Tal Scriven, Saturday April 13th, 6PM

As a Canadian hockey ruffian and part-time rocker, Tal Scriven was not your prototypical philosopher.  But for much of the last four decades, he has challenged Cal Poly students, faculty, and administration to see the world in a different, usually unexpected, way.  His style of philosophy can be cynical and irreverent while at the same time embodying compassion and deep understanding.  Tal will share what a lifetime of philosophy has taught him.

Adam McHugh, Saturday, April  6th, 6pm

Adam McHugh was a hospital chaplain and grief counselor, when his life and faith began to fall a part.  His road to rediscovery of himself wound through the vineyards of France and the Central Coast, where he has worked as a wine tour guide, sommelier, Certified Specialist of Wine, and wine writer.  His memoir tells the tale of "how wine brought me back from the dead."

Amy Kurzweil, Saturday March 2nd 6pm

New Yorker cartoonist Amy Kurzweil is thinking about her family, especially her father (renowned inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil) and her grandfather Fredric, an accomplished conductor and pianist from Vienna who fled the Nazis in 1938, whom she never met.  Yet Fredric has come back into Amy's life through his writings and the use of artificial intelligence.  Amy's graphic novelArtificialtells the story of how technology allowed her to relate to--and hold--the family of her past and present.

Aikido is a non-competitive martial art that uses the energy of an opponent to redirect them. The word "Ai-ki-do" can be translated to the way of harmonious spirit as a way to defend oneself, while causing less harm to an attacker.

Brian Runstrom, will be leading the classes, is trained in both Hapkido and wrestling, as well as Aikido.

Every Tuesday, 5:30-7:30pm (winter schedule) at the Lavra yoga room/dojo

For more information and information about special intensives, call Brian at 949-275-7971.

Suggested donations: $15/class

Lavra Lecture: Activist or Official? Outside In or Inside Out? 

Lessons Learned from a Life of Being a Gadfly and a Public Servant by SLO City Council Member and Former Mayor, Jan Howell Marx

• Saturday, February 24, 2024

• 6:00 PM  9:00 PM

• The Lavra (map)

Jan Marx, Saturday February 24th, 6PM

Jan Marx has had an extraordinary life:  a student activist at Stanford and then Columbia University, Jan and her husband Steve became pioneers in the back-to-the-land movement in her community in Lund, British Columbia.  Eventually, Jan found a place in academic administration at Stanford, Scripps, and San Luis Obispo College of Law,  before finding herself in public office both in the city council and mayor of San Luis Obispo.  Jan will share what more than 50 years of being active and public service has taught her.

Aikido is a non-competitive martial art that uses the energy of an opponent to redirect them. The word "Ai-ki-do" can be translated to the way of harmonious spirit as a way to defend oneself, while causing less harm to an attacker.

Brian Runstrom, will be leading the classes, is trained in both Hapkido and wrestling, as well as Aikido.

Every Tuesday, 5:30-7:30pm (winter schedule) at the Lavra yoga room/dojo

For more information and information about special intensives, call Brian at 949-275-7971.

Suggested donations: $15/class

Join us again at The Lavra for the next GREEN CHEF sustainable cooking competition on Sunday, February 18th from 4 - 7 pm! There are limited spots available and chefs are encouraged to join. Please RSVP to Brandon after reading below.

How Green Chef Works:

“Chefs” will take 1 Secret Ingredient and compete to make the most Sustainable, Creative, and Tastiest dish.

The competition will involve up to ten "Chefs" (Cooks) each preparing a dish in advance with the secret ingredient for the event. ALL people are encouraged to apply as a chef; young and old, advanced and beginners. We will need 8-10 for the event to happen!

This year is special for the chefs as well: a wild-gathering experience will be the introduction to the secret ingredient so sign up with the link below quick:

APPLY as a Chef / Cook

The guests (aka Judges) in turn will play the role of a judge and cast their votes at the end of the night, based on the three categories: (1) sustainability, (2) creativity, and (3) taste. Chefs are encouraged to use wild-gathered, locally-sourced, and agroecological ingredients (or regenerative crops, tree crops, organic, etc.) to demonstrate how we can reduce our impact on our damaged Mother Earth (to dive deeper into the question of what really is "food sustainability", visit this article).

So come one, come all, as we learn (and taste!) what it means to truly eat sustainably in tasteful ways. Come as a chef or get on the waitlist for the judge roles!

Event Details:

- Who: only 8-10 Chef spots open and up to 30 Judges may join to experience true sustainable cuisine

- What: A battle of the chefs in praise of living (1) ecologically, (2) creatively, and (3) harmoniously

- Where: The Lavra Non-Profit

- When: Sunday February 18, 2024, from 4 pm to 7 pm, Food presented at 4:30pm; awards at 6pm.

- Why: To better understand our connection to nature and food, and to have a great evening together!

*Donation to join as a Judge / Guest: $30 - 50 (sliding scale) to pay for wild-gathered/perennial plant/regenerative ingredients, a prize for each category, and a wild-gathering experience for the chefs...

Come love, stretch and celebrate with your partner on February 17th!  Special Post-Valentine's Day Yoga Class and Wine Tasting in the beautiful Lavra yoga room.  Our guide, Sigrid Long, has been teaching yoga for 30 years and this sequence is designed specifically for couples.  Share the spirit of yoga with the one you love!  And then we will taste four local wines, including two from the Lavra. If you want a gift-certificate to give to your partner on Valentine's Day, we can provide!
All mats and blankets provided. Only 4 couples can register! Suggested donation is $50 per couple, with all proceeds going to the Arroyo Grande Theater program. Questions? Call Sigrid at 805-234-6951 

Aikido is a non-competitive martial art that uses the energy of an opponent to redirect them. The word "Ai-ki-do" can be translated to the way of harmonious spirit as a way to defend oneself, while causing less harm to an attacker.

Brian Runstrom, will be leading the classes, is trained in both Hapkido and wrestling, as well as Aikido.

Every Tuesday, 5:30-7:30pm (winter schedule) at the Lavra yoga room/dojo

For more information and information about special intensives, call Brian at 949-275-7971.

Suggested donations: $15/class

Yoga Nidra: The Yoga of "AWARE" Sleep
February 4th 10am - Noon

This workshop provides an immersion into the practice of Yoga Nidra through a progression of activities that promote supportive rest. Pre-practices will include Breathwork followed by a gentle Movement practice before setting into our rest nest and being guided through a Nidra visualization exercise.  A Post-practice of journaling or collage will be offered right after. After the workshop, you will be invited to continue to explore your Nidra practice through an offering of a 40 day Sadhana.

Sunday February 4th
From 10am to Noon
In the yoga room
Limited to 8 people, RSVP
Free

The instructor: Mania is a 200h yoga alliance certified vinyasa teacher. She is also a certified yoga Nidra teacher studying with Tracee Stanley and Chanti Taraconte-Perez. Mania also works as a licensed architect and a rancher in Cayucos.

Aikido is a non-competitive martial art that uses the energy of an opponent to redirect them. The word "Ai-ki-do" can be translated to the way of harmonious spirit as a way to defend oneself, while causing less harm to an attacker.

Brian Runstrom, will be leading the classes, is trained in both Hapkido and wrestling, as well as Aikido.

Every Tuesday, 5:30-7:30pm (winter schedule) at the Lavra yoga room/dojo

For more information and information about special intensives, call Brian at 949-275-7971.

Suggested donations: $15/class

Stephen Robert Miller, Friday February 2nd 6PM

 Stephen Robert Miller  is a journalist who has written for a number of reputable publications and taught at University of Colorado.  His book Over the Seawall attempts to chart human's attempts to combat climate change, which have led to many unintended consequences. The title comes from Japan's attempt to thwart future climate-change tsunamis with a seawall that was identical to the one that was just destroyed.  In his journey to understand the human response, he discovered broader lessons about life, which he will share with us. 
Space is limited.  The event is free but as a symposium we encourage you to bring something to drink to share with new and old friends.  

Graybill Goodbye Soiree January 31

Our resident troubadour, Kevin Graybill is moving on from living at the Lavra.  Kevin and his partner Camille will be welcoming a new life into the world this spring and starting their life together in a new spot.  Kevin has not just brought music into our world but a calm and kind presence.  Come celebrate his past and toast his future with a Graybill soiree on Wednesday January 31st at 6:30pm in the main house!

Aikido is a non-competitive martial art that uses the energy of an opponent to redirect them. The word "Ai-ki-do" can be translated to the way of harmonious spirit as a way to defend oneself, while causing less harm to an attacker.

Brian Runstrom, will be leading the classes, is trained in both Hapkido and wrestling, as well as Aikido.

Every Tuesday, 5:30-7:30pm (winter schedule) at the Lavra yoga room/dojo

For more information and information about special intensives, call Brian at 949-275-7971.

Suggested donations: $15/class

If you missed our mushroom cooking event last year, or if you liked it so well you want to come back, join author of Mason Goes Mushrooming and TEDTalk speaker Melany Kahn as she explores our growing fascination with fungi, the mycelium web and the environmental benefits.  She'll show how to I.D. mushrooms and which trees correspond to help you while mushroom hunting. Learning just 1-2 beginner wild edible mushrooms with no poisonous look alike will offer multiple generations in a family the opportunity to forage together, share nature, and create gourmet feasts.  An interactive cooking demonstration and tasting will follow. Melany will be bringing a sample of MyBacon, mycelium grown bacon, from the East Coast, it is not yet available in CA but it is coming soon. It's crazy delicious, but it won't raise your cholesterol ☺ and makes the best BLT’s ever. Family friendly, for all age event.
 

Come gather with new and old friends for our traditional celebration of the winter solstice!