Kuinton Elliott
AUGUST 2020
PROFILE
A RISING STAR: BRANDI LITTLE by Sherri Hill Photos by Brandi Little
This month's rising star is truly an inspiration. Every since I laid eyes on this mysterious being I have been captivated by her wit, her charm, and her contagious energy that just makes you wanna be around Brandi Little. Who is Brandi Little? A southern girl with charm and grace. After spending several months in prison, this girl came out with a plan. Sometimes the universe puts us in positions that will either make or break us. Well not even prison could stop this star from rising! An actress, talented singer/songwriter, a model and a motivational speaker. Her voice reminds you of the sultry singer Nina Simone and
Amy Whinehouse, in fact you can listen to her cover of "You Know I am No Good" (https://youtu.be/kBWuDT7Lsgc) Her voice has also been casted as Jasmine on the Amazon Prime Show "Something Like Love" A series addressing relationships & all its glory. I don't know everything, but I do know nothing will stop this star from rising. Check her out on instagram @brandilittlemusic We love to see these types of transformations and to our "Rising Star Brandi Little" We Salute you.
“What did I come here to do? I, as an artist, am here to live out loud.” SOUL CULTURE
18
FIND PEACE DURING PANDEMIC UNCERTAINTY WITH KUNDALINI YOGA AND MEDITATION
The COVID-19 pandemic has made the world far more uncertain. It has impacted our work and finances, our relationships, and of course, our physical and mental health. Finding the sense of surety we all crave is almost impossible, which leads to stress, anxiety and powerlessness that drains us emotionally. These feelings of helplessness can be traumatic, putting our body and mind in a constant "flight or fight" state. Staying in this tense state for too long not only hurts our quality of life but makes our immune systems more vulnerable. It is important to recognize that this stress is a natural response to what's happening in the world. After being gentle with ourselves, we also need to find a self-care routine that treats both the body and the mind, helping us to break the cycle of endless what-if; about tomorrows challenges. There are plenty of ways to cope with anxiety from uncertainty. Exercise, meditation and breathing techniques have all been proven to mitigate stress. Recently, however, health care professionals, researchers and practitioners are finding consensus around an activity that combines these three techniques into a powerful tool for regulating emotions and managing stress Kundalini Yoga. How Kundalini Yoga can help. Kundalini Yoga is an ancient practice that incorporates movement, dynamic breathing techniques, meditation and mantras to channel your body's energy. While most forms of exercise produce the endorphins that make you feel better, Kundalini Yoga also releases the tension and anxiety that builds up over time in your body's glands and nerves. It resets your stress response so that you can achieve an internal biochemistry of calm, balance and depth of self. This is supported by a growing body of evidence indicating that contemplative practices such as yoga and meditation are effective at treating anxiety. In one recent study, researchers from Harvard Medical School, Boston University and the Sundari Satnam Kundalini Yoga Center compared Kundalini Yoga with common cognitive treatments in reducing symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. Those who were treated with yoga had lower relative levels of anxiety and had a decrease in physical symptoms compared to traditional treatments
Practice Yoga and Meditation for a more balanced life. It's the missing piece to having Peace in your world.
AVAILABLE ON AMAZON KINDLE
BOOK OF THE MONTH
MY JOURNEY TO THE GREATEST LOVE EVER
Why Yoga Relieves Stress, Improves Health and Balances Your Life Life is stressful. Between a down economy, long commutes to a job you may not even like, and overbearing bosses, not to mention trying to eke out a few minutes of "me" time in between diaper changes and dinner dates with your significant other, life can be challenging.Equally apparent is that for decades we’ve been told that yoga can combat all of these stressors — and yet, it seems as if it is one of the last things people try to take the edge off.For Leslie Crespi, a social worker in Atlanta, it was the changes she saw in a colleague that got her to consider attending an Inner Engineering program of Isha yoga. A key component to the practice is the "kriya," which Crespi describes to the Atlanta JournalConstitution in an interview as a "process to energize and balance the human system using breathing.""The kriya gives me a sense of balance and the ability to deal with life as it is," she tells the paper. "It’s not about what I do anymore. It’s about how I am, and that’s a beautiful way to live."If the thought of having more balance and energy in your life sounds intriguing, the Isha Institute of Inner
Sciences may just be for you.Nestled in Tennessee’s spectacular Upper Cumberland (45 minutes outside of Chattanooga), the retreat center offers daily campus tours that include light hikes, rejuvenating time spent in Adiyogi: Abode of Yoga (an energized meditation space), and a visit to the largest yoga and meditation hall in the western hemisphere. ..For daytrippers, visitors learn yoga for free, if they arrive in the scheduled time for the session each day.Looking to stay awhile? An overnight includes the option of private studio accommodations, delicious vegetarian buffet meals, and an introductory yoga session of the visitor’s choice, such as the yoga of sound, yoga for strengthening the joints, and yoga for purifying life energies.The center also offers a myriad of opportunities for hiking and mountain biking on forested trails winding throughout nearly 1,400 acres. The center’s five miles of mountain biking trails feature waterfalls, a spring-fed creek, and bluff overlooks.And for those strictly interested in getting centered, there are beginning level yoga and meditation weekends, classical Hatha yoga programs, and individual wellness retreats.For more information, please visit www.IshaUSA.org.