Ive been getting a lot of, You look great. But Im not tired of hearing it yet, says 29-year-old yoga teacher Michael Joel Hall as he flashes an endearing grin. A little puffiness on his right cheek and a tiny scar obscured by the stubble of a beard are the only visible reminders of what happened to Hall in the early hours of July 22.

He and his partner, Michael Roike, were returning home to Eckington from a night out when the couple was jumped. The attackers were scared away by a neighbor, but not before their barrage of punches left Hall with a fractured jaw and other facial injuries. Hall and Roike had just moved to the neighborhood after their Logan Circle apartment and most of their possessions had been destroyed in a fire a month earlier.

Vicky Hallett

Writes for the MisFits column.

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To add insult to his injuries, Hall had let his health-care coverage lapse while studying in India this year. So he was faced with covering the ambulance, emergency room, reconstructive surgery and everything else out of pocket. Couple that with not being able to work, and Hall found himself in a rather uncomfortable position.

I asked the doctor if maybe we didnt need to do the surgery, says Hall, who was told that not doing it would leave him with a sunken eye. All I could think about was how much it was going to cost.

The yoga community was thinking about that, too. Instructors are focused on meeting their immediate needs, because no one is getting rich teaching yoga, says Peg Mulqueen, a friend and fellow yogi who helped organized a fundraising drive for Hall.

In his five years of teaching, Hall has developed a devoted student base with his not-so-serious approach to some seriously hard yoga (he specializes in Ashtanga). So it wasnt a surprise that the local community rallied around his cause, with studios and students pitching in. No one, however, expected such an overwhelming response, or that it would bring in money and messages from around the globe.

When Hall was in the hospital, he was inundated with letters, flowers, Facebook messages and a queue of visitors carrying balloons, blankets and ice cream. And on July 31, just a few days after he was released, he was able to respond with a post on his Web site, Midcityyoga.com: No more donations, please.

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Yoga teacher recovers, but attack highlights job’s health-care issues

WICHITA, Kan., Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Sullivan Higdon & Sink (SHS), a communications firm with a reputation for not following the flock, has introduced a new yoga pose that inspires employees to embody the philosophy of sheephating. In commemoration of National Yoga Month this September, the agency asked one-time employee Nickki Head to develop the proprietary Sheephater Pose to enhance workplace wellness.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120925/CG81161)

"As a former sheephater, I had a good idea of the high-stress environment that is advertising," said Head, owner of Firefly Yoga Studio, "I think SHS recognizes the many benefits that yoga offers, like taking the time to empty the mind and increase the flow of energy."

Head returned to SHS this Tuesday to lead the agency in a group demonstration of the new pose.The session started with a short flow to get warmed up before employees tried the pose for the first time. SHSers are accustomed to stretching their creative limits, but for some, this was a first-time experience in stretching their physical limits through yoga.

"The pose was kind of tough," says senior art director Mike McCoy. "I think a few of us might be sore today. But we're always pushing ourselves beyond our comfort zones to snag that next great idea."

Why does SHS hate sheep so much? Because sheep are reminiscent of advertising that follows instead of leads. In fact, SHS teaches all its employees Seven Ways to Exterminate Sheep, a philosophy that keeps them collaborative, pure of heart and strategic, to name just a few values.

"In our fast-paced industry, the ability to stay fluid and clear-headed is essential to our success," says Lathi de Silva, vice president, director brand reputation. "These abilities, along with our sheephating philosophy, set us up to think differently and often, unexpectedly."

Similar to in the practice of yoga, SHS is always looking to continue growing and improving. To see photos of flexible sheephaters or to learn more about the proud history of sheephating, visit SHS at wehatesheep.com.

About Sullivan Higdon & Sink

SHS creates integrated brand experiences for a diverse roster of business-to-consumer, business-to-business and business-to-government clients. The agency has offices in Kansas City, Wichita and Washington, D.C. Learn more about SHS and view our recent work at http://www.wehatesheep.com. Connect with us atwww.facebook.com/wehatesheepor on Twitter @wehatesheep.

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Creative Firm Takes Its Mantra to the Mat with New Yoga Pose

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McLeod Health and Fitness Center Tour - Video

OTTAWA B.C. Conservative MP John Weston, his fitness instructor wife Donna, and their three soccer-playing kids all have black belts in tae-kwon-do.

When Weston arrived in Ottawa as a rookie MP in 2008, one of the first things he did after noticing the unhealthy lifestyle of many MPs was to set up a program to encourage parliamentarians from all parties to swim, run or walk once or twice a week.

On Monday, the 54-year-old, Mandarin-speaking, Harvard-educated, marathon-running lawyer went a step further with the introduction of a private members bill to create a National Health and Fitness Day.

Westons bill calls on municipal governments to provide free or reduced-rate access to their fitness centres the first Saturday of June each year.

His goal is to create the fittest nation on earth a tall order given that the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development says Canada has one of the highest obesity rates in the western world.

And just last week, Statistics Canada reported that 31.5 per cent of Canadians between ages five and 17 are overweight or obese.

Excess weight among children leads to diabetes, high blood pressure, and thickening of the arteries in adulthood, West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast MP Weston said at a news conference in Ottawa on Monday.

This is the first generation of Canadians who will die at a younger age than their parents, he said, according to a copy of his prepared statement.

Weston told reporters his proposed bill is about fitness, not fatness.

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B.C. MP proposes National Health and Fitness Day

Spotlight: A great way to have fun and get in shape

Kevin Laliberte for Spotlight

Are you ready to party yourself into shape?

Thats exactly what the Zumba program is all about.

Zumba is an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, calorie- burning dance fitness-party thats moving people toward joy and health, says Falher area Zumba instructor Diane Dolhan.

Zumba classes feature exotic rhythms set to high-energy Latin and international beats. Before participants know it, theyre getting fit and their energy levels are soaring! Theres no other fitness class like a Zumba Fitness Party.

She adds the best part of it all is that its easy to do, effective and totally exhilarating, often building a deep-rooted community among returning students.

Dolhan, a qualified Zumba instructor since November of 2011, is once again launching the local fitness-oriented program in Falher beginning Nov. 6. Weekly classes are being offered to anyone over the age of 12 each Tuesday evening from 7:30-8:30 p.m. at Guns N Buns Fitness Centre.

The local program drew an average of about one-dozen women last year between the ages of 20 up to age 60-plus.

Last years participants really enjoyed the music and had fun while exercising, she says, adding you dont have to be in tip-top shape to take part.

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Spotlight: A great way to have fun and get in shape

Bandar Seri Begawan - With the Olympics having come to an end recently, more Bruneians are paying greater attention to sports and healthy activities. An increasing number can be seen working out in the health clubs, enjoying state-of-the-art fitness facilities.

Despite the increase in fitness and health awareness, Fitness Education and Certification courses are lacking in Brunei. Fitness Zone, being the most active health club in Brunei, is taking a bigger approach to encourage and sponsor local fitness enthusiasts to go abroad for their fitness certification courses. One famous fitness programme, Les Mills, is always looking for new recruits to join their team of 75,000 certified instructors working in 14,000 clubs across 80 countries.

According to Wu Chun, the founder of Fitness Zone, "Never underestimate what Bruneians can do. As long as you are passionate about what you are doing and you have a strong will to make it happen, it will materialise. Our coaches do their best to get people to dig deeper, go harder and reach higher. They motivate bodies, inspire minds and lead the way to positive change. Not many people are that committed but its great to be one of the few."

Emily Wong, a member-turned-Les Mills instructor at Fitness Zone who is now certified with the American Council of Exercise, said, "The Les Mills programmes have really changed my life. I first started participating overseas and was happy to find out that the local Fitness Zone offers the programmes when I returned."

A majority of the local trainers have also pursued their degree education in the UK and Australia, and have been greatly influenced by the healthy lifestyle abroad.

Fitness Zone currently has 10 expatriate trainers and 15 local trainers who are internationally certified.

--Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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Fitness Zone Helps Enthusiasts With Certification Courses

OTTAWA B.C. Conservative MP John Weston, his fitness instructor wife Donna, and their three soccer-playing kids all have black belts in tae-kwon-do.

When Weston arrived in Ottawa as a rookie MP in 2008, one of the first things he did after noticing the unhealthy lifestyle of many MPs was to set up a program to encourage parliamentarians from all parties to swim, run or walk once or twice a week.

On Monday, the 54-year-old, Mandarin-speaking, Harvard-educated, marathon-running lawyer went a step further with the introduction of a private members bill to create a National Health and Fitness Day.

Westons bill calls on municipal governments to provide free or reduced-rate access to their fitness centres the first Saturday of June each year.

His goal is to create the fittest nation on earth a tall order given that the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development says Canada has one of the highest obesity rates in the western world.

And just last week, Statistics Canada reported that 31.5 per cent of Canadians between ages five and 17 are overweight or obese.

Excess weight among children leads to diabetes, high blood pressure, and thickening of the arteries in adulthood, West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast MP Weston said at a news conference in Ottawa on Monday.

This is the first generation of Canadians who will die at a younger age than their parents, he said, according to a copy of his prepared statement.

Weston told reporters his proposed bill is about fitness, not fatness.

We are not creating a National Skinny Day. My wife Donna, a fitness instructor, likes to tell me Im way too thin. And, while some people may see losing weight as an end in itself, todays initiative is not about that.

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B.C. MP calls for National Health and Fitness Day

Workplace retirement plans for pro athletes

You might not think pro athletes earning millions would have to worry about the risk of outliving their retirement savings. But when you consider their retirement could conceivably stretch 50 years or more, that risk isn't so far-fetched.

Even with the most popular major sports leagues offering such benefits as pensions and 401(k) plans with employer matches, an athlete's relatively short career could make it hard to save adequately using those plans alone.

"They're not going to be able to put away in qualified retirement plans enough money to live on," says Andre Mirkine, president of the Sports Financial Advisors Association. (Qualified plans refer to those with tax advantages.)

"Then it's incumbent upon the advisers who advise them to try to convince them to save," he adds.

Sometimes, former athletes run out of retirement savings chasing after wild investment deals, says Pete D'Arruda, a Cary, N.C., financial planner who frequently advises athletes.

"Many athletes take a lot more risk than they should after their playing careers," D'Arruda says.

Players in these seven sports organizations, at least, have a formal employer-provided benefit plan to get them started. But data from players unions and collective bargaining agreements show that, when it comes to retirement security, the playing field is decidedly uneven.

Baseball was the first U.S. pro sport to have a pension plan, starting in 1947. Today, players become eligible for the minimum pension after just 43 days of service time at the major league level.

MLB pensions are reputed to be among the most generous in sports. Players accrue full pension benefits when they achieve 10 years of service time, making them eligible for $200,000 a year for life (the maximum allowed by law in 2012) at the age of 62. The pension is joint-survivor, meaning surviving spouses are entitled to some pension benefits. In addition, MLB members with four or more years of major league service time are eligible to continue their health care coverage at a cost of at least 60 percent of their chosen plan.

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Retirement benefits of professional athletes

Workplace retirement plans for pro athletes

You might not think pro athletes earning millions would have to worry about the risk of outliving their retirement savings. But when you consider their retirement could conceivably stretch 50 years or more, that risk isn't so far-fetched.

Even with the most popular major sports leagues offering such benefits as pensions and 401(k) plans with employer matches, an athlete's relatively short career could make it hard to save adequately using those plans alone.

"They're not going to be able to put away in qualified retirement plans enough money to live on," says Andre Mirkine, president of the Sports Financial Advisors Association. (Qualified plans refer to those with tax advantages.)

"Then it's incumbent upon the advisers who advise them to try to convince them to save," he adds.

Sometimes, former athletes run out of retirement savings chasing after wild investment deals, says Pete D'Arruda, a Cary, N.C., financial planner who frequently advises athletes.

"Many athletes take a lot more risk than they should after their playing careers," D'Arruda says.

Players in these seven sports organizations, at least, have a formal employer-provided benefit plan to get them started. But data from players unions and collective bargaining agreements show that, when it comes to retirement security, the playing field is decidedly uneven.

Baseball was the first U.S. pro sport to have a pension plan, starting in 1947. Today, players become eligible for the minimum pension after just 43 days of service time at the major league level.

MLB pensions are reputed to be among the most generous in sports. Players accrue full pension benefits when they achieve 10 years of service time, making them eligible for $200,000 a year for life (the maximum allowed by law in 2012) at the age of 62. The pension is joint-survivor, meaning surviving spouses are entitled to some pension benefits. In addition, MLB members with four or more years of major league service time are eligible to continue their health care coverage at a cost of at least 60 percent of their chosen plan.

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Go long: Retirement plans for pro athletes

Defined Benefit Retirement Plans Play Strong Role in Employment Decisions

TORONTO , Sept. 25, 2012 /CNW/ - Compensation preferences among Canadian workers reveal that a secure pension plan is an increasingly important component of an attractive pay package. According to a survey by global professional services company Towers Watson (NYSE, NASDAQ: TW), one-third of Canadian employees would be willing to sacrifice a portion of their compensation in return for enhanced retirement security, while one in four would agree to forgo a bonus in exchange for additional retirement benefits.

"As financial insecurity becomes more widespread, Canadian workers are increasingly interested in a secure rewards package with retirement benefits they can count on" said Ian Markham , Retirement Innovation Leader for Towers Watson. "While Canadians have traditionally looked to employer-sponsored retirement plans as one part of their financial future, the fact that so many workers are willing to trade pay increases or bonuses for enhanced retirement security points to the significant unease that many employees hold towards financial planning for their retirement years."

"The survey results clearly reflect concern among Canadian workers about whether they will outlive their retirement savings" said John McIntosh, Plan Design Issue Leader at Towers Watson. "If this concern translates to widespread delays in retirement, Canadian employers will be faced with many challenges from the shifting workplace demographic. An older workforce could affect everything from health and productivity to succession planning and the expectations for training and development of the next generation required for future growth."

Pursuit of Retirement Security Affects Employment Decision For sponsors of Defined Benefit (DB) plans (plans which pay a regular monthly benefit), the news is more positive. The Towers Watson survey found that 50% of respondents with a DB plan identified their retirement program as a key reason for joining their current employer, compared to 30% of respondents with a Defined Contribution (DC) plan or Group RRSP, where the payout is dependent on the investment fortunes of the plan member.

DB plans appear to play an even more significant role in retention. Depending on age, between 62% and 71% of Canadian DB plan participants cite their retirement program as a compelling reason to remain with their current employer, compared to between 30% and 50% of those with a DC plan. Younger DB plan participants under 40 years of age were twice as likely to stay with their current employer, compared to those with a DC plan.

The survey also revealed that a change from a DB plan to a DC plan has a strong effect on employee commitment and loyalty. While 75% of respondents whose DB plan had been changed in the last three years, but remained DB, say that they would like to continue working for their employer until they retire, that number decreases to 53% for respondents whose employers have changed to a DC plan.

"In both good and bad economic times, building and keeping a talented workforce remains a critical business need. The survey findings reinforce the idea that organizations sponsoring DB plans can achieve a more stable workforce than those offering a DC plan," said Markham. "Understanding worker preferences toward their reward programs creates an opportunity for employers to highlight the value of their retirement plans to current and prospective employees a potential advantage for any business that places a priority on retaining talent and organizational experience."

About the Survey

The 2011-2012 Towers Watson Retirement Attitudes Survey includes responses from 1,577 full-time Canadian employees at private-sector organizations with 1,000 or more employees. For more information, visit http://www.towerswatson.com/canada-english/research/7717.

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Employer-Sponsored Retirement Programs Take on Heightened Importance for Canadian Workers, Towers Watson Survey Finds