Devin Townsend was the guest on Full Metal Jackie's weekend show. The talented artist made the bold move of stepping away from his band after their last album, choosing to stretch himself artistically with the new Empath album.

During the chat, Devin speaks about not boxing himself in as an artist, how working acoustically has provided its own challenges and his desire to field different lineups of musicians to play his Empath music live. Check out the discussion below.

We're here to talk about the new album, Empath, which shows various elements showcased throughout your career. What's the prominent revelation about your musical development through the single context of this album?

I think the overarching theme of this is one that is of middle age, and what tends to happen as you careen towards 50 is unawareness of time and mortality and things such as this. It's a pretty typical story, but how that affected the creative part of this album is that it put me in the position to where I wanted to almost make a best-of album of everything that I've done in the past, but with new material. [I wanted to]analyze my relationship with each one of those sorts of musical aesthetics.

So the heavy stuff, or the orchestral stuff, or the top stuff, I put it all in one place. And I also think that the sort of awareness of time allowed me to take some risks with this record that, up to this pointI've just not taken; financially or thematically, or whatever. It's resulted in something that I'm really proud of.

In terms of composition and production, your music has often been elaborate. How will simplifying it on tour with an acoustic set redefine the perception of your songs?

I think that's a good question. I think the reason why I'm doing the acoustic is two-fold. One, it gives me time to think. The process of making Empath is just really, really arduous, and although I recognized the need to promote it immediately and tour it immediately, I wanted to cut myself a break, and not just do a nose dive into a brand new band immediately. So the acoustics show is giving me an opportunity to be present for an audience, promote it and spend some time thinking about my next step. So when I do get back there with this next group of people, it's not haphazard.

Then second of all, what the acoustics show has really underlined to me is the fact that all of this music that I've written, no matter the complexity of it, generally starts with me and a guitar in my room, or on tour, or what have you. And to be able to play these acoustic shows and include Strapping [Young Lad] songs or Empath songs, or orchestral songs, and still have it come across the way they do on the record emotionally, I think really demonstrates to the audience that this stuff is not entirely based on complexity of the production, but it really is rooted in the emotional content.

Devin, musicians can find their creativity inadvertently, bound by the music that made them popular. What made you consciously determined to never be defined by any specific style?

I think that fame is something that I actively try to avoid. And the older I get, the more conscious I get of how easily you can be defined by your work in the longterm, if you've had significant success at any one aspect of it. Some people would argue that you should seek that type of success. For example, making that one really commercial song, or the one really commercial album, as a means to fund your creative endeavors past that point.

However, it's a two-sided sword, because as soon as you start generating income that other people become dependent on, whether it's the label or management or the band or a crew on tour, the amount of pressure that gets compounded on your creativity to uphold that level of financial success, I think can really tempt artists to make decisions creatively that are in opposition to where as a person they need to go.

So I, in a sense with Empath, made a conscious decision to pull back from the success that was starting to happen with DTP because as much as I enjoyed those people and that band, it wasn't right yet. My pursuit of getting my vision right is such that I'm willing to sacrifice anything that is not in line with the truth.

Steve Vai and Chad Kroeger from Nickelback are two of numerous people playing and singing on Empath. Do you write with specific people in mind or is it a case of who can best convey something once it's written?

I think it's a combination of the two because all the creativity that I have engaged in with all these records are it's all hand in hand with the personal development. I think that ultimately if I was to define what it is what I'm trying to do, as a person let alone music, is I'm trying to become actualized as who I am but without any compromise, without any delusions of who I am within myself. That's a lofty goal. Will I get there? That's debatable, but that's the goal nonetheless.

So, within that process, you encounter scenarios that influence your writing and because of the success that I've to have up until this point and the number of people that I know within the scene and what have you, I know a ton of people. From time to time, those circumstances and those people that you know become important shifts in your creative consciousness. And when that does happen the music will typically be hand in hand with that. So I ask people to be involved with the songs specifically if they have been involved with aspects of that personal growth.

Chad or Steve or [Mike] Keneally or the orchestras, or whatever, are examples of people that I've just found in my life by circumstance. The circumstance clearly being involved with the music industry and what have you, but certain bands nonetheless. So as I'm listening through, I often think to myself I need another voice here. This song goes hand in hand with this situation that this person was involved with, therefore I will ask them.

You've been auditioning people for multiple touring bands, each meant for specific tours over the next few years. What exhilarates you about the nuances different players will give your music?

I think I have not had the opportunity to really stretch my wings, if you want to look at it that way, as a creative entity. I think up until this point I have peered stretching for whatever reason. Maybe I was financially dependent on a certain level of success, but over the past few years I've made shifts to my personal life that have accommodated a lot more experimentation and each time I've done that, and it hasn't fallen on its face, it makes me realize how many more things I want to experience as an artist.

So, when it came time to decide on what I was going to do with a live band, to play Empath in its entirety in 2021, it started with, 'OK well you need to put together a band to do that.' But that was something that imposed a parameter on me that I'm not yet ready for. As soon as you do this, well there's your album. That's what your doing, Bob's your uncle.

But what I decided to do instead was, 'Well hang on, I want to do three or four different bands that do very different things.' Maybe one of them can be really improvisational and really avant-garde. Maybe one can be really brutal. Maybe one can be really orchestral and choral. Maybe one can be really simplistic and minimal. Then by doing that, this acoustic tour being one example of that trajectory, by the time I get to Empath in 2021 I will have played the material in one form or another and I will have gone through enough musicians that I will know who the right people to be doing what it is what I want to do.

So it's a way of not only providing an audience something really interesting and really uncompromised and really in ways I've never been able to explore which brings excitement to it that I haven't felt in years. I have a final goal in mind, once I get to it, it will be unequivocal as a result of this.

Thanks to Devin Townsend for the interview. The 'Empath' album is currently available in the format of your choosing here. Townsend is currently on tour in support of the album. See all dates and get ticketing info here. Find out where you can hear Full Metal Jackies radio showhere.

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Devin Townsend Will Sacrifice Anything 'Not in Line With Truth' - Loudwire

The outline of Davionne Goodens new computer game may feel familiar: The main character must defeat villains to reach an ultimate goal.

But woven in are elements that set the game apart. The main character is stuck in a coma, and the villains are nightmares. Players confront issues of anxiety and depression. And, through an all-black cast, Mr. Gooden deliberately features the experiences of people typically absent from mainstream games.

If youre a white creator, you rarely think about that, he said.

Gaming is a multibillion-dollar business, and one that has remained largely white and largely male.

Five years after Gamergate exposed the kind of toxicity that can lurk in a community where diverse perspectives are underrepresented, little seems to have changed for minorities and women in the industry. Today, people like Mr. Gooden still confront an industry that infrequently reflects who they are.

Youve got to take it one day, one year, one game at a time. Davionne GoodenCreator of She Dreams Elsewhere

Three out of four people working in the gaming industry are men. Almost the same proportion identifies as white. And those numbers have hardly budged since 2015, according to surveys conducted by the nonprofit International Game Developers Association.

If youre a young person of color playing games, you dont really see yourself represented, said Mitu Khandaker, a professor at New York Universitys game center. That kind of instills in you this sense that maybe I dont really belong.

That lack of diversity in mainstream gaming games made by the handful of large development companies can be cyclical, turning people away from the industry, said Dr. Khandaker, who is also the chief executive of Glow Up Games, a research and development studio focused on diversity.

Women, for example, are rarely promoted to senior positions or made the heads of studios. Many gamers say toxic harassment online is still an everyday fear.

Some like Mr. Gooden, 21, see signs of hope. He started making games shortly after he got his first laptop in the fifth grade and discovered a game-developing program online. He never stopped. In Mr. Goodens role-playing game, She Dreams Elsewhere, the main character, Thalia Sullivan, navigates her own mind, battling nightmares as she tries to eventually figure how she fell into a coma.

The most recent I.G.D.A. survey found that 81 percent of those in the industry feel that diversity in the workplace is either very important or somewhat important, up from 63 percent in 2015.

And developers have more outlets to get their games in the hands of players, including online platforms like Steam and crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter, as well as gaming conferences and festivals.

Im an optimist, Mr. Gooden said. I hope that things will eventually be better as a whole.

I am just one or two steps removed from people who are like exploding in popularity in this very scary way. Squinky Creator of Robot Slow Dance

When Gamergate unfolded in 2014, the world was exposed to the toxic side of gaming. Spurred by a misogynistic post online from a game developers ex-boyfriend, mobs online publicly attacked female creators and players in a targeted harassment campaign. Women routinely received rape and death threats.

Dietrich Squinkifer, better known as Squinky, knew many of the victims.

Watching friends being targeted was scary, but not surprising for Squinky, who uses they and them pronouns. Squinky had tangled with the same culture before.

They began making games in the early 2000s. Squinkys first job in the industry was with Telltale Games, a company based in San Rafael, Calif., known for The Walking Dead, a zombie apocalypse adventure game.

Squinky, 33, said that as their career progressed, they increasingly tried to advocate a better understanding of race, gender and sexuality in the industry. Colleagues saw Squinky as a troublemaker, and bosses were quick to reprimand.

They burned out of mainstream gaming.

Now, Squinky pursues independent, artistic projects, like Robot Slow Dance. Its a game in which people use controllers to make two miniature foam and metal robots dance with each other.

I think thats part of the reason a lot of my focus in my work has gone more toward more experimentality, installation and performance art, following more of an art world tradition, Squinky said. I am to some degree scared of creating something that will get popular enough within the video game world community that it does receive that kind of backlash.

The game itself is a commentary on social gender norms, which are nonexistent for robots. They wont make the same assumptions as humans, Squinky said.

I like that its a way for me to express myself, and kind of take control of any situation that Ive had in my life.Emma KidwellCreator of Half

Emma Kidwells father is white. Her mother is Japanese. But growing up in the overwhelmingly white, rural suburb of Walkersville, Md., she felt detached from her Japanese identity.

Making games would help her reconnect.

She became interested in gaming as a child, watching her brothers play Xbox and PlayStation. About three years ago in college, Ms. Kidwell tried building games for a narrative design class.

Through games, Ms. Kidwell, 25, found she could tell stories about her personal life. She made one about the awkwardness of buying condoms at a store; she made another about watching her grandmother grapple with dementia.

In January, her grandfather in Japan died, rekindling Ms. Kidwells childhood uneasiness about her biracial identity. So she made the interactive, web-based game Half.

The narrative game takes the player through a series of Ms. Kidwells memories. She wrote about feelings of wanting to look more Japanese, about how her mother stopped talking to her in Japanese and about how she was mistaken for being Chinese.

Since then, I havent felt the same really weird self-consciousness, she said.

I want to show other people, similar to me, that they can create stuff like that that theres a space for it. Joyce LinCreator of Queering Spacetime

In Joyce Lins new tabletop card game, players role-play as girls with crushes on each other. One might become Avery, who is Japanese and Scottish and pansexual, or Ioh, a Korean tomboy.

Draw another card, and Avery and Ioh might meet at a gas station at 1 a.m., with one needing a ride.

Together, players craft a date: Will Ioh give Avery a ride? What is the best way the early morning can unfold, based on each characters personality traits?

Ms. Lin, 21, said the game, Queering Spacetime, is an attempt to put forth a positive representation of queer relationships, often overlooked in games and media.

Usually, in dating sims, you have to impress a character, she said, referring to simulation games. Its sort of one-sided.

Ms. Lin, who recently came out, said her game exemplified the queer form of resistance building safe spaces together as a shield against all that is harmful in the world.

Theres this culture that youre supposed to be good at gaming. For me, games are not about that. Julian CorderoCo-creator of Despelote

Julian Cordero, 22, loves soccer but hates its competitive culture. So, when he made a game about the sport, it wasnt about playing a match.

The game, which he made with his development partner, Sebastin Valbuena, 28, is called Despelote and is set in their hometown, Quito, Ecuador.

In first person, the player kicks a soccer ball around city parks, meeting people along the way.

Ultimately, the game for us is a game about soccer, but its not about the competitive aspect, Mr. Cordero said. Its quite the opposite. Its about the human aspect, and the relationships that sort of develop through kicking a ball around.

With Despelote, Mr. Cordero is trying to use soccer to reject the competitiveness of gaming, which he believes engenders the misogyny and consumerism that have been endemic to the culture.

Mr. Cordero wants people to know that he likes making and playing games, but hes not a gamer.

I wouldnt really call myself that, he said.

I saw there was a whole thing, a whole scene I never seen before. Aziza BrownOwner of Dynamik Focus

Aziza Brown is proud to call herself a gamer.

Ms. Brown, the founder and chief executive of Dynamik Focus, an e-sports and content creation team, said coverage of the industry erroneously dwelled on toxicity and Gamergate when discussing the lack of diversity.

Other, less sinister reasons lurk behind the demographics, she said, and they can be fixed.

Some people of color may be less likely to have access to the expensive, high-speed internet connections necessary to play at a competitive level, she said. Theres also what Ms. Brown called an information deficit not knowing which tournaments or clubs to go to or whom to meet in the community.

Ms. Brown, 39, points to her own experience as representative of how things can change.

Growing up in New York, she played many video games, particularly fighting games like Street Fighter. She played in some tournaments but then went to college at Stony Brook University and studied engineering.

When she returned, she set out to find a robust gaming community: tournaments, clubs, friends.

Through Dynamik Focus, she now tries to help others find their support groups. Ms. Brown was, for example, one of hundreds who attended an annual conference for developers of color in Harlem over the summer.

I had a talk with a woman in gaming, where I was like, please come to the offline communities, come to other places, because once the anonymous barrier is gone, you can see the person to their face, you can confront them, that behavior stops, she said.

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Fear, Anxiety and Hope: What It Means to Be a Minority in Gaming - The New York Times

You can sleep tonight, because we probably wont be assimilated into a colony of cyborgs who are more machine than human and call each other by number instead of their names. No one isturning into the Borg (like Captain Picardabove). The thing is that some transhumanists are willingly getting cyber-implants to fast-forward themselves into a future where man fuses with machine.

Transhumanists believe that we can upgrade ourselves through LED lights, computer chips and other implants that can give different human capacities an assist. Were already seeing this in the plans for Elon Musks Neuralink. Now an interview with BBC Scotlands The Nine has given us some insight into the people who voluntarily got LED lights under their skin for some cosmic sparkle or have chip implants in their hands that can open a car doorand already make keys seem archaic.

After engineer Winter Mraz nearly lost her life in a car accident that sent her to the operating room with a fractured back, ankle and knees, she had no idea how cybernetic enhancements would change her life forever. Her back needed to be bolted together, and one of her kneecap was so busted that she needed a 3D-printed replacement.

It if was not for my cybernetic kneecap I would not be able to walk, Mraz told the news channel. She also didnt know what she would be getting herself into.

It was the nearly fatal accident that convinced Mraz to get personal modifications unrelated to her injuries, like the microchips in her hands that can operate things as if by magic. She has a NFC (near-field communication) chip in her right hand that lets her phone, tablet and other gadgets share data. The RFID (radio-frequency-identification) chip in her left hand locks and unlocks her house door kind of like a workplace security card lets you open the door to the office. It also keeps her hand free for the cane she needs to get around.

Microchips are usually injected into the back of the hand like a syringe. When you really think about it, if you have a device like an Apple watch or Fitbit, microchip implants might freak you out right now, but they are (at least according to many transhumanists) the evolution of that technology.

If you want to see a really futuristic view of transhumanism, as in something that takes place in a fictional altverse where the cybernetically enhanced are at odds with the non-enhanced, read Steve Aokis Neon Future comic series. It will blow your mind.

(via BBC Scotland)

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Are LED lights and other techno-implants slowly turning us into the Borg? - SYFY WIRE

No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.

British philosopher Alan Watts said that. And he wasnt lying.

Theres a grain of truth in that statement, and we all know it. Most of us seem to carry this notion that life is about planning and preparing for tomorrow. I, too, have been guilty of thinking the same way:

When I turned 18, I began writing down my hopeful bucket list. Long story short, it was a list of all the goals I wanted to achieve before I turned 20. I made a solemn vow to myself that I would achieve every single goal on that list, no matter what.

I crossed off many goals during this process, but there was one problem: I was constantly planning for the future, micromanaging every single hour of my days, never resting from the climb towards my goals.

I was constantly thinking about what I wanted to achieve ten months, five months, two years down the line.

I was not living for the moment. I was a sucker living for the future.

Whenever I conquered one goal, I would instantly be on the hunt for the next goal. I never gave myself time to appreciate the moment. I was constantly thinking about the other goals I wanted to achieve down the line.

And, perhaps, thats our problem right there.

We take all of our moments for granted. Our eyes are so focused on whats to come, that we forget to look around at whats already here.

We go out in search for those firefly sparks of good moments, and whenever we do catch one spark, we never hold on to it. We just drop it and run out in chase for other sparks:

To let go of the future, you need to first let go of the climb. Because the truth is that the climb will never end.

Life can sometimes feel as though it is a ladder. In life, were always climbing upwards, rung by rung, obstacle by obstacle, until we reach a higher level. When your eleven years old you need to climb your way up to secondary school. Then when you graduate secondary school you need to climb your way up to University. And then, of course, when youre done and dusted with University there is still a great climb that lies above you:

You need to tussle and compete with other candidates for the most desirable jobs.

Theres always a climb, but when will it ever end?

The only finish line is death. When you arrive at that last checkpoint, youll feel cheated if all the time you had was spent focusing on the future, and ignoring the present.

There is no use planning for a future, which when you get to it and it becomes the present, you wont be there. Youll be living in some other future which hasnt yet arrived Alan Watts

Although we might be quite comfortable and happy in our present circumstances, if there is not a guarantee, not a promise of a good time coming tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, we are at once unhappy, even in the midst of pleasure and affluence. And so we develop a kind of chronic anxiety about time . . . We want to be sure more and more that our future is assured. And for this reason the future becomes of more importance to most human beings than the present Alan Watts

We want to be sure that our future is assured. We want to be promised security. That is why we constantly worry about the future so much and plan our lives way ahead of schedule.

The unknown is the scariest monster under our beds, and we want to be prepared for it.

You dont know whether or not youll lose your job tomorrow. Whether or not youll be able to pay your rent and bills. Whether or not youll be able to come home safely. In life, there are many blank canvases, and with that terrible uncertainty comes anxiety.

The antidote to his worry is to let the future be.

By all means, we should plan for the future, but we need to also remember to come back and settle in the present.

There needs to be an equilibrium, a balance, a counterpoint. I dont believe that we should out rightly disregard the future. Its good to have a solid life plan, a blueprint which you can follow, so that you know roughly where you are and where you are headed.

But, I also believe that we should not spend all of our time and mental energy worrying about the trivialities of tomorrow. That will only deprive us of todays joys.

For unless one is able to live fully in the present, the future is a hoax. There is no point whatsoever in making plans for the future which you will never be able to enjoy Alan Watts

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Dont Chase The Future. Youll Never Catch Up With It. - Thrive Global

The Untitled Goose Game has become incredibly popular. It seemed to come out of nowhere in September and quickly climbed the charts of the Nintendo Switch game sales. It has garnered memes, fan art, and essays about how its simplicity is so enjoyed by the gaming community. Fans have loved it for its main protagonist, the goose, and its chaotic ways. The best word for what the goose is "impish" as you do not hurt anyone, but you will annoy them to the ends of the earth. What fun!

Unfortunately, there are not a lot of games similar to the Untitled Goose Game. However, its popularity will likely get us similar titles in the future. Until then, try some of the games on this list that we have found.

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This first-person game has you playing as a pesky cat and your goal is to knock down as many things onto the floor as possible. There are various game modes, some with a timer and others that are free play mode. There are also a lot of unlockables such as different kinds of cats, cat photos, and power-ups.

Of all the titles on this list, Catlateral Damage has the most in common with the Untitled Goose Game. You are an animal just making a mess like a natural. It is simple, funny, and it's fun.

Katamari Damacy is very strange and pretty addicting. You play these alien creatures that make planets by just collecting everything they can into a sticky ball. You usually have a time limit and sometimes a set of rules of what kinds of items you must collect. The art style is similar to the Untitled Goose Game in terms of the people and towns.

Also you are really doing a chaotic deed without really hurting anyone. That's right, you can pick up animals and people but it does not hurt them. They mostly just wiggle and scream in confusion and terror.

Related: 5 Reasons To Play The Sims on PC (& 5 To Play On Console)

In this open-world indie game, you play a bird that is looking for twigs to build a nest. A weird factor is that you are living in a city facing total political turmoil.

As a bird, you do not really do anything about the totalitarian regime but you can explore the world and overhear the humans talk about what is going on in the world. It is pretty refreshing to have the world do its own thing with you playing just as a witness. Don't worry about the politics, just collect twigs and relax while being your little bird self.

In this cute game, you steal people's trash and throw it into a hole. In fact, you play as the hole! Well, you actually play a raccoon who is controlling the hole. The story is that raccoons have taken over the area by creating remote-controlled trash-stealing holes.

Collecting various items can create combos, which is a ton of fun. You get to explore character homes and devour everything. A lot of fans say it is like a reverse Katamari Damacy. A common complaint though is that the game is too short for its price.

Related: The 10 Best Game Sequels For Xbox One (According To Metacritic)

This is the only other game created by House House, the same company that gave us the Untitled Goose Game. And this title that came out in 2016 is very weird, but fun. You get to play as two noodle-like bodies with heads at both ends (sort of like Cat-Dog) and both ends fight over a ball. You can do two and four-player modes.

Besides playing, it is also fun to actually watch. It is to entities in one body fighting over a ball. There is also a secret unlockable mode that lets you play as wiener dogs.

If you want a long adventure game with similar elements to the Untitled Goose Game, then look no further than Okami. It certainly is far more than a simple be a jerk to humans and do little tasks, but you do play a wolf and can annoy people. For example, you can bite people, animals, drag them around, bark, dig, and really mess with people using your god powers. That's right, you are also a god.

Of course there is a huge story involved, which is the biggest difference Okami has. Also, you are kind of supposed to be a good person. Still, the game does allow you to be a jerk if you want to be.

In this game, you play a slice of bread that wants to become toast. Your goal is to get to the toaster. The physics and movement of the bread is the funniest and fun aspect of the game. Why? Because it is so hard. It is such a difficult game with a high learning curve.

If you are not sure about playing it, at least watch a video of someone playing this game, because it is a total trip. In terms of simplicity and humor, this game is a lot like the Untitled Goose Game.

Related: The 10 Most Immersive Open World Games

Everything may seem like a strange title, but is actually about everything. You can be anything from a simple dog to a bush to a planet to a micro-organism. Every object in the universe is a playable character.

It looks pretty uncanny and silly at first with how everything moves. However, the game really takes an existential turn with its soundtrack and its narrator. You get to collect inspiring philosophy speeches of Alan Watts while taking on the perspective of everything in the universe.

Tokyo Jungle lets you play as a lot of animals, except the humans are all gone. You start off as Pomeranian in Tokyo who has to hunt on its own. However, you can start a family and then play an entire pack of Pomeranian. However, you can also be hunted. There are lions, wolves, and even dinosaurs lurking about.

You get to unlock more and more animals and discover slowly about what happened to all the humans by finding hints and documents as you play. See how long you can survive!

Tags:Touch My Katamari,Untitled Goose Game

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10 Games To Play If You Love Untitled Goose Game | Game Rant - GameRant

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Yoga is about finding your center. There's a new trend to track down tranquility in the metro, but its a more alternative twist to the usually peaceful exercise.

Amanda Kauffman strolled into the back room at Cinder Block Brewery Monday night with a beer in one hand and a yoga mat in the other. She was there to teach the first ever rage yoga class in Kansas City.

Its a little bit different than your traditional yoga," she said. "You have dim lights, you have soft music. This is the complete opposite. Its yoga with an attitude basically.

She started practicing yoga seven years ago, but two years back, she came across a new technique she said is more her style.

A lot of people stay away from yoga because they think, 'Oh well, you know, Im not good enough for that, or what are people going to think about my poses,'" she said. "And in here, you can just be yourself.

Kauffman now teaches rage yoga.

The technique is different. Instead of calming your mind, youre bringing everything out instead," she said. "Instead of just trying to push it out quietly, youre going to push it out, and its going to be loud!

Monday nights class participants each got a beer that they drank throughout their time on the mat, and traditional hand motions and positions were replaced with gestures and sounds youd more likely see at a rock concert.

Ive never done rage yoga before," attendee Hillary Luppino said. "I had recently seen something online about it, and then I saw that it was available here, so I just jumped on the opportunity.

She appreciated the alcohol twist, but also the idea of also kind of incorporating the stress release of like yelling or screaming or flipping somebody off, you know what I mean?

Kauffman described the scene before the 7 p.m. class began.

Well be listening to loud explicit music, we will be cussing, using profanity, yelling, screaming, just letting all the negative energy out tonight. Thats the goal," she said.

The instructor said mental health is as critical as physical maintenance, and the combination of these two things appealed to her.

In my house, I practice yoga to rock music, to metal music, to loud music," Kauffman said. "Thats just what I enjoy. So when I saw the teacher training program for rage yoga, it spoke to me. Its the perfect combination of anyone whos into yoga and into an alternative lifestyle as well.

The rage yoga practice began in Canada, and there have been two instructor training courses so far. The next class here in the metro is scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 1 at Anytime Fitness in Excelsior Springs. Visit this site for more information.

39.099727-94.578567

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Dozens attend first ever Kansas City rage yoga class, which includes cursing and alcohol - WDAF FOX4 Kansas City

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Goddesses get their groove on at 'yoga and more' retreat - TribLIVE

Does it seem like everyones talking about yoga these days? Thats because its the most popular type of fitness class in Denver right now, according to the fitness subscription service ClassPass.

But with so many yoga classes in the city, it can be hard to find the best one for you. So, Hoodline teamed up with ClassPass to find the top classes those that consistently draw bigger crowds, yet still have enough space to meet the demand. And because variety is the spice of any workout routine, were bringing you offerings from multiple venues around Denver.

If youre ready to give this workout a try, heres the info to help you find the right session, in the right place, on your terms.

Protip: Joining ClassPass gives you access to these and thousands of other studios, gyms and wellness offerings where you live, where you work and where you travel.

3041 Zuni St., Highlands and other metro locations

C2 strengthens, balances and detoxifies your entire body and mind as you move through more challenging postures and connected breath, CorePower Yoga writes on ClassPass. Set to an energizing playlist, youll power up your yoga practice like never before.

With an average class size of 15 but accommodating up to 66 at peak times, according to ClassPass data C2 is both a popular offering and one that you can still actually get into.

First-timers alert: Plan to show up at least 10 minutes early. Most locations close the doors at the start of class, the studio writes on ClassPass, because the instructors who check in users also teach. Because its a yoga class, remember your mat, towel and water. CorePower Yoga studios offer mat and towel rentals, as well as bottles of water for purchase.

C2 is offered seven times each weekday and runs for one hour. Beat the rush by checking out the off-hours: the 5:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. starts are generally less crowded. SeeClassPassto sign up you can also learn more onTwitterandFacebook.

1947 S. Broadway, Platt Park and other metro locations

Vinyasa will build your inner and outer strength, improve your balance, and reduce stress while increasing vitality and athleticism, according to the ClassPass page for Kindness Yoga. Most classes feature several elements of traditional Ashtanga yoga including sun salutations, standing poses, preparation for arm balances, dynamic stretching, and pranayama (breathwork).

An average class has 12 students, with the number growing to 39 at peak times. Vinyasa 1-2 is offered up to three times on weekdays at this location; the others vary. The 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. starting times are often less crowded, ClassPass data show.

What should you bring? The venue suggests a yoga mat and a water bottle, and to show up at least five minutes early.

To sign up for the one-hour class, visit the ClassPass site, and check out the venue on Instagram (kindnessyoga) and Facebook.

5004 E Hampden Ave., University and other metro locations

Another offering at CorePower Yoga locations, HPF blends balance, core strengthening and flexibility, the venue writes on ClassPass.

Hot Power Fusion combines the meditative, detoxifying qualities of hot yoga with the intensity of power yoga to help you deepen your yoga practice, CorePower Yoga notes. Set to motivating music, youll focus on yoga postures that open the shoulders, hips and spine while strengthening your core and upper body.

Pack a bottle of water, towel and a yoga mat. Suggested attire is fitted workout clothes, ideally ones that wick away moisture. Temperatures run 100-103 degrees, with added humidity.

HPF is offered three times each weekday at this and other locations, with an average class size of 10. The 3:30 start time is often less crowded, according to ClassPass data. To book a spot, visit the ClassPass site.

Hoodline, a Nextdoor company, offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities and neighborhoods. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions.

Go here to read the rest:
Yoga is Denver's hottest workout here's how you can try it out - Hoodline

Lenovo recently refreshed its 14-inch ThinkPad X1 line with the X1 Carbon Gen 7 and X1 Yoga Gen 4. The former is its premier clamshell laptop while the latter is its premier 2-in-1 and both received some significant updates in the latest generation.

While the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a refined version of the traditional ThinkPad build and aesthetic, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga represents a significant departure with new metal chassis and stand-outlook. Which is the better example of a modern ThinkPad?

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 received a serious slimming down this time around, with smaller bezels resulting in an overall smaller chassis and about a millimeter shaved off its thickness. It retains that iconic ThinkPad aesthetic. Its all-black except for some red accents in the ThinkPad and X1 logos and the red TrackPoint nubbin in the middle of the keyboard.

Only the 4K version of the X1 Carbon has any splash, adding a woven carbon fiber pattern that adds some elegance.

The ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 4 underwent an even more significant design overhaul, eschewing the magnesium allow and carbon fiber making up the X1 Carbon and moving instead to an aluminum chassis. It, too, is slimmer and smaller than the previous version, and the gunmetal grey aesthetic is also broken only by the usual ThinkPad red accents.

Youll have a harder time recognizing the X1 Yoga as a ThinkPad, at least from a distance, but we do like the conservative look. The X1 Yoga feels more robust thanks to its cold, hard metal, though both are solid devices.

Because theyve both been slimmed down, their keyboards are identically less deep than previous generations specifically, with 15mm of travel compared to the 18mm of travel with older models. ThinkPad aficionados will notice the difference, but any touch typist will be able to get comfortable with these keyboards thanks to their snappy and precise mechanisms.

The TrackPoint and touchpad performance on both are equivalent and excellent, with the touchpads both supporting Microsoft Precision drivers and Windows 10 multitouch gestures. The X1 Yoga wins out in offering a touch display with active pen (included) support, which the X1 Carbon does not.

Another area of similarity is in their display options, where both offer Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) displays to go with a 4K (3,840 x 2,160) panel that offers a wider color gamut, more accuracy, higher brightness, and greater contrast. The latter display offers Dolby Vision high dynamic range (HDR) support. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon and Yoga are the first of Lenovos 14-inch ThinkPads to offer a 4K option, and both make for great Netflix binging thanks to excellent HDR streaming support.

Unsurprisingly, both laptops enjoy the same connectivity, with two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3 support, an Ethernet/docking station connector (requiring an optional adapter, alas), two USB-A Gen 1 ports, and a full-size HDMI port.

In whats becoming a theme for this comparison, both the X1 Carbon and the X1 Yoga offer the same 8th-gen Intel Core processor options (soon to be updated to Intels 10th-gen parts). In our testing, the laptops performed within a few percentage points of each other. One might be tempted to suspect that these are the same machines inside, with the X1 Yoga merely offering a 360-degree hinge and some extra components for touch and pen input support.

The bottom line is that both laptops are plenty speedy for productivity work, and you can get a boost of power beyond the admittedly average speed by selecting Performance mode on the Windows 10 power slider.

That gives you a very real choice between quiet and cool operation and higher performance and we do like that Lenovo built that into the Windows utility rather than requiring a separate utility as do vendors like HP and Dell.

The X1 Carbon and X1 Yoga are also similarly sized in width and depth with small side bezels but rather bezels along the top and bottom, and theyre both 0.59 inches thick. The X1 Carbon is lighter than the X1 Yoga, at 2.4 pounds versus 2.99 pounds, thanks to the latters heavier metal chassis. But, neither will weigh you down.

And, youll be shocked to hear that in our testing, the 4K models also showed roughly equivalent battery life with equal 51 watt-hour batteries in both. That is, neither is likely to get you through a full working day away from a charge. We tested the X1 Yoga with a Core i5 and a low-power Full HD display, and it roughly doubled the battery life, and the X1 Carbon with the same display can be expected to perform equally well.

Both of these laptops are expensive laptops. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 starts at $1,462 for a Core i5-8265U CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB PCIe SSD, and a non-touch Full HD display. You can spend as much as $2,561 for a Core i7-8665U CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB PCIe SSD, and a non-touch 4K display.

The ThinkPad X1 Yoga is priced a bit more aggressive at $1,142 on sale for the same entry-level configuration (although the Full HD display is touch-enabled). It maxes out at $1,880 for the same high-end configuration.

Both laptops perform well, have great build qualities, and have great display options. But the ThinkPad X1 Yoga is a more modern design that feels better in hand, and it offers extra 2-in-1 functionality.

See the original post here:
ThinkPad X1 Yoga vs. ThinkPad X1 Carbon - Digital Trends

CHESHIREPracticing yoga in the water provides a popular form of low impact exercise. Many people find water soothing, both physically and mentally.

This past Friday, the Cheshire Community Pool offered a free Yoga in the Water class to anyone in the community, not just limited to Cheshire, taught byLisa Cammuso of Southington.

The free trial served as a preface to a Yoga in the Water series Cammuso and Cheshire Community Pool Director, Shelia Adams, hope to continue offering.

When asked about the facilitys safety protocols Adams said, If we are open, lifeguards are here.

The pool has multiple cascading stair entrances and a ramp.

During the class, attendees stood in about 4 feet of water and were not required to submerge themselves entirely.

Cammuso recommended attendees bring a bathing suit. She also said the facility has flotation devices available for participants.

At the beginning of class, Cammuso gathered attendees into a huddle and sat at the edge of the pool to give instructions.

Cammuso gave participants a rundown of how the class would be structured and then advised them to find their own space where they could comfortably move their limbs around.

We usually start with meditation, then we warm up and go through some flow and then lead up to Shavasana, said Cammuso.

For Shavasana, participants were invited to float on their backs and pay attention to their breath.

Being in the water presents new challenges for people who feel out of their comfort zones.

When I teach, I always try to tell people to be aware of whats happening within their body, said Cammuso.

Cammuso said something as small as a stubbed toe can impact balance during yoga poses.

I always ask people to practice self-awareness said Cammuso.

As with yoga on land, there (are) always challenges if youre working with injuries. said Cammuso.

She said that its important to let the instructor know of any injuries that may inhibit you from doing certain movements

Cammuso added that instructors could offer modifications to participants for certain poses.

The Cheshire Community Pool has aqua jog belts, noodles, and other water aerobics equipment available to participants.

Its really a nice alternative for those with injuries, perhaps those with joint issues,Cammuso said.

Practicing yoga in water gives participants a new perspective on their favorite yoga poses and provides the opportunity for them to try poses they otherwise may not.

You find that you can perhaps get into a pose in the water where you might not have been able to do so on land, said Cammuso.

Aqua exercise can help participants improve strength and flexibility while relieving joint pressure.

Its just really beneficial in so many ways, Cammuso said.

To learn more about Yoga in the Water offered at the Cheshire Community Pool visit:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/cheshirecommunitypool/posts/?ref=page_internal

Kristen Dearborn is a Wallingford native, NASM certified personal trainer and author of the blog dearfitkris https://dearfitkris.com/

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HEALTHY LIVING: 5 things to know about water yoga in Cheshire - Meriden Record-Journal