Gearing up for Yoga Month

This September is National Yoga Month and a wealth of organizations is getting ready to show the world how yoga has impacted their lives in an effort to alter the current path of the American healthcare system. A recent article on PR-Canada.net speaks about the Yoga Health Foundation’s intention to mobilize both the yoga and traditional medical communities to join forces in the fight against the myopic view of today’s healthcare system. With corporate sponsorship, they will do a 10-city tour with places such as Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago on the agenda. They will reach underserved communities with the positive message of yoga. KosmicLife is proud to be one of Yogamonth’s sponsors and we’ll be bringing you more info about the event in the coming weeks. For now, you can read more about it at pr-canada.net.

How Cool is Hot Yoga?

Chances are that wherever you live, someone is offering a Hot Yoga class where the room is heated to somewhere between 95 and 105 degrees. The practice of doing yoga in a hot room was reportedly started by Bikram Choudhury, founder of the Yoga College of India. Hot yoga has become hugely popular in the U.S. and many of its proponents swear by it, citing benefits such as removal of toxins, increased energy, and ease of movement. But the scientific community is not so sure that doing downward dogs in a room near or above body temperature is such a good thing. Repercussions such as nausea, fainting, dehydration, and more serious medical issues worry some. Yoga blogger, Kreg Weiss, talks about this in his latest musing on www.myyogaonline.com.

Walking the Labyrinth

Have you ever walked a labyrinth or thought about doing it? It seems simple—just follow the winding path by putting one foot in front of the other. But this wonderful introductory video to the history and meaning of the labyrinth includes experiences of those who have done it, and it clearly has different meanings for each person. Many claim that it is meditative, a chance to reflect or contemplate something, while others say they have trouble removing the ego that wants to be “aware” of how they’re walking. Labyrinths can be seen at a variety of places, most popularly at retreat centers and nature parks. This short video will introduce the simple yet profound experience of walking the labyrinth. See www.youtube.com.