POETRY: They Were Here

Guest Poet: Vivek Kumar

Wild Horse Photos by James Anaquad Kleinert 

The following poem was written in honor of the album "They Were Here" by Byron Metcalf and Jennifer Grais:

"They were here:

Spirited, racing with the winds;

Talking to the gods

Artists photo by Richard Blum

With the rhythm of their hooves

And neighing in constant awareness of their

Majesty over the earth they ruled.

They danced with every step

And refused to be overawed

By any distance, any steppe, any tempest.

Gentle but untamed;

Powerful but non-violent.

Let's call them:

They will hear; they were here."

Regarding his inspiration, the poet shared, "I listen to this album daily and it is so uplifting--today, I felt like writing and this is what came out."

The Album: They Were Here 

Vivek Kumar is an India-based poet who often writes poems inspired by music. He maintains a blog https://www.2indya.com.

Hear the Mustang-inspired music that touched Vivek's heart halfway around the world in India at Bandcamp.

Grameen Bank: Investing in People

My recent attendance at GATE 3 reminded me of the importance of conscious investing.  There are a handful of people in the world today who take this concept to the furthest extent, such as Mohammed Yusef,  the founder of Grameen Bank, which provides an adoptable banking & loan model for communities everywhere.  

Indian Women Find Opportunity with Yoga Gives Back

Yoga is a gift from ancient India, embraced by the West. Today, however 76% of India's population—800 million people—live below the poverty line of $2.50 a day.

Non-profit organization Yoga Gives Back has a mission to mobilize the global yoga community to empower women in India to build sustainable livelihoods.

Inspired by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Muhammad Yunus’ revolutionary micro financing breakthrough, Yoga Gives Back supports micro credit programs in India which lend small loans to women in particular, who have no access to capital. Additionally, the organization developed “Sister Aid” programs where YGB directly funds education, vocational training and micro credit programs for struggling mothers, girls and orphans. Women are the best poverty fighters—the most effective return on investment for development dollars is an investment in women. With $25 a month, mothers can start their own businesses; girls and orphans can go to school.

DharmaSmart.com is a new online store that serves the yoga community with “Purposeful Living Essentials.”  The company has designed a special cuff bracelet for yoga practitioners to wear in support of the work that Yoga Gives Back is doing.  The cuff retails for just $25 and $10 goes straight to Yoga Gives Back.

The cuffs will be featured at the second annual Global Day of Support “Thank You Mother India” to be held on Saturday, September 29^th in Malibu, California.  For more information about the even, to to http://www.yogagivesback.org/tymi

Those who want to contribute to Yoga Gives Back through the purchase of one of these original cuffs may find them online at: http://www.DharmaSmart.com.  DharmaSmart co-founder Lissa Coffey says: “We are big fans of what Yoga Gives Back is doing to help the women of India to build their own businesses and to educate their children.  It is an honor to have this opportunity to give back to a country and culture that has given us so much valuable ancient wisdom.”