Are you a stressed-out New Yorker looking for an artsy way to chill? The Museum of Modern Art has something for you.

For three Wednesdays this summerJuly 5, August 2 and September 6MoMA will be charging discounted admission to select exhibitions from 7:30am to 9:00am as part its new Quiet Mornings series. On July 5, for instance, ticket prices of $15 for adults ($10 off the regular admission), $12 for seniors and $10 for students gets you into the wing of the permanent collection housing works from the 1880s to the 1950s, as well into two of the museums current blockbuster exhibitions: Frank Lloyd Wright at 150: Unpacking the Archive and Robert Rauschenberg: Among Friends.

Besides being a way to beat the usual MoMA crowds, the special hours offer a chance to look slowly, clear your head, silence your phones and get inspiration for the day and week ahead. And if that isnt enough to center your chakras, the museum is also providing a drop-in meditation space with guided meditation sessions from 8:30am to 9:00am. So if you have a yen for zen with a side order of culture, check it out.

Howard is the editor-at-large and chief art critic for Time Out New York. Follow him on Twitter at @HowardHalle.

The rest is here:

MoMA is hosting morning meditation sessions this summer - Time Out New York (blog)

Posted on: August 3rd, 2012

Sacred Mountain Ashram, established by Swami Amar Jyoti in 1974, is located one mile west of Gold Hill on a mountaintop at 9000. The ashram comprises 108 stunning acres of evergreens, aspens, wildflowers, snow, deer and other furry and feathered brethren.

You are invited to come for a visit, to walk in our gardens and enjoy the serenity of nature in this haven of solitude and peace. Aarati, a traditional offering of Light, is offered each morning at 7 am (6:30 am in summer) and evening at 7 pm at Jyoti Mandir, Temple of Light, followed by meditation. Each Sunday and Thursday at 7 pm we gather for Satsang by Swami Amar Jyoti, which is preceded by mantra recitation, Aarati and kirtan, and followed by meditation.

Swami Amar Jyoti in Satsang

Nearby the temple is Annapurna, a two-story 55 diameter geodesic dome, housing our dining room, community kitchen, and an extensive spiritual library. We also have our twice weekly ladies yoga classes here.

Our publications, which include the quarterly Light of ConsciousnessJournal of Spiritual Awakening (light-of-consciousness.org), books and audio Satsangs of Swami Amar Jyoti, and our Kirtan and Sacred Chants CDs are available in our library. Please call or email us if youd like to arrange a visit. Were just up the hill!

Near Annapurna you can visit the Garden of Prophets with statues of Jesus, Buddha and Krishna, and our sunken garden with a gazebo where two bucks are often seen in the summertime.

WOMENS YOGA CLASSESSUMMER SCHEDULE: open to the mountain community, hatha yoga classes by Justine Sanchez from Ward are held in our 55 diameter geodesic dome every Sunday and Thursday at 9-10:30 am. Please call for directions, fees and any questions. Classes are for beginner to intermediate students with some headstands thrown in for those of you who like to be vertically challenged!

SEVALAYA (Truth Consciousness Center of Service), a quarter mile west of the Ashram and 1.5 miles from Gold Hill, is located on 13 acres of aspen-bordered meadows and pines. We have residential buildings including accommodations for our annual week-long retreat each summer.

Sacred Mountain Ashram and Desert Ashram in Tucson, AZ are operated by Truth Consciousness, a 501[c]3 nonprofit organization. Donations are welcome and are tax-deductible. For further information or to arrange a visit, please contact:

Sacred Mountain Ashram, 10668 Gold Hill Road, Boulder CO 80302-9716 Phone: 303-447-1637, Fax: 303-447-1920, info@truthconsciousness.org.

To read more and see our publications, visit truthconsciousness.org.

For updates and news see Truth Consciousness & Light of Consciousness on Facebook, and inspiring quotations at SwamiAmarJyoti on Twitter.

Read the original here:

Sacred Mountain Ashram | Gold Hill, Colorado

The independent world music record label, Luaka Bop, was founded in 1988 by producer and former lead singer of the iconic New Wave band, The Talking Heads. Earlier this Spring, the NYC-based label was responsible for releasing rare recordings of jazz musician and spiritual leader, Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda. The new album, Spirituality Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda, is a collection of previously unheard recordings of devotional music, recorded at Coltranes ashram located outside of Los Angeles. The 48-acre Sai Anantam Ashram still exists today. As we interviewed Coltranes protg, Surya Botofasina, via phone last month, he stood on the soil of the ashram.

The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda is the first compilation of global spiritual music that the label plans to release over time. This first album reveals Coltrane Turiyasangitanandas singing voice for the first time in her recording history. Her throaty soothing voice sounds familiar, but of course, any fan of Coltrane Turiyasangitananda would be confused because she was largely known as an instrumentalist, arranger and composer. The songs are heavily layered and raw and vibrationally disorientingin a good way.

Luaka Bop uncovered four cassette tapes of recorded music dating between 1982 and 1995 and teamed up with Coltrane Turiyasangitanandas children to locate the original master tapes, which gave them the ability to re-master the songs for clarity and clear tone. Jazz musician Baker Bigsby had a hand in preparing the songs to be re-mastered. He had been present and supportive during the original recording sessions.

The album is fascinating, not only in its sound, which is otherworldly, deeply layered and unique, but also because of the history of these songs, which had to be searched for, discovered and cared for so this album could happen.

Spirituality Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda was released May 5 on Luaka Bop Records. You can buy the album direct from the labels website: http://luakabop.com/catalog/

More here:

Luaka Bop record label releases uncovered Alice Coltrane ashram recordings - Amsterdam News

Summary: Ahmedabad: The National Archives of India (NAI) will gift digital copies of its entire Mahatma Gandhi paper collection to Sabarmati Ashram on June 29. "We felt that the Gandhi papers should be widely disseminated and be made easily available to researchers, students and general public," Garg said. A senior Ashram official told TOI that many of the Gandhi papers at the national archives were part of the original series of Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi (CWMG) project headed by professor K Swaminathan. Once Gandhi papers are available on Gandhi portal, it will be in public domain, and will facilitate research and enhance the value of the portal," says Sabarmati Ashram director Tridip Suhrud.He added, "It also means that the NAI has immense confidence in the Ashram to handle sensitive historical papers." The Ashram already has one of the world's largest collections of original manuscripts belonging to Bapu somewhere around 35,000 catalogued items in its archive.Dr Sanjay Garg, deputy director of NAI, said that the digital copies are being provided to the ashram so that they can be uploaded in phases to the existing Gandhi heritage portal.

Ahmedabad: The National Archives of India (NAI) will gift digital copies of its entire Mahatma Gandhi paper collection to Sabarmati Ashram on June 29. The Ashram already has one of the world's largest collections of original manuscripts belonging to Bapu somewhere around 35,000 catalogued items in its archive.Dr Sanjay Garg, deputy director of NAI, said that the digital copies are being provided to the ashram so that they can be uploaded in phases to the existing Gandhi heritage portal."We felt that the Gandhi papers should be widely disseminated and be made easily available to researchers, students and general public," Garg said."The idea is that when such rare documents are available digitally, they can be accessed on mobile phones, laptops or on any digital interface from anywhere in the world," he said.According to the NAI, the Gandhi papers consists of 27,500 items between the period of 1880 to 1948, relating to Gandhi-Kallenbach, Gandhi-Polak correspondence, Gandhi-Holmes correspondence, Gandhi Murder Trial papers and Bapu's correspondence with eminent personalities.There is also a copy of the FIR relating to Gandhiji's murder on January 30, 1948. A senior Ashram official told TOI that many of the Gandhi papers at the national archives were part of the original series of Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi (CWMG) project headed by professor K Swaminathan.

A team of editors including professors C N Patel, U R Rao and R K Prabhu took over 38 years to compile the entire collection of Bapu's letters, speeches, and articles into 100 volumes running into more than 55,000 pages.Earlier, the NAI had gifted the Ashram, digital copies of roughly 4,000 testimonies of farmers recorded during Champaran Satyagarha by Bapu and Dr Rajendra Prasad."I think the Ashram-National archive collaboration is of immense value to the world of scholarship. Once Gandhi papers are available on Gandhi portal, it will be in public domain, and will facilitate research and enhance the value of the portal," says Sabarmati Ashram director Tridip Suhrud.He added, "It also means that the NAI has immense confidence in the Ashram to handle sensitive historical papers.". .

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/nai-to-gift-digital-copies-of-gandhi-papers-to-ashram/articleshow/59167844.cms

Original post:

NAI to gift digital copies of Gandhi papers to Ashram - NYOOOZ

Buffalo's newest doughnut shop offers unusual flavors like bubblegum and root beer float, and standard flavors, like chocolate glazed.

What it doesnt offer is doughnuts containing eggs or milk. All of Fry Baby Donuts' treats are vegan, right down to the sprinkles.

If owner Ann Hogan hits her target, you wont be able to tell. "I think we nailed it," said Hogan, who opened last week at 336 S. Elmwood Ave., near the corner of West Tupper. Ultimately, she said, customers will decide.

Doughnuts are $2, six for $11, and 12 for $22. There are no gluten-free options at present. Fry Baby will post to social media when it runs out for the day, so check Facebook or Instagram, Hogan said.

Chocolate glazed will be one of the standards at Fry Baby Donuts, Buffalo's new vegan doughnut shop. (Fry Baby Donuts)

"Vegan baking seems like an afterthought sometimes," said Hogan, a professional baker since 2009. "Establishments see that vegans are spending money and will make something for them as an afterthought. I wanted to make something that was good for everybody, appetizing enough for non-vegans to not realize it was vegan."

Doughnut flavors will change week to week, Hogan said. Wildberry, s'mores, cookies and cream and jalapeno raspberry are other flavors offered so far, in addition to cinnamon buns and fritters.

Besides doughnuts, Fry Baby sells soda, tea and coffee. The half-and-half for the coffee is the only non-vegan stuff in the store, said Hogan.

Hours: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Phone: 783-7837.

Send restaurant tips toagalarneau@buffnews.com and follow @BuffaloFood on Instagram and Twitter.

Save

Go here to see the original:

Fry Baby gives Buffalo first vegan doughnut shop - Buffalo News

The question of how were going to feed a population of 9.7 billion people by 2050 is possibly the most burning one facing humanity. Our current food system, which is heavily focused on meat and dairy production, already occupies around half of the worlds arable land and uses a majority of freshwater resources and still, around one billion people lack access to food. Whats more, the massive amounts of air and water pollution, coupled with the greenhouse gas emissions produced by animal agriculture are contributing to climate change and endangering our ability to grow more food for people in the future.

The bottom line is were doing a better job at feeding animals than we are at feeding people and if we continue to do so, we will be absolutely incapable of feeding ourselves in the near future. Luckily, many individuals and companies are taking note of the failures of our food system and looking to new technology and innovation to solve this pressing issue. Being that were familiar with the statistics surrounding just how damaging our food system is to people, animals, and the environment, we are cautiously optimistic about the change that has been happening with a rise in plant-based protein companies and consumer trends that favor eating less meat and dairy but we recently heard something that has given us tremendous amount of hope for the future of food and the planet.

In a recent interview with Nil Zacharias, co-founder of One Green Planet and host of the new podcast #EatForThePlanet with Nil Zacharias, Prince Khaled Bin Alwaleed, founder and CEO of KBW Ventures detailed how he plans to relegate factory farming to the dustbin of history within the next 10 years through strategic investments in cellular agriculture and plant-based proteins.

Khaled believes that there is a viable solution to factory farming in cellular agriculture and thanks to the tremendous leaps this new technology has made in the past five years alone, he is quite certain that companies will be able to scale it up and make clean meat, which is grown in a lab, using a small fraction of the current resources to produce meat without harming animals or the environment, competitive with current organic meat in a decade or less.

Hearing something like this certainly has us hopeful that change is on the way and this is only one of the extremely encouraging things Khaled shared in this interview.

If you like this episode, be sure to subscribe to the #EatForThePlanet with Nil Zacharias podcast for new episodes with food industry leaders, health and sustainability experts, as well as entrepreneurs and creative minds who are redefining the future of food.

The rest is here:

This Vegan Saudi Prince Wants to Relegate Factory Farming to the Dustbin of History - One Green Planet

If you like reading cookbooks for more than the recipes, you need to read Ann Hodgman, one of the few cookbook writers whose introductions (we call them headnotes) and even recipe names regularly make me chuckle, if not guffaw. Her latest book, Vegan Food for the Rest of Us (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017) is no exception, except now, as you can tell by that title, Hodgman, 60, is bringing her matter-of-fact sense of humor to the topic of vegan cooking, something she has been trying to master since becoming vegetarian in 2009.

[Make the recipe: Vegan Burgers ]

Take the introduction to a recipe she calls Cauliflower Steaks (but Lets Not Go Nuts Here): You can cut a cauliflower into thick slices and call them steaks, but they are not steak and will never be steak, no matter how brown and caramelized they get. So why not call them slices? Well, because steak is a sexier word.

I talked with Hodgman about her experiments in vegan cooking. Edited excerpts follow:

There are vegetable-forward cookbooks, but this isnt that. In fact, you include a funny quote from Peg Bracken about the lack of appeal of vegetables.

I love vegetables. But when people say all I need is fresh vegetables on that desert island, how can they mean it? If you imagine the taste of cabbage, which I like very much, compared to, say, candy, how can it compete?

Theres one thing vegan food doesnt naturally have enough of, and its fat. If you depend only on vegetables, you have to have a source of a kind of vegetable enricher, or it wont taste as good. Vegetables just dont have as much sugar or fat as other foods. Unfortunately, vegetable fats melt more easily, so you have to figure out ways to not turn your cake into a pool of oil.

This book is a journey of experimentation. Why did you approach it that way?

I went into the assignment thinking I had to learn to make tofu taste good, to make nondairy cheese taste good. I was dehydrating things, I was sprouting seeds. For a year, I was foundering, and my house was completely filled with vegan products and ingredients. It was when my husband said, I wouldnt mind never tasting this again after I tried to make my own seitan that I realized I was going about it the wrong way. I realized, Im thinking of this as chemistry, so no wonder Im tense. This isnt the way Ann Hodgman cooks. When I decided to make only things I knew I wanted to eat, it got much easier. But I had acquired a certain amount of biochemical knowledge, which I needed.

Whats your thinking about meat substitutes?

Most of the fake meats Ive tried have a grain quality that I find icky when you eat them straight up. Id rather use a small amount of textured vegetable protein or wheat gluten to create the sensation youre biting into a hamburger. On their own, I dont think they work very well.

Legumes are satisfying, but I think you cant make a good legume burger without including wheat gluten. With hamburgers, what are you looking for? Substance, a crispy exterior and for it not to feel like a mashed-potato patty.

I loved your idea to use vital wheat gluten to add texture to the vegan burgers. It works!

I dont think my vegan burgers taste exactly like burgers, but to me they seem as good as burgers.

Any words of advice for aspiring vegans?

I can say uncompromisingly that the moral edge goes to those who dont eat meat. That said, food is very important to people emotionally, and its important to recognize that. Giving up food that has meant so much to you your whole life is a very big project. So do it gradually.

People should become morally more rigorous in their thinking, but better about cutting themselves slack. Food means more to us than sustenance its comfort and family. Youre asking a lot of yourself to make dietary changes. So honor yourself and do your best.

Hodgman will join our online chat with readers on Wednesday: live.washingtonpost.com.

Read the original post:

Want to go vegan? One author's advice: Do it gradually. - The ... - Washington Post

Kery Shaw is one of many dog owners aligning their pets lifestyles with their own.

Shaw, a freelance photographer who lives in San Diego, was on medication for irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, allergies and recurring sinus infections when she learned about the health benefits of a plant-based diet. She decided to go vegan, abstaining from meat, fish, eggs, dairy and other foods made from animals.

On the new diet, her health improved so much that she wondered if Portland, her golden retriever who was suffering from bouts of diarrhea and itchy hot spots on the skin, could also benefit from a vegan diet.

She switched him from a meat-based dog food to v-dog, a vegan kibble that uses a pea-based protein and forgoes corn, soy and wheat, and saw his symptoms clear up. She supplements his diet with homemade smoothies and vegetables.

Hes a cancer survivor, and he has way more energy than ever, she said of Portland, who now has a clean bill of health.

Dog owners turn to plant-based foods for ethical, environmental and health reasons, noting that byproducts from mistreated or diseased livestock sometimes make it into foods and that animal agriculture is a leading source of greenhouse gases requiring copious amounts of water. Unlike cats, which are obligate carnivores (cats need nutrients found in meat to survive), dogs can draw the nutrients they need from animal or plant sources.

Makers of plant-based dog foods, which include brands like v-dog, Halo and Evolution, say their food meets the nutritional standards set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials, an organization of commercial feed producers and government officials that seeks to safeguard consumer and animal health. Vegan dog foods contain protein from plants like soybeans, potatoes or peas and are supplemented with the vitamins, minerals and amino acids, like vitamin B12 and calcium, that the feed organization recommends for dogs.

Veterinarians agree that dogs need a balanced diet, but are divided over whether plants and supplements make for an adequate meat substitute.

Dr. Lisa M. Freeman, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and a professor at Tufts University, said that there were no long-term studies on the effects of veganism in dogs. A vegetarian herself, Freeman understands the ethical argument for avoiding meat but believes that a balanced diet for dogs should include meat. She recommends feeding a dog a high-quality fish-based diet as an alternative.

We know a lot about dog nutrition, but there are unknowns as well, she said. We want them to be eating a diet that is nutritionally balanced. That means it has all the proteins, vitamins and minerals that they need in the correct ratios and with the best quality control. It isnt easy to formulate a high-quality diet for dogs, and its particularly difficult with a vegan diet.

A study published in 2015 in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association that looked at vegetarian commercial pet foods found that of the 24 foods tested, most were not compliant with the minimum nutritional standards set by the feed producers group. Because some foods arent always formulated correctly, Freeman said, a meat-based diet from a reputable company is the best way to ensure that nutritional gaps are filled.

If people are doing this because they are under the impression that its healthier, thats just not true, Freeman said.

While plant-based diets are known to have health benefits for humans such as reducing the risk of chronic illnesses like heart disease or Type 2 diabetes, pets will not necessarily get the same benefits.

While dogs and cats get some of the same heart diseases that people do, they are very resistant to coronary artery disease, the main heart disease affecting humans, Freeman said. So the nutritional strategies that are beneficial for preventing heart disease in humans are not useful in dogs and cats. Since obesity is the main risk factor for diabetes in cats and dogs, she said, maintaining a pets ideal body weight with a consistent diet is the key to successful treatment of that disease.

Dr. Michael Roth, a veterinarian in Richmond, Massachusetts, and himself a vegan, said that some dogs have an allergy to common dog food ingredients like beef or dairy and that some may benefit from a vegetarian or vegan formula to help ease skin rashes and other allergy symptoms. He recommends that his clients try a vegetarian formula for 12 weeks to see if it relieves itching and improves the skin and coat. Many owners who see an improvement in their dogs, he said, are reluctant to move their dogs back to a meat-based diet.

Is the vegan diet the best diet for all dogs out there? I dont think anyone would say that, just like nobody would claim there was one best diet for all the people on the planet, Roth said.

Dogs, like humans, have varying degrees of tolerance for certain foods, he said. He fed his most recent dog, Dawn, a golden retriever, a vegan diet. She lived to age 11 before developing a fatal cancer, about the same age that her brother, Sam, raised on a diet that included raw meats, also died of cancer.

Dr. Lorelei Wakefield, a veterinarian who regularly sees vegan dogs as part of a consultancy service she runs in the Philadelphia area, says that her clients do completely fine on the diet.

We dont know yet what the healthiest diet is for them, but ethically, for someone who believes in vegan ideals, it makes sense, she said.

Mary Straus, who runs a website called DogAware.com and writes for the WholeDog Journal, a holistic dog newsletter, disagrees. She says that some nutritional deficiencies take months and even years to show up in vegan dogs. Signs of malnutrition range from a dull coat and digestive issues to heart disease and early death.

Our knowledge of nutrition is not great enough to ensure that this is the case, even if AAFCO guidelines are met, she said in an email, referring to the feed-makers group. To be safe, a new set of guidelines would have to be developed for vegan diets, along with long-term testing to ensure that the diets actually meet the animals requirements. This has never been done.

Straus, who feeds her Norwich terrier Ella a mostly homemade diet with meat, worries about the consequences of forcing dogs to eat a diet they were not designed for.

If you arent willing to give a dog the diet it really wants, she says, get a rabbit or a guinea pig: There are lots of herbivores out there that make great pets.

Follow this link:

The vegan dog - MyAJC.com - MyAJC

The News Tribune

Tacoma nurse is a finalist in PETA's sexiest vegan contest | The ... The News Tribune PETA's 2017 Sexiest Vegan contest has a Tacoma nurse as a finalist. As a vegan, Daniel Dyviniak says he's better equipped to handle his HIV diagnosis and he ... Parkville resident, Coppin State University officer is finalist in PETA's ...Baltimore Sun (blog) all 3 news articles »

Continued here:

Tacoma nurse is a finalist in PETA's sexiest vegan contest | The ... - The News Tribune

Raleigh Army National Guard police officer Darren Canfield is a finalist in PETAs sexiest vegan contest.

PETA is preparing to crown this years Sexiest Vegan Next Door and Canfield beat out hundreds of other entrants from across the country to advance to the final round of 10 men and 10 women contestants.

People can vote for the winners at PETA.org. Two winners one man and one woman will be selected and will each get a free vacation for two to Maui, Hawaii

Canfield, 30, said hes been in the national guard for 7 years, and commutes to an armory in Rocky Mount to work as an Army National Guard police officer.

The force trains like law enforcement and can be dispatched to domestic disasters, he said. Recently the force has been sent out after the Charlotte riots and to eastern North Carolina after Hurricane Matthew.

He said hes not the kind of guy who would put himself out there for a sexiest vegan contest, but was coaxed into it by a friend.

Im pretty humble, so its not something I would have done off the bat, he said.

He said he first got interested in becoming vegetarian after watching some videos on the internet, and decided to try it out for health reasons.

My family has a lot of cancer in it, and Im trying super hard to prevent it.

When he went vegetarian, he looked to social media groups to find others in the military that went vegetarian or vegan. He said hes not met any in person, but knows of quite a few online.

Being vegan in the military has proved to be hard, he said, because some of his fellow soldiers think not eating meat is less masculine and will sap athletic performance. However, he said hes still a top performer in athletic competitions and is very open to teaching others who are interested in his lifestyle.

I enjoy educating other people that are super interested, he said.

Darren proves that nourishing plant-based meals are all the fuel that our strong service members need to be in peak condition, and he uses his fit physique and creative cooking skills to inspire others to go cruelty-free, said PETA executive vice president Tracy Reiman.

Each one of the finalists in PETAs contest is a testament to how sexy vegans areinside and out.

Living in Raleigh has been a great place to be a vegetarian, Canfield said, because there are several restaurants and grocery stores that cater to vegetarian and vegan diets.

Getting the nod from PETA is an honor because hes been mostly adhering to the diet on his own, and he said it was a big boost of support for him.

Its awesome to be a finalist because Ive been doing my own thing, he said. To be nominated by someone like PETA, this is a pretty big deal.

Voting for the finalists to help PETA determine who it should select as the winners ends at noon on June 21. Winners will be notified and announced on June 28.

For more information or to cast your votes, go to http://www.peta.org/features/sexiest-vegan-next-door-contest-2017/vote.

Follow this link:

National Guardsman finalist in PETA's sexiest vegan contest - AmeriForce Publishing, Inc.