Can't quite give up meat? Me neither.But since my brother's diagnosis with Stage IV brain cancer this summer, I've become a lot more interested in all things concerning health. Diet is a key. And, sadly, meat is a huge concern.Yesterday, the Huffington Post came out with a great idea: be a part-time vegetarian.That means, have a few days a week when you don't eat any meat or dairy products. Eat less meat and dairy overall and you will decrease your chances of getting cancer. (This has been proven with massive research--I'm not talking nicey hippie ideas here, I'm talking NIH and Cornell-funded multi-year research studies).You will also decrease the terrible impact that cattle and dairy farming--as well as other forms of meat & fish farming--are having on the planet. Again, this is not some utopian vision of "I'm Ok, You're OK." Notice how warm it is today? Eighty degrees in mid-October?To start, you could follow the Environmental Working Group's campaign for Meatless Mondays.
Who in $$ Does Yoga?
This Huffington Post article tells us who is doing yoga in corporate America, which is interesting. Newcomers include William H. Gross, the Chief Investment Officer of Pimco, Edwin Catmull, the head of Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios, Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, new anchor Katie Couric.
Still, even if their main concern is the goal and not the process, powerful people tend to seek powerful ways to keep their assets--their brains and minds--in peak condition. It's not so much of a stretch that they, too, would appreciate yoga's revitalizing tonic. We've been hearing about celebrities doing yoga since day 1 of the current yoga craze (late 90s). Now it's time to hear more from the other power brokers.
Read the article here.
Off the Mat... with The Huffington Post
Off the Mat - Into the World is a program run by Sean Corne, Hala Khouri, and Suzane Sterling, that "aims to inspire and guide you to find and define your purpose and become active in your local or global community in an effective, sustainable and joyful way."
Recently, Huffington Post columnist Verena Von Pfetten was dispatched to participate in one of OTM's 2-day workshops, this one held at the Omega Institute. Von Pfetten writes, "And so, while I began the trip thinking I was entirely out of my element and cringing at the thought of sharing my "wounds" to 30 other beautiful people, I ended it feeling like, at the very least, I was a part of something. So, when a fellow retreat-er crawled up to my mat after the three-hour ass kicking and quietly said to me, "You did really well there," I did almost (almost!) cry, but I thanked her."
Hardened journalists beware! Yoga is more than ready for you.
Bikram Yoga Championships Hit Britain, Olympics Could be Next Stop
The Huffington Post reports that two former British Yoga Champions (this is only for Bikram-style yogis) are lobbying to have yoga officially recognized as a competitive Olympic sport . The last National Championships in the US were held in the summer of 2003, to very mixed reactions. When did yoga become a competitive sport, some asked.
Bikram himself was a champion in India; who knows what other yogis like Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois think of it, but yoga championships continue today, like the World Yoga Competition in New Delhi next week. The competitors are five 15-year old boys and one 14-year old, so don't get excited.
One thing's for sure: in the West, many of us don't accept this version of yoga. The comments on Huffington Post blurb show a familiar mix of lurid skepticism and outraged disbelief. Some hilarious comments, too.
More on the Olympic effort on buzzfeed.