ABC of Yoga News Feed

Kevin Wall Partners with the Tadasana Festival

Kevin Wall, producer of the most watched concerts in history -- including the opening concert for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Live Earth: the Concerts for a Climate in Crisis and Live 8 -- is now partnering with the Tadasana Festival. The first to ever win an Emmy for an interactive event has joined forces with Tadasana founders Fabian Alsultany and Tommy Rosen to help spread the teachings of yoga and the beauty of international music at this groundbreaking gathering on the Santa Monica beachfront, Earth Day Weekend, April 20-22, 2012.

"With Fabian and Tommy we have an opportunity to set the gold standard as we launch our first major urban yoga and music festival," says Wall. "We will bring together the best mix of yoga, music and environmentalism and spread the message throughout the community."

"I am incredibly excited to be working with Kevin as our influence on the cultural landscape will be much greater," says Alsultany. "With Kevin's help we are going to be able to produce an event that points towards where global cultures are heading. This expression has never been put forth in the way that Tadasana offers. Kevin Wall is enabling Tommy and me to express this vision as we have always dreamed it."

Wall has been an expert in high-profile events since his early days in Indiana playing DJ at his parents' popular roller-skating rink. To date he has produced over 300 concerts, including Bob Dylan's 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration featuring Eric Clapton and George Harrison, Michael Jackson's The Dangerous Tour in Bucharest and special events for Prince and Elton John.

He is best known for his activist work, however. Helping raise awareness of important social and political events remains Wall's greatest inspiration, evidenced by his creation of Live Earth after watching Al Gore's unprecedented survey of climate change, An Inconvenient Truth. Live Earth concerts were held on seven continents and reached an audience of two billion. Wall has also been a part of other important activist events, including Amnesty International: Human Rights Now, and as a producer of the Inaugural Green Ball, sponsored by Al Gore and hosted by Van Jones.

All of this consciousness-raising work makes him the perfect partner for Tadasana Festival, which brings together a host of international influences through the celebratory mechanisms of yoga and music looking to forge a healthier, happier and more progressive 21st century global culture.

"We are thrilled that Kevin Wall has partnered with Tadasana Festival," says Rosen. "We're ecstatic that he sees the global calling for this kind of transformative event, which combines yoga, world music, environmentalism, and the lifestyle of health and wellness. Our partnership signifies a positive evolution within the yoga industry and gives the festival significant leverage in producing events internationally, with the intention of unifying the global yoga and music communities."

Tadasana Festival is unique in that it pairs the most respected yoga teachers with top world and spiritual musicians in every class. A number of names on the Tadasana Festival roster are immediately recognizable: Shiva Rea, Seane Corn, Elena Brower and Kathyrn Budig are among the most highly regarded yoga instructors of today. Pairing these teachers with international music luminaries, such as Karsh Kale, Hassan Hakmoun, Cheb i Sabbah, Vieux Farka Toure', Idan Raichel, and Vishal Vaid, is revolutionary.

Tadasana Festival takes place April 20th through 22nd, beachfront in Santa Monica at 2600 Barnard Way, Santa Monica, CA 90405 near the corner of Ocean Park Blvd and the beach. For more information, please see www.tadasanafestival.com.

2012 Boulder Yoga and Music Festival Lineup

Hanuman Festival released its 2012 lineup today, along with an updated website and early-bird registration for discounted weekend passes. The festival will take place June 8-10 in downtown Boulder, CO, and feature over 30 yoga instructors, such as hometown favorites Richard Freeman and Amy Ippoliti, as well as many others from across the country.

Hanuman Festival blends the beauty of Colorado's Front Range, Boulder's commitment to healthy and sustainable eating and living, inspiring musical talent and exceptional yoga instruction to create a supportive community for yogis and yoginis from all over the world. Instructors teaching at the festival include Kathryn Budig, Noah Maze, Beryl Bender Birch, Tiffany Cruikshank, Faith Hunter, Kia Miller, Anand Mehrotra and many more.

"Hanuman Festival is a really special event,� said Festival Director Yoshi Aono. "When you combine the magic of the Front Range, the community vibe of Boulder and the incredible intelligence from the instructors we are bringing in, you can't avoid being touched on a personal level at a festival like this one.�

Sprawling across the great lawn next to Boulder Creek, adjacent to the Boulder Farmer`s Market, Hanuman Festival features classes Friday � Sunday, with a Friday night concert and Saturday night dance party featuring Desert Dwellers, DJ Drez and David Newman. The Vendor Village will feature over sixty conscious exhibitors and sponsors selling everything from clothing to food. The Vendor Village is free to the public.

Hanuman Festival is sponsored by Gaiam, Celestial Seasonings, Earth Balance and Origin Magazine. The city of Boulder, Downtown Boulder, Inc. and Boulder High School will help host the Festival.

Hanuman Festival tickets can be purchased at http://hanumanfestival.com. Early bird rates are $279.00 and will be available until 11:59pm on Feb. 14.

About Hanuman Festival
Hanuman Festival was founded in the summer of 2010 by devoted Boulder, Colorado, yogis Valerie D'Ambrosio and Yoshi Aono. The Festival brings together their love for beautiful Boulder, Colorado, their dedication to fostering a supportive yoga community and their devotion to giving back selflessly. Hanuman Festival 2012 will take place June 8-10 in downtown Boulder, CO. The 2012 lineup features over 30 yoga instructors from across the world, as well as musical performances and a conscious Vendor Village. Following their own individual yogic paths, D'Ambrosio and Aono hope to bring yoga to the masses and unite in breath, movement, community and Boulder, CO.

source: www.pr.com

Yoga for Children With ADHD, Autism, Others

Shakta Kaur Khalsa, founder of Radiant Child Yoga Program, will lead a weekend training for parents, teachers, therapists and caregivers at Yoga Village of Clearwater to teach them how to share yoga with these special children.

One in 110 children in the United States has been diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. More than 9% of American children have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).* Many of these children are familiar with occupational and physical therapy. Those with ADHD are often given prescription drugs to help them focus.

But Shakta Kaur Khalsa, founder of Radiant Child Yoga Program, has a different viewpoint. She believes that yoga can be incorporated into the routines of children with special needs so that they can learn to strengthen their bodies, focus their minds, and open their hearts.

Shakta Kaur will be leading a weekend training at Yoga Village of Clearwater to teach parents, therapists, caregivers and teachers leading edge yogic tools that can reach the hearts and minds of children with ADHD, autism and other sensory processing differences. Shakta Kaur is one of the top five Kundalini Yoga teachers in the world and is a Montessori certified teacher. She will partner with veteran occupational therapist Allison Morgan from February 24-26 for a weekend program that can change children's lives. The program is available for CEU credits.

Yoga for ADHD and Autism will be held at Yoga Village, 2760 Daniel Street in Clearwater, FL, 33761. The cost is $395 until February 10 and $450 after February 10. Students can register at http://www.ayogavillage.com or they can call 727-712-1475 for more information.

Flexibility Not Indicative of Good Yoga Practice

No two people are exactly alike. And, according to Daniel DiTuro and Ingrid Yang, co-authors of "Hatha Yoga Asanas: Pocket Guide for Personal Practice" (Human Kinetics, 2012), the ability to modify postures to meet individual abilities is what sets yoga apart from other physical activities. "Being flexible enough to plant your forehead on your shins, sit in lotus, or wrap your legs behind your head is not indicative of good yoga practice,� Yang explains. "Instead, a sense of calm, contentment, and focus in each pose is the true foundation of yoga practice.�

According to Yang, to fully experience the benefits of yoga, practitioners must listen to their bodies and breathe, regardless of level of ability. "As with any physical activity, improvement comes with practice,� Yang says. "Range of motion, mental alertness, strength, stamina, and focus will all improve with regular and dedicated practice.�

She stresses that yoga is a practice and not a science or strict regimen. "There is no finish line or complete product,� Yang explains. "It is simply the daily practice of awakening to each moment and discovering what comes up.�

In "Hatha Yoga Asanas: Pocket Guide for Personal Practice", Yang and DiTuro have designed an accessible reference of more than 150 classic hatha yoga asanas depicted by four-color photographs. Each pose is identified in both English and Sanskrit and is accompanied by short and simple steps for performing the movements. The asanas range from gentle yoga for beginners to more advanced forms and cover a variety of hatha yoga styles, including ashtanga, vinyasa, and lyengar.

Yang believes hatha yoga helps to unify people regardless of shapes and constitutions. "Humans share the link of humanity and collective yearning to discover the truth within themselves,� Yang says. "That truth can be uncovered through the practice of hatha yoga, because how you relate to your inner self can be revealed through outer expression.�

For more information on "Hatha Yoga Asanas: Pocket Guide for Personal Practice" or other health and fitness resources, visit www.HumanKinetics.com

Dr. David Simon Passes Away

Chopra Center co-founder David Simon, M.D. passed away at home on January 31, 2012, surrounded by his family. The Chopra Center staff and friends throughout the world expressed their sorrow at the news, responding with an outpouring of love on a special website Remembering David, created for the community to share their stories and celebrate the life of a man who touched so many lives.

Deepak Chopra, a longtime medical colleague and friend who co-founded the Chopra Center for Wellbeing with David Simon in 1996 said, "David has been my friend, partner, teacher, trusted colleague, and younger brother for more than twenty years. He has touched my heart, influenced the way I think, and expanded my spirit. David approached life from a place of pure potentiality and unlimited possibilities. His wisdom, courage, and love will continue to inspire all of us for decades to come.�

A Legacy of Healing

As a board-certified neurologist and expert in Ayurveda and other traditional healing systems, David Simon brought a unique perspective to the relationship between the mind, body, emotions, and health. As a young medical student, he was disillusioned by a medical paradigm that viewed the body as a physical "machine� and generally rejected the connection between the mind and the body. David began to study the ancient wisdom traditions of India, Tibet, and China, encouraged by the way in which they combined the concept of body, mind, and spirit into a definition of a health as something more than just the absence of disease, but as a state of well-being and vitality.

David's first exposure to an Ayurvedic physician was to have a profound impact on his personal life and career. In his book :The Wisdom of Healing," David describes meeting this gentle vaidya (Ayurvedic doctor), whose kind-hearted, open nature seemed to inspire the trust of his patients, who were then able to share their deepest concerns and get the most benefit from their visit.

David was struck by how the vaidya's own presence seemed to be the most powerful aspect of his therapy. "More than an expert on health, he seemed to be a living representative of a healthy person, balanced in body, mind, and spirit. In this man, I saw the possibility that a physician could be more than a technical master of pathology � a doctor could guide his patients to health through his actions, words, and being.�

Developing the Chopra Center

Deeply drawn to the wisdom of Ayurveda, David ultimately became a recognized expert in this 5,000-year-old healing system, including its sister science, yoga. Throughout his medical career, he focused on integrating the theory and practice of these ancient healing sciences with the newer developments of modern Western medicine. As a driving force behind the Chopra Center's flagship programs and workshops, David developed the signature Journey into Healing mind-body wellness workshop and directed and led many of the Chopra Center's other programs, including Perfect Health and Healing the Heart.

David Simon wrote many popular books on health and well-being, including his best-selling guide Free to Love, Free to Heal: Heal Your Body by Healing Your Emotions. His other popular books include The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga Guidebook; Return to Wholeness: Embracing Body, Mind, and Spirit in the Face of Cancer; The Wisdom of Healing; Vital Energy; and The Ten Commitments: Translating Good Intentions into Great Choices.

Recognized as a leading authority in the effective and appropriate use of mind-body medicine practices, Dr. Simon's endeavors resulted in the training of thousands of physicians, nurses, and health care providers. One of the first recipients of a National Institutes of Health grant to study mind-body medical approaches to improving health care, David helped bring integrated mind-body medical programs to medical institutions, health centers, educational institutions, and health resorts throughout the world.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, a contribution can be made to support Glioblastoma Cancer Research at U.C. San Diego. Please visit the Remembering David website for the mailing address or to make an online donation.

About the Chopra Center for Wellbeing
The Chopra Center for Wellbeing was founded by Deepak Chopra, M.D. and David Simon, M.D. in 1996. Located in Carlsbad, California, the Center offers a wide variety of programs, retreats, and teacher training programs that integrate the healing arts of the East with the best in modern Western medicine. The Chopra Center has helped millions of people around the world find peace of mind, physical balance, and emotional healing.

source: www.prweb.com