From the awesome lovely yogini and dear elefriend Seane Corn:            

Whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever you’re into, just vote! Spiritual leaders are joining together to get the right message out there.

In just a couple of weekswe will have the opportunity to vote into office a new administration. Hopefully, whichever administration takes seat in the Oval office will be sensitive to the issues of all citizens and proactive in making policies and choices that will benefit us all, and the planet we live upon.
Whether you are a Republican, Democrat, Independent, Green Party or Libertarian is not the issue or the motivation for this letter. We are appealing to the 20 million US citizens who practice yoga to register to vote, or if you are already registered, then to actually cast that vote on or before November 4th.

We have tried to make the registration and voting process as easy as possible. For registering for any particular party, or receiving information on absentee balloting then please click onto www.longdistancevoter.org. We have also included an unbiased political site where you can learn more about each individual candidate. The information on www.vote-smart.org is easy to navigate and understand. Simply click “candidate” and then on “President” and it will list all the current nominees, their stand on the issues, and recent speeches.

We at the OTM team have seen an amazing year of connection and activation across the yoga community. We have witnessed the inspiration of individual voices and visions emerging and experienced the miracles that come when we allow ourselves to speak out, build communities of support and become effective leaders for change. Now is an incredible opportunity to take a small step with far reaching effects. Let’s put our compassion into action and take our yoga into the world now.

Every single vote counts and our intention is to rally the yoga community to register, vote, and be a part of the political process. Please feel free to forward this email to your list and join us in encouraging our community to get out there to vote!

May there be peace on earth and good health, abundance and freedom for all.

 

This came in a separate email: join with other spiritual leaders to Vote

ATTN: Obama Choir Singers,

I’m passing this along to you. I suspect you’re already registered to  
vote and will do so for Obama, so I don’t know how effective this  
kind of thing is, but nevertheless, here it is, in case you’re  
curious… Now you too can pass this along…

-BE
> Dear friends,
> I am writing to ask you to join me, along with Robert Gass, Judith  
> Ansara, Deepak Chopra, Jack Kornfield, Jean Houston, Roshi Joan  
> Halifax, Sharon Salzberg, Stephan Rechtschaffen, Reggie Ray, Cyndi  
> Lee,  Marianne Williamson, Barbara De Angelis, Shiva Rae, Lama  
> Surya Das, Rodney Yee,  Krishna Das, Jack Canfield, Julia Butterfly  
> Hill, Gay & Katie Hendricks, Rabbi Michael Lerner, Sylvia  
> Boorstein, Reb Zalman Shachter-Shalomi, Joan Borysenko, Pema  
> Chödrön, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and a rapidly growing wave of spiritual  
> teachers who are working together to help ensure a winning turnout  
> for Obama from our networks.
>> Below you will find an email that is going out to all our  
>> individual mailing lists. In addition, we are reaching out to  
>> other teachers like yourselves who have substantial mailing lists  
>> of students. Please help us usher in a President who is aligned  
>> with so many of the values we hold dear.
>>
>> Here’s what you can do:
>>
>> 1. Please send out the Spiritual Leaders Vote for Obama email  
>> (sample below) out to your personal or organizational lists.
>>
>> 2. Let us know if you would like to have your name added to the  
>> email and website. (We are requesting that all signers agree to  
>> send the letter to their lists.)
>>
>> 3. Forward this invitation along to other teachers whom you know,  
>> so as to create the greatest possible viral impact. Personalize  
>> with your own invitation & signature. Feel free to remove ours.
>>
>> 4. Download flyers for distribution at events and display in  
>> community spaces.
>>
>>  If you plan to send this out to your list, please note the  
>> following:
>>
>> 1. If you are acting as an individual, you have every right to  
>> publicly endorse a particular candidate, and are free to send out  
>> the Vote for Obama version of the email you see below. Click here  
>> to download a version designed to be used with your email sending  
>> software.
>> 2. Important– if you are acting on behalf of a 501-3C non-profit,  
>> and/or using their mailing list– you are not allowed to endorse a  
>> particular candidate. However, you are permitted to encourage your  
>> members/students/constituents to vote, and to speak about the  
>> values you feel are important. We have created an alternative  
>> version for this purpose that asks people to vote for our values.  
>> Some business people have also preferred to use this non-partisan  
>> version. Click here to download a non-partisan Spiritual Leaders  
>> Vote for Change version designed to be used with your email  
>> sending software.
>>
>> 3. You may want to have your name added to the email version you  
>> send out. This version is in html format, which means that they  
>> can be sent by bulk e-mail programs. However, in order to make  
>> edits (e.g. add your own name to the list) one needs to be able to  
>> work in html format. If you have a tech person, they will be able  
>> to do this.  Let us know if you are having difficulty.
>> If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Judith at  
>> [email protected].
>>
>> We are delighted to report that our first email blast has gone out  
>> to Judith Ansara and Robert Gass’s email list (and we are getting  
>> a great response!) We are doing an e-blast to a list of 10,000  
>> yoga teachers and studio owners today. Numbers of other spiritual  
>> teachers are requesting to have their names added and have agreed  
>> to send to their lists. We have two websites up and running with  
>> lots of great links and materials which can be printed for  
>> distribution:
>> www.SpiritualLeadersforObama.org
>>
>> www.SpiritualLeadersforChange.org (non-partisan website)
>>
>> We hope you will take the time and effort to do whatever you can  
>> to help create a positive wave of change for our country.
>> Love and Blessings…
>>
>> Robert Gass and Judith Ansara
>>Deepak Chopra

>> Jean Houston
>> Jack Kornfield
>> Sylvia Boorstein
>> Roshi Joan Halifax
>> Sharon Salzberg
>> Marc Barasch
>> Stephan Rechtschaffen
>> Reggie Ray
>> Cyndi Lee
>> Jon Kabat-Zinn
>> Marianne Williamson
>> Barbara De Angelis
>> Shiva Rae
>> Lama Surya Das
>> Seane Corn
>> Rodney Yee
>> Coleen Saidman
>> Gordon Davidson
>> Ed & Deb Shapiro
>> Corinne McLaughlin
>> Krishna Das
>> Jack Canfield
>> Julia Butterfly Hill
>> Gay & Katie Hendricks
>> Rabbi Michael Lerner
>> Reb Zalman Shachter-Shalomi
>> Sharon Gannon
>> David Life
>> Swami Beyondananda
>> Joan Borysenko
>> Judith Ansara & Robert Gass
>> …and more every day!
>>
>> ********************************************************************* 
>> *******
>>
>> As spiritual leaders signing this letter we are stepping forward  
>> to say: “We can make a difference.” As our spiritual practice  
>> empties, opens and strengthens us, we are naturally moved to  
>> engage in the world with compassion, equanimity, and the  
>> dedication to live our values.
>>
>> We know many of you are already both concerned and involved in  
>> this year’s Presidential election. Yet, in the past weeks, many of  
>> us have heard friends in the spiritual community expressing  
>> ambivalence about voting. When asked why they wouldn’t vote we  
>> heard things like: “It doesn’t make any difference”; “I’m more  
>> interested in spiritual practice than politics”.
>>
>> This election, we have an opportunity to create a paradigm shift  
>> in the nature of politics. Senator McCain has voted with President  
>> Bush over 90% of the time leading to policies that have increased  
>> violence the world, furthered environmental destruction, tried to  
>> force religious views on the country, and shown a staggering lack  
>> of compassion for those most in need.
>>
>> Senator Barack Obama is a leader whose policies reflect  
>> spirituality in action:
>> Security through international cooperation rather than wars of  
>> aggression;
>> Care for the environment and meeting the challenge of climate change;
>> Equal opportunity and health care for all Americans;
>> Visit www.barackobama.com to learn more about Obama’s ideas &  
>> policies for change, & how you can help.
>>
>> Humanity is at a crossroads. We can no-longer afford to sit on the  
>> sidelines. We are asking you to get engaged. The 2000 presidential  
>> election was decided by just 500 votes and this November appears  
>> to be just as close. Every vote matters. Your vote and the votes  
>> in your community could make the difference.
>>
>> Vote.  Let your voice be heard.
>> Together there is nothing we cannot do.
>>
>> TAKE ACTION NOW
>>
>> 1. REGISTER TO VOTE & Detailed Voter Information
>> 2. VOLUNTEER
>> Find out how you can help!
>> 3. FORWARD THIS EMAIL >> Invite your students, friends, and fellow spiritual seekers to get  
>> involved.
>>
>> Let’s bring the benefits of our practice into our lives. The world  
>> needs us.
>>
>> Blessings:
>> Deepak, Shiva, Seane, Cyndi, Surya, Roshi Joan , Jean, Reggie.  
>> Joan B., Reb Zalman, Jack, Judith, Robert, Sharon, Coleen, Rodney,  
>> Sharon, David, Stephan, Jon, Marianne, Krishna Das, Julia  
>> Butterfly, Gay & Katie, Michael, Steve, Barbara, Jack C., Gordon,  
>> Ed & Deb , Corinne, Marc …. and more every day….
>> PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL WIDELY