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Anusara Founder in the Spotlight

February 10, 2012

Last Friday, February 3, news spread through the yoga community about an anonymously published website, on which Anusara Yoga founder John Friend was accused of sexual and financial improprieties, among other things. The site was taken down shortly thereafter.

Friend has since admitted, in a written response to questions posed by Elephant Journal, to having sexual relationships with some of his students and employees.

Anusara Yoga also provided to Elephant Journal documents to back up the assertion that it corrected alleged problems with its pension plan. A document provided to Elephant says Anusara Yoga discontinued contributions to its pension plan, then reinstated them after learning that the law required the organization to give employees proper notice of the change.

Meanwhile, five prominent, senior teachers have left Anusara Yoga since November 2011, some citing unnamed differences with the organization. Some teachers who remain actively involved in Anusara Yoga are asking for the leadership of the organization to move out of Friend’s hands and into those of a board of directors.

We have requested an interview with Friend, who was on a plane and unavailable on Friday. Friend has long been a member of Yoga Journal’s editorial advisory board and a frequent presenter at Yoga Journal Conferences.

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Giants, Madonna Prep for Super Bowl with Yoga

February 8, 2012

The Super Bowl is always exciting for football fans–and Sunday night’s game was no exception.  But it turns out, the most exciting sporting event of the year for football fans also offered a lot of excitement, and maybe inspiration, for yoga enthusiasts, too.

Before the big game, Gwen Lawrence, the official yoga teacher to the New York Giants, shared the players’ favorite poses with Fox News. It’s no surprise that players favor poses that help them with the physical challenges necessitated by the positions they play. Yoga also helps players cope with pre-game anxiety, Lawrence said.  Of course, it worked out for them in the end as they came away with the big win.

But the Giants weren’t the only ones who brought their yoga mats to Indianapolis to prepare for the big day. Madonna, the longtime yoga student who is known for her toned yoga body at 53 years old, used yoga to train for her halftime show performance. According to US Magazine, she even had a hydraulic yoga mat installed in her hotel room. We’re not exactly sure what that is or how hydraulics would enhance the practice, but we were impressed by Madonna’s moves—and we love that she credits her yoga practice!

Does yoga help you perform better? Do you use your practice to prepare for the biggest moments in your life?

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See Yourself In Yoga Journal

February 6, 2012

If you’ve ever flipped through the pages of Yoga Journal and thought to yourself, “I could totally do that!” or “I sure would like to see more people who look like me represented here,” now is your chance!

Yoga Journal’s second annual Talent Search is now underway, which means you’ll have the opportunity to inspire the yoga community by putting yourself in the running to be a model for an upcoming YJ issue. But even if you’ve never wanted to be in a magazine you can still participate–by casting a vote, you let everyone know what kinds of images inspire you and best represent your yoga practice.

You have until March 30 to get your image up if you want to be put in the running to be in the magazine. Then, let your voice be heard April 2-17 by voting for your favorite photo. Five finalists will be announced on April 23 and will win new yoga gear from Athleta. The grand-prize winner will be featured in the October 2012 issue of Yoga Journal.

Get all the details here.

In the meantime, we want you to tell us: What types of images inspire your practice?

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Yoga and Willpower

February 3, 2012

woman drinking water after exerciseFor those of us that are surrounded by unhealthy options on a daily basis (from junk food to sedentary evenings in front of the TV), it can take enormous willpower to make more healthful choices. The good news for yogis is that your practice can help.

“Yoga’s combination of slow, focused breathing, moderate physical effort and heart rate, and balanced autonomic nervous system, shifting the brain and body into this ‘willpower’ state,’” explains Kelly McGonigal, PhD, a psychologist, yoga teacher, and author of the new book The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It. “Yoga teaches you how to embody willpower, so we’re less likely to respond to every challenge with a stress response.”

How does it work? Stress puts your body and mind into “fight-or-flight” mode, which causes you to respond to challenges impulsively and seek immediate gratification (think food, alcohol, online spending sprees). Yoga, on the other hand, helps you manage stress, which lets you reflect and plan before you make a decision.

Over time, yoga practices—especially mediation—actually train the brain for better focus and self control. Studies show that regular practice makes the “willpower” systems of the brain bigger, better connected, and more efficient, McGonigal says.

So people who practice yoga regularly over time find it easier to make more calculated decisions that can help them in all areas of their lives, including making healthier choices.

Have you noticed any difference in your willpower or decision-making skills since you began practicing yoga?

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San Francisco Airport Gets Yoga Room

February 1, 2012

Yoga room sign at San Francisco International Airport.

Passengers will be able to find the studio via logos placed throughout the terminal.

Airports are notoriously stressful. From the security lines to flight delays, just getting from Point A to Point B is often enough to send cause even the calmest of travelers to unravel.

It doesn’t have to be this way—at least not if you’ve got a layover at San Francisco International Airport.

SFO just opened a the nation’s first airport yoga room, a dedicated studio for travelers to unroll their mats, unwind, meditate, stretch, or just be. The room is located in the heralded Terminal 2, a new section of the airport housing Virgin America and American Airlines, that was designed for sustainability and features locally sourced and healthful food vendors, among other decidedly California concessions.  “When we began to remodel Terminal 2, one of our goals was not just to bring the glamour back to air travel, but to also make the entire experience less stressful and more enjoyable,” said Airport Director John L. Martin. A yoga practitioner for 18 years, Martin told KNTV’s Bob Redell that the idea came from a passenger’s suggestion.

The room is painted a soothing blue and has a floating wall (that “symbolizes a buoyant spirit and enlightened mind,” according to a press release), and Zen garden-inspired felt rocks will be added in the spring.

It sure does beat trying to squeeze in a pose or two in a very public lobby in front of your gate. We hope airports across the country will follow suit.

Would you use a yoga room at an airport?

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Chopra Center Co-Founder Dies

January 31, 2012

David Simon

David Simon, M.D., who co-founded the Chopra Center of Well-Being with Deepak Chopra in 1996, died Tuesday.

“David has been my friend, partner, teacher, trusted colleague, and younger brother for more than 20 years. He has touched my heart, influenced the way I think, and expanded my spirit,” Chopra said in a press release. “David approached life from a place of pure potentiality and unlimited possibilities. His wisdom, courage, and love will continue to inspire all of us for decades to come.”

Simon was diagnosed with  glioblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer, in June 2010. In a press release issued at the time, he said:

“I feel an enormous amount of love for my family, friends, and this fragile, beautiful planet. If I could convey a single message, it would be to tell the people in your life that you love them right now. I’ve shared the final days with patients moving through their transition, and time and again they say to me, “It’s all about love. It’s always been about love. Love is the only thing that’s real.”

Simon, a board-certified neurologist, began exploring traditional healing systems early on in his medical career, searching for alternatives to “a medical paradigm that the viewed the body as a physical machine and generally rejected the connection between the mind and the body,” according to the Center.

A longtime meditation practitioner, he was drawn to the ancient wisdom traditions of India, Tibet, and China, encouraged by the way in which they combined the concept of body, mind, and spirit into a definition of a health as something more than just the absence of disease, but as a state of well-being and vitality.

In his book The Wisdom of Healing, Simon wrote about meeting a vaidya (Ayurvedic doctor), who greatly influenced his path.

“More than an expert on health, he seemed to be a living representative of a healthy person, balanced in body, mind, and spirit,” he wrote. “In this man, I saw the possibility that a physician could be more than a technical master of pathology—a doctor could guide his patients to health through his actions, words, and being.”

Simon went on to become recognized as an expert in Ayurveda and its sister science, yoga, which, along with meditation, formed the basis for the health program at the Chopra Center. As a pioneer in mind-body medicine, Simon received one of the first National Institutes of Health grants to study the integration of mind-body approaches into health care; trained thousands of physicians, nurses, and health-care providers; and brought integrated mind-body medical programs to medical institutions, health centers, educational institutions, and health resorts throughout the world.

Simon also wrote many popular books on health and well-being, including the best-selling guide Free to Love, Free to Heal: Heal Your Body by Healing Your Emotions.

The Chopra Center has created a lovely tribute video Remembering David Simon and established a webpage for tributes and wishes from friends and the public.

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Amy Ippoliti Leaves Anusara

January 30, 2012

Amy Ippoliti Last week, Amy Ippoliti became the fourth in a series of Anusara teachers to break with the popular school founded by John Friend. Her departure announcement comes after teachers Elena Brower, Darren Rhodes, and Christina Sell all declared their independence from the Anusara pack in November.

“I have found myself no longer in alignment with the direction of the organization,” Ippoliti wrote on her blog.

Ippoliti, who is based in Colorado but who has been traveling internationally teaching Anusara Yoga, hasn’t expanded upon her decision, but so much change in Anusara community recently has left many wondering if there’s not more to the story.

Reactions to Ippoliti have been mixed. Comments on her blog were mostly supportive and offered congratulations, but there were some that expressed disappointment and confusion about why so many teachers are leaving the organization.

“I am disappointed and saddened with this current upheaval and feeling loss of community,” wrote commenter S.M. “It only leaves us to guess: what could Anusara be doing that’s no longer in alignment with something you and thousands of your students have invested in? We invested in you to teach us Anusara. Who’s next? I’m now afraid to sign up for anyone’s trainings.”

Does the recent chain of events change your opinion on Anusara?

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Yoga Keeps Bull Rider Steady

January 25, 2012

cowboy yogaWe all know yoga can help us manage stress, increase mindfulness, and even improve some medical conditions. But you don’t often hear about how yoga can benefit the practice of something like … bull riding.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram recently quoted Tate Stratton, a professional bull rider, as he told a group of kids at a rodeo camp that yoga has helped him stay calm in the ring and ultimately be a better rider. (Don’t tell that to the organizers of San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, which positions itself as the anti-yoga activity in a recent commercial!)

Stratton, who has also tried ballet, started doing yoga with his wife and realized that it was more beneficial than stretching alone. “Yoga, like any physical workout, is a good release of energy,” Stratton told Buzz. “It allows you to focus your mind, body, and energy towards some kind of goal–whether that be as an athlete or better health in general.”

“The breathing techniques are also beneficial and allow you to learn how to control your body’s tension,” he added. And that calmness can rub off on the animals, he says—which we can only assume is extremely important when you’re trying to stay aboard a bucking bull for 8 seconds.

Margaret Burns Vap, a yoga teacher who leads yoga and horseback riding retreats in Montana, isn’t at all surprised that yoga benefits someone in the rodeo.  Yoga can help people with both the physical and emotional balance it takes to be present with and ride an animal, she says.

“At Cowgirl Yoga, we practice hip openers to address the physical aspects of riding, and heart openers to address the emotional aspects of connecting with a horse,” she said. “It’s not just about being physically open; through yoga, we teach how to be emotionally open, and experience how that deepens the horse-human connection.”

Now, no matter how you feel about rodeos, you have to admit that it’s interesting how yoga helps people from all walks of life. What unusual environment have you seen yoga used?

 

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Equinox Responds to Video Uproar

January 20, 2012

equinox videoThe latest viral yoga video to hit YouTube isn’t a hilarious spoof about the practice—it’s of someone demonstrating awe-inspiring asanas in a beautiful room set to beautiful music. In fact, there seems to be only one thing that sets this video apart from thousands of other videos posted to YouTube—the yogini in this video is wearing her underwear.

If case you haven’t contributed to the 2 million (and counting) page views the video has received since it was posted earlier this month, go ahead and take a look.

Critics have taken aim at yoga teacher/model Briohny Kate Smyth and fitness chain Equinox, who created the video, saying that the sexualized message the video sends isn’t what yoga is all about. Last week Smyth responded to the criticism in an interview with Kathryn Budig, who has herself been the center of a similar controversy for her racy images in ToeSox ads. Yoga helped Smyth to overcome an eating disorder and gain confidence in her body. “It felt incredibly liberating to be confident in my own skin,” she said of the experience.

The video was not intended to be an ad campaign for Equinox, but an editorial  video showcasing Smyth’s amazing arm balances for Equinox’s Q Blog, which provides editorial content to inspire members and potential members, explained Equinox’s Editorial Manager Liz Miersch. In fact, the initial idea was for a how-to video giving tips on arm balances. But as they shot the video, what Miersch saw was so inspiring and beautiful, she made the decision to change directions and just show Smyth’s practice.

Of course, Smyth would have been as inspiring and beautiful if she’d worn yoga clothes in a different setting. The intention was to emphasize Smyth’s physique, but it was also to inspire others to practice yoga. “Equinox is not afraid to be sexy, as you can see in our ad campaigns,” said Miersch. “We like to be provocative, but provocative with a purpose–she’s not just walking around in her underwear in the video, but she’s showing her amazing, strong, yoga body.”

What do you think of the video? Does hearing the story behind it change your opinion of it at all?

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Chopra Center Gets into the Yoga Market

January 19, 2012

Chopra Yoga Center VancouverTapping into an internationally recognized name in mind-body wellness, a group of Vancouver, Canada, based investors have partnered with the Chopra Center to open what we’re told will be “many” yoga studios throughout North America.

The first Chopra Yoga Center opened in Vancouver last month.

The state-of-the-art facility sits in a former bank, and boasts three floors with 22-foot ceilings, a 8,000-square-foot yoga studio, a meditation room, an organic restaurant, and more.

A variety of yoga and fitness classes are offered, including foundational yoga asana classes and meditation instruction; vinyasa, power, and restorative classes; and hybrid classes like Yoga Barre, ChoFit (a cardio class), and HipHop Yoga, and Hot Yin. According to studio director Danielle Mika Nagel, what sets Chopra Yoga apart in the robust Vancouver yoga-studio market, is its focus on meditation, including Breath Flow classes that pair asana with mindful breathing and meditation.  “We’re bringing meditation into the asana classes,” she says.

“I think there’s a shift happening,” she adds. “People are are more interested in quieting the mind.”

(Unfortunately, we’re told that there won’t be classes using Deepak Chopra’s popular Wii and XBox meditation game Leela!)

According to Chopra Center Chief Operating Officer Sara Harvey, the decision to partner with Canadian investors came about when the group presented a plan that “embodied and expressed a passion for Chopra Center teachings.”

While the yoga studios will operate independently, the center “provides the model and guides the direction of the yoga centers [in regards to] yoga, meditation, and the Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga,” she said.

This isn’t the first time that the Chopra Center has lent its name and programming guidance. In 2011, it partnered with Paradise Valley Wellness Centre in Squamish, BC, to create a residential addiction treatment center based on the principles outlined in the book “Freedom from Addiction,” by Chopra Center co-founders Deepak Chopra, MD, and David Simon, MD.

“The Chopra Center continuously evaluates additional expansion opportunities that allow us to fulfill our mission as a global source for balance, healing, transformation, and the expansion of awareness,” Harvey said.

The Chopra Center, a health and lifestyle resort in Carlsbad, California, was founded in 1996. In addition to health services that blend Ayurvedic medicine, meditation, and yoga instruction with lifestyle and nutrition counseling, it operates teacher training through its Chopra University, and hosts shows on mind-body wellness topics on Chopra Radio on the Hay House satellite radio network.

 

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