How yoga will save the world
Posted: July 6, 2012 at 5:18 pm
Saving the world, changing the world, inspiring the world into stronger connections and more sustainable choices is the language and pulse of yoga.
Millions of people are coming to yoga for literally as many reasons. That the industry, the culture and the vibratory body is growing suggests that those who comprise the industry are making choices in many aspects of their lives to support on the mat experiences.
These choices might be small, at first, like nutritional choices or creating regular meal patterns, so that one does not feel nauseated in the middle of a Vinyasa class. Perhaps one takes to drinking more water through a regular day to maintain hydration, so as not to be making up ground in his or her hot class. Some may begin to realize that the extra cup of coffee or glass of wine does not serve or make one feel as good as forgoing it, when one is seeking actual calm and well being. From these choices, which may seem small, huge ripples begin to roll.
These students begin to consider what kind of food to eat, what the water is bottled in, where the coffee is grown and by whom. They begin to take an honest long look at what addictions or toxic relationships may be present, actually sabotaging true happiness.
Yoga is defined in many ways but my favorite is connection or relationship. When a student falls into relationship with himself or herself, patterns of sustainability rise to the forefront of awareness and one begins to step into radical connection to personal choice and unavoidable personal responsibility for those choices. These students are influencers in their own homes, families and circles of friends. One person shifts the world because he or she is in it.
How will we have proof that yoga has changed the world? Look around, it already has. Each yogi who has created a shift is part of a market of industry shifting its offerings to meet these needs and heightened awareness around sustainable practices in business and relationships. We as a body of yogis are leading a charge of change. The changes start personal and grow toward universal. We are lining up to the higher rather than the lower mind choices and taking our friends and family with us.
Though yoga is not evangelical, those that gather together within its collectives tend to draw attention and amass more recruits. Some on the outside see clear skin, bright eyes, calm demeanors and strong bodies and they cannot help but be shifted, inspired. They say, I want that! Yoga is recruiting new warriors of transformation every day to raise the vibration and awareness that devouring every resource cannot bring us true health, wealth or actual good in the end.
To celebrate its recruits and the rise in awareness and conscious community, yoga festivals, get-aways and conferences are beginning to take the place of old-model vacations and weekend romps. These festivals celebrate yoga, celebrate positive choice in the world and uplift the concept of fun on and off the yoga mat.
The weekend of July 5 8 will hold time and space for a gathering of wide-eyed, life changing, barefoot, inspired yogis at the Wanderlust Festival at Copper Mountain. Join a host of national and international yoga teachers, musicians, hoopers, slack-line walkers and renowned speakers at this remarkable event where 1000 plus yogis and seekers will converge to practice yoga, shop a host of conscious retailers and artists, eat organic goodness and socialize in a mountain environment. Wanderlust Festival is a leader in the industry of yoga festivals, an out-of-the-box event for those both familiar and unfamiliar to try varied aspects of the culture in an energized and highly entertaining environment.
Awareness, wisdom, and energy are true allies to long lasting societal change. How will yoga save the world? It will save it one breath at a time, one seed of awareness at a time, one belief shift at a time, one downward dog at a time.
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How yoga will save the world
In India, private coaching is $6.5-billion business
Posted: at 6:17 am
New Delhi, July 5:
The rising middle class, the desire to stay ahead in the global economy, and the falling quality of mainstream education system mean that examination-oriented coaching classes have taken over the life of most school-going children in India and other countries.
According to the report Shadow Education: Private Supplementary Tutoring and Its Implications for Policy Makers in Asia, released by the Asian Development Bank, in India a whopping 60 per cent of primary school children and up to 83 per cent students in high schools receive private tutoring.
Shadow education is a widely used term for private tutoring, as it mimics the mainstream and modifies itself according to the conventional system.
Talking about the private coaching industry in India, the report said, Nationally, a 2008 market survey of companies offering coaching estimated the size of the sector at $6.4 billion and predicted an annual growth of 15 per cent over the subsequent four years.
The report notes that in 2007-08, students living in both rural and urban India paid an average of Rs 1,456-2,349 a year for private coaching classes.
The poverty line in the country is set at Rs 965 for the urban and Rs 781 for the rural citizen. The report added that according to a study conducted by the Pratichi Trust, established by noted Nobel Economist Amartya Sen, the increasing demand for private coaching is not only because of rising incomes, but also because of the belief that it is unavoidable.
The research notes that, 78 per cent parents now believe it is indeed unavoidable up from 62 per cent. For those who do not have arrangements for private tuition, 54 per cent indicate that they do not go for it mainly or only because they cannot afford the costs.
Noting that perceptions of inadequacies in mainstream schooling, where teachers often do not come for classes or complete the curriculum, are is a major reason for the growth of private tutoring, the report added, Sen noted that most of the content in the private tutorial classes could and should have been taught in the regular classes of the primary schools.
He added that private tutoring divides the student population into haves and have-nots; it makes teachers less responsible; it makes improvements in schooling arrangements more difficult since the more influential and better-placed families have less at stake in the quality of what is done in the schools.
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In India, private coaching is $6.5-billion business
COACHING LIFE: Preparing for your first day at work
Posted: at 6:17 am
Its summertime and many graduates are taking summer jobs for the first time or beginning their professional careers as interns or permanent staffers.
This can be a nerve-wracking time for many. Well, there is no need to be stressed about it if you know what to do. Of course you dont want to go the other extreme and be too casual in your preparation either. So here are some tips from my launch your career toolkit.
Get a good nights sleep. I know you can handle late nights partying and still bounce back because you are young and fit but with an important appointment, like your first day at work, go to bed early and rise early. You dont want to turn up for work with sleep in your face your boss will not find you cute.
There is always a dress code. You can do at least three things to be sure you are dressed appropriately for work.
(1) Reflect on how your interviewer was dressed and keep your attire in that general style.
(2) Watch a video on YouTube about how to dress for your first day and do keep it up for the rest of your career.
(3) Avoid anything that will be just perfect for the nightclub. Guys: wear your pants belted at the waist. Ladies: limit the cleavage.
Be punctual. This should be a no-brainer. Unfortunately, employers are intolerant of Bajan time, so do arrive at least 15 minutes early to settle yourself, especially if you have to take the bus. If you are driving to work, take a test drive and see how long it takes to get there, then double the time. Traffic is no excuse for tardiness even though many of us accept it as such.
Mindful communication. You have obviously made a good first impression, or you would not have been hired. But you are now meeting the rest of the staff for the first time, so pay attention to these three Ps.
Be polite. As you are introduced to your colleagues, speak in a light and friendly tone. Speak to everyone even if your chaperone is rushing you through. Avoid small talk and humour because people are not yet tuned in to your personality. You could rub people the wrong way. Wait until you have developed rapport.
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Analysis: S.C. retirement reform will make fund solvent
Posted: at 6:17 am
COLUMBIA A new law signed last week by Gov. Nikki Haley will cut $2 billion from South Carolinas $15 billion retirement shortfall and eliminate it completely by 2044, according to a recently released analysis.
The law makes it difficult for public employees to retire early, forcing them to work longer, and means less money will be withdrawn from the states $25 billion retirement fund. Without changes, taxpayers would have had to increase their annual contributions to the system by nearly 4percent, or about $337 million, according to the most current payroll information. Because the changes make the retirement system stronger financially, taxpayers will have to increase their contributions by 0.42 percent, or about $39.4 million. The state can spend that $300 million difference on other things.
Thats huge, said Rep. Brian White, R-Anderson and chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Thats what we were after.
Accountants estimate that the states $25 billion retirement fund will run out of money over the next 30 years, falling about $15billion short. The retirement fund has three sources: investment returns, employee contributions and taxpayer contributions. The funds shortfall was increasing every year for two reasons: poor investment returns and people retiring earlier while living longer.
Lawmakers have now addressed those issues. Last summer, the State Budget and Control Board lowered the projected investment return on the retirement fund to 7.5 percent from 8percent. The new law limits some popular retirement incentives that encouraged public employees to retire early, including:
Eliminating the TERI program: TERI, short for Teacher and Employee Retirement Incentive, allowed workers to retire and continue working for up to five years, receiving a retirement check and a paycheck at the same time. The program will be phased out gradually, closing for good on June 30, 2018.
Restricting the states return-to-work program:. Beginning in January, if employees retire and return to work at their same job, they will have to forfeit their retirement checks once they earn $10,000 in salary in one year.
Making it tougher to retire early because of a disability: The law adopts the federal Social Security standards, which are more difficult to meet than the state standards. This does not take effect until Dec. 31, 2013.
Police officers and firefighters are upset about the disability changes. They have more dangerous jobs than the average state employee and have a higher rate of disability retirements. That is why lawmakers delayed the disability changes for 17 months, allowing time to come up with another solution during the next legislative session, which starts in January.
We focused so much on the retirement aspect of it weve not really ... had the time to devote to that (disability) issue, said Sen. Thomas Alexander, R-Oconee and one of the authors of the retirement bill. I think what weve done is given the directive to the (retirement) department to study for these next six months and bring us back some recommendations by January.
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Analysis: S.C. retirement reform will make fund solvent
These Mutual Funds Can Ruin Your Retirement Plans
Posted: at 6:17 am
Investing wisdom sometimes comes from unlikely sources. Tess Wilkinson-Ryan and Jill Fisch are both law professors at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Their recently published paper, An Experiment on Mutual Fund Fees in Retirement Investing, attempts to answer a vexing question: Why do investors ignore the impact of fund fees when making investment decisions?
With the decline of defined-benefit plans and the rise of 401(k) plans, investment decisions are being made more by individuals and less by professional investment managers. The SEC requires that investors in mutual funds be given a staggering amount of information. Unfortunately, many investors are confused and overwhelmed. This is one reason why the authors of this study accurately refer to "the phenomenon of systematic under-attention to mutual fund fees".
This is a "phenomenon" because, as the study notes, everyone from the director of mutual fund research at Morningstar to former SEC Chair Arthur Levitt agrees that the management fees charged by mutual funds (expressed as expense ratios) can dramatically affect the returns of the fund.
Expense ratios are expressed as a percentage of assets (as low as 0.1 percent up to 2.5 percent) which makes them seem less consequential. This is misleading. An investment of $10,000 with an average annualized gain of 10 percent would grow to $152,203 if the fund had an expense ratio of 0.5 percent. If the expense ratio was 1 percent, the fund would be worth $132,677--a difference of $41,817.
The study found that investors routinely underestimate the effect of fees on their returns. In a series of experiments, the authors were able to change this behavior by explicitly explaining to the subjects the importance of fees. This information caused those in the study to incorporate fee information into their investment choices. The study concludes that presenting fee information "simply and transparently" and educating investors about the impact of fees has the desired effect of helping investors make decisions likely to yield higher returns.
The typical expense ratio for an actively managed fund (where the fund manager attempts to beat a designated benchmark, like the S&P 500 index) is 1.5 percent. Compare this cost to the typical index fund (where the fund manager attempts to replicate the performance of an index, minus fees) cost of approximately 0.25 percent. If you pay attention to the conclusion in this study, you would select index funds over comparable actively-managed funds, based on the difference in cost.
Is this analysis too simplistic? Not according to Standard & Poors. It compares the performance of actively-managed funds to index funds in a scorecard published twice a year. At the end of 2011, it found the majority of active stock and bond managers underperformed comparable benchmark indexes over a five-year horizon.
Investing does not have to be complex. If you focus on fees and purchase a globally diversified portfolio of low management fee stock and bond index funds in an asset allocation suitable for you, you will have made a decision likely to improve your returns. In stark contrast, owning actively managed mutual funds is likely to lessen your returns and make your retirement goals more difficult to attain.
Dan Solin is a senior vice president of Index Funds Advisors. He is the New York Times bestselling author of The Smartest Investment Book You'll Ever Read, The Smartest 401(k) Book You'll Ever Read, The Smartest Retirement Book You'll Ever Read, and The Smartest Portfolio You'll Ever Own. His new book, The Smartest Money Book You'll Ever Read, was published on December 27, 2011.
The views set forth in this blog are the opinions of the author alone and may not represent the views of any firm or entity with whom he is affiliated. The data, information, and content on this blog are for information, education, and non-commercial purposes only. Returns from index funds do not represent the performance of any investment advisory firm. The information on this blog does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice and is limited to the dissemination of opinions on investing. No reader should construe these opinions as an offer of advisory services. Readers who require investment advice should retain the services of a competent investment professional. The information on this blog is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any securities or class of securities mentioned herein. Furthermore, the information on this blog should not be construed as an offer of advisory services. Please note that the author does not recommend specific securities nor is he responsible for comments made by persons posting on this blog.
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Retirement bill to save billions, end shortfall
Posted: at 6:17 am
A new law signed last week by Gov. Nikki Haley will cut $2 billion from South Carolinas $15 billion retirement shortfall and eliminate it completely by 2044, according to a recently released analysis.
The new law makes it difficult for public employees to retire early, which forces them to work longer and means less money will be withdrawn from the states $25 billion retirement fund. Without the changes, taxpayers would have had to increase their annual contributions to the system by nearly 4 percent, or about $337 million, according to the most current payroll information. But because the changes make the retirement system more financially strong, taxpayers will have to increase their contributions by 0.42 percent, or about $39.4 million. That means they can spend that $300 million difference on other things.
Thats huge, said Rep. Brian White, R-Anderson and chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Thats what we were after.
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Accountants estimate the states $25 billion retirement fund will run out of money sometime over the next 30 years, falling about $15 billion short. The retirement fund has three sources: investment returns, employee contributions and taxpayer contributions. The funds shortfall was getting larger every year because of two problems: poor investment returns and people retiring earlier while living longer.
Lawmakers have now addressed those issues. Last summer, the State Budget and Control Board lowered the projected investment return on the retirement fund to 7.5 percent from 8 percent. And the new law eliminates some popular retirement incentives that encouraged public employees to retire early, including:
Eliminating the TERI program. TERI, short for Teacher and Employee Retirement Incentive, allowed workers to retire and continue working for up to five years, receiving a retirement check and a paycheck at the same time. The program will be phased out gradually, closing for good on June 30, 2018.
Restricting the states return-to-work program. Beginning in January, if employees retire and return to work at their same job, they will have to forfeit their retirement checks once they earn $10,000 in salary in one year.
Making it tougher to retire early because of a disability. The law adopts the federal Social Security standards, which are more difficult to meet than the existing state standards. This does not take effect until Dec. 31, 2013.
Police officers and firefighters are upset about the disability changes. They have more dangerous jobs than the average state employe and have a higher rate of disability retirements. That is why lawmakers delayed the disability changes for nearly two years.
Why Planning for Retirement is So Hard, and What to Do About It
Posted: at 6:16 am
Fears that baby boomers havent saved enough for retirement are constantly dominating headlines, but theres also the flipside of that problem that can also be a financial disaster: outliving our savings.
According to a recent study by Ernst & Young, almost three out of five new middle-class retirees will outlive their financial assets if they attempt to maintain their pre-retirement standard of living. Finding the right spending balance and developing a financial plan leading up to and in retirement is an arduous process and often requires assistance from a professional.
When choosing a financial expert, its important to check their credentialsbut where do we begin looking? To help boomers find a pro to help evaluate and plan their retirement picture, The American College launched The Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP) credential will help advisors master retirement income planning. I had a chance to speak with Director of the New York Life Center for Retirement Income at The American College David Littell, who is in charge of designing the program curriculum. Here is what he had to say:
Boomer: What is the Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP) credential and how will it help advisors with retirement income planning?
Littell: The RICP is an advanced professional designation for financial advisors who assist clients with retirement income planning. It helps advisors address the specific tasks, such as when to retire, choosing a claiming age for Social Security benefits, how to elect company sponsored retirement benefits and how to convert assets into sustainable income during retirement. The program provides advisors with a comprehensive planning process, to help them create customized plans to meet their clients specific retirement goals.
Boomer. Whats included in the coursework consist and who is getting this designation?
Littell: Students are required to take three, college-level courses. The courses are online, self-study courses, followed by completion of a final exam at a testing center.
The first course (HS 353 Retirement Income Process, Strategies and Solutions) focuses on how to build a retirement income planwhat has to be considered, what steps are involved and what are some of the strategies and solutions to solve client problems. This course addresses new retirement risks like tax and legal issues that can undermine a plan, and some of the common approaches being used to generate income from assets.
The second course (HS 354 Sources of Retirement Income) reviews things like the Social Security claiming issue, distribution options from retirement plans, annuity products used in retirement income planning and building a retirement portfolio. The third course, (HS 355 Managing the Retirement Income Plan) begins with important retirement decisions including choosing appropriate Medicare and other health insurance options, addressing long-term-care needs and housing decisions. It also addresses retirement portfolio management and issues that arise as clients age.
To earn the designation students must also satisfy a three-year experience requirement, ongoing CE requirements and abide by the Colleges ethic pledge.
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Why Planning for Retirement is So Hard, and What to Do About It
Larry Winget Interview. The Pitbull of personal development shares crucial success secrets. – Video
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