Ananda Leeke

Happy Creativity Thursday: My Passion for Creativity Coaching

Posted by Ananda Leekeon December 27, 2013December 27, 2013in Creativity Coaching, Creativity coaching clients, Creativity ThursdayLeave a comment

Happy Creativ Thursday!

Today, I spent the afternoon with one of my first creativity coaching clients, Sharon Malachi, owner of DC Dog Grooming, LLC, at Teaism, a tea cafe located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood in Washington, DC. I started working with Sharon on her creative plans and goals to promote her business in 2010. Through our work together, she developed creative storytelling skills that she used with her blog, social media sites, and television interviews. Helping her grow as a creative business woman has been exciting, personally fulfilling, and inspiring. That’s why I decided to use my 2014 Creativity Thursday blog posts as a platform for sharing my creativity coaching expertise. So get ready!

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday: Watching Movies Online

Posted by Ananda Leekeon December 24, 2013in Internet Geek Tuesday2 Comments

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday and Christmas Eve!

I love watching movies online. Thanks to my lap top and Netflix I am watching the movie, Winnie Mandela.

What movies are you watching online this month?

Happy Yoga Monday: My Winter Solstice Weekend

Posted by Ananda Leekeon December 23, 2013December 24, 2013in Yoga MondaysLeave a comment

Photo Credit: http://hdwallpapersfan.blogspot.com/2013/04/winter-solstice-pictures.html

Happy Yoga Monday!

The Winter Solstice is the first day of winter which happens when the sun reaches its most southerly declination of -23.5 degrees or the North Pole is tilted 23.5 degrees away from the sun. It is the shortest day of the year. It is also one of my favorite times a year because it reminds me to SLOW DOWN for rest and relaxation, and TURN INWARD for reflection with more yoga, meditation, mantra chanting, journaling, walks in nature, collage making, and reading.

Photo Credit: www.tranquilspace.com — Photo Credit: http://www.tranquilspace.com

In preparation for this year’s Winter Solstice, I planned a weekend of yoga and meditation that started with a wonderful yin yoga and yoga nidra workshop taught by my yoga teacher, Danielle Polen at Tranquil Space on December 20. Danielle’s class was exactly what I needed to open my heart to the Winter Solstice season.

Photo Credit: www.wisdom-books.com/ProductPic.asp?PID=16675 — Photo Credit: http://www.wisdom-books.com/ProductPic.asp?PID=16675

On Saturday afternoon, I attended the monthly Buddhist meditation circle for my People of Color Sangha. It felt really good to sit for 30 minutes in silence with my Buddhist sisters and brothers. After the sit, we listened to a dharma talk on the emotions that occur during the holiday season given by our meditation teacher, La Sarmiento. We also shared our thoughts with each other in a mindful discussion.

Photo Credit: www.embracedc.com — Photo Credit: http://www.embracedc.com

On Sunday morning, I listened to a Winter Solstice sermon on stillness given by Reverend Rob Hardies at my church, All Souls Unitarian. Rob’s sermon reminded me how important it is to take time out to be quiet. Later that day, I treated myself to a restorative yoga class at Embrace Yoga Studio.

How did you celebrate the Winter Solstice?

Happy Creativity Thursday: Celebrating Kesha Bruce’s “The Guardians” Exhibition in DC

Posted by Ananda Leekeon December 19, 2013December 19, 2013in African American Art, Creativity ThursdayLeave a comment

Happy Creativity Thursday!

Last weekend, I hosted the Digital Sisterhood Month field trip to see artist Kesha Bruce’s “The Guardians” exhibition at Morton Fine Art in Washington, DC. Kesha’s work is rooted in her personal mythology. The paintings in “The Guardians” series evoke ancestral energy. They make me think of the many women and men who came before me. The people who sacrificed so that I would be able to enjoy my life. They remind me to show gratitude to my ancestors. They also inspire me to create some ancestral art work in 2014. So get ready for some surprises!

Kesha was recently named 2013 Digital Sister of the Year – Creativista. While I was at the exhibition, I reconnected with Adrienne Fikes, 2013 Digital Sister of the Year – Enchantista. We had a great time chatting about Kesha’s work. What a great day I had!

Have you attended any gallery shows or museum exhibitions this holiday season?

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday: Using My Digital Influence to Fundraise for ZuriWorks

Posted by Ananda Leekeon December 17, 2013December 18, 2013in UncategorizedLeave a comment

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday!

Tomorrow marks my 49th birthday. This year, I am using my digital influence to raise money for ZuriWorks for Women’s Health, a nonprofit organization that offers beauty, arts and health programs to enhance the quality of life for women of color impacted by cancer. ZuriWorks also works to educate women of color about their health and to improve their survivorship rates.

I learned about the organization from my digital sister Xina Eiland, President of X+PR, when she began working with its founder, Andrene Taylor on several events earlier this year. I became an instant fan after watching Andrene’s moving video about her cancer journey and the amazing support ZuriWorks has been able to provide to women of color living with cancer. These women reminded me of my two grandmothers, Dorothy Johnson Gartin and Frederica Stanley Roberts Leeke, who lived with breast cancer. I wish they had access to ZuriWorks’ programs.

That’s why I am using the next two weeks (from December 17 to December 31) to invite my family, friends, and digital community to make a donation to ZuriWorks in honor of my birthday and the holiday season. Click here to make a donation. Any amount counts ($5, $10, $15, $20, $25 or more). Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Happy Yoga Monday: Discovering Mantra Magazine

Posted by Ananda Leekeon December 16, 2013December 18, 2013in Yoga MondaysLeave a comment

Happy Yoga Monday!

Last week, I was shopping in Whole Foods and discovered a fabulous new yoga resource, Mantra Magazine. Mantra Magazine is a holistic publication that meets so many of my yoga heart and soul needs. The cover story featured an interview with yoga activist and teacher, Seane Corn that revealed her thoughts about aging, body image, and celebration. I was moved by the following comments she made: “I love representing what a healthy 47-year-old looks like and I don’t want to be portrayed like I’m still 25. I earned this age and am grateful to still be in this body, and would like to role model aging in an empowered and unapologetic way.” Her comments reminded me to appreciate my 48 year old body, mind, spirit, and heart, especially when I am on my yoga mat at home or in class and find myself not being able to hold a pose for a long period of time. They also reminded me to be grateful for the body I do have and how it supports me in my yoga practice and life.

Special thanks to Mantra Magazine for creating a wonderful publication.

Happy Creativity Thursday: Collage Births My Holiday Spirit

Posted by Ananda Leekeon December 12, 2013December 12, 2013in Creativity ThursdayLeave a comment

Happy Creativity Thursday!

Have you gotten into the holiday spirit yet? What was the driving force? Was it a song, commercial, memory, office party, tree with decorations, or a Starbucks hot beverage?

My holiday spirit arrived while working as an artist-in-residence for Smith Center for Healing and the Arts and creating an interactive wall collage for staff at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Sunday afternoon (see photo above). As I cut out images from magazines and asked staff about their holiday season traditions, my heart opened up to the beauty of the season. The beauty for me is captured best in a six-word memoir: joyful gratitude for family and friends.

Do you make holiday art and/or decorations?

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday: Celebrating My Favorite Mobile Apps in 2013

Posted by Ananda Leekeon December 10, 2013December 10, 2013in Internet Geek TuesdayLeave a comment

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday!

As we get closer to the final days of 2013, I am reflecting on my favorite digital experiences and tools. Today, I thought it would be great to share my two favorite digital tools for 2013: Pandora.com and VoiceBo mobile apps. First of all, I am so grateful that both of these apps are FREE to use.

My love affair with Pandora.com started a few years ago. This year, it intensified as I started using the app on my iPad at home (during my yoga, meditation, and writing practices) and when I traveled.

VoiceBo and I are in a very affectionate stage where I am relying on it more and more to create audio content for Digital Sisterhood Month’s morning reflections. I discovered VoiceBo last year when Cinchcast, my audio blog main squeeze, shut down. Click here to listen to my VoiceBo recordings (all are less than 5 minutes).

What are your favorite digital tools for 2013?

Happy Yoga Monday: My Best Yoga Moments in 2013

Posted by Ananda Leekeon December 9, 2013December 9, 2013in Yoga MondaysLeave a comment

Ananda & her yoga teacher Danielle Polen

Happy Yoga Monday!

On Saturday, I attended my yoga teacher, Danielle Polen’s yin/yang yoga class at Tranquil Space yoga studio. During the yoga class, Danielle encouraged me and my fellow classmates to set an intention for the holiday season. My holiday intention revealed itself as a six-word memoir during a child’s pose: surrender – joy – gratitude – patience – love – abundance. By the end of class, my six-word memoir intention had become my 2014 life intention.

After class, I shared my intention with my yoga digital sister, Julia Coney (@juliaconey on Twitter). I also thanked her for referring me to The Way of the Happy Woman by Sara Avant Stover. This year, Stover’s book helped me deepen my commitment to self care and my home yoga practice.

While I was at Tranquil Space, I had a chance to learn more about my fellow Fabulous Women Business Owner DC member June’s new skincare line, lilikoi living living. It is lovely and makes for a wonderful holiday gift.

As I was walking home from Tranquil Space, I realized my best yoga moments in 2013 occurred while I was practicing yin yoga at home and with my Tranquil Space community in Danielle’s classes. What a yoga blessing!

What are your 2013 best yoga moments?

PS: If you are in DC and looking for yoga-inspired holiday gifts, stop by Tranquil Space.

Happy Creativity Thursday: My Most Creative Moment in 2013

Posted by Ananda Leekeon December 5, 2013December 5, 2013in UncategorizedLeave a comment

Happy Creativity Thursday!

2013 is winding down quite nicely for me. Today, I started thinking about my favorite creative moments. Hosting the my October book launch party for Digital Sisterhood: A Memoir of Fierce Living Online at the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery was my most creative moment. See photo collage above.

What was yours?