Movie Night Coming October 23rd!!

We want to invite everyone to a movie night at Beyond Hot Yoga in Laguna Niguel, Ca. We will be hosting a screening for the film, YOGAWOMAN. This new documentary about how "Yoga was brought to the west from India by a lineage of male teachers. Now there’s a generation of women who are leading the way. They’re strong they’re inspiring and they’re radically changing peoples lives. From the busy streets of Manhattan to the dusty slums of Kenya YOGAWOMAN is uncovering a global phenomenon that has changed the face of yoga forever." To view the trailer click: https://yogawoman.worldsecuresystems.com/the-film/watch-the-trailer


We will be hosting our movie night on Sunday, October 23rd at 5:30pm. After the 80 minute film we will be hosting a donation yoga class led by our founder, Lindsey Pluimer. All the proceeds will go to our cause of helping kids in Africa. We focus on brining our yoga off the mat and into the world around us by activating our local communities and in turn helping those in need in our global community. We believe we are all one, all divinely connected, so come out and join us as we down dog it for kids in Africa affected by poverty and or HIV/AIDS. The funds we raise will be spent on providing aid to kids in the Nissi Orphanage in Kenya. We will be taking a team of volunteers out in early January!


Hope to see you there! Admission is free, donation class to follow! Mark it on your calendars!!

Paddle It Forward Fundraiser

Thank you to all who joined us in our 1st Annual Paddle It Forward Fundraiser. We raised an amazing $1,225 while cleaning up our waters of trash and finishing with some yoga on the boards, led by SUPcore. It was the most perfect day for taking our yoga off the mat and into the water! We were able to give back to both our local and global communities and raise enough money to buy the Nissi Orphanage in Kenya 7 bunk beds and 14 mattresses for kids who currently sleep on the floor! We are so inspired by all those who came out and supported our cause, but also to those that made this event possible (SUPcore, Evolution Corporate Wellness, Curl Fitness, and SUPlove Beach Club). Thank you again for your support in our cause as we help kids in Africa affected by poverty and or HIV/AIDS. Shine on!!

For those of you who attended our event check out pictures on our facebook page at WMO2H Facebook Page

Africa Trip 2011

Hello,

Well we just returned from Africa last week and I wanted to fill you in on our amazing experience. We were fortunate to team up with Meriwether Foundation and visit their orphanage in South Africa (while also crossing over into Zimbabwe and Botswana). The kids were amazing and inspiring as always. Every time I go out to Africa I am reminded of how we are all different yet really all the same. I'm reminded of how we all desire a life of happiness, freedom, peace, and health. I look at the children in the orphanage, some of whom are orphans or vulnerable children who struggle with poverty or even HIV/AIDS, and I am inspired by their strength and by their ability to find happiness from within. I truly believe and have seen with my own eyes that happiness is not really something that we get from our relationships, the car we drive, the house we live in, the job we think that defines us, but rather happiness is something we tune into from within. It's an amazing experience to just be out there with the children and to be exposed to their daily reality and be able to play with them and inspire hope, showing them that we care about their well being. It was so fun to just play with them, to see them smile, to hold hands together, and to just witness their strength and bliss from within.

Nicky from WMO2H playing with the kids!

Since starting With My Own Two Hands Foundation it has been a year filled with lots of lessons, inspiration, and also challenges. But when we were with with the children, I am reminded of how all the time, energy, and effort has all paid off because I know that we were able to make a difference, both by helping their project, but also just by being there with them. I am so fortunate to be able to participate and run this foundation, as I find this the most rewarding "job." I really have found my passion in being able to try and inspire people to make a difference in the lives of those in need, remembering that we are all connected...all one!

It was an eye opening experience reminding us to be grateful for the abundance that surrounds us. We are looking forward to this upcoming year and expanding and reaching out to projects in need of our support. We want to thank all of our supporters. We also want to thank Meriwether Foundation for a great trip and being a part of their orphanage. We were ALL able to make a difference for these beautiful children in Africa.

Light and Love,

Lindsey Pluimer

Upcoming Special Yoga Event! Saturday July 16th 12pm

Come join us for this special event Saturday, July 16th 12pm to help raise money and awareness for With My Own Two Hands Foundation.  All proceeds will go to helping orphans in Africa effected by AIDS and poverty. Join us for a special blindfolded yoga class led by Lindsey Pluimer (founder of With My Own Two Hands Foundation) and then an amazing performance by the beautiful Erika Burkhalter and David Danon. They will showcase their “Trust” acro-yoga performance with us! Erika and David (both senior teachers at Yoga Works) teach and perform at various yoga festivals and conferences and are amazing! Don’t miss out!

Event to take place at Beyond Hot Yoga (31271 Niguel Road, Laguna Niguel 92677)

Ticket Price: $25 (please purchase before so we know how many blindfolds to purchase)

-All tickets are tax deductible and can be purchased online at

 https://www.wepay.com/tickets/specialyogaclass  (or cash or check at Beyond Hot Yoga)

Lindsey (our founder) Reporting from Austin, Texas

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to check in from Austin, Texas and share a little of what I have learned from Seane Corn's yoga teacher training. Well to begin with, Seane Corn is an amazing yogini, some might call her a "yogalebrity." I took one of her trainings in Costa Mesa and fell in love with her authenticity, inspiration, and love for yoga. Seane is also one of the co-founders of Off The Mat And Into the World Foundation. With My Own Two Hands Foundation is now an affiliate partner with them and we are so excited to be working with them in the future. OTM done amazing work in the yoga community and have raised over $2 million dollars for various projects around the world.

Well, Seane has impacted the way I teach in so many different ways. She constantly reminds me of the interconnection of yoga and the way we live our lives. She specifically spoke today on the magic of yoga and how our practice can be used a manifestation of our truth and spirit within and can ultimately become an offering or universal prayer for peace. I have learned that I as a teacher need to become a mirror...to reflect the spirit and truth within each of my student's back to them so they recognize their own infinite truths within. I had learned so many technical things and sequences to apply to my classes, but on a deeper level I have been reminded of the power of my job. I have been given a platform to use the power yoga as a path to return home to our innate truth within. I'm so blessed to be given this opportunity to teach yoga and connect that to social activism. I believe that teaching yoga and running a nonprofit go hand-in-hand. As a teacher, I believe I need to encourage my students to take their yoga off the mat and into the world around them, whether that means how they speak to their partners, or how they treat their kids, or even how they engage in their local or global communities. I think to myself...what a FREAKIN' AWESOME JOB!

May we use our practice as a way to show up on our mats and connect to our body, mind, and spirit, but may we also show up in our lives and make a difference WITH OUR OWN TWO HANDS!

Light and Love to All! Namaste!

Lindsey Pluimer

Mother's Day/ Helicopter Drop

What better way to appreciate your mother this Mother's Day than to make a donation in her name! Give the gift of inspiration, empowerment, and love to kids in Africa by donating in honor of your mother! We will use the funds to directly support our projects in Africa that benefit kids who have been effected by HIV/AIDS. We seek to build orphanages, provide food and medication, educate, and provide love to kids in need! Let's honor our mother's this Sunday but sending our love outward to those in need of love, support, and inspiration!

Only 10 more days till our Helicopter Drop Fundraiser! Participate in our cause by purchasing golf balls for our upcoming event ($10 each). The ball that lands in or closest to the hole will win the grand prize of $1,000! All proceeds go toward our cause in Africa. All funds will be put into use this summer when we take a team out to South Africa. Help us raise funds for our cause by buying your golf balls today and come join us on Sunday May 15th at 4pm to witness the actual helicopter drop. Lululemon Athletica will also be putting on a trunk show and we will be having a silent auction with many great items! Don't miss out! 

Join us in our cause in activating our local communities to help our global brothers and sisters in need of shelter, food, medication, and love. May we remember that we are all one...we all seek to live a life of happiness and freedom. Let us be the change we wish to see in the world (Gandhi) and get involved in helping others live a life full of happiness and freedom!

HELICOPTER DROP FUNDRAISER!

Help us help kids in Africa in need of shelter, food, and education. Come participate in our helicopter drop fundraiser!! We are selling golf balls for $10 each with the chance to win the grand prize of $1,000! Each golf ball goes a long way and will help bring hope to those who have been affected by HIV/AIDS. We are excited to announce that we will be serving complimentary drinks, appetizers, and will be having a silent auction with many great items!! Rumors have it that lululemon may be putting on a trunk show as well ;)

Come out and join on us Sunday, May 15th at 4pm to see if you purchased the winning ball! Whether or not you can make the event we will be contacting the person with the winning ball! All donations are tax deductible. We accept checks (made out to With My Own Two Hands Foundation), cash, or you can purchase golf ball on our website at http://www.withmyown2hands.org/#!donate

Help us bring HOPE to kids in need of inspiration! Let us all be the change we wish to see in the world (as Gandhi said)!! Buy your golf balls today!!

WMO2H

Shine On!

"To be a star you must shine your own light, follow your own path, and don't worry about the darkness, for that is when the stars shine brightest."

I believe this quote can really relate to a lot of us trying to unveil our own inner light within ourselves, filled with truth and love. One of the reasons I teach yoga is because I love how we can connect to our most inner selves while on our mats. Our journey on our mats becomes this sacred space for us to be vulnerable, to be open to grace, and guides us toward our inner light within. Although whenever there is light, there is always darkness, but isn't that how everything in life is? There are always opposites in life; sun and the moon, black and white, good and the bad, happiness and sadness, love and pain etc.  For us to really grow in life we must learn from the darkness and allow our inner light within to shine through. 

I believe once we can really tune into our inner light/spirit we can begin to realize that this light exists within all beings everywhere. We can begin to recognize that we share this infinite breath filled with life and love. We all desire a life free of suffering and a life full of love and peace. Ultimately, we all are one. We are all connected. We are all divine beings. 

As Nelson Mandela said, "Who are we not to shine?" 

Be a star, be yourself, be a beacon of inspiration and hope!

Shine on!

Lindsey :)

EVENT UPDATE!!! HELICOPTER DROP FUNDRAISER!

Hello everyone!

We are announcing our latest event....a HELICOPTER DROP!! So basically how it works is we are selling golf balls for $10 each and each person who buys a golf ball will be assigned a golf ball number (we send everyone a confirmation email). The more balls...the greater chance you have at winning the grand prize! So then, the ball that lands in or closest to the hole (being dropped from the helicopter) wins the GRAND PRIZE of $1,000! You can come out and join us for the helicopter drop on May 15th at 4pm at Talega Golf Course in San Clemente. We will be serving complimentary drinks, appetizers, and will be having a silent auction as well with many fun prizes! All the proceeds will go to help our cause in building orphanages in Africa! We will be taking a trip out in July and we are hoping to make this event a huge success for the kids! All donations are tax deductible!

So buy your golf balls today!! You can even buy your golf balls online: CLICK HERE

You can also contact us for more information at lindsey@withmyown2hands.org

And spread the word!!

Thanks for your support!

WMO2H Team :)

2011 Yoga-Thon For Charity!

Our first Yoga-Thon For Charity was a huge success! With 13 participants we helped raise over $1,800 for our cause in Africa as well as the relief efforts in Japan! It was an awesome event with the majority of our participants completing 108 Sun A Salutations for pledges! Thank you so much to those who participated and to those that pledged for our yogis. It was amazing to see how a small group of people could come together and raise a significant amount of money for 2 great causes. Our participants really were so inspiring and reminded us of the power of community and what we can do when we unite together!

May we remember the quotes by Margaret Mead "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

A special thank you to lululemon for donating prizes for our participants and to Brittany Castillo for providing complimentary massages! We truly appreciate your help in making this event so special!



Peace for All. Life for All. Love for All.

WMO2H

      *A nice sweaty picture of our participants who completed 108 Sun A Salutations!

YOGA-THON FOR CHARITY UPDATE!

Hello Everyone!

Help us this Sunday (Spring Solstice) raise money for the relief efforts in JAPAN as well as our cause in Africa (helping to build orphanages in Africa!) We believe this event is a great way to get involved with out local yoga community while giving back. "Yoga" means "union" and in our practice we try and connect breath, body, mind and spirit. We are constantly reminded of the oneness we share, remembering how we all share an infinite breath and a heart full of truth and love! Take this opportunity to get involved by gathering pledges from friends, family, neighbors, coworkers etc and come get your sweat on with us (you can complete as many as you want, no pressure to complete all 108 sun salutations!). We would love for you to join us! Fill out a pledge form and notify Lindsey Pluimer of your participation at lindsey@withmyown2hands.org.

We will have prizes donated from lululemon as well as complimentary massages following the event.

Check out our website for more information about us at www.withmyown2hands.org!

PEACE TO ALL, LIFE TO ALL, LOVE TO ALL!

Yoga-thon For Charity

Join us on Sunday March 20th at Beyond Yoga (1:30pm) to participate in our 1st "Yoga-thon For Charity." We will be attempting 108 Sun A Salutations in honor of bringing in the Spring Solstice. We will be participating in this rigorous event while raising money for kids in Africa! There will be prizes for those that participate as well! All you have to do is get pledges for every Sun A Salutation you complete! For example, if someone pledges to donate $0.25 for every Sun A Salutation you complete, and you finish all 108 salutations, you would have raised $27.00 for With My Own Two Hands Foundation! People can also pledge flat donations as well! Come join us in this exciting event! Print our our pledge form and inform us of your participation by contacting lindsey@withmyown2hands.org. Let's get our yoga on while giving back to those in need! 

An Example of a Sun A Salutation Sequence (Repeat)

Be Love Now!

So I have been thinking a lot lately about this quote by Albert Einstein…”A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. They experience themselves, their thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of their consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our own personal desires and to affection a few people nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” I think Einstein hit the nail on the head in regards to us as human beings. So much of our lives are solely concerned with MY life, MY job, MY family, My nation etc. We get so caught up in our own personal lives, wants, needs, and desires that we forget to extend our compassion and love to others in need. I think it is so easy for us to get distracted and consumed with our goals, our future, and our material possessions that we forget, or choose not to acknowledge what is going on in the world around us. For instance, turn on the news and you will find a high-speed car chase, experts speaking on the stock market, or politicians spouting rhetoric. But what we don’t find are people reporting on issues of poverty in third-world countries or even here in the United States, no reports of human trafficking, or even the AIDS epidemic. We pick and chose what we want to know or see in regards to what is really going on in the world around us. Is this because as a whole we really don’t care or is it because we chose not to acknowledge how screwed up the world is that we live in. There are so many important issues going on around us yet they get no exposure or attention brought to them, and meanwhile, these people are to fend for themselves in nations with corrupt governments etc. People are seriously suffering and dying, but does that mean anything to us?  Honestly…does it? Take for example the genocide going on in the Congo. Right now women are being raped as a weapon in war in the Congo. Yes I know that disturbs us to read, but then how do we respond to that. I’m not saying that we can all be on the next flight to Africa, but there has to be something more we can do to extend our compassion to these people in need. I guess what I am trying to say is that we need to be more PROACTIVE in worldly issues when there is human suffering involved. Whether that means writing to our politicians, finding a nonprofit that supports a cause we are passionate about, or simply sending positive energy or a prayer to those in need….do it! We need to be able to open our hearts to embrace all human beings as the divine creatures we all are. We need more conscious people that care about the wellbeing of others and are willing to make a difference in this world. Maybe in order to view others in this light we must take a look within ourselves. Maybe before we can change the lives of others we must change ourselves first.  But in the end, we need to get to the point where we can all have empathy for those around us even if they don’t directly affect our lives. But if we are smart we will realize that we are all interconnected in some way shape or form and that in the end we are all human beings that deserve the right to live a life free from suffering. You may think what I am saying is “preachy” but maybe we all need to be reminded that we are all created equal, we all inhabit this world, and we all share the same breath and spirit that lies within us. We need to be able to extend our love and compassion to those who really need us right here and right now. We all need to BE LOVE NOW!

Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who came out last night to Selmas Pizzeria to support us and our cause in Africa. And for those of you who were not able to make it there are always more opportunities to be involved in! But we just want to say firstly....thanks for caring. So often we get caught up in our lives that we forget to make time to get involved in important world issues. But we would just like to say thank you for caring, thank you for your support, and thank you for caring about the well being of others in need. We appreciate your support and encouragement and look forward to upcoming events to help raise awareness and funds for orphans in Africa who have been affected by AIDS. And may we all "Be the change we wish to see in the world."

Light and Love!

WMO2H Team

Eat Dough to Raise Dough

Hey everyone!

Exciting news....We have teamed up with Selma's Chicago Pizzeria and are having an event this Wednesday (January 26th). Basically all you have to do is eat dough to raise dough! Just print out this flyer and 20% of the total check goes toward our foundation! The event lasts all day on Wednesday dine in or take out! Please spread the word...tell your friends, neighbors, and family in the area! All proceeds will go toward our cause of helping build orphanages and AIDS clinics in Africa!

Light and Love!

With My Own Two Hands Team!

Welcome to our Blog!

Welcome to our new blog! We are excited to share our events and experiences with you. Please check back in with us to hear upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and progress we have made to help orphans in Africa who have been affected by HIV/AIDS and poverty. We strongly believe that we can change the world with our own two hands! Join us in sparking a grassroots movement for social change!

Light and Love!