Yoga News-Aug08
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August 03, 2008
The Yoga News
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Camp Moomba
Yogathon
Vancouver
yogis gather to raise money for children affected by HIV.
By:
Yogacharya
At 5:30 pm on Saturday, July 12th, nearly 1,400 yoga enthusiasts
gathered at UBC’s Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver Canada for the 6th
annual Camp Moomba Yogathon. Though the attendance was well short of
the 2,000 projected, this year the Yogathon raised $116,000 in support
of Camp Moomba, a specialized summer camp program for kids age six to
seventeen who
are impacted by HIV/AIDS.
At first glance, the Indian yogi might have found the sight of a sea of
trendily clad urbanites lined up on rubber yoga mats, performing 108
minutes of sun salutations in unison to be a tad peculiar. Why? Because
the sun salutation, or surya namaskar
as it is known in Sanskrit, is a yogic practice derived from the early
morning ablutions of the Hindu Brahman, and is traditionally practiced
in the face of the rising morning sun.
We do things differently here in the Western yoga world though. As is
often the case, ‘yoga happenings’ here are usually accompanied by
familiar indulgences: food, pop music and commercial enterprise. The
Vancouver Yogathon was no exception. Participants did some shopping in
the ‘Blissfest Marketplace and Food Fair’, a showcase of local consumer
products, services and delicacies, caught a glimpse of the latest
trends in an ‘eco-fashion show’, and grooved to special live musical
performances.
The occasion was certainly festive, but in some respects one cannot
help but wonder if the entire point of yoga is somehow being missed
with events such as this. Merely substituting mainstream materialism
with a more environmentally friendly form of consumerism, in the end,
really is not reflective of the yogic attitude toward life, nor is it
sending the right message to people of what yoga is really all about.
Nonetheless, it was all done in the name of a good cause. One hundred
and twelve children attended Camp Moomba last year, and the money
raised in this year’s event will go a long way towards helping to bring
some love, hope and support into the lives of many more children faced
with a difficult challenge in life. That is, in the end, the selfless
spirit of yoga, and truly a good thing.
About
the Author: Yogacharya is the director of
International
Yogalayam, www.discover-yoga-online.com
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an opinion? Send
us Your Comments ...
Yoga Ad Impresses at Cannes
'Street
Stretch' adds a refreshing twist to the hustle and bustle of
daily Indian life.
With a little extension of the imagination, Street Stretch
merges complex yoga poses with the scenery of everyday life. This
60-second video, which took home a bronze metal at the 2008 Cannes Lions International
Advertising Festival, was produced by JWT India along with
Still Waters Films to promote the 15th annual International Yoga Festival
in Pondicherry, India.
The idea itself came about in the head offices of JWT in Mumbai. “Imagine
you step out of your home, and everyone you see is in a yogic pose”,
said Senthil Kumar, India Vice President of JWT.
One hundred and eight yogis were hired for the production, including a
team of 12 children and youth from Yoganjali Natyalayam, a centre of
Yoga, Bharat Natyam and Carnatic Music in Pondicherry.
Shot
in one day throughout the avenues and back-alleyways of historic
Pondicherry, familiar street characters are seen striking weird poses
as they go about their usual daily routines. A traffic cop gives
directions with his feet; children hang from trees like bats; a man
reads the newspaper with his feet crossed behind his ears; a flower
girl holds a bouquet with her foot tucked up beneath her chin;
pedestrians walk on their hands; and lifeguards crawl like crabs on all
fours along the sand.
Dr, Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani of Ananda
Ashram in Pondicherry, who consulted on the project says, “I
liked their concept of even the ordinary people doing yoga in everyday
situations. [It’s] something like our concept of 24-hours a day yoga.”
Indeed, behind the visually enticing compilation and stirring
soundtrack lies the message that yoga is not merely a class that we go
to a few times a week, but a way of life that must be lived in each and
every moment.
With the help of this promo, broadcast on local and regional
television, the Pondicherry
Yoga Festival, which normally draws about 60,000 people,
had an attendance of nearly 300,000 this year.
Stretch Street
was also nominated at the Clio
Awards 2008 in the category of Best Original Music Score
and won a silver award at the Goa
Festival, 2008.
Click
here to view the 60-minute video 'Street
Stretch' now…
Got
an opinion? Send
us Your Comments ...
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Krishna
Janmashtami
The
birth of Lord Krishna
Sri Krishna Janmashtami (or Jayanti) celebrates the birth of Lord
Krishna. Krishna is considered the ultimate personification of love,
friendship, trustworthiness and selfless service. Sri Krishna
Janmashtami, therefore, signifies not simply a celebration of the birth
of a great and Divine Teacher of mankind, but the recognition of that
inherent Divine Power in all of us, which enables us to proceed in all
of our worldly activities with a sense of higher spiritual purpose.
Krishna Janmashtami is considered one of the greatest Hindu community
festivals. It falls on the eighth day of the dark half of the month of
Bhadrapada; this year on August 24th/25th, and is marked by grand
celebrations at Krishna temples across India. The festival itself is
preceded by a day-long fast that is broken at midnight, the time when
Krishna is believed to have been born.
About Krishna
Born in 3,228 BC, Sri Krishna is the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu,
the Hindu representation of Almighty God, and is considered to be the
Lord's most glorious incarnation. Hindu tales are rich with the
exploits of his life, a life that is a stirring saga of one of the
greatest champions of Dharma
(duty, selflessness and righteous action).
From the moment of his birth in the dungeons of the tyrannical ruler
Kamsa, his life is replete with mortal dangers, which he successfully
triumphs over. He is said to have killed many demons, tamed the serpent
Kaliya and even lifted a mountain to protect the people of Vrindavan
from torrential rains.
Himself a king, Krishna played many roles in his life. He was a
musician, a cow-herd, master of the arts, a benevolent ruler, righteous
statesman and a teacher of the highest principles. He was the
unchallenged hero of his times both in terms of his bodily prowess and
intellectual brilliance. Nowhere in any scriptures has there been
recorded a life more full, more intense, more sublime and grander than
that of Lord Krishna.
Krishna and the Bhagavad Gita
At the epicentre of the great Indian epic, Mahabharata, we
find Lord
Krishna, charioteer to Arjuna the leader of the Pandava army at the
commencement of the battle at Kurukshetra. Despondent and dejected at
having to do battle against his former friends, family and loved ones,
Arjuna is counselled by his friend Krishna who proceeds to instruct him
on duty and right action.
The 700 slokas,
or stanzas of this
penultimate moment in the greatest of Indian epics is known as the
Bhagavad
Gita, when Krishna gives instruction on karma
yoga (selfless
action), bhakti
yoga (devotion), jnana
yoga
(knowledge/wisdom) and on the proper yogic attitude to take
towards every human crisis. The Bhagavad Gita remains today the widest
read piece of literature of all time.
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Yoga: it's in your genes
A
recent scientific study has revealed the influence of relaxation
techniques, such as those used in yoga, on the body’s response to
stress at the genetic level.
The research team from the Genomics
Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Benson-Henry
Institute for Mind/Body Medicine found that the ‘relaxation response’,
a bodily state characterized by decreased oxygen consumption, increased
exhaled nitric oxide, and reduced psychological distress, can influence
the expression of genes that are known to be related to stress.
The
study compared gene-expression patterns in nineteen long-term
‘mind/body’ practitioners (which included vipassana, mantra,
transcendental meditation, breath focus, Kripalu or Kundalini Yoga, and
repetitive prayer), along with nineteen healthy controls and twenty
individuals who underwent eight weeks of training in guided relaxation
techniques.
It was observed that over 2,200 genes activated
differently in the long-term practitioners compared to the controlled
group. Perhaps even more surprisingly, 1,561 genes were also activated
differently in the short-term practitioners relative to the controls.
It
was observed that some of these gene changes seemed to cluster in genes
linked to blood formation as well as genes linked to stress, oxidative
metabolism, and primary metabolism, which the researchers suggest are “kind of a
reversal of the genetic and cellular stress responses.” In
their abstract, the authors suggest that “this
study provides the first compelling evidence that the relaxation
response elicits specific gene expression changes in short-term and
long-term practitioners.”
For decades now, clinical
studies have been revealing the positive health effects of relaxation
producing activities such as yoga, mediation, Qi Gong and Tai Chi. Dr.
Herbert Benson of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind/Body Medicine
explains that the team is continuing to explore ways that “changing
the activity of the mind can alter the way basic genetic instructions
are implemented.”
References
Jeffery A.
Dusek, Hasan H. Otu, Ann L. Wohlhueter, Manoj Bhasin, Luiz
F. Zerbini, Marie G. Joseph, Herbert Benson, and Towia A. Libermann.
2008. Genomic Counter-Stress Changes Induced by the Relaxation
Response. http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0002576
Got
an opinion? Send
us Your Comments ...
Hi-tech: a Wii bit of Bollywood
yoga
 The
merging of technology and tradition is nothing new. For more than a
decade now, yogis have been expounding their teachings through
television, the internet and audio and video technology, which has led
to an unprecedented explosion of yoga into mainstream consciousness.
The latest offspring of this unlikely union comes with the announcement
of the creation of Wii
Yoga from games publisher JoWood.
This
yoga-fit game utilizes the balance board originally developed for
Nintendo’s extremely successful Wii Fit. The balance board senses
weight, positioning, pressure, and direction. Wii Yoga will apparently
feature an adaptable weekly schedule of exercises and allow you to
follow the instructions of the inevitable virtual yoga guru. Aside from
that, few details are as yet available.
Wii Yoga is scheduled for release in the second quarter of 2009.
--------------------------------------------
 No-one
has yet thought to make yoga available on your cellphone, but former
Bollywood actress and famed Celebrity
Big Brother winner Shilpa
Shetty is among the first to try and catch the potential.
In
conjunction with leading Indian mobile operators like Vodafone, Airtel,
Reliance, BPL, Idea and Tata, the videos of Shilpa demonstrating
various yoga practices are made available for download directly to
subscribers. Users can also download wallpapers and screensavers of
Shipla in her yoga poses.
Got
an opinion? Send
us Your Comments ...
India: a hub of health and
wellness
According
to a recent article in the Telegraph
of Calcutta, the Indian government has ambitious plans to position
India as the global destination for health and wellness. It will do
this by encouraging the creation of institutes to develop skills in
yoga and traditional systems of medicine such as ayurveda.
According
to the article, the first institute of this kind will be established in
the Himalayan region of Sikkim in Northern India.
With this
initiative, the government of India is signalling not only the need to
further propagate its traditional systems of health and wellbeing, but
also its keen interest in capitalizing on the commercial value of the
industry as a whole.
With examples such as traditional Chinese
medicine demonstrating significant global capital potential, which in a
recent report approached nearly 26 billion dollars last year, it is
certainly a good time to begin to lay a solid foundation for the
promotion of India’s own natural traditions.
A senior official within the Tourism Ministry points out that “AYUSH
(the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha
and
Homoeopathy) has concentrated only on very theoretical knowledge so
far. In these new institutes”, says the Ministry official,
“we
will focus on developing core competency.”
While
the Tourism Ministry has already been promoting destinations in India
that specialise in rejuvenation, this is the first time that it is
planning to get involved in manpower training. With the steady growth
of spas and healing centers in the private sector, and the growing
international interest in India as a wellness destination, the
Ministry’s initiative could add needed support to the development of
India as a world leader in the health and wellness industry.
Got
an opinion? Send
us Your Comments ...
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Yoga
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* International
Yogalayam does not endorse any of the products or services
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Yoga News
Yogi Ma Lakshmi
- Pain Relief Expert
Specialist
in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & M.E., working with Dentists,
Surgeons, Doctors, Emergency Staff, Health Care Workers, Vetinerarys
(if you work with pain - you will get pain)
Location:
Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
Email: saleeslight@btinternet.com
Assisi, Italy:
Yoga Center For Sale
Own
your own yoga center in the special peace of St. Francis in the heart
of Assisi.
Location:
Assisi, Italy
Contact:
Ruth Davis
Tel:
39.349.499.1293
URL: www.AssisiProperty.com
Psychotherapy
Eastern
and Western Psychologies working together. Licensed psychoanalyst,
registered yoga teacher.
Location:
New York, NY USA
Contact:
Lynn Somerstein
Tel:
212-861-6818
URL: www.lynnsomerstein.com
Hatha Yoga in
Bristol, UK
Group
classes, workshops and personal tuition
Location:
Bristol, UK
Contact:
Rina Golan-Rothwell
Tel:
07896659902, 0117 9043127
Email:
rinagolan55@yahoo.com
Sarada
Ayurvedic Remedies
Our
centuries-old Ayurvedic formulas are traditionally prepared in India.
We offer Ayurvedic Herbal Body & Massage Oils, Joint &
Muscle Pain Relief, Tarika Ayurvedic Skin Care, and more!
Location:
Ojai/USA
Contact: Peggy
Von Sonn
Tel:
805-646-6435
Email:
info@saradausa.com
URL: www.saradausa.com
Dream
Yoga Intense Retreat In
An experience
to remember for the rest of your life! Mysore, India Aug.-Sept.'08.
Transform your yoga practice regardless of your experience level. Daily
asana, dream yoga/lucid dreaming intensive, accommodations, visits to
sacred sites.
Location:
Mysore,India
Tel: 705-877-8564
Email:
wanderingadept@gmail.com
URL: www.tanglefootlodge.com
Dubai
Yoga Retreat -Jan '09
10
Days in
Dubai experiencing Bhakti Yoga. Incredible tours, private dinners,
sunrise camel trek, Burj Al Arab Luncheon, Spa certificates. Yoga
& Meditation twice a day. Limited Spaces. International Yoga
Students Welcome. $5500 p/p + airfare, most meals & all tours
included.
Location:
Dubai, UAE
Email:
www.retreats@yogaofdevotion.org
URL: www.yogaofdevotion.org
The
Way to Go!
Ayurvedic Lifestyles
A
one day workshop on August 8th, 2008 exploring life choices for a long
and happy life, led by Dr Neelam Taneja. Neelam trained with Deepak
chopra and the day utilises his years of experience in the field of
Ayuvedic health and medicine.
Location:
The Special Yoga Centre, West London NW10
Contact:
Emma Latham
Email:
hello@specialyoga.org.uk
URL: www.specialyoga.org.uk
200
hr Yoga Alliance Certified Teacher Training
January
2009! 200 hrs over 4 months accommodating working schedules. Intensives
are dedicated to an area of yogic practices, methodology &
anatomy. 1 WEEKEND/month 4 months. Intensives will be held in Denver,
CO
Location:
Denver,
Colorado, United States
Email:
yoga@joliecash.com
URL: www.JolieCash.com
Banyan
Botanicals
We
offer a complete line of premium quality Ayurvedic herbs and products.
We also offer certified organically grown herbs, herbal tablets,
massage oils, chyavanprash and more.
Tel:
(800) 953-6424
URL: www.banyanbotanicals.com
Karma
Yoga Work Exchange Program
Receive
FREE Yoga classes in exchange for volunteering your time.
Location:
Montreal,
Canada
Contact: Kim
Email:
yogainfo@joyofyoga.net
URL: www.joyofyoga.net
Yoga for Teens,
Sept 12, 2008
Suitable
for qualified Yoga teachers this workshop is to give current yoga
teachers the skills needed to teach yoga to teenagers.
Location:
The Special Yoga Centre, West London NW10
Contact: Emma Latham
Email:
hello@specialyoga.org.uk
URL: www.specialyoga.org.uk
GOMA Concert -
Sat 27/09/2008 from 19:30 - 21:30
Join
us for extatic chanting of the sacred words and songs. It will help
still the mind, open the heart and is one way of achieving lasting
peace and happiness, connecting us to our inner selves.
Location: The
Special Yoga Centre, West London NW10
Contact: Emma Latham
Email:
hello@specialyoga.org.uk
URL: www.specialyoga.org.uk
ShivaShakti Yoga
Hatha
Yoga classes in East London with reference to Ayurveda and Tantra.
Mantras & Pranayama. March 2009: Yoga retreat in India visiting
Tantric shrines and spiritual practice in Ujjain (M.P) and Varanasi
(U.P).
Location:
London, UK
Contact:
Marianne Simonin
Tel:
00 44 (0) 7710 283 007
Email:
shivashaktiyoga@hotmail.co.uk
URL: www.shivashaktiyoga.co.uk
Yoga with Vim
Lane
Yoga
classes in Mosman - 21 Best Ave (George's Heights Oval): Mon: 9.15am
Tue: 10.45am Thurs: 11am. Yoga classes in Crows Nest - 2/74 Willoughby
Rd: Tue: 8pm Wed: 8pm Sat: 9.30am
Location:
Sydney/Australia
Contact:
Vim Lane
Tel:
(02) 9922 2010 * 0402 551 489
Email:
lanedml@aapt.net.au
Yoga Teachers'
Training - January 2009
RYT
200 & 500 hr. Please call to register for our Yoga Alliance
Teachers' Training, with more than the required hours in teaching
techniques, methodology, philosophy, ethics, practicum, anatomy
& physiology.
Location:
Brighton, Michigan, USA
Contact:
Lee Ann Louis-Prescott, Ph.D
Tel:
810-225-1288
Email:
yougawithleeann@yahoo.com
URL: www.yogahealth.org
Life is
Hard...Yoga Doesn't Have To Be!
Enjoy
a peaceful and tranquil setting in which to learn Classical Hatha
Yoga. Personalized attention, small class sizes and the use
of props and modifications as needed help each student develop a
lifelong yoga practice.
Location:
Fort Worth, Tx, USA
Contact:
Kelle White, RYT (Lotus Yoga Studio)
Tel:
817 448 4475
Email:
lotusyogafw@gmail.com
URL: www.lotusyogafw.com
Ashtanga
Workshop with Master Matthew Darling
Sat.,
Oct. 4th from 12-3pm at The Yoga center. $35.00 Refine and define your
practice in this workshop which will be FUN AND CHALLENGING!
Reserve your spot now=space limited!
Location:
Brighton, MI
Contact:
Lee Ann Louis-Prescott, Ph.D
Tel:
810-225-1288
Email: yougawithleeann@yahoo.com
URL: www.yogahealth.org
Yoga King Yoga
Products and Yoga on Parker
Headstander,
mats, bolsters, blocks, belts, blankets, books, cd/dvd's, neti"s,
eyepillows and more.. Classes & shop at 23 Parker Street
Newmarket. Timetable & online shop at www.yoga-king.com.
Location:
Brisbane, Australia
Contact:
Cheryl Marquez
Tel:
07 3352 6155 / 0437779439
Email:
info@yoga-king.com
URL: www.yoga-king.com
Casa Blanca
Holistic Retreat.
Beautiful
Andalucian Manor House with Stunning Views for 1 week holidays
& weekend breaks. One week holiday 650 euros p.p. all inclusive
(not flights ) Discount for group of 4. Chosen to feature in Footprints
Guide Book Body & Soul Escapes.
Location:
Spain
Contact:
Liz Sandford & Paul Rosin
Tel:
0034 950439020
Email:
lizyoga@hotmail.com
URL: www.casablancayogareiki.com
Bootcamp for
the Soul Yoga Retreat
Join
in an awe-inspiring weekend of Power Yoga and meditation led by
world-renowned teacher Duncan Peak that takes you on a journey through
the depths of self-discovery to leave you revitalised, powerful and
ready to transform your life!
Location:
Sydney, Australia
Contact:
Duncan Peak
Tel:
+61 2 9904 4874
Email:
info@powerliving.com.au
URL: www.powerliving.com.au
Gitananda Yoga
Retreat May 2009
Join
Dr Ananda
Balayogi Bhavanani for an inspiring weekend of yoga surrounded by
natural bushland at Mercy Place Retreat Centre from Friday to Sunday.
Includes Yoga, accommodation and meals.
Location:
Brisbane, Australia
Contact:
Margo Hutchison
Tel:
07 3268 4082
Email:
bodywise1@bigpond.com
URL: www.gitananda-australia.org/DrAnanda2009AprTrip.htm
Yogic Healing
Retreat in Vancouver: 9th & 10th Aug
Understand
the tools
and awareness in Classical Yoga so you can rise to your highest
potential. Release fear and pain. Heal trauma. Gentle & Fun
body,
breath and mind work to open to harmony and love. Yogacharini Maitreyi
from India will facilitate.
Location:
Vancouver, Canada
Contact:
Yogacharini Maitreyi
Tel:
778 987 7446
Email:
maitreyi9@hotmail.com
URL: www.arkaya.net
Yoga in New
London, CT Coming Soon!
Blue
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Hatha, Restorative Yoga Therapy, Meridian, Meditation 7 class card $91,
10 class card $120, Unlimited Yoga 13 weeks $280, Seniors 15% discount
Location:
New London, CT USA
Contact:
Lisa D King, RYT
Tel:
860.440.6518
Email:
info@bluemoonnl.com
URL: www.bluemoonnl.com
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2008, International Yogalayam
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