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Last year at Wanderlust Festival in Stratton Mountain, the founders came together to give a special speakeasy session to give the festival participants a real good view of what they have going on internally. Jeff, Schuyler, and Sean talk about how they met, how they started the festival, and how they keep it going. Read more below from Wanderlust!

“One of the central purposes of Wanderlust is to create community around shared values. Meet the founders of Wanderlust, Jeff Krasno, Schuyler Grant and Sean Hoess, to discuss how to grow this community and define its values. Hear about the inspiration behind Wanderlust from Yoga to Yoda and share your ideas on how to evolve the event.“

Make sure to keep your eyes out for a special appearance by Michaela of YOGANONYMOUS!

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AcroYoga co-founder, Jenny Sauer-Klein gives clear instruction on the art of communication. This three part communication check-in is used in the practice of AcroYoga and can be applied to most any group activity in the world!

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Hanuman, is a legendary character from yoga mythology. He has three poses, or asanas, attributed to him: hanumanasana (splits pose), anjaneyasana (lunge pose), and virasana (hero pose). This video illustrates the mythology behind all three and introduces a sequence that incorporates these three hanuman poses.

The story of Hanuman comes from the Ramayana, an epic poem and tale. In this tale, Ram and Hanuman are best friends. Hanuman was a demigod sent to live in the forest with a band of monkeys. When he was young, his name was Anjaneya, named after his mother. That is why we call this kneeling lunge pose Anjaneyasana. This pose named for the baby Hanuman is all about finding an even stretch. Virasana is another name for Hanuman. Ram’s girlfriend, Sita, was stolen by an evil demon so he sent Hanuman to save her. He prayed for the faith to do a seemingly impossible task. He prayed to be filled with confidence and love. The last Hanuman pose is (you guessed it!) Hanumanasana. This video shows how to get into this challenging splits pose through multiple variations and sequences. In this challenging pose, it is super helpful to remember that Hanuman is the embodiment of friendship and happiness – not suffering!

What do these poses have in common? They are all hip openers and involve the stretching of the psoas, the muscle that is most involved in moving through fear. And moving through fear is exactly what this monkey demigod does and what we can do through practicing these asanas. As we start to open these muscles, we begin to relieve our fear and our stress. When we do that, we can do anything.

Click here to learn more about the Kaivalya Yoga Method

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Join Jonas Elrod, the director and star of the documentary “Wake Up”, as he discusses “Being Spiritually Authentic”: the pros and cons of embarking on the spiritual path, the responsibilities that come with it, how to integrate it into your life.

Jonas Elrod grew up in the south listening to people tell the most fascinating stories, which led to his own passion for storytelling. He moved to New York and worked with award-winning production company Rockhard Films, working on music videos and commericals for the likes of Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Mike, ESPN and Spike Lee. He produced his first documentary, BEARS, in 2003, and didn’t expect to become the subject of his next documentary, but 8 years later found himself on a personal journey that he documented in the film WAKE UP, which follows him after he experiences a very radical and surprising spiritual awakening.

For more information on Jonas’ film and to watch the movie, please visit: www.wakeupthefilm.com

In this video, Sianna beautifully shares some insight into the first universal principle of alignment in Anusara Yoga: Open to Grace.

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Sianna Sherman is an internationally recognized and certified Anusara yoga teacher. Known for her artful fusion of heart, alignment, therapeutics and creative sequencing, Sianna facilitates a sacred space for each person to feel held in a wider embrace of compassion and love.

If you weren’t able to attend the festivities in person, you can still get a taste of the event – we’ve got your daily recap videos via our friends at BigHappyDay.com. Check them out below along with a bonus preview of the Tantra Immersion that will occur before the 2012 Estes Park Conference:

Friday, January 13th

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On Friday,  Kasey was joined by Jason Crandell, Janet Stone, David Romanelli, Seane Corn and others as she tours the City on Friday the 13th featuring (and inventing!) all kinds of strange and amusing new forms of yoga. Friday wraps up with a few words from Krishna Das, ending the day with a beautiful concert.

Saturday, January 14th

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Saturday was another sun-drenched day in San Francisco at the Yoga Journal Conference. Dozens of top teachers from all over the country shared ancient and modern wisdom and practices. Physical health and mental clarity was complimented by deep relaxation, balance and sound therapy.

The evening entertainment featured an interactive trance dance lead by Shiva Rea, followed by rockin’ world grove dance party featuring Suzanne Sterling on vocals with the Desert Dwellers, lead by DJ Dragonfly.

Sunday, January 16th: Tantra Talk Video – Preview for Estes Park 2012

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Tantra is weaving its way into the mainstream! Yoga Journal Announced on Sunday that they are hosting a three day immersion dedicated solely to Tantra. This video takes place in the studio at YJSF with Rod Stryker, Sianna Sherman, Shiva Rea, Sally Kempton and Gary Kraftsow discussing the upcoming Tantra Immersion that’s happening in October before the Yoga Journal Conference at Estes Park. We hope to see you there for this one-of-a-kind event!

Monday, January 17th: Off The Mat, Into The World Immersion

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Click here to learn more about upcoming Yoga Journal Conferences

Click here to visit BigHappyDay.com

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Layering traditional Hindu kirtan with instantly accessible melodies and modern instrumentation, Krishna Das has been called yoga’s “rock star.” With a remarkably soulful voice that touches the deepest chord in even the most casual listener, Krishna Das — known to friends, family, and fans as simply KD — has taken the call-and-response chanting out of yoga centers and into concert halls, becoming a worldwide icon and the best-selling chant artist of all time, with over 300,000 records sold.

KD spent the late ’60’s traveling across the country as a student of Ram Dass, and in August 1970, he finally made the journey to India, which led him to Ram Dass’ own beloved guru, Neem Karoli Baba, known to most as Maharaj-ji.

Given the name Krishna Das, KD began to chant as part of following the path of Bhakti yoga — the yoga of devotion.

After two and a half years with Maharaj-ji, returned to USA – alas, six months after his return, word came that Maharaj-ji had died.

He took solace in music, finding peace and strength in both his Bhakti yoga practice as well as in such heroes as Ray Charles, Van Morrison, Steely Dan, and Bruce Springsteen (whom he laughingly calls “the Bodhisattva of New Jersey”). KD also co-founded Triloka Records, a California-based label specializing in world music, releasing such artists as Jai Uttal, sarod virtuoso Ali Akbar Khan, and legendary jazz musician/composer Jackie McLean.

In 1994, KD started leading chant at Jivamukti Yoga Center, NYC, with an ever-growing audience of yoga students which has led to chant with people all around the world.

Since 1996 KD has recorded 14 albums including his latest ones ‘Heart as Wide as the World” and ‘Chants of a Lifetime’ (book + CD).

“The chanting just hits you and you want to be a part of it,” KD promises. “That’s the point of this whole thing. That’s what cuts through all the ’stuff’. You get lit up. You don’t have to know what it means.”

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Come learn all about this and so much more in our Anatomy: Form & Function and Stretch One-on-One weekend intensives offered in Torrance, CA, Henderson, NV, and Chicago, IL in the next 30 days.

Love,

leeann

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Shiva schools the Wanderlust crowd on her Yoga Energy Activism pledge, discussing how we can regenerate and sustain the energy we use in our daily lives for a better life and a better planet.

Shiva Rea, M.A. is a yogini firekeeper, sacred activist, global adventurer and leading innovator in the evolution of prana flow yoga, transformational vinyasa flow integrating the tantric bhakti roots of yoga, Krishnamacharya’s teachings and a universal, quantum approach to the body. Shiva is known for bringing the roots of yoga alive for modern practitioners in creative, dynamic and life-transforming ways and for offering the synthesis form of prana flow out in the world. Shiva is the creator of Prana Flow Yoga, Yogadventure Retreats, Yoga Trance Dance for Life, Moving Activism for 1,008,000 Trees, the worldwide Global Mala Project, Yogini Conferences and E2: The Evolutionary Edge Tour. She writes for Yoga Journal, Yoga Plus Joyful Living, is the author of award-winning CD’s and DVD’s, and contributor to many publications and features.

For more information on Shiva Rea and her teaching schedule, please click here.

For more information on the Global Mala Project, please click here.

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Vusi Mahlasela is in conversation about his life growing up in South Africa as a young activist and realizing the importance of music and song.

After world-wide touring and international acclaim, Americans first caught a glimpse of Vusi in the lauded documentary film Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony, and the accompanying soundtrack. After the release of the film, long-time admirer and fellow South African, Dave Matthews, signed Vusi to his own ATO Records label and released The Voice (2003)¸ a collection of the best songs from Vusi’s catalog. In 2007, ATO released his latest album, Guiding Star, his first full-length release in the States. ATO Records will release the highly anticipated follow-up record to Guiding Star on January 18, 2011. The new album, Say Africa, produced by Taj Mahal and recorded at Dave Matthews’ studio in Charlottesville, VA, captures Vusi’s hope for the future of Africa: “Let all those who share in Mandela’s greatest wish—to one day see an Africa that is at peace with herself—SAY AFRICA.”

After recording the album in the States this spring, Vusi returned to his home in South Africa and was honored to help ring in the World Cup at FIFA’s Kick Off Concert at Orlando Stadium. The concert was broadcast internationally to an estimated one billion viewers. Following his performance, Vusi proudly introduced fellow South African, Archbishop Desmond Tutu on stage. Vusi’s anthemic song When You Come Back was ITV’s official theme song for the World Cup in the UK. Other recent highlights include performing at Mandela Day to honor Mandela’s birthday, touring with Bela Fleck behind the release of his Grammy-winning album Throw Down Your Heart, which features a live track from Vusi and Bela, two appearances at the TED conference and performing with Paul Simon.

In the midst of a busy international touring schedule, Vusi remains dedicated to his social activism and partnerships with non-profits, including his own Vusi Mahlasela Music Development Foundation, committed to the promotion of and preservation of African music. Other organizations that Vusi actively supports are OXFAM, The Acumen Fund, The African Leadership Academy and the ONE campaign.

Over a musically and socially consequential career, South African singer-songwriter and poet-activist Vusi Mahlasela has successfully followed his muse and continued to give back to his country. As he puts it, he knows that “musicians have to be like watchdogs, just by seeing and speaking out, directly to the youth as well, because we need some kind of Cultural Revolution to remove ignorance.”

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The ancient tradition of tantra yoga is the ultimate science of fulfillment. Illuminating both the path of self-knowledge and the path of becoming the person you were meant to be, the teachings provide a roadmap to uncover your soul’s call to greatness and to unlock your capacity to achieve it. In this lecture Rod discusses his new book, The Four Desires and outlines the keys to fulfilling your worldly and spiritual potential, achieving your ultimate destiny, the science of creating thought into form, and the keys to finding and fulfilling your dharma.

Rod Stryker is the founder of ParaYoga and widely considered one of the country’s leading yoga and meditation teachers. He has taught for nearly 30 years and leads retreats, workshops, and trainings worldwide.

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Hear first-hand about her work on and off the mat, her projects, the integration of the yoga practice- into the mystery of life, and how listening to intuition and choosing to give her life over to Spirit has rewarded her with the richest and most joyful gifts ever imagined.

Seane Corn is an internationally renowned Vinyasa Flow Yoga Teacher and spiritual activist. Featured in commercials, magazines and named the “National Yoga Ambassador” for YouthAIDS in 2005, Seane now utilizes her national platform to bring awareness to the HIV/AIDS crisis. Since 2007, she has been training leaders of activism through her co-founded organization Off the Mat, Into the World®. Seane has spent time in India, Cambodia and Africa working with prostitutes and street children, teaching yoga, providing support for child labor and educating people about HIV/AIDS prevention. Seane is also co-founder of the Seva Challenge Humanitarian Tours, encouraging yoga teachers to get involved in fund and awareness raising efforts across the globe. Her award winning DVD’s are available through Gaiam and Yoga Journal, and most recently “Detox Flow Yoga” from Sounds True.

The video features some amazing NYC backdrops and beautiful poses by some of the community’s top faces and names. Who can you spot in the video?

It’s a beautiful thing my friends!

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Lori Deschene is the founder of Tiny Buddha, a community blog that publishes tips and stories about letting go of pain and embracing happiness. In addition to sharing her own struggles and insights and encouraging others to do the same, she also offers daily wisdom quotes through @tinybuddha on Twitter and the Tiny Buddha Facebook page. In an increasingly disconnected, information-overloaded world, Tiny Buddha has emerged as a place for authentic connection—where everyone has the same authority to share what they’ve learned and how they apply it. With nearly 1 million views per month, Tiny Buddha is quickly growing into one of the most popular inspirational sites on the web.

Each year, we get older, which subsequently means the bands we grew up with and loved since we were wearing Keds and corduroy’s are now due for their inductions into rock and roll immortalization. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced that this year, they will be inducting Guns N’ Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys, and Donovan amongst others (that we don’t really care about).

Personally, I remember buying “One Hot Minute” and “Mothers Milk” at the ripe age of 8 or 9 and jumping around to it (on cassette). Cheers to you, Anthony Kiedis (of Red Hot Chili Peppers).

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“I think art is inherently nonviolent and it actually occupies your mind with creation rather than destruction.” -Anthony Kiedis

Here are some videos and songs from The Beastie Boys and Guns N’ Roses. We would talk about them, but we just don’t care as much. Guns N’ who?!

Guns N’ Roses – November Rain
Just too epic for us not to post!

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Beastie Boys – You Gotta Fight
Hometown (NYC) heroes crush it!

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