Archive for February, 2009

Yoga Magazine

Yoga magazine publications represent one of the ways by which communities interested in the practice of this old art get to share new information, opinions, practice details and learn all sorts of elements from yoga experts. A yoga magazine will often explore more or less advanced yoga poses thus covering the interest of both beginners and more advanced practitioners. Moreover, it’s great to discover contemporary problems debated from the perspective of a yoga trainee or trainer. For such cases the role of a yoga magazine is not only informative but educational as well if we think about the life guiding principles in the art of yoga as such.

Besides its specific regular columns, a yoga magazine will often bring into discussion health issues that go hand in hand with the practice of yoga in general. Thus, read about organic and non-organic food, learn vegetarian food recipes, get information on alternative therapies and their practice together with all sorts of other articles devoted to more mundane aspects. Fashion, advertising, travel and accessories are also widely present within the pages of a yoga magazine regardless of whether it is issued on paper or online solely. And last but not least, the horoscope is always present, although presented in a different formula.

The pages of a yoga magazine work great for spreading the word about yoga classes, programs, camps and retreat sessions, as well as info about various yoga teachers and schools. In fact the diversity of topics starts precisely from the large number of yoga trends that are more or less popular in a certain community. The number of publications in the category of yoga magazine has increased in the western world together with the more influent preponderance of Asian cultural aspects in the society; it is in fact about the interest in the spiritual life that was so much ignored in the west and the way it catches up with us.

A yoga magazine should thus bring good informative materials that touch not only on the physical technical part of yoga but also on the spiritual reform one can experience through it. Even if the principles and goals of yoga are often stressed out in many classes, few of the practitioners really get in the final stages of spiritual advancement although they may improve their life a lot. Consequently, you could find a piece of you in a simple article published in a yoga magazine; it is surely worth taking a look!

Internet Radio Station

The regular FM radios have lost a lot of their advantages in the competition with Internet radio stations that can require only online connection and a computer. The huge dimension of the world wide web broadcasting has determined the Copyright Royalty Board to impose fees for broadcasters who want to use the Internet for radio stations; what is further to the disadvantage of the radio owners is that they have to pay retroactively for all the entire period during which they have activated online. Some people say that this could be the end of Internet radio and that only very wealthy corporations will be able to pay the price.

Would this be goodbye to Internet radio stations? The problem is that many Internet radio stations are operated by hobbyists or enthusiasts that promote new music and revive the oldies on request. Many of the programs cannot be found with corporate-owned stations that sometimes lack the emotion and the passion a small broadcaster puts in the work. A huge media upsurge occurred after this news was released and blog comments all over the Internet protest against the Copyright Royalty Board that would bring about the closing of many small radio stations.

Neither the public nor the artists benefit from the crippling of such a groundbreaking online presence. In order to be able to pay the fees and stay functional on the profitable side, Internet radio stations would have to incorporate a lot more advertising into their formats. Commercials are considered the main cause for popularity decrease that corporate radio stations face, and the absence of such breaks in the broadcast actually guided some listeners towards online shows. So, where a radio station runs a commercial now, it will run two in the near future to come, and a very positive aspect of online broadcasting will be compromised for good.

Hope remains that smart guys will always find a breech in the system, or that the system itself will improve and allow us to move to the next stage of radio broadcasting. Presently, there are hundreds of sites that provide all sorts of complex listings with Internet radio stations worldwide. Resources for detailed info on various aspects of the Radio and Entertainment Industry are also present with many such web pages. The main good bits about online broadcasting is that for the time being the restrictions are pretty reduced and they can be accessed and enjoyed anywhere in the world if you have a computer and network connectivity.

Jivamukti

Jivamukti yoga is a method of yoga which was created by David Life and Sharon Gannon in 1984, and which reintegrates the physical, philosophical and spiritual aspects of yoga. The Jivamukti method of yoga is one of the nine internationally recognized styles of Hatha yoga, the other eight being Ashtanga, Iyengar, Viniyoga, Sivananda, Integral, Bikram, Kripalu, and Kundalini. In the western world the stress has been on yoga as mostly a physical practice. More and more people are taking yoga classes in order to make their bodies firmer and fitter.

Nevertheless some of the yoga practitioners find out during their exercises that what has started out as purely physical practice may transform into a more spiritual experience. David Life and Sharon Gannon became teachers because they were eager to communicate the fact that yoga is more than just a system of exercises, but also a spiritual practice, a path to enlightenment. Jivamukti yoga is a living translation of the Indian system of yoga for the western minds so that it can be easier to grasp. Among the practices emphasized by Jivamukti yoga there are meditation, devotional chanting or the study of the ancient texts.

The meaning of the word Jivamukti (pronounced Jee-va-mook-tee) can be translated as follows: Jiva means individual soul and mukti means liberation. The word is derived from the Sanskrit jivanmuktih, meaning liberation while living. The name Jivamukti yoga reflects the fact that it is possible to have a beneficial and fulfilling life in the world, but also progress spiritually, perhaps even attaining liberation while living.

There are five tenets of Jivamukti yoga which must be considered before taking into account the practice of it. The first one is the study of the ancient yoga teaching including Sanskirt chanting. The second one is the acknowledgment that universal consciousness is the goal of all yoga practices, known under the name of Bhakti. The third tenet is Ahimsa, that is a non-violent, compassionate life-style, which stresses the importance of ethical vegetarianism.

The forth one is the Nada, or the development of a sound body and mind through deep listening. The last tenet of Jivamukti yoga, but not the least, is meditation, the connection with the unchanging reality within. Another fact to be considered before taking on Jivamukti yoga is the fact that the classes tend to be quite physically intense. In spite of these all, its success in the United States is hard to pass unnoticed; there is a Jivamukti yoga School in New York, and there are trained teachers teaching it all over the country.

Nike Uptowns

Nike Uptowns are a casual Nike sneaker that blends performance and style. Nicknamed the Nike Uptowns due to their appearance, the Nike Air Force shoes focus more on appearance than performance on the sports field. While they are functional on courts, they are mostly designed for being able to walk longer distances, giving good traction for street wear shoes.

If you are considering purchasing Nike Uptowns, there are a few things that you want to keep in mind. First, Nike Uptowns are available in a huge range of looks. There are canvas style shoes, and styles that make use of shiny plastics and leathers. There are color selections for men and women, making them one of the most varied styles of shoe available for purchase.

It is a common complaint that Nike Uptowns are mostly designed and marketed to men. The selection for women is much less varied, with less than half the styles and colors targeting women. This can make Nike Uptowns a little more challenging to find for a woman. Fortunately, the lower availability does not mean higher price. In some cases, the Nike Uptowns are more expensive for men due to the broader range of materials that are used to produce the sneakers.

As Nike Uptowns are a more casual street sneaker, there are some things you should keep in mind when you purchase your shoe. If you are a serious athlete, you will want to avoid the Nike Uptowns for when you’re performing. They are not designed to handle the wear and tear of typical sports, nor do they offer the foot support needed for long term exercise. While they can be used as a sports shoe for the more casual individual, they typically lack the traction needed. In addition to this, the soles of the Nike Uptowns are not as thick or molded as standard Nike’s sport shoes, which will result in the sneaker wearing out if used for a lot of sports.

There are a lot of places that you can purchase Nike Uptowns from. You can acquire them from any Nike store, you can purchase them online, and you can acquire them used. As many people change their Nike shoes as the styles change, this can allow you to get the shoes for a much better price.

When you purchase Nike Uptowns, you should check the manufacturer date. This applies to local retail stores, as the Nike warranty is based off of manufacturer date, not purchase date.

Subway Diet

Everyone is familiar with the Subway Diet featuring Jared, the guy who lost 245 pounds in a year by walking and replacing two meals a day with Subway sandwiches. Now, as Paul Harvey would say, it’s time for the rest of the story. Read further for a brief history of the subway diet.

Jared Fogle was a student at Indiana University who worked at an adult video store in order to pay his way through college. He sat long hours in a class room, sat long hours behind the counter at the video store while eating snacks, and as a result ended up weighing 425 pounds. Needless to say his weight and health situation had become critical. Jared wanted to find a way to lose weight.

He tried various diets, but they didn’t work because he still had all those hours behind a counter during which to cheat. One day he noticed a Subway sandwich store about a mile and a half from his apartment. Without knowing it he was inventing the Subway diet. Jared decided to skip breakfast every day, walk the mile and a half there and back to Subway for both lunch and dinner during which he consumed only a sandwich, a bag of baked chips and a diet soft drink. His caloric intake plummeted from about 10,000 calories each day to only 900, with 6 miles of walking added for good measure. The result of Jared’s personal Subway diet was a loss of 245 pounds in only a year.

How did this Subway diet become a national ad campaign for the Subway chain? One day Jared bumped into a buddy who was a reporter for the school paper. This buddy barely recognized Jared, so he decided to write an article about his amazing weight loss. Someone at Men’s Health magazine read about Jared and decided to include his diet in a feature about crazy diets that work. A local Chicago Subway owner read the Mens Health article, brought the diet to the attention of his advertising people who contacted Jared to verify the story. They took the ad idea to Subway’s national ad agency who disliked the idea, so they created a local campaign for Chicago featuring the Subway diet.

Needless to say the Subway diet became a huge hit. Suddenly Jared and his Subway diet were everywhere – in newspapers, on television, even on Oprah. Subway’s national ad people contacted the Chicago ad people about airing the ad nationally.

Many people have had success with the Subway diet. But keep in mind that Jared’s extreme program of calorie cutting and extreme weight loss are, in general, potentially dangerous. A little more moderation is needed, but exercise and cutting calories are a proven one two punch combination in the fight against obesity.