The Open Center bookstore is now offering a fabulous new product that makes the perfect meaningful holiday gift!

Mala beads are made by a widows and orphans in the western district of Uganda. These women, young and old, have suffered abuse, armed conflict, poverty, and HIV/AIDS. The crafting of these beads is not only therapeutic, it also provides and livelihood and the dignity of financial independence.  Each bead is made from recycled paper and other indigenous items. The beads are then imported to the U.S. by Mushana, a collaborative design firm, where women  jewelry designers produce the necklaces.

Mushana’s Global Mala beads were the official necklaces of the Global Mala Yoga Peace Project, a program that united the yoga community in support of the United Nations International Day of Peace.

You’ll find these very special crafts in our lobby bookstore, open 10 a.m. until closing seven days a week. We’d love to show them to you now.

Frances Sorensen, Bookstore

A few years back a dear friend and I were in Sedona, Arizona having breakfast while on a long road trip. I was going through a difficult period in my life and she asked me, smiling, how I interface with the Cosmic, the Divine, and in what ways I communicate with the larger Life that surrounds me. I replied, “Well, each morning I ask that I be happy, healthy and free, that others be peaceful and liberated, that good things come to me and those I love,” and continued to recite a list of requests or prayers that I used to start my day with. She looked at me and (now not smiling) simply replied, “Do you ever just say thank you?” Read More

Those of us working on Sunday mornings have been privy to the intoxicating and delicious smoke (literally) wafting through our halls during the Church of the Transfiguration’s  Sunday services. One recent Sunday morning the hallway in front of the elevators was particularly perfumed and smoky.

As I waited for the elevator, I crossed paths with one of the ministers. When asked its source, he appropriately called the particular incense “Monastery Blend” and told me it is purchased specifically for religious ceremony from a company based in the midwest. In the spirit of education, I thought it would be fun to share a few interesting Frankincense facts.

Read More

Rapid-fire change is happening, and the perception of Black women is transforming from the negative images historically portrayed in the media to well-respected style and cultural icons such as Michelle Obama and Oprah. With leading industry insiders and image-makers, this will be a provocative and honest conversation that explores the complicated issue of beauty within Black communities including: the politics of complexion and hair; the underexposure of black models within the fashion industry; who controls the image of black women in major media; and other relevant, timely topics.

A SPECIAL EVENT and BOOKSIGNING
Saturday, October 24, 2–5pm
09FSA42M
$20 (No Member Discount)

Location: Community Church of New York, 40 East 35th Street (between Madison and Park avenues) Read More

Every week, through print and broadcast media, our nation becomes more aware of the terrible cost of war to the young people sent to fight it. Never have we seen such high rates of mental illness, substance abuse, family discord, and violence. The Army estimates that one-third of our returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from PTSD. Suicide is rampant in combat and on return.  By all accounts, this issue isn’t going away any time soon, and in fact may become worse in the years ahead as more troops are sent to Afghanistan. Read More

Have you lost touch with the religion you grew up with but feel the need for a spiritual dimension in your life?

Please join the Open Center in welcoming religious scholars Karen Armstrong and Elaine Pagels for a fascinating discussion on the true meaning of religious faith at the Church of the Transfiguration, 1 East 29th Street, on Monday, October 12 at 8 p.m. Read More

Recently I have given up cigarettes, again, and I am really getting a first hand view of addiction and what it entails. The dictionary defines addiction as “being physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse side effects.”  I have found this to be true. In looking at my addiction to cigarettes I have surely felt a physical and mental desire. To me, however, I find it much more difficult to deal with the mental traps. In my experience, the times when my mind plays a large role in urging me to have a smoke, are the times when my mind is reflecting on similar past experiences. For example, when I am at a bar enjoying a beer. Somewhere after two beers a voice in my head tells me how buzzed I will get from drinking and smoking, and the body wants to follow. Read More