STAMFORD, Conn. -- A pipe burst at the Stamford Family YMCA on Tuesday, forcing everyone to evacuate the facility and closing it down for the day. But officials hope to reopen the building by 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 2.

"We had an issue with our facility that caused a pipe to burst in the second floor aerobics studio. No one was injured or hurt, but the building had to be evacuated and the fire department along with the Health Department were dispatched," Ernest Lamour, chief executive officer of the Stamford Family YMCA, said in a statement on the Facebook page.

"Because of the severity of this situation, the health department asked the facility be shut down ASAP for the safety of all our members."

The burst pipe caused damage not only to the aerobics studio, but also to the following areas:

The following steps were taken to be able to reopen the facilities, according to the statement:

The Health Department is schedule to hold an inspection of the YMCA's facilities at 8 a.m., Thursday in advance of the planned 10 a.m. reopening.

The aerobics studio will be under construction until Friday, Jan. 10. All evening fitness classes will be canceled until Monday, Jan. 13.

"While this was not the way I wanted our 2013 to end, I realize there are some things in life you just can't control and that accidents will happen," Lamour said. "We've done all that we can over the last couple of hours to control the damages from getting any worst."

Originally posted here:
Stamford YMCA Closes, Sustains Damage After Pipe Bursts

I stumbled into my first yoga class after a kickboxing class at an old gym. I was on a try something new kick and decided I would stay for the 60 minute Hatha yoga class. I have always been pretty flexible, so I thought Id manage to hold my own, despite not knowing the name of a single pose. What I also did not know was the other benefits practicing yoga would bring.

Im hardly an advanced yogi, but I have been practicing yoga pretty consistently for about 10 years. I havent yet mastered Salamba Sirsasana (headstand) without a wall or come even close to Galavasana (flying crow).

As a runner, yoga has been both a teaching tool as well as a way to balance the physical strains of running and keep my body healthy. Heres what I have learned from yoga that I take with me when I run:

While I try to incorporate stretches into my pre and post-run routines, the mental benefits of a yoga practice still make attending class once a week a worthwhile investment for me. Im lucky to have one of my favorite yoga instructors, Rebecca Pacheco, teach in a studio just blocks from my home, but there are still some weeks, especially recently, when even that seemed too difficult to fit into my schedule.

Fortunately, Rebecca has a knack for social media and also, conveniently, a passion for running (she ran the Boston Marathon in 2009). In addition to the many videos she has posted on her own website, rebeccapacheco.com, she is the face of the recently launched Runners Worlds Yoga Center. The site has 2 25-30 minute classes posted so far, as well as several other short videos of useful yoga poses for runners. Rebecca even throws in some of her usual jokes, which even though Ive heard more than a few times, still make me smile.

I tried the videos this past month, when snowstorms and travel kept me from attending classes in person. Its not an exact replacement, but much more structured than my own home practice, where some extra savasana can lead to a nap on my living room floor. For a new yogi, the classes are a good introduction to yoga. I found that hitting the pause button to extend a pose or asana made the classes a bit more challenging for me.

This morning, I treated myself to a yoga class with Rebecca at Inner Strength in Watertown after a chilly 5.5 mile run. I find I usually have a better yoga practice after a run, perhaps because I have lower expectations for myself on these days. And after the speed skating loop I ran around the ice-glossed paths along the Charles, the warm (ok, hot) studio felt amazing.

As I begin my marathon training, I know yoga will be an important part of my weekly routine, both to stay physically healthy and mentally balanced. When I cant get to the yoga studio, I can take advantage of resources like Rebeccas videos from home.

Ive just got to be a little flexible.

Continued here:
Yoga for Runners - Run Along - Boston.com

Yoga has become more and more popular in the passing years, but experts are now saying that practicing yoga can lessen depression, anxiety, insomnia, back pain and other illnesses.

More doctors are recognizing yoga, massage therapy or even acupuncture as acceptable treatment referrals.

WebMD reports that experts say that yoga will certainly not cure everything that is wrong with a person, but it definitely offers some benefits.

"Yoga is great for flexibility, for strength, and for posture and balance," said Dr. Rachel Rohde, an orthopedic surgeon for the Beaumont Health System in Royal Oak, Mich. "Yoga can help with a lot of musculoskeletal issues and pain, but I wouldn't say it cures any orthopedic condition.

Yoga can actually hinder some people if they have the wrong mindset when they begin. Many people who practice yoga think it is about doing as many of the hardest positions as possible. However, trying those positions can actually hinder people and even hurt them.

However, Dr. Ruby Roy says that, The right yoga can help you. Roy is a chronic disease physician as well as a part time yoga instructor. Yoga should lower your heart rate and blood pressure. Roy says, You should never be short of breath [when finishing a class].

According to Health24, research has shown that yoga is a great form of therapy as long as it complements standard physical therapy. People who use yoga to recover from a surgery or to help their arthritis are certainly right, but they should be using yoga along with other types of therapy.

Yoga is certainly safe to try. All poses can be changed in a few ways to make it safe for anyone. They have yoga classes for pregnant women in which they do less intensive poses.

Dont be surprised if the next time you see the doctor for blood pressure, back pain or anxiety if they prescribe a yoga class [in addition to regular therapy].

image: image.net

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What yoga can really do for you