Yoga Insider

Welcome to Yoga Insider, a monthly publication by Yoga Alliance® compiling the most current news about yoga. Browse the news by category and check out the archived editions to your right.

Edition 16 | September 2015

Published on October 5, 2015

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Categories

• Government & YA in the News
• Business
• Community
• Education & Children
• Health & Research
• Inspiration
• International
• Sports
• Trending

Government & Yoga Alliance in the News

Electing for more yoga

• Comstock's magazine features five tips on how to make a profitable living as a yoga teacher. The author recommends collaborating with – rather than competing against – your yoga community while finding a niche market for yourself. For those considering studio ownership, the author advises them to evaluate the current yoga studio market to find if there is “a legitimate gap.” (August 27)


• The Hill reports on Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul’s recent “Waste Report,” in which he raises disapproval of government-funded yoga classes for federal employees. The Kentucky senator’s report notes that the Department of Veteran Affairs and the Pentagon were top spenders on yoga programs but were “excluded” because most classes are for veterans. (September 14)
  
  Fox 23 also covers Senator Paul’s “Waste Report,” and adds insight from the yoga community. Spokespersons for the agencies named in the report told Fox reporters that yoga takes only a small portion of the overall budget. Michael Hall, who has taught yoga to federal employees for over seven years, speaks of the benefits for employees: “They are in less pain physically and mentally. They are able to go on and do a better job that’s less reactive and more responsive.” (September 15)


• Shreveport Times (La.) mentions Yoga Alliance in an article about yoga’s evolution over time and across continents. Common myths about modern yoga are debunked for new yogis. For readers in search of a knowledgeable teacher, the article points them to the Yoga Alliance Directory. (August 30)


• Wall Street Journal reports on America’s steadily-growing yoga teacher training market and how the typical trainee is changing. While yoga teacher training program enrollment rates steadily climb, a surprising percentage of those who complete the programs do not aim to become teachers. The article references Yoga Alliance membership rates as evidence of the industry’s growth. (September 1)


• Washington Post blogger Max Ehrenfreund analyzes the costs of becoming a yoga teacher in an increasingly saturated market. He references statistics from the recent Wall Street Journal article that show many yogis attend teacher trainings for personal development, rather than to become teachers. Ehrenfreund notes that these statistics could “weaken the argument for regulation” of YTTs as vocational or career schools. (September 2)
  
  New Zealand Herald also covers this article. (September 6)

Business

When mat meets office

• CNN features Julio Cesar Aguirre, who founded Yoga Para Empresas to help office workers reduce stress and improve concentration. A businessman for 28 years, he decided to walk away from his career to pursue his passion for yoga - only to later return to the corporate world as a yoga instructor. Aguirre: “If you are passionate about your job, whatever it may be, do it in a yogi way.” (September 4)


• Courier-Mail (Australia) reports on a business that is seeing great results one year after opening a hot yoga room in the office. AustraliaWide First Aid CEO Garry Draper says he sees his employees making healthier eating habits, being more productive and taking fewer sick days. Draper: “...if you invest a little bit in your staff, you will get it back in productivity. If you look after them, they’ll look after you.” (September 22)


• Fast Company highlights GreatCall CEO’s David Inns’ weekly yoga sessions and surf outings with his employees. Inns says engaging in wellness activities as a team helps create a “culture of motivation” that improves worker engagement and loyalty back in the office, which in turn create a more successful business. (August 21)


• Gizmag features an article about how your next yoga mat could be made of algae. BLOOM will harvest algae from the U.S. and Asia that will be dried and combined with other compounds into a “soft, pliable foam” that contains 15 to 60 percent algae. Algae can harm - or even kill - aquatic life; by removing the algae, BLOOM aims to create a positive effect on the local environments they harvest from. (August 25)


• Geek Wire reports on Yoga Panda, an app that allows people to search, sign-up and pay for yoga classes in Seattle. Its secret weapon: an algorithm that sets pricing depending on how busy each class is. The start-up grew out of a dual need for studios to attract customers and customers to find studios and its business model “is designed specifically to address the needs of studio owners from the ground up.” (September 3)


• KSHB (Mo.) features Karma Tribe Yoga, a Kansas City yoga studio offering donation-based yoga classes seven days a week. Teacher Lauren Leduc, RYT 200: “Anyone can come and pay what they can for a class. This makes yoga available to anyone who can get here and take a class. Finances will not become any kind of a constraint.” (September 9)


• New York Times features Turtle Bay Resort, home of Wanderlust Oahu for the past three years. Though the first-class resort is known for its golf course designed by Arnold Palmer, it is now filled with yogis looking to practice by day and party by night every February. (September 10)

Community

Shining light on inspirational yogis

• Belleville News-Democrat (Ill.) features Yoga Core and More co-founders Therese Blomberg, RYT 200, Kellie Mathes, RYT 200, and Michele Taylor, RYT 200. The trio opened their studio four years ago in O’Fallon, Illinois, tired of commuting to St. Louis to teach. Mathes: “We have a great community environment. It’s very friendly and people help each other out. Everyone is here to support each other.” (September 20)


• Bulletin (Ore.) spotlights the Yogis Unite Bend event, held on Sept. 12, that brought together over 100 yogis to support a good cause. Proceeds from the event went to CAN Cancer, an organization helping to cover living costs for cancer patients, and the Bethlehem Inn, a homeless shelter. Nine yoga teachers co-taught an eclectic class that wove together multiple styles of yoga. Corrie Bernard, RYT 200, guided the crowd through sun salutation set to rhythmic drum beats, Santiago Casanueva, RYT 200, led a Kundalini yoga practice, and Deven Sisler, E-RYT 200, RCYT, introduced the crowd to playful acroyoga poses. (September 13)


• Des Moines Register (Iowa) profiles Mathew Koder, E-RYT 200, RYT 500, producer of this year’s Iowa Yoga Festival. Struggling with depression, “a free yoga class at his gym touched his soul” and empowered Koder to move forward. Koder: “It enriched my life and cleared away the false perceptions that had been holding me back.” (August 29)


• Ithaca.com (N.Y.) spotlights Yoga Farm, a new yoga and wellness center in Lansing, New York that opened its doors to all for two weeks of free classes. Christopher Grant, RYT 200, opened the Yoga Farm three months ago in an 1800's barn and is quickly building up a community. Moving forward, Grant hopes to add housing on the property for out-of-town yogis. (September 22)


• KXAN (Tx.) reports on the event that brought hundreds of Austin, Texas yogis together at the State Capitol for yoga, meditation and chanting. Om the Dome was held on Sept. 20 in celebration of International Day of Peace. The event was hosted by former NFL athlete-turned-yoga teacher Keith Mitchell and yoga teacher Shelby Autrey. (September 20)


• Times-Tribune (Pa.) reports on the first ever Northeast PA Yoga Festival, which brought together hundreds of yogis in celebration of health and wellness. Festival founder Chelsea Manganaro, RYT 200, says she found inspiration for the event while attending a recent craft beer festival at Montage Mountain, the same venue that hosted her yoga festival. (September 13)

Education & Children

Helping today's youth prepare for a future of mindfulness

• Fox 2 (Mich.) features a story on Born Yoga, a studio for children and parents that opened Sept. 12 in Bellingham, Michigan. The studio brings “fun and play-based” yoga to children of all ages. Kids-only classes are offered for yogis three years and older, while parents join their younger yogis for class. (September 10)


• Suburban Life (Ill.) profiles Barbara Kahovec, a yoga teacher at Elmhurst College who recently published a book to help her students better learn about yoga. For a younger, college-aged audience, “Yoga for the Student Body” is a more relatable resource than other available texts about yoga and its benefits, says Kahovec. (September 15)

Health & Research

A mantra a day keeps the aches at bay

• Huffington Post interviews psychologist Dr. Robert Scott about the yoga program he started for the Los Angeles Fire Department. First responders – the most stressful job in America – can gain a lot from yoga, he says. Scott: “Yoga and Mindfulness become a critical factor in allowing [a first responder] to ‘vent off’ excess stress...and build positive resistance to the harsh and negative effects of stress.” (August 25)


• TIME features a new study revealing that yoga can bring “impressive physical and mental benefits” to people with arthritis. Compared to a control group, participants who did yoga saw improved energy and mood and experienced less pain - benefits that lasted nine months later. Dr. Clifton O. Bingham III, study author and director of Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center: “There’s kind of a myth that says if you have arthritis, the good thing to do is rest your joints…[Yoga] has been really transformative for a lot of my patients.” (September 17)
  
  Treehugger also reports on the recent arthritis study, noting that those with arthritis should consult with their doctor to see if yoga is right for them. The article also references other studies that support yoga’s benefits. (September 17)

Inspiration

Back to the heart of the matter

• CNN features 16-year-old yoga teacher Maris Degener, who found her calling through yoga during recovery from anorexia. Looking for a low-stress physical activity, she took a free class at Just Be Yoga, RYS 200, and discovered a new respect and appreciation for her body. Degener became a regular at the studio and has accepted a scholarship to take their 200-hour teacher training program. Degener: “Yoga gave me life again, a passion and a purpose.” (September 3)


• Guardian interviews Rachel Brathen, E-RYT 200, a yoga teacher known to her millions of Instagram followers as Yoga Girl. Brathen shares advice on finding social media success and balancing it with your personal life. Two of her main tips: do what you are passionate about and be authentic. When you do these things, she says, work becomes easier and more enjoyable. (September 2)


• Daily News (N.Y.) features an article about Valeria Sagun, who inspires over 60,000 followers on social media with pictures that show yoga is for all body shapes and sizes. The San Diego native is currently raising funds for yoga teacher training in Arizona. Sagun: “I just want to make sure that people don't feel...scared or intimidated by learning yoga from someone who doesn't look like them." (September 11)


• Mic reports on the stark lack of yoga apparel for plus-size yogis and the negative message about body acceptance it sends. While the yoga apparel industry seems to be oversaturated, options are scarce in sizes above 10 or 12. Yogis interviewed note that plus-size yoga clothes from major retailers are rarely constructed with a plus-size body in mind - too-short or too-narrow waistbands and material that doesn’t hold up against wear. Smaller companies, like Fractal 9 and Lotus Leggings, are beginning to stock unprecedented size ranges. (September 9)


• WKRC (Ohio) spotlights a program in two Ohio prisons that gives inmates the opportunity to train service dogs for people with disabilities. The program includes yoga classes so the dogs learn to be calm when a person is lying down, on the floor or in other positions that may seem strange to a dog. Innovative training techniques, like yoga, also help the inmates and dogs connect on a deeper level. The program is a partnership with nonprofit Circle Tail and has been in the prisons for years. (August 27)

International

Yoga happenings from around the globe

• Guardian reports on the growth of yoga in Palestine as more people turn to the practice as a way to cope with daily stresses affecting their psychological and physical well-being. The nonprofit community yoga center Farashe has been dedicated to yoga outreach since it opened its doors in 2010. During the past three years, teacher training programs from Farashe and other organizations have brought 80 new teachers to Palestine. Currently, Farashe is working to develop yoga resources and videos in Arabic. (August 27)


• Indian Express (India) highlights the Indian Sports Ministry’s recognition of yoga as a “priority” sport discipline on Aug. 31 and what it means for the industry. Yoga is an exception to the Ministry’s criteria requiring participation in global competitions in order for “priority” sport classification. Officials hope this recognition will bring new jobs and increase yoga awareness and practice. (September 2)

Sports

Improving performance the mindful way

• Columbus Dispatch (Ohio) highlights the benefits of yoga for cyclists. Sitting on a bicycle in the same position for long periods of time can cause strain and tightness in muscles, as well as loss of flexibility. Former competitive cyclist Uma Kleppinger: “Stress gets stored, and those areas need to be opened up. The hips, lower back, shoulders and neck — the core strength brings it all together.” (September 6)


• Indianapolis Star (Ind.) profiles the Purdue University basketball’s most recent training addition: power vinyasa yoga. The players use yoga as a “recovery workout”, finding it increases their flexibility, concentration and power. Point Guard Johnny Hill highlights another benefit: “The [yoga] position starts when you’re ready to get out of it, so it’s kind of mind over matter. I think I gained more mentally than I did physically.” (August 31)


• New York Times reports on professional Football players who practice yoga to counter their physically demanding careers. Two athletes, Wesley Woodyard of the Titans and Mike Adams of the Colts, both say yoga helps ease their physical and mental tension. Additionally, they credit added benefits to the Dharma Yoga Wheel - a prop created by Yogi Varuna and Raquel Vamos, RYT 200; Woodyard even joked the wheel is his “new best friend.” (August 29)

Trending

The hottest news from the mat

• Boston Globe features one reporter’s quest to try as many niche yoga classes as she can find. From yoga nidra to hip-hop yoga to Broga, Kara Baskin chronicles her attempts to center herself using popular subvarieties of yoga. Micah Mortali, director of the Kripalu Schools of Yoga and Ayurveda: “People find yoga enhances their hobbies, whether you’re a foodie or a kayaker.” (September 4)


• Los Angeles Times reports on the most popular workout activities in the U.S., Canada, Australia and Great Britain, derived from Fitbit fitness tracker user data. According to the Fitbit data, yoga is the fifth most popular form of exercise for Americans and Canadians. (August 31)


• Racked features Rebecca Hiscott’s account of her experiences and anxieties while practicing yoga alongside 10,000 yogis at the Lolë White Tour’s New York City event. Since 2011, yoga clothing brand Lolë White has put on the tour, where attendees gather, donning white from head-to-toe, for outdoor practices at famous world landmarks. Classes led by well-known yogis Elena Brower and Rodney Yee, E-RYT 500, were complemented by live music performed by Donna De Lory and Ingrid Michaelson. (September 3)


• TravelPulse.com reports that a new in-flight amenity is allowing air travelers to feel grounded while still 30,000 feet in the air. Airline alliance Sky Team offers passengers two 15-minute yoga sequences designed to work out the kinks that come after a long flight. Sky Team launched this program in June to align with the International Day of Yoga. (September 10)


• Washington Post spotlights rooftop yoga, a growing trend among DC yogis. When temperatures rise, the District’s studios, gyms and hotels take their classes to the rooftops. Lauren Berkey, Rooftop Yoga DC organizer: “It’s just so nice to look up and really see the sky and be completely unencumbered. There’s no plaster ceiling that you’re staring at and wishing it would be something prettier.” (September 15)