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Dahn yoga has been in the news for the past couple of years since a woman died during its master training. According to Wikipedia, Dahn yoga is a Korean yoga system founded by Ilchi Lee. Dahn teachings are said to place equal emphasis on physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. It has been labeled as a cult by some due to the high cost of Dahn membership and accusations of "suppression of individuality." Followers praise Dahn yoga for helping them with a number of physical ailments. Does anyone have any experience with Dahn yoga?
The shopping season has begun, but some yogis I know are donating money in lieu of gifts this year. I will be writing checks to the three organizations below. What are some of your favorite charities?
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital: This is where doctors around the world send their toughest pediatric cases (mostly cancer). Families don't pay for treatment beyond what is covered by insurance, and those without insurance are never asked to pay.
The Smile Train: This organization provides free cleft surgery for millions of poor children in developing countries. They also train local doctors and medical professionals.
The Food Bank for New York City: The Food Bank helps provide 250,000 free meals a day for New Yorkers who otherwise would go hungry or not eat enough, who are largely comprised of women and children, the elderly, people with disabilities, and the working poor.
February 3 is World Yoga Day, an international fundraising event in which yoga teachers and centers around the world donate their time and space to a two-hour yoga session. The session will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (local time). Students attending the event can donate whatever tuition they choose. All proceeds will go to Amnesty International. (Last year, proceeds went to help women in Afghanistan.) Visit www.world-yoga-day.net to find a participating studio in your neighborhood, or, if you are a yoga teacher or studio owner, to add your name to the list.
The New York Times reported last Wednesday that it had commissioned a laboratory test of a Lululemon shirt made of VitaSea, a fabric supposedly made from seaweed, and found "there was no significant difference in mineral levels between the VitaSea fabric and cotton T-shirts." Then, on Friday, after Canadian regulators contacted the company, Lululemon agreed to remove all claims of therapeutic benefits from its VitaSea clothes sold in Canada. According to product tags, VitaSea "releases marine amino acids, minerals and vitamins into the skin upon contact with moisture." However, the Canadian Press agency reports that "Lululemon Athletica Inc. says new independent tests conducted as recently as Wednesday night confirm the content of the VitaSea product line to be 'consistent with the garment care and content labels.'" I'm all for being honest about the content of natural products, but I wonder if the Times was being 100 percent ethical since it admits that it "commissioned its test after an investor who is shorting Lululemon’s stock—betting that its price will fall" tipped off reporters. Thoughts?
What do you think of The Secret? If you don't know what The Secret is, it's basically a self-help book and DVD that claims you’re responsible for your own reality. Oprah has gotten behind this book and some people have lauded her, others have bashed her (see Peter Birkenhead’s article. Writes Birkenhead: “On Page 23 of The Secret you’ll find this revealing doozy: ‘Meditation quiets the mind, helps you control your thoughts.’ Of course, the goal of meditation is precisely the opposite—it is to be conscious, to observe your thoughts honestly and clearly. But that’s the last thing the believers want to encourage. The authors of The Secret sell ‘control’ in the form of ‘empowerment’ and ‘quiet’ in the form of belief, not consciousness.” Opinions?
YoGo24, a marathon practice and fund-raiser in support of UNICEF's Unite the Children, Unite against AIDS, began in elementary and high schools on November 7 and will continue until November 30. There is still time to get involved though because the event takes place in yoga studios from November 30 to December 1. It looks like only a handful of studios have signed up, so let your teacher know about the event next time you take a class. Visit www.yogo24.com for more information.
Looking for something a little different, or, dare I say it, bizarre? Check out these three yoga DVDs, now available from Netflix:
Yoga for Indie Rockers: Choose a practice set to indie rock, electronic or pop-punk with yoga instructor Chaos. Songs from Kevin Devine, Paulson, Jet Lag Gemini, Roses Are Red, the Bruises, Two Lone Swordsmen, House of Fools, Dillinger Escape Plan, Crash Romeo and more.
Christoga: Ever wonder what happened to Janine Turner from the tv show "Northern Exposure?" You can find her on this Christian Yoga DVD. She has created a routine that combines hatha yoga and Christian meditation. Christian names are even given to traditional yoga poses.
Bellydance Fitness Fusion: Suhaila Salimpour will lead you in yoga-infused belly dancing for a challenging workout.
As the holiday season approaches, some yogis might be looking for alternative ways to celebrate. Many yoga retreat centers have holiday programs for those of us who don't find the mall on December 24 a turn on. Here's a sampling:
November 22 - 24: Sivananda Ashram on Paradise Island in the Bahamas is offering a Thanksgiving sacred song and chant retreat with Deva Premal and Miten. Visit www.my-yoga.net for more info.
December 21-26: Celebrate "Christmas with Your Spiritual Family" at the Ananda Assisi ashram in
the Umbrian hills of Italy. www.ananda.it
Dec 26-31: You can practice with veteran teacher Todd Norian at Kripalu in Lenox, Mass., if you sign up for the Holiday Anusara Yoga Retreat. Other programs taking place at the same time include a Children's Holiday Program, Finding Peace: A Holiday Meditation Retreat, and Refilling Your Well: A Self-Nurturing Retreat for the Holidays. www.kripalu.com
December 28-January 1: Friends old and new are invited to celebrate the coming of the new year at the Mount Madonna Center's New Year's Ashtanga Yoga Retreat in Watsonville, Calif. ww.mountmadonna.org
Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta have found that the addition of an eight-week course of yoga to standard medical therapy in heart failure patients improved patients' ability to exercise, lowered levels of inflammation, and boosted overall quality of life. The findings were presented at the American Heart Association sessions in Orlando. Fla., on November 5.
At yogameister.net you can not only buy backpacks, yoga bags, accessories and apparel (and a percentage of proceeds go to charity), but also play games to win prizes. To play the yogameister balance challenge, go to yogameister.net and click on the pink box in the lower right hand corner. Good luck!
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