Yoga Grooves
Posted: June 24, 2012 at 1:13 am
A beat-loving Vedanta-inspired hip hop artist, MC Yogi has been called the man 'changing the face of devotional music in America. The Californian rapper, who also runs a yoga studio, is redrawing the musical map but he's not the only one. Yoga and hip hop, kirtan and electronica, stories of Hanuman and Krishna supercharged by loops and beats - they're all part of the new wave of yoga-inspired grooves and this week we'll hear some of the best.
Yoga of course these days is more than simply yoga-cise; for millions of people its a form of spiritual practice thats taken the place of traditional religion. And this is its devotional music. And with yoga studios around the world rapidly becoming venues for this new style of music, its fascinating to watch as the genre develops.
We start with Australian vocalist Carmella Baynie who is taking kirtan, the call and response chant of Hinduism, into a new direction - whats been called kirtronica, sanskrit chant with electronic beats. There's music that might have been inspired by savasana, the meditative period at the end of a yoga session from DJ and producer, Pravana. And contemporary sacred music from the American singer-songwriter Kirtana, a performer at New Thought churches and satsangs, including those of her guru Gangaji.
We also check in with the new album for Jai Uttal, Queen of Hearts, a reference to Radha, beloved of Krishna, the divine goddess of Hinduism. Jai, who has been pioneering new forms of devotional music for Western yoga devotees for more than two decades, calls himself a bhakta or devotee. He also says he's a musical explorer who's been chanting kirtan for more than 45 years. He's certainly an explorer of great renown, so when I met him earlier this year and he handed me this album, I felt honoured.
All our musicians this week are leading the new wave of yoga-inspired devotional music. They're part of a wider social movement - what the Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor has called the nova effect - in which traditional religious practices are renewing themselves by diversifying into new forms.
Track Title: Divine Love Artist: Carmella Baynie Composer: Baynie/ Nougher CD Title: Rasa Mandala Record Co/ Number: Independent Release GT001 Duration: 7.05 Homepage: http://www.carmellavoice.com Taking kirtan into a new direction - whats been called kirtronica, Sanskrit chant with electronic beats. Just one of the new musical genres created by the incredible growth of yoga in the West. Kirtan artist and composer Carmella Baynie, a yoga practitioner whos classically trained in Eastern and Western vocal music, with instrumentalist Dale Nougher. Carmella has studied, performed and taught sacred music for many years.
Track Title: Ocean of Milk ( He Natha Narayana) Artist: Jai Uttal Composer: Jai Uttal CD Title: Queen of Hearts Record Co/ Number: Nutone 0 6700 30928 2 1 Duration: 9.05 Homepage: http://www.facebook.com Sung in Sanskrit, a prayer to the Lord of the Universe, to Sri Krishna, (also Vishnu) who lies eternally at rest in an ocean of infinite blue, creating and dreaming the universes. Jai Uttal has been pioneering a new form of devotional music for Western yoga devotees for more than two decades. His new album Queen of Hearts (a reference to Radha, beloved of Krishna, the divine goddess) mixes reggae, ska, and samba rhythms, behind call and response, rock-oriented kirtan.
Track Title: Do You Hear the Music? Artist: Kirtana Composer: Kirtana CD Title: A Deeper Surrender Record Co/ Number: Wild Dove Music WDM105 Duration: 4.33 Homepage: http://www.kirtana.com American singer-songwriter Kirtana is a performer at New Thought churchesand satsangs, and dedicates this album of contemporary sacred music to her guru Gangaji.
Track Title: Uluwatu Artist: Pravana Composer: Lewis CD Title: Yoga Grooves Record Co/ Number: OWM042 Duration: 5.30 Homepage: http://www.oneworldmusic.com Music that might have been inspired by savasana, the meditative period at the end of a yoga session. Pravana (aka Simon Lewis) contributes keyboards, percussion, harmonium, didgeridoo, vocals and all of the programming, while his guests play the tabla, lyra, sarangi, ney flute, bansuri, and Guru Siki Charan contributes vocals.
Track Title: Hanuman Artist: MC Yogi Composer: MC Yogi CD Title: Pilgrimage Record Co/ Number: Black Swan Sounds/ White Swan Records Duration: 4.00 Homepage: http://www.mcyogi.com According to the the Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor we live in view of the nova effect, in which traditional religious practices are renewing themselves by diversifying into new forms. A perfect example of Taylors nova effect is Californian hip hop artist MC Yogi, a man who calls himself, only slightly tongue in cheek, a working-class mystic. Described by others as changing the face of devotional music in America. A beat-loving Vedanta- inspired rapper, who runs a yoga studio and is redrawing the musical map with his yoga hip hop. His new album out this week, is called Pilgrimage and this is a prayer to the remover of suffering, the Hindu god, Hanuman.
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Yoga Grooves
Family of Nicole Ayres working to get life sentence for killer
Posted: June 23, 2012 at 1:13 pm
Stephen Headley pleaded guilty June 5 to the murder of 22-year-old Nicole Ayres. But even though prosecutors plan to ask for life imprisonment at his sentencing Aug. 3, Headley could be sentenced to 30 years in prison.
This, says Ayres cousin Kellie Lando, is not enough.
Not at all, she said.
Now, Lando and her family are petitioning the state government to sentence Headley to life in prison.
Headley was finishing five years of probation for endangering the welfare of a child when he stabbed Ayres to death in September 2010 after an argument in her car at a municipal soccer field in Southampton Township.
Ayres had been a high school softball star in her hometown of Deptford, and had continued her athletic career at Fordham University before transferring to Rugters-Camden. She also traveled the country playing for nationally-ranked softball teams in addition to coaching softball in Medford. Her father, Richard Ayres, was straightforward in his appraisal of her abilities.
She dominated, he said simply.
He felt the community had been robbed by his daughters death, and felt cheated by the possibility of such a lenient sentence, which his family considers a failure of the criminal justice system.
Its unbelievable. Its basically saying my daughters life is worth only 30 years, he said.
The family hopes that the petition, which has collected more than 3,000 signatures so far, will send a message advocating for tougher sentencing policies, even if it will not help Ayres.
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Family of Nicole Ayres working to get life sentence for killer
FST @ Pulse 8 Health
Posted: at 1:13 pm
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FST @ Pulse 8 Health
Cosplay Vlog Number: 1 – Health and Fitness! 食事、運動、健康である！（⌒▽⌒）❤ – Video
Posted: at 1:13 pm
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Cosplay Vlog Number: 1 - Health and Fitness! 食事、運動、健康である！（⌒▽⌒）❤ - Video
GUEST OPINION: Restore funding to governor’ health fitness plan
Posted: at 1:13 pm
By Barry A. Franklin
Michigan lawmakers are making difficult choices regarding our states budget for the coming year. A huge portion of Michigans annual budget is spent on health care and chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, which make up most of the states health care expenditures.According to Gov. Rick Snyders office, the cost of treating coronary heart disease in Michigan -- the most prevalent and preventable form of heart disease -- exceeds $5.9 billion a year. Heart disease accounts for one of every six health care dollars spent.
The astronomical costs related to chronic conditions are certainly unsustainable, especially as our state works to balance budgets in tough financial times. But these costs dont take into account the devastating human costs. Cardiovascular disease causes one in three deaths in Michigan. In very real terms, that is a grandparent taken before he sees his grandson graduate from high school,a mother who will never help her daughter pick out a prom dress, or an uncle who is so disabled he is unable to play ball with his only niece.
Chronic illness can often be prevented by choosing a healthier lifestyle by increasing physical activity, consuming more fruits and vegetables and stopping -- or never starting -- tobacco use.
Anyone who has ever tried to take off a few pounds or begin a new workout routine knows that it can be difficul.We need the support of our families, our communities, our health care providers and even our state to make these cardio-protective lifestyle changes. Snyder has proposed a program to help empower individuals to make healthier choices and prevent chronic disease. The governors 4x4 Plan addresses obesity and other risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease by encouraging individuals to know their numbers: blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels and body mass index. They must also maintain a healthy diet, engage in regular exercise, get regular physical exams and avoid tobacco use and secondhand smoke.Snyder proposes to help fund local coalitions to develop local, evidence-based interventions for addressing obesity and chronic illness and to promote healthier choices through public awareness campaigns.
As a 32-year volunteer leader with the American Heart Association, a member of the AHA National Board of Trustees and Administrative Cabinet, and a health care professional, I am acutely aware of the potential benefit of the governors proposal. You can imagine my concern when I saw that the state House and Senate both removed the funding for this critical prevention program. The governor proposed a mere $2.25 million in funding for the 4x4 Plan, which is a reasonable investment when one considers the financial and human costs from obesity and chronic disease in Michigan.
Final decisions on the budget have not yet been made, and our legislators can still choose to restore the funding for the 4x4 Plan and other prevention programs coordinated through the Michigan Department of Community Health.
Cardiovascular risk reduction saves lives and improves health outcomes. Many health risks can be avoided or minimized through good judgment and personal responsibility in behaviors, habits and lifestyles.This is challenging work that must be addressed throughcollaboration at all levels of government, the private sector, communities and individuals. If we each practice the 4x4 plan, our lives will be fuller, our state health costs will be reduced and our ability to take advantage of all that is good in Michigan will be enhanced. I urge all Michigan lawmakers to work together to make prevention a priority and help provide us with the tools we need to feel empowered to make these life-saving changes.
Barry A. Franklin, Ph.D., FAHA is the director, Preventive Cardiology and Rehabilitation at Beaumont Health System and professor, Internal Medicine Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine.
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GUEST OPINION: Restore funding to governor’ health fitness plan
Health, fitness are key for IndyCar drivers on and off the track
Posted: at 1:13 pm
Imagine zooming around the .875-mile track of Iowa Speedway.
Now imagine doing it with the force of 800 pounds pushing you sideways nearly the entire way for 250 laps.
Thats what it will be like for IndyCar drivers during the sixth running of the Iowa Corn Indy 250 on Saturday night.
Unseen to the casual race viewer is just how tough it is to drive an open-wheel machine at speeds between 110 and 140 miles per hour. While drivers are in a seated position for the races two-hour duration, theyre doing an immense amount of work. If its a hot day on the track, the toll it takes on the body and the mind is amplified.
At the start of the race, your heart rate is up and a lot of it is nerves. Even on the road courses, said 25-year-old Marco Andretti, winner of last years Iowa Corn Indy 250. After the first four laps, youre like, Theres no way Im making it to the end.
A lot of it is mental. Youre driving up on the wheel. Youre close to the people. Once the race strings out, you calm down and dont hold as much on the wheel. Its unbelievable how much further you can exert yourself.
A big part of what makes an IndyCar race so physically demanding is the G-force exerted on each driver. G-force, a term familiar to military jet pilots, is a measure of stress on a body during rapid acceleration. Its the same force one feels while spinning on a tilt-o-whirl. One G is the force of gravity, the weight you feel standing around. During the turns of an IndyCar race, that force is significantly multiplied.
At the Indianapolis 500, the average winning speeds are around 180 mph. In pole qualifying, speeds are in excess of 220. Andretti won last years race at Iowa Speedway with an average speed of 118.671 mph, while pole qualifying speeds are often in excess of 180.
Its in the turns that G-force comes into play. On a straightaway, drivers are at 1 G. They can relax a bit, check gauges and take time to breathe. Indianapolis Motor Speedway a 2.5-mile rectangular oval features long straightaways with seven to eight seconds between turns. Drivers feel forces greater than 1 G for 50 percent of the lap, and peak at 4 Gs.
But at Iowa Speedway, the only straight part of the track is a short portion of the 869-foot backstretch. Other than that, drivers are in a near-constant turn. Drivers feel more than 1 G of force for only 25 percent of the lap, but will consistently hit G-forces over 5. At 5 G, a 200-pound person is being pushed sideways at 1,000 pounds.
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Health, fitness are key for IndyCar drivers on and off the track
Grand Reopening Weekend Set for Newly Remodeled Life Time Fitness Plantation Point Center June 23-24
Posted: at 1:13 pm
Special events to highlight renovations and programming, feature giveaways
--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Life Time Fitness (NYSE:LTM):
Life Time The Healthy Way of Life Company (NYSE: LTM) will host a special grand reopening weekend celebration at its newly remodeled health and fitness center in Plantation Point June 23-24. Formerly a Lifestyle Family Fitness club, Life Time Fitness Plantation Point has undergone a remodeling effort designed to bring the facility to Life Time standards of quality and member experience. In addition, the center now makes it easier for members to reach their goals by offering distinct, innovative programs that help connect them to their passions.
Grand opening to feature tours and demonstrations that highlight Life Times state-of-the-art amenitiesincluding complimentary towel service, new, state-of-the-art equipment, programming and services:
In celebration of the grand opening, consumers may establish a new membership with special offers June 23-24, 2012.
To learn more about Life Time Fitness Plantation Point, visit.
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Grand Reopening Weekend Set for Newly Remodeled Life Time Fitness Plantation Point Center June 23-24
Health & Fitness
Posted: at 1:13 pm
Ongoing
Sports camp: The Providence Catholic School's athletic department will hold summer camps in basketball, volleyball, soccer and softball for girls in fourth through 11th grade. Visit http://www.providencehs.net for camp description, times and fees.
Food addicts: Are you having trouble controlling your eating? Regular meetings of Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous can be found at http://www.foodaddicts.org. 210-561-1809 or 210-310-4609.
Daily exercise: The Lions Field Adult Center, 2809 Broadway, offers a free daily exercise class 9 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. The class incorporates stretching, toning, floor exercises and some dance. 210-826-9041.
Diva program: This nutrition and exercise program for women with breast cancer is designed to reduce side-effects during treatment. It includes tai chi, Zumba, nutrition counseling, yoga and aerobics. For a complete schedule, go to http://thrivewell.org/diva/.
Health resource directory: Find support groups, fitness, nutrition, crisis support, homebound aid, marriage enrichment, social groups and more. Go to http://www.C-Capacity.com for more information. Free.
Mental health support group: The St. George Episcopal Church Mental Health Family Support Group meets the second Wednesday of the month. 7 p.m., St. George Episcopal Church, 6904 West Ave., Castle Hills. Call 210-342-4261 for more information.
Yoga workshops: H.S. Arun from Bangalore, India, leads classes in Iyengar yoga. Various times. The Synergy Studio, 300 E. Grayson St., Suite 100. For more information, call 210-824-4225 or go to thesynergystudio.com. $40 per session.
Mondays
Qigong & gentle movement: Mary Martha McNeel leads this class at 5:30-6:30 p.m. inside the Angelique Garden Room at the Incarnate Word Retirement Center, 4707 Broadway. For more information, call 210-829-7561. Free.
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Health & Fitness
America’s retirement crisis
Posted: at 1:13 pm
Last week, I had the good fortune to attend a Retirement Issues program hosted by the National Press Foundation in Washington D.C. Along with a contingent of fellow journalists, I listened to the thoughts of influential policymakers, financial planners, retirement industry execs and the senior adviser to the Secretary of the Treasury about the state of America's retirement.
A recurring message imparted by the speakers over the course of four days: America is in a retirement crisis. It was enough to set us reporters and editors on edge about our own prospects for a successful retirement.(But I couldn't help notice that most of the male speakers were well into their 60s, and one was either a septuagenarian or an octogenarian. Evidently, retirement experts themselves are in no hurry to retire.)
The first speaker, Diane Oakley, executive director of the National Institute on Retirement Security, began by citing a frightening statistic: 6 out of 10 households within 10 years of retirement have saved the equivalent of one times their salary or less. She is a proponent of traditional pension plans and spoke about the progress that states have made over the past two years to shore up their underfunded pensions. In 2010 and 2011, 41 states have made changes: 26 restructured employee contributions, 24 raised the retirement age and service requirements (in other words, cut benefits), and 18 reduced cost of living adjustments, she said.
So I had to find out her reaction to the Pew report released earlier this week, which my colleague Jennie Phipps blogged about. The report found a $1.38 trillion gap in fiscal year 2010 between states' assets and their obligations for retirement benefits in the public sector. The report cited "serious concerns" about pensions in 32 states, while 7 states were found to "need improvement," and only 11 were "solid performers."
Oakley said the Pew report fails to take into account the recent changes made by the states. "When the Pew report makes a pension-funding diagnosis using just your pulse and blood pressure from two years ago, it would be wise to get a more up-to-date opinion," she says.
For instance, both the Utah and Idaho state pension plans were downgraded from star performers to the "needs improvement" category, she notes. Utah has "made drastic changes" in its plan's benefit structure, yet was still downgraded in the report. Idaho's downgrade is particularly irksome to Oakley because its long-term funding practices have been exemplary. "Idaho is one state that has not made plan changes because they have been doing the right things year in and year out for the decade we looked at their plan."
Oakley's stance on pensions has not wavered since last week, when she said states will continue to take steps toward long-term sustainability of their plans and that these plans will continue to recover.
"Fine tuning may still be needed, but we are making progress that is not reflected -- and Pew acknowledges this -- in the results of the Pew study," she says.
Meanwhile, many of us who don't have pensions are in worse shape. "Last week, the Federal Reserve Bank released its wealth and income data from the Survey of Consumer Finances, and this highlighted to me the broad underfunding of retirement security in America that is not covered in the Pew report," says Oakley. "The median 401(k) account balance was down to only $44,000 and was less than one times the median income level. That account value is nowhere near what is needed to pay bills throughout retirement and remain self-sufficient."
What wouldbe better for your retirement planning -- a regular pension paycheck or a retirement account you can manage for yourself?
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America’s retirement crisis
How much longer do you need to delay retirement?
Posted: at 1:13 pm
(MoneyWatch) Working longer is now the "go to" strategy for affording retirement, as cited by many Americans in recent surveys. But it begs an important question: How much longer do you need to work?
One answer comes from a recent thought-provoking bulletin by Boston College's Center for Retirement Research (CRR). The bulletin describes the National Retirement Risk Index (NRRI), a measure of Americans' ability to retire at different ages. The index considers retirement savings, pension benefits, and home equity, as reported in the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, and the amount of Social Security benefits someone might expect to receive at each possible future retirement age.
The NRRI then calculates when a person can retire and still maintain the same standard of living they enjoyed before retirement. That calculation factors in that their income and payroll taxes decrease, they're no longer saving for retirement, and that they've often paid off their mortgage.
Delaying retirement? Here's how to make it work A retirement plan for the working 99 percent Retirement planning: Just tell me what to do
For households headed by someone age 62, the NRRI indicates that less than one-third of people -- only 30 percent -- have sufficient financial resources to retire and maintain their standard of living. Of these households, 60 percent are covered by a traditional defined benefit pension plan.
For households headed by someone age 65, 49 percent of today's working households will have sufficient assets to retire and maintain their standard of living in retirement. The percentage of people who can afford to retire increases to 86 percent if they wait until age 70 to retire, leading the CRR to conclude that the vast majority of households will be ready to retire by age 70.
So according to the NRRI, you won't have to work forever -- just five more years after age 65. And this is consistent with my own analysis in a previous post, A retirement plan for the working 99 percent.
Before you decide you can afford to retire at age 70, though, you'll want to understand the assumptions that the CRR makes to develop its retirement index to see if the above conclusion might apply to you.
First, in assessing if people can afford to retire at age 70, the CRR assumes that you'll start your Social Security benefits at 70, the age that generates the highest amount of benefits. In reality, three-quarters of Americans start Social Security at age 62, the earliest possible age with the lowest amount of benefits. The NRRI also takes into account the prevalence of traditional defined benefit income. If you have a significant pension from such a plan, that's great, but if you don't, it's a strike against you.
Third, the NRRI assumes you'll buy an immediate, inflation-adjusted lifetime annuity with your retirement savings -- a strategy I agree with. Most Americans, however, don't buy such an annuity; instead, they use various methods of drawing down their retirement savings that produce different amounts of retirement income, with people who draw higher amounts running the risk of outliving their assets.
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How much longer do you need to delay retirement?