Archiv für die Kategorie „spirituality“

The Jerry Lewis of Yoga?

Freitag, 18. November 2011

We know that yogis are a passionate bunch, whether it’s going to extreme lengths to secure time on their mats or in fighting for a cause they believe in. Now one yogi is putting his own endurance to the test to keep a dream alive. Will Baxter, a financial-advisor-turned-yogin-social-entrepreneur who is trying to launch a yoga-bag company that will also help native Guatemalan women weavers, is one-day into his personal telethon (of the YouTube variety) to walk nonstop on a treadmill until the funds needed to launch the company are raised or until the campaign ends Nov. 22. I AM , Baxter’s sustainable-business-model idea, will sell naturally dyed yoga bags and straps woven by the indigenous Mayan women of the country, sharing 50 percent of the net profit directly with their communities. The seed money for the company will come through KickStarter, the funding platform for creative endeavors. Baxter needs to raise close to $25,000 more of the project’s goal of $45,000 before the fundraising period ends next week. Not unlike brands like Jade , a backer of I AM, Baxter appears to be the next generation of  yogis who hope to pair a business idea with sustainability and social responsibility. A new form of yoga off the mat?

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The Jerry Lewis of Yoga?

Yoga Film Wins Documentary Award

Mittwoch, 16. November 2011

A few months back, we reported on the film YogaWoman, narrated by Annette Bening, which highlights how a new generation of female teachers are re-creating yoga in our the female image: flowing, nurturing, community-based, and activism-focused. Here’s more news about how the film has captured audience’s attention around the world: Since its release in September, Yogawoman has been selected for seven film festivals and been screened over 500 times around the world, from New Zealand to Japan throughout Europe and the US. Last month, the film won an award for best Feature Documentary at the Off Shoot Film Festiva l in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The film shows no signs of slowing down: It will show a the 2011 New York International Film Festival and the Traveller’s Three Elements Film Festival in Wroclaw, Poland. Filmmaker Saraswati Clere isn’t surprised about how the film has taken off. She tells Buzz: “In 1938, Krishnamacharya, the renowned yoga master from India, said; ‘It’s the women who will be carrying yoga forward to the next generation.’ These days, it’s female yoga teachers who are taking the lead and revolutionizing the face of yoga. I think this phenomenon of woman stepping up leadership roles is very timely. I was thrilled to see that the Nobel Peace Prize was shared between three inspiring woman leaders.” Join Yogawoman on Twitter and Facebook, or watch the trailer .

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Yoga Film Wins Documentary Award

Downward Facing Dudes

Montag, 14. November 2011

Football, beer, poker … yoga? Let’s face it. In our country, yoga doesn’t exactly top the list for macho, masculine activities even though the practice was designed for men thousands of years ago. But several male yogis are working to make yoga more accessible (and possibly more culturally acceptable) for men. Last month, we told you about Activation: Yoga Conference for Men , which took place Nov. 11-13 in San Francisco. Last week, an article in the Boston Globe examined a different type of yoga geared toward men. BROga (the word combines the words “bro” and “yoga”) is strongly based on the physical aspect of yoga and shies away from using Sanskrit terms and the esoteric, less familiar parts of yoga. “This is not a dumbed down version of yoga,” BROga cofounder Robert Sidoti, who trained with Lulubandha’s Kira Ryder, told The Globe . “There’s a lot of movement linking the postures, but adding push-ups and variations of squats. People see the name ‘Broga’ and they think it’s just a bunch of idiots. But there’s integrity.”

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Downward Facing Dudes