Tao Porchon-Lynch, the world's oldest yoga instructor, talks to lohud's Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy about yoga and its connection to life on Feb. 5, 2018, at Fred Astaire Studio in Hartsdale. She turns 100 years old in a few months.

Tao Porchon-Lynch, who was recognized by Guinness World Records as the Worlds Oldest Yoga Teacher in 2012 and who marched with both Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., died Friday in White Plains. She was 101.

"Our beloved TAOpassed away this morning, peacefully and without pain. As she would say, she is now dancing her way to the next planet," wrote Joyce Pine, a close friend and student of Porchon-Lynch, in an email to The Journal News.

Known for her indefatigable energy and spirit, the diminutive yoga master continued to teachher students at the Fred Astaire Studio in Hartsdale well into age 101.

Porchon-Lynch livedby her personal mantra: Theres nothing that you cannot do.

She took up ballroom dancing at age 87 and won more than 750 first-place awards as a competitive dancer. At age 96, she appeared on NBC's Americas Got Talent, receiving a standing ovation from the show's judges.

Tao Porchon-Lynch(Photo: Raphael Abada)

Ever thestyle icon, she once scaled Machu Picchu in stilettos. She adored wearing black leather pants with a fur coat draped over. Her nails and lips were alwayspainted in bright colors. At age 100, she was a brand ambassador for Athleta, the line of women's fitness clothes,and once graced the cover of its catalog.

Tao Porchon-Lynch during her Hollywood days.(Photo: Submitted)

The longtime Westchester resident worked earlier in her life as a Hollywood actress. Porchon-Lynch rubbedshoulders withMarilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Elizabeth Taylor, she recalled in various interviews with The Journal News..

Porchon-Lynch's life experiences spanned continents and historical events..

At age 12, she joined her uncle, Vital Porchon, who builtrailroadlines in Asia and Africa, to march alongside Gandhi in theSatyagrahaor Salt March of 1930. She would later take part in the 1963 March on Washington with Martin Luther King Jr.

Tao Porchon Lynch, the world's oldest yoga teacher, celebrates her 101st birthday with friends.(Photo: Raphael Abada)

For her 101st birthday last August, greetings came from around the world including from friends in Norway, Germany, India, Spain and Brazil. Dozens of comments on her Instagram account thanked her for her inspirational work as a yoga teacher.

To me 101 is natural. It doesnt scare me. I awake with the sun and think of all my many friends and that makes me ready to know that you never put anything off for tomorrow because tomorrow never comes, Porchon-Lynchtold The Journal News on the eve of her birthday.

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Born in 1918 in Pondicherry, India, to a French father and Indian mother who died giving birth to her, Porchon-Lynch was raised by her uncle.

It was from him that she learned lifes important lessons.

My uncle would say, never ask anyone to understand you, try and understand them," she said."Never look down upon anyone.

To her, he embodied the power of positivity and mindfulness.

"Every morning he'd say, 'It's a beautiful day, isn't it?'" Porchon-Lynch said."Wake up each day thinkingit's going to be a great day, and it will be."

Last year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi awarded her the prestigious Padma Shri Award for exceptional achievement.

Tao Porchon-Lynch, the world's oldest yoga teacher, celebrates her 101st birthday with her students at the Fred Astaire studio in Hartsdale.(Photo: Raphael Abada)

So many people asked her what her secret for a long life was, and Tao said it was Pranayama, said Pines, of New Rochelle, who has known Tao for 20years. Pranayama is a yogic practice that involves controlling the breath, which is source of our life force or prana. The breathing exercise is thought to bring harmonybetween the body, mind and spirit.

Andrea Lublinski, a longtime student, told The Journal News in 2019about herbiggest takeaway from Tao: Never put off anything you can do today.

That has always been her philosophy, said Lublinski.And thats gotten her many careers,travelling all over the world and many friendships with people on many continents. Shes been an inspiration for me for a long time.

Tao Porchon-Lynch in Central Park recently.(Photo: Robert Sturman)

Editor's note: What follows is aprofile of Tao Porchon-Lynch, first published Feb. 7, 2018:

At 8:30 a.m. on a recent Monday morning, Tao Porchon-Lynch, recognized by the Guinness World Records as the Worlds Oldest Yoga Teacher in 2012, waltzed into the Fred Astaire Studio in Hartsdale for a yoga class wearing a fur coat and black stilettos.

Tao Porchon-Lynch in Central Park recently.(Photo: Robert Sturman)

A few months shy of turning 100 years old, Porchon-Lynch could easily be the most interesting woman on earth. (SorryDos Equis: she doesnt do beer, only wine).

The founder of the Westchester Institute of Yoga took up ballroom dancing at age 87 and has won more than 750 first-place awards as a competitive dancer. At age 96, she appeared on NBC's Americas Got Talent, receiving a standing ovation from the judges.

She now has a new bucket list item: to perform on the popular ABC show Dancing with the Stars.

Porchon-Lynch lives by her personal mantra: Theres nothing that you cannot do.

In addition to teaching eight classes a week, she hostsyoga retreats and speaksat conferences at more than 20 destinations a year. Some of her planned excursions for this year include Arizona, Singapore, Dubai, Slovenia, France, China and India. In 2016, Porchon-Lynch was recognized onWomen's Entrepreneurship Day at the United Nations.

As impressive as her personal achievements are,herlife experiences spanning continents and historical events are almost fantastical.

Born in 1918 to a French father and Indian mother, who died giving birth to her, Porchon-Lynch was raised by her uncle. Her light green eyes sparkle when she talks about her upbringing in Pondicherry, a coastal city in southern India which was a French colony until 1954.

It was there that she first got a glimpse of yoga. She was eight years old, and young boys, barely older than her, were creating beautifulshapes with their bodies on the beach.

She tried imitating them, but was told by her aunt that it was not a ladylike thing to do.

I said, If boys can do it, I can do it, recalled Porchon-Lynch, who continued to show up at the beach and over the years learned many of theasanasor postures just by watching. "If you believe in something, go ahead and do it."

Lohud's Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy and Tao Porchon-Lynch pose for a selfie after yoga class on Feb. 5, 2018.(Photo: Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy/The Journal News)

Her uncle, Vital Porchon, who builtrailroadlines in Asia and Africa, knew many of the great spiritual thinkers and activists of pre-Independence India, including Mahatma Gandhi. At age 12, Porchon-Lynch accompanied her uncle to march alongside Gandhi in theSatyagrahaor Salt March of 1930. (She would later take part in the 1963 March on Washington with

It was from her unclethat she learned lifes important lessons, she said.

My uncle would say, never ask anyone to understand you, try and understand them," she said."Never look down upon anyone.

To her, he embodied the power of positivity and mindfulness.

"Every morning he'd say, 'It's a beautiful day, isn't it ?'" Porchon-Lynch said."Wake up each day thinkingit's going to be a great day, and it will be,"

In 1939, she set sail forFrance from India to live with her aunt, and would eventually participate in the French Resistance. After the war, she worked as a model in France and England before movingto the United States in 1949. Soon she was working as a Hollywood actress under contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, with credits including the films "Show Boat" and "The Last Time I Saw Paris,"and TV shows such as "The Bob Hope Show" and "I Married Joan." She also worked as a writer, producer and international film broker, rubbingshoulders with old Hollywood and Indian cinemacelebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Dev Anand.

In the 1950s she trained under some of the biggest names in yoga such as B.K.S. Iyengar and Indra Devi and taught yoga toactors in Hollywood, including Clark Gable.

To me yoga is in every animal, every blade of grass and its alive with the energy of life, Porchon-Lynchsaid as she taught a class at the Fred Astaire Studio.If I can feel it within me, then Im in touch with everyone in this room.

After marrying Bill Lynch, an insurance salesman, in the 1960s, she moved to Hartsdale and together they founded theAmerican Wine Society. (Her family in France had owned a vineyard in theRhne Valleyfor many generations).

Porchon-Lynch continued her passion for yoga by certifying and training hundreds of teachers and taught at various locations including the Jewish Community Center in Yonkers and the New Age Center in Nyack.

While always well-known in certain Hollywood and yoga circles, including serving on the Newark PeaceEducation Summit with the Dalai Lama in 2011, Porchon-Lynch was never acelebrity know to the masses.

That would change when she turned 93.

The recognition by the Guinness World Records catapulted her to yoga rockstar fame the kind of fame where shes mobbed at her local Trader Joes or at Chicagos OHare airport.

That was in no small part due to her student-turned-manager Joyce Pines.

In 2003, Pines, who had recently retired from the Mount Vernon School District, met Porchon-Lynchat a yoga class in Briarcliff Manor.

She stepped out of her Smart car wearing black leather pants and very high heels, Pines said. "I was captivated."

Porchon-Lynchs positive attitude toward life had a deep impact on Pines. When she was diagnosed with cancer in 2010, Pines saidPorchon-Lynch helped her cope and taught her how to live.

There arent a lot of 90-year-olds that are fun to be around, Pines said. She had so much to offer that I felt more people should know her.

It was Pines'idea to seek out the Guinness World Records recognition. In 2014, she enlisted the help of her son to create awebsite, and soon found people from all corners of the world seeking Porchon-Lynch. Last year, Porchon-Lynchgraced the cover of a catalog for Athleta,Gap's athletic-wearbrand, for their "Power of She" campaign.

"Shes like a magnet. She just attracts people, Pines said. I cant get people out after the class. They just wantto stand around and talk to her.

Forever a student, Porchon-Lynch continues to learn from her ballroom dance teacher and partner Anton Bilozorov, who is more than 70 years her junior. She also participates in four ballroom competitions every year.

"She really blossomed in her 90s,"Pines said.

Asked why wanted to participate in Dancing with the Stars, Porchon-Lynch, who'shad two hip replacements,didn't skip a beat:

To show people that it is possible. If you believe in it, anything is possible.

Don't bet against her: She claims to have climbed Machu Picchu wearing stilettos.

Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy covers women and power for the USA Today Network Northeast. Write to her at svenugop@lohud.com

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Tao Porchon-Lynch, the world's oldest yoga teacher who marched with Gandhi, dies at 101 - Lohud

A relaxing yoga pose informed the serene aesthetic of this exercise studio in Dublin, Ireland, created by local studio Jordan Ralph Design.

Located beside the waters of Dublin's Silicon Docks, The Space Between includes two yoga studios, a tea shop, and hosts a roster of events throughout the week.

When it came to developing its interiors, multidisciplinary studio Jordan Ralph Design aimed to create a "secular yet spiritually engaging" space that would draw in both yoga aficionados and those visiting for the talks, workshops or film screenings.

The studio was loosely inspired by shavasana a pose typically done at the end of yoga session to relax participants, who must lie flat on their backs with arms and legs spread to the side.

"I wanted the space to resonate with shavasana, and give a person a sense of calmness and grounding through the visual and physical elements in the space," said the studio's eponymous founder.

"In the digital age, beautiful, honest, well-designed spaces are more important than ever."

One of the studios, named Now, has therefore been finished with anthracite-coated surfaces and black wooden floors to foster a cosy, cocoon-like ambience.

This space will be specifically dedicated to hot yoga and meditation sessions.

The other studio, named Here, has been completed with calming white walls, inbuilt with gridded shelves that display potted plants and store yoga equipment.

Pale oak floorboards run throughout, while huge skylights have been punctuated in the gabled ceiling to keep the space filled with natural light.

Concertina doors that run along the periphery of the room can be pushed back to open up the space to the teashop, which features cloudy grey walls and slate-coloured bench seating.

The teashop sits directly next to the studio's reception area. It's anchored by an angled ashwood counter and features a circular ombre mirror created by Dutch artist Tjimke De Boer, which fades from blue to deep pink.

"The idea was for it to represent a portal into the space between," explained Ralph of the mirror choice.

Changing facilities are accessed via a corridor that's inbuilt with a 24-metre-long bench, a feature that the studio likens to a "backbone".

A "vertical garden" has also been created on the wall, composed of a series of greenery-filled planters.

Other design-focused yoga studios include Warrior One, which design studio Golden completed with a sisal-covered ceiling, woven-grass partitions and earth-toned furnishings.

There's also Humming Puppy, which architect Karen Abernethy designed to offer a complete sensory experience.

Photography is by Agata Stoinska.

Project credits:

Interiors and fit-out design: Jordan Ralph Design Architect: David Leyden Contractor: Kenny McDonagh Joinery: Billings & Brew

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Yoga poses inspire interiors of Dublin's The Space Between - Dezeen

Jordan Behrman is a lead yoga instructor at Calistoga Fit, seen here atAuberge Resort. There are opportunities to try different kinds of yoga at Calistoga Fit.

With everyones busy schedules, it can be hard to accomplish everything on ones to-do list, and some to-dos may fall through. And while exercise is on many peoples list and does get accomplished, yoga can be forgotten about. However, there is a reason why professional athletes take time out of their schedule to make room for yoga, and Calistoga Fit suggests yoga for everyone.

Yoga has many different practices. Whether you need a good stretch, stress relief, or a good workout there is a practice that can work for you. Beyond stretching, stress relief, and a workout, yoga can actually improve your life from within, both mentally and physically. Practicing yoga can improve body awareness, posture, coordination, and reaction time.

As you take time to hold poses, you can target specific muscles and parts of the body to work and increase your own knowledge on your body and what it can accomplish. Yoga can also increase flexibility, range of motion and spinal movement.

If youre working on rehab for your body or just getting over an injury, and have the clearance from your healthcare provider, try a yoga class and let the instructor know what injuries youve sustained and they can arrange a practice that will be beneficial for your specific needs. Because yoga has many different practices you can go from gentle and rehab focused yoga to a full body workout class. As you practice more and move on to more difficult practices that challenge you physically, you can build up your strength and achieve lengthened, slender muscles.

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Find the right yoga class for you and reap the physical, mental benefits - Napa Valley Register

In March, YogaSix, a new kid on the block yoga-wise, is scheduled to open in Burke, introducing six different varieties of formats and adding a

variety to the fitness craze that made the Downward Dog, a household phrase.

Its fun, modern and accessible to all, said Darren Nilsen, the co-owner of the new studio along with his wife.

YogaSix will be at a location on the Burke Centre Parkway, and one of several Yoga Six studios that the Nilsens are opening in this area over the next few months. The others will be in Tysons, Ashburn, Gainesville and Reston.

Yoga Six is a nationwide chain of yoga studios where the teachers have been trained in the YogaSix methodology to provide a consistent but creative experience for each class type every time. They teach in a way that is easy for everyone to follow and understand. Our expert staff will help you find the right class to help you achieve your goals, their website states.

There are many yoga places in Fairfax County, but Nilsen feels the Yoga Six approach to teaching is needed. People are looking for a different form of yoga, a milder approach, he said. Their yoga and fitness classes address the complete needs of the body in movement and intensity to conquer plateaus, continually progress, and repair itself, their literature states. Were about treating yoga as fun, he added.

It seems like everyone does yoga but Nilsen said that only eight percent of the population practices yoga, so that leaves 92-percent of the population that doesnt practice, so there is room for more studios, he thinks.

Nilsen is an alumna of South Lakes High School in Reston and wasnt too impressed with yoga when he first tried it, but grew to like it after he used it as a treatment for a pulled hamstring in his leg. His doctor recommended it as treatment, and now he practices regularly. One of his instructors is fellow South Lakes alumna Christiane Popperwell, who reunited with Nilsen through Yoga Six. She was blown away by the idea and wanted to be part of it, he said.

The Burke location suits Popperwell too. We are hoping to reach the very first timer and the experienced yogi as well to build a strong yoga community in the Burke area," she said.

The six core classes they offer are Y6 101, Y6 Restore, Y6 Slow Flow, Y6 Hot, Y6 Power, and Y6 Sculpt and Flow. The hot yoga doesnt have the 90 minutes of rigid poses like Bikram Yoga, but there are different levels of heat and lots of sweat.

Yoga training classes are available as well.

When it opens in March, the address is: YogaSix, 5765 Burke Center Parkway, Burke.

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New Spin to Yoga Coming Soon to Burke - Virginia Connection Newspapers

Cole Lauterbach The Center Square

Illinois group using art, yoga to ween foster kids off psychotropic meds its working, they say

SPRINGFIELD A nonprofit foster organization spent 2019 offering traumatized teenage youth in care alternatives to psychotropic medication and the group said the approach is working.

In 2016, there were 53,898 children that, at one time or another, entered into foster care in Illinois, according to a 2018 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services investigation. Of those, 10,109, or 18 percent, were prescribed psychotropic medications at a cost of more than $10.7 million to the federal government.

ChildServ, a nonprofit dedicated to building better lives for children, offered foster children in its three group homes access to therapeutic activities such as art, equine and drama therapy, yoga, meditation and others in an effort to avoid over-reliance on prescription drugs.

Some people may just think its easier, said Dan Kotowski, ChildServ president and CEO, of the high prescription drug rate in foster children. But, as we say all the time, what would you do for your own children? If your child was 3 years old and had behavioral issues, would you prescribe them an antipsychotic medication?

He gave a number of examples of these foster children who, after some time in their activities, were better able to process how past traumatic experiences affected them. Thats seen as a key step, Kotowski said, to making positive changes.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has jurisdiction over many of the youth-in-care Kotowski described. He said his organization has been in contact with the department about the possibility of adopting a similar approach statewide.

DCFS would not respond to requests for comment about the states role in prescribing psychotropic medications to children.

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Illinois group using art, yoga to ween foster kids off psychotropic meds its working, they say - Alton Telegraph

Its nearly as dark outside the yoga classroom overlooking the Deschutes River as it is inside, where Sarah Peterson takes a deep breath, holds it and exhales.

Reach up like youre reaching out to the heavens, the instructor tells Peterson and the yoga class. Like youre bringing in the love and the energy from the person you lost, and bring it into your heart.

Its been three years and five months since Peterson watched her 2-year-old daughter, Marley, die in a horrific wreck outside Sisters, and three years since Petersons father, Jim, died unexpectedly.

No, she hasnt healed. No, she isnt doing OK. Grief is a part of her life that wont go away.

But Peterson has found ways to cope.

Heals not a word in my vocabulary anymore, Peterson said. I dont think Ill ever heal from Marleys death, but I will integrate my grief. Its learning to live with it and enjoy the things that I still have, which are many, but also theres room for my deep and everlasting sadness.

Peterson formed Clear Mourning, a nonprofit with a yoga-focused outreach so others struggling with loss can benefit from what shes learned. Its a small, but sincere effort: the twice-a-month yoga class and a fundraising effort to provide massages to those suffering from grief.

Grief is the human condition, so really, were all dealing with grieving people, she said.

Two years ago in Deschutes County Circuit Court, Peterson screamed in the face of her daughters killer, David Fincher, at his sentencing, her words echoing off the walls of a packed courtroom.

Fincher was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter for the death of Marley, whom he killed in a drunken driving collision on the morning of Sept. 11, 2016.

You killed my baby! Peterson shouted at Fincher, serving a 23-year prison sentence.

These days, Peterson seems calm, and focused.

This is me, the true being, she said last week at a space at the Oregon State University Co-lab in Bend. My grief looked a lot different back in 2016. What you saw those days was a mother facing her daughters killer.

For a long time after her daughters death, Peterson didnt do anything, she said. Some days she would cry so hard, she threw up. One day, though, Peterson decided she wanted everyone to know how she felt, prompted by a feeling that there just wasnt enough black in my closet, she said.

She asked an artist friend to draw her a black, dead heart she could put on a shirt and wear all the time. A longtime hospice nurse, shed seen many families express a similar desire to wear something, like an armband or a veil, that let others know theyre in grief.

The artist created an image of a broken heart, which has since become the logo of Clear Mourning.

In the Clear Mourning yoga class, participants are encouraged to be fully present. In the process, theyll get more in tune with their bodies and, eventually, their emotions, according to instructor Nancy Lumpkin.

As a member of the OSU Co-lab, Clear Mourning has access to the OSU classrooms in the shared workspace, with impressive views of the lush Deschutes below.

Its a free class. The idea is to reach people who wouldnt usually do yoga, like another effort by Namaspa yoga teachers who work with senior citizens and with inmates at the Deschutes County jail.

Getting people into their bodies can also help get them in touch with their emotions, Lumpkin said.

Everyones got trauma and grief in their life. Its about allowing people to feel what they feel and let it all out, Lumpkin said. Its really focusing on creating a relationship with your grief.

Peterson started attending classes at the Namaspa yoga studio in Bend, which she first began going to in 2007. After losing her daughter and her father, she reflexively hid out at the studio, feeling a need to be around something familiar, around people who wouldnt stifle her grief.

Peterson wants to recreate for others that comforting feeling she got in the months after Marleys death, when Namaspa owner Suzie Newcome would let her in the back door.

Being with her friends at Namaspa, whom she called her tribe, was huge for Peterson.

I was really surrounded by a group of people whom I trusted and felt safe with, she said. I knew in those days, I could curl up in the corner and sob, and the teacher would wait for me at the end and walk me out.

Yoga isnt intended as a distraction for people in grief.

Yoga also let me be in the present moment, which also allowed me to feel closer to Marley, she said. I wasnt scared about the future and I didnt have anxiety about the past.

Its not easy to know what to say to someone in Petersons position.

One time, Peterson was in class with an instructor who told his class to breathe deep and reflect on how lucky they are to live in Bend.

Peterson wasnt having it. The comment ruined the class for her. She told the instructor afterward, Im the unluckiest person you know.

Another time, Lumpkin saw Peterson in the studio and asked an innocent-seeming question, just checking in: How ya doing?

Peterson was not well. Her spirit was broken and that day had been particularly hard. She told Lumpkin, Give me some space.

To Peterson, questions like How are you? put grieving people in the position of being brutally honest, or lying about how they really feel.

A much better question is, How is your spirit? she said. That way I dont have to say Im good or Im bad. I can speak to the true nature of my spirit.

Hearing Im sorry for your loss is fine, but what Jason Peterson, Sarahs husband, enjoys more is when someone shares a memory of Marley. Or how something happened the other day, and that person thought of her.

Just hearing her name is nice.

Dont be afraid to approach and talk about the loss its huge, he said. I find that so few people are willing to talk to me and engage about the loss. Even my closest family and friends dont do it as much as Id like. Thats the biggest thing dont let those memories go untold.

Often, the most helpful thing a supporter can say to someone in grief is nothing.

To listen another soul into a state of disclosure is quite possibly the greatest gift, Sarah Peterson said, quoting author Douglas Steele. Its not about having a response or an answer, or about fixing anything, its about listening and saying, Im here with you and Im not going away. Do what you need to do. Youre not by yourself.

Through all her loss , Sarah Peterson has learned it doesnt get easier. There are ups and downs, and an understanding there will more be dark days ahead. But how is her spirit?

My spirit these days is growing and strong, Peterson said. My spirit is being pieced back together into a brand-new shape.

Continued here:
Mother of girl killed by drunk driver uses yoga to help others struggling with loss - Bend Bulletin

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) At just 16-years-old, Eric Heard is the youngest yoga instructor in Buffalo.

He was first introduced to yoga seven years ago at summer camp. You wouldn't know it now, but he says he hated it as first! Once he realized the mental challenge and how great it made him feel, he was hooked.

"If you're struggling in school it helps you focus," Heard said. "If you're struggling in your career it helps you there."

Heard has made it a passion of his to spread yoga to others. He introduced the exercise to his grandma Diane Rose and his cousin Daijanae Price.

Through a nonprofit Yogis In Service, all three were able to have a fully-funded trip to Africa to become certified teachers.

"My goal is to teach yoga and to help people who don't really get to have yoga," Heard said.

Heard hosts free classes at the Delavan Grider Community Center every week. You can find a schedule to free yoga classes here.

He's hoping to inspire more young people to find their own balance. Eric, Diane and Daijanae are raising money to head to India for another yoga learning trip. They hope to raise $7,000 to be able to go to the "home of yoga" and come back to teach more free classes and classes at summer camps. They have a GoFundMe set up here where you can donate.

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Youngest yoga instructor in Buffalo is helping people find their balance - WKBW-TV

DOVER, England (Reuters) - British entrepreneur Richard Branson heralded his first cruise ship Scarlet Lady on Friday as targeting a younger generation of holidaymakers with a range of attractions that he believes will outweigh any fears around coronavirus.

Despite the unfortunate timing, with passengers on one ship quarantined in Japan after hundreds caught the virus and another turned away by five countries over fears someone on board may be ill, Branson sees cruises as a growth area.

In an event at Dover, southern England, to promote the first of a planned four-strong fleet, the 69-year-old said Virgin Voyages ships would offer a boutique hotel-type design with a festival environment, complete with sundeck yoga, a tattoo studio and vinyl records store.

Branson told Reuters Scarlet Lady would be based in the United States and Caribbean, meaning he did not expect it to be hit by any fallout from the coronavirus crisis. The virus originated in mainland China and has killed more than 2,000 people.

Obviously what happened in Japan was horrendously unfortunate, he said. (But) I think the longer-term impact will be negligible. I think the fact that were going out of America means that I dont think well suffer. People are booking as much as theyve ever booked right now.

Branson, one of Britains best-known businessmen, launched his career in the 1970s in records before expanding into airlines, banking, TV, healthclubs and space.

He has worked with Tom McAlpin, chief executive of Virgin Voyages and an industry veteran who previously ran the Disney Cruise Line, to develop a service he says will have a lower environmental impact than most.

Virgin Voyages says it is one of the first cruise lines to use Climeon, a technology that generates electricity from the heat of the ships engine to reduce demand for fuel, and will also purchase carbon offsets.

Single-use plastics are banned, and it is shunning buffets, leading to less food waste as well as avoiding the staid imagine of formal cruise dining. We will be the first fleet that is going to be carbon-neutral from day one, McAlpin said.

He also believes the industry will bounce back.

If you look at the industry and how resilient it has been in the past, when theres been challenges, it has come back quite rapidly, he said. Were doing everything we can, taking precautions above and beyond.

Demand for cruising holidays has leapt over the past decade, with some 32 million passengers expected to set sail in 2020, a figure that has almost doubled since 2009.

The United States is the biggest market for passengers, with the Caribbean and Mediterranean the most popular destinations for the leading 55 cruise lines that are led by Carnival (CCL.N), Royal Caribbean (RCL.N) and Norwegian (NCLH.N).

Like other Virgin brands, Bransons Voyages line will target younger tourists with spas, a gym, 20 restaurants, DJ sets, drag queens and a running track. Children are not allowed. He is starting with four ships but could expand further.

We have one advantage which is that with Virgin weve got millions and millions of people who use our products, Branson said, adding he had never previously wanted to go on a cruise ship.

I wanted to see if I could test our teams to create the kind of cruise ship that myself and my friends would like to come on. I think that theyve pulled it off, he said.

Built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, Scarlet Lady will host 2,770 passengers and 1,160 crew. She will sail to Liverpool and then to New York and Miami before her inaugural passenger voyage around the Caribbean in April.

Editing by Alison Williams and David Holmes

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Branson targets younger cruise crowd with DJs, tattoos and yoga - Reuters

Yoga Hive Philly co-owner Gina Durante (left) holds a goat at a recent event. (Contributed photo)

At a young age, Gina Durante knew she wanted to be a business owner.

A business that involves a combination of alpacas, goats and exercise might have been a stretch at the time, but Durante and partner Heather Bonato have made an impact with their creation called Yoga Hive Philly.

We actually both started out in the corporate world, said Durante, who grew up in Medford, New Jersey and recently moved to Queen Village in South Philadelphia. We were both miserable working a nine-to-five and we both had a passion for owning a business, so we decided to open up a yoga studio. The wellness world was booming, and we just thought to open something that would be good in the area.

Yoga Hive Philly was born.

Durante and Bonatos business specializes in yoga events, animal yoga, outdoor and rooftop yoga, and unique wellness events. Having animals like goats and alpacas on site allows students to learn yoga at their own pace and it offers a feeling of comfortability to newcomers.

People that would not normally go to a yoga class might tend to come to something they feel more comfortable with, Durante said. Goats and alpacas are very calming creatures. And its kind of interesting to see them watch the poses and the people. Its a really good mind-body connection between the people and the animals. They both love it.

Yoga Hive Philly started with a storefront on East Passyunk Avenue but the business has since migrated to rotating locations for different events to help keep costs down.

Right now, were focusing on our events and festivals and coming up with new and exciting ideas for people in the area, Durante said.

One of those ideas is a Rooftop Yoga and Bottomless Mimosas event in Queen Village, which has sold out on all three dates that were listed. The next big event is the Goatchella event with goats and alpacas, which will be held at the East Passyunk Community Center at 1025 Mifflin St. on May 3.

Tickets are $45, and time slots are available at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at yogahivephilly.com. Students need to bring a yoga mat and a camera for some fun selfies, if desired.

Its a really fun event, Durante said. The animals like to watch and after the class, all students have an opportunity to go take pictures with the animals and pet them and ask questions about them.

Goats and alpacas are brought in from Tabernacle, Burlington County, New Jersey from Grazing Goat and Nash Hill Alpacas. The animals arent shy to take selfies for Instagram, and a portion of the proceeds is donated back to the farms.

The actual yoga instruction is left to the professionals, as Durante and Bonato hire instructors to teach the class, giving the duo more time to manage the business end of the company.

Neither one of us are big yogis, Durate said. We practice and we enjoy it but we dont teach. To own a business, you have to give it your all to be successful, and it takes up all of your time.

She knows about owning a business first-hand because its in her blood. Her grandfather owned Tonys Tires of South Philadelphia on West Oregon Avenue, an auto repair and retail space established in 1971. Her father opened businesses South Philly Video in 1981 and South Philly Billiards in 1989, and her uncle opened up the popular brunch spot Green Eggs Cafe on South 13th Street, which has expanded to multiple locations.

Its always been my passion to own my own business, Durante said. I went to school for marketing and business and I love planning events and coming up with new exciting ideas.

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Yoga Hive Philly brings exciting twist to exercise - South Philly Review

To practice this style of yoga at home, you'll first need to create a sequence using the over 200 different poses and 14 breathing techniques that exist in Iyengar. While you can mix and match the poses as you choose, Iyengar yoga typically starts with a meditative warm-up, followed by standing postures, and then ending with restorative, supine poses.

Many Iyengar classes also have a "peak pose" that dictates which postures you choose to practice leading up to it. For example, if your peak pose is eagle pose, your sequence may include more one-legged balancing postures to prep your body whereas if your peak pose is king pigeon, you'll want to include more hip-openers and backbends.

Unlike vinyasa styles of yoga, in Iyengar, you won't flow through poses breath to movementinstead, you'll hold them for an extended period of time. This gives you the chance to get into the correct alignment and then move deeper into each pose.

Props are also incredibly common in an Iyengar class, as they make poses more accessible for beginners. You can use blocks, straps, bolsters, and blankets to help you get into proper alignment.

Another pro tip: There are plenty of resources for practicing Iyengar at home. However, if you've never done Iyengar yoga before, it's worth taking a class at a studio first. All Iyengar teachers must undergo rigorous training and they'll be able to give you guidance and adjustments that you won't get in a home practice.

Read more:
This Lesser-Known Yoga Practice Is Arguably The Most Accessible - mindbodygreen.com