Yoga Digest

Ziggy

Marley Adventures

for All Ages 10 Tips to Live More Freely Take Time off to Pursue Your Passions

On Creative Expression

Former NFL Player Donnie Edwards on Becoming a Yoga Teacher Display until October 31, 2016

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A WORD FROM THE EDITORS

Three Things Cannot Be Long Hidden: T Thr The Sun, the Moon, and the Truth. uth h.

Photo by Melissa Herrington

—Buddha

The last couple of years have felt much like an on-going purging spree to create space for Yoga Digest to come to life. Full-time careers had to end, growing pains were felt and intense change was experienced.

Living your truth can have many interpretations. The big misnomer of it all is that no one can tell you to live your truth. It has be felt from the inside and work itself out. As a compassionate species (for the most part) human beings like to make things generally comfortable for themselves and the people around them. With this humanity and kindness we can potentially dive into the pitfalls of conformity and keeping the peace at any expense. Even the detrimental expense of true inner peace and joy.

We believe that ultimately everyone suffers when you are not accepted and appreciated authentically. It appears we are not the only ones. We were happy to collaborate with so many fierce truth seekers who broke the mold, followed their dreams and are paving the way for those around them to do the same. Cover story, Ziggy Marly, speaks openly about this in his lyrics and in his life. He shares, in our exclusive interview, how it shouldn’t be looked at as a sacrifice but we should simply be adaptable.

This issue is full of pioneers in self discovery and self expression: people who know that if they hold their truth in, at some point, it will combust. Even yoga itself is taking on many forms: on land, in the air and on the water. Be sure to check out our adventurous yogis section! We are so inspired by their desire to overcome fear and blaze the trails of individuality.

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Here Are Some Simple Daily Tips for Living Your Truth 1.

2.

3.

PRACTICE GRATITUDE There is always something to be grateful for. Do this before you go to bed at night or when you first rise in the morning. This will reinforce positive thoughts which will help to eliminate fear of being yourself.

PRACTICE SELF LOVE Each day you should do something nice for you. Take time to enjoy your morning coffee or prepare a healthy meal. Read, write, call your best friend, take a bath or practice your favorite hobby. Unplug. Drive with the radio off.

Take small breaks throughout your day to clear energy. This helps you become comfortable with making you and your needs a priority.

DO ONE THING A DAY THAT SCARES YOU Start small like going to lunch or a movie by yourself. Strike up a conversation with a stranger. Try a new food or activity or ask someone for help. Every time you do something that scares you, you diminish your fear a little more. These tiny steps will prepare you for making those larger leaps when opportunity arises.

We are beyond grateful for your continued support in allowing us to speak and share our truth. We hope this issue inspires you to try something new or take steps in the direction of your dreams. Spend less time sleep walking through life, turn off auto-pilot and start living life to its fullest.

With Love, Jenn and Cody W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

THE ONE LOVE MOVEMENT “SERVE YOUR HEART”

Beth O’Reilly

Kim Bauman

Melissa Smith

Yoga Teacher

Yoga Teacher

Yoga Teacher

Andre Houle

Xuyen Bowles

Katie Burke

Yoga Teacher

Yoga Teacher

Yoga Teacher

Dallas Brown

Neda Iranpour

Justin Kanoya

Hollen Lockwood

Matt Huz

Leading Meditation

MC

DJ

Singer

Singer

I N S P I R E ΄ E D U C AT E ΄ C O N N E C T

$22

Inspire 8

Why Am I Here?

Unlocking Your Purpose

By Angela Ambrose

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Donnie Edwards You Have to Have a Good Heart Interview with Donnie Edwards, by Kim Bauman

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Forever Young Life’s A Dance You Learn As You Go Interview with Phyllis Sues, by Jenn Bodnar

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True to Myself

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Interview with Ziggy Marley, by Jenn Bodnar

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Music Changed My Reality

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By DJ Taz Rashid

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For Me, It's about Getting out of My Own Way

By Brian McFadden

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Interview with Trevor Hall, by Kim Bauman

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The Power of Music Interview with Drez & Marti, by Jenn Bodnar

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Love in Sound The Healing Power of Music

by Paul Lloyd Warner

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Fuse Hiking and Yoga Take Your Practice Outside!

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Tandem Surfing Adventures in Living Your Truth

By Ahlia Hoffman

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Defying Gravity When Yoga Takes Flight

By Jenn Bodnar

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Connect 70

By Jenn Bodnar

Bringing the Yoga Lifestyle into the Yoga Apparel Market

Adventure & Service A New Way To Discover the World

By Jenn Bodnar

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Hosting Your First Retreat

By Adi Shakti

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Rise to Your True Calling

By Amy Ippoliti

By Cody Groth

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Higher Education Just Got Higher Yoga Teacher Training As Part Of University Curriculum!

By Jenn Bodnar

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Forever Young The Many Health Benefits of Mushrooms with 'Om, Organic Mushroom Nutrition'

By Sandra Carter

I Believe I Can Fly

Educate

7 Insanely Delicious Vegan Recipes

By Bethany Ugarte

By Nicole Kazimer

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Cutting “Diet” Out of Your Vocabulary and Eating for the Best You

By Ilana Muhlstein

By Jeramie Vaine

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Why I say “Thank You” to my Mental Illness

By Kate Van Horn

Interview with Sarah Tiefenthaler, by Jenn Bodnar

5 SUP Yoga Tips for Beginners

How to Rid Yourself of Being Overly Helpful Helen

By Shoba Sreenivasan & Linda E. Weinberger

Taking Your Yoga Practice onto the Water

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10 Things to Stop Wasting Your Time On and Live Freely

Living Your Truth

by Cary Caster

52

Why You Should Take Time off from Your Work to Pursue Your Passions

By Karan Bajaj

54

Designing the Life of Your Dreams

By Kiera Nachman

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In Every Issue 79 80 81 82

Staff Picks Upcoming Events Studio Partners Out of Your Comfort Zone With Kurt Johnsen

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Publisher Yoga Digest, LLC Founders & Chief Editors Jenn Bodnar Cody Groth Magazine Designer Zoran Maksimovic

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56 38 18

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Cover Photo Gregory Bojorquez Senior Columnists Kurt Johnsen Senior Contributor Kim Bauman Contributors Angela Ambrose Karan Bajaj Sandra Carter Cary Caster Ahlia Hoffman Amy Ippoliti Nicole Kazimer Brian McFadden Ilana Muhlstein Kiera Nachman DJ Taz Rashid Adi Shakti Susan Stiffelman Bethany Ugarte Dr. Shoba Sreenivasan Jeramie Vaine Kate Van Horn Paul Lloyd Warner Dr. Linda E. Weinberger Advertising YogaDigest.com/Advertise Order Additional Copies orders@yogadigest.com

Copyright 2016 by Yoga Digest, LLC. All rights reserved. Yoga Digest is not responsible for advertising claims or health claims. The editorial content of Yoga Digest should NOT be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualiďŹ ed health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

7

INSPIRE

Why Am I Here?

Unlocking Your Purpose When I asked my friend Laura what her life purpose was, the single mom and full-time accountant chuckled and said, “I’m just trying to survive and get through the week. I don’t have time to think about that.”

BY ANGELA AMBROSE

F

or many of us, the idea of finding our life purpose seems daunting and unattainable, reserved only for the Mother Teresas and Gandhis of the world. We may think we are too busy to ponder such philosophical fluff. But the yogis believe this longing for purpose is an essential part of who we are and that our world will never be complete until we find it. They use the ancient Sanskrit word dharma to describe our unique vocation or path that brings meaning to our life and allows us to serve others.

“Purpose is fundamental – it’s not a luxury,” says Richard Leider, life coach and author of The Power of Purpose: Creating Meaning in Your Life and Work. “It’s fundamental to health, healing, happiness, longevity,

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and ultimately, creativity and productivity.” Put simply, it’s the reason you get up in the morning. After 40 years of research and study, Leider has distilled life purpose down to this basic equation:

Gifts + Passions + Values = Purpose “If you get up in the morning and use your gifts for something you feel passionate or purposeful about, that you’re interested and curious about, in an environment that fits your values, there’s a pretty good chance you’re on purpose,” says Leider. Whether you have a passion for music, drawing, teaching or working with numbers, you can use your unique gifts to contribute to the world.

W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

Purpose Adds Years to Your Life A growing body of research illustrates the profound effects that life purpose has on all aspects of your body, mind and spirit. According to the Blue Zones research, people who know why they wake up in the morning live up to seven years longer than those who don’t. Other studies suggest it can reduce your risk of heart disease, improve your brain health and cut your risk of Alzheimer’s in half.

When your purpose involves doing good for others, you may get a “helper’s high.� Your body releases endorphins, a feel-good hormone that boosts your mood, decreases stress and gives you a feeling of overall wellbeing.

Your life purpose acts like a sophisticated GPS system that guides you on a path to fulfillment because each day you prioritize what matters to you, and you live your life with more focus and meaning. Without it, we can get lost in a sea of busyness: the long to-do lists, demands of work and family, and the constant pings of technology that distract us from our authentic self.

Are You Still Searching? t Do you wonder if there’s more to life? t Do you feel you may have missed your true calling? t Do you have a successful job, family and house but still feel empty and unfulďŹ lled? t Do you yearn to make a difference in the world, but don’t know how? *G ZPV BOTXFSFE ZFT UP BOZ PG UIFTF RVFTUJPOT DIBODFT BSF ZPV BSF TUJMM USZJOH UP VODPWFS ZPVS BVUIFOUJD QVSQPTF o ZPVS SFBTPO GPS CFJOH IFSF

(intimacy, sex, family, friendship, art). The fourth is moksha, the desire for freedom and spiritual realization. Only by honoring all four of these desires can you achieve happiness and a complete and balanced life, explains Stryker.

Hit the Pause Button Most of us barely slow down long enough to grab a burger at the drive-through or pause long enough to notice the constrictions and stress building up in our bodies and in our lives. This frenzied lifestyle is one of the biggest obstacles to connecting to who we are at our very core.

Uncovering our true calling requires that we slow down and reflect. “By getting still, we can begin to see beyond our conditioning. We see beyond our distractions and we feel and get connected to a deeper sense of ourselves and who we are,� says Rod Stryker, founder of ParaYoga and author of The Four Desires: Creating a Life of Purpose, Happiness, Prosperity and Freedom. “In this day and age we’re more distracted. There’s a barrage of sensory input coming our way. And if we miss slowing our minds down, we miss seeing 80 to 90 percent of existence. Our senses and our rational mind only perceive 10 to 20 percent of existence and there’s a lot to be seen that can only be done with a still mind.�

Each of us needs time alone to quiet the mind. Try taking long walks or hikes in nature, journaling, listening to music, praying, meditating or rolling out your yoga mat. Then begin to reflect and ask yourself meaningful questions:

What unique talents or gifts do I have?

What do I feel passionate about?

Am I living a life that is in line with my values and priorities?

According to the yogic tradition, your soul has four desires: The first is dharma, the drive for purpose, which helps shape all of the others. The second is artha, the desire for means (money, security, food, health). The third is kama, the longing for pleasure in any form W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

Seek Out Trusted Friends Another way to get in touch with your true self is by using trusted friends or family members as sounding boards. “Very often our friends and family know us better than we know ourselves,� says Stephen Cope, senior scholar-in-residence and global ambassador at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health and author of The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling. “You know that you have a couple friends who, if you say, hey, does this dress make my butt look big? They’ll say yes. I find those friendships incredibly precious. You create around you a surround of mirroring so you can see reflected back who you really are.�

If you’re having a difficult time identifying your unique gifts or talents, Leider suggests taking five index cards and writing at the top, “What are my gifts?� and passing them out to five people who you trust and know well.

To help achieve your purpose, set specific goals with deadlines that can serve as benchmarks. “When you’re trying to tackle something so big, you get small,� says Cope. “You break it down into its smallest workable components.�

Share your goals with friends who will hold you accountable. If you have a close friend who is also struggling to find her purpose, commit to working together and follow up with each other on a regular basis to track your progress.

When choosing friends or family to help you, be very selective in seeking out people who are open to the idea of you changing for the better, warns Stryker.

The closest and most trusted people in your life can help you uncover your purpose; however, some family members and friends may project their expectations and desires on to you or be resistant to change, hindering your progress.

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INSPIRE | Why Am I Here? Unlocking Your Purpose Find Work with a Purpose We’ve all heard the old adage, “Do what you love and the money will follow.” But for those with families to feed and stacks of bills to pay, the idea of quitting a job or changing careers can feel like leaping off the proverbial cliff.

First, ask yourself, how much money do I really need?

Am I willing to make any sacrifices in order to pursue a job I love? Instead of simply making a living, can I make a difference? Sometimes finding more fulfillment means being okay with having less material stuff.

The average American spends about 60 percent of his life working; yet, according to Gallup data worldwide, only one out of five people wants to get up and do his job. What is the consequence of doing a job that is out of sync with your values and your passions?

“If you do something that’s just a job, it’s going to kill your spirit and your energy. And if that’s the best you can do, okay, then you’ll have to find purpose outside of work,” says Leider. “But if you can find work that fits (your purpose), you’re going to be paid more because you’re going to be more engaged, more fulfilled, more wanting to get up and go do this.”

In Cope’s first career, he worked as psychotherapist in a thriving practice. “I got to a big fork in the road when I was 40, and I really had to say, wow, I’ve devoted 20 years of my life to this career. I’m good at it. I’m rising in the ranks, but it’s no longer my passion, my calling. And I had to make a huge midlife shift into a new dharma.”

After a deep period of self-inquiry – including meditation, journaling, psychoanalysis and consulting with friends – Cope took the leap and left his psychotherapist Photo by DJ Pierce

Tap Into Your Purpose through 1:2 Breathing Sit comfortably and bring your attention to the breath. Breathing only through your nose, inhale to a slow count of four, then exhale to a slow count of eight. (You can use any ratio of 1:2 breathing with the exhale being twice as long as the inhale.)

Practice this relaxing breathing technique for at least three to five minutes, then reflect on the questions below.

career to pursue his love of yoga, meditation and contemplative traditions. He went on to become the founder and director of the Kripalu Institute for Extraordinary Living in Stockbridge, Mass.

“Dharmas evolve over time and change. You have to be constantly listening and attuned to what’s calling you now,” says Cope. Through the years, his role at Kripalu has changed, and now, as global ambassador, he focuses on teaching and fundraising, and also spends much of his time pursuing his latest passion, writing. But through all his various roles, his aim has remained the same, to improve people’s lives by helping them gain a deeper understanding of themselves.

“There are a lot of detours that people take that are not useful – what I call the “romance of dharma” – the idea that dharma is something huge and heroic and impressive and it means we have to give up selling insurance to go to Paris to paint,” says Cope. “The truth is I find most people are already somewhere in the field of their dharma. Their calling, their passion is already somewhere around them. They’ve already stumbled on to it in some way. A lot of the early stages are about truing it up. They’re about aim. What is it precisely that lights you up?”

Purpose Requires Practice Like yoga, living our purpose is a practice that requires daily effort. It’s not a bumper sticker we just plaster on the back of our car for all to see. It’s the driving force of why we get up in the morning eager to start our day.

Leider describes his true calling as helping unlock the power of purpose in the life of every person he meets.

“Purpose is compassion in action,” says Leider. “I bring it in every role I’m in. I bring it all day, every day to every person I transact with. I try to be conscious and awake on a moment-to-moment basis.”

Just because you’re a parent or in a helping profession such as a teacher, doctor or firefighter doesn’t mean you are automatically living your purpose. For example, if you’re a teacher who shows up in the classroom every day, but your job feels like drudgery and you drag yourself out W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

of bed and dread going to work, you are not living your dharma. Your purpose is not a goal or a role. It is a mindset that combines your gifts, passions and values that you can bring to your job, family and community each day. “Purpose is cradle to grave. Your purpose doesn’t leave once your job is done or when your kids leave home,� says Leider. “That’s why so many people have such a tough time with the retirement transition, for example, because they’ve lost their identity. They’ve lost their reason to get up in the morning.�

Research shows that, on the average, people who retire die sooner and get sick more often than their peers who continue to work or stay active in the community. But retirement can actually be the ideal time to expand or reinvent your purpose as you gain more time and freedom.

During major life transitions or crises – such as retirement, divorce, serious illness or death of a loved one – you become more vulnerable and discover how precious your relationships are and how unpredictable life can be. A crisis can make you pause, take a step back and figure out what really matters to you.

Be Authentic Your purpose should be tailored to your individual talents and passions. If you try to adopt another person’s purpose as your own, you will likely struggle to find fulfillment. “It’s better to do your purpose or duty badly than to do someone else’s well,� says Stryker, quoting the Bhagavad Gita, the 2,000-year-old spiritual classic that tells the story of the great warrior Arjuna who struggles to uncover his true calling. With the guidance of his divine mentor, Krishna, he learns to fully embrace his dharma and discovers that each of us has a unique, sacred vocation that requires action.

Ponder Your Life Purpose t What skills seem to come naturally to you? t What activities do you ďŹ nd so engaging that you lose all track of time? t What fascinates you or makes you feel alive? t What books, TV shows or movies are you drawn to? t Are you living a life that supports your values and priorities? t If you only had one year left to live, what would you change? t If your best friend were to write your obituary, what would you want them to say? t What lasting mark do you want to leave on the world?

Start Finding Purpose Today!

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Like Arjuna, we can become paralyzed with fear and doubt. If you’re struggling to find a job that embodies your purpose or are afraid of making a big change, look for a hobby that you love or community service that you find rewarding and brings meaning to your life outside of work. With time, it may eventually blossom into a vocation that brings you long-lasting fulfillment.

You don’t need a grand purpose, such as starting a non-profit organization or finding a cure for cancer, to make a difference. If you do your job in a way that is aligned with your intrinsic values and what you care about, you are fulfilling your purpose no matter what you do – whether you are cleaning houses for a living, cleaning up the environment or cleaning out a patient’s blocked artery. “It’s about living authentically, in an expansive way that is true to the call of your heart,� says Stryker. “What do you want on your tombstone? Not how much money in the bank or what you had, but what did you live for?�

Living your purpose means bringing your gifts, passions and values to every aspect of your life – your job, your relationships and your community. When you focus on helping others, you begin to realize that the big house, six figure job and new car may bring temporary pleasure, but true, lasting fulfillment comes from reaching outside ourselves and making a difference in the world around us.

Angela Ambrose is a Phoenix-based writer with nearly 30 years in magazine, corporate and video scriptwriting. As an ACE-certiďŹ ed group ďŹ tness instructor and yoga teacher, she combines her writing expertise with her passion for healthy living. Angela loves sharing the gift of yoga with the seniors in her SilverSneakers classes, and they, in turn, share their wisdom and warm hugs with her. Angela recently served as editor of Janet Humphrey’s recently released book, Age Without Limits. Contact her at:

AngelaAmbrose.com W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

@AAHealthFitness

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INSPIRE

Donnie Edwards:

You Have to Have a

Good Heart

“If I like where your heart is I’m going to be your friend whether you’re the guy fixing my sprinklers or the janitors at UCLA.” —Donnie Edwards.

INTERVIEW WITH DONNIE EDWARDS

BY KIM BAUMAN

T

hose words stole my heart when getting to interview Edwards. How many star football players at UCLA would think it’s cool to hang out with the school’s janitors? During off-season, Edwards used to workout with the janitors late night after coming home from working at Pizza Hut. This quality of character is what makes him so incredibly charismatic. It’s his ability to see people as people.

Edwards says, “I can easily get caught up in people, not for what they do but for who they are. I’ve always had a major issue with disrespect, especially with service people because those people are my people, that’s my family.

I see both sides because I’ve been on both. The father figure in my life, my mom’s boyfriend, was selling drugs in the house, I’ve seen people get shot and killed, one of them being on my front porch. We were on welfare and food stamps, there were 11 of us living in a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment. That’s the life I grew up in.”

If you haven’t heard of Donnie Edwards it’s because he flies under the radar. Edwards came to fame through his 14 years in the National Football League (NFL), playing for the San Diego Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Prior to Edwards being drafted into the NFL, he played football on a full-ride scholarship to UCLA. Edwards says, “I remember there was this big scholarship assembly where they announced the winners and everybody was shocked because no one had any idea I was getting good grades. I never told anyone. I was the second oldest of 11 kids, my mom was busy with the younger kids, she never checked in, she had no idea if I was doing my homework or what I was up to. I’ve always flown below the radar, I just go.”

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Edwards retired from the NFL five years ago at age 37.

Today, he is a certified yoga teacher, a full-time philanthropist, and just last year received a Masters of Education from UCLA. This is incredibly meaningful as it made him the first of his family to ever go to college, let alone earn a Masters. Edwards volunteers with the The Greatest Generations Foundation, a nonprofit that provides World War II and Vietnam veterans an opportunity to return to their battlefields to enable closure of their war. He is also a Coordinator with the NFL Legends Community, an organization which connects and educates former players to life after their playing career.

"I played a great game that provided me the opportunity to be an example. When you’re playing football you have a great platform to do good. I started a foundation when I was in the NFL that was an after school program focused on doing well and setting goals. We were in over 35 schools with the San Diego school district and I’ve done over 50 assemblies with the schools.

These kids trusted me because I could see myself in them. I grew up an inner city kid with a horrible home life and here I was, good grades, never been arrested or in a fight, full ride to UCLA and now playing pro football. It’s incredibly rewarding to run into some of the kids who are now older, they’ll come up to me and say, “Hey you spoke at my school, thank you.”

Kim Bauman: How did you cross over from being an inner city kid to getting a full ride to UCLA? Donnie Edwards: I had been playing football since age 7 with Pop Warner. Two years in at age 9, our team was traveling to San Jose where we would be paired with a host family. This was the first time I’d ever left my neighborhood. I remember getting into this Mercedes Benz with this nice family and we arrived at this big, beautiful house.

W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

INSPIRE | You Have to Have a Good Heart I had my own bedroom and I couldn’t believe it. In the fridge there was soda pop, gatorade, so much food and they kept telling me to help myself. I was amazed. I’ve never seen anything like this expect for on Leave it to Beaver.

Both parents were around and they loved each other, they weren’t fighting, throwing things at each other, breaking stuff or calling each other names. They loved each other and were so respectable.

I was wowed and asked the dad, “How did you get this?” and I’ll never forget what he said. He said, “I went to college”.

I said, “What’s college?” He replied, “It’s school after you graduate from high school. If you want to have THIS, you have to go to college.”

Two years later, age 11, our Pop Warner coach Rick Giordano told us one day after practice, “If you continue to work hard, get good grades, and stay out of trouble, you can go to college for free through a scholarship!” There it was again, that word college and I associated college with that host family in San Jose, that big house where I had my own room, no roaches, and food in the fridge. In that moment I believed a good life was attainable.

All of a sudden, I had hope and that’s what pushed me. I got my first job at 12 years running a newspaper route until I was 18. I saw things differently, I was going to work hard, stay out of trouble, and be the best I could be. It became important for me to get good grades. I wanted to do everything I could possibly to do make sure I had a good chance at going to college for free.

That vision at such a young age saved me. I didn’t care what anyone else thought, I believed it.

KB: You shared about the environment you grew up in, your mom and her boyfriend. What about your dad?

DE: My dad was never around, I came out very light skinned so from the get go he disowned me and said I wasn’t his. I’ve never known or had a relationship with

my dad. It wasn’t until I was in the NFL making millions, that he wanted to be a part of my life. He showed up one day at one of my games wanting free tickets and to know me. I was 24 and that was my first time meeting him.

KB: How did you get into yoga? And a yoga teacher? Love it, what’s the story behind that?

DE: After retiring from the NFL I was looking for something different with my workouts and my wife suggested yoga. I took my first class in 2011. I wore sweats, it was a hot class, I didn’t know what I was doing. What challenged me was the quietness, I hated Savasana. Every time I would roll up my mat and leave beforehand. Though I couldn’t sit there and be still I was hooked, I kept coming back.

Every September for 30 years I put on a football helmet. I’ve been conditioned to perform to be the best, everyone is always watching, cameras on, critiquing and grading not just on the field but off of the field. I was conditioned that your good is never enough, you keep pushing. You have never arrived, you’ve never made it, you can always be better. I was very competitive only knowing this all my life. I would see someone going low on their Warrior II and I’m going to go lower. That’s how I started my practice, it was my way to still compete.

Here I am in yoga and my teachers are saying, “You’re good enough, you’re great” so it’s the total opposite of what I’ve ever known. I’ve always been over there and so I couldn’t comprehend what was happening here.

Four months later a teacher stopped me at the studio and said I should do teacher training. I said “I don’t want to teach yoga,” and he said, “You don’t have to but I thought you wanted to learn handstands and things like that.” So with my competitive nature, I signed up. I just wanted to do crazy poses and handstands. My intention to get certified was fueled by my desire to be #1 at yoga.

The first night of training I’m ready to do handstands but instead there are candles set out and we had to turn around

I was an all-pro player on the field and now I want to be an all-pro player in life and help them. and face the candles against the wall while the teachers were talking. All I could think was, “When are we going to do yoga, I want to learn firefly and handstand.” I was looking around thinking, “Oh man I made a mistake, I wonder if I can get my money back.”

I sat there for 15 minutes and it was a revelation for me because I did it, I sat there.

Yoga teacher training with Katie Brauer and Danny Arguetty changed my life. I’ve never looked at myself all these years. Football is a very outward expression of hard work, “Don’t let them see you slip, that’s a sign of weakness.” I never used to tell anyone if I was sick because that was weak. For so long I was just this one way that I knew and teacher training opened my eyes to other people, to being compassionate, to seeing the world. I was all about winning and competing. Gratitude and compassion were qualities I hadn’t thought of too much before. I was one-sided for so long that now I felt balanced.

KB: I love how you took your football career and used it to now be a full-time philanthropist where you volunteer your time. Why USO and what is your role? What about NFL Legends?

DE: My grandfather served in WW2 and in Korea and survived the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I never served in the military but joining was always my backup plan if I didn’t end up getting into college for free. I see it as my duty to take care of our veterans because they’re the reason I get to live in this amazing country. The veterans I volunteer with were 18 years old then, now in their early to mid 90’s.

We take them to their actual battle sites and they meet the people they fought against. They’re reunited with their boys so there’s camaraderie and they get each other like no one else will. You’re not going to fully understand unless you were there, battling war. It’s an incredibly touching experience to take care of these guys in their twilight years and support them and honor them.

W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

With NFL legends, I’ve talked to hundreds of NFL players about that transition out.

Going back to school, putting together a resume, and the mindset around finding your identity. For most players all they know is football so when it’s over, they don’t know who they are.

I’m certified in suicide intervention and have counseled a lot of players. It’s easy because we’re all cut from the same cloth. I know what it’s like. I was an all-pro player on the field and now I want to be an all-pro player in life and help them.

You can catch Donnie on Instagram @d1944 or find him on various episodes of BRAVO TV’s, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills where his wife, Kathryn Edwards stars.

By Kim Bauman www.jointheonelovemovement.org The One Love Movement @theonelovemovement

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INSPIRE

Forever Young:

Life’s A Dance You Learn As You Go

Fashion designer. Pianist.

Songwriter. Trapeze artist.

Actress. Dancer. Yogi. Phyllis Sues has certainly lived more than 9 lives in her lifetime.

INTERVIEW WITH PHYLLIS SUES

BY JENN BODNAR

A

t 93 years young, Sues says the most important thing is to love yourself! Each night before she goes to bed she exercises her mind to keep it sharp. She will say 10 words forwards and backwards and repeat the words again as soon as she wakes up in the morning.

More active than most 20 years olds, Sues has firecracker energy, is sharp as a tack and has never wasted a moment of her exciting and precious life. While she has traveled the world, performed, been a business owner and more, there was something tugging at her heartstrings from a very young age.

“I like who I am, I love my life and the journey has been so fascinating.”

Her dream was always to learn the Tango. At the spry age of 85, she did. “While I was taking Tango lessons I realized that you are always on one foot or the other. You’re never on two feet together. You’re always balancing,” Sues says. “There’s a lot of things you need to work on to be

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Mov your body Move Ask of your yo body everyday.

Use yourr brain bra w lang Learn a new language! ve a purpose Have et a h Set high goal and work towards it everyday.

a good Tango dancer and so I started to take yoga…then of course yoga became the building block of my life.”

She admits at first, she had to be dragged to yoga. She thought with her dance background she didn’t need it. But after her first class she was hooked. “I’m very limber anyway, but it gave me elasticity, strength and balance,” says Sues about how wonderful yoga makes her feel.

After suffering a pinched nerve and getting an epidural, Sues was told by her doctor to give up yoga and jumping rope. Yes, jumping rope at 85. “To give up yoga is like giving up my life, how am I going to function without that?” Sues recalls thinking of the doctor’s orders. She obeyed him for about 3 months. It wasn’t long before she felt depressed and gave her yoga teacher Anthony Benenati a call asking for help. Benenati told her there was no reason why she shouldn’t do yoga. They worked privately for an hour. Benenati showed her exactly what to do to heal the pain she was experiencing. It was so excruciating she had to take 3 Advil and ice it for an hour. Once she started do her prescribed yoga practice, she was back to feeling superb. Sues did trade in her jump rope for a stationary bike, which she rides for 10 minutes a day to keep her legs strong!

“Birthdays just remind you that you were born.”

She practices yoga every morning before she even leaves her bed. She starts with about 20 minutes of stretches and then gets on the floor for some “real solid yoga poses.” “I stand on my head, I do splits…anything I can think of, it’s what sets me up for everything,” says Sues. Even if she plans to take a class that day she still takes time each morning for a home practice.

Sues boasts about performing the Tango for guests at a recent birthday party. If hearing a 93-year-old talk about their YouTube video going viral isn’t ironic and inspiring enough, actually seeing the dance is absolutely breathtaking. “It was so sexy and amazing,” the viewers commented. Yes, sexy and amazing at 93.

Sues is very passionate when she talks about her Tango practice. She admits she was stubborn and independent when she began lessons 7 years ago. “You have to give in when you Tango, you have to follow, you have to be part of your partner,” says Sues. “The Tango is a give and take,” she explains, “and you have to get out of your head and be in the moment.”

Sues is still working on her life’s purpose to be a really, really good Argentine, Tango dancer, taking it one breath and one dance step at a time!

W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

Becoming My Friend

The Monster

by Phyllis Sues 10 years ago my friend Gudni from Iceland told me I could not live today without a computer. My initial reaction was “YES I CAN.” OK now, 10 years later reluctantly I bought what they call a “laptop” and what I call “the monster.” Most 3 year olds are more computer savvy than I am or will ever be. The monster will never replace your voice, eye contact, touch, taste, sex, body odor and the beauty of slow. They say soon we will have a monster that talks and writes, while we dictate. Sounds great, but probably not in my lifetime.

Writing creatively, something I recently discovered, my thoughts are only transferred by writing with a pen or pencil. I need the motion and thought to progress through the movement of my hand. Only then, do I transfer to the computer and that has been a major accomplishment.

I guess I could take classes. I like the learning process and I really like the listening and learning process together. I like the ring of my real telephone, which rarely rings anymore. Instead, I constantly have to check the monster for messages.

That’s no fun! What happened to verbal communication?

Unless you’re glued to your iPhone, which has become part of one’s clothing. Or rather part of one’s body parts.

Yes I admit, technology is a part of every one’s life and even I have to accept that fact. Like gadgets that require remote control. OK, OK. But what about those 3 year olds - will they learn to write long hand? How about a hand written thank you note. Maybe I’m missing something?

Maybe that’s why I’m writing this on the monster. The monster doesn’t encourage creativity at least for me, but it does encourage speed - so what am I running to and for?

I dance tango and practice yoga. Speed is not required for tango, unless you’re dancing a Malonga. And yoga is always better slow - taking time to perfect each pose and taking time for the space between. Will we lose the art of communication verbally and physically?

That’s the million-dollar question for future generations.

Obviously the monster is here to stay and being 93 not sure how much longer I have to accept and enjoy Technology and the trip to mars.

INSPIRE | Speak the Truth Even If It Makes Your Voice Shake

Known for his conscious reggae tunes, it should come as no surprise that Ziggy Marley is headlining yoga gigs like ARISE Music Festival which heavily caters to the yoga crowd. Carrying on the family tradition shaped by his legendary father, Bob Marley, Ziggy is leaving his own unique imprint on the world with inspiring and powerful songs that he says come to him from the universe. He is living and sharing his truth on and, more importantly, off the yoga mat!

Just do what you feel and don’t you fool yourself, ‘Cause I can’t make you happy unless I am. Got to be

True to

Myself INTERVIEW WITH ZIGGY MARLEY

BY JENN BODNAR, PHOTOS BY GREGORY BOJORQUEZ

JB: True to Myself, What was the inspiration behind this song?

ZM: The inspiration is a combination of things. In a relationship: sometimes you’re in a relationship and you’re not being true. And you’re hurting your own self. You’re hurting everybody else, too. You can’t be happy unless you’re true. The inspiration comes from life.

I write songs. I don’t think I would do it unless I had the inspiration to write. The words I write have some meaning.

JB: Aside from your legendary family, what has influenced your music and desire to make music?

ZM: (without hesitation) Sala Cutie, Miles Davis.

JB: Anytime you put yourself out there, regardless of what you’re doing, you are opening yourself up to criticism. Have you had to deal with that?

ZM: Yeah sure. It’s not a big deal. The reality is a good check like “hey, you’re not as big as you think you are (laughing), you’re not perfect.” It’s something that grounds you. Sometimes even a negative thing can turn into a positive.

JB: Did you ever consider doing anything else besides music?

ZM: Yeah! I wanted to be a doctor. That never worked because the classes were too slow for me. I wanted to do stuff…like hands on but it was too technical in the beginning (he laughs.) The only reason I do music is because

JB: How do you find inspiration when you’re not feeling motivated?

ZM: It comes from the universe. That’s the truth, really.

That’s how I see it. Sometimes you try to play it but that is the truth. It comes from the universe, it comes from a source that wants the world to hear certain things.

“You can’t be happy unless you’re true.”

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W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

A source that wants the world to live the right way. There’s a force out there that inspires me. And then sometimes, it’s just my feelings…and the person that I am.

JB: Tell me about some of the sacrifices you have made to live your truth…making music?

ZM: Sacrifices. That has a negative connotation to me.

Life is life. I didn’t sacrifice anything. Life changed, things changed, I adapt. I am adaptable. I have an open mind.

I don’t put too much credence on things that happened in my life, I just roll with it. I don’t think of it as a sacrifice.

This is life happening and I move on and continue to the next level. There are things that changed from doing music but I wouldn’t want to say it was a sacrifice….it’s life!

JB: Do you practice yoga?

ZM: Yeah Mon, yeah mon yoga! Yoga makes me high!

There is one yoga practice I do, it lasts an hour. I have it on my lap top. I forget the name of the guy, but it really make me feel good! It does make me feel really good. It’s something that I love and I miss if I don’t do it. Makes me feel so good.

JB: As a parent, how do you teach and encourage your children to live their passion?

ZM: Well, they need guidance. And then you just tell them ‘be your self, this is all yours.’ But a little guidance

with that so they go the positive way. It’s a process. Little by little, let them find the way.

JB: You eat very healthy and have a very clean diet.

You have a new cookbook coming out and support an organic, non-GMO diet. How did this all come about?

ZM: Just through eating, you know? I began to educate myself about GMO and eating healthy in America. When I was growing up in Jamaica we didn’t have that issue. Here you really need to watch what you put into your body. You have to be careful. Someone introduced us into making our own coconut oil and some hemp seeds and that was right up my alley. It’s important.

INSPIRE | Speak the Truth Even If It Makes Your Voice Shake

Music Changed

My Reality

BY DJ TAZ RASHID

I

t was summer of 2007, I was still at my 9-5 corporate job in Chicago. I was selling office equipment door to door and had a client meeting lined up in one hour - this one was to a store called Transitions Bookplace. I pulled up to the parking lot and immediately knew this was no ordinary store. It was a metaphysical book store,

which was meant it had all kinds of books on spirituality, mindfulness, transformation, the supernatural and so on. I was intrigued but caught off guard at the same time. This was new territory for me. I finished my business meeting and as I was walking out, a CD caught my eye - “Positive Thinking” by Kelly Howell - “with music and guided

“Music can work with guided meditations and subliminal messages to reprogram our subconscious into whatever we want to become.” meditation”. What the heck is a ‘guided meditation’?

From the CD cover I gathered that I could listen to this music with guided meditation and that I would start thinking positively... Huh? Cynical but still intrigued, I decided to be curious.

How can music change the way I think? I learned that our subconscious mind works 500,000 times faster than our conscious mind. And that the way we think, act, respond and react to situations has been programmed since birth and even before - the good, the trauma, and life circumstances in general shape our subconscious beliefs. These dictate and drive our daily lives - our choices and our perceptions about what’s true, what’s real. Basically all of this contributes to how we see ourselves - our psychology.

Just flow with me here for a sec.

So what does this have to do with the Positive Thinking CD? I learned that music can work with guided meditations and subliminal messages to reprogram our subconscious into whatever we want to become. The music uses sound frequencies and wavelengths that can activate our brains into more receptive states, including delta, theta, beta and alpha wavelengths. It can initiate positive thinking, inspire action in life and motivate positive choices, like quitting smoking, and living in abundance consciousness. I basically discovered this profound method for re-programming the way we experience life.

I knew I had to pursue it. Having recently started meditating, I was a strong believer in self empowerment. I didn’t know yet but these guided meditations would soon W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

become a major part in my daily meditation practice. I even began listening to them as I fell asleep and during lunch breaks. Apparently the state of consciousness we experience in the in-between waking state and sleep is called the hypnagogic state where were are more likely to take in and retain information or instruction. This is the same state we get into during deep meditation or during hypnotherapy. It’s like being hypnotized but with good instruction and guidance to support living our best lives.

Like working out, you can’t just do it once; they recommended a few weeks of this at the very least. So I did this regularly over a period of time... And I just started to feel different. I started noticing how certain things didn’t bother me as much as they did before. My outlook in life was shifting. Over the next 3-4 years I used these meditations in as part of my regular practice and the truth: my world views have shifted to an understanding of oneness, synchronicity, abundance, self care, passion and balance.

Perfection? No but pretty darn close.

Guided meditation and music have become critical aspects of my personal shift into being the person I am today. As a musician I have created guided meditation albums and projects working with beautiful, mindful teachers and I am including two albums here for you to listen to, for free. Enjoy, with my blessings. May they offer you even a fraction of the gifts this journey has offered me. To get access just text 'Yogadigest' to 44222 on your phone, and it will be emailed to you.

DJ Taz Rashid is an international musician performing for mindful yoga and music events and festivals specializing in music for meditation, yoga and dance. He lives in Chicago, IL with is wife.

FREE DOWNLOAD! Listen to DJ Taz Rashid’s album Sacred Grooves for free by texting 'YOGADIGEST' to 44222

www.DJTazRashid.com facebook.com/djtazrashid @djtazrashid soundcloud.com/djtazrashid

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INSPIRE | Speak the Truth Even If It Makes Your Voice Shake

For Me, It's about

Getting out of My Own Way INTERVIEW WITH TREVOR HALL

BY KIM BAUMAN, PHOTOS BY MARINA CHAVEZ

I

knew I was in the presence of a humble being when I asked Trevor Hall, “Was there a moment when your career started falling into place, where you realized you were becoming well-known?” And he replied with no guard up, no ego, “I still don’t think I’m well-known. Last year we played in San Diego the show sold out, but the time before that, which was only about a year earlier, there was nobody there, maybe 40 people,” he warmly laughs. “So when we went back a year later, I was thinking, ‘oh gosh, here we go again.’ And then the guy helping us do sound check said, ‘Congrats on selling out!’ and I was like, ‘What??!!’”

Trevor Hall is most known for his hit song, “The Lime Tree”, his new album out, KALA, as well as joining soldout tours with artists such as Matisyahu, Michael Franti and Colbie Callait. Hall was the featured performer for Deepak Chopra’s Global Meditation last year and is also a highlighted musician at Wanderlust Festivals.

As my interview progressed with Hall, it was clear he had a trusting human heart. Hall says, “It’s weird to say my occupation is a musician because this is just how my life is. I grew up with all kinds of instruments around the house because my dad was a musician, so it was just what I knew. From early on I would follow the flow of life but there was never an attachment. I didn’t have a dream of one day being a musician, or ever thought of doing this for a living, I was just listening and following what called me.”

What I love about Hall’s story is his natural way of just being. He wasn’t about putting on a show, he naturally was

the show by not trying to be anything. He was the show through his charismatic way of being the listener.

Hall is from Hilton Head, a small town in South Carolina.

He shares, “Growing up, I had a very indecisive mind. Today I wanted to play the trombone, the next day the drums, and three days later I wanted to play the bass. My mom would drive me back and forth from the music store because I couldn’t make up my mind. One day I even wanted to be a karate instructor, and when I watched the movie, Backdraft, I wanted to be a fireman. So I was always changing my mind.

I went with the flow and music was just what that flow kept bringing me back to. Life without music didn’t make sense.”

KB: What was high school like for you as far as growing deeper into music?

TH: For my 16th birthday my dad let me record my first album.

My parents then let me move in the middle of 10th grade to go to a boarding school in Idyllwild, California to learn classical guitar. It was a big change for me in life. I was exposed to a lot of cultures and art because it was an international school.

That’s when my music really took a spiritual undertone.

KB: As a writer, what is your process, how do you create something from nothing?

TH: I don’t have a process. For me, it’s about getting out of my own way, dissolving myself and letting the music speak.

Music has a personality, spirit, attitude, and a soul so for me it’s about listening. I believe music comes from something

I don’t have a process. For me, it’s about getting out of my own way, dissolving myself and letting the music speak.

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else, whether it’s my higher self, God or Spirit, I don’t know what it is, but that’s why I love it so much. I love the mystery of not knowing because everything else in my life I feel like I’m trying to understand and put a label to. Music I don’t understand and I’m okay with that. It’s about me getting still and when my mind comes down that voice is able to come through and I just write what I’m hearing. A lot of times when I write, I may have no idea what it’s about and then a year or two later or even a week later, I’ll realize, “Oh, that song was a lesson for me in that moment.”

KB: How did you get into yoga?

TH: It was the 9th grade and a friend of mine was into yoga. I was really getting into spirituality and meditation so I asked him where he went and took my first class there.

I remember my first Savasana, I felt like I went outside of my body. My mom picked me up after class and I said, “Mom I’m so high! It’s better than smoking weed!” I started going to yoga after school a couple times a week.

KB: Who has been influential to you in life?

TH: This is the moment that turned me, that flipped the W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

switch. I was working at a surf shop in high school. One day I was going through the CD’s and found a CD by Ben Harper called The Will to Live. I thought the cover was cool and was wondering who this Ben Harper guy was. I popped the CD in and for some reason it played the very last song first, “I shall not walk alone”. Something inside of me came alive, I was incredibly touched and moved deeply. I was so stirred by that song, I realized how powerful music could be.

KB: Does Ben Harper know?!

TH: I don’t know. I played one show with him when I was really young. He did this secret show in Los Angeles and I got to open for him. I was so young and nervous, I can’t even remember what I said to him. I was just trying to be ‘cool’ and act like it wasn’t a big deal when really I was shitting my pants.

Trevor Hall is currently on tour for his latest and greatest album, KALA.

trevorhallmusic.com

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INSPIRE | Speak the Truth Even If It Makes Your Voice Shake

The Power of

Music INTERVIEW WITH DREZ & MARTI, BY JENN BODNAR

T

he daughter of a jazz pianist, Marti Nikko spent her childhood in nightclubs, absorbing the art and wisdom of many great musicians. Enthralled by what she heard, she began to sing and perform her own music, infusing her innate grasp of jazz and soul into a warm, natural voice.

DJ Drez is in demand as a producer, musical director and sound ambassador. A master of his craft in the studio and on stage, Drez cuts and composes profoundly original tracks that facilitate body movement practice of all forms.

Drez transforms the vibe of any scene his sound is set upon.

Marti met DJ Drez shortly after high school, when they began performing and recording together. Over nearly two decades, their collaboration has become an intimate musical language that effortlessly translates into and between many styles of music, including hip hop, reggae, kirtan, jazz and soul. Listen to any of DJ Drez’s albums and you’ll hear Marti Nikko’s unmistakably rich and nuanced voice. In addition to Marti’s talents as a singer, songwriter and performer, she teaches yoga and pilates in Los Angeles where she and Drez live and love their 10-year-old son.

Humble, serene, approachable and authentic are just some of the feelings you get in the presence of Drez and Marti. Their love story makes it twice as nice.

On Living Your Truth….

JB: How did you guys meet and what was the first thing that drew you to another? What unique quality did you first notice about one another?

Drez: We met working with a hip hop group. Marti was already working with them and they asked me if I wanted to

collaborate as the new DJ. I accepted and the first time I met her we were on our way to our first show. No rehearsal. They just picked me up on the way to the club and there she was sitting in the car waiting. She and I were to open the show that night and we ended up stealing the show. She drew me in with her talent, beauty and humor. We spent a lot of time together over the next 6 months making music and performing together. She ended up moving into a little studio apartment in Venice and I remember going over to her place one day and never leaving. It was that good. We were good friends by that time and I fell in love with her. Here we are 20 years later!

Marti: No need to tell the story twice. He did make me a mixtape called Nikko’s Room that basically expressed the fact that the wanted to do it to me. I responded by inviting him over.

JB: You both were influenced in early life by role models/family. What was the pivotal moment when you knew music was your path?

Marti: Music has always been a big part of my life. My father is a pianist and I grew up surrounded by many amazing musicians. There were always music events happening all the time. Festivals, clubs and living rooms were constantly hosting my father and his musician friends. My parents had me in music lessons since I was a toddler but I would say that I didn’t really know that music was going to be my way until high school. I ended up attending an arts high school that nurtured my love of music and provided me some skill to see it possible to make a living with the creative sound that came out of my body. My voice.

“I threw my mind heart and soul into music and it began to reward me with knowledge, wisdom and an understanding of self and a new life...” —DJ Drez 24

W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

Drez: Ever since I can remember I have been connecting to music on a deep emotional level. When I was 15 I broke my neck skateboarding. It was around that time that music became the primary focus and the way that I expressed myself since skateboarding had to take a back seat. All my energy from that point on went towards hip hop and DJ'ing. I threw my mind heart and soul into music and it began to reward me with knowledge, wisdom and an understanding of self and a new life beyond skateboarding.

JB: Have you ever felt like you had to make sacrifices to follow your dream of being internationally known musicians? If so, what adjustments have you made to pursue music as a career and follow your path?

Marti: I have sacrificed my dreams to help make ends meet. I never liked sleeping on anyones couch or asking permission to open a refrigerator. I sacrificed quite a bit since we couldn’t afford to have two starving musicians in the house. So I went out and got this big time corporate job that helped us live more comfortably. This is ultimately how I found yoga. Through many struggling years of painful living, yoga appeared to me. Taking those first classes helped me to be me again. To feel at

home again inside my body. Even when I couldn’t quit the job just yet, it provided some comfort. Once I was exposed to Bhakti yoga and chanting that was it. It was like waking me up from the long nightmare I was having, instantly providing freedoms that I had longed for. Lots of remembering and ultimately reminding me of my creative powers. The power of music and how powerful and joyful I am when I am doing my art.

Drez: The sacrifices are on going. I miss most weekends being on the road regularly. My 11 year old son looks forward to the weekends where he gets to do the things he loves most. Simple things like playing video games and watching movies and I don’t get to do that with him frequently. I miss out on those things that seem like a given. I miss spending time with good friends that I don’t see often. I have missed tons of holidays, birthdays and anniversaries. Good sleep, good food, and proper time in nature always seem far away when constantly on the road. I make huge efforts to make some of these things right. I can’t really describe a technique as it is different every time. Mindful living is an active effort that happens in each moment, that is the only thing that really helps.

My awareness around it. Even then, it can seem like not enough or lack of a fair trade off.

INSPIRE | Speak the Truth Even If It Makes Your Voice Shake

JB: I’m guessing that even once you have decided to follow your heart into the music path, it still takes tremendous courage to express yourself authentically. Especially when collaborating, producing and performing such in such a niche space: yoga. How do you stay true to your creative expression, appeal to the masses and blend with all the moving parts of fame/performing arts?

Marti: Lets face it, I am not famous. Not even close.

Most people don’t even know my name in this community. I am often referred to as Drez’s wife. I am on every single Drez album and most people don’t care what the name of the singer is. They don’t realize they have been listening to me for years. Its the truth. So not really many problems with the moving parts of fame. I will say a huge amount of heart effort goes into making a project. Its sometimes scary for me and always seems like a huge amount of pressure mostly because I tend to let there be big gaps of non creative time. That isn’t always good for me. Finding the balance between my creative periods and non creative periods has been the hardest part for me. More than staying true or trying to appeal to the masses. I always hope people like what they hear but I am not creating in hopes that they like me. I am creating to feel alive. To remind me of my humanness and to just be who I really am. Artist. A creative being.

26

Drez: Well I am lucky with this one. I am who I am and I have always been this. I have held no other job or nurtured a passion greater than this. I make music that I like and I am blessed that other people like it too. So many things inspire my creative forces and I just go. I don’t really have the time to sit and consider weather it is going to be successful or not.

I put my everything into my music and offer it up. Thats all I have control over. The fame comes and goes and lucky for us this yoga community, generally, likes dope shit and is kind enough to express it. I have been well supported in that way.

JB: How does yoga help you, if at all with your craft?

If not yoga, then where do you find inspiration?

Marti: I am so much happier practicing yoga. Using the various tools I have learned over the years to support my spirit makes me a more pleasant person to be around. Inspiration comes and goes regularly. In fact, it kind of annoys me to talk about inspiration. Like I am plucking magic out of the sky or suddenly stricken with a magic lightening rod that causes me to run into the studio and sing a diddy all smiles.

It just doesn’t happen that way. If anything, raw human experience and emotion is what inspires me. So as long as I am human having a human experience, I will come across inspiration that brings forth some creative sound. Not in the fairytale way. Or the instagram meme way. This is in fact getting annoying again! Done talking about it. #uninspired W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

Drez: There was a period of time where I wasn’t feeling the most confident with my music and craft on stage. Learning various pranayama techniques helped to calm those intrusive nerves. Ultimately regaining confidence and feelings of stability and strength while performing. The asana practice has helped tremendously with being able to sustain such crazy travel itineraries and long stints on the road. It helps me feel my body fully and its needs. Like Marti said, the human experience and all the emotions that we live through provide inspiration for my music.

JB: Parents have many hopes and dreams for their children. One of the biggest wishes is for their child(ren) to be genuinely happy and content with who they are.

How do you guys foster that environment for your child and what advice to you have for all the children of the earth struggling to find this?

Marti: Parenting is one of the most beautiful and most challenging of jobs ever. Its actually crazy to feel like a huge part of you is walking around on the earth outside of your body.

Reminding yourself that you ultimately do not control this other human being is so challenging. We are merely here to steward him and guide him. The more space we give the more space he has to bloom and grow. Of course we have to push a little here and there. Even so, at almost 12 years old, he is practicing the fine art of pulling and pushing himself. Something every growing young being has to go through. The fine art of separation. As he continues to test the boundaries, careful not to fall off the cliffs, he knows we have his back 100%. I don’t know that he is genuinely happy or content all the time. I think kids, young people, practice very early on all of the ways we are human. Thats a good thing. Parents are doing their kids a disservice when they try to make everything all fairy and unicorns. Unicorns are dope but we also have to learn how to slay the demons too.

That makes a well equipped, strong, and happy adult. #Slay Drez: Yep, Unicorns. Dragons. Ninjas. Fairies. Jedis. The dark and the light!

JB: What do you love most about creating, recording and performing music?

Marti: Hearing how my music, lyrics or just the melody has touched someone. How it has supported someone on their path. My most favorite thing is when we are in a workshop telling stories and chanting. I can see it in their eyes. I can hear it in their voices. I can see the stories of their lives unfold through the asana. Or sometimes we watch the secrets that have been holding them down float away with the sound vibrations. It is a most sacred experience to bare witness to that. Students will come up and share something about the experience which is a beautiful exchange. But Drez and I will have usually witnessed it long before any words are spoken.

Its quite amazing. A huge honor. It happens on the big stage too but I prefer to be able to put my hand on a shoulder or give a squeeze. A reminder that non of us are truly alone.

W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

Drez: I love the power of music. The relationship it reveals between the creator and the listener. The ongoing conversation that happens between me and the people out there listening, dancing or practicing is amazing. I love recording music. Its like pulling off a heavy backpack Ive been carrying around. A way to release what's brewing inside of me and ultimately letting it go. I have to keep doing this process over and over again or go crazy. Music brought me my wife, my son and my closest friends.

“My most favorite thing is when we are in a workshop telling stories and chanting. I can see it in their eyes. I can hear it in their voices. I can see the stories of their lives unfold through the asana.

Or sometimes we watch the secrets that have been holding them down float away with the sound vibrations” —Marti Nikko JB: Any favorite mantras? Rituals? Or practices to keep you grounded when you “do you thing?”

Marti and Drez: We don’t have favorites only because different times call for different measures. It has never felt quite right to use the same mantra for all situations.

Actually not much thought goes into it at all. The mantra comes to us for the particular need. This has really worked.

Of course Ganesh and Saraswati mantras are frequently used in our household for the path to be cleared for space to create. We don’t play favorites though. Everyone has their place and all the mantras we know are meaningful.

We have 6 alters in our home for our very specific needs.

This works for us.

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INSPIRE | Speak the Truth Even If It Makes Your Voice Shake

Painting by Andrew Annenberg

Love in Sound

The Healing Power of Music “Music is a force for good in the world.

It has the power to clear the mind, uplift the heart, heal the body and nurture the soul.”

BY PAUL LLOYD WARNER

E

ven before King David, the kings and queens of old employed musicians to soothe and heal them during times of stress and illness. The healing power of music has endured throughout the centuries, from the strumming of ancient harps and flutes, to the pure voice sung in chants, choirs and folk songs. Music mellows the soul and heals. Its legacy survives and is felt in the hearts of people from every culture, ancient and modern.

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The dominant factor in healing music is the presence of spirit. Spirituality at its depths remains the active principle that makes healing music. The healing power of music may also be expressed as “Love in Sound”.

When the sound of love surrounds the listener in exquisite melodies and harmony, the heart relaxes and the body releases tension because the music is so beautiful, it reaches the soul. I have discovered that the love for W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

beauty is the common denominator that unites all people, everywhere.

In my own work, as a composer, I have taken a unique approach. In 1968, I moved to Hawaii and settled in Hana, Maui. The landscape sparkled in brilliant colors, with hundreds of hidden waterfalls. Those days immersed me in such beauty, that I was transformed into a new man, freshened by hiking daily and swimming in jade green pools. Months later, I was cleansed from the inside out, listening to classical and peaceful music, playing the piano at the local community center, eating organic fruit and vegetables, practicing Yoga, I was strong and healthy.

In the 70s, I was so inspired that I acquired a new grand piano and started composing again. My early works were born in nature and they became the core musical ideas that shaped me as a composer of healing music. Practicing and playing ten hours every day for over a year, a new music began to emerge in an original style which I immediately called Waterfall Music™. In fact, I invited friends to lay down next to, or under my piano, so they could feel the soothing energy directly from the soundboard. Later, I recorded sessions on professional sound equipment and copied the music I just made just for them to a cassette, then I would lay them down on a massage table to massage them with the healing music I just recorded playing at full volume. Yes, we were in bliss.

When they left, I gifted them a copy of the music to take home so they could use it in times of need. Until this day, I still hear from people who remember those magical Maui days.

In 1977, I met Eliot Joshu, a bamboo flutist who was studying in Japan. He inspired me with his beautiful flute playing and we decided to record together. After two magical nights of collaboration, we created ZEN WATERFALL for Piano and Shakuhachi, (Japanese Bamboo Flute). This is the first time that these two instruments have played together. For many years Zen Waterfall is considered by hundreds of thousands of peoW W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

The sequence of dolphin sounds were so musical that I created something totally original. This was such a breakthrough...

INSPIRE | Speak the Truth Even If It Makes Your Voice Shake

Paul Lloyd Warner's music integrates body, mind and soul into the listener's experience.

It is a gateway to peace, higher learning and spiritual healing. ple throughout the world to be a genuine classic that is used for relaxation, yoga, meditation massage and healing. Listen to the whole album for free or download at WaterfallMusic.com.

A few years later, in 1981, a friend was pregnant with her second child who asked me if I would create some special music for her childbirth. She told me that she was going to deliver her baby in a large water tank because she had learned that infant birth underwater was very beneficial and the only thing missing was some beautiful music.

At the same time, I met some people who recorded Pacific Bottle Nose Dolphin sounds in Hawaiian waters. They invited me to their lab where they played the dolphin sounds slowed down to the range of human hearing. I was so inspired, they gave me a tape which I took home and listened for several weeks. Soon thereafter, I found the equivalent notes on the piano and began transposing the dolphin tones and began to compose something new.

The sequence of dolphin sounds were so musical that I created something totally original. This was such a breakthrough that I actually I actually gave birth myself to a new album called MIRACLE OF DOLPHINS. It was recorded and released in 1983. Over the years I feel so honored and grateful to hear miraculous testimonials from people who tell me that the healing power of my music is really doing the work.

Then, in 1989, I purchased a professional electronic keyboard that was so good, the sampled sounds of orchestras, harp, piano, choirs and more inspired me to make the music I had always dreamed of.

With my best friend and future business partner, Arion Jay Goodwin, we took this keyboard on the road in a 37 foot Winnebago with a 4-wheel drive van towed behind it. We travelled to southern Arizona and drove the van with the keyboard and digital recording equipment into the Sonora Desert, east of Tucson where we set up camp, brought the keyboard to a beautiful spot, connected the recording gear, and powered them with truck batteries linked to an inverter that converted DC to AC power.

This is how we created music in nature, using entirely silent power.

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Paul Lloyd Warner

For the first time, I was able to play orchestral music on a digital keyboard outside in nature. It was a thrill to actually make music surrounded by the beauty of the springtime desert with wildflowers erupting into purple, blue and crimson colors. I felt as though the music was making ME rather than the other way around. My first electronic album was created in dramatically beautiful parts of Arizona. (I saved the Grand Canyon for later). DESERTS, Symphonic Suite No. 1 was born.

We sold DESERTS along with the piano music at art shows, fairs and festivals, making enough money to buy a second keyboard. Once that was acquired, I connected it to a small mixing board and brought it into the mountains throughout western America. Now with the two keyboards, I expanded the music to play counterpoint between different instruments simultaneously.

For example, one keyboard played orchestra while the other played strings. The music matured as we journeyed into the High Sierras, Yosemite, recording in stunning scenery. Now the music was composing itself and I was the medium through which it was created. Once again, I was transformed by the energy, sounds and images as the music came into existence. We drove up to Washington State and played in the Cascade Range and Olympic Peninsula, then went on to the Colorado Rockies. Next came a second electronic album, MOUNTAINS, Symphonic Suite No. 2.

These were the most creative years of my life and they were non-stop. I turned to the subject of waterfalls and purchased a third keyboard which allowed me to play solo instruments along with the orchestra and strings.

I felt I could really make the music of my dreams. We went on the road to visit waterfalls in California, Oregon and Washington State. Imagine what it feels like to view Yosemite Falls from a short distance away. See the rush of spring water, melted by the snows, pouring into the waterfall. Feel the gush, the fragrance, coolness and fresh oxygen, sounds, the High Sierra atmosphere, evergreen forest, rocky cliffs and skies. Inhale, release, relax, let go.

W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

Imagine the waterfall rushing down, spraying fine mist into the air, the experience of performing on three keyboards. I was in heaven. The music was strong and delicate, mirroring the landscapes.

I improvised on the go. My God, this is music inspired by Yosemite. Here was nature re-created through my fingertips. It was an incredible moment of joy and freedom. Wherever my fingers touched, there was no mistake, no wrong notes; whatever I did was in the flow of creation. I, and my instruments, were one with nature and the Creation.

A passion was unleashed that I never felt before.

We continued our visits to waterfalls in Oregon and Washington. Finally, WATERFALLS, Symphonic Suite No. 3 was born.

In the 1990s, sales were brisk at the art shows.

Customers inquired, well you have DESERTS, MOUNTAINS and WATERFALLS, but where is OCEANS? Of course, I had to buy a fourth keyboard and hook it into the system, along with small synthesizers connected into each keyboard. Eventually I had an enormous palette of sounds to choose from. All these recordings were made in one “take”. There is no over-dubbing or sequencing. Everything I did, even with four keyboards, was fed through an 8-channel board, one for each keyboard and synthesizer.

We took the keyboards and recording equipment on an adventure up the California coast. There is a place on the Monterey Bay where the sun rises in the east over the ocean because the Bay tilts eastward. Can you imagine seeing the sun rise over the waters on the west coast? We continued our journey through the Oregon and Washington coasts where we found breath-taking ocean views along the way.

The entire West Coast was ripe material for recording OCEANS, Symphonic Suite No. 4. We finished the album up in the Olympic Peninsula and San Juan Islands which is some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world. Now that I had a bigger sound-mix, it was awe-inspiring what could be created out in raw nature. The four-manual organs of Europe’s greatest cathedrals reached their keys into the technology of the 20th century and a new musical genre was born: Progressive Classical or Contemporary Classical music.

How can this music performed and recorded in nature, be healing? The Answer: Because nature is the greatest healer and the music reflects natural beauty from the heart and soul of a poet. Often I say: “Did I do that? It’s so beautiful.”

Presently I dedicate my time to serve humanity by seriously working for peace on earth. The momentum surges for an even greater music to appear, music from the stars interpreted through passionate hearts of enlightened musicians in tune with the cosmos. I am working on tranW W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

scendental space symphonies of such power and beauty, it takes my breath away; mysterious, yet dazzling colors of the universe unveiled into sound that heals body, mind and soul. We are all blessed in the radiance of Creation, gratitude abounds in love as sound.

Paul Lloyd Warner is a contributing writer in this issue of Yoga Digest. He is a pioneer of progressive classical music, literature and art. He is renowned as a pianist, composer, recording artist, poet and author. Three of his albums can be heard in their entirety for free. They can also be downloadWaterfallMusic.com. Another ed and purchased at three are available at MusicforPeace.com. DESERTS, MOUNTAINS, WATERFALLS and OCEANS will soon appear at AmericanSymphony.us

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INSPIRE | Everything You Want Is on the Other Side of Fear ADVERTORIAL

Taking Your Yoga

Practice onto the Water INTERVIEW WITH SARAH TIEFENTHALER, BOGA AMBASSADOR

BY JENN BODNAR

B

oga Paddle & Surf co-founders David and Trish Meyler brought the best of both worlds together when creating the Boga Yoga Board. An avid yoga practitioner and teacher, Trish tried her practice on one of their standard boards in the beginning. It was difficult to balance and do some of the poses so she and David put their heads together and developed some criteria for yoga specific boards: 1.

A totally flat deck from top of pad to bottom of pad and from pad side to pad side (traditional boards and most boards that call themselves YOGA boards are rolled on deck).

This made a huge difference and mat a level foundation from which to practice.

2.

Next up was the pad, traditional EVA sup pads are no good for YOGA, we needed to take the concept of a standard YOGA pad, and introduce it to the board. We also wanted

to have the pad have some “water wicking” capabilities so it would not saturate and get you all wet during your flow.

3.

Other secret sauce - The bottom shape was made nontraditional in a way to focus on stability. This adds a lot of why the BOGA YOGA feels so stable.

Their hard work and innovative design has created an entire SUP Yoga family through their Floating Studio program. Teachers are able to co-market their operations with the Boga social media resources, became retailers of the boards, lead trainings and retreats all over the world! You can find Floating Studios in Croatia, Bahamas, Aruba, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Finland, South Africa, Hawaii and many more.

Founder of YOGAqua and Wanderlust SUP Yoga Program Manager Sarah Tiefenthaler believes this practice is just getting started and here to stay!

No matter what is going on in my day…after spending just an hour out there flowing through my practice, the slate is wiped clean, my head is clear and I am peaceful.

JB: How did you get into Yoga?

SF: When I took my first yoga class it wasn’t love at first pose by any means. For me, it took finding the right studio and teachers to get me hooked. When I found a studio that played fun music and had a laid back attitude I really got a lot more out of it and the passion began to grow.

JB: What do you love most about SUP Yoga?

SF: I love being in nature, listening to the water, feeling the sun on my skin. There is nothing more healing. No matter what is going on in my day…after spending just an hour out there flowing through my practice, the slate is wiped clean, my head is clear and I am peaceful.

JB: How did you get into SUP? SF: I first tried SUP after returning from my first Yoga Teacher Training in Costa Rica. I was eager to find an activity that would have me consistently in nature so I was determined to love it. However, loving it was not difficult, it was instant.

JB: What should one consider in buying a board for SUP Yoga?

SF: 1. Look for stability, length and width.

2. Check the attachments for anchors on the nose and the tail of the board.

3. Size matters! The size of the deck pad should be at least the length of yoga mat.

One really good way to ensure you’ve met all these requirements, just purchase a “BOGA Yoga” board. The design was created specifically for yoga on the board by yogis who practice regularly!

JB: How did the 2 worlds collide for you?

SF: That first day I tried SUP was in 2010 and I was being given instructions for how to stand on the board and I made a silly little joke like “don’t worry, no problem. I’m going to be doing yoga on that board.” Nowadays that doesn’t seem like a silly thing to say but back then, doing Yoga on SUP was not a “thing”. However, the gentlemen that were providing boards for free demos were open to me offering weekly SUP Yoga classes using their equipment so that’s precisely when it all started falling into place. Only a few short months later, I had put together a business plan, purchased my own fleet of boards and launched my very own SUP Yoga company, “YOGAqua”.

W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

JB: SUP Yoga is fairly new, how do you see it evolving?

SF: I see it evolving every day! People reach out to me regularly asking how to become a SUP Yoga teacher. I travel with Wanderlust Yoga Festivals managing the SUP Yoga program and our classes sell out months in advance!

The students that come to class tell me how this is the highlight of their festival. SUP Yoga is here to stay, no doubt about it. It will only continue to grow.

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INSPIRE | Everything You Want Is on the Other Side of Fear

5

SUP Yoga Tips for Beginners W

Take a Lesson Stand Up Paddle Boarding is a very user friendly activity. However, like anything, the right equipment and some basic knowledge make all the difference. By taking a lesson, you will receive all the basic tips about SUP: where to stand, how to hold the paddle, how to maneuver around on the water and what equipment is required. This basic information allows you to have an understanding on how to use the board when you begin to play with poses in SUP Yoga.

BY JERAMIE VAINE

hen we begin to explore anything new we bring familiar experiences riences along to help us find the way. But the new experience is just that, something different, something exciting and something with a bit of a challenge attached to it. If we bring too much baggage or expectation with us, we miss out on the lessons that this new challenge provides.

Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga, SUP Yoga, is a great example of this.

Having a studio practice is a great foundation, however because you are floating on water there are some strategies to keep in mind. The following five tips will help you bring your studio practice to the water and enjoy the benefits that SUP Yoga provides.

Falling is Trying We are always searching for the edge in yoga, we explore how far can we take each pose before we find the wall or floor. In SUP Yoga, exploration can truly help you conquer your fears. As you begin to explore poses on the boards, fear of falling in the water might inhibit your practice, until that one fall. Once you break the barrier of falling, fears are removed and you begin to grow.

From tree pose to headstand, anything is possible on the water, you just have to believe in yourself and it becomes a reality!

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Go with the Flow By being at Mother Nature’s beckon call, SUP Yoga helps to truly go with the flow. A new arm balance s sequence may be on your mind but the w water may have a different plan. By being able to surrender to the environment around you and let it be your guide, you are ultimately living in the moment and receiving what is truly meant to be.

Check the Weather Out in the open water means Mother Nature is in charge. The weather plays a big factor in your experience on the water. Take time to check the weather to see what the conditions will be like: sun, rain, wind and/or thunderstorms. They all play a huge factor in how to prepare for an outdoor practice and keep you safe.

Modify Poses Whether you are an experienced yogi or a first timer, SUP Yoga is very unique from a studio practice. When you begin SUP Yoga it’s helpful to modify poses. For example, in W Warrior 1 keep the back knee on the board.

A modified version is just as beneficial as a full expression when you create proper stability, connect with breath and fully engage the body. As your confidence and balance builds, begin to explore the full expression.

W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

INSPIRE | Everything You Want Is on the Other Side of Fear

Fuse Hiking and Yoga Take

Your

Practice Outside!

BY NICOLE KAZIMER @HelloYogaGirl, Founder and Owner of Hikyoga™

I

n August 2015, I decided to dedicate my instruction to taking yoga outdoors and fusing traditional yoga practice with hiking to provide my students with additional health benefits. I began leading hikes infused with yoga around the Finger Lake region and California and evolved my practice organically as people fell in love with the benefits of taking yoga to the trails! I was inspired to teach these classes because I loved spending time in nature and saw the interest in others wanting to get outside as well. As I was teaching yoga to my friends at various parks and posting my weekend hiking adventures through Upstate New York on social media, interest grew rapidly and I knew I was on to something that people loved!

Seeing how excited people were to participate and feeling the love and support on my Instagram, @helloyogagirl I was inspired to spread the benefits of pairing hiking with yoga to all! I then began to offer my classes once a month to the community, and now less than a year later we have a jam packed schedule of weekly events and have even taken the concept to the West Coast!

We have had such an incredible response to an organic way to treat your body, mind, life to relieve

36

stress, engage in a healthy lifestyle, and soak up all the perks of the great outdoors. Living my passion through my career is a dream come true, I encourage people to be happy, healthy, and stress free all while being in my favorite place – The Great Outdoors!

W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

The benefits of fusing hiking and yoga and taking classes outside are limitless!

Vitamin D Vitamin D keeps you healthy by helping your body function properly.

Improves sleep Being active especially in nature helps our sleep patterns.

Clean Air Breathing in “wild” fresh air during our yogic breaths are the best!

Mood Booster and Stress Reliever Both Yoga and the outdoors are proven to improve our moods.

Improves Flexibility Yoga assists in increasing range of motion as well as walking on different terrains.

Increases cardio and circulatory health Yoga in motion is the best!

Increases muscle strength and tone hiking and yoga strengthen muscles we typically forget about!

Grounding Connecting to our environment for peace and vitality.

And so much more!!

Who should try hiking/yoga fusion classes?

It truly is a must-try for anyone wanting to try something new, relieve some stress, and meet new like-minded people.

I have a wide range of students joining my classes who vary from beginners not owning a mat yet to those who have been practicing yoga for years. New yogis love starting their yoga journey with hiking and yoga as it eliminates any stress or intimidation from a studio. Additionally, avid yogis who join to try something new have a blast adding something fresh to their practice by grounding into new surroundings!

So, there you have it. Make the most of the beautiful weather and don’t be afraid to get out on the trails and experience calming hiking, yoga, and the outdoors this summer!

Nicole Kazimer is an instructor and entrepreneur from Rochester, NY. Her mission is to inspire others to step outside and pause to enjoy the present moment.

In August 2015, Nicole founded Hikyoga™, a hiking and yoga fusion class that is held on beautiful hiking trails in the Finger Lake and California regions. In less than a year, Nicole has amassed 8,000+ followers on social media @Helloyogagirl.

She has also expanded her empire to include an apparel line and events that make exercise comfortable and fun for people of all levels of experience, including Yoga & Champagne and Yoga & Chill. www.helloyogagirl.com @helloyogagirl /helloyogagirl @Helloyogagirl

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INSPIRE | Everything You Want Is on the Other Side of Fear

Tandem Surfing

Adventures in Living Your

Truth

BY AHLIA HOFFMAN

Tandem Surfing 101 Tandem surfing is the combination of surf skill, acrobatics, yoga, and a trusting partnership. In the professional world of tandem surfing there are two people on a team, one male and one female who work together to perform acrobatic lifts while surfing waves. The point structure for each lift depends on difficulty and there are requirements for getting full points per lift.

The rules are such that you must hold each lift for a

38

minimum of 3 seconds for the lift to count, the girl must be graceful in her lifts and have her toes pointed and a smile as there are “style points” that are only received if you make the hard look easy and the easy look hard.

Another aspect of tandem surfing is the weigh in factor.

At the pro level, the tandem girl must weigh no less than half of her teammate. Tandem surfers are all over the world, including France, Australia, South America, Hawaii, and the U.S. W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

Pushing the sport to the next level, present day tandem surfers are combining highly challenging yoga/acrobatic postures with the ability to stay balanced despite the movement of the wave beneath them. As a team, on our bellies, we paddle our 12 foot long board out towards where the waves are breaking. Travis Long, my tandem surf partner, is the “wave selector.” Once the wave has picked up the board and built momentum Travis calls “UP!” and I spring to my feet. Our favorite position to surf in is called the “fish.” I put my arms out like wings and bend one leg almost like Tree pose, drawing the sole of my foot to my inner thigh. From this posture he can really crank it on the surf board - meaning he can turn or “cut back.” One aspect of tandem surfing that has taken the sport to the next level is the idea of doing surf tricks and maneuvers with the girl in the air, rather than going straight towards the shore. Being able to stay in the pocket of a breaking wave is often challenging with a woman over your head, and takes tremendous surf ability by the male teammate.

Yoga Helps Surfers Go With The Flow As a long time yoga instructor, and yoga teacher trainer, I use my practice on the mat to help develop myself as a tandem surfer. Many postures are the same as a traditional yoga practice and even more closely related to popular Acro Yoga maneuvers. Breath is paramount. Being able to breathe slowly and deeply, even while paddling hard for a wave helps keep me calm and focused, despite the adrenaline rush. Preparing mentally and physically takes

A Brief History Tandem surfing is growing in popularity and slowly becoming more mainstream. The sport began in “combining partner lifts with traditional long boarding. Tandem surfing has wowed spectators for decades starting in the 1920s with the legendary Waikiki Beach Boys.

Duke Kahanamoku is arguably the most famous Beach Boy of that bygone era and is also the father of modern day tandem surfing.

Over the years, the playful antics of the Beach Boys taking tourists out for a once in a lifetime ride on the rolling waves of Waikiki has evolved into a highly skilled sport of daring acrobatics on surf that continues to challenge athletes to push the boundaries of what is possible on water.” www.itsatandemsurf.org/about-itsa

a lot of time and energy. I visualize our lift sequences and alignment and use affirmations to maintain my focus. As a team, I have to place a lot of trust in Travis to keep me safe, and he also has to trust me - that I will remain calm and hold still in postures so as not to throw off his balance. When we wipe out, he does what he can to keep me away from hitting the board. He will often throw me over the back of a wave which looks dangerous but is meant to keep me safe.

Getting Lost To Find Yourself Travis has said that to be an excellent tandem girl you have to be strong and flexible, but what sets tandem girls apart is how she handles fear. This has always stuck with me because growing up I was afraid of everything. I had terrible people skills and suffered from social anxiety until my mid 20’s. I hated big cities and crowded places.

My mom had to bribe me with a Cabbage Patch Doll when I was 6 to go on the Maid of the Mist in Niagara Falls because I was so afraid. I was teased a lot growing up and didn’t have very many friends. I was always the smallest in my class and different from everyone else.

Little did I know that my size and unique qualities would contribute to becoming one of the best in the world at tandem surfing. I think tandem surfing has really helped me break out of my shell. My confidence has increased both on and off the surfboard. More than anything, tandem surfing has taught me to surrender, to trust, and to go with the flow. Learning to let go of unnecessary fear, worry, and self-doubt created courage in me to follow my dreams and pursue my passion for yoga, surfing, and athleticism.

Something I don’t share very often is that I have also struggled with body image and disordered eating. There have been times in my life where I’ve been severely under-weight and malnourished. Practicing self-love through yoga and proper nourishment, as well as the necessary training that is involved with competing at the professional level in tandem surfing has helped me tremendously with my body image and eating. At my smallest I weighted 88 pounds. At 5 feet tall, people around me had no idea that I was struggling with food and body image, but inside I felt out of control. When I had my eating under control and my metabolism got back to normal I was able to start training in a way that would eventually put me in the best shape of my life.

I no longer count calories or limit my food intake, and am confident in my body. I have lymphocytic colitis and am 100% gluten free in order to assist my digestion, however through a balancing act of exercise, nutrition, and rest I find that I feel better than I have in years.

Tandem surfing is a physically demanding sport, but it’s also liberating. To be able to hold my own body weight with one arm over a man’s head while watching the curl of a wave behind me and seeing the shoreline

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INSPIRE | Everything You Want Is on the Other Side of Fear

Tandem surfing has really helped me break out of my shell. My confidence has increased both on and off the surfboard... Learning to let go of unnecessary fear, worry, and self-doubt created courage in me to follow my dreams and pursue my passion for yoga, surfing, and athleticism. ahead is exhilarating. I feel a sense of pride for my body and what it is capable of. I feel more comfortable in my own skin than I ever imagined possible. Tandem surfing has taught me to love and take care of my body in new ways, including epsom salt alt baths to ease sore muscles, proper hydration, adequate amounts of protein and carbohydrates to keep my energy and strength at peak performance, and plenty of rest so my body can recover.

Inspiring Others As a professional tandem surfer, ranked in the top 10 in the world, I am sought after as a fitness model and spokesperson for companies that promote healthy lifestyle and body image. I want people everywhere to know that your body is made perfect for you and that how you feel is more important than how you look. When it comes down to health and wellness it’s important to have goals and something to work towards, however it’s just as important to acknowledge yourself for what you’ve accomplished and overcome along the way. Take time to reflect love inwards to honor that

40

you are made perfectly in each moment. It is just as important to be strong as it is to be soft. We work so hard to be strong, but what about working easy? Find the balance between working hard to reach your goals, and working easy to surrender to what is present in each moment.

Nothing is guaranteed, not even the next breath, so take each day one at a time with gratitude for the adventures and excitement for the future!

Ahlia Hoffman is a yoga instructor, studio consultant, and teacher trainer and is also ranked top 10 in the World for Tandem Surfing. Ahlia wrote and leads a 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training that is accredited by the Yoga Alliance and is also a fitness/yoga model in Encinitas, California.

www.ahliayoga.com

ahlia@ahliayoga.com W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

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EDUCATE | Defying Gravity: When Yoga Takes Flight

Defying Gravity:

When Yoga Takes Flight

Aerial Yoga, or anti-gravity yoga is a relatively new practice combining traditional yoga poses with the use of a hammock. The rig consists of support chains, a webbing strap, a silk hammock and carabiners.

BY JENN BODNAR

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T

wo support chains hang down from the ceiling to about one meter from the floor, and the hammock is connected at the height preferred by the user, normally between waist and shoulder.

The hammock acts like a swing or soft trapeze, supporting the hips for forward bends and back bends. Yoga postures which some find difficult to do on the ground may be easier in mid-air using the hammock because there is no over-stressing on your joints or compressing your vertebrae. If you’re looking for something exciting, the hammock moves add variety to a typical mat practice. Aerial Yoga Teacher and Teacher Trainer Leila Whitehead has been sharing the gift of Aerial Yoga at Trilogy Sanctuary Yoga Studio in San Diego for a few years now. She explains some of the benefits, challenges and appeal of this latest trend in yoga!

Jenn Bodnar: When did you first discover aerial yoga and what did you think of it?

Leila Whitehead: I discovered it around 4 years ago and since I was already into yoga, the circus arts and aerial silks, it was a natural love at first sight!

JB: Is it safe for everyone? What are some the precautions?

LW: Yes it is safe for everyone - People with major spinal injuries may not be advised to do it. Although it is incredibly therapeutic for the back because of the amazing decompression of the spine! Great for people with back pain as it helps to alleviate pressure.

As long as they have a reasonable amount of body awareness and are not too afraid of going upside down it is great for anyone, of any age or fitness level. It is very adaptable so can be modified for almost anyone!

It is not recommended for people who have high blood pressure or for those who have had recent surgery.

JB: Describe your aerial yoga students?

Are they more restorative? Adventurous?

LW: It would be impossible to describe them all as there really is such a diversity!

They are all ages, and all fitness levels. Some are totally fearless and they thrive from the most complicated and advanced poses - and then I have those who are terrified and fear going upside down - but they LOVE to be there to overcome their fear and develop more trust for themselves and their bodies. The amazing thing about Aerial yoga is that is can be very slow paced and restorative, great for deep stretching and relaxing, and of course it can be the opposite! You can do all sorts of wild and wonderful tricks! It is something for anyone and everyone. I love the variety of students I see!

W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

JB: What do you think is the appeal of aerial yoga and how would you like to see it evolve?

LW: It is so playful, it make everyone smile. There is a part of it that makes you feel quite childlike! It is fun, and different, it challenges the body and mind in entirely new ways. It is appealing to most because of its incredible therapeutic benefits. The decompression in the spine is not found in any other forms of yoga, and barely any other types of fitness. It allows the body to go deeper into stretches with minimal pressure on the joints and it supports and builds incredible strength! I would like it to continue to evolve for all body types and fitness levels as a wonderful form of yoga, inspiring mindfulness, great body awareness, and making people smile! Keeping fit and healthy is so important and if people can find a way to do it that is fun, ever evolving and inspiring then that is the best possible way! For me that is Aerial Yoga!

JB: How do you incorporate traditional yoga teachings into something so acrobatic?

LW: It is easy! Aerial yoga presents so many new challenges - it really encourages the practitioner to be fully present and mindful with their bodies. And just like yoga, things can be uncomfortable sometimes and we must learn to breath into that place and we learn how to find comfort, how to breathe fully and how to relax the mind in most any situation. Yoga is a way of life after all and the teachings of yoga can be practiced while doing anything - washing the dishes, while being stuck in traffic, and while flipping around in an aerial silk. We learn to be present, we learn to let go of expectation, of fear. We learn that sometimes things don’t go the way we want them to, sometimes our bodies don’t do what we expect them to, and we learn to accept whatever happens. We learn not to judge, or compare ourselves to others when our pose looks totally different from our neighbors pose, we are all different and we are all at different stages of our journey, we learn that we are right where we need to be! We learn to trust, we learn that no matter what happens, the present moment is all we have and practicing aerial yoga brings us right there! Anything that brings someone slightly out of their comfort zone is the perfect opportunity to grow and learn!

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INSPIRE | Everything You Want Is on the Other Side of Fear ADVERTORIAL

I Believe I Can Fly

BY JENN BODNAR

Y

ou may remember the song from the late 80s made famous by R. Kelly on the soundtrack of the live-action-animated basketball movie SpaceJam. For FlyDive Lead Engineer and FlyDiving Trainer Ryan Lorence, those words were taken to heart.

He has created the most user friendly hydroflight on the market, making the childhood dream of flight come true for the masses.

If You Believe It, You Can Achieve It. After graduating from the University of San Diego, working a desk job and suffering a back injury, Lorence realized that he was aching, physically and mentally, from this lifestyle. “I’m a surfer and a sail boat racer and the time requirements and rigidity really wasn’t working for me,’ he says. It wasn’t long before he took a leap of faith and broke off on his own to pursue a freelance engineering career to have a more fitting schedule.

Though it was challenging, his ship did finally come in when he received a random text from a friend letting him know about a job post on MakerPlace (a do-ityourself workshop) looking for an engineer to design a flying board. “I was just at the right place at the right time,’ says Lorence on becoming the third member of the company.

What Is it?

The technology consists of a type of jetpack which supplies propulsion to drive a board (similar to a wakeboard or snowboard) through air and/or water to perform a water sport known as hydroflight.

A hydroflight rider stands on a board connected by a long hose to a watercraft, usually a 2010 model or later jet ski of 150 horsepower or more. Water is forced under pressure to a pair of boots with jet nozzles underneath which provide thrust for the rider to fly up to 50 ft. in the air or to dive headlong through the water down to 8 ft.

Mostly used for competitive and recreational purposes, Lorence says this technology has so many possibilities.

Police on the east coast are using it to streamline legal processes by peering down onto vessels as they come into our harbors. Exploring secluded areas in caves is now possible. It can be also used to spray water over fields. In the works are products that don’t require a jet ski which opens up endless realms of utilization!

How is it unique from other Fly Boards on the market?

Many kids (and some adults still) dream of being able to fly. Lorence says the FlyDive X-Board takes a specific look at beginners, weekend warriors and couch potatoes.

X-Board delivers on the promise to provide the stability needed to boost the confidence of a beginner AND the performance and agility required to take the pros to new heights. Anyone that is in general good health, at least

We have the best job in the world.... Who didn’t dream of flying as a little boy or girl? It’s amazing and constantly rewarding teaching people to fly.

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5 feet tall and 90 lbs can do it because of the unique technology behind it. FlyDive prides itself on getting newbies on their X-board up in 5 minutes or less! “It’s friendly, forgiving and intuitive,” says Lorence when asked what kind of feedback they get from their first time fliers.

You have seen the evolution of wake boarding, once only available to boat owners and now cable operated wakeboard parks opening up all around the nation.

Hydroflight is the next and fastest growing water sport in the world. While there are numerous hydroflight rental operations, this product is available directly to consumers who have an approved jet ski, buy the kit (currently priced at $4,500) and take the required 4-hour certification course to safely operate the X-Board.

It Always Seems Impossible Until It’s Done “We have the best job in the world. We get to show people who may have never believed they could actually fly. Who didn’t dream of flying as a little boy or girl? As people come out and see the sport evolving they think it’s really tough, but we show them that THEY CAN FLY! It’s amazing and constantly rewarding teaching people to fly.”

W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

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EDUCATE

Bringing the

Yoga Lifestyle into the Yoga Apparel

Market

Why You’re Overpaying for Yoga Apparel and How One Company is Transforming the Retail Model

BY CODY GROTH

A

s an active lifestyle consumer, do you really know what high quality activewear material actually feels like…at an affordable price? You may think you know, but you also deserve to know.

Traditional retail has been making ridiculous amounts of money off of consumers for generations (yes even the yoga apparel companies). It has operated in an inefficient way, with consumers conformed to only one way of purchasing apparel. These companies send production overseas to maximize on costs and profit, resulting in mass overproduction of a low-to-medium quality product and the consumer paying more money.

Many people think they are getting high quality, but that is because they don’t really know what high quality actually is and how badly they are getting ripped off.

One company is transforming how we buy activewear apparel by bringing manufacturing and jobs back to the USA while making the highest quality, most durable activewear on the market. The company is called Four Athletics.

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Four Athletics has a meaningful, authentic and really awesome story. Four founders, 2 sets of brothers. One set of brothers own a crossfit gym, the other set work in the apparel industry. Together, they all saw a need for highend training apparel at an affordable price with a more efficient business model, and Four Athletics was born.

How Their Model Works… Better In 1980, America made 80% of its clothes in the USA. Today, that number is down to 2%. Re-read those first two sentences to fully comprehend those numbers.

Four Athletics uses a crowdfunding model, with their own unique aspects. Using this model allows them to line up supply and demand 100% of the time. Every piece of clothing already has a home before it is even being produced. Compared to the traditional retail model, they don’t have any warehousing fees, middleman, mark up, etc. Four Athletics has eliminated the high costs that traditional companies accumulate and incorporate into the price tag of their over priced products.

W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

DID YOU KNOW ?

Only 2% of the clothes worn in the U.S. are actually made in USA. USA

MADE

2%

WEAR THAT 2%

â„¢

USA MADE Premium Activewear

SOLD AT

WHOLESALE

W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

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EDUCATE | Bringing the Yoga Lifestyle into the Yoga Apparel Market

...the consumer is getting the highest quality fabric for activewear at an affordable price – up to 60% off of the current popular brands that are using the cheaper fabrics.

Logistically, they have strategically placed production facilities to do orders of all sizes, adding flexibility for anyone who wants to resale, or package with consumers. With their facilities and manufacturing strategically in place, they know the margins for each of their products to fulfill each order.

Therefore, minimum orders are not a problem and large orders are easily fulfilled making it logistically achievable for customers to receive product in the scheduled timeframe within production windows. In all, their model is a more efficient way to produce and distribute clothing.

The biggest inefficiency in the apparel industry is being able to accurately forecast supply and demand.

As a result, there are inefficiencies of overproducing, mass marketing, and having to warehouse products. All these add costs and are wasteful to a business. The Four Athletics model allows them to manufacture the highest quality materials here in the USA and accurately forecast supply and demand, which results in less costs for them and savings being passed on to the consumer.

Act on Trends Immediately Affordability The business model of a traditional apparel company begins with choosing a fabric and working forwards to build a profitable production model of their chosen fabric, often resulting in cheaper fabric being chosen.

Four Athletics started with the best fabrics and worked backwards to find a model where the consumer is getting the highest quality fabric for activewear at an affordable price – up to 60% off of the current popular brands that are using the cheaper fabrics.

CROWDFUNDING MODEL

TRADITIONAL RETAIL MODEL PRODUCTION Guesswork and an inability to line up supply and demand leads to overproduction and excess costs.

You choose what we make and we only produce what is ordered. We line up supply and demand 100% of the time.

WAREHOUSING Thousands of excess units sit in warehouses waiting to be shipped to retail stores.

Every product we make already has an owner. It is shipped from our factory production is complete.

MARKETING Retailers promote multi-million dollar add campaigns to convince you to buy.

You choose what gets made, not the other way around. If enough people back it, we make it.

BRICK & MORTAR STORES Fancy lights, decorative displays, middle men. These costs are commonly known as the “Retail Markup”

Nope. And with the money you save, you can buy your own fancy lights.

PRICE These added costs can contribute to retail prices up to 5X more than the construction cost for a given item.

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No waste, no warehouses, no middlemen, just premium quality products delivered at wholesale.

With their model, they are able to take risks on trends without the costs and inefficiencies. This allows the consumer to play the role in what Four Athletics will produce. They are able to act on real-time trends as they are occurring and market that prototype immediately – not months from now. Doing this enables the consumer to choose if that trend is a fit for the market, knowing they are getting the highest quality apparel of their new trendy product – without the costs associated or mass overproducing that traditional retail will accumulate.

This allows Four Athletics to forecast trends while getting direct and personal access to those who are purchasing the product – you the consumer.

Passion, Authenticity and Belief Four Athletics is owned exclusively by the 4 brothers themselves, enabling them to fulfill their passion and stay true to their model and mission. They are 4 brothers who are highly educated (3 have masters degrees) and experienced in their industries. They love and care about each other, have similar goals and beliefs and their #1 goal is to be in business together for the rest of their lives.

They really care about the people they work with and the image of their brand, all while showing people that there is an alternative model to traditional retail.

Editors Final Thought The human component is missing in traditional retail.

Interviewing these guys showed me this and how baldy they want to deconstruct the way traditional retailers are operating. They want people to feel like they are their tailor or seamstress and want to be able to interact with their customers. They want customers to be able to tell them what they, want, like or dislike about a certain product

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MEN’S TEE

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Technical Specs NO CHEMICALS We engineered this whole brand to be hypoallergenic, eco-conscious, and free of chemicals.

SUN PROTECTION Stay outside for as long as you want; Four Athletics’ fabric is crafted to protect you from the sun with 45+ UV protection.

KEEPS YOU COOL No matter how intense the workout, trail run, or adventure, you can rest assured our shirts will keep you as cool and fresh as possible with our exclusive cooling fabric technology. Our fabric is designed to wick sweat from the body and not stick, so you can look hot and be cool at the same time.

KEEPS YOU DRY A unique blend of fibers, our fabric eliminates moisture which means no cling. You don’t need to worry about sweat, just worry about pushing yourself.

ANTI-ODOR Our fabrics not only evaporate and absorb moisture, but they inhibit the growth of bacteria that comes with sweat. Be confident and get up close and personal before, during, or after a workout knowing that we have taken care of the odor for you.

SHRINK & FADE RESISTANT Wear this shirt. Wash this shirt. Repeat…. We have designed our fabrics to maintain shape, color, and function through the lifecycle of the product. This technology is engineered into the fibers of the fabric to ensure no deterioration and a lifelong relationship.

FOUR WAY STRETCH Our fabrics stretch in all 4 directions for optimum performance and coverage.

Move fearlessly and comfortably knowing that we have you covered.

Bluesign Approved Fabric Any fabric you see that’s bluesign approved offers the highest level of consumer safety by employing methods and materials in their manufacture that conserve resources and minimize impacts on people and the environment.

and take consumer along a journey of how clothes are made and sold. I hope you’d agree, it’s better for everyone involved.

The majority of us are unaware, maybe too loyal or even oblivious to our current favorite brands - I get it. If you could get the highest quality wear at the same or even lower price point as your favorite brand, is it worth it? Better yet, from a company that really cares and listens to you – the consumer. Anyone who has experience with them will have a good experience and love their products. The vibe and passion behind the product is clearly shown. I’m here to speak to you as a consumer that has tried every well-known brand – the quality of Four Athletics apparel is superior to the rest and their model is a better option for consumers.

Find your next pair of yogawear at FourAthletics.com W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

49

EDUCATE

Living

Your

Truth There is no doubt we are entering an age of greater spiritual awareness.

BY CARY CASTER

W

ith yoga and meditations classes on every block, endless courses, apps, and books on living the life you want (thank you, Oprah and Deepak!), there are countless resources to help us tap into that little voice deep within us. But no matter how many books we read, classes we attend or iPod webcasts we listen to, it takes constant awareness to peel off the layers to reveal our “Personal Truth”.

What keeps us from living our truth? It’s our subconscious developed from years of learned behavior to situations that we adopted as children that alter our core truth. To reveal and truly accept our intrinsic unconditional self-love, we need to step into the power of the present (Eckhart Tolle).

Every minute of everyday we can make definitive conscious decisions to manifest our highest choice.

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Connecting to the greater scheme of nature is another way to put our daily trials and tribulations into perspective.

It helps us to tap into something magnificent both universal and within ourselves! However, it has become harder to find places to be introspective while allowing us to reflect on the grandeur and majesty with which nature speaks to us. A highly effective tool we can utilize to open our hearts to our intrinsic self-love is the use of essential oils. Utilizing the intoxicating scents of essential oils can take the place of wandering through the forest or strolling in a garden. The heady scents and high vibration of essential oils can aid and support us in this ability to delve into our hearts and minds. Selecting the right oils can shift the way we think and feel to clear negative patterning and bring us into the power of our core truth.

W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

Essential Oils for Uplifting the Spirit t 3PTF 3PTB EBNBTDFOB has been known throughout history as a tonic to heal and comfort emotions of the heart, restoring a sense of well-being and self acceptance. t +BTNJOF +BTNJOVN PGmDJOBMJT has a comforting sweet aroma that helps instills a sense of calm and sensuality, enhancing desire and uplifting the emotional state. t #FSHBNPU $JUSVT BVSBOUJVN TTQ CFSHBNJB has a refreshing and anti-depressive quality with its fruity oral aroma, encouraging the release of negativity and unproductive self-talk.

Essential oils that provide Insight and self-conďŹ dence t -BVSFM -BVSVT OPCJMJT has an ability to encourage purpose and direction in ones actions with its ability to strengthen self-identity. t (JOHFS ;JOHJCFS PGGDJOBMJT has pungent and spicy aromas that act as a catalyst for movement and action towards ones desires. t +VOJQFS +VOJQFSVT DPNNVOJT has the ability to restore determination with its stimulating effect for spiritual puriďŹ cation.

Essential Oils that are Grounding and Supportive

Essential Oils to Quiet the mind t 4BOEBMXPPE 4BOUBMVN BMCVN has been part of religious rituals throughout history, due its ability to quiet the mind and encourage a meditative state to allow for introspection. t 'SBOLJODFOTF #PTXFMMJB DBSUFSJJ has the ability to calm the nervous system and relax tension. Its unique action on stilling mind chatter allows one to focus on ones spiritual awareness. t 7FUJWFS 7FUJWFSJB [J[BOPJEFT has the ability to ease the psychological babble that occurs within our minds by grounding us in the moment.

t $FEBSXPPE +VOJQFSVT WJSHJOJBOB has the ability to steady the mind chatter and help fortify conviction and spiritual certainty. t 1BUDIPVMJ 1PHPTUFNPO DBCMJO has a harmonizing effect and quiets the mind, stabilizing those who overthink and worry excessively. t 1JOF 1JOVT TZMWFTUSJT has an ability to help one stand their ground by instilling security of boundaries.

Incorporating any combination of these essential oils in a blend or inhaler, along with yoga poses that open the heart, will enhance one’s inner sanctum to develop a strong connection to self. When we develop a true unconditional love of self, we can then manifest our personal Truth!

Cary Caster, B.S., LMT, CCA is a Botanist, Licensed Massage Therapist and CertiďŹ ed Clinical Aromatherapist who is on a mission to help people be their best self every day. She believes that people can take their health into their own hands.

Cary is not only the founder and expert behind 21 Drops, an essential oil therapy company, but she is also a devoted healer who sits on the board of the Alliance of International Aromatherapists and has been featured as an essential oil expert in the Huffington Post, Vanity Fair and Martha Stewart Living, among others. Cary offers continuing education classes in Aromatherapy at the University of Miami’s iCAMP program, and throughout the country. www.21drops.com facebook.com/21drops Pinterest.com/21drops @21drops

51

EDUCATE

Why You Should

Take Time off

from Your Work to

Pursue Your Passions In 2013, my wife Kerry & I took a yearlong sabbatical from our jobs in New York with the goal of deepening our creative and spiritual life.

BY KARAN BAJAJ

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W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

O

ur journey took us from meditating in a Buddhist monastery in Scotland, to becoming yoga teachers in an ashram in the Himalayas, to writing our novels in a Portuguese artist colony and many places in between.

The time off cost a fraction of our lives in New York, yet it was the most fulfilling year of our lives. Do you have a passion that you’re unable to give full expression to because of a demanding day job? Here are some reasons why you should consider taking a sabbatical from your career to dive fully into it:

Real Growth Occurs Outside

Your Comfort Zone The Yoga Sutras liken the meaning of life to an eagle flapping its wings high, and then bringing them down gracefully. First, one grows, experiences everything the world has to offer, evolves to the maximum extent possible, and then begins his or her inward journey. In giving full wings to your passion, be it learning yoga in an ashram in India or working on a creative project in an artist retreat, you’re experiencing life outside the predictable routines of everyday life. As a result, each moment becomes one of pushing your boundaries and growing, aligning yourself to the beating heart of what it means to be alive.

Your Creative Quality and Output Will Surprise You Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, behavioral scientist and bestselling author of Flow, describes peak human experiences as moments where you lose all sense of self and no distance remains between you and your work. From great art to extraordinary athletic achievement, all moments of human transcendence occur in this state. You’ll experience “flow”, that extraordinary feeling of losing all conscious perception that you’re working, from time to time in your sabbatical because you’ll have space to concentrate single-mindedly on your passion. The resultant creative output will surprise you. In contrast, we’re always so rushed in our day-to-day living that we’re never able to take that leap into transcendence with our passions.

All Aspects of Your Life Will Transform without You Trying

Three months into my sabbatical I gave up alcohol for good, a month later I turned into a vegetarian, then I quit caffeine—and none of this with any attempt to change my diet! The space in the sabbatical allowed me to become more aware of the subtle effects of diet on my mood. I realized that even one glass of wine after dinner makes me feel sluggish in the morning and caffeine makes my thoughts race. As a result, I quit and dropped twenty pounds without trying. The space and silence that opens up in your life will make you more aware of the effects of your unproductive habits. You’ll make transformative changes without trying to and more and more psychic energy will become available to direct towards your passion.

W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

The he Usual U Irritants

off Life Will Disappear The physical discomfort in your sabbatical – whether it is taking cold showers for a month in an ashram in the Himalayas or sharing a room with sixty snorers in a Scottish monastery or taking a thirty six hour long bus ride from Greece to Turkey in local buses — and the significant emotional upheavals that one faces outside the comforts of home puts first world problems in perspective. Once you return, you will find yourself less reactionary and more a witness to petty office politics, an offhand remark made by a cousin on Thanksgiving, how your career seems to be going nowhere, and other modern living annoyances, all energy that can be directed to working on your passion projects after work. And if you are lucky enough to take a sabbatical with your significant other, you will go through so much together that you’ll rarely bicker about small things again.

Nothing Would Have

Changed in the World

When You Get Back

Two new restaurants would have opened up in your neighborhood, your old job is replaced by a new one, a few friends have gotten engaged, the same ups and downs and predictable rhythms of life. So don’t sweat even a bit about the world passing you by when you were backpacking across Sri Lanka, working on your art. Nothing changes in your absence. Except you—and quite dramatically, at that!

Karan Bajaj is a #1 bestselling Indian novelist whose first worldwide novel, The Yoga of Max’s Discontent (Random House) has been called the “one novel that will change your life in 2016”

by The Daily Telegraph. The book was inspired by Karan’s one year sabbatical traveling from Europe to India by road and learning yoga and meditation in the Himalayas.

53

EDUCATE

Designing

the Life of

Your

Dreams They say life is all about finding the perfect balance – but why is this often not as simple as it sounds?

BY KIERA NACHMAN

P

erhaps because this elusive “balance” is completely different for everyone. This individualized approach to well-being is part of the appeal of Ayurveda. Conscious folks here in the West are rapidly discovering their personal truth through the wisdom of the 7,000 year old “science of life” from India. Ayurveda is not only a medical science – it is also a way of healthy living, which stresses living in the rhythms of your own nature. It is an individualized science, which recognizes that each and every one of us has a different blueprint to unlock our optimal state of health.

Why do some of us thrive living in the hot, dry desert of Ari-

54

zona, while others are perfectly content in damp, cool Seattle?

How come some of us are attracted to the big city life in New York, while others prefer a quiet existence on a remote island?

Not living in sync with lifestyle choices that keep us in balance can spell trouble for our mental, physical or spiritual health.

A great deal of what we are attracted to in life, is influenced by our constitutional type. As you will see, we need to make our life choices keeping in mind what balances or unbalances us. How can you design your life to be sure that you are living in optimal balance with your dosha?

Read on, then start planning!

W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

Work-life Like it or not, most of our waking ours are spent devoted to being at work, traveling to work, or thinking about work.

So, don’t you want to know what careers are suitable for you, based on your dominant dosha?

a hot and humid summer day can be. Ireland or the Pacific Northwest are ideal climates to balance Pitta’s fiery nature.

Kapha Kapha types naturally feel heavy and have excess mucus, so they do best in dry and warm places – like the American Southwest.

Vata Vata-types do NOT do well in work situations or environments with too much stimuli. Vatas need to be mindful to limit their exposure to fluorescent lighting, electronic wiring, ringing phones, and loud copiers or printers. Similarly, work that requires a lot of travel is not beneficial for Vata’s overall well-being.

The ideal job for a Vata type would have enough excitement to hold their interest but sufficient routine to avoid imbalances.

Pitta Let’s face it – Pittas need to be the boss. If possible, Pitta-dominant types should start their own businesses. By nature aggressive and self-promoting, Pittas are the best at marketing and selling their own brand. Pittas should ideally have sufficient challenge to keep them occupied without the stress of severe competition in the workplace.

Exercise according to your dosha Vata Vata types have the least amount of endurance and become exhausted easily. However, they also love the exhilaration of exercise and the exercise “high”. Vatas should start slow and build up their strength with more gentle, grounding exercise. Exercise that aligns their energy is helpful, too. They tend to have joint problems, so they should gravitate to exercise that doesn’t aggravate the joints. It is also good for Vatas to stick to a regular exercise routine. I would recommend yoga, tai chi, barre class, or dance class.

Kapha Kaphas, are steady and stable, and don’t get bored with routine – so they are able to handle jobs that might bore other types – such as accounting or administration. With their sweet compassionate nature, they are also wonderful in “caring” professions as a counselor or a healer.

Climate Physical and mental ailments can even develop by living in a climate that aggravates one’s dosha over an extended period of time. I recently had a Kapha-dominant client living in a cold and damp Kapha climate (London) who was experiencing some common signs of a Kapha imbalance: cystic acne, slow digestion, and candida overgrowth. Meanwhile, her Vata-dominant sister was living in Vata-dominant Berlin, and was suffering from Vata conditions like dry skin, insomnia, and anxiety. We don’t always have complete control over where we get to live - but we should at least be aware of how our climate is affecting our minds and bodies.

Vata Vata types need grounding and heating, and feel the best in warm, dense moist climates. Ideal locations would be the tropics: think Hawaii or Florida.

Pitta Pitta types need cool, breezy, and drier climates. If you are Pitta-dominant, you know how uncomfortable W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

Pitta Pitta-dominant people are athletic and naturally competitive. However, they need to balance their tendency to get overly aggressive and competitive. Swimming/ water sports, wind surfing/water skiing or skiing are best. These are also advised because Pittas need to have fun while exercising so they don’t get overly competitive.

Pittas also need to avoid becoming overheated (i.e. the water sports).

Kapha Kaphas are sturdy and strong and tend to have the best endurance and can handle the most exertion. However, they also tend to be lazy and have the most resistance to exercise. They need movement and energetic stimulation to counter this laziness. Exercise for Kapha is crucial to counter weight gain, improve lymph circulation, and fight cellulite. Kaphas should do vigorous cardiovascular exercise like spinning or running.

Kiera Nachman is an Ayurvedic practitioner based in New York City, where she has a private practice. Kiera created Sundara Holistic, an Ayurvedic skincare and wellness brand, with a commitment to the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda. Sundara Holistic products are 100% organic and non-toxic, using only food-grade and plant-based ingredients. www.sundaraholistic.com @sundaraholisticbeauty sundaraholisticbeauty

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EDUCATE

10 Things to Stop Wasting Your Time On and

Live Freely

BY BRIAN MCFADDEN

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Compulsive “OCD” busyness

Over-exercising

Rather than stretching your to do list to 28 items tomorrow, reduce to 5 and schedule time to NOT be busy.

Being overly ‘busy’ these days for the sake of filling up our days to feel productive is causing massive burnout and influencing an increased amount of adrenal fatigue in our society today.

With the majority of my career being in fitness, I’ve learned that too many people (myself included) invest way to much energy into physical exercise and not into other areas of their life which would have more of an impact on their health than exercise alone. Unless you’re a competitive athlete, there is no need to exercise 2-3 hours a day or more. In fact, I encourage MED (minimum effective dose) exercise. This will be relative to the individual based on numerous factors, but the concept is to find the minimum amount of exercise you need to produce the results you desire.

2 Comparing yourself I know this one is difficult because we are surrounded and flooded with media marketing that tells us to be better than everyone around you. However, have you noticed how draining this is? The constant hunger of the ego whispering in your ear, “I’ve got to have a better car than my neighbor, I’ve got to have a better body than those at the gym, I’ve got to out produce my co-worker, I’ve got to look better than him so I can impress her”... and the vicious cycle goes on and on. At the end of the day, comparison robs you of joy.

3 Mindless distractions The average person watches 4 hours of TV per day. I would argue to throw in YouTube and Social Media surfing in that fact too. That’s 28 hours a week and 10,220 hours a year of mindless distraction. I hear people say all the time, “I’m so busy, I don’t have time to make healthy decisions.” Often times it’s non-sense after investigating their energy management in regards to time. What I see often is very smart and intelligent people massively distracted and becoming great at meaningless things.

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5 Energy vampires You know what I’m talking about, right? The people in your life that just suck the life, hope and energy out of you. Those people. I’m not saying don’t love them, but set boundaries in the amount of time you are around them.

6 Wanting stuff you don’t have With the amount of access we have these days, it’s easy to get caught up in wanting more and more of everything. The problem with that is, the satisfaction of new stuff is fleeting and the law of diminishing returns sets in as you get more stuff more often. What ends up happening is you feed the desire that can’t and never will be satisfied and often times, leads you to buying things with money you don’t have to impress people you don’t care about.

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7 Gossiping Just don’t do it.

8 Being a slave to e-mail Batch your time of checking email. You’ll have to evaluate your situation to see what will work for you. I check mine twice a day and that’s it. I don’t open it or leave it open unless it’s “check my email” time. Trust me this will save you a lot of mental energy, do it.

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The mistakes you’ve made Be willing to love and forgive yourself. The enemy has a way of placing a foothold on you when you allow self-doubt and fear to enter your mind and body.

Prayer and meditation must be your weapon against this. A short and powerful meditation can be done daily, something like this: I am willing to let go of all of the self-doubt and fear today. I forgive myself for getting stuck in that mindset. I believe in miracles and I am ready to receive the power I need to live the life I’m called to live with love, energy and focus. Failure is not who I am, only a lesson to make me better.

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Everything that happens around you I appreciate the art of the Stoic philosophers who’s aim was to provide practical application to life. An underlying theme of Stoic writings claim that, “you don’t have control over what happens to you, however you do have control over the way you react to it.” A “turning obstacles into opportunity” mindset allows you to navigate through life with a level head.

Brian McFadden is a practical minimalist and plant-based eater. He writes about health, happiness and simple living. If you’re into that stuff you should sign up for his no gimmick, spam free newsletter and follow him on Twitter.

BrianEdwardMcfadden.com @_brianmcfadden

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EDUCATE

How to Rid Yourself of Being Overly

Helpful Helen Many women these days find themselves to be “jugglers.” They feel pressured by day-to-day responsibilities of paying bills, grocery shopping, shepherding children about, meeting work deadlines and so forth.

BY SHOBA SREENIVASAN, PH.D. & LINDA E. WEINBERGER, PH.D.

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any women these days find themselves to be “jugglers.” They feel pressured by day-to-day responsibilities of paying bills, grocery shopping, shepherding children about, meeting work deadlines and so forth. They are sandwiched between childcare and eldercare obligations. We call this “Helpful Helen,” a pattern that emerges in women who try to be “everything to everybody at all times” and in the process neglect their own well-being.

There is a toxic psychological effect to being overly Helpful Helen, it leads to emotional starvation. Why? Because, Helpful Helen is consuming what we label a diet of “high fat” or negative emotions such as worry, resentment, anger, pessimism that comes from putting oneself second place. In doing so, she has moved from being a person to a “thing” in her relationships. Others view her as a tool because she has so over-identified with “doing” that she has stopped “being.”

Gregor Samsa, the character in Kafka’s novella, The Metamorphosis, would have understood Helpful Helen’s pain. Gregor supports his elderly parents and sister working himself to the bone as a traveling salesman, sacrificing his life and happiness for them. He believes that it is his duty to do so. Then one day he wakes up and finds that he has, literally, turned into a horrible giant cockroach. His family is revolted by him, and soon Gregor discovers that he was of value only for what he gave rather than who he was.

Now as a giant insect he is a repulsive burden to them. It doesn’t end well for poor Gregor.

Many highly successful, organized and task-oriented women are just like Gregor- they do and do, become defined by what they do for others rather than who they are.

They become tools in their family, work, and friendships.

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That is, they are a thing, an instrument, rather than a person. The “bad guys” aren’t the family or employers, but Helpful Helen’s pathological helpfulness.

3 ways to rid

yourself of being overly

Helpful Helen LOOK at the situation or relationship as you would a box of cereal: is this something worth consuming?

ASSESS its nutritional value to your emotional health- how is being overly helpful leading to ingesting toxic high fat negative emotions?

ACT reduce interactions and actions that are emotionally draining such as worry, sadness, anger, resentment, guilt, shame; increase interactions that bring in psychological nourishment: joy, excitement, optimism The critical issue to consider is—how much do we value ourselves and our emotional health so as to take care and protect ourselves from people or events that are emotionally unhealthy for us.

When we become Helpful Helen we are psychologically abusing ourselves. This type of martyrdom does W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

Genuine giving comes from a place of love - of yourself and others; giving that results in feeling drained comes from a place of resentment.

Dr. Shoba Sreenivasan earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from UCLA in 1986 and completed a post-doctoral forensic fellowship at USC. She is a Clinical Professor at Keck School of Medicine of USC, works as a VA psychologist, and has a private forensic psychology practice.

She’s co-authored Totally American, a motivational book, and authored the Mattie Spyglass series. She has also written numerous scholarly publications and book chapters in the fields of forensic psychology, violence risk assessment, and Veterans’ issues.

Dr. Linda E. Weinberger earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology no one any good: not the people you think you are helping; nor yourself. Genuine giving comes from a place of love- of yourself and others; giving that results in feeling drained comes from a place of resentment.

Unlike Gregor Samsa, Helpful Helen does not have to end up as a giant cockroach. The route to reclaiming one’s personhood starts by understanding one’s psychological nutritional intake, reducing the diet of junk emotions and moving toward the nourishing emotional food.

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from the University of Houston in 1979 and subsequently completed a postdoctoral forensic fellowship at USC. She has been the Chief Psychologist at the USC Institute of Psychiatry, Law, and Behavioral Sciences, and Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Keck School of Medicine of USC for over three and a half decades. She is the author of numerous book chapters and scholarly publications in the fields of forensic psychology, suicide risk, and violence risk assessment.

Learn more about authors on

psychologicalnutrition.com

Psychological Nutrition (Holy Moly Press) can be purchased from Amazon, Barnes and Noble Online, and psychologicalnutrition.com.

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EDUCATE

Why I say

“Thank You” to my

Mental Illness

The first time I stepped foot on my yoga mat I felt intimidated.

Today, I feel empowered. What caused the change? Yoga.

BY KATE VAN HORN

A

bout two years ago, I first attempted yoga at my home. I felt lost at the time as I had just learned of my bipolar diagnosis. I now thank the practice and my mental illness often. I make it a priority to complete at least one asana daily. It’s medication I have prescribed myself; medication for my soul.

To provide a brief history, by the age of 23, I had fought to recover from anorexia, overcome anxieties, and bouts of depression. Then when I was chosen as the recipient of a new label, one deeply rooted in stigma and isolation, I was devastating. Who chose ME for that too?! Furious, I felt robbed of “normalcy” and terrified.

Upon hearing the news of my mental illness, I began a new treatment called Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. DBT was different. Derived from Buddhist practices, DBT has a strong emphasis on mindfulness. I was skeptical, yet intrigued.

Mindfulness was foreign to me. Living in a state of disassociation and avoidance had become my routine.

I was unaware that I was missing joy, details, and depth.

However, as I practiced I was astonished; it worked.

I practiced mindful meditation. Yoga soon became a form of moving meditation and I fell more in love. It represented more than the physical, and it was then that I discovered yoga’s power. My mind raced less and my heart was lighter. I felt better about my body and my relationships with others and myself.

With confidence increasing, I became more hungry to deepen my recovery. Ironically, the hunger led me to reconsider my eating.

Having always valued nutrition, I became curious of vegan diets. I watched the obligatory NetFlix documentaries discussing the American diet. There seemed to be a clear correlation between the compassion therapists were teaching me to provide myself and the lack of compassion for other species.

I wondered, “Could I feel better about myself if I adopted a more compassionate lifestyle? Could I manage my bipolar through lifestyle changes and thrive with mental illness?”

In a short time I discovered when I ate whole foods and appreciated my body, I found what I was longing for; balance. My body and soul began thanking me through greater confidence, more regulated emotions, and heightened motivation and creativity. I stopped pretending I was doing well, and started feeling well.

Today I’m developing plant based recipes, passionately blogging, expressing myself creatively, and most importantly still practicing yoga. What a journey. And although the food and fitness appear first in my blog, readers who delve deeper into my content find that I strive to create a safe internet space filled with positivity and hope.

Stigmas, labels, and

I make it a priority to complete at least one asana daily. It’s medication I have prescribed myself; medication for my soul.

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Your mat holds zero judgement.

Young or old, gay or straight, male or female, you’re a yogi. preconceived notions about mental health are not found on my blog. It’s a label free zone like the yoga mat.

I often say “Thank you, bipolar.” Finding a positive influence in this illness wasn’t expected. But thankfully, bipolar has proved me wrong. My life changed when I started to believe it didn’t define me or my future. I challenge you to say “thank you” to your hardships and insecurities as well.

Chances are there is an undeniable connection between their negative impact and your greatest strength. They offer a gift. Not finding the gifts they offer could cloud your ability to see purpose, pursue passions, or live your best life.

Discover what foods and activities leave you feeling the most joy, the most loving of your body and sound of mind. Find what makes you forget your labels, and prioritize those activities.

I personally believe that food has a direct relation to our mood and confidence. Nourish yourself with wholesome nutrition and feel the emotional connection to your consumption. Eat well and practice yoga, I say.

For those of you struggling with a label, practice yoga for compassion and acceptance.

Practice for strength to endure the next event that tests your resilience. Know your mat holds zero judgement. Young or old, gay or straight, male or female, you’re a yogi.

As you close your practice, bring your hands to heart center and bow gently. With a humble gesture signifying gratitude and peace, you will have won the battle between label and truth.

Kate Van Horn is a health blogger, vegan recipe developer and mental health advocate. Her blog, kaleinit. com features her journey in recovery as well as plant based recipes, yoga and healthy lifestyle tips. Through yoga, mindfulness and healthy eating, Kate has found a greater sense of balance that allows her to thrive despite mental illness. Her goal is to inspire others to feel comfortable in their skin and feel proud of their journey rather than defined by their struggles. www.kaleinit.com

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EDUCATE

Cutting “Diet”

Out of Your Vocabulary and

Eating for the

Best You

Diets do not work, which has been proven over and over again

BY ILANA MUHLSTEIN

T

he New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and countless Peer Reviewed Research Journal Articles keep reporting the same conclusion - fad, too-easyto-be-true diets do not work, and that losing weight and keeping it off requires a whole lifestyle behavioral approach that is all-encompassing and requires hard work.

Diets stand for “Did I Eat That?” They make people completely obsessed and fixated with what they can not eat which does the exact opposite of a healthy and helpful lifestyle- they make you incredibly preoccupied with food!

And it is virtually impossible to lose weight and keep it off with that degree of preoccupation and obsession with food.

The most ironic line people tell me is “I did Atkins/ paleo/shakes/grapefruit/etc. and it worked really well but then I gained it all back and then some.” That line, in and of itself, means that the diet didn’t work! I think we can all agree that just about any catchy sounding diet that interferes with your past unhealthy habits can get you to lose a weight very quickly. However, a true measure of a successful weight loss plan is one that is realistic and attainable, and results in long term weight maintenance.

Statisticians have shown that 99.5% of dieters fail- meaning that they gain all of their weight back or gain even more weight back. And yet people still start new diets every Monday morning. That is like saying you are on a cliff with 200 people, all trying to cross the water to get to this island with beautiful, healthy and happy people. But unfortunately the water is crawling with sharks. There is another path to get to the island that takes a bit longer and involves some more physical labor, but it is guaranteed to

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get you to the island safe. The first 100 people standing with you decide they want to get to that island fast so they jump into the dangerous waters and before your eyes, you watch as 99 people get eaten by sharks. But low and behold, one person successfully bypassed the sharks and made it to the island alive. Now that you’ve witnessed 99 people perish before you, which route do you take?

It is so wild to me that people continue to try new diets.

I am so blessed to have lost 90 pounds and never got into any silly diets along the way. Yes, there were points of frustration, hard work and difficulty but I promise you, I will never go back and neither will any of my clients. And the best part is that it is truly positivity that gets you there.

Following any diet that has a “not allowed” list won’t work. I know you don’t believe me but I promise you, I have tested and seen this with thousands of people. For instance, if you say in your head “no bread, no bread, no bread,” at a very unconscious level, all you are basically saying all day is “Bread! Bread! Bread!” You may not realize it, but it is completely and totally sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

And the worst part is that when you inevitably give in and eat the bread, you punish yourself for it. You tell yourself that you “cheated” and are bad for not complying. Yet, you aren’t bad! Of course you aren’t, and “cheated” is such a negative word that is only associated with negativity. And that negative mind will never lead to a positive life.

I strongly encourage you to start following my positive and effective approach with two of my greatest tips for successful weight management. The first one is to repeat my 4 trademarked words that will cure the obesity crisis in W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

Top 6 Fad Diet Truths You Should Never Ignore Diets increase your OBSESSION AND PREOCCUPATION WITH FOOD, making your thoughts and cravings for your comfort foods even more intense and harder to ignore.

99.5% OF FAD DIETERS regain their weight, which makes the diets’ failures, not you.

Those before and after pictures are all photoshopped. I used to know somebody who was responsible for editing them and would boast about getting someone to look like they had lost 60 POUNDS IN A MATTER OF 10 MINUTES. It is all a money game. The weight loss market is a $64 BILLION DOLLAR MARKET, it all comes down to trying to sell you something. If there were really a magic pill or shake, wouldn’t everyone be taking it?

Working ONE ON ONE WITH A DIETITIAN HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY PROVEN TO BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE tool for getting people to lose weight and keep it off. Check your insurance provider and search online for a dietitian in your area with proven success.

And no, “health coaches,” “lifestyle coaches,” “nutritionists,” and personal trainers are not dietitians. DIETITIANS ARE THE SOLE EXPERTS IN NUTRITION and have undergone the longest, most reputable, and extensive education and experience with nutrition knowledge and counseling.

America; “Water First Veggies Most ™.” We are constantly confusing our hunger and thirst cues, and if before eating, you always drink at least 16 ounces of water first and you ensure that your meals and snacks consist of vegetables most, I promise you can start managing your weight and feeling amazing right away!

And my next tip is when you do indulge in something delicious and decadent, don’t punish yourself and look at it as a “cheat.” Cheating evokes feelings of guilt and leads to overeating. Think of it as a “treat,” that you will instead savor, and enjoy mindfully and help you feel so satisfied that you may not feel the need to have that treat again for awhile.

Ilana Muhlstein is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with a private practice in Beverly Hills, at UCLA, and for A&E’s hit new show Fit to Fat to Fit. Ilana’s own 90-pound weight loss gives her the cutting edge in nutrition counseling, using her positive approach to help others achieve a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Ilana also stays constantly energized by her husband Noah, daughter Olivia, and devoted yoga practice.

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63

EDUCATE

Insanely Delicious

Vegan Recipes

BY BETHANY UGARTE @LILSIPPER

Zucchini Roll Ups Ingredients Zucchini Dip Makes about 1 1/2 cups prepared 1 large avocado 3 cups zucchini (chopped)

Directions Steam zucchini and soak up retaining liquid with a paper towel(s). Transfer to a small bullet blender and pulse a few times to get a small “rice like” texture (don’t pulse too many times or it will become a puree!). Squeeze out any extra moisture from that with paper towels again. Set aside.

Mash avocado, mix with zucchini and add preferred spices such as lemon juice, garlic powder, salt & pepper, etc. to taste.

Slice zucchini in a mandolin on medium thickness.

Heat grill and coat/spray with oil (I used coconut oil spray). Lay zucchini slices on grill for a few seconds until you start to see grill marks - no need to flip! Remove from grill and set aside to cool.

Prepare dip.

Spread filling onto grilled zucchini and roll up!

They will naturally hold their shape!

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Black Bean and Tomato Bun Burger Ingredients Heirloom Tomato Patty 1 cup Black beans 1/2 cups Quinoa 1/2 cup Ground flax seeds Favorite spices Toppings Grated zucchini Red pepper hummus Fresh avocado

Directions Roast tomato for 5 minutes.

Mix patty ingredients and form into patties.

Assemble burger with remaining ingredients and serve.

Carrot Hot Dogs Ingredients 4 Jumbo carrots 2 Tbsp tomato paste 1 Tbsp raw honey or agave 1 tsp mustard 1 tsp apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut carrots to desired length & trim with a vegetable peeler.

Whisk remaining ingredients to create your sauce/ketchup.

Smear sauce on carrots and place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Roast until caramelized and fully cooked through, about 15-20 minutes (depending on how thick and how many carrots you are roasting), rotating and brushing carrots with the remaining sauce halfway through. It’s ok for them to be “al dente” with a little crunch.

Serve each in a hot dog bun of choice with your favorite condiments!

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EDUCATE | 7 Insanely Delicious Vegan Recipes

Da airy Free Mac n Ch he eese Ingr In ngred diiie d ients ents nts 1 hea ad cauliflower 1-2 2 lo ong carrots carro s 1/3 cup nutritional yeast (optional) 1/4 cup p shredded vegan/reg vegan/r g chedd da ar (opt ona (optio nal))

Dire ections Stea am cauliflower cauliflo er and carrotss until soft.

Drain water, and blend both in a hig Drain gh spee gh speed ed blend der (I use se a vitamix) untilil silky ssm smooth. mooth. m h.

IfIf using usi g nutritional yeast and/orr chee c se, add dd in now and now no nd d blend again unt until well wellll mixed we d. d.

Stir iin n pre-cooked mac or o whatever yyour hea t des heart esirires ie .

Jicama Fries Ingredients Jicama Coconut oil/spray Garlic/Italian herbs Sea salt to taste

Directions Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees°F. Cut jicama (skin removed) into sticks.

Lightly coat/spray with oil.

Season to taste.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, flipping half way through (it’s ok if they’re still “al dente”).

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S’m mores ores Bark Ingred In gredients diie ients ents Coco C oco onut oil o Caca ao powder p r Grahams Grah hams Vega an Mini Mars Marshmallows sh hmallows

Diire D Dire ections Melt equal part co oconut oil and cacao powder powderr to creatte a sauce.

Pourr sauce into o mini mini molds off choice h i e (I used d silico one mini bre ea ad loaff molds).

Sprin nkle a Tbsp of of crushed grahams per mold d.

Ve Veg egan ega gan Mintt and Chip p “K Klondike” bar

Piece e a partt 2 mi m nii marshmallows a s a o s (vegan oness are ae o t th ou out here iff you lo ook!)) and and d place on top off eac ch.

F ee e for Fr Freeze o 30 0 min minutes nu ess or until nutes u il chocolate chocolate h has ha ass a beco be eco c me har ha ard. ar S ore in St Store in fre reez reezer ee e er untilill ready to consume!

If you’re not already following @lilsipper on Instagram, then you are missing out on this spectacular page filled with will delicious treats and eats that are actually GOOD for you! Bethany Ugarte started her @lilsipper Instagram page as just a hobby a few years ago, but now it has taken off full force and is now her career! We saw a few healthy re-makes on her page that we just couldn’t pass up sharing.

And yes, they’re all healthy! @lilsipper

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THE ONE LOVE MOVEMENT “SERVE YOUR HEART”

The One Love Movement Presents

Trevor Hall

Proceeds will support the One Love shelter in India, home to 22 kids Date: Sat. October 8th, 2016 @ 9pm Location:

in Solana Beach

Tickets & info: jointheonelovemovement.org

EDUCATE

Forever Young:

The Many Health Benefits of Mushrooms with 'Om, Organic Mushroom Nutrition'

BY SANDRA CARTER

M.A., MPH, PH.D. FOUNDER & CEO, OM ORGANIC MUSHROOM NUTRITION

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oga is all about mindfulness. Whether you’re focusing on your practice or reflecting during a meditation session, yogis know that being mindful of the food they eat can have boundless health benefits including increased energy, mental clarity, weight loss and more.

Among many must-have ingredients in the mindful yogi’s kitchen are mushrooms. Mushrooms have been topping superfood lists for thousands of years. Until now, they’ve been most prominent in eastern cultures for their ability to heal a vast array of health conditions.

More recently, western cultures have taken notice of their powerful wellness ingredients, and taste, often incorporating them in popular staples like stuffed mushrooms and Portobello-topped salads. In addition to being flavor-

Powerful beta glucans in Om Reishi provide immune system and cardiovascular support, along with natural adaptogens. It also helps with stress management, keeping you mentally and physically balance.

ful, the fungi is known to boost your immune system and metabolism, in addition to being a great source of iron and vitamin D. While culinary mushrooms can be purchased in the produce section at your local grocery store, medicinal mushrooms which have a broad array of powerful benefits are not as easily consumed due to their tough exterior.

Luckily, Om Organic Mushroom Nutrition has developed a premium line of all-natural mushroom powders that are completely flavorless. The brand’s enriched blends can be added to morning smoothies, homemade granola bars, muffins and more for a health and wellness boost, pre or post yoga and exercise.

With 10 organic, vegan, non-GMO and gluten-free options, Om is designed to enhance the mind and body in a pure, natural way. Here are just a few of Om blends’ superpowers:

Om Lion’s Mane, also known as the smart mushroom, promotes cognitive and nerve health while inspiring clarity, creativity and positive moods.

Om Beauty is a blend of eight different mushOm Restore is formulated to assists the body with positive inflammation response.

It also supports detoxification, immune system support and energy replenishment.

Om Fit provides extra energy to help you power through a hectic workday or calorie-burning workout. Supports endurance training with increased oxygen delivery while promoting healthy recovery and supplying lasting energy.

The antioxidant count in Om Chaga is off the charts!

This blend is known to have some of the highest levels of antioxidants and possesses anti-aging properties to retain your youth.

Om Cordyceps does wonders for your respiratory health, allowing for optimal oxygen consumption and delivery to increase energy, endurance and vitality.

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room species, formulated specifically for endocrine support and a boost of beauty! This blend promotes lustrous hair, glowing skin and strong nails with biotin, Vitamin D beta glucans and antioxidants to stimulate cellular restoration.

Om Maitake helps balance blood sugar and insulin levels. It also supports weight control and digestion in conjunction with dietary restriction and exercise.

Lastly, its unique array of beta glucans boost immune health The experts at Om recognize that no two mushrooms are the same, and, that being mindful of your body’s needs, in addition to regular exercise or yoga, can help you be the best you.

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CONNECT

Higher Education Just Got Higher:

Yoga Teacher Training As

Part Of University Curriculum!

Just 3 years ago the average age of a yoga teacher was 29 and most yogis had been practicing for around 7 years before going to teacher training. Fast forward 3 years and the average yoga teacher training (YTT) attendee has been practicing for as little as one year.

BY JENN BODNAR

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hile yoga still boasts many mature teachers with lots of tenure, YTT candidates are now as young as 13 years old.

This is exciting, interesting and for some, a little scary for the industry. Many believe that life experience largely contributes to the impact yoga teachers are making.

According to Utah State University (USU) YTT program directors Camille Litalien and Emily Perry, it just takes intelligence, curiosity and creativity.

This fall they will be launching the first ever Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) training as curriculum for USU students in the Religious Studies department. The yoga studies curriculum will offer students the ability to get a yoga teacher certification through the Yoga Alliancep While the program is designed so that students complete the steps for a teacher certification within two semesters, classes can also be spread out over two years.

The program will also extend beyond the mat and into the classroom. “Many yoga teacher training certifications exist, but most focus on poses and the application of yoga on the mat. USU will offer a more integrated approach,” said Litalien, “with a much larger emphasis on its history, philosophy and literature."

How Was It Born?

“In my early exploration of yoga, I was drawn to an article I read about a University Professor who was infusing yoga philosophy with her regular philosophy courses,” say Perry. At the time she had been teaching pilates at a local gym and was asked to teach some yoga classes because it seemed “close enough.” After 3 months, Perry realized this was not a good idea, stopped teaching yoga and began to attend more classes and workshops. She was preparing to apply for a graduate program in Religious Studies but

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fell in love with Anusara Yoga just prior to the deadline.

She opted for Anusara Yoga Training instead of graduate school, postponing her dream of bringing Yoga Studies to higher education.

Upon completion of her initial 200-level RYT, Perry began teaching basic yoga classes at USU as part of their Movement Sciences Program. She worked with the department to offer yoga philosophy and integrated wellness classes as part of the basic yoga classes already being offered. “After several years of teaching in the department, I proposed a teacher training program that began to take root when Camille joined the faculty with a similar proposal,” says Perry.

How Does It Work?

Students have the option to complete the 200 training within one semester but can also take up to 2 years (recommended by the directors.) “There are two sides that require accommodation within this program. There are the syllabus requirements to adhere to academic standards and university policies, and there are also the syllabus requirements based on the Yoga Alliance School standards,” says Perry.

Who Is Doing It? All registered students have had some experience with yoga.

“Our students intend to use their yoga studies education to not only support their chosen academic field, but also learn more about themselves and how they can bring their understanding of greater awareness into the world as a service to others and the environment,” Perry says.

Many students have clear plans. Sophomore Yoga Studies Student Haley Wilcox says, “I have high hopes to change lives!” She says yoga helped her recover from personal trauma and learning to breathe through discomfort on her mat helped her find great strength within. “Through breathe and listening to what your body is telling you a love for oneself grows allowing yourself to be comfortable with where you are at in the present moment,” says Wilcox.

What Does It Mean For Our Future?

When asked how offering Yoga Studies as college curriculum will impact the world, Perry is hesitant to predict the future but says, “My dream would be to see yoga offered in every single public school from preschool all the way through higher education and I would like the real practice and understanding of yogic principles to be wide-spread, well known and accessible to everyone.”

This is definitely a step in the right direction. It’s encouraging to see Yoga Studies being offered as college curriculum in a time when education is marked by standardized testing, memorization, repetition and conformity.

Not only does it open up a new heights of discovery for college students, but it also makes for a well-rounded yoga teacher training experience.

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Liquido

Scholarship Opportunity!

Liquido, a global active wear clothing company, is proud to announce the launch of the first-ever ‘Create Your Own Fashion Line’ Scholarship for incoming college freshman or undergraduate and graduate students.

Each applicant is required to submit an essay of 500 words or less describing the steps needed to be taken that would bring an entrepreneur’s own fashion line to life. All applicants must submit their essay through an online form (www.liquido.com) following the Scholarship Guidelines and Regulations

by August 31, 2016. One student will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship, and will be notified via email about two weeks after the deadline for submissions.

“At Liquido, we know that saving up for college can be stressful and overwhelming at times,” said Renata Facchini, Global Distributor of Liquido Active. “We believe that scholarships have the ability to give students motivation to pursue their dreams with less worry about tuition and other school-related expenses.”

The winning essay will be judged based upon the content, style, creativity, and how persuasively the applicant presents his or her point of view. After the deadline of August 31, 2016, all entries will be reviewed, and the winning essay will subsequently be selected by a panel of three judges.

Visit

www.liquidoactive.com for full details.

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CONNECT ADVERTORIAL

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.

—Mahatma Ghandi

Adventure & Service

A New Way To Discover the World When you think of a family vacation you may immediately picture the Griswold’s humorous cross-country antics or maybe Snowboarding in Colorado for spring break. Perhaps Sea World, Disney or Universal Studios come to mind, or maybe even somewhere tropical and exotic.

BY JENN BODNAR, PHOTOS BY SANDY LEESON

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here is a saying that you should create a life you don’t need a vacation from. While unplugging and traveling can be very rewarding, it shouldn’t feel like a time to over schedule, indulge and overdo everything. Packing in every sight and activity like Clark Griswold can lead to a lot of disappointments.

We Travel Not To Escape Life, But For Life Not To Escape Us With families vacationing more than ever, multiple times per year, all over the world, the task of finding destinations that are not over-crowded, over-priced and over-commercialized is challenging. Many vacationers return home feeling the need for a ‘vacation from their vacation.” Family vacations can be a beating.

In a recent Perrin Report, travel guru Wendy Perrin asked kids what they liked best about their family vacations. Their

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“The natural beauty of Costa Rica is breathtaking and the fact that the country is taking great strides to protect its environment is inspiring. This is a country that is doing things right. Even in far-flung places, the water is clean, trash is being recycled and wildlife is being protected. Costa Rica is a naturalist’s dream.”

—Sandy Leeson, Discover Corps Volunteer response: exotic; a place radically different from home, novelty; trying something they have never tried before, downtime; they want a break and finally lose the guide books; just let it play out!

A (Not-so-Typical) Typical (Discover Corps Volunteer) Vacation After years of trips with my kids to the usual spots, all very crowded, very expensive and a little stressful at times, I was on the search for something more meaningful. Being in the yoga industry creates a great desire for great change and growth. I became interested in doing mission trips after my oldest child attended some with his youth group. These are fantastic for leadership, independence and learning about the needs of our world. Our church offers these for certain ages only, not the broad age range of my kids.

I started to look for different ways to do international service work with your children on the internet. I was not very encouraged as there really were not too many options. Eventually, I came across an organization called Discover Corps.

Their mission is to give travelers a deeper understanding of life in communities around the world. Their vision: A world where people value our shared humanity and W W W . Y O G A D I G E S T. C O M

promote global citizenship while celebrating our many unique cultures.

Needless to say, it caught my eye. In fact, the options sounded so amazing it was hard to pick just one! We settled on the Costa Rica Sea Turtle initiative, a passion for mom.

Although the itinerary was very thorough, it was hard to know what to expect when traveling internationally, alone with 3 kids! We came with an open mind.

The first night we stayed in a hotel near the airport to allow everyone’s different arrival schedules. It was nice to unwind and welcome the new culture around us. Day 2 consisted of breakfast at the hotel and a fairly long (4 hour) bus ride to a rural community where the Sea Turtle Conservancy is located. It’s a modest one room building with a projector, a few artifacts and some handcrafted souvenirs for purchase. There was a really unique, tree house style restaurant overlooking the jungle and a small grocery store. We were literally in the middle of nowhere!

After a short 30 minute ride later, we finally arrive to the beach where turtle nesting takes place. Turtle Trax hatchery is a small operation with a handful of fluctuating volunteers who help guide our patrols and offer education. We spend the next few days here with a pretty decent routine of waking up, eating breakfast,

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CONNECT | Adventure & Service: A New Way To Discover the World education, lunch, work, a little downtime, dinner and nightly turtle patrol.

The area is fairly spread out. We had a one-mile walk each day from our cabin to base camp! While it never became any easier, it really was never too difficult and just became normal. It’s amazing the tolerance one can develop for crabs…everywhere: on the beach, on the dirt road, in the pool and even in the shower! Cold shower.

The accommodations were simple and inconsistent but had a lot of character, were comfortable and safe.

We learned a lot about our area, explored a mangrove and made turtle nests just like the volunteers who make them for the hatchery. Seeing mother turtles make nests and lay eggs in the middle of the night was priceless. We assisted with some updating of the facility, did a beach clean up and took breaks to swim in the ocean. Tara, our guide, explained that the nesting beach is great for

Volunteer

Travel

Travel with a purpose – on a volunteer vacation.

Recharge your spirit by discovering a country through its people. Immerse yourself in a different culture while giving back, engaging in hands-on cultural workshops, and connecting with fascinating people.

Volunteer trips allow you to experience a country in a way that other tours can’t provide. You’ll see the sights, but also dive beneath the surface to truly understand life in a new land – and return home inspired. www.discovercorps.com

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turtles but not for swimmers so we had to watch the currents closely.

It was amazing to see my somewhat picky eaters develop an appreciation for a variety of food. In fact, the food was one of their favorite things! Family style meal times were very important - a lost art in many busy homes. It was a time to relax, communicate with one another any concerns or questions, get to know one another and find out what we were doing next. We also got to experience a handful of restaurants throughout our trip that were very unique.

Our group really got to know one another as the time passed by. We had all kinds: singles and families, ages 7-75.

We had one full family unit but mostly mothers with their child(ren). Tara says that it’s almost always about 80/20 ratio of men to women when it comes to mission work. This is a number all organizations would like see more in balance.

Tara has previous experience in the Peace Corps. She lived in Guatemala for many years and decided to make Costa Rica her home. She assists Discover Corps with the Sea Turtle Initiative and leads other conscious trips as well. Her general knowledge of not just the turtles, but the community was comforting.

We wrapped up the trip with another long bus ride back to Liberia where we visited an animal rescue and made our way to our final hotel. It was great to have a couple days of civilization, hot water and a lot of adventurous play. No amusement park could compete with the thrills experienced on our zip line and river tubing tour! The grounds were amazing yet very natural. Everything was right there: geothermal pools and mud baths, horseback riding and rock climbing and even a spa.

A Meaningful Way To Travel The greatest lesson on this trip was bonding with the local community, volunteers and the other people on the trip.

Though everything seemed foreign and even people from our own country seemed so different at first, we all realized by the end of our week long trip that deep down we are all the same. Everyone has a love for nature, humanity bettering the world. and bett My kids had mixed feelings and struggled with various parts of the trip. Overall, it was an amazing va experience to learn courage, moderation, appreciation, acceptance and humanity. The parents and adults in the group concluded that all children should be exposed to travel opportunities like Discover Corps.

There are just simply somethings you cannot learn from a book, the internet or in the United States.

If we are living life to the fullest at home, there is no need to put so much pressure on family vacations. Travel should be enriching, meaningful, powerful and purposeful for everyone!

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8 Lessons Children Will Learn From Traveling Abroad Just some of the words that describe kids today. With lawsuits and liabilities lurking at every corner, it’s a wonder they leave the house even as little as they do.

Excessive rules and expectations are boxing children in more than ever before.

The problem is life is not a one size fits all. There are some things you simply cannot learn from a book, blog or pictures… nor in the comforts of home. Life must be experienced and if you are limiting your child’s exposure to other countries and communities, you may be hindering their growth in a very big way.

While recently traveling on the Discover Corps Sea Turtle Conservation mission in Costa Rica, our group concluded that travel abroad should be included in all grade school curriculum. Traveling abroad with your children can strengthen bonds between all family members.

Here are just a few valuable lessons to be learned: Most children (pretty much when they reach speaking age) begin to doubt you, or at least question everything. Removing your child from the comforts and confines of home will immediately reinforce their need for you to advocate for them. Hello customs, immigration and foreign language.

Many countries feel like “the rules are, there are no rules.”

No seatbelt, no problem! At first it can be exciting, but at some point kids need you to be accountable when those unfamiliar situations escalate. They know you have their back in these more lax settings.

1. Trust

Out of bounds evens out the playing field. Your child is not “popular” or “scholastic” in a foreign country. No matter who they are surrounded by (or not surrounded by) they will have a much greater appreciation for their new reality. They learn to accept where they are and who they’re with.

The people, the food and the activities will ultimately be treated with respect and importance as there simply is not as many options in other areas of the world.

2. Acceptance

There is not another country in our world consuming more than America. Most people in the world do not have unlimited hot water, 24 hour fast food or even internet available. You will be amazed what your children do to pass the time when you remove everyday conveniences from their life. They might play cards or play in the ocean waves.…

3. Gratitude

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for hours. Maybe they take time to learn about a new person or new endangered species. They will learn to appreciate the little, more simple things.

4. Enlightenment

Whether they try a new experience or a new food, without all the distractions and influences of home, they may learn something about themselves. They might discover they love jackfruit or they really enjoy the sense of achievement when they catch a fish. Traveling gives you a basic reset.

This creates clarity and awareness often missed in the hectic “go” mode on the home front.

Whether you’re in a small rural town or hotel, traveling with a group or even participating in small tours, your children will meet people who are different. They will meet people from different places, people who are different from their friends and family and of course the locals will likely be much different from what they are used to. Because it’s secluded, they will learn to connect and rely on this temporary tribe. Soon they will notice similarities among everyone. We are all connected!

5. Community

There is no greater consumer than the U.S. Citizen. Pretty much everywhere else in the world consumes less (of everything) than America. Things like hot water, paper towels, ice and food are treated with much greater regard. Travel provides a needed break from instant gratification. Less is more!

6. Moderation

When I think of time in other countries compared to time in the United States I’m reminded of the sloth, “Flash” in the animated movie “Zootopia.”

Everything takes a little bit longer. People walk more and take their time. Many services and businesses are not available after certain hours and you simply have to wait until the next day for many things.

7. Patience

The unknown can be scary. Change can be difficult. Traveling forces you to adapt. Different time zones, routines and practices get you out of your comfort zone. Overcoming fear is a huge lesson to be learned over a life time. Children will be encouraged to break out of their shells, seek and explore!

8. Courage

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CONNECT

Hosting Your First

Retreat 5 Steps for Planning, Pricing, and Paperwork

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BY ADI SHAKTI

amaste Goddess Powerhouse! It’s time to take your impact to the next level, and I am here as your Hippie Business Strategist and New Best Friend.

Hosting your first yoga retreat is a rite of passage. Get ready and feel ready to take the leap with these 5 simple steps.

Step 1: Make sure people are even interested and ASK them what they want….

It’s important to test the idea before you move forward in launching something that might not be of service to the people you’re meaning to serve. Think of the destinations you would most like to visit and why. Think of where your clients may want to go; physically and spiritually. Think of your target audience and: t Reflect on what your students have been craving and asking for. What are their fears, their desires? How can you serve them at a soul level? t Blast out an email to your list requesting that they reply with feedback on your ideas t Make a post on social media asking about certain dates and destinations t Create and administer a survey to know more from your community (Google forms is a great tool!) t Do SOMETHING to make sure that what you’re putting out there is even a good idea

In this early stage, it is wise to make contact with a few socially responsible yoga centers to see what they have to offer and how much they will charge for it after analyzing all your feedback.

Step 2: Get to know your market to fine tune the details…

Depending on your target demographic, you will need to adjust your program. Know your market to determine how many days you offer your retreat (how much free time do they have?), the amount of money you can charge for your retreat (are they young hippies or soccer moms?), and the time of year to host your retreat (Spring breakers?

Or Parents?). Here are a few samples of more specific questions you can ask your community through social media or surveys. t How many days would your ideal retreat be? 7? 10? More? t When are the best months for you to travel? t What is your expected retreat budget: low-budget, midrange, upper middle range, or luxurious?

Doing an online search for similar retreats can give you a good idea of what other instructors are charging for what types of experiences. Know what your colleagues are up to and what kinds of options are available.

Step 3: Be smart about developing your Pricing…

When developing your pricing, it is important to consider: t Accommodation, transport, tours, meals etc. for all customers as you determine with your socially responsible center t The amount that you want to make from each person for holding space during the retreat (recent industry

Reflect on what your students have been craving and asking for. What are their fears, their desires? How can you serve them at a soul level?

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t t

t t t

standard range is between $200 -$500 per person for a teacher without a significant following) Your airfare, lodging, and meals (before, during, and after the retreat for yourself and an assistant as needed) Customer acquisition expenses (Are you still posting to Facebook and Praying as your recruitment strategy? head over to sixfigureyogi.com for my Online Marketing and Conscious Business Growth eCourse!)

A donation to a local community initiative Administration fees and charges by banks and credit card processing 10% contingency (for the unexpected things…)

Create a detailed list of your expenses so you know what has been spent and why. Ask questions about what is included for each quotation you are given, including whether or not your stay is free. Ask about additional services and local attractions available to guests and what those cost. The more you know, the more accurate you can be in your pricing to maintain your profit margin.

Step 4: Make sure you put everything in writing…

Last but certainly not least, is taking care of all the legal paperwork. t Create a cancellation policy and stick to it. t Have all clients purchase travel insurance and make sure you have adequate insurance for yourself. (This may require that you source a travel company to hold you under their umbrella. We love The Village Experience as a retreat coordinator - experiencethevillage.com) t Have clients sign liability waivers and media releases.

(LegalZoom is great for this).

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t Sign an agreement with the resort you choose to use and any other outside service providers. Put it on paper or keep it digital… just get it in writing!

Step 5: Head over to SixFigureYogi.com... ...to learn way more about how to successfully grow your Conscious Business via my Podcast and free Online Marketing & Conscious Business Growth eCourse to make sure you get the sign ups you need to be successful.

From selling out live events and workshops to getting started in building an engaging online presence, I cover a TON in my free Online Marketing & Conscious Business Growth eCourse. You can get that over at sixfigureyogi.com.

In collaboration with Yoga Digest, we are thrilled to announce the Empowered Goddess: A Modern Business Seminar for the Awakened Woman. This is a six day immersion with me here in Costa Rica in March 2017. Make More Money & Amplify Your Spiritual Impact. Let’s do it in sacred sisterhood. More on that at www.empoweredgoddessretreat.com.

Adi Shakti

is the Creative Director of Passion Yoga School, host of the Six Figure Yogi, Creative Mastermind of the Maha Shakti Center, author, and humanitarian. Adi manifested the Empowered Goddess Seminar to serve as the launching pad for empowering impassioned new paradigm women entrepreneurs to come together to collaborate, get their s*** together, and elevate collective consciousness through creating a more loving world. Adi Shakti is a born leader, empowered creator, and active force of nature.

She enjoys a global freedom lifestyle of empowered entrepreneurship. She lives full time in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica.

Visit Adi at www.sixfigureyogi.com @adi_shakti_rising

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Rise to Your

True Calling

In Sanskrit, the word “dharma” means duty or simply, “how the world works”. Dharma is what knits the universe together.

BY AMY IPPOLITI

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he term “svadharma” (“sva” meaning self) suggests that each of us has a true calling, a gift to give, and a sacred duty to offer the world that is distinctly ours.

Others have known since they were young what their true calling is. However most of us are not that fortunate and must spend some time figuring it all out.

Sometimes our svadharma can be evasive and as a result we can feel lost. For me, this happened just after graduating from college. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, what occupation to choose, and I certainly had no clue what my purpose was.

At the time, I had a conversation with a very wise and dear classmate of mine (in the same predicament) who said something that made all the difference. He proposed, “Maybe we need to do something totally arbitrary until we discover what our true purpose is. Otherwise we’ll just be paralyzed waiting to figure it out.”

And it worked. Making the choice to do something, anything - to dive in and experiment, was the key to honing in on what it was that sparked my true calling.

After working in retail, trying my hand at acting, and teaching self-defense, what I discovered was that teaching yoga would be my life’s work.

The reason that starting with something random works is that rather than focusing on the desperation of not having a

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purpose, you turn your mind toward activities you enjoy.

You get out in the world to get your feet wet; to learn about your preferences, gain clarity about your strengths and weaknesses, and make meaningful connections with others.

In the epic tale of the Bhagavad Gita, we learn that whether or not you recognize your gifts in this life, your actions play a part in something much larger than yourself and extend out to your loved ones, your community, and even to the planet itself.

Regardless of whether you’ve discovered your svadharma or not, one thing we know is true - your actions matter. Your actions make an impact on how your life transpires. And you are always drawing on your freedom to choose your actions.

Inaction and passivity are choices too. Therefore the sooner you start making choices from an active place of your truth and from your authenticity - even if that choice feels arbitrary - the more powerful and directed your actions will be in the world.

It can be hard to grasp how the littlest things or seemingly insignificant deeds can have such a deep impact on the world. But you can and you do make a difference.

Expanding your self-awareness, jumping into life wholeheartedly, and practicing yoga with commitment all can help you access your svadharma. When you get a glimpse of your soul’s truth, your words will pour out of you from a place of power, your actions will line up with your values, and rather than sounding or being like someone you’re not, your soul will shine through.

Amy Ippoliti is the co-author of the new book, The Art and Business of Teaching Yoga. She is known for bringing yoga to modern-day life in a genuine way through her intelligent sequencing, clear instruction, and engaging sense of humor. She shares her passion for yoga, health, and earth conservation through her writings and underwater imagery with marine animals. A teacher on YogaGlo.com, she is a pioneer of advanced yoga education, co-founding 90 Monkeys, an online and in-person school that has enhanced the skills of yoga teachers and studios in 65 countries. amyippoliti.com Visit her online at

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Staff Picks Zing® Bars, the dietitian-created nutrition bars, have recently introduced a 100 calorie snack bar packed with nutrient-dense, ‘clean’ ingredients, created with the same scientific formulation of low-glycemic carbs, protein, fiber, and healthy fats contained in their popular, full-size bars. They feature a nut or seed butter base and contain real dark chocolate, as opposed to the more commonly used compound chocolates. The new 22g-25g mini Zing Bars have between 90 and 110 calories each and come in six popular flavors: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Dark Chocolate Coconut, Coconut Cashew Crisp, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter, Dark Chocolate Mint and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip.

More can be fo found att www.zing www.zingbars.com gba arrs s.com

Lillian Eve is a high performance nail polish that is 100% vegan, chemical free, and cruelty free. Lillian Eve was born from a love of color and a desire for that color to have as little impact on our health as possible. Lillian Eve is proudly 5-free, meaning our polishes are free of Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, DBP, Toluene, and Camphor. Choose from a variety of rich in the moment colors at www.lillianeve.com. $12 each.

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LifeStraw, a global leader in developing innovative filtration and purification products, incorporates its 2-stage filtration technology into the LifeStraw Go, a refillable water bottle providing safe drinking water on-the-go. The hollow fiber membrane removes 99.9999% of bacteria (E. coli) and 99.9% of protozoa (Giardia, Cryptosporidium, etc.). The activated carbon capsule reduces chlorine, bad odor and taste and organic chemical matter. Over the lifetime of the product, 1,000 liters of water can be filtered through the hollow fiber membrane, and 100 liters through the replaceable activated carbon capsule. It’s chemical free, meets U.S. EPA drinking water standards and is available in five colors. www.lifestraw.com

Tutublue is a UPF50 sun-protective activewear brand designed by Sarah Buxton. tutublue was born out of Sarah’s love of sun, fitness, health and high fashion. Sarah’s idea for tutublue came after a personal skin cancer scare and studying the damaging effects of the sun. Instead of hiding in the shade or relying on sunscreens, Sarah created the tutublue collection for just about any sport in the sun. www.tutublue.com

Upcoming Events Inner Peace in Paradise Yoga and Wellness Retreat Location: Jamaica Inn, Ocho Rios Jamaica Dates: Sept. 13-17, 2016 Website: jamaicainn.com/rates/specials.php t *OOFS 1FBDF JO 1BSBEJTF :PHB 8FMMOFTT 3FUSFBU JODMVEFT t 'PVS OJHIUT JO BO 0DFBO 7JFX BDDPNNPEBUJPOT t 8FMDPNF $PDLUBJM 3FDFQUJPO t 5XP :PHB $MBTTFT 1FS %BZ t 5XP (SPVQ 'JUOFTT $MBTTFT 1FS %BZ t 0DFBO $PNCP .BTTBHF BU 5IF Ocean Spa t 5XP 6OJRVF +BNBJDBO 5PVST *SJF 3JWFS 5PVS 5VSUMF )BUDIJOH 5PVS t %BJMZ #SFBLGBTU -VODI BOE %JOOFS t 'BSFXFMM #FBDI 1BSUZ t %BJMZ "GUFSOPPO 5FB BOE /PO "MDPIPMJD #FWFSBHFT t $PNQMJNFOUBSZ 8BUFSTQPSU "DUJWJUJFT t 5SBOTGFST UP GSPN UIF .POUFHP #BZ "JSQPSU .#+

t "MM 5BYFT

Unify Fest Sante Fe, NM Location: 4BOUB 'F /.

Date: 4FQUFNCFS UI Website: VOJGZGFTU DPN

5th Annual One Love Movement Charity Yoga Event BeneямБting local & global underserved kids.

Location: 4BO %JFHP $" Date: 4BUVSEBZ 4FQUFNCFS Website: KPJOUIFPOFMPWFNPWFNFOU PSH ZPHB FWFOU 5JDLFUT TUBSU BU *O QBSUOFSTIJQ XJUI :PHB %JHFTU .BHB[JOF UIF $IPQSB $FOUFS

Hawaii Yoga Festival Location: Kalani Dates: 0DUPCFS Website: IBXBJJZPHBGFTUJWBM DPN +PJO VT GPS UIF 'PVSUI "OOVBM )BXBJJ :PHB 'FTUJWBM 0DUPCFS o %FFQFO ZPVS ZPHB QSBDUJDF BU ,BMBOJ MPDBUFE PO UIF TPVUIFBTU DPBTU PG )BXBJJ T TQFDUBDVMBS #JH *TMBOE

SUP Yoga Basics Denver, CO Location: -JGF5JNF 'JUOFTT 1BSLFS Date: 0DUPCFS Website: FNQPXFSmUOFTTFWFOUT DPN FWFOUT 461 :PHB JT POF PG UIF GBTUFTU HSPXJOH activities in the 6 4 +PJO VT GPS 461 :PHB #BTJDT BOE MFBSO FWFSZUIJOH ZPV OFFE UP LOPX UP TBGFMZ HVJEF ZPVS TUVEFOUT UISPVHI B DPOUBJOFE XBUFS DMBTT #BTJD XBUFS TBGFUZ BOBUPNZ PG B CPBSE BMM FRVJQNFOU OFFEFE QMVT EFTJHOJOH B TBGF BOE GVO DMBTT XJMM BMM CF DPWFSFE 0'' %JTDPVOU $PEF 4617*1

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Studio Partners Everything LifePower Yoga offers its students is meant to create community and enhance human connection, get them beyond the reactions of their mind and cultivate greater self love and acceptance. LifePower Yoga studios, which reside within Life Time destinations, are known for doing that by offering students an empowering and challenging, breath-driven vinyasa practice where they can explore and soften around their edges. Although known for heated Vinyasa, their LPYoga Yin classes provide yogis living a fast paced, hard-charging life the ability to slow down and drop into themselves while healing and nourishing the connective tissue. If you’re looking for a beautiful environment to practice and be challenged while surrounded by incredible people, LifePower Yoga is worth a visit. www.lifepoweryoga.com

We serve 100% organic plant-based food that can heal the body and balance the mind. We offer detox programs, fresh pressed juice and superfood smoothies, to make it easy to nourish the body from the inside out. We offer delicious desserts and treats, uplifting the spirit.

We offer aerial yoga, yoga, meditation classes, spiritual guidance and energy healing to balance the physical, and non-physical. We simply offer a space

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to ‘be.’ A space to feel inspired. A place to meet like minded people. An alternative to a coffee shop or bar. We are creating a healthy vibrant community, that perpetuates a harmonious balance between mind body and spirit. Trilogy provides a supportive framework towards harmony and wellbeing in peoples lives. www.trilogysanctuary.com

a large hot yoga studio and a separate non-heated studio in which some of our more specialized classes and Teacher Trainings are held. We provide our students with the best possible home for their Yoga practice.

Our signature Hot Fusion Flow creates a fun, nurturing, safe, multilevel class that provides an extraordinary experience for the very beginner to the most advanced. Practice our Hot Fusion Flow anytime anywhere on our virtual studio at www.empowermovementyoga.com. For more info on upcoming Teacher Trainings, Retreats & location please visit www.theyogajoint.com

There’s an old saying: “You can’’t be all things to all people.” At We Yogis®, we fight that notion with our objective of providing “Yoga for All.” We Yogis® aims to provide a non-intimidating yoga environment where there is no comparison, no judgement, and no expectations. As such, yogis are encouraged to practice at their pace and level of comfort. All classes are taught by Dallas’ finest certified yoga instructors, who are dedicated to help you meet your practice goals. www.weyogis.com

The Yoga Joint is a space where connections are fostered not only in our bodies and minds but in our community. Our facilities include

Many people first find their way to MOSAIC through our yoga classes, however, MOSAIC is much more than a yoga studio. We offer a variety of programs in health, leadership and spiritual development in San Diego CA and Charlottesville VA. Our mission is to awaken and uplift the consciousness of human beings and thus, the world, one Soul at a time. Often people that connect with MOSAIC’s mission are those that are looking for “something more” during this time in which so many feel lost or disconnected from a larger purpose and greater meaning. We invite you to come explore with us. www.exploremosaic.com

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CONNECT

Out of Your

Comfort

Zone With

Kurt Johnsen

I Love Punk Rockers!

I thought to myself as I ran by an elfish girl with half a head of bold magenta hair. “Everyone should be a punk of some kind,” I uttered internally as I bounded up the stairs of the studio. And now I say it to you.

Admittedly, I am a big fan of the bands that distorted and destroyed guitars, banged on drums with a vengeance and screamed heart felt declarations of belief in their music during the late 70s and early 80s. In fact, even decades later, if you see me with my trusted earbuds in, there is a good chance the tunes of The Ramones, Clash, Sex Pistols, Vapors, Devo or the Psychedelic Furs are blaring through my head and often with me singing (be it poorly) along with them. However I am not talking about the music itself.

I speak of the passion and more importantly, the strength that created the punk movement in the first place. At the core of the music is the fearlessness of not buying into what is perceived as normal, standard or expected. Punk requires the strength to truly express yourself, regardless of current surroundings or tradition. Be it in a single note guitar solo, 100 safety pins in a shirt (or ear), brightly colored hair or the strength to perceive and react or respond to the world, as we wish, it is all punk rock to me.

It is also punk to enjoy a traffic jam or not succumb to the enticement of gossip. Punk is a departure from the masses and their predicable reactions and there are many opportunities to rock your punk throughout the day and not break the office dress code. I like going against the grain and being excited about rain (hey a song is forming! Or no it’s not going to turn into a musical). The masses love show off its collective wisdom by declaring things good or bad, what if you didn’t? What if we remember that the things that provide the most joy were often accompanied at some time by the most challenging or uncomfortable?

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What if your friend who lost their job didn’t get fired but was actually given a new employment opportunity?

I consider my take on yoga (American Punk Yoga and Yoga for Life) a punk version of yoga. I had rejected the presentations and interpretations of the offerings at the time often because of what I perceived to be authoritarian or dogmatic. That drove me to create my own sound, my own look and feel and play it all loudly, boldly and needing no apology.

I invite you…no scratch that. I throw down a challenge, a figurative spiked leather gauntlet for you to bring a little punk rock in your life. And just like the musicians, who cared more about the songs and statements than musicianship itself, in time, with practice, you will rock!

So turn it up or down or off, it doesn’t matter as long as you do it fearlessly and passionately from the heart.

Rock on, Kurt Kurt Johnsen

is the founder of the nationally recognized yoga system, American Power Yoga, and host of Yoga for Life. He is the CEO of Simplified Genetics, a health and lifestyle company offering proprietary genetic tests which generate actionable results for maintaining optimal fitness and assessing the genetic risks of traumatic head injuries. www.simplifiedgenetics.com facebook.com/kurt.johnsen

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