SQUAW VALLEY, Calif. On a crisp summer night, beneath a bright half-moon that illuminates the cliffs of Squaw Valley's dramatic Tram Face, MC Yogi, a yoga teacher and DJ from San Francisco, exhorts a crowd of several thousand: "Take a deep breath and let it all out." Then, "Say namaste!" The crowd, which had been doing both all day long, does them again. But this time they also raise a collective glass and call out with enthusiasm not usually displayed by a bunch of lithe-bodied Lululemon-clad yoginis.

Welcome to the Wanderlust Festival.

This four-day yoga retreat by day, dance party by night is the sort of event that could only happen if a pair of indie rock producers shared office space with an internationally renowned yoga teacher. Which is exactly how Wanderlust, which comes to Santa Monica in abbreviated form in September, was born.

"We realized that there is a crowd that likes to dance and drink, but they are also serious about their yoga," says co-founder Jeff Krasno, who conceived of the festival with his yoga-instructor wife, Schuyler Grant, and college band mate and business partner, Sean Hoess.

That first event, held at Lake Tahoe, featured mostly traditional yoga classes and lectures during the day and music at night. Four years later, Wanderlust is taking on a life of its own, say the founders. "Each year more artists show up they create temporary art installations around the grounds and we've added some alternative yoga offerings." Classes like slack-line yoga and hoops yoga (a combination of yoga, hula hooping and dancing) are packed.

This year's Tahoe Wanderlust featured hundreds of yoga classes, lectures, meditation hikes and music workshops. Many of the instructors are stars of the Western yoga world Shiva Rae, Seane Corn, Baron Baptiste and Jonny Kest who pack as many as 600 people onto mats under huge tents. (Most classes have many fewer participants.)

Today there are multi-day festivals in Lake Tahoe, Vermont, Colorado and British Columbia. This year, the four-day Tahoe event saw about 15,600 people in the ski resort's village, which is usually very quiet during the summer.

One-day free versions of Wanderlust called Yoga in the City are held in several cities across the country; the Santa Monica event is Sept. 9 on the Santa Monica Pier. It will feature an afternoon of classes taught by local instructors, including Katie Brauer, Derek Beres, Brock and Kirsta Cahill and Ally Hamilton and Kumudini. The organizers planned the event in partnership with YogaAid and hope to raise $1 million through donations and sponsorships for charities.

"I like the part of the Wanderlust message that you can practice yoga and still enjoy life," says Sara Ivanhoe, a first-time Wanderlust instructor who does most of her teaching at YogaWorks' Santa Monica locations. (She has another commitment and won't be at the Sept. 9 event.) "In our culture we have lost sight of the fact that the practice of yoga is meant to serve us and make us feel better, spiritually and physically," she says. "Yoga shouldn't be punishment; it shouldn't be about whether you are doing it 'correctly.'"

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At Wanderlust, yoga flows into party

By Mike Watkins//Correspondent

Life hasnt been easy or simple over the many years since Anthony Ervin won gold in the 50 freestyle at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

After winning world titles the next year in the 50 and 100 freestyles, Ervin was restless in life and swimming fighting some inner demons and within a few months, was contemplating making a drastic, life-altering change.

Two years later, at just 22 years old, he retired, vowing not to return.

He sank deep into a counter-culture trap, playing guitar, growing dreads, tattooing sleeves on both arms and smoking and drinking. Locked in a world of substance use and depression, he attempted suicide by eating a bottle of tranquilizers and had a high-speed chase with the cops in Berkeley, where he swam collegiately, ending with his motorcycle entangled with a Mustang and his shoulder separated and hanging from a sling.

He was headed nowhere fast, swapping Olympic and world venues for tattoo parlors and record shops and looking for a sign of what the future might still hold for him and his amazing talent wrapped in indifference and self-admittedly, arrogance and entitlement.

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Anthony Ervin: Loving Life and Swimming... Again

Australia's champion hockey player Jamie Dwyer has retired from internatiional duties but has vision of coaching the Kookaburras. Source: Getty Images

JAMIE Dwyer has flagged his interest in coaching the Australian men's hockey team in the future.

Dwyer, a triple Olympian and captain of Australia's only Games gold medal team, has already embarked on a coaching career, having taken up the role leading the men's ones at local club YMCC Coastal City.

The club job is in addition to his DwyerOnline.com coaching business and 1&9 Coaching, a hockey tuition program he runs with teammate Mark Knowles.

Dwyer this week returned to Perth after a London campaign that netted his second Olympic bronze - the team also finished third at Beijing - and the 33-year-old confirmed it was his final Games.

He said coaching the Kookaburras, a side that had been such a large part of his life, was a future goal.

"I love hockey and I'd like to stay involved in hockey.

"(Coaching) is definitely a possibility, but I need to think about whether I'm going to carry on my career first and I've got a few things outside of hockey that I'm interested in as well.

"(Coaching the national side) would be good and I think I'd like to do it.

"I've got a lot to learn before then and I don't think I'd do it in the next 10 years, but after that and down the track, it's definitely a possibility.

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Dwyer wants top job with Kookaburras

I couldnt help but notice that Helen Gurley Brown died on Annie Oakleys birthday this past week. What came to mind immediately was something my mother used to sing to me when I was a teenager:

Oh you cant get a man with a gun, as the Irving Berlin song goes. With a gun, with a gun. No, you cant get a man with a gun.

Relax, NRA sharp shooters, Mom was talking in metaphor. That kind of independence, she figured, was frowned upon when trying to land a man. It was intimidating and emasculating.

But this was a time (the late 1970s) when Gurley Brown and Gloria Steinem and even The Mary Tyler Moore Show were well-entrenched in our culture and delivering other messages to balance that out. It was this Gurley Brown line of thinking that influenced me:

The message was: So youre single. You can still have sex. You can have a great life. And if you marry, dont just sponge off a man or be the gold-medal-winning mother. Dont use men to get what you want in life -- get it for yourself.

It surprises me how even today some of my life coaching clients especially those of my generation -- dont get this way of thinking. Some do and could pretty much teach courses in how to be strong, vibrant, independent and female, but I find others struggle with their identity as it relates to the social order of things. Their self image is often tied up in roles where they are in relationship to others mother, wife, daughter. Not so much seeing themselves as a whole person who may be all of those things.

As a coach, I love the challenge of this kind of client. Sometimes a divorce, illness or death forces them into building their own lives and they thrive. In some cases what is initially loneliness turns to solitude, a wholly different experience. It allows for room to reflect, to attract new things and people, and to reconnect with interests they once loved and began to neglect.

We all have those individuals weve met or admire from afar who have helped propel us along our path. I like to collect examples, from my life and others, so that I can have one at the ready when a client needs a boost from a real, tangible individual who overcame or accomplished something. I want to at the very least get them nodding and at the most give them a push to action on their own goals.

For instance, upon discovering then-New York Times op-ed columnist Anna Quindlen, I was buoyed by the idea of another New Jersey Italian-American woman, also raised Catholic, having a voice in that forum. It validated my own decision to become a columnist.

Ironically one of my earliest female influences -- Roman Catholic nuns -- has resurfaced as a great inspiration this summer. They are currently under fire from a Vatican Doctrinal Assessment with regard to a number of issues, including the question of womens ordination, their approach in ministering to homosexuals and a prevalence of certain radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith in speakers they invite to conferences.

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Life Lessons from an Editor, a Sharp Shooter and Some Nuns

LEXINGTON, Ky., Aug. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time Tuesday, the word "life coach" appeared in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. "I think it's great," says Michelle Hollingshead, President of the ICF Ohio Valley Chapter. Merriam-Webster picks about 100 additions for their annual update, by gathering evidence of frequently used words over several years. "I think it communicates the legitimacy and the timeliness of our services." Hollingshead continued, "It's great to get global recognition as a profession."

In an economic age where more and more jobs are being cut, the coaching industry is growing. "The industry keeps growing because it's meeting a societal need to make people more effective, satisfied and able to maximize their potential to help humanity flourish," explains Dr. Damian Goldvarg, President-Elect of ICF's Board of Directors. The first-known usage of the word "life coach" was in 1986 according to Merriam-Webster, but since then the professional coaching industry has exploded. The 2012 ICF Global Coaching Study* revealed there are 47,500 professional coaches worldwide bringing in a total annual income of nearly $2 billion. The growth in the professional coaching industry is one indication that coaching is an effective solution to the common economic struggles plaguing many companies today.

Major corporations have turned to coaching to improve their businesses, including IBM, Nike, Verizon and Coca-Cola Enterprises. Studies show that virtually all companies or individuals who hire a coach are satisfied. According to the ICF Global Coaching Client Study (2009), a stunning 99% of people who were polled said they were somewhat or very satisfied with the overall experience.

A key differentiator for the industry is that coaching is seen as an "action plan" rather than an exploratory process. Coaching has become a significant trend in leadership development because it increases productivity, empowers employees, and provides a return on investment (ROI). Professional coaching explicitly targets maximizing potential and in doing this unlocks latent sources of productivity and effectiveness. At the heart of coaching is a creative and thought-provoking process that supports individuals to confidently pursue new ideas and alternative solutions with greater resilience in the face of growing complexity and uncertainty.

The International Coach Federation is the leading global organization for coaches, with over 21,000 members in more than 100 countries and over 7,900 credentialed coaches worldwide. ICF is dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high ethical standards, providing independent certification, and building a worldwide network of credentialed coaches.

* The 2012 ICF Global Coaching Study and the ICF Global Coaching Client Study (2009) were commissioned by ICF but conducted independently by the International Survey Unit of PricewaterhouseCoopers. Full copies of the studies are available upon request.

http://www.coachfederation.org

ICF HEADQUARTERS CONTACT:

Lindsay Bodkin, +1.859.219.3550, lindsay.bodkin@coachfederation.org

This press release was issued through eReleases Press Release Distribution. For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.

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'Life Coach' Added to Merriam-Webster Dictionary

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16-08-2012 09:26 Exeber Health and Fitness is a new Gym in Ireland. We offer intensive physical workouts in 20 minute sessions that aim to do three main things. 1. Loose Weight Rapidly 2. Build Muscle 3. Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Go to our website at

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Exeber Health and Fitness Promo Video - Video

On August 18, 1992 the great Larry Bird announced his retirement from the NBA. A Boston Celtics legend and one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Bird was a basketball hero of mine and single-handedly got me interested in the game as a child. When he retired 20 years ago today, I was 14 years old--old enough to know what was happening, but not mature enough to grasp the concept that an icon was leaving the game for good.

Bird finished his 13-year career playing in 897 games with career average of 24.3 points per game, 10.0 rebounds per game, and 6.3 assists per game. He shot .496 from the field, .376 from the three-point line, and boasted a .886 free-throw percentage. To say his career was phenomenal would still be an understatement.

Bird along with Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson can be credited with making the NBA what it is today in terms of popularity. When both entered the league in the late 1970s the NBA was suffering from poor attendance and minimal television interest. It was the Lakers vs. Celtics, and more specifically Magic vs. Bird through the 1980s that rejuvenated the league. Basketball became exciting again as the two teams continually battled it out for the title. It is difficult to think of a rivalry greater than this.

After his final season, Bird joined fellow NBA stars Johnson, Michael Jordan, and others to represent the United States in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. It was the first time in Olympic history the United States sent professional athletes to compete in the games. The squad was referred to as the "Dream Team" where they went on to win the gold medal in men's basketball.

Larry Bird is the reason I cheer for the likes of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Rajon Rondo today. It is players like him, that was a super-hero me as a child, that allowed me to develop a lifelong love for the game--and especially the Celtics.

More Boston Celtics Commentary from Paul Rados:

Boston Celtics release preseason schedule, play two games overseas: A fan's reaction

Sullinger, Christmas shine in Boston Celtics' summer league: A fan's reaction

Jason Collins set to become the newest member of the Boston Celtics: A fan's reaction

Courtney Lee joins the Boston Celtics: A fan's reaction

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Larry Bird Announces His Retirement, August 18, 1992: A Fan’s Reflection

A sizable percentage of Americans don't expect to stop working -- ever.

That's according to the 2011 Risks and Process of Retirement Survey Report from the Society of Actuaries, which found that 35 percent of pre-retirees surveyed in 2011 do not expect to ever leave the workforce. That is up from the 29 percent of pre-retirees who reported the same in 2009.

For the vast majority of pre-retirees who don't expect to retire, remaining active and engaged during their senior years is of importance. Of the 35 percent not expecting to retire, 89 percent said staying active was one reason to remain working.

However, financial concerns also weighed heavily on the minds of many pre-retirees. The survey found 45 percent of those not expecting to retire believe they will be financially unable to do so.

Pre-retirees not expecting to retire also gave the following reasons for being unable to stop working:

Although many pre-retirees have a negative view of their retirement prospects, their expectations differ significantly from the reality of when older workers are actually retiring.

"There is a big gap in the age at which pre-retirees expect to retire and actual retirement ages of those who have retired from their primary occupation," said Carol Bogosian, an actuary and retirement expert, in a written statement issued by the Society of Actuaries."This may be partially due to involuntary retirement and health problems."

In the Society of Actuaries report, half of pre-retirees say that will wait until at least age 65 before leaving the workforce. Only 12 percent felt they would be able to retire early. However, 51 percent of retirees surveyed for the same report said they left employment before age 60.

Those findings echo a similar report published by the MetLife Mature Market Institute earlier this spring. That report found the average retirement age for those born in 1946 was 59.7 for men and 57.2 for women.

"Many of the Boomers weathered the recession well and have been able to stop working," said Sandra Timmermann, director of the MetLife Mature Market Institute, in a statement issued with the institute's findings. "Half of all Boomers feel confident that they are on track or have already hit their retirement goals."

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Study: One-third of workers see no retirement ahead

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Aug. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 100 retirement plan sponsors attended MassMutual's Retirement Services Division's first-ever PlanSmartSM online seminar, Who is Gen Y and Why It's Important to Know.

The July 24 live webcast, featuring returning guest speaker Farnoosh Torabi, independent Generation Y money coach, best-selling author and personal finance journalist, reviewed how plan sponsors can best connect with and motivate this younger generation. Specifically, Ms. Torabi reviewed how sponsors can:

All attendees who completed MassMutual's brief post-event survey had the opportunity to opt-in to a drawing to win a one-hour onsite employee presentation with Ms. Torabi and members of the MassMutual Retirement Education Specialist team. MassMutual is pleased to announce that Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen of Richmond, Va. won the drawing. Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen is one of the oldest and largest law firms in Va. and has been a valued client of MassMutual for more than 10 years.

Results from the seminar's post-event survey were very positive, with 90 percent of the plan sponsors in attendanceratingthe online format, presenter, and information presented as Very Good (4) or Excellent (5).Additionally, all attendees completing the survey received a copy of Farnoosh Torabi's book, Psych Yourself Rich.

"MassMutual Retirement Services is pleased to deliver our first-ever PlanSmart online seminar, developed specifically for plan sponsors, to help them engage and motivate their Gen Y employee population," says Elaine Sarsynski, executive vice president of MassMutual's Retirement Services Division and chairman and CEO of MassMutual International LLC. "It is vital that we reach this generation early and in the ways that work for them to help drive healthier retirement outcomes in the future," adds Sarsynski.

Prior to the seminar, registered plan sponsors were provided with a heartfelt 31/2 minute video introduction to Maria, a Gen-Y retirement plan participant who shares her personal perspective on retirement and how best to reach her generation.

A free replay of the Who is Gen Y and Why It's Important to Know seminar is available for anyone who missed the live event. For more information about MassMutual Retirement Services, please contact your retirement plan advisor or call MassMutual at 1-866-444-2601.

The information within this presentation is solely the opinion of the speaker, an independent orator, who is not an employee of MassMutual Financial Group.

About MassMutual

MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) [of which Retirement Services is a division] and its affiliated companies and sales representatives. MassMutual is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts and its major affiliates include: Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; The First Mercantile Trust Company; MassMutual International LLC; MML Investors Services, LLC, Member FINRA and SIPC; OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; and The MassMutual Trust Company, FSB.

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MassMutual Retirement Services' First-Ever Sponsor-Specific PlanSmart(SM) Seminar Welcomes 100+ Attendees

Taxpayers in Los Angeles will see retirement costs for police officers and firefighters climb by 56% over the next four years, even after voters approved a March 2011 ballot measure that trimmed the pension benefits paid to new hires, according to projections released by city budget officials.

Pensions and retiree healthcare costs for sworn employees are projected to consume $789 million of the city's general fund budget in 2016, up from $506 million this year, according to figures prepared by budget analysts. Every dollar in the general fund that goes for retirement costs cannot be used for other expenditures, such as library books, park programs and police salaries.

The numbers were prepared for the city's labor negotiations committee, which consists of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and four City Council members. That panel met Tuesday to consider the mayor's plan for rolling back pensions for newly hired civilian employees, such as librarians, landscapers and street repair workers.

The changes, which include a bid to increase the retirement age to 67, would not apply to police and firefighters. City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana defended the current focus on civilian workers, saying L.A. leaders already have wrung savings from the public safety retirement system, thanks to last year's ballot measure.

"It wasn't that we picked one [group of employees] over the other," he said. "The mayor and the council directed us to address both the civilian and sworn pension systems. The difficulty is that we weren't able to reach a consensus with civilians."

When Villaraigosa took office in 2005, public safety retirement costs consumed 4.2% of the city's general fund. The number is expected to reach 11.1% this year and 15.6% by 2016, according to budget officials.

Santana said the increased costs for firefighters and police officers have been caused, in part, by the buildup of the force at the Police Department and the poor performance of the investment portfolio managed by the city's Fire and Police Pensions system. The city also has to pay more, he said, because the pension board recently lowered its investment assumptions in the wake of those losses, forcing the general fund to make up the difference.

Business leaders, along with former Mayor Richard Riordan, have been pressing Villaraigosa and the council to take new action on steadily rising pension costs, saying the growing retirement costs will force officials to cut additional services. Those cuts, they said, will drive businesses away, further cutting tax revenue and forcing the city into a financial tailspin.

The leaders submitted a proposal that would, among other things, freeze the pay of firefighters and police officers if retirement costs consume more than 25% of those employees' salaries.

Public safety unions have responded angrily to the proposal and to the projections released by Santana's office. Tyler Izen, president of the Police Protective League, questioned the accuracy of the numbers and said his members have already made sacrifices by giving up millions of dollars in overtime pay and taking time off instead.

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Retirement costs will take a larger share of L.A. budget, estimates show