Hands moving in a circular motion, a scoop and a swish. These are the movements of a Pranic Healing Practioner. The keys to this practice are concentration and the life force known as prana.
Master Stephen Co, Pranic Healing lecturer, teacher, and co-author of Your Hands Can Heal You, says “By using ancient spiritual laws, anyone can use this universal life force to accelerate their vitality and accelerate their own healing.”
Integrative healing modalities are becoming more prevalent as people look for ways to improve their wellbeing. Developed by the oriental healer Grandmaster Choa Kok Sui, Pranic Healing claims to improve the quality of lives through prana, a life force energy (a bio- energy) that is available everywhere- earth, air and sun. For those tuned into energy work, it’s also known as chi or ki.
Ailments present first in the bio-energy field before manifesting in the body. The principles of the practice are twofold: cleansing and energizing. Grandmaster Choa Kok Sui developed a cookbook approach in energy work that cleans out the dirty energy and replaces it with clean energy so the body can heal. Anyone can do this. Medical professionals in facilities, such as Kaiser Permanente in Las Angeles, find this system a good complement to traditional medicine.
Pranic Healing was introduced to El Paso in 2007 after a small group of local alternative healers were guided to classes with Master Stephen Co, a disciple of Grandmaster Choa Kok Sui. El Paso now has more than 150 Pranic Healers with a free Pranic Healing clinic offered by LIGHT (lightelpaso.com) on the first Sunday of every month.
Contributing writer Lynn Provenzano spoke with Master Stephen Co and provides insights into the world of Pranic Healing.
How does Pranic Healing work?
Master Co: Pranic Healing works by using simple easy-to-follow techniques consisting of breathing exercises, concentration and visualization skills to harness prana, or life force, to increase the healing rate of physical, emotional, mental imbalances.
How did you find your way into Pranic Healing?
Master Co: It started in 1988 when my wife fell from 14 feet and broke her hip bone. The orthopedic surgeon said that it would take three and a half months before she could start to walk. I searched for a faster way to make her better. That’s when I found Master Choa Kok Sui, the originator, teaching it in the Philippines. After using the techniques on her, in two weeks, she could walk; in five weeks, she could run. I continued to use this on loved ones and friends with great success. At that point, Master Choa Kok Sui sent me to the United States to teach.
Who can use this source of healing?
Master Co: Pranic Healing allows everyday people from all walks in life to tap into this universal life force to accelerate their own healing and the healing of their loved ones without jeopardizing their own health. We do this by emphasizing energy hygiene. This is why many health care professionals integrate Pranic Healing into their practices.
To read the entire story, pick up a copy of The Art Avenue at The El Paso Museum of Art.
Master Co returns to El Paso in October 2014 with thought provoking lectures and intensive classes for those seeking improved quality in health and wellness.
Introductory Lectures with Master Stephen Co
Free Events
September 16 Protect Yourself from Negative Energies September 17 Miracle of Crystals, Gemstones, and Pranic Healing September 17- Self Pranic Healing and Re-charging
The most recent example of a partnership, and an important event in UTEP’s Centennial year celebration, is called Opera Bhutan.
Today, UTEP’s relationship with Bhutan is more than just a borrowed architecture. Bhutanese artifacts and artworks dot the campus. The relationship between the two countries has evolved into a mutually beneficial partnership in education, culture and friendship thanks in part to a British diplomat with a photography hobby.
The distinctive Bhutanese architectural style of UTEP’s buildings, with their deep-set windows, massive sloping walls and colorful tile mandalas, are the indirect result of a photo essay by John Claude White published in National Geographic Magazine in 1914, the year UTEP was founded as the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy.
White was a British political officer in Sikkim, a small country between Bhutan and Tibet, for 20 years in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He traveled to neighboring Bhutan on official business, and to pursue his own explorations, becoming the first Westerner to visit many parts of the country. He carried his glass plate camera on his journeys, capturing the buildings, landscapes and people in images that were published in the National Geographic photo essay “Castles in the Air: Experiences and Journeys in Unknown Bhutan.”
Kathleen Worrell, wife of the University’s first dean, saw White’s photos of dzongs, or fortresses, in the mountainous country between India and China and thought the Bhutanese style would blend well in El Paso.
In October 2013, about 70 people from 10 different countries, including a large contingent of UTEP students, faculty and staff, traveled to Bhutan to produce the first Western opera ever performed in that country. In August, the international group will reconvene in El Paso for the United States premiere of the historic musical presentation. The Opera Bhutan group will present an evening of authentic Bhutanese music and dance for the whole family and the unprecedented staging of Handel’s Acis and Galatea that incorporates Bhutanese musical elements.
To read more, pick up a copy of The Art Avenue at Corralito Steakhouse
Producing your own food, learning to become a master gardener and indulging on some healthy bites were the highlights at Cultivate, a lighting forum about local food systems and sustainability sponsored by the El Paso Community Foundation.
The most recent event was catered by The Green Ingredient and those attending the forum heard talks from five experts in their fields discuss participation in master gardening, community gardens, sustainability and agriculture.
“It’s everything from the people that run restaurants, to people that are growing their own food in their backyard, to community gardeners to non profits and others,” said Gary Williams, senior program officer of the El Paso Community Foundation. “It’s all part of education, connect the dots, let people know what’s going on and keep it going on a regular ongoing basis.”
Tyler Savage, consultant for the El Paso Community Foundation, said the event offers the opportunity for people who are also looking at starting their own business and becoming more involved in the industry. “There are a lot of people out there with ideas that they might not necessarily have the resources or the time to access things to make them happen,” Savage said. “So the idea was to put together innovators and people who are interested in the local food industry and sustainability to start collaboration and hopefully spur other people into action.” The next Cultivate will be October 23, 2014 at the El Paso Community Foundation Room. Entry is free of charge.
How Dr. Lucy Sarbrough’s awe of Chopin’s work ignited a lifelong passion for music education
By Victoria G. Molinar Photos courtesy Joyce Whiteside and Dr. Lucy Scarbrough
With nearly 250 musical compositions that included nocturnes, études, and the ballades that he pioneered, legendary pianist Frédéric Chopin left an impact on the world that would never diminish.His music not only lives on through interpreters of his work, but in a seemingly endless list of films and television shows (from the emotionally raw film The Pianist to seven episodes of the wildly popular TV series The Simpsons). Multi-platinum singer Barry Manilow even used Chopin’s Prelude in C-Minor in the song “Could it Be Magic.”
Many musicians, including El Paso Chopin Music Festival founder Dr. Lucy Scarbrough, say the use of his music in such a diverse range work is due to his innovative use of the piano.
“Chopin is one of the first pianists to show the world the modern way of playing the piano,” Scarbrough said. “The piano is only about 314 years old right now and that’s pretty young considering history.”
An acclaimed pianist herself, Scarbrough has spent the last two decades organizing the local festival dedicated to the beloved Polish composer. Featuring award-winning pianists from countries such as China, Germany and Mexico, the free concerts have filled the seats of the Chamizal National Memorial Theatre and garnered worldwide recognition.
Now in its 20th season, this year’s guest artists might not be from outside the U.S., but their international success presents a world-class element. Henry Kramer, a Juilliard School graduate who earned second prize at the China Shanghai International Piano Competition has been hailed by The New York Times as “thrilling” and “triumphant” while Corbin Beisner earned top prizes in festivals throughout Europe and worked alongside famous pianists such as Boris Berman, Paul Badura-Skoda and the late Vitaly Margulis.
This piece represents El Paso and its unyielding urge to expand while remaining true to itself. The soul of our city isn’t defined by one culture, rather by its people and their aspirations. Opportunities for El Paso require the lifeblood of our community and its desires. I was born and raised in El Paso and Juarez, and I like to paint. The realities and opportunities that I create, real or surreal, are not dictated by me, but rather by the unique experiences of a viewer.
Agave Rosa Gallery is featuring abstract artist Yeunhee Lee. Lee was born in South Korea and after getting married, traveled along the West Coast and eventually made El Paso her home.
In 2007 she began her masters at UTEP in the master of art in art studio. This is when she found her love for abstract art, “I felt that realism was a little boring to me, with abstract I feel like I can express myself more”.
The balance of light, color, and the simplicity of lines in Lee’s artwork are apparent while she uses only a white canvas and black paint. Lee’s artistic abilities are unique to her, through her cultural experiences she has been able to blend different elements together, “Observation of diverse cultures and the resulting adjustment in my life’s experiences has provided important elements and the creative spark for my work.”
Born and raised in Cd. Juarez, Hebert Nicolath’s photographs challenge the viewer to explore their emotions. His pictures portray the life found on the streets of Juarez and expresses moments of culture, history and truths. Nicolath’s challenge when documenting his subject is to separate the human heart and concentrate on his technique to capture the moment.
Dr. Robert Alexander González builds up El Paso’s architecture program, brick by brick
By Oscar Garza Images courtesy of Texas Tech College of Architecture
There is only one architecture program in the United States located in an active train station, and we’ve got it.
Texas Tech University’s College of Architecture relocated last summer to a new campus at the Union Depot—right in the heart of El Paso’s historic Downtown. Dr. Robert Alexander González, director of the school’s architecture program since 2011, hopes his school can present a fresh and innovative architectural perspective and push El Paso into a more contemporary architectural sensibility.
“We have worked very hard to move the College of Architecture downtown to make it accessible to the community,” said González, who is also an associate professor at the school.
He is the author of Designing Pan-America: U.S. Architectural Visions for the Western Hemisphere and the founding editor of the academic journal AULA:Architecture and Urbanism in Las Américas.
One of the reasons for the move Downtown is to let the community know that El Paso has an educational authority with unlimited resource in the realm of architecture right in the heart of the city.
Having taught at the University of California at Berkeley, Tulane University, and Arizona State University, González’s vision for the school is to grow its academic offerings with new degree programs. The school functions as a satellite location for the main campus in Lubbock, Texas, and offers a Bachelor of Science in Architecture, but it is already recognized by Lubbock as its own unique campus right on the U.S.-Mexico border.
“We’re about to initiate a new historic preservation program in the fall 2014, and we’re hiring new faculty and a director for the preservation program. We’re expanding the choices that students have to study, and we’re hoping to develop degree programs in Landscape Architecture, Construction Management, and Interior Design,” González said. “We will also be offering certificate programs in Historic Preservation and Digital Media that non-traditional students can pursue.”
Here is a project by student Peter Aguilar showing a potential expansion of the Union Depot district. The project is called The Brainery, and the studio instructor is Guillermo Barajas.
Morris Brown, an instructor at the college, said González has done a lot for the school’s rise over the past three years, “With his relationship with the City of El Paso and his communication skills, the city recognizes that we are here, and he is absolutely perfect for this job. He has impacted our relationship with the community.”
With larger program offerings, the College of Architecture will be able to attract a wider demographic of students. “We’re hoping to bring in more students to Downtown and expand our program to include students from Juarez’s Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez and UTEP. We’d like to create a multi-institution campus where we can concentrate on new technologies, preservation and material innovations,” González said.
One of the main ideas that González trusts the school will channel into El Paso is a better balance between the preservation of historic structures and the addition of contemporary, state-of-the-art architecture in the city.
“I would like to help turn our attention to a better sense of preservation ethics in the city; I think the city has not been very good at taking care of its old buildings. And I don’t think that the city has really had an opportunity to explore the richness of contemporary architecture,” González said. “Sophisticated progress takes into account the use of historic structures and new technologies and space-making. Destroying buildings for speculative development or to create blank, open space is like throwing your money away. The city is losing its cultural capital faster than it is building upon its resources,” he said.
He strongly believes that the lack of contemporary architecture in El Paso is one of the things preventing the city from achieving weight in the world of architecture and tourism, and this means that El Paso is far behind in this arena. He hopes that with the aid of the college, the city will develop contemporary architecture that is regionally sensitive and specific to El Paso, rather than reliant on the importation of random styles—architecture that “is about the city and region” is what is needed, González said.
“We lack architecture that is innovative and that introduces the latest material technologies. We have only one building in town designed by an internationally recognized, award-winning, contemporary architect—the federal courthouse—and that building was not even completed to its intended standard. El Paso is very much behind in any kind of progressive trajectory in architecture. Sadly, it can only rely on its vulnerable historical architecture to claim any kind of importance or relevance in the world of architecture,” González said. The one local building that merits recognition the world over is the Union Depot, where the college is located. It was designed by one of the nation’s most important and seminal architects, Daniel Hudson Burnham.”
While the school is not directly involved in city projects, its work can serve as a “catalysts for projects,” said Brown, “We work on key projects every semester…and if we want to and are able to, [if] city politicians are interested in listening, we can show them our ideas and concepts.”
With the Texas Tech College of Architecture growing and becoming a known entity in the city, González continues to find ways to further involve the public in the school’s endeavors. “We have created a College of Architecture Library in the El Paso Museum of Art,” said González, “which is a major contribution because it is a specialized collection for everyone to use. The college also contributes with our Lecture Series—we are currently planning our fourth series, “Prized Places,” which will be our best series to date.”
The last lecture series (another collaboration with the El Paso Museum of Art) was entitled “City of Choice,” referencing El Paso’s anticipated growth in city status. Free to the public, the college invites top scholars and architects to discuss issues like architectural competitions, portable architecture, green building, and a topic close to González’ heart, balancing a city’s landscape with a mix of modern ideas and historically preserved structures. González is excited to report that two of the “superstar” architects he invited are currently working on projects with two local companies—a direct result of the college’s efforts.
As the school creates opportunities for the public to learn more about how historical preservation and great contemporary architecture can co-exist, he anticipates that in time the city will strike a better balance of both ideals.
The Union Depot campus will undergo renovations at the end of the summer, in preparation for Texas Tech’s expanded presence in the building. Included in the plans are a new gallery, a technology center, and an exhibition space for the local community to enjoy and use. Brown said the move to Downtown couldn’t be more perfect for the program, “It is right in the heart of all the activity, where we need to be a part of this future part of El Paso. And being in this historic train station, who would’ve thought we’d be the only architecture school in an active train station in the entire United States? It’s pretty special for us right here.” Now with a number of architecture firms moving close to the Union Depot, González hopes the city will soon see the emergence of a Design and Technology District.
The Consulate General of Mexico is taking strides to preserve the rich and colorful heritage of its ancestors and share some of Mexico’s greatest artists. Located in Downtown El Paso on San Antonio Avenue, the consulate has filled 2014 with over 50 events showcasing diverse yet comprehensive cultural programs. The upcoming events include ballets, musical performances, visual art exhibits, book readings and a film series.
“We want to create a balance of established artists and artists that are on the brink of great things. The idea is to give them an opportunity to showcase their work at an international level,” said Karina Bugarini, cultural attaché for the Consulate General of Mexico. “We are bringing in artisans from throughout Mexico and allowing them to show what rich culture our heritage has to share.”
Part of that culture can be viewed through the contemporary works from sculptor Sebastian, visual artist Margarita Cabrera, the instrumental music of Matias Carbajal’s jazz ensemble, dancers Jacqueline Lopez and Fernando Dominguez and poet and essayist Sergio Mondragón.
To read more about this story pick up a copy of The Art Avenue at Tabla on 115 S. Durango St. in Downtown El Paso.
Photographs courtesy of The Consulate General of Mexico, Alex Cardona & Laura Bustillos
Inside UTEP’s Fox Fine Arts Center, art students haven’t only been learning the A to Z of creating work. Thanks to local art leader Adrian Esparza and a new artist-in-residency program, students also are learning the business of being an artist.
Vincent Burke, Department of Art chair, had wanted to start a residency program for some time. “Some of my most valuable educational experiences came about through conversations I had with my professors in their studios while they were working,” he said. “I know I would not be where I am today were it not for those precious hours spent with my mentors. I wanted to create a space for this to happen at UTEP for our students.” Burke knew exactly who he wanted as the pilot of this first-ever program for UTEP: Adrian Esparza, UTEP alumnus, El Paso native and world-renowned artist.
As a prior artist-in-residence elsewhere, Esparza had experience to offer from the Border Art Residency in La Union, N.M., and Artpace in San Antonio, and knew how to juggle the public and private expectations of such a position. He also had taught a number of classes within UTEP’s art department, including Basic Design, Basic Drawing and Life Drawing.
The acclaimed creator made the residency work alongside previous commitments, including exhibits at The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and the Pérez Art Museum Miami as part of PAMM’s AMERICANA: Formalizing Craft show.
Maintaining an open-door policy, Esparza’s duties throughout his 11-month residency (from September of 2013 through August of this year) have included the production of new work while he gives any student who drops in a firsthand look at how a professional artist schedules exhibitions, organizes time in order to meet deadlines, puts together press packets, works with curators and collectors, and crafts artist’s statements.
His guidance to students can be summed up very simply: “Be in the moment. This approach will produce work that justifies the next exhibition. Have a responsibility that establishes a reputation. Verbalize—the more you talk about your work, the better you get at producing it as well as explaining it and getting it out there. Then pull it off.”
To view a time-lapse video documenting Adrian Esparza’s work: crafthouston.org
To read the complete story pick up a copy at OM Boutique at The Mix in Downtown El Paso.
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