Nov. 17

Plant Now for Winter Bliss

HOT SPRINGS Local natural herbalist Tami Sain will offer Plant Now for Winter Bliss from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the Magnolia Room at Garvan Woodland Gardens, 550 Arkridge Road. Sain will focus on growing winter savory, rosemary, sage, thyme and horseradish. The class is free for members and costs $15 for nonmembers. Registration is required by visiting garvangardens.org or calling (800) 366-4664.

Fall Photowalk

HOT SPRINGS Photographers of all skill levels are invited to attend Garvan Woodland Gardens fall photowalk featuring Anthony Chapel, a blend of native wood, glass and stone, at 9:30 a.m. All types of cameras are welcome, including smartphones and tablets/iPads. The walk lasts 1 1/2 to 2 hours, preceded by a quick classroom session to discuss lighting, composition and focus tips. The event is free for members and costs $15 for nonmembers. Registration is required by visiting garvangardens.org or calling (800) 366-4664.

Trumpet Tales Recital

HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE Richard Jorgensen and Ellen Nagode will present a trumpet and piano recital titled Trumpet Tales at 3 p.m. at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 199 Barcelona Road. The recital is free and open to the public.

Toddler Story Time

BENTON Children ages 3 to 5 are invited to Toddler Story Time at 10 a.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library. The event will feature songs, rhymes, flannel stories, board books and fun with instruments.

Play to Learn

BENTON Children ages 4 and younger and their caregivers are invited to Play to Learn at 10:30 a.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library.

Classic Games

BENTON Adults ages 18 and older are invited to play classic card games at 1 p.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library.

Chess Night

BENTON Youth ages 9 to 18 are invited to play chess at 6 p.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library.

Saline Crossing Meeting

BENTON The Saline Crossing Regional Park and Recreation Area Inc. will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the Wood Grill Buffet. For more information, call (501) 778-8661.

Diabetes Health Fair

BENTON The annual Diabetes Health Fair will take place from 3-6 p.m. at Saline Memorial Hospital. The event will feature eye-health and diabetes seminars, exercise and weight-management seminars, foot/wound-care seminars, healthy-holiday-eating food demos, blood-pressure screenings and more.

Mother Goose on the Loose

BENTON Children up to 3 years old and their caregivers are invited to Mother Goose on the Loose at 10:30 a.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library. The program will feature songs, rhymes, puppets and instruments to foster language development.

Master Builder Challenge

BENTON Children in kindergarten through the third grade are invited to the Master Builder Challenge at 4 p.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library.

Table-Top Teens

BENTON Children in grades seven through 12 are invited to Table-Top Teens at 4 p.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library.

Teen Gaming Club

BRYANT Youth in grades seven through 12 are invited to play video games and help plan gaming events at 4 p.m. at the Mabel Boswell Memorial Library.

Tween Tuesday

BENTON Children in grades four through seven are invited to create art, play games and perform science experiments at 4 p.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library.

Open Makerspace

BENTON/BRYANT Children of all ages are invited to the Makerspace to design a 3-D print, practice sewing, laminate something or work on any project from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library in Benton or at the Mabel Boswell Memorial Library in Bryant. Children younger than 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

Evening Story Time

BENTON Children ages 2 to 5 are invited to develop literacy skills with stories and songs at the Evening Story Time at 5:30 at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library.

Tim Ernst Program

BENTON Adults ages 18 and older are invited to the program The Splendor of Arkansas, with Tim Ernst, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library.

Adultish Book Club

BENTON Adults ages 18 and older are invited to the Adultish Book Club at 6 p.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library.

Watercolor Class

BRYANT Adults ages 18 and older are invited to a watercolor painting class at 6 p.m. at the Mabel Boswell Memorial Library.

Saline County Library Writers

BENTON Adults ages 18 and older are invited to join the Saline County Library Writers at 6:30 p.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library.

English-Language Class

BENTON All ages are invited to an English-language class at 7 p.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library.

Health Screenings

MALVERN Baptist Health-Hot Spring County will offer blood-pressure and blood-glucose screenings from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Malvern Senior Adult Center, 1800 W. Moline St. For more information, visit baptist-health.com or call (501) 332-7020.

Preschool Story Time

BRYANT/BENTON Children ages 3 to 5 are invited to a Preschool Story Time at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Mabel Boswell Memorial Library in Bryant and at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library in Benton. The program will feature stories, songs and activities.

Art Exhibit

ARKADELPHIA Unframed, an exhibition of portfolios by Henderson State Universitys Advanced Photography students, will be on display from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday at the Arkadelphia Arts Center. For more information, call (870) 403-1073.

Home-School Hour

BENTON A Home-School Hour will take place at 10:30 a.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library. There will be separate classes for ages 4 to 5, 6 to 8, 9 to 11 and 12 to 18.

Making It Wednesday

BENTON Adults ages 18 and older are invited to Making It Wednesday from 1-2:30 p.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library. There will be a new feature project each week, but attendees are free to go off-project. All projects will be appropriate for beginners, with options to add advanced techniques for more experienced crafters.

Crafting With a Cause

BENTON Children ages 10 and older are invited to knit, crochet, loom-knit or weave from 3:30-5 p.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library.

Kids in the Kitchen

BRYANT Children in kindergarten through the second grade are invited to practice kitchen skills at 4 p.m. at the Mabel Boswell Memorial Library.

Teen Maker Club

BRYANT Youth in grades seven through 12 are invited to paint, draw, program and more at 4 p.m. at the Mabel Boswell Memorial Library.

Baby and Me Story Time

BRYANT Children up to 18 months old and their caregivers are invited to the Baby and Me Story Time at 9:30 a.m. at the Mabel Boswell Memorial Library.

Toddler Story Time

BRYANT Children ages 18 months to 3 years and their caregivers are invited to Toddler Story Time at 10:30 a.m. at the Mabel Boswell Memorial Library. The program will feature learning concepts through movement, music, stories and play.

Alzheimers Support Meeting

BENTON Adults ages 18 and older are invited to an Alzheimers support meeting at 2 p.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library.

After-School Adventures

BRYANT Youth in grades seven through 12 are invited to an after-school role-playing game from 4-6 p.m. at the Mabel Boswell Memorial Library.

Cooking Corner

BENTON Children in grades four through seven are invited to a hands-on cooking class at 4 p.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library.

Teen Coding Adventures

BENTON Youth in grades seven through 12 are invited to learn the principles of coding without using a computer at 4 p.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library.

VIP

BENTON Children will have an opportunity to learn about famous architects, oceanographers, astronauts and more at 4 p.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library. The story time is intended for children in first through third grades.

Game Night: Mexican Train

BENTON Adults ages 18 and older are invited to play Mexican Train at 6 p.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library.

Yoga at the Library

BRYANT Adults ages 18 and older are invited to a free yoga class at 6 p.m. at the Mabel Boswell Memorial Library. Attendees are asked to bring a mat and a bottle of water.

Blood Drive

ARKADELPHIA The Arkansas Blood Institute will conduct a blood drive from noon to 4 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 107 N. Ninth St, No. 5003. Refreshments and T-shirts will be offered to all donors. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit arkbi.org.

Fall Planetarium Show

ARKADELPHIA Henderson State University will present Seasons of Light at 7 p.m. Thursday and Dec. 3 in the Planetarium. Admission is $3 per person or $1 per student with a current student ID. Late arrivals will not be admitted. For more information, call (870) 230-5162.

A Festival of Christmas

ARKADELPHIA Ouachita Baptist University will present a concert titled A Festival of Christmas at 7:30 p.m. in the Jones Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $12. For more information, visit obu.edu.

Childrens Theater Program

BENTON Children ages 9 to 12 are invited to the Childrens Theater Program at 10:30 a.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library. The program will introduce children to beginning acting techniques. Registration and reading skills are required.

Tai Chi Fit

BENTON Adults ages 18 and older are invited to a Tai Chi Fit class at 11 a.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library.

Home-School Fun Friday

BRYANT Youth ages 6 to 18 are invited to Home-School Fun Friday at 1 p.m. at the Mabel Boswell Memorial Library. The event will feature STEM activities, art projects, games and more.

National Novel Writing Month

BENTON Youth in grades four through 12 are invited to participate in a National Novel Writing Month activity at 4 p.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library.

Lets Get the Rhythm!

BENTON Children ages 3 to 5 are invited to hear stories and create accompanying music with shakers, drums, bells and more at 10:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library.

Family Yoga

BENTON Children of all ages and their caregivers are invited to family yoga at 1 p.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library. The program will promote connection, breath, movement, focus and relaxation.

Fall Arts and Crafts Fair

HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE The Coronado Community Center, 150 Ponderosa Lane, will present its Fall Arts and Crafts Fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will feature vendors with artwork, jewelry, crafts and more. For more information, call (501) 922-5050.

Book Sale

HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE Friends of the Coronado Center Library will offer a book sale from 10 a.m.

to 1 p.m. in Room 5 of the Coronado Community Center, 150 Ponderosa Lane. For more information, contact Mary Eliades at maryeliades@gmail.com.

The rest is here:
COMMUNITY EVENTS IN THE TRI-LAKES AREA - Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Cardone Capital fund manager and The 10X Rule author Grant Cardone discusses the Democrats proposed millionaire surtax and his tip for the middle class to learn how to scale their money.

The holy grail of every entrepreneur is taking risks in order to make more time and money, according to the CEO of Cardone Capital,Grant Cardone.

Cardone, the author of "The 10X Rule," creator of multiple business programs and an entrepreneur who owns and operates seven privately held companies, told FOX Business Maria Bartiromothat he is concerned that the Democrats multitude of tax proposals would stifle business.

I would move out of the country, he said on Wednesday.

WHY A WARREN PRESIDENCY IS WORTHLESS TO THE STOCK MARKET

It wouldnt be the first time Cardone moved -- he said the "socialist influence" in Californiaforced him to relocate his businesses to Miami where he was able to grow his company 50 times because the tax bill was 13 percent cheaper.As a result, Cardone said he was able to create more jobs and increase wages.

I think that people miss the idea of the concept that when I get a savingsI actually, as a business person, want to reinvest, I don't want to just keep the money, he said.

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

Despite Floridas reputation for having low taxes, Cardone pointed out aside from adding to jobs and payroll, he also contributes by paying property taxes.

Property taxes on $1.5 billion is about $30 million a year in property taxes, he said.

Cardone was named the No. 1 marketer to watch by Forbes Magazine.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS

Originally posted here:

Entrepreneur says Democrat tax plans may force him to move out of the country - Fox Business

Weekly Pulse: get caught up ont he latest sports news in this week's episode. This week we ask, does Colin Kaepernick really have a shot in the NFL? USA TODAY

It was an ugly scene in Cleveland on Thursday night, when Myles Garrett ripped off Mason Rudolph's helmet and struck his unprotected headwith it.

But experts in head and brain injuries told USA TODAY Sports it could've been far worse.

"The number one thing youd worry about (when) being hit in the head by a football helmet, when you dont have a football helmet on your head, is a skull fracture," saidRobert Cantu,medical director of the Concussion Legacy Foundation."And a skull fracture, and the associated brain trauma, could have killed him or produced a very serious brain injury."

Mason Rudolph, left, reacts after being hitting in the head with his helmet by Myles Garrett.(Photo: Ken Blaze, USA TODAY Sports)

Cantu and others said there were several factors that prevented that from happening Thursday night in the waning seconds of the Cleveland Browns' 21-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, however.

Rudolph, 24, benefitted from both the velocity and location of the blow, they said. Garrett struck the quarterback with the helmet near the top of his head, where the skull is at its thickest, as opposed to near his ear or temple area, where it's thinner. And he was hit with the open side of the helmet, rather than the top.

"It wasnt just bang, completely direct, at a high velocity,"said sports medicine specliast Dennis Cardone, the co-director of NYU Langones Concussion Center."A high velocity direct hit, with a helmet,on him wouldve been tough. That certainly wouldve caused a significant injury."

Cardone added that while death is ceratinly a possible outcome of a severe head impact, "it certainly wouldn't be typical"in a situation like the one that unfolded Thursday night. He believes injuries like skull fractures, concussions, brain bleeding and even neck injuries would be more common in this instance.

CRIMINAL ACT?Why Garrett likely won't face charges after hittingSteelers QB

OPINION: NFL had no choice but to send a clear message with Garrett punishment

Garrett, for his part, has been suspended without pay for at least the remainder of the season as a result of the incident the longest suspension in NFL history for a single act on the field. He said in a statement Friday that he "lost my cool" and publicly apologized to Rudolph, who missed one start earlier this year with a concussion.

Gerald Grant, a professor of neurosurgery at Stanford University, said it would be possible to model the potential impact of a helmet-to-head collision like the one that occurred Thursday, but it wasn't something that he had ever tested.

He said he watched video of the incident alongside a group of engineers and helmet manufacturers in Youngstown, Ohio where, coincidentally, the NFL officially kicked off its "Helmet Challenge" on Thursday, in an effort to encourage the development of safer equipment.

"Were all talking about how to make a stronger helmet," Grant said, "but the helmet itself, as a projectile, it could be catastrophic."

The averageNFL helmet weighs between 4 and 6 pounds, according to data from the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab. And while it is designed to protect the head when worn, it is no different than any other 4-pound object when removed and swung toward an unprotected head.

And that's what made the incident so scary to watch, the experts agreed.

"As a neurosurgeon, I was really concerned. I was frightened by it," Grant said."Any exposed head with some projectile like that, youre very worried about that. Because you dont know the possible effects that couldve caused."

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.

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Could Myles Garrett have killed Mason Rudolph when he struck QB with helmet? - USA TODAY

There might be no grayer gray zone than a yoga studio, where physical intimacy, spirituality and power dynamics all come together in a sweaty little room, Katherine Rosman, a New York Times reporter, said on the latest episode of The Weekly, our new TV show.

In her investigation of touch in yoga, Ms. Rosman found that explicit conversations about consent to be touched can be lacking: Not all teachers ask permission before touching a student. And some students are uncomfortable being touched, and are reluctant to speak up.

We asked instructors to share how they approach hands-on adjustments in their studios, and asked yogis how they communicate consent. We received more than 270 responses. Some teachers said they never touch students; others described touch as a cherished part of yoga. Many said they employed techniques to opt in, or opt out, of hands-on adjustments. Here are some of their suggestions, lightly edited for length and clarity.

I am a yoga instructor and choose, very intentionally, not to perform hands-on adjustments on students. While I know that there are many respectful and well-meaning teachers who do choose to correct students alignment in the yoga postures, I dont feel it is the strongest way of teaching a student how to communicate with their own body. On top of that, you never know which students are healing from trauma and would prefer not to be touched. My personal teaching philosophy has led me to give very detailed verbal cues and to demonstrate the postures with my own body. Emily FarrAustin, Texas

I am a yoga instructor and never adjust people. Theres no reason for it. The practice of doing so assumes that the teacher knows more about a persons body than the student themselves, which is frankly arrogant. People have their own wisdom about their bodies, and release will happen in its own time. If and when students need support or spotting to try a new posture, I always explain exactly what Im going to do and then ask for permission and get it before I place my hands on them.Jennifer TersigniTucson, Ariz.

Its really very simple: Yoga teachers at the studio in which I teach are taught to use touch only as a last resort. We are trained to use voice instruction first, then demonstration and finally touch, applied very sparingly and with permission. My belief is that if I must use touch, especially to the extent that some yoga teachers do, I have failed as a teacher.Bill MillerWausau, Wis.

Consent to touch in yoga class is a high priority in my studio. Adjustments are not made physically unless the instructor asks specifically, Is it O.K. to put my hands on (your hips, leg, etc.)? Alternatively, the teacher must make it clear as he or she walks among students, If you would rather I not touch you to adjust your asana, feel free to tell me as I approach you. A good teacher will have no problem offering clearly worded instruction to correct a posture.Dee GoldBrunswick, Md.

Read more from the original source:
Here Are Good Ways Yoga Teachers Manage Touch and Consent - The New York Times

Stress management techniques available today advise practices, such as meditation, yoga and listening to music, to provide relief to stress. These are useful, no doubt; but at best they act as those medicines to bring down temperatures in case of sickness, while the root cause is not addressed.

But more than 5,000 years ago, Krishna has precisely analysed and discussed the root cause of stress when explaining Karma yoga and shows how it is possible to live and cope with and not escape from ground realities, pointed out Swami Mukundananda in a discourse.

Arjuna is asked to put in his best efforts and fight the war with the sole aim that it is his duty, not get attached to outcomes. When the essence of this teaching is internalised, it becomes clear that stress in ones life is not owing to engaging in hard work but owing to attachment to the outcomes of ones hard work. On the eve of exam, the student gets unduly stressed if the thoughts are only on the result. The way out is to remain focussed on sincere and committed study effort alone. This will take away the stress. A soldier in the army can convert his state of life into one of devotion and pure intentions by working for the welfare of the nation.

The greatest of yogis are engaged in their duties, having given up all attachment. When a skilled surgeon hesitates to perform surgery on his own son, it is owing to his attachment. He cannot afford to get distracted and commit mistakes. It is an art to learn to live in the world without allowing the world to enter into oneself. As long as the boat is on water, it is safe. But the moment the water enters it, it spells danger. Devotion is being aware of the divine at all times, no matter what work one is engaged in.

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Karma Yoga relieves stress - The Hindu

BOISE, Idaho Kaelyn Rogers, Founder of Upward Inertia , a nonprofit working to improve the mental, physical, and emotional health of individuals from marginalized communities, teaches a yoga class each week to a group of medium security inmates at the Idaho Department of Correction.

While there are obvious physical benefits to yoga, the inmates say it helps them control their thoughts, and thats something they say will help them enter the world as safer people, less inclined to commit crimes.

Its gonna help me, whether its just, being in a room surrounded by people and knowing how to carry myself for who I wanna be and how I wanna be, said Logan Peyman, and inmate at ISCI.

Thats the goal with this yoga class at IDOC, to teach the inmates how to control their thoughts and manage their emotions so that once the inmates get out of prison theyre not entering society with the same instincts they had before prison.

The only difference between you and I and somebody whos in prison is how quickly it takes us to respond or to act on a thought, said Kaelyn Rogers, volunteer yoga teacher and Founder of Upward Inertia .

So through Kaelyns yoga class, she teaches them how to remain calm, and think before reacting.

All of us get angry with someone in traffic and, you know, want to do them harm, but we dont, said Rogers.

For the first 30 minutes of the 2 hour class, they discuss things the inmates have learned and are grateful for. Then they combine breath work, visualization, and meditation throughout the rest of class.

I hope that itll help them to stay sober. A lot of them are in for drug charges or things related to addiction, said Rogers.

And Kaelyn is working to expand the program. As the founder of Upward Inertia , a nonprofit aiming to improve the mental, physical, and emotional health of marginalized groups, shes hoping to teach yoga in all six of the minimum and medium security prisons around Boise by the first of next year.

Our goal really is to reduce recidivism, but also to keep people out of prison, said Rogers.

And the inmates in class assure it gives them the steps to help them as they prepare for life outside the walls of prison.

If you want to donate to Upward Inertias cause, click here .

Excerpt from:
Volunteer teaches yoga at IDOC to help reduce recidivism - 6 On Your Side

Times Insider explains who we are and what we do, and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together.

One secret to reporting that you dont hear much about is the role of dumb luck.

In July, I began to report an article about touch and consent in yoga. The idea was to learn more about the egregious conduct of Krishna Pattabhi Jois, the guru who made Ashtanga and vinyasa yoga popular before his death in 2009 at 93.

But I also wanted to look at the contemporary yoga world. As a devoted yogi myself, I know the yoga studio remains a place where some teachers, even well-intentioned ones, think they have permission to touch you with impunity just because you have walked in the door and unrolled a mat.

Under the guise of adjustments the term for using hands to help a student get into a pose or to show support some teachers are (often unwittingly) triggering confusion, anxiety and even real emotional trauma for students.

I hoped to tap into the conversation that is just starting to take place among yogis about what is and isnt acceptable and what changes they wish for.

Since my reporting was also going to be featured in an episode of The Weekly, I knew I would need visually interesting alternatives to just making dozens of calls from my desk.

Watch The Weekly, The Timess New TV Show, on FX and Hulu

The hands-on teaching practices of some of yogas most celebrated gurus raise questions about consent.

I proposed that we attend a class at a yoga festival, where we could avail ourselves of a large pool of students and teachers.

Poking around the internet, I quickly spotted the Asheville Yoga Festival in North Carolina. The mid-July timing was perfect for our production schedule. The southeastern location would add geographic diversity to my reporting.

On the festivals schedule, I saw a four-hour workshop called Inversions and Adjustments. Adjustments were becoming a focal point of my story, and the workshop would be led by a well-known teacher named Jonny Kest. It was a no-brainer.

I had never taken a class taught by Mr. Kest before, but I had practiced at his studio in Birmingham, Mich., half a dozen times over the years when visiting relatives in Michigan. And while I knew he had a hard-core following who liked his hands-on approach to teaching, I didnt really know what that meant.

As I took part in his workshop with a producer, camerawoman and sound engineer from The Weekly looking on I quickly learned. Mr. Kest was demonstrating the most hands-on adjustments I had ever seen.

One that particularly raised my eyebrow was performed on a woman doing a pose commonly known as Triangle. Mr. Kest lunged one leg around the womans leg and wrapped an arm around her from behind, placing his palm between her collar bone and breast.

You want to be careful of the spots that you want to stay away from, he said and then moved his hand a few inches.

I almost couldnt believe what I was witnessing, and I certainly couldnt believe a camera from The New York Timess television show was recording it. But I wasnt sure how it would translate to a viewer. Without context, someone unfamiliar with yoga could think that this is a standard way for a yoga teacher to touch a student, which it was not.

But before the yoga session ended, something took place that was unlike anything I have experienced in my 20 years as a reporter: My story came to life right in front of my eyes, right in front of my notebook, right in front of the television camera for The Weekly.

Mr. Kest demonstrated another adjustment. This one involved him placing a womans behind on his lap, spreading her legs apart and wrapping them around his waist.

After he showed how to do this, he asked the class participants to practice the adjustment with a partner. Thats when Catherine Derrow, a yoga teacher from Columbus, Ohio, approached Mr. Kest and quietly told him that she would be upset if a teacher touched her in such a way, especially without telling her what he was going to do and asking her permission. I would be very surprised, she said.

Mr. Kest encouraged Ms. Derrow to share her concerns with the whole class. She did so and what ensued was a spirited conversation among Mr. Kest and many students in the class about their preferred ways of being asked for consent before being adjusted in yoga classes. I dont do any of that, Mr. Kest told them.

After the workshop concluded, I met with Jamila Wignot, my producer, and we asked each other several times, dumbstruck, Did that actually just happen?

Some yoga teachers like to say the most important part of your practice is simply showing up on the mat. In this case, that was true for journalism, too.

Follow the @ReaderCenter on Twitter for more coverage highlighting your perspectives and experiences and for insight into how we work.

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How Did I Get That Yoga Story? You Really Had to Be There - The New York Times

Netflix's documentary Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator explores the dark side of Bikram yoga (or hot yoga) founder Bikram Choudhury. The doc comes from Academy Award-winning director Eva Orner, who shines the spotlight on the women who toppled Choudhury's empire, as well as the dilemma practitioners of hot yoga face as they weigh the benefits of the exercise against the actions of the man who popularized the practice in the United States. Before Netflix's documentary, Choudhury was the subject of a five-part podcast from ESPN's 30 for 30 series.

Journalist and former Bikram Studio manager Julia Lowrie Henderson's goal for the podcast was not only to shed light on the six women who have come forward with allegations of rape and sexual assault against Choudhury, but also to look at the hot yoga community as a whole. The fall of their guru has affected members worldwide in contrasting ways as those who are devoted to the brand of yoga that he popularized either try to distance themselves and their businesses from the Bikram name, or reconcile how a man who went to such a dark place also brought a healing exercise into their lives.

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The podcast does a brilliant job of covering every aspect of the story from the allegations against Choudhury to the experiences of actors, teachers, and students who practice Bikram yoga. Henderson traveled from coast to coast and across the world to put together a comprehensive story, and as the episode breakdown below shows, it's well worth a listen if you want to fully understand the intricacies of Choudhury's disturbing story and the thousands of lives his actions have affected.

In the first episode of the series, Henderson focuses on Choudhury's early years. From his days as a child in Calcutta, to his arrival in Los Angeles, this episode is essential if you want to see how the yogi gained influence in the 1970s. By befriending actors like Shirley MacLaine and Raquel Welch, he was able to grow his business quickly, while also attracting famous clients who helped spread the word about the healing affects of his particular brand of yoga.

Read the transcript.

Part two of the podcast breaks down how Choudhury began to transform himself from a spiritual guru to the stars into a celebrity in his own right. By the 2000s, he discovered a way to bring hot yoga to the masses. He began teaching courses to students who would go on to open their own studios that would operate under his strict guidelines. In the process, he ensured that Bikram yoga would become a phenomenon that put him front and center.

Read the transcript.

As his business grew, so did Choudhury's power. In this installment, Henderson explains how the yogi would employ people to check out studios operating under his name and report back any inconsistencies. Owners could then be threatened with legal action or excommunicated from the Bikram family. She also speaks with one of Bikram's former students, Jenelle Leat, who revealed that Choudhury's alleged requests for female students to give him massages or join him alone in his room were an open secret among the people who helped run his expensive nine-week certification courses.

Read the transcript.

This part of the series focuses on the six women who came forward to accuse Choudhury of rape and sexual assault: Jill Lawler, Sarah Baughn, Larissa Anderson, Maggie Genthner, Dana McLellan, and one woman who goes by Jane Doe #3. Lawler and Baughn described in graphic detail their allegations against the yogi, and the pressure they felt to stay quiet in order to preserve their place in the community (as well as their livelihoods).

Read the transcript.

In the final part of the series, Henderson shares how five of the six women took small settlements in civil suits in order to gain some sense of closure after the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles District Attorney declined to file charges against Choudhury. Only one woman, Choudhury's former lawyer Micki Jafa-Bodden, won a judgment against the yogi for sexual harassment and wrongful termination. Through the courts, she gained control of his intellectual property and what was left of the company.

Meanwhile, Choudhury continues to teach classes outside the United States as those who practice hot yoga are left to weigh the positive impact it has had on their lives verses the lives Choudhury allegedly destroyed.

Read the transcript.

30 for 30's deep dive into Choudhury, the allegations against him, and the world of Bikram yoga is not to be missed.

Continue reading here:
Before You Watch Netflix's Doc About Bikram Choudury, Listen to the Shocking Podcast - POPSUGAR

Yoga for the Inflexible Male, out Nov. 19, was inspired by local yoga classes

The progression from yoga novice to writing a yoga book has been natural for Roy Parvin, Cloverdale resident and writer of the upcoming Yoga for the Inflexible Male.

Starting in 2017, a succession of events Cloverdale getting a yoga studio, the studio starting a class geared toward men who may be hesitant to start practicing yoga, Parvin penning an article about the class led to the creation of the book, which serves as a level-headed guide to different yoga poses.

After hearing about Yoga on Center opening a Cloverdale location, Parvin pitched the idea of them hosting a class specifically geared toward men like him, who had always wanted to do yoga, but were too proud to do it in front of a woman, he said. Were inflexible, we have sports injuries, the whole sense of yoga is really oppositional to a man because we really like to be competitive and yoga isnt competitive.

Im not a yoga guy, Parvin said. I got into yoga in the first place because I had a hellaciously bad sleep problem when medicine seemed to fail, yoga prevailed and was one of the only things that dealt with the fallout of not sleeping.

Following the start of the class, Parvin penned an article for the Reveille about the class under the pseudonym Yoga Matt the same name that Yoga for the Inflexible Male is being published under.

Soon after the class began, it gained in popularity, filling up among community members.

Every week all these guys who look like theyre going to go to the grocery store to pick up a quart of milk show up. Not yoga guys, Parvin said. We have this great camaraderie in this class, so I got an idea pretty quickly that there was something to this class.

From there, Parvin started kicking around the idea of writing a book and his wife, Janet Vail (referred to in the book as Beth Matt), wrote the proposal that would eventually land the Yoga Matt persona a book deal from Random Houses Ten Speed Press imprint.

Writing as Yoga Matt is a step away from Parvins normal writing tone, which usually leans more somber, he said.

Each yoga pose is split into three varied poses the good, the not-so-good and the ugly and is meant to serve as an introduction to the craft.

The Yoga Matt character serves as a microphone for introducing the poses, and Parvin is careful to note that his narrative isnt meant to be an authority on yoga. Rather, Parvin enlisted Yoga on Centers yoga for men class instructor Jerry Sinclair to advise on best practices for yoga.

I use a lot of humor in the book and its to sort of coax guys into doing yoga, Parvin said. I noticed that at the end of class everybody would brag about who was the worst and it was all about being embarrassed about being there. We would all try to take this low ground that we were the worst and it was a way of dealing with the fact that we were doing something we were uncomfortable with. I thought that that would be a nice hand-hold for people in there, that theres a lot of different variations no matter how limber you are.

The book as a whole has community woven through it. Cloverdale resident and local artist Richard Sheppard provided the illustrations of each of the yoga pose, 120 in total. One of the illustrated characters in the book is based on Sinclair. Yoga on Center co-owner Jenn Russo penned the books introduction, too.

In a very online age, we did this very locally, Parvin said. I think its about embracing a new neighbor meaning the yoga studio, and embracing my idea, he said.

Following the positive response to the class starting in Cloverdale, a Healdsburg counterpart was added to Yoga on Centers Healdsburg location.

Both classes continue weekly and are very popular with our male students, Russo said. We have offered Yoga for Men in the past and never seen the interest that we have seen since Jerry started teaching the classes. He is an inspirational teacher and makes the students feel comfortable the moment they walk in the door.

In celebration of the books release on Nov. 18, Parvin will be rebranding Cloverdale as Yogadale, with a Welcome to Yogadale home of Yoga Matt sign on the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerces Highway 101 announcement board.

Russo said that Yoga on Centers Healdsburg location will be hosting a book release and signing with Parvin on Monday, Nov. 18. Sinclair will start the event by teaching a yoga class from 4 to 4:30 p.m., followed by a brief talk with Parvin about the book. A Cloverdale counterpart to the release will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 19, with the yoga class starting at 5 p.m.

Free yoga classes will be held at Yoga on Center in Cloverdale on Saturday, Nov. 23 in conjunction with a 2 p.m. book signing that Parvin is having at The Trading Post.

Its a book signing party, but people dont have to buy books, Parvin said. I want to thank everybody in town and were going to try to do the largest flash mob pose of Warrior 2 in all of Yogadale history in the parking lot out back.

Originally posted here:
New yoga book bends to attitudes of inflexible men - Sonoma West

If youre anything like me, todays episode of The Ezra Klein Show will make you think about the way you shop, learn, eat, parent, and exercise in a whole new way.

My guest is Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, a professor of public policy at the University of Southern California whose most recent book, The Sum of Small Things: A Theory of the Aspirational Class documents the rise of a new, unprecedented elite class in the United States. Previously, the elite classes differentiated themselves from the rest by purchasing expensive material goods like flashy clothes and expensive cars. But, for reasons we get into, todays elite is different: We signify our class position by reading the New Yorker, acquiring elite college degrees, buying organic food, breastfeeding our children, and, of course, listening to podcasts like this one.

These activities may seem completely innocent perhaps even enlightened. Yet, as we discuss here, they simultaneously shore up inequality, erode social mobility, and create an ever-more stratified society all without most of us noticing. This is a conversation that implicates us all, and, for that very reason, it is well worth addressing.

You can listen to this conversation and others by subscribing to The Ezra Klein Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts.

Elizabeth Currid-Halketts book recommendations:

Just Kids by Patti Smith

Art Worlds by Howard S. Becker

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

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Read the original here:
How Whole Foods, yoga, and NPR became the hallmarks of the modern elite - Vox.com