As both an avid runner and a woman whose default state is buried deep in the trenches of my own head, I’m beginning to understand the amazing benefits of horseback riding. For the last month, I’ve been taking classes at Leap of Faith Farms in Walnut Creek, CA, and today’s lesson was a bit of a breakthrough for me.

For years, running has been my escape from myself. The physical exertion has given me space to pull my psyche out of its internal cave and back into the world. Athletes call this “The Zone,” but it goes beyond that. Running has been a form of meditation for me. It has been my primary method of wrenching my stubborn consciousness into the present moment and silencing the chatter of my mind. Recently, however, I have begun to experience the same effects with horseback riding. My first lesson was enjoyable but rather clumsy. I didn’t know how to communicate with Metro, the beautiful brown and black horse who obliges me to ride him, and he kept abruptly stopping. He wouldn’t go where I wanted him to. His turns were obtuse and imprecise. None of this, of course, was Metro’s fault. Nor was it mine. I simply couldn’t speak his language.   Read more...

The Unreasonable Institute's first Finalist Marketplace is now online, giving donors the chance to put their money where their passions are and vote for inspiring social entrepreneurs who are vying to become Unreasonable Fellows. From a project aimed at ending Pakistani honor killings by economically empowering women to a nonprofit toilet paper company that supports water sanitation projects in the developing world, 42 stirring ventures are all explained in the Marketplace. The first 25 activists that can raise $6,500, the cost to attend the Institute, will join the inaugural class of Unreasonable Fellows.

Based in Boulder, Colorado, the Unreasonable Institute is a social-change incubator that was founded by a group of visionary young leaders. Their mission is to attract international social entrepreneurs and hone their skills in a 10-week intensive, interactive program where they connect with other driver peers, network with angel donors and are given the skills and background to ensure the success of their ventures. To become an Unreasonable Fellow, applicants must have an idea of how to improve the world that is sustainable, will scale beyond its original country within three years and reach the needs of 1 million people.   Read more...

Are you ready for stillness? How could you not be when your essential nature is stillness!

We spend so much of our life in the foreground of reality; we become fixated on its expression, we lose ourselves in its expression. We imagine that life is all about thinking something, having something, doing something and being something; when in fact all thinking, having, doing and being are organized by the background itself.   Read more...

In November 2009, two teenagers from Northwest Arkansas decided to embark on a campaign called 3 Bags in 2 Days to help those in poverty. It all started when a homeless man walked into the restaurant Chloe Seal waited at. "This man bought lunch with some coupons. He never sat down inside, never felt comfortable, was very judged by the other customers inside. The man took his food outside and ate it out there all alone," Chloe said. So she decided to warm up a cookie and bring it out to him. "He was extraordinarily thankful for that cookie that probably cost less than a dollar."

This experience inspired the two friends to set a goal to hand out 3 2-gallon bags of basic necessities in 2 days. Off they went to the store to fill the bags with items such as socks, gloves, toothbrushes, and peanut butter. The smiles that they received from handing the bags out encouraged them to take this project full on. Since then, three other friends have joined the campaign and are now using their social networks through a Facebook page and Twitter account to round up donations and volunteers.   Read more...

The Institute for a Humane Education (IHE) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) educational organization dedicated to creating a humane world through humane education. They foster a compassionate, just, sustainable world by training humane educators and by providing people with the tools, knowledge and motivation to live an examined, meaningful life and to becoming changemakers for a better world. IHE is offering a new month-long distance learning course for parents that I'd like to share:

Raising a humane chid   Read more...

Not all champions are found speeding down the mountain or flying across the ice. Some champions are found in the street helping the homeless or in a classroom teaching young people. During the games, the 2010 Peace Project, at Memories Thrift Store across the street from Richmond City Hall, will feature just such champions.

The champions range from local grandmothers who got together to help the grandmothers of South Africa raising their AIDS-orphaned grandchildren, to high school students who produced an award winning video on how to enthuse kids about the environment. (After winning the VANOC award for their work, these teens and their video were invited guests at a UN conference in Korea.)   Read more...

Save Our Sisters (SOS) is a non-profit organization that promotes urgent social change for extremely disadvantaged women all over the world. Through activation of small, women-to-women groups, we empower U.S. women with an awareness of vast global injustices to women and girls all over the world.

We inspire SOS members to action, and show them how, by impacting small and seamless changes in their own lives, they have the power to impact women all over the world. We seek to support members in cultivating compassion within their own children and within their cirlce of influence.   Read more...

The New Consciousness Review was created for people with a lively curiosity about things outside the mainstream: things like a direct connection to our spiritual source; alternative health practices; how science and consciousness interact, cosmic laws like karma and the Law of Attraction; inter-dimensional travel; being the best you and making a better world.

Our goal is to guide you to the most interesting, inspiring and even life-changing books and films through our reviews and those of holistic bookstores, magazines and readers around the world.   Read more...

Much has been written about the pros and cons of carbon offsets. The idea, if you haven't been following, is that you pay money to a nonprofit organization to plant trees or invest in renewables or otherwise reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere in an attempt to offset the carbon you've generated.   Read more...

Last night, my partner Peg and I watched the 1957 Sydney Lumet classic, 12 Angry Men. It's about 12 jurors. All men. Who must determine the guilt of a young man accused of killing his father.   Read more...

The Valentine Peace Project is a growing international initiative developing new imaginings on the February 14 love holiday making it meaningful for peace and the work of love in the world.

For this February 14, join us for a world community Valentine activity. The task is to assemble more than a thousands roses and carnations - from Zimbabwe, Kenya, Holland and the Middle East to poems on themes of love and peace to spread around the city that day as a public art action.   Read more...

The Dinner Garden provides seeds, gardening supplies, and gardening advice free of charge to all people in the United States of America. We assist those in need in establishing food security for their families. Our goal is for people to plant home, neighborhood, and container gardens so they can use the vegetables they grow for food and income.

Are you new to gardening? Are you concerned you won't be able to garden or can't afford it? Remember, people were growing their own food long before gardening stores were invented! Human civilization began because people started gardening instead of foraging for food. They had seeds, dirt, and water. So if you have dirt and water, we'll provide the seeds!   Read more...