Glen Campbell, who died Aug. 8 at the age of 81, was interviewed outside of Philadelphia in September 2011, a year after the country legend was diagnosed with Alzheimers. The following story, which originally ran in Blurt Magazine, was among the most illuminating talks to take place during that time. Shortly thereafter, Campbell retreated from public life.

Memory fades. Sifting through images and ideas is no easy process, not for the young or old, not where the distant past and recent immediacy is concerned.

When Glen Campbell announced that he has been diagnosed with Alzheimers disease, that his new album, Ghost on the Canvas, would be his last and that his recent tour would put a cap on his long career, the desire to mourn to treat him differently kicked in. This was, after all, the golden boy of epically cosmopolitan country pop whose every 60s hit from Chris Gantrys Dreams Of The Everyday Housewife, John Hartfords Gentle on My Mind to the soaring subtlety of Jimmy Webbs Wichita Lineman and Galveston, the latter two reminiscent of Bogarts phrase at the end of Maltese Falcon the stuff that dreams are made of became the soundtrack to my youth.

These sonic gems were only made bolder by knowing that Campbell a masterful guitar picker was a touring Beach Boy that nearly replaced Brian Wilson and had played on hits by Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, Frank Sinatra, the Monkees and Elvis Presley, the latter a fellow country boy whom Campbell befriended.Campbells image too is burned into the collective retina as he had starred in the original version of the revenge western True Grit and his own network TV show The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour.

Certainly he had his Rimbaud-esque season in Hell the post 60s comedown of boozing, drugging, carousing (notoriously with firebrand country howler Tanya Tucker) and various arrests. Yet,Campbellhad commercial hits into the 70s and 80s with Rhinestone Cowboy, Southern Nights, Sunflower and I Have You. He kept the live fires burning with gigs in Branson, found God, a good woman Kimberly Woolen to whom hes been married since 1982 with three kids who have their own Arcade Fire-y band (Instant People) currently backing Campbell on tour. This latter day joy to say nothing of the potency of the deeply etched Ghost and its ruminatively ratcheting lyrics and still expressively clarion vocals made Alzheimers an even more heinous verdict.

Look intoCampbells eyes and despite the lines in his face (hes 75) and his occasionally forgetful demeanor and you see a man not so much struggling with memory but more alive with the past then the present. This author isnt trying to soften the blow or demystify the disease but seriously, I have a better grasp on what I did ten years ago then what I did ten minutes ago. Yet here they are, Glen and Kimberly sitting before me, frankly discussing the problem without letting it ruin their future.

Campbell, his producer Justin Raymond (who worked with the singer on his previous recording Meet Glen Campbell) and a crew of instrumentalists such as Dick Dale, Brian Setzer and Chris Isaak were already at work on the riveting Ghost when they diagnosis was announced. Suddenly the press made a big deal out of it, something that doesnt affect theCampbells as long as the disease doesnt overshadow the work,

No. it doesnt bother me, saysCampbellwith a slight cough. Im used to it by now. I leave it in Gods hands that its gonna be the way He wants. His wife Kim follows that with an understanding of an audiences curiosity how the disease works, how it effects her husband. We understand, she smiles. But the music is just so good we hope they get to that message as well.

Mention the contribution of songs from Paul Westerberg, Jakob Dylan and Robert Pollard along with self-penned tracks with Raymond culled interesting enough from the producers daily diaries of what the singer/guitarist said, and youve got quite a set of messages. AsCampbellstarts singing the new albums title track in a strong burst of melody, he states. Im really not a songwriter so if I hear a song, I feel it and like it, Ill do it. But Ill make it the way I want to hear it.

Part of this comes down to asking songwriters if he can turn negatives into positives (but with their permission of curse, says the gentlemanlyCampbell) and accommodating whereCampbells heart is now. Shell be running around the mountain just doesnt sound right, he laughs. It aint the way the song goes. Shell be coming around the mountain is more like it.

Campbell slowly and deliberately tells me how he takes songs one a at time and lets the good ones carry him away, the songs of other writers as well as the tunes presented by Raymond, a hands-on laid back producer who, during Meet Glen Campbell starting writing down what the singer said about life, confusion and happiness. Julian wrote down the the meaningful things that Glen would say about being baffled by what was going on in his head as well as how life was good to him, says Kim who recognized that Campbells memory was slipping during those 2008 recording sessions. Were so glad Julian got those meditations down and put those verses to music.

I need the ones I love more and more each day.

This is not the road I want for us.

MentionCampbells famed sense of perfection and he laughs. Nah. I may sound like one, he laughs. But I want it be natural. If I get a song a GOOD song I just sing it the way I hear it in my head. If anybody else wanted to add whistles and bells and chains rattling thats fine. Just not too much. I actually just do things as straight ahead as possible. You add the ifs, ands or buts.

To that end, Ghost has the richly orchestrated jangle of Pet Sounds with a country twang.

Campbellknows hes been blessed with great collaborators and productions, a powerful clear voice that was forever gifted with dynamic songs that suited his vocal range and challenged his playing skills.

Things turned out pretty well, saysCampbell.

Pretty well indeed.

Blame in part having come from a large all-singing all playing Arkansas family who took Glen to church regularly to express him self in song. Other than getting his fisrt guitar at age four, a seminal moment forCampbellcame when he nearly drowned at age 3. His Army-bound brothers dragged him out of the water, pumped the water and did CPR on the young Glen. That night back at the house while keeping time to the radio, I didnt say anything. I just sang. Something had changed me.

His distinct guitar playing, inspired by the likes of Barney Kessel and Django Reinhardt (Django was my main influence) gave him the confidence to form western swing bands and, by age twenty-one, head toLos Angeleswhere he quickly became a sought-after session musician. I think I mainly got all that work because I was the only guy who could use a capo, he laughs.

As he was just starting to make his session-man bones, he recorded a single for the Crest label. When I mention that 1961 track to him, Turn Around Look at Me,Campbellflashes a big smile.Well I thought that was it you know, smiles Campbell who starts singing the lines there is someone/walking behind me so mellifluously, its as if hes a kid in 1960 again. Even then I did songs that I liked, never tunes that I didnt care for. Otherwise it wouldnt be satisfying.

Campbellstops, leans into me and turns to his wife. Excuse me, honey, says Campbell who then turns from his wife and conspiratorially pulls me forward. His long fingers become a circle with another finger on his other hand barely peeking through the top. Hes made a tiny cock of it all.Its like a guy going into a whorehouse with THIS little thing and the woman says well who you going to satisfy with THAT?. And he says ME. That old joke, that stupid analogy thats the best way of describing what I want to do: satisfy me.

Campbellfast-forwards and says he did things he didnt want to do: lousy albums, hell-raising backstage antics of cocaine, booze and sex. I spent some time in Hell, he smiles. I got so high I could fart in a Martin box, he starts slapping his knee. Im glad thats over with it was a stupid place. I drowned, he starts to say, realizing that he told me that story before. Then again, perhaps he meant the psychic drowning that led to the rejuvenation of finding God and his wife. (He teases about meeting her on a blind date. I thought she was blind, he yuks then quacks like Daffy Duck.)

Ducking backwards to his session career and Turn Around he mentions how he stayed in the studio and played for the greats so that he stay home and make more money doing session work than he could promoting a struggling single on the road.

The wrongs of the road remind him of Elvis Presley, an old friend whose Viva Las Vegas he played on. He was a good man but I understood the peril his career had taken on. I didnt have the luggage he had, that entourage he has to take care of. I shouldve kicked his ass from here toJapanto get some sense in him. His old friends fromMemphiswere just bringing young girls backstage and crap like that -distracting him.

Campbellwent on to work and play with the Beach Boys and was nearly the front man when Brian Wilson broke down and left in 1965 yetCampbellwas more into doing his own music than joining a band (Capitol wound up signingCampbellon the basis of his strong showing with the Beach Boys). Plus, you know, Mike Love was there. Hes talented, but,Campbellscrunches his face.

The youngCampbellcontinued to play on records by Frank (Strangers in the Night) and Dean (Everybody Loves Somebody Sometimes) guys a generation before him the establishment before the counter cultural hippie-dippie movement took hold. He was no hippie but he was a young cat. What was he thinking?They were the tops. If you heard their stuff up close and saw them on stage they were incredible actually, says Capmbell of the Rat Pack titans. There was no mistaking their voices or their presence.Campbellwas hanging on the musician side of everything, playing guitar by their side. .But he got wise watching those men that singing would get him farther.

Enter guys like Jimmy Webb and John Hartford, songwriters whose best work came through the conduit ofCampbells rich voice. It was a blast according toCampbell, wonderful those melodies at his ready and those sorts of storytellers in his corner. If you have guys like this in your corner, you better have your chute together or you wont get down, he laughs. In particular,Campbellhas a warm long smile reserved for Webbs longing literate lyrics and winnowing melodies. My wife will tell you. I pray to the Lord and thank Him for letting me do those songs. When my dad heard those tunes he said its a good thing we didnt throw you back in the water. (Kim reminds me how, famously that Webb used to pray, after hearing Turn around Look at Me thatCampbellwould sing his songs)

Though the Ghost-ly songs of Westerberg and Pollard arent quite the stuff of Galveston and Wichita Lineman they are crucial, rare and deeply ruminative. They feel like the contemplative stuff of a finale. At 75 anybody at 75 the level of winding down that theCampbells plan on doing would seem essential and right. While Kim confides to me that she wishes they did more recording during the Branson days, she also mentions more tracks featuring Campbell and their kids, might be recorded at tours end. We still have a few special tricks up our sleeves. Other than that, were happy to go toHawaii, watch Glen golf and sit by the side as the kids start their career, says Kim Campbell..

As for Glen Campbell, a singer and guitarist whose recent tour finds him in strong voice and ticklish guitar skills, hes content to go out with an album as rich as Ghosts on the Canvas. I want to slow down you know, its really about whatever she wants to do but the record? You throw them out to the world and hope it comes back positive. Im glad it turned out as well as it did. I have to listen to it, you know.

The rest is here:
Glen Campbell: 2011 Interview Illuminates Health Struggles, Drug Battles, Complete Self-Awareness - Variety

Chloe Grace Moretz is making it too easy. In an interview with Variety published Tuesday, the 20-year-old actress took a swipe at the women of the Trump family that betrayed a next-level lack of self-awareness.

"Some people are in a bubble?" "Veiled curtains of privilege?"

Of Moretz's 20 years on earth, she has spent 13 in the thick bubble of show business. By the age of 19, she had purchased a $3.4 million, 56,000-square-foot home outside Los Angeles.

Speaking of people being "aware of their surroundings," does Moretz's personal "compass of what is real" point out that she is quite literally surrounded by a home gym and a spa? Or by wealthy, coastal entertainment industry insiders? Perhaps the view of her own wealth and insulation is blocked by those annoying "curtains of privilege" she so detests.

Don't get me wrong, Moretz deserves to enjoy her successes and run on a treadmill in the comfort of her own home. But, you know how the saying goes, those who live in massive glass houses shouldn't throw stones at other people who live in massive glass houses for living in massive glass houses. Did I get that right?

Next time, Moretz might do well to heed her own advice.

Emily Jashinsky is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.

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Wealthy actress with self-awareness deficit criticizes Trump women for their 'privilege' - Washington Examiner

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Each of us comes to know the truth in our own way, says astrologer Antero Alli. "For some it is wild and unfettered," he writes. "For others it is like a cozy domesticated cat, while others find truth through their senses alone." Whatever your usual style of knowing the truth might be, Leo, I suspect you'll benefit from trying out a different method in the next two weeks. Here are some possibilities: trusting your most positive feelings; tuning in to the clues and cues your body provides; performing ceremonies in which you request the help of ancestral spirits; slipping into an altered state by laughing nonstop for five minutes.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Would you scoff if I said that you'll soon be blessed with supernatural assistance? Would you smirk and roll your eyes if I advised you to find clues to your next big move by analyzing your irrational fantasies? Would you tell me to stop spouting nonsense if I hinted that a guardian angel is conspiring to blast a tunnel through the mountain you created out of a molehill? It's OK if you ignore my predictions, Virgo. They'll come true even if you're a staunch realist who doesn't believe in woo-woo, juju, or mojo.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): This is the Season of Enlightenment for you. That doesn't necessarily mean you will achieve an ultimate state of divine grace. It's not a guarantee that you'll be freestyling in satori, samadhi, or nirvana. But one thing is certain: Life will conspire to bring you the excited joy that comes with deep insight into the nature of reality. If you decide to take advantage of the opportunity, please keep in mind these thoughts from designer Elissa Giles: "Enlightenment is not an asexual, dispassionate, head-in-the-clouds, nails-in-the-palms disappearance from the game of life. It's a volcanic, kick-ass, erotic commitment to love in action, coupled with hard-headed practical grist."

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Some zoos sell the urine of lions and tigers to gardeners who sprinkle it in their gardens. Apparently the stuff scares off wandering house cats that might be tempted to relieve themselves in vegetable patches. I nominate this scenario to be a provocative metaphor for you in the coming weeks. Might you tap into the power of your inner wild animal so as to protect your inner crops? Could you build up your warrior energy so as to prevent run-ins with pesky irritants? Can you call on helpful spirits to ensure that what's growing in your life will continue to thrive?

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The fates have conspired to make it right and proper for you to be influenced by Sagittarian author Mark Twain. There are five specific bits of his wisdom that will serve as benevolent tweaks to your attitude. I hope you will also aspire to express some of his expansive snappiness. Now here's Twain: 1. "You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." 2. "Education consists mainly in what we have unlearned." 3. "It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare." 4. "When in doubt, tell the truth." 5. "Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work."

CAPRICORN (Dec.22-Jan. 19): "My grandfather used to tell me that if you stir muddy water it will only get darker," wrote I. G. Edmonds in his book *Trickster Tales.* "But if you let the muddy water stand still, the mud will settle and the water will become clearer," he concluded. I hope this message reaches you in time, Capricorn. I hope you will then resist any temptation you might have to agitate, churn, spill wine into, wash your face in, drink, or splash around in the muddy water.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In 1985, Maurizio Cattelan quit his gig at a mortuary in Padua, Italy and resolved to make a living as an artist. He started creating furniture, and ultimately evolved into a sculptor who specialized in satirical work. In 1999 he produced a piece depicting the Pope being struck by a meteorite, which sold for $886,000 in 2001. If there were ever going to be a time when you could launch your personal version of his story, Aquarius, it would be in the next ten months. That doesn't necessarily mean you should go barreling ahead with such a radical act of faith, however. Following your bliss rarely leads to instant success. It may take years. (16 in Cattelan's case.) Are you willing to accept that?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Tally up your physical aches, psychic bruises, and chronic worries. Take inventory of your troubling memories, half-repressed disappointments, and existential nausea. Do it, Pisces! Be strong. If you bravely examine and deeply feel the difficult feelings, then the cures for those feelings will magically begin streaming in your direction. You'll see what you need to do to escape at least some of your suffering. So name your griefs and losses, my dear. Remember your near-misses and total fiascos. As your reward, you'll be soothed and relieved and forgiven. A Great Healing will come.

ARIES(March 21-April 19): I hope you're making wise use of the surging fertility that has been coursing through you. Maybe you've been reinventing a long-term relationship that needed creative tinkering. Perhaps you have been hammering together an innovative business deal or generating new material for your artistic practice. It's possible you have discovered how to express feelings and ideas that have been half-mute or inaccessible for a long time. If for some weird reason you are not yet having experiences like these, get to work! There's still time to tap into the fecundity.

TAURUS(April 20-May 20): Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano defines "idiot memory" as the kind of remembrances that keep us attached to our old self-images, and trapped by them. "Lively memory," on the other hand, is a feisty approach to our old stories. It impels us to graduate from who we used to be. "We are the sum of our efforts to change who we are," writes Galeano. "Identity is no museum piece sitting stock-still in a display case." Here's another clue to your current assignment, Taurus, from psychotherapist Dick Olney: "The goal of a good therapist is to help someone wake up from the dream that they are their self-image."

GEMINI(May 21-June 20): Sometimes, Gemini, loving you is a sacred honor for me -- equivalent to getting a poem on my birthday from the Dalai Lama. On other occasions, loving you is more like trying to lap up a delicious milkshake that has spilled on the sidewalk, or slow-dancing with a giant robot teddy bear that accidentally knocks me down when it suffers a glitch. I don't take it personally when I encounter the more challenging sides of you, since you are always an interesting place to visit. But could you maybe show more mercy to the people in your life who are not just visitors? Remind your dear allies of the obvious secret -- that you're composed of several different selves, each of whom craves different thrills.

CANCER(June 21-July 22): Liz, my girlfriend when I was young, went to extreme lengths to cultivate her physical attractiveness. "Beauty must suffer," her mother had told her while growing up, and Liz heeded that advice. To make her long blonde hair as wavy as possible, for example, she wrapped strands of it around six empty metal cans before bed, applied a noxious spray, and then slept all night with a stinky, clanking mass of metal affixed to her head. While you may not do anything so literal, Cancerian, you do sometimes act as if suffering helps keep you strong and attractive -- as if feeling hurt is a viable way to energize your quest for what you want. But if you'd like to transform that approach, the coming weeks will be a good time. Step One: Have a long, compassionate talk with your inner saboteur.

Continue reading here:
Free Will Astrology: Libra's Season of Enlightenment - NUVO

Steps

Part 1

1

2

Face down your fears. If you feel your knees turning to jelly out of fear, remind yourself that fear stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. Almost certainly, whatever it is that you're frightened of won't happen. If there is a real worry, for example you've forgotten an important prop, do something about it and then stop worrying. Remember, you can always rationalize yourself out of fear.

Part 2

1

2

Practice. Find business organizations, networks and clubs in your area (such as Toastmasters) that can afford you the opportunity to practice. Remember to choose topics that you are already an expert on. Speaking on a topic that you are not familiar with will increase your stress, and impede on your performance.

3

Buy some recording software, and record everything on your laptop. Review it to see where you can improve. Have speaking pros attend your live presentation to give you feedback. Allow yourself the opportunity to learn more every time you go out.

Part 3

1

Breathe deeply. Practicing a breathing exercise before you go on will relax your body and mind. Here's one that you can do anywhere, even in the wings. Stand still and feel the ground beneath your feet. Close your eyes and imagine yourself suspended from the ceiling by a thin thread. Just listen to your breathing and tell yourself there is no rush. Slow your breathing until you can count to 6 seconds of in-breath and 6 seconds of out-breath. You'll now go on in a totally relaxed and confident mood.

2

Relax. Relaxing is the art of letting go. There are many ways to let go. You can imagine you're made of rubber . Or you can sit in front of a mirror and make a horse's laugh with your lips. Why not lie on the ground and pretend you're floating? Or, just collapse on the ground like a limp doll. Letting go un-tenses the body and makes you more at ease and relaxed.

3

4

Be aware that adrenaline sends the blood rushing to the fight/flight centres of your brain at the base of the skull. Place your hand on your forehead and press gently on the bony points. This will bring the blood to the parts of the brain that need it to present your speech best.

Part 4

1

Learn how to enroll and engage your audience. If you haven't yet taken a professional development course on public speaking, consider finding a public speaking training course appropriate for your needs. Learning the art of public speaking can enhance your results in a boardroom, in a sales presentation, and even accelerate your climb up the corporate ladder. It is a must-skill for any executive and/or business owner.

2

3

How can I stop shaking of nervousness when I'm in front of people?

wikiHow Contributor

Take deep breaths and remember that you are going to be fine. Think of how relieved you will be when it is over. Think about how quickly that 5 minutes will go by.

I'm scared that I'll fumble over the words and people will laugh at me! What do I do?

wikiHow Contributor

If you fumble over a word, make sure you keep on going as if there was no mistake. If people laugh at you, laugh with them, that way they know they are not causing harm to you.

When I am public speaking, I find myself starting to heat up, mainly in the face, then my face turns as red as a tomato. What can I do?

wikiHow Contributor

Take a few deep breaths and pretend you are alone in your room or somewhere where you feel relaxed, and continue the speech.

When I talk to someone or explain anything which is connected with me, I get very tense. My heartbeat raises and I find it hard to find the right words. What should I do?

wikiHow Contributor

It's possible that you're frightened of them judging you and finding you wanting. Think for a moment: Are they really going to judge you? Is this going to last forever? Take a few deep breaths and talk in the same way that you'd talk to your friend. If it continues to be a problem, consider seeing a therapist as you may need help to let go of unresolved issues and learn to better articulate your needs by building up your self worth.

What are some strategies to help in keeping me from stuttering?

wikiHow Contributor

Stuttering is a common result of stage anxiety. The best way to prevent it is to take some steps to calm yourself down before and during the presentation. Some light meditation or breathing exercises in the minutes before you go onstage can help to keep your nerves in check. If you feel a stutter coming on while presenting, stop for a second and take a deep breath. If you have a water bottle with you, take a sip of water to wet your throat and give yourself a second to calm down.

What if the audience is bored?

wikiHow Contributor

If the speech is too long, wrap it up with essential details and fun facts. If it's just not interesting for them, maybe make an on-topic joke.

Where should I be looking when doing my public presentation? Should I try looking at the people in the audience or not?

wikiHow Contributor

Look at various people in the audience right above their eyebrows so you won't be distracted by meeting their gazes directly.

How can I stop feeling uncomfortable when I talk to my friends?

wikiHow Contributor

Talk to them about something you feel confident about. The more you talk with them, the more comfortable it will become.

How can I write a good speech?

wikiHow Contributor

Find good information on your material and make sure you have details to go with it. Inject some emotion and pride to your speech.

I am not able to remember the material I prepare. Is there any way I can remember it better?

wikiHow Contributor

You can try using some sort of mnemonic device to remember your key points. A song or a poem that reminds you of your material as you mentally recite it can be very helpful. If you have a PowerPoint presentation, you can include basic bullet points or pictures that help to keep you on track. If allowed for the presentation, you can also bring note cards or a clipboard with some basic notes. Just make sure you're not reading directly from any materials you bring with you.

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How to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking: 12 Steps

Another free weekly yoga event has begun in Crystal City.

The new program, Yoga at the Fountain, will be held at the Crystal City Water Park (1751 Crystal Drive) each Sunday night from 7:30-8:45 p.m. through the end of September, according Amanda Shipe, one of its organizers. The first event was held this past Sunday.

The event is sponsored by the Crystal City BID andthe weekly classes are led by instructors fromMind Your Body Oasis, a holistic wellness center and yoga studio based in Crystal City.

The BID and Mind Your Body Oasis have been hosting a similar event, Monday Morning Yoga, at the water park from 7-8 a.m. for six years. Attendance has grown tremendously since the event first began, according to Shipe, the studios owner.

We see a lot of familiar faces each Monday morning and then the people that come end up bringing their friends, Shipe said, adding that local hotels also support the program and recommend the free yoga classes to their guests.

Hosting classes in the morning allows for participants to enjoy the outdoors before the summer heat and humidity become stifling. Having the new class on Sunday nights in August and September should also ensure comfortable conditions.

I dont know why it took us this long to think of [doing Sunday yoga classes] said Shipe. Hosting the classes by the sound of running water, she said, makes them extra relaxing.

The calming effects from the fountain are really influential in the overall effect that people have after the class because water has negative ions,Shipe said. Negative ions are very calming to people which is why people love to be around waterfalls and the ocean and rivers.

Monday sessions are focused on Vinyasa Flow classes for all levels. Sunday night yoga classes, however, will each have different themes.

This past Sundays event was Glow Yoga where people brought glow sticks and wore reflective clothes. Around 30 people showed up, which, according to Shipe, is the highest attendance ever seen at one of these yoga events.

The themes for the next few Sundays vary. On August 13, the theme is Family Yoga Night, where parents can bring their children for a laid-back, unscripted class. The following class, on August 20, is Downward Dog Yoga where participants are encouraged to bring their dogs. The last Sunday of the month will be Relaxing Night Flow which will be more of a restorative class.

Angela Fox, thepresident and CEO of the Crystal City BID, said Yoga at the Fountain will continue to take place on Sunday nights next year, from May 1 through September 30.

Courtesy photos. Disclosure: The Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser.

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New Sunday 'Yoga at the Fountain' Sessions Begin in Crystal City - ARL now

Ken Koons/Baltimore Sun/TNS via Getty Images

It involves...actual goats?

Hello! Do you enjoy incorporating elements of the ancient discipline of yoga into your fitness routine? Have you developed the requisite properly calibrated appreciation for the improvements in strength, flexibility, and mental health that the practice may bring about? Are you a member of those strange corners of the Internet that have developed an unsettlingly passionate fondness for goats? I have important information to share: Goat yoga, heaven help us all, is probably available at a studio near you.

To be clear, "goat yoga" does not refer to some novel new pose for you, a seasoned yoga aficionado, to study, practice, and eventually master. It refers to a regular old yoga class that is punctuated by actual goats wandering aimlessly in between you and your fellow yogis and doing...goat stuff, I guess. From NBC4 in Los Angeles:

During the studio's classes, two baby Nigerian dwarf goats, Pippin andSpanky, climb on people's backs, run between their legs and,sometimes, chew on their hair as they work through Vinyasa poses.

Look at these people who are definitely having a good time, and who are not at all terrified of the creature that has little to no regard for their personal space:

Far be it from me to cruelly and spitefully denigrate any of the fellow creatures with which we must share this fragile Earth. (Notable exception: most cats.) But may I humbly suggest that it is unnecessary to combine an activity undertaken for the purpose of physical fitness with an activity undertaken for the purpose of cooing uncontrollably at the furry little guy nibbling daintily at your toes and/or nuzzling adorably up against your Warrior II pose? Can this possibly present enough of a challenge to make it qualify as a workout? Is nothing sacred anymore, America?

Consider this quote from the proprietor of a goat-yoga class in Cleveland, which I think is supposed to be a selling point of this person's wares:

"Don't come expecting a stuffy yoga class," Jones says assuredly. "Thisis about letting go, having fun and interacting with the goats. Theyact a lot like dogs. Half the class is doing yoga poses. The otherhalf have a baby goat in their lap, feeding them. It's just aboutbeing in the moment."

I willingly concede that stuffy yoga classes are dreadful. Furthermore, I, like Vincent Chase, also enjoy being "in the moment." But this is not a description of a yoga class. This is a petting zoo! There is a time and place for petting zoos, and to be specific, the time is "not when I'm about to exercise" and the place is "not in the immediate vicinity of the place in which I am about to exercise." (To those hawking goat-yoga classes that also include a wine tasting, I ask in genuine bafflement: What the hell are you people doing?)

Goats are...fine, I guess. But the apparent emergence of goat yoga is the clearest sign yet that the novelty yoga craze has gone too far. We as a society must recognize some reasonable limits on the universe of variables we will introduce into our fitness regimens of choice to make them feel marginally less tedious or difficult. Together, let us aim to improve our fitness the old-fashioned way: without a live animal clambering up on your stomach in the middle of holding wheel pose.

(Beer yoga, though? That's still fine. Long live beer yoga.)

Watch Now:

Here, a Goat-Free Yoga Workout

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS ONE

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Goat Yoga Is the Most Damning Evidence Yet That the Novelty Yoga Is Out of Control - GQ Magazine

PLATTSBURGH Yoga will soon find its way to the center of the Plattsburgh community.

On Saturday, Aug. 12, a full day of yoga classes will be held in Trinity Park as part of Trinity Yoga Studio's first ever North Country Yoga Fair.

The goal is to put the activity in the public eye with a downtown event that also promotes mindfulness, health and wellness, explained Trinity Yoga owner Lynda Garrand.

"There's so many people out there, I think, that want to try yoga but that are a little intimidated," she said.

"And so maybe having it right in the middle of the city will make people a little less intimidated to give it a try."

FIT WITH MARKETS

The idea for the fair was born among Garrand and a group of yoga-teacher trainees who completed their training in February.

One of the assignments was to create a yoga event of some sort, and so this is what it sort of evolved into, she said.

Many cities, such as Burlington, host yoga conferences,Garrand noted, but the group thought a downtown fair that coincides with the PlattsburghFarmers and Crafters Market and Downtown Rising would be especially fun.

GOOD FOR BEGINNERS

The event will feature four classes in Trinity Park and four classes at Trinity Yoga Studio. The sessions are appropriate for all experience levels but recommended for ages 13 and up.

"We would encourage anybody who's interested to come," Garrand said. "You don't have to have any yoga experience."

The fair's instructors are well-versed in teaching to large, mixed groups, she noted.

Tickets can be purchased for $65 per person, and attendees are welcome to participate in as many or few classes as they wish.

"The idea is you buy a ticket, and you come all day to whatever you want,"Garrand said.

FREE FOR KIDS

Children age 5 and up are invited to join their parents for the fair's Family Yoga class at the studio.

"If somebody comes to the event, and they have kids, and they want to maybe give their kids a shot at yoga, they can bring them," Garrand said.

"So we tried to shape it so that there's a little bit of something for everybody.

Children need not purchase a ticket to participate in the Family Yoga session.

WEATHER PROOF

The classes in the park will take place under a tent, Garrand noted, "so even if we get a shower, it will be fine with the tent."

"And there'll be porta-potties and water and shade and fans," added Trinity Yoga instructor Kimberly LeClaire.

Should the weather be severe, Garrand said, the park classes will be moved toTrinity Episcopal Church at 18 Trinity Place.

"So it's going to happen one way or another," she said.

The fair will also feature a lunchtime lecture in the park byLuis Sierra ofAdirondack Yoga.

"People can bring their own lunch, or we're hopeful they'll wander to the Farmers Market, the (North Country)Food Co-opor one of the local businesses," Garrand said.

Gentle, easy classes will follow the lecture, and the day will finish out with live music and a gong bath in Trinity Park.

"It's been really well received," Garrand said of the event concept.

"I know the city's excited about it, and the downtown businesses have been extremely supportive, and so hopefully we have a really good, awesome turnout."

She hopes to make the fair an annual event.

"Hopefully in future years, we'll be able to integrate more of the other yoga studios in larger ways,"Garrand said.

Email Ashleigh Livingston:

alivingston@pressrepublican.com

Twitter: @AshJLivingston

YOGA FAIR SCHEDULE

The North Country Yoga Fair is planned for Saturday, Aug.12. Here's the schedule:

Trinity Park events:

9:30 to 10:45 a.m.:Vinyasa flow yoga with Melissa Light.

11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.:Kundalini yoga with Lynda Garrand, Mike Warren.

1 to 2 p.m.:Lunchtime lecture with Luis Sierra.

2:30 to 3:45 p.m.:Hathalini with Lynda Garrand, Kimberly LeClaire.

4:15 to 5:30 p.m.:Restorative yoga with Melissa Light.

6 to 8 p.m. :Live music and gong bath.

Trinity Yoga Studio events:

7 to 9 a.m.:Morning sadhana with Maureen Marcellus, Donna Wilson Gadue.

10 to 11:30 a.m.:Acro-yoga with Kimberly LeClaire.

2 to 3:30 p.m.:Chair yoga with Chris DeAmicis.

4 to 5:30 p.m.:Family yoga with Ana Goia.

Descriptions of each class and additional information about the fair can be found attrinity3yoga.com/pages/north-country-yoga-conference.

TICKETS

Tickets to the North Country Yoga Fair can be purchased attrinity3yoga.com and on the free Trinity Yoga app, available on Google Play and iTunes.

People may also obtain tickets at the studio, located at 22A Oak St., during regularly scheduled classes.

If still available the day of the event, tickets can be purchased then as well.

Read this article:
Yoga Fair planned for Trinity Park - Plattsburgh Press Republican

When a practice alleviates symptoms of distress in your life, youre likely to believe it has therapeutic powers. Anecdotal evidence might not be data, but for individuals suffering from depression, anything uplifting should be considered beneficialtaking side effects into consideration, of course.

Treating depression with a pill might help a person sustain and even thrive in an environment they perceive as negative. If the positive benefits outweigh long-term side effects then its a valuable course of action.

Then theres movement, which in general has less room for damaging side effects. Cardiovascular exercise has numerous benefits on both physical and mental health. This we know. Then there are slower movements, such as Feldenkrais, myofascial release techniques, and yoga.

The latter is particularly close to me, given that Ive taught it for fourteen years and have practiced it for twenty. It has certainly helped me deal with a range of problems, including anxiety disorder, divorce, cancer, and general feelings of dis-ease. I dont believe Ive ever left a class feeling worse than when I entered. Usually I feel better, existential crisis or not.

Yet Ive remained skeptical of many health benefits assigned to yoga over the decades given how rampant pseudoscience is in that community. A temporary balm is not always a solution. That said, the more research conducted on treating depression with yoga, the more positive the results have been, as is the case with recent studies presented at the 125th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.

Lindsey Hopkins, a doctor at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, conducted a study on twenty-three male veterans, a particularly vulnerable group for mental health problems. Each veteran practiced hatha yoga (nearly all asana (postural) classes are based on hatha yoga) twice a week for eight weeks. Their self-reported satisfaction score at the end of the study was 9.4 (from 1 to 10), which measured how much their depression had lessened during that time.

Bikram yoga is an offshoot of hatha yoga performed in a heated room. While I have particular reservations about this style both in terms of excessive heat and some of the twenty-six poses performed in this sequence, I also understand how good you can feel emerging from a ninety-minute sauna session. (I also got strep throat after practicing in one such bacterial breeding ground earlier in my career.)

Researchers at San Franciscos Alliant University chose fifty-two women between the ages of 24-45 to either take Bikram twice a week for eight weeks or to wait in a control group (they were wait-listed). Self-reported depression scores decreased significantly in the group that practiced yoga.

Another group from Massachusetts General Hospital discovered that the same course of Bikram yoga significantly reduced symptoms of depression and improved other secondary measures including quality of life, optimism, and cognitive and physical functioning.

Bikram yoga founder, Bikram Choudhury, is currently running from the law after an arrest warrant was issued due to charges of sexual assault. He was fined $6.8 million, of which he has paid exactly zero dollars. Incredibly, hes currently running teacher trainings out of an Acapulco hotel, charging between $12,500-$16,600 per student (average trainings in the US are $2,500). So while the effects of Bikram might alleviate depression, its also good to know where your money is going.

Fortunately thats not the only style showing positive results. Nine weekly yoga sessions, each lasting 2.5 hours, were conducted on twelve students in the Netherlands with similar results as the above, with scores for anxiety, depression, and stress all decreasing during the trial as well as four months later.

Finally, a study of 74 university students suffering from mild depression either practiced yoga or another relaxation technique for eight days. During the study both techniques scored similarly in helping depression, but a follow-up two months later showed that the yoga group had significantly lower rates of depression and anxiety.

Physiologically anxiety and depression are similar; the two often go hand-in-hand. For many it is a chicken-or-egg scenario. For me, anxiety disorder sometimes made me depressed, but in general it was panic attacks I suffered through. For others, being constantly depressed brings about a state of anxiety. That yoga alleviates both should not be surprising; it makes sense theyd be studied together.

Lindsey Hopkins takes the results of her study with a grain of salt. While yoga certainly helps alleviate mental health issues, shes not sure if its the only therapy necessary for dealing with long-term depression.

Yoga has become increasingly popular in the West, and many new yoga practitioners cite stress-reduction and other mental health concerns as their primary reason for practicing. But the empirical research on yoga lags behind its popularity as a first-line approach to mental health.

That said, whether used as a remedy or as a complement to other remedies, yoga is certainly helping, and thats a good sign for all of us.

--

Derek is the author ofWhole Motion: Training Your Brain and Body For Optimal Health. Based in Los Angeles he is working on a new book about spiritual consumerism. Stay in touch onFacebookandTwitter.

Go here to read the rest:
New Research Shows Yoga Helps Alleviate Depression - Big Think

Yoga instructor Maria Odugba is challenging stereotypes aboutasap.yogi/Instagram The INSIDER Summary:

When Maria Odugba recognized a lack of body diversity in yoga on social media, she set out to change that by starting her own account full of inspiring selfies and yoga poses.

The 23-year-old yoga instructor from Florida also started her own blog, highlighting her personal weight loss and yoga journey.

Odugba started practicing yoga in 2014 and now has over 74,000 followers on Instagram, but she wasn't always so confident about getting into the field.

"When I first thought about doing yoga, my first thought on how people were was that everyone was skinny," she told the Daily Mail. "I was worried that I wasn't going to fit in with the stereotype of a yoga person. And then I slowly started to realize, and do my research, that there are a lot of other people out there that aren't skinny who do yoga and are very good at it."

And Odugba is very good at it.

It has taken her time to get to this point, though, and her posts aren't all perfect. Unlike many people on social media, Odugba keeps it real.

She often posts about her struggles with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), which she was diagnosed with at 13, and hyperthyroidism. Both of these can cause weight gain, which is what happened when Odugba went from high school to college and gained between 100 and 150 pounds.

Now, she's dropped from 410 pounds to 290 pounds and has found the practice has been good for her mental health.

"I kind of sprouted out of my little cocoon and I became able to walk around with my chest held high, because for a long time I just wanted to not be seen, I wanted to wear bigger clothes and hide," she told the Daily Mail. "So overall it has made me happy."

Odugba wants others to be inspired by her transformation as well.

"I just wish more people knew that it is possible, plus-size people can get out there and make their lives healthier," she said. "I do believe that everybody should be healthy, that doesn't mean you have to be skinny."

Her followers certainly seem to be motivated.

Odugba's latest post, in which she explains how her life has changed since finding yoga, currently has over 1,000 likes and tons of positive comments calling her an "inspiration."

"Very inspired by your grit and how you stick to what is important to you," one user wrote in the comments.

"Thanks for being so honest about your life and struggles," another commenter wrote. "It is super refreshing and encouraging for gals like me starting the same journey."

"You have motivated me to pick up yoga and get my body back," someone else commented.

Odugba's photos are a reminder that health, self-care, and yoga are for everybody, no matter your weight or size.

Read the rest here:
This 'plus-size' yoga instructor proves that yoga isn't just for 'skinny' people - INSIDER

By Kyle S. Reyes | August 8, 2017, 11:46 EDT

Printed from: http://newbostonpost.com/2017/08/08/town-attacks-small-business-over-goat-yoga/

Just when I thought things couldnt get more insane than goat yoga someone said hold my beer. Check this out.

In business, sometimes you need to take a good hard look at whether or not your staff is busy enough for you to justify their salaries.

Its something the town of Manchester, Connecticut needs to do as the general manager has apparently found himself so bored that hes going after goats and yoga instructors.

You read that right.

Scott Shanley, who according to the Hartford Courant in 2014 made $166,533 (a number that has surely increased since then) has decided a priority this month is attacking small businesses that are helping bring stress relief to people.

Hes going after Aussakita Acres Farm, which has been offering goat yoga with a local yoga instructor for about three months. He sent the farm owner a cease-and-desist letter saying the farm is in violation of Board of Zoning regulations.

He says the farm is not zoned properly for health and recreation use. The letter states that goat yoga is not considered a farm activity because it doesnt have anything to do with farming or agritourism.

Right. Goats have nothing to do with agritourism. Just like jackasses have nothing to do with local politics.

The owner of the farm pointed out that the town doesnt even define what farming or agriculture is and says the farm cant be in violation of a policy that doesnt even really exist. She also pointed out that a zoning officer came onto her property and inspected it without permission something shes less than thrilled about.

Shanley tells the local media that if the farm wants to continue goat yoga, the owner will have to fill out an appeals form and attend a hearing.

Its worth noting that youd think thered be bigger priorities in politics. Business owners and residents have left the town because of the overwhelming stench of the landfill, for example. But why would THAT be a priority when you can focus on more important things like goats?

Why would we want to do something ridiculous like encouraging entrepreneurship or small business development? After all, the state of Connecticut is facing a $5 billion deficit and so anything we can do to drive business and agriculture OUT is a good move, right?

Perhaps the next hearing Manchester should have is whether the town should be spending more than 200 grand a year (after adding up salary and benefits) on an employee more concerned with driving people OUT then bringing business IN.

Or maybe Shanley just needs to do a little goat yoga.

Kyle S. Reyes is co-host of The Whiskey Patriots and the Chief Executive Officer ofThe Silent Partner Marketing. Reyes is also anacclaimed keynote speakeron entrepreneurship, leadership, marketing and social media. You canfollowhimonFacebook.

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Read more from the original source:
Town Attacks Small Business Over Goat Yoga - NewBostonPost (blog)