KALAMAZOO, MI - Yogis around the world, including in Kalamazoo, will attempt to create the first ever international "yoga relay" to raise money for charity on Sunday, September 9 as part of the Yoga Aid World Challenge.

Sangha Yoga, 157 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Suite 140, will host a practice lead by community teachers from 9-11:30 a.m. The Kalamazoo event is one of more than 200 events being held around the world. Participants must register online at http://www.yogaaid.com.

The event will start in Sydney, Australia and the chain reaction will end in Los Angeles. Yoga Aid is an international non-profit that supports humanitarian charities and cultivates an attitude of giving back in yogis.

The event has raised more than $1.4 million since it was started six years ago, Yoga Aid co-founder Clive Mayhew said in a news release.

"Yoga Aid World Challenges empower yogis to leverage their own networks for the common good," Mayhew said. "We are a community which knows the great benefits of yoga. The Yoga Aid World Challenge allows us to use yoga as a vehicle to give to others less fortunate."

All funds raised in Kalamazoo will support the following charities: 4 OneWorld, Across America Yoga, Yoga Gangsters, Off the Mat Into the World and Africa Yoga Project.

Contact Anthony Smigiel at asmigiel@mlive.com.

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Yoga Aid World Challenge: Kalamazoo's Sangha Yoga plans to participate in international 'yoga relay'

September is National Yoga Month and has been since 2008. It was created to teach people about the ways in which yoga can benefit health and encourage a healthy way of living. I will offer 10 wonderful ways for us to all celebrate National Yoga month.

#1 Take a free class

Celebrate National Yoga Month this September by receiving free yoga classes for one week at more than 1,600 different locations throughout the nation. Classes are offered to new students, so if you want to give yoga a try now is your chance.

#2 Download a free song

Get in the mood for yoga by downloading the song "Om Namo," one of the many songs from the Yoga Revolution CD.

#3 Educate yourself on the health benefits of yoga

Educate yourself on the health benefits of yoga in one or more of the following ways:

#4 Teach someone else to do yoga

If you already know how to do yoga, give back by teaching your children, a friend or another family member.

#5 Make a donation

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Top 10 Ways to Celebrate National Yoga Month

Cambridge Healthcare has clinched an exclusive partnership agreement with Microsoft Health UK that sees its award winning How are you? health record technology integrated with Microsofts HealthVault platform.

The partnership will allow for the first time health and fitness data to be transferred automatically from devices such as heart rate watches and blood pressure monitors into an individual's personal health record as well as monitoring of patients outside conventional clinical settings, increasing access to care and decreasing healthcare delivery costs.

The partnership couldnt have come at a better time as the NHS begins to roll out telehealth technologies in millions of homes; with a potential saving reported to be 1.2 billion, the Government is keen to collaborate on the rollout with the private sector.

Prime Minister David Cameron said telehealth, which allows patient health to be monitored by clinicians remotely through broadband enabled technologies, had proven to be a "huge success" after trials.

Cambridge Healthcare, which provides its technology platform free to NHS patients and professionals, believes it is in the perfect position to support the ambitions laid out in Secretary of State for Health Andrew Lansleys NHS White Paper, Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS.

Dawson King, CEO and founder of Cambridge Healthcare said: The Governments commitment to promoting shared decision-making and information to support informed choices by patients, service users and carers, can only be realised if patients have access and control of their own health records, with the ability to determine who else can access their records.

The partnership announced today brings us one step closer to realising this ambition. We passionately believe that integrated care is essential if the NHS is to the meet the needs of people with long-term conditions, an ageing population and people with complex requirements.

The Microsoft partnership comes only a month after Cambridge Healthcare announced an exclusive licensing agreement that will see its revolutionary technology adopted in China by the largest consumer website and brand, Sina.com.

Sina.com has more than 500 million registered users more than a third of Chinas population. The landmark agreement for the UK company will allow Sina to integrate Cambridge Healthcares technology directly into its health channel, which already provides a number of key services.

Business Weekly understands that another stunning commercial deal for Cambridge Healthcare is close to completion.

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Landmark Microsoft deal for Cambridge Healthcare

Fitness Together Operating Partner Its amazing how things change once we hit our thirties. Our lives have new priorities and we have new interests. While many things have changed, some things have stayed the same. Being in the field of health and fitness, one thing that I have noticed is how our health and fitness goals have stayed, but the reasons for them have changed. Let me explain.

In our recent Facebook survey, most exercisers said that one of the primary reasons they began exercising and continue to exercise is to improve their appearance. For most of us in our thirties and over, this is one thing that hasnt changed. People at every age are still interested in looking good and exercise is one of the best ways to continue looking good for a lifetime.

Improved energy is another reason that exercisers gave for why they work out, but the over-thirty crowd now gives keeping up with the kids as their primary reason to have more energy. I think we can all agree that there are not many things in life that require as much energy and stamina as keeping up with a young child or two!

Another reason that came in high on the list was improved health. This is a goal that is much more common with the middleaged and senior exerciser than it is with the twenty-somethings. Those of us in our forties and fifties are starting to think about living long enough to see our kids get married, or to stay off of they myriad of medications that often come with aging. These are wonderful motivators and two great reasons to start exercising if you havent yet! Increased strength is a common goal and for the mature exerciser, increased strength gives them the ability to confidently carry the grandchildren and to continue enjoying the sports and activities that they love. An increased quality of life was reported by every exerciser that we interviewed.

Finally, the number one reason that people of all ages exercise is because it makes them feel good. Now whether they feel good because of the natural endorphins that exercise creates, because of the improved confidence and self-esteem that comes from being leaner and stronger or because of the innate feeling of well-being that comes from doing something good for your body; that we do not know. But if you ask me, I dont think anyone really cares about why they feel so good, they are just happy that they do!

If you havent been following a consistent exercise program, it is never too late to start. Your body will respond to exercise at any age, and there is no better way to reverse the aging process than with consistent and fun exercise! Start with simply becoming active and revisiting a sport or activity that you used to love, or contact a local fitness professional who can help design a program for you.

For details, call 305-665-3694, or go to

http://www.fitnesstogethermiami.com

or

email at: scottbaumann@fitnesstogether.com

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How things change when mid-life approaches

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsDlQNk0guQ

30-08-2012 18:27 Andy Roddick holds press conference to announce his retirement from professional tennis at the age of 30. Roddick is a former world #1 and won the 2003 US Open.

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Andy Roddick Announces Retirement at 2012 US Open - Video

Anyone with a 401(k) retirement plan has been painfully aware of the gyrations in the stock market in recent years. The market has come back up lately, but the economy is still in low gear, so many analysts aren't too bullish in the short term. Also, treasuries and CDs are offering tiny returns.

So what's the average American trying to save for retirement to do? Answers are percolating at an annual economics retreat in Maine.

Every year in August, some of the nation's top economists, money managers and some Federal Reserve officials gather in the woods up near the Canadian border. They do some fly-fishing, they schmooze, and they talk shop about investing.

This year, one of the topics of discussion is fees. The takeaway, especially these days, is that you want to avoid paying big ones.

The 'Compounding Effect'

John Mauldin, president of Millennium Wave Advisors in Dallas, says annual mutual fund fees of 1 percent or 2 percent might sound small. But consider the advisers' fee, which is also required every year. Those, Mauldin says, are a very big deal.

"The difference of 1 to 1.5 percent in commissions on an annual basis over 30 years is the difference between $1 and $2 at the end of the time period," he says.

In other words, paying too much in fees is the difference between retiring with half a million or $1 million.

"It's a huge compounding effect. It only seems like a small amount today, but it compounds over time," Mauldin says. "I think Einstein said that compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world."

Keeping Down Costs

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Saving For Retirement? Here's A Tip

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- If that 401(k) retirement fund that you pay into each pay period is not growing as fast as you like, it might be because of hidden fees no one really explained to you. New rules will require disclosure of those hidden fees, which can add up to sizeable figures, especially in light of the 72 million Americans who participate in 401(K) type retirement plans.

"This rule provides uniform disclosure to workers about what they pay forinvestmentoptions in their retirement plans," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "For the first time, workers will have at their fingertips important and accessible investment-related information to comparison shop among the plan options available to them."

Due to new federal disclosure rules, most 401(k) plan participants will be able to clearly see how much their accounts are being charged in fees for the first time by the end of August. "Participants will be surprised by the size of these fees," predicts business and tax attorney Christopher Ezold (ezoldlaw.com). "In fact, many will be startled to see that they are paying investment management fees at all. The new rules will likely strengthen a trend to reduce fees on all 401 (k) plans as long as participants learn what action they should take."

Under the new rules, the Department of Labor will require plan providers to disclose detailed 401(k) fee information to employers in a new format for quarterly statements that will clearly lay out the fees and actual returns for each investment before taking out any fees. These fees often run more than 1 percent annually, which can become a sizable hit over time, especially when many workers need at least 7% annual return to reach their retirement goals (if not more).

According to a research group,New York City-based Demos, the total fees paid on401(k) plans reduce the total retirement accounts by 30 percent on average.

A partner at Philadelphia-based The Ezold Law Firm, P.C., Ezold agrees that the rule will be economically significant. But he warns that having the information will not necessarily spark a reduction in fees.

"Now that the proverbial curtain has been pulled away, the heightened focus on fees will empower the participants to demand a better return on their investment," says Ezold. "However, participants need to do their homework and take action. These new quarterly reports need to be examined and compared if the plan participants expect to see change."

Ezold suggests getting educated on your fund's expense ratio because higher fees do not guarantee a higher return. Then compare those ratios to other plans and consider shifting money into lower-cost funds.

Christopher Ezold is a partner at The Ezold Law Firm, P.C. (ezoldlaw.com), a Philadelphia-based boutique law firm focusing on business, employment and health care law.

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New 401(K) Rules Could Help 72 Million Americans Save More For Retirement

1 September 2012 Last updated at 04:53 ET By Natalie Grice BBC News

In Beijing, Wales made up 16% of Team GB and was responsible for 25% of its gold medal haul. As an even larger number is fielded for London 2012, BBC News is looking at the factors behind Welsh Paralympic success. Here we look at the role inspiration and legacy play.

The two most successful athletes of the modern Paralympic era are racer Tanni Grey-Thompson and swimmer David Roberts, with 11 golds each.

What do these track and pool sporting greats have in common? Both are Welsh, and both have proved unparallelled role models for Welsh youngsters, whether disabled or not.

Grey-Thompson and Roberts came from a long tradition of Paralympian sport in Wales, which includes John Harris (discus), wheelchair racer Chris Hallam and table tennis player Jim Munkley.

The link between inspiration and participation is massive

Many veteran Paralympians get involved with inspiring the younger generation on a personal level by coaching.

Professor Laura McAllister, the chair of Sport Wales and former Wales football international, said: "Tanni Grey-Thompson and David Roberts have been fantastic role models because we have been able to say, look at Tanni's record.

"They are renowned worldwide and would never dream of allowing either of those two to tell you they're not Welsh.

"Now we have got for example [table tennis player] Sara Head who will talk to the others about being a Paralympian.

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Success inspires next generation

McDONOUGH An ongoing debate regarding standards for personal care homes in Henry County will soon come to a head.

The Board of Commissioners is set to vote Tuesday on proposed recommendations for such facilities.

Cheri Hobson-Matthews, Planning and Zoning director, said discussions stemmed from a moratorium adopted by commissioners in March.

As a result of that moratorium, the staff was charged with going back and revisiting provisions in our code as it pertains to personal care homes in residential zoning districts, she said.

Planning and Zoning staffers examined personal care home ordinances in neighboring jurisdictions to determine whether changes were needed in Henry. The ordinance regulates the development and standards of personal care homes within unincorporated portions of the county.

We were originally recommending that a conditional-use permit be required, said Hobson-Matthews. She added that the ordinance requires a hearing before the countys zoning advisory board in order to approve a personal care home in a residential zoning district.

A series of public meetings revealed opposition to restrictions on personal care home applicants, particularly from the special needs community in Henry.

Approximately 100 people attended a recent town-hall meeting on personal-care homes in Henry. They were sharply divided between on the issue of putting them in subdivisions.

That meeting followed a personal care home application submitted in January by Jeff Boyd, in Stockbridges Cottonfields subdivision.

Boyd said he began the endeavor while taking care of his elderly parents. His supporters said tighter restrictions on personal-care homes would make it difficult for special-needs individuals to receive care.

Originally posted here:
Commission poised to vote on personal-care homes

ONLINE EDUCATION BOOM IN ASIA. In a picture taken on August 27, 2012, students prepare for an exam in front of their computers at Kuala Lumpur-based Asia e University (AeU). AFP PHOTO / SAEED KHAN

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Thousands of kilometres from Kuala Lumpur in Cameroon, doctoral student Michael Nkwenti Ndongfack attends his Open University Malaysia classes online and hopes to defend his final thesis by Skype.

A government worker, Ndongfack could not find the instructional design and technology course he wanted in his own country, so is paying a foreign institution about $10,000 for the degree instead.

Online university education is expanding quickly in Asia, where growth in technology and Internet use is matched by a deep reverence for education.

"I chose e-learning because it is so flexible," Ndongfack, 42, told AFP via Skype from his home in the Cameroonian capital Yaounde.

Web-based courses dramatically boost opportunities for students and are often cheaper than those offered by traditional bricks-and-mortar institutions.

But online learning has also caught the eye of some of the world's most prestigious universities, with Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently teaming up to offer free courses over the Internet.

"With the improvement in technology, the number of institutions offering online education has increased, both in terms of numbers and the kind of classes offered," said Lee Hock Guan, senior fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.

The Malaysian government said about 85,000 people took online courses in the country last year, both at web-based institutions and traditional universities offering Internet teaching.

In high-tech South Korea more than 112,000 students at 19 institutions are taking web-based classes, all of which have begun since 2002.

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Online universities blossom in Asia