|
|
On June 22nd, a group of yogis rolled out their mats on both sides of the fence that separates Tijuana, Mexico, and San Diego. "The international group stretched and meditated together before exchanging hugs through the fence bars," reports the Associated Press. "The session was organized by the Border Meetup Group, which promotes cross-border understanding by staging social events on the divided beach." Did anyone participate? What do you think about using yoga "to make friends across cultural, political, societal, even emotional barriers?"
Well, if you are reading this, you probably already have joined the yoga health revolution. But if you sign up at yogamonth.org, you can receive an eNews bulletin. What's yoga month? "Yoga Month is a year-round campaign and will peak Sept. 2008 with the 10 City Yoga Health Festival Tour and with millions of health & social conscious individuals practicing yoga at thousands of yoga studios and homes around the world." Many yoga studios and teachers have already promised to participate. To find an event near you, visit http://yogamonth.org/event/index.php. Tickets are as little as $25. Does this interest you?
No, it's not a movie about a bunch of nerdy yogis. It's the "long-awaited sequel to last year's SB Dance's 'Yoga the Musical,'" writes Scott Iwasaki of the Deseret News. (See my post on June 29, 2007 re: "Yoga the Muscial.") "Revenge of Yoga" opened on June 5 and can be seen at Salt Lake City's Rose Wagner Center on June 13, 14 and 15. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, 'Revenge' is a new-and-expanded version of the last year's satirical that follows Jackti, a good yogi who tries to stop Danny a bad yogi who hatches an evil plan to monopolize yoga. Anyone out there seen this year or last year's show?
According to Hollywood Today, Hindu leaders are more upset than ever about the upcoming release of the Mike Myers comedy "The Love Guru." (See my posts on 3/10 and 4/30.) They are urging Paramount Pictures to "immediately issue a study guide about Hinduism and the sacred tradition of the Guru confirming to Hindu scriptures, post it on the official websites of Paramount, Viacom and 'The Love Guru' and make it available free of costs in printed form at the movie theatres worldwide." Good idea or overkill? (You can view the movie's trailer on YouTube.)
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will hold its first annual Yoga Week from May 19 to May 23 at its headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland. This five-day event is for NIH employees but also open to the public—and free! Participants will learn about the benefits of yoga and also have a chance to take classes. Teachers who will be at the event include Alan Finger, John Schumacher, and Judith Lyon. For more info, visit http://does.ors.od.nih.gov/fitness/yogaWeek.htm. Are you surprised to see the government embracing yoga?
As Earth Day approaches (April 22), I encourage you to check out the Green Yoga Association (www.greenyoga.org). Its goal is "to build community among those of us who are passionate about Yoga and caring for the Earth. We believe that the Yoga community has great potential to create positive change." Their Earth Day retreat begins at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, continues for 15 miles on the Bay Trail, and will "honor the earth in the true Yoga tradition - through meditation, education, reflection and community." What are your Earth Day plans?
Experienced yoga teachers needed for the V-Day event at the Superdome in New Orleans, April 11 and 12. See my post on March 26 for event details.
Urban Zen Foundation has been asked to participate by creating the Wellbeing Lounge which will treat up to 10,000-20,000 women who have been affected by Hurricane Katrina. Urban Zen is looking for
experienced yoga teachers (i.e., at least 10 years of teaching and/or RYT 500 hours) who can assist in the Wellbeing Lounge by providing 15-minute one-on-one yoga sessions focusing on restorative yoga, meditation, and breath awareness.
Please e-mail Lisa Stewart (lisas@yeeyoga.com) if you are interested in participating. Provide a brief overview of your yoga training, who you studied with, and your experience in teaching yoga and working with students one-on-one.
The third annual DC Yoga Week will take place April 12 - 18. Participating studios will offer at least one free class and daily $5 classes, along with discounts on additional classes, class packages, and yoga merchandise. In addition, Yoga on the Mall will take place on April 13 at the North East quadrant of the Washington Monument grounds between 1 and 4 p.m. There will be two free classes, from 1-2 p.m. and 2-3:30 p.m. For more info, visit www.dcyogaweek.com.
VDAY was created 10 years ago by Eve Ensler, author of "The Vagina Monologues," to help stop violence against women and girls. This year, VDAY will take place on April 12 and feature international performances of "The Vagina Monologues," music, and more. It's being held at the Superdome and yoga classes will run every hour in the Yoga Suite, a 15,000 square foot room within the Superdome. For more information, visit www.vday.org.
In effort to raise awareness and funds for VDAY, Bindu Yoga Studio, located at 5913 South Dixie Hwy, Suite G, West Palm Beach, FL, will be hosting an event on March 28 at 7pm featuring a screening of the documentary Until the Violence Stops, refreshments, and a silent auction. For more information, visit www.bindu-studio.com.
A construction worker buried alive for two hours in Ningbo, China, survived by meditating and slowing his breathing. Wang Jianxin, a buddhist, should have died within five minutes, reports the U.K. paper the Mirror. "I knew the air wouldn't last, so I made myself relax and concentrated on my breathing by meditation," says Jianxin. "It was very still and quiet down there. I was surprised at how easy it was to focus my mind and achieve inner calm, even though I believed I was facing death." Do you know anyone who has overcome a grave situation via meditation?
Poet-yogis Kazim Ali, Susan Brennan, and Jeff Davis will discuss how yoga has influenced their poetry and informed their practice of conscious activism during the Split This Rock Poetry Festival in Washington, D.C. on March 20-23. For more information on the panel, called the "Yogic Path to Poetry and Conscious Action," visit www.splitthisrock.org.
Yogis Jason Magness, Sam Salwei, and Paul Cassedy of Team YogaSlackers have begun their attempt to cross the entire state of North Dakota using only the wind. In 21 days, the three will snowkite more than 390 miles to promote the wind energy potential of North Dakota. The expedition, named To Cross the Moon Expedition (2XtM), began at the Canadian border near Crosby, N.D. on Feb. 11 and will end with community celebrations in Fargo and Grand Forks Feb. 29 - March 3. For more information, visit http://2xtm.com/.
Feeling the mid-winter blues? Here are a few events to get you off the couch. (Not that you've been on the couch. You've been hanging on your yoga mat, right?)
Anne Lamott, author of the bestsellers Traveling Mercies, Operating Instructions, and Bird by Bird, will be reading from her new book, Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith. Click here for her touring schedule.
Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, will be joining Anne Lamott for two nights of conversation. Click here for more info.
Author and meditation teacher Sylvia Boorstein will be reading from her new book, Happiness is an Inside Job. Click here for her schedule.
The Jivamukti Yoga Center in New York is hosting its second annual muscial tribute to George Harrison on Feburary 24. Click here for more info.
A university student center that incorporates both ancient design principles of Vedic architecture and environmentally friendly features will open its doors at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, on February 1. The $7.5 million Argiro Student Center boasts two dining halls, a banquet room, cafe, lounge, 300-seat auditorium, bookstore, mailroom, and offices for student-related activities. For more on the building and Vedic architecture, visit www.mum.edu.
. . . 2008 Bishnu Ghosh Cup, the Bikram yoga championship. This annual event will take place in Los Angeles at the LAX Westin on February 1-3. Regional finishers will compete for the U.S. title, and there will be an international competition on the last day. For more information, visit www.bikramyoga.com.
January 26, Yoga Day USA, is a good day to celebrate your practice. It's also a great day to get a friend more interested in yoga. Yoga Alliance created Yoga Day USA in 1999 to raise awareness about yoga's benefits by offering free or low cost workshops across the country. To find a Yoga Day USA workshop near you, visit www.yogadayusa.org/Locate.cfm.
Join Metta Journeys' inaugural trip to Rwanda May 3-11, 2008 with yoga teachers Sarah Powers, Janice Gates, and Chandra Easton. Daily yoga and meditation classes will be offered along with the opportunity to visit sacred sites and meet women who have played an instrumental part in rebuilding and bringing peace to their country after the 1994 genocide. A portion of the trip price will be donated to Women for Women International to support their work with the women of Rwanda. This trip is limited to 20 participants so some advance planning is in order. For more information, visit www.mettajourneys.com, email deepak@mettajourneys.com, or call 888-886-2425.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama is scheduled to speak about "Engaging Wisdom and Compassion" at the University of Michigan on April 19th and 20th. The two-day educational program will be held in conjunction with a public talk on environmental issues presented on April 20th by the University of Michigan in celebration of Earth Day. Tickets went on sale on 12/10. For more information, visit www.dalailamaannarbor.com.
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 Yoga Health Foundation, has announced "Yoga Month 092008," a grassroots, community-based global campaign to educate people about the health benefits of yoga. The organization has planned a year-round program that will peak September 2008 with millions of health and social conscious individuals practicing yoga at thousands of yoga studios, parks and homes around the globe. For more information, visit www.yogamonth.org. Do you think this will gain momentum?
The Global Mala Project will be spearheading worldwide events in support of United Nations International Day of Peace, September 21-23. The project's mission is to raise awareness of and funds for the world's most pressing issues, such as global warming, AIDS and children refugees of war.
The Los Angeles Convention Center will serve as the international epicenter and locale of a 14- hour event on September 22. Other U.S. events will be happening in New York at Jivamukti, in Chicago on Michigan Avenue, and in Texas at Arlington Stadium. Participating countries include Australia, Israel, Tibet, India and Japan. For more information on how to get involved, visit www.globalmala.org.
Christy Turlington, Russell Simmons, Sting and Donna Karan are participating in the Global Mala Project, an international effort that uses yogic events to raise awareness and funds for global causes on the United Nations' International Day of Peace (Sept. 21), by going vegan for the day. According to the United Nations, the waste emissions from animals raised for food contributes more to global warming than all the car and truck emissions in the world. How many of you are vegan or vegetarian? Why did you decide to eliminate animal products from your diet?
Here's something almost all of us could use: a day reminding us to reduce stress. No Stress Day, on September 29, was created to encourage people to participate in relaxing activities . . . or even better, do nothing at all! If you want to go beyond vegging out, you can help spread the relaxing vibes: yoga teachers, massage therapists, or anyone who provides life balancing services can offer a one day special No Stress Day discount in return for a listing. For more information, visit www.nostressday.com.
The Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival in Idaho will be held September 14-16 at The Sun Valley Opera House and the Liberty Theatre. Festival passes are available for $108. Films up for awards include "Buddha's Lost Children," "Heart of a Soul Surfer," and "Yoga Noga Reyoga." For more information, visit www.svspiritualfilmfestival.org.
Swami Ramdev, who has a large following in India and is best known for teaching pranayama, is holding six-day "yoga camp" at the Alexandra Palace in London from July 27 to August 1. More than 4,000 people are scheduled to attend. Georgie Wolfinden, founder of glowgetter.co.uk, said: "It will be the biggest ever yoga event in the UK. It will be amazing."
If you missed celebrating last week's summer solstice with a 108 sun salutations, here's a second chance. On June 30, Project 108 will bring together participating studios, yogis, and online donors to help raise money for Iraqi children who have lost a parent in the war. The main event will take place in New York's Central Park. For more information, visit www.project-108.org. Why 108? For starters, the average distance of the Sun and the Moon to Earth is 108 times their respective diameters. For more on the significance of 108, see page 123 of the June issue of Yoga Journal.
Viva Iyengar! From July 9th to the 15th, 54 yoga instructors (including 35 senior Iyengar teachers) from around the world will convene at the Santa Clara Convention Center in California to celebrate B. K. S. Iyengar and offer instruction to students of all levels. The list of teachers is a veritable who's who of yoga: Judith Hanson Lasater, Beryl Bender Birch, Seane Corn, Lilias Folan, Gary Kraftsow, David Life, Ramanand Patel, Shiva Rea and Rodney Yee, to name a few. Virtually all have at some time studied with Mr. Iyengar. For more information, visit www.yogacharya.org.
|
|
|
Liability insurance and benefits to support teachers and studios.
Learn More »
|
|
Yoga Journal Presents:
Stay Inspired all year long with the 2008 Yoga Journal Wall Calendar – only $13.95
Buy Now »
|
|
Prizes include a spa vacation in Vermont,
a stained-glass window depicting the seven energy centers of the body,
Yoga DVDs, a yoga vacation in San Francisco and more...
Enter Now »
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
