal her heart as well as her body. It was clear to her that these teachings had to be spread. She moved to Chicago after studying Afro-Brazilian dance in Salvador, Bahia and graduating from Miami University with a degree in Cultural Anthropology and Theatre. She taught Pilates and yoga while in Chicago and received her training with Ana Forest at Moksha in 2003. She then returned to her roots in Cincinnati and began to teach. She taught at the Cincinnati Yoga School and at The Alliance Institute for Integrative Medicine, and has had the opportunity to work with some wonderful healers. When she connected with yogahOMe she found a real family. She now teaches at 3 yogahOMe locations and does one-on-one yoga therapy. She is blessed and honored to be walking her path in the company of such open-minded and open-hearted gems.

About Katie Silcox
Katie Silcox has studied with the world’s pre-eminent teachers, scholars and visionaries in the world of mind-body health. She is a senior certified Para Yoga student and assistant to Yogarupa Rod Stryker, one of the worldʼs most well-respected yoga and meditation teachers today.
She is a certified Ayurvedic Wellness Educator and Bliss Therapist from the country’s most recognized school of Ayurveda, and is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Hindu Religion and Philosophy. Her Ayurvedic studies includes mentorship with Devi Mueller and Dr. Claudia Welch. She is currently authoring a book on Ayurveda and Tantra. Katie Silcox was also recently named one of San Franciscoʼs Best Yoga Teachers Under 30 by Common Ground Magazine, and was recently chosen for a national sponsorship by Athleta. For more information on Katie, go to www.parayogini.com and be sure to check out her recent article on Yoga Journal’s Guest Blog!

About Karen Johns
Karen Johns, RYT, has been teaching yoga for 8 years and has to pinch herself to believe she gets to do this for a living. Her practices of yoga and meditation led her to Bhakti yoga, or devotional chanting. She bought a harmonium without a set of operating instructions and within a month was writing and creating her own chants to ancient mantras. Last year she recorded an album inspired by her yoga students called Saprema, which means “with Love” in Sanskrit. She regularly plays live in her classes and at a variety of events including healing ceremonies, restorative yoga events, chanting workshops, and last October played with a handful of friends at Duke Energy Center during the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. To hear Karen’s music, please visit her website at www.karenjohnschants.com

What: Vegan Friendly Menu! Enjoy learning to cook healthy recipes that don’t compromise on taste even though prepared without oil, butter or any other form of fat. Chef Rip will also teach about the health benefits of many spices and how to incorporate them into your food for more variety and delicious flavors. You will not leave hungry as you enjoy . . . → Read More: Heart Healthy Cooking Classes at Bombay Brazier | Pure Life Studio]]>

What: Vegan Friendly Menu! Enjoy learning to cook healthy recipes that don’t compromise on taste even though prepared without oil, butter or any other form of fat. Chef Rip will also teach about the health benefits of many spices and how to incorporate them into your food for more variety and delicious flavors. You will not leave hungry as you enjoy tasting every dish that is prepared in front of you while you get your questions answered. Limit of 15 per class – call today!

This month’s delicious menu includes:
Yellow Lentil Soup
Tomato Spinach Soup
Channa Masalla (garbanzo beans, spices, vegetables)
Peas and Potatoes
Skillet Vegetables
Cumin Tumeric Potatoes

When: Saturday, March 3, 11:30am-2pm

Cost: $55
Limit of 15 per class – call to sign up today!

Given By:
Mary Rasmussen, Naturopathic Doctor
At the Pure Life Studio, Mary’s focus is to guide people on how to get unhealthy toxins out of the body while adding incredible nutrient dense foods and spices into the body for a wonderfully balanced lifestyle that keeps us healthy and strong.

Chef Rip Sidhu
Chef Rip is a a dynamic instructor who teaches how we can make delicious meals at home utilizing many wonderful spices and fresh ingredients for our enjoyment as well as for better health.

Location:
Bombay Brazier
7791 Cooper Road,
Cincinnati, OH
45242

Questions? Need more information?
Visit www.purelifestudio.com
Call Mary Rasmussen at 513-227-7277
Chef Rip at 513-794-0000

I love mantras—the Sanskrit ones . . . → Read More: Yogi of the Month Offering | Morgan McGowan]]> Each month, not only do we feature an interview with our Yogi of the Month, but we also featuring an offering. This is where each month’s yogi will share something with all of you–maybe it’s a chant, a meditation or a sequence of postures. Whatever it is, it’s something our YOTM (Yogi of the Month) wants to share with you.

I love mantras—the Sanskrit ones we hear in yoga classes are so beautiful to hear and sing. I think everyone can benefit from finding one that speaks to them. But mantras are not only powerful if they are in Sanskrit. My favorite mantra is very simple, but powerful:
I am breathing in; I am breathing out.

Connecting with the breath makes us more present, more engaged. I find that coming back to this mantra can calm me down very quickly whether I feel flustered or frustrated. So, the next time you’re stuck in traffic or just stuck in an emotional funk, try connecting your breath with a mantra, in Sanskrit or English, whatever feels right to you. It may not work right away, but the more your practice your mantra, the easier it becomes and the faster it can help.

No excuses- you don’t need to make it to a class to do it, or be in a special spot in your house or have any props/accessories to practice a mental mantra- it’s all in the head and with the breath so no one has to even know you’re doing it!

Practice is the best instructor, so try it for a month and then take notice of the difference. It may be subtle, it may be monumental but either way the benefits will be there. I can guarantee you’ll be glad you tried.

About Morgan
Morgan studied the Eastern traditions in college as a Comparative Religions major and was always fascinated by the idea of finding the divine within through yoga & meditation. But it wasn’t until in 2007 that a running injury helped Morgan come to her own yoga path- bringing her to yogahOMe to expand her yoga and meditation practice  and complete yogahOMe’s 200hr Teacher Training.
“After my hip injury,  I was frustrated about missing out on the race I had trained so hard to complete and because I could participate in so little of my regular routine. My Physical Therapist suggested I take a yoga/pilates class with her at our gym.  It was the first extremely positive physical and emotional experience for me in quite some time.  There was such a sense of camaraderie and positive energy flow in the room that I was hooked.   Finding yogahOMe has been such a blessing- I learn from amazing teachers and other students whenever I come to the studio.  I instantly feel a connection with those I practice with and I love being part of a larger community. Sadly, our western schedules get increasingly hectic in this frenetic pace we keep- we are always plugged in or online- yet our  lives are becoming isolated from our friends and neighbors. Fortunately, yoga really brings people together. I love that.”

Remember all that change you wanted to create for yourself last month? If you are like 99.9% of the population, you may have just sighed heavily and said, “Oh yeah. That. Shoot.”

It’s okay. The newness wore off. The initial excitement dropped and suddenly making all of those changes became another addition to your to-do list. And worse, it was put at the bottom above the . . . → Read More: Intention for Change | As quickly as those changes began…]]> …something happened. You fizzled out. The momentum…stopped.

Remember all that change you wanted to create for yourself last month? If you are like 99.9% of the population, you may have just sighed heavily and said, “Oh yeah. That. Shoot.”

It’s okay. The newness wore off. The initial excitement dropped and suddenly making all of those changes became another addition to your to-do list. And worse, it was put at the bottom above the thirty-seven other things you need to do in a single day.

Solution: move it back to the top.

To regain momentum for our intentions, we sometimes need to put a little more effort into them.

Get up a little earlier.

Set your DVR, keep the TV off, and commit a little further to making that change.

Resist your old comfortable habits by replacing them with new ones–the ones you want.

My husband and I put our house on the market at the beginning of January. Ready for change? Yes! We were beyond motivated to make the changes to the house to get it to sell. Every time a showing has come up, we clean with gusto. “Maybe this will be the one!” we think to ourselves.

And then we get in to month two of being on the market, and that momentum has worn off. Another showing? Ugh. Our frustrations with not selling have settled in.

How are we regaining momentum? We are sprucing up our neighbors’ houses. We simply took our intention, and are refocusing it. It became a priority again.

Put your own intention for change back out to the Universe. Pick back up. Keep going.

About Kristin

Kristin completed her 200-hour teacher training with yogahOMe in 2007. Her yoga journey began in 2003 with a “gym yoga” class. When she discovered hOMe in 2005, it was then her practice really began to unfold. She has benefitted so much from yoga’s emotional benefits, her favorite part of teaching is being able to help her students get that same emotional release out of a class. Her favorite practice is in a hot room, going deeper in new and challenging poses. A former runner who battled injuries for years, yoga has changed her physically for the better. Kristin is a middle school French teacher by day, using relaxation techniques with her students to release test anxiety. Yoga in the classroom is always an adventure! If there were a theme to her teachings, it would be “letting go.” When you can let go, you smile more, you love life a little more, and you get a little bit closer to that ultimate inner-peace.

I am training for a 50k on May 5th in the Outer Banks. It . . . → Read More: Yoga on the Run | Please Dig Deep Softly, You Never Are Perfect!]]> We’re gearing up for the 2012 yogahOMe Run for Shelter and 5K, plus the theme for this month in our year-long Intention for Change program is Momentum, so what better time to introduce Heather Poast’s new column, ‘Yoga on the Run’? She teaches our 6am Tuesday/Thursday Yoga for Runners class too; come check it out!

I am training for a 50k on May 5th in the Outer Banks. It is on a beach and goes from lighthouse to lighthouse. I will run barefoot on the sand. I train daily, whether it is with a long run, a short run, spin and yoga or a rest day which usually consists of just yoga or a walk and yoga.

I do not wake each morning feeling motivated, but have a plan each week of the mileage I must hit. This week I am going for 40 miles. I do not start each run feeling great. However, I just put one foot in front of the other and before I know it I am trotting away and enjoying my run while gaining some speed. I never go out for a run at full speed. It takes our bodies a good mile to warm up, in my case it sometimes takes 3 to 5 miles. My best runs are those I approach softly. I start by just being happy to be out moving my body. I feel blessed to be able to run and to have the freedom to run. I never wear a watch. I don’t really see the point unless I am out doing speedwork on a track (which is rare these days). I find I think too much about my time instead of truly engaging in the sport.

My favorite time to do yoga is after running.  I find that I enjoy the practice so much more because my body is awake and alive.  I can feel each stretch more fully.  I approach yoga in a similar way that I approach running.  I take each posture lightly at first and slowly move into a deep practice. For example, I never pop into up-dog before taking a few baby cobras and I never take pigeon before going through a few sun salutes, warrior I and warrior 2.  It just isn’t mindful.  I have found that the softer I approach my practice, the deeper I can actually get into poses.

Moral of the story… I gain momentum in running and yoga by taking it slow and it amazes me every time how far I can take myself with this approach. The times I have hit the road or the mat without the proper warm-up, I tend to be frustrated with the quality of the practice and ultimately don’t feel that great in the end.

This goes out to the Sarita Shakti’s – the title is a great way to remember the 8 limbs of yoga.  Pranayama, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi, Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pratyahara.  Namaste!

About Heather
Heather is an avid barefoot runner, cyclist, swimmer and yogi. She grew up playing soccer, softball and swimming. However, in her high school years Heather slipped away from sports and took more to partying.  After losing her father during her freshman year in college, Heather decided to take back her life and started running and doing yoga.
Today, Heather is a marathoner, ultra-marathoner and triathlete. She has completed numerous Flying Pig Marathons, Grand Island Trail Marathon, Stone Steps 50k, Berryman Trail 50-miler, Ironman Louisville and many other triathlons. She completed the 200-hour yoga teacher training through yogahOMe in 2011 and has been practicing yoga since 1999.
Heather has a bachelors degree in Environmental Studies and Spanish from Lake Forest College, a Culinary and Pastry Arts degree from Cincinnati State Midwest Culinary Institute and a Dietetics certificate from The University of Cincinnati.
Heather loves working in the Health & Wellness industry as it allows her to share her passion with others.  She wants you to experience the joy that is possible by exercising, eating well and making mindful decisions throughout the day. Heather will share the secrets and simplicity of an overall healthy lifestyle with you!  With her exercise, nutrition and culinary knowledge she will provide you with a well-rounded approach.

Transitions Global builds new lives for survivors of sex trafficking. We’re profiling this organization in the weeks leading up to the 2012 yogahOMe Run for Shelter 5K and Walk because we think what they’re doing is important and wonderful. And you should know about it.

Carrie Kuba shares her experience the first time she walked . . . → Read More: Transitions Global | Inside the Dream Home.]]>

Transitions Global builds new lives for survivors of sex trafficking. We’re profiling this organization in the weeks leading up to the 2012 yogahOMe Run for Shelter 5K and Walk because we think what they’re doing is important and wonderful. And you should know about it.

Carrie Kuba shares her experience the first time she walked through the doors at the Transitions Global home in Cambodia, and what she found within.

I’ll never forget my first encounter with the courageous girls of Transitions’ Dream Home. The building is purposefully unimpressive. And even that made an impression on me as it went straight to the heart of the organization’s desire to provide a safe place for the girls, without calling attention to themselves.

As we walked in, the walls are lined on either side with these beautiful, ethereal pictures of the graduates – adorned in gowns that would rival any Disney princess, hair and makeup that reflects hours of preparation, tiaras, flowers, poses, smiles. The smiles—that is what caught my eye.  Even through these portraits, one could see the healing that had occurred in these girls.  These were NOT the smiles of a young girl trying to impress a John. These were NOT the smiles of a young girl trying to appease her Mamasan. These were the smiles of girls who KNEW their worth.

The girls and staff had prepared dinner for us. A group of us sat in a circle, our plate on our laps, interspersed with the girls of Transitions. The girls were trying to show us how to peel and eat a kind of fruit—one which, when peeled, too closely resembled in appearance and texture, an eyeball. There was a great deal of laughter and giggles during that meal! As I watched these girls interact with all of us, I noticed that the staff were always aware of where the girls were in the room, and were close at hand. And again, the girls were not nervous or frightened by this as one would expect after their horrific time in the brothels, but instead were visibly empowered by that, knowing that these staff members were there to gently and lovingly come alongside them in their journey of healing and dreaming.

There is something unique and profound happening at Transitions. These precious girls are not receiving a band-aid and then sent out into the world in order to make room for another girl.  These girls do not only receive such holistic healing, they are encouraged to dream for the first time and are given the tools needed to realize that dream.

And I saw it firsthand. In their smiles.

About Carrie
I am the mom of two amazing daughters, Bella and Abeni. I am the Founder of Someone’s Child, an organization that engages, equips, and empowers moms to use their unique gifting to combat human trafficking. You can find us at www.someoneschild.net and on Facebook.

We’ll have a lot more on the 2012 yogahOMe Run for Shelter 5K and Walk, Transitions Global, how to get started with training, and yoga for runners over the next few months as we gear up for the big day! Check back every Friday between now and March 31 for more!

And, in the meanwhile, you can follow the 2012 yogahOMe Run for Shelter 5K and Walk on Twitter or ‘Like’ them on Facebook!

Yoga Mat Bag This bag on sew4home.com is big enough to hold your mat, towel and flip flops. It even has a handy outside pocket with a Velcro closure for a wallet, phone and keys. Plus, our original tutorial gives you great step-by-step directions . . . → Read More: DIY Yogis!]]> Thanks to Pinterest, here are some great yoga crafts. Whether you’re a DIY yogi or just want something to spruce up your yoga wardrobe, check out these great links!

Yoga Mat Bag
This bag on sew4home.com is big enough to hold your mat, towel and flip flops. It even has a handy outside pocket with a Velcro closure for a wallet, phone and keys. Plus, our original tutorial gives you great step-by-step directions for how to perfectly match the pocket fabric to the bag.

Yoga Mat Sling from Re-purposed Cargo Pants
In this exclusive excerpt from ReMake It!: Recycling Projects from the Stuff You Usually Scrap ($12.95) by Tiffany Threadgould you’ll learn how to transform your ’90s throwback into a functional, one-of-a-kind tote for your yoga mat.

Yoga Mat Strap
Use an old dog leash or some cute ribbon to wrap up your mat after practice. Martha Stewart posts this idea on her site.

Yoga Socks
Knit a pair of toe-less, heel-less socks to keep you warm but not sliding around while doing yoga. These are easy to knit and look quite cute. Pattern included!

Yoga Mat Spray Wash
Here are two easy and inexpensive recipes to use on your mats after practice. One is more of a fragrance to keep the stink at bay, the other is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial.

Yoga Cookie Cutters
Okay, so the cookie cutters themselves aren’t DIY, but making the cookies is! Imagine all the gifts you could get out of this purchase! Plus, we just couldn’t not include them—they’re too cute!

If you have any additional DIY ideas, post them below!

Each month, yogahOMe selects a special yogi to be our ‘yogi of the month.’ It’s a chance for us to introduce all of you to someone special here on Salutations. This time it’s Morgan McGowan!

When did you first start practicing yoga? I tried yoga in the 90′s with my husband at our YMCA but we were both so inflexible and in a room of regular practitioners that . . . → Read More: Yogi of the Month | Morgan McGowan]]>

Each month, yogahOMe selects a special yogi to be our ‘yogi of the month.’ It’s a chance for us to introduce all of you to someone special here on Salutations. This time it’s Morgan McGowan!

When did you first start practicing yoga?
I tried yoga in the 90′s with my husband at our YMCA but we were both so inflexible and in a room of regular practitioners that it wounded our egos. It’s embarrassing to admit, but there it is—we quit after a couple of classes and I promptly forgot all about yoga and went back to running and gym-type exercise. In 2007, while training for a marathon, I injured my hip and was unable to do much of anything except the exercises my physical therapist gave me. I was incredibly frustrated, bored and cranky. When she suggested I try yoga as a way to help me heal, I was reluctant. But she went with me to my first class and despite the fact that I was once again the least “bendy” person in the room, I LOVED it. I started catering my daily schedule around the yoga classes at my gym and became a much more pleasant person to be around, so my husband was all for it! In fact, Tom is the reason I came to yogahOMe; he got me a gift certificate for my birthday and it was a great gift. Every teacher was welcoming and helpful and I learned something new during each class.

What kind of yoga have you been into MOST as of late? Why?
When I first started practicing at yogahOMe, I loved Hot Yoga classes; couldn’t get enough of them. But as my yoga and meditation practices have grown, I find that what my mind and body really need to do is slow down, so I have been practicing more Gentle and Yin yoga. It feels like I’ve been to the spa at the end of class— and I feel loved, nourished and totally peaceful.

Please tell us about a teacher you’ve had/have. What makes them a good teacher? What did you learn from them?
Every time I leave a yoga class, that teacher is my favorite. I always learn something new during a class, maybe it’s just a different way to approach a pose or a slight adjustment that makes a world of difference. Katy Knowles has an incredible way of sequencing a practice and explaining adjustments that I wish I’d taken notes so I can pass them along to my students! Gina Fennell has a no-nonsense way of teaching meditation and asana that keeps me grounded and present not only during class, but inspires me to keep searching for that peace within, despite the chaotic lives we all lead these days. And Deana Podvin has a nurturing way of teaching Yin that makes me feel as if I could hold the poses forever, while challenging me to go deeper (which is no small feat for someone whose heels will most likely never touch the mat in downward dog). I really could go on and on about all of our teachers— I learn from all of my fellow yogahOMies!

What has been a difficulty in your yoga journey? Ever get ‘stuck’? Ever need time away?
I developed chronic pain in my left wrist and was unable to do much of my physical practice for quite some time. I would teach classes and have asana envy because my students were able to do things that just hurt my wrist to watch. And when one part of the practice stops, so can the other parts: I stopped meditating and lost the joy that yoga can bring. Finding an acupuncturist helped with my wrist issue, plus he gave me a mantra (he’s a yogi too) which helped me get back on my yoga path. Coming back to my meditation has been just as fulfilling as coming back to the asanas.
Attending the Matt Sanford workshop this past December also helped me realize you don’t have to have a “perfect” body to feel perfect in it and that yoga is for everybody; it’s far more than just what happens in the studio during class.

Is there a definitive moment when you felt you truly became a yoga teacher?
I’m still waiting! I keep learning new things so I feel like I will always be equally student & teacher.

Tell us about how you’ve grown as a teacher since you began.
The first time I taught a yoga class, I thought I was going to faint from nerves. I still get nervous at the start of class because I want everyone to leave my class feeling good and having learned something new— either about a pose or about themselves and what they can accomplish. I encourage my students to ask questions during class because that may help me the next time I’m teaching. (See, even my students can be my teachers!)

How has yoga affected your life?
I’ve become a more patient person, more connected to my breath ( I love pranayama practices) and more in tune with my body and it’s rhythms. I have always had quite a temper and yoga has mellowed that or at least keeps me from immediately flying off the handle. And despite not being the most flexible person in any given class, I have definitely increased my flexibility and added strength and better balance. Another great thing yoga has brought me is a strong connection that I can share with my family. My husband now practices regularly and my daughters like for us all to practice together. My eldest daughter Molly (age 10) has come with me to Deana’s Yin class, loved it, and is ready to come back for a vinyasa class with me. To be able to share the joy of yoga with the people I adore is an amazing gift that yoga has given me.

How many years have you taken yoga?
5

Did you complete Teacher Training? Where and when?
yogahOMe 200 hour, June 2009

What classes are you teaching at yogahOMe right now?
hOMe flow at the Symmes Studio, 9:30-10:45am Thursdays
Come flow with me!

Morgan, thank you so much for sharing!

Today, Seth Johnson, Advocacy Director for Transitions Global, has graciously agreed to share the story of . . . → Read More: Transitions Global | Committing to the Fight]]> Transitions Global builds new lives for survivors of sex trafficking. We’re profiling this organization in the weeks leading up to the 2012 yogahOMe Run for Shelter 5K and Walk because we think what they’re doing is important and wonderful. And you should know about it.

Today, Seth Johnson, Advocacy Director for Transitions Global, has graciously agreed to share the story of how his search for a way to help people brought him to Transitions Global.

When I started down the road of advocating for the survivors of human trafficking, I never saw myself where I am at today.

I started by committing to a week long project to research the issue, and to come up with a game plan of what a local church in Portland, Oregon could do to help the issue. One week turned into four weeks of becoming broken-hearted, very quickly and with remarkable ease.

At the time I started researching this issue, I was on track to become a Chiropractor. I wanted to help people but I wanted to make a good living for my wife and three daughters. Evidently my life path had a different plan. After learning about story after story of unimaginable atrocities, my wife and I decided that we needed to do whatever we could to fight this incredible injustice. However, we were faced with the glaring question that many have when they decide to commit to this fight; the question is, “What do I do?”

I remember being at a symposium and asking the head of the Anti Human Trafficking for International Labour Organization how I could get involved and his answer left me feeling flat. He said that I should, “get involved with a local nonprofit.” It left me feeling flat because I couldn’t find any. Believe me, I was looking. This led my wife and I to our next step, which was to start our own organization. Our group was going to be formed with the sole intent of supporting other groups who were in the trenches doing the work, and needed financial support. Starting this group led to a lot of critical thinking and research on organizations who were stating that they were helping fight the issue of Trafficking, but when I kept pressing the issue and asking the hard questions, there was not a lot of substance. I wanted substance, I wanted something I could stand up for and support wholeheartedly. I wanted to know I was making a difference in the lives of these survivors.

All of this led to major fundraising (at least for me) and a trip to Cambodia. While there, I was able to see the work of Transitions up close and personal. What I saw was nothing short of amazing! I remember thinking that they do for these girls like I would do for my own daughters, this is like a home… No, this is a home!

Part of what I was doing on my first visit to Cambodia was filming a mini documentary. I will never forget the moment while I was sitting on a pillow in the corner of a tiny SE Asian room, with a sweat drenched shirt from the heat and humidity, and with tears in my eyes as I listened to a young lady recount a particularly horrible story of abuse. I watched as the sound man fumbled with the sound equipment. He was having trouble picking up this young ladies voice because of background noise. I quickly figured out that the background was coming from teenage girls who were singing and dancing with one of our visiting board members. The swell of emotions that took place in that moment as I saw the contrast between the horror, (knowing that each one of those girls had experienced a similar story) and the hope of dreams that were now forming as these teenage girls were able to just be teenage girls, was, and still is, indescribable.

Once I returned to the States and was able to visit with James and Athena (the founders of Transitions) it was clear to me, based on my research and experience, that they were pioneering in areas that no other organizations were. My wife and I wanted to be a part of it. So we stopped all of our nonprofit applications, and all the business development and told them that we wanted to be full-time with Transitions in whatever capacity that looked like. That decision has led us down some interesting roads over the last four years and my wife and I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

I work a 50-60 hr a week day job, and my wife is a stay at home mother. With three girls we stay, as you can imagine, very busy. However, we take every spare moment and advocate on behalf of the girls that Transitions serves. Whether that is volunteering for an event, leading a team to Cambodia, speaking to community groups, washing dishes—whatever needs to be done, we try to plug in. It is our dream one day to be able to advocate on behalf of these girls as a full time vocation. Until then we will continue to work in whatever capacity we can, through our time and money. After all, it’s what we would do for our own daughters!

About Seth

Seth Johnson is the Advocacy Director for Transitions Global. He lives in Jacksonville Fl. He is a husband and father to three daughters. He is active in his community, Church, local CrossFit affiliate, and is constantly looking for ways to involve others in helping the amazing girls who are served by Transitions.

We’ll have a lot more on the 2012 yogahOMe Run for Shelter 5K and Walk, Transitions Global, how to get started with training, and yoga for runners over the next few months as we gear up for the big day! Check back every Friday between now and March 31 for more!

And, in the meanwhile, you can follow the 2012 yogahOMe Run for Shelter 5K and Walk on Twitter or ‘Like’ them on Facebook!