Archive for the ‘yoga’ Category
yoga for the 21st century
This Australian radio documentary takes a look at the global “yoga revival” and the growing trend to reclaim the spirituality of yoga. Apparently, yoga is as popular in Australia as it is in the rest of the Western world, with more people doing yoga than dancing, fishing, doing martial arts and playing Aussie rules football (according to a 2006 survey).
Featured on Encounter, an acclaimed ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) series which looks at the connections between religion and life, the program is thoughtful and well-researched. it gives an explanation of different styles and an introduction to some of the key texts (Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutras), while discussing the authenticity debates within the yoga world and acknowledging how the practice is being repackaged to be relevant to post-modern culture. The program provides a non-North American perspective on yoga, yet there is a lot of airtime given to Jivamukti, a yoga style developed in the US, and LA/Berlin-based kirtan artist, Dave Stringer. There are also some interesting interviews with leading Australian yoga teachers and studio owners.
In the end, the doc acknowledges the complexity and potential of yoga in the West, describing it as a “post-modern spirituality in a post-Christian age.”
Best quote: “People are always surprised to learn that yoga and kirtan are continuing to reinvent themselves and continuing to innovate. Did I miss the handout here? are we supposed to put this under glass? Am I supposed to be an Indian from the 15th century? I can’t!” ~ Dave Stringer
Listen to the podcast here.
A Little Yoga Might Be Good For You
By Nicholas Proch
The first time that Ta’rin’ii got me into the ‘happy baby’ position I thought I was going to pass out. my legs, back, arms and core were under so much tension that I could have snapped into pieces. In case you’re wondering, I didn’t.
Yoga is one of the many classes that RECentral offers. They are taught by Ta’rin’ii who has been teaching classes at the school for quite some time.
“We offer about 50 classes a week between all the things that we offer,” said Ken DeStefanis who is the Recreation Specialist for RECentral. “Everything from yoga, boot camp, cycling and even aquatone in the pool.”
This is the fourth year that RECentral has been in operation as a full-time initiative, according to DeStefanis.
In the winter of last year I started going to yoga classes to see what they were like. I had never taken anything like that before. At this point, I try and go once or twice a week. It’s a much harder workout than most people think it is.
I’ve done a lot of fitness classes and training and this is up there in terms of total body exertion. If you’re looking to get in shape and clear your head, this is a great place to go.
When I first started going, there were no more than ten people in the class every time. Now I need to make sure that I show up at least ten minutes early to make sure there is a spot for me.
“We outgrew the small fitness center in the basement of Kaiser, then the dance studio,” said DeStefanis, “now we’re in Davidson just to accommodate the crowds. Typically we turn people away once we hit 40 in the room.”
Guys, if you’re worried about going and being embarrassed by your female counterparts, don’t be. not only is the environment very inviting and stress-free, but you won’t be the only male in the class. Typically there are a good amount of men in each class.
If you don’t know the moves, it doesn’t matter. Ta’rin’ii will help you.
According to DeStefanis, “She has a great following and can really be teaching anywhere in the country; we’re lucky to have her here.”
If you think that you’re too macho to come down and get intimate with the mats, then you should rethink that. I guarantee you will leave covered in sweat and completely relaxed.
This kind of stress relief is very important in a college atmosphere. Between the rush of classes, work and whatever else it is that you do, taking some time for your body and mind is never a bad idea. And if you don’t know what the happy baby position looks like; then you should look it up and imagine how it feels to sustain that pose for several minutes at the tail-end of your workout.
The schedule for yoga and other fitness classes can be found on RECentral’s website, which is on CCSU site. Yoga classes are taught in Davidson 123 throughout the week.
Children’s Yoga
The power of yoga to improve the quality of life for our children is starting to dawn on parents throughout the western world. Although yoga has has been popular with adults for many years, only recently have kids yoga classes started to make their presence felt.
Children’s yoga can increase self-awareness, build self-esteem and strengthen young bodies. it can help coordinate brain functions, balance right and left brain and aid relaxation. Yoga has also been proven to improve concentration, so around exam time a course of children’s yoga sessions could make all the difference. Anxious children also see the benefit, so again, a children’s yoga course around stressful times of the year could have a significant positive impact.
Although the benefits that children experience with yoga mirror the experiences many adults have with regular practice, you can’t expect your five-year-old to hold the poses of an adult’s class. Instead, the focus must be on play and fun.
Kids yoga classes use songs, music and stories to take children through the yoga postures of animals and nature. Sessions ignite the children’s imaginations with well crafted tales of wondrous adventures; they become cobras slithering through tunnels, space men walking through the clouds, brave climbers of the highest mountains and swimmers diving through the oceans. Kids yoga must be daring, exciting and imaginative.
As well as the active yoga postures that work on strengthening the physical body, it’s important to keep in mind the holistic nature of yoga which nurtures the mind, body, emotions and spirit of the child. for a children’s yoga session to be balanced it is important to introduce calming and focusing techniques.
Breathing exercises see children becoming big balloons and filling up with air, then emptying slowly to extend the exhale. the rise and fall of their chest is the waves on the ocean. for older children alternate nostril breathing has a wonderful calming effect.
If there aren’t any classes nearby, consider using a site such as activeunlimited.com to arrange a private yoga session at your home. Private kids yoga classes can be tailored for your child and will fit around your schedule. Instructors come to your house at a time that works for you and the family. An early evening yoga class could make all the difference at bed-time
Many parents use yoga to relax, refocus and de-stress. They are now starting to realise that if it works for them, it must work for their children. and if it works for their children, it automatically works for them
Providence Health & Services Unveils New Southern California Physician Alliance
To: BUSINESS AND HEALTH EDITORS
Contact: Patricia Aidem, +1-818-631-7429, patricia.aidem@providence.org
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – One of the largest healthcare organizations in Southern California has formed a new physician alliance, Providence Partners for Health, to help manage the challenges of an evolving healthcare environment while improving patient care.
Providence Partners for Health, LLC, is a joint venture owned equally by member physicians and Providence Health & Services, Southern California, with five award-winning medical centers in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Physicians will lead and govern the alliance.
“The healthcare industry is changing rapidly with an increased focus on accountability, controlled costs and most importantly, quality,” said John Armato, M.D., chairman of the new alliance. “Providence Partners for Health provides a tool for us to partner with physicians to share best practices and clinical data and to foster and sustain a system driven by both quality and value.”
According to Dr. Armato, this move will position Providence for success in the current reform-based healthcare environment, including participation in pay-for-performance, narrow networks and value-based purchasing programs, which incentivize and reward providers for demonstrating improved quality and controlled healthcare costs.
“Providence is at the forefront of integrating health care, working with physicians to improve patient care by sharing information and cutting costs for consumers,” said Kerry Carmody, chief operating officer for Providence in Southern California. “We believe this is a very creative solution that enhances the Providence mission, our physicians’ practices and the care we provide together for our patients at a time when complex issues are changing the face of health care.”
Providence physicians who join the clinical integration network will agree to share their data on quality, receive feedback on performance from their physician colleagues and demonstrate adherence to PPH-developed care guidelines with the goal of improving outcomes for patients.
To support physician members, Providence has developed shared programs and an organizational infrastructure that includes information technology, a data warehouse and an electronic medical records system, essential tools for providing health care in the current market.
PPH will focus on achieving clinical integration by forming teams of physicians, clinicians and experts who will identify opportunities for advancing medical care, including standardizing practices shown to provide the best results.
All medical staff members and medical groups at Providence entities in Southern California who meet investor qualifications will be eligible to join PPH.
Any investment in the membership units of PPH can only be made by the means of a confidential offering memorandum and other subscription documents, which will be furnished to each qualified medical staff member and medical group, and in accordance with all applicable federal and state securities laws. Each qualified physician or medical group at Providence should carefully read the offering memorandum and the subscription documents before making an investment in PPH. This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in Providence Partners for Health in any jurisdiction, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
About Providence Health & Services:
Providence Health & Services, Southern California, is a Catholic, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing quality and compassionate health care and reaching out to the poor and the vulnerable in the communities it serves Providence California operates five acute care medical centers in the Los Angeles area: Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank and its new Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center; Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills; Providence Tarzana Medical Center; and Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Centers in Torrance and San Pedro. The region also has numerous ancillary facilities including Hospice care, long-term care, numerous outpatient clinics and Providence High School in Burbank. For information, please visit providence.org.
SOURCE Providence Health & Services
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Health notes: Support groups, yoga challenge
Yoga challenge set for W Hotel
Ten Phoenix-area yoga instructors will gather at 9 a.m. Oct. 1 for poolside practice and music at the W Hotel, 7277 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale.
Asana in Action in sponsoring the Arizona Yoga Aid Event to raise money for the Art of Yoga Project, which works with incarcerated teen girls. The event is part of the Yoga Aid Challenge, a series of free yoga classes held all over the country to raise money for charities.
Admission is free but donations are accepted.
Details: yogaaid.com, whotels.com/ Scottsdale, 480-970-2100.
Support group meets at Banner
Visions of Hope Arizona and MIKID, a Phoenix-based state advocacy group for mental health issues, are hosting an obsessive-compulsive disorders support group meeting.
The group meets monthly from 7 to 9 p.m. every second and fourth Thursday at Banner Behavioral Health Center, 7575 E. Earll Drive, Scottsdale.
The group is led by a trained mental health professional and is open to anyone with obsessive compulsive disorder.
Details: mhaarizona.org, bannerhealth.com, 480-994-4407.
Cancer center hosts free event
The Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center is hosting a free event from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 28 that explores an inherited predisposition to cancer.
The event celebrates National Previvor Day and National Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer week.
The event will premiere “Hope Chests: It’s What’s inside,” a collaborative traveling sculpture exhibit featuring stories of individuals dealing with an inherited predisposition to cancer.
The center is at 10460 N. 92nd St.
Details: shc.org/events, 480-882-4636.
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