By Rachael Rettner

Karampal Kaur (R) teaches a yoga class in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, August 13, 2014. REUTERS/Jim Young

A growing number of kids and adults in the United States are practicing yoga, according to new results from a government survey.

Over the last decade, the percentage of U.S. adults who said they practiced yoga increased from 5.1 percent in 2002 to 9.5 percent in 2012, according to the survey, which was conducted by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2012, about 21 million adults practiced yoga, which is nearly double the number of people practicing in 2002, the researchers said.

Yoga among children is also on the rise: the percentage of children ages 4 to 17 who do yoga increased from 2.3 percent in 2007 to 3.1 percent in 2012, which translates to about 400,000 more kids practicing yoga.

Part of the reason for the rise may be the increase in the number of yoga studios and instructors that has occurred in recent years, making yoga more accessible to a larger number of people, the researchers said.

In addition, there are now more studies suggesting that certain mind-and-body practices, such as yoga, can help people manage pain and reduce their stress, the researchers said. [Best Yoga Apps]

"The survey data suggest that consumers are paying attention to medical evidence and using it to inform their decisions, Dr. Josephine P. Briggs, director of the NIHs National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, said in a statement.

Overall, about one-third (34 percent) of adults and 11.6 percent of children used some form of complementary medicine in 2012, according to the survey. Complementary medicine involves treatments that are outside of mainstream medical practice, and that are not always proven to affect people's health. Although sometimes called "alternative medicine," studies have found that these treatments, for the most part, "are not used as an alternative instead of proven therapies, but as a complement to conventional care," Briggs said.

The most popular type of complementary medicine in the survey was taking dietary supplements, besides vitamins or minerals; they were used by about 18 percent of adults and 5 percent of children.

Go here to see the original:

Yoga becoming more popular with kids, adults

By Brian Westover

Looking for a business laptop that's a little more flexible than your usual system? The ThinkPad Yoga 14 ($1,099 as tested) brings Lenovo's 360-degree multimode hinge into the office with the 14-inch follow-up to last year's Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga. While the convertible design is great, it may not be the ideal alternative to regular business-class ultrabooks, like the Editors' Choice Dell Latitude E7440 Touch, one of the best premium business models on the market.

Design The ThinkPad Yoga 14 continues Lenovo's multimode design that the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga brought to the stolid, business-oriented ThinkPad line. The new model is larger, with a 14-inch display and a slightly different profile, but with all of the flipping, folding features we expect in a Yoga system. The 360-degree hinge uses the same design seen on most of the Yoga systemsthough not on the recent Lenovo Yoga 3 Proallowing it to open up like a laptop, and then open further to lay flat, to be flipped around into Display mode, Tent mode, and then folded back for Tablet mode.

The ThinkPad Yoga 14 keeps some of the features I most liked in the previous iteration, like a sturdy magnesium-alloy frame, scratch-resistant finish, and the lift-and-lock keyboard that brings up the keyboard frame flush with the tops of the keys in Tablet mode. Unlike last year's Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga, this model has no stylus or built-in stylus storage. In the center of the keyboard is the bright red pointing stick that should be familiar to longtime ThinkPad users.

When closed, the Yoga 14 measures 0.88 by 13.25 by 9 inches (HWD), and the laptop weighs 4.2 poundsit's a little beefier than the 0.71-inch-thick, 3.38-pound Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch, Retina Display (2014), but it's not an egregious difference, given the contrast between the 13- and 14-inch sizes. Really, the only complaint I have about the size and weight of the ThinkPad Yoga 14 is that the 14-inch size is a bit too large for comfortable tablet use, an issue I did not have with the previous 12.5-inch Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga. It feels heavy when held with one hand or even cradled in one arm, and the 16:9 aspect ratio of the display is a little long when held in Portrait mode. I will mention, however, that when the onscreen keyboard is engaged, the length of the display becomes less of an issue, since the remaining visible page that's not taken up by the keyboard is good.

The 14-inch display boasts an In-Plane Switching (IPS) screen with a 1,920-by-1,080 resolution and 10-point multitouch capability. The screen is covered with Dragontrail scratch- and smudge-resistant glass, so you can tap and swipe with confidence. It offers excellent viewing angles from multiple directions, a quality that's far more important in a tablet than a standard laptop. This display quality is matched by the sound, with integrated stereo speakers that provide crisp, clear sound and room-filling volume, along with Dolby Home Theater software enhancement.

Features The ThinkPad Yoga 14 has a decent selection of ports and features in addition to the multimode hinge and touch screen. On the right are two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI-out port, and physical buttons for Power, volume control, and display-rotation lock. On the left are a third USB 3.0 port, an SD card slot, and a headset jack, along with a power connector that doubles as a OneLink docking port for use with Lenovo's desktop docks. Internally, the system features a dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi adapter with Bluetooth 4.0 for wireless connectivity.

For storage, the laptop has a 1TB hard drive with an extra 16GB of solid-state cache for faster boot times and snappier performance than you would get with a hard drive alone. While that performance bump isn't enough to top the solid-state drives (SSDs) used in other systems, like the Acer TravelMate TMP645-MG-9419 or the Dell E7440 Touch, which both feature 256GB SSDs, it does offer significantly more storage space.

Preinstalled on the drive is a selection of apps and programs, including 30-day trials of Norton Studio and Microsoft Office 365, and apps like Amazon Kindle Reader, The Weather Channel, and Evernote Touch. Lenovo covers the ThinkPad Yoga 14 with a one-year warranty, which seems a bit short for a business system, especially compared with the likes of the three-year warranty on the Dell E7440 Touch or the two-year warranty on the Acer TMP645-MG-9419.

Performance The ThinkPad Yoga 14 is outfitted with an Intel Core i5-4210U processor, a low-voltage CPU for ultrabooks, which is paired with 8GB of RAM. It's not substantially different from the Core i5 CPU used in the previous ThinkPad Yoga, though its graphics performance is bolstered with the addition of an Nvidia GeForce GT 840M graphics card. This combination of hardware makes for a system more suited to the demands of business users than, say, the Intel Core M processor used in the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro, but not as potent as the Intel Core i7 of the Acer TMP645-MG-9419. In PCMark 8 Work Conventional, for example, the ThinkPad Yoga 14 scored 2,410 points, well ahead of the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro (2,094 points). In Photoshop, the ThinkPad Yoga 14 managed a reasonable 5 minutes 51 seconds. The Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro, by comparison, was more than a minute behind (6:55) while other business systems, like the Dell E7440 Touch (5:24) and the Acer TMP645-MG-9419 (2:53) were both faster.

Originally posted here:

Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 14

New Delhi: If yoga comes into the life of common people, it will help in bringing down incidents of rape in the country, veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi today said. In a remark that may spark controversy, he also said that Muslims do yoga five times in a day and termed "Prophet Mohammad as the greatest yogi". "I believe if yoga comes into the life of common people, then the daily incidents of rape, I would not say, they will cease to exist, but there will definitely be a decrease in them," said Mr Joshi. "It will create a new way of thinking amongst men and women, changing the way one feels for a human body... that the body is such a machine which nature has given us for some larger work... people's attention will go towards this," he said. He was speaking during a seminar titled 'The Iyengar Way - Yoga for the New Millennium'. Referring to an experiment done in New York on transcendental medication introduced by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Mr Joshi said that when a vice chancellor of a university reviewed it, it was found that the crime rate in New York had come down, while the inmates in jails had undergone change in their behavior. "Our Muslim brothers do yoga five times in a day. The postures of 'namaz'...in that two or three postures, even you will be able to tell (which ones they are)," he said. "That is why I think Mohammad sahab was a great yogi. As this prescription is of praying to god...connecting it to yoga, he could not have done it without practising yoga," he added. Referring to the government's focus on skill development, Mr Joshi said that that there should be a coordinated group between various ministries including Ayush, Education, Health and Skills, which would see how yoga can be utilized in ones social and economic life. Referring to a former Army chief who had advertised yoga in the Army, Mr Joshi suggested that the country's security forces should also be given yoga education. "My suggestion is that our country's Army and police should be given yoga education and practice. If policemen start doing yoga, they would be able to convince people through talks and there will be a change in their behaviour as well," he said. He also said that if one starts any work after chanting mantras from Vedas or Upanishads, it will have good results. Noting that yoga is not only for humans but also birds and animals, the veteran BJP leader said that yoga connects humans with animals as well. "If you see carefully, in nature, animals and birds too do yoga...'mayur asan, sarp asan'...this is natural. It's not that it (yoga) is for humans but animals and birds as well. It is possible that they are for pests as well... It connects us with not only humans but also animals," he said. Mr Joshi also claimed that yoga was the greatest option of bringing peace, public order and prosperity in the entire country, and said it is very essential to introduce yoga in every wing of education. He said that yoga brings sharing and caring, and programmes on yoga are very important for world peace. India can benefit the world through yoga, ayurveda and Sanskrit language, he said.

Here is the original post:

'Yoga Will Bring Down Rapes', Claims BJP Veteran Murli Manohar Joshi

Shannon Boucher, front row left, and Madelin Adames participate in a flow yoga class at the Samadhi Center for Yoga in downtown Denver. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)

Critics of a plan to increase regulation of certain yoga programs are crying foul after learning that the director of the regulatory agency is herself a yoga instructor.

Lorna Candler, director of the Division of Private Occupational Schools, has been the face of the division's pro-regulation stance for weeks but failed to disclose that she is a part-time instructor for CorePower Yoga, the largest yoga chain in Colorado.

Candler's involvement with the studio concerns Gina Caputo, owner of the Boulder-based Colorado School of Yoga, who told The Denver Post on Monday she feels that Candler may be biased against studios not associated with CorePower.

"I'm not villainizing CorePower in all this. I just want a fair opportunity," Caputo said.

Candler argued that her role as a yoga instructor does not conflict with her position as director of the regulatory agency pushing for uniform regulation of teacher-training programs. Regulation requires program operators to pay fees to the state, which some smaller studios feel are prohibitive.

"What goes on with me teaching yoga and my job here do not really intersect at all," Candler said. "This is not about yoga; this is about teacher-training programs."

Candler said she is not personally involved in evaluating teacher-training programs to decide whether they need to be regulated. Instead, the division relies on experts in the field to analyze curricula.

Political observers and ethicists questioned Candler for not making her involvement with CorePower clear to the media sooner.

"It's obviously something she should have disclosed to legislators, to the press and to any interested party," Denver-based political analyst Eric Sondermann said. "You cannot play 'hide the ball' on such matters if you have your own self-interest. That's government ethics 101."

Read more:

Division cracking down on yoga teacher training is headed by a yogi

Lenora Degen, a yoga instructor, told her after-school class at Buena Vista Elementary School in Colorado Springs about a yoga bill hearing in Denver, where committee chairman Owen Hill did the crow position afterward. The students then did their own crow poses. (Lenora Degen, Sen. Laura Woods Facebook page)

A bill to exempt yoga-teacher training studios from state certification breezed through Senate Appropriations today and now is on its way to the full Senate on the consent calendar, meaning no opposition is expected.

The bill earlier passed the Senate Education Committee where the chairman, Republican Owen Hill of Colorado Springs, did the crow yoga position after the hearing. The yogis in the crowd loved it.

Afterward, the sponsor, Sen. Laura Woods, R-Arvada, got a letter from Lenora Degen, a yoga instructor in Colorado Springs. Degen wrote:

I shared the story with my after-school class at Buena Vista Elementary School in Colorado Springs on Friday afternoon. We discussed the meaning of Democracy and how we have the right to let our elected officials know our points of view. Then I showed them the photo from the Denver Post (of Sen Owen Hill doing the crow in the Senate Committee room).

They were impressed and excited to try the pose themselves. Here they are, posing for you all. Its their way of saying THANK YOU!

Senate Education Committee chairman Owen Hill, a Colorado Springs Republican, does the crow yoga position after the committee passed a yoga bill. (Photo by Sen. Andy Kerr, D-Lakewood)

After the picture of Hill doing the crow was posted a number of times on Twitter, Rep. Dan Pabon, D-Denver, couldnt resist.

Cant wait to see how @AlecGarnett follows that in house, Pabon wrote.

The bill also is sponsored by Reps. Garnett, a Denver Democrat, and Tim Dore, an Elizabeth Republican.

Go here to read the rest:

Yoga bill headed for Senate as students adopt Republican Sen. Owen Hill's "crow " pose

Yoga is an ancient practice followed and practiced by many around the globe. It has benefited everyone who has regularly practiced the age-old form of exercise.Back Pain Yoga Poses can help you to avoid lower back pain, just try it, it's free.In the United States lower back pain is one of most common complaints. The Clinic states that most people will experience low back pain at some point in their lives. Lower back pain is experienced by sedentary people as well as highly-trained athletes.For lower back relief please do the poses described in this app daily or at least after your workout. Breathe deeply in and out of the nose while doing these poses.This Back Pain Yoga Poses app will describe for you 5 yoga poses for lower back pain:1. Cat/Cow Poses Chakravakasana2. Downward Dog Adho Mukha Svanasana (Ah-doh MOO-kuh shvan-AHS-uh-nuh) 3. Spinal Twist4. Chair Pose Utkatasana (OOT-kuh-TAHS-uh-nuh) 5. Standing Forward Bend Uttanasana (ooh-tuhn-AHS-uh-nuh) Yoga can be the best and simple option for lower back pain as it does not have any side effects. It is a slow process and has long lasting effects.This Back Pain Yoga Poses application is free, try it and don't hesitate to review for quality purposes.Bonus on the app: 5 Steps to looking 10 years younger, read it and discover how specialists can help you.Happy practicing!Content rating: Low Maturity

Read the original here:

Back Pain Yoga Poses

For fans of yoga, following that practice while being immersed in a foreign culture can be a double travel bonus. Perillo Tours offers Learning Journeys, which include Nomadic Yoga Journeys in locations such as Costa Rica, Vietnam, India and Greece. With its ties to ancient spiritual practices, India is a natural for a trip like this. Much of the tour is devoted to exploring Rishikesh, often called the Yoga Capital of the World and the home to an ashram visited by the Beatles in the late '60s. Here visitors will work with a yoga guru and also on their own. There also is more interaction with locals, including a trip to Parmarth Niketan Ashram to watch a ceremony featuring the prayer of river Ganges, called "Ganga Aarti." The 12-day/11-night tour is priced from $2,325 per person double occupancy, with international airfare extra. Information on this tour and other Nomadic Yoga Journeys is at tinyurl.com/pvoyfd9.

Think small to cruise Greece

Mega cruise ships may have climbing walls, beaucoup restaurants and Internet access, but for a more intimate experience and the ability to get into places where the big ships could never go, there's nothing like a small boat. EXPLORE!, which specializes in adventure travel, has a number of small-boat outings to some pretty exotic places and at very reasonable prices. An example is its Greek Island Cruise aboard a traditional wooden caique. Exploring the island of Evia for six nights the little Isidoros II has just two double cabins on the main deck and six twin cabins on the lower deck. Swimming or snorkeling from the boat is an option or just lazing on the sun deck. Pricing for most dates is from just $820 per person double occupancy. Some meals are included, but all dinners are on your own in the villages tucked away in small coves or harbors. Read about this trip and other small-boat adventures at tinyurl.com/m862n8h.

Road Scholar aces it in the U.K.

For a dose of education while visiting the U.K., Road Scholar has the bases covered. Theater buffs, for instance, would enjoy The Best of British Theatre: The West End and Beyond. Several theater performances are the highlight here, but there's more immersion in the London theater scene, including a backstage tour, a workshop and a meet-up with one of the city's theater critics. The price is from $3,399 per person double occupancy and covers lodging, most meals, the performances, lectures and more. Airfare is extra. For more theater exploration, Road Scholar has The Best of the Bard: The World and Words of Shakespeare in Stratford-Upon-Avon and London. View all of the Road Scholar U.K. trips at tinyurl.com/pj5k98w.

Follow this link:

Yoga journeys include a spiritual trek to India

Bikram Choudhury is facing six civil lawsuits. Photo: New York Times

Los Angeles: He is the yoga guru who built an empire on sweat and swagger. He has a stable of luxury cars and a Beverly Hills mansion. During trainings for hopeful yoga teachers, he paces a stage in a black Speedo and holds forth on life, sex and the transformative power of his brand of hot yoga.

"I totally cure you," he has told interviewers. "Whatever the problem you have."

But a day of legal reckoning is drawing closer for Bikram Choudhury. He is facing six civil lawsuits from women accusing him of rape or assault. The most recent was filed on February 13 by a Canadian yogi, Jill Lawler, who said she was raped by Choudhury during a teacher-training in 2010.

A Rolls Royce belonging to yoga guru Bikram Choudhury. Photo: New York Times

In February, a Los Angeles judge cleared away several challenges to a lawsuit from a former student who said Choudhury raped her during another 2010 teacher-training.

Advertisement

The first complaint was filed two years ago. As more surfaced, and more women spoke publicly about accusations of assault and harassment, their accounts have created fissures in the close-knit world of yoga students and teachers who have spent thousands of dollars to study with Choudhury; opened studios bearing his name; and found strength, flexibility and health in his formula of 26 yoga postures in a sweltering room.

Many have stayed loyal to a man they call Boss and revere as an eccentric guru. Others are walking away.

Tiffany Friedman, owner of Haute Yogi Manhattan Beach, dropped the word Bikram from her studio name after reading of the lawsuits filed against Bikram Choudhury. Photo: New York Times

Original post:

Bikram yoga founder facing rape, assault claims