Danvers residents are getting a special invite to visit the Turner-Ingersoll mansion, more commonly known as The House of Seven Gables, in Salem on March 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for free. Every winter the mansion offers North Shore neighbors a free chance to tour the mansion and learn about its history for these Welcome Home Days. In addition to the tour, Living History Labs designed specifically for families will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Peabody residents can visit for free on March 8, Swampscott on March 15, and Lynn/Nahant on March 22. The House of Seven Gables is located at 115 Derby St. For more information, visit http://www.7gables.org.

The Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is seeking young artists from grades K to 12 to help spread the word about the importance of beaches to shorebirds with the refuges Third Annual Beach Sign Youth Art Contest. While locals know about the annual beach closure at the refuge for nesting piping plovers, visitors typically do not pay attention to the Area Closed signs. It is the refuges hope that these homemade informational signs will educate visitors about shorebirds and encourage visitors to respect the birds space. Submissions for the contest will be accepted until March 27. The grand prize winner will have the opportunity to help the refuge biologist conduct a plover survey on the closed beach. Winners will be announced on April 18 at the refuges Earth Day Celebration at Refuge Headquarters. Review the contest guidelines and criteria at http://www.fws.gov/refuge/parker_river/ or e-mail Lauren Healy at Lauren_Healey@FWS.gov. Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is located at 6 Plum Island Turnpike in Newburyport.

SOUTH

Attention Dedham parents: Begin planning your childrens summertime by attending the sixth annual Discover Summer! Camps and Activities Fair on Saturday, March 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Dedhams Avery School. Representatives from over 60 day and overnight camps are eager to offer information on a variety of summer options for kids from preschool through high school. Admission is free. Parents can find out more information by visiting dedhamcampfair.org or by e-mailing discoversummercampfair@gmail.com.

Start stretching your legs in preparation for the 10th annual Marshfield St. Patricks Day 5k road race on Saturday, March 14, at 10 a.m. at the Brant Rock Esplanade. This South Shore tradition raises funds for the Marshfield Education Foundation, providing critical seed funding for grants submitted by Marshfield Public School teachers to motivate and excite their students. To register for the race, visit marshfieldstpatricksday5k.com.

Considering selling your home? Attend the Home Seller Solutions workshop given by Patricia Fanning, a realtor from Jack Conway & Co., Inc., at the Bridgewater Public Library on Tuesday, March 3, beginning at 6:30 p.m. During this free workshop, you will learn how to prep your home for sale, value and pricing, timing, market conditions, and more. No registration required.

WEST

Laughter yoga is a body and mind practice to encourage a healthy well-being involving deep breathing, a few stretches, playful laughter exercises (no jokes or comedy) and relaxation techniques. Give the practice a try at the Meetinghouse of the First Universalist Society in Franklin, 262 Chestnut St., on Monday, March 10, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Laughter yoga will be the second Tuesday of every month afterwards. There are also yoga sessions held in Sharon. Any age and level of physical activity is welcome to these free events. Any questions? Visit letslaughtoday.com or e-mail billandlinda@letslaughtoday.com.

A new social day program for seniors, The Club, has been introduced at the Mary Ann Morse at Heritage, a nonprofit(cq) senior community in Framingham. The Club operates daily Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and offers flexible, affordable schedules ranging from $49 for one day per week to $185 for a five-day program. Seniors will enjoy a fresh breakfast and lunch, as well as recreational activities ranging from exercise classes to pet therapy. For a free trial day or more information, please call 508-665-5300 or visit heritageassistedliving.org/the-club.

March is Womens History Month, so Actons Discovery Museum is hosting Lil SMART (Science, Math, Art) Gals and SMART Gals programs throughout the month to learn about women who have made important contributions to science, math, and art. On March 5, attendees will examine fossils while learning about Mary Annings contributions to paleontology. Lil SMART Gals will run from 10 to 11 a.m., and SMART Gals will run from 2 to 4:30 p.m. The Discovery Museum is located at 177 Main Street in Acton, and both workshops are free with admission. Visit http://www.discoveryacton.org.

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Visiting the Gables, a St. Patricks Day 5k, and laughter yoga - The Boston Globe

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Another type of yoga that is catching on is beer yoga. Beer is not an ancient word from the Indus-Sarasvati civilization describing mantras and rituals. Beer yoga is modern day beer, drank while doing yoga. Come to think of it, maybe beer is a mantra, and a ritual as well.

Arguing that alcohol was sometimes used in yoga rituals in classical times, the marketing gimmick is working. Although videos show people with beer in hand while they do proud warrior or salutation to the sun, it would be a challenge to do downward facing dog holding a beer bottle. Most classes do yoga first and then end with sharing beer. Yes, this is definitely a mixed message.

For those who have been reluctant to try before, maybe a baby goat or an ice-cold brew is just the thing to get them out and moving with a group of like-minded people.

If these things make it less threatening, more appealing and lead to exercising body, mind and spirit, who can dispute the ultimate value? Transcendence of self through the practice of yoga can come in many forms. Getting classes out of traditional studios, and calling them things like Yoga and Hops is clever and enticing.

One Bier Yoga site in Germany claims beer yoga is a marriage of two great loves. After all, they say, both are centuries old therapies for mind, body and soul. Not to be outdone, and trust me, I am not making this up, there is a spa in Malibu that offers Vino and Vinyasawine and yoga, Tanthe Sanskrit word for stretchingand Tequila, and Scotch and Stretching.

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STELLPFLUG COLUMN: Cheers to yoga in all its many forms; another beer? - WiscNews

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Ashlee Tuck, 22, of Milwaukee founded Ashlee's Crazy Yoga.(Photo: Hannah Kirby/ Now News Group)

At 22, Ashlee Tuck has her own yoga studio and a mission for her life: To show that yoga is for everybody and every body,regardless or skin color, age or ability.

"Yoga is depicted, I don't want to sound racist, but as a white woman doing yoga," said Tuck, a Milwaukee resident. "You don't get to see everyone doing yoga."

To change that, Tuckopened a yoga studio, Ashlee's Crazy Yoga, with her husband, Kary, a nutritionist, earlier this month in South Milwaukee, and works with New Beginnings are Possible,a Christian youth center, in Milwaukee.

"Ashlee's Crazy Yoga is all about reaching yoga to the masses, so yoga, wellness and everything is accessible," she said.

"There was so many traumas in the lives of so many of our children, we asked Ashlee to partner with us to provide yoga," saidJohn Greene, executive director of New Beginnings are Possible.

New Beginnings provides after-school and summer programming to more than 80 children in northwest Milwaukee.

"We're trying to make sure our children are really well cared for, very safe, are competitive in the classroom now, and that later on, they will helpour families pull out of poverty and get career-sustaining jobs, and be strong contributors in the community," Greene said.

Tuck teaches yoga bootcampsto about 35 students at the center twice a week, and Kary helps educate them on nutrition.

"The kids are learning about the body parts, muscles and all of that being worked," said Tuck, who is in her second year with the center. "Then, we do a yoga cool down and kids start to learn about mindfulness and finding stillness."

"It's hard to stay triggered, stay stressed and have high cortisol levels if you have the body relaxation," Greene said."Helping our children cope better is what we're getting after."

Since beginning at New Beginnings, Tuck said she has really seen an improvement in how the children self-regulate andco-regulate.

"As a young African American woman, she's a great role model to our teenagers," Greene said. "The opportunity for them to see someone who embraces a lifestyle that promotes health and wellness is extremely important."

In the future, the center plans to offeryoga for parents when they pick their kids up, so they can "get centered and be the best parents they can be in the evenings," Greene said.

At 19, Ashlee Tuck started working toward her 200-hour yogateacher certification through YogaFit, which she would finish over the next two years.(Photo: Hannah Kirby/ Now News Group)

When Tuck needed one more fitness credit to graduate from Homestead High School in Mequon, she signed up for a core strength class, which included a section on yoga.

"I just loved how it could keep you flexible and the longevity of it," Tuck said.

After graduating in 2015, Tuck started working at Home Depot while figuringout what she wanted to do with her life and ultimately decided it was yoga.

"You can take yoga to the grave, and that's what I plan to do," she said.

At 19, Tuck started working towardher 200-hour yogateacher certification through YogaFit, which she would finish over the next two years while continuing to work at Home Depot.

During work breaks, she would sit in the store's garden area and write down affirmations: "I will be able to teach yoga full time.I will be able to open my own studio."

"It was constantly flipping through that notebook everyday, every shift," she said. "I used to think about it and visualize it."

In order to complete her yoga certification, Tuck was required to do eight hours of community service, and taught yoga classesto staff at a retirement communityin Mequon.

In fall of 2016, she landed her first paid gig, teaching classes at the Wisconsin Athletic Club.

She also continued volunteering, but this time, it was chair yoga at Golden Pearl Adult Day Services, which serves "adults with disabilities and the frail elderly," in Richfield.

"I just really made a connection to the folks that were there," Tuck said.

A couple months later, it turned into a job, where she'd teach hour-long classes twice a week until 2018.

In 2017, Tuck began holding free yoga classes out of an art gallery space connected to her apartment building, while still working at the gym and also teaching yoga in corporate settings.

She was able to leave Home Depot in March of 2018.

The following year, she left the WAC, then started working at Body by Design in Waukesha, where she continues to teach.

Tuck also puts onworkshops throughout the Milwaukee area, such as, "Yoga at the Beach" and "Wine and Yoga," as well as classes for charity, including "Yoga for Autism" and "Yoga for the Homeless."

"My passion is to give back," Tuck said.

Ashlee's Crazy Yoga is located at 1633 Rawson Ave., South Milwaukee.(Photo: Hannah Kirby/ Now News Group)

"Ashlee's Crazy Yogais a space of acceptance, to be welcomed, and to show emotions," Tucksaid.

The name Ashlee's Crazy Yoga comes from the idea that "you're crazy enough to try yoga," she said.

"People are afraid of yoga," she said. "They think it's a flexibility competition, but it's about becoming a better person. Every time you come through our doors, we want you to be a better person."

Ashlee's Crazy Yoga, located at 1633 Rawson Ave., South Milwaukee, puts on three drop-in yoga classes a week.

The classes are "MindfulMondays," a combination of slow flow yin and sound therapy withsinging bowls and tuning forks, at 4 p.m. Mondays, "Happy Hips," which involves hip-openers and lunges,at 6 p.m. Wednesdays, and "Slowflow Saturday," a yin-style class, at 6 p.m. Saturdays.

Each class costs $8, and a week pass is $20.

Tuck offers private yoga classes for people who have specific goals, or needs, such as chair yoga for seniors.

While yogisare welcome to bring their own equipment, the studio also has mats and blocks participants can use.

In addition to being a yoga teacher, Tuck is a reiki master teacher.

During the studio's reikisessions, aclient lays on a massage tableand Tuck lightly touches, or hovers over, their body, moving throughchakra energy points and using essential oils.

"Most people after reiki sessions feel refreshed and sometimes, people are emotional, which is heavy energy coming up," she said.

In addition to being a yoga teacher, Tuck is a Reiki master teacher.During the studio's reikisessions, aclient lays on a massage tableand Tuck lightly touches, or hovers over, their body, moving throughchakra energy points and using essential oils.(Photo: Hannah Kirby/ Now News Group)

Tuck, who is working towardher yoga therapist certification, is also offering somatictherapy sessions, which combinetalk therapy and body engagement.

"Some studios are "boutique-y," Tuck said. "They want to teach just straight up yoga. You're going to come for the physical practice. But yoga, you have to remember, is mind, body and soul. You have to do the physical practice, but you can't forget about holding that mental or emotional space for yourself."

Private yoga classes are $40 for an hour, reiki sessions are $60 for an hour (the first session costs $50), therapy sessions are $100 for an hour, and the studio also offers a private guided meditation practice for a half hour for $40.

Tuck's husband, Kary, who got his nutritionist certification through ACTION, offers personal nutritionist services at the studio.

"We go over your caloric intake, the breakdown, how to split upcertain proteins, carbs and fats throughout your day," he said. "A lot of people think changing their diet or losing weight is so hard and complex ... It's as simple as just eating the right thing at the right time."

Husband and wife Kary and Ashlee Tuck opened Ashlee's Crazy Yoga studio in South Milwaukee in early February 2020.(Photo: Hannah Kirby/ Now News Group)

The first 30-minute session is $20. For $50 a month, Kary meets with clients twice a month, works with them to create individualized meal and/or workout plans, and gives them 24/7 access to contact him for guidance or questions.

"It's what every kid would dream of, I just want to grow up and be like Superman and help everyone and be there when they need help," he said. "And to actually wake up, and these people come here and feel safe here. You are their hero in a way. It's the best thing to help people."

For more information on Ashlee's Crazy Yoga or to sign up for sessions, visitashleecrazyyoga.comorfacebook.com/AshleesCrazyYoga.

The studio held its first class on Feb. 10. The grand opening is from 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 29, with a free yoga class at 2 p.m., essential oils sampling, and a raffle.

"I really want to get to know this community and start something great here," Ashlee Tucksaid.

In the future, shehopes topartner with nearby schools for after-school yoga, and to launch a lunchtime yoga class for local businesspeople.

"I just love helping people," she said.

Contact Hannah Kirby at hannah.kirby@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HannahHopeKirby.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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Here's how a 22-year-old Milwaukee woman is working to make yoga accessible to everybody and every body - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A research report on the Pilates & Yoga StudiosMarket 2020 Industry Research Report is being published by Acquire Market Research. This is a key document as far as the clients and industries are concerned to not only understand the competitive market status that exists currently but also what future holds for it in the upcoming period, i.e., between 2020 and 2025. It has taken the previous market status of 2013 2018 to project the future status. The report has categorized in terms of region, type, key industries, and application.

Major Geographical Regions

The study report on Global Pilates & Yoga StudiosMarket 2020 would cover every big geographical, as well as, sub-regions throughout the world. The report has focused on market size, value, product sales and opportunities for growth in these regions. The market study has analyzed the competitive trend apart from offering valuable insights to clients and industries. These data will undoubtedly help them to plan their strategy so that they could not only expand but also penetrate into a market.

A sample of report copy could be downloaded by visiting the site: https://www.acquiremarketresearch.com/sample-request/324903/

The researchers have analyzed the competitive advantages of those involved in the industries or in thePilates & Yoga Studiosindustry.While historical years were taken as 2013 2018, the base year for the study was 2018. Similarly, the report has given its projection for the year 2020 apart from the outlook for years 2020 2025.

Top Leading Companies and Type

Like any other research material, the report has covered key geographical regions such as Europe, Japan, United States, India, Southeast Asia and Europe. Researchers have given their opinion or insights of value, product sales, and industry share besides availability opportunities to expand in those regions. As far as the sub-regions, North America, Canada, Medico, Australia, Asia-Pacific, India, South Korea, China, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Rest of Europe, Russia, Central & South America, Middle East & Africa are included.

Major players in the report included are Pure International, Rainbow Kids Yoga, Shiva Yoga Studio, Yoga Inc, Ananda, Yoga Class Near You, Embody Practice Center, Center of I Am, Wild Lotus Yoga, Center for Spiritual Awareness, Evansville Yoga Center, Yoga Meditation & Therapy Center, Baby Moon, Self-Realization Fellowship, Invoke.

Types covered in thePilates & Yoga StudiosindustryareYoga Classes, Pilates Classes, Pilates and Yoga Accreditation Training, Merchandise Sales.

Applications covered in the report areApplication A, Application B, Application C.

Geographical Scope of this report includes:

Report Aims

The objective of the researchers is to find out the sales, value, and status of thePilates & Yoga Studiosindustry at the international levels. While the status covers the years of 2013 2018, the forecast is for the period 2020 2025 that will enable market players to not only plan but also execute strategies based on the market needs.

Have some queries? Get Free Sample PDF Copy of Latest Research on Pilates & Yoga Studios Market: https://www.acquiremarketresearch.com/sample-request/324903/

The study wanted to focus on key manufacturers, competitive landscape, and SWOT analysis for the Pilates & Yoga Studiosindustry. Apart from looking into the geographical regions, the report concentrated on key trends and segments that are either driving or preventing the growth of the industry. Researchers have also focused on individual growth trends besides their contribution to the overall market.

Target Audience of the Global Pilates & Yoga Studios Market in Market Study:

Key Consulting Companies & Advisers Large, medium-sized, and small enterprises Venture capitalists Value-Added Re-sellers (VARs) Third-party knowledge providers Investment bankers Investors

More details, inquiry about report and table of content visit our website:https://www.acquiremarketresearch.com/sample-request/324903/

In the end, Pilates & Yoga Studios Market Report delivers a conclusion that includes Breakdown and Data Triangulation, Consumer Needs/Customer Preference Change, Research Findings, Market Size Estimation, Data Source. These factors will increase the business overall.

About us:

Acquire Market Research is a market research-based company empowering companies with data-driven insights. We provide Market Research Reports with accurate and well-informed data, Real-Time with Real Application. A good research methodology proves to be powerful and simplified information that applied right from day-to-day lives to complex decisions helps us navigate through with vision, purpose and well-armed strategies. At Acquire Market Research, we constantly strive for innovation in the techniques and the quality of analysis that goes into our reports.

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According to Latest Report on Pilates & Yoga Studios Market to Grow with an Impressive CAGR: Top Key Players Pure International, Rainbow Kids...

25th February 2020, London

ASICS/ Pyrates Smart Fabrics.

To mark International Womens Day, ASICS has teamed up with Pyrates Smart Fabrics, a textile development company and performance streetwear brand, to launch an ecologically sustainable seven-piece yoga capsule collection made for women by women.

From its inception in 2014, Pyrates has been dedicated to providing solutions to protect the body and the environment by creating sustainable and skin friendly athleisure that is designed and crafted by Spanish entrepreneur Regina Polanco, using the brands own Pyratex knit fabrics.

As part of ASICS vision of a world where everyone can achieve a Sound Mind in a Sound Body within a Sound World, the collaboration with Pyrates will offer fitness lovers the ability to reduce their carbon footprint, whilst adding luxury style and comfort to their fitness apparel wardrobe.

ASICS says it is proud to showcase the environmentally friendly seven-piece yoga collection, which utilises natural fibres designed for optimum movement and comfort. The collection boasts the use of natural bio-degradable dyes derived from plants and minerals, with colours being sourced from Indian Madder Root, Mediterranean Oak Gall and Pomegranate.

ASICS/ Pyrates Smart Fabrics.

The dye process is non-toxic and uses a reduced amount of water. The colours are purified, dried and always sourced from non-endangered and replenishable ingredients ensuring that the brand continues to remain ethical at every step of the process. The packaging for this collection is also made from natural and reusable fabrics to further help reduce the adverse impact on the planet and encourage the reuse of the fabric bag.

Linda van Aken, Vice President Running & Apparel and ASICS EMEA comments: We are very proud to be working with Regina and Pyrates on a sustainable and environmentally friendly sports capsule collection. From the first time that we worked together, we are very impressed with her approach to innovation and supporting women in fitness.

After supporting Pyrates through the Asics Tenkan-Ten initiative, a global acceleration programme for sports and well-being start-ups, ASICS naturally formed a collaborative partnership with PYRATES due to their innovative approach to fabrics and commitment to supporting women by providing ethically-produced, sustainable fitness apparel.

ASICS/ Pyrates Smart Fabrics.

Speaking of the collaboration with ASICS, Regina Polanco, founder and CEO at Pyrates says: We are delighted to work closely with ASICS on a collaboration that is centred around women for International Womens Day. Our shared vision and values have played an integral part in the entire process. The collection itself has been designed in natural harmony to ensure women have fitness apparel that is not only inclusive, but also cares for body, mind and the environment.

The collection itself will consist of a variety of fitness essentials, such as leggings, wide-legged trousers, sports bras and sweatshirts and will be available from 8 March 2020, in celebration of International Womens Day.

http://www.pyratessmartfabrics.com

http://www.tenkan-ten.com

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Yoga capsule collection for International Women's Day - Knitting Industry

TextIris Rosindo-Chalangeas

First, a disclaimer: I ADORE PUPPIES. Unlike cats, theyre responsive, energetic, and generally akin to me and my own amicable spasticity. So this review will be relatively biased and, in part, homage to my own pup called Baba that I miss dearly (FYI hes not dead, he lives in Portugal with my grandparents and is, as we speak, no doubt being showered in love and home-cooked meals). That being said, please enjoy my very fair and neutral review of Yogapaws, Londons best yoga class that provides puppy companions to work out alongside, as they mainly roll around and nibble your hair.

How did Yogapaws come to be, you ask? It all started way back in November 2019. The inspiration came after a vigorous and transcending Goat yogaclass the two founders took in LA. During this class, they realised the potential that working out with animals offered for an emotionally gratifying experience. They did however also find the goats to be slightly too feral at times, on account of the fact that several tried to climb yogis like trees. Theycame to the natural conclusion: yes to animals and yoga. No to goats and yoga. Yes to beautiful puppies and yoga making them one the first to cultivate this approach to exercise.

I found Yogapaws via a sponsored post on Instagram and began planning how to infiltrate this puppy haven straight away. On D-day, a particularly chilly Saturday morning, I began to psych myself out for what might be in store. What kind of puppies will they be? How many will there be? Will they like me? Will I kick one accidentally in the face after doing a downward dog? Despite this, I manage to make my way in a pretty sane manner to Angel, in North London, where the yoga session was taking place with my equally delirious partner in crime (and Dazed Beautys editor) Nellie Eden, who also happens to be a devout cat person. I was sure to don my cutest yoga gear as I have only done yoga one other time before this: DO.OMYOGA (where doom metal echoes in the background), a pretty stark contrast to this class. Im prepared to convince Nellie that doggos are the superior species, by smothering her in pups.

As I waited behind the studio door, my mind started to wonder. Pugs, Pomeranians... Greyhounds? The breed of puppy is kept secret until the day of the class and changes from class to class. As we finally enter the room, the curtain is lifted CHOCOLATE LABRADORS! Which in my eyes, are the epitome of what many would consider an adorable dog (just to reiterate, all puppies are created equal, all Im saying is that if you google cute puppy you cant deny that the page is predominantly filled with labs or Pomeranians, and the algorithm doesnt lie).

Once Id made my way to my mat, I decided to play the long game and wait for a pup to naturally approach my side. While the American Educational Research Association has proven puppies promote serenity and stress relief, what makes Yogapaws great is that they take this information and provide a modern practical way of reaping its benefits without the implications of owning a dog full time, which seems to be the main determining factor in young urban professionals living pup-less. Even those first few moments were enough to shed away the cumulative stress Id endured this past month, and made me feel at peace with the pure joy of loving something and caring for it. Not to make things too existential, but there is something to be said about caring for innocent young furry beings, as it puts your place in the world and its meaning into perspective, which goes hand-in-hand with the accompanying yoga class.

With that, I, like many others, wanted to understand the ethics of the practice. Humans want affection and mental stability, puppies give affection, yoga gives mental stability, stamina and voila, right? Well yes, and classes are efficiently planned out to benefit the pups as much as the yogis. The yoga is mainly floor-based to ensure the safety of the puppies, who are all between eight and 16 weeks old, and that everyone gets to interact with them. This also serves as a means of socialising young pups before they head to their forever home, which in many cases, is as a therapy dog for people in need. Its obvious psychological benefits are only amplified by the toning and invigorating effect of the yoga. By merging these facets together, puppy yoga provides optimum relaxation and spiritual strengthening via this emotional connection and still helps cultivate those rock hard abs youve been working on for 2020s hot girl summer.

I loved observing different peoples reactions to the class. Some were loving but still focused on the yoga to some degree, while another (precisely one lady), sat down for the entirety of the class as a pup dozed off in her lap, and took a million selfies with it

Once Id gotten over my initial delirium, I composed myself and began to listen to the yoga instructor. In addition to this, while some of you might think that you can just go around snatching at the puppies as you please, that isnt the case, so if they wish to rest, youre encouraged to leave them alone and partake in the yoga portion of the experience.

To my surprise, the yoga class was pretty thorough and did involve a certain amount of effort. While I could somewhat keep up at the start, core exercises were relatively intense and more importantly demanded a fair share of concentration or zen, which I obviously did not have. It was slightly harder to lose yourself in the practice due to puppies crawling all over you. But seeing as the yoga was relatively chilled, it made following a communal groove a tad easier.

I loved observing different peoples reactions to the class. Some were loving but still focused on the yoga to some degree, while another (precisely one lady), sat down for the entirety of the class as a pup dozed off in her lap, and took a million selfies with it. Also, just in case you started to feel paranoid, the dogs didnt love you enough, the event coordinators were there to hand you one mid lotus position.

Once the yoga class had finished, we were left to play with these bundles of joy for another 20 minutes. I also got a moment to chat to the founders of the company, who enlightened me about their hopes and dreams for the future of Yogapaws, which include partnering up with charities and puppy shelters. Most recently they have fundraised for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home via an initiative where the yogis donated money, which was then doubled by the founders at the end of each day!

I wanted to know what drew the attendees. Some participants said they were simply puppy fanatics, while others resonated with my own existential perspective and explained the experience offers a pure form of love and affection, which they feel they lack living in such a big city. Some had even pre-booked multiple classes for themselves, coming in at 35 a pop, which explains why the tickets sell out in minutes (one minute and six seconds to be precise).

Among the hustle and bustle of a city like London, it can be hard to find pure organic interactions like these, making Yogapaws success all the more resonant. Yogapaws is worth every penny and delivers emotionally, physically, and spiritually

As our time with the pups came to an end, it was hard to say goodbye, even though I had been dousing myself in puppy love for a good hour (including the designated 20 minutes of puppy playtime), but they just like us, they were also pretty exhausted. I left the experience feeling energised and optimistic. It shifted my whole way of thinking that day and humbled me (in a positive way) as to just how small we are in this vast universe.

Among the hustle and bustle of a city like London, it can be hard to find pure organic interactions like these, making Yogapaws success all the more resonant. When living such a high-paced life, it is essential to have moments that ground you and bring you back to the more primal feelings of being human, regardless of how that may be done. In my opinion, Yogapaws is worth every penny and delivers emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

For your chance to attend a puppy yoga class courtesy of Yogapaws, keep an eye on itsInstagram account spaces run out fast!

Read more:
I did downward dogs with actual puppies and (obviously) loved it - Dazed

When she was working as a stats coordinator for MLB Advanced Media more than a dozen years ago, Steph Armijo took her first yoga class and immediately saw the potential benefits for ballplayers. Sure, shed look toward the field during pregame warmups and see some players doing lizard poses and variations of other asana, but none of it was being done in a methodical way to maximize the full benefits.

A few years after leaving MLB in 2007, she founded Yoga 42, a program geared toward elite athletes. When I first started knocking on this door and said I want to teach yoga, that didnt mean anything to them. Teams want to see the results, she says. You see players doing the typical yoga stretches, but nobody wanted to call it yoga and nobody wanted to do yoga. She eventually taught classes to the NBAs Brooklyn Nets and to front-office employees of MLBs New York Mets, but only occasionally to the players.

New research, however, offers a glimpse into the objective data that could convince clubs to open the door wider for implementing biomechanical yoga programs. Last summer, Armijo partnered with Motus Global and KineticPro to conduct a small pilot program that tracked the recovery of pitchers who participated in a 60-minute yoga class the day after pitching and then another 60-minute vinyasa class the day after that. Yoga therapy balls were also used for myofascial release.

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY:Make Sure Youre atthe Worlds Premier Sports Tech Event (March 2627 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn)

Athletes were tested on range of motion, jump force and isometric shoulder strength using six wearable Motus motion sensors and KineticPro resistance bands with force sensors. Though small in scopethe study included 10 high school and college pitchers in Florida, split evenly between a control group and a yoga groupthe results were promising.

Four variablespelvis flexion, non-dominant shoulder abduction, non-dominant shoulder internal rotation, and dominant trunk rotationall showed significant improvement among pitchers in the yoga class. The majority of data points, including dominant shoulder internal rotation, showed better results among the yoga participants, although many did not rise to the level of statistical significance. (A full white paper is available.) The study concludes, Yoga speeds the recovery process of several key fatigue markers, and may offer more physical benefits than has previously been considered.

After a start, theres a need to gain more mobility, and over the course of a season, theres a need to at least maintain your mobility, says Ben Hansen, who until last month was the VP of biomechanics and innovation at Motus before joining the Chicago White Sox as a senior biomechanical engineer. (Driveline Baseball acquired Motus sports sensor technology earlier this month, after the yoga research was completed.)

Earlier work by the married duo of Armijo and Hansen discussed how trunk separation and trunk flexion correlate to faster pitch velocitiesand how those qualities can be enhanced by yoga. For this most recent study, they drew on research originally emanating from the University of North Carolina. Longtime exercise and sport science professor Joseph Myers, along with doctoral students Sakiko Oyama, Lizzie Hibberd and Brett Pexa, worked on a series of studies that validated the use of ultrasound to identify inflammation and fatigue in the shoulder. A subsequent study used ultrasound and a range-of-motion assessment on UNC pitchers during the fall 2014 season to track fatigue and recovery.

A typical [starting] pitcher gets five days rest, and we have no idea whether that's a good number or not, says Myers, who left the university in 2016 to join MLBs Tampa Bay Rays as director of baseball performance science. "But we were trying to find ways to measure the trauma associated with throwing and pitching and when does it return back to baseline.

They found that shoulder musclesespecially the infraspinatus muscle in the rear of the rotator cuffbegan swelling immediately after an outing on the mound and stayed inflamed for at least 24 hours. Thats important, Myers says, because the infraspinatus is responsible for essentially putting on the brakes in the throwing motion.

This went along with some changes in shoulder range of motion that have been linked to injury risk and also just self-reported soreness, says Pexa, now an assistant professor in athletic training at High Point University and a consultant to the Texas Rangers. So we had some good recommendations to say that pitchers shouldnt pitch on back-to-back days. This was nothing new, it wasn't anything crazy, but now we had some really, really good evidence from an intramuscular standpoint.

HEALING POWER: What Sports Tech Can Learn From a PT Guru

After Myers left academia, a larger study has continued under the purview of Pexa that is expanding in size and scope, including the examination of blood samples for inflammatory biomarkers as well as other wellness factors (sleep, stress, etc.), performance data gleaned from TrackMan radars, and monitoring the acute-to-chronic workload ratio of individual pitchers. Using a clinical reach test that provides a raw assessment of shoulder range of motion, Pexa found that players had their worst outcomes when throwing the mostor the least. It follows that ACWR research right now, where there's this Goldilocks zone, he says. We can't be working too high, but we also can't be working too low because we're not setting ourselves up for good performance in the future.

While pro clubs are keen to apply findings to protect their playersand Myers and Pexa declined to discuss use cases from their MLBorganizationsa major motivator for this work is to assuage the arm injury epidemic at the amateur level. Many of the most promising pitchers might throw for multiple teams in the same season, with little-to-no communication between coaching staffs. In the recent application of yoga to facilitate recovery, Armijo found that her 10-pitcher cohort was comprised of willing yoga novices; a few members of the control group jealousy eyed the sessions.

Every player that does yoga says they feel better after a yoga session. Nobody says they feel worse, she says. The first day, they couldnt lift their arm over their shoulder. They were that sore, so we had to be mindful of working within those parameters as well.

NEW YORK GROOVE: Adam Ottavino Answers Pitchings Why With Edgertonic Cameras

The bodys response to pitching is complex. There is not only an inflammatory response but also a neuromuscular one in which tissue stiffens. Even the non-throwing shoulder shows some markers of fatiguean effect on the nervous system that Hansen believes will be a future measurable in baseball.

Myers says theres not enough evidence yet to suggest a change to how pitchers are deployed, but there are still inherent benefits of practicing yoga. You could potentially use various various types of modalities, treatments, yoga, whatever, to maybe make them a little more ready for a bullpen session that happens two days after a start, or three days after start, he says. And its a comfort level. Youre decreasing some of the spasm and tightness that's present after throwing."

Other benefits of yoga include helping players relax and get better sleep during the grueling game and travel schedule of the season. Armijos vision is for a yoga instructor to one day become part of a pro clubs strength and conditioning staff. Were showing that these guys can recover faster, she says. How valuable would that be in the actual season when these guys need it?

Question? Comment? Story idea? Let us know at [emailprotected]

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New Research Could Open the Door to MLB Teams Embracing Yoga Recovery Programs for Pitchers - SportTechie

Joining a group fitness activity can be very intimidating, especially when you are a late bloomer with questionable fitness levels, like me. In the initial days after joining yoga, I often felt a childish happiness at the possibility of being able to bunk a class. Every time I looked around, from the way people carried and placed their mats to the way they held their postures I got overwhelmed. I could not hold my own body weight. The conversations around the journey from XL to L to M were even more discouraging. I never felt the high that people claimed exercising gives.

Nobody I know will ever consider me as remotely athletic, I have never had any misgivings in this regard either. However, I was at a point in life where fitness had to be embraced, there was no other way out. I have been practising yoga regularly, more or less, for the last two years now. In the last six months, my relationship status with yoga has undergone a metamorphosis. We now have a love-hate relationship.

Also Read:Padma Shree Awardee Yoga Grandma Nanammal Passes Away At 99

I have realized you are as strong in yoga as your mind is. The epiphany first came on the day I could feel a Khumbak (retention or holding the breath, a state where there is no inhalation or exhalation) and enjoyed it after Kapalabhati (pranayama). As you sit with your eyes closed it was a happy place to be in, what needed to be accomplished was accomplished and what was to be achieved next was away. Since then it has been my favourite zone. A friend had once compared this state to the time you take in deciding between two books, especially when you have just finished reading a very good one. You want to savour that aftertaste.

Now yoga classes have become more about me and my mind, the outside is not intimidating anymore. To achieve a posture all you need is a pact with your mind and I realized this on the day the eldest person in my yoga batch did a headstand. She was the first one in the group. It also brought back the joy of celebrating together and admiring each others journeys. I have learnt to look beyond the competition and push my body. Of course, none of this can be attained without a good teacher who opens your mind first and then literally handholds you through this journey.

So, am I a changed being? I definitely feel better in my own body. However, I still have days when there are aches and pains which make it impossible to get out of bed. I succumb too. But I also take my body and my mind more seriously. I am still learning to know the difference between my mind giving up and saying no, not today. I am more in sync with myself and try to achieve a Khumbhak in most things I do.

Also read:Govt Institutions, Corporate Bodies May Introduce Yoga Breaks

At the end of a yoga class, you always do a Shavasana when you lie down after a rigorous session, you relax and rejuvenate and are ready to brave the world. You have earned that brief time to yourself because you have sweat it out and that has been the best lesson I have learnt in self-love. I now pat my back whenever I think I have outdone myself.

The views expressed are the authors own.

Excerpt from:
When Yoga Is Not Competition But Challenge To The Body And Mind - SheThePeople

Researchers tested the calming effect of music for kitties during vet visits; 'cat-specific' music was the winner.

The last time we took our cat to the vet, I literally thought he was going to have a heart attack. Tough guy is king of the savannah at home, but once in his carrier and headed to the place with the scary people in scrubs, he was a panting, hissing, mewling mess. Porr kitty. And I didn't envy the vet who had to wrestle with the freaked-out mini tiger either.

But after reading about a new study from Louisiana State University (LSU), I think I have a gameplan for the next time: We are going to play him some relaxing cat music.

Indeed, a growing body of evidence has led to the popularity of using music in human medicine. Research has shown it to be efficacious in everything from improving motor and cognitive function in stroke patients to reducing anxiety associated with medical examinations, diagnostic procedures, and surgery.

Along these same lines, researchers previously have found that during general anaesthesia, cats remain physiologically responsive to music; and beyond that, classical music was found to be more soothing than pop or heavy metal.

The authors describe cat music as being comprised of "melodic lines based on affiliative vocalizations and rewarding sounds. These melodies are interpreted as more likely to be effective if the goal is to calm an agitated cat. The thought and musical design behind composing cat-specific music was based on the idea that the development of the emotional centers in the brain of the cat occur shortly after birth, during the nursing stage. Because purring and suckling sounds are common in this developmental stage, these sounds are layered into tempos and frequencies used in feline vocalization to create cat specific music."

To see if cat music would work to calm cats at the vet's office, they experimented with 20 cats who enrolled in the study. The felines were played 20 minutes of Scooter Bere's Aria by David Teie, classical music, or no music at all in random order at each of three physical examinations at the veterinary clinic, two weeks apart.

This is the cat music. (Is it weird if it makes humans calmer too? Asking for a friend.)

As evidenced by lower cat stress scores and handling scale scores, the researchers claim that the cats appeared to be less stressed during the exams when played the cat-specific music, compared with both classical music and silence.

The examination period, they write, showed "significantly lower CSSs [cat stress scores] when cats listened to cat music compared with listening to silence or classical music," write the authors. They conclude of their findings,

"... that cats respond more positively to music made specifically for them and suggest that tranquil behaviors can be achieved in a veterinary clinical setting with the introduction of cat-specific music. Our results also suggest that this would not be the case for classical music or silence."

We have heard of all kinds of ways people try to quell the nerves of anxious cats traveling to the vet, from special pheromone sprays to Ativan and Xanax. Forget that, try some nice soothing cat music complete with purring and suckling sounds! and chances are you may even feel a bit more relaxed as well.

The study, Effects of music on behavior and physiological stress response of domestic cats in a veterinary clinic, was published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.

Researchers tested the calming effect of music for kitties during vet visits; 'cat-specific' music was the winner.

Read the original here:

This music calms cats the best, study finds - Treehugger

I have been fortunate over the last year to engage in some great conversation on mindfulness and what one should do to stay focused on the practice. Its an appropriate time to share tools to support the practice.

Lets start where it all began, my white paper from 2018 Creating a Leadership Legacy. Below is an excerpt on mindfulness.

Mindful Leadership:

In the 4 part series from Harvard Business Review Press on Emotional Intelligence, the book on Mindfulness was hard to put down. By definition, mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing ones awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting ones feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, which may be used as a therapeutic technique. What is inspiring about this is that we have to focus and be present to truly be effective in the uber connected world in which we live. Our role as leaders has always been to cut through the noise and help prioritizethat was easier when we only dealt with office meetings and an occasional phone call. Leaders today are reacting to situations and information coming at record speeds and from endless sources. However, being mindful brings calm to the storm. I have read the learning content and team based focus from id8te. They start with teaching the team mindfulness and its health benefits. I know that I am going to check them out with my team. If you are struggling and looking for a place to start, begin the simple practice on mindfulness. How, you ask? Personally, I started with the app Calm. I also read some books and listen to mindful audio books.

That was a great time for me as I really started to explore what mindfulness meant as a person and leader. There is so much talk about mindfulness and its finally being embraced by the business world.

Ellen Langer is a pioneer in the mindfulness space, and she gives a simple description of mindfulness.

It is the process of actively noticing new things. When you do that, it puts you in the present. It makes you more sensitive to content and perspective. Its the essence of engagement.

Its important to add that mindfulness is not mediation. You do have distractions enter your thoughts. Whats important is to recognize them and let them float away. Each person uses different techniques to stay mindful. Some use their breath or music to concentrate on. Some meditate. Meditation takes a great deal of practice and if youre new to this, you may want to start with guided meditation.

Without question this has to be the hardest part of the practice. We have been programmed to multitask and have up to 10 tabs open on our browser at any given time. We have multiple chats going, while listening to a podcast, and were half engaged in a conversation. This happens at work, at dinner, or at home with potentially different distractions.

So how do we stay focused on the path? Make it a priority and fundamental to our life today. In the present. When we fully commit to something and make it part of our routine, it becomes part of who we are. You know theres progress when your wife and colleagues have noticed the growth. My wife has even asked me about a book that really grounded me ( Zen and the Art of Happiness) and she would like to share it with some friends who are searching for a way to re-prioritize their lives.

Most learn that they need three part alignment. Mind, body and spirit. For example, my routine goes something like this. Every morning I get up at 5:15 and have coffee with my wife. From there exercise consists of either cardio or yoga. After getting ready for work there is an hour of time by the ocean in spiritual meditation. During the day I try to get 10,000 steps. Also its important to find time for those moments to close your eyes and get centered. Twice a week I go to Tai Chi. My evenings are filled with family or reading. I do not watch television anymore as a habit. Listening to soothing music and reading helps nourish me and gets my body ready for sleep.

My journey started by reading a series of books on happiness, mindfulness and meditation.Below are the titles and descriptions.

Zen and the Art of Happiness. Cutting-edge science and spirituality tell us that what we believe, think, and feel actually determine the makeup of our body at the cellular level. In Zen and the Art of Happiness, you will learn how to think and feel so that what you think and feel creates happiness and vibrancy in your life rather than gloominess or depression.

This book is so deep that you will most likely read through it twice before setting it down. I gave a copy to a friend and all 3 of my daughters. From there I read After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path Enlightenment does exist, internationally renowned author and meditation master Jack Kornfield assures us. Unbounded freedom and joy, oneness with the divine . . . these experiences are more common than you know, and not far away. That book really puts you to work.

The third took me back to a book that started this journey a few years ago. Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life. When Wherever You Go, There You Are was first published in 1994, no one could have predicted that the book would launch itself onto bestseller lists nationwide and sell over 750,000 copies to date. Ten years later, the book continues to change lives. In honor of the books 10th anniversary, Hyperion is proud to be releasing the book with a new afterword by the author, and to share this wonderful book with an even larger audience. This is just a great foundational book that I find helps me come back to center.

After reading these books and engaging with friends on these topics, you may find yourself more open to understanding all religions and practices on meditation and mindfulness. Exploring Buddha you will realize that our impression was wrong. Buddha was simply a royal who left the family and sat under a tree and explored the mind and found enlightenment. Followers of Buddhism dont acknowledge a supreme god or deity. They instead focus on achieving enlightenmenta state of inner peace and wisdom. When followers reach this spiritual echelon, theyre said to have experienced nirvana.

Another book that really challenges beliefs is The Third Jesus, bestselling author and spiritual leader Deepak Chopra provides an answer to this question that is both a challenge to current systems of belief and a fresh perspective on what Jesus can teach us all, regardless of our religious background. There is not one Jesus, Chopra writes, but three. When we take Jesus literally, we are faced with the impossible. How can we truly love thy neighbor as thyself? But when we see the exhortations of Jesus as invitations to join him on a higher spiritual plane, his words suddenly make sense. You will learn that Deepaks is a christian.

Harvard Business Review has published a 12 volume book on emotional intelligence that gets to mindfulness, resilience, listening and all the key topics for todays workforce and leaders. What you will love about these is they are easy reads. If you remember from my first white paper, they originally released the first version of four. Mindfulness was the very first book I read in that series.

Mindfulness will help your EQ. Being present more often allows you to pick up and hear more than ever before. You also become way more observant with your eyes. It allows one to be more empathetic, listen better, react to situations with more information and you will find youre more resilient in life.

Through practice your health will improve. Studies suggest that mindfulness practices lead to an increase in gray matter concentration in the parts of the brain that affect learning, memory, emotion regulation, self-referential processing and perspective taking. I can tell you I have lost 18 pounds and I am in better shape from even 15 years ago. You have more energy will be perfectly fine running all over for family or friends. You see, you think and act differently and you appreciate life and the opportunity you have to impact people all the time and more importantly in the now.

Another part of this practice is not dwelling on what is wrong in the world and replaying negative thoughts that haunt us as humans. You actually make a real time commitment to focus on the good and you begin to seek good information to support your growth. You may find yourself listening to relaxing music, practicing yoga, reading and getting away from screen time. You become focused on making a difference and being happy that we get a chance to make the world a better place.

The last thought is this: Give mindfulness a try for 3 daysThe worst thing that happens is you make time for yourself. That one act of self care will feel good. We owe it to ourselves to become a better version of ourselves each day we are blessed to wake up. In fact a recent article in the Wall Street Journal talked about the wave of traders who are leaning on meditation to improve their health.

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-new-way-for-stock-traders-to-rebalance-meditation

People are seeing the effects daily when mindfulness is a practice. Also we need to lead with LOVE. Listen to your people and those conversations taking place around you. Observe your surroundings. Have a voice for those who do not. Practice empathy. Being present and putting ourselves in someone elses shoes is leadership at its finest.

Thank you for reading and you can follow my thoughts at bobsellethehrgyuy.com or read my published work at thriveglobal.com

Be Well,

Bob

The rest is here:

Small Steps Towards Mindfulness That Can Change Your Life - Thrive Global