NYC men's yoga class meets in the nude
Posted: March 15, 2012 at 9:08 pm
A New York man who teaches a weekly men-only nude yoga class said performing the exercises in the nude allows students to shed their "costumes and armor." File photo. UPI/David Silpa
Published: March. 15, 2012 at 1:11 PM
NEW YORK, March 15 (UPI) -- A New York man who teaches a weekly men-only nude yoga class said performing the exercises in the nude allows students to shed their "costumes and armor."
Michael Gates, 44, said he has been leading the nude yoga classes since 2006 and usually about six men will pay $20 for the weekly 90-minute session, the New York Daily News reported Thursday.
"Our clothes are costumes and armor," Gates said. "Naked yoga is an interesting metaphor for letting go of the B.S."
"I understand that women don't want to get undressed in front of strange men," he said. "When I offered co-ed sessions, I found they were attended 98 percent by men."
However, Gates said he still keeps the exact location of the classes a secret to keep away the "creeps."
"I was getting too many people that were more interested in being in a room with naked men than practicing yoga," Gates said.
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Garnet Hill Launches Exclusive Yoga Collection
Posted: at 9:08 pm
FRANCONIA, N.H., March 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Garnet Hill, a leading multichannel purveyor of quality apparel and home decor, announced today the launch of the zinni yoga collection for women. Working closely with the renowned Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, Garnet Hill gained insight from yoga instructors to create a truly authentic line of yoga clothing.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110214/NE47685LOGO )
The zinni collection features a palette of beautiful colors and original prints in incredibly soft, moisture-wicking fabrics, with the precise fit demanded by yoginis. Garnet Hill will offer customers a complete assortment of tops, pants, dresses, versatile layers, and essential accessories including a PVC-free yoga mat.
"The collection was inspired by our favorite iconic flower, the zinnia. We've featured it over and over on our sweaters and pajamas. Our customer loves it -- it has become our signature print," says Garnet Hill product manager Sarah S.
Garnet Hill chose highly technical fabrics and constructions to ensure the zinni collection would be a truly functional yoga line. Adds Sarah, "The Kripalu Center was a wonderful collaborator; yoginis at the center tested the clothing, and their feedback helped us develop a line with great design and authentic functionality."
"We pride ourselves on our ability to curate products our customers love, and we're thrilled to launch this exclusive collection," says VP of Merchandising Joanne M. "We know our customers are increasingly interested in practicing yoga and holistic living; the zinni collection helps them feel confident and beautiful while doing so."
Zinni by Garnet Hill launches with the Summer 2012 collection in catalogs and online beginning March 14, 2012.
About Garnet HillRenowned for superior quality, fine fibers and original design, Garnet Hill has offered distinctive merchandise and services of the highest caliber since 1976. The company began as an importer of English flannel sheets and has grown into a distinguished brand and multichannel marketer, offering unique bedding and home furnishings, women's apparel and children's clothing online and in its catalogs. Garnet Hill searches the world for exceptional items and inspiration for its extensive line of exclusive products. For more information, visit garnethill.com.
About Kripalu Center for Yoga & HealthLocated in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts, Kripalu Center is the largest retreat center for yoga and holistic living in the United States, offering more than 900 experiential programs in yoga, self-discovery, holistic health, and spirituality. For more than 30 years, Kripalu's educational programs have been providing participants with tools that present ancient yogic principles in a contemporary yet profound way that can be applied in their daily lives. For more information, visit kripalu.org.
For additional information, please contact 603.823.5545 or pr@garnethill.com
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Sex scandal has yoga industry tied in knots
Posted: at 9:08 pm
Robert Browman / for msnbc.com
Jessica Lurie, a yoga instructor and General Operations Manager for Green Monkey yoga studios in Miami, Fla., demonstrates poses at the company's Midtown Miami location.
By Bill Briggs, msnbc.com contributor
Leave it to American business to twist a 5,000-year-old Hindu philosophy of gentle poses into an emotional knot.
In a matter of weeks, a steamy sex scandal has prompted the resignation of a yoga world superstar, roiled the disciplines trendiest branch, sparked a mass exodus of teachers and transformed part of the $5.7 billion industry from namaste to nasty.
The tumult rooted in the popular form called Anusara isnt entirely surprising, according to some yoga disciples, although its undeniably ironic given the ancient regimens tenets of tranquility and self-restraint.
If you can put your feet behind your head, it doesnt mean youre enlightened or that youre not going to make mistakes, said Annie Prasad Freedom, owner of the Samadhi Center for Yoga & Meditation in Denver. The studio offers classes in Anusara and other types of yoga.
The eye of this yoga storm swirls around John Friend, a charismatic entrepreneur who earned a finance degree then went into the yoga field a juxtaposition of the usual path: a yogi who goes into business. Friend founded Anusara yoga in 1997 and ultimately Anusara Inc. draping his version on a life-affirming Tantric ideology of intrinsic goodness, selling a celebration of the heart that looks for the good in all people and all things, according to his former companys website. As the primary investor in Anusara, Friend prospered while his venture boomed and he charmed yoga conference audiences around the nation. In 15 years, his enterprise licensed 1,000 Anusara teachers and gained more than a half million followers in 70 countries.
Then the tight-knit Anusara family unraveled. Last month YogaDork.com republished anonymous accusations that Friend had engaged in sexual affairs with several married Anusara employees and teachers. On Feb. 16, Friend resigned as CEO of Anusara Inc. saying the company would become a non-profit run by one of his Anusara teachers.
Now, as dozens of licensed Anusara teachers rush to distance themselves from Friend and rebrand their businesses (calling themselves the Yoga Coalition,) the scandal has shed fresh light on the fads that so often drive business in the yoga world. Interviews with yoga industry experts including studio owners, teachers and trade journalists - found some concerned that the fiasco could taing the industry although turn away casual consumers.
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Male bonding! Naked yoga class for men
Posted: at 9:08 pm
A Brooklyn yoga instructor is taking his male students in a nude direction.
Every Tuesday night, Michael Gates teaches naked yoga to a small men-only class class in a secret South Park Slope location.
"Our clothes are costumes and armor," said Gates, 44. "Naked yoga is an interesting metaphor for letting go of the B.S."
Since opening his "Naked Space" studio in 2006, Gates has seen it all: From men who strip out of their cloths in an instant, to guys who wouldn't dare tell their wives their weekly yoga class is with nude dudes.
"There are guys who are afraid to tell their wives because they think she'll leave him," said Gates. "I mean, she knows he's taking yoga classes with a group of guys, but suddenly he's naked and it's a big deal."
For just $20, about six guys usually show up to shed their worries, anxieties, and clothing for a 90-minute intermediate yoga session in Gates simple studio. Private sessions cost $100.
Gates said having his clients naked allows him to better study students' form and alignment.
The technique works well for the regulars.
"I like being naked," said Tom B., 49, who treks all the way from the Upper West Side every week for the naked yoga class.
"By being naked without the rest of your clothes, it allows you to experience the body in all the poses."
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How Yoga Might Relieve Stress-Linked Ailments
Posted: at 9:08 pm
60-Second Health | Health
Yoga may increase parasympathetic nervous system activity and neurotransmitter levels, helping to decrease symptoms of some stress-related illnesses. Katherine Harmon reports
March 13, 2012
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Yoga and relaxation practices have been around for thousands of years. And modern research suggests that yoga could have a very real impact on many stress-related illnesses, including anxiety, depression and heart disease.
And here's another reason to be down with downward-facing dog. Stress can make symptoms of chronic pain and depression worse. But yoga might be able to help, in part by stimulating the cranial nerve and an important neurotransmitter called GABA. The new theory is in the journal Medical Hypotheses. [C. C. Streeter et al., "Effects of yoga on the autonomic nervous system, gamma-aminobutyric-acid, and allostasis in epilepsy, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder"]
Previous research had found that people who did yoga for 12 weeks had lower anxiety and reduced chronic pain than those who went for walks or had standard medical care alone. The yoga-ers also had higher levels of GABA.
The researchers are now testing just how well yoga, combined with conventional treatments, can actually improve symptoms of real medical and psychological conditions, including epilepsy, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. And that might generate news you can take sitting down. Preferably in a lotus pose.
Katherine Harmon
[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]
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Brooklyn naked yoga class gives men chance to shed their worries…and clothes
Posted: at 9:08 pm
A Brooklyn yoga instructor is taking his male students in a nude direction.
Every Tuesday night, Michael Gates teaches naked yoga to a small men-only class class in a secret South Park Slope location.
"Our clothes are costumes and armor," said Gates, 44. "Naked yoga is an interesting metaphor for letting go of the B.S."
Since opening his "Naked Space" studio in 2006, Gates has seen it all: From men who strip out of their cloths in an instant, to guys who wouldn't dare tell their wives their weekly yoga class is with nude dudes.
"There are guys who are afraid to tell their wives because they think she'll leave him," said Gates. "I mean, she knows he's taking yoga classes with a group of guys, but suddenly he's naked and it's a big deal."
For just $20, about six guys usually show up to shed their worries, anxieties, and clothing for a 90-minute intermediate yoga session in Gates simple studio. Private sessions cost $100.
Gates said having his clients naked allows him to better study students' form and alignment.
The technique works well for the regulars.
"I like being naked," said Tom B., 49, who treks all the way from the Upper West Side every week for the naked yoga class.
"By being naked without the rest of your clothes, it allows you to experience the body in all the poses."
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Brooklyn naked yoga class gives men chance to shed their worries...and clothes
Yoga: Don’t bend until you break
Posted: at 9:08 pm
Pam Schulte, owner of Just Practice Yoga, acknowledges that she and her students have suffered the occasional injury from yoga.
"Well duh," she said. "Have you seen what people do in those classes? This idea that yoga is this holier-than-thou regimen where no one should ever get injured is not realistic. It's not realistic to think that way about anything."
Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years in India and has exploded in the U.S. in the past two decades. According to a survey by the National Institutes for Health, more than 13 million American adults did some form of the discipline in 2006, a number that has likely increased.
But researchers only began taking a hard look at the discipline in the past decade. What they're finding is that while pretty much everyone could benefit from yoga, it's not the one-stop, cure-all regimen that many yogis say it is. And it can cause injuries, some quite serious.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 5,500 yoga-related injuries in 2007. A chapter in William J. Broad's book "The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards" focuses on injuries sustained by veteran yogis, many serious enough to cause permanent damage and even paralysis.
Dr. Michael J. Milne, a surgeon with the Orthopedic Center of St. Louis and a team physician with the St. Louis Cardinals, is one of a number of local doctors who have seen patients who were injured on a yoga mat.
Most are nonsurgical injuries and include sprains and strains, Milne said. But he's also seen patients who have ruptured their Achilles tendons or torn the meniscus in their knees while doing the downward dog yoga position.
"A lot of times it's people who are new to yoga who have no flexibility and try to keep up with others in their class," he said.
He's also seen patients with torn rotator cuffs in the shoulder, who did not feel a sudden tear. They will often say that they started yoga a few months before their shoulder started hurting, Milne said.
NUMEROUS STYLES
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KirkTV Spiritual "Life Coach Tips" From KirkTV 2012 – Video
Posted: at 3:14 pm
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KirkTV Spiritual "Life Coach Tips" From KirkTV 2012 - Video
Italian family brings wonderous circus 'community' to Beirut
Posted: at 3:14 pm
BEIRUT: For the Togni family, the circus is more than a career, it is a way of life.
Their genetically transmitted adventurous spirit has brought them for the first time to Beirut, with the collaboration of the Italian Culture Ministry and the Lebanese Tourism Ministry, to present the National Italian Circus Il Florilegio.
The term Florilegio is Italian for bouquet, meaning a collection of the best numbers according to general assistant Isabelle Gillier.
Livio Togni has been in the circus business his whole life, as his father, grand father and those before them were.
The roots of this circus can be traced back 130 years he proudly stated. This circus is our life, we have created a closely knitted community that is now our home, and as we travel we live collective strong experiences that bring us even more together.
Il Florilegio was crowned the National Italian Circus in 1938 by decree of King Victor Emmanuel III who was famous for his love of entertainment.
As for today, Livios sons Steve and Max have taken over the torch, the first being the star of the show and the second being the director. Steve graduated high school in Italy and went on to study accounting until he was 19 years old, while still touring with his family during vacations. He also started coaching tennis at a young age, but no matter what he did with his life, he could not tame his urge to follow in his ancestors footsteps and surrender to the magic of the circus life.
My brother and I are the sixth generation to take over the circus, how could I not carry on this dynasty? he asked.
I especially love the contact I have with the animals. Contrary to what many people think, they are not my slaves, they are my partners and friends, we share a strong bond Steve said as we were touring the animal area in the back of the marquee.
And as we approached the tigers cage where three beautiful creatures were lying peacefully, Steve lifted his hand to the thick steel bars. The male tiger, biggest in size, quickly approached to greet him as he gracefully stood up on his two back feet and placed his front paws on the cage as if to hug his friend and trainer.
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Italian family brings wonderous circus 'community' to Beirut
National Summer Sports Camp Company, eCamps Inc., Announces Partnership With the Positive Coaching Alliance
Posted: at 3:14 pm
eCamps Inc., owner of GameBreaker Lacrosse Camps, Revolution Field Hockey Camps, Revolution Softball Camps, adidas Tennis Camps and the International Squash Academy, has announced their official partnership with the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) in a continued effort to promote the use of sports to teach life lessons.
(PRWEB) March 15, 2012
The eCamps sports network, offering sport-specific training sessions in lacrosse, field hockey, tennis, softball and squash, are considered to be the finest youth instructional camps in the country because of their coaches. The directors of these summer sports camps are a collection of the best coaches and players from across the nation and are skilled in all aspects of the game. Each coach is dedicated to the personal development and improvement of their campers, from beginners to top high school players. Each coach embraces the responsibility of being positive role models for these campers, on and off the field.
eCamps partnership with the Positive Coaching Alliance will ensure that each coach is trained to not only improve campers performance in their respective sport, but to instill the importance of sportsmanship, being a team player and honoring the game.
The eCamps sports network of summer camps has served over 50,000 happy campers since their inception in 2001. For more information on the 2012 summer camp schedules, please visit http://www.eCamps.com.
PJ Walsh eCamps, Inc. 800-944-7112 Email Information
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National Summer Sports Camp Company, eCamps Inc., Announces Partnership With the Positive Coaching Alliance