One Love Long Island (OLLI) was founded in 2012 by a group of Long Island Yogi’s. They were deeply inspired by the work of Off The Mat and Into The World (OTM), founded by Seane Corn, Hala Khouri, and Suzanne Sterling.
The OTM mission is to use the power of yoga to inspire conscious and sustainable activism in order to ignite grassroots social change.
The OTM leadership trainings empower individuals to pursue socially conscious solutions about which they are passionate.
We at OLLI, wholeheartedly believe in their mission and are forever grateful for their guidance and inspiration in our path of service, 20% of the event proceeds are donated to them, to help to provide scholarships for leadership trainings, for those who could not otherwise afford to attend.
Puresa Humanitarian
Since OLLI’s inception in 2012, Our Battle Cry has been to alleviate the suffering of victims and survivors of Human Trafficking.
We have partnered with Puresa Humanitarian a 501c3 , founded by Giselle Meza, who is a trafficking survivor.
Puresa Humanitarian’s mission is to save lives, reach, rescue and restore the lives of women and children from the horrors of sexual slavery, and giving them hope for a bright future. Puresa Humanitarian offers a way out of slavery by reaching at risk, poverty stricken children and families in remote villages and providing them with prevention programs on the immediate dangers, behaviors and tactics used by traffickers.
Puresa rescues children from the living nightmare that is forced prostitution, offering a safe clean home in a loving atmosphere with complete aftercare, food, medical care, education, clothing, counseling, spiritual counseling and 24-hour care.
Puresa also provides women with jobs skills training and jobs, so that can earn an income and be self-sustainable.
The proceeds from past OLLI events have contributed to the building of the
“Puresa Life Skills Center” as well as the support and maintaintenance of the ongoing projects there..
Human Trafficking Facts
*Human Trafficking for the purpose of commercial exploitation has tragically exploded into a Global Epidemic.
*Human Trafficking is an estimated $40 billion a year global industry and is the fastest growing and most profitable criminal activity.
*Globalization has facilitated the transport of human cargo and sexual services across international borders.
*Women and children around the world are vulnerable to trafficking because of poverty and lack of opportunity. Thousands are made vulnerable by dire economic circumstances. Others have a desire for a better life and are falsely told trafficking can help.
*Currently, there are approximately 30 million people enslaved throughout the world with 2.5 million located right here in the United States.
TRAFFICKED CHILDREN
*Every two minutes a child from the United States is trafficked for the purpose of human exploitation.
*The average age of sex trafficking victims is 12 years old.
*Estimated percentage of global sex trade industry victims are 50% children.
*Overall, an estimated 1 million minors are currently enslaved in the global commercial sex trade. The growing demand for younger victims is fueled by those engaged in “sex-tourism.”
*100,000 American children are being used as commodities For Sale or Trade across the nation.
Each year more than 15,000 Nepali little girls are kidnapped or sold and taken across the border into India to be forced into a life of prostitution.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS MODERN DAY SLAVERY!
*Sex-trafficking is one of the darkest atrocities of our day.
Estimates of women and children trafficked across international borders each year range from 800,000 to 4 Million.
*Throughout Asia, more than 300,000 Nepali women are trapped in a life of forced prostitution.
A high percentage of women trapped in sexual-slavery in India have been trafficked from poverty-stricken villages in Nepal.
*Having their own economic sustainability helps diminish their risk of re-victimization, and helps break the cycle of human exploitation and modern-day slavery. A human life should never be for sale!
United We Om
One Love Long Island is also partnering with United We Om (UWO). Founded by dynamo husband and wife team Matt and Jenny Jared.
United We Om is a yoga and meditation non-profit providing practice to trauma-impacted and under-resourced communities. In the past three years, United We Om has shared practice with more than 8500 practitioners from a wide-variety of communities including Veterans, Survivors of Domestic Violence, Foster Children, Special Needs, Addiction Recovery, Low-Income, Cancer Survivors and many more.
United We Om hires yoga and mindfulness teachers who feel called to share practice with specific communities because of their own life experience. United We Om provides their classes on-site at the organizations they serve and there is never any cost to the practitioners or the organizations.
United We Om provides on-going trainings to yoga teachers, offered by-donation with no minimum donation, to ensure the tools of sharing practice effectively are available to all yoga teachers who desire to be of service.
United We Om is incredibly grateful to One Love Long Island for their support and commitment to making the invaluable practices of yoga and meditation available to the Recovery community of Long Island. It is an honor to be of service together.
has shared practice with more than 8500 individuals from more than 50 different communities.
The collaboration between OLLI and UWO have created
“Yoga and Meditation for Recovery One Love Long Island”
at the South Oaks/Northwell Hospital in Amityville.
Here is the impact OLLI will have:
In-Patient Detox Program COED - 2 classes a week, 10 - 20 participants per week
In-Patient Rehab Program WOMEN - 2 classes a week, 20 participants per week
In-Patient Rehab Program MEN - 2 classes a week, 20 participants per week
Anticipated Impact - 120 students reached per week!!!
The OTM mission is to use the power of yoga to inspire conscious and sustainable activism in order to ignite grassroots social change.
The OTM leadership trainings empower individuals to pursue socially conscious solutions about which they are passionate.
We at OLLI, wholeheartedly believe in their mission and are forever grateful for their guidance and inspiration in our path of service, 20% of the event proceeds are donated to them, to help to provide scholarships for leadership trainings, for those who could not otherwise afford to attend.
Puresa Humanitarian
Since OLLI’s inception in 2012, Our Battle Cry has been to alleviate the suffering of victims and survivors of Human Trafficking.
We have partnered with Puresa Humanitarian a 501c3 , founded by Giselle Meza, who is a trafficking survivor.
Puresa Humanitarian’s mission is to save lives, reach, rescue and restore the lives of women and children from the horrors of sexual slavery, and giving them hope for a bright future. Puresa Humanitarian offers a way out of slavery by reaching at risk, poverty stricken children and families in remote villages and providing them with prevention programs on the immediate dangers, behaviors and tactics used by traffickers.
Puresa rescues children from the living nightmare that is forced prostitution, offering a safe clean home in a loving atmosphere with complete aftercare, food, medical care, education, clothing, counseling, spiritual counseling and 24-hour care.
Puresa also provides women with jobs skills training and jobs, so that can earn an income and be self-sustainable.
The proceeds from past OLLI events have contributed to the building of the
“Puresa Life Skills Center” as well as the support and maintaintenance of the ongoing projects there..
Human Trafficking Facts
*Human Trafficking for the purpose of commercial exploitation has tragically exploded into a Global Epidemic.
*Human Trafficking is an estimated $40 billion a year global industry and is the fastest growing and most profitable criminal activity.
*Globalization has facilitated the transport of human cargo and sexual services across international borders.
*Women and children around the world are vulnerable to trafficking because of poverty and lack of opportunity. Thousands are made vulnerable by dire economic circumstances. Others have a desire for a better life and are falsely told trafficking can help.
*Currently, there are approximately 30 million people enslaved throughout the world with 2.5 million located right here in the United States.
TRAFFICKED CHILDREN
*Every two minutes a child from the United States is trafficked for the purpose of human exploitation.
*The average age of sex trafficking victims is 12 years old.
*Estimated percentage of global sex trade industry victims are 50% children.
*Overall, an estimated 1 million minors are currently enslaved in the global commercial sex trade. The growing demand for younger victims is fueled by those engaged in “sex-tourism.”
*100,000 American children are being used as commodities For Sale or Trade across the nation.
Each year more than 15,000 Nepali little girls are kidnapped or sold and taken across the border into India to be forced into a life of prostitution.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS MODERN DAY SLAVERY!
*Sex-trafficking is one of the darkest atrocities of our day.
Estimates of women and children trafficked across international borders each year range from 800,000 to 4 Million.
*Throughout Asia, more than 300,000 Nepali women are trapped in a life of forced prostitution.
A high percentage of women trapped in sexual-slavery in India have been trafficked from poverty-stricken villages in Nepal.
*Having their own economic sustainability helps diminish their risk of re-victimization, and helps break the cycle of human exploitation and modern-day slavery. A human life should never be for sale!
United We Om
One Love Long Island is also partnering with United We Om (UWO). Founded by dynamo husband and wife team Matt and Jenny Jared.
United We Om is a yoga and meditation non-profit providing practice to trauma-impacted and under-resourced communities. In the past three years, United We Om has shared practice with more than 8500 practitioners from a wide-variety of communities including Veterans, Survivors of Domestic Violence, Foster Children, Special Needs, Addiction Recovery, Low-Income, Cancer Survivors and many more.
United We Om hires yoga and mindfulness teachers who feel called to share practice with specific communities because of their own life experience. United We Om provides their classes on-site at the organizations they serve and there is never any cost to the practitioners or the organizations.
United We Om provides on-going trainings to yoga teachers, offered by-donation with no minimum donation, to ensure the tools of sharing practice effectively are available to all yoga teachers who desire to be of service.
United We Om is incredibly grateful to One Love Long Island for their support and commitment to making the invaluable practices of yoga and meditation available to the Recovery community of Long Island. It is an honor to be of service together.
has shared practice with more than 8500 individuals from more than 50 different communities.
The collaboration between OLLI and UWO have created
“Yoga and Meditation for Recovery One Love Long Island”
at the South Oaks/Northwell Hospital in Amityville.
Here is the impact OLLI will have:
In-Patient Detox Program COED - 2 classes a week, 10 - 20 participants per week
In-Patient Rehab Program WOMEN - 2 classes a week, 20 participants per week
In-Patient Rehab Program MEN - 2 classes a week, 20 participants per week
Anticipated Impact - 120 students reached per week!!!
“I truly feel like I’ve always been an OLLI girl from the start in 2012. Something bright sparks inside of me when I have a chance to breathe and flow with the Yoga community to SERVE, to raise the vibration of LOVE and AWARENESS, and to put the practice of Yoga into ACTION. I am proud to be a part of the One Love Long Island team.” Leah Hartofelis, Breathe N Flow Yoga planted its roots in Freeport, LI in 2010, and in Oceanside, LI in 2017, with Yoga Mama extraordinaire, Leah Hartofelis as its director, teacher, and all around nurturer. As a teacher and student of yoga, Leah’s vision is one of sharing love, knowledge, and the life-affirming benefits of the practice with as many beings as possible. She teaches a wide variety of classes including Vinyasa Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Meditation. Encouraging students to always, “root down to rise up,” Leah’s balanced, mindful, breath-focused classes are designed to provide practitioners as many tools as possible to help incorporate all aspects of yoga both on and off the mat. Leah is also the director of both BNFYoga’s 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training, and Long Island’s leading Prenatal Yoga School. She offers a wide variety of prenatal yoga classes and trainings, and most importantly, a loving, safe community for mothers-to-be.
Her own Yogic roots include a 200-hour Teacher Training at Sonic Yoga in NYC, and a 500-hour certification with Cyndi Lee at OM Yoga Center, NYC. Additional certifications include Prenatal Yoga through Barnes Method Yoga for Two as well as Ma Yoga, a Relax & Renew Restorative Yoga certification with Judith Lasater, and a Yin Yoga certification with Corina Benner, Wake Up Yoga.
Her own Yogic roots include a 200-hour Teacher Training at Sonic Yoga in NYC, and a 500-hour certification with Cyndi Lee at OM Yoga Center, NYC. Additional certifications include Prenatal Yoga through Barnes Method Yoga for Two as well as Ma Yoga, a Relax & Renew Restorative Yoga certification with Judith Lasater, and a Yin Yoga certification with Corina Benner, Wake Up Yoga.
Nadine Wolff is one of the original co-founders of One Love Long Island. Since 2012, she has personally raised over $50,000 to raise awareness and combat human trafficking.
Nadine is an RYT 500 E-RYT 200,and has been teaching yoga since 2009. She is a certified Yamuna Body Rolling Practitioner, Conscious Colors Aroma-Color therapist, and level 2 Reiki Practitioner. She is a leader at “Off The Mat and Into The World” or OTM, which was founded by Seane Corn, Hala Khouri and Suzanne Sterling. Their mission, as the name implies, is to use the power of yoga to inspire conscious, sustainable activism, and to ignite grass roots social change. Nadine is certified to teach the OTM “Yoga In Action” curriculum. She joined the OTM Seva Challenge India in 2012 to raise funds and awareness around the sex trafficking crisis in India. She consequently traveled to India with the OTM founders Seane Corn and Suzanne Sterling in February 2013 for 2 weeks, to visit with the NGO’s to whom the proceeds of the challenge went toward. That experience has left and indelible imprint on her heart and inspired her to do something ongoingly for the sex trafficking crisis. Her line of yoga inspired jewelry was born called “Karmic Jewels By Nadine, Good Deeds Wearing Beads”, all of the proceeds of which go to the NGO’s Sanlapp India, and Puresa Humanitarian. She currently sits on the board of Puresa Humanitarian.
Nadine has returned to India every year since her initial visit in 2013 to continue to bear witness and raise awareness for the NGO’s there. She looks forward to leading her next Yoga and Service trip there in 2017. Nadine is forever grateful for the gift of her teachers, yoga, and for Seva, meaning “selfless action.”
Nadine is an RYT 500 E-RYT 200,and has been teaching yoga since 2009. She is a certified Yamuna Body Rolling Practitioner, Conscious Colors Aroma-Color therapist, and level 2 Reiki Practitioner. She is a leader at “Off The Mat and Into The World” or OTM, which was founded by Seane Corn, Hala Khouri and Suzanne Sterling. Their mission, as the name implies, is to use the power of yoga to inspire conscious, sustainable activism, and to ignite grass roots social change. Nadine is certified to teach the OTM “Yoga In Action” curriculum. She joined the OTM Seva Challenge India in 2012 to raise funds and awareness around the sex trafficking crisis in India. She consequently traveled to India with the OTM founders Seane Corn and Suzanne Sterling in February 2013 for 2 weeks, to visit with the NGO’s to whom the proceeds of the challenge went toward. That experience has left and indelible imprint on her heart and inspired her to do something ongoingly for the sex trafficking crisis. Her line of yoga inspired jewelry was born called “Karmic Jewels By Nadine, Good Deeds Wearing Beads”, all of the proceeds of which go to the NGO’s Sanlapp India, and Puresa Humanitarian. She currently sits on the board of Puresa Humanitarian.
Nadine has returned to India every year since her initial visit in 2013 to continue to bear witness and raise awareness for the NGO’s there. She looks forward to leading her next Yoga and Service trip there in 2017. Nadine is forever grateful for the gift of her teachers, yoga, and for Seva, meaning “selfless action.”
Lisa Bondy, E-RYT, is a Founder and the Partner accountable for Yoga, Teacher Trainings and Quality for Practice Body Mind Soul Company. A yogi and meditator for 30 years, known for her satsang, Lisa challenges one to move beyond the bounds of the mind and expand into an empowering experience of authenticity and self-realization. Practicing breath, movement, and self-reflection; drawing on spiritual wisdom from many disciplines, Lisa’s intention and expertise lies in her ability to lead students on a healing, transformational journey – body, mind and soul. Lisa has her B.A. from Adelphi in History and Philosophy. Since her first teaching certification from Be Yoga with Alan Finger in 2001, Lisa has studied Ashtanga, and Vinyasa yoga as well as more alignment/therapeutic based yoga practices. Lisa’s additional trainings include Ashtanga Primary Series with David Swenson, Ashtanga Intermediate Series with Tim Miller, and Advanced Rasa Vinyasa with Shiva Rae, as well as Yoga Anatomy with Leslie Kaminoff, YogaKids with Marsha Wenig, and Laughter Yoga! A dedicated ashtangi, Lisa is forever indebted to her Gurujii, the late Sri K Pattabhi Jois and family. In addition, Lisa is proud to be a founder of the Nourishment program at Practice. Lisa has been a part of the holistic health and lifestyle movement, and an environmentalist for the past 30 years. A passionate natural gourmet/farm to table and macrobiotic cook, Lisa wholeheartedly believes in the healing/transformational power of food. As chairperson of her children’s elementary school Nutrition Committee for many years, she worked with the district to make school meals healthier adding vegetarian/vegan choices everyday, regular salad bar and soup offerings and milk free of BGH. Lisa founded a neighborhood organic food cooperative, partnered in a natural food market and raised two beautiful healthy young men who were weaned on carrot/green juices and enthusiastically eat kale, sea vegetables, adzuki beans and quinoa! A certified health and wellness nutrition coach, Lisa specializes in Clean Living Eating and Detox Cleansing to enhance life force energy for a more direct experience of vibrant robust health and happiness. Lisa feels privileged to serve on the board of One Love Long Island. She is a lifetime advocate for social justice, and has been an avid supporter of ONE LOVE since its in inception. One Love simply put, presents us with the opportunity to make a difference in the world, to lesson suffering in the lives of the children and women rescued from human trafficking. Every day One Love Long Island operates on the principle that we are not alone, that we are one and we are connected. So long as there is suffering and injustice in this world, however remote or near, we all suffer and there can be no peace. There is no ignoring. One Love Long Island and Off the Mat address our dire need to help each other build a better world.
Cara Stone: As Owner of Yoga Nanda with studios in Garden City, Long Beach, & Malverne, Cara has had the opportunity to bring a trilogy of likeminded communities together in practice, service, and support. “I had an architectural design business for 35 years which was my profession of choice. It was thriving, with a brick and mortar in Tribeca called Tribbles Home & Garden When the economy collapsed as a result of the Big Bank Bailout, Tribbles closed its doors. I was in Garden City, walking around trying to figure out what to do, and I saw the grand opening awning for Yoga Nanda. I stalked the studio day after day waiting for it to open, and one day I just walked in. Jules was there doing interviews, and I said to her: “I’ve been drawn to this space. I know you’re not open yet, but I need to work here.” Jules said: “Do you teach?” and I said no. She said: “Do you practice yoga?” and I said no. But I knew I needed to be there so I said: “I’ll do anything you want!” So I started commuting after work from the city and taking all the night shifts. When we first opened I was one of the first students. I watched the community take shape and grow every step of the way. I found myself falling in love with yoga. I started to take more classes, learn more about the different parts of the practice. I got involved with the Yoga Freedom project and I learned about Seva, and service, and I found my true purpose & intention. I did an intensive training with Off The Mat and Into the World and it opened my eyes in so many ways. As the person responsible for the Nanda community — my “morning cup of joe” has true clarity. Nanda is the place where people find their spiritual home. Where people find their sense of being, and purpose. And where people come together in unconditional support & service. There is something at Nanda for everyone. No matter what it is, the world becomes a better place when you practice!!!!!
Karin Holmgren started practicing yoga at age 15 in connection with cross country running. After establishing practices with Jivamukti and Ashtanga in New York City, she created a solid and deeply spiritual home practice that serves as her connection to source. After living in New York City and London, she returned home and now prefers Vinyasa Flow to keep her breath and body moving. She has studied Radiant Child Yoga with Shakta Khalsa, receiving her certification to teach in 2012. She has also studied Vinyasa Flow with Seane Corn. Karin holds a BA in English & History from New York University and a MA in Education from Fairfield University. A Connecticut native, she is the OLLI webmaster and digital guru.
Laura reluctantly tried yoga in 2009, and received a 200 hour certification in vinyasa in 2011. Shortly after, she was captivated by the deeply connected and core-centric practice of Forrest Yoga and completed the Foundation and Advanced Teacher Trainings with creator Ana Forrest and year-long mentorship with Dr. Heidi Sormaz. Laura holds a BFA from The University of the Arts.
Laura works with attention to an individual’s physical and emotional starting point to empower ownership of one’s practice. Passionate about connection, her teaching is fueled by depth of breath, strong connection to core, precision of alignment, and commitment to the internal and somatic work necessary for personal evolution. She is currently studying the Budokon system of yogic and martial arts under creator Cameron Shayne, and is inspired by its fluid and intentional transitions and warrior-like, functional movement. She is also influenced by the deeply Iyengar inspired teachers who have formed the foundation of yoga in Boston, and the creative and intelligently sequenced New York based Kula style of vinyasa flow.She is forever grateful to all of her teachers and is honored to be an ambassador to Manduka and KiraGrace.
Laura works with attention to an individual’s physical and emotional starting point to empower ownership of one’s practice. Passionate about connection, her teaching is fueled by depth of breath, strong connection to core, precision of alignment, and commitment to the internal and somatic work necessary for personal evolution. She is currently studying the Budokon system of yogic and martial arts under creator Cameron Shayne, and is inspired by its fluid and intentional transitions and warrior-like, functional movement. She is also influenced by the deeply Iyengar inspired teachers who have formed the foundation of yoga in Boston, and the creative and intelligently sequenced New York based Kula style of vinyasa flow.She is forever grateful to all of her teachers and is honored to be an ambassador to Manduka and KiraGrace.
Nicole Marzigliano grew up in New York and has traveled extensively around the world working with various human rights organizations. She spent three years teaching yoga through North and South America, working and learning with Shaman and Native American spirituality. While living in Medellin, Colombia, she worked and lived at a safe home for young girls who have been abused- she had the honor and privilege to share with them yoga, arts and crafts, and love. An experience that has shaped and humbled her ever since. She has also worked with Abolish Slavery and The Lotus House Shelter in Miami, Florida- a center for homeless women, teaching them computer skills and resume building techniques. In 2009 she taught an empowerment class at PS307 in Brooklyn called “Spirituality for Kids” empowering young 10 year old children to recognize their inner light in difficult situations. A curriculum that made children aware of their voice and their choices. Currently, she works with One Love Long Island bringing awareness to the OTM SEVA Challenge, local Long Island charities, and is part of the Yoga Freedom Project team in NYC dedicated to bringing awareness to eradicating Sex Trafficking and in mobilizing rehabilitation centers for women and children who have faced such atrocities. She enjoys working with clients sharing the wisdom of Ayurveda Nutrition, holding Ayurveda workshops, teaching a classical Hatha Yoga class and a Pre-natal yoga class. She continues to work non-stop in bringing the issues of environmental injustice and human trafficking into the eyes and hearts of people everywhere. “It takes a village to raise a child.”
SPECIAL THANKS
DjMikau, Michael Marzigliano studied guitar and hand percussion since his early teenage years. He was fascinated with cross cultured sounds of experimental bands and indigenous groups. He has played nayabimghi beats with world class musicians and opened up for the Wailers and Buju Banton. He has performed along side NYC djs Turntables on the Hudson , and Buyrum. After years of playing percussion , his interests extended into becoming a Dj. Mikau mixes jazz, house , tribal , indie-electro and disco into his sets. Currently spinning and composing in New York . DJ Mikau brings and eclectic vision of culture together with dance beats.