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A Simple Artist
04-08-2001, 11:20 PM
Just wandering how many here practice yoga and how many days a week and how long is your practice?

:confused: :confused: :confused:

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lordabu
04-08-2001, 11:26 PM
used to practice yoga.
when i did - i did it about twice a week (with a teacher of course), but it is essential you do it everyday -the best time is in the morning before breakfast. get your teacher to teach you things you can do at home.

I will start it again when i have the time and dedication :)

Lordabu

Dragon Warrior
04-09-2001, 05:34 PM
i do yoga at home off a tape called "yoga for athlethes." It is a really good tape and definetely is a good balance for martial artists. I also do yoga wed nights at my school. They offer it for free so i figure why not. It is really cool and i can see that this is probably the true origin of chinese kung fu.

I dont give a God ****,
on the fights you did,
how many moves you got,
or who knows you kid,
cause i don't know you therefore show me what you know,
i come sharp as a blade and i'll cut you slow (GZA Wu-Tang Clan)
Chris V.

JWTAYLOR
04-09-2001, 06:14 PM
Every day, 45 minutes a day.
JWT

kungfu cowboy
04-09-2001, 06:47 PM
3 to 4 times a week for approximately one hour.

old jong
04-09-2001, 07:11 PM
Kamasutra yoga...every nights...The times may vary however!... ;)

C'est la vie!

A Simple Artist
04-09-2001, 08:05 PM
Just wandering are there styles of yoga just like karate, kung-fu and taich? :D

"Learn to hold your fire until you can hit your opponent." ---Bruce Lee
http://members.aol.com/sportscardlink/lee.gif

JWTAYLOR
04-09-2001, 08:20 PM
Hell yeah, lots of different styles. I do Kundalini, but that's because I couldn't find a good Hatha instructor in my area.
JWT

If you pr!ck us, do we not bleed? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that the villany you teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction. MOV

Chang Style Novice
04-09-2001, 09:47 PM
Hatha, Krita, Kundalini, Iyengar

Lots of styles of Yoga. Here's a link to a Yoga forum, moderated by a teacher in the SF area.

http://tabletalk.salon.com/webx?14@@.eea96af/0

_______________________
Everything is universal, by definition.

Vapour
05-20-2003, 06:52 AM
I want to learn more about standing postures and thought that doing Yoga would be one way to learn. After all, Yoga specialise in these things.

I want to do bit of research before I attend class so can anyone point me to good Yoga forum?

joedoe
05-20-2003, 04:13 PM
Yoda did standing forms? No wonder he was so strong in the force!

Oh, sorry. You said yoga :D

Stacey
09-02-2003, 07:26 PM
http://www.hgc.mcmail.com/

If I could do this, I would hire myself out as a ninja

PHILBERT
09-02-2003, 08:31 PM
There is a reason only female children are seen in that site. Because an older persoun would kill himself or herself trying it.

Kristoffer
09-03-2003, 08:14 AM
Imagine what you could do with them when they turn 18....
lol seriously, kids like these could become great martial artists don't you think?

Kristoffer
09-03-2003, 09:59 AM
It was a joke, egg head. And I'm not sure what your talkin about, I havn't posted or linked any websites with children. That's disgusting.

To the topic, you really think anyone could become that flexible after only a year of Yoga practise? I don't know much about Yoga so I wouldn't know.

BTW on the site it said: "1. Slow static contractions throughout the full range of movement. These should be supplemented with active movement throughout the range, holding the position at each extreme to develop the muscle tone there. The use of weight resisted exercise is not recommended."

Hmm.. reminds me of forms :)

Kristoffer
09-03-2003, 10:14 AM
:eek:





































EGG HEAD !!
:p

Shaolin-Do
09-03-2003, 10:19 AM
"hit trees barehand"

I chi blast bottles off a fence post from 40 yards while wearing a 10 gallon hat and my sh!t kickin boots. (of course I have on my plate sized belt buckle too.)

QuaiJohnCain
09-03-2003, 10:30 AM
Big deal. I can F A R T chi fireballs 50 feet and burn trees while hanging 500 pounds of weight from my genitals.

Kristoffer
09-03-2003, 10:33 AM
;)

The Willow Sword
09-03-2003, 10:34 AM
Although i would think that they would be better off being gymnasts and ballet dancers rather than Martial artists.
1. gymnasts and ballet dancers get in to the olympics and get sponsored and go on to do great things in thier life
2. Martial artists seem to spend most of thier time posting and trolling on this forum rather than training.
3. Better competitions in ballet and gymnastics than in martial arts,in my humble opinion.
and finally 4. Those kids getting into yoga later on in life would be a great thing for them, i believe.
i wished that i was in to gymnastics as a kid or started out with yoga instead of aikido and shotokan. it is very difficult or next to impossible to get a 32 year old body to do the stuff that those kids can do.
kudos to them. TWS

Xdr4g0nx
09-03-2003, 10:40 AM
whenever i see gymnasts or yoga or figure skatter or dancer i think to myself "what a waste they would have been great martial artists." But then again i don't think the martial art is for competition so my view is a little different from yours :)

fiercest tiger
12-05-2003, 06:30 PM
Hi Guys,

I have a question for anyone that does YOGA, if you do what experiences have you had? Be it health, flexability, spiritual etc!

What is the best type of Yoga?

Thanks
FT

Scythefall
12-05-2003, 07:36 PM
I took some very relaxing and spiritual yoga classes at 24 hour fitness. The teacher was a dream. She left because she felt like she was neglecting her family. The girl that replaced her was a Power Yoga teacher and it gave new meaning to exertion. I'm pretty heavy and holding all of your body weight at various angles is pretty tough. It was good experience though.

yenhoi
12-05-2003, 08:49 PM
My expirence is with hatha yoga like most people, and lots of research on the net. A good place to start is www.yogabasics.com

Good stuff.

:eek:

PHILBERT
12-05-2003, 09:28 PM
I took it in college for 2 semesters. rubthebuddhas can attest to me coming home after my first day of class, getting online (in fact the thread can be found here (http://forum.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15719)) and freaking out. The second semester though we had another guy join, and not as cute girls. :(

pazman
12-05-2003, 10:54 PM
i've been practicing yoga for nearly 4 years straight, everyday. i suppose you can take it for a lot of different reasons, but i would suggest not limiting yourself to just the asanas (poses). consider those a warm up to whatever pranayama (breath control) or kriya (process) the teacher has for you. if the teacher doesn't know what those things are, then he is not teaching yoga!!!

fiercest tiger
12-07-2003, 09:10 AM
Mixed views there!

Has anyone got 5 element and 5 animal chi kung they recondmend?

videos
books etc

FT:)

Scythefall
12-07-2003, 10:08 AM
5 element or 5 animal chi gung. hmm. The only place I've ever heard of that is in Master Tu's videos(the guy that hangs insane amounts of weight from his crotch and performs some pretty amazing striking demonstrations). I have his version of the Eight Pieces of Brocade and one for back care called Dragon Bone Qigong. Eight Pieces is more like a stretching a routine than actual Chi gung, because he doesn't explain the breathing components or anything. Dragon Bone is very good and put together in a seminar-like production.

Our Eight Pieces of Brocade at my school is different and much more chi intensive than a physical workout.

Have you seen those 5 element/5animal chi gungs elsewhere? At a school?

backbreaker
12-07-2003, 01:04 PM
I have practiced taijiquan ( Yang style and now more recently Chen style) and qigong( Omei mountain qigiong, Dayan wild goose qigong , Damo gong) for many years and they are very good for improving health and vitality. The most powerful system I have found though , is the Yoga at http://www.atlantis.to After reading their book, and doing their Yoga and meditations I have the ability to create super intense , tingling and rushing sensations all through my body which create very strong vibrating currents flowing through my body, all instantly with a single thought. I find this yoga to be very compatible and similar to all the other qigongs and martial arts I do , and it contains the elements of all of them. The "Star exercise" is a physical model of the 5 elements star. I also know a 6 healing sounds qigong based off the 5 elements and it's good for your health and breathing , but the above Yoga is the most powerful qigong I've found and is also very good for health and smoothing your breathing

backbreaker
12-08-2003, 01:47 PM
Here are some top traditional qigong sites that I found





http://www.qinway.org

http://www.wahnam.com/ChiKung/18lohanhands/htm

http://www.ru.ac.za/societies/qi/wildgoose/#move

http://www.ru.ac.za/societies/qi/falungong/index.html

http://www.qimagazine.com

http://www.clearwisdom.net

http://www.atlantis.to

Chuck Man Chuck
12-08-2003, 03:01 PM
Yoga is one of the best things a person can do, especially as a conditioning practice for other arts. Though it has many dimensions, including the spiritual, basically it is stretching. If a person is involved in any sport or physical endeavor it will greatly enhance what they are doing.

I do what has been coined Chinese Yoga, combining the practices of Tao Yin, Kai Men, Chi Kung, and Tso Chan.

I also do Tai Chi Chuan and Kung Fu San Soo. This is my first post on these forums, so hello all.

CaptinPickAxe
12-08-2003, 03:04 PM
My Sifu says its the foutain of youth. I've been instructed to take it at some point in my life (the sooner the better), but I've been flooded with SC and SH. On top of all that it's time to enroll for next semester @ college.

pazman
12-09-2003, 03:16 AM
yoga is not 'basically stretching.' that's like saying martial arts are 'basically standing in a horsestance.' there is a huge difference between what is peddled around at fitness clubs and what is really and historically yoga. while a person could write all day on the meaning of yoga, i'll submit a rather easy explanation. yoga shares the same root as english's 'yoke.' but rather than yoking an animal to a plow, you are yoking yourself to God, or whatever your interpretation of God is. it is generally regarded as a method of joining in union with the divine. this could apply to any religious practice in and of itself. but, more popularly, yoga combines many different elements of spiritual practice into a single system. asthanga yoga, or eight limbed yoga, comprises 8 different practices that are deeply intertwined. asana (stretching and posing )is simply one limb of this yoga. hatha yoga (force or effort yoga) is probably what is thought of when a person mentions yoga. a great emphasis is placed upon asana and athletic feats, but still includes the other seven limbs of asthanga. purna yoga (complete yoga) also includes above practices, but also incorporates devotion, seva (service or creating justice) among other things to create a yoga more adaptable to well-rounded living. all of these yogas, on top of asana, include things like kriya, pranayama, restrictions, observations, dhyana, samadhi, as essential to the practice.

Chuck Man Chuck
12-09-2003, 01:10 PM
Yes, your right Yoga is all those things (which I alluded to by-the-way). For most people in the West though, they become involved in the stretching and meditative aspects of this art for health and well being, long before they ever realize the deepth of Indian Yoga.

As there are many limbs to what we call Yoga, as well, their are completely different traditions, like the Chinese tradition. This involves several arts. Some of these are Tao Yin, Kai Men, Chi Kung, Tso Chan, and even Tai Chi Chuan to a certain extent.

ymotion
02-03-2006, 09:54 AM
Hey, any training is better than no training. Regardless of what kind of equipment we personally prefer, at least we're out there doing something.

So lets here more about your Yoga instruction. I've been thinking about getting one of those Yoga decks. What do you think?

Chief fox,

I would highly recommend yoga with martial arts rountine. When looking for school or teacher, treat it the same way you would in Martial arts. Check out everybody. There are MANY Mcdojo's in the yoga business these days as the yoga business is BIG business.

For yoga it really is about the teacher and the style you prefer. Finding one is like finding gold. Most studios have intro offers that are affordable and most gyms will have at least 1 decent yoga teacher these days. Try them a bunch, you may find you like a hard core flow class or a gentle yoga class (not my cup tea personally) or perhaps Bikram (hot yoga) will be to your liking.

When you go make sure the teacher is certified to teach. Many of teacher out there these day take a couple classes and consider themselves ready to teach. Kind of like a person going to a kung fu class and suddenly becoming a Sifu.

Good luck!

IronFist
07-12-2008, 11:55 PM
So my gf does yoga (they offer it at her job, which is awesome) and I want to start doing it with her (at home).

I don't know anything about yoga tho, and she's just a beginner, too. The first thing that comes to mind is that I would assume that yoga is like taiji/qigong in that probably the majority of teachers out there don't teach it correctly, that most of it is probably hippied and granolafied, etc. etc. Is this the case?

Also does yoga have any weird sex rules like qigong does?

All she's told me about her teacher is that she's an older woman who is in awesome shape and seems very knowledgeable. My gf also has some books with different postures, etc. But these books are just called "yoga" and don't specify a subtype, which brings me to my next point:

I know there are different kinds of yoga like hatha and kundalini, but I don't know what the differences are.

Teach me, kfm. What are things I should be aware of if I'm going to study yoga?

David Jamieson
07-13-2008, 05:49 AM
Yoga is a fabulous practice that will fine tune your body and your body awareness.

The primary focus in yoga is to replenish and nurture the spine. It is whole body work and involves moving and balance postures.

Most schools teach "Hatha" postures which are called "asanas"

moving postures are compound moves and flow from one asana to another whereas balance postures are moved into and then held for a set number of breaths.

Asanas vary in difficulty from easy through to extremely difficult.
Don't make the error of comparing it to other practices such as qigongs and such as you only muddy the waters when doing so. Yes there are some similarities, but to delve into that will only derivate from practice.

Practice is generally going to cover the entire body with a variety of postures both moving and balanced.

there are many many publications and dvd/videos about it out there and some even have combined routines in them for you to start with and of course there are many instructors with varying levels of personal proficiency which of course has zero to do with your own practice.

I recommend works by Iyengar if you can find them as he is very comprehensive in his explanations and instruction. If you are going to join your gf, just go for it! I do it with my wife with some frequency and we very much enjoy it.

Yoga, is wide and deep in it's practices and yes there are practices that enhance ones sexual experience as there are practices on the other side of the spectrum that repair and heal maladies, while other routines maintain vitality and skeletal/muscular strength and always always always nurturing the health of the spinal column and the calmness of mind.

Enjoy!

Vajramusti
07-13-2008, 08:49 AM
When well taught(important)- it is a superb approach to health, breathing, clarity, joint, ligament and postural work- and a good foundation for martial skill development. One of India's gifts to the world. Iyengar's books are not bad- the Light on Yoga is a good guide to the meaning of the postures. A good teacher will examine the student's capabilities and limits and pay attention to gradual and proper development.
A bad teacher is-just that-bad.

I have had two very good yoga teachers. One was 97 (Vethathiri)when he died in South India- still flexible to the end.
The other is about 70(Ray)- and I keep in touch with him when I need to-here in Phoenix.Both Indians. A Tamil and a Bengali.The first teacher understood kundalini well-the second knows his hatha and pranayama well.Its all complementary.Comes from the same roots- which includes Patanjali's yoga sastra

joy chaudhuri

cjurakpt
07-13-2008, 11:26 AM
as a beginer dipping ones toe into the world of yoga, the one advantage you will have as a martial artist (especial CMA), is experience navigating an arcane and seemingly contradictory world of styles and personalities and bizarre claims; except at the end of the day they don't actually fight (well, neither does CMA, so that's actually the same too :D)

but seriously - if you are looking for a good, solid, down-to-earth approach, I strongly recommend Iyengar; for several reasons

1) teachers are all well trained, quality control is excellent in terms of who they certify (very comprehensive programs);

2) very physical approach, grounded in anatomy / phys, minimal interest in spiritual hokum; combines classical learning with contemporary understanding of body structure / function

3) designed for people of all levels - uses lots of props, straps, pillows, etc. to accommodate peeps who are not all pretzelly;

4) teacher is old, alive and healthy, practices what he preaches;

BTW, my wife has been doing his stuff for years, and she teaches it to her OBGYN patients as need arises;

lkfmdc
07-13-2008, 12:20 PM
GOOD yoga is a wonderful thing....I've been in and out of Yoga since college, still influences some of the things I do

However, finding GOOD yoga can be VERY HARD since it is as subject, if not MORE SO, to fraud and BS as TCMA are these days.....

In fact, the first person I did Yoga with, who at the time was considered a "big figure" turned out to be a total fraud!

Iyengar would be a good choice, one of the few real guru who is also very organized, modern in many respects, organized and international

Mr Punch
07-13-2008, 05:05 PM
Everybody's already said it.

Just to add one thing: I've never had a bad experience with yoga. Even with some of the more New-Agey touchy-feely seminars and things, the worst you get is some chanting or meditational commentary. Oh, and the 'healing music', which always makes me want to kill everyone in the room.

The poses, although admittedly I've never progressed beyond beginner, have always felt good at the time and after. Plus, unlike MA, if you get a dodgy teacher, at least it doesn't mean you might get shanked!

Women friends of mine however, have told me some hokey stuff. This includes one who was borderline groped by the teacher who was supposedly 'adjusting her posture'. She wasn't imagining it either: it later came out that many others had had the same experience.

Another school tried to co-opt my then girlfriend (and later me) into a tantric (yoga) sex 'school'.

The Willow Sword
07-13-2008, 08:09 PM
Its a good discipline, no-nonsense,no BS(once you get past the hype about Bikram himself) I Just focus on what the asanas do for me. Ive been a Bikram practitioner off and on for about two years now. I love the practice. Does wonders for my body. I wouldnt make Bikram yoga a practice that you do all the time as it does take alot out of you heat wise(In Bikram Yoga you are doing the postures in a heated room and you sweat like a horse). The Bikram teachers say " oh you need to go 3 times a week for several months to get the full benefits" yada yada yada. But that is if you are doing nothing else with you life. As a supplement to other athletic activities, you can get away with doing Bikram once a week in addition to your other training.
The other reason why i like Bikram Yoga is that there is not any of the hoaky new age stuff. you dont have some stoned white chick with dreads talking about your "inner lightness of being" blah blah blah. I hate that aspect of some yoga places i have been to. INstead you have a nice looking athletic woman talking you through the postures, helping you to correct your form and giving you praise when they see you are really trying and doing your best.

Peace,TWS

Yao Sing
07-14-2008, 05:17 PM
Bikram!? Isn't that the one that kicks the temperature up to 100 degrees and THEN work out?

Checked out a local Bikram place years ago and I couldn' even sit through the class watching. Had to go outside to cool off and I'm in Florida!

If you're lucky it will be Ashtanga, or Power Yoga. Anything else is pretty much hippie meditation and I did enough of that in the 70's.

But seriously, it's fun and different and relly good for your flexability and balance. Should compliment any CMA you're doing.

David Jamieson
07-14-2008, 05:31 PM
Bikram!? Isn't that the one that kicks the temperature up to 100 degrees and THEN work out?

Checked out a local Bikram place years ago and I couldn' even sit through the class watching. Had to go outside to cool off and I'm in Florida!

If you're lucky it will be Ashtanga, or Power Yoga. Anything else is pretty much hippie meditation and I did enough of that in the 70's.

But seriously, it's fun and different and relly good for your flexability and balance. Should compliment any CMA you're doing.

Ashtanga Yoga is not recommended for beginners. lol.

cjurakpt
07-14-2008, 05:54 PM
Ashtanga Yoga is not recommended for beginners. lol.

I strongly support the practice of Ashtanga yoga - it has incalculably contributed to my PT practice...

Mr Punch
07-14-2008, 07:31 PM
Do you mean Ashtanga Vinyasa or Raja Yoga?

Oso
07-14-2008, 07:51 PM
yea...don't count on a yoga teacher to remember when to finish her class so the next class can start on time.

sanjuro_ronin
07-15-2008, 04:27 AM
So my gf does yoga (they offer it at her job, which is awesome) and I want to start doing it with her (at home).



I bet you do !
:D

David Jamieson
07-15-2008, 07:38 AM
I strongly support the practice of Ashtanga yoga - it has incalculably contributed to my PT practice... Indeed , warrior's yoga is a delightful practice and I also support it as a practice in ones life that will contribute to quality of life greatly.

But, I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner and instead would recommend that you build your practice towards it gradually.

If you tried to learn kungfu by starting with the most difficult material, it will not be a workable solution...in other words. :)

cjurakpt
07-15-2008, 07:47 AM
Indeed , warrior's yoga is a delightful practice and I also support it as a practice in ones life that will contribute to quality of life greatly.

But, I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner and instead would recommend that you build your practice towards it gradually.

If you tried to learn kungfu by starting with the most difficult material, it will not be a workable solution...in other words. :)

actually, I meant it has "contributed" to my practice in terms of pateients with really messed up backs, necks, etc...:o

Becca
07-15-2008, 09:40 AM
5. Wind-Relieving Asana . Thought fiber was the only natural remedy for expelling excess gas? Think again: this series of yoga postures assumed in asana-based classes assists air in exiting your digestive tract—in a room full of people. The motions involve lying flat on your back and pulling your left, right or both knees into your tensed stomach, squeezing out the stale air or, in instructor's lingo, engaging your abdominal region to assist with elimination. The poses are also said to enhance supine strength and flexibility, making them optimal for those with both bad backs and Metamucil in their pantries (read: old people). "It could certainly be helpful with some individuals in terms of [their] low backs," says Bryant. "But the whole flatulence aspect—I'm not so sure that there's a great deal of physiological support for that being a need."

The verdict: Group flatu-fitness? We'll pass.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/145420/page/2

sanjuro_ronin
07-15-2008, 09:50 AM
http://www.newsweek.com/id/145420/page/2

Ah chi, its everywhere !

David Jamieson
07-15-2008, 03:15 PM
Do a prayer twist in crescent pose or warrior one and you will probably ****.

Becca
07-17-2008, 09:29 AM
Bad karma: When yoga harms instead of heals.
(http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25400799/wid/11915773?GT1=31036)"Inexperienced teachers and overeager students behind rise in injuries"

groovenugget
12-24-2012, 02:33 PM
dont have alot of time, and hate weight training. trying to consolidate time and effort. what about yoga-not just stretching, but strengthening and pranayam as well. please discuss.

groovenugget
12-24-2012, 02:42 PM
dont have alot of time or resources(here in the Deep South). trying to consolidate as much as I can for purpose of time and resources. really interested in tcm/qigong but availability is almost nil. i know yoga is different, but conceptually tied. please, discuss.

bawang
12-24-2012, 09:48 PM
and hate weight training.

this is why you have failed, my son.

groovenugget
12-24-2012, 10:21 PM
lol, thanks for the encouragement. i do hope to try kettlebells this year, we'll see.
back to the point at hand.

pazman
12-25-2012, 08:25 AM
If you don't want to devote time to taking care of your fitness and lack the willpower for weightlifting, what could you gain from attempting yoga?

taai gihk yahn
12-25-2012, 12:10 PM
If you don't want to devote time to taking care of your fitness and lack the willpower for weightlifting, what could you gain from attempting yoga?

hot chicks in hard-tail yoga wear?

pazman
12-25-2012, 01:24 PM
http://www.totalprosports.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/1-sexy-yoga-posture.jpg

rett
12-26-2012, 03:35 AM
dont have alot of time, and hate weight training. trying to consolidate time and effort. what about yoga-not just stretching, but strengthening and pranayam as well. please discuss.

I think it's a good idea. I can't say much about yoga specifically, but I believe there are some similarities with certain kinds of qigong that I'm more familiar with. Calm exercise routines with a relaxation component are more sustainable over the whole life course. Find a group you like and go for it. My 2€

taai gihk yahn
12-26-2012, 06:20 AM
http://www.totalprosports.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/1-sexy-yoga-posture.jpg

she looks very enlightened...

Dale Dugas
12-26-2012, 06:45 AM
What about push ups, sit ups, crunches, pull ups, squats and other body weight exercises that will get you strong?

I do them all the time as well as play with resistance bands, kettlebells, weight vest, tensions sets, along with weights.

MightyB
12-26-2012, 07:46 AM
It's like everything else in that it depends on the school. You'll have to ask questions and visit the class. Hopefully you'll be able to tell if it's health club yoga or if you're dealing with a serious yogi by doing the above. If not, just go to the one that has the most hot chicks.

David Jamieson
12-26-2012, 08:18 AM
lol, yoga is not easier than weightlifting. In fact, it's exactly the opposite It consumes more time, requires more patience and has a high demand towards technical ability.

It takes time to learn yoga. A lot more time than it takes to learn to lift.

If you think Yoga will be easier, then...well...hahahahahahahahahahahaha, enjoy!

Drake
12-26-2012, 10:10 AM
lol, yoga is not easier than weightlifting. In fact, it's exactly the opposite It consumes more time, requires more patience and has a high demand towards technical ability.

It takes time to learn yoga. A lot more time than it takes to learn to lift.

If you think Yoga will be easier, then...well...hahahahahahahahahahahaha, enjoy!

And it requires a massive amount of core strength. Yoga is FAR from easy.

Don't like weightlifting? A lot of yoga requires an ability to not only lift and hold your own body weight, but also do so in very difficult positions.

GeneChing
12-26-2012, 10:26 AM
I studied yoga for a few years when I lived in SF. I spent a month at the Iyengar Institute in Pune, and a few more weeks at an ashram in Rishikesh. It's a great discipline. It really accelerated my kung fu and qigong training for a while, but it does create conflict on some levels.

I wrote an article on the yoga/martial arts connection based on an interview I did with B.K.S. Iyengar at in India back in our May 1999 issue (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=95): The Kung Fu of Yoga: A Winding Path to Self Realization. Initially, I was looking to make that Bodhidharma connection, as any researcher in the day was, but unable to find it, the article focused on misperceptions.

The topic of kung fu and yoga has come up plenty of times in our publications (a search (http://www.picosearch.com/cgi-bin/ts.pl?index=230511&query2=&search=Search&opt=any) of our site produces 37 results as of this writing). I'm sure it will come up again (in fact, I have a potential article addressing Indian martial arts in our queue right now) due to the Bodhidharma creation myth. But I feel we've scotched that snake a long time ago. For example see our May June 2010 cover story (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=892): Virgin Kung Fu (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=897). You might also check out this thread: Qigong vs. Yoga (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=59820)

Nevertheless, yoga is a profound discipline. Unfortunately, groovenugget, like any profound discipline, it takes a lot of time. So while I'd encourage anyone to pursue it, it isn't a shortcut. Quite the opposite, in fact.

GeneChing
01-02-2013, 05:24 PM
I almost posted this on Successful Street Applications (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49825), but then thought it sat better here.

2012/09/22 23:48 KST
(LEAD) 'Korean Houdini' nabbed after six days on the run (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2012/09/22/90/0302000000AEN20120922003051315F.HTML)
DAEGU, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- A robbery suspect who earned the nickname "Korean Houdini" after breaking out of prison through a very narrow cell window was nabbed Saturday after six days on the run, police said.

Choi Gab-bok, 50, was caught on the rooftop of an apartment building in Milyang, 386 kilometers southeast of Seoul, earlier in the day, said Daegu's Dongbu Police Station. Milyang is about 30 kilometers south from Daegu.

http://img.yonhapnews.co.kr/etc/inner/EN/2012/09/22/AEN20120922003051315_01_i.jpg

Upon a tipoff from a villager in Milyang, police raided an apartment building and arrested the suspect hiding in a cardboard box on rooftop, police officials said.

Choi, with a lean body, had escaped a police jail in Daegu last Monday. He reportedly applied a type of salve all over his body before squeezing through a 15-centimeter-high, 45-centimeter-wide food slot in the bars of a detention cell at the Daegu police station around 5 a.m. on Sept. 17, while all three police officers on duty slept. The story of the Houdini-style breakout has gripped the nation throughout this week.

A police investigator who reviewed footage from a prison surveillance camera told reporters that Choi who is 165 centimeters tall and weighs 52 kilograms escaped from the prison cell in less than a minute after moving flexibly like an octopus. Choi, who was initially detained on Sept. 12 on robbery charges, is known as a yoga master after improving his physical fitness during previous detentions totaling 23 years, according to his acquaintances and investigators.

On being arrested again, Choi insisted that he escaped to prove his innocence.

Officials at the Daegu police station said Choi was detained this time in a cell with a far smaller food slot measuring 11 cm in height and 102.5 cm in width.

Brule
03-04-2013, 07:11 AM
How many of you guys/gals practise Yoga as part of your training. I always wanted to try and a new place just opened up right by work. I know nothing about it though so any info would be appreciated. What to look for what not to look for. etc...

Thanks

David Jamieson
03-04-2013, 07:17 AM
I practice Yoga regularly.

It's like Kung Fu, simply begin and continue.

your knowledge will grow as you do it.

Scott R. Brown
03-04-2013, 11:03 AM
Been doing hatha yoga for 41 years now, although I seriously injured my hip doing yoga about 4 1/2 years ago!

It was a stupid mistake, a momentary lapse in concentration that I am still paying for!

But only one injury in all that time is pretty good, and it saved me from many other injuries along the way.

I don't believe in yoga teachers though!

Brule
03-04-2013, 11:09 AM
Thanks for the feedback. I might go in and give it a go. Looks like they are certified by the canadian alliance of yoga and are CYT - 200 under Hatha Yoga. I knid of figured there are frauds out there or those who don't know what they're doing, so i thought i'd ask.

David Jamieson
03-04-2013, 11:23 AM
actually, I'd say that it's very important to choose judiciously when one takes up yoga, given the proliferation of unqualified people teaching these days and books written poorly on the topic;


Normally, I would agree. But someone coming in from the void doesn't have much in the way of judiciousness regarding choice.

hence, "your knowledge will grow as you do it".

Kind of like how one discovers their teacher isn't really well versed in stuff after all and so on.

His passion and desire for knowledge as a student should override or align with the teacher eventually.

IronFist
03-04-2013, 07:20 PM
Been doing hatha yoga for 41 years now, although I seriously injured my hip doing yoga about 4 1/2 years ago!

It was a stupid mistake, a momentary lapse in concentration that I am still paying for!

But only one injury in all that time is pretty good, and it saved me from many other injuries along the way.

I don't believe in yoga teachers though!

Ouch! How'd you hurt yourself?

IronFist
03-04-2013, 07:21 PM
I always figured yoga was like TCMA or qigong in that there are probably some teachers who know the correct way to do everything and then a bunch of new agers teaching a granolified version of it.

It's something I'd like to learn more about but don't know how to tell legit from bandwagon.

Scott R. Brown
03-04-2013, 07:52 PM
Ouch! How'd you hurt yourself?

Performing a stretch similar to the hurdlers stretch, but going down to the bent knee. Something I've performed for decades but I was distracted at the time and felt a twinge in the hip socket that turned into a serious ligament injury.

MasterKiller
03-06-2013, 07:26 AM
It's something I'd like to learn more about but don't know how to tell legit from bandwagon.

If only there was some tool you could use to reserch topics, look up relevant information, and connect with people from all over the world who might have knowledge of such things, all from the comfort of your living room or toilet...!!

Vajramusti
03-06-2013, 08:14 AM
If only there was some tool you could use to reserch topics, look up relevant information, and connect with people from all over the world who might have knowledge of such things, all from the comfort of your living room or toilet...!!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Yoga is a serious discipline, There is no universal tool for developing knowledge on many serious subjects.
There are various branches of yoga.. Hatha is simply the best known and most widespread.
Like many good fields of knowledge it has spread too fast and all sorts of schools, gyms, book
publishers, self help peddlers have got on the band wagon. You can get injured doing bad yoga
and good yoga can help with many problems.
Iyengar himself is very good-his teacher was superb. Some of the other students of his teacher were also good. "Certification" is only as good as the person doing the certifying.
Yoga posture adjustments are best when properly individualized. So--- no universal research tool.
for finding good yoga. Serious homework in researching teachers- their background- info on where they learned- from whom and for how long are keys.

MasterKiller
03-06-2013, 08:41 AM
Serious homework in researching teachers- their background- info on where they learned- from whom and for how long are keys.
...if only there was some readily accessible and widely available tool for performing this research!

sanjuro_ronin
03-06-2013, 08:50 AM
How many of you guys/gals practise Yoga as part of your training. I always wanted to try and a new place just opened up right by work. I know nothing about it though so any info would be appreciated. What to look for what not to look for. etc...

Thanks

Find a class with the hottest women.
Join.
Enjoy.

IronFist
03-06-2013, 02:34 PM
If only there was some tool you could use to reserch topics, look up relevant information, and connect with people from all over the world who might have knowledge of such things, all from the comfort of your living room or toilet...!!

Can't trust everything you read online, though.

GunnedDownAtrocity
03-24-2013, 01:53 PM
Yoga is really good for your lower abs.

Vash
03-24-2013, 03:11 PM
He has risen.

GunnedDownAtrocity
03-25-2013, 01:20 PM
I'm out of school for a year, and I quickly ran out of ways to waste time between squatting and hitting up chinese buffets.

Oso
03-25-2013, 01:32 PM
and not necessarily in that order... ;)

Vash
03-25-2013, 03:23 PM
LOL@ the Bear.

And good to hear from you GDA; hope life is still good.

GeneChing
02-03-2015, 11:48 AM
Cool pix (pun intended ;))


INSANE: Ladies do Yoga on snowy Tianmen Mountain (http://shanghaiist.com/2015/02/03/ladies-yoga-snowy-tianmen-mountain.php)

http://shanghaiist.com/upload/2015/02/woman-yoga-1.jpg

A group of hardcore yoga enthusiasts were spotted pulling out some moves on the snowy grounds of Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, Hunan province on January 31. The women endured the freezing cold in just their workout clothes for a round of "Snow Yoga", which is probably about as extreme as yoga gets (unless it involves a large group of pregnant women).

http://shanghaiist.com/upload/2015/02/woman-yoga-2.jpg

http://shanghaiist.com/upload/2015/02/woman-yoga-3.jpg

http://shanghaiist.com/upload/2015/02/woman-yoga-4.jpg

http://shanghaiist.com/upload/2015/02/woman-yoga-5.jpg

http://shanghaiist.com/upload/2015/02/woman-yoga-6.jpg

http://shanghaiist.com/upload/2015/02/woman-yoga-7.jpg

More and more people across China have been taking part in some pretty extreme snow-related sports, including cold endurance competitions, ice swimming and snow bucket challenges. Of course, most of these events have taken place in China's "Ice City", Harbin, where the people may have gone mad from blisteringly cold temperatures.

[Images via NetEase]


by Luke Sun

mickey
02-08-2015, 01:15 PM
Greetings,


I do not think those winter photos are genuine. If they were really out in the cold, you would see an extra set of eyes. Just ask sanjuro ronin. He's got the straight skinny on everything with curves.

mickey

MightyB
02-09-2015, 10:17 AM
who doesn't love yoga?

http://media.giphy.com/media/Yphqq6rzQxskw/giphy.gif

GeneChing
05-14-2015, 09:24 AM
There was something about this visit on the Kungfu-Yoga (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68161-Kungfu-Yoga&p=1283901#post1283901)



Yoga-Tai chi joint demonstration in China to honour PM Narendra Modi (http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-yoga-tai-chi-joint-demonstration-in-china-to-honour-pm-narendra-modi-2085786)
Thursday, 14 May 2015 - 3:08pm IST | Place: Beijing | Agency: ANI

http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/05/14/336246-modi-and-xi-jinping.jpg

The Yogi Yoga Centre was started in 2003 by Mohan Bhandari and this centre has produced an estimated 10,000 yoga teachers since 2007.

A joint Yoga-Tai Chi demonstration will take place at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing on May 15 to honour Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden visit as head of government to China. Around 200 people from the 'Yogi Yoga' centre will perform yoga at the venue, alongside 200 people performing tai chi. The Yogi Yoga Centre was started in 2003 by Mohan Bhandari and this centre has produced an estimated 10,000 yoga teachers since 2007.

"This is the biggest yoga centre in China. We started this centre in 2003. We have 7000 students for this centre and since 2007 we have produced 10,000 teachers. Yoga is very popular in China. When young people join a particular field, it starts to spread," Bhandari told ANI here.

Speaking about the difference between Yoga and Tai Chi, Bhandari said that Yoga is more dynamic than Tai Chi. "Tai chi and Yoga are independent practices, Tai Chi is slower than Yoga, but Yoga is more dynamic," he added. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi began his visit of China with Xi'an. He is scheduled to travel to Beijing later in the day. In Xi'an, the Prime Minister visited the Terracotta Army museum, before travelling to the Daxingshan Temple.

He also met President Xi Jinping, before holding restricted talks with the Chinese leader. Prime Minister Modi will conclude his tour of China by visiting Shanghai.

GeneChing
05-21-2015, 10:19 AM
You’re almost definitely not as genki as this 84-year-old man – meet China’s “Yoga Grandpa” (http://en.rocketnews24.com/2015/05/21/youre-almost-definitely-not-as-genki-as-this-old-man-meet-chinas-yoga-grandpa/)
evie lund
13 hours ago

https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/yoga1-e1432115481881.jpg?w=580&h=392

If you recall, we delighted you all once before with a story about an incredibly genki granny from Japan who is capable of bending her aged limbs into a variety of contortionist poses. But we reckon this yoga grandpa from China has got her beaten!

Check out this man’s incredible flexibility in this series of photos that will have your jaws hanging and your joints creaking in sympathy!

The 84-year-old man lives in Zhangjiakou in China, where he is known to the locals as “Master” due to his eye-watering yoga skills. He’s lived in the same area his whole life, and around 30 years ago decided to take up yoga after a period of ill-health. Apparently, yoga did so much for his condition that he decided to make it his life’s passion, even going on to create several of his own “original poses”.

▼ Let’s call this one: ‘turtle on its back waiting for someone to flip it right-side up.’
https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/yoga3-e1432115534902.jpg?w=580&h=386

As well as yoga, he’s also interested in botany, entomology and ornithology (that’s plants, bugs and birds to the rest of us) and leads an active lifestyle. He attributes his ongoing vitality to a positive outlook on life, combined, of course, with lots of yoga!

https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/yoga2-e1432115510843.jpg?w=580&h=386

He also runs introductory yoga classes for the community, which he teaches for free. Perhaps he could come to the RocketNews24 office some time and give us some pointers, since the only poses we know are the “Lying Down After a Big Lunch” and the “Internet Writer Trying to Think of Another Synonym”. (They both involve a lot of groaning…)

https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/yoga4-e1432115559444.jpg?w=580&h=386

Source: Focus-Asia/Yahoo! Japan News via Toychan
Images: Huanqiu via Toychan
'original poses' often implies that the practitioner is skilled but hasn't studied the classics enough.

GeneChing
09-09-2015, 03:23 PM
Beauty test with yoga pose a hit with young women in China, may cause horrendous pain (http://en.rocketnews24.com/2015/09/09/beauty-test-with-yoga-pose-a-hit-with-young-women-in-china/)
Master Blaster12 hours ago

https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/p7.jpg?w=580&h=837

Unusual poses have been big among young Chinese women over social networks recently. Late last month there was the “touch your belly button with one hand wrapped behind your back” fad. Anyone who could achieve this feat was said to have “good style”. Around the same time there was also the “put as many coins into that little divot in your collar bone” trend.

Now it appears a classic yoga pose is making the rounds. It’s called the Pashchima Namaskarasana or Reverse Prayer Pose. However, on China’s microblogging site Weibo, it’s done with the added challenge of raising your hands as high as they can go; the higher your hands can get the more beautiful you are purported to be.

What, you thought “beauty” was a measure of how others judged your outward appearance and to a lesser extent your personality? No, silly, it’s all about how well you can bend your arms behind your back…

The rules to this game are simple: by bending your arms behind your back you must make your palms touch. To assure that your palms are sufficiently together you must hold your smartphone pressed between them. Since you’ll likely be indisposed, you should ask someone else to take your photo. Then compare how high your arms are to this handy diagram.

https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/p711.jpg?w=580&h=534

The steps are, from top to bottom: Beyond Goddess, Goddess, Girl Next Door, Female Diaosi, and the final level is hard to translate but refers to a woman well suited to building a new addition to your house or beating up bullies for you. “Diaosi” is an unclearly defined social class in China somewhere around the lower middle class. Website That’s equates it to the American term “redneck” in that it can be both a term of pride and ridicule.

You might wonder how these classifications came to be. Well, they have been tirelessly peer-reviewed by thousands upon thousands of Chinese teens, and they have deemed the theory “proven, no backsies.”

https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/p31.jpg?w=580&h=574

Our own writer Anji Tabata gave the Reverse Prayer Pose a try, but knowing she had flexible shoulders wasn’t worried about her results.

https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/p111.jpg?w=580&h=774
© Pouch

Sadly, since she had to use her smartphone to take the picture, she couldn’t clasp it between her palms. This renders her “Beyond Goddess” status invalid. Sorry, Anji, those are the breaks!

I also gave it a go, but a sudden and intense pain shot through my chest, shoulders, and upper arms before I got them even halfway behind me. Going by the chart above, that must mean I’m super-ultra-masculine, which really comes as no surprise. When the feeling in my right arm returns I will raise it in triumph.

This poor guy, however…

https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/p121.jpg?w=580&h=772

Hope he has a tiara picked out for his Double Beyond Goddess coronation. He does bring up a few good points though. First, its kind of strange how, the more creepy you turn out in your photograph seems to be directly proportional to how gorgeous you are, according to this.

Second, with the definitive measure of your beauty at stake, it might not be surprising for some to resort to Photoshop trickery to achieve Beyond Goddess certification. As such accusations of doctored photos have been rampant online. Most complain about the length of the poser’s arms, but with camera angles it’s pretty hard to say.

https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/015.jpg?w=580&h=643

It just goes to show you, no matter what obscure way we come up with to measure physical attractiveness, Photoshop is always there to screw with our perceptions.

Original article by Anji Tabata
Photos: Weibo 1, 2, 3, 4

I used to get a lot of mileage out of this when I lead warm-ups for Kung Fu class. It used to be fairly easy for me, which is odd because my shoulders aren't very open. It was more that I practiced yoga on the side so I could do it.

It's much harder to do when doing a forward bend. In fact, it's a good check to see how much you are actually bending at the waist versus just rounding your back.

GeneChing
09-30-2015, 09:20 AM
http://assets.amuniversal.com/ec3dae003d41013306d6005056a9545d

I luv Dilbert (http://dilbert.com/). It's one of my fav strips. I vacillate between identifying most with Alice, Wally or Catbert. ;)

GeneChing
10-01-2015, 08:56 AM
The comedic thread continues...

http://assets.amuniversal.com/eddcf1c03d41013306d6005056a9545d

GeneChing
10-05-2015, 08:09 AM
pun intended ;)

http://assets.amuniversal.com/ef98fd803d41013306d6005056a9545d

GeneChing
04-11-2016, 09:18 AM
'Rage Yoga' encourages posing while cursing, drinking, and listening to metal (http://m.sfgate.com/living/article/Rage-Yoga-encourages-posing-while-cursing-7232172.php#photo-9760520)
Alyssa Pereira | on April 6, 2016

http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/45/16/74/9760520/4/920x920.jpg
Like this, but screaming.

There's a common saying cited by non-yogis as a reason not to practice and pose: "It's boring."

That's an understandable sentiment — some people just don't find the same kind of stress release in yoga as they do in, say, kickboxing — but with a new take on the practice, called "Rage Yoga," there may be more folks flocking to the fitness activity than ever before.

Created by a Calgary, Canada resident named Lindsay-Marie Istace after "the really painful breakup of a long term relationship," Rage Yoga is meant for those who are hoping to improve their posture and flexibility, but have never felt at ease in a modern yoga studio.

Or for those who just have a little extra aggression they need to work out.

"Want to better your strength, flexibility and become zen as f—? Enjoy the occasional f-bomb or innuendo?" the site reads. "You've come to the right place."

Istace also encourages participants to feel free to swear and drink while posing, telling Vice that "as soon as people get into the sequences they tend to naturally drink slowly." Metal music is also often played too, with albums by the likes of Metallica and Black Sabbath spinning in the background.

The whole thing may seem like blasphemy to those that consider yoga a highly spiritual process, but to Istace's fans, it's a respite and a quirky alternative to partaking in yoga as we know it today. It's also a welcomed option for some of those feeling uncomfortable by the generally quiet practice, or turned off by the yoga's less hardcore reputation.


"When I started going to yoga classes, I felt like I didn't really fit in at a lot of those different studios," she told Vice last month. "[They have a] very deadpan, serious, overly serene approach to things. And that's just not how I roll."

The practice is so far only offered live in Calgary, but Istace hopes to soon make it available to anyone with an internet connection. Coming off a very successful Kickstarter aimed at funding the creation and distribution of online classes, the dream of having an excuse to scream while exercising may not be that far off after all.

"zen as f—?" :rolleyes:

http://rageyoga.com

GeneChing
04-14-2016, 10:24 AM
There's a vid on the site, but the first pic says it all...:rolleyes:


Yoga Meets Martial Arts for a Capoeira Workout That'll Get You Seriously Sweaty (http://www.shape.com/fitness/videos/yoga-meets-martial-arts-capoeira-workout-thatll-get-you-seriously-sweaty)
Just call it the "hot new yoga"
Jaclyn Emerick | Apr 12, 2016

http://images.shape.mdpcdn.com/sites/shape.com/files/styles/slide/public/yoga-brazil-102706096.jpg?itok=E29Dc_05

Take the stretch-and-strengthen powers of yoga, then turn up its burn with the fluid, dance-like movements of the Brazilian martial art Capoeira, and you get Yoga Brazil, a body-sculpting, fat-melting workout created by the celebrity fitness pro Brett Hoebel. As you flow through the poses in a perma-crouch, your muscles are constantly contracted, leaving you tighter, lighter—and quivering—once the routine is over.

It's a vinyasa sequence composed of six pairs of moves that fuse the best of both techniques. For the first pair, you'll start in a downward dog, then step into a low lunge (a Capoeira staple) and undulate from one side of the mat to the other. "This helps create your flow," Hoebel says. As each new combo is added, it's seamlessly tacked on to the previous pair—and then the circuit resets at downward dog all over again—until you've linked all six pairs together for one continuous, powerful flow. Then you'll repeat the process from the top, this time on the other side. "It's a true calorie-burning and booty-sculpting experience," he says.

Take your time on each set of exercises and try notto skip ahead or do them all at once. They're placed in this progression to help you build heat, finesse your form, and lose yourself a little in the rhythm. That, and to shape a sleeker, stronger, fiercer physique. (Want more? Try this 20-Minute Workout to Help You Get Fit, Get Toned, and Get On with Your Day.)

How it works: Start with pair 1. Then do pair 2. Next, do pair 1, then pair 2. Then do pair 3. After that, you'll combine them, doing pair 1, then 2, then 3. You'll repeat this process of introducing a new pair of moves and then combining all the pairs from the beginning until you've combined pairs 1 through 6.

Total Time: up to 30 minutes

You will need: Mat
1. Down Dog Into Low Lunge

http://images.shape.mdpcdn.com/sites/shape.com/files/styles/slide/public/yoga-brazil-downward-dog-102705677_L.jpg?itok=6C3HIKlO
A. Start on floor in plank on palms. Push hips up and back so that body forms an inverted V. Step left foot forward between hands, bending leg 90 degrees and lowering right knee toward floor.

http://images.shape.mdpcdn.com/sites/shape.com/files/styles/slide/public/yoga-brazil-low-lunge-102705678_L.jpg?itok=44h_MEaG
B. Lower torso toward left knee, and keeping left palm planted, bring right forearm in front of chin with elbow bent. Replant right palm and step left leg back to down dog. Complete reps, then switch sides and repeat.

Sets: 1 Reps: 8

2. Figure-Eight Block Into Side Sweep

http://images.shape.mdpcdn.com/sites/shape.com/files/styles/slide/public/yoga-brazil-figure-8-right-102705679_L.jpg?itok=ZXVidKOR
A. Stand with feet wide and toes turned out, elbows bent with hands near chin and palms facing each other. Bend left leg 90 degrees and lean torso over left thigh, swaying arms so that fingertips point toward left.

http://images.shape.mdpcdn.com/sites/shape.com/files/styles/slide/public/yoga-brazil-figure-8-left-102705680_L.jpg?itok=dMxzGFlU
B. Fluidly bend right knee, leaning torso over right thigh and arcing arms to right.

http://images.shape.mdpcdn.com/sites/shape.com/files/styles/slide/public/yoga-brazil-figure-8-right-102705679_L_0.jpg?itok=zH02ShtT
C. Without pausing, switch sides again.

http://images.shape.mdpcdn.com/sites/shape.com/files/styles/slide/public/yoga-brazil-side-sweep-102705681_L.jpg?itok=rVsqrhNy
D. Then straighten left leg and turn right toes out to face the back of mat as you bend right leg 90 degrees, planting right palm outside of foot, leaning torso over right thigh, and reaching left hand overhead toward the right. Complete reps then switch sides and repeat.

Sets: 1 Reps: 4 continued next post

GeneChing
04-14-2016, 10:25 AM
Continued because you want all of this Brazil Yoga goodness. Extra points to anyone who posts pix of themselves doing this.


3. Low Lunge Into Reverse Kicks

http://images.shape.mdpcdn.com/sites/shape.com/files/styles/slide/public/yoga-brazil-low-lunge-102705678_L_0.jpg?itok=4wmjqQRm
A. Start in low lunge with left leg forward.

http://images.shape.mdpcdn.com/sites/shape.com/files/styles/slide/public/yoga-brazil-reverse-kick-102705682_sm_L.jpg?itok=ZpXMCfXt
B. Then plant right palm and shift hips up and back, sweeping left leg high (but keeping hips square). Shift forward into a plank, then push hips up and back, lifting left leg. Alternate plank and reverse kick on your left side 3 more times (flexing through left heel), then lower leg into down dog. Switch sides and repeat.

Sets: 1 Reps: 1

4. Reverse Kick Into Half Handstand

http://images.shape.mdpcdn.com/sites/shape.com/files/styles/slide/public/yoga-brazil-reverse-kick-102705682_sm_L_0.jpg?itok=51ABd3kM
A. Start in plank on palms. Push hips up and reverse kick with left leg.

http://images.shape.mdpcdn.com/sites/shape.com/files/styles/slide/public/yoga-brazil-half-handstand-102705683_L.jpg?itok=H0MyXlKm
B. Bring left knee toward chest while bending right knee, look forward, and kick feet up, bending knees into a half handstand. Land in reverse kick with left leg up. Shift forward into plank. Complete reps then switch sides and repeat.

Sets: 1 Reps: 4

5. Low Lunge Into Push Kick

http://images.shape.mdpcdn.com/sites/shape.com/files/styles/slide/public/yoga-brazil-low-lunge-102705678_L_1.jpg?itok=Goyfdqfz
A. Start in low lunge with left foot forward.

http://images.shape.mdpcdn.com/sites/shape.com/files/styles/slide/public/yoga-brazil-push-kick-102705684_L.jpg?itok=92QJJ6C4
B. Push into left foot to stand on left leg, kicking right foot forward (flexing heel), leaning torso back slightly with left elbow bent and left forearm in front of face, and pressing right palm down. Return to low lunge. Complete reps then switch sides and repeat.

Sets: 1 Reps: 4

6. Twisting Escape Into Half-Moon Block

http://images.shape.mdpcdn.com/sites/shape.com/files/styles/slide/public/yoga-brazil-twisting-escape-102705685_L.jpg?itok=eaBR4o8D
A. Start in down dog, then step left foot forward into low lunge. Plant right palm to the inside of left foot; rotate left shoulder 90 degrees toward ceiling to turn body to left with left knee bent, left foot flat, and right leg straight so that hip is lifted and outer edge of right foot is on floor with toes pointed straight ahead (bend left elbow so that palm is open and facing forward).

http://images.shape.mdpcdn.com/sites/shape.com/files/styles/slide/public/yoga-brazil-half-moon-block-102705686_L.jpg?itok=E9CpCVv2
B. Rotate left shoulder another 90 degrees to rotate chest toward ceiling, planting left palm below left shoulder, bending right leg and flattening foot, and kicking left leg toward ceiling with foot flexed. Turn over right shoulder to come into plank position. Complete reps then switch sides and repeat.

Sets: 1 Reps: 4

mickey
04-15-2016, 10:31 AM
Greetings Gene,

That Brazilian stuff looks silly.

I had the opportunity to talk with a woman from India in a college yoga lass. She shared that what passes for Sun Salutation in the world is nothing compared to what she learned in her homeland. She told me that the sequence had over 20 moves and was very advanced.

mickey

-N-
04-15-2016, 05:02 PM
That Brazilian stuff looks silly.

I give them extra credit for long legged brunettes in tights though.

mickey
04-15-2016, 07:45 PM
Greetings -N-

Those Brazilin yoga photos give me a bad case of the eeks, man. She looks so computer generated.

mickey

-N-
04-15-2016, 10:49 PM
Greetings -N-

Those Brazilin yoga photos give me a bad case of the eeks, man. She looks so computer generated.

mickey

VR hotties. Embrace the future :)

mickey
04-16-2016, 05:44 AM
No way, -N-,

I will stick with the female track sprinters and the belly dancers!

mickey

GeneChing
04-22-2016, 11:12 AM
The Devil made me do it. ;)


Man Accidentally Performs Yoga Pose, Is Possessed By Horde of Demons (http://babylonbee.com/news/man-accidentally-performs-yoga-pose-is-possessed-by-horde-of-demons/)
April 18, 2016

http://babylonbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/yoga-man-696x370.png

Grand Island, NE—Late Saturday, homeowner Dan Solomon made the mistake of accidentally inviting the armies of hell into his mortal body. Solomon’s wife Reeda reports that the possession took place just as Mr. Solomon finished fixing a leak under their kitchen sink. As he attempted to slide out from beneath the u-pipe, he inadvertently performed the “downward dog” Yoga pose. Immediately, a hoard of demons took up residence in the accountant and father of two.

Satanic slave Mr. Solomon has spent the last two nights prancing around Pier Park, wearing only striped yoga pants and a matching headband, according to sources. Local police have received numerous complaints about the limber demoniac’s hours-long headstands performed at all hours of the night while screaming, “Darkness! Darkness!” Additionally, several small pets have been reported missing in the area.

Still distraught over her husband becoming a flesh-puppet for the evil forces of the netherworld, Mrs. Solomon, flanked by a drooling Mr. Solomon at a Monday press conference, warned, “I just want people to become more aware. Even though the modern, westernized practice of ‘Yoga as exercise’ would be unidentifiable to any religious Hindu, and despite the fact that its origins were only attributed to Eastern spiritual practices for marketing purposes, there is still real danger in performing any Yoga position, be it for exercise or home improvement.”

“We do the bidding of our master!” Mr. Solomon interrupted, rolling out a yoga mat and putting his foot behind his head.

GeneChing
04-25-2016, 03:09 PM
Yoga enthusiasts strike poses on a cliff to show they've conquered their fear of heights (http://mashable.com/2016/04/25/yoga-cliff/#1VhLGo5gyuqj)

http://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDE2LzA0LzI1L2M2L0FQXzkzNzc2OTY3LjBmMzY0LmpwZw pwCXRodW1iCTk1MHg1MzQjCmUJanBn/e5c52bd0/fd7/AP_937769673326.jpg
Probably the greatest trust exercise you can do.IMAGE: WANG ZHENG/IMAGINECHINA

BY VICTORIA HO 11 HOURS AGO

There are perhaps fewer gut-twisting, terrifying weekend activities to do than doing yoga overlooking a death drop off the side of a mountain.

A group of Chinese women gathered on Sunday for a yoga display at the summit of the Shuangfeng mountain in central China's Hubei province.

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IMAGE: WANG ZHENG/IMAGINECHINA

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IMAGE: WANG ZHENG/IMAGINECHINA

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IMAGE: WANG ZHENG/IMAGINECHINA

The performance, according to Chinese media, was in order to promote a healthy lifestyle.

The women were also joined by a group of Taichi masters who, too, proved that they weren't intimidated by the altitude.

http://rack.3.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDE2LzA0LzI1LzU2L0FQXzg3NTgyMjI2LjI0ZjRlLmpwZw pwCXRodW1iCTEyMDB4OTYwMD4/23912a25/7f6/AP_875822266456.jpg
IMAGE: WANG ZHENG/IMAGINECHINA

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IMAGE: WANG ZHENG/IMAGINECHINA

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IMAGE: WANG ZHENG/IMAGINECHINA


Given my position here, is it wrong of me to want to hang out with the yogini gals and not the tai chi dudes? :o

GeneChing
04-26-2016, 10:23 AM
Chinese yoga is odd. :confused:


100 women did yoga on that vertigo-inducing glass bridge in China (http://mashable.com/2015/11/06/100-women-yoga-glass-bridge/#lefmyD7.rGqI)
BY VICTORIA HO Singapore
Nov 06, 2015

A group of 100 fearless women got together for a photoshoot on a glass bridge in China, which spans 900 feet and hangs a vertical 600 feet over the bottom of a gorge between two mountains.

The plexiglass bridge was just opened in late September this year in Shiniuzhai park in Pinjiang County, in China's Hunan province.

http://rack.3.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDE1LzExLzA2LzU1L0dldHR5SW1hZ2VzLjJhNjcyLmpwZw pwCXRodW1iCTEyMDB4OTYwMD4/06d8bb58/aff/GettyImages-495819712.jpg
IMAGE: CHINAFOTOPRESS VIA GETTY IMAGES

Local reports have billed the yoga stunt as a gathering of yoga enthusiasts, but given the ladies' identical outfits and presence of news photographers, it's likely a publicity exercise for the park.

See-through bridges and walkways have popped up in various locations in China in recent years, but Shiniuzhai may have felt its latest attraction needed a bit of a boost after another glass walkway in another province cracked while tourists were on it.

http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDE1LzExLzA2LzU1L0dldHR5SW1hZ2VzLjhmZjgzLmpwZw pwCXRodW1iCTEyMDB4OTYwMD4/e6874611/905/GettyImages-495819704.jpg
IMAGE: CHINAFOTOPRESS VIA GETTY IMAGES

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IMAGE: CHINAFOTOPRESS VIA GETTY IMAGES

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IMAGE: CHINAFOTOPRESS VIA GETTY IMAGES

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IMAGE: CHINAFOTOPRESS VIA GETTY IMAGES

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IMAGE: CHINAFOTOPRESS VIA GETTY IMAGES

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IMAGE: CHINAFOTOPRESS VIA GETTY IMAGES

GeneChing
06-20-2016, 10:03 AM
China to seek Indian yoga experts’ help to train varsity teachers (https://www.socialnews.xyz/2016/06/20/china-to-seek-indian-yoga-experts-help-to-train-varsity-teachers/)

POSTED BY: GOPI JUNE 20, 2016
By Gaurav Sharma

Beijing, June 20 (IANS) Yoga has gained immense popularity in China over the years, so much so that the government has approached Indian experts of the discipline to train teachers in the varsities of Beijing.

Yogi Yoga, a well-known yoga institute run by an Indian, is in talks with China's sports ministry that apparently wants the Physical Education Teachers (PET) in universities to be taught yoga in the "right manner".

"We have already signed a memorandum of understanding with Beijing University to train their PETs. This model could be adopted in other universities as we are in touch with sports ministry," Yogi Mohan, founder of Yogi Yoga, told IANS.

Founded in Beijing in 2003, Yogi Yoga now has branches in Shanghai and Guangzhou. The institute imparts training in the ancient discipline which is catching on in China.

"Yoga as practised by elite until 2003 is no longer the fashion in China. The government wants the training (of yoga) to be imparted to teachers in the manner it is done," said Mohan who came to China in 2003.

More and more Chinese are turning to the discipline which was a fad until 2000. It is said that fitness clubs in Beijing are considered incomplete without yoga instructors and the number of yoga institutes in Beijing's Chaoyang district has shot up from 3 in 2003 to around 1,000 in 2015.

Increasing health problems and mental stress among the middle class in China seem to be driving them towards Yoga, which many wrongly think, has its roots in the US.

"I have no health problem but I still practise some yoga postures. I feel incomplete, if I don't meditate," Sui Hui, a female doctor, told IANS.

Interestingly, in an officially atheist country, where religion in public is off-limits, many Chinese chant Gayatri Mantra - a chant in Sanskrit from ancient scriptures.

"Chanting has nothing to do with religion. Chanting is also there in Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. It helps you create vibrations in your body," Mohan explained.

According to China's official news agency Xinhua, Yoga was first introduced into China by Hong Kong practitioner Wai Lana in the 1980s.

"Her workout programs, which aired daily on China's Central Television, were the starting point for many Chinese yogis," the agency said.

In his visit to India in 2014, Chinese President Xi Jinping had said his wife Peng Liyuan practised yoga.

Actually, yoga isn't that popular in India. It's there, no doubt, but like Buddhism, it's actually bigger with its global diaspora.

GeneChing
06-21-2016, 10:42 AM
Maybe Jackie should have changed the name of his upcoming film (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68161-Kungfu-Yoga) to Tai Chi Yoga.


International Day of Yoga: Yoga-Tai Chi ‘jugalbandi’ in China (http://indianexpress.com/article/world/world-news/international-day-of-yoga-yoga-tai-chi-jugalbandi-in-china-2866692/)
Over the years, yoga has become popular all over China with almost all gyms conducting yoga classes.
Beijing | Updated: June 21, 2016 2:12 pm

http://images.indianexpress.com/2016/06/china-yoga-759.jpg
People practise yoga together ahead of World Yoga Day in Zhenjiang. (Source: REUTERS)

A Yoga-Tai Chi “jugalbandi” at the iconic Great Wall was among the many events held in China on Tuesday to mark the second International Day of Yoga as thousands of enthusiasts of the ancient Indian spiritual discipline participated in the celebrations.
The Indian Embassy in Beijing in association with state-run Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, (CPAFFC) hosted yoga events at different places in the run up to the second UN International Yoga Day on Tuesday.
A large group of enthusiasts of Yoga and ancient Chinese martial art Tai-Chi took part in a “Jugalbandi” exercises at the iconic Great Wall.
Counselor Culture of the Indian Embassy in China Vanaja K Thekkat and four Indian Yoga teachers along with senior officials of the CPAFFC attended the event.
Earlier, visiting Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan who is on a five-day visit to China joined Kundalini yoga enthusiasts at a hotel in central Beijing along with the charged’affaires of the Indian Embassy, B Bala Bhaskar, and members of his delegation and took part in the exercises.
Indian Consulates in Shanghai and Chengdu have been arranging a series of yoga events in a number of events culminating with similar events on Tuesday.
Ahead of the second UN Yoga Day, Yogi Yoga a well known Yoga centre established by an Indian and his Chinese wife has been selected by the China’s Peking University to conduct research in yoga.
A Memorandum of Understanding in this regard has been signed. This is first time a Chinese university has come forward to do research in yoga.
Local teachers trained by Yogi Yoga will take part in the research programme, he said.
Mohan along with his wife Yinyan, a former China editor of the Elle Magazine established the centre which has become immensely popular all over the China.
Over the years, yoga has become popular all over China with almost all gyms conducting yoga classes. Last year, China established first yoga college in assistance with India.
Based in the Yunnan Minzu (Nationalities) University, the country’s first yoga college has become popular with participation of over 3,000 people participating in free yoga sessions offered by the college. India has deputed yoga teachers to conduct training.

GeneChing
07-12-2016, 10:26 AM
Yoga and qigong offer no relief from back pain in elderly people, German study finds (http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1984842/yoga-and-qigong-offer-no-relief-back-pain-elderly-people-german)
PUBLISHED : Sunday, 03 July, 2016, 5:32pm
UPDATED : Sunday, 03 July, 2016, 10:55pm

http://cdn1.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/620x356/public/images/methode/2016/07/03/ce0edfb6-3eac-11e6-8294-3afaa7dcda6c_image_hires.JPG

Stephen Chen

Contrary to popular belief, yoga and qigong do not reduce back pain in elderly people, according to German research.
The study recruited 175 volunteers aged 65 or more with lower back pain at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, one of Germany’s largest medical research institutions.
The patients were divided into three groups for randomised controlled trials – one practised the modern Viniyoga method, another a qigong course called Nei Yang Gong, and the third received no intervention – for three months.
At the end, the patients were asked to grade their pain on a scale from zero for no pain to four for worst pain. No difference was found among the groups. The researchers, suspecting some effects might take longer to show up, took measurements again three month later, but still no significant difference emerged.

[But] the results do not say that yoga or qigong are not beneficial for older adults
DR MICHAEL TEUT
The results were surprising, according to the researchers led by Dr Michael Teut. “The results do not say that yoga or qigong are not beneficial for older adults,” Teut told the South China Morning Post. “In contrast, most of our patients were very satisfied with the programme”, although it did not reduce pain, he said.
Their paper will appear in the American Pain Society journal next month but is available now for a fee online.
Back pain is a common affliction worldwide. In Germany it affects two in three women and 58 per cent of men, according to a recent survey. Pain medication often has side effects, prompting an interest in alternative therapies in Western countries.
Yoga has existed as a spiritual and meditative practice in India for more than 2,000 years, although many of its exercise movements are more modern. Previous studies indicate that yoga as a form of exercise could relieve back pain, though the participants in those studies were mostly young.
Qigong has an equally long history in China as a form of exercise that channels the flow of internal qi or life energy in the body through a series of delicate, guided movements. Qigong, according to some recent studies in peer-reviewed journals, helped reduce blood pressure, depression, anxiety and the risk of falls in older adults.
But the value of yoga and qigong as alternative therapies remains a subject of debate among medical researchers. A systematic review of the health benefits of qigong and tai chi for cancer patients by Professor Zeng Yingchun at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University in 2013 cautioned that the positive findings “need to be interpreted cautiously” due to the limited number trials.
While qi and its equivalent concept of prana in yoga are central concepts to traditional Asian medicine and martial arts, Western science has no method to define or measure it, and so cannot accept it as a physical entity.
A similar review of the literature of yoga conducted by researchers at Duke University in April concluded that while there was some evidence it was useful for middle-aged adults with lower back pain, “the effects of yoga for health-related quality of life, well-being and acute low back pain are uncertain”.
The German researchers said that although the volunteers reported no measurable improvement in pain relief, most were satisfied with the exercises, and some said they would recommend the therapies to family and friends.
One possible reason why the traditional exercises provided little pain relief to older patients was that the ability to cope with pain changes with age, they suggested. Some studies indicate young people deal better with pain.

Older adults may have a diminished ability to effectively respond to the stress of persistent pain
GERMAN RESEARCH TEAM
“Older adults may have a diminished ability to effectively respond to the stress of persistent pain, which may be related to cognitive and physical impairments, increased sensitivity to pain … and social isolation,” they wrote.
Yang Quanpu, a Taoist monk practising qigong in Beijing, said the exercise relieved pain by removing obstacles that hinder the flow of qi in the body. In traditional Chinese medicine theory, pain is caused by such “blocks”.
“When you being practising qigong you may even feel an increase in pain as the qi tries to overcome these obstacles. This can be very difficult for some people,” Yang said.
“The relief of pain takes time, depending on the health and physical condition of the practitioner, but with persistence and proper guidance, the benefits will come in the end. One who starts qigong in youth may avoid back pain for life.”

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as:
Study debunks myth qigong relieves pain
Stick to your guns...or swords...oh Taoist monk. :rolleyes:

GeneChing
10-10-2016, 09:49 AM
Here's the new thread:Jack Ma & Alibaba (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69642-Jack-Ma-amp-Alibaba)

And here's a new mention of TaijiZen in a news piece today.


https://img.businessoffashion.com/1800/1007/magic/site/uploads/2016/10/Unroll_China_-_Forbidden_City.jpg

Activewear Brands Limber Up in China (https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/global-currents/activewear-brands-limber-up-in-china)
Changing cultural attitudes to sport, fitness and body image have opened up a huge activewear opportunity in China. Which international brands are poised to pounce?

Lululemon's "Unroll China" yoga event in Beijing's Forbidden City | Source: Courtesy
BY KATE ABNETT
OCTOBER 10, 2016 16:22

LONDON, United Kingdom — In August, the ground around Beijing’s Forbidden City was carpeted with hundreds of people doing outdoor yoga on brightly coloured mats, as Lululemon kicked off “Unroll China,” its first series of fitness events in the country.

“The event sold out overnight for the simultaneous yoga events in three key markets in China,” says Ken Lee, senior vice president, Asia Pacific, at Lululemon, which also hosted grassroots yoga sessions in Shanghai and Chengdu. “It’s hard to overstate the potential for Lululemon in Asia over the next five years.”

Indeed, China’s activewear market is booming. From 2014 to 2015, China's sportswear market grew from $23.9 billion to $26.6 billion, according to Euromonitor. Mintel estimates that the country’s sportswear and outdoor wear market is valued at RMB 124.5 billion (about $18.57 billion), or 6 percent of total apparel sales in the country. In 2015, the market grew at an 18 percent clip. “It is reasonable to forecast the market growing to about RMB 220 billion (about $32.81 billion) by 2020,” says Matthew Crabbe, Mintel’s director of research for Asia Pacific.

Activewear brands stand to benefit from a cultural shift as China opens up to fitness. Sports participation in the country is rising fast. Gym and health club revenue in China has nearly doubled over the past five years, and Shanghai alone is now home to over 1,000 gyms.

The government is actively promoting sports participation, motivated by concerns that urbanisation and industrialisation were resulting in a decrease in the health and fitness of the overall population. Earlier this year, China's State Council unveiled a national health improvement plan including new public sports facilities and fitness centres, to boost the population’s fitness through 2020. There is also the hangover from the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which helped boost interest in sport, particularly athletics.

Meanwhile, many Chinese people are travelling or studying overseas, in countries where sports participation is encouraged and athleisure is already an established fashion trend. “This exposure has contributed to a more open-minded Chinese woman, willing to stretch her long established definition of beauty,” says Brian Buchwald, co-founder and chief executive officer of consumer intelligence firm Bomoda. “In past years, most Chinese women had little interest in sport or fitness. Their perception was the equation of beauty and a skinny body to the point where they feared muscle development. But in recent years, their attitudes have been markedly changed.”


Physical and mental well-being are equally important to Chinese consumers.

Celebrities such as Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid — who are often photographed in “athleisure” looks and share their food and fitness regimes on social media — are frequently featured on Chinese fashion blogs and social media, helping to drive fitness-friendly fashion and beauty trends.

More generally speaking, China’s rapid economic development has led to rising incomes and increased leisure time among the country’s middle class. “They have more spending power, and more choice. Their spending power has attracted more sportswear companies to fulfil a growing market for many types of sports participation,” says Crabbe.

International sportswear giants are already doubling down on the opportunity. Adidas and Nike both posted double-digit revenue growth in Greater China in 2015, which Adidas attributed partly to "rising sports participation, strongly supported by the Chinese government." Nike is the market leader with a 20 percent market share, and sales in Greater China of $3.8 billion for fiscal year 2016. The company is riding the wave of government investment in sports and has teamed up with the Chinese Ministry of Education on a three-year schools sports plan.

However, Adidas is catching up: Mintel estimates its 2016 market share will be about 18.8 percent. In fiscal year 2015, the company posted sales of €2.47 billion ($2.75 billion) and earlier this year announced plans to open 3,000 new stores in China by 2020. The company is also investing in the market, hiring actress Zhang Jun Ning as an ambassador. “Zhang was well known prior to her appointment as a workout warrior and relatable to the large population,” says Buchwald. “For brands, hiring popular and on-trend KOLs is a great way to attract the Chinese consumer.”

But there’s still everything to play for. China's per capita consumption of sportswear is low — lower than Malaysia, Brazil, Germany and the UK — leaving a lot of untapped potential, and according to Brian Buchwald, “the Chinese people’s attitudes toward fitness are still in transition.”

To tap the opportunity, sportswear brands need a sharp focus on product design, as many Chinese consumers prioritise form over function in fashion products. “Their challenge is convincing the Chinese consumer they are on-trend and fashionable. Hiring fashion key opinion leaders and partnering with fashion designers are great paths to bridging that gap,” says Buchwald, pointing to Adidas Originals as successfully using “hero products” like Stan Smiths and NMD trainers to create social media and marketing buzz in China.

Indeed, paying attention to cultural attitudes is also a good way to connect with Chinese consumers, particularly through sports like Tai Chi, which prioritise mental balance as well as physical fitness, in the traditional holistic approach to health in Chinese society. Indeed, a 2010 martial arts clothing collaboration between Adidas and martial arts film star Jet Li eventually led to Li launching a lifestyle brand of his own, Taiji Zen, alongside Alibaba founder Jack Ma. “Physical and mental well-being are equally important to Chinese consumers,” says Crabbe, pointing to this as one of “main reasons that there has been a recent resurgence in people doing yoga.”

Lululemon has put particular emphasis on tailoring stores to local markets within China. The company has stores in Hong Kong but currently only operates showrooms in Shanghai and Beijing, and sells online in China via Tmall. “We start with our showroom model, where our team can build brand awareness, test product, create authentic relationships and learn what is important to a community before we open a permanent store,” says Ken Lee. “We don’t push ourselves on a community, we open stores when they pull us in.”

However, Crabbe warns that an internationally-renowned brand name is not a guarantee of success in China’s activewear market. “Foreign brands should not underestimate the significance of Chinese cultural influences and Chinese brands’ understanding of their local markets and consumers. Companies cannot assume strong market growth will mean strong growth for them — there is a lot of competition going on out there.”

I'll copy this to the Yoga (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga) thread too. The funny thing about Lululemon to me is that the fashion line only fits people with chiseled bodies, and that doesn't fit so many yoga practitioners today. :rolleyes:

MightyB
12-06-2016, 07:54 AM
Interesting research and discussion about Yoga and how it changed throughout the years.

https://soundcloud.com/surprisinglyawesome/18-yoga

boxerbilly
12-15-2016, 01:19 PM
Interesting research and discussion about Yoga and how it changed throughout the years.

https://soundcloud.com/surprisinglyawesome/18-yoga

Thanks Mighty. Great discussion. Appreciated.

GeneChing
01-18-2017, 10:28 AM
This is so dumb. Why can't we have Beer Tai Chi? :confused:


'Beer yoga' is a thing, now, and it's going international because, well, 'Beer Yoga' (http://mashable.com/2017/01/18/beer-yoga-comes-to-australia-of-course/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-main-link#gaTiP84kmaq2)

http://i.amz.mshcdn.com/po9mq4w4TJHgfz9uWJ3Obd3vOzE=/950x534/filters:quality(90)/https%3A%2F%2Fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fcard%2Fima ge%2F351245%2F08d72edc-9a6a-4f1f-9c7c-711e226281bc.jpg
Hmm, beer.
IMAGE: BIERYOGA/FACEBOOK

BY JERICO MANDYBUR
AUSTRALIA
15 HOURS AGO

Nothing like putting down an icy cold beer. Except, of course, achieving a higher state of being and eventual transcendence of the Self through the practice of yoga.

But what if you could do both, at the same time?

Yes: Beer yoga is here. After being enjoyed by Berlin hipsters, it's now found its way to Australian shores—a land where beer's most definitely a religious practice, at least as much as yoga. And not in the best way.

Germany's BierYoga A.K.A BeerYoga bills itself as the "marriage of two great loves—beer and yoga. Both are centuries-old therapies for mind, body and soul," according to its website.

And if you think they're just being cute, think again.

http://i.amz.mshcdn.com/v46mBqtA_28H5GxwR-cF2IV3TNo=/fit-in/1200x9600/https%3A%2F%2Fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fcard%2Fima ge%2F351247%2Fb253a85e-b751-4225-a9ee-9c00e65e0ce9.jpg
IMAGE: BIERYOGA/FACEBOOK

"BeerYoga is fun but it's no joke," founder and yogi Jhula writes. "We take the philosophies of yoga and pair it with the pleasure of beer-drinking to reach your highest level of consciousness."

But even Jhula wasn't the first person to promote enlightenment through yoga under the influence of alcohol. The instructor told Ex Berliner they first saw it done at (American culture festival/desert apocalypse party ****show) Burning Man.

But wherever it came from, it's definitely now a thing, and a thing being marketed unironically Down Under.

Two special sessions of beer meets asana will take place in Sydney this weekend, where students can learn yoga poses involving "beer salutations" and balancing beer bottles on one's head—just watch out for bottle smashes.

The event page assures would-be attendees that no yoga experience is necessary. Just an "open mind and a love of beer."

And if you think that all this does nothing to curb binge-drinking and/or cheapens a legitimate and sadly oft-perverted spiritual practice, then you can just Namaste away.

[h/t Broadsheet]

GeneChing
03-15-2017, 09:10 AM
O
M
G
:eek:

There's a vid behind this link. What a title. Never mind the TCM therapists cashing in (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69590-Cupping&p=1300839&posted=1#post1300839). It's all about re-branding. $$$ :rolleyes:

YUPPING: YOGA MEETS CUPPING IN NEW PHILADELPHIA COMBINATION CLASS (http://6abc.com/health/yupping-yoga-meets-cupping-in-new-combo-class/1779727/)
Yupping combines yoga and cupping. (WPVI)
By Erin O'Hearn
Wednesday, March 01, 2017
CHESTNUT HILL (WPVI) -- As spring approaches, many of us are looking for that latest and greatest workout, and while high intensity training is a very popular way to get in shape, it can take a toll on your body.

Some local trainers say combining two recovery techniques - yoga and cupping - can maximize your performance and results.

Cupping is a holistic approach to healing and muscle recovery.

Michael Phelps was covered in the marks during last summer's last summer's Olympics.

"Your body needs rest. Your body is not going to work to its full potential if you don't allow it to rest and recover," Amy Carolla, owner of Balance Fitness in Chestnut Hill, said.

Carolla has introduced the new twist with cupping and yoga instructor Alex Brazinski.

The combination class of yoga and cupping is called yupping.

"Our goal is to include a lot of different recovery techniques," Carolla said.

Brazinski applies suction cups while you're in a yoga pose.

"The simultaneous stimulation of pulling up while you're stretching out is creating a large stimulus in that area," Brazinski said.

After several minutes, the cups are taken off. Brazinski says that's when clients are able to achieve a greater stretch and greater muscle mobility. He also says it releases toxins, creating better blood flow.

"So we are pulling that up to the surface so the lymphatic system can flush it out and more nutrients can come to the area," Brazinski said.

But the practice does leave significant marks that last three to ten days.

"Which is a breaking up of the blood vessels and tries to increase a blood flow to the area which then causes the bruising effect," orthopedic surgeon Chris Selgrath said.

Dr. Selgrath says the bruises aren't harmful, but in very rare cases can be permanent.

Selgrath says while scientific studies haven't produced any hard evidence cupping works, it's not clear that it doesn't.

But yoga, he says, does.

In combination, Selgrath says the effects may vary from person to person.

"Whether it's a psychological placebo effect or there is some sort of underlying physiological effect, we are not exactly sure," Selgrath said.

As always you should check with your doctor before adding any regimen to your fitness routine.

The yupping classes at Balance are offered in a semi-private setting.

ONLINE: http://www.balancech.com/

GeneChing
03-29-2017, 08:44 AM
Remember nude tai chi (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?4519-Anyone-pratice-this-style-of-Tai-Chi)? Why didn't that catch on? :rolleyes:


'When we're naked, it's like we're all the same': Yoga studio offers all-nude co-ed classes to overcome body issues and vulnerability (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2586270/Naked-yoga-studio-offering-CO-ED-classes-focus-feeling-comfortable-skin.html?ito=social-facebook)
By Daily Mail Reporter
PUBLISHED: 12:57 EDT, 21 March 2014 | UPDATED: 13:45 EDT, 17 April 2014

One New York City yoga studio has taken yoga’s flexible principles to the next level by offering co-ed, naked vinyasa courses.
The class, introduced the Bold & Naked studio in Chelsea, is supposed to provide students with a new way to focus on celebrating their bodies and is not intended to be sexually evocative.
'There are a lot of things that separate us in a normal yoga class, like what brand of yoga clothing you're wearing or how you look when you're wearing it,' Vanessa Kennedy, a naked yoga class attendee, told Reuters. 'But when we're naked, it's like we're all the same.'

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/03/21/article-0-1C78313300000578-23_634x422.jpg
At Bold & Naked Yoga (pictured), it is not about being naked for naked's sake yet about 'finding the strength to expose your vulnerability and connect to yourself and others on the deepest level'

As the studio writes on its website: ‘While many equate being naked with sex, this couldn't be further from the truth in a naked yoga class. It's about being comfortable in your own skin and the amazing confidence that comes with it.
‘Practicing yoga naked frees you from negative feelings about your body and allows [you] to be more accepting and deeper connected with yourself and the world around you.’

The studio offers $25 naked yoga classes in a co-ed format, as well as those that are segregated by gender. It also offers fully-clothed classes and teacher training programs in tantric ‘yogassage.’
The naked instruction courses do not allow observers or photography, and students must sign a liability waiver before entering the class.
Much like in fully-clothed yoga classes, Bold & Naked, which is the brainchild of co-owner Joschi Schwarz, says that students should expect for teachers to hand-administer postural corrections. Partner work is also sometimes involved in the classes’ vinyasa flow sequences.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/03/21/article-0-1C7835C300000578-120_634x423.jpg
The class, introduced the Bold & Naked studio in Chelsea, is supposed to provide students with a new way to focus on celebrating their bodies and is not intended to be sexually evocative

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/03/21/article-0-1C783EDD00000578-328_634x423.jpg
The studio offers $25 naked yoga classes in a co-ed format, as well as those that are segregated by gender. It also offers fully-clothed classes and teacher training programs in tantric ¿yogassage'

But according to the studio, none of this body-to-body contact is meant as ‘sexual touching and should any contact of sexual nature occur, it will not be tolerated and will result in the offending member being asked to leave.
‘Anyone who has been asked to leave will not be allowed back to attend classes in the future.’
Bold & Naked has actually firmly stated on their site (in capitals, no less): ‘IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AN ORGASM, YOU ARE IN THE WRONG PLACE.’
To those looking for a peep show, they say: ‘Don't waste your time. The energy in the room is very clear and members who come to Bold & Naked are very focused on celebrating their bodies through yoga.’
But due to yoga’s sweaty, heart rate-enhancing nature, bodily functions can sometimes interfere in the course.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/03/21/article-2586270-1C78384100000578-522_634x423.jpg
Vanessa Kennedy, a naked yoga class attendee (pictured at the back), told Reuters: 'When we're naked, it's like we're all the same'

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/03/21/article-2586270-1C78364800000578-832_634x342.jpg
Joschi Schwarz, co-owner of Bold & Naked and yoga instructor, speaks to his class before the start of their yoga session in New York

The studio says that erections during the class do occur, but happen ‘rarely'.
They encourage that ‘when it does it's okay and nothing to be embarrassed about. It will pass quickly.
‘Yoga moves a lot of energy throughout the body and sometimes erections happen. But once we start moving, there is no way an erection could be sustained, because of the physical nature of Vinyasa Yoga.’
Naked yoga has become increasingly popular in the United States since the 1960s, when it was a component in the hippie movement.
In 1975, the short documentary titled Naked Yoga was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Documentary, Short Subjects category.
The practice of naked yoga, which is called ‘nagna yoga’ in Sankskrit, has been in spiritual rotation since ancient times, and is still practiced by religious figures in India.

GeneChing
06-20-2017, 09:03 AM
Beijing celebrates International Yoga Day at Great Wall of China (http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/international-yoga-day-great-wall-of-china-indian-embassy-beijing/1/982799.html)
On Wednesday, around one thousand Chinese yoga practitioners will celebrate the International Yoga Day in Beijing, following a week of events held across China.
Ananth Krishnan | Posted by Isha Gupta
Beijing, June 20, 2017 | UPDATED 19:45 IST

http://media2.intoday.in/indiatoday/images/stories/china_story_647_062017091454.jpg
On Tuesday morning, dozens of young Chinese yoga lovers gathered at the Great Wall.On Tuesday morning, dozens of young Chinese yoga lovers gathered at the Great Wall.

Yoga has come to the Great Wall of China. For the first time, Chinese and Indian yoga lovers have come together to celebrate yoga at the iconic Great Wall of China, ahead of Wednesday's International Day of Yoga.
On Tuesday morning, dozens of young Chinese yoga lovers gathered at the Great Wall, in a first such event organised by the Indian Embassy in Beijing, along with the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Yogi Yoga Institute in Beijing.
The idea is to promote yoga in China, where it already has wide following. On Wednesday, around one thousand Chinese yoga practitioners will celebrate the International Yoga Day in Beijing, following a week of events held across China.

http://media2.intoday.in/indiatoday/images/stories//2017June/chinayoga_mos_062017091521.jpghttp://media2.intoday.in/indiatoday/images/stories//2017June/yoga_mos_062017091521.jpg

Twenty young yoga ambassadors from India, 10 girls and 10 boys under 30 years of age selected by the Ministry of AYUSH and the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, are touring China and holding workshops in the lead up to yoga day in an effort to demonstrate authentic yoga techniques, in a country where there is wide popularity for yoga but also a dearth of trained teachers.
There are more than 10,800 yoga schools in China and millions of practitioners, according to the "China Yoga Industry Development Report", an official study that examines the yoga explosion in China that will be released this month.

Anyone doing anything for International Yoga Day tomorrow? I'm going to the beach. :cool: Maybe I'll do some sun salutations.

GeneChing
10-03-2017, 08:47 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdsgEFoZMKs

The Chinese take on yoga is pretty odd.

GeneChing
10-31-2017, 08:47 AM
...as if yoga isn't challenging enough on solid ground...:rolleyes:


Out on the water you are detached – stand-up paddle board yoga is the escape Hong Kong needs, says ‘Real Moana’
Charlotte Piho says time on the water is the perfect way to get in touch with nature, if only Hong Kong will escape the prison of its mind
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 31 October, 2017, 12:09pm
UPDATED : Tuesday, 31 October, 2017, 11:18pm
Mark Agnew

https://cdn3.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/980x551/public/images/methode/2017/10/31/9a54b146-bdea-11e7-b942-6d23cbdef96a_1280x720_120926.JPG

Stand-up paddle board yoga (SUPyoga) can be a release for Hongkongers trapped in the concrete jungle, according to SUPyoga instructor Charlotte Piho.
“There’s an amazing city that’s so vibrant, but it’s good for people to get out into nature,” she said.
“And when you go onto the water, as soon as you are there you are detached,” Piho added. “You don’t have your phone, or technology.”
Piho is based in Sydney and she hosts SUPyoga retreats in Australia and the Cook Islands. She visited Hong Kong to teach the water sport on Stanley Beach.
“Hong Kong is such an amazing environment for SUPyoga,” she said. “There’s so many places to paddle and such beautiful mountains. It’s a great escape for people.”

https://cdn2.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/images/methode/2017/10/31/2d7a9d32-bdeb-11e7-b942-6d23cbdef96a_972x_120926.PNG
Charlotte Piho holds SUPyoga retreats in Australia and the Cook Islands. Photo: Charlotte Piho Instagram

Piho has been dubbed The Real Moana, after the character in the recent Disney movie Moana about a Polynesia princess who finds her ocean going roots by travelling beyond her island’s reef.
“I think I was called it because I always want to go out deeper,” Piho said. “I’m always thinking about how to get out on the water. I feel that the ocean is very healing. As soon as I get to the water, I feel at home and very comfortable.”
Piho said that someone who helped develop the movie took part in one of her retreats and said that if she had met Piho before the movie they would have included her as an ambassador.
When Piho arrived in Hong Kong, she research how safe the water was because there was so much health and safety, such as shark nets.

https://cdn1.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/images/methode/2017/10/31/a211a862-bdea-11e7-b942-6d23cbdef96a_1320x770_120926.JPG
SUPyoga is about detaching from modern life and not forcing poses, but the experienced Charlotte Piho can hold difficult yoga moves. Photo: Jonathan Wong

“I found out it was safe,” Piho said. “It’s just in their heads. They are imprisoned when they should get out.”
The benefit of SUPyoga is that you are outside, in a natural environment, rather than in a studio, she said. Also, it requires you to balance.
“You’ve got to use your core to stay stabilised on the board,” Piho said. “You get a better work out all round, spiritually, mentally and physically.”
First timers, particularly those with a sporting or yoga background, try too hard to do complex poses on the board.
“The key thing about SUPyoga is that it allows you to detach,” Piho said. “It isn’t about doing poses, it’s very spiritual and healing exercise.”
Piho said she likes it when people fall in. It helps them relax when they realise that falling in is not so bad.

https://cdn4.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/images/methode/2017/10/31/b5e0ffd2-bdea-11e7-b942-6d23cbdef96a_1320x770_120926.JPG
When you’re out on the water, you become detached from the daily bustle of city life. Photo: Reuters

“They try so hard, but the key is too relax, have fun and not worry,” she said.
Piho has a degree in finance and worked in a stressful job for five high-end fashion brands.
But then, her appendix burst and she almost died.
“You only have one life and when you’re in hospital, that’s all that matters,” she said. “It is so good to work and grow in your career, but you have to enjoy it.”

GeneChing
01-10-2018, 08:51 AM
This is rather dated but an echo of it popped up on my newsfeed randomly and so I chased down the source. This is the earliest I found.


Yoga is the work of the devil, says Vatican's chief exorcist (and he doesn't like Harry Potter much either) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2066289/Yoga-work-devil-says-Vaticans-chief-exorcist-doesnt-like-Harry-Potter-either.html)
And you'll never guess what his favourite film is...
By Nick Pisa for MailOnline
UPDATED: 12:50 EST, 25 November 2011

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/11/25/article-0-0EF1AB9B00000578-661_233x375.jpg
Outspoken: Don Gabriele Amorth, the Chief Exorcist for the Vatican for the past 25 years, spoke of his dislikes at a fringe event of the Umbria Film Festival

Father Gabriel Amorth has carried out more than 70,000 exorcisms in his capacity as Chief Exorcist at the Vatican.

The 85-year-old can boast 25 years in the post after being appointed by the late Pope John Paul II.

At a conference today, he surprised the delegates by revealing some of his greatest dislikes - yoga and Harry Potter.

Father Amorth, a colourful and often outspoken personality, said:'Practising yoga brings evil as does reading Harry Potter. They may both seem innocuous but they both deal with magic and that leads to evil.'

He added:'Yoga is the Devil's work. You thing you are doing it for stretching your mind and body but it leads to Hinduism. All these oriental religions are based on the false belief of reincarnation.'

Father Amorth, speaking on the subject of People And Religion at a fringe event at the Umbria Film Festival in Terni, spoke of his distaste for JK Rowling's young wizard.

He said:'People think it is an innocuous book for children but it's about magic and that leads to evil. In Harry Potter the Devil is at work in a cunning and crafty way, he is using his extraordinary powers of magic and evil.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/11/25/article-0-0EDAB3FB00000578-438_224x426.jpghttp://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/11/25/article-0-079EFB60000005DC-572_224x426.jpg
Twin terrors: Yoga turns devotees towards Hinduism, believes Father Amorth - while

'Satan is always hidden and the thing he desires more than anything is for people to believe he does not exist. He studies each and everyone of us and our tendencies towards good and evil and then he tempts us.

'My advice to young people would be to watch out for nightclubs because the path is always the same: alcohol, sex, drugs and Satanic sects.'

It is not the first time that Father Amorth has raised eyebrows with his forthright views - last year he said that the ongoing child sex scandals rocking the Catholic Church were evidence that 'the Devil was at work in the Vatican.'


'Satan studies each and everyone of us and our tendencies towards good and evil and then he tempts us'

While in 2006, Father Amorth, who was ordained a priest in 1954, gave an interview to Vatican Radio in which he said that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and Russian dictator Josef Stalin were both possessed by the Devil.

According to secret Vatican documents recently released the then wartime Pope Pius XII attempted a 'long distance exorcism' of Hitler but it failed to have any effect.

It is also not the first time that Father Amorth, who is president of the International Association of Exorcists, has spoken out against Harry Potter saying in the past that it opens children's minds to dabbling with the occult and black magic.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/11/25/article-0-00399A7400000258-310_468x328.jpg
Horrific: Satan at work in the 1973 film starring Linda Blair which is perhaps unsurprisingly Father Amorth's favourite film

Today Vanda Vanni, of the Italian Yoga Association, said:'A Satanic practice? Pardon the pun but that is an accusation that is neither in Heaven or on earth. Father Amorth's accusation is completely without foundation.

'It is an outrageous thing to say - yoga is not a religion but a spiritual discipline. It is about freedom and a search to find one's inner self. It does not touch religion and has nothing to do with Satanic sects nor does it encourage people to join them.

Giorgio Furlan, who runs the Yoga Academy in Rome, said`:'There are some paths of yoga which do lead towards Hinduism but other paths are more philosophical but their is no direct link with religion and certainly no link with Satanism.

'To say such things shows you have no idea of what you are talking about - yoga controls violent impulses of the nervous system and subconscious - to be honest with me it had the effect of bringing me closer to Christianity and in particular the Catholic Church which I had abandoned as a youngster.



THREAD: Yoga (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)
THREAD: Exorcism (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69005-Exorcism)
THREAD: Harry Potter (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?37539-Harry-Potter)

GeneChing
06-20-2018, 08:30 AM
This new study is making the rounds and eliciting some pop news reports. I'm curious about the measures involved.


Mind-body practices and the self: yoga and meditation do not quiet the ego, but instead boost self-enhancement (https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/420273/)
Gebauer, Jochen, Nehrlich, A.D., Stahlberg, D., Sedikides, Constantine, Hackenschmidt, D, Schick, D, Stegmaie, C A, Windfelder, C. C, Bruk, A and Mander, J V (2018) Mind-body practices and the self: yoga and meditation do not quiet the ego, but instead boost self-enhancement. Psychological Science, 1-22. (In Press)

Record type: Article
Abstract
Mind-body practices enjoy immense public and scientific interest. Yoga and meditation are highly popular. Purportedly, they foster well-being by “quieting the ego” or, more specifically, curtailing self-enhancement. However, this ego-quieting effect contradicts an apparent psychological universal, the self-centrality principle. According to this principle, practicing any skill renders it self-central, and self-centrality breeds self-enhancement. We examined those opposing predictions in the first tests of mind-body practices’ self-enhancement effects. Experiment 1 followed 93 yoga students over 15 weeks, assessing self-centrality and self-enhancement after yoga practice (yoga condition, n = 246) and without practice (control condition, n = 231). Experiment 2 followed 162 meditators over 4 weeks (meditation condition: n = 246; control condition: n = 245). Self-enhancement was higher in the yoga (Experiment 1) and meditation (Experiment 2) conditions, and those effects were mediated by greater self-centrality. Additionally, greater self-enhancement mediated mind-body practices’ well-being benefits. Evidently, neither yoga nor meditation quiet the ego; instead, they boost self-enhancement.

Text Gebauer et al. 2018 Psych Science
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Accepted/In Press date: 3 February 2018
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 420273
URI: https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/420273
ISSN: 0956-7976
PURE UUID: fddff633-c628-428b-8c58-c51cfe7695de
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 03 May 2018 16:30
Last modified: 04 May 2018 04:01

THREADS:
Meditation (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?26155-Meditation)
Yoga (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)

GeneChing
06-20-2018, 09:23 AM
Just out of curiosity, who here had done cadaver work? I did it when I took Anatomy & Physiology in college. That was one of the best college courses I ever took as an undergrad. I still tap on the knowledge I gained from that course.


Meet the yogis who hang out in cadaver labs (https://www.popsci.com/meet-yogis-who-hang-out-in-cadaver-labs)
You can hone your corpse pose by hanging out with actual corpses.
By Erin Blakemore Yesterday at 10:30am

https://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/styles/1000_1x_/public/images/2018/05/corpse-pose-study-group-lead.jpg?itok=1QOgTU46&fc=50,50
Corpse pose.
Zohar Lazar

Beverly Boyer knows bodies—the registered massage therapist soothes living muscles every day. But when Boyer describes the first time she peered inside a corpse, her voice lowers as if she’s recalling the start of a great romance. “Everything clicked,” she says. “Everything I had learned through my education—the anatomy, the physiology—I could see it right there.”

It’s a Tuesday night in February, and Boyer, standing in the basement of a funeral parlor, is doing her best to share her macabre love interest with others. In 2014, she founded what’s now called the Colorado Learning Center of Human Anatomy, which rents space in a Longmont mortuary, to give other flesh professionals—massage therapists, yoga teachers, acupuncturists, and energy workers, among others—access to deceased and donated bodies. Each week, dozens of Boyer’s students gather here to manipulate the soft tissue of cadavers, hoping to gain anatomical insight to apply to their own day jobs.

Hers is one of a handful of cadaver schools for the *nonmedical crowd that has risen up in the past several years. They promise unconventional students a sort of anatomical enlightenment, focusing on the body’s fascial layers, muscular origins, insertion points, nervous systems, and biomechanical functions (and dysfunctions).

As a local lover of science, yoga, and all things strange, I’ve long wondered what these idiosyncratic dissection *enthusiasts get out of their evenings with the deceased.

Tonight, I’m watching Boyer run a class for about a dozen yoga instructors. But she is not the teacher. That title belongs to Vesalius—the dead man whose foot the students are now passing around. Just prior to this, the students had nervously chattered while donning paper gowns, rubber gloves, and masks sometimes daubed in eucalyptus oil to staunch the stench of formaldehyde. But with Vesalius’ sole laid bare—whitish-yellow, oddly plush, threaded through with fibrous muscle and tendon—they fall silent.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” asks Boyer. She encourages them to feel the heft of their teacher’s heel in their hands.

As the foot makes its rounds, Boyer removes a towel covering the torso. She lifts layers of muscle and bone from his skinless, dissected midsection. “It looks like turkey,” says one of the students. Someone giggles, then stops abruptly.

Boyer is rooting around for Vesalius’ erector *spinae—​a muscle group that spans the length of the vertebral column. In yin yoga, the specialty of today’s group of students, one might access it with a long child’s pose, a forward bend that relaxes both the muscle and the fascia that covers it. The theory is that this release activates the parasympathetic nervous system, calming the body’s fight-or-flight impulse and unraveling physical stress.

As Boyer dips her hand into Vesalius’ hollowed-out torso, one student bounces from foot to foot; another’s eyes shine with what look like tears.

Dana Balafas, a bespectacled woman with *Instagram-​worthy bangs, stands away from the rest of class. As Boyer describes the erector spinae’s role in helping the body fold forward, Balafas suddenly drops her head down to her legs. Boyer pauses to ask if she’s feeling well.

“Yeah,” says Balafas, snapping back upright. She’s just trying to make sense of her own erector spinae.

Not long ago, few who weren’t doctors, coroners, or med students had a chance to handle a dissected cadaver. And as late as the 19th century, the corporeal cleavage that gave medical professionals their best pre-MRI glimpse into bodies came from plundered graves or the victims of public executions. Curious vivisectors broke all kinds of laws and social taboos to practice their craft.

“Even doctors and staff at medical schools were *involved in grave robbing,” says Raphael Hulkower, an endocrinologist who penned a research article on the history of dissection. The means may have been unsavory, he says, but grave robbing supported students’ desperate need to understand the workings of the biological machines they sought to repair. Even in our age of digital medicine and computer simulations, academics still believe that cadavers are the best way for students to study anatomy. It’s little wonder that yogis, driven as much by a desire to respect the body as to see its inner workings, have gotten into the act. And *Colo*rado—with two other facilities within a 100-mile radius of here regularly offering similar courses to Boyer’s—turns out to be a unique haven for those *looking to get out of corpse pose and into some actual corpses.

Boyer beat them all by a couple of decades. In 1995, two years into her career as a massage therapist, she persuaded a professor at Ohio State University to give her a tour of the cadaver lab. It would take a while, but she finally got into the business for herself. Nearly 400 students came through her doors in 2016, and more than 700 in 2017.

Among those who donate their remains to the stretch-and-release sciences: lawyers, construction workers, nurses, and teachers, most of them from the community and some of whom were yoga practitioners themselves. While still alive, donors can help decide which classes they will teach in the academic afterlife. They can also choose how much Boyer reveals to students about their lives and professions, information that can assist in the teaching.

Tonight’s teacher arrived at the center with only two identifiers (88, colon cancer). Boyer has named him *Vesalius for a 16th-century Flemish physician known as the founder of modern human anatomy. To encourage her students to connect to Vesalius, she shares the backstory she has given him based on his distinct physiology; she calls him her “rancher” because his right supraspinatus muscle—part of the rotator cuff—*carries tension lines that suggest repeated overhead use, lasso-style. And because his knees show hardly any signs of arthritis (very odd for a man his age), Boyer proposes that maybe he spent more time on a horse than his feet.

“He had really nice knees,” she says.
continued next post

GeneChing
06-20-2018, 09:23 AM
https://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/styles/500_1x_/public/images/2018/05/studying-cadaver-foot.jpg?itok=1Dhj0NvR&fc=50,50
Vesalius—the dead man whose foot the students are now passing around.
Zohar Lazar

Though devoted to my own yoga practice, I’m wary of the exaggerated claims and pseudoscience *often associated with the discipline. It might offer stress relief, help with pain management, and make people more flexible, but at its core, yoga is spiritual—and more often than not, spirit and science seem to diverge. So my ears perk up when Boyer veers off the hard-science stuff and pronounces the word “chakra,” the wheel-like energy centers that Eastern religions associate with one’s life force.

Is she about to show us some cluster of nerves that can *explain the “blockages” or “vibrations” of the third eye, or why a hip-opening yoga pose might realign out-of-whack sacral chakras and restore emotional well-being?

Not exactly. She stops short of making any scientific *extrapolations, but she’s happy to connect the dots.

“Here’s where his heart chakra would have been,” she says. She gestures toward Vesalius’ thoracic cavity in a moment more of meditative reflection than instruction. “The heart takes earth and stomach and connects it to heaven.”

Vesalius’ heart may connect him to heaven, but his butt is in a plastic bin by his feet. Boyer hands the tissue to a student. “That’s the glute,” she says. “Here, pull.” The student tugs on a long, leathery piece of iliotibial (IT) band.


His butt is in a plastic bin by his feet."

When attached to a leg, the IT band stretches from the posterior iliac crest above the gluteus maximus to the knee, helping the hip move. Tonight, Boyer uses Vesalius’ backside to demonstrate the resilience of connective tissue.

“Pull harder,” Boyer says. As the student lets it go, it *settles back into place. Boyer puts the butt back in the bin.

Boyer conveys a profound respect for people who donate their organs to science. She’s already committed her mortal remains to lie on the same steel slab one day. “Please thank the teachers in your own way *tonight,” she tells the students as the class breaks up.

Chattiness returns as the trainees slide out of their gowns, shoving used gloves into the trash and washing their hands. The towel-covered bodies still lie splayed on tables beside them. (A few quietly agree that Vesalius does indeed look a lot like turkey jerky.) But from now on, they concede, they’ll see dead people when they downward dog.

I gaze around at the mysterious-looking spray bottles, the moisture that drips from the cadavers and down drains in the metal tables, the quote about kindness displayed beside anatomical charts. Balafas tells me she’ll think of Vesalius’ spine whenever she’s tempted to skimp on her stretches, and as she prepares sequences for her yoga students. But having earlier handled the heart of “Miss V,” a teacher who died of brain cancer in her 80s, Balafas now has a curious request: She’d like to see inside the woman’s skull. Balafas’ mother, it turns out, died of the same. Boyer reveals an open cranium with the flick of a towel, explaining where the cancer was located and how little of the brain it compromised.

“She has a beautiful brain,” Boyer muses.

Erin Blakemore is a Boulder, Colorado–based journalist and author.

This article was originally published in the Summer 2018 Life/Death issue of Popular Science.

THREADS:
Can anyone recommend a good, clear anatomy book? (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?37367-Can-anyone-recommend-a-good-clear-anatomy-book)
Yoga (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)

mrshungkuen
06-26-2018, 04:33 AM
Just wandering how many here practice yoga and how many days a week and how long is your practice?

:confused: :confused: :confused:

Looking For Free Wavs, Jokes And Free Email? ---->
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I practise Yin Yoga 2 times a week. Normally is a daily practise the best way to do it. But i also like other things

GeneChing
07-19-2018, 05:00 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qec9WSx-5g

GeneChing
07-23-2018, 09:04 AM
Aleda E. Lutz VA welcomes veterans to yoga and Tai Chi classes (https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Aleda-E-Lutz-VA-welcomes-veterans-to-yoga-and-13097028.php)
Midland Daily News Published 9:18 am EDT, Monday, July 23, 2018

The Aleda E. Lutz VAMC in Saginaw has been heavily engaged in promoting integrative therapies, as part of the Whole Health Approach, to help veterans deal with pain, anxiety, depression, flexibility and other chronic health conditions.

Just recently, they have developed classes for veterans who are enrolled in VA health care in Tai Chi and yoga. Veterans can stop in on Thursdays for yoga which begins at 8:30 a.m. or Tai Chi which begins at 10 a.m. All classes are held at the VA Medical Center, 1500 Weiss St. in Saginaw, at the activities pavilion, located near the north parking lot.

"These types of exercise have helped many veterans achieve their health goals, reduce or manage pain, provide a sense of calm, and much more. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to offer these classes to veterans," said Dr. Barbara Bates, acting medical center director.

Veterans who would like to learn more about Whole Health and Integrative Therapies are encouraged to talk with their VA health care provider and team.

More information about the Aleda E. Lutz VAMC can be found at www.saginaw.va.gov

THREADS:
Tai Chi, Veterans & PTSD (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70689-Tai-Chi-Veterans-amp-PTSD)
Yoga (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)

GeneChing
08-27-2018, 08:22 AM
I'm posting this on our Beginnings of Shaolin Boxing - history thread (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?20750-Beginnings-of-Shaolin-Boxing-history) because it has a lot of yoga talk, and also copying it to our yoga thread (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga).


Yoga meets Zen in Shaolin Temple(1/8) (http://www.ecns.cn/hd/2018-08-27/detail-ifyxikfc9643658.shtml)
2018-08-27 15:30:35Ecns.cn Editor :Yao Lan
查看原图

http://www.ecns.cn/hd/2018/08/27/c2e1d1045dac484e951bc6cceb2b34bf.jpg
http://www.ecns.cn/hd/2018/08/27/d87731d6f19043f3a5c8ef64cdeea08f.jpg
http://www.ecns.cn/hd/2018/08/27/685468e9fdfb40ad8f9eb6961b8df75e.jpg
http://www.ecns.cn/hd/2018/08/27/dfcb78efafb8405f94bef975b088517c.jpg
http://www.ecns.cn/hd/2018/08/27/0519135c973e464390996dae9252e4c8.jpg
http://www.ecns.cn/hd/2018/08/27/5950c3773133486281b22b39e3f83f4a.jpg
http://www.ecns.cn/hd/2018/08/27/f5ef41da9adf4bc790f19c95f13f585f.jpg
http://www.ecns.cn/hd/2018/08/27/f732f6c84f454dfda87b15a812989696.jpg

Yoga and kung fu enthusiasts perform in a cultural festival on Mount Song, home to the Shaolin Temple, in Dengfeng, Central China’s Henan Province, Aug. 25, 2018. (Photo: China News Service/Wang Zhongju)

GeneChing
08-30-2018, 08:27 AM
I was wondering what the photos above were about. The article below runs the same pix, except for what I've copied here.


Shaolin kung fu shares stage with yoga (http://africa.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201808/27/WS5b839ccca310add14f387fda.html)
chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2018-08-27 14:40

A yoga master and a Shaolin warrior monk perform similar movement on a shared stage of the closing ceremony of the 2018 Shaolin Martial Arts General Assembly at Mount Songshan, Henan province, Aug 25, 2018. [Photo/IC]
Yoga lovers and Shaolin monks performed together at the zen culture festival, a theme activity on the last day of the 2018 Shaolin Martial Arts General Assembly on Aug 25, at Mount Songshan, location of the Shaolin Temple, in Henan province.

The two exercises have been deeply influenced by zen Buddhism in their development. By inviting yoga lovers to the event, the audience had a better understanding and different experience of the zen culture.

Yoga and martial arts performers exercised on the various scenic spots of Mount Songshan. The world-renowned yoga masters were on the scene to lead the audience to practice yoga.

http://img2.chinadaily.com.cn/images/201808/27/5b839ccba310add1c698be0e.jpeg
http://img2.chinadaily.com.cn/images/201808/27/5b839ccca310add1c698be17.jpeg
http://img2.chinadaily.com.cn/images/201808/27/5b839ccca310add1c698be1a.jpeg


THREADS
Beginnings of Shaolin Boxing - history (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?20750-Beginnings-of-Shaolin-Boxing-history) yoga (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)

GeneChing
09-20-2018, 08:57 AM
Why don't we have Death Metal Tai Chi? Cuz that would ROCK!!!


| Some of us Need a Little Bad to be Good (https://amuse-i-d.vice.com/death-metal-yoga-some-of-us-need-a-little-bad-to-be-good/)
Brooklyn based Saskia Thode pushes her students to peak fitness using death metal and grindcore

Written by JESSICA BRINTON Photography by MARI SARAI
SEPTEMBER 21, 2015

Meet Saskia Thode, founder of Metal Yoga Bones, a Vinyasa-style yoga class based out of the Cobra Club in Bushwick, New York. A Brooklynite by way of Hamburg, Thode’s prescription for inner peace is an hour and a half of screaming and growling soundtracked by thrash metal and grindcore. This is not everyone’s path to bliss, but her growing following confirms what the Romans always knew: that some of us need to be a little bad before we can be good, even when it’s wellbeing that’s waiting for us at the end. Travel through the darkness and you will find the light.

https://amuse-images.vice.com/wp_upload/2015/09/saskia-yoga_DSC1666.jpg

Jessica Brinton: What happens in your classes?
Saskia Thode: I try to bring anger out in people. Sometimes you need to release it and where else is the space to do that? We warm up by jumping and boxing into the air, growling and having dance-offs. I play Black Sabbath, Def Leppard, Motorhead, some hair metal – whatever has a distinct beat. I want people to do what they would do at a show in front of the stage, except now they have all the room they need to express themselves.


“We don’t do sun salutations because we’re saluting the darkness.”

When did you first get into metal?
My mother was a metalhead so I grew up listening to Manowar, Iron Maiden, Terroriser and Sodom. When I was a kid, we went to metal festivals in Europe and even with 8,000 people, there were never any fights because there was an outlet for negative emotions.

How did Metal Yoga Bones start?
When I was going my teacher training, I would be playing metal at home. We were supposed to come up with a playlist and my teacher said, it’s important to do whatever you feel like doing. So I made a metal playlist. I started playing it for yoga with friends in the park, and one day the Cobra Club said, why don’t you do that in the back of the club?

Yoga is sacred and metal is profane. How can they co-exist?
They’re way more aligned than that. Metal has a lot of spiritual aspects to it and they are both very connected to nature. The difference is that metal acknowledges the darkness we carry too. The sound of it can be a trigger for letting that out, and releasing some aggression and anger. Extreme music actually makes you calmer, not angrier. When the music is faster than your feelings, it can help you clear out your head.

How does that express itself in your classes?
The classes are as intense as possible. Halfway through, I play death metal and grind to push the students further. I put on Death, Suffocation, Sodom, Possessed, Venom, Nile, and Onslaught, and try to **** them off by having them hold standing poses for ages. I’ll say; “Are you angry now? I can’t hear you! Tell me how angry you are …” The emotions and the energy in the music and the endorphins releases so much positive energy in the body.

Does it mean that it’s okay to have vices after all?
I think it’s about having a choice. Sometimes after a yoga class, your body doesn’t want a drink, but if you do want one, have one. It’s the same in the metal world.


“It isn’t about being a cannibal and drinking blood; it’s about being who you are and feeling a passion for the music.”

Do you think metal yoga is an opportunity to dive into the darker of your sexuality too?
A lot of yoga poses, like bridge pose, are beneficial for your sex life, particularly your pelvic floor muscles. But I think it is far more about learning to be comfortable in your body. The best outcome is to show that everyone is beautiful in their own way, no matter what you look like. It’s the one place where you should be able to just be who you are, focussing on your connection with your own body, and being content with yourself.

How has Metal Yoga Bones been received by the New York metal scene?
A lot of the bands have come to the classes. Sometimes they don’t want to put on work out wear so they come in jeans. If it restricts their movement, they can take smaller steps.

Is it essential to wear a metal t-shirt?
You can wear whatever you want. I have straight guys coming with painted fingernails and face makeup, and another guy came in a skirt. Everything is possible. There’s no discrimination of any kind.

How often do you play Iron Maiden?
There’s never a class when I don’t play a Maiden song [laughs]: ‘Fear of the Dark’ is one of my favourites. That’s what I listen to on my bike. It’s kind of groovy but also heart opening.

A friend who runs the Live Evil Festival in the UK was speculating about how your classes would go down at his festival.
I would love to take yoga to some of the festivals. I think the scene is ready to embrace being healthier. There are already so many people who are vegan and eat really well. Drinking comes with the territory but at festivals there’s always down time in the day. It would be nice to have something to do when you have a hangover.

Yoga language must sound strange to your average metalhead.
I’ve tried to rename each pose from the feeling it gives you. Warrior 1 is The Destroyer, because you’re getting ready to go into battle and destroy. Warrior 2 is the **** You pose, because it’s the pose when you know that you’re better than everyone else.

If one of your students was going into a mosh pit next week, which pose would you recommend practicing beforehand?
During shows, a lot of people do Warrior 1 and Warrior 2. It’s a metalhead impulse. To do it well, it’s good to make sure your posture is correct. You need to be really grounded and in my classes, I will always try to push over my students to test how strong they are. Metal yoga is also an attitude.

Some teachers say that the end of a yoga class is the most important part. After all the craziness, how do you end yours?
I have a track I always play for Savassana [the last pose of the class, also known as Corpse pose]. It’s by Celtic Frost and it’s called ‘Winter’.

“We don’t do Oms. To connect as a community, we howl to the moon like werewolves.”

Has anyone ever properly lost it in one of your classes?
They get angry, they scream, and then they are just laughing.

www.metalyogabones.com

GeneChing
10-04-2018, 09:54 AM
Paddleboard yoga may have landed this Seattle man in prison (https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/03/us/paddleboard-yoga-disability-fraud-trnd/index.html)
By Spencer Parlier and Christina Zdanowicz, CNN
Updated 5:56 PM ET, Wed October 3, 2018

https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181003144115-03-paddleboard-yoga-disability-trnd-exlarge-169.jpg
Paul LaMarche performs yoga on a paddleboard, right, while collecting disability.

(CNN)Getting caught doing yoga on a paddleboard is not a good look for someone claiming disability. Paul LaMarche of Seattle learned this lesson the hard way.
LaMarche was sentenced to nine months in prison on Monday. He had pleaded guilty to theft of government property and wire fraud in March, admitting he collected more than $177,000 in disability payments, according to the Department of Justice.
While receiving disability payments, LaMarche owned and operated Emerald City Charters, a sailing outfit whose promotional video showed him sailing the boats.
Investigators from the Railroad Retirement Board Office and the US Coast guard also dug up a Seattle tourism video that showed LaMarche and others doing yoga on paddleboards.
Both videos were used to incriminate LaMarche, according to the US District Court for the Western District of Washington.
The 67-year-old's scheme began in 1988, when LaMarche claimed he could no longer work as a railway conductor due to a back injury. Five years later, he began receiving a disability annuity from the Railroad Retirement Board.
Despite the Railroad Board investigating the disability claim in 2015, LaMarche continued to submit false reports, saying he could not "lift, pull or carry heavy items," was "unable to run or jump" and had "debilitating headaches daily," the Justice Department said.
US District Judge James Robart called LaMarche a "thief" at his sentencing.
"He's obviously made a lot of money, but he's stealing every year," Robart said.
The investigation ordered LaMarche to pay $177,369 in restitution as well as an additional $177,369 in penalties, according to the US Attorney's Office in the Western District of Washington.
Although Emerald City Charters' website claims "the fun isn't stopping anytime soon," their head captain won't be able to man the decks until 2019. After the nine months in prison, LaMarche will be under supervised release for two years.
His captains license is currently under review by the US Coast Guard, a Coast Guard spokesman told CNN.
LaMarche was ordered to report to prison on Tuesday.


I can see doing yoga for rehab - heck I revert to my yoga training whenever I'm injured - but not paddleboard yoga. That's not rehab. That's stunt yoga. I'm just trying to imagine him meeting his cell mate. "I'm doing 10 for forced sodomy. You?" "ummm, yoga" "You sure look purty in those yoga pants."

GeneChing
11-05-2018, 08:52 AM
So horrifying. :(

The very notion of incels is the epitome of entitlement. :mad:


Gunman in Yoga Studio Shooting Recorded Misogynistic Videos and Faced Battery Charges (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/03/us/yoga-studio-shooting-florida.html)
https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/11/04/us/04xp-yogashooting-p1/merlin_146245788_36b7d4ce-c66f-4c21-8eea-85538d54fe9e-jumbo.jpg?quality=90&auto=webp
The police in Tallahassee, Fla., said Scott Beierle, 40, shot and killed two women at a yoga studio on Friday before shooting and killing himself. CreditTori Schneider/Tallahassee Democrat, via Associated Press

By Mihir Zaveri, Julia Jacobs and Sarah Mervosh
Nov. 3, 2018

In online videos, he spewed misogynistic and racist vitriol — and railed against all the women who had turned him down.

In real life, records show, he had a history of harassing women and was accused of touching women’s buttocks without their consent.

And on Friday, the authorities said, he shot two women to death and injured five other people at a Florida yoga studio before killing himself.

The gunman, Scott P. Beierle, 40, posed as a customer at the studio in Tallahassee, Fla., and then opened fire without warning, the police said. The authorities were investigating to determine Mr. Beierle’s connection to the yoga studio and the victims.

Officials identified the victims who were killed as Dr. Nancy Van Vessem, 61, a faculty member at Florida State University, and Maura Binkley, 21, a student there. Four women and one man suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

“There are no words to express the shock and grief we feel,” John Thrasher, the president of Florida State, said on Twitter on Saturday. He added, “To lose one of our students and one of our faculty members in this tragic and violent way is just devastating to the FSU family.”

Mr. Beierle, who the authorities said had prior military service, lived in Deltona, Fla., and had been staying at a hotel while visiting Tallahassee, the police said. He was a graduate of Florida State, where he had been arrested at least twice, once on charges of battery against women, according to records and the police.

He also had a history of expressing misogynistic and racist views. In a series of videos posted over a three-day period in August 2014, he ranted against women and minorities, the police and the Army — anyone and everyone who he believed had wronged him.

BuzzFeed News first reported on the videos.

In the videos, Mr. Beierle pontificated from a dimly lit bedroom, with an unmade bed and a pile of cardboard boxes in the background. He lamented his inability to connect with other people — from Army comrades who he said would not travel with him while stationed in Europe to women who refused to go out with him.

He identified with “involuntary celibates” and told personal stories of rejection, naming multiple girls who he said had wronged him.

“Made one date, didn’t show up,” he said of one woman. “Made another date, didn’t show up. Kept making excuses. Ah, I could’ve ripped her head off.”

He expressed sympathy with Elliot O. Rodger, who killed six people in Isla Vista, Calif., three months before Mr. Beierle recorded the videos. Mr. Rodger had expressed his disgust at women online and urged “incels” — shorthand for involuntary celibates — to fight back.

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/11/04/nyregion/04xp-Yoga-shooter-Beierle/merlin_146287227_261f893d-2867-47ad-ae25-91e18b9647d5-jumbo.jpg?quality=90&auto=webp
Scott Paul Beierle
Credit Tallahassee Police Department

In the videos, Mr. Beierle also railed against interracial dating, and used racist and disparaging language when talking about black people.

He also referred to trouble with the Army after an incident in Amsterdam in which he said four women complained about his behavior. “I got too rowdy for their sensibilities,” he said.

Records show that Mr. Beierle moved from Vestal, N.Y., near Binghamton, to Tallahassee in 2011.

In December 2012, Mr. Beierle was charged with battery after a woman accused him of grabbing her buttocks at a dining hall on Florida State’s campus in Tallahassee. The charges were dismissed in May 2013, court records show.

In 2014, Mr. Beierle was charged with trespassing at a dining hall on campus and was given pretrial intervention, though it was unclear exactly what that entailed or how the case was resolved.

Mr. Beierle was again charged with battery in June 2016, but the charge was dismissed in 2017, records show.

In that case, Tallahassee police records show, Mr. Beierle was arrested after he approached a woman sunbathing at a pool and complimented her on her figure. He offered to put sunscreen on her buttocks, but she told him no and he groped her without her permission, according to the police report.

On Friday, Mr. Beierle entered Hot Yoga Tallahassee with a handgun, the police said. When he began shooting, some people inside fought back, preventing a greater tragedy, Michael DeLeo, the chief of the Tallahassee Police Department, said in a statement on Saturday.

Ms. Binkley, a senior at Florida State, was set to graduate in May, said Azalee Vereen, her aunt. Ms. Binkley studied journalism and German, and was preparing for life after college by applying for programs like Fulbright and Teach for America.

Ms. Binkley, who grew up in a northern suburb of Atlanta, was “very smart, very beautiful and just very giving,” Ms. Vereen said.

Dr. Van Vessem was responsible for coordinating the third- and fourth-year clerkship rotations in internal medicine at the Tallahassee campus of Florida State, according to a profile on the university’s website.

“She was an outstanding physician with a passion for access to health care,” said Pam Irwin, the executive director of Capital Medical Society, a Tallahassee-based professional organization for doctors, of which Dr. Van Vessem was a member. “Without being aware, she was a mentor. She represented how to serve others with wisdom, ethics, compassion and collaboration.”

Myra Hurt, a medical professor and senior associate dean at Florida State, called Dr. Van Vessem “a formidable woman.”

“I knew going into a meeting with her that I had to be ready,” she said. “Even if we didn’t agree on something, you knew she was operating from a position of protecting her patients. She was a woman of substance. She was the real thing.”

Ashley Calloway-Blatch and Jacey Fortin contributed reporting. Alain Delaquérière contributed research.

Follow Mihir Zaveri on Twitter: @MihirZaveri.

GeneChing
11-14-2018, 09:00 AM
I've always anticipated similar criticisms of Kung Fu and Tai Chi for our Daoist/Buddhist connections. :(


MISSOURI MEGACHURCH PASTOR CONDEMNS YOGA, CALLS HINDUISM 'DEMONIC' (https://www.newsweek.com/missouri-megachurch-pastor-condemns-yoga-calls-hinduism-demonic-1212793)
BY KATHERINE HIGNETT ON 11/13/18 AT 7:35 AM

A pastor has called Hinduism "demonic," meditation “spiritually dangerous” and yoga “diametrically opposed to Christianity."

Speaking at the James River Church in Ozark, Missouri, Pastor John Lindell delivered a sermon called “Haunted: Pursuing the Paranormal,” whcih encouraged Christians to stop practicing yoga.


James River Church (https://twitter.com/jamesriver/status/1062158624104046592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5 Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1062158624104046592&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsweek.com%2Fmissouri-megachurch-pastor-condemns-yoga-calls-hinduism-demonic-1212793)

@jamesriver
For more information on the recent sermon, “Haunted: Pursuing the Paranormal” follow the link: http://jamesriver.org/haunted-sermon-resources …
_____
Watch the sermon| Haunted: Pursuing the Paranormal / http://jamesriver.org/sermon/haunted-pursuing-the-paranormal …#jrclife

17
5:42 PM - Nov 12, 2018
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https://pbs.twimg.com/card_img/1060562862798708738/6djlqlQL?format=jpg&name=600x314
Haunted: Pursuing the Paranormal | Sermon by Pastor John Lindell
Pastor John Lindell shares a truth-packed sermon titled, "Haunted: Pursuing the Paranormal" and shares a biblical perspective on the paranormal.

jamesriver.org
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Lindell made his comments on October 28, but yogis have since spoken out against his claims, USA Today reported. The megachurch reportedly had a congregation of about 10,500 people in 2016, the newspaper noted, and local instructors said they were experiencing the effects of the pastor's condemnation.

Lindell said the practice of yoga, meditation and forms of Eastern mysticism was evidence that Western society’s obsession with the “paranormal” had “worked its way into everyday life.”

He claimed that “Hinduism is demonic,” and that “yoga poses were created with demonic intent, to open you up to demonic power.

"To say the positions of yoga are no more than exercise are tantamount to saying water baptism is just aqua aerobics," Lindell said.

The “dangerous” meditation often practiced during yoga leaves Christians “spiritually” vulnerable, he said.

Local yoga instructors have spoken out against the sermon, noting a drop in attendance at their classes following his remarks. “It hurt... It could have been a coincidence, but it's interesting," yoga teacher Heather Worthy told USA Today. The sermon was “quite ludicrous,” she added.

https://s.newsweek.com/sites/www.newsweek.com/files/styles/embed_tablet/public/2018/11/13/1113yoga.jpg
People participate in an outdoor yoga event in Bryant Park in New York City, July 12. A Missouri pastor called yoga “diametrically opposed to Christianity."
TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

"This is our sole source of livelihood," local yoga studio owner Stephanie Wubbena told USA Today. "One yoga studio lost over 10 members the Monday after the sermon." She said Lindell was right to say the practice had “pagan origins,” but added that Christmas and Easter did too.

Just as Christians mark Christmas with evergreen trees today, ancient Romans used to celebrate the mid-December feast of Saturnalia by decorating their homes with such plants, for example. Ancient Celtic priests and Vikings also revered the trees, according to History.com.

"The blatant hypocrisy was just so overwhelming," Wubbena said.

The church responded to USA Today with a statement defending the sermon. “As a church our heart is to provide people with Biblical insight and teaching that will strengthen their faith and their daily walk with God,” it read, adding that the church would encourage anyone interested in Lindell's sermon to watch it online.

The church did not immediately respond to Newsweek's request for comment.

Although yoga has roots in Hinduism, modern yoga performed in the West often incorporates elements unrelated to its religious history, including British Army gymnastics and movements from Indian wrestling, The New Yorker has reported.

“Yoga can be practiced without barriers of age, race, religion, culture or station,” India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told the European Parliament earlier this year. “Today, more than ever, the world needs yoga."

Jimbo
11-14-2018, 09:51 AM
So-called pastors (and other religious zealots like him) who only see 'the devil' and/or demonic influences in others with different belief systems than theirs would best be served to look in a mirror. You are what you always see/preach. If all you see everywhere is the demonic in others or what they do solely because they are different, then YOU are the one who is demonic. Like attracts like. Intent is everything. Sociopathic 'spiritual leaders' like him feed off of spreading fear, intolerance and division, often with big smiles on their faces.

If anyone has actually quit a positive activity like yoga (or martial arts) because they listened to and believed this 'pastor' or his ilk, I almost feel sorry for them. Almost.

GeneChing
12-18-2018, 09:01 AM
https://d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net/static/2018/12/yoga-mat_AdobeStock_187453513-1200x852.jpeg

Your gym mats may be breeding antibiotic-resistant germs (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/your-gym-mats-may-be-breeding-antibiotic-resistant-germs?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=pbsofficial&utm_campaign=newshour&linkId=100000004370641)
Science Dec 11, 2018 10:39 PM EST

We spend a tremendous amount of time at the gym in close contact with all kinds of surfaces — yoga mats, treadmill handles, basketball court tiles and aerobics platforms.

As you have likely noticed, these items are often covered in dust, and this dust may be filled with antibiotic-resistant microbes, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal mSystems (https://msystems.asm.org/content/3/6/e00200-18). A survey of 42 athletic facilities in Oregon — private fitness clubs, public recreation centers and studios for dance, yoga and martial arts — found living germs that were resistant to common antibiotics in all but one facility.

Here is the wild part. These microbes may not have developed this resistance because of the overuse of antibiotics, but because of a chemical commonly used in sanitizers: triclosan.


The team found the athletic facilities with the most triclosan in its dust had the highest abundance of antibiotic-resistant microbes.
Though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned triclosan from soaps and body washes in Sept. 2016, manufacturers continue to use the ingredient in everyday goods like cleaning supplies, deodorants and toothpaste.

The team found the athletic facilities with the most triclosan in its dust had the highest abundance of antibiotic-resistant microbes. They didn’t find deadly bacteria like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), but they discovered enough benign, drug-resistant microbes to raise the specter of gym dust being contaminated with hazardous organisms elsewhere.

Gross, right? Well, before you launch a campaign to burn your gym’s yoga mats, there are few things that you need to know about the scope of the findings — plus some simple tips to avoid dust and germs during your next gym visit.

What the scientists did

Though the dust collection for these experiments happened entirely in Oregon, the investigation was led by Erica Hartmann, an environmental engineer and microbial ecologist at the Northwestern University in Chicago.

Hartmann enlisted the help of architecture students at the University of Oregon’s Biology and the Built Environment Center, a collaborative unit of evolutionary biologists, ecologists and architects, where Hartmann used to work and started this study. This center examines how the design of human-made structures influences microbe populations in the environment.

Five years ago, these students grabbed some vacuums and headed to 42 athletic facilities, where they sucked up dust from hallways, offices and athletic spaces.

“We got the backpack vacuums that made us look kind of like Ghostbusters,” Hartmann told the PBS NewsHour.

After collecting the dust samples, they divided them into thirds. One third went toward conducting analytical chemistry — to assess the presence of antimicrobial chemicals and their quantities. Another third was analyzed to see whether any microorganisms would grow out of it.

https://d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net/static/2018/12/bacteria-768x1024.jpeg
Bacteria isolated from gym dust growing on a petri plate. The photo shows a disc diffusion test, where each disc contains a different antibiotic. The discs covered in growing microbe contain bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. Photo by Taylor Brown/Northwestern University

The final third was saved for metagenomics, a laboratory technique that sifts for genetic material in environmental samples in order to identify organisms living or traveling through that particular location. In the past, metagenomics could only offer a picture of microbes living in a germ-dense location.

“The microbiomes that we know the most about are associated with the human gut because there’s just bajillions of microbes, and it’s pretty easy to get samples,” Hartmann said, referring to fecal matter. Human guts contain about 10 times as many antibiotic-resistant microbes relative to what she found in gym dust.

But “with buildings, it is much more technically challenging because you might need to basically suck all of the air out of a room and run it through a filter to get enough microbes.”

Luckily, metagenomics and its DNA sequencing procedures have advanced enough in the past few years, and the method is now sensitive enough to uncover microbial populations in samples like dust.

Dust happens to also serve as a final resting place for many of the chemicals that humans spray, wipe, exhale and generally emit on a daily basis.

What they found

Hartmann and company learned the highest concentrations of all antimicrobial chemicals in dust occurred in gym spaces and moist locations. Rooms with rubber matting and carpet floors had higher levels of these compounds as well. Offices and hallways were less of an issue.

Though an antimicrobial chemical called methylparaben was the most common, the team found antibiotic-resistant microbes most often corresponded with the presence of triclosan and its cousin triclocarban.

What are antimicrobials anyway?

Here we might want to pause and review the difference an antimicrobials, antibiotics and a third realm called antibacterials. An antimicrobial is the umbrella term for any chemical that kills or stymies the growth of any microorganism, such as fungus, mold or bacteria. An antibacterial is a type of antimicrobial, specifically any chemical built to destroy bacteria. An antibiotic is a type of antibacterial that most often refers to the medical drugs — the compounds that we humans ingest, inject, rub or otherwise apply to our bodies to stop bacterial infections like E.coli or strep throat.

Here’s why this matters. Triclosan is an antibacterial that we use to disinfect surfaces in the environment, but Hartmann’s study found that its presence in dust may be leading to microbes developing resistance to the antibiotics that put into our bodies.

That’s somewhat mind blowing because typically if a germ is exposed to a chemical like triclosan in a lab, it should develop resistance to triclosan. But in gyms, these germs appear to be learning how to avoid other unrelated compounds, namely medically relevant drugs.

continued next post

GeneChing
12-18-2018, 09:02 AM
What this means and why it might be happening

Though the mere presence of triclosan and these heartier germs in the same place doesn’t absolutely prove that triclosan in dust caused the antibiotic resistance to develop in the places where these microbes were found, Hartmann said the association is highly suspicious.


…just because we stopped using it in one context (hand soap), doesn’t mean that it is just going to disappear from the environment.
That’s because they discovered a relationship between the amount of triclosan and the number of antibiotic-resistant microbes in gym dust. The 11 athletic facilities with most antibiotic-resistant microbes had dust samples with triclosan at levels three times higher than all other buildings on average.

Hartmann said if there is a causal relationship between triclosan in dust and the development of antibiotic resistance, it suggests that microbes in the wild behave differently than those raised in petri dishes in the lab, which is basically where “everything we know about antibiotic resistance genes” has been discovered, Hartmann said.

These earlier lab-based studies may have found that a gene grants resistance to an antibiotic medicine, when in the wild, the gene’s actions are broader and can have multiple functions — like also providing protection against a substance like triclosan. So, when germs in the wild get exposed to triclosan, that means it’s possible that they can develop resistance to it and to a medicine at the same time.

Another theory revolves around the fact that antibiotic-resistant genes are mobile — meaning they can be traded between individual microbes like baseball cards. “It could be that there’s a gene that helps resist triclosan, but trading this gene sends along neighboring genes that confer resistance to other antibiotics.”

You should be worried but shouldn’t burn your exercise mats…yet

Don’t toss your gym membership yet. Hartmann’s study doesn’t pin down exactly how triclosan and these antibiotic-resistant organisms landed in these gyms.


“The main thing the study can’t tell us is how this all happened.”
“The main thing the study can’t tell us is how this all happened,” said Jordan Peccia, an environmental engineer at the Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science, who specializes in the exploration of indoor microbiomes and how they relate to our health. “It can only point to an association, but it can’t tell us if that’s actually happening inside of a building.”

Remember: Triclosan may be banned in soaps, but it is still pervasive in consumer products. So, Peccia said these bacterial adaptations could be happening on the skin of gym-goers who are using triclosan products at home or are exposed to other antibiotics constantly due to an illness.

“And then they could be just shedding antibiotic-resistant microorganisms on the surfaces of gym mats or into the air of buildings,” said Peccia, who described Hartmann’s study as somewhere between an “important step for the field” and “groundbreaking” because it revealed so much about microbial ecology in buildings.

https://d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net/static/2018/12/triclosan-dust_GettyImages-638629448-1024x683.jpg
These antibiotic-resistant bacteria could have developed on human skin before they shedded into gym dust. Photo by franckreporter/via Getty Images

But he raises this alternative scenario because he suspects that gyms are generally too dry for bacteria to be active or evolve antibiotic-resistance.

“In a gym environment, which might be around 50 percent humidity, microorganisms aren’t necessarily dead but it’s very stressful to them. They kind of shut down and are relatively dormant,” Peccia said. “In a normal building, most microorganisms are not active … they’re not responding to chemicals.”

So the open question is do antibacterial spray bottles filled with triclosan provide enough moisture to awaken these bacteria and trigger the development of antibiotic resistance? Or maybe our sweaty palms on treadmill railings or “swamp butts” on yoga mats provide the necessary moisture? Peccia’s lab has found that fungus and molds can thrive at 50 percent humidity, and this appears to involve metabolic pathways that were enriched in the bacteria identified in Hartmann’s study.

Lab-based studies show exposure to triclosan can boost multidrug resistance leading to hazardous strains of bacteria, but it is unclear if this also happens in the general environment. But both Hartmann and Peccia think that antibiotic resistance is a big enough public health threat in places like hospitals that it’s worth just assuming that this is an issue for gyms right now.

https://d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net/static/2018/12/spray-sanitizer_AdobeStock_190457301-1024x683.jpeg
Before you use that spray bottle, you should probably ask what’s in it? Photo by Marko/via Stock Adobe

Triclosan, Hartmann said, has all of the characteristics of what’s called a “persistent organic pollutant” — meaning just because we stopped using it in one context (hand soap), doesn’t mean that it is just going to disappear from the environment. Her lab is currently assessing if other disinfectants can spawn this tainted dust and which surfaces inside of a gym contain the highest amounts.

Until then, people should avoid using triclosan and potentially similar sanitizers because “there’s so little evidence justifying the use of these chemicals in the first place,” she said.

If you’re one of those gym attendees who likes to use the cleaning sprays (this is me), she said first ask an attendant: “What’s in that spray?” If it’s just water, then go to town. But if it has triclosan or benzalkonium chloride, which is more common in gyms these days, she said think twice before spraying it if you’re worried about antibiotic resistance. You could always just wipe the machine down with a plain towel.

If you’re nervous about cleaning your hands — because the triclosan ban didn’t apply to hand sanitizers — Hartmann said you should follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s advice of using plain ol’ soap and water.

Just make sure to lather and scrub for at least 20 seconds — one study of 3,700 bathroom users found people only wash their hands for six seconds on average (this is also me).

“Anything we can do to try to contain the problem of antibiotic resistance, we should be doing,” Hartmann said.

Left: A survey of dust in 42 athletic facilities in Oregon found living germs that were resistant to common antibiotics in all but one facility. These germs arose potentially because of the widespread use of triclosan in sanitizers and other everyday goods. Photo by StockPhotoPro/via Stock Adobe

By — Nsikan Akpan
Nsikan Akpan is the digital science producer for PBS NewsHour and co-creator of the award-winning, NewsHour digital series ScienceScope. For secure communication, he can be reached via Signal (240) 516-8357 or PGP Fingerprint: 06D0 E6A5 AC19 3074 13B0 9F87 A332 744F E4D1 95DF.

THREADS
Yoga (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)
rubber mats… (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?20770-rubber-mats%85)[

GeneChing
03-04-2019, 09:21 AM
https://media.distractify.com/img/IWRyUFuzG/2160x1131/iStock-980969290-1551316426306-1551316428899.jpg
SOURCE: ISTOCK

"Rage Yoga" Involves Swearing and Booze Breaks (https://www.distractify.com/p/rage-yoga?utm_source=dfy&utm_medium=fb&fbclid=IwAR37tZsufQpYkEpNUuMAiCIfat6L4gmNfjXfRCYs2 B2XI3Kvca1CPQgo-es)
BY MARK PYGAS
5 DAYS AGO

Yoga is supposed to be a relaxing, meditative exercise that gets you ready for the rest of the day. But now, you might be able to achieve the same result by doing the opposite. Rage Yoga aims to calm you down and get you fitter by swearing, shouting, and enjoying a beer.

Lindsay Istace, the founder of Rage Yoga, explains on her website that her method is "a practice involving stretching, positional exercises and bad humor, with the goal of attaining good health and to become zen AF. More than just a practice, Rage Yoga is an attitude."

https://media.distractify.com/img/vGfGb4ryr/2160x1131/iStock-1130659926-1551273734215-1551273736748.jpg
SOURCE: ISTOCK

Lindsay explains that she "felt really out of place" in a regular yoga class. She adds that it "made me feel like I was standing in a library full of gymnasts." So, she decided to create Rage Yoga. Lindsay says rage yoga has helped her a lot...

"My practice gave me a strong body-mind connection and a new appreciation for my body. I learned how to slow my mind, feel good in my body and built some decent pipes while I was at it. It helped me overcome addiction and weather a lot of personal obstacles. It kept me healthy and sane!"

Ashley Duzich, a Rage Yoga instructor at Brash Brewery in Houston, Texas, told CBS DFW that "some people need to release and let go." She goes on to explain that Rage Yoga is “a practice that involves breathing, stretching, mood draws, yoga postures and a lot of bad humor.”

“Yoga itself actually means union… so union with yourself,” Ashley said. “And that’s not always just super-calm, breathing, practising quiet time, like a lot of yoga places are.”

“We are all angry about something and we all have been holding onto an ‘F’-bomb for a little bit too long. So that’s what this does – is – it allows you to have a safe space to let go of your and frustration and rage in a healthy way… and then also wash it all away with some ice cold beer.”

“One of the funniest things I think I ever heard was, ‘I told you to do the dishes,'” Ashley added.

According to the Rage Yoga website, instructors need to complete a minimum of 200 hours of yoga instructor certification.

There are three official Rage Yoga locations — Calgary, Edmonton, and Houston — and hopefully, they're able to add more locations soon for the rest of us.

More on Rage Yoga (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga&p=1292696#post1292696)

GeneChing
03-19-2019, 07:43 AM
One of my friends tried Goat Yoga recently. She enjoyed it but did get bit on her fingertip.

It's so absurd to me, especially after studying Yoga in India. Silly U.S. marketing that should not work but does.

I'm trying to imagine goat Qigong (https://www.martialartsmart.com/qigong-or-internal-dvds.html).


Half Moon Bay's yoga hack: Adding baby goats to each class (https://www.sfgate.com/living/article/Half-Moon-Bay-yoga-baby-goats-13698165.php)
By Alyssa Pereira, SFGATE Published 3:29 pm PDT, Monday, March 18, 2019

https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/01/14/43/17090757/4/920x920.jpg
Photo: Lemos Family Farm / YouTube

Lemos Family Farm

Sure, yoga is great, but have you tried the remix?

Half Moon Bay's Lemos Family Farm is switching up the flexibility activity by corralling in more than a dozen tiny goats into each class held at their facility.

At $31, each class costs less than one morning at SoulCycle, but is infinitely more memorable.

"Fifteen small goats will roam around during yoga class, perhaps licking at your toes, nibbling your yoga mat, climbing on your back during cat/cow and cuddling up with you during savasana," the site reads. "Expect the unexpected, but also expect a lot of laughter and levity."

Since posers are definitely going to lose focus during meditation with tiny animals frolicking about, Lemos' yoga class includes a 15 minute wind-down for guests to hang out to meet, hold, and pet the goats.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJNpj3oafmE

The same goes for the farm's Mommy & Me yoga classes (for children aged 12 months to six years), wherein even smaller goats wander around the room. Those classes, it should be noted, are shorter (30 min.) and are sold in six-class packages.

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.

GeneChing
03-26-2019, 08:01 AM
'thanks to yoga'? srsly? :rolleyes:



Woman suffers massive stroke thanks to yoga (https://www.devonlive.com/news/uk-world-news/woman-suffers-massive-stroke-thanks-2681798)
Rebecca now cannot speak for more than a few minutes, suffers headaches daily and has severe memory loss

https://i2-prod.devonlive.com/incoming/article2681783.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/2_SWNS_YOGA_STROKE_12.jpg

By Neil Shaw Head Of Digital, Live And Trending For Plymouth Live, DevonLive And CornwallLive
09:07, 25 MAR 2019 UPDATED12:07, 25 MAR 2019

A young woman who suffered a massive stroke caused by yoga bravely got back on her mat just one month later.

Rebecca Leigh, 40, was performing a yogic headstand when she tore a major blood vessel in her neck.

Just two hours before the life-altering injury she had filmed an advanced sequence in a pink bikini for her 26,000 social media fans.

Today the exercise obsessive cannot speak for more than a few minutes, suffers headaches daily and has severe memory loss.

But just one month after the devastating episode, Rebecca was back on her mat and still practices the ancient exercise for an hour every day.

She is now telling her story to raise awareness of yoga-induced strokes, so other people can spot the symptoms and seek medical help quickly.

“After decades of focussing on working out and my diet and making as many healthy decisions as I could for my body, having a stroke by doing yoga just didn’t seem fair," she said.

“But I had to get back out there and do the things that made me happy and one of those things was obviously my yoga practice.”

Rebecca, who ran a mobile sunless tanning company, tore her right carotid artery in a ‘hollowback’ handstand on the morning of October 8, 2017.

She said: “I was on my front porch practicing a pretty intense type of yoga handstand called a ‘hollowback’ handstand.

“This pose requires you to extend your neck, drop your hips back and arch your lower spine all while in a headstand.

“I felt that I had really nailed it but as I walked inside my house, my peripheral vision went out and the rest of my vision became blurry.

“It was like a curtain coming down all around me.

“I sat down and tried to put my hair into a ponytail but my left arm flopped around without any control.”

At first Rebecca attributed the symptoms to the severely herniated discs in her neck which she had been diagnosed with in her early twenties.

She said: “I knew that arm numbness could be a symptom of that.

“It only lasted for five minutes but then my head began to hurt.

https://i2-prod.devonlive.com/incoming/article2681782.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_SWNS_YOGA_STROKE_10.jpg
Rebecca Leigh doing yoga before her stroke

“I have suffered from headaches and migraines since I was a teenager but I knew this was different.”

Two days later, Rebecca was horrified to notice that her pupils were different sizes.

“My right eye drooped and my pupils were different sizes,” she said.

“It was terrifying.

“It was then that I knew something was very, very wrong.”

Rebecca and husband Kevin, 45, immediately went to the emergency room where an MRI scan revealed Rebecca had suffered a stroke.

She said: “The doctor on staff came into the little room we were waiting in and said in a monotone voice: ‘Well, you my dear, had a stroke’.

“Kevin and I both let out a little laugh, because we thought he had to be kidding.

“There was no way that someone my age, in my health, could have had a stroke.

“But he responded to our laughter in solemn silence and his face said it all.”

She spent the next five days in the neurological intensive care unit as doctors battled to understand why an active, healthy eating, non smoker aged 39 could have suffered a stroke.

“After all the blood work, ultrasounds, MRIs and CT scans, it was finally a CTA scan that explained it,” she said.

While doing handstands Rebecca had torn her right carotid artery, one of the four arteries that supplies blood to the brain.

The tear sent a blood clot to her brain which caused the stroke and the trauma of the tear in the wall of the artery also caused a small aneurysm, a bulge in the vessel, to develop.

https://i2-prod.devonlive.com/incoming/article2681781.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_SWNS_YOGA_STROKE_16.jpg
Rebecca Leigh in hospita

At first Rebecca felt fury and disbelief that something as healthy as yoga could have triggered a stroke.

She said: “I couldn’t believe it.

“How could this happen to me?

“I was angry at my body, I felt that it had betrayed me somehow.”

For six weeks, Rebecca endured terrible pain with constant headaches which made any kind of light unbearable.

She lost 20lbs and couldn’t get out of bed without help.

“The stroke caused massive head pain, unlike any headache I had ever experienced before,” she said.

“I couldn’t shower without help, wash my hair, feed myself, or take my pile of scary and unfamiliar, life-saving medications.

“The nerve damage made any sort of light unbearable.

“The pain it caused my eyes was excruciating. My usually bright, sunlight-filled house was kept completely dark for the first few months.

“The tear in the artery caused my blood flow to be turbulent.

“For the first three months I heard a constant ‘wooshing’ sound in my right ear. That was the sound of the blood trying to get through my artery up into my brain.

“It was absolutely terrifying.”

But slowly she began to notice improvement and was able to take short walks outside by herself.

“Eventually I was able to shower with my husband nearby,” she said.

“I slowly started to take two to three-minute walks outside.

“I started to make simple meals for myself and I was able to sit up in bed to watch TV.

“These small accomplishments felt huge to me.

“Each week I made it through felt like a milestone.

“Simply surviving was an achievement.”

https://i2-prod.devonlive.com/incoming/article2681780.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_SWNS_YOGA_STROKE_13.jpg
Rebecca Leigh doing yoga before her stroke

Incredibly just one month after the stroke, Rebecca was back on her yoga mat.

She said: “I simply sat on my mat in lotus pose and listened to my breath.

“I slowly led back up to simple stretches and the poses that felt most safe to me.

“I knew that if I didn’t get back to my practice relatively soon after my stroke, I never would.

“I would have freaked myself out too much about it.”

At Rebecca’s six-month scan, doctors told her that her carotid artery had completely healed.

The aneurysm however was still there and Rebecca feels the effects daily.

She said: “The immediate arm numbness that I experienced during the stroke went away that day, but in its place is a nearly constant tingly sensation.

“It’s like a wave of electricity is going back and forth from my elbow to my hand and back over and over again.

“I am still dealing with some sort of headache, face or neck pain on a daily basis.

“The carotid artery apparently houses a bundle of nerves and when it was torn, those nerves were damaged.

“My face physically hurts and gets worse just by talking for a few minutes or having a busy day.

“My eye is still a bit droopy and my memory is awful.

“I forget things quickly. I have to ask people to remind me of things they’ve already told me, something I never had to do prior to my injury.

“I fatigue much quicker than I did before. It doesn’t take more than a trip to the grocery store to count me out for the rest of the day.”

But the most damaging after effect is the fear that the stroke could strike again at any moment.

She said: “It’s very hard to recover from something so scary that came out of nowhere.

“You think you’re doing everything right and then when something like this happens, it’s hard not to think that it can happen again.”

But the yogi is happy to be back on her mat, practicing sun salutations.

She said: “About a year after my stroke I was about 75 per cent back to where I was before my stroke.

“I know I will never be where I was before 100 per cent.

“The fact that I can touch my toes is enough to make me smile.

“I wanted to share my story so that something like this doesn’t happen to any other yogis.

“I had never heard of it happening before it had happened to me.

“If I had read of just one incidence of something similar, I would have known that a stroke was a very real possibility when I was experiencing my symptoms.

“That it wasn’t my neck, my herniated discs or my nerves. It was my brain gasping for its life.”

GeneChing
04-10-2019, 09:08 AM
I feel so reassured... :rolleyes:


YOGA DOES NOT MAKE INMATES GAY, SAYS RUSSIAN PRISON CHIEF AS CLASSES ARE REINSTATED (https://www.newsweek.com/russia-reinstates-yoga-prisoners-after-claims-it-can-make-inmates-gay-1388664)
BY BRENDAN COLE ON 4/8/19 AT 8:27 AM EDT

Russian prison authorities have reinstated yoga for inmates after dismissing a claim by a religious scholar that the practice could make them gay.

Both a Moscow pre-trial detention center for women and the renowned Butyrka prison in the Russian capital introduced yoga classes last year, according to The Moscow Times.

Theological professor Alexander Dvorkin wrote a document suggesting yoga could cause uncontrolled sexual arousal and ****sexuality in detention centers, leading to riots, the newspaper Moskovsky Komsomlets reported. Senator Elena Mizulina, who is known for her conservative views, used the document to appeal to the Prosecutor General's Office to check the legality of the yoga classes, and asked for them to be suspended, according to the paper.

https://s.newsweek.com/sites/www.newsweek.com/files/styles/embed_tablet/public/2019/04/08/gettyimages-453433115-1.jpg
A guard stands in a passage of the notorious Butyrka remand prison in Moscow, on December 4, 2013. Russia has reinstated yoga classes for prisoners.
KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

However the classes have been reinstated and Valery Maximenko, deputy head of the Federal Prison Service (FSIN) told a Russian radio station that the sessions had a “very positive” effect on inmates.

“We conducted a study, and among those people who practiced yoga, there was a sharp reduction in visits to doctors for help,” he told the radio station Govorit Moskva (Moscow Speaks).

Maximenko said that in addition to yoga, prisoners will also be taught qigong breathing exercises and dismissed any claims that it led to ****sexuality.

“The whole world is engaged in it [yoga], and no one is harmed by it and no one will be drawn to ****sexuality. Even it did, we live in a democracy and everyone has the right to choose their own way,” he added, pointing out that ****sexuality was not illegal in Russia.

He said that Dvorkin had “outdated concepts” and added that “people of non-traditional orientation can occupy high positions, so we do not have the right to condemn anyone.”

Such a statement from a senior official in Russia is unusual. The country has a law banning so-called “gay propaganda” in which LGBT issues cannot be discussed or disseminated among children and young people.

Human Rights Watch have said the law has contributed to a culture of persecution toward the LGBT community.

However, Dvorkin said his comments about ****sexuality had been taken out of context and that his request also included for there to be checks on those who led the yoga sessions. He said the Kundalini yoga being promoted in the jails was associated with sects and its association with Hinduism means it may not be compatible with Christianity, which he says prisoners should be made aware of.

Meanwhile Mizulina, the lawmaker whose appeal led to the suspension of the classes, said the claim reported by Moskovsky Komsomlets that she asked for classes to be prohibited was "fake news," the state-run TASS news agency reported.

GeneChing
06-26-2019, 07:29 AM
I'm posting this in Bodhidharma's Influence and what Shaolin means to TCMA (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?53457-Bodhidharma-s-Influence-and-what-Shaolin-means-to-TCMA) because it popped when searching 'yoga' in the Shaolin sub-forum, plus the Yoga thread (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga), of course.


Posted at: Jun 21, 2019, 5:28 PM; last updated: Jun 21, 2019, 5:28 PM (IST)
Yoga enthusiasts across the world perform asanas to mark International Yoga Day (https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/yoga-enthusiasts-across-the-world-perform-asanas-to-mark-international-yoga-day/791049.html)

https://images.tribuneindia.com/cms/gall_content/2019/6/2019_6$largeimg21_Friday_2019_172811383.JPG
This photo taken on June 20, 2019, shows yoga enthusiasts performing yoga in a cave at Longgong village in Dafang County, Bijie City, in China''s southwest Guizhou Province, to mark International Yoga Day on June 21. AFP
Beijing/London, June 21

From China’s famed Shaolin Temple to Britain’s iconic St. Paul’s Cathedral, yoga enthusiasts rolled out their mats on Friday to participate in colourful events held across the world to mark the fifth International Yoga Day.

June 21, the Northern Hemisphere’s longest day, is celebrated as the International Yoga Day worldwide after the United Nations General Assembly adopted in 2014 a proposal mooted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Yoga has become immensely popular all over China in the past few decades and is emerging as a major fitness discipline which is specially promoted by the Chinese Ministry of Sports.

Hundreds of yoga enthusiasts took part in the yoga day event organised by the Indian Embassy in Beijing at the India House in which Indian Ambassador Vikram Misri and his wife were present.

Addressing the yoga enthusiasts, Misri said yoga represents not just the civilisational connect between India and China “but also the modern aspirations of our two people, that acknowledge the shared benefit of working together in spirit of friendship and cooperation”.

Yoga events were held at the Tianhe Tan Park in Guiyang, Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, Shaolin Temple in Henan and Qingdao city in Shandong, the Indian Embassy said in a statement.

The Shaolin Temple in central China’s Henan province is a famed Buddhist temple believed to have been founded in the 5th century CE. It is the main temple of the Shaolin school of Buddhism.

In the UK, yoga enthusiasts marked the day with a session at the iconic Durdle Door stone arch, a natural UNESCO World Heritage Site on the south-western coast of England.

The first-of-its-kind open-air event at the site, which involved around 30 yoga enthusiasts performing asanas, was organised by India Tourism London.

The Indian High Commission’s annual yoga session in London took place near another famous UK tourist spot of St. Paul’s Cathedral in the British capital.

In Israel, over 400 people performed asanas to mark the International Day of Yoga at the picturesque Hatachana compound in Jerusalem, with India’s envoy to Israel Pavan Kapoor asking the Israeli government to consider making it a part of the annual calendar of events.

“It always amazes me to see how popular yoga is in Israel. The number of teachers that you have in the country. The different kind of yoga that is practiced and taught. Everything from pre-school yoga to workplace yoga,” Kapoor said.

In a first of its kind yoga celebration, the iconic UN General Assembly hall reverberated with chants of ‘Om’, ‘Shanti’ as UN officials and diplomats joined hundreds others to commemorate the International Yoga Day with the underlying message of yoga’s valuable contribution in addressing climate change and promoting tolerance and peace.

It was the first time a grand yoga event was held inside the iconic UNGA hall.

In Singapore, the Indian High Commission observed the International Yoga Day at the Sunlove Homes for the Intellectually Infirmed, Demantia and elderly day care centre.

The yoga sessions held across the city-state, touched the lives of the physically challenged, the commission said.

In Abu Dhabi, thousands of Indian expatriate residents and others participated in yoga sessions.

The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi hosted the celebrations at the Umm Al Emarat Park from 7 p.m. onwards on Thursday evening, the Gulf News reported.

Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Minister of Tolerance, who was the chief guest along with Charge d’Affaires of the mission, Smita Pant, inaugurated the event.

Shaikh Nahyan congratulated India on the occasion and said: “Yoga encourages an attitude that looks towards a common humanity as an extension of the ancient principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” the report added.

In Bangladesh, the yoga day celebration at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka drew around 7,000 enthusiasts joining the sessions organised by the Indian High Commission.

Sports associations, Yoga associations and Institutes, students from various schools, colleges and universities in Bangladesh participated in the celebrations. Several celebrities including sports personalities, popular film actors, and singers also participated in the event.

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena tweeted a video in which he is seen performing asanas.

“I compliment my friend @narendramodi for his efforts at bringing our common heritage of Yoga to the international stage. I urge all to practice yoga like me,” he tweeted.

The fifth International Yoga Day was also celebrated across Australian cities, including Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane.

A yoga session was held in the Indian High Commission in Canberra on Friday.

According to the World Health Organisation, yoga is a valuable tool to increase physical activity and decrease non-communicable disease such as hypertension, diabetes, heart diseases and stroke. PTI

GeneChing
08-01-2019, 09:13 AM
This article is really more of a book promo, but I like the yogic drop pic.



Health & Wellness
Next-level yoga: the secrets of Tibetan yoga explained, from tantric sex to redirecting dreams (https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3020167/next-level-yoga-secrets-tibetan-yoga-explained-tantric)
Forget your downward facing dog, Ian Baker’s book goes deep – explaining how yoga can change the course of a dream, and transfer consciousness as you die
Baker, who has studied yoga for decades, hasn’t written a how-to manual, but rather a rare explanation of the six processes of Tibetan yoga
Kate Whitehead
Published: 8:00pm, 28 Jul, 2019

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Author Ian Baker has been interested in Tibetan yoga since the late 1970s, and recently published Tibetan Yoga: Principles and Practices.

Could you spend a month alone in a cave? That was the challenge put to Ian Baker.
The American first visited Nepal as a 19-year-old undergraduate in 1977, fascinated with the mountains, Buddhist art and meditation. After completing a masters in literature and anthropology at Oxford University, he moved to Nepal to work for the School for International Training in Kathmandu – and to learn about yogic practices outside monasteries.
“I went looking for a teacher. I wasn’t going to become a monk in this life, but I wanted to understand the essence of the practice. The teacher said, ‘Can you spend a month alone? Come back when you have a month free and spend it in a cave’,” says Baker.
He did just that. In his early 20s, he went deep into the Himalayas and spent a month alone. Happy with his commitment, the teacher, Chatral Sangye Dorje, took him on as a student.

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Tibetan Yoga: Principles and Practices by Ian Baker.

“It was a very personal immersion, which led to experiences, which led to an academic interest. The non-monastic yogic tradition fascinated me – that done in caves and forests, often in solitary retreat or with a partner,” says Baker, whose latest book, Tibetan Yoga: Principles and Practices, was published in June.
In the Tibetan language, the word yoga, or naljor, means to know yourself in the deepest way possible, and Tibetan Yoga: Principles and Practices offers a rare insight into this. This isn’t yoga of the downward facing dog variety. This is the next level.

This is about ultimately freeing yourself from disempowering struggle and discontent and awakening empathy. This is deep.
It’s also a rare glimpse into a world that has traditionally been kept secret in Tibet – many of the teachings have never been written down, instead passed down orally from teacher to student. As Bhakha Tulka Pema Rigdzin Rinpoche explains in the book’s foreword, not because knowing one’s true nature could ever be considered harmful, but because Buddhist practices that integrate all aspects of life on the spiritual path can easily be misunderstood.

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A practitioner in Bhutan shows a yogic drop. Photo: courtesy of Dasho Karma Ura

“As much as the book has a scholarly approach, it’s an outgrowth of personal experience and experimentation, and that’s the key of yoga. We experiment with ourselves, we turn our bodies and minds into a laboratory,” says Baker, speaking on the phone from London, where he is preparing for a 2023 exhibition on Tantric Buddhism at the V&A museum.
It took a while to set up an interview with Baker. His publicist was vague about his whereabouts – “he’s travelling, somewhere remote” – and, when pushed, suggested “the Himalayas, maybe Bhutan”.
It turns out this is par for the course for Baker. He has spent decades living in Nepal and travelling in the eastern Himalayas and Tibet and has written seven books on Himalayan and Tibetan cultural history, environment, art, and medicine. The Dalai Lama’s Secret Temple (2012), which illuminates Tantric Buddhist meditation practices, was written in collaboration with the Dalai Lama.
“The very fact of writing a book like this is a break from tradition, it wouldn’t previously have been written for a general reader. But times change. His Holiness encouraged, his instruction was that ‘the time for secrecy has passed and more harm is done by not writing about it, or else traditions will die out’,” says Baker.

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The vajra position. Photo: Ian Baker

Tibetan yoga begins where the more familiar yoga ends. In fact, the asanas – the postures – help to prepare a person for meditation.
“All these physical movements of stretching the body help to open up the energetic centres – that’s what fascinated me. In Tibetan yoga, there’s a set of six processes, practices which can be undertaken at different stages of life. It’s about integration and synergy,” says Baker.
The six processes he refers to are: tummo, the cultivation of “fierce heat” (kundalini yoga in Hindu yoga); gyulu, “illusory body” yoga; Ōosel, the “clear light” awareness that encompasses waking and sleeping; milam, “dream yoga”; powa, the transference of consciousness from the physical body at the time of death; and bardo yoga, involving near-death and after-death experiences.

In Tibetan yoga, there’s a set of six processes, practices which can be undertaken at different stages of life. It’s about integration and synergy
Ian Baker
Tibetan Yoga isn’t a “how to” book or instruction manual, it’s a scholarly tome. But if you read it closely and have some experience of yoga and meditation, much is revealed. Thames and Hudson has a reputation for producing beautiful books and this is no exception – it’s beautifully illustrated with colour photographs of yogis, landscapes and Buddhist art.
So, let’s cut to the chase – for many, tantric yoga is associated with sex. The practice of karmamudra, or sexual union with a physical or visualised consort, is well depicted in Buddhist Tantric art. Saraha, the most celebrated of the mahasiddhas (a person who, by the practice of meditative disciplines, has attained siddha or miraculous powers), proclaimed of the erotic experience, “In this state of highest bliss, there is neither self nor other.”
Baker explains that the yoga of intimate relationships can be teased out to show a more evolved way of relating to those who are closest to us, free from the negative fallout of emotional attachment. He talks about visualising your partner as a deity – and transforming desire into a state of empathetic bliss.
“Both partners make the vow that, as these energies are aroused, not to succumb to damaging forms of attachment,” says Baker.
This isn’t about open relationships or transient sexual partnerships. He says the most profound unions are those in long-lasting, exclusive partnerships that recognise a deep sense of engagement and appreciation of the other without the negatives that can come with attachment.
“The idea with all these yogas is we don’t have to change our lives. We integrate into things that are happening during our lives – waking, sleeping, dreaming, dying,” says Baker.
Take Tibetan dream yoga (milam naljor), which is about recognising that what arises in a dream is illusory and therefore alterable. This process is about waking up within a dream, recognising it for what it is – if you’re flying or walking through walls, you know you’re likely dreaming – and bring an inquiring mind try to change the course of the dream.
“In this way, you can slice through the subconscious and find what’s at the heart of an experience, something you might not recognise in your daily life.
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The seven-pointed meditation posture of the Buddha Vairocana. Photo: Ian Baker.

“On the superficial level, it’s recognising all our experiences – waking or dreaming – are dreamlike and not to become too attached them. It’s an opportunity to alter the course of our experience. By changing that reality, it has a follow-on effect in our waking state. That everyday experiences are a reflection of our everyday mind gives us a greater sense of awareness,” says Baker.
In a chapter titled “Exit Strategies”, Baker explores powa, the yoga of conscious transference at the moment of death. In this, one visualises oneself as a Tantric deity and, compressing one’s breath, uses the sound of the chosen deity’s mantra to open the “aperture of Brahma” between the frontal and parietal bones at the crown of one’s head.
If you can do this at the time of death, so the book explains, your consciousness will be ejected from the body and enter the transcendental Land of Bliss.
“This release of consciousness at the end of life – how to open up energetic channels within the spinal cord – is given very openly, often at mass congregations. Powa is the quickest way for people to recognise the energetic core of our consciousness,” says Baker.
He is working with a Bhutanese lama who is a master of the six-yoga system and plans to lead a group to Bhutan next year, from April 25 to May 5. If that sounds like something you might be interested in, keep an eye on his website ianbaker.com for more details.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Wisdom of the ages

GeneChing
08-19-2019, 12:25 PM
my definition of yoga pants is forever perverted.


Florida woman sentenced after pulling alligator from her pants during traffic stop: officials (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/florida-woman-sentenced-after-pulling-alligator-from-her-pants-during-traffic-stop-officials/ar-AAFYDDY?ocid=ob-fb-enus-580&fbclid=IwAR0UJJhcBOELUkupd7gWb2eZ7xv2YUUZRGHuJ124e P6c47G70ulSOxqlG38)
Stephen Sorace 1 day ago
NYPD fires officer who used fatal chokehold on Eric Garner
Barr removes acting Prisons chief in wake of Epstein's death
A Florida woman who pulled an alligator out of her yoga pants during a traffic stop pleaded guilty to illegally possessing wild animals and was sentenced to probation, authorities said last week.

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© Charlotte County Sheriff's Office Booking photo of Ariel Machan-Le Quire.

Ariel Machan-Le Quire, 25, was in the passenger seat of a car pulled over in May for running a stop sign in Punta Gorda, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said at the time. Machan-Le Quire, along with 22-year-old driver Michael Clemons, initially claimed they were trying to collect snakes and frogs from underneath an overpass.

The deputy was given permission to search the bags in the trunk and subsequently found 41 3-stripe turtles in a “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle” backpack. When the deputy asked if the pair had anything else, Machan-Le Quire pulled out a 1-foot alligator from her pants.

Machan-Le Quire was charged with possessing an America alligator, possessing more than one turtle per day, transporting more than one turtle or turtle eggs and one count of possessing a softshell turtle, the Miami Herald reported, citing court records.

She was sentenced Wednesday to six months’ probation, 200 hours of community service, and was ordered to donate $500 to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee, the agency that took over the case following the deputy's discovery, the paper reported.

Charges against Clemons were pending.

GeneChing
08-23-2019, 03:10 PM
What Is Belly Breathing and Why Is It Important for Exercise? (https://www.shape.com/fitness/tips/what-is-belly-breathing-exercise)
Say it with us: deep breaths.
By Mallory Creveling August 23, 2019

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FIZKES/GETTY IMAGES

Take a deep breath. Do you feel your chest rise and fall or does more movement come from your stomach?

The answer should be the latter—and not only when you're focusing on deep breathing during yoga or meditation. You should also practice belly breathing during exercise. News to you? Here's what you need to know about making your inhales and exhales come from your gut.

What Is Belly Breathing?

Yes, it literally means breathing deeply into your stomach. It's also known as diaphragmatic breathing because it allows the diaphragm—the muscle that runs horizontally across the belly, kind of looks like a parachute, and is the primary muscle used in respiration—to expand and contract.

While belly breathing is our body's natural way to inhale and exhale, it's more common for adults to breath ineffectively, AKA through the chest, says Judi Bar, a 500-hour certified yoga instructor and yoga program manager at the Cleveland Clinic. Many people tend to resort to chest breathing when they're stressed because the tension makes you tighten your belly, explains Bar. This ultimately makes it harder to breathe efficiently. "It becomes a habit and because it's a more shallow breath, it actually feeds the sympathetic response—the fight or flight response—making you more stressed," she says. Thus, you get a circle of anxious reactions just from chest breathing. (Related: 3 Breathing Exercises for Dealing with Stress)

How to Belly Breathe Properly

In order to try belly breathing, "you first need to understand how to relax enough so there's space in the belly for the diaphragm and your breath to move," says Bar. "When you're tense and hold the belly in, you're not allowing the breath to move."

For proof, try this little test from Bar: Pull your belly in toward your spine and try to take deep breathes. Notice how hard it is? Now relax your midsection and see how much easier it is to fill your stomach with air. That's the looseness you want to feel when you're belly breathing—and a good indication of whether it's all coming from the chest.

The practice of belly breathing itself is pretty simple: Lie down on your back and place your hands on your belly, says Pete McCall, C.S.C.S., a personal trainer in San Diego and host of the All About Fitness podcast. Take a nice big inhale, and when you do, you should feel your belly lift and expand. As you exhale, your hands should lower. Think of your stomach like a balloon filling with air, and then slowly releasing.

If taking deep inhales and exhales feels tough or unnatural to you, Bar suggests practicing it once or twice a day for just two or three minutes. You can place your hands on your belly to make sure you're doing it right, or just watch to make sure your stomach moves up and down. Try doing it while you're tackling an everyday task, too, says Bar, like while you're taking a shower, washing dishes, or right before you go to sleep. (Because there's nothing like a little breathing exercise to calm the mind for bedtime!)

After you've been practicing for a while, start paying a little more attention to your breath during exercise, says Bar. Do you notice if your belly is moving? Does it change when you're squatting or running? Are you feeling energized by your breath? Take all these questions into consideration when you're doing your workout to check in with how you're breathing. (These running-specific breathing techniques can also help make miles feel easier.)

You can belly breathe during most forms of exercise, spin class to heavy lifting. In fact, you might have seen a technique used among the heavy lifting crowd called core bracing. "Core bracing can help stabilize the spine for heavy lifts; that is a form of belly breathing because of the controlled exhalation," says McCall. To do it correctly, practice the technique before actually lifting heavy loads: Take a big inhale, hold it, then deeply exhale. During a lift (like a squat, bench press, or deadlift), you'd inhale, hold it during the eccentric (or lowering) part of the movement, then exhale while pressing to the top. (Keep reading: Specific Breathing Techniques to Use During Every Kind of Exercise)

The Benefits of Belly Breathing During Exercise

Well, you're working an actual muscle—and one that helps to improve core stability, says McCall. "People don't realize the diaphragm is an important stabilizing muscle for the spine," he says. "When you breathe from the belly, you breathe from the diaphragm, which means you're strengthening a muscle that stabilizes the spine." When you do diaphragmatic breathing through exercises like squats, lat pulldowns, or any of the like, you should actually feel your spine steady through the movement. And that's the big payoff of belly breathing: It can help you learn to engage your core through each exercise.

Also, breathing from the belly allows more oxygen to move through the body, which means your muscles have more oxygen to continue crushing strength sets or conquering run times. "When you chest breathe, you're trying to fill the lunges from the top down," explains McCall. "Breathing from the diaphragm pulls air in, filling you from the bottom up and allowing more air in." This isn't only crucial to having more energy through your workouts, but throughout the day as well. Big belly breaths make you feel more awake, says McCall.

With more oxygen throughout your body comes the ability to work harder through your workout, too. "Belly breathing improves the body's ability to tolerate intense exercise because you're getting more oxygen to the muscles, which lowers your breathing rate and helps you expend less energy," says Bar. (Also try these other science-backed ways to push through workout fatigue.)

To top it off, practicing a few moments of mindful belly breathing—especially if you focus on counting through the inhales and exhales to make them even, as Bar suggests—can help with a little stress relief and some moments of peace (or, say, when you're recovering from a bout of burpees). "It really down-regulates your system in an effective way," says Bar, meaning it takes you away from a fight-or-flight state and into a calmer, more relaxed composure. Talk about a good way to recover—and a smart strategy for gaining mind and body benefits.

By Mallory Creveling

THREADS
belly breathing (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?15673-belly-breathing)
Yoga (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)
Meditation (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?26155-Meditation)

GeneChing
08-29-2019, 12:03 PM
Student practicing extreme yoga pose falls 80 feet from balcony (https://nypost.com/2019/08/27/student-practicing-extreme-yoga-pose-falls-80-feet-from-balcony/)
By Hannah Sparks August 27, 2019 | 11:10am | Updated

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An example of the pose reportedly performed by Alexa Terrazas before she fell

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Alexa Terrazas
Facebook

A Mexican college student is alive after falling 80 feet from her balcony while practicing a yoga pose.

Alexa Terrazas, 23, was known to do yoga on her sixth-floor apartment’s balcony, often using the guardrail as a prop for extreme poses. But a risky move nearly cost the yogi her life on Saturday afternoon, as she slipped and landed on the pavement outside her building in the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León, according to reports in El Imparcial.

The health and nutrition student at Tecnológico de Monterrey was treated by paramedics with the Red Cross and Nuevo León Civil Protection, then brought to the hospital, where she underwent 11 hours of surgery. She was considered to be in critical condition as of Monday, having suffered fractures to both legs and arms, hips and head.

El Imparcial reported that doctors had to “reconstruct” her legs, and that it may be three years before she walks again. People on social media asked their followers to consider giving blood to help her. As of Sunday, a relative of Terrazas tweeted that there was no need.

Neighbors claim they saw Terrazas perform the upside-down pose over the edge of her terrace. The Nuevo León Attorney General’s Office also confirmed that the rail was structurally sound, and that the woman’s slip was an accident.

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Instagram

Cute gal. Wonder what she looks like now...

GeneChing
10-22-2019, 11:33 AM
OCTOBER 17, 2019
The Whitewashing of “#WhitePeopleDoingYoga” (https://www.motherjones.com/media/2019/10/white-people-yoga-sf-asian-art-museum/)
My artwork was about appropriation. San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum tried to appropriate it.
CHIRAAG BHAKTA

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The artist in 2014 Timothy Palmer

Back in 2013, the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco invited me to contribute to a show about yoga co-organized by the Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. The exhibition, Yoga: The Art of Transformation, was the first major show ever mounted about the 2,500-year history of yoga. It featured over a hundred paintings, photographs, and sculptures. Curators, seeking a contemporary perspective, invited me to contribute to an educational exhibit for the show after having met me at a previous event. At the same time, I had another project up, at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, documenting the Indian American motel community across this country. It was an exciting time for me. But I didn’t expect the absurdities that would soon follow—a parade of condescension, passive aggressiveness, and white fragility in which the Asian Art Museum revealed itself to be in a losing struggle with the whiteness at the core of its identity.

My run-in with the museum is the subject of new work I’m showing this month at the Human Resources gallery in Los Angeles. It’s taken me this long to tell the story because it was such a jarring experience. This was the Asian Art Museum, the largest museum dedicated exclusively to the Asian arts in the United States—one of the largest platforms out there for an artist like me.

When I was asked to contribute, I took the invitation at face value: The Asian Art Museum wanted to give space to an Indian American artist. Much of my work focuses on first-generation Indian American experiences with appropriation and assimilation. The museum provided a first-floor wall—a big platform and a big honor.

Our agreement for the installation included my assemblage of yoga ephemera that I’d collected in the form of magazines, books, posters, and album covers. Together they told the story of how the $16 billion yoga industry in this country had rebranded a South Asian discipline to sell yoga as a line of products—how yoga became Yoga™. It’s no coincidence that you rarely see a South Asian person on the cover of Yoga Journal magazine. Yoga has been put in an ironic position: Colonized and commodified, a tradition rooted in detachment and equanimity has been hijacked by a grasping possessiveness. I titled my work #WhitePeopleDoingYoga.

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I knew the title #WhitePeopleDoingYoga would be provocative, but I chose it for a reason: For this installation, yoga was a case study in how culture gets colonized, a pattern that holds across industries, from fashion to food to music. The installation was meant to show how overwhelming and suffocating appropriation becomes under a capitalist structure. Every piece in the installation was either selling something or was itself once for sale.

But once my proposal made the rounds among curators, educators, and PR folks, cracks started to show in the museum’s support for the installation. The show’s lead curators and education staffers I’d met—all but one of whom were white—didn’t feel completely comfortable with the title. They wanted something innocuous like #PeopleDoingYoga, without the word “white,” because the term “white people” could be “offensive” to museumgoers, donors, and staff. During our initial meetings at the museum, they told me to “turn down the volume” of my critique. They also insisted I remove a section of the installation—a Hindu-inspired shrine featuring photographs of a white couple as South Asian gurus. “This might be offensive to Indian people,” staffers said—white authorities telling me what Indian people might find offensive. They gave me an ultimatum: Either I take down the shrine, or they don’t include my installation. Museum leaders were diluting my installation, going well beyond the standard curatorial role.

[In an email to a Mother Jones fact-checker, museum reps acknowledge that there had been misgivings over the title and the installation in general, which they emphasize was intended to be “educational” rather than artistic. But they dispute that there was any ultimatum. According to a museum spokesperson, Bhakta was told that the phrase “white people” could be “offensive or puzzling” to some. As examples, the spokesperson pointed to “Anglo practitioners of yoga unfamiliar with the concepts of cultural appropriation/appreciation, and K-12 students who haven’t had the proper exposure to understand the statement implied in ‘White People Doing Yoga.'” Additionally, in the same email to Mother Jones, Qamar Adamjee, one of the exhibit’s curators, writes that the museum objected to the shrine on the grounds that “as an object type [it] did not align with the rest of the display,” but that the installation was not contingent on its removal: “We had invited him to do the display and revoking that invitation was not a consideration at any point.”]

Over the years, I’ve heard many shocking accounts from friends—artists of color from New York to Bombay, Los Angeles to London—about their experiences with institutional racism in its various forms. The numbers alone tell some of the story: A recent Williams College study found that 75 percent of artists in major US museums are white men, and the Association of Art Museum Directors reports that 72 percent of staff at its member institutions are white. These are the people who shape and reshape the canon, who have the power to decide and dismiss.

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A bust of Avery Brundage at the entrance of the Asian Art Museum Chiraag Bhakta

Consider the Asian Art Museum’s own history: It was founded on the collection of Avery Brundage, a Chicago businessman and the fifth president of the International Olympic Committee. Brundage’s portrait still hangs proudly in the museum library; a bust of him greets you at the entrance of the museum. In 1959, Brundage began donating his Asian artwork to the city of San Francisco—a collection that would amount to nearly 8,000 pieces. What the museum leaves out of its public narrative is that its founder was “the preeminent American apologist for Nazi Germany,” in the words of author Jeremy Schaap. In the ’60s, the Olympic Committee for Human Rights, a group protesting racism in sports, demanded Brundage’s removal as the Olympics president. The committee had exposed his ownership of a country club in California that excluded Jewish and black people from its membership. In response to a potential boycott by black athletes of the 1968 Olympics, Brundage notoriously said, “They won’t be missed.” (He had been instrumental in preventing a US boycott of the so-called Nazi games in 1936.) Brundage was “a racist down to his toes,” said Lee Evans, an American sprinter on the 1968 Olympic team. “A brutal, racist pig,” said a teammate, Marty Liquori. A “Jew hater and a Jew baiter,” was the verdict of Gustavus Town Kirby, delivered in a 1936 letter to Brundage himself. Now think about how a man like this actually acquired his art collection. Don’t fool yourself.

The Asian Art Museum is far from the only institution negotiating its own white supremacist foundations. Just a few years ago, the British Museum’s Twitter account revealed as much when it shared how it decides to label artwork, tweeting: “We aim to be understandable by 16 year olds. Sometimes Asian names can be confusing, so we have to be careful about using too many.” (Dang, sorry to all those 16-year-old Asian kids with funny names.)

My installation went up after rounds of hard-fought revisions. I stood firm on the title #WhitePeopleDoingYoga, but I caved on the museum’s ultimatum: I took down the shrine depicting a white couple as South Asian gurus.

continued next post

GeneChing
10-22-2019, 11:34 AM
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The installation as it appeared at the Asian Art Museum Chiraag Bhakta

Let’s break this **** down: Here were white elites exerting power over Brown critique that was explicitly about white elites exerting power over Brown culture. The irony is comical now, but it was painful and unnerving then. After taking parts down, I thought the worst was over, but it was only the beginning. People across the operation, from the marketing department to the education team to the curatorial staff, continued to sterilize my perspective, tiptoeing around me to make themselves feel more comfortable and spare the museum further controversy. Brown critique had to be sanitized for white consumption.


Here were white elites exerting power over Brown critique that was explicitly about white elites exerting power over Brown culture.
Throughout my meetings with curators and educators, there was one person whose name they kept mentioning as an authority calling the shots—the chief curator, also white, an unseen figure in the forest who seemed to be deliberately keeping a distance. At first, I wouldn’t have expected the chief curator to get involved, but it was a bit alarming that he never did, given all that went down. Some of the staffers under him were maneuvering through tense conversations with me, like messengers nervously doing their boss’s bidding to keep their jobs. I completely sympathize, but it left me wondering: Was I seeing the museum’s disorganization or something more malicious, a deliberate mixing of messages? It felt as if I’d hit a sore spot with several white staffers. Some of them had dedicated their entire lives to Asian arts, and now they had been implicated in my critique of appropriation. Why were they being criticized, they seemed to wonder. Weren’t they the ones giving nonwhite artists like me a platform?

I’d soon caught wind that senior staffers, without telling me, had decided to withhold my work’s title from marketing material. This was enraging. The title #WhitePeopleDoingYoga was my observation—my statement as an Indian American. It was the core of my piece; the ephemera was just the vehicle, and the museum knew that. This battle over a title became a proxy for something bigger: a struggle over whose sensitivities needed to be protected and whose could be ignored.

As part of the marketing rollout for the yoga show, the museum planned to publish a 12-by-12-inch, 24-page advertising supplement in the San Francisco Examiner, the SF Weekly, and the SF Bay Guardian. In all, 250,000 copies were being printed. The museum had decided behind my back that it was not going to promote my work in an honest way—not just by excluding the title but also by dumbing down the description of my work. At one point, a draft of the marketing material referred to my work as an “amusing” and “lighthearted” collection.

And of course my title was nowhere to be found in the supplement. I decided to insert it myself: I contacted the supplement’s ad team, without consulting the museum, and took out my own full-page ad:

https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Supplement-AD-1.jpg?resize=990,660
Chiraag Bhakta

I paid out of pocket, negotiating a reduced rate that was equal to what the museum had paid me for my installation: $1,500. Straight into my hands for my work and straight out of my hands for my ad, all to retain my voice. Symmetry at its finest.

https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/MARKET_006_PRINT-CB.jpg?w=990
Michael Martinez

By this point, the museum store had already agreed to sell merch that I would create: T-shirts, tote bags, and postcards. (Ah, the irony of selling products for an installation critiquing capitalism.) When it came time to display my merch in the store, the marketing chief found out that my stuff bore the title #WhitePeopleDoingYoga and froze: In a meeting with two PR leaders, the marketer told me in a chipper, condescending voice that they weren’t sure where they stood on my merch. They needed a few days to think it through while keeping all the products in the basement.

I called a meeting, inviting all 11 staffers who’d been involved in the process, nine of whom were white. What an awkward meeting. I met them in this grand, lavish, colonial-style boardroom, and from across a formal table, I listened to the marketing chief declare that the words “white people” are “offensive” and appear “out of context” on the merch. (Isn’t all merch out of context?) Remember, this was an approved title. If a museum is going to approve an artwork’s title, either stand by it or don’t. The push-and-pull was infuriating and exhausting. Getting a clear position from the museum was like trying to play catch with a balloon.

One of the museum’s staff members, who was white, came to my defense in that boardroom. He exposed the museum’s hypocrisy by holding up its own branded tote bag that bore only the word “Asian” on it, and as I remember it he said, “I’m a white man walking around San Francisco with this bag that just says ‘Asian’ on it, without ‘museum,’ and it’s completely ‘out of context.’ Why is our bag okay but Chiraag’s is not?” The marketing chief’s response: “Well, that’s our brand, so it’s okay.”
continued next post

GeneChing
10-22-2019, 11:34 AM
https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/WPDY-shirt.bag-Asian-bag.jpg?resize=990,474
Chiraag Bhakta

And what to do with all those stacks of merch that they weren’t going to sell anymore? I joked that they should ship them to India—put some shirts on kids’ backs and create some interesting conversation. My other suggestion: Give the merch back to me. The museum eventually pulled all my bags and shirts from the store and sold them to me for a total of $1, to acknowledge the transaction.

The opening parties featured Indian classical music performed by white people, acro-yoga performed by white people, a chanting group mostly compromising white people, and a white couple from Marin teaching yoga for an hour. There was a sprinkle of Brown acts, but the headliner—wait for it—was a white rapper named MC Yogi, who spit about yoga and Indian culture over a beat dropped by DJ Drez, a white DJ with dreads. (Reminder: the largest institution of Asian art in the United States.)

Onstage behind the musicians was a massive projection of MC Yogi’s name, an Om symbol, and a crown—the very symbol of British oppression over India for hundreds of years. Here was a white artist mashing symbols and cultures—Indian and hip-hop—to root his identity in the fetishization of Brown and cool purely for his own benefit, disregarding communities of color.

https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/20191017-asianartmuseum-2000px.jpg?resize=990,556
Musicians perform at a 2014 gala celebrating the Asian Art Museum’s Yoga: The Art of Transformation. Claudine Gossett for Drew Altizer Photography

https://www.motherjones.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Opening-Party-e1571337698522.png?resize=990,557
Jason Tongen

To a certain kind of liberal-minded white person, perspectives like MC Yogi’s are commonly viewed as positive. He is “sharing” and “celebrating” cultures, not raiding them for his own benefit. In these contexts, positivity acts as a sort of Trojan horse; it’s how you smuggle white supremacy into the gates. Perspectives like mine, on the other hand, are widely seen as negative, divisive. The title of my upcoming show in Los Angeles plays on this concept: Why You So Negative?

The yoga show in 2013–2014 was scheduled to make one last stop after San Francisco, in Cleveland. I spoke with the Cleveland Art Museum to see if its curators wanted to include my installation. The lead curator said the idea was “hugely interesting” and “there is a lot of enthusiasm for your project here at CMA.” The curator flew to San Francisco and met me in person. Enthusiasm kept building. The conversation progressed far enough that we began talking costs, which didn’t seem like a sticking point. The curator even emailed me an internal floorplan of the show to finalize gallery placement.

After more than a month of fine-tuning our plans, the curator said there was one last “hurdle” to clear before approval: The Cleveland museum planned to invite the city’s commercial yoga studios to teach classes and had to make sure the studios felt comfortable in the same space as an installation titled #WhitePeopleDoingYoga. That’s when the plans fell apart. Out of nowhere, the curator—the uneasy messenger—emailed me to say the museum felt that my installation would be “ad hoc” (odd, given that we’d spent a month planning it). And, wait, what had happened to that last “hurdle”? It’s not surprising that local businesses could mute a museum’s platform; that’s what happens when you trade curatorial integrity for financial obligations. (Mother Jones couldn’t reach the curator for comment.)

The whole ordeal left me exhausted. My own community was a source of comfort, though. My friend Vijay Iyer, the jazz composer, MacArthur “genius” grant winner, and Harvard arts professor, gave me reassurance that I was not alone. In a talk he delivered in 2014 at Yale, he mentioned my installation in San Francisco, saying it was part of a “problematic exhibit,” and called out “Northern California culture’s imperial relationship to all things Indian.” Vijay was speaking as a South Asian American who’d spent plenty of time “navigating and resisting the exoticizing, incorporating tendencies of white American cultural omnivores”:


Because of the circles I traveled in as an artist, I noticed a similar tendency in the way that whites in the Bay Area dealt with jazz, hip-hop, and all things Black: not as a defiant assertion of Black identity and community, but as the fetishized trappings of cool—something white people could wear, collect, or otherwise incorporate into white subjectivity.

That was it: My experience with the Asian Art Museum was an exercise in watching white people work out their identity on the back of mine. The platform they seemed to give me, it turned out, wasn’t actually for me—it was for them, a way to fashion my Brownness into something they could wear. White supremacy works that way, for all “minorities”; it censors any critique contained in nonwhite expression and commodifies and tokenizes whatever’s left, forcing people like me into the posture of the model minority.

But I’m the negative one, right?

You can find more about Chiraag Bhakta’s work on PardonMyHindi.com. His solo show, Why You So Negative?, opens Friday and runs through October 27 at Human Resources in Los Angeles, at 410 Cottage Home Street, HumanResourcesLA.com. The show’s programming includes a performance by artist Nikhil Chopra, who recently performed and has work up at the Met and SFMOMA. A yoga class will also take place the following weekend.

Chiraag is advised by Dr. Roger Neesh.

Wow. I was a member of SFMOMA when I lived in SF over 20 years ago. I renewed sometime ago but I don't quite remember when that was. I'm not a member anymore.

This story went right by me.

GeneChing
10-30-2019, 07:31 AM
So an NFL owner gets busted for soliciting prostitutes, and we get regulated? :rolleyes:



Controversial bill regulating bodywork, intended to fight human trafficking, will get a rewrite (https://www.masslive.com/news/2019/10/controversial-bill-regulating-bodywork-intended-to-fight-human-trafficking-will-get-a-rewrite.html)
Posted Oct 28, 5:26 PM

https://www.masslive.com/resizer/wbmy8Hv_fe6xIka4aJQi0PtFM9E=/700x0/smart/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-advancelocal.s3.amazonaws.com/public/WUNWO2CTBBGLNKX7NEHODP6D7E.JPG
Bodywork practitioners testify at a hearing of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure on Oct. 28, 2019. (Shira Schoenberg / The Republican)

By Shira Schoenberg | sschoenberg@repub.com

Proponents of a controversial anti-human trafficking bill are planning to rewrite it after Reiki, Qigong and even yoga practitioners said the current bill would drive many legitimate healers out of business.

“While we want to ensure that we can combat human trafficking however it manifests in our communities, we do not want to burden legitimate practitioners with arduous training and education requirements or redefine industry standards for their modalities,” Beth Keeley, chief of the Human Trafficking Division in Attorney General Maura Healey’s office, told the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure at a hearing on Monday.

Keeley said Healey — who worked with Sen. Mark Montigny, D-New Bedford, in writing the bill — will submit a redrafted version.

The bill, S.168, would license and regulate bodywork businesses. Bodywork can include things like acupressure, aromatherapy, Reiki, reflexology, tai chi, Ayurveda, biofeedback, Shiatsu or a host of other practices, often those that involve moving energy around the body.

The bill is aimed at cracking down on illicit “bodywork” shops that are actually fronts for human trafficking or sex trafficking, where a trafficker recruits women who are paid to provide sexual services to clients.

The issue gained national attention this year after New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was charged with soliciting a woman for prostitution at a Florida spa.

While experts could not say at the hearing how widespread the problem is, Woburn Police Lt. Brian McManus, who oversees human trafficking cases there, said in investigations, he often encounters “bodywork” businesses advertising on websites known to sell sex, with the same language and emojis used to advertise prostitution.

McManus said Woburn, with a large business district and easy access to two interstate highways, has a pervasive problem with prostitution. Between 2014 and 2018, he estimated that there were around 30 investigations involving bodywork businesses.

According to Healey’s office, their investigations have led to the indictment of 10 individuals since 2012 for human trafficking at illicit massage or bodywork establishments.

In one case, for example, a Quincy woman was sentenced to five years in prison for trafficking women at bodywork establishments in East Longmeadow, Hadley and Framingham. The victims, who were paid for providing sexual services, lived at the businesses and were dependent on the owner for necessities like groceries.

Currently, Massachusetts licenses and regulates massage therapists but not bodywork, although some cities and towns have instituted their own regulations. “These exist in a no-man’s land where they are not being regulated,” said Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan. “We are asking that the same regulation that has been brought to bear on the massage industry be brought to bear on the others.”

Montigny has called it the “bodywork loophole,” and said in a letter to the committee that loophole “has threatened consumer protection and the public health and safety.”

However, at a hearing, bodywork practitioners said the bill as currently drafted would go far beyond cracking down on human trafficking by establishing onerous educational and licensure requirements, which would likely put hundreds of practitioners out of business.

“What you’re doing right now, it’s madness,” said Clark Reddick, a stress relief and recovery specialist. “For every one person it might help, it promises to create 1,000 citizens of collateral damage.” For example, Reddick said it would not be financially worthwhile for his wife, who works with him part-time, to take an expensive training class in order to continue working.

The bill as currently written would set up a seven-member board to regulate and license bodywork professionals.

The board would establish standards for professional and ethical conduct, set educational qualifications, investigate complaints to identify deceptive or dangerous behavior, and penalize those who break the law.

The bill would require practitioners to have undergone at least 500 hours of education or supervised training. Anyone convicted of a sexual crime or crime of “moral turpitude” could not apply for a license within 10 years.

But those in the field testified that there is no reasonable way for a seven-member board to develop credentials for licensing what could include 150 or 200 different types of practices. Some involve touch; others look more like exercise; others include meditation.

Carol Bedrosian, the publisher of Spirit of Change magazine, which writes about alternative healing, compiled a list of 167 practices potentially affected by the bill. Asked why regulating bodywork is different from regulating medicine, she said, “How could one board know what licensing qualifications are for an endocrinologist as well as a heart surgeon?”

Rita Glassman, a Reiki master and executive director of Massachusetts Coalition of Holistic Practitioners, questioned a requirement that practitioners attend a state-licensed school to become credentialed.

“No state-licensed schools teach Reiki. Reiki is taught in people’s living rooms, maybe in centers,” Glassman said. She said there are 64 major lineages of Reiki, a type of energy healing, and Reiki cannot be standardized into a single course.

The bill, she said, “will wipe out the profession in Massachusetts.”

Robert Nelson, a registered nurse from Holyoke and a Reiki practitioner, said the proposed licensing standards will “dramatically reduce health care options to the citizens of the commonwealth of Massachusetts.” Several speakers noted that hospitals ranging from Cooley Dickinson to Dana-Farber Cancer Center to Children’s Hospital bring in Reiki practitioners.

Several speakers said licensing should be reserved for practices that can cause harm, like prescribing a drug or injecting someone with a needle. “Does Reiki pose a danger to the public? … How about a mindfulness-based stress reduction program of meditation?” Bedrosian said.

The bill also raises potential questions of religious freedom. Laura Kandziolka, who teaches Quigong, a Chinese system of breathing and exercises, said she has no reason to touch anyone’s body during her classes. She considers Quigong part of a religious practice, and told the committee, “I don’t think you’re here to require a license to practice religion.”

Several practitioners noted that if they do something wrong in their profession, they maintain liability insurance. But, they said, regulating irresponsible healing practices is far different from cracking down on illicit prostitution, which is what the bill is intended to do. Several people who testified pointed out that a 2013 report by a special state task force looking at human trafficking made numerous recommendations, but no mention of licensing bodywork.

Kandziolka said, “It’s not clear how requiring licensing of 150 or more additional specialties will cut down on human trafficking.”

THREADS
Qigong Regulation (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71174-Qigong-Regulation) (not quigong :rolleyes:)
Yoga (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)

GeneChing
01-14-2020, 09:43 AM
JANUARY 13, 2020 DOCUMENT: Crime Moviegoer Beat Fellow Patron Over Phone Use
Cops: Yoga instructor claimed victim ruined Tarantino film (http://thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/once-upon-an-assault-287569)

http://thesmokinggun.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/175xUnlimited/photos/onceupona20.jpg

JANUARY 13--An Iowa yoga instructor allegedly pummeled a fellow moviegoer whose use of a phone during a showing of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” was purportedly responsible for “ruining the film” for the accused assailant.

http://thesmokinggun.com/sites/default/files/assets/nicholasglasgow20a.jpg

Police yesterday arrested Nicholas Glasgow, 34, on assault and criminal mischief charges in connection with an incident last year at an Iowa City multiplex. Seen at right, Glasgow was released this morning from the Johnson County jail, where he had been booked on the misdemeanor charges.

According to a criminal complaint, the Oscar-nominated film starring Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio had not even begun when Glasgow “contacted theater staff and demanded they speak to the victim about his phone usage.” Workers recalled Glasgow “telling them to take care of it or he would,” an investigator noted.

At the conclusion of the Quentin Tarantino-directed film, Glasgow allegedly approached the victim and his friend and “demanded they apologize for ruining the film for him.” While the victim was seated and “before he could react,” Glasgow began punching him in the face, cops allege.

During the ensuing fight, the victim ended up on the ground, and Glasgow began kicking him. The victim, cops say, suffered “a cut to his head, swelling, soreness, and redness to his face, and had his eyeglasses broken from the assault.”

http://thesmokinggun.com/sites/default/files/assets/nicholasglasgowyoga20.jpg

The 6’, 230-pound Glasgow was identified by theater personnel as “a regular who attends most Tuesday nights.” While the attack occurred in September, an arrest warrant for Glasgow was only issued Friday.

In an online Q&A posted to the web site of an Iowa pilates studio, Glasgow described himself as “fiercely loyal, flexible, freedom lover” and said he loved yoga due to “the healin power.” In response to a question about his guilty pleasure, Glasgow answered, “Movie theater gluttony.” (1 page).

THREADS
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70864-Once-Upon-a-Time-in-Hollywood)
Yoga (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)

GeneChing
02-10-2020, 10:27 AM
Not sure how many of you are following the Bikram scandal, but it just goes to show that it's not just Martial Artists (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?48947-Busted-Martial-Artists) and MMAists (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?52219-Busted-MMA-fighters-and-fights) that get busted around here.


Creditors closing in on ‘hot yoga’ guru Bikram Choudhury’s cars (https://nypost.com/2020/02/09/half-of-disgraced-yoga-master-bikram-choudhurys-car-collection-seized/)
By Noah Manskar February 9, 2020 | 10:25pm | Updated

https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/bikram-yoga-cars-seized.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=618&h=410&crop=1
Bikram Choudhury Getty Images

Half of Bikram Choudhury’s luxury car collection has finally been chased down — and it’s ready for the auction block.

Authorities have seized nearly two dozen vintage automobiles owned by the disgraced yoga master, capping a three-year pursuit by creditors including women who have sued him for sexual harassment, The Post has learned.

The pervy guru — who lured stars like Madonna, George Clooney and David Beckham to his “hot yoga” classes, only to flee the country amid a slew of rape and sexual assault allegations from former students — had stashed the 22 cars in a Miami warehouse in 2016 to keep them out of at least one of his alleged victims’ hands, court documents say.

But in December, Miami police quietly seized Choudhury’s fleet, law-enforcement officials confirmed to The Post. Among the pricey rides are a 1937 Rolls Royce Phantom III — the same model that appeared in the 1964 James Bond flick “Goldfinger,” and that was used by its namesake villain to smuggle gold.

The eye-popping collection boasts a dozen Rolls-Royces in all, as well as five Bentleys, a 1966 Jaguar M10, a 1971 Pontiac Lemans, a 1969 Murano, a specially constructed Ford GT40 and a 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1, court records show.

The rest of the collection, which includes three Ferraris and six Mercedes-Benzes, is allegedly still at large.

The seized vehicles — whose “hypothetical” sales value could range from $800,000 to $1.5 million — are set to be auctioned off March 20 and March 21 at Palm Beach International Raceway, paving the way for some of Choudhury’s alleged victims to get paid, court records show.

Nevertheless, the women — including Minakshi Jafa-Bodden, an Oxford-educated lawyer who won $6.6 million from a wrongful termination suit against Choudhury — are only likely to get a small fraction of what they’re owed.

“The projected revenue generated from the car sales will nowhere be enough to satisfy the creditors,” Robbin Itkin, the trustee appointed to handle Choudhury’s corporate bankruptcy, said in a November complaint against him.

That’s partly because the bankrupt yogi has bent over backwards to hide the extensive car collection from creditors, according to court papers. The cars went missing after a Los Angeles jury ruled that Choudhury had illegally fired Jafa-Bodden after she started investigating his alleged sexual misconduct.

A few months after the verdict, Choudhury in December 2016 enlisted the help of a businessman known as “Elo” in spiriting at least 23 of his rides from Las Vegas to the Miami warehouse, court documents allege.

Less than a year later in November 2017 — facing some $16 million in legal judgments, mostly for his accusers — Choudhury filed for bankruptcy protection. Itkin was appointed as trustee the next year at the behest of the Justice Department, which cited Choudhury’s “gross mismanagement” of his own companies.

Itkin snapped up 22 of Choudhury’s cars at a Jan. 22 sheriff’s sale in Miami, a step that she said allowed her to avoid lengthy litigation to get them back. They’re now technically the property of Choudhury’s estates, but Itkin plans to sell them at auction.

The proceeds will be split among Jafa-Bodden, various creditors of Choudhury’s estates, and the owner of the warehouse where Choudhury stored the cars. After auction fees and other costs are covered, the first $350,000 will go to the Miami warehouse owner, East Florida Hauling, which says it’s owed more than $600,000 in unpaid storage bills, lawyers’ fees and other costs.

It’s unclear how much the auction will generate, but if the cars fetch $1.5 million, Jafa-Bodden would end up with just $320,775, minus Itkin’s lawyer fees related to the sale. East Florida Hauling would pocket $583,500 and the estates would get $595,725.

“Anything is better than nothing,” Itkin told The Post. “Anything we can do to try to give something back to the people who are owed money is better than the situation where we are now.”

A lawyer for Choudhury did not provide comment for this story.

Choudhury found international fame and fortune through his signature routine of 26 yoga poses performed over 90 minutes in stifling 105-degree heat. But his cult of personality also gave Bikram Yoga a seedy underbelly of sexual predation, his former staffers and students have alleged.

Jafa-Bodden and at least eight other women have accused Choudhury since 2013 of rape, sexual assault or harassment, allegations that got renewed attention last year with the release of the Netflix documentary “Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator.”

Choudhury has denied the accusations, saying he would not need to force himself on anyone because women line up to sleep with him. He has not faced criminal charges.

“Why I have to harass women? People spend $1 million for one drop of my sperm,” Choudhury said in a 2016 interview with HBO’s “Real Sports.”

One of Choudhury’s alleged sexual exploits even took place in a car. Petra Starke, a former Obama administration staffer who went to work for Choudhury in 2013, said in a lawsuit that she saw Choudhury demand a 23-year-old yoga instructor give him oral sex in a limousine from New York to Atlantic City.

It’s unclear from the complaint whether he owned that limo.

GeneChing
02-12-2020, 08:53 AM
Whenever the Tai Chi & Qigong newsfeeds have several articles on the same topic, it's the result of a recently published study. I always search for the original source to post here. This is the back pain study that's getting a lot of play right now.


Holistic Nursing Practice. 34(1):3–23, JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020
DOI: 10.1097/HNP.0000000000000360,
PMID: 31725096
Issn Print: 0887-9311
Publication Date: January/February 2020
A Narrative Review of Movement-Based Mind-Body Interventions: Effects of Yoga, Tai Chi, and Qigong for Back Pain Patients (https://insights.ovid.com/crossref?an=00004650-202001000-00002)
Juyoung Park;Cheryl Krause-Parello;Chrisanne Barnes;

Abstract
This narrative literature review evaluated the effects of movement-based mind-body interventions (MMBIs; yoga, tai chi, and qigong) on low back pain. A search of databases was conducted to identify relevant studies. Thirty-two articles met inclusion criteria and were included for this narrative review. Of the reviewed studies, the highest number focused on yoga intervention (n = 25), 4 focused on qigong, and 3 focused on tai chi in managing back pain. The selected articles showed MMBI to be effective for treatment of low back pain, reporting positive outcomes such as reduction in pain or psychological distress (eg, depression and anxiety), and improved functional ability. However, little is known about the effects of MMBI, in particular qigong and tai chi. More clinical trials are needed to determine how to reduce back pain, improve physical function, and minimize behavioral and psychological symptoms associated with low back pain. Nurse practitioners may introduce such mind-body interventions for managing pain, especially for patients at high risk for adverse effects from pharmacological treatment, and refer them to a yoga therapist, tai-chi instructor, or qigong instructor.

THREADS
Qigong as Medicine (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?55537-Qigong-as-Medicine)
Tai Chi as Medicine (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?50553-Tai-Chi-as-medicine)
Yoga (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)

GeneChing
03-09-2020, 08:38 AM
This reminds me of when the Omei (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?30554-Omei) Kung Fu Headquarters in Milipitas sold to a Christian school. Founder Tony Chen (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=453) had left for PRC to promote fights (which I beleive he is still doing) but they tried to maintain their martial arts program. Shi Yantuo (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?56233-What-forms-are-in-your-Shaolin-regimen-now&p=1248100#post1248100) stayed on for a while, but he wasn't allowed to do anything too Buddhist, which was a shame because he was very Buddhist, moreso than many Shaolin monks at the time, promoting sitting practice and tea practice.


Alabama bill would undo ban on yoga in schools but prohibit 'namaste greetings' (https://thehill.com/homenews/news/486365-alabama-bill-would-undo-ban-on-yoga-in-schools-but-prohibits-namaste-greetings)
BY BROOKE SEIPEL - 03/06/20 04:50 PM EST 285

https://thehill.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumb_small_article/public/kids.yoga_.0306.jpg?itok=MlVXw73G
© Getty Images

A proposed Alabama House bill (http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/ALISON/SearchableInstruments/2020RS/PrintFiles/HB235-int.pdf)would undo a 1993 ban on yoga in K-12 public schools but would create strict rules on how the practice is instructed to students.

The measure, introduced by Democratic state Rep. Jeremy Gray, has already passed in the Education Policy Committee with bipartisan support and is expected to be voted on by the House next week, according to NBC News.

Under the rules proposed in the bill, school districts could choose to offer yoga as an elective class, but would require instruction to focus "exclusively to poses, exercises and stretching techniques" that are taught with "exclusively English descriptive names," meaning traditional Sanskrit names for poses would be taught using an English label. For example, vrksasana is usually referred to as tree pose.

Under the rule, "chanting, mantras, mudras, use of mandalas, and 11 namaste greetings shall be expressly prohibited," and all instruction is "limited exclusively to poses, exercises, and stretching techniques."

School districts would have their own discretion in whether to offer the classes and how often they are offered.

In 1993, a law was passed banning yoga and other "meditation" practices in public schools, as well as the use of "hypnosis and dissociative mental states." Under the law, yoga was labeled a "Hindu philosophy" and a "method of religious training."

Gray, a former professional football player, called yoga "a great way to work on your posture, flexibility, balance and to strengthen your core," and said many people didn't even know the 1993 law was in place.

"I really don't see what the big deal is," Gray said of yoga. "I mean, my wife does this, my mother does this on the floor of her Methodist church."

While the bill so far has bipartisan support, some Republicans are expected to oppose the measure.

GeneChing
06-07-2020, 10:56 PM
Greek Orthodox Church rules yoga is 'incompatible' with Christianity (https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-europe-52935478)
05 June 2020 Europe

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/695/cpsprodpb/B41F/production/_112711164_gettyimages-1214261859.jpg
Image copyright
Getty Images
The Greek Orthodox Church is influential in politics and everyday life in Greece

Downward dog, sun salutations and all other yoga practices are "absolutely incompatible" with the Christian faith, the powerful Greek Orthodox Church has said.
Yoga has no place "in the life of Christians," the governing body of the Church has ruled.
It said it intervened after Greek media recommended yoga as a way to combat stress during coronavirus quarantine.
Other religions have also advised against the practice in the past.
The Orthodox Church is an influential organisation in Greece, and 90% of Greeks identify as Orthodox , according to a 2017 Pew Research Centre report.
"[Yoga] is a fundamental chapter in Hindu religion... it is not a 'kind of physical exercise'," the Holy Synod said in its statement on Wednesday.
Although it is not unheard of for religious authorities to criticise yoga, correspondents say it is unusual for the Orthodox Holy Synod to issue a public statement on the matter.
Appearing on a Greek TV network on Thursday, an Orthodox priest defended the Synod's statement.
The church's opposition is based on the "experience of those who practised yoga", Father Michael Konstantinidis said, explaining that "if yoga offered what man wanted, we would be happy".
The ancient spiritual practice has connections to Hinduism and Buddhism. It is referenced in Indian texts from 2,500 years ago and has evolved over time, according to Dr Mark Singleton, who has researched the history of yoga .
In recent decades it has become popular globally and is now a huge industry, often advertised as beneficial for stress-relief, mental wellbeing or physical strength.
Yoga has been recommended in countries around the world as a way to keep fit and combat stress during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Greece avoided the worst of the coronavirus outbreak in Europe by introducing a lockdown early in March. It has registered fewer than 3,000 cases and only 180 deaths in a population of 11 million.
The Orthodox Church was criticised for suggesting that the ritual of sharing a cup amongst a congregation for Holy Communion would not spread the virus.
What do other religions say?
The Greek Orthodox Church isn't the only faith to have frowned upon yoga.
Last year a church hall in Devon, England, barred a yoga class . "Some will say at its root it is an eastern spirituality which they would not feel sits well with Christian spirituality," said the Venerable Mark Butchers, Archdeacon of Barnstaple.
In 2010 a pastor in Seattle, US, called the practice "demonic".
And in 2008 Malaysia's leading Islamic council said yoga could corrupt Muslims but backed down from issuing a fatwa after a backlash.

I keep wondering when this exclusionism might spread to Tai Chi.

GeneChing
08-27-2020, 09:31 AM
https://f2z5y7q2.rocketcdn.me/news/u/2020/02/military-soldier-meditating-large-bigstock-1536x1152.jpg

Study: Veterans May Benefit From Yoga, Tai Chi, Meditation (https://psychcentral.com/news/2020/08/26/study-veterans-may-benefit-from-yoga-tai-chi-meditation/159070.html)
By Traci Pedersen
Associate News Editor Last updated: 26 Aug 2020
~ 2 MIN READ

Complementary and integrative health (CIH) therapies, such as yoga, meditation and tai chi may help improve overall physical and mental health and reduce perceived stress among veterans receiving care in the Veterans Health Administration (VA) system, according to a new study published in a special September supplement to Medical Care.

The study reports progress toward implementing CIH therapies throughout the VA system, part of an effort to promote a “Whole Health” approach in VA care. As required by the 2016 Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), the VA has expanded research and education on its CIH therapies, focusing on the impact on pain, mental health, and chronic illness.

The study was led by Dr. A. Rani Elwy of the VA Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research at the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital in Bedford, Mass, and Associate Professor in the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

For the study, Elwy and team administered a 12-month survey to analyze the impact of CIH therapies on 119 veterans who self-reported on their health and well-being. The Veterans completed 401 surveys at more than five different time points during the study. The surveys focused on patient-reported outcomes (PROs), an important target for efforts to improve healthcare. They focused on the most important problems and outcomes identified by the patients themselves.

Veterans in the study reported using 14 different CIH therapies. Yoga was the most popular, with nearly half of veterans participating. This was followed by meditation, acupuncture and tai chi. Three CIH therapies were linked to significant improvements in PROs:

yoga was related to decreases in perceived stress;

tai chi was linked to improvements in overall physical and mental health functioning, anxiety levels, and ability to participate in social role activities;

meditation was also associated with improvements in physical functioning.

“[O]ur study showed that meditation, tai chi, and yoga appear to improve overall physical and mental health and reduced perceived stress,” write the authors.

None of the CIH therapies were linked to improvements in veterans’ pain intensity or level of engagement in their health care. Larger studies with longer follow-up times may be needed to show significant effects on these outcomes, according to the authors.

“It is time to focus on health and well-being, as defined by Veterans, and reaching these goals must include participation in CIH treatment approaches,” concluded the authors.

The paper presents 11 original research papers and commentaries on the VA’s progress in implementing and evaluating the impact of CIH therapies on Veterans’ health outcomes.

The special issue addresses strategies to build support for and implement CIH programs, to evaluate their effectiveness, and to promote their long-term sustainability.

“We already know that CIH therapies are effective for the treatment of Veterans’ chronic pain, posttraumatic stress, depression, and other chronic conditions,” write Elwy and Dr. Stephanie L. Taylor of the HSR&D Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, and Policy, Greater Los Angeles VA Medical Center. “Now we need to develop, test, and use effective strategies to increase CIH use and sustainment.”

In a commentary, Alison Whitehead and Dr. Benjamin Kligler of the VA Office of Patient-Centered Care and Cultural Transformation said, “As the VA continues to develop new and better ways of making CIH approaches available to all Veterans, and to collect data on the outcomes of this expanded access for Veterans and employees, we hope to demonstrate to the rest of the U.S. healthcare system how an emphasis on whole person care and self-management skills should become the new standard across the industry.”

Source: Wolters Kluwer Health

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Tai-Chi-Veterans-amp-PTSD (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70689-Tai-Chi-Veterans-amp-PTSD)
yoga (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)
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GeneChing
10-05-2020, 10:14 AM
Enter to win Two YoQi DVDs by Marisa Cranfill (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/yoqi-dvds.php). Contest ends 10/15/2020.

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GeneChing
10-20-2020, 09:57 AM
See our WINNERS-Two-YoQi-DVDs-by-Marisa-Cranfill (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71901-WINNERS-Two-YoQi-DVDs-by-Marisa-Cranfill) thread.

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GeneChing
10-30-2020, 10:14 AM
Enter to win 3 Qigong Flow for Happy Organs DVDs by Marisa Cranfill (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/happy-organs-dvds.php). Contest ends 11/16/2020.

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GeneChing
11-20-2020, 08:38 PM
See our WINNERS: 3 Qigong Flow for Happy Organs DVDs by Marisa Cranfill thread (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71925-WINNERS-3-Qigong-Flow-for-Happy-Organs-DVDs-by-Marisa-Cranfill)

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yoqi (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71889-Yoqi)
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GeneChing
12-27-2020, 11:45 AM
Enter to win Qigong Flow for Happy Kidneys & Liver (2 DVDs) by Marisa Cranfill (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/kidneys-liver.php). Contest ends 1/7/2021.

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GeneChing
03-14-2021, 11:22 AM
Alabama may lift ban on yoga in schools — but no ‘namaste’ allowed (https://nypost.com/2021/03/11/alabama-may-lift-ban-on-yoga-in-schools-but-no-namaste-allowed/)
By Tamar LapinMarch 11, 2021 | 11:05pm | Updated
https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/03/yoga.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1236&h=820&crop=1
Alabama could lift its decades-long ban on yoga in schools -- but poses taught to students must have exclusively English names, the bill states.Shutterstock

They couldn’t be more flexible?

Alabama could soon lift a decades-old ban on yoga in public schools — but will still forbid the use of the greeting “namaste.”

The state’s House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bill that would allow K-12 school systems to decide whether to allow the practice.

Teaching yoga — as well as meditation and, in a bit of a stretch, hypnosis — has been specifically prohibited in Alabama schools since 1993.

Democratic Rep. Jeremy Gray of Opelika, who sponsored the new legislation, said that some gym teachers had already been teaching yoga in class before they realized it was banned, and others wanted to offer it, particularly during virtual learning amid the pandemic.

“I’ve been in yoga for seven years. I know the benefits of yoga, so it was very dear to my heart, and I think Alabama will be better for it,” Gray said.

Under the bill, the poses taught to students must have exclusively English names.

Chanting, mantras and teaching the word “namaste,” which translates to “greetings to you,” would be forbidden.

Students would also have the option to not participate and instead do a different activity, Gray said.

The bill will now move to the Alabama Senate for consideration.

With Post wires
Now I wonder what other greetings are banned in Alabama schools...

GeneChing
05-13-2021, 09:26 AM
There are many forms of yoga. The poses (asana) is only one aspect of a greater body of knowledge.


'It can look a bit weird!' Sir Paul McCartney, 78, claims EYE YOGA helps his vision after first discovering the practice on a trip to India (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-9573267/Sir-Paul-McCartney-78-claims-EYE-YOGA-helps-vision.html?ITO=applenews)
By OLIVIA WHEELER FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 21:03 EDT, 12 May 2021 | UPDATED: 02:52 EDT, 13 May 2021

Sir Paul McCartney has claimed that eye yoga has helped his vision after first discovering the practice on a trip to India in the late 2000s.

Talking about the unusual form of exercise, the legendary musician, 78, admitted that it can 'look a bit weird' but he is able to read the newspaper without glasses.

Speaking to Jessie Ware on her Table Manners podcast, Paul said: 'I learned off some yogi in India. He explained that your eyes are muscles. Your ears aren't, so you can't exercise your ears. But your eyes, you can.'

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/05/13/02/42921900-9573267-Amazing_Sir_Paul_McCartney_has_claimed_that_eye_yo ga_has_helped_-a-20_1620867750185.jpg
Amazing: Sir Paul McCartney has claimed that eye yoga has helped his vision after first discovering the practice on a trip to India in the late 2000s (pictured recently)

Explaining some of the exercises, The Beatles legend likened it to the Union Jack shape, he continued: 'So head still, and then you look up as far as you can, one, two, three, go back to the middle, then down, back to the middle.

'You do three lots of that then go to the left and the right. Now you've got a cross, up and down, and sideways, now you do the diagonals.'

Talking about how eye yoga has helped his vision, Paul added: 'It all makes sense. I don't know if that's why I don't need glasses when reading a newspaper.'

The musician also revealed that he created eye yoga instructions for a friend's daughter, which 'improved her eyesight', and stopped her from getting glasses 'for a few years'.

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/05/13/02/42921902-9573267-image-m-19_1620867722968.jpg
Exercise: Talking about the unusual form of exercise, the legendary musician, 78, admitted that it can 'look a bit weird' but he is able to read the newspaper without glasses (pictured in 2019)

To which Jessie attempted the practice with Paul joking: 'Anyone looking through the window would think we're mad. It's a seance! It can look a bit weird.'

This isn't the first time Paul has praised eye yoga and in 2009 he said, according to the Mirror: 'When I was in India there was a guy at one of the hotels who offered to teach me eye yoga exercises.

'He told me eyes are muscles are just like any other muscles and they need exercise to keep them working properly.

'Spending so much time at computers or the TV or reading books we are only using one set of muscles in our eyes. The yoga gives a workout to the other ones.'

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/05/13/02/42921914-9573267-image-m-17_1620867687990.jpg
Podcast: Speaking to Jessie Ware, pictured at Tuesday's BRIT Awards, on her Table Manners podcast, Paul said: 'I learned off some yogi in India. He explained that your eyes are muscles. Your ears aren't, so you can't exercise your ears. But your eyes, you can.'

Paul has often been left inspired from his trips to India and The Beatles famously learnt transcendental meditation and wrote 48 songs during a visit in 1968.

The Beatles, made up of Paul, Ringo Starr, George Harrison and John Lennon, penned many of their songs for their famous White Album during their stay at the ashram.

Elsewhere, Paul released new album McCartney III in December, having written and recorded it during lockdown.

In a BBC chat with actor Idris Elba, the crooner admitted he 'didn't realise' what he was creating when he did it.

He said: '[In] lockdown everyone cleaned out their cupboards and did all the stuff they'd been meaning to get around to. So [making an album] was my equivalent.

'I wasn't trying to make an album. So suddenly I had these 10 songs, I thought, "What am I going to do with these?" It was just the 10 because I didn't know I was making an album.'

Paul went on to explain why he named his album McCartney III, saying: 'I realised, because I played them myself, I'd done McCartney I and McCartney II in the same vein, that this would be McCartney III. So then it was like, "OK, I see what I'm doing now."'

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/04/15/16/41797784-9475089-Memories_Paul_told_how_he_and_his_bandmates_smoked _with_Bob_in_N-a-174_1618499390776.jpg
Memories: Paul has often been left inspired from his trips to India and The Beatles famously learnt transcendental meditation and wrote 48 songs during a visit in 1968 (pictured in 1963)
I spent a week in Rishikesh where the Beatles studied yoga.

No_Know
05-17-2021, 02:45 PM
Bodhidharma a monkly prince of India come to Shao-Lin eventually. I would think might have had Yoga. When I think Shao-Lin I think of Hung. When I think of Hung I think of five stances...and these are five energies (not yoga sounding [Fengshui but....How much yoga yoga do I know I know? Horse-riding is Earth--stable and grounding; Bow-and-Arrow is Fire expanding; Scissors or Dragon or Twisting stance is Metal contracting;release and flow into Cat stance might be Water element. Single legged stance might be Wood and rising energy.-Ernie Moore Jr.

I have thought of Shao Lin stances as Yogaic because of the purported land origin of Da Mo plus two of the stances look Yoga to me--Bow-and-Arrow, and Single Leg(ged) ... Standing in Horse riding feet parallel to each other. Thighs parallel to the floor...for an hour is meditation.-Ernie Moore Jr.

I No_Know

YinOrYan
05-20-2021, 08:39 AM
Bodhidharma a monkly prince of India come to Shao-Lin eventually. I would think might have had Yoga. When I think Shao-Lin I think of Hung. When I think of Hung I think of five stances...and these are five energies (not yoga sounding [Fengshui but....How much yoga yoga do I know I know? Horse-riding is Earth--stable and grounding; Bow-and-Arrow is Fire expanding; Scissors or Dragon or Twisting stance is Metal contracting;release and flow into Cat stance might be Water element. Single legged stance might be Wood and rising energy.-Ernie Moore Jr.

I have thought of Shao Lin stances as Yogaic because of the purported land origin of Da Mo plus two of the stances look Yoga to me--Bow-and-Arrow, and Single Leg(ged) ... Standing in Horse riding feet parallel to each other. Thighs parallel to the floor...for an hour is meditation.-Ernie Moore Jr.


I know its difficult to separate Buddhism and Yoga because one somewhat grew out of the other, and with 5 element theories there are similar elements all over the place, but you are on-to-something by just looking at positions. If you look at the oldest extant animal forms there are huge amounts of information packed into them. They are one of the best sources for separating what is Buddhist and Taoist before they started getting really blended...

GeneChing
05-25-2021, 08:44 AM
Glad this passed - my comments on it were on this previous post (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga&p=1318160#post1318160).



Alabama lifts ban on teaching yoga in public schools but still bars ‘namaste’ (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/may/21/alabama-lifts-ban-yoga-schools?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-1)
Kay Ivey, the Republican governor, signed bill overriding state’s 1993 ban but some conservative Christian groups fought to retain it

https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/ae1d85079a2c4784efd2441ecab5216ab01b4c07/0_298_3600_2160/master/3600.jpg?width=620&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&
Jeremy Gray, a Democratic representative and certified yoga instructor, introduced the legislation to allow yoga back in schools three times before it was approved in the 75 to 14 vote on Monday. Photograph: Gregory Bull/AP
Amanda Holpuch in New York
@holpuch
Fri 21 May 2021 11.51 EDT

Alabama has lifted a three-decade-long ban on allowing yoga to be taught in its public schools – though the word “namaste” and chanting “om” will still be barred in classrooms.

Governor Kay Ivey, a Republican, signed a bill which overrides the state’s 1993 ban on yoga instruction and allows local school boards to decide whether students can be taught the ancient practice.

Some conservative Christian groups fought to retain the ban, arguing that allowing yoga in the classroom could result in children converting to Hinduism.

“Yoga is a very big part of the Hindu religion, and if this bill passes then instructors will be able to come into classrooms as young as kindergarten and bring these children through guided imagery, which is a spiritual exercise,” Becky Gerritson, director of the conservative Alabama Eagle, told state senators recently.

These complaints are part of a broader pushback against yoga in schools as it becomes a more popular tool for educators. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the use of yoga and meditation in schools to reduce “those stressful feelings and increase your ability to remember things more clearly”.

Jeremy Gray, a Democratic representative and certified yoga instructor, introduced the legislation to allow yoga back in schools three times before it was approved in the 75 to 14 vote on Monday.

Gray, a Christian who attends a Baptist church, told the Guardian last month: “The promoting of Hinduism argument is the only talking point these conservative groups have, and it makes them look very misinformed and miseducated on the issue.”

The final legislation was amended to include a regulation that parents must sign a permission slip for students to practice yoga.

Another amendment said: “School personnel may not use any techniques that involve hypnosis, the induction of a dissociative mental state, guided imagery, meditation, or any aspect of eastern philosophy and religious training.”

Gray said the amendments were unnecessary because the legislation already prohibited the religious acts of yoga and focused on poses and exercises.

“A lot of the stuff you don’t do anyway. You don’t hypnotize people,” Gray told Alabama News.

“Really, it just seemed very offensive,” he said. “Had some phobia in it. A lot of it just didn’t really make sense.”

GeneChing
05-25-2021, 08:52 AM
Bodhidharma a monkly prince of India come to Shao-Lin eventually. I would think might have had Yoga.
While this idea has been bandied in martial circles for a few decades previously, it has been disproven by recent research. There are two major problems with this. 1. The Bodhidharma origin tale is apocryphal. 2. Yoga Asana as we know it doesn't develop until around the 10th, nearly half a millennium after Bodhidharma.

YinOrYan
05-25-2021, 09:52 PM
While this idea has been bandied in martial circles for a few decades previously, it has been disproven by recent research. There are two major problems with this. 1. The Bodhidharma origin tale is apocryphal. 2. Yoga Asana as we know it doesn't develop until around the 10th, nearly half a millennium after Bodhidharma.

The two major problems are really between the Lanka and the Vajracchedika, or the Yogacara and Madhyamika schools of thought around the time of Bodhidharma.

Yeah, warrior pose was most likely created in 1940 and surely cannot be compared to horse-stances!

PS. I just got my primary sources out of storage, so I should stop talking-out-my-ass like Wickedpedia just about anytime now, haha

GeneChing
06-21-2021, 09:47 AM
International Day of Yoga: Muted celebrations due to Covid-19 (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-57550009)
Published12 hours ago

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/137B8/production/_119000897_gettyimages-1233542948-1.jpgRIGHTGETTY IMAGES
People in India and around the world are marking the seventh International Day of Yoga. But celebrations have been scaled down this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is known to be a yoga enthusiast, also avoided a mass session and instead chose to address the nation virtually to mark the occasion.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/9B78/production/_119000893_gettyimages-1233535392-1.jpgGETTY IMAGES
Over the years, Mr Modi has promoted yoga, often calling it India's gift to the world. On Monday, he said yoga had become a ray of hope for millions living in the middle of the pandemic. "No country was prepared when Covid-19 emerged. In these tough times, we all saw that yoga became a huge source of self-confidence," he said.

How did yoga conquer the world and what's changed?
Does yoga have a conspiracy theory problem?

President Ram Nath Kovind also held a private yoga session at the presidential palace and several members of Mr Modi's cabinet held similar events across the country.

Mr Kovind said yoga was a "unique gift of India to humanity". Defence forces have also posted photos and videos of troops marking the day.

Officials and ministers also urged people to take to yoga but advised them to avoid big gatherings as the the country is just coming out from a deadly a second wave.

Thousands died as hospitals struggled to cope with the influx of patients. The country is now slowly opening up as the number of cases has been consistently dropping in the last two weeks.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/185D8/production/_119000899_gettyimages-1233545263.jpgHINDUSTAN TIMES
Covid lockdowns meant that millions had to stay indoors. Experts say yoga can be helpful in such scenarios to overcome anxiety.
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/CABC/production/_119000915_gettyimages-1233560665.jpgNURPHOTO
The ancient tradition which was once the preserve of gurus has now become a worldwide phenomenon. Every year, practitioners all over the world bring out their mats on 21 June to show their love for yoga.

The UN declared in 2015 that 21 June every year will be marked as the Yoga Day. It said this year's theme focuses on "yoga for well-being". It said yoga can promote the holistic health of every individual amid the pandemic. It added that yoga played a significant role in the psycho-social care and rehabilitation of Covid-19 patients in quarantine and isolation.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/118DC/production/_119000917_gettyimages-1233562801.jpgHINDUSTAN TIMES
People in several parts of the world are also marking the day. In the picture below, people can be seen practising yoga at a park in front of the Three Gorges Dam in China's Hubei province.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/8084/production/_119000923_gettyimages-1324619384.jpgGETTY IMAGES
And here, people at New York's Time Square can be seen practising yoga.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/7C9C/production/_119000913_gettyimages-1233559685.jpgANADOLU AGENCY
People also marked the day in Pakistan's Lahore city.

threads
yoga (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)
covid (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71666-Coronavirus-(COVID-19)-Wuhan-Pneumonia)

GeneChing
06-29-2021, 09:10 AM
Tai Chi vs. Yoga was the clickbait title but it doesn't show in the article itself. I am disappointed.


The Difference Between Tai Chi & Yoga, Explained By A Trainer (https://www.bustle.com/wellness/tai-chi-vs-yoga-differences-trainer)
Gentle movements & synced breathing? Check. Here’s what else to know.

Woman doing taichi in empty city early in the morning. Here's how tai chi vs. yoga compare.
Yoshiyoshi Hirokawa/Photodisc/Getty Images
By Jay Polish
June 28, 2021
As you’re heading back to your gym and trying to figure out which classes fit in with your new commute, you might find yourself torn between the different options. If you’re looking to boost your physical and mental fitness in one fell swoop, Tai Chi and yoga might both be vying for your 8 a.m. workout spot. But how do you choose between Tai Chi and yoga?

What Are The Differences Between Tai Chi & Yoga?

Tai Chi originated in China and is considered an internal martial art. “Tai Chi uses forms or predetermined sequences that focus on flowing, controlled movements; different stances; optimal posture; and rhythmic upper and lower extremity movements,” says Prentiss Rhodes, a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) certified personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist. The practice places a big emphasis on your breathwork while moving.

Yoga also focuses on flowing, controlled movements synced with your breathing, but Rhodes explains that the two practices are executed differently. “While yoga has some flow aspects to it, especially if one practices the Vinyasa style,” Rhodes says, Tai Chi is more dynamic. If you’ve ever stayed in Warrior II for a few full breath cycles, you’re probably familiar with the burn of holding yoga poses. But Tai Chi focuses more on cycling through relaxed postures than holding any given position. Because of that, Tai Chi is less likely to leave your muscles sore than yoga.

Of course, there are plenty of gentle yoga flows and more physically intensive Tai Chi practices — but on average, anticipate breaking more of a sweat during yoga class.

What Are The Similarities Between Tai Chi & Yoga?

“Both yoga and Tai Chi are meditative, require focus, and help improve the strength and flexibility of the body,” Rhodes explains. “Both systems use coordinated breathwork when they are being performed.” You won’t need a lot of space for either of these movement practices — roughly the space of a yoga mat should do it. Both forms of exercise are low-impact and will be pretty easy on your joints.

It’s not just about the similarities between the practices — it’s also about the benefits. Tai Chi and yoga have both been shown to help with high blood pressure and reduce depression, stress, and anxiety. Both practices can also improve your balance, full-body coordination, and your ability to sync your breath up with your movements, Rhodes explains.

Should I Practice Tai Chi Or Yoga?
You’re not cheating on your yoga instructor when you head to a Saturday morning Tai Chi class. Yoga and Tai Chi aren’t in competition with each other — instead, they’re pretty complementary. So you don’t have to look at it as one or the other: both are good. The choice on which class to attend is more about your own personal preferences.

Experts:

Prentiss Rhodes, National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) certified personal trainer, corrective exercise specialist

threads
A-question-for-those-who-practice-Yoga-in-addition-to-an-internal-art (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?3825-A-question-for-those-who-practice-Yoga-in-addition-to-an-internal-art)
Yoga (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)

GeneChing
10-01-2021, 03:19 PM
Yoga instructor accidentally breaks woman’s thighbone while attempting dragon pose, leaving her unable to walk (https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3150754/woman-says-she-will-sue-yoga-studio-after)
The instructor put too much pressure on one of her legs, resulting in a broken thighbone
The woman spent 16 days in hospital and says she still cannot walk

Alice Yan in Shanghai

Published: 9:00am, 1 Oct, 2021
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An X-ray shared by Wang shows her femur fracture after a yoga accident. Photo: new.qq.com
A woman in eastern China said she plans to sue a yoga studio after the instructor accidentally broke her thighbone, or femur, during a class.
The woman, surnamed Wang, was attending her first-ever private lesson taught by a woman surnamed Li at the end of August in Anhui province, the Xinan Evening News reported.
During the class, Wang was told to practice the dragon pose, a hip-opening move with multiple variations stemming from a lunge-like posture.
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Wang is suing a yoga studio for future payments in her recovery. Photo: new.qq.com
Wang said the teacher gave her instructions and said that her left leg was in the wrong position.
“She was pushing down on my thigh, and pressed too hard. Suddenly, I just felt severe pain and could not move at all,” Wang was quoted as saying.
It turned out she had broken her leg and required medical attention. Li called an ambulance to take Wang to hospital and doctors said she had a compound fracture on her femur and needed surgery.
The studio had already paid 50,000 yuan (US$7,700) for her medical fees but refused to pay more when the woman asked for compensation for her future treatment.
Wang was discharged from hospital after 16 days but said she still cannot walk.
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Wang said she cannot walk after the accident. Photo: new.qq.com
She said she would take the studio to court because she felt they had not handled the situation appropriately.
“I paid 6,000 yuan (US$928) from my own pocket for the medical treatment because the hospital charged 56,000 yuan (US$8,900) and the yoga studio only covered 50,000 yuan,” said Wang.
“What’s more, there will be other costs for rehabilitation in the future and my work will be affected due to this injury. I want reasonable compensation.”
The studio told the newspaper that it was preparing for the lawsuit.
Orthopaedists in China said they had seen an increase in the number of visits due to injuries related to yoga, albeit usually not as serious as a fractured femur, state media Xinhua reported.
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Chinese doctors have been reporting more yoga-related injuries in recent years. Photo: new.qq.com
At the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, doctors received three to four such patients per month, far more than years ago, the report said. Most of them were young women.
Pan Jun, a doctor from the hospital’s orthopaedics department, said common problems caused by over-exercising in yoga are lumbar disc protrusions, ligament strains, muscle tweaks, knee damage, soft bone tearing and heel tendon injuries.
“Many patients said that they felt it was hard to bear their weight when doing some yoga poses but would try to carry on. This way of practising, challenging the limit of human bodies, often causes bad results for their health,” Pan was quoted as saying.

Alice Yan
Alice Yan is a Shanghai-based social and medical news reporter. She started her journalism career in 2003 and has degrees in economics and public administration.
Dragon pose is out of yin yoga. It's basically a lunge variation.

GeneChing
10-13-2021, 09:54 AM
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What Is Orientalism A Stereotyped Colonialist Vision of Asian Cultures (https://www.teenvogue.com/story/what-is-orientalism)
(De)colonized is a series on the harms of colonialism and the fierce resistance against it.
BY NAMRATA VERGHESE

ILLUSTRATION BY ALY MCKNIGHT

OCTOBER 13, 2021
“Namaste,” a white woman in Lululemon leggings once said to my crowded yoga class, folding her hands as if in prayer. “That’s Sanskrit. It means I honor the way your body moves. Isn’t that beautiful?”

Oof. No. Red flag. Although namaste once translated to I bow to you in Sanskrit, it now connotes something closer to a simple hello. The instructor’s dubious translation not only spreads misinformation but exoticizes a common greeting — presumably to titillate the (mostly white) yoga students and exaggerate the foreign “mystique” of the yoga experience.

Her class is the rule, not the exception. Many yoga classes in the U.S. are colonial spaces. A typical session might involve the routine butchering of Sanskrit phrases and the fetishization of traditional practices and movements, while vaguely “exotic” strings-based instrumental music plays in the background. This curated environment tends to collapse the differences between far-flung traditions; the same studio may include a pastiche of Buddhist statues, Hindu symbols, and Sanskrit chants, flattening the diverse practice into a monolith for white consumption. Most yoga instructors are white women. Tank tops emblazoned with “om” and “namast’ay in bed” abound. The commodification of yoga facilitates exploitation, encouraging studios to reap profits from the appropriation of traditional spiritual practices, without paying or crediting the people who created them. Fundamentally, then, these yoga classes represent colonial, capitalist undertakings that advance at the expense of the very bodies they are built upon.

In other words, your everyday yoga class is actually a textbook case study in Orientalism. In his pioneering 1978 book Orientalism, postcolonial studies scholar Edward Said defined Orientalism as “a style of thought based upon an ontological and epistemological distinction made between ‘the Orient’ and … ‘the Occident.’” Put simply, the “Orient” is a colonial invention. Orientalism is a collection of binaries — between “East” and “West,” foreign and familiar, civilized and uncivilized, primitive and progressive, colonizer and colonized, self and Other. It is a system of representation through which the West produced the East as its opposite, its “surrogate and underground self” — a strange, backward, barbaric land, steeped in mysticism and danger.

Tellingly, Orientalism opens with this Karl Marx quote: “They cannot represent themselves; they must be represented.” As Thomas Babington Macaulay, the British politician who imposed English colonial education on India, once infamously stated, it could not be denied that “a single shelf of a good European library was worth the whole native literature of India and Arabia.” Given the assumed superiority of Western culture and literature, it fell to the West to represent the East. Western colonial powers assumed this paternalistic obligation by manufacturing the body of theory and practice that became the “Orient.” This representation permeates our culture; you’ve almost certainly come across classic Orientalist products before. To this day, they form some of our most enduring images of the alien “East.” Remember the feral child Mowgli in Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, or the meek Indian servants in Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden? These representations illuminate how insidiously Orientalism functions — by exaggerating, essentializing, and exploiting the supposed difference between the East and the West, Orientalism legitimized Western white supremacy.

Through the colonial project of Orientalism, the “Occident” produced the “Orient.” However, and perhaps more importantly, the “Orient” also produced the “Occident.” Without the East, there is no West. The Orient “helped define Europe (or the West) as its contrasting image, idea, personality, experience.” European culture came into being “by setting itself off against the Orient” — by defining the “self” as what it is not. Think of the Tethered in Jordan Peele’s Us: a shadow class of people who provide requisite contrast to the protagonists, whose exploitation the protagonists’ lives hinge upon, and through whom the protagonists’ humanity is defined.

Edward Said stressed that the Orient “was not (and is not) a free subject of thought or action.” In essence, to be “Oriental” is to be “Orientalized” — to inhabit whatever vessel deemed appropriate for you at any given time, whether that be a bloodthirsty terrorist or hypersexualized yogic fantasy. Fatimah Asghar aptly captures this slippery, shifting state of personhood in a poem: “you’re kashmiri until they burn your home … you’re muslim until you’re not a virgin. you’re pakistani until they start throwing acid. you’re muslim until it’s too dangerous ... you’re american until the towers fall. until there’s a border on your back.”
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GeneChing
10-13-2021, 09:55 AM
In the decades since Said published his seminal text, the term Orientalism has trickled into the mainstream. However, in the process, the concept has been diluted — severed from its radical roots. These days, the word Orientalism conjures up images of glittering saris, Chinese dragons, and cramped, dusty cities. Maybe a snake charmer or two, for good measure. While these tropes are, of course, part and parcel of Orientalism, the heart of Said’s theory is that Orientalism is not an abstract concept — not just an “airy European fantasy” — but instead “a relationship of power, of domination.” The West’s “material investment” in creating and maintaining the structure of Orientalism sanctioned the violence of European imperialism. As Said puts it in another work, Culture and Imperialism: “‘They’ were not like ‘us,’ and for that reason deserved to be ruled.” Orientalism underpins the systems that allowed Europe to “manage — and even produce — the Orient politically, sociologically, militarily, ideologically, scientifically, and imaginatively.” At its core, then, Orientalism is a symbolic and literal battleground, littered with t***** questions around power, profit, and personhood. Who wields power? To what end? Who tells what story? Who profits? And at whose expense?

Said’s theory is just as urgent today as it was at the time of its publication. Like virtually every colonial hangover — from Western capitalism to the gender binary — Orientalism didn’t end, it just shape-shifted. It takes on a variety of guises, from well-intentioned but hamfisted “celebrations” of foreign cultures to outright racial terror. Orientalism is yoga studios and bindis at Coachella. It’s Starbucks profiting off a popular South Asian drink by rebranding it a "golden turmeric latte.” It’s Bridgerton romanticizing the aesthetics of British aristocracy while glossing over where (and who) the heroes’ riches came from. It’s a white woman falling “in love” with chai after visiting India and then proceeding to make millions selling the drink. It’s calling COVID-19 “kung flu.” It’s my former history teacher asking her students to debate the “pros and cons” of colonialism, while consistently mixing up the only two South Asian girls in her class. It’s every “empowering” Netflix show that depicts a Muslim woman taking off her hijab for a mediocre white man. It’s the fact that, as of 2017, the majority of The New York Times’s Chinese and Indian recipes were written by white people. It’s Trump saying, “I love Hindu,” and then striving to impose a Muslim ban. It’s the British Museum hoarding looted Indian artwork in glass display cases. It’s Steve McCurry achieving global fame after National Geographic published his photograph, “Afghan Girl,” while the portrait’s subject, Sharbat Gula, not only never received a penny for the photo but was allegedly imprisoned because of its impact. It’s the pervasive rhetoric painting U.S. military imperialism as “a fight for the rights of women” who are in desperate need of saving from their barbaric homelands by white Christian Westerners.

The key takeaway here is that Orientalism is not just a trendy buzzword, but a fraught framework that grows out of bloody histories of colonialism, capitalism, and domination. It’s simultaneously timely and timeless. Orientalism names a power struggle that stretches back centuries and continues to structure our lives. Its ubiquity has dire consequences: Orientalism is a site of violence. In March 2021, the white man who killed eight people — including six East and Southeast Asian women who were working in Atlanta massage parlors — told the police he carried out this massacre because he had a “sexual addiction” and wanted to eliminate a “temptation.” As scholar Rumya Putcha points out, massage parlors like the ones the shooter targeted, or yoga studios like the one I mentioned at the start of this essay, are “part of a broader industrial complex that capitalizes on the racist belief that Asian people and Asian women, in particular, possess magical, spiritual, and sexual healing abilities. These attitudes belong to an entrenched Orientalist infrastructure in the United States that connects yoga, meditation, and massage to tourism, pleasure, and escape.” The long history of fetishizing and sexualizing Asian women animates Orientalist fantasies. While my yoga instructor’s mistranslation of namaste as I honor the way your body moves may seem innocuous, this kind of mundane Orientalism injects a simple greeting with sexual innuendo and a foreign, mystical charge. As we saw in Atlanta, that process of Orientalizing can yield material violence against “Orientals.”

Don’t worry, you don’t have to quit your yoga class. After all, Orientalism doesn’t end when you roll up your yoga mat and head out for a smoothie. It follows you through the door. It saturates our world. Because Orientalism is a product of empire, resisting Orientalism goes hand in hand with the concrete, political work of decolonization. Decolonization is not a metaphor. Decolonization looks like the end of settler colonialism, the repatriation of Indigenous lands, the erasure of borders, mutual aid networks, prison abolition, and disability justice. It looks like liberation for queer and trans people, Black people, Indigenous people, fat people, and Dalit people. It looks like wrenching the pen back from colonizers who have “represented” us for so long and, instead, writing our own stories. In Said’s words: “Stories are at the heart of what explorers and novelists say about strange regions of the world; they also become the method colonized people use to assert their own identity and the existence of their own history.”

thread
Oriental-is-ornamental (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69151-Oriental-is-ornamental)
Yoga (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)

GeneChing
11-14-2021, 10:44 AM
Chakras, crystals and conspiracy theories: how the wellness industry turned its back on Covid science (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/11/injecting-poison-will-never-make-you-healthy-how-the-wellness-industry-turned-its-back-on-covid-science?fbclid=IwAR3sFNPCOsfZFg-_yr5rNs39RdQHhZc2wfHlKHPGrRov8q2XW2XdDoDZP8E)
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Illustration: Posed by model; Guardian Design; We Are; Nora Carol Photography; David Arky/Tetra Images; Rosemary Calvert; Somnuk Krobkum/Getty Images; Emmanuel Lattes/Alamy
Its gurus increasingly promote vaccine scepticism, conspiracy theories and the myth that ill people have themselves to blame. How did self-care turn so nasty?

Sirin Kale
Thu 11 Nov 2021 01.00 EST
Ozlem Demirboga Carr is not really into all that woo‑woo stuff. “I’m definitely a full-science kind of person,” says the 41-year-old telecoms worker from Reading. She doesn’t believe in crystals, affirmations or salt lamps. But she did find herself unusually anxious during the UK’s Covid lockdown in March 2020 and, like many people, decided to practise yoga as a way to de-stress.

“I tried to be open-minded and I was open to advice on trying to improve my wellbeing and mental health,” she says. So she followed a range of social media accounts, including the “somatic therapist and biz coach” Phoebe Greenacre, known for her yoga videos, and the “women’s empowerment and spiritual mentor” Kelly Vittengl. The Instagram algorithm did its work. “I suddenly found myself following so many wellness accounts,” she says.

When the deployment of the Covid vaccine got under way, Carr began to see posts that troubled her, ranging from polite concern about the social consequences of mass vaccination, or the politics underpinning it, to full-blown rejection of the science. “The conversation and tone of their posts shifted,” she says. “At first it was all about self-care and being part of a community that is caring for each other. But then they started to speak more about how there should be a choice when it came to vaccines. They were saying things like: ‘My body, my choice.’”

Carr watched as Greenacre posted an Instagram story describing vaccine passports as “medical apartheid”. Vittengl went further. In a post in July, Vittengl, who is unvaccinated, compared vaccine passports to the social polarisation witnessed during the Holocaust and spoke about the “mess” caused by the “ideology of the western medical system”. “We aren’t being shown the full picture,” Vittengl concluded, in a post that was liked by Greenacre. Greenacre subsequently invited Vittengl on to her podcast, where Vittengl discussed the pernicious influence of “big pharma” and celebrated the work of the controversial doctor Zach Bush, who has been called a “Covid denialist” by researchers at McGill University in Montreal.

Such views are anything but exceptional in the wellness community. If anything, they are on the milder end of the spectrum. Anti-vaccine or vaccine-hesitant attitudes are as abundant in online wellness circles as pastel-coloured Instagram infographics and asana poses on the beach at sunset. “People are really confused by what is happening,” says Derek Beres, the co-host of Conspirituality, a podcast about the convergence of conspiracy theories and wellness. “Why is their yoga instructor sharing QAnon hashtags?”

In May, the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) found that just 12 influencers were responsible for nearly 65% of anti-vaccine content on Facebook and Twitter. “Many of these leading anti-vaxxers are alternative health entrepreneurs … They’re reaching millions of users every day,” says Callum Hood of the CCDH. “This is a serious problem. Vaccine hesitancy has become a difficult and entrenched obstacle to dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.”

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For every saintly Yoga With Adrienne there are thousands of grifters pushing untested therapies on impressionable people. Photograph: rbkomar/Getty Images
Included within the CCDH’s “disinformation dozen” are Joseph Mercola, a US wellness entrepreneur called the “most influential spreader of Covid-19 misinformation online” by the New York Times; Dr Christiane Northrup, a wellness expert who helped popularise the notorious Covid pseudo-documentary Plandemic by sharing it with her 560,000 Facebook followers; and Kelly Brogan, a contributor to Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop wellness platform. Mikki Willis, the director of Plandemic, is well known in the California yoga scene, while David “Avocado” Wolfe, a conspiracy theorist and raw food advocate, is a regular figure at anti-vaccination protests across the US.

Away from the CCDH’s list, other prominent figures include the yoga instructor Stephanie Birch, who has posted QAnon hashtags on her now-deleted Instagram account, and Krystal Tini, a wellness influencer with 169,000 Instagram followers, who has consistently posted anti-vaccine content, including one post that compared lockdowns to the horrors inflicted on Polish Jews in the Warsaw ghetto. Comparing vaccine deployment to historic atrocities such as slavery and the Holocaust is a routine trope in anti-vaccine wellness circles; the Los Angeles wellness and beauty guru Shiva Rose recently compared vaccines to McCarthyism, slavery, the Cultural Revolution, the Spanish Inquisition and the Holocaust, all in one post.

Beres says many of these wellness influencers are “using cult leader techniques in digital spaces”, sowing fear and hesitancy about the Covid vaccine among their followers, one Instagram post at a time.

They maintain, however, that they are misunderstood or misrepresented. When contacted by the Guardian, Greenacre distanced herself from Vittengl’s comments on her podcast. “It would be incorrect and misleading to your readers to suggest comments from a third party reflect my own,” she said. She also said that she used the term “medical apartheid” to refer to “the use of discrimination and segregation based on medical status, for example treating people negatively based on their medical status by use of Covid vaccine passports”, rather than anything relating to historical discrimination based on race.

Vittengl, meanwhile, stated that she is “not against the western medical system … However, I do feel that the industry has been heavily taken over by big pharmaceutical companies who are primarily concerned with finances over health.” She defended the work of Bush. “He is compassionately trying to help find more answers,” she said.

Carr, however, decided to unfollow both women. Now, when she wants to practise yoga, she watches the Sweaty Betty YouTube channel.

continued next post

GeneChing
11-14-2021, 10:46 AM
We have had more than a decade of the modern iteration of wellness. A decade of vagina candles, chia bowls, coffee enemas and spirulina shots. A decade of burnt-out, anxious, unhappy women seeking to detoxify their bodies, rebalance their chakras and recentre their divine femininity, ideally while losing weight. The global wellness industry is worth about $1.5tn (£1.1tn) – and for every saintly Yoga With Adriene there are thousands of grifters pushing untested therapies on impressionable people.

Although the modern iteration of wellness rose out of the primordial goop of the late 00s (Paltrow, the high priest of wellness, founded her lifestyle brand in 2008, originally as a newsletter), the origins of the movement go back to the hippy counterculture of the 70s. Then, as now, wellness presented itself as a remedy to the travails of modern life. It was structured around three tenets: robust individualism, distrust of western medicine and a commitment to self-optimisation, usually through restrictive diets and vigorous exercise regimens, designed to stave off disease and death for as long as possible. In her 2018 book Natural Causes: Life, Death and the Illusion of Control, Barbara Ehrenreich wrote: “Wellness is the means to remake oneself into an ever-more perfect self-correcting machine, capable of setting goals and moving toward them with smooth determination.”

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‘You think: I drink smoothies and go to yoga and work out seven days a week. Why can’t everyone else do it?’ Photograph: Piotr Marcinski/Getty Images/EyeEm
In the 70s and 80s, Ann Wigmore proselytised the ability of a raw-food diet to cure cancer, diabetes and Aids. “There is this belief that if you stay true to a certain lifestyle and only ingest a particular kind of food and drink, that guards you against disease,” says Carl Cederström, the co-author of Desperately Seeking Self-Improvement: A Year Inside the Optimization Movement. “You create a strong armour around yourself by living healthily.”

By contrast, western medicine – in particular the pernicious influence of big pharma – conspires to keep the masses sick. “There’s this suspicion about science,” Cederström says. “You often hear the rhetoric that modern civilisation is poisoning our lives, poisoning our food, and we need to find ways of living clean again, by cutting ourselves loose from a society that is constraining us and forcing us to live an inauthentic, unnatural lifestyle.”

The polluting tributary in wellness’s fresh, clear stream has always been its unwavering insistence that health is a choice rather than something genetically predetermined or socially ordained. Few wellness practitioners say outright that people who are morbidly obese, have type 2 diabetes or have a mental illness suffer by their own hand: they instead couch their judgment in euphemisms and misdirection.

“Wellness has very strong ties to the self-help movement,” says Cederström. “And what you find at the core of these movements is the idea that you should be able to help yourself.” Rhonda Byrne, the author of the bestselling self-help book The Secret – which portrayed the power of positive thinking as a curative to all of life’s ills – once claimed that the victims of 9/11 were in the wrong place at the wrong time due to their own negative thoughts and outlook on the world.

“A more general theory as to why people would happily tune into the ideology of wellness, and in particular this individualistic attitude, is that it is in some ways self-flattering,” says Cederström. “We live in a culture that connects morality to health. If you have a good, middle-class life, you’re encouraged to believe that you deserve it. If you’re poor and unhealthy – well, you didn’t work hard enough.”

For nearly 50 years, the world of wellness has viewed health as something that can be shrugged on or off at will, like a cashmere sweater. Doctors are to be distrusted and individuals should take responsibility for their own “wellness journey”. Then the Covid vaccine programme began – and this anti‑scientific attitude metastasised into something far more harmful. “This is a very long-running thing,” says Hood. “We’re seeing that erosion of trust in mainstream medicine flowering now. And it’s very dangerous.”

Before Catherine Gabitan, who is 31 and lives in northern California, became an “overcoming self-sabotage” coach, she worked in the service industry. Gabitan usually rose to manager roles easily, but despite the promotions she never felt that she was fulfilling her true potential, as an A-grade student with a college degree.

She smoked cigarettes, drank coffee and alcohol and ate processed foods. Despite her best efforts, she could never kick these habits. “One of my initial inspirations for becoming really healthy was to make sure I had a really clean body, so that I could be the healthiest vessel I could be in order to have the healthiest baby,” Gabitan says.

In early 2020, Gabitan bought a $199 lecture series from the self‑sabotage coach Jason Christoff. Christoff, who also styles himself as a nutrition and exercise expert, shares misinformation about the Covid vaccine on his public Facebook page and his Telegram channel.

When contacted by the Guardian for comment, Christoff responded: “Maybe you should look into who sponsors your own newspaper, but that would get you sacked.” He subsequently wrote a blog linking the Guardian to a plot by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to reduce the global population by 10-15%. “Is the Guardian and their sponsors watching out for public health or are they colluding to decrease population and public health, in order to place the remaining population under firm tyrannical control?” Christoff wrote.

Christoff helped Gabitan to realise that, for years, she had not believed herself to be worthy of “a higher level of health”. She explains: “My subconscious beliefs regarding why I didn’t feel worthy of having a business or learning to invest, or why I drank alcohol or smoked cigarettes – all these things were related to what I felt worthy of achieving.”

Christoff’s lecture series had the invigorating quality of an ice bath after a sauna. Almost immediately, Gabitan embarked upon what she calls her “health journey”. She quit coffee, smoking, alcohol and gluten. She began exercising three times a week and eating only organic, locally produced food. She also quit the service industry, rebranding as a self-sabotage coach.


Social media is the wild west when it comes to health claims. You can say whatever you want
When the Covid vaccine programme began, Gabitan, who is unvaccinated, began sharing anti-vaccine content on her Instagram page. “Injecting poison will never make you healthy,” she posted on 8 July. “We’re taught that ‘germs’ and genetics make us sick so we don’t have to take responsibility for our toxic lifestyles,” she wrote on 23 July. “Could other people’s need to micromanage what we put on or in our bodies be a projection of their poor health history and inability to take responsibility for their own health?” she asked on 16 August.

Gabitan sees health through a hyperindividualistic moral frame. She takes control of her own health; if other people won’t help themselves, why should she? “I don’t smoke and I don’t drink,” she says. “I spend a lot of money investing in the highest-quality foods available to me. I believe in natural immunity and supporting my immune system. I’ve taken radical responsibility for that, especially over Covid. And there are other people out there who are still drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes who want me to protect their health, but they won’t even protect their own health.”

In this, Gabitan exhibits the logical fallacy of wellness: the idea that the human mind is a drill sergeant and the organs of our body obediently fall in line. “You may exercise diligently, eat a medically fashionable diet, and still die of a sting from an irritated bee,” Ehrenreich said in Natural Causes. “You may be a slim, toned paragon of wellness, and still a macrophage within your body may decide to throw in its lot with an incipient tumour.”

Gabitan does not need the vaccine, because she is a shining paragon of health. The people dying from Covid are people with disabilities, or those who are already sick, obese or old. What happens to them is nothing for Gabitan to trouble herself about unduly, as an able-bodied member of the wellness community.

“A lot of the people that are experiencing hospitalisations from Covid had a lot of other co-morbidities, right?” Gabitan says. “Or they are overweight. If our government had promoted a healthy lifestyle, healthy eating, from the beginning … that would have done a lot more to prevent some of these hospitalisations by actually encouraging people to become the healthiest versions of themselves. Right. So, for me, one premise is people taking responsibility for their own health.”

continued next post

GeneChing
11-14-2021, 10:47 AM
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Some of the people pushing anti-vaccine content ‘believe themselves to be martyrs’, says Derek Beres. Photograph: Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images
It sounds, I respond, as if you are saying that, when people get sick, it is their fault; not bad luck, because anyone can get sick at any time. “See, I don’t think it’s just bad luck,” she says. “I think part of it is people taking responsibility for their own health, to make sure they’re not putting toxins in their body – and the other part of it is not being exposed to pollution.” Nobody close to her has died from Covid.

Gabitan also believes the vaccine to be dangerous and ineffective. “The vaccine doesn’t stop transmission,” she says. (The vaccine is thought to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to other people, although this protection wanes with time.) She is concerned about the impact of the vaccine on her fertility – this is a common fear among the vaccine-hesitant and is particularly prevalent in wellness circles, which are mostly female – and doesn’t trust data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the US health agency. She prefers to get information about the vaccine from Telegram, the Children’s Health Defense (a group founded by Robert F Kennedy Jr that is a major source of vaccine disinformation) and Project Veritas, a far-right conspiracy theory site.

As a result of the research she has conducted over the last year, Gabitan’s distrust of medical science now extends beyond the Covid vaccine. If she had children, she would not vaccinate them against any disease. She would reject modern medicine in virtually all cases, excepting broken bones. Modern medicine is “designed to deal with symptoms, not the reason the symptoms showed up in the first place”, she says.

I ask Gabitan, who is affable and willing to answer all my questions, why she agreed to speak with me, given our dramatically different perspectives on the vaccine. “To have open dialogue, even with people with different opinions, is the only way that we can heal what’s going on in the world,” she says. I tell her that many people would find her attitude selfish and disturbing. “I don’t want to be callous,” Gabitan says. “Because my goal is to help other people live the healthiest life that they can. That’s my passion in the world.”

I am certain that she believes it.

Gabitan’s views are by no means a reflection of all wellness practitioners. Deepak Chopra, the famed yoga and meditation expert, has urged people to get vaccinated. “It’s mistaken and unfair to use a fringe group as the tar that stains everyone else,” Chopra wrote in a blog in June. But Gabitan’s attitude is an example, however extreme, of how the ideological structures of wellness may support anti-vaccine attitudes.

Before Conspirituality’s Beres worked in technology, he was a yoga instructor. “Even though I’ve been involved in the yoga and wellness world since the 90s, I’ve always been sceptical of a lot of the claims,” he says. “When you get into yoga, there are a lot of health claims that sound OK if you’re at a nice yoga studio in a major city, but don’t reflect reality.”

He sees people like Gabitan as the logical end point of 50 years of telling people that virtue is to be signalled with striated abs and a rippling musculature. “When you live in a country where even a relatively modest middle-class lifestyle is way above what the rest of the world can sustain, it’s very easy to get locked into anecdote and your circle of friends,” Beres says. “You think: I drink smoothies and go to yoga and work out seven days a week and eat organic food. Why can’t everyone else do it?”

The US – the avocado stone of the global wellness community – is, and always has been, extremely individualistic. “Everything is about personal freedom and personal knowledge. What we see here is late-stage capitalism merging with hyperindividualism,” Beres says.

The US is also a country without universal healthcare. “If you don’t have insurance, it’s incredibly expensive to get treated,” says Hood of the CCDH. “People develop an interest in looking into alternatives and that’s where wellness influencers step in. You don’t have to spend thousands on doctors. You can just take this supplement or follow this regimen and you will be fine.”

Finally, it is a country where pharmaceutical companies have long behaved contemptibly. Last month, Purdue Pharma paid $4.5bn to settle its role in the opioid crisis, after overwhelming evidence emerged that the pharmaceutical company played down the addictive qualities of OxyContin for many years. Claims about the pernicious influence of big pharma are de rigueur in anti-vaccine circles; Plandemic’s central thesis is that big pharma is suppressing affordable cures for Covid to make money from patented medicines.

continued next post

GeneChing
11-14-2021, 10:47 AM
There is this belief that if you stay true to a certain lifestyle, that guards you against disease
“One thing alternate health entrepreneurs have in common with anti-vaxxers is that they talk about big pharma a lot,” says Hood. “It’s no coincidence that the organised anti-vaxx movement has its home in the US. Because there’s a greater profit motive in US healthcare, there’s a level of suspicion.” The irony, of course, is that many wellness practitioners are also motivated by profit. “It’s a business for them, but they’re not open about it,” says Beres.

But to understand why some people may be driven to anti-vaccine attitudes is not to excuse their wider impact on community health, or the distressing implication that they regard the lives of those less fortunate than themselves as having scant value. “Some of the most strikingly nasty stuff I’ve seen with Covid misinformation has come from wellness influencers,” Hood says.

On the subject of nastiness, he refers to a widely circulated meme (shared this year by the TV presenter Anthea Turner, to outrage) featuring a fat person on a mobility scooter asking a slim person to wear a mask. “The implication is that the person in the mobility scooter is somehow morally deficient and doesn’t have the authority to ask someone to wear a mask,” says Hood. There are similar attitudes where vaccines are concerned. “There is this nasty sense from some anti-vaxxer people that the people who have fallen ill with Covid are somehow deserving of it.”

Social media companies, for their part, are reluctant to take down disinformation. “Social media is the wild west when it comes to health claims,” says Hood. “You can say whatever you want.” Research in 2020 by the CCDH found that platforms failed to act on 95% of Covid and vaccine misinformation reported to them.

Wellness influencers – including members of the CCDH’s “disinformation dozen” – remain on social media platforms with a nudge and a wink. Often, they refer users to their Telegram channels, where they really let rip. (Telegram is unmoderated.) While Northrup has had her Instagram account disabled, her Facebook page links to her Telegram channel, in which she deluges 58,000 people with a flow of anti-vaccine disinformation. Likewise, Wolfe exhorts his Facebook fans to follow him on Telegram, where he unleashes.

Technology companies are slow to take down anti-vaccine content, because it is lucrative. Mercola has 1.7m engaged followers on Facebook; Wolfe an astonishing 11.9m. Outrage fuels engagement, which drives revenue, for the influencer and the social media platform. In March, Mercola joined the newsletter platform Substack – his paid-for subscription costs $5 a month, of which Substack takes 10% as commission. It is already the 11th-most-read paid health newsletter on the platform. (While Substack’s terms of use ban plagiarism, pornography and intellectual property theft, there is no prohibition on disinformation.)

Some of the people pushing anti-vaccine content do so in the sincere belief they are working for the public good. “They believe themselves to be martyrs,” Beres says. “They’re fully bought in. They think this is an apocalyptic-level battle they were made for, to be the champions.” But Beres believes others “are like: ‘Wow. I can make a bunch of money here.’”

When wellness influencers start to post anti-vaccine content online, a calcifying effect takes place. Pro-vaccine people unfollow; a few push back in the comments, but ultimately also unfollow, whereas followers who were hesitant about vaccines waver towards anti-vaccine attitudes and committed anti-vaxxers congregate, with applause. Before Gabitan began posting anti-vaccine content on her Instagram account, an average post would get 20-30 likes; now, she can easily get more than 150 likes on a post about big pharma. “The more people get this social reinforcement, the more anti-vaxx they become,” says Hood.

As a result, anti-vaccine wellness influencers get an influx of followers, many of them new to the community. “What happened after Plandemic is that QAnon infiltrated wellness circles,” says Beres. “Yoga instructors started using QAnon hashtags and watched their following grow by hundreds of thousands.” Online wellness is so closely affiliated with QAnon that the phenomenon has been called “pastel QAnon” by Marc-André Argentino, a researcher at Concordia University in Montreal. Carr is baffled by how QAnon, a rightwing movement, has infiltrated what was historically a hippy, countercultural space. “The similarities between rightwing groups and the wellness community scares me,” she says.

This dopamine pull of likes and engagement encourages influencers to skew extreme, all the while positioning themselves as victims of so-called cancel culture or online hate mobs. In an Instagram story posted after Vittengl stated her views on vaccination, she portrayed herself as a victim. “The backlash is unbelievable,” she wrote. “As an energetically sensitive person [someone who feels emotions in a heightened way] it can sometimes be too much. But … not speaking up no longer feels like a choice.” She later tells me: “I understand how this may come off as ‘victim mentality’, but it is a very real and very intense phenomenon.”

Carr finds this narrative maddening. “This community feels like they are being victimised, but they are not victims. They are privileged, well-off people with choices.” Carr is British-Turkish and takes umbrage with how the community co-opts the language of human rights to advocate against vaccines. “That makes me crazy,” says Carr. “To portray vaccines as against human rights ... I come from a country where human rights are constantly being diminished.”

In the absence of action from the social media giants, all users like Carr can do is unfollow their former gurus. “In a passive way, that’s my solution,” she says. Many more users will no doubt replace them. “If you’re an ordinary person who’s having doubts about the vaccine and you start looking for answers, you’re far more likely to come across an anti-vaxx source than you are an authoritative source like the NHS or CDC,” says Hood. “These are effective and very intentional ways of radicalising people.”

He hopes that this alignment of the wellness community with anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists will prompt a wider reappraisal of an industry that, for many years, has been replete with charlatans and quacks, profiting from that most fundamental of human desires – a desire for health. “I’m not saying the whole thing is rotten,” Hood says. “But there are broader questions to be asked about wellness and the alternative health industry. This is the end product of telling people they can control their health through willpower and diet. Most of the time, as a society, we don’t think that’s so harmful. But when it comes to the pandemic, it’s quite obvious that it is harmful. Probably the harms were there all the time. But the pandemic has exposed them.”

This article was amended on 11 November 2021. A previous version said CCDH research found that 95% of social media platforms failed to act on Covid and vaccine misinformation reported to them. In fact, the figure of 95% referred to the percentage of reported misinformation that was not removed by social media companies.

I'm not seeing such divisions in Tai Chi yet. Are you?

threads
Yoga (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)
covid (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71666-Coronavirus-(COVID-19)-Wuhan-Pneumonia)

GeneChing
06-23-2022, 04:23 PM
Playboy model strips off for naked yoga and shares benefits of racy workout (https://www.dailystar.co.uk/diet-fitness/playboy-model-strips-naked-yoga-27306714)
Brazilian Playboy model Cris Galêra has revealed one of her secrets to staying in such great shape - naked yoga. She shared the benefits of the racy exercise as she stripped off for a workout

BySamantha Bartlett Senior Lifestyle & Travel Reporter
09:36, 23 JUN 2022UPDATED14:05, 23 JUN 2022
DIET & FITNESS

Model Cris Galêra has revealed one of her secrets to staying in such great shape - naked yoga.

The Brazilian bombshell, who has posed for Playboy, revealed the benefits of the racy exercise while stripping off to demonstrate the workout.

Cris, who also makes money selling sexy snaps and videos on OnlyFans, claims naked yoga helps you keep your connection with your body.

She told CO Press: "The exercise is great as it helps you maintain connection with your body and still has all the benefits of a normal yoga practice. It just has advantages.

https://i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk/incoming/article27306776.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/2_1e9a37cf-9e7f-4399-92a8-cac26aa28773jpeg.jpg
The model says it helps her stay in shape (Image: CO Press Office)

The model also said that the practice helps you to get to know your body.

"In most yoga positions, the absence of clothes can help the practitioner to know the fittings of their own body, it is a practice that should be seen more naturally," she added.

Cris says she wants to pass on the technique among her followers and fans.

“I discovered naked yoga in Europe and was fascinated," she confessed.

https://i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk/incoming/article27306777.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_776f21d1-619b-4c5e-befc-978cf452b23bjpeg.jpg
She also says it 'helps you maintain connection with your body' (Image: CO Press Office)
https://i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk/incoming/article27306782.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/3_Imagejpeg.jpg
Cris says she wants to pass on the technique among her followers and fans (Image: CO Press Office)
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"I see more than a sexual exercise, but I want to show the benefits far beyond that, so that people can understand that exercise is a way of taking care of their own body."

Her comment came as International Yoga Day was celebrated this week (June 21).

Yoga is well recommended by professionals to provide mental health, posture and even weight loss benefits.

Yeah, well, when I lived in India, I saw some naked saddhus.

And they didn't look at all like that.

GeneChing
09-19-2022, 12:38 PM
‘Indentured Servitude’ and Bags of Cash: Yoga Teachers Say Red Flags Came Before Federal Tax Evasion Charges (https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/greg-gumucio-tax-charges-yoga-to-the-people-1234586169/)
The founder of the popular New York City yoga chain Yoga to the People is accused of raking in money, while keeping employees — and the IRS — in the dark

BY ANDREA MARKS
SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

https://www.rollingstone.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/yoga-to-the-people-2.jpg?w=1581&h=1054&crop=1
Instructor and co-owner Greg Gumucio leading a class in 2010. CASEY KELBAUGH/REDUX
YOGA TEACHER FRANCESCA Caviglia knew something was off about the studio where she worked when she got scolded for touching the money too much. At the donation-based Yoga to the People on St. Marks Place in New York City, which operated from 2006 to 2020, cash was collected in an empty tissue box at the end of class. After the final corpse pose, the teacher would stand at the back of the studio holding the oddly specific receptacle. As dozens of sweaty students filed out, they could drop in a few crumpled bills, or nothing at all. Whatever you could give that day was what the class cost.

After students left, Caviglia tells Rolling Stone, the teacher was supposed to dig the cash out of the box, put it into an envelope and label it with the class’ day and time to be stored in a locked area. That’s where Caviglia ran afoul of the rules, which surprised her. “My instinct was to take these wadded up bills, unfold them and make a stack of them, because this is cash that someone’s dealing with eventually,” she recalls. “I remember being reprimanded once for doing that. What they wanted was for you to just transfer the cash that had been crumpled from people’s sweaty hands into this manila envelope, and there was something shady if I, like, handled it too much. It gave me the impression that it was because it looked like I might have counted it, and that was a problem.” A recent criminal complaint alleges that under Gumucio’s leadership, Yoga to the People teachers were generally “forbidden” from counting the incoming cash.

Only recently has the public begun to get an idea of where those “donations” were really headed. During the pandemic lockdown, the company shuttered permanently amid allegations that surfaced, initially on social media, of abuse, sexual misconduct and worker exploitation against Yoga to the People founder Greg Gumucio. Then, in August 2022, Gumucio and two other company leaders — Haven Soliman and Michael Anderson — were charged with tax evasion and conspiracy to defraud the IRS, accused of never filing taxes on more than $20 million in income between 2010 and 2020. (Gumucio has not faced any criminal charges for the alleged abuse or sexual misconduct.) The charges have been met with relief and, in some cases, surprise on the part of those who worked under Gumucio. The teachers who spoke with Rolling Stone saw Gumucio as the head and had not interacted closely, if at all, with his co-defendants. Some of his former staffers have been reexamining the financial practices they witnessed and participated in for the first time.

For more than a decade, Yoga to the People was a mainstay of affordable movement classes in New York and beyond. Gumucio opened the flagship St. Marks location in 2006, the same year he moved from Portland, Oregon. By that time, Vice first reported in 2020, he had already been convicted of felony forgery and motor vehicle theft and had been accused of rape, although that case was closed after the alleged victim failed to respond to police inquiries regarding the investigation. Over the next decade or so, he opened what authorities estimate to be around 20 affiliated entities, including a total of six New York studios and locations in Arizona, Florida, and the San Francisco Bay Area. All but a few studios that offered hot yoga in New York were donation-based, and they did a brisk business. “Cash only please,” their web pages said.

Gumucio once estimated that 1,000 people came to Yoga to the People daily, but that seems like an under-count. The St. Marks location alone had four studios inside it, each of which could hold as many as 60 students during eight daily classes on weekdays. Starting in 2009, when I was freshly out of college and new to New York, I attended 6 p.m. classes at St. Marks regularly, rushing over from my low-wage media job and sometimes paying only a handful of change I’d dredged guiltily from the bottom of my bag. I also attended high school with Caviglia, as well as Emily Schoen, another former teacher interviewed in this article. They and the other sources who spoke with Rolling Stone are just some of the people who were affected by the crimes alleged in the August 2022 complaint.

In YTTP classes, teachers would often say you only needed the space of your mat to do yoga, and in those pre-Covid times, they meant it. As the rooms filled up, staff would ask you to move closer and closer to your neighbor until sometimes only an inch or two remained between mats. The hour-long vinyasa class was typically a standardized series of standing poses and lunges that put the quads to heavy use, followed by seated stretches. As Caviglia pointed out, the studio claimed to offer yoga for everyone, but the athletic series they taught was most accessible to young, able-bodied people, the likes of which flocked to St. Marks from nearby New York University in such numbers that sometimes a line formed down the block before class. “There wasn’t a lot of practical, useful, ‘here’s how to deal with different situations,’” she says of the teacher training course she took through the company. “It was like, everyone who’s gonna walk into the studio is going to be an early twenties, flexible, young, little person, and they’ll just do the thing; just tell them to do it.” Even so, the pay-what-you-can rate, compared to other yoga classes that could run $20 or more, allowed hundreds of people to take classes who otherwise couldn’t afford it.
continued next post

GeneChing
09-19-2022, 12:40 PM
https://www.rollingstone.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/yoga-to-the-people-embed-1.jpg?w=1024
The Yoga to the People studio on St. Marks Place was known to get packed, like it did this Sunday evening in April 2010. Pictured at the center, in black, is Gumucio’s co-defendant Haven Soliman, who has identified herself in the past as a co-owner of YTTP. CASEY KELBAUGH/REDUX
In 2020, it all fell apart. In early July, as Yoga to the People locations remained shuttered due to the pandemic, former employees began posting allegations of sexual misconduct, racial discrimination, a “cult”-like environment, manipulative management practices, and more. “I can’t even count the amount of times I had someone tell me not to eat, comment on my body, comment on my food choice as ‘not a yoga teacher’s,’ and even had a manager take food out of my hands before a hot class,” said one post from a former teacher, labeled with a “body shaming” trigger warning. In another, someone claiming to be a former manager said they’d been pressured by higher ups not to file their taxes because it would force YTTP to claim them as an employee. “I was bullied into doing something illegal by the company I worked for!” the post said. Days after the first posts appeared, Yoga to the People announced it would not reopen. Soon after, exposes from Vice News and The Cut further detailed Gumucio’s alleged behaviors, including claims he manipulated staffers into sexual relationships with him and demanded total obedience from his staff.

Jill Bayne, who trained at and then worked as a manager for Yoga to the People in New York between 2009 and 2012, and who has been outspoken about Gumucio’s alleged wrongdoing, says Gumucio used to call her in the middle of the night, just to see if she’d pick up. “He wanted you to answer the phone every time he called.” she says. Three former staffers who spoke with Rolling Stone say they often didn’t learn their teaching schedule more than one day ahead of time. “Sometimes you found out the night before that you’re working a double the next day,” Schoen says. The news arrived via text message. “It felt very, like, ‘We own your calendar, don’t we?’” Caviglia says. “I started giving them less and less availability, because I was like, I can’t just hold all of these days.” She and Schoen each recall that if you couldn’t work a class you’d been last-minute scheduled for, you often wouldn’t be given another one for about two weeks — “punitively,” Schoen says.

One of the more notorious accusations lobbed against Gumucio since 2020 — albeit absent from the criminal complaint — was that teacher trainees at his company had to participate in a practice called arm-raising, which participants felt was designed to break them down emotionally. Sources say arm-raising involved holding your arms above your head for an hour, an experience that became increasingly painful, while music Cavilgia described as off-brand Enya played. Bayne remembers Celine Dion on the playlist. At a point, participants say they became aware the exercise was supposed to end with them crying. “They were trying to make us associate the fatigue we were having with some sort of emotional breakthrough,” Caviglia says. “One of the semi-senior teachers was participating in this with us, and I think she was the ringleader to be like, ‘Here’s your example. She’ll just start breaking down in a few minutes and then you can all follow suit.’” Eventually, sources say, many people did break down and cry. Schoen says the person leading the session did nothing to help the trainees recover from such a vulnerable moment. “They left us just splattered on the floor with all those feelings,” she says. “There was no type of emotional cleanup.”

On another occasion, Caviglia and Schoen separately recall being asked to sit in a circle with other trainees and share something traumatic from their past that they hadn’t told anyone else. “I remember being like, do I have to make up some trauma right now?” Caviglia says. “It felt like maybe this is an audition for who’s prepared to enter this game.” Bayne, who also participated in the same activity during her training, recalls the session leader going first. “She stood up and said, ‘I was raped,’ and then she kind of like, curled up into the fetal position on the floor, like, OK, she’s setting an example of what we’re supposed to do,” she says.

Bayne believed Gumucio instituted practices of probing people’s pasts to vet them to work for him and, she believed, to “groom” them for sexual relationships with him. “He would pick people that had criminal backgrounds and beautiful women who had trauma,” she says. “He rarely would have, for lack of a better term, a fat person, and there were not very often people of color.” Teachers reportedly did engage in sexual relationships with Gumucio, although none who spoke about it with Rolling Stone. Bayne says when she asked her immediate supervisor about rumors that Gumucio slept with teachers, she got an angry call from Gumucio himself. “He is screaming at me, ‘Don’t you ever talk about me! Don’t you ever talk about me! How dare you?’ and just literally scared the ever living [out of me],” she says.

Meanwhile, students kept coming by the hundreds, and someone had to handle all that cash filling the tissue boxes — where voluntary donations were supplemented by $2 extra if you rented a mat, and $1 for a bottle of water. At St. Marks, according to sources who spoke with Rolling Stone and the criminal complaint, after teachers put the money from their classes in envelopes, managers would transport it across the street to Gumucio’s apartment, a sprawling exposed-brick loft that didn’t look unlike the rooms in the nearby studio, except it was bigger, and had a disco ball suspended from the ceiling. Court documents described it as the company’s de facto headquarters. There, according to a former manager who asked to remain anonymous, they and their management colleagues — mainly women — would sort the cash so it could be counted in mandatory twice-weekly sessions known as “stacking,” a practice also alleged in court documents. “All those bills were separated, and then sat on so they would get warm,” the manager says. “So that our boss could run them through the cash counter.” Sources say they do not know exactly why the money had to be warmed by people’s behinds. “I didn’t know enough about tax fraud to think this [might be] illegal,” the manager says. “I thought it was just another example of Greg being a manipulative, power-hungry person to like, make us sit on this cash.” According to the criminal complaint, the money was then stored in Gumucio’s guitar case, which authorities allege at times contained between $20,000 and $30,000.

Bayne recalls drinking wine at these stacking sessions, sorting but never counting the money, and being careful not to say anything that could be used against her. “We’d be sitting around, and all of us are scared of each other, because we don’t know who’s closest to Greg,” she says. “He kept us all so isolated, so we didn’t even know what to talk about. It was a very nervous, tense situation.”

According to the anonymous former manager, who was trained as a teacher at YTTP and then taught there for multiple years in the mid 2010s, the way money was handled varied by location. At a different YTTP studio in the city, they were expected to store, sort, and count the cash themselves, and eventually deposit it in the bank. Some managers even had their own safes and cash counters, they say. Their direct supervisor at the studio location told them how to handle the money. “We always had to deposit below $10,000, and now I know that’s because that would be a red flag for the IRS,” they say, referring to a federal law that requires banks to report deposits of $10,000 or more in an effort to curb money laundering. “But I would be walking along a street in New York with a tote bag full of $9,000. That was anxiety-producing, for sure.”
continued next post

GeneChing
09-19-2022, 12:40 PM
https://www.rollingstone.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/yoga-to-the-people-embed-2.jpg?w=1024
Classes at the YTTP studio on St. Marks were pay-what-you-will, largely attracting people from nearby New York University. CASEY KELBAUGH/REDUX
In 2020, former employees claimed YTTP exploited its workers with long hours and low pay. Many one-time students became potential staff through the teacher training courses, which Schoen and Caviglia attended together in 2013. According to the complaint, teacher training was a major source of revenue for the company, costing roughly $2,500 to $3,000, depending on how early you registered. It happened twice a year for regular vinyasa training and once a year for hot yoga. After graduating from the training program, some teachers were invited to lead classes at YTTP, but, according to sources and the criminal complaint, they didn’t necessarily get paid right away. Instead, during a period which Schoen and Caviglia describe as “indentured servitude,” they were asked to teach 25 classes for free and expected to volunteer their spare time to clean studios to prove their dedication to the company. Bayne says she got paid to teach right away, with no explanation. “I didn’t have to teach any classes for free,” she says. “I don’t know why he gave me special treatment. He started paying me right away.”

Schoen, on the other hand, spent months working her way up to leading paid classes. She’d show up a half hour early, and stay at least half an hour late or longer, for the closing shift, cleaning mats, mopping up sweat, and restocking water. “It was a total drag, for absolutely no money,” she says. “At the time, though, I felt like, I’m getting scheduled for classes, I’m working towards something. Eventually, they’ll start paying me. But I remember once I hit that cap, the number of classes I was scheduled for during the week fell drastically.” Schoen says she went from teaching as often as six times a week for free to around one class per week. The pay was only $25-$35 per class. Soon after she completed teaching the unpaid classes, she left. In the criminal complaint, authorities allege Gumucio “maximized his unreported income by manipulating subordinates into providing free labor (e.g., teaching unpaid classes, stacking cash, cleaning yoga studios, depositing cash into bank accounts, etc.).”

The former manager remembers regularly receiving their so-called starting salary of $3,000 a month in one lump sum of cash in a plastic bag from a liquor store. According to the criminal complaint, in 2013, one employee texted Gumucio asking, “So should all salaries be cash?” and he replied, in part, “yup.”

The former manager estimates they worked 100 hours weekly, between administrative tasks, managing other teachers, handling money, helping run teacher trainings, and teaching a whopping 20 classes per week. They recall feeling “sleep-deprived, hungry, and broke” during their time there. None of the former staffers who spoke with Rolling Stone were ever given tax forms. According to the criminal complaint, teachers who requested tax forms were typically denied. “When such a request was made, YTTP leadership treated it as a big deal, and it resulted in contentious conversations,” the court document says.

Despite prosecutors arguing Gumucio has mob ties and a fugitive mentor he has visited in Acapulco, he and his co-defendants are currently out on bond, on conditions including the surrender of their travel documents and that they do not communicate with any former employees of YTTP. A public defender for Gumucio and lawyers for his co-defendants did not respond to requests for comment. Authorities have asked people with information on the case or who believe they have been the victim of a crime related to YTTP to reach out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Some people hope the tax evasion case will be just the beginning of accountability for Gumucio and his associates. To Bayne, the financial charges are just a starting point, a way to get at some of the wrongdoing she claims Gumucio put people through. “I want them to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” she says of the defendants. “I want all people to recognize and learn the signs of narcissistic and cult abuse.”

Others are thinking of the yoga community, and hoping something else might fill the void left by YTTP. Could a different organization offer donation-based classes for everyone without – crucially – the hideous underbelly of alleged abusive behavior by yet another powerful man apparently abusing his status? “I wonder, does that model work if you’re not cheating it?” says Caviglia, who left the company after leading just a few unpaid classes and began teaching on a freelance basis. “Can you have something that is accessible at a similar level that has at least a passable part-time wage for the teachers and doesn’t have some elaborate under-the-table scheme going on? Maybe it can be done in a smaller regard. I would hope that model can work, that it’s not too good to be true.”
Those students are way too close together. :eek:

GeneChing
10-03-2022, 08:24 AM
Over 3,000 seniors join largest Qi Gong, Yoga demonstration in Vietnam (https://en.vietnamplus.vn/over-3000-seniors-join-largest-qi-gong-yoga-demonstration-in-vietnam/239362.vnp)
More than 3,000 senior Yogis gathered at a Qi Gong and Yoga mass demonstration on Le Loi Street in District 1, downtown Ho Chi Minh City, on October 2 morning.
VNA Sunday, October 02, 2022 18:22

https://cdnimgen.vietnamplus.vn/t620/uploaded/wbxx/2022_10_02/vna_potal_tp_ho_chi_minh_hoi_thao_dong_dien_the_du c_duong_sinh_yoga_nam_2022_6362453.jpg
A Qi Gong and Yoga mass demonstration for seniors takes place on Le Loi Street in District 1, downtown Ho Chi Minh City, on October 2 morning. (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) – More than 3,000 senior Yogis gathered at a Qi Gong and Yoga mass demonstration on Le Loi Street in District 1, downtown Ho Chi Minh City, on October 2 morning.

They are members of Qi Gong exercise clubs for seniors from across the southern city.

The event was part of a series of events in response to this ongoing Action Month for the Elderly.

Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Association for the Elderly Huynh Thanh Lap said it aimed to encourage senior citizens to exercise and live a fruitful life.

The event was recognised by the Vietnam Records Organisation (VietKings) as the largest Qi Gong and Yoga mass performance ever held in Vietnam on the occasion.

Mass Qigong Demonstrations (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68693-Mass-Qigong-Demonstrations)
Yoga (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)

GeneChing
10-28-2022, 09:41 AM
Mind- and Body-Based Interventions Improve Glycemic Control in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/jicm.2022.0586)
Fatimata Sanogo, Keren Xu, Victoria K. Cortessis, Marc J. Weigensberg, and Richard M. Watanabe
Published Online:7 Sep 2022https://doi.org/10.1089/jicm.2022.0586

Aims/Hypothesis: Only 51% of patients with type 2 diabetes achieve the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) <7% target. Mind and body practices have been increasingly used to improve glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes, but studies show inconsistent efficacy. The authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association between mind and body practices, and mean change in HbA1c and fasting blood glucose (FBG) in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: The authors conducted a literature search of Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and ClinicalTrials.gov seeking through June 10, 2022, published articles on mind and body practices and type 2 diabetes. Two reviewers independently appraised full text of articles. Only intervention studies were included. Reviewers extracted data for meta-analysis. Restricted maximum likelihood random-effects modeling was used to calculate the mean differences and summary effect sizes. The authors assessed heterogeneity using Cochran's Q and I2 statistics. Funnel plots were generated for each outcome to gauge publication bias. Weighted linear models were used to conduct study-level meta-regression analyses of practice frequency.

Results: The authors identified 587 articles with 28 meeting the inclusion criteria. A statistically significant and clinically relevant mean reduction in HbA1c of −0.84% (95% confidence interval [CI]: −1.10% to −0.58%; p < 0.0001) was estimated. Reduction was observed in all intervention subgroups: mindfulness-based stress reduction: −0.48% (95% CI: −0.72% to −0.23%; p = 0.03), qigong: −0.66% (95% CI: −1.18% to −0.14%; p = 0.01), and yoga: −1.00% (95% CI: −1.38% to −0.63%; p < 0.0001). Meta-regression revealed that for every additional day of yoga practice per week, the raw mean HbA1c differed by −0.22% (95% CI: −0.44% to −0.003%; p = 0.046) over the study period. FBG significantly improved following mind and body practices, with overall mean difference of −22.81 mg/dL (95% CI: −33.07 to −12.55 mg/dL; p < 0.0001). However, no significant association was found between the frequency of weekly yoga practice and change in FBG over the study period.

Conclusions/Interpretation: Mind and body practices are strongly associated with improvement in glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. The overall mean reduction in HbA1c and FBG was clinically significant, suggesting that mind and body practices may be an effective, complementary nonpharmacological intervention for type 2 diabetes. Additional analyses revealed that the mean decrease in HbA1c was greater in studies requiring larger number of yoga practice sessions each week.


Qigong-as-Medicine (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?55537-Qigong-as-Medicine)
Yoga (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)

GeneChing
09-08-2023, 10:39 AM
Police called to yoga class mistaken for ‘mass killing’ (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/07/police-called-to-yoga-class-mistaken-for-mass-killing)
A member of the public in Chapel St Leonards, Lincolnshire, called emergency services to report people lying on the floor
Sammy Gecsoyler
@SammyGecsoyler
Thu 7 Sep 2023 12.05 EDT

https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/302f6f45ed83d5860ee20096d49da454eda710df/0_121_3600_2161/master/3600.jpg?width=620&dpr=1&s=none

A yoga class was cut short after a member of the public called the police to report a “mass killing” after seeing several people lying on the floor.

Participants in the class, which was being held at the Seascape cafe, inside the North Sea observatory in Chapel St Leonards, Skegness, Lincolnshire, were in the midst of meditation when officers turned up on Wednesday night.

In a Facebook post, the cafe said someone had “reported a mass killing” after seeing people on the floor inside the building.

They wrote: “If anyone heard the mass of police sirens in Chapel St Leonards at 9.30pm last night then please be reassured …

“They were on their way to the observatory after someone had reported a mass killing in our building, having seen several people laying on the floor … which actually turned out to be the yoga class in meditation.

“Thank you to Lincolnshire police for their prompt response. I can’t imagine for one moment what would have being going through their minds on the way.”

The cafe regularly plays host to yoga classes in the evenings. The Facebook post added: “We are not part of any mad cult or crazy clubs.

“All in all, this situation turned out positive and we are of course grateful.”

The North Sea observatory has large, triangular windows that face the sea. A Facebook post on the cafe’s page says the venue holds New Moon yoga classes on Wednesdays from 7.30-9pm where you can feel “called to dive deep into the lunar cycle”. Pictures in the post show yoga mats next to the window.

Lincolnshire police confirmed to the PA news agency that the call was made at 8.56pm “with good intentions”. A spokesperson said in a statement to PA: “A call was made following concerns for the occupants of the North Sea observatory, at Chapel St Leonards.

“Officers attended, we’re happy to report everyone was safe and well.”
Way to disrupt your sivasana.

GeneChing
09-29-2023, 10:22 AM
Is Weed Yoga Really Worth It? We Tried it and Found Out! (https://thecurvyfashionista.com/plus-size-adventure-weed-yoga/#:~:text=As%20the%20experts%20say%2C%20“Yoga,while %20sipping%20on%20my%20cocktail.&text=Moving%20from%20pose%20to%20pose,I%20attribut e%20to%20the%20THC.)
LAST UPDATED: 09/26/2023
https://thecurvyfashionista.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_0030-860x645.jpg.webp
IMG VIA JILLIAN PFENNIG
Yogis across the country (and world) look to their yoga practice to allow them to reach enlightenment. With almost 50,000 yoga studios in the US, it’s a safe bet that you’ve tried yoga for a similar reason– whether as a form of body movement, meditation or mental health practice. But have you tried yoga under the influence of cannabis?

The yoga community is split on whether cannabis is good for a yoga practice, but agreed that it’s ultimately a personal choice. I practice yoga often, especially restorative yoga, so I was interested in trying THC-infused yoga to see if it enhanced my experience the way some yogis claim it does. So, I attended a weed yoga event at The Artist Tree in West Hollywood, CA.

https://thecurvyfashionista.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_3005-696x479-1.jpg.webp
Arriving at The Artist Tree in West Hollywood, CA for Weed Yoga

The weed yoga event I attended took place at The Artist Tree in West Hollywood, CA. The dispensary has a dispensary on the bottom floor, a lounge on the second, and an event space on the third. We got there a half hour early to indulge in some cannabis treats before heading up to the third floor for yoga.

Not knowing what to expect in the lounge, I was overwhelmed with the vast array of options. Their menu separated indica, sativa and CBD. They even had different devices such as bongs, gravity bongs, and vaporizers to rent for the optimum smoking experience– not to mention THC infused cocktails!

Our server, Clay, was so knowledgeable and welcoming, and he complimented my adorable Old Navy outfit. Clay answered all of my questions and actually allowed me to mix the liquid cannabis into our cocktail myself. Liquid THC concentrate is the prime method used during weed yoga events.

The THC cocktail was actually very good, and once mixed in, you couldn’t taste the concentrate. But would this actually help me connect mind, body and spirit?

My Plus Size Experience at a Weed Yoga Event

https://thecurvyfashionista.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Weed-Yoga-with-Jillian-1024x576.png.webp
IMG VIA JILLIAN PFENNIG
Heading up to the third floor we were offered another vial of liquid cannabis and it was up to us how we wanted to use it– add it to the cocktail we purchased, shoot it like a shot, or sip on it throughout the class. I decided to mix it into the delicious strawberry lemonade cocktail I was already drinking.

Laid out on our mats, the instructor, Amy, began the yoga class. The small intimate class was definitely the right environment for this experimental weed yoga. As the experts say, “Yoga is a journey of the self”, and I was beginning to feel more relaxed and centered than before while sipping on my cocktail.

Moving from pose to pose, I was definitely more in my body than my mind without needing to focus too much, which I attribute to the THC. My mind is always running a mile a minute, so when I normally practice yoga, it takes a lot for me to breathe out all of the distractions. But I 1000% didn’t have to work as hard to calm my mind as I usually do.

After the first half of flow yoga, we moved into restorative yoga, which is something I’ve grown very accustomed to following my past surgeries. This is really where I felt the THC added to my yoga experience. Restorative yoga is all about holding poses for a long time and really allowing your body to breathe through the pose (unlike flow yoga, which is constantly moving).

As someone always in their head, restorative yoga really challenged me to breathe life into my body as I lay in each pose, and not allow my mind to wander. The second half of the class is where I really felt the THC aid my yoga practice, as I didn’t have to constantly tell my mind to relax. I fell into it much quicker and didn’t find myself adrift as much. I was simply in my body and not my mind.

As the class ended, we decided to hang out at the lounge for a bit longer. Artist Tree is not allowed to serve food in the lounge, so they are partnered with two places where you can order food to be delivered. We ate lunch and smoked the remainder of the joint we bought earlier while enjoying the post yoga feeling in our bodies. I don’t know if weed yoga will become a regular practice for me, but I did get an extra vial to take home and try it again!



BY JILLIAN PFENNIG
Jillian Pfennig (she/her) hasn't met an adventure she doesn't love. She is a writer, photographer, plus size model and traveler of the world.


marijuana-tcm-!-!-!-!! (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?52089-marijuana-tcm-!-!-!-!!)
Yoga (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)

GeneChing
12-08-2023, 09:47 AM
I was hypnotised, told to join orgies and given yoga guru's urine to drink at depraved sect: Cult 'victims' were also stripped naked at 16 and made to parade at sex beauty pageant (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12837723/I-hypnotised-lured-orgy-yoga-guru-drink-urine-Sect-victims-stripped-naked-16-parade-sex-beauty-pageant.html)
Gregorian Bivolaru was arrested in Paris last Tuesday after years on the run
By JAMES REYNOLDS
PUBLISHED: 10:22 EST, 7 December 2023 | UPDATED: 11:18 EST, 8 December 2023

Agnes Arabela Marques was only 15 when she met the leader of a controversial yoga sect accused of running an international tantric sex ring that used women as slaves.

'At first he seemed nice,' she said of 71-year-old guru Gregorian Bivolaru, who was arrested last week in Paris after six years on the run on suspicion of rape, exploitation, kidnapping and people trafficking. 'He was very respected, speaking with a very calm voice.'

But things soon took a sinister turn. Bivolaru invited the young Marques to his home and pressured her into performing lesbian sex acts with dozens of other women, before having sex with the yogi himself - presented as her initiation into tantric yoga.

Within a year, aged 16, Marques was one of around 300 women parading naked at a 'Miss Shakti' beauty pageant on the Black Sea, with some even masturbating on stage in front of thousands of onlookers.

Former members of Bivolaru's so-called Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute (MISA) have since described the horror of being held in overcrowded houses in the suburbs of Paris where they were shown pornography, hypnotised, encouraged to take part in orgies and given the guru's urine to drink.

The terrifying sect saw dozens of women held in 'deplorable conditions' over a period of nearly two-decades before the raid last week, a multinational effort to bring the guru to justice.

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/07/15/78696897-12837723-image-a-41_1701963152597.jpg
Agnes Arabela Marques was only 15 when she met 71-year-old guru Gregorian Bivolaru

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/07/15/78694151-12837723-image-a-23_1701962391226.jpg
Romanian guru Gregorian Bivolaru is escorted to a vehicle, after a hearing at the Romanian Police headquarters in Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, Aug 24, 2016

The year was 1999 and Marques, a dual Romanian-Portuguese national, had just followed her older sister from a small town in Romania to the capital Bucharest to join Bivolaru's Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute (MISA) yoga school.

The school, one of the first in a network that eventually spread to over 30 countries, taught tantric yoga, a practice loosely based on an ancient Hindu philosophy about achieving liberation through sex, among other rituals.

Any misgivings Marques had about the school's teachings were allayed by the fact that among the students were 'important people' like doctors and lawyers.

'I told myself I had nothing to worry about,' she said.

Bivolaru soon inducted Marques, then a minor, taking her to his home and pressuring her into sex acts. She believed it was part of an initiation ritual, the start of her spiritual journey.

'We were told the sexual act with the guru was a consecration, that it was approved by God,' she said, but Bivolaru nonetheless warned her 'not to say anything' about how she lost her virginity.

'Bivolaru claimed that, if I had sex with him as a yoga master, I could achieve superior levels of tantric spirituality,' she explained. 'In his apartment, there were constantly girls that were there to have sex with him.

'The girls living in that apartment would spend a few days or even a few weeks there and afterwards their place would be taken by other girls.

'This way Bivolaru wanted to ensure the so-called 'avalanche state'. In order to keep sexual desire alive, he said it was not good to live with your partner for too long.'

'Gregorian Bivolaru was interested in an Indian myth that said you could get to a high spiritual level if you had sex with 1,000 virgin girls. He knew the age of each girl he had sex with because he received photos from his yoga students and the date of birth was written on the back.'

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/07/15/78339773-12837723-The_women_freed_today_had_been_kept_in_deplorable_ conditions_bot-a-38_1701962451532.jpg
The women freed today had been 'kept in deplorable conditions' both in terms of space and hygiene, a source said

For two decades this continued to run the sect out of safehouses in multiple European countries. For years, the 'MISA' school stayed in the crosshairs of judicial authorities in Romania, Sweden and France, a source close to the investigation says, as it continued to bring together hundreds if not thousands of members.

The movement became known for its bizarre rituals called yoga spirals, in which devotees would gather and hold hands in order depending on their zodiac sings.

Women were also encouraged 'to agree to participate in fee-paying pornographic practices in France and abroad', a source said.

Women paid for yoga workshops via sex chats and men paid through manual work, a judicial source told Afp. The workshops were 'clearly exclusively dedicated to the satisfaction of the main suspect's desires,' the source said.

French police were finally able to move in and arrest Bivolaru in a house in Ivry-sur-Seine near Paris on Tuesday.

More than 50 women were found, being kept in 'deplorable conditions' between two overcrowded houses in the greater Paris suburbs.

They included nationals of Romania, Argentina, Germany, Belgium and the United States.

The police said the women had been 'freed from a sect' and that they found sex toys, pornographic material and photos of Bivolaru.

At the guru's own home in the southeastern Paris suburb of Ivry-sur-Seine they also found over 200,000 euros ($215,000) in cash, pornography and fake identity documents.

Ashleigh Freckleton, a 31-year-old Australian woman who joined a MISA ashram in Romania in 2018, took part in one of the French 'initiation rituals'.

On arrival in Paris, she was taken with a group of other mostly foreign women to a house in the Paris suburbs with all the blinds drawn, where they were shown pornography, hypnotised and encouraged to take part in orgies.

Her passport and telephone were confiscated, she told AFP in a phone interview.

The women were also given Bivolaru's urine to drink but Freckleton pulled up short at having sex with a man presented as 'an enlightened being'.

'I knew I needed to get out,' she told AFP.

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/07/15/78340215-12837723-MISA_was_kicked_out_of_the_International_Yoga_Fede ration_and_the-a-40_1701962475592.jpg
MISA was kicked out of the International Yoga Federation and the European Yoga Alliance in 2008 because its commercial practices were judged to be 'illicit'

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/07/15/78340213-12837723-On_its_official_website_yogaesoteric_the_group_des cribes_itself_-a-39_1701962473112.jpg
On its official website, yogaesoteric, the group describes itself as the 'largest yoga school in Romania and in Europe' and Bivolaru as its 'spiritual mentor'

In 2004, he fled Romania, where he was being investigated for sex with minors, for Sweden, where he obtained political asylum.

In 2013, a Romanian court condemned him in absentia to six years in prison but he avoided arrest until 2016 when he was arrested in France and handed over to Bucharest.

Within a year he was free, after securing early release, but was immediately the target of an Interpol search warrant after complaints from several Finnish women, who claimed they were forced to have sex with him in Paris.

It took six years before French police caught up with him last week and placed him in preventive custody, along with five other suspects.

A French human rights group has collected statements from 12 of his former followers alleging abuse.

One French judicial source told AFP that MISA, also known as ATMAN, taught tantric yoga with the aim of 'conditioning victims to accept sexual relations via mental manipulation techniques which sought to eliminate any notion of consent'.

Women were pressured both to have sex with Bivolaru and 'to agree to participate in fee-paying pornographic practices in France and abroad'.

One investigator said the group was 'reminiscent of the mafia' with 'pimping disguised as philosophy'.

MISA denies wrongdoing, telling CNN Bivolaru had not founded Atman (the international name for the school) nor taught yoga since 1995.

Yoga (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)
This is inappropriate here but I'm posting it anyway - health-benefits-of-urine (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?53135-health-benefits-of-urine)

GeneChing
12-12-2023, 10:32 AM
Yoga-based interventions may reduce anxiety symptoms in anxiety disorders and depression symptoms in depressive disorders: a systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression (https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/57/22/1442)
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1332-4544Javier Martínez-Calderon1,2, María Jesús Casuso-Holgado1,2, Maria Jesus Muñoz-Fernandez2,3, http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2621-2098Cristina Garcia-Muñoz2,4, Alberto Marcos Heredia-Rizo1,2
Correspondence to Dr Cristina Garcia-Muñoz, Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, Faculty ofNursing and Physiotherapy, University of Cadiz, Cadiz, CP 11009, Spain; cristina.garciamunoz@uca.es
BMJ Learning - Take the Test

Abstract
Objective To summarise the effect of mind–body exercises on anxiety and depression symptoms in adults with anxiety or depressive disorders.

Design Systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression.

Data sources Five electronic databases were searched from inception to July 2022. Manual searches were conducted to explore clinical trial protocols, secondary analyses of clinical trials and related systematic reviews.

Eligibility criteria Randomised clinical trials evaluating qigong, tai chi or yoga styles with anxiety or depression symptoms as the outcomes were included. No intervention, waitlist or active controls were considered as control groups. The risk of bias and the certainty of the evidence were assessed. Meta-analyses, meta-regressions and sensitivity analyses were performed.

Results 23 studies, comprising 22 different samples (n=1420), were included. Overall, meta-analyses showed yoga interventions were superior to controls in reducing anxiety symptoms in anxiety disorders. Furthermore, yoga-based interventions decreased depression symptoms in depressive disorders after conducting sensitivity analyses. No differences between groups were found in the rest of the comparisons. However, the certainty of the evidence was judged as very low for all outcomes due to concerns of high risk of bias, indirectness of the evidence, inconsistency and imprecision of the results. In addition, there was marked heterogeneity among yoga-based interventions and self-reported tools used to evaluate the outcomes of interest.

Conclusion Although yoga-based interventions may help to improve mental health in adults diagnosed with anxiety or depressive disorders, methodological improvements are needed to advance the quality of clinical trials in this field.

PROSPERO registration number CRD42022347673.

Yoga (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)
Tai-Chi-as-medicine (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?50553-Tai-Chi-as-medicine)
Qigong-as-Medicine (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?55537-Qigong-as-Medicine)

GeneChing
01-19-2024, 09:40 AM
BLACKPINK's Jisoo is the New Face of Alo Yoga (https://www.etonline.com/blackpinks-jisoo-is-the-new-face-of-alo-yoga-shop-the-spring-2024-collection-218196)
Each product has been independently selected by our editorial team. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms.

https://www.etonline.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etonline.com%2Fsites%2 Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2F1280x720%2Fpublic%2Fim ages%2F2024-01%2Fjisoo.jpeg%3Fh%3D319ae620&w=1024&q=100
Alo Yoga

By ETonline Staff
Published: 7:10 PM PST, January 17, 2024
Jisoo is the newest ambassador for Alo Yoga, starring in the brand's new Spring 2024 collection campaign.

BLACKPINK‘s Jisoo is the new face of Alo Yoga, fronting the brand’s Spring 2024 collection. Unveiled on January 17, Alo's line for the upcoming spring season features a range of items in the brand’s new spring color drops. For the campaign, Jisoo sports a mix of Alo Yoga's core styles and yet-to-be released spring pieces.

“This partnership with Alo felt like the perfect match because my health and wellness have always been a priority for me. I love to move whenever I have the time, especially with Yoga and Pilates,” says the K-pop star in a press release.

Shop the Alo x Jisoo Spring 2024 Collection

The new Spring 2024 collection ranges from $24 to $348, and includes styles that can be worn as fashionable winter running gear, cozy loungewear, and ultra-stylish everyday outfits. From the quintessential Airlift High Waist leggings in a new mulberry color to a snow-ready puffer jacket and even a puffer mini skirt, both the campaign and collection put an emphasis on comfort.

Jisoo has often been seen sporting the Los Angeles athletic brand's clothes, so this partnership may not surprise BLINKS. The singer and actor will be the face for the brand’s entire spring 2024 collection, which plans to have a series of drops throughout the year. Styles are already selling out fast, so we recommend hurrying to snag these trendy pieces for yourself.

Athleisure (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70811-Athleisure)
Yoga (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)

GeneChing
01-22-2024, 10:38 AM
Former CEO of Athleta to lead Levi’s Beyond Yoga as co-founder exits (https://chainstoreage.com/former-ceo-athleta-lead-levis-beyond-yoga-co-founder-exits)
Marianne Wilson
Editor-in-Chief
1/19/2024

https://assets1.chainstoreage.com/styles/max_width_480/s3/2023-11/9fnjelmm.jpeg?VersionId=.zANgMjyysEAKvTO6yXiFi.pKT Vuwefm&itok=R9id3SwK
Beyond Yoga operates six stores, with its newest (above) in Chicago.

A Gap Inc. veteran has been tapped to lead a growing athletic and lifesyle apparel brand.

Beyond Yoga has named Nancy Green, former president and chief executive of Athleta, as CEO effective Feb. 1. She will succeed co-founder Michelle Wahler, who is stepping down from the role.

Beyond Yoga said that Green will lead the company as it looks to scale “its continued growth and expansion” within the Levi Strauss & Co. brand portfolio. The denim giant acquired Beyond Yoga in 2021 as part of its strategy to tap into the lucrative activewear market and diversify its portfolio. The brand contributed nearly $100 million to Levi’s net fiscal year 2022 revenue.

In addition to Wahler, COO and CFO Jesse Adams, who has been with the company for more than a decade and was instrumental in its success, also will be stepping down, the company said.

Established in 2005 as a premium, wholesale-focused brand promoting body positivity, Beyond Yoga is female-founded, female-run and nearly 90% female-led. The brand opened its first physical store in 2022, in Santa Monica, Calif., and has since expanded to five other locations, with its newest in the Fulton Market district of Chicago.

"We set out to develop a brand that honors real women’s bodies, and I am incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished with Beyond Yoga,” said Wahler. “I always believed that Beyond Yoga could be a $1 billion brand, and with Nancy’s experience, I look forward to seeing how she takes our vision into the future.”

In a statement, Levi’s president and CEO Chip Bergh said that, under Wahler’s leadership, Beyond Yoga has grown from an idea to a nearly $100 million omnichannel retailer.

“I want to thank Michelle for her leadership and for integrating Beyond Yoga into the LS&Co. portfolio,” he added.

Incoming Beyond Yoga CEO Green served as president and CEO of Athleta from 2013 to 2019. During her tenure, the company’s revenues grew from $250 million to nearly $1 billion, with operating margin significantly growing and its store network expanding from 39 to 175 stores.

From 2019 to 2022, Green was president and CEO of Old Navy, where she oversaw the brand’s growth from $8 to $9 billion, with significant growth in activewear. She also held several other executive positions within Gap over the course of her career, along with a four-year stint at Pottery Barn.

Green has served on boards that include Marine Layer, Allbirds and the National Retail Federation, and is on the advisory board of Lily AI. She is a senior advisor at the Center for Equity, Gender and Leadership at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

“We have arrived at a natural inflection point for this incredible brand, and as we pursue the next stage of growth, we believe Nancy has the experience to fully unlock the potential of Beyond Yoga by leveraging her impressive retail expertise and LS&Co.'s extensive global resources and capabilities,” said Michelle Gass, Levi’s president and incoming CEO.

Beyond Yoga is poised for further expansion through increased direct-to-consumer channels, including brick-and-mortar, category growth and an enhanced wholesale footprint. The brand will continue to operate as a standalone division within Levi, maintaining its core ethos while leveraging the company’s resources to expand its reach and impact.

“As a purpose-driven leader, I’m inspired by the fact that Beyond Yoga stands for more than just comfort and performance; the brand has created an inclusive, body-positive community that celebrates diversity and giving back,” said Green. I’m committed to staying true to these values as we continue to build this community and scale this brand for its next chapter of growth.”

Athleisure (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70811-Athleisure)
Yoga (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22367-Yoga)

GeneChing
02-11-2024, 02:27 PM
Young women in China abandon traditional beauty standards to ‘imitate’ Western habits like wearing yoga pants, eating ‘white people’s food’ (https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3250296/young-women-china-abandon-traditional-beauty-standards-imitate-western-habits-wearing-yoga-pants#:~:text=The%20lifestyle%20switch%20is%20char acterised,is%20considered%20to%20be%20healthy.&text=Women%20are%20being%20drawn%20to,and%20comfor table%20way%20of%20life.)
Growing numbers of young mainland women seek more relaxed lifestyle
Online observers say copying Western ways is not always possible in China
Yating Yang
in Beijing
Published: 2:00pm, 9 Feb, 2024

https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1200x800/public/d8/images/canvas/2024/01/30/e7743ebf-d334-4a94-8ba1-fe104eac53fe_a66a056c.jpg?itok=eXrnBww0&v=1706604111
Increasing numbers of young women in China have latched onto a growing trend which has been dubbed “white women aesthetic” on mainland social media, in which they mimic Western lifestyle choices. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

Young women in China are abandoning traditional beauty standards and mimicking Western lifestyle choices by eating healthy “white people’s food” and copying their clothing choices.

Females across the country are shunning patriarchal norms as China witnesses the rise of a new trend which has been dubbed “white women aesthetic.”

It reflects a growing desire to embrace a more relaxed lifestyle and a desire to attain middle-class status, according to a report by Huxiu.com.

The phrase “white women aesthetic” recently emerged as a buzzword on the Xiaohongshu social media platform, accompanied by the slogan – “Question white women, understand white women, become white women” which is gaining currency online.

The lifestyle switch is characterised by Lululemon yoga pants, Stanley thermos and “white people’s food” which is considered to be healthy.

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Yoga pants and yoghurt have emerged as a central component of the new lifestyle phenomenon. Photo: QQ.com

Women are being drawn to a range of products, from tank tops and yoga pants to backpacks and thermos, indicating a shift towards a more relaxed and comfortable way of life.

Central to the food component of the trend is the yoghurt bowl.

This involves filtering Greek yoghurt overnight to create a dry and thick yoghurt cube, then combining it with nuts, cereals and low-sugar fruits like blueberries, creating a dish rich in protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and fats.

The “white women aesthetic” first gained popularity on Western social media.

Influencers in the US frequently share their daily routines on TikTok, showcasing their lives in tidy, luminous houses where they often start their day drinking water from a Stanley thermos, dress in popular influencer-branded outfits, make lattes on pricey kitchen countertops and prepare bowls of yoghurt and oatmeal.

Fitness blogger Da Mengli was among the first influencers in China to popularise yoghurt bowls on Douyin, inspiring others like Juanzi to follow suit.

Da Mengli often wears tank tops to show off her muscles in her home, which has under-floor heating, while Juanzi’s similar style tops expose non-toned shoulders and her cold, unheated home in southern China.

While in Da Mengli’s videos she is seen standing up while eating in a Western-style marble kitchen, Juanzi can be seen in plastic slippers while doing the same.

However, one online observer pointed out some problems with the new aesthetic.

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However, some online observers say different living conditions and dietary habits in China can make adapting to the “white women aesthetic” difficult. Photo: Shutterstock

“In a shared apartment, it’s impossible to replicate the feel of a suburban villa. A worker with a monthly salary of 8,000 yuan (US$1,120) can’t wake up at 6am for skincare and exercise.

“This is especially the case when they need to catch the early subway. Also, eating oatmeal yoghurt bowls every meal would upset a Chinese stomach.”

A third person said: “So many people don’t really know what lifestyle they truly enjoy, they just follow trends blindly.”



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