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You may have read Friday's entry about Yoga Month with some interest. But now, according to The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, September is officially National Yoga Month (just like October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month). Visit http://www.healthfinder.gov/library/nho/nho.asp?year=2008#527 for more info. How, if at all, do you think this will affect the yoga community?
According to chicagoist.com, Janet Weiss is suing yoga teacher Wendy Sadler for receiving "severe and permanent injuries" during Sadler's class at the Northbrook YMCA. Sadler allegedly "grabbed and maneuvered" Weiss in a way that caused permanent damage. Sadler trained at the Himalayan Institute in Honesdale, PA. Have you heard of any other yoga teachers being sued? Do you think it will hold up in court?
Mayor Gavin Newsom wants to occasionally close a 3 1/2-mile stretch of road in San Francisco for yoga, bicycling, jogging, and dancing. "Instead of bringing people to open space, we bring open space to people," Newsom told the San Francisco Chronicle. Newsom wants to roll out a pilot program from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on a couple of Sundays in August or September. Good idea or logistical nightmare?
One-of-a-kind yoga mat bags, decorated by more than 20 celebrities, are up for auction on eBay. All proceeds will benefit The Libby Ross Foundation, which aims to make a significant difference in the lives of women afflicted with breast cancer through support programs, research, and early detection. The auction ends on May 15th. Let us know if you make a bid!
Yogini Djoeke Van Der Werf led Beirut's first Iyengar Yoga workshop at Mont La Saade in Ain Saade on Saturday, reports The Daily Star. "For the yoga community of Lebanon this is a premier event," said Lina Shuman, the workshop's organizer. According to Shuman, Iyengar Yoga has not been formally taught in Lebanon before. The intent was to provide stress relief from local political and social tensions.
If you read my post on March 10, you know that Hindu leaders have asked to preview the Mike Myers comedy "The Love Guru" (opening on June 20). Now you can watch the movie's trailer on YouTube. And check out the movie's website, www.thegurupitka.com, complete with Mini Sutras, Words of the Week, and Yoga Poses. Funny or offensive? You be the judge.
Indians have not embraced yoga, relying instead on medicine for various illnesses, B K S Iyengar told Press Trust of India (PTI). "In India, there are more people who are drug addicts, I mean those addicted to medicines. Everybody wants to take medicines for their ailments. This is not so when compared to those in Western countries where they have taken to yoga." Do you think this is true? Does it surprise you?
A 17-year-old Lululemon customer found a hidden message after she washed a reusable bag from the yoga-wear retailer. The bag began to peel and underneath was a note on how regular aerobic exercise results in a similar high as drugs or sex, reports CTV in Canada. In an e-mailed response to CTV, the company said, "When we learned that a phrase printed on the side of our small shoppers was troublesome to some of our guests, we took the responsible step of stitching a covering over this language on the remaining bags, rather than destroying them. We subsequently heard that the language was still viewable to curious guests and last week we removed what few remaining bags we had in our stores."
This isn't the first time Lululemon has used a controversial marketing strategy: According to CTV, in 2002, to mark the opening of their second store in Vancouver, Lululemon offered a free outfit to anyone who would stand naked on the street for 30 seconds.
What do you think? Does the marketing of a product influence whether your purchase it?
The family of an Indian baby born with two faces has refused special medical treatment for the infant, saying she is the incarnation of Shakti, the Hindu goddess of power, reports Reuters. "The month-old girl suffers from what appears to be craniofacial duplication, an extremely rare congenital disorder in which part of the face is duplicated on the head." The baby has four eyes, two noses and pairs of lips.
If you are like a lot of yogis, you probably head to your local food coop or Whole Foods to buy beauty and cleaning products that seem safer for you and the environment than the ones sold at the supermarket. You may be surprised to learn that new tests of 100 natural and organic soaps, shampoos and cleansers showed that 47 had detectable levels of 1,4-dioxane, a cancer-causing chemical that is a byproduct of petrochemicals used in manufacturing, reports the Los Angeles Times. "Most traditional soaps and shampoos contain 1,4-dioxane. But the discovery that the chemical is present in many .... that are advertised as being natural, organic or 'green' comes as somewhat of a surprise.... The compound is not intentionally added to products; it is a byproduct of a process used to soften harsh detergents. It is formed when foaming agents, or surfactants, are processed with ethylene oxide or similar petrochemicals... The chemical is not listed on ingredient labels. Products most likely to contain the compound usually list polyethylene glycol or compounds with the syllables PEG, short for polyethylene glycol, -eth or -oxynol-,according to the FDA."
It seems looking for USDA-certified organic brands is a safe bet: those that were tested in the study were free of 1,4-dioxane including, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps 18-in-1 Hemp Almond Pure Castile Soap, Sensibility Soaps (Nourish brand), and TerrEssential Organic Baby Wash.
For the full list of 100 products tested, visit www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/DioxaneAlert080314.pdf.
Let me know if your favorite product contains 1,4-dioxane and if you plan to continue using it. You should know that the the FDA says the current levels of 1,4-dioxane "do not present a hazard to consumers."
A Buddha statue from the Coninx Museum in Zurich sold for $5 million at Christie's auction house in New York, reports swissinfo.ch. (There was no information on who bought the statue.) The statue is considered the most important Buddhist sculpture worldwide to be auctioned. Critics say the sale is in breach the foundation's principles. Do museums have an obligation to keep important works of art accessible to the public? Do most museums have some sort of code of ethics?
Earlier this month, the Thai government said it was "investigating claims that supposedly celibate Buddhist monks have been using a U.S.-based social networking website to flirt with women," reports the Associated Press. A watchdog group, the Network of Civilians to Protect the Nation, the Religion and the King, claims that monks are using www.hi5.com to flirt with women. A senior Culture Ministry official, Ladda Thangsupachai, said "Cyberspace can be very useful for monks," Ladda said. "But it's wrong to use it to pick up girls." Thoughts?
Often, the creators of a controversial movie allow religious groups a chance to preview the film. For example, the Catholic church screened The Passion of the Christ and The Da Vinci Code. Now, the Universal Society of Hinduism is requesting that Mike Myers' The Love Guru, which opens June 20, be shown to Hindu leaders and organizations before its release, reports Cinema Blend.
"Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion followers and a rich philosophical thought, and it should not be taken lightly," states Rajan Zed, president of the society.
Is this a reasonable request? Or is Rajan Zed being overly sensitive, as some critics have said?
On March 23, 2007, yoga teacher Paul Cortez was sentenced to 25 years to life for killing his girlfriend. Now, friends, family and others have created The Paul Cortez Defense Fund in hopes to raise $75,000 for legal representation during the appeals process. Yoga Journal received a letter from yoga teacher Glenn Tucker and mind-body wellness expert Wendy Hilsen-Bernard, which reads: "The blatant injustice of this situation in stark contrast to the beauty of this pure-hearted yogi has galvanized us to take action on his behalf." For more information, visit www.freepaulcortez.org.
An ad for a Ganesh Rudraksh pendant was banned in Britain, reports Asian Age. "The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), an independent advertising watchdog, ruled last week that the advertisement for the pendant had breached television advertising standards, which prohibit advertising for products or services within the recognised character of the occult." According to the ad, the pendant is supposed to ward off evil spirits and promote good health. The station that originally ran the ad said that wearing the pendant was "comparable to Christians wearing a cross." What do you think?
Apparel manufacturer Liz Claiborne Inc. is selling the prAna brand back to prAna's founders and Steelpoint Capital Partners for $36.5 million, reports Reuters. Liz Claiborne originally bought the prAna line in November 2005 for $34.4 million. How many of you buy stock in yoga companies? How many of you actually wear yoga clothes as opposed to random exercise pieces bought at different times and places?
Dangerous amounts of lead have been found in Ayurvedic medicines such as ghasard, a brown powder given to relieve constipation in babies, and mahayogaraj gugullu, for high blood pressure, reports the Associated Press. "In a 2004 study that found high concentrations of lead in Ayurvedic medicine, Boston University researcher Robert Saper bought 70 different Ayurvedic remedies at 30 stores within a 20-mile radius of Boston City Hall. One in five contained potentially harmful levels of lead, mercury and arsenic. In 2004, the CDC reported 12 cases of lead poisoning associated with Ayurvedic remedies in Texas, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, and California." If you are under the care of an Ayurvedic practitioner, be sure to ask about the purity of your remedy. Has anyone out there had a problem with Ayurvedic medicine?
I received this letter last night and thought it worth sharing.
An Open Letter from Jack Kornfield, Ram Dass, and Sharon Salzberg
Dear Friends,
We are writing to ask your support for two beloved friends of ours, Stephen and Ondrea Levine. They are currently facing significant difficulty. After a life-time of giving, they are now at a time to receive from those of us whose lives have been touched by their presence and teaching.
Their greatest needs are financial. Ondrea has Leukemia and the costs of her insurance and treatment have used up their savings. Stephen's health is not good either, and he is too frail to travel or teach. When we heard about this, we felt moved to contribute to a fund set up for them, and to encourage others to do the same.
Stephen and Ondrea have been among our generation's most important teachers, demonstrating and encouraging others to embrace the power of love and generosity. For three years, they ran a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week free phone line for those dying or in need of support. When the phone bills got too high, they sold their house to keep the project going. For decades they regularly corresponded with thousands people who were seeking spiritual guidance, giving freely to those in need, many of whom were sick or in the final years of their life.
The circle has now come around, allowing us the opportunity to give to these two life-long givers. We hope to raise several hundred thousand dollars in small and large donations to help them through this time.
Caring for friends and teachers is an essential part of any spiritual life. As we age, spiritual friends are more important than ever. Stephen and Ondrea have been dear spiritual friends to us and to thousands of others through their books, workshops, and correspondence.
If you are one of these people and are moved to give, below are three ways to donate to the Levine Fund at Bread for the Journey. Bread for the Journey informs us that donations are tax deductible.
With gratitude and love,
Jack Kornfield, Ram Dass, and Sharon Salzberg
Mail: Send to: Bread for the Journey, 267 Miller Ave., Mill Valley, California 94941. In the letter, please enclose a note indicating that your gift is for the Stephen and Ondrea Levine Fund and in the note section of your check write "Levine Fund." In honor of the immeasurable gifts Stephen and Ondrea have given to the family of the earth, Bread for the Journey has generously offered to manage the fund with 100% of your donation going to the Levine Fund.
Online: click here and designate the donation to the Levine Fund: http://www.justgive.org/giving/donate.jsp?charityId=3583&isRecurring.
Phone: call 415-383-4600 with a credit card number.
For questions and other means of giving, contact SorenGordhamer@gmail.com.
According to Fox News, the world's two largest armies, China and India, exchanged training in kung fu and yoga in a mission codenamed "Hand in Hand." The Indian army instructors trained the Chinese soldiers in pranayama and various asanas, which were difficult at first for the Chinese soldiers, because, reportedly, they are not flexible. Chinese soldiers presented "Hard Qigong," a form of deep-breathing training that involves having bricks smashed on their heads with sledgehammers. Ouch!
The World Hindu Council of America is going to try to persuade Indian-American hotels and motel owners to place copies of Bhagvad Gita in rooms, according to the Times of India. It was unclear if this was in addition to or instead of the Bible. Do you think this will have any impact on America's understanding of Hinduism?
Religious and political officials from India's eastern state of Orissa have written to the Indian government and the U.S. embassy seeking action against California-based cafepress.com for selling intimate apparel imprinted with Hindu deities. The protesters are seeking an apology and the cessation of sales of the offending items. Should the company stop selling the apparel?
On January 28, the New Mexico State Senate will open to the sound of Sanskrit mantras. Rajan Zed will recite from the Rig Veda and Bhagavad Gita. After first reading in Sanskrit, he will deliver the English translation of the prayer. Do you know of any other state senate that has done something similar?
According to the Associated Press, the House approved a bill preventing Myanmar's rubies and jade from entering the U.S. The bill is in addition to already tough sanctions against the ruling military regime that killed peaceful protesters and Buddhist monks in September. Do you think sanctions will work? What else can we do?
The Hindu American Foundation has organized a letter writing campaign against the destruction of Hindu temples by Malaysian state government officials. A protest march was scheduled for November 25 in Kuala Lumpur but, according to Reuters, organizers of the event were arrested on November 23. For more information or to send a letter of protest, visit www.hinduamericanfoundation.org/campaigns_malaysia_temples.htm.
About 7,500 evacuees of the California wildfire went to Qualcomm Stadium where they were not only given cots, tents, water and food, but arts and crafts for children, crisis counseling, meditation, yoga, acupuncture, and AA meetings for adults. This has caused many to say that similar treatment should have been offered to the 24,000 people seeking refuge at the Superdome after New Orleans flooded. Thoughts?
Yoga guru Swami Ramdev is against sex education in schools saying that it leads "children towards crime."
"Sex education has been dragging the children towards crime and if this situation continued, they would become dreaded criminals," he said during a recent press conference. According to Ramdev, children should take yoga lessons rather than sex ed. Does this make sense to you?
Many viewers of the reality series "Survivor: Exile Island" became fascinated with Aras Baskauskas and his apparent love of yoga. Aras junkies are in luck: on November 30, his 90-minute yoga DVD, "Yoga for Health and Wellness," will be released. Aras, who lives in Southern California, currently teaches yoga at Shaktis Elements and Power Yoga in Santa Monica, and Maha Yoga in Brentwood. For more info on Aras's practice, visit www.yogawitharas.com. For more info on his new DVD, visit www.trpyoga.com. Anyone already study with Baskauskas or plan to buy the DVD?
Last weekend, nearly 50 people gathered in Savannah's Forsyth Park for a Yoga for Peace event. Yoga instructor Ann Carroll, director of Yoga for Peace in Savannah, said the annual event began in New York City in 2002, the year after the terrorist attacks. Participants practiced 108 Sun Salutations, or chants, and several other exercises to send their wish for peace into the world. Savannah-area yogis were joined by their counterparts in 19 other cities, from Tokyo to Reykjavik to Dili, in East Timor. Did anyone do anything special on 9/11 this year?
A Mommy and Me yoga class has been banned from two church halls in England. Louise Woodcock, who was looking for a new home for her Yum Yum Yoga class, was turned away by vicars who described yoga as a sham and un-Christian. In the U.S., some Christians believe yoga, especially meditation, "can be spiritually damaging" while others have created something called "Christian Yoga." Do you think yoga is a Hindu or Buddhist practice and has no place in a Christian church, or a synagogue, for that matter?
Buddhist temples across Thailand are churning out thousands of blessed pendants, called Jatukams, that promise to make the people who buy and wear them rich. The pendants, stamped with sayings like "Super Rich" and images of Buddha or Hindu deities, cost as much as 10,000 baht, a month's wages for many Thais. Many monks are dismayed that some temples are selling these good luck charms despite the religion's shunning of earthly possessions and materialism. Do you think it's OK for Buddhist temples to make money in this fashion?
Beth Shaw of YogaFit in Los Angeles is spearheading a grassroots protest against Nike's decision to continue its relationship with NFL player Michael Vick, who pleaded not guilty last week to federal dog-fighting charges.
On Monday, Shaw said she would send an e-mail to 60,000 teachers and students urging them to boycott Nike and mail their Nike wear to the company's Beaverton, Oregon headquarters. She has also forbidden her master teachers to wear Nike products in class. What do you think? Should Nike terminate the contract before Vick's trial?
Yoga clothing manufacturer Lululemon took Wall Street by storm on Friday, despite an otherwise rocky market. Lululemon (on Nasdaq under LULU) stock opened at $25 and rose to $27.01. It raised $328 million in its IPO. The Vancouver company was founded by Chip Wilson who has 20 years experience in the surf, skate, and snowboard businesses. Do you wear Lululemon clothing? Thinking of investing?
The Asian Classics Input Project, an organization dedicated to locating, cataloging, and disseminating Tibetan and Sanskrit manuscripts, has created a CD of yogic texts including the Rig Veda, the Bhagavad Gita, and more. The CD was given away to 1,000 yoga teachers and is also available online: ACIP Great Books Of Yoga One
Yoga is being used help children who have apraxia, a condition that affects their speech and fine motor skills. Patients don't just do asanas, they also make sounds in coordination with their breathing. Yoga has also been used to help kids with asthma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Asperger's syndrome. Has a child you know benefited from yoga?
According to the New York Post, yoga teacher Rodney Yee and his wife Colleen antagonized Sag Harbor, NY, police by holding a class in Marine Park without a permit on July 3. "As the class started, cops descended and threatened to arrest the couple, but were talked down and the group was allowed to disband without a violation being issued," reported the Post. According to Yee, however, the story was exaggerated -- he was approached simply by a park supervisor. Despite his best intentions to facilitate yoga to overflow students from Colleen's nearby studio, the supervisor forced the spontaneous class to disband. A bit of an extreme reaction by the authorities, no?
Yoga will now be mandatory for students in Kerala, India. "Taking into consideration the widely accepted advantages of yoga and its effect on individuals, the education department would soon see that this is made part of the school curriculum in the state," said Education Minister M.A. Baby. If there is any grumbling, someone should explain American gym class dodgeball to them. Will yoga ever replace gym in the U.S.? Should it?
A juvenile court is Colorado is sentencing juvenile drug offenders to mandatory weekly yoga classes. Mary Jo Berenato, juvenile magistrate for the 8th Judicial District, believes over time these troubled teens will turn to yoga instead of drugs when faced with stressful situations.
Yoga has also been used to help adult inmates. See Wise Warden.
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