Third Root Update - December 11

Greetings and Well-Wishes Third Root Supporters, Students, Clients, Partners, and other Wonderfuls —

In November, we added 6 new yoga classes, after gathering input from the students. One of these classes is New York City’s first and only yoga class for differently abled people, called Yoga Without Limits. We have had some outstanding workshops on Saturdays — on topics ranging from Herbs for Children to HIV Prevention Justice — partnering with local practitioners and organizations to empower the health of the Flatbush and Kensington neighborhoods! Check our website or stop in to see what’s next!

If you have had a grand experience at Third Root as a client or working with us as an organization, help us by spreading the word— give us a testimonial to post on our website by emailing feedback@thirdroot.org or post a review at yelp.com. This will help bring more people to us and keep us moving towards more of our goals!

In this email:

• Gift your Favorite Activist!


• In the spirit of giving: give a Community Health Scholarship!


• Third Root on ABC!


• New Years Day: Special Yoga Classes


• Third Root Holiday Schedule


• Third Root Herbal Education Program


• Upcoming Workshops

Gift your Favorite Activist!
One of Third Root’s priorities is to support social justice organizing with an attention to self-care in a space where your work and identity is acknowledged and loved. As we head into the holiday season, consider giving your favorite activist a few yoga classes, an acupuncture session, or a nutritional consultation at Third Root. We now have gift certificates available for you to spread the love! We know activists, organizers, and other social workers work so hard — they need some self-care!

Of course, even if your loved ones aren’t activists, give the gift of self-care this holiday season. Do you have family coming home for the holidays? Does a special someone have some days off at the end of the year — the perfect time for a yoga class or acupuncture treatment? In the chaos of New York City and the excitement and bustle surrounding us, everyone could use this gift!

Stop in for a gift certificate or you can buy one online at www.thirdroot.org — click the donate button. You don’t need to have a PayPal account — just a credit/debit card. Enter the amount of your donation, click “Update Total,” then look for the credit card signs on the lower left of the page, and click “Continue.” You’ll be asked to fill in your billing information. Once you’ve submitted that information, you’ll receive a confirmation email in your Inbox shortly.


Third Root Community Health Scholarships — Give the Gift of Health!
Third Root knows that healthcare can be expensive and out of reach for many people. To this end we have a sliding scale fee process, as many of you know. However, many cannot afford the bottom of that scale, and for those folks, we offer Community Health Scholarships. These scholarships are paid for by generous Third Root supporters who want another person in the community to receive the healthcare that we offer.

We are receiving more and more scholarship applicants and would like to be able to support them all. Many of these applicants have not received adequate care for years because of the cost. Please consider a gift of $50, $100 or up to $500 toward the healthcare of another in the Flatbush community. Your entire gift will go directly into the scholarship fund!


Recent Media on ABC!
We had some surprising and effective news coverage from WABC New York three weeks ago. The one-minute segment played at 6am on a Monday morning and looped through New York City taxi cabs for the next week and covered a yoga class, some herbal medicine making, and a community acupuncture treatment and interviewed several . We were especially pleased to see our Sliding Scale featured — bringing the conversation about disparate incomes to mainstream television. To see the segment, go to http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local&id=6509152.

Special New Year’s Day Yoga Classes:
A Practice for Change: 11am-12.30pm
Opening your Heart to This Moment: 12.30-2pm
The parties are over, the presents are opened, and it’s time to begin the new year. What better way to start than with a beautiful yoga and meditation practice! Join Third Root for a class focused on connecting with the body and breath and setting intentions for the new year. Start off 2009 with balance and equanimity, sealing in your intentions for the year! Together we will create a quality of joy, justice, and community that we can carry forward to our lives in the months ahead. Pre-registration is recommended in order to guarantee your spot.

Third Root Holiday Schedule
Third Root will continue to offer our herbal and nutritional consultations, massage, and private acupuncture services throughout the Kwanzaa, Christmas, Solstice, Hanukah, and New Years season. Call us for an appointment!

We will be offering Community Acupuncture on December 24, 26, and 31 by appointment only. Please let us know if you are interested in coming in by emailing appointments@thirdroot.org.

Our yoga program will be limited to 1 class per day from December 22-January 1. Please see our website for details.

Announcing the Third Root Herbal Education Program
After two successful workshops on Herbs for Infants and Herbs for Children, Third Root herbalist Jacoby Ballard and Third Root Community Advisory Board Member Karen Rose are teaming up this spring to offer an ongoing herbal education program. Many of you have been hankering to dive deeper into how to use medicinal herbs and holistic methods for differing circumstances. Keep a look out for our 13-class program to be launched in March of this coming year or email jacoby@thirdroot.org for more information.


Upcoming Workshops in January
Please register with Third Root if interested at info@thirdroot.org or 718.940.9343
**more workshops to be added soon!**

January 3, 1pm
Yoga for Young Adults (ages 14-23) with Jenna Ritter, founder of Dhara
Free
Donations Welcome
Bring in 2009 by learning about the power of your own breath and connect in with your own self-healing! Practices taught bring immediate stress relief, relaxation and balance to your body and mind. In this class you will learn a breathing practice to bring relaxation and focus, as well as easy to learn gentle yoga stretches and qi gong sequences that reinvigorate the whole system. The session will close with a guided
meditation. Movement and breathwork taught can easily be integrated into daily life.
No prior experience necessary.

January 10, 1pm
Wild Fermentation with Sandor Katz
$5-10
Come experience how simple it is to make your own kimchi, kefir, and other fermented
delicacies. Learn about the healing qualities and nutritional importance of live-culture ferments, as well as their illustrious history and integral role in human cultural evolution. Empower yourself with simple techniques for fermenting these healthful foods in your home. Be part of the fermentation revival!

Much love, warmth, and nourishing change as the new year approaches,

The Third Root Practitioners: Angela, Green, Ji-Hye, Jacoby, John, Julia, Romina
Third Root Community Health Center
380 Marlborough Road (Q to Cortelyou Rd)
Brooklyn, NY 11226
www.thirdroot.org
info@thirdroot.org

Thanksgiving Holiday Closings

Greetings friends,

In observance of Thanksgiving, Third Root Community Health Center will not offer yoga classes or community style acupuncture on Thursday or Friday 11/27-11/28. All other days that week will have regular schedules for yoga and community acupuncture, including Wednesday and Saturday.

Enjoy the holiday weekend!

John Halpin
Third Root Practitioner

Third Root is going to be on TV!

Hello Third Root Friends and Family!

This past Tuesday, a TV crew from WABC came into Third Root and filmed a treatment, herbal medicine making, a yoga class, and did a few interviews! We are going to air on Monday, November 17th at 6am, so I am looking for kind earlybirds out there who may have access to a TV and VCR, and would be willing to tape it for us?! WABC itself isn’t allowed to give out tapes of what they show, they told us, because that would be all they did — make copies of their shows for people they featured on it.

Thanks! Let me know!

Jacoby

Third Root Update - October 30

Hello and Happy Autumn to our friends, fans, students, clients, and other fabulous ones,

Third Root continues to grow, partner with more organizations, and bring in more people from the neighborhood around Cortelyou Road! In recent weeks, we have partnered with the Center for Anti-Violence Education, Casa Atabex Ache, and local health providers in our Community Health Workshops, and have many more exciting collaborations on the horizon. Skip to the bottom for more workshops!

In this update:

• Third Root Grand Opening Celebration November 2, 2008


• Election Day Special


• Community Health Forum at Third Root


• Yoga Without Limits and New Yoga Schedule Start November 3!


• First Community Health Scholarship Provided


• Community Health Workshops at Third Root

Third Root Grand Opening November 2
This coming Sunday, on November 2, just before we all go to the polls to cast our votes for new possibilities, Third Root invites you to gather with community to access our services and learn more about us. The celebration will entail a slideshow documenting the birth of Third Root with clips from StoryCorps, music by Dance Alisa Dance (www.myspace.com/dancealisadance) and Mark Lee, candied apples and brown rice bars provided by Anne Ries (local baker extraordinaire), and the story of Third Root!

Schedule for the Day:

• Free and Open Yoga, taught by Romina: 12-1pm


• Free Community Acupuncture: 1-3pm


• Free and Open Yoga, taught by Jacoby: 3.30-4.30pm


• Celebration: Starts at 5pm!

Election Day Special
This presidential election is going to go down in history for sure! We know that it’s not just the actual vote that you cast, but also all of the intention, hope, and faith that you put forth, so come together at Third Root with community to mark this special day and take good care of yourself at the same time!

• Community Acupuncture from 11am-3pm

Election Day Yoga Classes:

• Morning Flow 9-10.30am


• Afternoon Flow 3.30-5pm


• Yoga Without Limits 5-6.30pm


• Intermediate Yoga 6.30-8pm


• Meditation and Pranayam (free) 8-8.30pm


• Vinyasa 8.30-9.30pm

Community Health Forum at Third Root November 8 at 1pm!
For the past five months, Third Root has been uniting with various community groups to at Community Health Forums, usually hosted by the organization, during which we present Third Root, and then ask participants what else we could do to reflect their needs, make the Center more accessible to them, or appeal to their community.

On November 8, we will host our own Community Health Forum at Third Root, and we are asking YOU who have attended classes, been given treatments, supported us financially, given our staff trainings, and connected with us in a myriad of other ways, to attend. We want to hear from you! What ideas, hopes, and inspirations do you have to share with us to make us reflect the community even more?

New Yoga Schedule and Yoga Without Limits
We have been open for over two months now, and are learning what kind of yoga classes the community needs. In fact, we asked our yoga students for input on what kinds of classes and what times would most appeal, and have expanded and adapted our schedule accordingly. Please note that beginning on November 3, this coming Monday, our schedule will have more beginner classes, more intermediate classes, a few later class times. Check our website or stop in at Third Root for the new schedule.

We are also pleased to announce that when we opened, someone in the community, now one of our students, asked for a specific class for people with differing physical abilities and bodies. Well, two months later, we are providing this new class called Yoga Without Limits on Tuesdays at 5pm. This is a Hatha Yoga for individuals who feel that a beginner class would not fit their specialized physical needs. Conducted primarily from a seated position in a chair and using props and posture modification this class will focus on stretching and strengthening muscles, increasing breath capacity and coordination, and ultimately calming the mind for improved daily life. To our knowledge, this is the first such class in New York City!

Community Health Scholarships
Third Root is pleased to announce that we have granted our first Community Health Scholarship! Although we offer a sliding scale fee structure, we also know that some people still may not be able to access our services. We have created our Community Health Scholarship fund as a way for people with the means to do so to provide direct healthcare to people who cannot afford it. To donate to this fund, apply for a scholarship, or learn more about it, go to www.thirdroot.org/commhealthscholarships.html.

Upcoming Community Health Workshops at Third Root!

Nov 1, 1pm
Acrobatics and Group Movements for All: LAVA
$10-$20
LAVA classes are based in the physical training of the acrobat, the social training of the activist, and the creative training of the artist. The workshop will include handstands and movement activities designed to allow participants to build strength and flexibility while having fun and feeling good. It will also include group activities that will promote communication, connection, and sensitivity. These can include theater games, human pyramids, and choreographic experiments. LAVA members are trained in Chinese acrobatics, modern dance, capoeira, yoga, martial arts and social dancing. This workshop promises to be physically challenging while also enjoyable, in an environment that is sensitive to the social needs of diverse groups of people.

LAVA is a Brooklyn-based non-profit arts organization whose mission is to create original performances using dance and acrobatics in ways that are empowering, inspiring, and inclusive. The company also teaches their unique blend of acrobatics and dance to kids and adults at their studio in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.

Nov 1, 6pm
Sugar Blues: Julian Cortez
$5
This workshop concerns the dangers of refined sugar on the physical, emotional, and spiritual self. Julian Cortez is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. He is a Certified Holistic Health Practitioner certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.

November 15, 1pm
Big Person Little Person Yoga: Romina and Jacoby, Third Root Yoga Teachers
$10 for each adult
Parents, caregivers, and friends, bring your tots to Third Root, giving them a chance to play and toddle as Romina and Jacoby lead you through a series of asanas, songs, and movements to stretch and strengthen you AND engage and entertain your child! This class is specifically for parents and toddlers, so children under age 5 are welcome to attend. We will be developing a Children's Yoga class, so keep checking in with us about that. Please bring 2-3 toys to share!

Jacoby Ballard has been doing social movement organizing for 10 years, teaching yoga for 8 years, and practicing herbal medicine for 4 years, and the three disciplines are absolutely intertwined and interconnected for him. Jacoby has been teaching yoga in non-profit offices, art galleries, and homeless shelters and working with clients to create their own wellbeing through herbs and nutrition before creating the dream of Third Root.

November 15, 3pm
Naturally Healthy Infants: Karen Rose, local herbalist
Spend your afternoon learning how to keep your infants healthy with herbal medicine and common sense prevention. You will leave knowing how to make an herbal oil to cure and prevent a diaper rash, learn how to soothe a colicky infant and more, all — Naturally!!

Karen Rose is a mother of three and a certified herbalist in Western Medicine. Karen is charismatic with a passion for teaching herbal medicine. Karen has been teaching herbal medicine since 2003. She combines challenging study with humor and a grand sense of adventure.

November 22, 1pm
Naturally Healthy Children: Karen Rose, local herbalist
Spend your afternoon learning how to keep your children healthy with common sense prevention and herbal medicine. You will leave knowing how to address four of the top ten childhood ailments — Naturally!!

(See Bio Above)

Thank you all for your hope and belief in community holistic healthcare, and I hope to see you Sunday!

Be well,
Jacoby Ballard
Third Root Community Health Center
Yoga Teacher, Herbalist, Health Educator
718-940-9343
jacoby@thirdroot.org

P.S. To our Loose Leaves blog readers: If you want to receive these updates via email, drop a line to jacoby@thirdroot.org and ask to be added to our mailing list.

Third Root Update - October 10

Hello to our Friends, Clients, Students, and other Fabulous Folks!

We hope this letter finds you well as the weather is cooling down and the leaves begin to turn!

In this update:

• Third Root Grand Opening Celebration November 2
• Third Root in Timeout NYC
• Third Root’s Website is Up!
• Connect with Third Root on an Organizational Level
• Community Health Workshops

Third Root has just kept on growing. In our first month, we made enough income on our sliding-scale basis to cover rent and expenses, demonstrating that our services are needed and it is entirely feasible and successful to serve different sectors of the society at once. Our yoga classes are getting bigger, one drawer of client folders is becoming full, and the number of organizations with whom we are connecting is growing!

Third Root’s Grand Opening: November 2
You have been asking for months now. “When is the Grand Opening?” and “I’ll be there!” Well, it’s here folks! Please join us for an afternoon of free yoga classes, acupuncture services, and herbal teas, and then a celebration at 5pm, complete with live music, a slideshow of the beginnings of Third Root, scrumptious snacks, and festive beverages! Note that all classes for the day will be cancelled. A complete schedule of the day’s events will follow in the next week, but for now, mark it in your calendars, make your travel plans if you live outside of New York, and invite friends!

Third Root in Timeout NYC!
Third Root was in the “Spas & Sport” section of Timeout last week, with a 1/4 page of coverage. Especially exciting is that the magazine features our yoga classes that are offered for specific communities: Queer and Trans, Abundant Bodies, and Yoga en Español. These classes are both community-building and taught with great awareness and consideration about the unique struggles that given communities bring into the room for class. If you are part of one of these communities and haven’t been yet, come check them out!
http://www.timeout.com/newyork/venues/flatbush/31501/third-root-community-health-center

Third Root’s New Website
Thank you to the fabulous work of Emily Haddad, who has been building a beautiful website for Third Root. It is up on the web and it is beautiful. Through the website, you’ll be able to find out about new Third Root events and collaborations, make appointments, give donations, read more about us, see fabulous health books that we recommend, and more! Give a big high-five to Emily the next time that you see her, and check out www.thirdroot.org!

Connect with Third Root as an Organization
Third Root wants to support social movement organizations in the self-care of your staff and members. We have begun meeting with some organizations and participating in their events — and now we want you! We know that community organizers frequently work ourselves into the ground because there is so much work to do. We also know that as a movement, that dynamic is unsustainable. We want to meet with you to figure out how Third Root can be a part of the self-care and community care that keeps good organizations going year after year and the social justice consciousness in this city growing. Help us figure out how by hosting a Community Health Forum at your organization's home. Email Jacoby at jacoby@thirdroot.org if you are interested.

Community Health Workshops begin October 18!
Our Community Health Workshops involve a broad view of what is involved in good health, from the ways in which we internalize our struggles in society within our own bodies to learning better eating habits to learning to provide care for our families and loved ones when they get sick. Below is our current roster of workshops — our first two are next weekend, on October 18! Please come show your support and dive into your own health and that of your community! If you or your organization is interested in offering a workshop, please email us at info@thirdroot.org.

Oct 18, 1pm
Self Defense, Mind and Body: Center for Anti-Violence Education
Free
This introduction to Self-Defense combines verbal and physical strategies (including blocks, hand and foot strikes, and releases) to protect oneself and others. The workshop will also allow for time to brainstorm about things we already do to stay safe, and ways that we could be safer. This is truly a workshop everyone should take: students of all skill and ability levels are welcome.

Oct 18, 4pm
Whole Foods 101: Teresa Theophano
$10-$25
This will give participants the basics of healthy eating-and incorporating better eating habits into our lives in a realistic way. We’ll explore ways to transition from the “standard American diet” to one based on whole foods; talk about the effects of different foods on our bodies; and look at sources of affordable organic and natural items. Handouts provided.

Oct 25, 1pm
Internalized Oppression: Casa Atabex Ache
$15, no one turned away for lack of funds
This participatory workshop is designed to understand oppression and power, identity, culture and raise consciousness. The participants will be able to critically analyze and think about the challenges and issues in their lives and in their communities such as racism, sexism, and classism. The participants will be able to make link between Casa’s philosophy, educational methods and healing techniques and reinforce what they are already questioning about the world around them. In addition, they will learn how to take this information and make change both in their lives and in their community.

Nov 1, 1pm
Acrobatics and Group Movements for All: LAVA
$10-$20
LAVA classes are based in the physical training of the acrobat, the social training of the activist, and the creative training of the artist. The workshop will include handstands and movement activities designed to allow participants to build strength and flexibility while having fun and feeling good. It will also include group activities that will promote communication, connection, and sensitivity. These can include theater games, human pyramids, and choreographic experiments. LAVA members are trained in Chinese acrobatics, modern dance, capoeira, yoga, martial arts and social dancing. This workshop promises to be physically challenging while also enjoyable, in an environment that is sensitive to the social needs of diverse groups of people.

Nov 1, 6pm
Sugar Blues: Julian Cortez
$5
This workshop concerns the dangers of refined sugar on the physical, emotional, and spiritual self.

Nov 8, 1pm
Community Health Forum: Third Root Practitioners
Free
Community Health Forums are an opportunity for our clients, students, and community partners to hear more in depth about Third Root Community Health Center and to give us input as to how to better shape Third Root to care for the health of the community. Come hear about our Community Health Scholarships, our thoughts on our yoga program, learn more about community acupuncture, and more! And please, bring your thoughts and ideas about community health and social justice. This is your chance to tell us what is working and what could be done more effectively. Working together, we can truly serve the Flatbush community!

Thank you so much for all of your love and support as we plot our way forward!

Be well,
Jacoby Ballard
Third Root Community Health Center
Yoga Teacher, Herbalist, Health Educator
718-940-9343
jacoby@thirdroot.org

P.S. To our Loose Leaves blog readers: If you want to receive these updates via email, drop a line to jacoby@thirdroot.org and ask to be added to our mailing list.