The instructor was told that the ban is in place because yoga is a Hindu not Catholic religious activity

PA

A priest has yoga classes from a church hall because he says is "not compatible" with the Catholic faith.

Instructor Cori Withell said the classes she booked for yoga and pilates at St Edmund's Church building in Southampton were cancelled with 10 days to go.

She was told by the booking secretary of the church that it was because yoga is a Hindu religious activity.

Father John Chandler from the church said that the hall has to be used for Catholic activities and he banned it because it was advertised as "spiritual yoga".

The ban is not Catholic Church policy and decisions are left to the discretion of individual priests. Some Catholic retreats use yoga for relaxation.

Ms Withell, 37, from nearby Eastleigh, said the church accepted the booking two months ago and she paid 180.

She was called later and told that yoga was from another religion so she could not have the hall.

A separate pilates class she had booked was also cancelled.

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Yoga no-go: Priest bans classes from church hall... because they are "not compatible" with the Catholic faith

LEXINGTON, Ky., Sept. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The coaching industry's largest gathering of coaching professionals is coming to London. Nearly 1,000 professional coaches from a record-breaking 55 countries are attending the International Coach Federation's Annual International Conference from October 3-6. Membership Director Don Whittle said, "This may be the most diverse conference yet at ICF and it truly reflects the makeup of the ICF Global membership being in over 100 countries worldwide."

Professional coaches -- executive, leadership, life, career coaches and more -- will gather for several days of accredited education, networking, collaboration, and celebration during the sold-out Conference. Educational sessions will cover an array of topics ranging from revenue drivers to bridging gaps with technology. Speakers from more than a dozen countries are scheduled including three diverse Mega Catalysts (keynotes): an inspirational businesswoman who's known as Britain's "most colorful charity leader" Camila Batmanghelidjh; renowned vulnerability researcher and accomplished author Brene Brown; and poet and organizational development expert David Whyte. This year's Provocateur, who will play host and challenge attendees, promises some humor as he is the co-founder of Europe's top improv group the Comedy Store Players -- Neil Mullarkey.

This year's high attendance at the Conference is indicative of the growth of the professional coaching industry despite an economy in flux. According to the 2012 ICF Global Coaching Study, conducted by PwC, there are an estimated 47,500 professional coaches across the world bringing in an annual income close to $2 billion. Many organizations and corporations, such as the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Verizon Communications, are seeing coaching as an effective action plan to combat the complex and uncertain job market.

WHAT: 17th ICF Annual International Conference

WHEN: October 3 6, 2012

WHERE: The Novotel London West, London, UK

Interviews with ICF officials and coaches can be arranged throughout the week. To set up an interview, please contact Lindsay Bodkin at +1.901.619.1496, or icfpr@coachfederation.org. Check out the official Facebook page, Facebook.com/ICFHQ and Twitter handle @ICFHQ. Plus see what others are saying about the event on Twitter using #ICFGlobal.

MORE INFORMATION: To find out more about conference events and speakers, please visit the Conference website at Coachfederation.org/london2012

ABOUT COACHING: The International Coach Federation (ICF) defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires people to maximize their personal and professional potential. According to the 2012 ICF Global Coaching Study, conducted by PwC, the approximate annual worldwide revenue produced by coaching is $2 billion (USD). Results from the 2012 ICF Global Coaching Study are available upon request. Please contact the ICF for more information.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL COACH FEDERATION: The International Coach Federation is the leading global organization for coaches, with more than 18,000 members in more than 100 countries, dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high standards, providing independent certification, and building a worldwide network of Credentialed coaches. For more information on how to become or find an ICF Credentialed coach, please visit http://www.coachfederation.org.

More here:
Largest Coaching Event Comes to London

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Rockstar Health and Fitness With Hedley - Video

FLU SHOTS

Kenosha Visiting Nurse Association

The fee is $32 and payable by cash, check or charge. Medicare Part B, WEA and Select Humana Plans accepted. For more information, call (262) 656-8400.

8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Kenosha Visiting Nurse Association, third floor, 600 52nd St., Kenosha.

Taoist Tai Chi Society of the United States

Tai Chi Beginner Classes: Beginner classes last four months, during which students learn the complete sequence of the Taoist Tai Chi set, which incorporates stretching and turning within a sequence of movements that improve the health of body, mind and spirit. Diligent practice can reduce tension, improve circulation and balance and increase strength and flexibility. 5:30-6:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays starting Sept. 24 and 26. Prospective students can attend their first class at no obligation. Monthly fees: $40 adults, $25 seniors. DeKoven Center, Assembly Hall, 600 21st St. (enter on Wisconsin Avenue side of property). Call (262) 902-0725.

Racine County UW-Extension

Get Kids Moving with Food, Fitness and Fun: This community event is targeted toward families with children ages 12 and younger and is an effort to promote the importance of physical activity and healthy eating. Registration is not required for this free event which will be held at the following locations from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27.

Plymouth Childrens Center, 124 W. Washington St., Burlington. Zumba, 7-8 p.m.

Burlington Public Library, 166 E. Jefferson St., Burlington.

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Health & Fitness File, Sept. 26

NEW YORK, Sept. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Crunch Fitness, the health club chain known for making serious fitness fun announces Hemet, CA as its newest location. Set to open for workouts in December 2012, Crunch Hemet marks the brand's 24th franchise club and joins Upland and Riverside as the third city in Southern California's Inland Empire to outpost a Crunch Franchise.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090909/NY72689LOGO )

"With five parks throughout the city and a bevy of athletic facilities within them, the residents of Hemet have an obvious passion for leading healthy and active lifestyles," said franchisee, David Harman. "I can think of no better place to introduce Crunch's cutting edge fitness offerings and unique gym experience than to the already fitness-friendly community of Hemet."

Located at 1287 South State St., Hemet, CA 92543, Crunch Hemet will be 16,000 sq. ft. of fitness and fun, with state-of-the art cardio and weight training equipment, senior specific programming, tanning, top-of-the-line selectorized machines, full-service locker rooms, and expert personal trainers to help members reach their individual goals. An expansive group fitness studio will house Crunch's signature group fitness classes including, Zumba, Cardio Tai Box and BodyWeb with TRX, to name a few. In addition to the premier amenities of Crunch Hemet, members will also enjoy convenient and spacious parking access.

"We are thrilled to have experienced operators, David Harman and Conny Gordeau working with us as we expand throughout California and the rest of the country," said Crunch franchise president, Ben Midgley.

Owners Harman and Gordeau are industry veterans with over 40 years of health club experience between them, and plan to add even more Crunch franchise locations across the Southern California area in the future. A mobile presale office, currently open next to the club space at 1129 South State St., Hemet, CA 92543, and dedicated website, http://www.crunchhemet.com are offering exclusive membership deals, including a special $0 enrollment offer for a limited time. Call 951-327-0202 for more information. To find out more about Crunch franchising opportunities go to http://www.crunchfranchise.com.

Crunch is a gym that believes in making serious exercise fun by fusing fitness and entertainment and pioneering a philosophy of No Judgments. Headquartered in New York City, and co-owned by New Evolution Ventures (NeV) and private-equity firm Angelo Gordon, Crunch serves over 200,000 members with 53 gyms worldwide, including 24 franchise locations CT, FL, TX, WA, OR, CA, NJ, VA, NY and Australia, and is rapidly expanding across the U.S. and around the globe. Go to http://www.crunchfranchise.com for more information.

About New Evolution Ventures (NeV) Based in Northern California, New Evolution Ventures (NeV) is a private equity firm focused on the acquisition, development and operations management of fitness, media and sports interests both domestically and internationally. Founded in 2008 by Mark Mastrov, Jim Rowley and Mike Feeney, and following a strategic partnership with Vision Capital in 2011, the current team of NeV professionals is shaping the world of fitness, media, and sports one brand at a time. With a foundation representing over a century of business experience, NeV currently has operations and investments in more than 20 countries worldwide representing over 800+ facilities. For more information, visitwww.nev.com.

View post:
Crunch Fitness Names Hemet, CA As Newest Franchise Location

retirement

As the clock ticks and retirement looms, millions of Americans are worried. Thanks to a combination of overspending, undersaving and damage caused by the recent financial crisis, too few have saved too little for their golden years. The crisis has also caused retirement planning to be less of a priority for most citizens who are trying to make ends meet.

Alfonso Canella says the resulting retirement crisis should be obvious to everyone. The senior lecturer at the Brandeis International Business School in Waltham, Mass., says most workers will build their retirement on the principal of their savings, not on investment returns. Retirement planning should not be pushed to the bottom of your to-do list. His message is that people must start saving immediately and must squirrel away more than they think they will need.

As he says, "It's that simple."

The recent financial crisis has had a major impact on all aspects of the retirement system -- defined contribution plans, such as 401(k) plans, as well as defined benefit plans, or pensions. What is most problematic from your point of view?

The largest problem is the woeful undersaving in the private and public sectors. If you have a defined contribution plan, or DC, which is the plan where you put away pretax dollars into, say, a 401(k) plan. These plans, which are most prevalent in the private sector, allow a worker to contribute up to $22,500 per year pretax. (Editor's note: The limits are $17,000 for workers up to age 50 and $22,500 for workers 50 and older.)

Despite this significant tax advantage, most people don't maximize their contributions or, for that matter, even contribute. According to Fidelity Investments, its average 401(k) plan balance as of June 2012 was $72,800. If you use a rule of thumb that you must start with about $100,000 to get $5,000 per year in sustainable income during retirement, these savings are not enough. While many have additional pension income coming to them, be it from Social Security, individual retirement accounts, or some other plan, the numbers underscore what we all suspect: Americans are not saving as much as they should, especially for retirement.

The situation is somewhat similar for public-sector workers. These workers usually have a defined benefit plan, or DB, which pays benefits based on salary and length of service. In many cases -- too many, actually -- these workers face some underfunded pension plans. According to Boston College's Public Plans Database, the average funded ratio across all public plans in the U.S. in 2010 was about 77 percent. This ratio, which summarizes how much has been put away as a percent of projected payouts, summarizes the shortfall.

How can individual investors get ahead? Should they change their asset allocation strategy? How should they allocate their assets among stocks and bonds?

As I said previously, it is clear that workers must start saving as much as possible, especially taking advantage of tax-driven plans such as 401(k)s, IRAs and Roth IRAs. Let's face it: In these volatile markets, you will retire mostly on the principal of your savings and not because you made a killing in your investments.

Originally posted here:
Key to retirement success is simple

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --On September 26, 2012, The Derivative Project, a Minnesota based, independent, non-partisan, retirement investor advocacy organization, announced today it has submitted a request to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Chairman Shapiro, for immediate action on two requests to protect retirement savings in money market funds that carry systemic risk, as outlined by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in an April 2012 Report on "Shadow Banking."

In this request, The Derivative Project stated, "While a study, by the Financial Oversight Stability Council on how best to control the systemic risk that is inherent in the non-transparent money market mutual fund industry is being conducted, it is imperative that our nation's retirement savings be removed immediately from all money market mutual funds, carrying systemic risk, and moved to FDIC-insured sweep options. The yield will be greater for retirement investors in these sweep options and the risk will be less for the retirement investor."

Further, The Derivative Project requested that in addition to the SEC mandating that Retirement Fund providers replace money market mutual fund options with FDIC insured sweep accounts, a request was made to allow retirement savers at 401k's and 403B's (and SEP and Individual Retirement Accounts) the option to invest directly in FDIC bank CDs in the maturity of their choice or in U.S. Treasury securities, at Treasury Direct, with no additional fees charged by the retirement service provider. Retirement savers, in this historically low interest rate environment, deserve direct access to money market instruments; such as FDIC insured bank CD's and Treasury Direct, to ensure a positive return without systemic risk.

The Derivative Project also submitted this request for comment by each member of the SEC Investor Advisory Committee at their next regularly scheduled meeting, September 28, 2012. The Derivative Project will publish the Investor Advisory Committee Member's responses, following the Meeting.

The full text of this SEC Request will be made available at The Derivative Project's website http://www.thederivativeproject.com.

The Derivative Project is a non-partisan, Minnesota - based retirement investor advocacy organization that seeks to ensure the long-term stability of the U.S. economy through equitable enforcement, for both individuals and corporations, of financial laws and regulations. It is the only non-partisan, independent retirement investor advocacy organization in the United States.

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The Derivative Project Requests SEC Move Retirement Cash to FDIC Sweep Accounts.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sammons Retirement Solutions, Inc.SM, which specializes in designing straightforward, innovative retirement solutions focused on IRA rollovers and other retirement assets, announced that William Lowe, President of Sammons Retirement Solutions, Inc. has been appointed to the Insured Retirement Institute (IRI)s Board of Directors. This appointment marks Lowes second term on the board, as he previously served while CEO of U.S. Annuities at ING U.S.

Lowe, an insurance industry veteran, brings over 25 years of leadership experience in the life insurance and annuity business to the board. Lowe is a product innovator and has spent decades developing products and go-to-market strategies for 401(k)s, variable and fixed annuities, life insurance, managed accounts and mutual fund accounts. He joins the company of 19 notable financial industry experts on the board.

We are delighted to welcome Bill back as a member of the IRI Board of Directors, IRI President and CEO Cathy Weatherford said. During the next year, in an effort to serve a diverse and growing membership, we will strive to provide new tools and resources to our members and expand our influence to achieve advocacy goals on behalf of the insured retirement industry. As we work to tackle these objectives, strategic direction from industry leaders such as Bill will be vital to our success.

It is an honor to be named to IRIs Board of Directors, said William Lowe, President of Sammons Retirement Solutions, Inc. IRIs mission to serve as a respected resource for financial advisers and to further enhance consumer confidence in the value of retirement strategies is also a primary goal at Sammons Retirement Solutions, Inc., and I look forward to helping advance initiatives in this area as a member of the Board of Directors.

Additionally, Lowe recently contributed to the dialogue at the IRI 2012 Annual Meeting moderating a panel entitled, Navigating Environmental Factors: Products and Strategies, that discussed the effects that current financial environmental factors can have on the industry and how companies can position their product portfolio moving forward.

About Sammons Retirement Solutions, Inc.SM(SRSI SM)

A member of Sammons Financial Group, Sammons Retirement Solutions, Inc.SM specializes in designing straightforward, innovative retirement solutions that address the increasingly complex needs of todays investors. The company complements Sammons Financial Groups existing business by expanding the product line with mutual fund IRA platforms and variable annuities available for sale through independent broker-dealers and financial professionals. Please visit http://www.srslivewell.com for additional information.

About the Insured Retirement Institute

The Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) is a not-for-profit organization that for twenty years has been a mainstay of service, commitment and collaboration within the insured retirement industry.Today, IRI is considered to be the authoritative source of all things pertaining to annuities, insured retirement strategies and retirement planning. IRI proudly leads a national consumer education coalition of nearly twenty organizations and is the only association that represents the entire supply chain of insured retirement strategies: Our members are the major insurers, asset managers, broker dealers, and more than 150,000 financial professionals. IRI exists to vigorously promote consumer confidence in the value and viability of insured retirement strategies, bringing together the interests of the industry, financial advisors and consumers under one umbrella. IRIs mission is to: encourage industry adherence to highest ethical principles; promote better understanding of the insured retirement value proposition; develop and promote best practice standards to improve value delivery; and advocate before public policy makers on critical issues affecting insured retirement strategies and the consumers that rely on their guarantees. Visit http://www.IRIonline.org today to experience the vast resources of the Insured Retirement Institute for yourself.

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Sammons Retirement Solutions, Inc. President William Lowe Named to Insured Retirement Institute Board of Directors

As the clock ticks and retirement looms, millions of Americans are worried. Thanks to a combination of overspending, undersaving and damage caused by the recent financial crisis, too few have saved too little for their golden years. The crisis has also caused retirement planning to be less of a priority for most citizens who are trying to make ends meet.

Alfonso Canella says the resulting retirement crisis should be obvious to everyone. The senior lecturer at the Brandeis International Business School in Waltham, Mass., says most workers will build their retirement on the principal of their savings, not on investment returns. Retirement planning should not be pushed to the bottom of your to-do list. His message is that people must start saving immediately and must squirrel away more than they think they will need.

As he says, "It's that simple."

The recent financial crisis has had a major impact on all aspects of the retirement system -- defined contribution plans, such as 401(k) plans, as well as defined benefit plans, or pensions. What is most problematic from your point of view?

The largest problem is the woeful undersaving in the private and public sectors. If you have a defined contribution plan, or DC, which is the plan where you put away pretax dollars into, say, a 401(k) plan. These plans, which are most prevalent in the private sector, allow a worker to contribute up to $22,500 per year pretax. (Editor's note: The limits are $17,000 for workers up to age 50 and $22,500 for workers 50 and older.)

Despite this significant tax advantage, most people don't maximize their contributions or, for that matter, even contribute. According to Fidelity Investments, its average 401(k) plan balance as of June 2012 was $72,800. If you use a rule of thumb that you must start with about $100,000 to get $5,000 per year in sustainable income during retirement, these savings are not enough. While many have additional pension income coming to them, be it from Social Security, individual retirement accounts, or some other plan, the numbers underscore what we all suspect: Americans are not saving as much as they should, especially for retirement.

The situation is somewhat similar for public-sector workers. These workers usually have a defined benefit plan, or DB, which pays benefits based on salary and length of service. In many cases -- too many, actually -- these workers face some underfunded pension plans. According to Boston College's Public Plans Database, the average funded ratio across all public plans in the U.S. in 2010 was about 77%. This ratio, which summarizes how much has been put away as a percent of projected payouts, summarizes the shortfall.

How can individual investors get ahead? Should they change their asset allocation strategy? How should they allocate their assets among stocks and bonds?

As I said previously, it is clear that workers must start saving as much as possible, especially taking advantage of tax-driven plans such as 401(k)s, IRAs and Roth IRAs. Let's face it: In these volatile markets, you will retire mostly on the principal of your savings and not because you made a killing in your investments.

These investments should be diversified across asset categories -- equities, bonds, foreign investments and real estate (this being mostly one's home). Within these asset categories, there are different risk levels. Some equities, usually in new industries or in young companies, have more volatile returns than equities in more traditional industries or well-established companies.

Read the original post:
The Key to Retirement Success is Simple

HOUSTON, Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. (NYSE: "KRA"), a leading global producer of styrenic block copolymers or "SBCs," plans to discuss its new slush molding product technology for Automotive Instrument Panel soft skin applications during a presentation at the Society of Plastics Engineers' Automotive TPO Engineered Polyolefins Global Conference in Troy, Michigan, on October 1, 2012.

Dr. Troy Wiegand, a staff scientist at Kraton Polymers, is scheduled to present findings in a paper, entitled "New Slush Molding Technology for Soft Skin Applications," and will highlight Kraton ST5100, a new proprietary compound series positioned for use in next generation TPEs in the slush molding process. The features and benefits of the Kraton ST5100 series solution will be discussed, including opportunities for customers to address unmet needs including significant weight reduction, improved haptics, recyclability, and sustainability. The paper represents the technical introduction of a new alternative to PVC and TPU solutions traditionally used in this application space.

Dr. Wiegand is scheduled to speak during the Automotive Interiors Trims and Skins session from 11:00-11:30 a.m. in Salon A at the Detroit Marriott Troy on October 1, 2012. To register for the event, please visit the conference website. For further information about Kraton's slush molding technology using Kraton ST5100, or to schedule a personal interview, please contact Marcie Coronado, Marketing Communications Manager, at 281-504-4975, or Marcie.coronado@kraton.com.

About Kraton Polymers

Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc., through its operating subsidiary Kraton Polymers LLC and its subsidiaries, is a leading global producer of engineered polymers and styrenic block copolymers ("SBCs"), a family of products whose chemistry was pioneered by us almost fifty years ago. SBCs are highly-engineered thermoplastic elastomers, which enhance the performance of numerous products by delivering a variety of attributes, including greater flexibility, resilience, strength, durability and processability. Our polymers are used in a wide range of applications, including adhesives, coatings, consumer and personal care products, sealants and lubricants, and medical, packaging, automotive, paving, roofing and footwear products. We currently offer approximately 800 products to more than 700 customers in over 60 countries worldwide, and are the only SBC producer with manufacturing and service capabilities on four continents. We manufacture products at five plants globally, including our flagship plant in Belpre, Ohio, as well as plants in Germany, France and Brazil, and a joint venture plant operated in Japan.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements," which are statements other than statements of historical fact and are often characterized by the use of words such as "believes," "expects," "estimates," "projects," "may," "will," "intends," "plans" or "anticipates," or by discussions of strategy, anticipated performance, plans or intentions, including statements of anticipated product performance. All forward-looking statements in this press release are made based on management's current expectations and estimates, which involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are more fully described in "Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors" contained in our Annual Report on 10-K, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and as subsequently updated in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. We hereby make reference to all such filings for all purposes. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We assume no obligation to update such information.

Kraton, the Kraton logo and design, Cariflex, Nexar and the "Giving Innovators their Edge" tagline are all trademarks of Kraton Polymers LLC.

Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. 2012. All rights reserved.

For Further Information: Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. Media: Marcie Coronado +1-281-504-4975 Investors: H. Gene Shiels +1-281-504-4886

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Kraton Performance Polymers Discusses New Slush Molding Product Technology