This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we join Anka Banks to learn how to Enhance Your Wellbeing with Color and activate our light bodies with Aura-Soma Color and Angel Therapy. How can we take care of ourselves with color? How can color possibly have a beneficial effect on a health condition? Let’s take the example of a stiff neck.

The neck is in the blue area of the body, which is also called the blue chakra, the throat chakra or the center of communication. This is the domain where our throat, vocal cords and mouth are located and from where we communicate with the world. For instance, when we hold onto some words to avoid conflict and we know we should or could have said something, our energy field - in this case the area of the throat chakra - can get jammed, causing tensions which can show up as muscle aches, cramps or a stiff neck on a physical level. (Image from Elizabeth Feisst website)


Actually sometimes we are incapable of letting go in our minds for a long time after the event. We get depressed over our failure to speak out. We let our shoulders hang, add more tension to our already tense body and look quite desolate. We are stuck.


To prevent tensions in the shoulder and neck area we can support ourselves with a blue scarf, a blue gemstone or, more effectively, a blue pomander from the Aura-Soma color care system. The blue allows us to be more confident and feel an inner strength that gives us courage to say or write what needed to be said or written in a more peaceful way, thus reducing the cause for jams and tensions in the neck and shoulders.

Aura-Soma is a color-care system that helps to harmonize and activate the light body. It also stands for our state of being. Color is a way to support our being’s needs and brings balance to our bodies and lives.

Everybody can do it. One simply has to pick four color combinations. These selections reflect who we are and what we need.

Anka will help you balance and the building of your light body using self-care with color energies, Aura-Soma, attuning to the higher vibrations of Angels and the ascended Masters.

The ancient Romans had talked about the importance of “a healthy mind in a healthy body”. Nowadays there is an ever-growing awareness that mind and body are closely connected and that we can influence our wellbeing with our way of thinking. Depending on our state of mind, we are tense or relaxed, we feel worried or happy or we are upset or thrilled and this has repercussions on our muscles, nerves and more. With color we have the possibility to influence our thoughts and, as a consequence, our wellbeing.


Color can be used just like a language and enable us to identify our needs and interpret our state of mind. Red, for instance, is a resonance of energy and passion, blue of inner peace and authority, yellow of happiness and the intellect. Color can be used as a tool to take care of ourselves, change our state of mind, get more clarity, relax and see the broader picture. Our choice of color combinations describes and addresses our needs. (From our Health Magazine, February 2010)

Anka Hellbach Banks is an Aura-Soma Practitioner and Teacher. Here is what she says about her journey:

"My name is Anka Hellbach Banks and I was born in the year of the rabbit. After finishing high school in Germany, I went to college in France where I studied languages – French, English and German. I worked with both languages and finance in both France and Germany.

In high school, I became interested in the healing effects of essential oils. I continued my study of essential oils, and learned nutrition as a way of healing. As an adult, I studied Anthroposophy, the philosophy of Austrian Rudolph Steiner, and his movement art, Eurythmy.

After I moved to the U.S. in 1998, and following the birth of my second child, I became aware of my gifts as a healer. I found I had the capacity to put myself into other people’s situation and to become aware of their feelings – and, more recently, their pain.

In 2003, I began studying the Aura-Soma color-care system and subsequently became a practitioner. I use color as a tool to support people expand their awareness.  I am now an ASIACT [Art and Science International Academy of Color Technologies] certified teacher of the Aura-Soma system. At this point I am particularly interested helping people reach out to angelic energies for support."

You can reach Anka at 240-529-4311 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            240-529-4311      end_of_the_skype_highlighting Silver Spring, MD AnkaBanks (at) starpower.net or http://www.beingoflight.net

The workshop begins after dinner at 8pm. I invite you to join us, though as always what ever choice you make you will be honored in.

This entry was posted on May 19, 2011 at 10:59 PM and has received 2978 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we join Libah Cobb (LMT) to Learn how to give an Amazing Shoulder, Head & Neck Massage. Take a moment and tune into your head, neck and shoulders - what do you notice? Tension, pains, stiffness? Perhaps cronic poor posture? Or perhaps the pain has been going on so long that the area is now numb and stuck. How freely can you rotate your head and shoulders?

When your whole upper body has seized up, your neck and shoulders ache, your head is thumping and you have a horrible stiff feeling all over a good massage is wonderful! All of these symptoms are more than likely caused by life’s day to day stresses with our work and personal lives becoming more and more demanding.  We will work on the neck, shoulders, face and scalp. A combination of firm, stimulating and soothing movements are applied with this massage to release blockages and tension, which improves blood circulation and drain toxins. Regular massage can cure those aching neck and shoulder muscles, improve joint mobility, relieve eye strain and headaches and will also improve the condition of you hair.

The power of touch has been shown to alleviate depression and pain, reduces stress hormones, and improves immune function. Come learn simple yet powerful head and neck massage techniques. This event is for the everyday citizen who would like to comfort loved ones without spending thousands of dollars in classroom study. You will learn to give a 30 minute session. These skills can induce relaxation, encourage a deeper connection, and reduce pain.

Libah Cobb is a Licensed Massage Therapist since 1987.She specializes in East-West massage using touch,(music) and aromatherapy to create a space for deep relaxation. She was trained at The New England Shiatsu Center and The Institute of Traditional Healing Arts in Florida. She has been a dance instructor for many years and now teaches a new stretch and breath  fitness class for all ages called FlexAware. Massage and FlexAware can accomplish  personal expression, pain relief, and  body balance . You can reach her at   LLCobb9 at gmail.com or  571-269-9797 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            571-269-9797      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

The workshop begins after dinner at 8pm. I invite you to join us, though as always what ever choice you make you will be honored in.

This entry was posted on May 14, 2011 at 3:10 PM and has received 2908 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we join Sherry Tuegel on A Journey to Deepen Self Love.  Can you accept yourself just as you are, right now? How you comfortable feeling through your body? Can you allow yourself to be worshipped? Do you love every inch of your body?

Sherry says:
"I will create the sacred space for you to safely explore these questions, and more!

• The seed of unconditional love must be planted within.
• Delight of our body’s sensuality and sexuality creates the most fertile soil.
• From which our deepening intimacy with ourselves may blossom, and release a joyful fragrance to infuse our lives with the sweetness of bliss.

Come discover the treasure of wisdom hidden within your body. Learn to embody your true Divinity with grace and ease.   Unleash the God and Goddess within.


Sherry Tuegel is a TransformationaI Teacher and Facilitator offering a fusion of services to help ignite the heart, remove limiting beliefs and relax and heal the body.  She has a background in Psychology, Reiki, All Love, Psych-K, Matrix Energetics, Quakerism, Buddhism, Tantra and Yoga. http://www.love-transforms.com.  sherrytuegel (at) verizon.net or 410-598-1010.

The workshop begins after dinner at 8pm. I invite you to join us, though as always what ever choice you make you will be honored in.

This entry was posted on May 8, 2011 at 2:20 PM and has received 1248 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we join Randy Goldberg to learn how to give (and receive!) a blissful foot massage. Reflexology is the practice of massaging the feet on a system of zones and reflex areas that reflect an image of the body on the feet with a premise that such work effects a physical change in the body. We will learn to give and get a chance to receive a forty minute session.  The benefits include relaxation, energetic balance, and improves circulation. And it feels so good you may never want it to stop!

Randy Goldberg trained in Reflexology at the Maryland Kinesiology and Wellness Institute. Randy is a former Yoga monk, a Craniosacral therapist, a world famous astrologer interviewed by the Washington Post and by CNN. He facilitates Family Constellation therapy for individuals and groups. You can reach Randy at randy (at) randygoldberg.org or 301-380-6850 www.randygoldberg.org

The workshop begins after dinner at 8pm. I invite you to join us, though as always what ever choice you make you will be honored in.

This entry was posted on April 18, 2011 at 4:56 PM and has received 1037 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we join Rukmini to learn about URBAN Gardening.

When I lived in Arlington, Virginia (before one had to be a millionaire to do so), I had a lovely backyard, raised bed garden.  Using intention and meditation, I worked with the Devas of the plants and the soil to create a beautiful garden of vegetables, herbs, and flowers, studded with crystals and providing a fragrant, verdant playground for my cats, Leo and Shabat. 

How have you attempted to connect with nature? 

Even pots (43!) on my balcony in Leesburg provided homes for bees and flowers, as well as delicious herbs for dinner. 

If you have, or have not yet, been bitten by the fierce organic gardening bug, join us in a beautiful Rite of Spring. 

At Perelandra, Machelle Small Wright's magical garden home in Jeffersonton, Virginia, I learned to muscle test and work with the Devas from the author of "Behaving as if the God in all life mattered."

I will teach about Permaculture and sustainable land use design.  This includes information about Findhorn and Perelandra, working with the nature Devas of plants in order to produce abundant growth.gardening, soil composition and testing, Organic gardening resources, No soil layer gardening, Rainwater harvesting, etc.

Rukmini Diane Bongiorni is a long-time organic gardener, trained in muscle testing and other techniques by Machelle Small Wright at Peralandra.

She is also a Feng Shui consultant, energy healer, and tarot reader. She can be reached at dbongiorni (at) hotmail.com or 202-744-3698.

The dinner is at 7 pm and the workshop begins after dinner at 8pm. I invite you to join us, though as always what ever choice you make you will be honored in.

This entry was posted on April 8, 2011 at 4:32 PM and has received 1883 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we join Cathy and Barry Smiler who will lead a discussion of Polyamory As A Spiritual Path. Our format will be more conversation than lecture as we explore this topic together.

Polyamory can be a powerful path of personal growth, a framework for
considering deep issues of self-empowerment, responsibility, community and what keeps us from real emotional intimacy and deep communication with ourselves and others. It's a truism that everybody does poly
differently, but what that really means is that if you want, every aspect of how we live and relate can be on the table for
consideration, not simply the elements around sexuality. When seen in this way, the poly vision of co-creating relationships offers a powerful opportunity to reconsider who we're close to, and why and why not. Taken the right way, this ongoing opportunity to re-evaluate all our boundaries to intimacy can be a powerful and growth-expansive spiritual practice.

Cathy and Barry have been leading poly discussion groups, workshops, and other events for years, initially in California and nowadays in the DC/MD/VA region, and especially in the Baltimore area where they
live. They can be reached at polyjunction (at) gmail (dot) com or through the BmorePoly Meetup at http://www.meetup.com/BmorePoly/

This entry was posted on March 31, 2011 at 8:31 PM and has received 1715 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we do some Tantric exercises with Laurie Handlers and watch her new movie "Tantric Tourists". (And Laurie is teaching a one day workshop Intro to Tantra called "Bliss" on Sunday 4/3/2011 in Washington DC.)

Tantric Tourists” is a “mocumentary” film which follows internationally acclaimed Tantra Teacher and author, Laurie Handlers around India as she leads an eclectic group of tantric seekers through a myriad of tourist oriented sights & experiences- all in search of reaching the blissful state (Tantric) of diving fearlessly into “The Unknown”.

So great to have the STAR of Tantric Tourists in the neighborhood here in Arizona. Laurie takes us along on this all too human archetypal journey offshore to find the thing that dwells within. It’s all about roll, roll, roll with the flow.Or should I say flap, flap, flap. Congratulations Laurie on a gem of movie!

  – Juliana Rose

“Funny, colourful & irreverent. Everything The Darjeeling Ltd should have been.” 

- Jason Solomons, The Guardian

“Fans of The Secret will love this movie”

- ReSource Magazine

“A Spiritual Spinal Tap” 

- LeCool

”Hilarious & deep” 

Laurie Handlers is a sex educator, author, and intimacy coach. She holds a Masters degree in Education and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology. Her career includes over thirty years as a corporate change consultant, individual empowerment coach and international seminar leader. She is a dynamic speaker, facilitator and has taught Butterfly Tantra workshops for women, men, couples and singles since 1999 on ancient Indian, Tibetan and Egyptian Tantric techniques and secrets that are the basis of healing the body, releasing past emotional trauma, stopping the aging process, and reducing stress. Pod casts from her former internet radio show Tantra Café can be accessed through www.tantracafe.com. Podcasts from her new show Sex and Happiness can be accessed at www.WebTalkRadio.net/shows/sex-and-happiness. Laurie stars in a hilarious indie documentary Tantric Tourists www.TantricTourists.com. Her book Sex & Happiness and her CD Shamanic Release & Latihan can be purchased at www.ButterflyWorkshops.com.

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Laurie is teaching a one day workshop Intro to Tantra called "Bliss" on Sunday 4/3/2011 in Washington DC.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from Laurie's Sex & Happiness: The Tantric Laws of Intimacy book:

• “If I could distill all my advice about Tantra and sex into one sentence, that sentence would be, Make love in the unknown. In answer to all your fears and doubts about sex, I’d simply say to you, bring back your beginner’s mind. Come to the bedroom with no expectation. Come with openness in your heart for whatever happens.”
• “In Tantra you'll feel more peaceful, more tolerant, more aware of the world that has nothing to do with doing; everything to do with being.”
• “Intimacy with another requires first and foremost coming to peace with your own emotional and physical needs.”
• "Through Tantra, the power of sexual energy is able to render transformation."

The workshop begins after dinner at 8pm.? I invite you to join us, though as always what ever choice you make you will be honored in.

Some tips on Tantra at http://www.newfrontier.com/nepal/whatis.htm

This entry was posted on March 23, 2011 at 3:28 PM and has received 1700 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we join Leonard Rosenbaum and learn about the Enneagram. How can you understand yourself, family and partners better? What if you sometimes do or say things that seem to be stuck in a pattern? How can we grow and transform faster in these rapidly changing times?

The enneagram is thought of as a personality-typing system, though enneatypes are much deeper than "personality types." Our enneatype reflects our primary drives, passions, underlying motivations, “energy,” focus of attention, and perspective/orientation to the world. It also is related to the psychological (and physiological) armor we wear, the lenses through which we view the world, and our manner of relating to the world. Our enneatype is a prism/filter that overlays our true self. Each of the 9 enneatypes reflects a psychospiritual trauma and deficit for which we take measures to compensate. Each enneatype also brings psychological and spiritual gifts, as well as a path toward growth and transformation.

Leonard will give an overview and enactment (role-play) of each enneatype, provide opportunities for attendees to discover their enneatype, and facilitate a discussion in which we will explore ways in which our enneatypes affect our relationships and ways of being in the world, as well as paths toward transformation.

The main personality types include:
1.    The Perfectionist – Productive, organized, wise, ethical and reliable, this type of personality is concerned with doing things right, living right and improving themselves and things around them. They can be judgmental, critical, controlling and anxious as well.
2.    The Helper – Generous, insightful and caring, Helpers must be loved to feel their value and react positively to others. They can also be martyr like and possessive, and sometimes overly accommodating.
3.    The Achiever – A pretty self-explanatory personality, the achiever is driven by success and hates failure. At their worst, Achievers can be vindictive, narcissistic and pretentious.
4.    The Romantic – A key character in almost every plot line, the Romantic is addicted to emotion and must experience her feelings. She doesn’t wish to be ordinary and can sometimes be self-conscious, moody or self-absorbed.
5.    The Observer – At their best, they are analytical and consumed with knowing and understanding the world around them. At their worst, they can come off as critical of others, intellectually arrogant and negative.
6.    The Questioner – “Do I fit in?” is a common thought for the Questioner, a personality driven by the need for security. While they can be compassionate and warm, they can also be paranoid, defensive and rigid.
7.    The Adventurer – True adrenaline junkies, No. 7’s thrive on activities, want to contribute to the world and don’t enjoy suffering. Their confidence and spontaneity can sometimes be interpreted as narcissism and lack of discipline.
8.    The Asserter – The Asserter doesn’t want to take “no” for an answer and wants to be self-reliant. Authoritative, energetic and loyal, No. 8’s can also be rebellious, self-centered and aggressive to avoid feeling inferior or dependent.
9.    The Peacemaker – Nines hate conflict and want to smooth things over, but their emotional responses to various situations can vary from genteel and polite to obsessive and forceful. (from http://www.necessarywriters.com/?p=890 )

Bio:

Leonard Rosenbaum is a holistic health coach and energy healer who serves as a board member of the Intl. Primal Assn. (www.primals.org), Intl. Assn. of Cancer Victors & Friends (www.cancervictors.net), and
BestAnswerForCancer.org. He is the director of Alternative Cancer Information Resources, which is a clearinghouse of information on alternative treatments for cancer and other health conditions. Leonard's academic background includes clinical psychology and psychoanalysis. His interests include nonviolent communication, primal therapy, contact improv, massage, sacred intimacy, and tantra. Leonard can be reached at leonardleonard1 (at) earthlink.net or 202-393-2885.

The workshop begins after dinner at 8pm. I invite you to join us, though as always what ever choice you make you will be honored in.

This entry was posted on March 17, 2011 at 8:54 PM and has received 2700 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we we will watch the hilarious comedy “I Heart Huckabees”. It is one of the most philosophical movies ever made, with an amazing cast including Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin,: Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law and Naomi Watts.

It is about the story of a man who is determined to solve the coincidence of seeing the same conspicuous stranger three times in a day. He hires a pair of existentialist detectives, who insist on spying on his everyday life while sharing their views on life and the nature of the universe. More info and view trailer at

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0356721/


After the movie Randy will lead a discussion on the meaning of life and the universe we live in.

Randy Goldberg trained in Deep Memory Process with Jungian expert and author Rodger Woolger. Randy is a former Yoga monk, a Craniosacral therapist, a world famous astrologer interviewed by the Washington Post and by CNN. He facilitates Family Constellation therapy for individuals and groups.
randy (at) randygoldberg.org or 202-380-6850 www.randygoldberg.org

The movie and workshop begins after dinner at 8pm. I invite you to join us, though as always what ever choice you make you will be honored in.

This entry was posted on March 10, 2011 at 2:34 PM and has received 1087 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

This Wednesday Sandbox gathering we learn about Nassim Haramein's life-long exploration into the geometry of space time and a coherent understanding of the fundamental structure and model of our Universe and our existence in it. This ground breaking work launches us into the
New Energy Movement. (This gathering was originally scheduled for 1/26 when we had the big snow storm)

You are invited to an introduction of one of the most profound scientific theories of our time. Haramein's scientific discovery ( a published peer reviewed unified field theory) may well be the physics of creation, the scientific explanation of spirituality that supports the basis of most religions of a conscious energy field underlying all of physical reality.The theory also explains some of the strange observations of solar flares by the Japanese space telescope (see video below)

We will view footage from the DVD "Crossing The Event Horizon" which can be ordered from Nassim's website www.theresonanceproject.org. The following text is from this site:

We are living at a critical time in history. The work done in our interdisciplinary research park may be crucial to our capacity to overcome the ecological and technological difficulties our world faces today.

A New Spin on Einstein’s Field Equations

Director of Research Nassim Haramein and scientists at the Resonance Project Foundation have found a new solution to Einstein’s field equations which incorporates torque and Coriolis effects. Furthermore, calculations were rendered to describe the collective and coherent behavior of the plasma dynamics of ergospheres orbiting the event horizons of black holes demanding a highly structured polarized vacuum, resulting in an alternative view of black holes where the exterior white hole portion surrounds the interior black hole singularity.

From these calculations, a new paper has recently been released entitled Scale Unification – A Universal Scaling Law For Organized Matter, which describes our universe as embedded white hole / black hole or white / black “whole” structures from universal size to atomic and subatomic scales.

Instead of seeing ourselves as separate from everything around us, this view allows us to recognize that we are embedded in a fractal feedback dynamic that intrinsically connects all things via the medium of a vacuum structure of infinite potential. This research has far reaching implications in a variety of fields including theoretical and applied physics, cosmology, quantum mechanics, biology, chemistry, sociology, psychology, archaeology, anthropology, etc. A fundamental understanding of the dynamics of this interconnectivity redefines the lens through which we see the universe and our place in it, and leads to theoretical and technological advancements that move us towards a sustainable future. This new approach to the physics of universal forces has the potential to solve the most pressing issues of our times.

Following the movie Sandra Soloman will lead a discussion about the science and spirit and how we can be in contact with our power, divinity and responsiblity now.

Sandra Solomon, Teacher, Channel/Conduit of Energetic Healing & Transformational Consultant. She is  a gifted and accomplished healer who works on both an individual, group and planetary level.  Her practice utilizes a wide range of energy modalities including, Quantum Healing which includes Reconnective   Healing and Matrix Energetics. She attunes Reiki Masters to six levels beyond Master Level through the Lightarian Institute™. Sandra is also trained in Shamballa Healing.

Sandra offers Transformational Consulting using a variety of techniques, including: the Work of Byron Katie, Psych-K  which is Psychological Kinesiology,  EFT-    Emotional Freedom Technique and The Sedona Method. These techniques assist in whole brain synchronization.  Her Transformational Consulting helps you to fine-tune your life into a more peaceful and balanced journey. She employs transformational techniques to assist you in attaining your goals.

Sandra’s explorations include quantum physics, sacred geometry, the Mayan Calendar, Kabbalah, the Sacred Alphabet, Universal Laws, the nature of reality and consciousness. She empowers people to discover their own self-authority.  You can reach Sandra at mayanone (at) juno (dot) com or 434-825-5564

The movie and discussion begins after dinner at 8pm. I invite you to join us, though as always what ever choice you make you will be honored in.

This entry was posted on January 28, 2011 at 4:35 PM and has received 1319 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.