Re "Yoga teachers inflexible over cellphone use" (Page B3, July 18): Our policy at Practice Yoga is to request that phones be turned off during class. Occasionally, a student will have a pressing need to retain their phone. In any case, the individual typically is sincerely apologetic. The transgression is minimal and soon forgotten. While we realize that phone usage during class can be disruptive or disrespectful to students and instructors, we prefer to rely on the our yogic training and take these minimal disruptions in stride. A gentle good-humored ribbing and the effects of peer pressure usually provide sufficient disincentive for a recurrence. In no case would we terminate an employee for politely enforcing a no-phone rule, nor would we find a ringing phone cause to expel a class member. Both instances seem to be ego-driven overreactions and out of place with the peaceful nature of yoga practice. Much ado about nothing. -- Jim Cahill, Practice Yoga, Sacramento

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Practice Yoga takes a yogic view of cellphone use

When I moved to Boulder, CO from Washington, DC four months ago, I didn't expect to find a for-profit Hanuman Festival supporting non-profit organizations like the Wellness Initiative, Off the Mat, and Give Back Yoga Foundation, or yoga teacher Tabitha Farrar.

Boulder has a lot of yoga. There is a studio on every block, a teacher training happening every week and every style of yoga. There are master yoga teachers here. It's quite a mecca. Named one of the top10 "Fantastically Yoga-Friendly Towns" by Yoga Journal, Boulder boasts over 35 yoga studios (for a population of about 100,160).

Yoga classes complement the healthy, trend-setting activities around the city. Only in Boulder do yoga students bike to class, dismount at red lights to stretch their hamstrings and carry their yoga mat in their backpacks. But not many students and yoga teachers in these nice warm studios get to make contact with women in shelters, or with the homeless recruited for sexual exploitation or other types of human trafficking. Enter Tabitha.

Tabitha's journey into yoga did not start with falling in love with a yoga studio. It began with too much exercise, which is as dangerous as eating disorders. In fact, there's a name for it: Exercise Bulimia. Tabitha's eight-year exercise disorder almost killed her.

One day a client asked me to work with her daughter who had an eating disorder. The girl had been hospitalized three times already and had just come out of the clinic again but was deteriorating. Her mother tried everything, and for some reason she had this notion that I would be able to help her daughter. I couldn't exactly refuse. I had zero training and only instinct to go on. I just seemed to know what to say to her, she trusted me, and she recovered. After that I went into working with girls with eating and exercise disorders. As I got more into yoga and did a lot of yoga in my year that I was awaiting my green card in the U.S., I knew I wanted to teach people who could not get to yoga, as those were generally the people that needed it most.

Tabitha founded Angel Organic, a non-profit that offers therapeutic yoga, mindfulness and meditation instruction free of charge to foundations and organizations that work to better the lives of those in their community. She has yoga classes going at the Safehouse for victims of domestic violence, Bridge House, a day shelter for the homeless, and soon at Imagine, serving people with developmental, cognitive and physical challenges. Her goal is to expand the number of free yoga classes in these centers facilitated by Angel Organic. "Yoga should be seen as something accessible to all; as free as going to church," says Tabitha.

More class offerings in these centers would be good for Boulder, where it's difficult for current and aspiring yoga instructors to teach to anyone other than those fortunate enough to afford a studio membership. And with so many registered yoga teachers around town, some teachers get knocked off balance trying to find teaching opportunities.

Teaching a person who has never experienced yoga before is both challenging and exciting.

Tabitha represents what I believe to be yoga's next self-transformation, alongside the celebrity-driven culture of yoga, doggedly trying to introduce yoga to unserved places and communities. Stay tuned for more stories of these yoga activists.

Read more from the original source:
Rob Schware: Yoga: How to Serve Series and the Homeless

The benefits of yoga are well-known: increased strength and flexibility, decreased pain and stress to name a few.

Those who might want to give it a try are sometimes stymied by two things time and money. Drop-in sessions cost anywhere from $10-$16, and class schedules are not always convenient.

That why Scott Feinberg opened Kula Yoga Shala two years ago. The studio is based on a unique business model. Its a cooperative of more than 30 yoga teachers who offer about 40 classes every week, all by donation.

The goal, Feinberg says, is to open a diversity of yoga practice to people of all income brackets.

Instead of putting their credit cards on file or having to pay a weekly or monthly fee, attendees are encouraged to donate an amount based on their financial means and on what they thought the class was worth.

The website reads, In the spirit of Karma Yoga, detaching from the fruits of our actions, we lovingly place the survival of the studio in the hands of our students, and ask that you simply give what you think is a fair and appropriate donation based on the value you place on your practice.

Unlike a nonprofit that is eligible for state money, grants or private donations, Kula Yoga Shala works just like a traditional business. Only here, the customer sets the price for services rendered.

Our teachers came together and invested their money in the space in order to make this happen for the community, Feinberg said.

Heres how theyre compensated: The co-op offers about 20 different types of classes. If a class is at a prime time and well-attended, the teacher contributes more for that class back to the co-op. This model fosters community (kula), not competition, Feinberg said.

Its a good platform for teachers to put themselves in front of new students and to promote their own studios, Feinberg said.

Continued here:
Customers decide the value of Kula Yoga Shala

Anthony Griffin started NRL coaching life as a fill-in while the Broncos waited for Wayne Bennett but he has since become one of their best bets, with the club re-signing Griffin to an extended deal in the top job.

Brisbane chief executive Paul White formally announced a two-year extension to his contract, which finished at the end of 2013, at a press conference at Red Hill this morning. He will coach the club until the end of 2015 now and likely beyond.

The 46-year-old has been an instant hit at the Broncos, not only for winning 31 out of 44 games with a young squad and taking them back to the NRL finals.

His management skills and ability to ease the club into the post-Lockyer era have been a hallmark of his short tenure and its highly likely his services would have been sought by rivals.

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He has also shown that he is able to make tough decisions on playing talent. Griffin showed the door to one of the clubs brightest backline talents, Dane Gagai, when his discipline wasnt up to level demanded by the club.

Griffin began life as an Under 20s coach before becoming an assistant to Bennett then filling in after the dramatic axing of Ivan Henjak, which unfolded just weeks before the start of the 2011 season.

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Broncos extend Griffin's contract

Chris Greenacre has turned down a quick buck and two Australian A-League clubs to instead kickstart his coaching career with the Wellington Phoenix.

The 34-year-old Englishman began life in football as a 16-year-old apprentice with Manchester City. In three seasons with the Phoenix, he scored 19 goals in 84 games.

However, Greenacre has been eying up coaching since his mid-20s. Yesterday, he was confirmed as the Phoenix's assistant coach for the next two A-League seasons.

"I don't want to sound arrogant but I had other options in the A-League, and I could have probably chased a dollar for a couple of years," Greenacre said.

"The way I weighed it was the longevity of this job and this part of my life is hopefully going to be there for the next 30 years. And for the sake of chasing a few dollars here and there, I think it's more important that I kind of cut it off and started that process of the next chapter of my life."

Greenacre holds an Uefa B coaching licence and is studying towards an A licence.

He helped out with some coaching duties while playing last season and did not believe it would be difficult to no longer be "one of the boys".

"I had a little spell of that last year when I kind of had a foot in both camps, and, to be honest, I'm not really going to find that such a challenge," Greenacre said.

"I just want to be an all-round coach and have that discipline when I need to have it and also the respect from the players when I need to have it as well. At the end of the day, I'm on their side; I'm not trying to pick fights and be an ogre with anybody. A big part of it is trust, I think, and if I can get that I'll be happy."

Greenacre and goalkeeping coach Jonathan Gould have been running the Phoenix's pre-season sessions with head coach Ricki Herbert away with the Olympic Games team.

Excerpt from:
Greenacre switches sides for Phoenix coach role

DALLAS, July 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cathy DeWitt Dunn, president of Dallas Fort Worth-based financial services company, DeWitt & Dunn, LLC, and host of the syndicated radio show, Safe Money Talk Radio, has words of encouragement for teachers regarding their retirement accounts. Texas teachers can choose to say no to falling portfolio values and high fees by taking control of their 403(b) retirement plans. Today's Texas teachers have the option of moving their 403(b) monies from variable annuity ownership into fixed index annuity ownership.

A 403(b) is the teaching profession's equivalent of a 401(k) investment plan. Nearly 80% of all 403(b) money is tied up in annuities, with the majority in variable annuities. Variable annuities were particularly popular in the 1980s and 1990s during times of strong market growth. Variable annuities provide exposure to market upside but do not offer principal protection or performance guarantees.

"Variable annuities made sense for some investors when markets were going strong," said DeWitt Dunn. "However, markets don't always go up. In fact, we've seen two 50% stock market drops since 2000 that have taken a toll on millions of Americans' retirement accounts. Many investors, including teachers, are now demanding options that offer principal protection, performance guarantees, and the potential for growth. For teachers and their 403(b)s, a fixed index annuity offers these benefits and more."

As part of a 403(b) retirement plan, a fixed index annuity provides the opportunity to participate in stock market gains. However, unlike a variable annuity, the account's principalincluding any gains made from contributions, bonuses, or positive stock market performanceis locked in and 100% protected by the insurance company against any losses. Fixed index annuities havealso eliminated the feesinvolved with variable annuities, which may make them a less expensive option for a retirement income solution.

Many Texas Teachers do not know they are allowed to move their existing 403(b) account to a safe alternative, and that doing so is a non-taxable transaction. DeWitt Dunn is currently working with plans that provide up to a 5.5% matching bonus on all contributions. Once enrolled in a 403b plan driven by a fixed index annuity, teachers may contribute into the plan via a payroll deduction on a continuing basis.

"Over the past year, we've helped teachers across Texas protect their 403(b) retirement accounts from market instability and losses by moving them out of variable annuities," said DeWitt Dunn. "If you're a teacher, protecting your retirement nest egg while still benefiting from market upside can be accomplished by completing some fairly simple home worknamely choosing a safe, high quality fixed index annuity for your 403(b)."

Additional information specifically for teachers and 403(b) retirement income planning may be found by visiting http://www.annuitywatchusa.com/just-for-teachers.

About DeWitt & Dunn, LLC DeWitt & Dunn, LLC is proud to be on the forefront of innovative financial solutions for retirement income planning. The company specializes in helping individuals and families strengthen their retirement outlook with lifetime income solutions not available from traditional brokerage houses. DeWitt & Dunn has helped thousands of people start their personal journeys towards a stronger retirement with strategies designed to protect principal, generate retirement income that can't be outlived, and eliminate market loss. Additional information on DeWitt & Dunn and Annuity Watch USA may be found by visiting http://www.annuitywatchusa.com

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Retirement income planning expert Cathy DeWitt Dunn urges Texas teachers to understand their 403b product options when ...

By Allison Linn, TODAY

The tight job market has taken a serious toll on some peoples retirement plans, forcing many to withdraw money set aside for their golden years early despite the potential for stiff penalties.

A new survey from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies finds that about one-third of people who are unemployed or underemployed and have a retirement account have withdrawn money from that account.

Thats despite the widespread knowledge that such a withdrawal could carry a stiff penalty if the person is under 59- years old.

Whats more, many unemployed and underemployed people reported having very little money set aside for retirement.

Transamerica used a Harris panel of 621 people who were either unemployed or underemployed for the survey. A person was defined as underemployed if they were working part-time because they couldnt find a full-time job or had a full-time job but still considered themselves to be less than fully employed.

The data suggest that some younger people are dipping into retirement savings even though that can lead to costly penalties and fees. The researchers also looked more narrowly just at people who were under 60 years old and had a retirement account with their most recent employer. More than four in 10 of those people said they had taken a withdrawal.

The unemployed and underemployed workers also reported very little savings for retirement. The Transamerica survey found that the median household savings in retirement accounts was just $5,800. The figures included people who hadnt saved anything at all.

The respondents in their forties and fifties had the lowest median retirement savings of $2,300. Those in their twenties had a median savings of about $10,000, and those in their sixties had a median savings of $47,000.

Have you had to dip into your retirement accounts early?

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Many of jobless dipping into retirement savings

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., July18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A new generation is redefining retirement by diving into high-energy activities and seeking new experiences from motorcycle riding and hiking to kayaking and white-water river rafting.

The nation's premiere active adult community builder reports that high-energy clubs and activity groups are gaining popularity across the nation, with health and fitness emerging as a top interest among both Del Webb residents and prospective homebuyers.

"Recreational interests among Baby Boomers are more diverse than ever before. Sure, golf and tennis are still popular, but now so are outdoor adventure activities like canoeing and kayaking, marathon running, rock climbing, off-roading and even sky diving," said Judy Julison, Del Webb's national director of lifestyle. "I've worked in the industry for more than 30 years and have never seen a more diverse group of people with so many varying interests."

Julison added that expectations about age, vitality and quality of life continue to be redefined and emphasize the importance of physical activity for many Del Webb residents. Advancements in health care and improved access to wide variety of fitness and wellness oriented programs have contributed to promoting improved health and extending life expectancy. Boomers feel years younger than their chronological age and this typically is reflective of their active lifestyle, she said.

According to the most recent Del Webb Baby Boomer survey, 80 percent of Boomers indicated that they feel younger than their current age. More specifically, younger Boomers, age 50, said they feel 10 years younger, Boomers in their early 60s said they feel 13 years younger and Del Webb residents with a median age of 65 said they feel 15 years younger than their actual age.

"Baby Boomers enjoy 'experiences,' rather than just 'activities.' They are also known to go to great lengths to resist the realities of aging," Julison said. "Our Del Webb residents are constantly seeking new, active and high-energy activities that can be incorporated into their everyday life, that also allow them to socialize and have fun. They are often motivated by a simple desire to try something new or to engage in an experience that challenges them physically and mentally."

With 73 percent reporting they exercise regularly, Del Webb residents are embracing more health-oriented and fitness activities. This is also reflected in the residents' requests for new group fitness classes, organized sporting events and increased attendance at the communities' fitness centers.

Seeking more adventure activities is definitely in line with Jack Burch's idea of retirement, as he regularly participates in motorcycle rides. Jack, 58, a Carolina Preserve by Del Webb resident, started riding a scooter when he was 10 because it was "easier than walking up the hill to fetch the cows." From there he rode dirt bikes and street bikes. "I gave up riding while raising five children but my wife and I have returned to it now that they are grown."

His wife Carol Burch, 55, also enjoys all kinds of rides in North Carolina and beyond from three hour rides to trips that are 300 miles a day for a week.

"Riding on the back seat just wasn't for me, so I took the class and got my own. Now when we go on trips whether they are three hours or 300 miles daily for a week, I am in control. I can smell those beautiful flowers on the side of the road and yes, also the cow dung," Carol says. "I look forward to each and every ride exploring new areas and absolutely love the mountain twisties. This is something we can do into our 80s."

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Baby Boomers Redefine Retirement With Adventure Activities

I plan to leave my job in about seven years. What should I be doing in my remaining working years to prepare for retirement? -- P.W., Hattiesburg, Miss.

It's smart to take a harder look at your plan as you enter the five- to 10-year home stretch into retirement. After all, you don't want to discover on the eve of your departure that you're woefully unprepared or, worse yet, realize after retiring that you left your job too soon and will have to live more frugally as a result.

To assure you're making progress toward your expected retirement date -- and to give yourself a chance to make adjustments if you're not -- I recommend you take the following four steps in the final years of your career.

1. Do annual retirement-readiness checkups. The idea is to see whether your retirement timeline is realistic -- that is, whether the estimated income you'll get from Social Security and any pensions, combined with a sustainable level of withdrawals from your savings, will actually allow you to maintain an acceptable standard of living when you leave your job.

You can perform this sort of analysis by going to an online calculator like Fidelity's Retirement Income Planner. One of the features I like about this tool is its interactive retirement budget worksheet, which allows you to get a much more accurate fix on how much income you'll actually need in retirement than you would by simply assuming you'll require a certain percentage of your pre-retirement salary.

By doing this evaluation yearly, you'll be able to see whether you're making sufficient progress toward your scheduled retirement date or whether you need to engage in some fine tuning, such as saving more or perhaps delaying your exit.

Related: Can you retire early?

2. Assess your retirement investments. Managing the money you've accumulated in 401(k)s and other retirement accounts can be tricky in the years leading up to retirement.

You still need to invest for growth to build your nest egg's value in the remaining years of your career and to maintain purchasing power throughout retirement. But you don't want to invest so aggressively that a market downturn derails your plans.

There's no single mix of stocks and bonds that's right for everyone. But in the final stages of your career you probably want to keep roughly 50% to 60% of your portfolio in stocks and the rest in bonds and cash. That should give you a decent shot at capital growth while also providing some downside protection.

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Retirement planning while you're still working

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire -07/18/12)- GAIN Fitness, the ultimate digital personal training app for iPhone, today introduced GAIN 3.5, the affordable evolution of the personal training model. GAIN 3.5 enables users to harness the power of GAIN's best-in-class customizing and coaching technology to experience completely new workout styles, all under one roof. The app now offers yoga and circuit-based strength training, in addition to the previous offering of classic weightlifting, stretching and calisthenics.

GAIN brings the best of personal trainers, fitness DVDs, and self-tracking solutions together into a clean and easy-to-use mobile experience that removes excuses and information overload as potential barriers to getting in shape. Users select their individual goals and appropriate fitness level, along with time and equipment constraints (i.e. "gym," "home," or "on the go"), to personalize their experience and create effective, targeted workouts for their specific needs.

The app now offers two new premium "Trainers," in addition to the millions of free, unlimited "classic strength" workout experiences generated by the GAIN Strength Trainer. The experts themselves guide individuals through each workout virtually, tracking time and progress automatically and coaching users through each position and rep, just as they would with a $70-100 per hour one-on-one client.

GAIN's two new premium training experiences are:

"This product release is a fitness industry game-changer," said Nick Gammell, founder and CEO, GAIN Fitness. "The fitness industry, for both consumers and trainers, is in the middle of a massive shift to digital, mobile, on-demand and personalized. People need guided instruction; it has to be calibrated to their fitness level, and has to fit into their hectic daily lives. Fitness also must be fun and motivating, and that's what the new training platform really delivers: Endless variety, exciting new routines and voice guidance from really talented coaches."

Gammell also adds, "We plan to integrate more amazing and diverse trainers and social features, and GAIN will become the indispensable place to get and stay fit, digitally and on your own terms."

The two new GAIN "Trainers" are available as one-time In-App Purchases and include the following features:

In addition, optional "Expansion Packs" are also available via In-App Purchase. These upgrades further tailor workout experiences by introducing advanced exercises and techniques that boost workout intensity and enhance results. Bundle pricing is available for discounted purchasing when buying Trainer plus multiple packs at once.

Trainers that partner with GAIN Fitness can benefit from a new distribution channel and competitive revenue sharing opportunities. Books, Magazines and DVDs have been mainstays of the fitness industry for some time, but the explosion of mobile devices has created a strong demand for interactive training, instant availability, and real-time performance logging. With GAIN Fitness, personal trainers can expand their reach without losing touch of how people are exercising or what their evolving training goals are.

To experience this revolutionary advance in mobile fitness and join a new era of digital personal training, Download GAIN Fitness for free here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gain-fitness/id441646808?ls=1&mt=8

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GAIN Fitness 3.5 Introduces the Future of Fitness With New Digital Personal Training Platform