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  1. #106
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    Slightly OT

    Yoga enthusiasts strike poses on a cliff to show they've conquered their fear of heights


    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.


    IMAGE: WANG ZHENG/IMAGINECHINA


    IMAGE: WANG ZHENG/IMAGINECHINA


    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.


    IMAGE: WANG ZHENG/IMAGINECHINA


    IMAGE: WANG ZHENG/IMAGINECHINA


    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?
    Gene Ching
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  2. #107
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    From last year, but still relevant here.

    Chinese yoga is odd.

    100 women did yoga on that vertigo-inducing glass bridge in China
    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.


    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.


    IMAGE: CHINAFOTOPRESS VIA GETTY IMAGES


    IMAGE: CHINAFOTOPRESS VIA GETTY IMAGES


    IMAGE: CHINAFOTOPRESS VIA GETTY IMAGES


    IMAGE: CHINAFOTOPRESS VIA GETTY IMAGES


    IMAGE: CHINAFOTOPRESS VIA GETTY IMAGES


    IMAGE: CHINAFOTOPRESS VIA GETTY IMAGES
    Gene Ching
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  3. #108
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    Yogi Yoga in China

    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.
    Gene Ching
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  4. #109
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    World Yoga Day jugalbandi at the Great Wall

    Maybe Jackie should have changed the name of his upcoming film to Tai Chi Yoga.

    International Day of Yoga: Yoga-Tai Chi ‘jugalbandi’ in China
    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


    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.
    Gene Ching
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  5. #110
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    Study debunks myth qigong relieves pain

    Yoga and qigong offer no relief from back pain in elderly people, German study finds
    PUBLISHED : Sunday, 03 July, 2016, 5:32pm
    UPDATED : Sunday, 03 July, 2016, 10:55pm



    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.
    Gene Ching
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  6. #111
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    I did split this Jet Li's TaijiZen International Cultural Development Company thread

    Here's the new thread:Jack Ma & Alibaba

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



    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 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.
    Gene Ching
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  7. #112
    Interesting research and discussion about Yoga and how it changed throughout the years.

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

  8. #113
    Quote Originally Posted by MightyB View Post
    Interesting research and discussion about Yoga and how it changed throughout the years.

    https://soundcloud.com/surprisinglyawesome/18-yoga
    Thanks Mighty. Great discussion. Appreciated.

  9. #114
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    Beer Yoga

    This is so dumb. Why can't we have Beer Tai Chi?

    'Beer yoga' is a thing, now, and it's going international because, well, 'Beer Yoga'


    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.


    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]
    Gene Ching
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  10. #115
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    Yupping

    O
    M
    G


    There's a vid behind this link. What a title. Never mind the TCM therapists cashing in. It's all about re-branding. $$$
    YUPPING: YOGA MEETS CUPPING IN NEW PHILADELPHIA COMBINATION CLASS
    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/
    Gene Ching
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  11. #116
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    Naked yoga

    Remember nude tai chi? Why didn't that catch on?

    '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
    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.'


    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.


    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


    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.


    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'


    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.

    Gene Ching
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  12. #117
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    International Yoga Day in China

    Beijing celebrates International Yoga Day at Great Wall of China
    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


    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.



    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. Maybe I'll do some sun salutations.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  13. #118
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    Cliff side yoga: Enthusiasts practice on mountain cliff in central China



    The Chinese take on yoga is pretty odd.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  14. #119
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    HK paddleboard yoga

    ...as if yoga isn't challenging enough on solid ground...

    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



    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.”


    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.


    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.


    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.”
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  15. #120
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    ttt for 2018!

    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)
    And you'll never guess what his favourite film is...
    By Nick Pisa for MailOnline
    UPDATED: 12:50 EST, 25 November 2011


    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.


    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.


    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
    THREAD: Exorcism
    THREAD: Harry Potter
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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